The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has announced today that it will completely shut down 3G networks. While TPG Telecom (also known as Vodafone) has already switched off its network, two other carriers are planning to do so in 3.5 months.
In a brief statement on its website, the regulator stated that Telstra and Optus will be shutting down their 3G mobile networks in 2024. Telstra is scheduled to deactivate its network on August 31, with Optus following suit in the subsequent days. ACMA reminded users with 3G devices that their phones will no longer be able to...
The Miele DuoFlex HX1 is part of the European brand's HX1 range, pitched as the brand's most affordable cordless vacuum cleaner. The DuoFlex HX1 is available in five different iterations. They're the same core vacuum with the same main cleaner head, but in a range of colors and with varying tools and accessories included. That means you can choose the model that suits you, without having to shell out for extra tools that you don't really need.
Miele is a European brand that has a long history of designing practical vacuums that stand the test of time. It's still best known for its plug-in vacuums, but will no doubt be hoping the HX1 range will earn it spot on TechRadar's best cordless vacuum ranking.
On test it felt well-built, sturdy and robust, but heavy and cumbersome. It's designed to be as powerful as Miele's bagged vacuums, and I found the dirt collection was good on the higher power level. The HX1's ability to automatically detect different floor types and adjust its suction in response takes the fuss out of vacuuming around your home. I also appreciated the clever self-cleaning filter.
(Image credit: Future)
However, these innovative features are let down by some issues with the basics. The small dirt bin, messy emptying process and the short battery life are frustrating and mean this vacuum cleaner is best suited to smaller homes and those with predominantly hard floors.
For this review, I tested out the HX1 Cat & Dog version, the USP of which is a handheld 'Electro Compact' brush. I found this did a great job of removing hair from pet bedding and thoroughly cleaning upholstery. However, the small dust bin limits this vacuum's suitability for pet owners, especially if their four-legged friends shed a lot. Read on for my full Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner review.
UK: from £449, available now (launched summer 2024)
US: from $599, launching June 2024
Australia: price and launch date TBC
Each of the five models in the Miele DuoFlex HX1 range is priced slightly differently. It's the same base model for all versions, but the accessories included differ. Hop to my model comparison table to see exactly how they compare, but price-wise the UK range runs from £369 to £499, with the Cat & Dog model I reviewed is £449. There's plenty of scope to choose the model that's right for your home and lifestyle.
The Miele DuoFlex HX1 range launched in summer 2024 in the UK. At time of writing, that's the only territory it's available in, but it is due to launch in the US in June 2024, at $599 for the standard HX1 model. It will also be available in Australia, but we don't have pricing information yet.
Value for money score: 4 out of 5
Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner specs
Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum model options
Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner review: design
Sturdy build, tools supplied vary by model
ComfortClean system removes the need to wash filter
Dust cup is small at 0.3L
The various models in the range are available in different colors. The Miele DuoFlex HX1 Cat & Dog comes in obsidian black and space gray, which is just a fancy way of saying it's essentially a black and gray vacuum – arguably a bit dull. That being said, not everyone wants a bright and lurid vacuum. And while the look is understated, the vacuum itself has a sturdy quality. It feels well built, as do all the tools.
The 'MultiFloor electrobrush' is the HX1's standard cleaning head. Additionally, all models come with a dusting brush and crevice nozzle – both of which can be stored on the wand of the vacuum so they're always to hand when needed – and a large upholstery nozzle.
(Image credit: Future)
Beyond those tools, the extras depend on the model you go for. The special addition for the Cat & Dog version I had on test is a small 'Electro Compact brush', designed specifically for tackling pet hair on upholstery.
(Image credit: Future)
The vacuum switches on via a button on the front of the handle, so there's no uncomfortable trigger to worry about. A second button below it enables you to switch between the two power levels.
The charging cable can be plugged directly into the vacuum, or, if you're installing the wall bracket it can be included in this setup so the vacuum automatically charges every time it's docked on the bracket.
(Image credit: Future)
While many vacuums now include washable lifetime filters, Miele has developed an even better solution with what it calls the ComfortClean self-cleaning function. By turning the ComfortClean cap, the fine dust filter is cleaned in place. Any dirt that's removed from the filter makes its way into the dust bin and gets emptied out with the rest of the debris into your trash.
The dust bin is emptied easily via a flap that releases the dirt into the trash. But the small 0.3 liter dirt capacity will definitely be off-putting for some households.
Dirt bin fills up frustratingly fast, and emptying it can be messy
Feels heavy and a bit cumbersome, but maneuvers well
Suction is good and auto power switching is effective
When reviewing the Miele DuoFlex HX1, a few things were obvious even from the first use. This vacuum feels weighty, and I'm not just talking about vacuuming overhead. It has a heaviness even when vacuuming floors, which I think is down to the balance and the position and/or the angle of the handle.
Furthermore, the handle felt pretty chunky in my small hands, verging on uncomfortable. But I'm a 5ft 3in woman, so I got my 6ft 2in husband to try it out. He found the handle size to be more appropriate to his hand size. Though he felt there was less space under the handle and his fingers were a bit squashed. He also commented on the appearance of the vacuum which he liked, but I'm less keen on.
(Image credit: Future)
Maneuverability was good on all floors. The main floorhead automatically detects carpet and increases the suction in response. This auto switching function works effectively, and I found it really took the thinking out of maneuvering between floor types, though the down-side it that it drains the battery (more on that later).
Edge cleaning along baseboards is fine on the lower power setting, but much better on the higher setting. Even when I deliberately sprinkled debris along baseboards, it was thoroughly sucked up on the higher suction, which isn't always the case with cordless vacuums.
(Image credit: Future)
I've got both carpeted and wood stairs and the HX1 coped well with both. However, in general, even on hard floors, it was rare that I could vacuum a whole room on the lower suction. Generally, I felt the need to increase the power to the higher level to be certain of a thorough clean. And again, this impacts the amount of cleaning time you get before the battery dies.
(Image credit: Future)
After just five minutes of vacuuming a bedroom carpet, that wasn't all that dirty, the small dust bin was full up. The loose carpet fibers quickly fill the small bin, and while it doesn't fill up this fast on hard floors. If you've got a very busy house with children and pets, the dirt bin is not likely to be big enough. Similarly for larger homes, the frequent need to empty the bin will become very tedious.
Further to that, emptying out the dirt wasn't always straightforward. While the catch releases the base of the dust bin, the dirt doesn't always fall out. Often hair gets tangled around the pre-filter and sometimes debris gets stuck behind it. The pre-filter then has to be pulled out by hand to fully release everything, so it can certainly be a messy task.
The ComfortClean system is great for unclogging the filter, but every three months the filter has to be removed and tapped on the side of the trash. Once again, this is very messy to do.
(Image credit: Future)
The noise level is pretty typical for a vacuum. When using the hand tools it's around 70dB, rising to 80dB on the higher suction level. With the multi-floor brush in place you can expect a noise level in the region of 75-80dB depending on the floor type and power level.
Miele DuoFlex HX1 tools
The main floor cleaner head is referred to as the MultiFloor ElectroBrush, but there are a range of supplementary tools, which I'll comment on more here. The tools you get will depend on which version of the HX1 you opt for. The smaller of these tools can be attached directly to the vacuum for use as a handheld vacuum, or they can be fitted to the end of the wand for a longer reach. However, as a handheld vacuum in the car the HX1 felt bulky.
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Dusting brush (included with all models) (Image credit: Miele)
The dusting brush (included with all models) was handy for dusting shelves, but depending on the angle and the height of the shelf, isn't always the most comfortable method of dusting. I also used it on some of my car dashboard, but it couldn't reach into tighter spots.
The wide upholstery nozzle (all models) means you can cover large surfaces at speed. I quickly vacuumed two sofas, but did need to increase the power to the higher level to effectively remove all the dust clinging to a velvet sofa.
(Image credit: Future)
The crevice nozzle (all models) is a good length and the rubber end is a nice touch that means it won't damage or scratch anything. I found it particularly helpful for getting into hard-to-reach spots in the car.
The Electro Compact handheld brush is only included in the Cat & Dog version I tested, and the TotalCare version. On test, I found it was good for thoroughly cleaning my carpeted stairs. I also used it on my car mats, but found it couldn't reach everywhere in the foot wells. It works well on upholstery too and is designed for vacuuming up pet hair.
The nozzles from the HX1 range that I didn't test were the universal brush (Extra and TotalCare models) for cleaning sensitive surfaces, and the flexible crevice nozzle XL and the flexible suction hose (both CarCare and TotalCare only) designed to help you reach further into awkward areas in the car and the house.
Performance score: 4 out of 5
Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner review: battery life
Short run times
Vacuuming carpet drains battery
Only three lights to indicate battery level
Vacuuming carpeted floors on the higher power setting is the fastest way to drain the battery. The Duoflex HX1 managed 11 minutes of vacuuming carpets on high power before the battery needed a full recharge. However, the surprise came when vacuuming carpets on the lower power level. Despite being on a lower suction, the battery lasted for a pretty pathetic 13 and a half minutes.
On hard floors I was able to vacuum continuously on the lower power level for 21 minutes before the HX1 ran out of juice. This is the longest run time you'll get on floors, which is only enough time to blitz round two to three rooms, depending on the size of your rooms and how thorough you're being.
(Image credit: Future)
You'll get a longer vacuuming time when using the non-motorized hand tools, such as the dusting brush and crevice nozzle. But it still only offers up to 55 minutes, which will be on the lower power level.
When switching between all the hand tools, including the mini motorized tool, as well as switching between the power levels, the battery lasted just long enough for me to fully vacuum a Volkswagen Golf. But the car wasn't super dirty and if it had needed a more thorough, detailed clean, I would have had to do it in stages.
During testing, the battery recharge took between three and three and a half hours, which is in line with Miele's specs (which state 210 minutes).
Should you buy the Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
How I tested the Miele DuoFlex HX1
I tried every tool supplied
I used it on multiple surfaces throughout my home, as well as in my car
I timed the battery life
I used the vacuum in my own home for around a week. During that time, I tried all the various tools on a variety of surfaces. I vacuumed area rugs, carpet and hard floors, as well as upholstery, stairs, and even hard surfaces like shelving.
In addition to simply vacuuming, I took notice of ease of use, maneuverability and comfort. I also tested its performance on very specific tasks, like picking up that hard-to-reach debris along baseboards and in the corners of the room.
I reviewed my first vacuums over 15 years ago at the Good Housekeeping Institute in London. Over the years I've reviewed well in excess of one hundred vacuums. It really doesn't take me long to assess a vacuum and pinpoint its good features, as well as the less desirable qualities that are worth knowing before you buy.
The Sony ULT Field 7 is the company’s latest addition to the world of weatherproof portable speakers – gone are the days when listening to music outside meant trailing an extension cord precariously through the house and watching the skies with trepidation. The ULT Field 7 is a seriously large, seriously powerful party speaker, ready for big spaces.
Priced at $499 / £399, the Sony ULT Field 7 is available for purchase in the US and the UK and will be available in Australia at some point, but Sony hasn’t shared the price or release date there just yet. However you look at it, this is a big outlay if you’re only looking for an occasional party speaker, but if you like to entertain a lot, or are generally just a fan of heavy bass and want one of the best Bluetooth speakers that can deliver this, the price may not be so off-putting to you.
In a bid to make the Sony ULT Field 7 the perfect party companion, it’s been designed to be waterproof and dustproof, with an IP67 rating backing this up, which is about as good as you get from the best waterproof speakers. This means that you’re all good to use this speaker whether you’re entertaining during a rainy BBQ, or having a beach party. While Sony has attempted to jazz things up with colorful lighting, it is a shared opinion in the TechRadar office that this speaker does, unfortunately, look a bit like a trash can when standing vertically.
While you may be correct in thinking that a super-charged party speaker like the Sony ULT Field 7 isn’t going to provide the most delicate of listening experiences, it’s surprisingly well-rounded. Not only do bass-heavy tracks sound exciting and dynamic, but mids and trebles are handled well across all genres. Podcasts and talk shows are even pleasant to listen to, and speech is clear.
One aspect that let the ULT Field 7 down is the Sony Music Center app. Its design is reminiscent of a pre-2010 website, it’s laggy, and has some connection issues. At least with the ULT bass and lighting modes easily adjustable on the speaker, you should only need to use the app every now and then, unless you spend a lot of time fiddling with the finer details (which I did, but such is the life of a reviewer).
The size and weight of the ULT Field 7 is something worth considering carefully. The speaker is marketed as being easy to carry – which is somewhat true thanks to the solid integrated carry handles – but, at a size of about 20 x 9 x 9 inches / 512 x 224 x 222 mm, and weight of about 14lb / 6.3kg, you aren’t going to want to carry it long distances.
So, should you spend $499 / £399 on this speaker? If you don’t mind the aesthetics and the disappointing app, the quality of the sound is impressive, and could be exactly what your next party or gathering needs.
Covered in fabric, the Sony ULT Field 7 is a bit of a black hole. (Image credit: Future)
Sony ULT Field 7 review: Price and release date
Released April 2024
Priced at $499 / £399 (about AU$770)
'Coming soon' to Australia
The Sony ULT Field 7 launched in April 2024 as part of the new ULT-series lineup. The lineup also included four other models, the ULT Wear headphones, the ULT Field 1, and the ULT Tower 10.
The ULT Field 7 costs $499 / £399. This translates to about AU$770, but it's listed as unavailable on Sony’s Australian website at the time of writing. It does state “available soon”, so hopefully the official pricing will be added shortly.
This is fairly high in the world of portable speakers, but is far from unusual – the JBL Xtreme 4 and UE Hyperboom come in at a similar kind of price, though both are a little cheaper.
Sony ULT Field 7 review: Specs
The flap on the back opens to reveal buttons and connections galore. (Image credit: Future)
Sony ULT Field 7 review: Features
ULT presets for powerful and deep bass
Waterproof and dustproof
30 hours stated battery life
The Sony ULT Field 7 has a load of features that help to make it a good choice for parties or outdoor gatherings. Firstly, and most importantly for this speaker to be worth its salt, is the powerful ULT sound. There are two preset bass EQ settings, ULT1 and ULT2. The ULT1 setting is intended for tracks with especially low-frequency sounds, delivering impressively deep levels of bass. ULT2 is for delivering louder and punchier bass, better suited to house parties where the lack of detail won’t matter, as you’ll be focussing more on dance-offs.
The ULT Field 7 also has a Sound Field Optimization feature, which is designed to detect the sounds in the surrounding environment before automatically adjusting the audio settings to improve how it sounds in reaction to them.
The ULT Field 7 promises to provide 30 hours of playtime, and can build up three hours worth of playtime after charging for 10 minutes. This stated 30 hours battery life is based on having ULT 1 or 2 on, and the lighting (which is just in the ends of the speaker) off.
I found that the battery dropped 20% over about five and a half house with the lighting and Sound Field Optimization on. This suggests that this speaker could run for about 27 hours with these features enabled, which is good going considering Sony says that’s basically the worst-case scenario.
The design of the ULT Field 7 is a feature in itself. It has integrated carry handles that make it easy to maneuver, plus it has an IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating and is salt water resistant, so you can feel confident in the speaker's durability whether you’re having a party at home, in the garden, or on the beach.
To further add to the party vibe, hidden behind the rear panel is an input for a microphone or guitar so you can use the ULT Field 7 as a karaoke machine, or a guitar amp, which is a nice bit of versatility.
Speaking of amping up the sound, the Party Connect feature means that you can link this speaker to a wide range of other compatible speakers in the Sony range, so you can sync up the sound and lighting.
In other wireless tricks, it has LDAC higher-quality Bluetooth support, plus multi-point pairing so you switch between devices it's connected to easily.
Features score: 4.5/5
There's plenty of power from these bass reflex ports. (Image credit: Future)
Sony ULT Field 7 review: Sound quality
Impressively deep bass
Satisfying vocal clarity
Don’t expect a lot of detail
Despite this speaker focusing its efforts on heavy bass levels, it still delivers a balanced and pleasant listening experience across the board, as you’d expect from Sony. Yes, some delicate details are overshadowed by the amplified basslines, but anything aimed at parties was never going to be the audiophile's ideal choice.
By default, the speaker is set to the ULT2 mode. There is a noticeable difference when switching to ULT1 because, as promised, this setting does indeed deliver more depth. I am impressed with the way it handles low frequencies, giving much-needed definition to the low-end of tracks like Angel by Massive Attack, which is lost amid the amped-up bass of ULT2 mode.
A good level of softness and detail are still detectable in vocals in ULT1 mode – and even in the punchier ULT2 mode, voices still sound clear. It doesn’t sound like you’re listening from outside the venue, which can be the case with cheaper and smaller speakers when you crank up the bass power.
ULT2 mode succeeds in still delivering dynamic sound that makes you want to bounce along to the beat while being more refined. The bass isn’t overpowering when listening to Von Dutch by Charli XCX; the balance is there between the clear vocals and the energetic bassline.
The important thing with outdoor speakers is that they are able to carry big bass and clear vocals across the open air, battling breezes and other interferences, across a potentially long distance. The ULT Field 7 has no trouble with this – and unlike some, it actually sounds good while doing it.
Listening to podcasts is a surprisingly detailed experience too. When listening to The Unbelievable Truth there was a good balance between the speech, buzzer sounds, and audience laughter and applause.
This speaker delivers a satisfying well-rounded listening experience with a light touch when needed, which is particularly impressive considering it’s a beast of a speaker (in a good way) when it comes to its thumping bass registers.
Sound quality score: 4/5
You can have the speaker flat or standing up. We'll talk about the latter option a bunch in the next section… (Image credit: Future)
Sony ULT Field 7 review: Design
Ashtray vibes
Collects dust and debris easily
Robust and durable
I’m sorry to say that I’m a little less positive when it comes to the looks of the Sony ULT Field 7. It has been designed to sit horizontally on a surface or to stand vertically on one end. I don’t have particularly strong feelings when it is sitting horizontally. The control panel is easy to access, and the ULT Field 7 looks like what it is: a big speaker. But when it’s standing on one end, I can’t lie, it’s giving me the feeling of a public ashtray outside a hotel or conference venue.
On a brighter note, the button controls feel substantial and are easy to press. Sony has a habit of using a satisfyingly soft silicone material, and this is what’s used here too. The control panel houses the power, Bluetooth, play/pause, volume, and ULT mode buttons printed in pale grey. When the illumination is on, the ULT button lights up in sync with the circular ring lights that sit on either end of the speaker. These lights are more subtle than seems ideal, because they’re set quite far into the sides of the speaker – I feel like if you’re going to do this in a big speaker, you should really go for it, otherwise why bother with the battery drain? – but they make a nice touch. There are nine different lighting effects available, as well as the option to turn the lights off.
There is a hatch on the back of the speaker that conceals a number of additional controls, including a light button, which cycles through the illumination effects, a battery care button to protect against over-charging, an echo button, and key control buttons. This is also where the inputs live for a microphone or guitar, USB-A, aux-in, and the plug for charging (a figure-eight cable – no USB-C here).
Sony markets the ULT Field 7 as easy to transport, designed with convenient carry handles built into either end. While these handles do make picking it up a lot easier, it doesn’t change the fact that this speaker is on the large side, measuring about 20 x 9 x 9 inches / 512 x 224 x 222 mm and weighing about 14 lbs / 6.3kg. I’m quite a petite person, and while I can carry the speaker between rooms, it would be a struggle for me to wander down to the beach with it.
While the speaker itself has a good dustproof rating, the outer fabric and silicone ends and feet pick up dust and debris easily. So it'll definitely work happily wherever you take it (within reason), but you will probably find that it starts to look less-than-pristine quite quickly, and fabrics like this aren’t super easy to clean.
Now, I know I bashed the appearance earlier, and I still stand by my opinion that it looks like somebody attempted to jazz up an office trash can with some RGB lights – but ultimately, this speaker is designed to be durable, so it makes sense that it looks somewhat utilitarian.
So while I’m not happy about how quickly it starts to look dirty, the intention is to have the ability to listen to music in wet, dusty, or sandy environments, without worrying about it taking its toll on the hardware. At least the rating means that it’s somewhat washable, so all is not lost even if it gets a little grubby.
Design score: 3.5/5
There's a row of controls on top – including the ULT bass control, which changes color, to emphasize how extreme it is. (Image credit: Future)
Sony ULT Field 7 review: Usability and setup
Quick setup
Disappointing app
Setting up the Sony ULT Field 7 was simple. The speaker powered on easily, and I just had to press the Bluetooth button and my iPhone spotted it straight away.
The appearance of the Sony Music Center app feels low-budget, which is disappointing for an established brand like Sony. My less-than-positive opinions were further proven when switching between apps, as each time I left the app it appeared to disconnect from the speaker, so it takes a moment to reconnect each time I move away from the app. I found this particularly frustrating when fine-tuning the settings, as every time I hopped onto the Apple Music app to change tracks and get a feel for the changes I’d made, I had to start from the home menu again when I returned to the Sony app.
In addition to the delay from switching between apps, it took over a minute – sometimes longer – for the app to connect with the speaker after powering it on, whereas other Bluetooth speakers I’ve tested will reconnect to an app in seconds. Perhaps this will be improved by software updates in the future, but just note that it might be frustrating if you try it soon.
When tapping on My Library, the app is able to access Apple Music and my media library, so I can get straight to my chosen media through the app, if I choose to. (Obviously, like 99% of people, I mostly choose to just use whatever app I usually use.)
Tapping on Music took me straight to the Apple Music section within the app. There is a tab for audio input, for those times that you might want to use it as an amp for playing guitar, or to blare out some karaoke. There’s also a tab for USB input, so you can play music from a storage device. There’s a dedicated tab to take you straight to Spotify, if that’s your service of choice.
Alongside the ULT1 and ULT2 modes, you can also alter the EQ settings manually in the Settings tab. Frustratingly, you need to head back to the Sound Effect tab to select Custom mode before the app will let you alter the EQ. Generally, other apps will intuitively switch off other modes when you customize settings, but this is just another example of the Sony Music Center app being disappointingly clunky.
Usability and setup score: 3.5/5
The handles at each end make it easy to grab and move, though you wouldn't want to go too far. (Image credit: Future)
Sony ULT Field 7 review: Value
Good audio quality for the price
Great for parties (if not audiophile listening sessions)
Over-priced for an occasional speaker
This speaker may not equate to being good value for the money if you only throw a party every once in a blue moon, but if you enjoy blasting tunes outdoors on the regular, then you’ll be getting what you pay for here, thanks to the durability and sound quality. I think it’s a sound investment for the right person.
That feeling of value is partly helped by the good range of features offered here, from two bass-boosting modes, to the sound adaptation based on audio around it, to karaoke and guitar plugs, to multi-point pairing.
I think the overall versatility is harmed slightly by it being as large and heavy as it is, which may bring down the value for some – its value as a beach speaker is reduced if you don't want to carry it to the beach because it's large and heavy – but that's balanced by it being well-built and having a good IP waterproofing rating.
Value score: 4/5
Should I buy the Sony ULT Field 7?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Sony ULT Field 7 review: Also consider
How I tested the Sony ULT Field 7
(Image credit: Future)
I tested the speaker for one week
I played music continuously to determine battery usage
I listened to music and podcasts
I tested the Sony ULT Field 7 over the course of a week – after a thorough run-in. I listened to a range of different music genres, and podcasts, listening out for how the speaker handled bass, mid-tones, treble, and so on.
I mostly used the speaker in TechRadar's music testing room, where I could really get a feel for what it's capable of – but obviously I used this portable speaker in other locations as well.
To determine how fast the battery would run down, I played music continuously at 25% volume, and continuously checked to see how quickly the battery indicator changed, tracking the time along the way.
I played music to it from an iPhone, a MacBook Air, and a Fiio M11S music player with LDAC support. My main music sources were Apple Music and Tidal, but I also used Spotify and podcasts.
After a less-than-stellar introduction to the world of smartwatches with the original OnePlus Watch in 2021, OnePlus is back with its second effort, and it’s a different beast entirely. Rather than relying on its own software, OnePlus’ latest wearable uses Google’s Wear OS platform to deliver a comprehensive set of features that will satisfy even the most demanding user.
Anyone who’s familiar with Wear OS will know that poor battery life is its biggest hurdle, and OnePlus manages to leap right over it with an ingenious solution. This watch has two processors and two operating systems working in tandem, one handles all the basic functions like telling the time and counting steps, while the other tackles the more complex stuff. Depending on your usage, you really can achieve 100 hours on a single charge.
The OnePlus Watch 2 offers a tasteful design, but its large dimensions mean that it’s less suited to those with petite wrists. It feels quality throughout, but I can’t help but wish for a functional rotating crown. This one can be rotated, but it doesn’t do anything. It’s just a circular button.
When it comes to features and performance, I have no complaints whatsoever. Fitness tracking data seems accurate, it pairs easily and remains connected to your phone, and the Wear OS ecosystem means you can install a wide variety of applications to achieve all sorts of tasks. I managed three days on a charge with the always-on display enabled, too.
As it stands, I think it’s one of the most compelling Wear OS options available today, and certainly one of the best smartwatches outside of Apple. It’s reasonably priced, well-designed, feature-packed and lasts for a long time. What more could you need?
OnePlus Watch 2: Specifications
OnePlus Watch 2: Price and Availability
(Image credit: Luke Baker)
£299 in the UK
$299.99 in the US
AU$459 in Australia
The OnePlus Watch 2 is available to purchase now globally with an MSRP of $299.99 / £299 / AU$459. It originally launched in Black Steel and Radiant Steel, but a Nordic Blue variant was introduced more recently in Europe, too. The specs and features are the same across all variants, it’s only the colour of the chassis and strap that changes.
The OnePlus Watch 2 is very reasonably priced compared to its Wear OS rivals. The Pixel Watch 2, TicWatch Pro 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro are all slightly more expensive at full retail, but frequent discounts mean that they can be found at similar prices.
Value score: 4/5
OnePlus Watch 2: Design and screen
(Image credit: Luke Baker)
1.43-inch AMOLED display
Steel chassis with sapphire crystal face
Black Steel, Radiant Steel and Nordic Blue options
The OnePlus Watch 2 immediately gives the impression of quality, it's dense, heavy and shiny, as you’d expect a high-end watch to be. However, the downsides to this design are immediately apparent, too: it’s a big, thick watch, and it’s only available in a single 46mm case size. This means it’s not going to be for everyone. I’m a big guy, and even on my wrists it felt a little large and heavy; I can certainly imagine it looking ridiculous on those with slim wrists.
The OnePlus Watch 2 is mostly circular, but it has a flat edge on the right-hand side. The buttons are offset at an angle, which means they’re never accidentally pressed by the back of your hand when you lean on a table. It’s a thoughtful touch.
OnePlus says the design is inspired by classic stopwatches, but it equally reminds me of the camera surround on the OnePlus 12, it’s a nice bit of design synergy if you happen to own both. On the whole, though, I think it’s lacking in personality. There’s nothing wrong with the design, it just doesn’t do much to stand out, either.
The uppermost button is circular and sticks out from the main body, like a watch crown. However, while it can be rotated, rotating it doesn’t do anything, it’s just a normal button. I found this a bit disappointing, most of the Watch 2’s competitors have functional crowns, and even the budget-oriented Huawei Watch Fit 3 manages to include one.
The display has an ample 466 x 466 resolution and it’s bright enough that I never had trouble seeing it in direct sunlight. The bezels are fairly chunky, but a selection of predominantly dark watch faces do a great job of disguising this. The screen is coated with sapphire crystal and has a hardness rating of 8+ Mohs, which essentially means that it’s highly scratch-resistant. After wearing it for a few weeks, the glass is still spotless (despite taking a few knocks).
The watch also has a MIL-STD 810H rating for durability, and it's completely waterproof up to 5ATM. So, no matter how adventurous your lifestyle may be, the OnePlus Watch 2 should be up to the task.
Design score: 3.5/5
OnePlus Watch 2: Features
(Image credit: Luke Baker)
32GB of onboard storage
Great flexibility with Wear OS apps
Over 100 built-in exercise modes
Since the Watch 2 runs Wear OS, it integrates seamlessly with all of Google’s services like Google Calendar, Google Fit, Google Wallet, Maps and more. As someone who relies on Google for most of my digital life, it’s blissful not having to manually link any of these services.
The other big advantage of Wear OS is that it has an app store. As an example, I like to track my rides using Strava. Most watches will require a (sometimes complex) linking process to share data with Strava, but on the OnePlus Watch 2 you just tap the Play Store, install Strava, and you’re ready to track.
It’s not just fitness stuff that you’ll find here either. You can find all manner of functionalities on Wear OS: I love having the ability to control my smart lights from my watch using Google Home or IFTTT, for example. That’s the kind of function that proprietary operating systems struggle with, but Wear OS handles like a breeze.
The downside to this system is usually the battery drain. Wear OS is a notoriously demanding smartwatch platform, and Wear OS watches with multi-day battery life are few and far between. Brands have tried various techniques to get around this, the TicWatch Pro 5’s dual-layer low-power display is a great example, but none are quite as seamless as the OnePlus Watch 2’s approach.
This watch is essentially two watches in one, and that’s probably why it’s so chunky. It has a Snapdragon W5 to run Wear OS and all the smart bits, while a low-power BES2700BP chip and RTOS system runs all the basics, like telling the time and capturing health data. The watch switches between the two systems depending on what you ask it to do, so you get all the features, without the usual battery woes. It’s a brilliant workaround.
You get 32GB of storage built in, ample space for offline Spotify listening if you want to leave the phone at home. Meanwhile, the default fitness tracking application can track over 100 different types of exercise. Of course, if your favorite is missing, you can always install a different app instead.
The watch uses the OHealth Android app to pair with your smartphone, but there’s no equivalent for iOS, so iPhone users need not apply. In the app, you can check out your fitness metrics, customize your watch face and settings, and start tracking a workout. It’s a little barebones, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. It keeps everything simple, and if you want to do something more advanced, you can do that on the watch itself.
Features score: 4/5
OnePlus Watch 2: Performance
(Image credit: Luke Baker)
Up to 100 hours of battery life
Heart rate, sleep, stress and SpO2 monitoring
Multi-band GPS tracking
The big thing that sets this watch apart is its battery life. I like to use my smartwatches with everything enabled, and the always-on display active, essentially the worst-case scenario for battery life. Even still, I was able to manage around three days per charge when I wasn’t using GPS, and around two days when I was.
If you’re fine with raise-to-wake, and maybe disable some of your more frequent notifications, then you’ll be able to achieve much longer. Kick it into power-saving mode and you can go 12 days between charges, and you’ll still get notifications and track your steps and heart rate, too. Of course, the more advanced features are disabled in this mode.
When it’s time to charge, it's done with a magnetic puck that attaches to the watch with some pogo pins. It’s a nice, compact unit with a removable USB-C cable, I found it much nicer to travel with than a lengthy proprietary cable. Wireless charging support would have been even nicer, though.
The connection between my phone and the OnePlus Watch 2 was rock-solid throughout my testing. Notifications came through reliably and quickly, and if I left the phone somewhere and came back to it, the two devices would reconnect without any hiccups.
It’s hard to gauge the accuracy of the watch’s many fitness sensors, but the readings I got were in line with most of my other wearables. The step count was continually a little higher than my phone’s built-in pedometer, but much of that can be attributed to leaving my phone at my desk as I get up and run errands. Heart rate readings matched those that I’m used to seeing from my TicWatch Pro 5, too.
The watch can track your sleep habits, too. The metrics include everything from sleep stage breakdowns to heart rate changes and even breathing patterns. I hate sleeping in a watch, especially one as chunky as this, but I was on a couple of overnight flights during my testing and managed to capture some data. I did, in fact, not get much sleep, as the watch kindly reminded me.
Performance score: 4.5/5
OnePlus Watch 2: Scorecard
OnePlus Watch 2: Should I buy?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
OnePlus Watch 2: How we tested
Our reviewer wore the OnePlus Watch 2 as his primary smartwatch for over two weeks, and it accompanied him on some international travels and during regular workouts. It was paired to a Vivo X100 Pro for the majority of the testing period but was also tried with the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra.
The tracking results were compared to historical results from the Huawei Watch Fit 3 and TicWatch Pro 5, as well as the built-in step counter on the smartphone to assess accuracy.
The Motorola Edge 40 Neo straddles the line between the type of fantastic cheap phone that Moto is known for, and a more esteemed breed of mid-range mobile. And while it manages to be a respectable jack of all trades, it’s a master of none.
The handset is ostensibly a more affordable spin on the Motorola Edge 40, released in the early months of 2023, but with some compromises and corners cut in order to save you a bit of money. The three main distinctions are that the chipset is weaker, it has no wireless charging and the body is made from less premium materials.
Offering a ‘budget’ version of a flagship is standard practice in mobile-making, but the Neo offers very few weaker areas than its more premium compadre – in fact, it’s actually a more powerful phone in a few areas, with a bigger battery and more RAM. If you gave me the phones and didn’t tell me which was which, I wouldn’t be able to identify which of them cost over £100 more.
Many of the Edge 40’s impressive features are here in force. The charging is very quick for a Moto phone, with 68W powering getting your phone full in 30 minutes or less. Moto’s spin on stock Android continues to offer loads of customization options and handy shortcuts. The phone has a good-looking display, a range of attractive Pantone-designed color options and more storage than you’ll find in many other mobiles of this price.
(Image credit: Future)
Unfortunately, though the Moto Edge 40 Neo is an attractive alternative to its premium sibling, it doesn’t quite justify its higher price compared to members of the Moto G range of affordable Android handsets. We tested the Neo alongside the Moto G84 which costs less and is more impressive for what it offers, with similar specs, improved gaming capabilities and many features in common with the Neo.
One issue with the Edge 40 Neo is the curved-edge display. This is a feature that used to be commonplace in premium phones, and even some mid-rangers that were positioning themselves as neo-premiums. A display like this lets the phone sit more comfortably in the hand, and lends it a more refined feel, though it’s very easy to accidentally touch the edge and trigger some unintended function. That was the case with the Neo, and it made gaming an absolute pain.
Motorola’s continued Achilles’ Heel returns too in the form of the Edge 40 Neo’s cameras. The 50MP main and 13MP ultra-wide combo looks fine on paper, but the pictures are unremarkable and a little dull. This handset isn’t for the impassioned mobile photographer.
Overall the feature set here is solid, especially considering the low cost of the handset, but a few stumbling blocks stand in the way. Issues with the curved-edge display mean that gaming is more of a pain than it’s worth, making the powerful specs and good-looking screen redundant for gamers. And people who like the software and display will find contemporary Moto G handsets equal in function yet cheaper in price.
Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: price and availability
Released in September 2023
Costs £299.99 (roughly $375, AU$575)
Not for sale in US or Australia
(Image credit: Future)
The newest member of Motorola’s Edge family was announced in mid-September, alongside the Moto G84 and Moto G53. It went on sale shortly afterward in the UK – we don’t have any information on releases elsewhere, but judging by precedent, it could show up in the US down the line under a different name.
The phone costs just £299 (roughly $375, AU$575) which is surprisingly cheap for an Edge phone, given that some of the brand’s budget Moto G handsets have sold for more.
For comparison, the main Edge 40 costs £529 (roughly $690 / AU$1,015) while the Edge 30 Neo went for £349 (about $400, AU$500), so this is one of the cheapest Edge mobiles Moto has released.
Value score: 3.5 / 5
Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: specs
Is the Moto Edge 40 Neo a budget phone, or a mid-ranger? Let's look at its specs...
Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: design
Four Pantone-designed color options
Curved-edge display makes phone feel premium
USB-C port but no 3.5mm headphone jack
(Image credit: Future)
The Moto Edge 40 Neo looks surprisingly premium given its price tag. Between the curved-edge display, vibrant color options and svelte body, this could be confused from a distance for a Samsung or Xiaomi blower.
The Neo is one of several recent Moto phones that have had their color options designed by Pantone, and so three of the four you can pick between look distinct and unique. It’s the Caneel Bay model that you can see in pictures but there’s also Peach Fuzz, Soothing Sea (light green) and Black Beauty. This latter is the only one that looks rather basic — it’s just black.
Moto has also continued to use a design feature that used to be commonplace in premium mobiles, but is now sadly rare: the curved-edge display. This rounded screen makes the phone sit nice and comfortably in the hand, and it’s another element of the mobile that seems pinched from a much pricier model. While the angle isn’t as dramatic as the ‘Waterfall’ display used on the original Edge series, that just means it’s less slippery.
Unfortunately, some of the negative traits of premium mobiles are here too; there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack, for example, despite Moto continuing to feature this in most of its handsets. The only port, then, is the USB-C adaptor.
On the right edge of the phone is the volume rocker and power button, both in fairly easy-to-reach positions. The handset is lightweight at just 170g and measures 159.6 x 72 x 7.9mm.
It’s a well-protected handset with an IP68 rating. That means it’s nice and snug from dust particles and submersion in water.
Design score: 3.5 / 5
Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: display
Large 6.5-inch screen
Resolution of FHD+ (1080 x 2400)
High max brightness and snappy refresh rate
(Image credit: Future)
The phone’s screen is 6.55 inches across — fairly standard for a smartphone in this day and age. As mentioned in the design section it’s a curved-edge display, which makes it look a little larger, though this feature has a big drawback (head to the ‘Performance and audio’ section to learn more).
There’s nothing surprising in the resolution department: FHD+, or 2400 x 1080 pixels as the vast majority of smartphones are. This is all you really need, though, as popular games and streaming services output at this resolution or lower.
The phone has a nice snappy refresh rate of 144Hz, so motion looks lovely and smooth, and a fairly high max brightness of 1,300 nits too. As budget phone displays go this ticks all the boxes and puts a second tick in a few of them too, so you won’t be disappointed by it.
Display score: 4 / 5
Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: software
Uses Google's stock Android
Only two confirmed years of updates
Lots of navigation and customization features
(Image credit: Future)
The Motorola Edge 40 Neo comes running Android 13, the newest form of Google’s operating system as of its release. Moto tends to be reticent on future update plans though, so its promise for only two years of updates seems a little shallow compared to the longer update spans many other Android phones get. However, not everyone cares about getting the newest version of Android for years to come, and your phone will still work for many more years whether or not you get these updates.
The Neo uses near-stock Android, which means it’s as Google designed it, with no visual or functional overlay like many other Android brands use. Stock Android is generally regarded as having a pretty clean-looking interface with easy navigation.
Motorola has been slowly pulling stock Android in its own direction, though, by bringing more and more of its own features to the phones. These are all welcome additions. A long-running one is Moto Actions, little gestures you can do for shortcuts, including a double-karate-chop action to turn on a torch, or two rotating shakes to turn on the camera. They can take some getting used to, but they’re fantastic time-saving tools once you’ve got the knack.
In Moto’s recent phones it’s also been offering an expansive suite of customization options, more so than most rival mobiles. You can change font, color scheme, app icon shape, display edge light, and a lot more; if you love tinkering settings to your heart’s content, the Edge 40 Neo is going to let you do just that.
Software score: 4 / 5
Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: cameras
50MP main and 8MP ultra-wide cameras
Some extra features like Spot Color
32MP front-facing camera for selfies
(Image credit: Future)
You don't buy a Moto phone expecting Samsung- or iPhone-level photography chops, and there's no change in the Moto Edge 40 Neo.
The phone has two rear cameras, headed up by a 50MP f/1.8 snapper, which is joined by a 13MP f/2.2 120-degree ultra-wide. A fairly standard duo, all things considered.
The main camera is fit for purpose, but it won't wow. I took snaps that would be perfectly suitable for dropping onto Instagram or WhatsApp, but nothing that was fantastic enough that I was enthused to hunt down amazing scenes when I wasn't trying to test the cameras.
My main issue is that the snaps look a little grainy, even when well-lit, as you can see in the below cookies picture, which was taken with help from a professional photography light. The phone's processing sometimes added an odd color tint too, which you can see in both the pineapple and houseplant snaps.
Switch over to the ultra-wide camera, and you're getting pictures that are fairly low-res, and also a little duller than those taken on the main camera.
Selfies are... fine, that's the most descriptive word for these pictures. Portrait mode bokeh was fairly light-touch but sometimes gentle is better. Quality was lost in darker areas.
Moto has added a few extra camera modes beyond the standards, the main of which is a Samsung-esque Spot Color that lets you pick one color from the frame and remove all the others. It's a fun extra mode that not many phones offer, even though it wasn't always flawless in execution (it confused skin tone and wood colors on several occasions). It works both for photography and for videography.
You can record video in 1080p at 60fps or 4K at 30fps, and can drop the frame rate down to 240fps in slow-mo mode.
Camera score: 3 / 5
Motorola Edge 40 Neo camera samples
Image 1 of 6
Some home-made jammy dodgers taken on the Moto's main camera. (Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 6
A houseplant taken on 1x camera mode, with an odd green tint (Image credit: Future)
Image 3 of 6
A selfie taken in standard mode. (Image credit: Future)
Image 4 of 6
A selfie taken in portrait mode (Image credit: Future)
Image 5 of 6
A picture of a pineapple taken on the main camera. (Image credit: Future)
Image 6 of 6
A picture of the Moto G84, another Pantone-colored Moto phone. Head over to that review to see a snap of the Neo taken on it. (Image credit: Future)
Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: performance and audio
Powerful Dimensity 7030 chipset plus 12GB RAM
Curved-edge display brings gaming problems
Bluetooth 5.4, tinny speakers and no headphone jack
On paper, the Moto is a budget gaming champ. It has the mid-range yet relatively powerful Dimensity 7030 chipset running under the hood, paired with an impressive 12GB RAM.
Those lend themselves to power, and a Geekbench 6 multi-core score of 2,513 shows that this certainly is a powerful phone compared to same-price contemporaries.
Unfortunately, the phone’s curvy screen makes gaming a frustrating experience. When I played Call of Duty: Mobile, I’d repeatedly accidentally tap the top edge of the display, bringing up the mini-map if it was on one edge or looking wildly around if it were the other. This same experience occurred on other titles too, depending on the buttons that their UI house right at the top.
There’s evidently little accidental-touch recognition here, despite this being a feature that Moto Edge phones have previously boasted. It’s a curious omission or flaw but it means the handset just isn’t great for gaming fans.
It’s a shame too, because the specs are fantastic for a phone of this price. A 144Hz display and 12GB RAM feels wasted in a phone like this.
As stated, there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack on the Moto Edge 40 Neo, so for music you’ll have to rely on connecting to the phone with Bluetooth 5.4 or using the stereo speakers. If you’re going for the latter, be warned that they’re a little tinny, especially if you crank up the volume louder. Fine for bangs and explosions for games, not so much for enjoying your favorite symphony on Spotify.
Performance score: 3 / 5
Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: battery life
Chunky 5,000mAh battery
Phone easily works into second day
Lovely fast 68W charging for half-hour power
(Image credit: Future)
As with the vast majority of its phones, Moto has put a 5,000mAh battery in the Edge 40 Neo, which is the largest-capacity power back you’ll find in the vast majority of smartphones.
In testing, the phone had no issues in lasting a full day of use, and often lasted until mid-way through a second day before it needed to be plugged in. Frugal phone users might even see the mobile last a whole second day.
So what’s that charging like? Well, Moto fans might do a double take here, but it’s 68W; given that Motorola generally sticks to slow charging for its phones, that’s a surprisingly snappy speed that we’re happy to see.
You can power the phone to full from empty in just over half an hour; Motorola’s selling the phone on its ability to charge to 50% in under 15 minutes, which our testing concurred with. Just don’t expect wireless charging, on the Neo or any phone at this price!
Battery score: 4 / 5
Should you buy the Motorola Edge 40 Neo?
Buy it if...
You like funky phones
Coming in four Pantone-designed color options, the Edge 40 Neo is one for you if you're bored of the typical 'black or blue' options you get for most Android phones.
You're a curved-edge display fan
Curved-edge displays have their fans and their detractors, and if you're in the latter camp you have few options. The Edge 40 Neo is a definite consideration for you.
You like customizing your software Colorful phone options, colorful phone interface: Moto's phones are rife with ways to customize the look of your handset's interface.
Don't buy it if...
You're a mobile gamer
The curved-edge display's accidental touch issues nearly had me pulling my hair out when I was testing the Neo on online games. This is not one for mobile gamers!
You’re a phone photographer
Motorola's phones rarely have anything in the way of photography chops, and that's definitely the case here too. Fit for purpose, but won't wow.
You care about software updates If you care about how long your smartphone will see new features for, you might find the Edge a little limited compared to some other brands' phones.
Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: also consider
Considering other mobiles beyond the Moto Edge 40 Neo? Here are some others you could look into:
Moto Edge 40 You're getting a more powerful chipset here as well as a slightly smaller phone made with more premium materials, but it costs more and is pretty much the same (or weaker) in all other departments.
Poco X5 For the same price as the Edge 40 Neo, gaming fans can get this powerful Android phone with a big, bold display. Don't expect as many features as on Moto's phones but its gaming chops far exceed the Neo's.
How I tested the Motorola Edge 40 Neo
(Image credit: Future)
Review test period = 2 week
Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
I tested the Motorola Edge 40 Neo alongside the G84 and G53, which were announced and released alongside it. I used the Caneel Bay color variant of this mobile, and I've never been to Caneel Bay itself so I can't attest to the color's accuracy.
Since the Edge 40 Neo was not the first of the three phones I tested, it enjoyed an extended testing period, as for two weeks I set it up to let the battery settle, and for the occasional gaming or photography session. The 'true' testing time was two weeks, and I used the mobile as my own handset for this time.
I've been testing smartphones for TechRadar for almost five years now. In fact, after joining the team in early 2019, my first-ever review was a Motorola handset. I left TechRadar in late 2022 but continue to contribute freelance reviews of mobiles as well as speakers, running gadgets, headphones and more. That is to say, I have a long track record of testing devices like the Motorola Edge 40 Neo.
Stepping into the realm of cross-training shoes, the Inov-8 F-Lite G 300 is a standout choice for those with wider feet. This shoe blends durability and stability in a package that can be applied to a range of fitness environments.
The shoe boasts a lovely, striking design. It’s made with durable graphene, yet remains surprisingly light at only 300g – a balance of strength and lightness which is a rare find in cross-training shoes. The F-Lite G 300 offers a range of color selections, including a stylish black-and-white cow print, appealing to those who value aesthetics alongside performance.
Performance-wise, the F-Lite G 300 impresses. Its cushioning and flexibility are apt for diverse workouts, from weightlifting to cross-training. However, it's not without its quirks that prevent it from being given an elusive five stars: the laces don’t tighten as much as I’d like, and the black tab bled color on my ankle during initial uses. Comfort is generally good but not always consistent during testing.
Ideal for individuals with a wider foot, the shoe supports a transition between running and lifting seamlessly. Yet, it’s worth mentioning that it might not be the perfect fit for everyone, particularly those with narrow feet or people who prefer a completely flat-bottomed shoe.
Overall, the Inov-8 F-Lite G 300 stands as a robust option in the world of cross-training shoes, especially for those prioritising durability and a wider fit. Its unique blend of materials and thoughtful design make it a worthy consideration for your next athletic shoe purchase.
Inov-8 F-Lite G 300: Specifications
Inov-8 F-Lite G 300: Price and availability
(Image credit: Future / Lee Bell)
Around $150 in the US
£145 in the UK
AU$159 in Australia
The Inov-8 F-Lite G 300 is competitively priced, catering to a global audience with varied regional pricing. In the United States, the cross-training shoes are available for approximately $150. For fitness enthusiasts in the UK, they can be purchased for £145, while in Australia, the price is set at around AU$159.
This is about the going rate for a good pair of fitness shoes, especially those that support a wide range of athletic pursuits, from gym workouts to outdoor activities, like these do. However, it’s not outstanding enough value to recommend on price alone.
Value score: 3.5/5
Inov-8 F-Lite G 300: Design
(Image credit: Future / Lee Bell)
Robust graphene construction
Lightweight, weighing only 300g
Wide range of color options
When it comes to cross-training shoes, design isn't just about good looks; it's about crafting a shoe that meets the demands of varied workouts. The Inov-8 F-Lite G 300 makes a good first impression thanks to a blend of functionality and style.
One of the first things you'll notice about this shoe once it's on your foot is its durable graphene construction. Graphene is renowned for its strength, but don't let this toughness fool you – these shoes are surprisingly lightweight at just 300 grams. This delicate balance of durability and weight is quite the design feat, in my opinion, catering to the needs of cross-trainers who need both resilience and agility from their kicks.
Available in a variety of color combinations, the F-Lite G 300 can match just about any gym outfit. For those who prefer understated elegance, the black/white variant is the color I reviewed and proved to be a solid choice. If you're more about making a statement, then the black-and-white cow print could be your go-to.
As for the fit, these shoes are specially designed for those with wider feet, providing ample room without compromising on support. The knit upper of the shoe adds to the comfort factor, ensuring breathability during intense workouts. However, it's worth noting that the laces might not tighten to everyone's liking since their design tightens to the cage of the shoe, not your foot. Something to keep in mind for those who prefer a snugger fit.
Design score: 4/5
Inov-8 F-Lite G 300: Performance
(Image credit: Future / Lee Bell)
Versatile performance across multiple activities
Stable base for weightlifting
Mixed bag comfort-wise
After putting the Inov-8 F-Lite G 300 through its paces, it's clear these shoes are a strong contender in the cross-training category, albeit with a few caveats.
Let's start with the positives. The graphene-enhanced durability means these shoes can take a beating, whether it's from rope climbs, box jumps, or sprints. Their resilience in varied training scenarios is commendable. Also, their lightweight nature is a pleasant surprise, especially given their robust build. During quick runs, the shoes felt agile and didn't weigh me down, a vital aspect for any cross-trainer.
The grip is another plus. The graphene outsole ensures excellent traction, giving that extra bit of confidence during workouts, particularly in lifts and quick directional changes. It's one of those features you don't realise you need until you experience it.
However, the F-Lite G 300 isn't without its drawbacks. The laces don't provide the tightness some athletes prefer, which could be a dealbreaker for those who need absolute stability, especially in dynamic movements. This was a notable concern during high-intensity workouts where foot security is paramount.
Comfort-wise, they're a mixed bag. The shoes don't require a lengthy break-in period, which is a significant plus. They're comfortable out of the box, a rarity in training shoes. Yet, for narrow-footed individuals, there’s risk they could be a bit too roomy: yet another reminder that these shoes are best suited for those with wider feet.
In terms of versatility, the Inov-8 F-Lite G 300 shoes do a decent job of balancing between lifting and cardio. While they aren't the best for specialised activities like Olympic lifting or long-distance running, they perform well in a general cross-training setting. A decent buy for those who like to do a bit of everything, if you ask me.
Honor was once a brand whose name adorned the shelves of the budget mobile aisle, but with the launch of the Honor Magic 5 Pro in 2023, the former Huawei subsidiary proved itself capable of competing with the likes of Apple and Samsung in the premium hardware department.
Honor has since rocked the boat with a truly unique foldable phone (see the Honor Magic V2), while maintaining a strong presence in the mid-range category (see the Honor 90), but it’s clear that the Chinese company has its sights set firmly on the luxury electronics market.
The Honor Magic 6 Pro is the latest feature-packed flagship to emerge from Honor’s R&D labs, and it marks another leap forward for this fast-growing mobile manufacturer. In essence, the Magic 6 Pro is the Magic 5 Pro with an even more adventurous rear design, a slightly better camera system and all-new AI smarts, which seems to be the usual upgrade recipe for today’s best phones.
That camera upgrade comes by way of an almighty 180MP periscope telephoto lens, which sits alongside a 50MP wide lens and a 50MP ultra-wide lens in Honor’s ‘Star Wheel’ camera notch. The internal hardware is powered by Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset.
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
The Magic 6 Pro’s battery is a large 5,600mAh cell, which is necessary due to the increased processing power required by those aforementioned AI features. That said, the Magic 6 Pro still boasts endurance to match or exceed the latest handsets from Apple, Samsung and Google – it charges faster than all of them, too.
The Magic 6 Pro’s battery is 10% larger than that of its predecessor – 5,600mAh versus 5,100mAh – but the increased processing power required by those aforementioned AI features means that you won’t see much, if any, improvements in overall battery life. That said, the Magic 6 Pro still boasts endurance to match or exceed the latest handsets from Apple, Samsung and Google – it charges faster than all of them, too.
Honor’s Magic OS software still doesn’t hold a candle to Apple’s iOS software or Samsung’s One UI interface, and despite the seamless integration of Magic Portal and the future-facing potential of Magic Capsule (more on both of these features later), you don’t get any generative photo editing features with the Magic 6 Pro.
Its price isn’t exactly attractive, either – at £1,099.99, it's £150 more expensive than the Magic 5 Pro. However, accounting for the phone’s singular storage configuration (512GB with 12GB RAM), the Magic 6 Pro costs the same as the equivalent Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus model (£1,099), and it’s actually slightly cheaper than the iPhone 15 Plus (£1,199) and Google Pixel 8 Pro (£1,179) models with the same storage capacity. As with most Honor phones, the Magic 6 Pro isn’t available to buy in the US.
All told, then, the Honor Magic 6 Pro is indisputably one of the best Android phones of 2024, and the best Honor phone that the brand has released thus far. But if you’re already well-accustomed to the simplicity of rival operating systems, you should think carefully about forking out the £1,099.99 needed to buy one.
Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Price and availability
Costs £1,099.99 / €1299.90
Available in the UK and Europe, but not the US or Australia
Honor’s latest flagship was announced in China on February 25, 2024, and went on sale in the UK and Europe on March 8, 2024. In the latter two regions, the Magic 6 Pro is available in a single storage configuration – 512GB with 12GB RAM – for £1,099.99 / €1299.90.
For reference, the Honor Magic 5 Pro launched for £949.99 / €1,199 in 2023, so Honor has hiked the price of its successor by a not-insubstantial £150 in the UK, and €100 in Europe. However, as mentioned above, that £949.99 price puts the Magic 6 Pro on a par with the equivalent storage variant of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus – in the UK, at least – and also makes the phone slightly cheaper than equivalent variants of the iPhone 15 Plus (£1,199) and Google Pixel 8 Pro (£1,179).
At the time of writing, the Magic 6 Pro is not available to purchase in the US or Australia.
Value score: 3 / 5
Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Specs
Here's a look at the Honor Magic 6 Pro's key specs:
Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Design
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
Luxury watch-inspired camera module
IP68 water and dust resistance
The Magic 6 Pro measures 162.5 x 75.8 x 8.9mm and has a 6.8-inch display, so this isn’t a handset for those who prefer smaller phones. But despite its enormous screen – which is actually a touch bigger than the iPhone 15 Pro Max – Honor’s latest flagship isn’t especially heavy. In fact, at 221g, it’s a whole 11g lighter than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (232g), which also has a 6.8-inch display.
From a design standpoint, the phone innovates upon the Magic 5 Pro, which introduced Honor’s ‘Star Wheel’ camera module. The design of the Magic 6 Pro’s Star Wheel is a nod to “cushion-shaped watches, jade congs, and baroque diamonds,” according to Honor, and given that the former were popularized by luxury watchmaker Panerai in the 1940s, it’s easy to see why the company has embraced this unique ‘squircle’ shape on the Magic 6 Pro
What’s more, this year’s Star Wheel module is more practical. I liked the look of the Magic 5 Pro’s rear camera module but didn’t love the way it felt in the hand (I found that my index finger rubbed against its edge). Due to its wider shape, the Magic 6 Pro’s Star Wheel is more comfortable to the touch, and even more eye-catching than its predecessor, so kudos to Honor’s design team for this small-but-important change.
There’s no titanium in sight on the Magic 6 Pro, but since this is a cheaper phone than the 512GB variants of the iPhone 15 Pro Max (£1,399) and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (£1,349) – two phones that do boast titanium designs – I think Honor was right to make the compromise. You still get IP68 water and dust resistance with the Magic 6 Pro, which brings Honor’s latest flagship in line with those competitors.
In the UK and Europe, the Magic 6 Pro is available in Black or Epi Green. The black features “velvet matte glass”, while the green features “ripple classic leather”, and both design touches make the Magic 6 Pro feel undeniably premium. The ripples on the Epi Green variant are pleasantly grippy, so I recommend that option.
Design score: 4 / 5
Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Display
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
6.8-inch OLED display
Eye-friendly screen technology
5,000-nit peak HDR brightness
The Magic 6 Pro has a 6.8-inch OLED display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. That’s the standard for the best Android phones these days (take note, Apple), but the screen on Honor’s latest flagship stands out from the crowd for two reasons.
First is how it sits on the phone itself. The Magic 6 Pro’s 6.8-inch display is curved – or rather, its edges ‘spill over’ the side of the device. Most of today’s best phones use flat-edged displays, and while I have no particular preference for one approach or the other, Honor’s decision to go with a curved display on the Magic 6 Pro will inevitably appeal to some, and deter others. It's unique, at least.
The second distinguishing feature of the Magic 6 Pro’s display is the technology behind it. As with the Magic 5 Pro (and indeed the Magic V2 and Honor 90), the Magic 6 Pro boasts Honor’s proprietary Circadian Night Display technology, which filters blue light to improve the quality of your sleep. This particular phone is also aided by an impressive 4,320Hz PWM dimming cycle rate that works to minimize strain on the eyes, so if you’re someone who regularly scrolls through social media in the small hours (and let’s face it, who isn’t these days?), the Magic 6 Pro will at least try to reduce the physical impact of that behavior.
The Magic 6 Pro boasts an almighty peak HDR brightness of 5,000 nits (in very specialized situations) though you’re likely to experience around 1,600 nits in day-to-day use (which is more than respectable).
On the durability front, the phone’s display is protected by Honor’s NanoCrystal Shield, which is supposedly 10 times stronger than regular glass. Naturally, I wasn’t able to put that claim to the test, but I can say that my Magic 6 Pro review unit regularly emerged from my key-filled pocket unscathed.
Display score: 5 / 5
Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Cameras
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
50MP wide lens (f/1.4-2.0)
50MP ultra-wide lens (f/2.0)
180MP periscope telephoto lens (f/2.6)
As with most premium Android phones, the Honor Magic 6 Pro goes big on mobile photography, but this particular device has a few distinguishing tricks up its sleeve.
For starters, the Magic 6 Pro’s 50MP wide lens uses an adjustable aperture (f/1.4-2.0), a feature we haven’t seen on a smartphone for years. When taking shots in normal lightning conditions, the phone uses a standard f/2.0 aperture, but it’ll automatically switch to the wider f/1.4 aperture when shooting in low-light environments. Neat!
Also unique is the Magic 6 Pro’s astounding 180MP periscope telephoto lens (f/2.6), which is the largest sensor on a zoom lens I’ve ever seen on a smartphone. This supersized lens is only capable of 2.5x optical zoom, mind – which is a downgrade from the 3.5x-capable Magic 5 Pro – but the phone can still achieve 5x lossless zoom by cropping shots from the 180MP lens.
An unchanged 50MP ultra-wide lens (f/2.0) rounds out the Magic 6 Pro’s rear camera array, and you get an impressively large 50MP front-facing camera, too.
Let’s start with the performance of the telephoto lens, which is the headline feature of the Magic 6 Pro. On a sunny day in London, shots taken with this lens were rich in detail and exceptionally vivid. At 1x, 2.5x and 5x magnification, colors were realistic and the subject(s) kept in focus, though I’d advise against zooming any further than 10x, where things take a turn for the Dali-esque (the Magic 6 Pro will technically let you zoom digitally up to 100x, but don’t bother).
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The performance of the variable wide lens was similarly consistent. Shots taken with this lens were crisp, and the depth of field impressive, with shadows appearing particularly life-like.
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My main gripe with Honor’s assistive camera software continues to be its overcompensation of certain colors – specifically lighter shades of green and blue. As with the Magic V2, the Magic 6 Pro occasionally over-eggs the appearance of the sky or the trees, while at night, artificial blue light presents a particular challenge.
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This isn’t a deal-breaker, by any means, but the Magic 6 Pro doesn’t balance colors perfectly every time. I suspect this has something to do with the way the phone uses AI to identify certain environmental features and adjust the composition of the shot accordingly (see the image in below).
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
I found the Magic 6 Pro’s portrait mode performance to be better than most, while the phone’s 50MP front-facing camera is also solid, if nothing groundbreaking. On the video front, you can record video in 4K at up to 60 frames per second with any of the three rear camera lenses, while the 4K-compatible selfie camera tops out at 30 fps.
All this adds up to an indisputably strong camera phone that ranks alongside best camera phones for versatility, but not necessarily consistency. There’s also no AI-powered photo editing, the likes of which you will find on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Google Pixel 8 Pro.
Cameras score: 4 / 5
Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Performance and software
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset
12GB RAM and 512GB storage
Neat Magic Capsule and Magic Portal features
Under the hood, the Magic 6 Pro is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset – that’s the same chipset you’ll find inside the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, OnePlus 12 and Xiaomi 14.
Working in tandem with the Magic 6 Pro’s 12GB RAM and 512GB storage, Qualcomm’s latest chipset delivers consistently brilliant performance, regardless of the task. Web browsing, messaging, mobile gaming and high-quality video streaming are child’s play for this phone, and while we’ve come to expect as much from devices in this price range – you’d be hard-pressed to find a flagship phone in 2024 that isn’t lightning fast – you needn’t worry about the Magic 6 Pro’s heavy lifting ability.
The phone sets itself apart, for better or worse, through its software. The Magic 6 Pro runs Honor’s Magic OS 8 skin atop Android 14, which differs from the stock version of Android in several interesting – if not always successful – ways.
The first distinguishing feature is Magic Capsule, which is an unashamed copy of Apple’s Dynamic Island in both functionality and appearance.
Personally, I don’t have a problem with the similarity – both Magic Capsule and the Dynamic Island are useful tools for quickly controlling music, timers, notifications and incoming calls – but it’s hard to give kudos to Honor for adding this feature given the obvious lack of originality.
One interesting – and undeniably unique – feature of Magic Capsule is its ability to let you control parts of the Magic 6 Pro’s UI using nothing but your eyes. Or rather, this feature would be interesting if it was actually available to use. At the time of writing, Honor’s eye-tracking tech – which is currently compatible with Magic Capsule apps like Timer, Alarm and Call – is limited to the Chinese market, though the company has assured TechRadar that the feature will be added to international versions of the device in the near future.
The headline feature of the Magic 6 Pro’s AI offering is Magic Portal, which forms a key part of what Honor describes as the “world’s first intent-based UI.” What does that mean, exactly? Well, instead of acting upon request, Magic OS 8 uses Magic Portal to render services according to user intentions.
In essence, it’s a shortcut feature that lets you switch between apps and services with a single swipe. For instance, if you’re sent some location information by a friend and want to get to that location in a hurry, Magic Portal will let you drag those details – in one fell swoop – from the messages app across into a compatible ride-hailing or navigation app, saving you clicks in the process.
Magic Portal in action on the Honor Magic 6 Pro (Image credit: Future)
In my experience, Magic Portal delivered accurate results and worked pretty seamlessly. I particularly like the way text lifts off the page without creating another white box behind it. I also liked the strong haptic feedback when tapping images, and the way the page 'tilts' in order to share the screen with other apps.
One big miss with the Magic 6 Pro is its lack of generative AI tools. I’m no particular fan of artificially recomposing images, but given that the latest flagships from Samsung and Google boast a veritable smorgasbord of AI-powered editing features, it’s an omission that I suspect will become more noticeable as the quality and quantity of AI features becomes the standard by which new flagship phones are measured.
On the longevity front, Honor is committing to four years of Android updates and five years of security updates for the Magic 6 Pro. That’s less than the seven-year commitments made by Samsung and Google, but equal to OnePlus’ commitment to the OnePlus 12.
Performance score: 5 / 5
Software score: 3 / 5
Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Battery
(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
4,900mAh battery is a slight upgrade
45W wired charging, 15W wireless charging
The Magic 6 Pro boasts a rival-beating 5,600mAh silicon-carbon battery, which should give you around a day and a half of charge when using the phone casually. For reference, we managed to squeeze two days of charge out of the iPhone 15 Plus, but if we’re talking about the most expensive flagships exclusively, the Magic 6 Pro is the best of the current bunch in the endurance department.
Honor’s latest flagship supports up to 80W wired and 66W wireless charging, but annoyingly, you won’t get any type of charger in the box. The brand claims that a full charge takes 40 minutes, and that turned out to be pretty accurate in a test I conducted using the 100W charger that is provided with the Porsche Design version of this phone (I guess that’s what an extra £1,000 buys you these days).
After 15 minutes from a completely dead state, my Magic 6 Pro device had reached 36% charge, and 70% after 30 minutes. A full charge took 46 minutes, which is faster than every iPhone 15 model and every Samsung Galaxy S24 model we’ve tested, but a tad slower than the Xiaomi 14 and OnePlus 12R. However, if you’re using a lower-wattage charger with the Magic 6 Pro, charging speeds will be slower.
Battery score: 4 / 5
Should you buy the Honor Magic 6 Pro?
Buy it if...
You want a best-in-class display This phone's 6.8-inch curved OLED screen is big, bright and kind to your eyes. You won't find a better display anywhere elsewhere in 2024.
You're a fan of big phones If you're after a big-screened Android phone that won't weigh down your pocket, the Magic 6 Pro s is as portable as 6.8-inch phones come.
You need long-lasting battery life The Magic 6 Pro's supersized5,600mAh silicon-carbon battery offers around a day and a half of charge, which is supremely impressive given the amount of power at your disposal.
Don't buy it if...
You're already embedded into a simpler OS Honor's Magic OS is better than ever, but it's still not at the level of iOS or cleaner versions of Android. Think twice if you're not ready to jump into something new.
You want generative AI editing tools If you're someone who's excited by the prospect of recomposing images after taking them, you may be dissapointed by the Magic 6 Pro's lack of generative AI editing tools.
Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Also consider
As you'll have read by now, the Honor Magic 6 Pro is a well-designed, highly capable and thoroughly unique device, but there are, of course, alternative phones to consider.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra If you're keen to stick with Android and have a little extra cash to spend, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is indisputably the best Android phone money can buy right now.
Apple iPhone 15 Plus If you're not fussed about AI features and prefer Apple's more accessible iOS software, the iPhone 15 Plus is a great option. It's almost the same size as the Magic 6 Pro, just as powerful and offers even better battery life. The screen isn't anywhere near as good, mind.
How I tested the Honor Magic 6 Pro
Review test period: four weeks
Testing included: everyday use including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
I received – and subsequently lived for four weeks with – a review-ready version of the Honor Magic 6 Pro at MWC in March 2024, using it for productivity purposes during my working day and for social media browsing and gaming in the evenings.
I compared the experience of playing power-hungry games like EA Sports FC 24 and Asphalt 9: Legends on the Magic 6 Pro to the experience of playing the same games on the iPhone 15 Pro, which helped me to quantify just how well the device’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset stacks up against Apple's A17 Pro. I also used the phone to stream color-rich documentaries via YouTube, and also logged into Twitter and Instagram to assess the social media browsing experience.
I used Geekbench 6 for CPU testing and Geekbench ML for machine learning and AI benchmarking, while battery life was assessed based on real-world usage. I measured charge time in 15-minute intervals using 100W Honor SuperCharge charger.
If there’s one phone brand with whom you never know what you’re getting, it’s Oppo, but with its latest mid-range mobile it’s managed to make a phone that’ll (mostly) wow you, especially if you’re looking for a great device without spending too much.
The Oppo Reno 10 is the latest of Oppo’s mid-tier mobiles to launch globally, after the Oppo Reno 8 in 2022 – the brand tends to alternate between global releases and China-only ones. And for the first time in many generations, this is a Reno phone that’s really worth checking out.
At its core, the Oppo Reno 10 is a premium phone with a price tag that’s a lot lower than one would expect. It's easily one of the best cheap phones on the market, embarrassing rival handsets from the likes of Samsung, Apple and Google by just how far ahead it is. It feels better in the hand, performs faster, offers a better display, lasts longer and looks more appealing, though it does have two major weaknesses that keep it away from a higher score.
The design is a large draw of this phone. Oppo has brought the curved-edge display design back to low-cost phones, yet has managed to avoid many of the issues common to this feature, like accidental side presses.
(Image credit: Future)
The Reno 10 may not have a top-end chipset but it works wonderfully for gaming, and streaming videos is just as much of a treat thanks to its top-spec screen. Its battery lasts a long time, and it charges quickly. What’s not to like?
Well, some things aren’t to like; one of them is the camera. Oppo has aped top-end mobiles by introducing a telephoto camera for zoom photography – this is such a rarity that I wish I could be singing from the rooftops about the Reno 10’s camera prowess, but it joins an utterly underwhelming camera line-up. Photos taken on the Reno 10 are dull, grainy and lifeless.
In its software, Oppo decided to copy not premium phones, but the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. ColorOS is absolutely littered with pre-installed bloatware apps – I counted 30 on my phone when I first booted it up! At its core, the software is great, with easy navigation and handy customization features, but it’s hard to sail through without getting yourself caught on all its trash.
If you scarcely use your phone camera, and don’t mind spending a good chunk of your phone set-up time wearing out your thumbs by deleting countless random games and shopping apps, then the Oppo Reno 10 will be an absolutely fantastic pick for you. Even those two major pitfalls are easy enough to forgive when you consider the phone’s competitive low price.
But don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Oppo Reno 10 review: price and availability
Released in August 2023
Costs £399 / AU$749 (around $500)
On sale in UK and Australia, not US
(Image credit: Future)
The Oppo Reno 10 was unveiled in August 2023, and like many of the brand’s phones, it’s available in the UK and Australia but not the US.
You can pick up the phone in its sole configuration for £399 / AU$749 (around $500), which is a small but welcome discount from the Oppo Reno 8’s £419 / AU$999 – that was the last Reno mobile that launched globally, as Oppo generally reserves odd-numbered entries for Chinese markets.
At that price, the Reno sits at the cheaper end of the vaguely defined ‘mid-range’ mobile market. In the UK it undercuts some big-name rivals like the Google Pixel 7a (starts at $499 / £449 / AU$749) or the most recent iPhone SE (starts at $429 / £419 / AU$719), though as you can see its Australian price is on par with its peers.
Value score: 4 / 5
Oppo Reno 10 review: specs
A budget phone with premium specs, here's how the Oppo Reno 10 looks on paper:
Oppo Reno 10 review: design
Curved-edge display adds premium feel
A touch on the big side
Camera bump protrudes quite far
(Image credit: Future)
Oppo is one of a small number of mobile phone companies offering curved-edge smartphones at low prices – that’s right, the Reno 10 has a display that tapers at the edge. This makes it more comfortable to hold in your hand than many other rival devices, and gives it a premium sheen – plus, in the Reno, it’s not so curvy that you’re at risk of accidentally pressing the sides. Not once in my testing period did I incur the ‘accidental side press’ that can plague so many curved-edge mobiles.
If anything, your issue here is going to be hand strain, because the Reno 10 is a pretty big device. It measures 162.4 x 74.2 x 8mm, and weighs 185g, so while it’s relatively thin and lightweight for a phone of its size, people with smaller hands may struggle to use its extensive display size.
Talking of big, the Reno 10’s rear camera bump is pretty huge. It’s a large lozenge-shaped protrusion that houses all three of the lenses and a flash, and it sticks out a fair way from the phone too. You won’t be putting this mobile down flat on a surface, unless it’s in a case.
Glass houses the back and front of the phone, making this mobile feel pretty premium compared to most same-price rivals. But it’ll be a little more fragile than a plastic device, so a case is advised. In the UK, it only comes in a pretty plain gray color too, imaginatively titled Silvery Gray, so a case will give it some life too – more vibrant alternatives are available in some countries though.
The volume rocker and power button are both housed on the right edge of the mobile – I could reach both at a stretch, though to unlock the phone you need to use the in-screen fingerprint scanner that felt too low-down on the display to use naturally.
The Oppo has a USB-C port on its button edge for charging and data transfer but no 3.5mm headphone jack in sight. You’ll have to use an adaptor if you want to use wired headphones or speakers.
Design score: 4 / 5
Oppo Reno 10 review: display
Chunky 6.7-inch screen
FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate
Max brightness could be a little higher
(Image credit: Future)
The Oppo Reno 10’s size is partly because of its large display: at 6.7 inches diagonally, this is a big display, and you won’t find bigger on phones at this price.
It’s a good-looking screen, with a FHD+ resolution (1080 x 2412 pixels) making your games or videos look clear, and the 120Hz refresh rate makes motion appear smooth.
The HDR10+ certification is just a cherry on top – whether you’re binging a TV show, playing a game, checking out pictures you took or just scrolling through social media, this big and bold display is one of the best you’ll find on a phone at this price point.
If I have a gripe, it’s that the maximum brightness is a little low. At 950 nits, it’s fine for if you’re inside or out and about on an overcast day, but even in this latter circumstance I had to turn the brightness to max to see the screen easily. On a sunny day, you may find it a little hard to see.
Display score: 3.5 / 5
Oppo Reno 10 review: software
Horrendous bloatware issue
Quick to navigate and handily laid out
Lots of customization options
Three screenshots showing the user interface of the Oppo Reno 10 as soon as it was set up for the first time. Note how some of those icons are actually folders, hiding even more pre-installed apps. (Image credit: Future / Oppo)
The Oppo Reno 10 comes with the newest Android 13 software pre-loaded, with Oppo’s own ColorOS plastered over the top. This Android fork has a similar layout to stock Android, but with a distinctive design to give the software a more playful and energetic tone. Oh, and it has a few choice changes over the base Google-designed software.
I’m talking about bloatware – the Reno has loads. For those that don’t know, bloatware refers to pre-installed apps on the phone beyond the basics that you need for functionality (like a camera app, photo library, Play Store etc). Some companies choose to pack their phones with their own apps, or third-party licensed ones, and in this phone Oppo seems intent on taking that to the logical extreme.
When I first booted up the phone, it was already jam-packed with random games, shopping apps, entertainment platforms, and more – I counted over 30. Some of these are ones I’d choose to install, and it was useful not having to manually download Netflix, but the time I saved in having the streaming service pre-installed was more than made up for in all the unknown apps I had to delete.
Once you’ve worn out your thumbs deleting ‘June’s Journey’ and ‘Portal Parkour’, ColorOS is actually a pretty great operating system. Its buttons, both on the swipe-down quick settings and notifications panels, as well as on the home page, are bold and easy to understand at a scan. Navigation is easy thanks to a handily-accessible app drawer plus well-placed search options. And there’s lots of customization with bespoke widgets, plenty of built-in wallpaper options and ‘style’ options that let you change the always-on display, font, icon and fingerprint animations.
Thanks to the 120Hz display and powerful internals, navigating the phone’s software is a breeze. ColorOS is great to use for people who find stock Android a bit plain – it’s just a shame about the bloatware.
Software score: 2.5 / 5
Oppo Reno 10 review: cameras
64MP main, 32MP zoom and 8MP ultra-wide cameras
Pictures are unimpressive: lack color, detail, are blown out
32MP snapper on front which suffers from same traits
(Image credit: Future)
The Oppo Reno 10 makes a staggering leap in the area of budget camera phones: it’s the first low-cost mobile in roughly five years that comes with a telephoto lens, for optical zoom photography (usually when you zoom in on a phone camera it just zooms digitally, via cropping, which quickly loses detail).
This is a 32MP f/2.0 snapper with a lens for 2x optical zoom, and it joins the main 64MP f/1.7 and 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide cameras to round out the trio. It’s understandable to get excited about this lens tripartite – it’s the same combo that premium mobiles from Samsung and Apple use – but it sadly doesn’t save the Oppo from camera mundanity.
There’s nothing offensively bad with photos taken on the Reno 10, but they’re noticeably lacking. The colors look washed out, darker areas lack detail, and images could look surprisingly grainy – this is all with HDR turned on. You also have to hold the phone still for longer to capture a picture than you’d think, as my camera reel was full of blurry misfires.
Talking of misfires, there’s Night mode, which somehow makes night-time pictures look a lot worse. You’ll see two pictures taken at night below; the first is using the normal camera without tweaking settings. As you can see the water is sharp, the light reflecting in it is distinct and fades out, and the contrast between the darker and brighter areas brings your attention to the center. Then there’s the night mode image which turns it into an oil pastel painting.
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The River Thames at night captured on the Oppo Reno 10's standard photo mode. (Image credit: Future)
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The River Thames at night captured on the Oppo Reno 10's Night photo mode. (Image credit: Future)
To give Oppo props for anything, it’s that there’s parity between lenses: you can zoom in to 2x and all the same issues from the main camera are present. Still, it’s nice to have this option for versatile photography. That’s not so true for the ultrawide lens which, with its 8MP sensor, loses too much information to be worth using.
The front of the phone wields a 32MP f/2.4 wide camera, and photos on this bore better fruit than on its rear siblings, but only slightly. Snaps are sharp and, in Portrait mode the digital bokeh is accurate to the body. However, brighter backgrounds in selfies were often blown out, and again colors weren’t rich enough. You’ll see two selfies in the camera gallery below – the shirt I’m wearing is meant to be forest green.
The Oppo Reno 10 records video at 4K/30fps or 1080p/60fps, and it also packs all the standard phone camera options: slow-mo (1080p/480fps or 720p/960fps), panoramic photography, time lapse and Pro mode. It also has an Extra HD mode so you can take pictures at 64MP instead of its default pixel-binned option.
Camera score: 2.5 / 5
Oppo Reno 10 camera samples
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A standard picture taken on the Oppo Reno 10, kicking off the camera samples with an acceptable one. (Image credit: Future)
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Here's another 1x picture, taken to contrast the next two. (Image credit: Future)
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An ultra-wide shot of the same scene. (Image credit: Future)
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A 2x zoom shot of the same scene. (Image credit: Future)
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A close-up image. The phone focuses quickly on close-up subjects. (Image credit: Future)
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A selfie. Note the shirt color, as mentioned earlier, and also the subject's positioning. (Image credit: Future)
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A Portrait selfie. Notice how some of the fringe has been blurred, though overall it's not catastrophic. (Image credit: Future)
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No, the sun's not setting in the background - this snap was taken at midday, and it misses all the vibrancy of the actual scene. (Image credit: Future)
Oppo Reno 10 review: performance and audio
Handy Dimensity 7050 chipset plus 8GB RAM
Handles games and other tasks well
Bluetooth 5.3, adequate speakers but no headphone jack
The Oppo Reno 10 performs just about as well as you could hope a low-cost smartphone to – unless you spend more time playing mobile games than you do outdoors, you’ll find this phone absolutely fit for purpose.
The phone packs a mid-range Dimensity 7050 chipset, paired with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. You can boost the RAM by an extra 8GB by using a RAM boost feature that temporarily converts your storage into extra mobile power, which will give you some extra oomph until you fill up your phone’s data.
In the Geekbench 6 benchmark test, the phone returned a middling multi-core score of 2,360, but in actual use, it worked perfectly well. In popular games like Call of Duty: Mobile and PUBG Mobile, the device performed admirably, never overheating, lagging or stuttering. If you’re a mobile gamer, you won’t feel let down here.
Oppo has a games mode that lets you boost processing power, monitor your phone’s vital signs and block notifications, but even without enabling this, the device felt great to play games on.
As previously stated there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack. Instead for audio, you can use the handset’s Bluetooth 5.3 connection for phones or speakers, or rely on its in-built speakers. These latter are nothing to write home about but they’re fit for purpose for games, calls, voice notes or other tasks like that.
Performance score: 3.5 / 5
Oppo Reno 10 review: battery life
Big 5,000mAh battery
Up to two days of use
67W charging is lovely and fast
(Image credit: Future)
Like the vast majority of budget phones, the Oppo Reno 10 packs a 5,000mAh battery, which is about as big as you’ll get on a mainstream phone.
This is more than enough power to last the device through the day under normal use, and even heavy game-playing sessions won’t jeopardise its lasting power (well, to an extent). If you’re frugal, you’ll be able to see the phone through two days of use before a charge is required, but most people won’t last that long.
Thankfully, powering up the phone is swift, thanks to one of the fastest charging speeds you’ll see in a budget phone. That’s 67W, and your phone will power from empty to full in just over half an hour with it. An additional promise Oppo is throwing your way is that the phone should keep its battery capacity high for longer, which is often an issue with fast-charging phones; according to the company, the capacity will still be above 80% of its maximum after 1,600 charges and discharges, or about four years of use.
Battery score: 4 / 5
Should you buy the Oppo Reno 10?
Buy it if...
You wish you weren't on a budget
We all have a certain limit we'd spend on a phone, but if you wish yours was a lot higher, the Reno will let you pretend that it is.
You like streaming games and movies
Between its good-looking screen, powerful chipset, plentiful storage and big battery, the Reno 10 is great for streaming TV, movies, games and music.
You like easy software ColorOS has a smart layout, easily-understood buttons and handy navigation tricks... once you've got rid of all the bloatware.
Don't buy it if...
You're a mobile photography fan We've gone into lots of detail as to the Oppo Reno 10's camera issues. While the telephoto lens may be a big draw, it's not worth it!
You're not adept with user interface tweaks Due to its bloatware, we'd only recommend the Reno 10 to people who are comfortable enough with phone software to quickly delete a huge number of apps.
You have smaller hands Due to its size, you might have trouble operating the Oppo Reno 10 if you have smaller hands, as it'll be a stretch to reach the volume rocker or upper half of the display.
Oppo Reno 10 review: also consider
Considering other mobiles beyond the Oppo Reno 10? Here are some others you could look into, that all cost the same as, or a tiny amount more than, the Reno.
Google Pixel 7a Google's pint-sized Pixel 7a has the clean stock Android software and a focus on camera chops, so it's basically the opposite of the Reno 10. In the UK it's a bit pricier though.
Samsung Galaxy A54 Samsung has made a handy low-cost jack-of-all-trades device with the Galaxy A54. It falls a little short in the performance department but makes up for it with fun color options.
How I tested the Oppo Reno 10
Review test period = 2 week
Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
The testing period for the Oppo Reno 10 was roughly two weeks, which doesn't time before the fortnight for setting up the device and getting it through a few battery cycles, and time spent using the phone while writing the review.
To test the phone, I used it as a normal owner would: I took it on walks to test the camera, watched TV shows using it, played games at home on it. I also put it through some limited benchmark and timing tests, though kept these to a minimum as they don't usually reflect actual use.
I've been writing about phones at TechRadar for over five years now, after joining in early 2019, and have used Oppo's Reno phones since the first-gen Reno 10x Zoom up until the present day, including the last Reno phone to release in the UK, the Reno 8. I've also used phones from every other mainstream company, which helps with comparisons and with understanding all the phones out there right now.
The Xiaomi 14 is unquestionably in the running to be one of this year's top compact flagships, even if it is a little larger than the iPhone 15 and Samsung Galaxy S24. The phone boasts Qualcomm's best and brightest Snapdrgon 8 Gen 3 chip, a camera system that's been developed in collaboration with Leica, and a sizable battery with impressively fast 90W charging.
Xiaomi was actually first to market with an 8 Gen 3-powered phone, with the Xiaomi 14 series first debuting in China back in October 2023. As of February 2024, the company confirmed that both the Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra would be going global (the Xiaomi 14 Pro isn't getting an international release, but that's not as much of a loss as you might think), with the phones touching down in late February and mid-March, respectively.
There's more than a passing resemblance between this phone and the Xiaomi 13 – both phones have a prominent square main camera bump, and they have near-identical dimensions, with the new phone's fractional weight increase a result of the larger rear camera system and bigger battery. Xiaomi's fit and finish is up there, but the mirror-polish straight-sided design is decidedly more iPhone 14, than iPhone 15, which won't be to everyone's taste.
The 6.36-inch display has received a gamut of nice upgrades – there's a resolution bump between generations, while the move to an LTPO panel facilitates a true 1Hz to 120Hz variable refresh rate for greater power efficiency. It's a significantly brighter panel too, also trumping the figures promised by Apple and Samsung's latest.
This marks the fifth generation of flagship phones (if you include the company's mid-year 'S' refreshes) on which Xiaomi has collaborated with optical specialists Leica. For the most part, the user experience offered up by the camera remains much the same as last year's– including the ability to shoot in Leica Vivid or Classic color profiles, but the underlying hardware has been upgraded significantly, with a larger 50MP main sensor sporting a wider aperture, and backed up by two additional 50MP sensors (an ultra-wide and a 3.2x telephoto), which collectively deliver better light, detail, dynamic range, and color reproduction than previously.
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
Even without flicking the 'high performance mode' toggle on, the Xiaomi 14 benchmarks among the top tier of the current Android pile, which translates to excellent real-world performance, whether multi-tasking or gaming. For all the raw grunt and software optimization the 14 clearly serves up though, the refreshed HyperOS user experience still falls foul of the same convolutions found in the previous MIUI; quirks that newcomers to the brand, and even some veteran Xiaomi users, would likely scratch their heads at when trying to perform certain actions or find particular features.
With this being 2024, there are also a raft of AI features that debut on the Xiaomi 14 series – from AI-generated portraits to semantic search in the gallery app – however, at the time of writing these features remain in beta, with access to them requiring approval from the Xiaomi Community admins, meaning most users won't be able to enjoy these new features and enhancements out of the box until later in the year.
Battery life is a highlight: for all that the Xiaomi 14 delivers, the increased capacity year-on-year also means the phone offer impressive longevity, surpassing the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S24 in terms of screen-on time, and leaving mainstream rivals in the dust when it comes to a full recharge, which takes a matter of minutes, rather than hours.
It's true that Xiaomi's new flagship starts at a higher asking price than both Apple's and Samsung's comparable models, the iPhone 15 and the Galaxy S24, but it also comes with twice the storage, meaning in like-for-like comparisons (using UK pricing for the 256GB model in each case), it's actually the best-value compact flagship of the bunch. One caveat is that despite having been given an 'international' launch, the Xiaomi 14 – like all of the company's phones – remains unavailable in the US and Australia, with third-party retailers or import being the only real way to get ahold of Xiaomi handsets in those countries.
Xiaomi 14 review: Price and availability
Priced from £849 / €999
Released October 2023 – China only, February 25, 2024 – internationally
Limited to no availability in US and Australia
Every time Qualcomm announces a new flagship mobile chipset, I'm always curious to see which phone maker will be first to market with a phone toting said cutting-edge silicon. In the case of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, it was Xiaomi, with the Xiaomi 14 and 14 Pro first debuting in China back in October 2023. However – as with previous generations of Xiaomi flagship – international audiences would have to wait.
It wasn't until a dedicated event in Barcelona in February 2024, ahead of MWC 2024 that we'd have a clear picture of the 14 series' international rollout. This event also served as a release announcement, with the phone being made available on February 25 across various markets, including the UK and Europe.
The Xiaomi 14 Pro didn't make it beyond China, but the gap between the 14 and 14 Pro in terms of specs and features is far smaller than it was with the previous 13 series, making the Pro's absence from the international stage far less of an issue this generation, especially with the Xiaomi 14 Ultra also available.
Despite throwing around words like 'international' and 'global' at the phone's February announcement though, Xiaomi's presence in the US and Australia only extends to smart home and lifestyle products, with its smartphones remaining distinctly absent. This means that, outside of importing or purchasing from fringe third-party retailers, you won't readily be able to pick up the Xiaomi 14 locally, and that's before taking into account whether it supports the carrier bands for local networks.
As for pricing, while a starting price in the UK of £849 places it well above the baseline price of key rivals like the iPhone 15 ($799 / £799 / AU$1,499) and Samsung Galaxy S24 ($799 / £799 / AU$1,399), those phones both come with just half the amount of storage (128GB).
In like-for-like comparisons against the £849 (equivalent to $1,070 / AU$1,640) 256GB base Xiaomi 14, both Apple's and Samsung's 256GB rivals actually cost more, at £899 and £859 respectively.
Value score: 5 / 5
Xiaomi 14 review: Specs
Xiaomi 14 review: Design
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
Color choice affects finish
Squared, polished aluminum alloy frame
IP68-certified against dust and water
Fans of the Xiaomi 13 will appreciate what the company has done with the design of its successor – or rather what it hasn't done. The overall look of the two phones is much the same, although the 14 sports a hardier build, with tougher Gorilla Glass Victus and IP68-certified dust and water resistance, but elsewhere the dimensions to weight have remained consistent (a larger main camera system and battery have added a couple of grams).
Versus those aforementioned mainstream rivals, Xiaomi's latest is a little thicker and heavier by comparison, but is still small and comfortable enough to be considered a 'compact' flagship, and while the iPhone 15 series has embraced more rounded sides this generation, the Xiaomi 14 retains the iPhone 14 Pro line's straight-sided, mirror-polished aluminum surround, for better or worse, depending on your taste (I like the look but hate the fingerprints).
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The Clous de Paris guilloché detailing around the Xiaomi 14's camera
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A close-up on the Xiaomi 14's Jade Green glass back
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The Jade Green variant featured in this review is the most head-turning colorway on the international stage, with the white model featuring a tasteful silver frame and the black option serving up textured – instead of polished – color-matched rear glass, which better repels fingerprints at the expense of a little grip. The only color that appeared in China but is missing from the global gamut of colorways is 'Snow Mountain Pink.'
Despite its similarities to the last model, Xiaomi has added interest around that new larger rear camera, with what it's dubbed a Clous de Paris (that's a hobnail pattern to you and me) to add a little interest. While it's not the only phone maker that has turned to classic analogue watch styling for design inspiration, this particular adornment is one I wouldn't every expect to find on a phone, and it serves as an aesthetic through-line with the recently-release Xiaomi Watch S3, too.
The flat 6.36-inch 'CrystalRes' C8 AMOLED fronting the Xiaomi 14 is a new panel of company's own design (manufactured by TCL), offering across-the-board upgrades over the same-sized screen on the Xiaomi 13, while also keeping it competitive against 2024 competitors.
First and foremost, it's sharper than the display on its predecessor, pushing past Full HD+ to a 1200 x 2670 resolution at the same size, upping pixel density from 414ppi to 460ppi, and making it as pin-sharp as the iPhone 15's Super Retina XDR OLED panel. It's also brighter – a lot brighter – with a peak of 3,000 nits (the Xiaomi 13 peaked at 1,900 nits) supports the Dolby Vision and HDR10+ standards. There's also a quoted full-panel high-brightness mode of 1,400 nits (up from the 13's 1,200 nits), which in real-world use ensures the screen is still comfortably visible against a bright sky. I just wish every phone adopted the reduced reflectivity of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra's display.
Regardless, the hits don't stop, with the move to an LTPO panel greatly improving power efficiency, as the refresh rate can now scale far more dynamically, depending on what you're doing on your phone. For context, the Xiaomi 13 could only switch between 60Hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz, so its successor's ability to rove anywhere between 1Hz and 120Hz is a welcome upgrade.
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
The screen serves up pleasing visuals across photos, video streaming, and gaming, and Xiaomi includes a wealth of controls for tinkering with the display experience. By default the phone is set to 'Original Color Pro', but there are additional color profile presets like 'Vivid' and 'Saturated' alongside the ability to force the display to operate in the DCI-P3 gamut or sRGB, and that's before you touch the independent sliders covering things like RGB values, hue, saturation, contrast, and gamma.
There are arguably too many display control on offer as, alongside the above, you can also tweak color temperature, toggle adaptive color temperature adjustment, which adjusts the color temperature relative to ambient lighting, toggle DC dimming for more comfortable low-light viewing, choose between multiple reading modes, add texture and color temperature controls to a grayscale viewing experience, and even have AI step in to upscale videos, enhance photos in your gallery, add HDR viewing to SDR content, and add frames to certain video content for smooth playback.
Display score: 4.5 / 5
Xiaomi 14 review: Software
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
First phone to debut HyperOS out of the box
Runs on top of Android 14
4 years of OS + 5 years of security updates
MIUI is out and HyperOS is in, with the Xiaomi 14 series being the first of the company's phones to debut this revitalized user experience out of the box. If you watched the phone's launch, you'd be forgiven for assuming that HyperOS is something totally new, but in real-world use you'll be hard-pressed to spot any major differences with MIUI at a glance.
Xiaomi says that HyperOS follows a new 'Alive' design philosophy, boasting real-time rendering on certain graphical elements, alongside a color palette "based on natural hues" and while it's unquestionably more consistently fluid and responsive, the general look and feel still feels decidedly MIUI.
Nevertheless, that performance uptick across load times and animations might have something to do with the fact that despite its similarities to MIUI, Xiaomi has rebuilt HyperOS almost entirely. Not only does it take up almost a third less space on-device than its predecessor, it has new underpinnings to enable greater cross-platform interconnectivity with the company's wider product ecosystem, from its wearables and tablets, to its newfound push into automotive – even its debut car, the Xiaomi SU7, comes running its own build of HyperOS.
Back to the Xiaomi 14 though, and as before the user experience is feature-packed and serves up a decidedly different form than a lot of other smartphones out there. By default, there's no apps drawer, notifications and quick settings live behind swipe-down gestures from the top left and right corners of the screen, respectively (very iOS), swiping down on your home screen summons a device-wide search, while swiping up reveals Content Center, featuring links to news and YouTube video. There's a lot going on.
The Security app on the Xiaomi 14 does a lot more than just keep your device secure. (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
Provided that you're willing to put in some time to learn, HyperOS serves up a lot of flexibility and practically endless personalization too, although it's easy to get lost in disparate controls and settings screens. There's also a degree of bloat out of the box, with various third-party apps – like Booking.com – which can be uninstalled but ideally wouldn't be there to begin with. As for first-party apps, plenty of those could be considered bloat too, with multiple ways to perform seemingly the same action. The App Vault, Cleaner, Game Center and Security apps, for example, all help boost memory performance. Why do users need four different ways to access this feature, Xiaomi?
There are, of course, welcome additions too, like Game Turbo, which handles notification suppression, as well as relevant device controls (over things like brightness), when gaming and even includes a voice changer. Meanwhile HyperOS' Gallery app offers Google Photos integration native, which is a rare and handy bonus.
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
Of course, this wouldn't be a 2024 flagship phone without some AI functionality thrown in, and Xiaomi has promised everything from generative fill when expanding the canvas of images to AI portraits, AI-generative subtitles, semantic search in the Gallery app, and more. Notice I said Xiaomi has 'promised' this suite of AI features, as at launch they remain in beta, meaning you have to sign up to be given access to unfinished iteration of what is one of the Xiaomi 14's headline upgrades.
There's good news, though – I did sign up for the beta once I'd mostly done testing the phone, and the AI features I tried worked as advertised and seemed stable (although wait times on processing for the AI Portrait feature surpassed an hour). So far Xiaomi has, unlike Samsung, made no mention of charging for the use of any AI functionality, although that's a policy that likely won't last forever.
To round things out, HyperOS on the Xiaomi 14 runs atop Android 14, with the company promising four years of update support and five years of security update support. That's behind market leaders like Apple, Google and Samsung, but should prove more than ample for the average smartphone user in 2024, ensuring that the Xiaomi 14 will continue to gain new features and remain secure for the duration of your time with it.
Software score: 3.5 / 5
Xiaomi 14 review: Cameras
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
50MP f/1.6 Xiaomi Light Fusion 900 main sensor with OIS
50MP f/2.2 ISOCELL JN1 ultra-wide with 112-degree FoV
50MP (32MP effective) f/2.0 ISOCELL JN1 3.2x telephoto with OIS
32MP f/2.0 front camera with 89.6-degree FoV
While the camera system on the Xiaomi 14 isn't without its flaws, it looks to have the edge over compact rivals like the latest iPhone and Galaxy, with an across-the-board sensor upgrade compared to the Xiaomi 13, and ongoing input from optical specialists Leica.
You'll find an impressive-looking trio of 50MP sensors on the back, fronted by the new custom Xiaomi 'Light Fusion 900' (a tuned OmniVision OVX9000 sensor, with input from both Xiaomi and Leica), along with ISOCELL JN1 sensors for the ultra-wide and telephoto, collectively offering a focal range from 14mm to 75mm (although the telephoto's effective resolution is actually cited at 32MP and appears to kick in at 2.5x, which would suggest a shorter max optical range than Xiaomi claims).
AI Portrait... one of the most ambitious and unsettling AI features I've encountered on a phone to date
Leica's involvement, meanwhile, extends to branded 'Summilux' lenses, the 'Leica Vibrant' and 'Leica Authentic' color profiles the phone can shoot in, and the 'master lens system' of digital focal presets built into portrait mode.
Beyond that, the camera UI seems simple enough at first blush, but like the rest of HyperOS is absolutely jam-packed with features. The breadth of features on offer will be welcomed by those happy to spend the time required to learn of the nuances of the user experience, but will likely prove overwhelming for those who just want to tweak basic settings.
Stills shooting is primarily managed via Photo mode, or Pro mode if you want more control, while for video recording, Video and Movie mode are both on hand. More experimental modes include Short Film, which serves as a template complete with filters in which to capture footage; Director Mode, which lets you connect multiple cameras and even monitors wirelessly to orchestrate a multi-cam recording; plus Long Exposure, Supermoon, and more.
Xiaomi 14 camera samples
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0.6x zoom (ultra-wide sensor)
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1x zoom (main sensor)
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2x zoom (main sensor)
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3.2x zoom (telephoto sensor)
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60x zoom (i.e. maximum lossy zoom range)
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0.6x zoom (ultra-wide sensor)
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1x zoom (main sensor)
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2x zoom (main sensor)
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3.2x zoom (telephoto sensor)
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60x zoom (i.e. maximum lossy zoom range)
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Zoom range comparison: Apple iPhone 15 (top), Xiaomi 14 (center), Samsung Galaxy S24 (bottom)
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Front camera
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Front camera comparison: Apple iPhone 15 (left), Xiaomi 14 (center), Samsung Galaxy S24 (right)
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AI Expanded by 150%
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Artificial lighting
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Artificial lighting
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Front camera
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Low light
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Night mode
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Low light comparison: Xiaomi 14 (left), Google Pixel 8 Pro (right)
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Night Mode comparison: Xiaomi 14 (left), Google Pixel 8 Pro (right)
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In side-by-side tests with the usual suspects (the iPhone 15 and the Samsung Galaxy S24), Xiaomi's distinct photographic look shone through. Leica Vivid (which all the Xiaomi 14 camera samples featured in this review were captured in) served up consistently brighter and and more vibrant results than rivals, with good detail captured across its entire (optical) focal range.
There's a pleasing consistency in terms of color, contrast and detail between shots captured with the ultra-wide and that new primary sensor, while telephoto shots adopt a bolder look, with stronger contrast that still equates to pleasing images, although with an unpredictability that the 14's competitors don't suffer from.
In more challenging scenarios, while the 14's macro capture offers good center-frame detail, chromatic aberrations, or color fringing, around the edge of subjects isn't always welcome, while low-light environments did result in exposure hunting from time to time. On the flip side, taking Night Mode shots results in great final images, with this phone only really falling short of category leaders like the Google Pixel 8 Pro.
The phone's stabilization is shown off to great effect in video footage (beyond the impressive capture controls mentioned earlier), while selfies also shine against similar photos from competitors, provided that you're comfortable with Xiaomi's heavier-handed beauty settings as standard – skin tones are accurately represented, but smoothing and blemish-removal algorithms are also clearly enabled by default. Interestingly, you'd assume that the 32MP front-facing sensor would pixel-bin down to 8MP final images, but the Xiaomi 14 unapologetically captures front-facing shots at the sensor's native resolution, and does so with aplomb.
AI camera features
Using AI Expansion on the Xiaomi 14(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
There are also all of the aforementioned (beta) AI imaging abilities that debut on the Xiaomi 14 (practically all of which are accessed from the native Gallery app after capture). AI Expansion lets you punch out of a shot by up to 200% and have the phone's on-device AI processing try to generate new background content that's consistent with the original image. Each generative fill takes around 15 seconds to complete (with tests at 150%) and the results are hit-and-miss – but the fact that they hit as often as they do is what's surprising.
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Original image...
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...enlarged by 150% using AI Expand on the Xiaomi 14
Then there's AI Portrait, which is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious – and unsettling – AI features I've encountered on a phone. Once you snap around 30 selfies (or at least shots of the same subject with their face visible) and submit them to the AI Portrait creation wizard, it'll use off-device processing to construct an AI-generated simulacrum that – with the help of a written prompt – can be placed into all manner of scenes.
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The processing time to create my (beta) AI Portrait avatar took over an hour...
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...but, once done, individual results with the completed avatar took only minutes to generate.
The developmental nature of the AI features coming (as at the time of review, they're still in beta, remember) to the Xiaomi 14 was made clear when the creation time for my AI avatar was cited at over an hour, but once I had it, prompts took around a minute to generate results, once again with varying degrees of success. The feature automatically served up prompts like 'beach resort' and 'northern islands' of its own accord but did a respectable job coming up with convincing images based on my prompt of 'in a kayak' too, as you can see above.
As for how useful this feature is, it's easy to imagine novel scenarios in which your AI Portrait could feature – hilariously implausible holiday snaps on Instagram, for example – but as with any AI-generated imagery, there remain unanswered and ungoverned ethical quandaries surrounding a technology that is evidently already in peoples' hands and will continue to improve in time.
With regards to Xiaomi's specific AI policies, the phone details which devices use solely on-device processing and which rely on the cloud, while the company's AI white paper goes into greater detail around training data-sets and the like. That said, unlike Samsung's Galaxy AI image tools, there's no obvious watermarking to help people discern which images have and haven't been created or altered by Xiaomi's AI, which is something the company should address in a future update, and on future products with AI-enhanced features.
Camera score: 4.5 / 5
Xiaomi 14 review: Performance
Genshin Impact on the Xiaomi 14 (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC
12GB of LPDDR5X RAM on all models
Impressive thermal performance for a compact phone
Although the Xiaomi 14 has the distinction of being first to market with Qualcomm's latest and greatest flagship mobile silicon in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, its staggered release meant that by the time it made it to international audiences, rivals with that same cutting-edge chipset were already on store shelves. Even so, this remains one of the most capable phones currently on the market.
HyperOS – like MIUI before it – is pretty hands-on with performance management, with overarching power profiles that limit just how much apps and services can ask of the CPU/GPU/NPU; but even without switching 'performance mode' on, in artificial benchmarks the Xiaomi 14 holds its own against many of the other best Android phones right now – including the Samsung Galaxy S24 and Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra – while other flagships like the Pixel 8 Pro score far weaker across compute and graphical tests.
Real-world use shows that, between the processor and the optimizations HyperOS brings over MIUI, the Xiaomi 14 has more than enough clout to handle demanding everyday use, with the AI features being among the few instances where you'll still find yourself staring at a loading bar for a moment or two.
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
Gaming is a dream on the Xiaomi 14 too, as not only does the phone offer a great visual experience by being on the larger side (within the compact flagship space), but the engineering team has done solid work with the thermal management in spite of the phone's relatively small proportions. Even with Genshin Impact's graphical settings at 'overclocked' (namely by forcing 60fps gameplay) the Xiaomi 14 never got more than a little warm, even after 30 minutes of continuous playtime.
There are also the added benefits of Game Turbo, which can prioritize networking latency, touch response input and, of course, boost performance at the expense of power consumption.
Performance score: 5 / 5
Xiaomi 14 review: Battery
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
Larger 4,610mAh battery than predecessor
Up to 90W wired and 50W wireless charging
8.5 hours of screen-on time per charge (using Balanced power profile)
Charging speeds and battery capacity have both received a generous generational upgrade, with the standard Xiaomi 14 now matching the Xiaomi 14 Ultra's impressive 90W fast wired charging and up to 50W wireless charging. This means a pleasingly-rapid full recharge is possible in just 40 minutes, while my tests found the phone consistently passed the 50%-charge mark after just 15 minutes. That's in stark contrast to the likes of the iPhone 15, whose 20W wired charging means a full recharge takes over two hours (based on our tests).
The phone doesn't give you its quickest speeds right out the box (although it's still quick to charge); as well as the (included) 90W 'HyperCharge' power adapter, you also have to enable the 'boost charging speed' toggle in the phone's settings menu. This ensures that maximum 90W speeds are made available, with the phone charging on a logarithmic curve – i.e., the lower your Xiaomi's 14's battery percentage is to start with, the faster it'll charge, slowing as it approaches 100%. This ensures that fast charging is most effective when you realize your battery is low and you only have limited time to charge it, while still protecting battery health over the lifetime of the phone.
As for longevity, the Xiaomi 14 puts in a superb effort – especially for a compact smartphone, doling out 8.5 hours of screen-on time in testing. That equates to up to two day's use; particularly if you're willing to toy with the aforementioned power profiles: Performance, Balanced, Battery Saver and Ultra Battery Saver – which limits apps access and background processes to maximize battery life. This is among the best longevity for its size right now, only falling short of the ever-enduring iPhone 15 (which in our tests mustered over 11 hours of screen-on time), however, the Xiaomi is probably the best compact flagship, when you collectively consider battery life and charging performance.
Battery score: 5 / 5
Should you buy the Xiaomi 14?
Buy it if...
You want a compact powerhouse The Xiaomi 14 outpaces the big-name compact phones currently on the market in terms of both value and hardware prowess, so long as you're okay with the slightly shorter update support roadmap, compared to Apple and Samsung's rivals.
You like trying new things The Xiaomi 14's hardware and software offer near-endless degrees of customization and functionality. HyperOS takes a very different approach to most Android-based smartphone user experiences, but if you put in the time it demands it's an incredibly rich offering.
Battery life and fast charging are high priorities The Xiaomi 14 probably strikes the best balance of battery longevity and fast charging on the market right now, especially for a phone of its size.
Don't buy it if...
You want the stylish smartphone Sure, aesthetics are subjective, and while the Xiaomi 14 isn't bad looking, it's squared design feels dated and unexciting. That's not to say it isn't well built and durable, however.
You like a clean easy-to-use OS experience HyperOS might be far better optimized than MIUI ever was, but many of its predecessor's worst traits persist. The Xiaomi 14 has features upon features, and layers upon layers of menus, and while the breadth of functionality makes it a powerful and versatile phone, not everyone will want to spend time learning its seemingly convoluted way of doing things.
You want AI functionality, right now! At launch Xiaomi promised a wealth of AI features destined for the Xiaomi 14 series, and while you can get your hands on some of them with a little tinkering, they're still in beta at the time of writing, and not easily accessible if you don't know how to unlock them.
Xiaomi 14 review: Also consider
The Xiaomi 14 has some clear strengths, but also some clearly-defined shortcomings. If you've got this far and think something else might be more your thing, why not consider one of these alternatives.
Apple iPhone 15 The iPhone 15 doesn't exactly need an introduction, but if you like elements of Xiaomi's HyperOS or just want a slimmer, smaller but equally-capable compact flagship, this might be your next phone.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Samsung and Google are arguably the biggest phone makers shouting about AI features right now, and the standard S24 condenses the company's suite of Galaxy AI functions into its most compact flagship form. A slim design, decent cameras and a killer display don't go amiss either.
How I tested the Xiaomi 14
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
Review test period: six weeks
Testing included: everyday use including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
Xiaomi was able to provide me with a sample of the Xiaomi 14 just ahead of its international launch, giving me plenty of time to get to grips with the hardware, software, generational upgrades and so on. With the abundance of time available, I've throughly tested the phone while using it as my daily driver over a course of weeks, taking it to social events for camera testing, using it for navigation in my car, gaming around the house and other general smartphone use, from smart home control to social media and web browsing.
It took longer to gain access to some features – namely its promised AI functionality – which I was only able to do once I signed in with my Xiaomi account to the brand's forums and registered for beta access, which then had to be approved, but after that I felt like I was fully able to experience what the Xiaomi 14 promised.
Benchmarking apps is never the be-all-and-end-all, but the results do at least provide an empirical indication of performance that some find useful as a comparison tool. As the user has control over the power state the phone operates in, these benchmarks were carried out in both Balanced and Performance modes, although numerous scores out-paced rivals with the need for Performance mode.
Having reviewed smartphones for well over a decade, including numerous Xiaomi phones, as well as devices from the company's key competition, I felt more than comfortable reviewing this latest Xiaomi flagship, in order to balance its strengths and weaknesses against the market in which it competes.
If you’re the kind of runner who prefers to head out to the trails for hours as opposed to tackling the same stretch of pavement, the Nike Ultrafly is made for you.
The Ultrafly is designed to handle up to ultra distances including racing, grabbing elements from Nike’s best running shoes like its ZoomX foam and a carbon plate, which on paper makes it sound like a Vaporfly for the trails.
I’ve used a bunch of Nike’s trail shoes including the long distance, off-road focused Nike Wildhorse 8 and the ZoomX-packing Nike Zegama Trail. While I’ve enjoyed my time in the new Ultrafly, it’s not quite the shoe I thought it would be: it's not zippy and quick like the Vaporfly is on roads, but it is a workhorse.
Nike Ultrafly: Specifications
Nike Ultrafly: Price and availability
Priced at $250 in the US
£229.95 in the UK
AU$330 in Australia
The Nike Ultrafly launched in July 2023 in limited quantities before going on wider release in August, priced at £229.95 / $250 / AU$ 330.
That put it around the same price as Nike’s Vaporfly road running shoe and also makes it pricier than standout trail shoes like the Hoka Speedgoat 5 and the Nike Wildhorse 8, another Nike trail shoe designed for long distance running.
Value score: 3.5/5
Nike Ultrafly: Design
(Image credit: Michael Sawh)
Vaporweave upper
Vibram Megagrip outsole
Nike ZoomX foam
While the Ultrafly is built for the trails, it definitely has the look of one of Nike’s road shoes. There’s just the two colourway options, both with a mostly white upper that thankfully hasn’t become caked in mud as the trails I’ve tested them on have been mostly the dry and hard kind.
Dealing with the key specs, it’s got a 8.5mm drop: that’s 38.5mm at the heel and 30mm at the forefoot, so it’s a chunky shoe. For comparison, the ultra-focused Nike Wildhorse 8 has an 8mm drop coming in at 35.5mm at the heel and 27.5mm at the forefoot.
Nike uses an upper made from Vaporweave, which is built from a mixture of plastics and is similar to the upper material used on its road running shoes like the Zoom Fly and the first generation Vaporfly. While the upper looks pretty low volume, there’s a nice bit of stretch to it and it’s nice and roomy up front, making it ideal for going long where feet can swell and you need that extra space.
While the Ultrafly opens up at the toes, it narrows at the midfoot and at the heel to offer a good lockdown with not overly generous padding at the heel collar to offer some comfort further back. The laces are the standard kind that sit on top of a skinny tongue that offers some padding on top to make sure you don’t feel those laces if they’re tightly tied.
For the midsole, Nike is using the ZoomX foam it uses on its successful Vaporfly, Alphafly and Invincible road shoes. That midsole is wrapped in fabric to protect the foam and is designed to make it feel more stable than Nike’s road shoes. Nike also places a Carbon Flyplate between that ZoomX and fabric-wrapped midsole to help deliver smoother transitions.
In an interesting move from Nike, it included a Vibram Megagrip outsole to deliver off-road grip. Nike typically uses its own outsole technology, which I’ve had mixed experiences with. The decision to go with Vibram on the Ultrafly seems like a wise move as it’s the same outsole technology featured on other standout trail shoes including the Hoka Speedgoat 5.
Weight-wise, the Ultrafly weighed in at 282g in my UK size 8, which is lighter than something like the Nike Wildhorse 8, which weighed in at almost 320g in a UK size 8. While not super-light, it definitely didn’t feel heavy during runs and was comfortable enough to walk around in as well.
Design score: 4/5
Nike Ultrafly: Performance
(Image credit: Michael Sawh)
Smooth, stable and consistent ride
ZoomX isn’t bouncy like Nike road shoes
Outsole works well on moderate trails and roads
If you’re hoping that the Ultrafly is going to give you that feeling of running in one of Nike’s carbon racing shoes, then that’s simply not the case here. This isn’t an aggressive, speed shoe that delivers an extremely bouncy feeling. It’s different, but in a good way.
I haven’t run an ultra in it, instead focusing on getting as much time on my feet as my current state of running fitness permits, maxing out a couple of hours on a mixture of trail surfaces. I’ve also been mixing in some road time and taking in some lighter, more challenging trail terrain. The first thing you notice about the Ultrafly is that it doesn’t feel built like Nike’s other trail shoes. That’s largely down to the roominess of that toe box.
The ZoomX foam typically delivers a very bouncy ride, just like it does in the Vaporfly and Invincible, but things are slightly more tempered here. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t deliver the same lively ride. What it does instead is provide comfort and that’s really what you need over longer distances.
As a package, it’s smooth and stable. It’s certainly not one that feels equipped for all-out speed and is better suited to cruising and moving at slightly more up-tempo speeds. It’s not super light or nimble, but it’s not overly heavy either to make it a taxing shoe to have on your feet as you roll through the miles.
It’s great to see that Nike has opted to plant on a Vibram outsole, which features on some of the best trail shoes in the business and feels like a step up in general on Nike’s trail shoe outsoles. The 3.5mm lugs aren’t exceptionally deep, which makes handling some road time in them absolutely fine, and in general, the grip was good across a mixture of terrain including mud, rockier surfaces, and tackling some hills. I do feel like on more technical trails and likely muddier ones, you’re going to want something a little more aggressive in the outsole department though.
In terms of protection on the trails, there doesn’t seem to be a huge amount going on here and plays into the idea that this is one best suited to lighter and more moderate routes as opposed to the more technical kind. Yes, the upper looks great and uses material that’s designed to prevent rips, but Nike does go pretty light on the protective features here.
Overall though, it’s a shoe that I’ve enjoyed spending time in. It does feel like a bit of a cruiser of a shoe that’s comfortable enough to wear outside of runs, and prioritizes offering a consistent feel from a not-too-heavy design that makes it ideal for long distance runs. It feels like a good start for the Ultrafly line with room to tweak things and for it to evolve to be a truly standout trail shoe to justify picking it up over other trail shoes that cost less.
