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Onyx Boox Note Air 3 review: upgraded E Ink notetaker trades slickness for versatility

3:46 am | July 23, 2024

Onyx Boox Note Air 3: Two-minute review

Onyx’s Boox Note Air 3 may not be the Chinese company’s thinnest e-paper tablet (having been usurped by the recently announced Boox Go 10.3), but this slim and comfortable Android device still has plenty of appeal for anyone after a flexible way to create digital handwritten notes.

With a sleek and relatively thin chassis, plus a slightly asymmetrical design, the Note Air 3 is great to hold and, despite its large size, can be comfortably supported with just one hand for both reading or writing. The monochrome E Ink Carta 1200 display is the same one used broadly across many other 10-inch epaper devices, and performs well when it comes to handwriting with the included stylus or text-based productivity and entertainment tasks. Being black and white, it’s not as geared towards highly visual tasks – images can sometimes be hard to make out – and if you’re after a device where you can highlight and mark up text with bright hues, then you’ll likely be better off with the color version – the Note Air 3 C.

With ‘Note’ right in its name, this is obviously a tablet geared towards productivity, and it’s undeniably a wiz when it comes to taking hand-written notes, with a full-featured app that allows a lot of sophistication and customization for both editing and sharing your documents. Editing features include the basics you’d expect, with a variety of notepad templates (from standard ruled lines to checklists or grid paper) and pen styles, alongside expected smart features like layers, shapes and converting handwritten notes to digital text. But beyond that, there’s advanced capabilities like being able to paste images or insert web links (or links to other on-device documents) and even record voice memos directly into notes. Note files can also optionally be saved as vector-based PDFs, then automatically synced to several cloud storage or online note-taking platforms (including Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, OneNote and more) for easy access on other devices.

Reading on the Note Air 3 is more of a mixed affair. While the integrated NeoReader app is admirably full featured and capably renders a variety of document and image formats (including ePub, PDF, Mobi, TXT, HTML, JPEG, PNG and plenty more) and there’s a large library of freely downloadable public domain books, there’s no ebook store from which to purchase titles. To satisfy your thirst for new titles, you’ll need to resort to third-party sources such as the Kindle or Kobo stores. If those platforms have an Android app, you can read your books in that, but otherwise you’ll need to manually copy your purchased ebooks over, either from your PC via USB or synced from a cloud storage service. (And if those ebooks happen to have digital rights management applied, then you’ll need to jump through hoops to remove that too.)

Onyx Boox Note Air 3 home screen and stylus on the open case — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

With the capacity to install Android apps straight from the Google Play Store, the Note Air 3’s capabilities can be expanded well beyond competing devices from brands like reMarkable, Kindle and Kobo – although there’s a big caveat here, in that not all of them are entirely usable on a black-and-white E Ink display. Any app that requires fast on-screen motion provides a middling experience at best – you’ll have to choose between smooth motion and significant ghosting, or juddering movement but clearer images. Certain color combinations can result in parts of user interfaces that are completely unusable too and, because tablet apps are optimized for LCD or OLED screens, on e-paper you’ll find fonts are often fuzzy or have ragged edges, lacking the sharpness of an app made with E Ink rendering in mind. The Note Air 3 fares best with high-contrast Android apps that avoid any kind of on-screen scrolling or video – which, thankfully, does include many productivity and reading apps.

Driving the Note Air 3 is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor. Although this is an aging midrange chip, it provides enough power to deliver a generally speedy and frustration-free user experience here. And the battery life is fantastic thanks to a 3,700mAh capacity, meaning that, even with daily use, it can last a minimum of a week between charges – and sometimes between 2-3 weeks when used for an hour or two per day.

When it comes to price and overall value, the Note Air 3 likewise generally impresses. At $399.99 / €449.99 (about £380) / AU$749, in most territories it’s roughly the same price as competing devices like the reMarkable 2 and Kobo Elipsa 2E, and although it’s not as polished when it comes to UX and UI, the fact that it’s running Android means it’s unmatched for versatility.

Although it’s a bit rough-and-ready in parts, the Note Air 3 is ultimately a likeable and supremely flexible and full-featured e-paper tablet. It nails note-taking and can be easily integrated with a wide range of third-party cloud and productivity platforms, so it’s an easy recommendation if those are your primary needs.

The apps section on the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Onyx Boox Note Air 3: Price and availability

Announced and shipping since December 2023
Standard bundle: $399.99 / €449.99 (about £380) / AU$749
Premium Stylus bundle: $479.98 / €529.98 (about £447) / unavailable in AU

The Note Air 3 starts at $399.99 / €449.99 (about £380) / AU$749 for the standard bundle, which includes Onyx’s basic stylus (without the eraser), five replacement stylus tips and a faux-leather folio case. In the US and Europe, you’ve also got the option to upgrade to the Premium stylus bundle for an additional $79.99 / €79.99 which, as the name suggests, adds in one of Onyx’s Pen2 Pro styluses, albeit at their normal retail price – there’s no discount being offered.

It’s worth noting that if you buy the Note Air 3 directly from Onyx or at Amazon in the US, it’s almost always discounted – during my months-long testing of the device, the US price was regularly reduced to $379.99 at the Onyx store, for example. Australians may also be better off buying the device directly from Onyx’s online store in US currency versus local retail, where there’s a considerable AU$150 mark up.

Given that discounting, the Note Air 3’s price is fairly competitive for a 10-inch note-taking e-reader – although the Note Air 3’s US price makes it more expensive than Amazon’s similar Kindle Scribe ($339.99), it matches the Kobo Elipsa 2E and reMarkable 2 (both around $399), and none of these competitors include a case, which usually adds a minimum of $50 to the price.

There’s also a color version of the Note Air 3, which costs an additional $100 / €100 / AU$170.

Value score: 3.5 / 5

The Onyx Boox Note Air 3 enclosed within a faux leather case — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Onyx Boox Note Air 3: Key specs

Onyx Boox Note Air 3: Design and display

Thin design that’s easy to hold one-handed
Built-in frontlights for use in dim lighting
Stylus detaches too easily

At first glance, the Note Air 3 appears very similar to its Air 2 predecessor and its two most notable upgrades are invisible ones that reside under the hood – a 20% faster processor and bigger battery (3,700mAh vs 3,000mAh). In many other respects the Air 3 is almost identical to its forebear – its 10.3-inch E Ink display uses the same generation of Carta 1200 e-paper tech with a resolution of 227 pixels per inch, and the aluminum-magnesium alloy chassis is basically indistinguishable when it comes to both looks and dimensions – although the color has been dialed down slightly, going from a dark metallic blue to a greenish gunmetal grey. The Air 3 is 40g heavier than its predecessor, coming in at 460g on our scales, with the extra weight likely due to that larger capacity battery.

While it’s not as physically wafer-thin as the 4.7mm reMarkable 2 or Onyx’s newly announced 4.6mm Boox Go 10.3, the Note Air 3 is still slim for an e-paper tablet, measuring just 5.8mm thick. And critically, that width squeezes in frontlights for screen illumination – a feature both the reMarkable and Boox Go 10.3 lack – and that makes the Note Air 3 more versatile, particularly when you’re working or reading in dimmer lighting.

If you’re tossing up between the Note Air 3 and one of Onyx’s Tab Ultras, I found the Air 3’s thinner profile and wider left-side bezel made it a considerably more comfortable device to use. That wider bezel (measuring 28mm vs the Boox Tab Ultra C’s 20mm), in particular, means it’s much easier to hold in one hand for both reading and writing, and its 5.8mm thickness means it’s a bit less obtrusive when sitting on a table too – the Tab Ultra C is 6.7mm.

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The USB-C charging port on the side of the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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The fingerprint sensor is flush against the top edge of the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Likewise, the rounded edges on all four sides mean handling the Note Air 3 is generally friendlier, although those curves do come with an unfortunate side effect: even with magnets to help hold it in place, the stylus only loosely attaches on the right edge and often sits slightly off-kilter. The fatter and squarer edges on many competitors’ e-ink tablets (and even Onyx’s own Tab Ultras) provide more surface area for stylus magnets to grip onto. Conversely, it’s very easy for the stylus to fall off the Note Air 3. Storing the tablet in a bag or even just carrying or moving the device about with a bit of jostling is enough for the stylus to detach.

To its credit, the Note Air 3’s folio case (which comes included in the box) does hold the stylus far more securely thanks to a clasp it nestles inside, although using the case also adds an extra 260g to the carry weight and doubles the device’s thickness. If you don’t plan on using that case however, you really do need to be careful about stowing the pen separately.

Onyx has made one extra addition to the Note Air 3 that you won’t find on any other Boox devices: a fingerprint reader on the power button. This makes unlocking the device a little more seamless if you want to keep it secure (you’ll otherwise be tapping in a pin every time) and, in testing, I generally found it worked well about 90% of the time, but occasionally required a rescan or two to recognize my fingerprint, particularly when using the device in its folio case.

Design & display score: 4 / 5

The Boox Pen Plus placed on the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Onyx Boox Note Air 3: Software and user interface

Productivity

Powerful and flexible note-taking capabilities
Great support for cloud storage and notes services
Interface still a little inelegant

Onyx has heavily streamlined the Android interface on the Note Air 3 so it revolves around reading and note-taking. Instead of the typical home screen with app icons and widgets, the default interface has a menu bar that runs down the left edge of the screen, with icons that will jump you to one of six screens – Library, Store, Notes, Storage, Apps and Settings.

Those sections largely do what you’d expect, letting you browse, view and manage various elements. Library, for example, is the central place for reading, with access to any documents, ebooks, digital comics, presentations or images you’ve saved into the device’s Library folder, while the Apps pane displays all the Android applications you’ve downloaded, also letting you uninstall them or sort them into groups. Storage is where you can go for basic on-device file management, with shortcuts to key folders (Downloads, Documents, Images and Fonts, for example) or just straight access to the device’s full filesystem.

Notes is the key section here as it’s where you can create, browse, search and open notepads, and optionally move, delete or organize them into folders and subfolders. With more than half a dozen e-paper tablets under Onyx’s belt, it’s perhaps no surprise that the Note Air 3 delivers a mature and feature-laden note-taking experience. It offers all the basic features you’d expect, starting with a range of different notepad templates in various categories (ranging from standard lined notes to grid paper and checklists), five different pen styles with various thickness settings and colors (yes, on a monochrome display, and they’re named so you know what color you’re using) and inherent capabilities like undoing or redoing changes and converting handwritten notes to text.

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A section of handwriting circled within a note on the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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The lasso tool on the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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Handwriting recognition working on the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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Handwriting recognition on the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

There’s a ton of advanced capabilities beyond these basics, such as editing shortcuts like gestures (scribbling over a word or drawing will erase it, for example, and you can draw a ring around a piece of text or object to ‘lasso’ and move it around within a note, or even copy or cut it to paste into an entirely separate document), the ability to add tappable links within a note’s body to link to websites or other notebooks on the device, and the optional capacity to sync vector-based PDF versions of your notepads to a wide variety of cloud storage services and note-taking apps (such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, OneDrive and OneNote). There’s also a built-in text-search feature that works on hand-written notes – even those that have never explicitly been converted into text.

In terms of the physical interface, not much has changed between the Note Air 3 and its predecessor – and that’s a good thing. While basic, the ridged stylus is comfortable to hold and write with on screen, and the display provides enough of a matte texture and friction to at least vaguely mimic paper.

While Onyx’s UI and UX aren’t quite as slick or clean as what you’ll find on Kobo, Kindle or reMarkable’s note takers, the Note Air 3 arguably makes up for that with an admirably large and flexible set of tools that can more easily integrate with your existing productivity workflow and apps.

Productivity score: 4.5 / 5

Reading

Opens a huge range of file types
Lackluster font support
Store app only offers public domain titles

The reading experience on the Note Air 3 is a bit more of a mixed affair. If you’re viewing one of the plethora of supported document or image types (which includes the likes of ePub, PDF, Mobi, Word Doc, TXT, RTF, HTML, CBR, CBZ, PowerPoint, JPEG, BMP and PNG) and you’ve opened it via the Library or Storage screens, it’s displayed using Onyx’s native NeoReader app. NeoReader has been tailor-built for e-paper screens, so fonts are generally crisp and well-defined and, like you’ll find on Kindle and Kobo, there’s a lot of leeway for customizing things like font size and weight, or the spacing of paragraphs, line and margins. You can also leave handwritten notes directly on document pages – provided there’s clear space to do so, which is quite easy to add simply by increasing that line, paragraph or margin spacing.

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The NeoReader's floating toolbar on the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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A book page displayed on the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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A book page displayed on the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 with the floating toolbar accessible — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Where the Note Air 3 reading experience disappoints is in its lack of onboard fonts – there’s only one English font included (an unnamed serif) and this doesn’t have dedicated type subsets for weights or style variations, like bold and italic. When needed, those styles are applied by digitally manipulating the original font – italics just lazily tilts the text to the left by a certain percentage, for example. Sideloaded third-party fonts are treated the same way, with NeoReader offering no capacity for properly loading full font families – something that both Kobo and Kindle do support. If you’re a diehard font nerd, this makes reading on the Note Air 3 (or indeed any Onyx E Ink device) a decidedly second-rate experience. It's a puzzling oversight, and one that's gone frustratingly unaddressed by Onyx for years.

Unlike Kindle and Kobo, the integrated Boox Store doesn’t actually sell any books. There’s a large selection of public domain titles that you can download for free, but you won’t find any modern bestsellers, so you’ll need to purchase any books you want to read on third-party stores and either use that platform’s Android app (if one’s available), or sideload them via USB or cloud storage. Sideloading may also first require you to jump through some hoops to strip the book’s DRM, if it has any.

Reading score: 3.5 / 5

Android system & apps

Highly customized Android interface
Full access to the Google Play Store
App usability varies

Of course, with its Android OS, the Note Air 3’s big advantage over other brands’ E Ink tablets is that it can download apps from the Google Play Store, unlocking capabilities beyond what you’ll find on devices like the Kindle Scribe, Kobo Elipsa 2E and reMarkable 2. How useful that actually is depends on the specific apps you want to use, in particular how friendly their UI design is to E Ink displays, and how reliant they are on real-time responsiveness. Although its mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon processor is technically enough to handle them, the Note Air 3 is not a device I’d ever use for watching videos or real-time gaming, for example.

Productivity apps fare a bit better. Thanks to that Android OS, you can theoretically use any note-taking or document system you want that has an Android app – that includes the likes of Notion, Obsidian, Microsoft OneNote, Evernote, Google Docs and more. It’s worth noting that native handwriting support can be hit and miss in these apps however, so if you’re heavily invested in one of the systems, I’d strongly suggest researching this first.

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The folders within the Storage pane of the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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The Control Center overlaid over a book's page on the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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A collection of notebooks within the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

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The library app of the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

The other caveat is that Android apps are almost universally designed to work on LCD- or OLED-based color screens – and E Ink doesn’t always respond well to this. Small text and soft colors are difficult for black-and-white E Ink to handle, for example, and font rendering in Android apps can also be hit and miss on e-paper – in both the Kobo and Kindle apps, for example, the edges of fonts are fuzzy and jagged rather than sharp.

I tested over a dozen different apps for this review and found that while most were generally usable, those with high-contrast interfaces worked best. Certain color combinations can result in parts of the UI being invisible in some apps and just how impactful that is depends on how central that UI element is.

To help with general navigation and app switching, the Note Air 3 supports some of Android’s native swipe gestures (swiping from the center bottom of the screen will close the app you’re in, for example, while swiping from the left side in goes Back) and also includes Onyx’s optional NaviBall button – a small circle that can be moved around the screen and overlays whatever app you’re in. Tap it and it quickly expands a selection of up to nine reconfigurable buttons which can trigger around 30 different Android functions – things like mimicking Back, Refresh and Multitask Switcher buttons, toggling Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, taking a screenshot and more.

Android system & apps score: 4 / 5

The different shortcuts accessible via the Navball on the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Onyx Boox Note Air 3: Performance

Adequately speedy for reading and note-taking
E Ink display limits usability of some apps
Significant ghosting if refresh rate set too high

The Note Air 3 runs on a mid-range 2.4GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 chipset. Paired with an Adreno 610 graphics processor, that’s plenty of horsepower for core tasks like reading and note taking without any real lag. When writing, there’s no noticeable delay between putting the stylus to screen and the digital ink appearing on the page, for example, and browsing and opening notebooks and other documents (including images) generally takes no more than a few seconds. Launching and using Android apps is likewise fast enough that you never feel like you’re stuck waiting.

There’s a wrinkle to performance, however, in that e-paper is not designed for real-time responsiveness, so if you try to use the Note Air 3 like a regular tablet, you’re quickly going to bump up against that limitation. As we noted earlier, tasks like scrolling through social media, watching videos and playing fast-paced games are all lackluster experiences on the Boox’s black-and-white E Ink screen – it’s simply not fast enough to keep up with the high rate of on-screen motion that’s required.

As on its other Boox devices, Onyx has tried to remedy this shortcoming by having a built-in tool that lets you switch between five different screen refresh rates on a per-app basis. When choosing a refresh rate, you’re basically making a trade-off between faster on-screen responsiveness – making scrolling web pages and motion in videos and games smoother and with less image flickering – at the cost of ghosting. The default setting works well for most reading and note-taking apps, and gives you a fairly traditional e-paper experience: slower and more juddering on-screen motion and image flickering, but with fairly minimal ghosting.

A handwritten page on the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

For third-party apps, the idea is that you’ll experiment to find a setting that works well for the specifical app you’re using. Web browsers (where you’re moving between pages with entirely different content and doing a lot of scrolling up and down) are more pleasant and responsive if you bump up the refresh rate, although if you go too far, you’ll end up with significant ghosting – so much so that some people might find it distractingly unusable. An iPad replacement this is not.

One area where the Note Air 3 is not lacking is battery life, with that large 3,700mAH capacity outclassing most other 10-inch ereaders. There’s minimal drain while the tablet is sleeping (and almost none if completely switched off) and when using the device for about an hour a day at medium screen brightness, I would often go an impressive 2-3 weeks between recharges. While the battery will drain more quickly depending on usage (writing with the stylus has more of an impact than reading), even with 2-3 hours a day of mixed tasks, the battery easily lasted a week. Charging the battery from nearly empty to full does require a bit of patience however, taking around 2.5 hours.

Performance score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Onyx Boox Note Air 3?

Buy it if…

You want a flexible digital note-taking device
Continuing Onyx’s reputation for building highly capable note-taking devices, the Note Air 3 lets you create sophisticated digital notebooks, then easily sync them with other cloud storage and productivity platforms.

You want to run specific Android apps
With the ability to install Android apps from the Google Play Store, the Note Air 3’s capabilities for both work and entertainment can be expanded well beyond most other e-paper tablets.

You’re OK with a bit of inelegance
Boox devices often have a rough-and-ready approach to getting things done, and the Note Air 3 certainly fits that bill. It offers a plethora of features and tools, but that diversity means it’s sometimes not as polished or refined as other brands’ ereaders.

Don’t buy it if…

You only need basic note taking
If your note-keeping needs are relatively simple, the Note Air 3 is likely going to be overkill, and you might appreciate the slicker and more minimal experience offered by a note-capable Kobo or Kindle device.

You want a large-screen ereader
The Note Air 3 really is a device geared towards note taking, so if you don’t plan on using it for that purpose, then there are arguably better and cheaper alternatives, such as the Kindle Scribe or Kobo Elipsa 2E.

You want to use apps that need a high refresh rate
While it might be sized like a tablet and provide full access to the Google Play Store, the e-paper display on the Note Air 3 limits how usable it is with apps that require fast on-screen motion. It’s not great for scrolling web pages, watching videos or playing real-time 3D games.

Also consider

If this review of the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 has left you wondering if it’s right for you, I’ve listed a few other alternatives below, complete with specs and price comparison, so you can choose the best option for you.

Amazon Kindle Scribe
Amazon’s one and only note-taking ereader arguably has one of the best screens on a 10-inch e-paper tablet. It’s bright, and its 300ppi resolution makes reading on it a pleasure. Where it falls short is in its note-taking features – while Amazon has been adding to the Scribe’s capabilities, they’re still a little niche compared to its biggest rival, the Kobo Elipsa 2E (listed below).
Read our in-depth Amazon Kindle Scribe review for more details.

Kobo Elipsa 2E
Balancing both digital reading and note-taking well, the Kobo Elipsa 2E is our pick of the best large-screen ereader you can buy today. Kobo’s Advanced Notebook features can compete with what Onyx Boox tablets offer without being too complicated, and its handwriting recognition is one of the best in the business. While reading on the Kindle Scribe might be better, the Elipsa 2E surpasses in writing features.
Read our full Kobo Elipsa 2E review to find out more.

Onyx Boox Tab Mini C
If you want a similar experience to what the Note Air 3 offers but not too enthused by its size, you can opt for a 7.8-inch Boox e-paper tablet with a color screen instead. While it might be smaller, it is bulkier on account of its large battery, and it runs Android 11 out of the box rather than Android 12. It also costs about as much as the Note Air 3, but you do get to read, write and draw in color. And, for now, it’s our pick of the best Android ereader.
Read our in-depth Onyx Boox Tab Mini C review to learn more.

How I tested the Onyx Boox Note Air 3

Used for business and personal note-taking for 3+ months
Read ebooks and articles and tested various Android apps and games
Compared with similar size e-paper tablets with note-taking capabilities

A person writing on the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 — (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

I jumped into testing the Note Air 3 by incorporating it into my daily work activities for several months, using it to create a wide variety of handwritten documents, including meeting notes, to-do lists and even the notes for this review.

For productivity tasks and note taking, I primarily used Boox’s own Notes app and set it up to use the Note Air 3’s in-built cloud-syncing capabilities with services including Dropbox, Microsoft OneNote and Google Drive. I also tested several third-party Android productivity apps including OneNote and Evernote to see how they fared on an E Ink screen when using a stylus as the primary input device.

To assess reading on the tablet, I loaded a variety of PDF documents and ePub books onto the device and opened them in the native reader app, NeoReader, judging areas like text legibility, customizability of fonts and other layout elements.

Lastly, to test how the Note Air 3 fared with the widely varying requirements of Android apps, I downloaded and used a wide range of popular examples, from video-driven services like YouTube and TikTok, to charting games, read-it-later services like Pocket, and RSS readers such as Feedly and NewsBlur.

Oppo Reno 12 Pro two-minute review

With its latest mid-range Android phone, Oppo seems to be going after Google’s latest affordable camera phone the Pixel 8a with a similar range of smart AI photography features. And it’s a great attempt, with some solid magic eraser action and a few other cool tools, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The Oppo Reno 12 Pro is the latest entry in Oppo’s middle tier of smartphones, the Reno range, which sits below the top-end Find mobiles and above the A line. The Reno family offer mobiles at middling prices with some impressive features but with corners cut, and generally only the even-numbered options launch in the West.

I tested the Oppo Reno 10 when that came out just under a year prior to the 12 series, and the newest member of the line comes on leaps and bounds thanks to its improved camera sensors (and faster charging). It’s a shame that Oppo has ditched the curved-edge look of the Reno 10 series though, which makes the phones much more comfortable to hold.

Sitting just above the Oppo Reno 12, the Pro distinguishes itself from its sibling and from many other mid-rangers in one key way: it has a telephoto camera lens for zoom photography.

This camera hardware brings huge benefits to the photography potential of the Reno; you can take better portrait, macro and long-distance pictures than on any similar-priced rival thanks to the presence of a zoom camera.

If you want a great camera phone that doesn’t cost as much as the iPhone 15 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S24 or OnePlus 12, the Reno 12 Pro will be a blessing. Even the Pixel 8a doesn't have a telephoto lens.

The signature selling points here, though, are the AI photography features. While top-end mobiles have had these for a while, it’s taking time for them to trickle down to mid-rangers in any serious way, but the Reno performs admirably in this department. It’s great at removing background people from your photos, whether it’s vanishing a lone wanderer or bigger crowds, and replacing them with a background so realistic you’ll forget which image is real.

It’s slower to use than the Pixel alternative, but that’s not the end of the world. And I’d say this is one of the best Pixel 8a rivals for people who don’t want a Google phone or want a zoom camera on their mobile.

The Oppo charges quickly, lasts for ages, and feels pretty snappy for gaming. Its display is big and attractive, while being fairly easy to use one-handed. Best of all, you’re getting all these features at a really competitive price.

It’s not the perfect phone though, showing some signs of its mid-range positioning. I was frustrated by how many pre-installed apps (bloatware) clutter up the phone when you first turn it on, making your first 15 minutes a game of ‘weird-knock-off-app-whack-a-mole’ as you try to delete them all. The design also feels a little cheap, even though it emulates the two-texture Pixel back on certain color options.

Even with those issues I can recommend the Reno 12 Pro as one of the best mobiles at its price, especially if you’re looking for an affordable camera phone that won’t break the bank. And with the possibility of software updates bringing improvements to the AI, the handset could prove to be a real rival of the Pixel 8a in the future.

Oppo Reno 12 Pro review: price and availability

The Oppo Reno 12 Pro on a gray and white background. — (Image credit: Future)

Released in UK and AU in June 2024
Costs £499 / AU$999 (roughly $640) for sole variant
Different versions of mobile in different regions

The Oppo Reno 12 Pro has seen a few different releases in different parts of the world, and of slightly different phones too. The western version of the mobile, which I tested, was announced in mid-June 2024.

You can buy the phone for £499 / AU$999 (roughly $640) cementing this firmly in the mid-range phone bracket. Oppo generally doesn’t sell its smartphones in the US and evidently, that’s unchanged with the Reno.

There’s only one version of the phone available in the UK, with 12GB RAM and 512GB storage, though a reduced-storage model is available in other regions. Oppo’s website also sells one color, even though it offers a different one on Amazon.

At that price, you can see why I compared this mobile to the Google Pixel 8a – that costs $499 / £499 / AU$849, so it’s a really close rival. Other mobiles at this rough price point include the iPhone SE, Samsung Galaxy A55 and Xiaomi 13T.

Oppo Reno 12 Pro review: specs

The Oppo Reno 12 Pro has roughly mid-range specs, and here's what we're playing with:

Oppo Reno 12 Pro review: design

Big but thin and light
Plastic body feels cheap
Three color options but depends on region

If you were to pick up the Oppo Reno 12 Pro without knowing what it was, you might confuse it with a Moto or Nokia phone — it gives off budget ‘vibes’. This is mostly down to the plastic frame and back of the body, the latter of which has a two-texture partition that closely resembles a Google Pixel a phone of yore.

Measuring 161.5 x 74.8 x 7.4mm it’s wider than a Pixel, though it’s nice and thin so it won’t weigh you down like a really big phone will. On that topic it weighs 180g which isn’t much for its size – the first time I picked it up I was surprised as I expected it to be heavier.

No 3.5mm headphone jack in sight — there’s a USB-C port for all your connectivity needs instead. The power button and volume rocker are both on the right edge of the device, well within reach for people with average-sized hands.

On the back of the phone, the camera bump protrudes slightly from the panel; it doesn’t stick out so far that I’ll get caught on the side of your pocket as you slip it in.

The screen houses an under-display fingerprint scanner and it worked reliably, although if I’d last used the phone on an app that requires a horizontal orientation (for example, a game), the scanner would appear at 90 degrees to where it should, oddly.

The phone is available Space Brown (black), Sunset Gold (rose) or Nebula Silver (pinkish silver) hues, though depending on your region not all options may be available. I tested the former which is why I know it’s black and not brown.

An IP65 rating ensures that the phone is protected from dust and fine particles, as well as water splashes like rain or an accidental hit from the garden hose. It won’t stand up to immersion in water though, so don’t drop it in, say, a bath.

Design score: 3 / 5

Oppo Reno 12 Pro review: display

6.7-inches with 1080 x 2412 resolution
AMOLED display shows punchy colors
120Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling

The Oppo Reno 12 Pro screen clocks in at 6.7 inches diagonally, so it’s a nice big phone — a hand-stretcher for sure, but big too for your Netflix or gaming needs.

The resolution is 1080 x 2412, or FHD+, the same as you’ll see in almost every phone save for the cheapest or priciest rivals. It’s the resolution that most apps output at, so you don’t really need more pixels anyway.

The display refresh rate hits 120Hz, which again is pretty standard for most smartphone in this day and age. It ensures that motion feels nice and smooth when you’re scrolling around the menu, and on supported apps it has the same effect.

A few extra specs make sure that the screen displays vibrant colors: it uses AMOLED tech and supports HDR10+, with a color gamut spanning a billion colors and a fairly high max brightness of 1,200 nits.

Display score: 4 / 5

Oppo Reno 12 Pro review: software

Android 14 with Oppo's ColorOS laid over the top
No confirmed number of software updates
A huge number of pre-installed apps

And here I was thinking the bloatware infestation on Chinese Android phones was going away: when you boot up the Oppo Reno 12 Pro it’s chock-full of pre-installed apps. There are big names like Netflix, Facebook and TikTok, games I’d never heard of in a folder titled ’Must Play’, countless Oppo-made apps that don’t have an obvious function and even apps titled in Chinese characters that I just don’t understand.

It’s hard to feel like a phone is ‘yours’ when, upon first booting it up, you’re met with an array quite like this.

It’s a shame, too, because under the layers of tacky bloatware ColorOS (Oppo’s own Android fork) is decent. With the Reno 12 Pro you’re getting ColorOS 13.1 by default, laid over Android 14, though Oppo has been quiet about how many Android updates the phone will get.

There’s a wide range of customization options for things like font, always-on display, the layout of the quick settings menu (the swipe-down one) and the edge lighting when you get a notification.

This quick settings menu has a pretty easy-to-understand layout, more so than on most Android forks, so you can easily toggle whatever function you want quickly. The phone also has an app drawer so by default, your phone’s main menu pages look relatively clean.

Software score: 2.5 / 5

Oppo Reno 12 Pro review: cameras

50MP main, 50MP telephoto and 8MP ultra-wide cameras
50MP selfie camera rounds out the suite
Magic eraser AI tool is useful for spritzing up pictures

Oppo named one of its first Reno phones the ‘Reno 10x Zoom’ before promptly dropping telephoto cameras from the series; well zooming is back and better than ever in the Reno 12 Pro.

I’m getting ahead of myself; the main snapper is a 50MP f/1.8 unit with a few bells and whistles like PDAF (for quick focusing) and OIS (which compensates for your shaky hands).

Pictures taken on the main camera are nice and bold and bright. Maybe they lose a little more detail in darker areas than I’d like but the vibrancy of colors more than makes up for it. Focusing was a little more scattershot than I’m used to with PDAF though and I found myself jumping into the Pro app once or twice just to have better control over it. Overall, though, this is a nice camera that returns pleasing social media-ready pics.

Its 50MP companion is the f/2.0 telephoto lens, which supports 2x optical zoom — that’s not quite the 5x of the optical zoom but it’s still a breath of fresh air given how few mid-range mobiles include zoom cameras at all.

When analysing my camera samples to write this section, I kept needing to refer to the metadata to remember which were the zoomed-in snaps – this is to say that they look great, missing on loads of the tell-tale signs of other phone camera zooms like grain, washed-out colors, a lack of dynamic range or a different color profile than the comparable 1x image.

While 2x zoom is the optical limit you can go up to 5x hybrid or 20x digital zoom, and pictures taken on the latter actually look decent. You could easily use some of the 20x snaps I took on social media – I know because I did.

The third rear camera drops the resolution considerably. It’s an 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera with a 112-degree field of view — as you can imagine pictures are a little lower-res than on the main camera, so you’re missing some quality, and they are a little less vibrant too. This lens can be used sparingly and situationally and ignored most of the rest of the time.

We jump back up to 50MP for the f/2.0 front camera, so you can expect high-res selfies.

Selfies look bright and detailed, with fairly realistic-looking color replication. Jump into Portrait mode and there’s mostly (though not always totally) accurate bokeh background blur (sometimes I lost some hairs). However the default beautification is very zealous about smoothing over your skin so I’d recommend playing around with it a bit.

Oppo has been putting the Reno 12 Pro’s AI photo features at the forefront of its marketing, in a clear attempt to rival the offerings Google includes with its Pixel phones. According to the marketing, it has tools to remove unwanted background elements of photos, save aspects of a snap as stickers, open closed eyes in selfies, add clarity and upscaling to objects or completely change a selfie into a different art style or location.

I say ‘according to the marketing’ because the current version of the software as of my testing of the mobile (July 2024) only has the first two… at least, as far as I could find. Maybe they’re hidden deep in menus but I did a lot of searching to find them.

The smart features present are pretty smart, though, as long as you’ll forgive them being a little slow to use in certain circumstances. Magic eraser is easy to use and you can select individual objects to delete or a ‘mass erasure’ option that identifies all humans in the background. It’s really accurate too.

Equally accurate is the replication part, so when you remove a person from your picture, the phone is great at identifying what should be there and filling in the blanks. Even if a person straddles different backgrounds, there’s no problem.

Beyond the smart features, you’re getting the same features that most modern mobiles have: Pro, Portrait, Night, Full-Res, Slow-Mo, Time-Lapse round out what you’re used to.

In terms of video, you can record up to 4K at 30fps or 1080p at 60fps on the front or rear cameras; don’t expect 8K recording here.

Oppo Reno 12 Pro camera samples

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A selfie with the Oppo Reno 12 Pro — A selfie taken on the Oppo Reno 12 Pro with standard mode (Image credit: Future)

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A selfie in portrait mode with the Oppo Reno 12 Pro — A selfie taken on the Oppo Reno 12 Pro with Portrait mode (Image credit: Future)

Camera score: 4 / 5

Oppo Reno 12 Pro: performance and audio

Dimensity 7300 Energy provides middling power
12GB RAM and an impressive 512GB storage
Stereo speakers plus Bluetooth 5.4

The power in the Oppo Reno 12 Pro comes from the MediaTek chipset it uses, called the Dimensity 7300 Energy, which as the name suggests focuses on energy efficiency. Alongside the non-Pro model, this is the first phone to use the chipset.

In the Geekbench 6 benchmark tests, the Reno returned an average multi-core score of 2,005, which is the kind of lower mid-range score that you’d expect to be associated with a phone at this price point – it’s not exactly blazing power but it’s enough for normal tasks.

That score is reflected in the gaming power of the phone – it could handle most normal titles like Call of Duty: Mobile and PUBG Mobile quite well, but there were the occasional bouts of lagging or slow loading that gives away that this isn’t a top-power phone.

The mobile comes with 12GB RAM which handles your everyday tasks, and I never found the phone slow when using social media apps, playing around with the camera app or scrolling through menus. That’s paired with 512GB storage, which is a huge amount for a phone at this price point. There’s no expandable storage but with 512GB space at your fingertips, you might not need it.

On the audio front, there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack, so you’ll have to use the USB-C port and an adaptor for wired audio. Wirelessly, you can use the Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity to pair headphones or earbuds, and there are also stereo speakers on the top and bottom of the mobile. These are positioned well enough that I didn’t find myself covering them when holding the device landscape.

Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Oppo Reno 12 Pro review: battery life

Long-lasting 5,000mAh battery
Phone lasts at least a day and a half
80W wired charging is pretty fast

On paper, the Oppo Reno 12 Pro’s 5,000mAh is big but also pretty standard for phones at this price; it’s rare to see mid-range mobiles with any other size of battery.

However in the field (ie, in testing), I was pretty surprised by the Reno’s lasting power. I’m used to phones like this having battery life’s of roughly a day and half, but the Reno comes closer than most at turning that ‘half’ into something like ‘two thirds’ through normal use.

In more handy terms, it meant that I could indulge in long gaming sessions without having to worry about the battery running too low for me to use the handset for the rest of the day.

Charging is fast too, at 80W, which will top you up in no time. Oppo says that it’ll power the phone to full in just under 50 minutes, but I had enough charge to last me a full day of use in about half an hour of charging.

The Reno 12 Pro also offers reverse wired charging, so you can plug a cable into the phone’s USB-C port and then into another gadget to power it up. It’s not fast, but it’s a useful way to keep your smartwatch or headphones powered on the go.

Battery score: 4 / 5

Oppo Reno 12 Pro review: value

The Oppo Reno 12 Pro has a few rough edges, but they’re all in the areas where it tries to outstep its bounds. Looking at what you’re getting for the price, the Reno offers great value for money.

For a distinctly price you’re getting a display, camera array, battery and charging department and design that feels better than you’d expect at the cost.

None of the Reno 12 Pro’s weaker areas are any worse than you’d expect for the price either; bloatware is annoying but the Oppo is far from the only mobile to have it, and while the design is uninspired, you have to pay twice as much for a really good-looking mobile.

Value score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Oppo Reno 12 Pro?

Buy it if...

You want an affordable camera phone
A zoom camera? AI smart features? Vibrant scene optimization? The Oppo has it all, making it one of the best cheap camera phones I've tested.

You need a long-lasting battery
The Oppo Reno 12 Pro lasts longer than most other 5,000mAh battery phones I've tested, probably thanks to the efficient chipset, which is a blessing for people who aren't always near a charger.

You need lots of storage
With a default storage space of 512GB, the Oppo Reno 12 Pro ensures you won't need to buy an SD card for extra space.

Don't buy it if...

You need blazing-fast processing speeds
The Dimensity 7300 Energy is fine for most tasks, but passionate gamers or people who need blazing-fast power will find it's not enough.

Bloatware annoys you
Even compared to other low-budget Android mobiles, the Oppo Reno 12 Pro has loads of pre-installed apps that you'll need to delete.

Oppo Reno 12 Pro review: Also consider

If you're split on whether or not to buy the Oppo Reno 12 Pro, here are some other mobiles you might want to consider.

How I tested the Oppo Reno 12 Pro

Review test period = 2 week
Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
Tools used = Geekbench 6, Geekbench ML, GFXBench, native Android stats

The testing period for the Oppo Reno 12 Pro was two weeks, which began with product testing (hence there not being many of my apps).

Over the testing period I used the Reno like my normal phone: taking pictures, streaming music and videos, contacting people on social media, and playing lots of games. The testing period fell across a holiday so I got to take the phone out and about on a few trips.

I've been reviewing smartphones for TechRadar for over five years now, including using the original series of Reno mobiles and plenty more since then, as well as rivals across the mobile market.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2024

Nutribullet Magic Bullet Portable Blender review

10:00 am | July 3, 2024

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

Nutribullet Magic Bullet Portable Blender: two-minute review

Product info

This model has slightly different names and product codes in different territories:

US: Magic Bullet Portable Blender MBPB50100
UK: Nutribullet Portable Blender NBPBCONFIG
AU: NutriBullet Portable Blender

For this review, I tested the UK version. There may be minor differences between different countries' models.

The Nutribullet Magic Bullet Portable Blender (known as just the Nutribullet Portable Blender in the UK and Australia) is a compact and convenient blender if you want or need to make drinks on the go. It weighs just 1.5lbs / 710g and measures 10.7 x 3.2 x 3.7" / 27.2 x 8 x 9.5cm, which means it fits easily inside a backpack or gym bag. It has a 0.5qt / 475ml cup, which comes with a leak-proof flip and sip lid and carry handle.

The blender is compatible with any USB-C charger, and ships with a USB-C cable as standard. Nutribullet claims you can get around 15 cycles per charge of the Portable Blender but I averaged between 18-20 and a single charge lasted me almost two weeks.

Despite its smaller size and lower, 100-watt power compared with other Nutribullet models, as well as the majority of best blenders on the market, the Portable Blender makes smoothies and drinks with speed and ease. It only offers a 60-second blending cycle which, in my experience, is more than adequate for most drink preparations but feels a little restrictive if you're looking to blend tougher ingredients or make more complex recipes.

Speaking of complex recipes, while the blender’s performance with smoothies was impressive, it struggled with making hummus. It also failed to crush ice evenly. What's more, trying to clean the blender after attempting to make the hummus was tricky. The blade is fixed into the base and you can't wash it under a tap or similar because the base also houses all the electronics. The only way to clean it is to run a cleaning cycle, but then you're using up the already limited battery life. Thankfully, you can remove the cup and lid and put them both on the top-drawer of the dishwasher so at least that's something.

Banana, blueberries and kale in the Nutribullet Magic Bullet portable blender — (Image credit: Future)

Aesthetically, the Portable Blender comes in a great range of vibrant colors: black, light blue, magenta, navy blue, purple and white. I love this variety, but the plastic build of the blender does look a little cheap.

In summary, the Nutribullet Magic Bullet Portable Blender is ideal for people needing a quick, portable, and efficient way to make smoothies on the go, or for people with limited kitchen space. I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for more heavy-duty blending or complex recipes, but it excels in its intended use case. Read on for my full Nutribullet Portable Blender review.

Nutribullet Magic Bullet Portable Blender review: price & availability

Available in the US, UK and Australia
List price: $39.99 / £39.99 / A$79.95

If you hadn't guessed from its relatively low-power, 100-watt motor and its equally low $39.99 / £39.99 / A$79.95 price, the Nutribullet Magic Bullet Portable Blender – known as just the Nutribullet Portable Blender in the UK – is cheap and cheerful. It's the latest entry-level model in a range that also includes:

250-watt Magic Bullet ($49.99 / £34.99 / AU$72.95)
600-watt Nutribullet 600 Series ($69.99 / £59.99 / AU$99.95)
900-watt Nutribullet Pro 900 ($109.99 / £89.99 / AU$99.95)
1200-watt Nutribullet Ultra 1200 Pro+ ($119.99 / £119.99 / AU$189.95)
1200-watt Nutribullet Ultra ($149.99 / £149.99)

Nutribullet still sells its portable GO blender but it appears to have been discontinued because stocks are low and the blender is no longer available across a majority of retailers.

Aside from the extra power you get the further up the range you go, little separates the blenders themselves. They all look and work in a similar way. The 600 Series has a 0.75qt / 700ml tall cup, and a 0.56qt / 550ml short cup; the Pro 900 comes with a tall, and 1qt / 909ml oversized cup. The 1200 Pro+ and Ultra both ship with two cups – 0.75qt / 700ml, and 0.94qt / 900ml. By comparison, the Magic Bullet Portable Blender's cup holds 0.5qt / 475ml.

While it lacks the power of its siblings, the Nutribullet Magic Bullet Portable Blender does come in the widest range of colors of any Nutribullet blender, past and present. This includes: black, light blue, magenta, navy blue, purple and white. What's more, the whole blender is portable, not just the cup, and it comes with a carry handle and charging. This vastly adds to its appeal and versatility.

The closest like-for-like portable blender to the Nutribullet is the Ninja Blast. It launched in 2023, costs $59.99 / £49.99 / AU$99.99 and comes with the same sippy cup lid, carry handle and battery-powered, portable design. It’s available in Denim Blue, Black, Cranberry, Forest Green, Passion Fruit and White colors. The biggest differences between the two are that the Ninja model is a lot less powerful – 14.4-watts vs the Nutribullet's 100-watts – and it comes with a 30-second cycle, versus Nutribullet's 60-second one. The cup is larger on the Ninja, at 0.56qt / 550ml however you can only fill to the maximum 0.5qt / 475ml line, which gives the two blenders the same capacity.

Nutribullet suggests you replace the extractor blades on all of its blenders every six months. These cost around $15 / £10 / AU$20 but even with this additional price factored in, the Magic Bullet Personal Blender is still great value for money.

Value for money score: 5 out of 5

Nutribullet Portable Blender review: design

Simple press-to-blend design
Wide range of brightly colored finishes
Carry handle and USB-C charging point
Dishwasher safe BPA-free cup

Until the launch of its Magic Bullet Portable Blender, the majority of personal blenders in the Nutribullet range looked largely the same. They all have a slightly industrial aesthetic, usually consisting of a silver and black finish. Their bases have curved edges, and you attach the cups upside down. In almost stark comparison, the Portable Blender looks more like a Bluetooth speaker or water bottle, than a blender. Its tall and thin, measuring 10.7 x 3.2 x 3.7" / 27.2 x 8 x 9.5cm, and is made of plastic. It weighs 1.5lb / 710g.

The blender is designed to be used and stored as a single appliance. It has a compact motor base with a power button and USB-C charging port on the front. The blade assembly sits on top of this detachable base. The power button is fitted with an LED status light that indicates when the blender is running, when it's fully charged and when it's running low on battery. Nutribullet promises around 15 blending cycles per battery charge and the Portable Blender only offers a single, 60-second cycle. It automatically stops blending after the 60 seconds are up.

The base of the Nutribullet Magic Bullet portable blender showing its power button and USB-C port — (Image credit: Future)

The cylindrical, 0.5qt / 475ml cup screws into the base, and has a leakproof flip and sip lid with a carry handle at the top. This lip is secured into place using a locking latch, and removed via a release button.

I reviewed the navy blue model and the color is vibrant and eye-catching, if slightly childish. This blender certainly doesn't have the premium aesthetic of Nutribullet's champagne-colored or metallic models. It looks as you'd expect, given its cheap price. The plastic is easy to clean, though, and it's incredibly easy to store in a cupboard or carry in a bag.

While the blender ships with a USB-C cable, it's only 1.6ft / 0.5m long and doesn't have a plug. This makes the cable easy to pack or store, but means you will need a spare plug to use it. Fortunately, because USB-C is increasingly the standard for appliances and gadgets, you can charge the Portable Blender with any of your existing chargers.

On the wider Nutribullet range, the blade is fitted inside a lid that attaches to the cup before screwing into the base. This makes it easy to remove and clean. Due to the fact the blade is built into the Magic Bullet Portable Blender's base, and this base contains all of the electrics, it's a pain to wash. You can, of course, run a blending cycle using soapy water but as every cycle drains the battery slightly, this isn't an ideal design. At least the cup and lip are detachable and dishwasher-safe, although you do need to make sure they're on the top shelf of your dishwasher to avoid damage.

Design score: 4 out of 5

Nutribullet Magic Bullet Portable Blender review: performance

Great for smoothies, poor for everything else
Only offers a 60-second blending cycle
Fantastic portability

I always use the same methodology and recipes when testing blenders. That way I can make like-for-like comparisons between the various models I review. These tests include making a kale and blueberry smoothie, making hummus and crushing ice cubes. It became immediately clear, however, that the Magic Bullet Portable Blender is simply not built for this range of tests.

The hummus barely blended. The ingredients were flung to the edges of the cup and I had to repeatedly stop the cycle to push them back down towards the blades. Even then, it never fully blended the chickpeas or garlic and I had to abandon the whole thing.

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Chick peas and garlic in the Nutribullet Magic Bullet portable blender for making hummus — Chickpeas and garlic in the Nutribullet Magic Bullet portable blender for making hummus (Image credit: Future)

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Poorly-made hummus in the Nutribullet Magic Bullet portable blender (Image credit: Future)

If I'd persevered with multiple cycles, the results may have improved but Nutribullet doesn't advise using the blender for more than 60 seconds. (It also warns about not using hot ingredients in the blender, too). What's more, the thick hummus clung to the inside of the blender and because you can't put the blades in the wash, it took a while to get it properly clean.

The blender's performance during the ice test was better, but not brilliant. There were still a few lumps of ice left in the bottom of the blender, and the ice that was crushed wasn't uniform in size of texture.

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Ice cubes in the Nutribullet Magic Bullet portable blender (Image credit: Future)

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Result of using the Nutribullet Magic Bullet portable blender to crush ice cubes (Image credit: Future)

Finally, the smoothie was the best performing test. During the blender's 60-second cycle, it created a smooth and thick drink that tasted great. There were flecks of kale and blueberry skin left in the liquid, but they were so small you couldn't taste them and they didn't interfere with the texture.

It feels a little unfair to judge such a low-power, affordable blender on tasks that are designed for more complex machines. It's clear – given its marketing and design –that the Portable Blender is for drinks and drinks only. And this was where the blender came into its own. Making drinks and smoothies is likely how the majority of people shopping for a portable blender will use it.

The limited, 60-second blending time is a little restrictive but is more than adequate for making smoothies and drinks. It makes the blender incredibly easy to use, too. I like the fact you get a warning, in the form of an LED indicator, when the battery is running low and in my experience, you still get two to three additional blending cycles even when this light comes on.

Speaking of blending cycles, the promises made by Nutribullet regarding ~15 cycles per charge sell the blender a little short. I got an average of 18 cycles per charge during my review period, although a frustrating number of those were cleaning cycles. It also only takes around an hour and a half to get the blender back to full charge again.

The Nutribullet Portable Blender is almost whisper-quiet, running at an average of just 65dB when making a smoothie. It did soar to 106dB when I first added the ice during the ice crush test but it almost immediately dropped back to a level in which I could have a conversation with my partner easily.

Given its price, the Portable Blender performed as I'd expected. It didn't blow me away, and it's not ideal for anything other than smoothies and drinks but it does do what you need it to do. And it does that very well. I've used it to make my protein shakes at the gym, and to make smoothies for a quick breakfast and I'm willing to lose some power and versatility for its increased portability and lower price.

Performance score: 3.5 out of 5

Nutribullet Magic Bullet Portable Blender review: comparison table

Keen on the Nutribullet brand, but not sure which model is right for your needs? Here's a quick run-down of the differences between them...

Should I buy the Nutribullet Magic Bullet Portable Blender?

There's a lot going for the Magic Bullet Portable Blender. If you're looking for a blender you can take to the gym for protein shakes, or for making smoothies on the go, I can barely fault it. It's an excellent choice in terms of convenience, and for space-saving. Its also quick and simple to use and comes with a budget-friendly price, adding to its appeal.

However, it does have some limitations. Its lower power means it may struggle with tougher ingredients, and its smaller cup size may not meet the needs of people who want to blend larger quantities. The short blending cycle can be restrictive, and the plastic construction, while lightweight, lacks the premium feel of other blenders.

Additionally, the blender is primarily designed for making drinks and smoothies, so it may not be versatile enough for more complex recipes or food preparation tasks. If you need a portable and affordable blender for simple tasks, the Magic Bullet Portable Blender will be a great choice. If you require a more powerful and versatile appliance, you might want to consider investing in a higher-end model.

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Should I buy the Nutribullet Magic Bullet Portable Blender?

For the duration of the review period, the NutriBullet Portable blender replaced my favorite Braun TriForce blender. I used the portable blender to make a range of smoothies, hummus, and crushed ice as well as making protein shakes for going to the gym. It was a great substitute for the shop-bought shakes and drinks I buy throughout the week and I was able to use it to make protein shakes on the go, and quick smoothies for breakfast. For these smoothies I experimented with green, fibrous veg as well as soft fruit to see how well the blender’s single setting handled each.

KitchenAid 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor review: convenient but costly

11:00 am | June 30, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Juicers & Blenders Small Appliances | Tags: AU, Australia, UK, US | Comments: Off

KitchenAid 7-cup Food Processor: two-minute review

Product info

This model has slightly different names and product codes in different territories:

US: KitchenAid 7 Cup Food Processor KFP0718
UK: KitchenAid Food Processor 1.7L 5KFP0719
AU: KitchenAid 7 Cup Food Processor KFP0719

The products with 719 in their codes have extra accessories, specifically a thick-slice disc, and a plastic dough blade. For this review, I tested the UK model. There may be minor differences between different countries' models.

The KitchenAid 7 cup Food Processor (known as the KitchenAid Food Processor 1.7L in the UK) is compact, thoughtfully designed and has proven to be a great time saver when meal prepping.

Something to mention straight off the bat is that the UK and Australian models have a couple more accessories than the US model, which is reflected in the price. At the time of writing, the 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor is on sale for $84.99 / £143.65 / AU$219, while the list price is $99.99 / £169 / AU$299. The US model KFP0718 is essentially the same as the UK and Australian KFP0719 models, with all models coming with a multipurpose stainless steel blade and a reversible slicing and shredding disc, but only the UK and Australian models coming with a thick-slice disc and a plastic dough blade. For this review, I tested the UK version of the KitchenAid Food Processor 1.7L.

A matte black KitchenAid 7 cup food processor is pictured against a pink background. It is sitting on a grey stone-effect surface on which also sites the reversible slicing and grating disc on the left, with the plastic dough hook positioned just in front, and to the right, the thick slice disc that is only available with the KFP0719 configuration. — (Image credit: Future)

Setting up the KitchenAid 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor was straightforward. All of the accessories were neatly stored inside the work bowl, which is a convenient feature, saving you from cupboard-diving each time you want to process something. And the accessories fit into place with ease: there are markers on the top of the disc and the drive shaft to ensure you place it in the correct position for either processing or storing.

The 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor is available in a range of colors that will fit in with most kitchen decors. It doesn’t take up unnecessary space, measuring 9.7 x 7.7 x 15.4 inches / 245 x 195 x 390mm and weighing just 6.6lb / 3kg. The work bowl easily clicked into place every time thanks to its convenient twist-free design, and although I had the occasional issue putting enough pressure on the lid to get the latch to shut, the lift-out design of the hinge made it simple to remove. One downside with the design, however, is that the work bowl handle can only be positioned on the right-hand side, which could prove inconvenient for some users.

A closeup of the KitchenAid 7 cup food processor feed tube, showing that a larger-diameter cucumber is too large to fit inside. — (Image credit: Future / Cesci Angell)

Using the two feed tubes and pushers was easy, but the bigger feed tube still isn’t big enough for larger-diameter fruit and veg, so if you want large, neat circles of sliced cucumber, you may be out of luck. If you get into the habit of buying slimmer cucumbers though, you’ll probably be fine.

There are two speed settings labeled 1 and 2 on the easy-to-press buttons, with one being low speed, and two being high. There is also a Pulse button. Speed one and two aren’t overly noisy, but the noise level was uncomfortably loud when using the Pulse function, especially when chopping almonds.

Everything but the base unit is top-rack dishwasher-safe, which proved to be a great time saver. These parts were easy to hand wash too, although removing pastry from tight areas proved difficult. At the end of the testing, I put the work bowl, lid, and accessories in the dishwasher. Everything came out fine, although the work bowl did show some water marks.

A closeup of the KitchenAid 7 cup food processor food bowl with breadcrumbs inside. — (Image credit: Future / Cesci Angell)

The performance of the KitchenAid 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor was adequate. For my tests, I used it to slice or chop carrots, onion and cucumber, as well as whizzing bread into breadcrumbs, finely chopping almonds and combining the ingredients for pastry. It managed all these tasks quickly and with no trouble.

However, the consistency of the processed foods wasn’t the best. There is only one grade of shredding, which seems to be somewhere between fine and medium. For example, the processed carrot looked somewhat unappealing; it certainly wouldn’t have fared well if subjected to a Rate My Plate jury. A fair amount of carrot also ended up inside the lid, which wasn’t ideal. When chopping the almonds the results were inconsistent, with pieces that ranged in size from large to dust. There were also occasions where ingredients such as breadcrumbs, almond dust, and pastry mixture migrated inside the fitment ring of the chopping blade, which proved tricky to remove when hand washing.

A closeup of shredded carrot inside the clear work bowl of the KitchenAid 7 cup food processor. — (Image credit: Future)

Overall, there are a few issues with the KitchenAid 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor, like that smaller feed tube and the uneven shredding, which may mean it doesn't quite stand up against the best food processors on the market. However, if you want something that is compact for the capacity available, has convenient accessory storage, and has a no-twist design, then this is a food processor to consider. The consistency of the processed food may not be Instagramable, but it’s the taste that counts, right?

KitchenAid 7 Cup Food Processor: price & availability

List price: $99.99 / £169 / AU$299
Often available for cheaper
Currently available in the US, UK, and Australia

The KitchenAid 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor is currently on sale at $84.99 / £143.65 / AU$219, (usually $99.99 / £169 / AU$299). If you’re querying why the US model is cheaper than the UK and Australian models, it is because it comes with fewer accessories. I will elaborate further on the accessories in the Design and features section below.

The 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor isn’t the cheapest. There are similar products on offer from our pick of the best food processors. These include the Cuisinart Easy Prep Pro FP8 food processor, which is slightly lower in price and comes with two reversible shredding and slicing discs, plus a small bowl add-on to use when the large work bowl feels excessive for the task. Or, you could spend just a little extra for more versatility with the Ninja 3-in-1 Food Processor with Auto-IQ, which is currently on sale for $179.99 / £169. The KitchenAid 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor has some innovative design features and performed adequately during testing though, so it’s still worth considering.

The KitchenAid 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor is available now, on the US, UK, and Australian KitchenAid websites as well as various third party retailers.

Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5

KitchenAid 7 Cup Food Processor specs

KitchenAid 7 Cup Food Processor: design & features

Feed tube could be larger
Fixed handle position
Different accessories per region

Setting up the food processor was quick and easy. All the parts and accessories were stored inside the work bowl, so it was a simple case of removing them, before washing them along with the work bowl, lid, and food pushers. After this step was completed, I had to place the drive adapter on the drive pin in the center of the work bowl. Installing the different cutting accessories was also a straightforward process, which I was thankful for, as it avoided any unnecessary delays when I was working through lots of different types of food.

The food processor doesn’t take up a load of unnecessary worktop space, the cable length is adequate at 35 inch / 90 cm, and the work bowl easily attaches to the base (a useful design feature that I much prefer to the twist-to-secure designs that are often used with some other food processors). Additionally, the lid catch is easy to unclip, and once the lid is in an upright position, the hinge design means that you can easily lift it off.

On replacing the lid, slotting it into the hinge side was no issue, although sometimes I needed to put a fair amount of pressure on the lid to get the latch to close again.

A closeup of the KitchenAid 7 cup processor food bowl and lid clearly showing the feed tube, and the handle placement. — (Image credit: Future)

Due to the way the work bowl sits on the base, the handle placement is somewhat limiting, as it can only be on the right-hand side. This was frustrating enough for me, as I like to hold the handle in my left hand while using a utensil to get the ingredients out with my right – but it could really make this product less accessible for people who aren’t able to use their right hand.

KitchenAid is known for having some enticing color options. In the 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor’s case though, the color range is somewhat basic, with glossy-finished Onyx Black, and Empire Red available in the UK, US, and Australia, plus additional color variants including Contour Silver, Almond Cream, White, and Matte Black, depending on your region.

There is a 2-in-1 feed tube on the top of the work bowl lid, with a two-piece plastic food pusher. Together, they can be used to push in wider ingredients, or the inside section of the pusher can be removed to enable you to accurately feed in slimmer food items such as celery. Unfortunately, the bigger feed tube was not wide enough for a larger-diameter cucumber, so it needed to be cut down. Therefore if you want neat, round slices of cucumber this may not be the processor you’re looking for.

A closeup of the control buttons on the front of the KitchenAid 7 cup food processor. — (Image credit: Future)

There are three operational buttons on the front of the 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor’s base: setting one (lower speed), setting two (higher speed), and a pulse mode. You don’t need to worry about getting tired fingers with the two speed settings, as you don’t need to hold the button down for the processor to operate. It takes one press to set them off, and a second press or a press on the O/Pulse button to stop the processing.

There are two design features that I found particularly useful. Firstly, the lid, work bowl, and accessories are all dishwasher-safe when washed on the top rack.

I also hand-washed all of these components repeatedly in-between ingredients during testing. All parts were easy to clean and dry; however, I did find that small amounts of the ingredients would easily end up inside the fitment ring of the multipurpose blade, so I had to pay particular attention to this area.

Secondly, the accessories can easily be stored inside the work bowl when the food processor isn’t in use, saving cupboard space and preventing you from wasting time trying to find the desired accessory.

Three of the KitchenAid 7 cup processor accessories, the plastic dough blade, reversible slicing and shredding disc, and the thick slice disc. — (Image credit: Future)

The 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor doesn’t come with as many accessories as larger models such as the KitchenAid1319, but it is perfectly adequate for day-to-day food prep. Please note that some accessories are not included with the KFP0718 model, which is sold in the US. This model comes with a multipurpose stainless steel blade and a reversible slicing and shredding disc. The KFP0719 models, sold in the UK and Australia, include these accessories, along with a thick-slice disc and a plastic dough blade.

Design & features score: 4.5 out of 5

KitchenAid 7 Cup Food Processor: performance

Shredded and chopped effortlessly
Some waste carrot from shredding
Consistency of processed food varied

The KitchenAid 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor performed well during testing. I tested its ability to slice, chop, mix, and grate a variety of foods. I used the shredding side of the reversible slicing and shredding disc to grate some carrots, running it on speed setting two as per the user manual. While it managed the job in a matter of seconds, the result was finer than I would have liked – some other models, such as the KitchenAid 13 cup / 3.1L Food Processor, have dedicated grating discs with fine and coarse options that give a more desirable result. Due to how fine the shredding was, the results were a little on the wet side, and a lot of carrot shot into the lid during processing.

The underneath of the reversible shredding and slicing disc with a small amount of carrot on it, the lid of the KitchenAid 7 cup food processor is visible in the background, with grated carrot around the inside edge. — (Image credit: Future / Cesci Angell)

Next I used the slicing side of the reversible slicing and shredding disc to slice a cucumber on speed setting one. Because the diameter of the cucumber was too large even for the larger feed tube, I had to manually cut a slice off of the side of it to enable it to be fed into the processor. The machine sliced the cucumber quickly, with next-to-no remnants left on the disc or in the lid. The slices were fairly even, although some were slightly wedge-shaped, thicker at the rind, and thinner where the cucumber was sliced down to fit.

A close up of sliced cucumber inside the KitchenAid 7 cup food processor work bowl. — (Image credit: Future / Cesci Angell)

I used the multipurpose stainless steel blade to chop onions, almonds, and to make breadcrumbs from slightly stale wholemeal bread. The onions and almonds were chopped using speed setting one. The food processor had no issues chopping up a large onion that I’d cut into quarters: it quickly chopped it into fine pieces and while the pieces weren’t that even, none of them were overly large. When I pulsed the almonds for 10 seconds, the result was again pretty uneven, with larger pieces, smaller pieces, and a fair amount of almond dust. Upon removing the accessories, I found that some of this dust had made its way inside the plastic cutting blade ring.

A close up of the unevenly chopped almonds in the KitchenAid 7 cup processor work bowl. — (Image credit: Future / Cesci Angell)

When making the breadcrumbs, I used speed setting two to blitz two slices of bread. In just 45 seconds the processor had turned them into fine breadcrumbs with an even consistency, and no bread was left under the blades.

I also used the multipurpose stainless steel blade, using the lowest speed setting to combine flour, margarine, and water for pastry. At first, the ingredients didn’t mix evenly – a layer of flour remained at the bottom and didn’t begin to mix in until water was added and the mixture started to form a proper dough. Apart from that detail, the processor combined the pastry ingredients easily, it didn’t rock about on the work surface, or overheat, both of which can happen with food processors that don’t have strong enough motors for pastry making.

A close up of the inside of the multipurpose blade which has a coating of pastry around the inside of the ring. — (Image credit: Future)

While conducting the tests, I found that settings one and two were not overly loud; however, the pulse mode may make your ears ache if you need to use it for a long period of time. At no point during testing did I encounter issues with ingredients getting stuck under the blade or disc inside of the work bowl – I did however find that ingredients would end up on the inside of the fitment ring of the multipurpose stainless steel blade that sits on the drive adapter. This was particularly evident when chopping the almonds, and combining the pastry ingredients. There was a layer of pastry mixture coating the inside of the blade's plastic ring, which was tricky to clean out.

Performance score: 3.5 out of 5

Should I buy the KitchenAid 7 Cup Food Processor?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

KitchenAid 7 Cup Food Processor review: also consider

How I tested the KitchenAid 7 Cup Food Processor

I assessed the setup and performance
I ran our usual series of chopping, grating, and combining tests
I checked how easy it was to clean

I spent time getting the KitchenAid 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor setup, read the instruction manual, and assessed the design and accessories.

To put the KitchenAid 7 cup / 1.7L Food Processor through its paces, I used the chopping blade and reversible slicing/shredding disc to shred carrot, slice cucumber, chop onion, and almonds. I also used it to process bread to make breadcrumbs and combine flour, margarine, and water to make pastry. These are the same tests we run for all food processors, making it easy to see how different models compare.

I tested how easy it was to clean the processor parts by hand-washing, and using the dishwasher to establish how well you can clean the parts with either method.

Read more about how we test
First reviewed: June 2024

Braun TriForce / PowerBlend 9 blender review

11:41 am | June 10, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Juicers & Blenders Small Appliances | Tags: AU, Australia, UK, US | Comments: Off

Braun TriForce Power Blender: two-minute review

This blender has slightly different names and product codes in different territories:

US: Braun TriForce Power Blender JB9040BK
UK: Braun PowerBlend 9 jug blender JB9040
AU: Braun PowerBlend 9 Jug blender JB9042

We tested the UK version. Be aware there may be minor differences between different countries' models.

The Braun TriForce Power Blender (known as the Braun PowerBlend 9 in the UK and Australia) brings all the benefits of the best blenders with a few extras, such as a hot Soup mode and Chop function, thrown in. It's a highly customizable appliance, offering 18 preset blending options – six presets with three texture settings for each – plus 10 manual speeds, a Pulse feature and Clean mode. It comes with 2-liter triangular Tritan jug, a fixed blade and tamper.

The TriForce Power Blender is the flagship model in Braun's countertop jug blender range. Its unique triangular, 2-liter jug sets it apart from other blenders I’ve used. Not just in terms of design, but also because this shape makes sure food rarely gets stuck to the sides. Everything is pulled towards the blades and blended quickly – up to four times faster than rival models, according to Braun.

It offers a wide range of intuitive presets – Smoothie, Soup, Chop, Ice Crush, Frozen Dessert, and Spread – making it super easy to not only make a selection of drinks, dips, butters, desserts at the touch of a button, but to get your ideal consistency time and again. During my tests, it produced an almost perfect smoothie in seconds, despite some tiny flecks of kale; its Spread setting is brilliant for making hummus because it cycles through blending and pulsing; and its Ice Crush feature worked as expected. The ice wasn't as powdery as on other blenders I've tried, but it wasn't far off.

Braun TriForce Power Blender on a kitchen counter — (Image credit: Future)

Elsewhere, you can easily set or change the consistency of anything you make by cycling through the different textures – Smooth, Medium and Coarse – and the manual speeds are varied enough to bring an extra level of precision. The hot soup function is also a pleasant surprise. It turned cubes of vegetables and stock into warm, tasty, comforting soup in less than six minutes. Minimal hassle, minimal mess.

Speaking of mess, the TriForce Power Blender's Clean mode works really well, which is a welcome feature considering you can't remove the blades to clean underneath them. You can also put the jug safely in the dishwasher.

Despite its wide array of features, the TriForce is surprisingly compact, fitting neatly under my cabinets and light enough to move around and store easily. It measures 16.9 x 7.9 x 7.9" / ‎43 x 20 x 20 cm (H x W x D) and weighs 10.1lbs / 4.6kg. The anti-slip feet and tidy cord storage are thoughtful touches that make it practical and safe for everyday use.

Ice cubes in the Braun TriForce Power Blender — (Image credit: Future)

This blender can get loud, especially at higher speeds, reaching as high as 105db. This is equivalent to having a car horn blasting in your kitchen, which can be uncomfortable at times. But since it blends so quickly, at least it’s a short-lived racket.

In sort, if you're looking for a high-performance blender that can do it all and a little more, and are happy to invest a bit more to get it, the Braun TriForce Power Blender is a great choice. It's a powerful, intuitive addition to your kitchen and while it's far from cheap, it is at least good value, specially if you can get it for one of the many discounts being offered regularly from third-party retailers. That's the short version – read on for my full Braun TriForce / PowerBlend review.

Braun TriForce Power Blender review: price & availability

List price: $249.95 / £199.99 / AU$299
Available in US, UK and Australia

There are three Braun countertop blenders – the $99.95 entry-level Braun PureMix Power Blender (JB7200), the standard $249.95 Braun TriForce Power Blender (JB9040BK) and the $299.95 TriForce Power Blender with Smoothie2Go accessory (JB9040BK). This accessory turns the jug blender into a personal blender for an extra $50. I reviewed the standard TriForce model.

As 2-liter jug blenders go, the TriForce is one of the more expensive models on the market. Few countertop blenders exceed the $200 mark with the exception of those from high-end brands such as Vitamix and Smeg with the $649 Vitamix A3300 Ascent Series, or the $429.95 Smeg Professional Blender. The closest Braun rival, in terms of size and features is the Ninja HB150C/HB152 Foodi Heat-iQ Blender and this sells for $198. It's slightly smaller, but has more automated settings.

In the US, you can buy the TriForce Power Blender from Braun directly, or via a number of third-party resellers including Walmart, Amazon and Target. At the time of writing, the TriForce Power Blender was being sold across these third-party sites for as much as $70 less than its RRP. In fact, only Braun was selling it for its full price.

In the UK, and Australia, the appliance is known as the Braun PowerBlend 9 and you can buy it directly from Braun, as well as Amazon, Debenhams and AO in the UK. In Australia, you can buy it from Braun, Harvey Norman and Appliances Online. Again, few sites in the UK and Australia regularly sell the PowerBlend 9 for its RRP and some regularly sell it for ~£100/AU$150 less.

The Braun TriForce Power Blender is a powerful appliance with a wide range of features that elevate it beyond a simple jug blender. From a hot soup function to a food processor-style chopping feature. As a result, it has a price to match. There are cheaper blenders that perform well against the Braun, but there are also more expensive models that don't live up to its performance. So, while $249.95 seems a little high, it is decent value and you get some of the benefits of multiple appliances for the price of one. Plus, with a number of sites regularly dropping the price, you could get a really good deal.

Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Braun TriForce Power Blender specifications

Braun TriForce Power Blender review: design & features

1600w motor, 2 liter BPA-Free Tritan jug
10 manual blending speeds + 6 presets, 3 textures, Pulse and Clean
Triangular jug with fixed blades

The first thing I noticed about the Braun TriForce Power Blender is its triangular, 2-liter jug. Most jug blenders have circular or boxy jugs yet Braun has deliberately designed its jug in a way that means food rarely gets stuck to the sides. This is because the sides bring the food closer to the blades, and thus it's constantly being pulled back towards the center due to the centrifugal force. Braun claims this guarantees "faster blended results in less time."

The BPA-Free Tritan triangular jug then slides and locks into place on top of a rubber triangular base, while the jug's lid, complete with small, detachable cap, locks onto the base via two large clips on each side.

Circular cap on the Braun TriForce Power Blender's lid — (Image credit: Future)

Below the jug is a touchscreen display and rotating dial. Along the display are each of the preset buttons – Smoothie, Soup, Chop, Ice Crush, Frozen Dessert, and Spread – and while I appreciate how self-explanatory they all are, I don't love the use of lowercase font throughout. It's a very minor, almost ridiculous complaint, but it makes the machine look less professional than its price would suggest.

Below these buttons are the Manual and Pulse buttons above the Clean button, on the right-hand side, and the Start/Stop button that doubles up as the control dial in the center. This dial can be used to set the manual speed, when Manual mode is selected, or used to switch between the blender's three iTexture settings: Smooth, Medium or Coarse.

This mix of presets and textures takes the total possible number of automated settings to 18. This extends to 29 settings when you add in the 10 manual speeds and the Pulse function. This is a very impressive number and could feel overwhelming. However, by making every button and setting easy to use and identify, Braun has avoided over-complicating things. This intuitive design even encouraged me to experiment with different settings without fear of breaking it or something going drastically wrong.

Controls on the Braun TriForce Power Blender — (Image credit: Future)

Despite its 2-liter jug and panel of impressive controls, the blender is surprisingly compact measuring 16.9 x 7.9 x 7.9" / ‎43 x 20 x 20cm (H x W x D). It should fit easily under most kitchen cupboards, even with the jug attached, and will sit neatly in a corner.

It's a lightweight blender too. The base and jug together weigh 10.1lb / 4.6 kg and this makes it easy to move around your countertop, or if you want to store it in a drawer or cupboard. It then has anti-slip feet on the bottom of the base, and a 3ft / 1m cord. Such is its compact and portable nature, the blender was one of the few appliances I was able to leave out on my limited countertops when my kitchen was being remodeled.

The use of black plastic and rubber follows suit with the majority of blenders on the market and while this means it will blend into most aesthetics, it's hardly groundbreaking. The only element that gives the TriForce Power Blender a touch of flair is the green light used to illuminate the Start-Stop button and speed dial. That's not to say it's ugly; rather if you want something with striking looks, this blender may not be for you.

It's also a shame that the blades aren't removable but, thanks to the built-in cleaning mode and the fact the jug is dishwasher-safe, this is another minor flaw that's easily remedied.

Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Braun TriForce Power Blender review: performance

Almost faultless results across various blending tests
Blends quickly and effectively
Presets perform better than manual settings

For my first test of the Braun TriForce Power Blender, I made a kale, blueberry and banana smoothie with almond milk. I add all of the ingredients to the jug, pressed the Smoothie button, selected the Smooth texture, and pushed the Start button. In as little as 20 seconds, the drink looked smooth and well blended but I let the Smoothie setting run to its default time of one minute before pouring the drink.

The resulting drink was almost velvety in texture. I could see tiny flecks of kale and blueberry skin when I looked at the drink, but they were so small I couldn't taste them. If you choose the Medium texture, the total blending time is 44 seconds, and for Coarse it's 42 seconds. I was impressed by how quickly the blender achieved these results, and in my experience it lives up to the brand's claim that it creates food "60% finer and four times faster" than other models.

Making a kale, blueberry and banana smoothie in the Braun TriForce Power Blender — (Image credit: Future)

Next, I made hummus. I usually have to use a manual setting when making hummus on most blenders I review because they rarely have an appropriate, dedicated setting. On the Braun TriForce Power Blender I used the Spread setting, which the instruction manual says is designed for hummus, pesto and nut butters, and the blender ran for 2 minutes and 20 seconds cycling through a pattern of blending and pulsing.

The resulting hummus was the perfect consistency. It was smooth but thick, making it ideal for dipping vegetable sticks into, while also coating the inside of my mouth with flavor. What's more, I didn't once have to stop the blender to scrape the mixture from the edges, or press it down using the tamper.

Hummus made in the Braun TriForce Power Blender — (Image credit: Future)

Finally, I used the blender to make crushed ice using the Ice Crush setting. This setting causes the blender to operate in short bursts for 25 seconds to crush the ice to a powder. It worked well, in terms of quickly and effectively blending the ice cubes, but the result was less powdery than other blenders I've used. It was closer to the consistency of a sorbet. There is a very subtle distinction between the two, but whereas other blenders have turned the cubes to light powder, the Braun's crushed ice was more wet so stuck together in clumps. You can easily use it to make frozen drinks but I felt the texture was slightly off.

In addition to the above tests, I also wanted to put the TriForce Power Blender's Soup function to the test. The brand claims you can turn room-temperature ingredients into hot soup in almost six minutes. I tested this by adding chunks of cooked butternut squash, garlic, onion, carrot and a liter of vegetable stock to the blender. I pressed the Soup button, pushed Start and the blender began by chopping the ingredients, before blending and slowly heating them for five minutes and 45 seconds. The result was a slightly coarse, warm soup that lacked some of the depth of soup made on a stove, but was still tasty and comforting.

The only real downside to all of these pros is how loud the TriForce blender can be. On Speed 1 in Manual mode, it's relatively quiet, averaging 63dB. It was easy to have a conversation with my partner or children while the blender was running at this speed.

However, during my Smoothie and hummus tests, this sound jumped up to an average of 97db. This is equivalent to the sound of a motorcycle engine and feels uncomfortable in such a confined space like my kitchen. On Manual Mode, Speed 9, the average reading was 91db, and it jumped to an average of 105db when crushing the ice cubes. This is equivalent to a phone playing at full volume and just below the sound of a car horn. Any sounds over 85dB for extended periods can cause hearing problems.

Thankfully, because the blender works so quickly and efficiently, these sounds run for less time than they do on other models so at least you don't have to be subjected to them for longer than necessary.

Overall, the TriForce blender's performance is a little hit and miss but largely positive. I was worried, given its wide range of features, that it would be a Jack of all trades, master of none but this is far from the case. I also appreciate the different ways I can customise my drinks and food and this makes up for any of the blender's shortcomings in my opinion and experience. Mainly because if I want a different texture, or the presets don't work as I want, I have a range of ways to correct it and tweak it until they do.

Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Should I buy the Braun TriForce Power Blender?

Buy it if...

Don’t buy it if...

How I tested the Braun TriForce Power Blender

I used it to blend drinks, food and ice
I checked the noise level at different speeds
I assessed how easy it was to clean

I used the Braun TriForce Power Blender in my own home for four weeks, making smoothies, sauces, hummus, soup and crushed ice.

I assessed how simple it was to set the blender up, how easy and intuitive it is to navigate the different presets and textures, how well it performed different tasks, its noise levels and how easy it was to clean.

I’ve been reviewing home and kitchen appliances for more than 15 years and have a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw on when assessing how well a product such as a blender performs.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed May 2024

Nutribullet Ultra blender review

12:38 pm | May 10, 2024

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

UK: view at Nutribullet.co.uk

US: view at Nutribullet.com

AU: View at Nutribullet.com.au

Nutribullet Ultra review: two-minute review

The Nutribullet Ultra is the brand's most advanced, and expensive, personal blender. Compared to the others in the range, it's more powerful, quieter, and boasts a touchscreen operation with 30-second and pulse functions, rather than the usual twist-to-blend approach.

I tried it out to see how it compared to the rest of the best blenders on the market right now. For this review, I tested the UK version. This model is also available in the US under the same name, and Australia as the Ultra 1200. (Note: there may be minor differences depending on territory.)

Overall, I was impressed. The lower-frequency noise it emits is certainly not whisper-quiet, but it is noticeably quieter than the model down (read about that one in my Nutribullet Pro 900 review).

The 1200-watt motor and improved blade design worked as intended, blitzing ingredients instantly, creating silky smoothies and textured dips. It performed well for all recipes I was making, but I did have to intervene on occasion, with the ingredients lower down being blended smoothly, but those at the top never reaching the blades. On the occasions that this happened, I added more liquid and gave the cup a shake to get things moving again.

The design is still recognizably 'Nutribullet', but an updated version, complete with a glowing interface that only comes alive when the cup is clicked onto the base. Press the solid circle icon for a 30-second blitz, or hold the dashed circle to pulse. Although cool to look at, I found these controls a little too sensitive – I had to make sure my fingers didn’t accidentally touch them when I was putting the cup on the base.

At ticket price it costs $149.99 / £149.99 / AU$189.95, but there are discounts to be have if you buy at the right time. It's the priciest individual Nutribullet blender, but it looks and feels premium, and I think the upgrades are worth the expense. Read on for my full Nutribullet Ultra review.

Nutribullet Ultra review: price & availability

List price: $149.99 / £149.99 / AU$189.95
Launch date: 2023
Availability: worldwide

Nutribullet sells a wide range of personal blenders, jug blenders, food processors and juicers. The cheapest option, the Nutribullet Go portable blender, costs from $15.99 / £29.99, but the Nutribullet Ultra is the brand’s premium blender, and more expensive. At list price, it's $149.99 / £149.99 / AU$189.95, although at time of writing, discounts were available in some territories. At the time of writing, you can purchase it direct from Nutribullet, or via third party retailers like Amazon.

I think its price is reasonable for a personal blender that has a high-end finish. It feels well-made and the improvements over the rest of the Nutribullet range feel worth the extra investment. The blade is designed to last longer than an entry-level Nutribullet blender, so you could be making savings in the longer term, too.

Value for money score: 4.5 out of 5

Nutribullet Ultra review: design

Redesigned 'Rapid Extractor Blade' for fast and effective blending
Includes two Tritan Renew cups, made from 50% recycled materials
Stylish glow interface for pulsing and blending

The Nutribullet is very easy on the eye. It comes with a sophisticated graphite finish base with touch interface (other personal Nutribullets don't have this), and it looks high-end on the countertop. Suction cup feet stop it from shifting about when in use. Setting up the Nutribullet is easy and intuitive – all the parts twist or click into place nicely.

It comes with a 1200-watt motor and a ‘Rapid Extractor’ blade, with a stainless-steel platform and titanium coating. This is designed to increase longevity of the blade – Nutribullet says it'll last for up to five years – as well as ensuring your blends are fast and effective. This blade is sharp, so you’ll need to take care when washing it, but its design makes it very effective at breaking up ingredients.

Nutribullet Ultra blender in reviewer's kitchen — (Image credit: Future)

The included cups both come with to-go lids, which is great for smoothie-lovers who want to just blend and go, without having to decant to another container. They are at the larger end of Nutribullet's range – you don't get the single-serve 'Short' cup (18oz / 511ml), but you do get the 'Tall' (24oz / 680ml) and 'Oversized' (32oz / 900ml) cups. That's good news if you want to tackle larger blending jobs, but you can purchase all cups separately, so it shouldn't be a decision-maker when choosing which Nutribullet to go for.

Cleaning

In terms of cleaning, the cups and blade are dishwasher-safe. However, it's worth rinsing everything off immediately after use, because if you leave food to dry on the blade, it can be tricky to get off. There have been times when I haven’t rinsed the cups before popping them in the dishwasher and they’ve come out dry with caked-on pancake mixture residue left on the inside, and the inner nooks and crannies of the blades are tricky to get into if food gets dried on, too (a small brush would be useful for this).

Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Nutribullet Ultra review: performance

Quieter in operation than your average blender
Excellent for smoothies and hummus, struggled a little with ice
Food can get stuck to the sides

The Nutribullet Ultra is one of the most satisfying personal blenders I’ve tried. It looks and feels premium, and this is reflected in the performance too. To give it a good trial, I made both homemade humus and a berry smoothie to see how well it could blend to a smooth finish and pulse for a more textured finish. The berries were frozen to get a good indicator of how well it crushes frozen ingredients, but I also tested it to see how well it could grind a batch of ice cubes too.

Nutribullet highlights how quiet this blender is. While it's not something you’d want to turn on next to a sleeping baby, I did find the Nutribullet noticeably quieter in operation compared to other blenders I've tested. While making a berry smoothie on the 30-second blend setting I measured it at an average of 88.9 decibels using the Decibel Meter App. Comparatively, I measured the Nutribullet 1200 Pro+ at around 93.3 decibels on a similar blend, and my Ninja 3 in 1 Food Processor with Auto-IQ at a lofty 99 decibels.

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I adapted Nutribullet's own recipe for Easy Hummus to see how well the Ultra performs when tackling chunky chickpeas, garlic and combining them with smoother ingredients such as tahini and oil. Unlike other Nutribullets I’ve tried, which start blending when you twist the cup and into place, the Ultra waits for you to press the start buttons before it turns on. If, like me, you’re someone who likes to go at their own pace when prepping in the kitchen, this is something you’ll no doubt appreciate.

The blender has a ‘glow interface’ and the two touchscreen buttons appear when you click the cups into place on the base. It’s worth noting that the buttons are quite sensitive and I did find myself accidentally starting the blender on the odd occasion. The main blend setting only runs for 30 seconds, however, so if you do accidentally press it, it won’t run for long and is easy to stop.

On my first go, the chickpeas got stuck at the top of the cup and I realized I hadn’t included enough liquid for it to blend effectively. After adding a bit more oil and a splash of water, I was able to tap the pulse setting to create short, intermittent pulses until the humus reached the semi-smooth texture I was aiming for.

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Next up, I made a Triple Berry Smoothie using frozen berries, almond milk, nut butter and banana. I popped in all the ingredients and pressed the blend button, which whizzed for 30 seconds. I made sure I put in enough liquid to stop the frozen berries getting stuck, although the spoonful of peanut butter wasn’t playing ball and got stuck to the side of the cup. I managed to scrape this off the side (unfortunately there’s no spatula in the kit) and pressed blend for another 30 seconds. The result was a super silky smoothie, with all the berries nicely broken down.

Finally, I filled the larger 900ml cup with a batch of ice to see how well the device could handle frozen cubes. I pressed the start button and within 30 seconds of blending only the base of the cup had managed to crush any ice. I gave it a shake, but the ice wouldn’t move, so a little water was needed to loosen the ice and ensure all the ice got crushed.

Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

How do the Nutribullet personal blenders compare?

Should you buy the Nutribullet Ultra?

Buy it if...

You want a fast and quiet blender

The 1200-Watt motor and base on the Nutribullet Ultra is designed to operate at a lower sound frequency. While it’s not completely silent, it’s one of the less offensive designs I’ve tried in terms of noise levels.

You want to make smoothies for two

The Nutribullet Ultra comes with both a 900ml and a 700ml cup, which each have 'to-go' lids. A generous smoothie serving is around 300ml, so you've got room for two and blending space in there. Alternatively, one mega protein shake.

You want a blender that looks stylish on the worktop

With its streamlined charcoal grey finish and touch interface, the Nutribullet Ultra looks and feels premium. Rather than hiding it away in the cupboard after use, it’s a design you’ll be happy to keep on display on the countertop.

Don't buy it if...

You're on a budget

There are cheaper Nutribullet blenders available if you're happy to sacrifice the fancy touch interface, extra power and quieter motor. The original Nutribullet 600, for example.

You want simple and fast control

Other Nutribullet blenders start blending as soon as they're twisted into place, but the Ultra has two control buttons. This is a pro or con depending on how simple you want the blending process to be.

How I tested the Nutribullet Ultra

I have tested an array of blenders before, including the Nutribullet 900, and know what makes for a good design – be it a personal blender or a traditional jug blender. To get a good feel for the Nutribullet Ultra, I used it to make a smoothie and dip. I was keen to see how well the hard ingredients such as chickpeas and cold ingredients such as ice and berries could combine in their respective recipes. The Nutribullet Ultra claims to have optimised blades for quieter blending so I also measured its noise levels using the Decibel Meter App on my phone to see just how quiet it can perform. Finally, I wanted to know whether the device was easy to maintain and so I washed each part after use and wiped down the base.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed May 2024

Shark HydroVac Cordless review: a very effective vacuum-mop

2:10 pm | May 7, 2024

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

Shark HydroVac Cordless review: two-minute review

The Shark HydroVac Cordless is a multipurpose cleaner that vacuums and mops at the same time. For this review, I tested the UK version, but there are equivalent models in the US and Australia (there are minor differences in specs, but essentially this is the same product):

UK: Shark HydroVac Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner WD210UK
US: Shark HydroVac Pro XL Cordless WD201
AU: Shark HydroVac Pro XL Cordless 3-In-1 Cleaner WD210ANZ

There are plenty of reasons to admire this product. It’s powerful, and can tackle lots of different types of wet and dry debris on hardwood flooring, as well as freshening up door mats and rugs. This means you can do away with your traditional mop – should you be able to prize yourself away from it – and condense the number of cleaning tools you need.

It cleans by sucking up the spillage as you push back and forth until the area is left looking clean and smelling fresh. It’s capable of tackling mess such as milky cereal, baked beans and biscuits. It works fast too. We'd expect nothing less from the brand behind many of the best vacuum cleaners on the market.

It's not quite perfect. It doesn’t come with a crevice attachment, so you’ll need to use the vacuum’s head to get right up to the skirting and into corners, which can sometimes be tricky. And while it has a self-cleaning feature to keep the insides smelling fresh, you will also need to keep on top of the vacuum’s maintenance and clean and dry the dirty water tank and brush roll after every use, which can be a bit of a pain.

Overall, I was very impressed with pick up – both on finer dust and larger wet debris. I also like how easy the vacuum is to store on the charging dock so that it’s conveniently ready when you need it. It gives you a decent 25 minutes of runtime too – all in its handy cordless design. If you're on a tighter budget and don't mind a cable, there's a corded version that's cheaper.

That's the short version – read on for my full Shark HydroVac Cordless Cleaner review.

Shark HydroVac Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner review: price & availability

List price: US$359.99 / £329.99 / AU$399.99
Launched: 2023
Available: worldwide

While Shark sells small appliances worldwide. The cordless model I tested is the UK version, which has a list price of £329.99. The US version (WD201) has a list price of $359.99, but at time of writing was discounted to a far-more-affordable $199.99. The Australian version (WD210ANZ) has a list price of AU$399.99.

If you’re looking to spend a little less and don’t mind a corded model, you can get a corded version in the UK and US. In the UK, this is the WD110UK and costs £279.99, in the US it's the WD161 and costs $249.99. Note that Shark recommends that you replace the filter and brush roll every six months, which is an ongoing cost.

Two-in-one vacuum cleaner/mops can vary quite a bit in price, with the cheapest starting around £150 / $190 / AU$285 and going up to around £350 / $440 / AU$665. While the Shark HydroVac isn't the cheapest option on the market, the design has a lot of premium features, and I'd say it's good value for money.

While Shark offers discounts at peak sale times throughout the year including Black Friday and Cyber Monday, at the time of writing the product is being sold at full price.

Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Shark HydroVac Cordless cleaner specs

Shark HydroVac Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner review: design

LED headlights illuminate hidden debris
Ample 500ml water tank
Stylish charcoal grey design plus compact charging dock

The Shark HydroVac Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner WD210UK has a stylish charcoal grey finish and sleek body. The body is relatively light at 3.95kg, and the design includes an antimicrobial brush roll and a 500ml water tank.

Although you can't wall-hang this device, it does come with a docking station where the cleaner sits neatly when not in use. It’s the size of a standard cordless vacuum, so while it won't take up too much room, it helps if you have a large room or separate utility area to store it.

Shark HydroVac Cordless floor cleaner plugged in and charging — (Image credit: Future)

What I instantly liked about the two-in-one cleaner is how easy it is to get set up. Attach the body to the head by following the simple instructions provided. When it's ready to go, fill the tank with water and add some of the cleaning solution provided. The LED control panel on the cleaner is simple to read and provides info on battery life and cleaning solution levels.

This cleaner is designed for use on both wet and dry messes, and a variety of floor types. You start it up simply by leaning the handle of the device back.

Close up of dirty water tank on Shark HydroVac Cordless floor cleaner — (Image credit: Future)

There are two modes. In hard floor cleaning mode, it'll vacuum when you're pushing forwards and wash when you pull back. The device automatically starts in this mode when you turn it on. You can also switch to a freshen mode using the button at the top of the handle. In this mode, it seems to mop lightly in both directions. There's a self-cleaning mode that you can activate by pressing the start button once the device is on its stand. You’ll need to supplement this with your own cleaning, however – I'll get into that more in the Performance section.

Shark HydroVac Cordless floor cleaner with LED lights illuminating the floor — (Image credit: Future)

When the device starts, LED headlights illuminate to help you see hidden debris as you vacuum.

It’s worth noting that while the Shark HydroVac Cleaner can be used on low-pile carpets rugs, the brush roll won't work on plush/thick long pile. If you’re after a cleaner for a thicker carpet, you’re better off taking a look at the Shark CarpetXpert Deep Carpet Cleaner EX150UK.

Design score: 4 out of 5

Shark HydroVac Cordless floor cleaner review: performance

Effective cleaning on sealed hard floors
Quite noisy in use
Lightweight and easy to move about

If you’ve ever tested a cordless vacuum cleaner, you know how bulky they can sometimes feel. But I found this design reasonably lightweight and well balanced. It's easy to drive around the floor – both on hard flooring, mats and rugs. The head of the vacuum is wide enough to make good progress in just a few strokes, but not overly chunky.

On a full charge, it ran for 25 minutes, which was long enough for me to do a refresh of my hallway, dining room, living room and kitchen before needing to refill the water and pop it back on the charger.

Shark HydroVac Cordless floor cleaner on a wooden floor — (Image credit: Future)

In hard floor cleaning mode, the simple push-pull action is a joy to use, and perfect on the days that I simply needed to quickly pep up my dusty dark walnut hardwood flooring. I found it also worked well on tougher messes – for example when the kids had brought mud into the hallway, or spilt cereal under the kitchen breakfast table (Cheerios are the bane of my life!).

The HydroVac also managed to clean up baked beans on vinyl flooring within seconds, as well as sucking up digestive biscuit crumbs with ease, and always leaving a fresh smelling surface behind. The suction is powerful and I was impressed with just how quickly it got to work.

I also tried refresh mode on a doormat and my Persian carpet. I was a little apprehensive as I've tried wet-dry cleaners in the past that have left my carpet sodden wet. Luckily, the HydroVac didn’t leave too much residue behind. While it’s hard to tell whether it makes any real difference when freshening mats and carpets, I think the fact that it leaves behind a trace of multi-surface cleaning solution with odour neutraliser reassuring.

On the down-side, I found the Shark HydroVac could get quite noisy – ramping up to 83.1 decibels in use and really packing a punch for a minute or so when it’s in self-cleaning mode. Comparatively, I measured my Dyson V15 Detect Absolute at 76.4 decibels.

Maintenance

The HydroVac has a self-cleaning mode, which can be activated when it's back on its charging base. This helps freshen up the inside mechanisms and cleans the brush roll. That's useful because the antimicrobial brush roll can take a bit of a battering, depending on what you’re cleaning. Straight after cleaning up beans and biscuits it was looking rather dirty, for example.

Close up of brush roll on Shark HydroVac Cordless floor cleaner — (Image credit: Future)

That said, you will need to then empty the dirty water tank and also leave the brush roll out to dry for up to 24 hours before using it again. If you forget to empty the tank after use, the dirty water tank will start to smell as I found out on one occasion..

However, you'll also have to do your own maintenance work. After every use, I had to empty the dirty water tank and take off the brush roll (often clogged up with food or hair) to clean myself and leave it out to dry. While this is relatively easy, it is something to bear in mind if you think that the self-cleaning mode here does it all.

Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Should I buy a Shark HydroVac Cordless?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Shark HydroVac Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner

I used the Shark Hydrovac in my home for six weeks. In my home, walnut hardwood flooring runs through the hall to the dining room and living area and it’s prone to looking dusty if not cleaned regularly. I used the Shark Hydrovac to clean the floor daily. I also used it on the vinyl tiles in the kitchen and upstairs in the bedroom where we have laminate hardwood flooring.

I tested how well it did on targeted areas and scattered a section of the room with large oats – to mimic large debris – and a mixture of flour and crushed biscuits – to mimic finer dust. I was keen to see how quickly and effectively it could clean up the area. I also used it to clear up a baked beans spillage on the vinyl flooring in my kitchen and measured the noise levels of the vacuum using the Decibel Meter App on my iPhone. Finally, I also used it in freshen mode to clean the small carpets and doormats throughout the ground floor of my home.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed: May 2024

Moto G34 review

2:58 pm | April 25, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones | Tags: AU, LCD, UK, US | Comments: Off

Moto G34 two-minute review

Motorola has decided to continue its long-held siege on our list of the best cheap phones with its new Moto G34 — this was designed to be one of the most affordable 5G phones out there, and it’s a pleasantly surprising success.

One of the first 2024 entries into Motorola’s low-cost line of Moto G handsets, you quickly come to know what to expect from these handsets. They won’t hurt your bank account but generally deliver unimpressive specs, a poor camera performance and lackluster displays. Given that the G34 is being marketed on its low price, you’d expect it to tick all these boxes, but it manages to punch above its weight in a few departments.

A question I asked myself when I begun testing the phone was: “given that budget mobiles have weak specs to keep the price low, is 5G even useful on a handset of this price?” The answer I came up with is “in some use cases yes”.

The camera is a good example, because it’s actually okay for a super-cheap phone like this. Admittedly ‘okay’ isn’t a glowing recommendation, but it’s one of the kindest words I’ve ever used to describe a Moto phone camera. And with 5G, you can easily post snaps on social media, save them to a cloud or download an editing app to tweak them.

The Moto G34's Your Space menu — (Image credit: Future)

One small camera feature does damage the experience though: every time you take a snap, the phone spends ages processing it before it’s added to the camera gallery. This means you can’t see the finished product for while, which can be annoying if you want to know whether you’ve got the shot or need to try again.

The chip is, again, ‘okay’, but that’s great for a budget phone – the G34 wasn’t as sluggish, slow or prone to stuttering as many other handsets you could buy for the same price. You’re not going to be demolishing opponents in Call of Duty: Mobile any time soon but it’ll hold its own. I could download games on my bus ride into work thanks to the connection speeds as long as they were low-intensity gentle ones.

Plus the phone boasts nice, clean Android 14 with all of its personalization features, a chunky battery and up to 1TB of expandable storage, which is all appreciated.

It’s not all amazing, though. The Moto G34 has a relatively low-res display, with its LCD tech leaving colors looking a little washed out. If you’re buying a 5G phone to stream Netflix from out and about, you’d do better to just buy a same-price 4G phone with a better screen, or splash out a little more.

Plus, it’s really slow to charge, which admittedly is impossible to tie into the handset’s 5G features so let’s just list it as a standalone ‘con’ for the phone.

So you’re getting what you pay for with the Moto G34 and a little bit more – not a lot more, but enough that the price tag is easy to palate.

Moto G34: price and availability

Released in January 2024
On sale in the UK, possibly AU in future, unlikely in US
Costs £149.99 (roughly $190, AU$290)

The Moto G34 camera app — (Image credit: Future)

The Moto G34 was unveiled to the world in December 2023, but it went on sale in the UK a month later in the new year.

The handset costs £149.99 for its sole 4GB RAM and 128GB model, though you can choose between black, green and blue versions. In some regions there are variants of the mobile with more RAM or various amounts of storage, but that’s not the case in the UK.

No US or Australian availability has been announced for the handset but the cost converts to around $190 or AU$290 – Moto typically sells different mobiles Stateside so the G34 likely won’t go on sale in America, but given precedent, it could reach the Australian shores.

That price puts the Moto G34 almost without equal in the realms of 5G phones, as most cost at least 25% more (well, until sales come). Instead, the handset is bumping elbows with some 4G competitors from Samsung, Xiaomi and even Motorola itself, with brands offering you slightly better features for the same price if you don’t need 5G.

Value score: 4 / 5

Moto G34 review: specs

The Moto G34 has specs that match its budget: low-end. Here's the skinny:

Moto G34 review: design

Average-sized Android that's not too heavy
Camera bump doesn't stick out much
USB-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack

The Moto G34 flat in a hand. — (Image credit: Future)

Like many phones from Motorola, the Moto G34 has a pretty utilitarian design: it’s another chocolate-bar phone.

The G34 measure 162.7 x 74.6 x 8mm and weighs 179g so it’s pretty lightweight as far as Android phones go, and not too big either.

On the bottom edge is a USB-C port and 3.5mm headphone jack — remember those?! — and the right edge holds an easily-reachable power button and a slightly-less-reachable volume rocker. As this phone is roughly averaged-sized, it should be usable one-handed for all but the smallest hands.

Like many budget phones, the G34 has a flat edge, but unlike many other mobiles that use this feature (including some Moto offenders) it’s not too angular — this wasn’t an uncomfortable phone to hold. While that’s not exactly a compliment, it’s definitely not an insult either.

On the back of the phone is a slight protrusion that houses the two camera lenses. This doesn’t stick out too far, so you can put the handset face-up on a table without turning it into a seesaw.

As mentioned, there are three color options for the phone, and we used the blue one. The green option uses faux leather which presumably gives it a much more premium feel, though I didn’t test this one so I can’t say for sure.

Design score: 3.5 / 5

Moto G34 review: display

A 6.5-inch display, big but not huge
Fairly low-res 720 x 1600 resolution
LCD leads to colors looking washed-out

The Moto G34 laying face up on a wooden surface — (Image credit: Future)

You probably shouldn’t be picking the Moto G34 as your chosen phone if it’s to stream high-quality movies over the web, because the Moto might struggle to show you that ‘quality’ part.

The phone has a 6.5-inch display, so it’s fairly big and will show you lots of WhatsApp messages, big Instagram posts or lots of your video game. However it only has a HD resolution of 720 x 1600, so videos don’t look as crisp as they do on most other mobiles.

Moto has also opted to put an LCD screen on the phone, despite other low-cost mobiles using OLED which has better contrast, colors and brightness. At least the 120Hz refresh rate makes motion look nice and smooth.

Display score: 2 / 5

Moto G34 review: software

Stock Android 14, but only one software update
Lots of customization options
Moto's Quick Actions make navigation easy

The Moto G34 app drawer — (Image credit: Future)

Not only is the Moto G34 one of the cheapest 5G phones, but it’s one of the most affordable ways you can get yourself a handset with stock Google-designed Android.

The Moto comes on Android 14, the newest version of the popular operating system. Moto has only promised one update though, with three years of security updates, which software aficionados might find lacking.

Stock Android is a nice clean operating system, mostly free from bloatware and with an easy-to-access swipe-up app drawer so that your home screen remains nice and clear until you customize it.

Android 14 in particular is great for customization options to help you design your interface, though some usual Moto additions are missing. You can change the font, color scheme, app icon shape and more though, so there’s still a lot you can do.

Moto does bring its stalwart quick actions, which let you bring up certain apps just with gestures: you can do a double karate chop to turn on the torch or a twist to open the camera app, for example. Once you get the knack of these, they become really convenient navigation options.

An addition which is relatively new to Moto phones is the Moto Unplugged app which lets you temporarily pare back your handset when you want to go distraction-free for a while. It was pretty handy for when I wanted to focus on writing this review — until I realized that I needed to use the phone for the review, that is!

Software score: 3.5 / 5

Moto G34 review: cameras

50MP main and 2MP macro cameras
16MP selfie camera for self portraits
Slow photo processing provides photography pain

The Moto G34's camera bump — (Image credit: Future)

As you can see from the images, the Moto G34 boasts two rear cameras, though only one is worth talking about. They’re a 50MP f/1.8 main and a 2MP f/2.4 macro snapper. They’re joined by a 16MP f/2.4 selfie camera on the front.

If your expectations for the camera prowess of a budget phone like this are very low, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the G34. That’s not to say it’s good, but it’s fine, and at this price that’s all you can ask for.

In decent lighting conditions, snaps have sufficient detail, though they can look a little washed-out in terms of color. In low-lighting conditions – I don’t mean night-time, and the cookie picture below shows that even household lighting doesn’t cut it – snaps lose a lot of detail and often seem a bit muddy. Plus, the phone didn’t handle contrast well, with darker areas during daylight shooting losing loads of detail.

That may sound overwhelmingly negative, but pictures taken on the Moto G34 did retain more quality, light and color that snaps taken on other similarly priced phones I’ve tested in the past, so I wasn’t disappointed by its performance.

Using digital zoom, you can close the distance up to 8x, but images get very grainy past 2x so I wouldn’t recommend it.

Selfies are a small cut above, and I found that the front camera would cope better if my face wasn’t beautifully lit up. Portrait mode was surprisingly good at working out what it shouldn’t and shouldn’t blur too, and even messy bed hair couldn’t fool it.

Macro mode is… well, pretty dreadful, actually – I found it impossible to take a close-up shot with sufficient lighting and detail to exceed the capabilities of the main camera. Most of the time, my macro shots were blurry out-of-focus messes. Avoid!

The usual crowd of extra modes are here: photographers can use portrait mode, Pro mode, spot color (which turns a photo monochrome except for one color), dual capture, night mode and ‘Photo Booth’ which takes four pictures a few seconds apart, like you’re in an old-school photo booth. Videographers can enjoy some of the same including dual capture and spot color as well as a slow-motion mode.

One annoying aspect of the G34 is that, when you take a photo, the device will spend a while processing it. This sometimes took over a minute and I couldn’t find a way to turn the processing off — this all just meant you can’t see the proper image for a while after taking it. Ironically, the processing barely made a difference to image quality, so this isn’t as big of an issue as it otherwise would be.

Moto G34 camera samples

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Camera score: 2.5 / 5

Moto G34: performance and audio

Snapdragon 695 is fit for purpose
128GB storage can be expanded up to 1TB, plus 4GB RAM
3.5mm headphone jack for wired audio

The Moto G34 has a surprising chipset for its price: the Snapdragon 695 it uses often shows up in pricier (though still low-end) mobiles, and Motorola could have got away with sticking a weaker processor in its mobile.

This is paired with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage, though both are expandable. You can increase your storage by 1TB thanks to the microSD card slot, and use RAM expansion to temporarily turn unused storage space into extra power.

The Moto G34's personalize menu — (Image credit: Future)

Using the Geekbench 6 benchmark test, the Moto returned a multi-core score of 2,035. That’s roughly around the score of 5-year-old flagships like the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 (2,092) and Huawei Mate 20 (2,134). For recent handsets, some budget mobiles from the last few years have similar scores including OnePlus’ Nord N20 (1,962) and Nord CE 2 Lite (1,952), both of which also have the Snapdragon 695 chipset.

When it comes to gaming, I was pleasantly surprised by how the Moto could hold its own through intensive games of Call of Duty: Mobile and other titles. There were startlingly few stutters or lags during online play; if it weren’t for the display and speaker quality, I could just have well been playing on a mid-ranged gaming phone.

Audio fans will love to see the Moto G34 boasting a 3.5mm headphone jack, so you can use wired headphones, microphones and more using the port. It also has Bluetooth 5.1 for wireless headphones if you prefer.

The G34 also has stereo speakers for audio; they’re nothing to write home about and don’t compare with those on pricier mobiles, but are fine for if you misplaced your headphones.

Performance score: 3 / 5

Moto G34 review: battery life

Big 5,000mAh battery
Phone easily lasts a day of use, and almost two
Slow to charge at 18W

The Moto G34's USB-C port and headphone jack. — (Image credit: Future)

It wouldn’t be a Moto phone if it didn’t have a battery the size of a small baby, would it? The G34 boasts a 5,000mAh battery, just like the vast majority of other mobiles from the company, which is a big power pack for a phone.

A battery like this would keep even a juice-hungry mobile powered for a long time, but between its HD screen and mid-tier chipset, the Moto G34 really makes the most of this battery. It easily lasts a day on a full charge and, in our testing, often came close to hitting two days of stopping power on a single charge.

It’s good that you don’t have to power up the phone frequently, though, because it’s not fast to charge. At 18W powering, it takes a glacial hour or more to power from empty to full, which will certainly have you sitting by the charger and twiddling your fingers.

As with almost any phone at this price, there’s no wireless charging or reverse wireless powering in sight.

Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Moto G34?

Buy it if...

You want low-cost 5G
If you just need to connect to 5G networks by any means, then the Moto G34 is one of your cheapest options for doing so.

You need lots of storage space
It's not everyday that we see a budget phone that can reach up to 1TB expandable storage, so if you want a portable hard drive that can make calls, it's a good option.

You're a super-low-budget gamer
If you really can't afford a mid-ranged gaming phone, the Moto G34 is actually decent for playing mobile games, at least compared to its same-priced rivals.

Don't buy it if...

You stream movies and TV shows
With its 720p LCD display, the Moto G34 isn't exactly an entertainment fan's powerhouse. If you want to stream on the go, pick a device with a 1080p screen.

You need quick charging
Moto phones' big batteries makes charging less important, but if you're a fan of snappy powering, you really won't enjoy the G34.

You want several years of updates
With only one guaranteed software update, the G34 won't get new Android features for years to come. At least you're getting three years' security updates.

Moto G34 review: Also consider

If you want to make sure you're getting bang for your buck, here are three other smartphones you might want to consider instead of the Moto G34:

Moto G54
Only a small sum more upgrades your G34 to a G53 with a higher-res display, better speakers and more in-built storage. It's the same in most other ways, except is somehow even slower to charge, and comes on Android 13 instead of 14.

Samsung Galaxy A15
Samsung's ultra-low-price 5G Galaxy phone has a fantastic display, as well as decent cameras and pretty fast charging for the price. Just make sure you buy the 5G variant and not the 4G one.

How I tested the Moto G34

The Moto G34's rear, as it's held in a hand. — (Image credit: Future)

Review test period = 3 week
Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
Tools used = Geekbench 6, Geekbench ML, GFXBench, native Android stats

As you can tell, I tested the blue version of the Moto G34, in its sole 4GB and 128GB variant. I did not use the expandable storage in testing.

To write this review, I used the Moto G34 for roughly three weeks, not including the time I left the phone running prior to testing to normalize its battery. This testing involved lots of photography, a fair amount of gaming and a little bit of streaming movies and music too.

Please note that the product photography was undertaken prior to the testing period, hence why it looks like the phone has barely been used; it hadn't!

I've been reviewing smartphones for TechRadar for over five years now, starting with another budget Moto phone back in 2019. I've used countless handsets from the company and all its major competitors, as well as some of the other gadgets Moto has tried out (anyone remember the Moto 360?).

Read more about how we test

First reviewed March 2024

Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL BBQ Grill and Smoker review

3:00 pm | April 6, 2024

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

Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL: two-minute review

Ninja’s near-relentless mission to become king of all appliances continues with the launch of the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL, its first smart Woodfire offering huge capacity and the same delicious flavors.

We loved the Ninja Woodfire, scoring it a perfect five stars in our review. Nevertheless, on a personal level, I’d remained largely unconvinced by Ninja’s outdoor cookers – until now. Adding smart features such as the app-connected thermostat and a higher capacity for catering to larger groups, the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL stands to make a grill master out of me yet.

Delivering delicious smoky flavors, convenient smart cooking features, and fantastic ease of use, there’s very little to complain about with the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL BBQ Grill and Smoker. If I’m nitpicking, I’d say the hefty ‎40.2lb /18.3kg weight warrants the inclusion of the Ninja Woodfire stand, especially if you have a wooden table as I do and are concerned about it buckling; but that might have driven up the price enough to discourage prospective grillmasters, so I understand the logic.

At 16.1 x 22.4 x 20.1in / ‎41 x 57 x 51cm, it’s a little larger than the 13.4 x 18.1in x 18.1in / 34 x 46 x 46cm (h x w x d) standard Woodfire model, and enough so to offer 30% greater capacity according to Ninja. In practice, it offers some (much-needed) headroom, plus space for another portion or two of food – which, in my opinion, is more than enough to justify the meager $ / £50 / AU$ price difference. In addition, there’s the included smart thermostat, which can connect with the Ninja app to ensure perfect results every time.

With that logic in mind, I’d go as far as to say the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL BBQ Grill and Smoker is far more than a capacity upgrade to the original model. It might not quite qualify as a next-generation device, but it iterates enough upon the success of the original to stand on its own four feet.

Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL on a table with the lid open — (Image credit: Future)

Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL review: price & availability

List price: $449 / £499
Available in the US and UK, no confirmation on AU release

Available for $449 / £499 directly from Ninja US and Ninja UK, as well as third-party retailers such as Amazon, the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL is a fairly pricey purchase, coming in at around double the cost of a standard, basic BBQ – but you get a whole lot more for that price.

It arrives with a sample pack of robust blend pellets, plus a pack of all-around blend wood pellets, which you can purchase separately for $32 / £30 for two 2lbs / 900g bags. Also included is the Ninja smart thermostat, which you can buy separately for $19.95 / £19.99, as well as a pellet scoop, a crisper basket, the grill plate, and the grease tray.

There are a few further accessories you might need, however. The Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL is water resistant to IPX4, but to keep it in good condition if storing outdoors, you’ll want the waterproof cover that costs an additional $25 / £25.

While the outdoor cooker’s underside is heat-safe and won’t damage surfaces, it’s a fairly heavy piece of kit, so you might prefer to shell out for Ninja’s collapsible grill stand, too, which will set you back a further $150 / £130.

If you want the full assortment of accessories, there are a variety of bundles available through both Ninja and Amazon.

Considering the original Woodfire sold for $370 / £350 at launch in 2023 and now is available for $399 / £399, the relatively slim price difference between the original and the new XL version makes for a compelling argument to spend a little more for a whole lot more.

Value score: 4.5 out of 5

Specifications

Design

Bigger capacity than the original
Handy smart thermostat storage tray
IPX4 water-resistant for rainy days

It’s pretty hard to make a BBQ, grill and smoker multicooker look sexy, but Ninja has certainly tried – and to great effect. Available in an attractive blue colorway, it’s a fairly robust device, weighing 40.2lbs/ 18.3kg and measuring 16.1 x 22.4 x 20.1in / ‎41 x 57 x 51cm.

One of the biggest design departures from the original Woodfire is the layout of the control panel, which has been entirely revamped. From left to right, you’ll find the seven cooking functions (Grill, Smoker, Roast, Bake, Dehydrate, Air Crisp, and Broil), which can be easily navigated using the Mode button, as well as the Woodfire Flavor button to the left, the LCD panel and temperature/time controls in the center, and the control dial, start/stop and thermometer buttons to the right. This offers a significant improvement over the original model, which we found difficult to navigate for our original review.

Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL — (Image credit: Future)

Above the control panel is the lid handle, which stays cool even after longer cooking periods. A surprising omission, given the increased weight of the Pro Connect XL, is the handles – meaning it’s a little more difficult to maneuver than the original Woodfire. Thankfully, however, there are still small grips on either side to help you lift and maneuver the Woodfire Pro Connect XL. On the right-hand side of the device, you’ll find the wood pellet tray, and underneath the control panel is a slot that houses the smart thermostat when it isn’t in use.

One of the biggest drawbacks of the entire Woodfire product line is that none of the accessories are dishwasher-safe. This isn’t too much of an issue when it comes to the grill and grease tray, which are relatively easy to clean by hand; but the crisper basket is quite a chore to clean off after use. At least all of the accessories are non-stick, but due to the increased size of the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL, they’re just a little too large to soak in the sink.

Plate with Wood smoked ribs, chicken, asparagus and beans — (Image credit: Future)

Performance

Delicious, smoky flavors
Very easy to use
Smart thermometer app pairing and features work well

As someone who isn’t really a fan of a BBQ, I was pleasantly surprised by how consistently and deliciously well the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL performed on-test. In terms of its cooking capabilities, it’s as successful as the original Woodfire; both smoked and unsmoked dishes were bursting with flavor and cooked to perfection.

It’s easier than ever to smoke your meals with the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL. Simply throw in one level scoop of pellets, preheat the grill, and you’re set to throw on whatever you’re cooking. For my test, I tried chicken, ribs and asparagus with the robust blend wood pellets, using the smart thermostat to primarily test the internal temperature of the chicken. Following Ninja’s instructions, I set the Pro Connect XL to cook for one hour at 275°F / 135°C.

Both the ribs and chicken cooked faster than the app had suggested, but it’s worth noting both were pretty lean to begin with. Regardless, the speed with which Ninja’s Woodfire cookers can work while still creating delicious food is incredibly impressive.

The results overall were spectacular. Enriched with smooth yet smoky flavors, the wood pellets had clearly done a fantastic job of imparting flavor to the meat. I loved that I barely had to interact with the cooker, freeing me up to speak with guests, tidy up the kitchen, or even file my taxes.

I turned my food halfway through for this test, given it was a whole (albeit small) chicken we were cooking. For the next meal, I made chicken wings, where I didn’t see as much benefit from the flavor when left unturned – which is pretty similar to my experience with the original model.

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Cooking results from Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL - chicken on a plagte — (Image credit: Future)

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Cooking results from Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL - chicken on a ribs — (Image credit: Future)

Image 3 of 4

Plate with Woodfire smoked salmon — (Image credit: Future)

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Plate with Woodfire smoked halloumi and vegetables — (Image credit: Future)

Even the non-smoke-enhanced cook settings work fantastically, netting me some deliciously grilled burgers, immaculately air-fried potato wedges, and crispy asparagus full of flavor – and moisture. We tried and enjoyed baking brownies in the previous model, and while I wouldn’t normally bake in my garden, having the ability to do so is useful if only for the Pro Connect’s app controls.

If you opt to use the Woodfire technology for non-smoking settings, you really don’t need to use the recommended level scoop of wood pellets; better to be conservative with these fairly pricey pellets and opt for a half-scoop instead.

While the Woodfire Pro Connect XL is undoubtedly larger than the original, it’s nowhere near big enough to cater for larger groups. In terms of branding, Ninja would have been more accurate with “large”, since there’s nothing extra about this smart cooker when you’re feeding more than six people.

All in all, the Woodfire Pro Connect XL is a spectacular addition to any patio, porch or plot, offering impressive (albeit sometimes unnecessary) versatility, fantastic flavor, and blistering cooking speeds.

Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL BBQ Grill and smoker

I used the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL BBQ Grill and Smoker to cook a variety of meals over several weeks
I tested all of its different cooking functions on vegetables, meat and fish
I used the smart thermostat and app to test the functionality

I put the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL BBQ Grill and smoker through its paces by cooking a variety of different meals over the course of my three-week testing period – including chicken, ribs, salmon, pepper, asparagus and beans.

I tried all of the different settings, including the Woodfire mode where appropriate, and used both of the sample flavor packs that came with the device. I compared the results to my previous experience with standard BBQs as well as the original Ninja Woodfire, evaluating how well it delivered on flavor and ease of use.

While I’m no grill master, I’ve been cooking on BBQs during the rare bouts of summer sun in the UK for years, and I’ve also tried a host of electric cookers, both indoors and outdoors during that time.

Withings Body Scan review – a new high in performance (and price)

3:33 pm | January 10, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Smart Home Smart Scales | Tags: AU, Google Fit, UK, US | Comments: Off

Withings Body Scan: One-minute review

The Withings Body Scan sets a new benchmark for the capabilities of modern smart scales. It's both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled, has a build quality and design that sets it apart from the pack, a clear and responsive display, and can provide more in-depth analysis of a user's body composition and physical well-being than its major competitors like Eufy, Wyze, Fitbit and Garmin.

When used with the Withings Health Mate app, the Withings Body Scan can not only provide you with an analysis of your body composition, the ratio of fat-to-muscle-to-bone that makes up your body but also outline where your measurements sit in comparison to healthy averages. Using this information, it can identify trends in changes to your measurements over time, letting you know if you're gaining or losing weight and how you compare to averages for your age and gender.

For those needing specialized data readings – for example, if you are pregnant or an athlete – the Withings Body Scan can adapt its measurement methods accordingly, to ensure readings are as accurate as possible whilst remaining safe and impressively efficient for the user. In pregnancy mode, it'll tell you the approximate size and weight of your baby depending on how far along you are.

The Withings Body Scan's key drawback for most people will be the price tag. Sitting at nearly £200 more than the next-cheapest Withings smart scale, there aren't that many reasons to spend that much more on a scale. However, if you are looking to take a deep dive into your body composition, take steps to improve your long-term health and habits, or are a keen fitness enthusiast looking to get the most out of your workouts, the value-for-money will show itself in the long run.

Withings Body Scan: Specifications

Withings Body Scan: Price and availability

$400 in the US
£350 in the UK
Only available via resellers in AU territories

The Withings Body Scan is on the considerably pricier side for a smart scale. However, the unique measurements and level of accuracy you receive for the price mean that if you're looking for an all-in-one health station, it's almost understandable.

The Withings Body Scan is currently available for $399.95 / £349.95, Users in Australia can't get it from Withings directly, so prices may vary there.

Value score: 3.5/5

Withings Body Scan: Design

Withings Body Scan smart scale on wooden surface — (Image credit: Rob Dunne)

Stylish and robust
Handles up to 200kgs of weight
Wall mount for handle included

As with all products that come from Withings, the Withings Body Scan is an undoubtedly stylish and robust device. You can get the Withings Body Scan in either a white or black color, both of which feature lighter banding across the scale which is used to send small electrical signals through your body to gather your body measurements.

The Withings Body Scan features a 3.2-inch color LCD display, measures 12.8 inches in both length and width, and only comes 1.1 inches off the floor thanks to its extremely thin base pads which run along either side. These also help give the Body Scan a very sturdy feel across the base when taking measurements. The device also uses a tempered glass panel on the front of the scale, and weighs around 4.8kg overall, giving the device a premium feel despite the plastic used across the underside of the scale.

Thanks to the tempered glass front, as well as the overall sturdiness of the build of the Withings Body Scan, the smart scale can handle weights up to 200kg / 440lbs / 31.5 stone, all while retaining the device's impressive 50g/0.1lb weight reading accuracy.

Some of the key design features of the Withings Body Scan revolve around the handle which acts as one of the key improvements over other Withings body scales. The handle, and its on-scale holder, are made of the same plastic used across the rest of the device, and use a well-braided cable to attach one to the other.

The handle and cable are light enough that you should experience no issues while holding them, whilst also not being so light that they feel cheap or underdeveloped. The electrodes on the handle are also usefully positioned to allow easy access for your thumbs on both sides.

Given the importance of the handle to the improved metrics the Withings Body Scan can provide, these steps have been well considered, even to such an extent that, with your smart scale, you also receive a wall mount for your handle, which means should you struggle leaning down to reach it from the scale itself, you can simply mount it to the wall and use it from there.

It should be noted, however, that should you choose to mount your handle to the wall, Withings asks that you set this up in the app to ensure the device still gives as accurate readings as possible. This is a simple enough process and takes a matter of seconds.

Design score: 4/5

Withings Body Scan: Features

Withings Health Mate stats — (Image credit: Future / Rob Dunne)

The features of the Withings Body Scan smart scale are where the device really comes into its own. To give you a sense of just how much the Body Scan does whilst you're on the scale, here's everything your smart scale is measuring while you're stood on that piece of glass, it measures:

Weight
BMI
Basal Metabolic Rate
Metabolic Age
Segmental body composition analysis including:
- Muscle Mass (across five zones)
- Fat Mass (across five zones)
- Bone Mass
- Visceral Fat Index
- Lean Mass
- Water Mass
Nerve health
ECG
Pulse Wave Velocity
Heart Rate
Vascular Age

And that's before everything else you can integrate into the app! If you integrate your Apple Health, Google Fit, or most other fitness apps, your Withings Health Mate app can become a hub for everything from your vascular age to your sleep quality, you can keep all your data in one place and utilise it to better your daily routines, workouts, sleep, eating and long term health.

When testing the Withings Body Scan, the only two of the many measurements above that we struggled with were Pulse Wave Velocity and Vascular Age. These measurements required a slightly more specific positioning on the scale which proved tricky to master, and the scale required five complete readings before it could start giving you data, which resulted in a greatly reduced amount of data compared to other areas.

Getting all of this data is one thing, understanding it is another, and this is an area where, once again, Withings has hit the nail on the head through the Health Mate app. Through the app, not only are you able to turn on recommended zones and see average data and how you compare to the average in each measurement, but you can also find guides explaining what each measurement means, so if, say, you don't understand what vascular age means, you can find a guide explaining everything you need to know about where it should be, and how it can be improved.

If you are working with a trainer or health professional, you're also in luck, as the app allows you to create a shareable report of your health that you can give to anyone who might benefit from it, a simple, but effective addition to the app.

Features score: 4.5/5

Withings Body Scan: Performance

Simple and efficient setup
Eight different profiles full of detail
Export data to/from Apple Health or Google Fit

Straight out of the box the simplicity and efficiency of Withings products is as present as ever. Setting up the device takes a matter of minutes through the Withings Health Mate app. If you are new to Withings and don't have an account, the setup of an account plus getting your Withings Body Scan ready takes a maximum of 15 minutes.

In that time, you'll also be able to import health data from services such as Apple Health or Google Fit, as well as receive a full tutorial on how to properly use your new smart scale and set some goals in the app.

There are a wide array of tutorials available on additional features within the app, some of which – the at-a-a-glance health improvement score and library of how-to workout/recipe/health management content – are unfortunately locked behind a Withings+ subscription. This costs $9.95 / £9.95 / around AU$18 per month, but none of it affects the usage of the scale in any way – still, it'd be nice to have after spending this much on a smart scale.

Once your Withings Body Scan is set up, utilizing it for not only your own, but your family's health is simple. The device can support up to eight profiles, which it can automatically detect. If however, a number of you are of similar weights, the device shows each profile as a list, which you scroll through by balancing on the foot of the direction you wish to scroll, so to go along the list, you simply need to put your weight on your right foot.

Withings Body Scan black on wooden surface — The Withings Body Scan also has a black variant (Image credit: Daniel hessel)

The process of attaining your measurements takes around a minute, most of which is taken up by one of the unique features of the Withings Body Scan, the 6-lead ECG (echocardiogram). The ECG takes 30 seconds to complete and is one of the key benefactors of the Body Scan's unique handle.

Each step of the measurement process is displayed for you on the 3.2-inch display, showing you the results of each test as they are collected, as well as some general daily info such as weather and air quality. You can customize the steps your Body Scan shows on the smart scale through the app, meaning if, understandably, you don't want to know the weather when you're weighing in, you can remove that from your slides.

The display (and device) are noticeably responsive, and the bright LCD makes it easy to see everything you need as and when it comes up. Once you are finished, your results will already be waiting for you in your Withings Health Mate app, meaning it's quick and simple to access the more in-depth data with no waiting around.

Overall, using the Withings Body Scan is extremely simple, everything you want to know can be seen on the smart scale itself during your weigh-in, and more detailed information can be found in the app once you are finished. The accuracy of measurements taken is extremely high, with weight having an accuracy of up to 50g/0.1lbs thanks to the four weight sensors spread across the scale, as well as featuring patented position detection technology and 'Position Control' technology. The Body Scan's segmental body composition capabilities are equally impressive thanks to the device's BIA (bio-electrical impedance analysis) multifrequency technology, which during testing was able to provide consistent results across five different bodily segments.

Performance Score: 4/5

Withings Body Scan: Scorecard

Withings Body Scan: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

Withings Body Comp

As the next offer down from Withings, the Body Comp offers a great alternative for those looking to access the various benefits of the Withings Health Mate app whilst sacrificing some of the more accurate and more detailed measurementsView Deal

Garmin Index S2

An alternative suited to Garmin users. The Index S2 offers a number of Garmin-tailored features, for a reduced price, whilst sacrificing some of the accuracy and detailed measurements offered by the Withings Body ScanView Deal