The Air Pro series is Pure’s best-selling electric scooter range, and for a good reason. It’s reliable, durable, and has plenty of useful features to help you reach your destination safely and effectively. It’s well worth considering if you prefer your e-scooter’s battery not to spontaneously burst into flames, which has been known to happen when people buy no-name models second-hand to save on upfront cost.
Apart from the reliability benefits that come from buying quality-checked Pure electric scooters, another reason to try the Air3 Pro 2023 Electric Scooter is its enjoyable ride mechanics. The combination of the large wheels, oversized handlebar stem and steel body provides a smooth travel experience that also feels safe, even when riding at high speeds.
Throw in other safety features, such as the Pure Control steering and the indicator lights, and you have yourself a very decent electric scooter that’s worth the investment. Better still, it won’t be that much of an investment at all, as the Pure Air³ Pro 2023 is amazing value-for-money and one of the best electric scooters at this price, especially if you can get hold of one for less.
Pure Air 3 Pro: Specifications
Pure Air 3 Pro: Price and availability
(Image credit: Future)
£549 in the UK
Approx. $700 / AU$1,049
Mainly distributed in UK, EU and Australia
The Pure Air3 Pro is available to buy directly from Pure Electric for £549 in the UK (approx. $697.17/AU$1,049.32). Pure mainly distributes its scooters in Europe, but they have an Australian website through which you can locate stores in the country that sell Pure scooters.
Costing half as much as Pure’s top-of-the-range Pure Advance Flex 2023, the Air3 Pro represents excellent value for money. It’s not impossible to find good deals on the Pure Air3 Pro around Black Friday or Christmas – it’s discounted £100 at the time of writing. It’s not the cheapest e-scooter on the market, but you get a lot of excellent features for the price.
Value score: 5/5
Pure Air 3 Pro: Design
(Image credit: Future)
Indicator lights on handlebars
IP65 waterproof construction
Steel frame
The first adjective that comes to mind when trying to describe the updated Pure’s Air3 Pro 2023 Electric Scooter is durable. The scooter has 10-inch puncture-resistant tubeless tyres, a robust steel frame, a sizeable deck and oversized handlebar stem, and a sturdy latch that securely holds said stem when the Air³ Pro 2023 is in use.
Power is provided by the same 710W motor you find in the flagship Advance Flex model. The parallels with the top-of-the-line Pure e-scooter don’t stop there, either. Just like Advance Flex, the Air3 Pro has an IP65 water resistance rating, so you can ride it in rainy conditions, a regenerative KERS e-brake system (tops up the battery when you brake), and a bright 150-lumen front light, handlebar indicators and rear brake light that lights up when you hit the brake.
Of course, the Pure Air3 Pro doesn’t quite fold down as neatly as the Advance Flex – although it does fold – and the frame is made from steel, not aluminium alloy like the Flex. That said, the Air3 Pro 2023 isn’t super heavy (16.9kg/37lbs) yet allows riders up to 120kg (262lbs) to enjoy the electric scooter experience.
The deck is pretty spacious, and I liked the textured surface. It’s very easy to find a steady foothold when riding the Air³ Pro, which adds to the overall feeling of security you get from the machine.
The rider display has been redesigned since the last generation of Pure Air2 Pro and offers a similar – or more like the exact same – user experience as the Pure Advance Flex. The information is easy to read, mainly thanks to the lack of data displayed on the screen. You only get the basic stuff (speed, light/ride modes, etc.), which makes sense, as it’s not recommended to stare at the display when using the scooter.
Design score: 4/5
Pure Air 3 Pro: Features
(Image credit: Future)
Cruise control for a throttle-free ride
OTA updates via the Pure app
Braking recharges battery
At this price point, the Pure Air3 Pro scooter is as feature-rich as it gets. You get the Pure Control steering, which helps the steering column realign itself after turning, the indicator lights, the water-resistant built, and the kinetic energy recovery system, or KERS braking system.
This innovative braking mechanic helps replenish the battery every time you pull the brake lever on the handlebar, eking a little more distance out of the Air Pro.
From a software standpoint, you’re a little less spoilt. The Pure app provides some perks, including over-the-air updates and the ability to initiate cruise control, but not only is there not a smartphone mount on the Pro, but there also isn’t any ability to pop your phone on the e-scooter so that you can apply or toggle that cruise control on and off. A bit of a lack of forethought here.
It’s worth having the app connected to your Pure e-scooter, though, as it allows you to lock it with a PIN as an immobilizer. Of course, thieves can just pick up your immobilized e-scooter, so it’s worth locking the Air3 Pro with a bike lock should you decide to leave it on the street.
Features score: 4/5
Pure Air 3 Pro: Scorecard
(Image credit: Future)
Six-hour charging time
Steel frame adds weight and rigidity
No suspension
The Pure Air3 Pro has a decent-sized battery that lets the motor do its job for more than long enough. Adding more batteries would run the risk of making the scooter too heavy – based on our experience, the weight-to-energy storage ratio is fine here.
The battery charges from zero to 100 percent in six hours, although sadly, it’s not possible to remove the battery and charge it separately, meaning you’ll need to carry the scooter inside the house, where it’s most likely to be charged (and stored).
Once you step on the deck of the Air3 Pro and start riding it, you instantly realize why it’s the best-selling Pure electric scooter. Sure, the Pure Advance Flex is the future of micro-commuting, but in the present, the Air³ Pro 2023 provides the exact premium riding experience you’d expect from Pure.
The e-scooter feels sturdy, and the 710W motor moves it forward surprisingly effortlessly. The Air3 Pro 2023 hardly ever struggles with torque – only on the steepest inclines – and accelerates smoothly when you press the throttle. Deceleration is equally as steady; it’s a very smooth ride, and one where you feel in control of the movement, no matter the speed.
There are indicator lights at both ends of the wide handlebar, which you operate with the push buttons under your left thumb. The placement of these buttons is probably the only design flaw I can think of. Instead of being next to each other, one button is located under the other, which requires you to remember which is which. It’s not as visceral as pressing the left button to indicate left, and during testing, I often found myself staring at the display, trying to figure out which light was on.
The lack of suspension might feel strange to some, especially in the UK, where most rental scooters have front suspension. I appreciate you can’t use the Air³ Pro 2023 for commuting in the country, but it might be a hindrance somewhere with lots of cobbled streets, like Paris, although it’s not something I tested. However, the large, tubeless wheels help reduce some of the shaking of the chassis. During my testing, I used the Air3 Pro 2023 on tarmac and felt perfectly comfortable.
The Pure Control steering system works like a charm, just like on the Advance Flex, and re-adjusts the steering column when you turn. It also works well when you’re moving dead ahead by micro-adjusting your steering to help you stay on course.
Performance score: 4/5
Pure Air 3 Pro: Scorecard
Pure Air 3 Pro: Should I buy?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Pure Air 3 Pro: How we tested
Our writer tried the Pure Air3 Pro by personally riding on it over multiple days, draining the battery down and comparing the specifications, performance, and features with other e-scooters they have tried.
The Peloton Row is a beautifully designed and easy to use rowing machine that delivers a full body workout in the comfort in your own home. First released in December 2022, it’s the latest fitness equipment in Peloton’s high-end line up that includes the Bike, Bike+, and Tread, the latter of which made it onto our best treadmills list. Peloton is known for creating reliable, long-lasting products and pairing them with fun, motivating virtual class content, but all that greatness comes at a high price tag.
To make the most of the Peloton Row, you’ll need to be ready to shell out another $44/month for an All-Access Membership, in addition to the almost $3,000 up front. From there, you’ll get access to all of its classes, from yoga and meditation to cycling, running, strength training – and yes, rowing. Compared to other fitness memberships, like iFit from Nordic Track or a Hydrow membership, it’s honestly right on par, and in my opinion Peloton’s offerings a slightly superior. For people who love the livestreamed classes, it offers a ton of value, but its rival’s equipment costs significantly less.
Peloton offers Row and Row Bootcamp classes that range from five to 60 minutes, making it easy to fit a class into your daily schedule. The regular rowing classes include more basic music based classes as well as HIIT, endurance, Tabata, and interval options, while the Bootcamp classes mix rowing with strength training. You can even check the schedule and take live classes, though I find the times often cater to those on EST. Peloton is great with community building, using leaderboards to compete against others in your class, creating hashtags for more niche groups, letting you high five others in your class, and follow friends. The instructors are also all top-tier, fun, and motivating. There are a few scenic rows available for those looking to explore some waterways around the world, but there are still a limited amount available at the time of writing.
The build of the Row is equally as impressive as the classes. It’s definitely bulky and heavy like most other rowing machines, but Peloton makes it easy for you to store it upright, saving space when it’s not in use. You also don’t have to lift a finger during setup as a the delivering drivers do that, and then coach you through getting connected and calibrating the machine. All its components are durable and sturdy, and after over a month of almost daily use, work just as good as when I first got it. The large, 23.8-inch touchscreen immerses you in classes and is extremely responsive, bright, and easy to use.
I’ve found this machine especially caters those new to rowing. Beyond being easy to use, there’s a standout feature called Form Assist, which uses sensors to track your movement in real time and offer feedback to correct your form. It’s helped me significantly improve my stroke, and you’ll even get a handy performance score at the end of each class. There are also Form and Drills classes that beginners will appreciate. But even veteran rowers will love everything that the Peloton Row offers.
Peleton Row review: Specifications
Peloton Row: Price and availability
(Image credit: Danielle Abraham)
$2,995 US plus a $44 per month All-Access Membership
Not yet in UK or Australia
Significantly more expensive than its rivals
The Peloton Row is only available direct from Peloton for $2,995. That’s after a recent price drop from $3,195. It’s currently only available in the United States, though there are plans to release the machine in the UK and Australia, similar to the Peloton Tread and Bike.
With the most basic Peloton Row package, you get everything you need, including setup, the 23.8-inch display, and a mount to store the machine upright. However, you’ll need to shell out another $44 per month for an All-Access Membership to access classes for the Row and all of Peloton’s other classes, from strength training and cycling to yoga and meditation.
Peloton offers a few other Row packages with additional accessories like mats, weights, and a water bottle. Given these bundles range in cost from almost $100 to just under $400 more, save yourself some money and pick these up elsewhere.
Don’t get me wrong the almost $3,000 price tag is hard to digest. But given the Peloton Row’s simple delivery and setup, impeccable design, exclusive features like Form Assist, and access to endless classes with motivational teachers, I can see the value. There are some much cheaper alternatives, like the Hydrow and Nordic Track RW900 Rowing, but they still don’t touch what Peloton has.
Value score: 4/5
Peloton Row: Design
(Image credit: Danielle Abraham)
Simple setup
Functional design with wheels and handle for easier moving/storage
Large, responsive full HD touchscreen
To say setting up the Peloton Row was simple would be an understatement, as you literally have to do nothing except let the delivery people into your home and show them where you’d like the machine. They do all the rest, including carting away all the boxes, ensuring you’re connected to the Peloton platform over WiFi, and answering any questions. All in all, it took about 15 minutes for them to set it up and another 10 to make sure you were ready to take your first class. Talk about convenience.
It’s a good thing the machine is set up for you because it’s big, about eight feet longtwo feet wide, and weighing almost 160 pounds. Peloton also recommends you leave two feet of clearance on all sides, which I’d also recommend to avoid running into things during your row. But if you plan on taking Row Bootcamp classes, you’ll need even more room. Therefore, those tight on space should stay away from this machine and rowing machines in general, as they all have bigger footprints. It just barely fits my spare room.
If you want to move the machine around, Peloton attempts to make the process as simple as possible by placing two wheels at the heavier end of the machine, and the back end is a loop shape, making it more functional for easier lifting. I’ve tried moving the Row around, and it’s heavy but manageable to do alone thanks to the wheels.
To save space in your room, there’s the option to store the Row upright (as long as your ceilings are over eight feet high). However, you need to install a wall anchor, which involves screwing the anchor into place. I couldn’t test this since I rent and can’t put holes in my wall. I still put the machine upright, and it wasn’t difficult; the display’s arm folds down, and you use the back loop and a handle on the rail to lift it. Peloton says you should be comfortable lifting 40 pounds to do this. If you choose to store upright, only do so using the anchor. instructors even mention this in many of the classes.
When it’s time to get rowing, there’s a large 23.8-inch full HD touchscreen that’s both bright and perfectly responsive. Colors are vivid and lifelike, while the 1080p resolution ensures decently crisp visuals. The display can fold down slightly and tilt to the sides up to 45°, which is handy for different viewing angles, especially when taking the Bootcamp classes.
At the top of the display, there’s a large speaker that’s clear and gets plenty loud, along with two rear subwoofers. You get an easy-to-reach volume button on the side, though you can also adjust the volume on the screen, and there’s a power button around the back. A seemingly useless camera with a privacy cover is included, which at the time of writing this review, only takes pictures for your profile.
(Image credit: Danielle Abraham)
Moving on to the rail of the Peloton Row, it’s made of anodized and powder-coated aluminum that feels exceptionally sturdy. On top of that rail sits a lightly padded seat that slides along the length of the rail. At the base, there’s a footrest made of sturdy plastic with a movable shoe sizer. It’s simple to adjust the size options from one to seven and fits a women’s size five to a men's size 13.5. To secure your feet is a woven strap with velcro, and after a month of use, everything holds up great and performs the same as the day I got the machine.
Beyond the footrest, just under the display, is a molded plastic and TPE handle that’s easy to reach and grip with a simple docking knob. But be prepared to get a few calluses as you adjust to daily rowing. The Row uses electromagnetic resistance rather than water or air, making for a super quiet, but powerful rowing.
Unlike adjusting the resistance of an exercise bike, the Row uses a Drag Factor, which gets increasingly difficult as you pull the handle faster. You can change the Drag Factor between Light (100), Medium (115), and Heavy (130). Though it’s possible to go out of this range, Peloton recommends staying within those limits.
There’s not much else to the machine other than a little hub to put your water bottle, phone, and other smaller accessories. Overall, the Peloton Row is functional and well-designed, making it a joy to use.
Design score: 5/5
Peloton Row: Performance
(Image credit: Danielle Abraham)
Form Assist feature to perfect your stroke
Motivating instructors and great community-building
Worked flawlessly throughout testing
I’ve been rowing on the Peloton Row for over a month almost daily to see how it stacks up to regular use and experience all it has to offer. Beyond rowing, the Peloton All-Access Membership gives you access to a massive volume of live and recorded classes, including cycling, running, strength, and meditation. You can watch all those classes on the Row’s screen, but for this review, I focused only on the rowing classes: rowing and row bootcamp.
Before your first row, you calibrate the machine to you. The Peloton instructors guide you through the process. It only takes about five minutes, and you’ll learn about and take all the different positions for a proper row stroke. From there, the machine should be calibrated to your stroke, letting you use the almost life-changing Form Assist feature.
Form Assist is available in every class you take, appearing on your screen and following your stroke in real-time using sensors, not a camera. A gray human-figure icon moves with you, and when the feature detects improper form, it’ll highlight the area in red, telling you what the error is and how to correct it. It was distracting at first because the icon was constantly red, as I was relatively new to rowing and had no idea how to do a proper stroke. But at least it told me I was doing something wrong. Otherwise, I don’t think I would’ve known I had improper form, potentially injuring myself. It’s possible to minimize the Form Assist feature on the screen if you just want to focus on the instructor.
At the end of your classes, you’ll get a Form Assist score, which gives you an overall form rating percentage and a form breakdown percentage for each part of the stroke. I was lucky to break 50% during my first few classes, but now I’m closer to 90%. You’ll also get awards when your form is above 80%, a nice little incentive. Form Assist puts the Row a notch above all the other rowing machines on the market.
Beyond Form Assist, there are Form and Drills classes available to help you with your stroke. Anyone new to rowing should take these classes, as the instructors do an excellent job of breaking down each part of the stroke. I had no idea rowing involved more leg work than arms until I took these classes. I’ll still take Form and Drills classes from time to time to help improve my form. As your stroke improves, you’ll also want to recalibrate the machine, which is just as simple as the first time you do it. Peloton even offers programs to help your Row performance. At the time of writing, there are only two Row programs available, but clearly, if you’re new to rowing, this is the perfect machine to learn on.
Speaking classes, there are few to choose from, with the most common being a basic rowing class that often focuses on music themes like Classic Rock, 90s Hip Hop, etc. Each instructor chooses their playlist, and it’s always fun to hear the songs. You can even connect your Spotify or Apple Music account to save the songs, but I experienced some hiccups during connection.
Some other rowing class options include endurance, Tabata, interval, and HIIT. Each provides a slightly different experience. The classes last from 10-30 minutes, and I found them easy to fit into my daily schedule. Peloton also just added Extra 5 classes, which are handy five-minute classes to push yourself a little further after finishing a longer class. I love the short class structure; it makes me work harder since I know the pain will be over soon.
(Image credit: Danielle Abraham)
During all the classes, the instructors give you a pace and stroke rate target to hit for a certain amount of time. Before or during a class, you set your pace levels from 1-10. Within each level are easy, moderate, challenging, and max targets you’ll want to hit based on minutes to go 500 meters. So, at level two, a max pace should be between 2:40-2:20. Pace timings will be different for everyone, and it took me a good week to figure out how to increase my timing. It mostly involves your drive at the beginning of your stroke, not how fast you row. Stroke rate is how many times you complete a full stroke per minute.
Peloton is big on cultivating a community, so during class, there’s a leaderboard that ranks you based on output, another metric that’s basically the power behind each stroke. As you take a class, you can compete against other users, attempting to pass them on the leaderboard. It’s extremely motivating, and even more intense during live classes, as the instructors see your output and occasionally call you out, providing an in-person class vibe. Users also create hashtags for more specific groups within Peloton, and you can even virtually high-five people during class.
The instructors are all fun and motivating. Though similar to running on a treadmill or indoor cycling, I find rowing a bit repetitive and boring day after day, no matter who is teaching the class. Row Bootcamp classes add a little variety to your workout by combining rowing with mat strength training workouts to build up muscles to improve your stroke, using the machine’s rotating screen. These classes last a little longer, between 30 to 60 minutes. I’ve taken a few and enjoy them overall. However, I have limited space where my Row machine is set up, making them slightly more challenging to complete.
Pretty much all of the classes you take were “live” at one point, and you’ll even see the date and time of the class on it. Of course, you can take actual live classes, and Peloton provides an easy-to-use calendar to find them. My only issue is many of the live classes cater more to those on the East Coast of the US versus the West, as they’re filmed in the New York studio. That means there are a lot of excessively early classes or ones in the middle of the day that don’t work as well for those like me on the West Coast. It’s really a hit or miss, depending on the day of the week. Coming out late last year, the Peloton Row is still relatively new, so I assume as more people get the Row, demand will increase, and we’ll see more live classes.
Beyond typical classes, there are self-led scenic rows that let you row in different locations from Greece to South Carolina, putting you in the driver's seat of the boat traversing different waterways. It’ll pick up pace as you do. However, there are still only a limited amount of scenic rows. There are even a few scenic row classes with instructors rowing an actual boat on the water that you follow along with, but these are also limited.
Peloton is beta-testing an option to watch Netflix as you row, which is ideal for those who get bored of the repetitive exercise. One final rowing option is “Just Rowing.” It’s exactly what it sounds like, and the only thing you’ll have access to if you don’t pay for the $44 per month All-Access Membership. So, if you buy the machine, be prepared to shell out extra dough because even though the Row is great, the classes make it.
For those that have the Row in a communal space, there’s Bluetooth connectivity to connect wireless headphones. It’s super simple to set up and works flawlessly. I had no problem connecting my AirPods, so the only sound others hear is the machine going through the motions and your heavy breathing, and the machine is whisper quiet, hitting only dB. I also connected my Bose SoundLink Mini II speaker with no issue blasting the volume during class, giving you even more of an in-person experience. The built-in speakers can get loud, but the sound gets distorted at super high volumes.
To get even more health data when using the rowing machine, it’s possible to connect a heart rate monitor or smartwatch to see and save your heart rate data as you work out. I attempted to use this feature, but unfortunately, my older FitBit Sense is not compatible.
As for the actual machine’s performance, I have no complaints. All the components work just as great as the day it came. The seat still glides with ease, and the footrest feels secure with every stroke. I have gotten a few small callouses on my hands from gripping the handle, but instructors warned me about this, so it wasn’t a surprise. The Full HD touchscreen attracts tons of fingerprints, but it’s perfectly responsive, working just like a giant tablet.
Maintaining the Peloton Row is as simple as can be. It mainly involves ensuring the area underneath is clear and occasionally checking for damage, especially near the power cord, handle strap, and foot straps. Beyond that, you’ll want to wipe down the machine monthly with a damp cloth and mild household cleaner, or possibly more if multiple people are using it. I can attest that things get sweaty, so keeping up with this is essential. And as they say at the end of pretty much every class, “If you’re storing the Peloton Row upright, be sure you’re using the wall anchor.”
Performance score: 4.5/5
Peloton Row: Scorecard
Peloton Row: Should I buy?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
How we tested
For over a month, I have used the Peloton Row almost daily. My usual workout routine consists of pilates five days a week and walking or hiking every day. It wasn’t difficult to incorporate rowing into this routine, as many of the workouts are short, making for an easy way to add an extra dose of cardio.
I tried out every type of row class available including HIIT, endurance, and tabata. There are also Row Bootcamp classes that are a bit more involved, and I took several of those. Finally, I took a few live classes to see what the experience was like.
Samsung is more willing to discount its devices than Apple is, but seeing how it’s Black Friday, Amazon has discounts for both. We also included some other interesting deals we stumbled upon, including Nothing and a couple of VR headsets.
We start off with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Amazon has models with 512GB and 1TB storage, the 256GB one is not part of this week’s offers. The 2024 S-phones are a couple of months away, of course, and there will be some pre-order perks, but the S23 Ultra has one of the best cameras from 2023 and even its predecessor, the S22 Ultra, is still being...
Wing is Finnish brand Suunto’s first foray into the best bone conduction headphones market, and while it may be dominated by Shokz (formerly AfterShokz), there is clearly room for more players here.
Suunto is best known for making some of the best running watches, including the Suunto 9 Peak Pro, and it brings with it a wealth of outdoor experience which really shows in Wing. It’s well-designed in that it feels tough and built to withstand whatever you can throw at it.
The addition of a carry-case that doubles up as a charger is brilliant, as it extends battery life to more than 20 hours, which is perfect for ultra-endurance athletes or off-grid enthusiasts. It’s unusual to find in connected bone conduction headsets, and it’s nice to see tech common in the best workout earbuds make its way here.
Plus, the decision to place customizable LED safety lights at the flanks is proof that Suunto really understands its audience. These are people trail-running in the wilderness or forging new pathways at the weekends.
The biggest issue facing bone conduction technology is the sound quality and anyone making the leap from respected in-ear or over-ear headphones will likely be disappointed. But the additional spatial awareness afforded by open-ear headphones designed for outdoor sports unfortunately comes with a little audio quality compromise and it is the same story here.
Suunto Wing: Specifications
Suunto Wing: Price and availability
(Image credit: Future)
$199 in the US
£169 in the UK
AUS $319 in Australia
Suunto Wing is, quite predictably, available to buy from the brand’s own website, where it retails at $199 / £169 / AUS $319.
Suunto also sells via online retailers, such as Amazon, although stock has been a little patchy at time of writing. Failing that, it is also available via some outdoors and sports retailers, such as BikeInn, but prices are standardized across the board, so it’s currently tricky to find a bargain.
The only variable available to the customer is color, with Suunto Wing coming in either a stealthy all-black offering or a slightly more noticeable black and red. Both pack the same price tag: more than the Shokz OpenRun Pro, its nearest competitor.
Value score: 3/5
Suunto WIng: Design
Lightweight, tough titanium alloy structure
Three-button controls
Bold design, attractive red colorway
Most bone conduction headphones look largely the same: the general theme sees two buds that sit just in front of the ear, conjoined by some sort of metallic band that is covered in a softer material so it doesn’t rub on the back of the neck.
To that extent, the design of the Suunto Wing is nothing revolutionary, but it feels altogether more premium as soon as you lift it out of the equally bougie box. The Suunto branding is bold and the color choice looks good, particularly with the red highlights on the model that I tested.
Suunto opts for a titanium alloy structure, covered in soft silicone, for its band, which proves both lightweight and tough. The buds that conduct sound to the inner ear via a series of vibrations are also covered in soft silicone and feel comfortable against the skin.
Control is taken care of by a trio of buttons that, although small, are easy to locate once familiar with the system. The main multi-function button on the right-hand earbud takes care of most functionality, as it is possible to answer calls, play music, and skip tracks with a combination of clicks.
Arguably coolest of all are the three red LEDs that sit on either side of Wing, which can be turned on or off (or cycled through the various flashing modes) by long-holding the volume down button, or through the Suunto smartphone app when the headphones are paired. For some reason, it reminded me of The Predator’s laser-targeting vision.
Finally, and perhaps what sets Suunto apart from rivals, is the unique charging dock that not only stores the headphones neatly when not in use, but also adds additional battery power every time the Wing is mounted. It’s a slick piece of design that features its own red LED lights that reveal the charge level of both the dock and the headphones.
Design score: 4/5
Suunto Wing: Features
(Image credit: Future)
20Hz bone conductive technology
IP67 water resistance rating
Three hours of audio on 10-minute charge
The technology that powers Suunto Wing is housed within the two buds at the end of the band. These then sit on the jawbone of the wearer and send frequencies in the range of 20Hz～20kHz through the bone structure and into the inner ear.
This leaves the ear canal open to natural sounds from the environment, making bone conduction technology a lot safer to use when you need your wits about you - i.e. trail running or even cycling on a busy road.
Built tough, the Wing has been IP67 rated for water, dust and muck resistance, meaning they can be submerged in water up to a maximum depth of 10m for around 30 minutes. Granted, they aren’t fully waterproof and as such, aren’t sold as a device to lap the local pool in, but can handle most other situations. Suunto has also implemented a microphone into the design, which allows the wearer to make and receive hands-free calls.
There is also head movement control that gives the option to answer or reject incoming calls and skip tracks with various head movements, like nodding or shaking your noggin. This is fully controllable through Suunto’s smartphone app and you can easily turn the feature off if you don’t like it.
Again, the power bank that comes with the Suunto Wing is fairly novel, as it adds a further 20 hours of music playtime to an already impressive battery life and delivers three hours of audio via a quick 10-minute charge. It’s small enough, unobtrusive and designed to fend off the worst of the elements, so can be shoved in a backpack or bundled into some bike luggage and taken along for the adventure.
Features score: 4/5
Suunto Wing: Performance
(Image credit: Future)
Better audio than Shokz
Tangible vibration
Fends off rain
If you test Suunto Wing back-to-back with its closest rival, which in this case is arguably the Shokz OpenRun Pro in terms of price and features, Suunto’s offering comes out on top of the audio quality battle.
Bass is handled better and the overall experience isn’t as tinny. But let’s be real, the sound quality is still pretty bad. I found that I had to pump music up to high volumes to hear it over the general noise of traffic or the rush of trees flowing past on a gravel ride.
The brain is clever, and it tunes into the bone conduction technology after a few minutes, doing its best to block out ambient noise until it is required, but I still couldn’t get into my favourite musical tracks and playlists.
Instead, I opted to binge podcasts and audiobooks as a preferred distraction when out on a boring run or long hike. The sonic spectrum of a podcast is more limited than, say, a Slipknot track, so I found it much easier to tune into. With music, I found my brain tuned out after a while and often stopped listening altogether, with music becoming a sort of faint backing track.
Another issue that blights bone conduction technology is increased tangible vibration at higher volume. In other words, you can physically feel the headphones shake if you turn things up too loud, which can be off-putting.
In terms of fit, I found them comfortable and secure. The design is such that they don’t bounce or rub around the back of the neck when jogging, trail running or participating in other energetic tasks. They are also tough, and will withstand a fair amount of rolling around the bottom of a gym bag without worrying about providing an additional carry case.
With regards to water-proofing, I didn’t want to test these in a pool, seeing as they are not really marketed as waterproof headphones, but the IP67 rating states it can happily undergo “short periods of immersion”. I can say they will happily fend off a deluge when you are out running. In fact, I can’t remember a run I’ve been on in the last month that hasn’t been damp and dismal.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE arrived on Australian shores recently and it offers a near-flagship experience at a lower cost. But there are other ways to get that as well.
The local version of the S23 FE is the one with the Exynos 2200. Last year’s model, the S21 FE, got the previous Samsung chip, the Exynos 2100, but we’ll get to that phone in a moment.
Besides the faster chipset, the 2023 FE model has a better main camera – a 50MP sensor instead of 12MP. However, everything else is fairly similar, including the 6.4” FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display, the 8MP 3x tele and 12MP 123° ultra wide...
OnePlus has been using its budget Nord line to shake things up compared to its top-end numbered line. And its latest phone finds another way to be different; while the likes of the OnePlus 11 have nice and simple names, the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite opts to instead have a ridiculously bloated title.
‘Nord’ is the budget arm of OnePlus, ‘CE’ is the budget arm of Nord and ‘Lite’ tells you that this is an even budget-ier phone than its budget brothers. Confusing etymology out the way, the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite is a pretty standard Android phone, with its only noteworthy feature being its obnoxious name.
This handset is partly an affordable alternative to the OnePlus Nord CE 3, with a similar design and software but weaker specs in a limited few areas. But it’s just as easy to call it a successor to the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite from 2022, with a few upgrades and several curious features carried over. It’s also seen a relatively major price jump from that previous handset.
Admittedly the Nord CE 3 didn't launch in many regions, making the Lite a bigger opportunity for OnePlus to get people to give its CE line a fighting chance.
The price increase here is an issue because costing £299 (around $350 / AU$520), the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite is bumping heads with some (relatively) super-spec’d similar-price rivals, and it’s not a favorable comparison given the competitive nature of phones at this price point.
(Image credit: Future)
One of the selling points of the phone is its 108MP main camera, making the Nord CE 3 Lite the first CE handset to use a high-res main camera like this. Functionally this doesn’t change much, but it does give you the option to eat through your storage space at an even faster rate.
A new feature that’s actually useful is the 67W fast charging; Nord phones generally come with luxuriously big batteries, but with the slow charging taking ages to power them to full. Now, however, you’re getting a day’s worth of power from just half an hour of charging.
Most of the best parts of this phone are carried over from the Nord CE 3 too like the aforementioned big battery, as well as the large display and microSDXC card slot. However, some of the downgrades are where the phone is weakest: its chip is weak for gaming, it misses out on an ultra-wide camera and the screen uses LCD tech instead of OLED.
Curiously, these were all some of the weakest points of the Nord CE 2 Lite – clearly, OnePlus missed a memo somewhere.
So the handset is a mixed bag with some useful features but a few too many weak areas to make the device recommendable over similar-priced rivals.
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite review: price and availability
Released in April 2023
Costs £299 (around $350 / AU$520)
Unavailable in US or Australia
(Image credit: Future)
The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite went on sale in April 2023, in Europe at least because OnePlus doesn’t sell its CE models in the US.
The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite costs £299 (around $350 / AU$520), and for that price you’ll get 8GB RAM and 128GB storage – in the UK, this is the only variant available, though you can pick between Pastel Lime and Chromatic Gray.
At that price, the phone straddles the line between ‘budget’ and ‘mid-range’ mobile, Some other phones at this price point include Xiaomi’s impressive Redmi Note 12 Pro or the Poco X5 Pro, two handsets explored in the comparisons section later.
Value score: 2.5 / 5
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite review: specs
The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite is your typical budget smartphone in most regards when it comes to specifications:
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite review: design
Standard chocolate-bar phone
Mostly-reliable fingerprint scanner
3.5mm headphone jack and USB-C port
(Image credit: Future)
OnePlus has opted to use the same rough design for the Nord CE 3 Lite that it uses for basically all of its budget mobiles. That means it’s your standard ‘chocolate-bar’ style smartphone.
The back of the handset has circular camera bumps, which don’t protrude too much, so the phone won’t wobble a lot when put down on a flat surface. The fingerprint scanner is mounted on the right edge of the OnePlus, built into the power button – it was fairly reliable to use, but there were occasions when it didn’t pick up a print. Then on the opposite edge is the volume rocker, with both a USB-C port and 3.5mm headphone jack on the bottom frame of the device.
This Nord CE 3 Lite is big, as smartphones go, with dimensions of 165.5 x 76 x 8.3mm, though weighing 195g it’s not especially heavy. Still, don't opt for this mobile if you want a nice compact phone, as it could be hard to use – in fact, even fairly average-sized hands and will see you stretching to reach the fingerprint scanner.
Both the frame and the back panel of the CE 3 Lite are made of plastic, a common material for budget mobiles. While it doesn’t lead to a premium feel in the hand it does make the handset a little more durable. An official IP rating would add to that durability but unfortunately there isn’t one – don’t get this device wet!
Sadly, OnePlus has followed the mainstream phone trend of using a flat frame, which means that when you’re holding the phone – especially if you’re stretching your hand to do so, it can dig into your hand a little bit and get uncomfortable.
There are two colors to the phone: green and gray. TechRadar's test unit was the former, a vibrant lime hue that’s a little more exciting than the options you see in many other Nord devices.
Design score: 3.5 / 5
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite review: display
Giant 6.72-inch screen
FHD+ resolution fit for games or movies
LCD screen means colors aren't bold
(Image credit: Future)
The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite’s display is nice and big, with its 6.72-inch screen giving you plenty of viewing room for social media or your streaming service of choice. Plus, its resolution is 1080 x 2400 or FHD+, so unlike some low-budget mobiles you won’t have to drop any pixels.
The display also has a 120Hz refresh rate, so the image updates 120 times per second, making motion look nice and smooth on the display.
The downside to the display is that it’s LCD, which means colors aren’t quite as bold and bright as they would be on another phone – LCD used to be reserved for budget phones but nowadays many use OLED too. If you care about screen quality this may be a reason to spend a little more on the AMOLED-touting Nord CE 3.
Display score: 3 / 5
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite review: software
Phone runs newest Android software, Android 13
OnePlus' OxygenOS laid over the top
OxygenOS brings useful extra tools like Zen
(Image credit: Future)
As with all OnePlus phones, the Nord CE 3 Lite uses Android with OnePlus’ own user interface laid over the top. In this case, it’s Android 13 on the base with OxygenOS 13.
OxygenOS is a popular user interface for Android fans, even though in recent years it’s lost its unique identity due to it blurring together with Oppo’s ColorOS (a merger several years ago made OnePlus just one part of Oppo).
Some of the unique features of the software include a Zen Space app that lets you limit the phone to focus when you’re working, and a Smart Launcher that dynamically adjusts your home page widgets and apps to help your workflow.
Coupled with the 120Hz refresh rate display, the software made navigating the phone feel smooth and easy, which is certainly something you can’t say often for handsets at this price point. That’s despite OxygenOS 13 feeling a little more cluttered than earlier versions of the software.
In TechRadar's OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite review, the reviewer criticized its app bloatware, a complaint critics have been leveling against cheap phones since the dawn of time, but usually to little avail – until now. The CE 3 Lite has barely any pre-installed apps that aren’t the default system ones, adding to OxygenOS’ clean feel.
Software score: 3.5 / 5
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite review: cameras
High-res but mid-performance 108MP main sensor
Two 2MP auxiliary cameras add nothing
Decent 16MP selfie camera
(Image credit: Future)
OnePlus has upgraded its Nord CE main sensor to 108MP in the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite. But that numerical upgrade certainly doesn’t transform this device into a budget camera powerhouse.
Photos taken on this main camera were detailed and often fairly bright, so they’ll be fit for purpose for social media use, although the automatic AI optimization sometimes made questionable decisions in tweaking white balance, so we’d recommend keeping that off. There’s an example of this in the camera samples section below.
You’re not getting as vibrant colors or adept night shooting as on a more premium sensor, but that’s a sacrifice you make by buying a budget smartphone. Snaps are pixel-binned into 12MP shots, to save you from burning through the storage space, but you can get 108MP shots if you want.
Joining the main camera is a 2MP macro camera and another 2MP depth sensor, and these add nothing to the photography experience, as has almost always been the case with budget mobiles that have this duo tacked on.
With no telephoto camera you’re left to rely on digital zoom which loses quality quickly. There’s also no ultra-wide camera, which is a surprise given that the vast majority of budget mobiles come with these.
On the front of the phone is a 16MP f/2.4 selfie camera. Snaps taken on this appear a little naturalistic compared to equivalents on the top-end phones of the day, largely because of the AI processing’s light touch, but depending on your taste you might prefer this look over super-processed selfies.
Video recording on both the front and rear cameras is available at 720p or 1080p, so there’s no 4K recording here. Other modes on offer cover the basics: slow-mo, time-lapse, Pro and macro, as well as the full-resolution main camera mode previously mentioned.
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite camera samples
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A church captured on the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite's main camera. (Image credit: Future)
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A tennis racquet and balls captured on the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite (Image credit: Future)
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A wider landscape OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite (Image credit: Future)
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A building with a distant skyline captured on the main camera of the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite (Image credit: Future)
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A 3x zoom picture of a building, with AI off, to compare to the next image. (Image credit: Future)
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A 3x zoom picture of a building, with AI on, to compare to the next image. (Image credit: Future)
Camera score: 2.5 / 5
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite: performance and audio
Snapdragon 695 chip is rather sluggy
Phone doesn't manage gaming well at all
Lots of space for storage
Powering the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 695 chipset, which can be seen in quite a few budget phones over the last few years. It’s quite an old component and quite a weak chip, not suitable for intensive purposes or power users.
The phone was tested on common games like Call of Duty: Mobile and New State, and found that the chip just couldn’t manage average-intensity titles like these. When playing online, the games would stutter and grind to a halt frequently, which isn’t ideal for competitive online games.
Basic games functioned fine, and if the extent of your gaming passion is the likes of Mini Metro or Candy Crush, you’ll be fine. But don’t expect to use that spacious 6.7-inch screen for shooter action.
There’s at least lots of space on the phone. While the version of the mobile readily accessible online has 128GB storage, there’s a microSDXC card slot to expand that space, perfect for if you save lots of files or like to load your mobile with apps.
There’s a single down-firing speaker on the OnePlus. But music fans will be happy to hear that there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack, so you can plug in wired headphones to listen to tunes. There is of course Bluetooth connectivity, with Bluetooth 5.1 on board.
Performance score: 2.5 / 5
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite review: battery life
Big 5,000mAh battery
Phone lasts over a day per charge
67W charging gets you to 80% in 30 minutes
(Image credit: Future)
If there’s one thing that a budget phone reliably does better than a premium one, it’s its lasting power; cheap phone manufacturers strip out loads of features to cut the handset’s price, but compensate by shoving in a huge battery, leading to a phone that’ll last for ages on a single charge.
That’s certainly the case with the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite – as with most of the other CE models, there’s a chunky 5,000mAh battery here, and it means the device will breeze through a day without needing to be charged.
In fact, even with some heavy use – photo shoots, Netflix binges, the aforementioned failed attempts at gaming – the handset was at no risk of running out of power after a day of use. You’d need to use the phone very sparingly to get it to two, but either way, it’s a reliable device.
The charging speed is 67W, and OnePlus claims that the phone will get from empty to 80% in half an hour. That’s a speed that makes your iPhone or Samsung Galaxy look sluggish.
Battery score: 4.5 / 5
Should you buy the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite?
Buy it if...
You want a long-lasting mobile With a 5,000mAh battery, this mobile will last you for easily a day before you need to charge it, and possibly two days if you're using it sparingly.
You love the headphone jack OnePlus has opted to keep the 3.5mm headphone jack here, and is generally good at retaining the audio port on its Nord devices.
You want a side-mounted fingerprint scanner Side-mounted fingerprint scanners are getting rarer on mobiles, even budget ones, despite how easy they are to use. If it's your preferred way of unlocking your phone, the CE 3 Lite is here for you.
Don't buy it if...
You have small hands With its large display and size, you'll find the Nord CE 3 Lite tough to use if you have small hands, with the screen extremities and fingerprint scanner in particular hard to reach.
You're a mobile gamer With its Snapdragon 600-series chipset, the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite just isn't a good device for playing action-packed games.
You're a photography fan You're going to be hard-pressed to take award-winning pictures on a single 108MP rear camera, especially with the phone's questionable AI processing choices.
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite review: Also consider
As we've mentioned in this review, the low-price Android phone market is a competitive one. Here are some other mobiles you might want to consider:
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro With a more powerful chipset, improved main and additional cameras and better-looking screen, Xiaomi has made a fantastic budget mobile here that rivals the OnePlus in terms of price.
OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite The CE 3 Lite's predecessor isn't much weaker than the older model, but it's now a little older and therefore cheaper, so it's definitely a good budget alternative. Just be aware you might struggle to find it on sale.
How I tested the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite
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 OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite in its lovely green model, as you can see from the pictures. And the test unit featured 8GB RAM and 128GB storage space.
Due to receiving the review unit two weeks prior to the testing period, I activated it then to let the battery use settle. This period isn't included in the two-week test period cited above.
Much of the review period saw me using the phone as you would, using it for social media, photography and streaming, and I tried many times to use it for gaming too, though that was never a fun experience.
I used to work full-time for TechRadar both as a writer and editor in the phones team, and so have several years of experience covering phones, tablets and wearables. I've reviewed previous OnePlus phones as well as the plentiful rival budget Chinese phones on the market, so know what's best to compare the Nord to.
Modern mirrorless cameras now come with more bells, whistles and buttons than ever. That’s why it’s been so refreshing to review the OM System Tough TG-7, a rugged all-in-one that you can take out shooting without the worry of damage from water, dust, dirt, sand, or clumsy drops.
The TG-7 is reminiscent of the compact cameras I grew up with on family vacations (and took to nightclubs as a late teenager). They’d easily slip into a pocket and come along to the beach, or on hiking and camping trips, and their built-in zoom and scene modes meant you’d be set to capture you adventures largely regardless of skill level.
The waterproof, shockproof TG-7 is equally versatile, equally designed for use in challenging conditions, and equally as good a fit for families as it is for construction workers and surveyors – not to mention hardcore adventurers who push their gear to the limits.
The TG-7 only offers modest improvements over its predecessor, however. The popular Olympus Tough TG-6 compact, released in 2019, had a spot in our best waterproof camera guide, but has been discontinued to make way for the new OM name with the TG-7. On the outside, the cameras look very similar (aside from the updated branding) and much of what's inside is familiar too.
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With a 4x zoom lens, the TG-7 offers a versatile focal range and macro focus (Image credit: Lauren Scott)
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The majority of the buttons are on the right hand side at the rear (Image credit: Lauren Scott)
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The OM Tough TG-7 is compatible with a wide range of accessories such as flash modifiers and floating cases (Image credit: Lauren Scott)
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The Log/Off switch at the top of the TG-7 is used to toggle GPS. It can also record information in the image metadata like temperature and elevation (Image credit: Lauren Scott)
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A screw-on fisheye converter adds new creative effects and possibilities (Image credit: Lauren Scott)
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Focus modes (Image credit: Lauren Scott)
The Tough-series build is IPX8-rated and can withstand 15m dips underwater (an extra underwater case lets you go deeper), drops from 2.1m, and temperatures down to 14F / -10C. Oh, and just in case you manage to stand on the camera, it’s crushproof to pressures of 220lbs / 100kg.
So the TG-7 is still tough, and it's lightweight at a very pocketable 8.8oz / 249g. But what about the camera specs themselves? The 12MP BSI CMOS 1/2.3-inch sensor (similar in size to those in typical smartphones) is unchanged from the TG-6, and video recording is limited to 4K at 25 or 30fps, or 1080p at 25 / 30 / 50 / 60fps. Those options are a bit dated, and I found that the stabilization struggled to keep up when I shot video while walking. The quality is fair if you just want to capture record footage, but don't expect sharp, cinematic footage.
The camera has an internal 25-100mm zoom lens with a variable aperture of f/2-f/4.9, plus 1cm close-macro focusing, which sets it apart from most action cameras. The ISO range runs from 100-12800, although during testing I found this was best kept below 1600.
Several new features bring the TG-7 up to date, but they’re arguably too niche to entice current TG-6 users into upgrading. There's a handy USB Type-C connector for charging, although the camera can’t be powered up while plugged in (and I couldn't shoot while attached to a power bank). A full battery should be good for around 340 shots – I was able to get about 250 images with GPS activated.
What's great is that remote shooting is now possible using the O.I. Share app or the RM-WR1 wireless remote. You also get the option of vertical video recording – great for social-first content – a timelapse mode, and three Construction modes that further establish the TG-7 as a practical camera for builders, project managers and those with messy work to do.
In the Construction modes, most of the work happens after you press the shutter, as computational processing steps are designed to reduce dust particles in the scene and enhance clarity. I didn’t get to test these modes out, but I’m sure they'll benefit workers needing photos on-site who don’t want to risk damaging their smartphones.
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(Image credit: Lauren Scott)
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The Tough TG-7's controls and somewhat guided interface are great for beginner and intermediate photographers. Up top, there's the GPS Log toggle, power button, shutter, zoom rocker and a scrolling dial for changing settings depending on your mode. The zoom rocker is slightly slow to spring into action, but the raised buttons make it easy to change settings with wet hands, although it becomes more fiddly with gloves on.
The four-way nav pad with the familiar ‘OK’ button in the center lets you bring up and change settings outside of the main menu, and this is where I set raw and continuous shooting (you can max out at 20fps, but focus and exposure remains the same throughout). The mode dial illustrates each mode sensibly, with a fish for Underwater mode, for example. I suspect many users will just stick to auto mode, so it's a good job that this works well in daylight. In trickier lighting situations, users might want to try out the 22 Scene modes, which include Indoor, Candle, Children, Documents, and Panorama. Most of these adapted to the shooting environment admirably, although the focus did hunt noticeably for me during night scenes.
You get some more control over the exposure by switching to aperture priority, as you can choose f/2, f/2.8 and f/8 at 25mm, or f/4.9, f/6.3 and f/18 with the lens set to the full 100mm. As a nature lover, I made a lot of use of macro focusing with the Tough TG-7. With the Super Macro Mode allowing for a 1cm minimum focusing distance (the closest is 10cm without this) I was able to get some colorful, sharp shots when I had enough light between the camera and the subject. Using the Olympus Guide Light helped with extra illumination, while the in-built flash was a little too harsh for close-ups without a diffuser attached.
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Ultimately, the Tough TG-7 isn't the best action camera for photo and video quality, and its sensor lagged behind my aging iPhone 12 in many situations. But it undeniably lets you shoot in situations where you couldn't otherwise, and is versatile thanks to the zoom lens and a wealth of additional accessories like lenses and lights. The array of buttons also makes it more tactile to handle than a phone or GoPro, even if the 3-inch screen isn't touch-sensitive.
The Tough TG-7 is likely to be the best travel camera to buy if you’re an off-the-beaten-track explorer who needs a light, reliable companion to document your tales – the highlights and the tough bits. The TG-7 will never compete with my mirrorless camera for sheer specs or quality, but I don’t need it to. It serves a different purpose altogether; to break down the barrier between you and nature, so that you can shoot more precariously and more freely.
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(Image credit: Lauren Scott)
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OM System Tough TG-7: Price and release date
Available in the US, UK and Australia for $549.99 /£499.99 / AU$799
Available in red and black colorways
The OM System Tough TG-7 began shipping in October 2023, and is available now in black or red. In the US its list price is $549.99, but some retailers have been offering the camera at $499.99. In the UK the TG-7 is £499, while in Australia the price is AU$799.
In the unassuming cardboard box that the TG-7 comes packaged in, there's an LI-92B battery (the same as the battery in the TG-6), a USB-C charging cable, a wrist strap – also red if you have the red model – and a user manual.
Although the TG-7 doesn't ship with any additional accessories, there are plenty of extras you can buy to add to its functionality. All TG-6 accessories are compatible with the TG-7, and therefore some still have the Olympus branding. For example, the Olympus LG-1 LED Light Guide effectively illuminates macro subjects more evenly than flash, and it's around $50 / £40. The Fish Eye Converter will set you back $195 / £130, while a dedicated underwater housing is more than $300 / £300.
OM System Tough TG-7: Should I buy?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
OM System Tough TG-7: also consider
If this OM System Tough TG-7 review has you interested in rugged cameras, here are a couple of alternatives to consider.
OM System Tough TG-7: How I tested
Shot in the rain and underwater, in daylight and at night
Used Olympus accessories such as the guide light and fisheye converter
I carried the OM System Tough TG-7 in my coat pocket for several weeks, taking it out on wet and rainy hikes, while dining with friends, and out at night in the city where I live. It was submerged in several rivers to test out the clarity and focus underwater, as well as the effectiveness of the anti-fog lens cover.
I used the camera's Auto, Aperture Priority, and Program modes, along with Microscope mode for close-ups and Nightscapes for photos in low light. I also experimented with Olympus' add-on accessories, including the guide light, flash diffuser and the fisheye converter which screws onto the front lens.
I shot raw and JPEG images, and tested out the video quality and stabilization by capturing handheld footage of children, my dog, and birds in my local park. Lastly, I used the O.I Share app to see how the remote shooting and image transfer worked.
Considering their main job is to keep you cool, it always surprises me just how much the performance of different fans can vary. It’s not just a case of blowing cold air at you,; the best fans can completely change the environment you’re in, making you cooler and comfortable.
The Govee Smart Tower Fan almost perfectly ticks this box. It offers a huge range of performance levels, as well as customizable options, designed to suit your specific temperature needs. I particularly like the Nature mode, which changes the rhythm of the air to make it feel more like a breeze from a window rather than sitting or sleeping in a wind tunnel.
Looks- and size-wise, it’s subtle enough for you to stick it in a corner and forget about it. And thanks to its 26-foot air range and 75-degree oscillation, it can cover most medium-sized rooms with ease.
Connecting the fan to my network was easy and intuitive, and being able to change the fan using my voice, when connected to my Amazon Echo, soon became my go-to control method. It was never a feature I thought I needed, but I soon found myself use turning the fan off and on, if I needed to leave the room briefly, or I would effortlessly switch to Sleep mode without getting out of bed, as just two examples.
Having app control was welcomed when looking to select more advanced settings, such as scheduling the fan to come on when I arrived home, but for everything else, I always relied on my voice. The only downside to this was that the voice controls were sometimes temperamental - though I’m not sure if that was me and my commands, Alexa, or the fan. This didn’t really detract from the convenience of the voice controls, but it was frustrating at times.
I'm one of those people who finds the humming of a fan oddly soothing at night, and Govee's low 38dB noise level was quiet enough for me. However, it disturbed my partner, and although touted as a low-noise appliance, at higher speeds the fan can get noticeably louder. This could be a deal-breaker for some.
One optional extra is the addition of Auto Mode. Auto Mode adjusts the fan's speed automatically based on the room's temperature and humidity, but you need to be connected to a Govee thermo-hygrometer (sold separately) to take full advantage of this.
For us, this was a nice-to-have feature, but there were times when the fan's idea of a comfortable temperature didn't exactly align with mine and I had to manually adjust the controls anyway, making the function somewhat moot.
Despite these hiccups, the fan impressed me with its performance and versatility, especially at the price point of $89.99 / £99.99. If you’re looking to make your first foray into smart fans, Govee’s model is a great, easy-to-use, and effective introduction. If you’re a smart fan pro, there is enough about the Govee Smart Tower Fan to pique your interest, but you may want the more advanced features seen on more expensive models.
Govee Smart Tower Fan review: price and availability
List price: $89.99/£99.99
Only sold with US plug
Not available in Australia
As tower fans go, Govee's model is great value on its own , let alone when you factor in the wide range of smart and connected features it offers. It costs $89.99 in the US and £99.99 in the UK (about AU$140).
There are tower fans from the likes of Lasko, Holmes and Vornado that don't offer smart features yet cost more than the Govee model. There are also smart tower fans from Dreo and Dyson that offer similar features and are much more expensive.
Granted, Dyson fans offer advanced features such as purifying, and heating (depending on which model you compare it to), but few come with the smart, remote control options found in Govee's much cheaper model. And those that do, such as the Dyson Big+Quiet range, cost in excess of $650 / £699.99 / $1,499.
What's more, one of Dyson's most recent features – called Autoreact because it automatically adjusts the fan's settings in response to the ambient temperature – is also possible with the Govee tower fan. You just need to pair it with the $40 / £39.99 (about AU$60) Govee Wi-Fi Thermo-Hygrometer. Yes, it means spending more money, but even with the Govee fan and thermometer combined, you're still spending as much as five times less as on the Dyson.
Value: 5 / 5
(Image credit: Future / Victoria Woolaston)
Govee Smart Tower Fan: Design
Subtle and sleek design
Intuitive touch controls with adjustable lighting
Lightweight nature makes it a little unstable
The Govee Smart Tower Fan is designed to blend in and fit with most home decor. It’s sleek, tall, and slim – measuring 36 inches (914 mm) tall and 10.6 inches (269 mm) wide and deep – and therefore fits easily in corners and small spaces. What’s more, because of its 75-degree oscillation and 26-foot (about 8 meters) range, you can still feel the benefits, even if it is tucked in a corner.
With its all-black design, the Govee Smart Tower Fan is attractive yet subtle. This gives it an air of luxury that makes it look more expensive than its price tag would suggest.
Instead of buttons or dials, the Govee Smart Tower Fan has a touch panel built into the top of the appliance. The power button sits bottom left. The left column of controls relates to the fan’s three modes (the large M stands for Modes) – Normal, Sleep, and Nature. The central column controls the fan’s timer function, and the right-hand column controls the fan’s speed. There is then an oscillating button, plus the option to lock the timer or speed setting in place.
This panel is fitted with subtle lighting that is bright enough to see in the dark, but dim enough to not distract you while you sleep or if you have the fan on while watching a film, or similar. You can also turn the lights off if you need or want to.
In addition to the onboard touch panel, you can control the fan remotely via the Govee app or using your voice when the fan is connected to your wider smart network. These provide more options than the built-in panel. Namely, the option to build custom settings, and greater precision over the speed – the built-in panel offers three speeds but you can choose from eight on the app.
This added customization is welcomed but it soon becomes frustrating when you don’t have your phone to hand. You can get around this using your voice, but in my experience the commands are temperamental.
There’s a small handle on the rear of the fan which makes it easy to pick up and move, and the fan is surprisingly lightweight too. Given its robust, expensive-looking design we had expected the fan to be heavy so we were pleasantly surprised when it wasn’t.
The only downside to this is that if you have pets or children, the fan has a tendency to wobble and topple over with very little contact.
Design: 4.5 / 5
(Image credit: Future / Victoria Woolaston)
Govee Smart Tower Fan: Performance
Range of control options is super convenient
Nature mode mimics natural airflow
Fan can be loud on faster settings
The standout feature of the Govee fan, and what sets it apart from standard tower fans is its compatibility with the Govee Home App. Once connected to the app, the fan joins your smart home network and it can be controlled via your phone and smart speakers, as well as linked to a Govee thermo-hygrometer.
Connecting it to the app is easy and intuitive, as is the app itself. Just swipe up from the bottom of the screen and you can switch the fan on and off; select your fan’s mode – Normal, Nature, or Sleep; choose your desired wind speed from a scale of 1-8; and turn the oscillation feature on or off.
You can additionally press Custom to create your own personalized setting, set a timer, create a schedule, and enable Auto mode. The scheduling tool is useful for switching the fan on when you get home from work, or off when you wake up. Auto mode only works if you’ve connected the fan to the thermo-hygrometer but once enabled, the two appliances work together to monitor changes in temperature and humidity and adjust the fan’s setting accordingly. We didn’t notice much of a difference during the day, but it became particularly useful at bedtime as the temperature dropped throughout the night, and the fan slowed down accordingly to avoid us getting too cold.
Our only criticism of this was that the fan's idea of a comfortable temperature didn't always align with mine, meaning I had to manually adjust the controls anyway.
(Image credit: Future / Victoria Woolaston)
The app is the only way to see the full range of features and customisations. The built-in touch panel offers enough options to make it useful, but with the app and voice controls enabled, we barely used the panel.
For the most part, the smart features work well, but in our experience, the voice commands can be a little temperamental. This is a minor flaw, and you have the app and the onboard controls as backup, but having to repeat myself to a fan when I’m already frustrated from the heat isn’t ideal. I should note that this may be my fault or my Alexa, so take this criticism with a pinch of salt.
Onto the speeds and modes. The Govee fan comes with three standard modes: Normal, Nature, and Sleep. It also allows you to toggle between eight speeds, although only three are accessible through the onboard touch panel. The airflow moves at 20ft/s and I felt the highest settings were a bit too intense for my liking, but the mid-range speed settings were perfect.
During my testing, I found the Nature mode to be a welcome touch, mimicking a more natural airflow. Especially at night when it felt like a light breeze. I preferred this Nature mode over the more gentle, quiet Sleep mode.
Speaking of sleeping, I'm one of those people who finds the humming of a fan oddly soothing at night, and Govee's low 38dB noise level was quiet enough for me. However, it disturbed my partner, and, although touted as a low-noise appliance, at higher speeds the fan can get noticeably louder. It also depends on the type of flooring it’s placed on. In our dining room, on the wooden floor, it was louder than on our carpeted bedroom floor. We haven’t ever noticed this with any other fan we’ve used.
Performance: 4.5 / 5
Govee Smart Tower Fan: Specs
Should I buy the Govee Smart Tower Fan?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Govee Smart Tower Fan: Also consider
If you would prefer other options over the Govee Smart Tower Fan, then one of the best fans would be an alternative to consider...
How I tested the Govee Smart Tower Fan
Tested for four weeks, including during a heatwave
Used it while working during the day, and at night
Tested all the various modes and functions
To test the Govee Smart Tower Fan, I used it as my main fan for four weeks in my bedroom, front room, home office and child's bedroom. I used the built-in controls, the app and used voice commands.
I tested it at night, while I slept, on all three standard modes. I created my own customized mode using the app, and I scheduled the fan to turn automatically at 10pm every night. All dials and buttons were pressed to see what they would do as well.
We scour the web for good deals (almost) every week and we share them over the weekend of your perusal. However, we have heard your complaints that we don’t cover enough countries, so let’s try two new ones – Australia and Singapore. If there’s enough interest, these could become regulars in our weekly deals posts, so let us know.
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The brand new Samsung Galaxy S23 FE offers an alternative to the mainline flagships – while the base S23 and the S23+ start at A$1,350 and A$1,650, respectively, the new FE has a base price of A$1,000. And you...
This is the watch that takes one of the best Apple watch features and adds it to Garmin – that stunning AMOLED display. Yet, this manages to offer at least five days more battery life than almost any of the other competition with the same display.
To be clear, this model comes as a screen upgrade following the release of the very similar Forerunner 955, nine months before. So while the upgrades from that to this aren't huge, it's worth noting that the model was a near-perfect jump forward anyway. Add this screen and it's a real heavy hitter. Garmin also released the Forerunner 265 alongside this model, also packing an AMOLED screen but at a lower price point.
For anyone who wants one of the best multisport watches you can buy, the 965 is – as you can see from the star rating – where it's at. As such the price is representative of what you get, meaning it's high.
For what you get this justifies that cost, as this review will clarify. In short, it's got astonishing battery performance, a beautiful display, super accurate location and heart rate tracking plus lots of other smart metrics including new running dynamics without the need for an extra sensor. This is one of the best Garmin watches, so is this the ultimate sports watch?
Garmin Forerunner 965: Specifications
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Garmin Forerunner 965: Price and Availability
£600 in the UK
$600 in the US
AU$999 in Australia
The Garmin Forerunner 965 is definitely one of the more expensive options from the company but that's because it comes packing all the best features rolled into one wonder device. As such you're looking at a price of US$600 / £600 / AU$999.
Of course these are the at-launch prices, so you can expect these to drop as new models come out. It's also worth taking sales into consideration as you can often find deals on even the best Garmin models during these times.
That said, you may find that the Garmin Forerunner 955, which is nearly identical aside from that screen upgrade, can be had at a cheaper price. And if you go for the 955 Solar you'll get a bit more out of your battery performance too.
Value score: 4/5
Garmin Forerunner 965: Design and screen
(Image credit: Future)
1.4-inch AMOLED display
Titanium bezel
Comfy silicone strap, 22mm QuickFit compatible
The Garmin Forerunner 965 is all about that superb 1.4-inch AMOLED display which looks superb. It's not only rich with colors and crisp definition between light and dark, but it also has a fantastic 454 x 454-pixel resolution, plus it's super bright.
All that equates to a screen you can read in any light or situation – including underwater – with lots of data at a glance. You can also activate the always-on display and since this is super low energy consuming that won't even affect battery life much.
Plus it's all coated in a Gorilla Glass DX outer layer which should mean it stays scratch-free too. In our months of using this, including throwing it in bags, there's not a mark on it.
Upgraded from the previous generation is the bezel too, which is now made of lightweight and hardy titanium. This is the metal they put in your body if you have an operation – as it's so nonreactive and won't be affected by moisture – meaning this should stay in perfect condition longer than you're alive.
The strap comes in three options Amp Yellow/Black, Black/Powder Grey, or Whitestone/Powder Grey. In all cases, there is a double clasp, malleable and comfy silicone strap and it can be swapped out as it uses the Garmin 22mm QuickFit system.
Since everything is waterproof to 50 meters it's also super simple to give it a clean by washing under the tap or in the shower – which in reviewing for months was found to keep it looking as good as new.
Design score: 5/5
Garmin Forerunner 965: Features
(Image credit: Future)
Offline maps
Heart Rate Variability
Contactless payments
The Garmin Forerunner 965 crams in nearly all the best features developed over the years, making this a powerhouse of a sports watch. That means it'll track most sports, with over 30 including triathlon and multisport-specific tracking with one-touch transitions. But it does all this with lots and lots of data.
Of course, you have the ever-impressive accuracy of the Garmin when it comes to multi-GNSS GPS but this also packs in heart rate monitoring which offers Heart Rate Variability, VO2 Max, stress tracking, sleep tracking, all-day HR tracking, and more.
All that means lots of data to work with, not only while training, but also to help advise when you need to rest and even make suggestions on workouts to hit goals. This includes last year's Training Readiness score, recovery times, workload readouts, race predictions (a nifty running feature that uses your training to predict what time you'll get during a marathon, half-marathon, 10k etc), and more.
That's a whole list of features and it can seem overwhelming, but the watch and Garmin Connect app do feed it to you in a way that is helpful. You can then decide to add more data or strip it back as needed to suit your workout style and goals.
You also have some great day-to-day functionality with contactless pay, onboard Spotify music, offline maps, find my phone, flashlight screen feature, sleep tracking, step tracking and plenty more to be found in the IQ App Store. This isn't comparable to Apple or Android app stores, so don't expect full smartwatch functionality. But it's enough to keep you focused while also being alerted when needed.
Everything can be organized well, and that means moving icons about on your watch or using folders, but also in data screens when training. Everything can be made bespoke, even the clock face, to suit what data you need to see. Plus you've now got more data options than ever, but more on that in the next section.
Features score: 5/5
Garmin Forerunner 965: Performance
(Image credit: Future)
Accurate heart rate data
Superb running metrics
Useful VO2 data
The Garmin Forerunner 965 sounds fantastic when you look at the specs but did that actually translate into real-world performance experience? The short answer is yes. As you can expect from Garmin, the GPS accuracy was fantastic as was acquisition – in fact, this would find satellites and be ready to go in just a few seconds. This was tested all over the country, and in one rural area, it found GPS and was ready to go in just two seconds.
The only issue noticed was at the start of the Great North Run annual race, where my data was different to others running right next to me, but that could be down to their older watches versus this more accurate one.
Heart rate tracking was as impressive. When tested against a dedicated chest strap (Wahoo Tickr) it was found to keep up accurately, although, of course, there was a little more lag in sudden HR changes, since this is on your wrist not right by your heart. Even while swimming this offered excellent heart rate tracking which could actually be used thanks to that easy-to-glance-at display.
So a very accurate GPS and a reliable HR monitor all make for lots of data that can then be used with Garmin algorithms to work out more useful metrics. As such this watch offers Heart Rate Variability, so you can see how your actual cardiovascular fitness is changing as you train. There's a VO2 Max measurement to assess how well you can perform under strain.
Plus, you have acute load measured to assess the impact on your muscles as you work. All that means the watch will let you know when to rest, and what training you need (cardio versus weights, for example) so you get to where you need.
Battery life is also worth a mention as this offers a massive 23 days on standby, 31 hours in GPS mode, and 10.5 hours with GPS and music playing. All that translates to a charge very rarely, even if you train a lot. So you won't need to take a charger if going away for a race weekend, for example. Plus it charges ridiculously fast, up to a percentage a minute.
This could go on for thousands of words, such is the depth of this watch. But just to mention this model adds in running dynamics without the need for an extra sensor. So you can now check your vertical oscillation, cadence, stride length, ground contact time, and more to improve running in a really effective way. Sleep tracking worked relatively well although its accuracy wasn't always spot on, but enough so as to help track if you're recovered and ready to workout again.
You also get smartphone notifications for WhatsApp, calls, messages, emails, calendar, Ring doorbell, and plenty more to make it a smartwatch of sorts, only kept to a minimum so you're not too distracted from its primary use as a training tool.
Performance score: 5/5
Garmin Forerunner 965: Should I buy?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Garmin Forerunner 965: How we tested
We wore the Garmin Forerunner 965 on one wrist, connected to an Android device, for months. This came on half marathons, long bike rides, swims, surfs, walks, yoga classes, weights sessions, paddle boarding and more.
The contactless payment features and wireless offline Spotify were both used plenty as was sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring in cold water baths, notifications from the phone and more.
In short this was lived with 24/7 for months to truly test how you would use the watch, and all its features.
