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After 3 weeks with Samsung’s Galaxy A56, I’m closer than ever to ditching my iPhone for Android
6:55 am | April 3, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Samsung Galaxy Phones | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: Two-minute review

Mid-range and budget smartphones are growing in popularity as flagship devices increasingly come with heftier price tags. That doesn’t mean the best cheap phones are slower, less durable versions of their high-end counterparts – in fact, they offer unique value to budget-conscious buyers. In this category, the Samsung Galaxy A5X series is perhaps the best example, and the A56 carries on the tradition.

Having launched alongside the A36 and A26, the Galaxy A56 is the most premium of the trio, boasting more RAM and better cameras. That doesn’t mean it’s expensive – far from it as it’s priced at just $499 / £499 / AU$699. The three siblings, however, share key features, like a 120Hz refresh rate, a 5,000mAh battery and an IP67 water- and dust-resistance rating.

The Samsung Galaxy A56 is the ideal smartphone for the average user, offering seriously fantastic showings across its cameras, display, design and battery.

The Galaxy A56 exudes class with its metal and glass design, feeling just as premium in hand and on the eyes, with a finish reminiscent of high-end devices like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 or the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but at a fraction of the cost.

I received the Awesome Olive model for this review – though I must admit, I had my eyes on the pink variant. Regardless of color choice, the A56’s build quality is undeniable. Improving upon the already impressive Galaxy A55 in every way, Samsung's mid-range marvel is bigger, thinner and lighter.

Featuring a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED panel, its display delivers vibrant colors, deep blacks, and smooth visuals thanks to its 120Hz refresh rate. As someone who values high-quality screens for watching content, I was genuinely impressed.

Samsung Galaxy A56 side buttons, metal frame, and cameras

Every inch of the Galaxy A56 looks and feels premium (Image credit: Future)

This quality continues in its battery life. It sports the same 5,000mAh battery as its predecessor, but that's still an impressive capacity in a budget phone – and my experience backs up Samsung's claim of up to 29 hours of video playback. The Samsung Galaxy A56 has also seen an upgrade from 25W to 45W charging, making top-ups faster and more convenient for most users, with a charging speed now equal to that of the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Both serious and casual photographers will be happy too, as the Galaxy A56 rivals the Motorola Edge 50 Pro for the title of best budget camera phone, though it's still far away from competing with the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The setup includes a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, a 5MP macro camera and a 12MP front-facing shooter. Whether you're capturing night shots, macro details or everyday moments, the A56 delivers sharp, well-balanced images with a variety of useful features.

Speaking of useful features, Samsung's famous Galaxy AI isn't present in its budget line of phones. However, the sprinkling of AI features Samsung does provide – like AI photo editing, note-taking, Google Gemini functionality and more – add a tasteful amount of flair without overwhelming users who may not want AI integration.

Fortnite on the Galaxy A56

I played Fortnite on the Galaxy A56 and it struggled (Image credit: Future)

Ironically, the one area in which the A56 isn't up to scratch – even compared to similarly priced phones – is its power. Don't get me wrong: it's still perfectly suited to the average user who wants to call, text, video chat, scroll socials, watch the best streaming services and play games like Clash Royale, but I think it could do with a touch more grunt under the hood. It's simply not the phone to buy if you need power from your handset. When playing Fortnite, for example, gameplay was seriously choppy even at low graphics settings and the minimum 20FPS.

That’s not a deal breaker, though. At its price point, the Samsung Galaxy A56 is a fantastic choice for the cost-conscious user who wants a well-balanced phone that looks and feels premium.

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: price and availability

  • Launch price: $499 / £499 / AU$699
  • Released March 19 in the UK and March 27 in Australia
  • Landing in the US later in 2025

The Samsung Galaxy A56 is one of the best budget phones on the market in terms of value, offering a seriously good experience for a truly wallet-friendly $499 /£499 / AU$699 price, with other phones either performing better at higher price points, or offering lesser experiences at a similar price.

Unlike the Samsung Galaxy A55, which never made it to the US market, Samsung officially confirmed on March 1 that the A56 would debut in the US "later this year", while the A36 and A26 became available on March 28 and 26 respectively.

Australians enjoy the same price on the Samsung Galaxy A56 as they did with its predecessor. However, potential owners in the UK will have to fork out an extra £60 compared to last year, with the A55 releasing for only £439.

The Samsung Galaxy A56 is only available in the 8GB RAM, 256GB storage configuration in the UK, and comes in Awesome Olive, Awesome Graphite, Awesome Lightgrey and Awesome Pink.

Importantly, while Australians only get two color options – olive and graphite – they also get two storage options, with a 128GB model priced at AU$699, and the 256GB model costing AU$799. There is also a 12GB RAM model available in select regions.

The only other comparable phone in terms of price versus performance is the near-flagship Google Pixel 9a, releasing soon at $499 / £499 / AU$849. We haven't reviewed the Pixel 9a yet, but if it continues the success of its predecessor, it makes the A56 harder to recommend in the US and UK given they are the same price.

  • Value score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: specs

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: design

  • 120Hz refresh rate
  • 1,900-nit peak outdoors
  • 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display

Watching a nature documentary on the Galaxy A56

Watching a nature documentary on the Galaxy A56 is a lovely experience (Image credit: Future)

I already loved the 6.6-inch display on the A55 – it struck a perfect balance between being comfortable to hold and offering an upgraded viewing experience over my 6.1-inch iPhone 15.

Samsung has taken that a step further with the A56, making it even more comfortable in hand while increasing the screen size to 6.7 inches for an even better entertainment experience. Whether I was watching videos, reading, gaming or video calling, the 1080 x 2340 Super AMOLED display provided one of the best viewing experiences I’ve had on a budget smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy A56 home screen outdoors

Peak brightness is fine on the Galaxy A56 home screen, but it could be better (Image credit: Future)

The only noticeable cost-cutting comes in the display’s peak brightness. While I never struggled to see the screen, its 1,200-nit brightness is lower than I’d like to see in 2025 – though it does bump up to 1,900 in direct sunlight. While this improves on the Galaxy A55’s 1,000-nit peak, it falls short of competitors like the Google Pixel 9a (2,700 nits) and the Poco F6 Pro (4,000 nits).

In every other aspect, though, the A56’s display feels truly premium. It’s even protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Invictus, adding durability against scratches and drops. While I didn’t test a full 2m drop onto concrete, a few accidental drops left it completely unscathed.

  • Display score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: design

  • Thinner and lighter than the Galaxy A55
  • Gorilla Glass Invictus
  • IP67 water and dustproof rating

Samsung Galaxy A56 back design

The Samsung Galaxy A56 in the Olive looks quite good even though it's my least favorite color (Image credit: Future)

I loved the Samsung Galaxy A55, particularly its design – a blend of metal and glass that gave it a supremely premium feel at a truly budget price. The A56 improves on that in every way – refining an already impressive formula. I received the Awesome Olive colorway, which was probably my least favorite of the four options, yet I was still thoroughly impressed by how good it looks.

The A56 features a slightly larger 6.7-inch display (up from 6.6 inches) and is about a millimeter taller and wider to accommodate the bigger screen. Bigger may not always be better, but Samsung has offset the increased size with a 1.2mm reduction in thickness and a significant 15g drop in weight – making an exceptional design near perfect.

Or perhaps just perfect. Not only does the metal frame enhance the phone’s premium feel and sturdy build, but Samsung has also added subtle ridges to the frame – something I don’t recall seeing or feeling on the A55 when I reviewed it. The ridges didn’t necessarily improve the grip for me, but they served as a satisfying fidget point when I ran my fingers across them.

Samsung Galaxy A56 back cover and side design ridges

The slightly ridged chassis edges don't necessarily improve grip, but I don't mind it at all (Image credit: Future)

That’s about all the superlatives I can give the A56’s design. It’s everything you want a phone to look and feel like, regardless of its price. It’s also protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, offering excellent resistance against scratches and drops.

As with avoiding the 2m drop test, I didn’t throw the IP67-rated Galaxy A56 in the bath; however, my colleagues and I have spent plenty of time with Gorilla Glass to know how good the durability can be – and I had absolutely no issue the few times I did get the phone wet while doing the dishes and walking in the rain.

Big, beautiful, lightweight, and impressively durable, the A56 is an exceptionally designed piece of technology. The fact that it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg makes it all the more impressive.

  • Design score: 5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: software

  • No full Galaxy AI suite, but some “Awesome Intelligence” features are available
  • Six years of software and security support
  • Plenty of UI customizations with new Now Bar feature

Galaxy A56 software

The software package on Samsung's cheaper phones are as good as that on the flagships (Image credit: Future)

From a software perspective, the Samsung Galaxy A56 might be the most impressive budget-focused phone I’ve personally used. And that’s despite my colleagues praising the Google Pixel 8a for bringing Google’s AI tools to a wider audience. That’s not to say the A56 misses out entirely on AI features – it has a smattering of useful ones that won’t overwhelm the average user – but if AI is your top priority, you’ll need to shell out for the Samsung Galaxy S25 or wait for the Pixel 9a.

The AI-powered tools in the A56 aren’t being called Galaxy AI, instead appearing under the branding “Awesome Intelligence”, although similarities abound.

Samsung lays these features out neatly within the Settings menu and includes tools that let you remove objects from photos, capture the perfect group photo and receive AI-powered suggestions for improving images during editing.

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AI image remastering on the Galaxy A56

A screenshot of the Galaxy A56's AI remastering tool (Image credit: Future)
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AI object removal Galaxy A56

Removing objects with the object eraser – see the next image for results (Image credit: Future)
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AI Object removal Galaxy A56

Same image with several objects in the background removed with AI (Image credit: Future)

That's far from it, though. Within the camera app, you can create Custom Filters based on mood and style, quickly edit videos with Auto Trim or even translate real-world text when in foreign lands with Bixby Vision. AI Select provides suggested actions when you highlight something on-screen, Read Aloud will read articles or passages aloud for you, and you even get Google's Circle to Search tool.

That’s about it for AI, but there's plenty more to love about the Galaxy A56's software. For starters, you get an exceptionally clean user experience with minimal pre-installed bloatware.

Customization options are also extensive. On the wallpaper front, there are featured selections, interesting graphic designs and a variety of colors with different personalization options within. You can also set a dynamic lock screen that changes wallpapers every time you unlock the device, with five categories to choose from.

And that’s just the beginning. Once you settle on a wallpaper color, you can customize the system-wide color palette to match – or opt for basic colors instead. If that’s not enough, you can buy a full theme from the Galaxy Themes store to overhaul your device's entire aesthetic.

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Personalisation software within the Galaxy A56

Wallpaper customization options galore! (Image credit: Future)
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Personalisation software within the Galaxy A56

If you don't like the themes on offer, you can spend a little extra cash on purchasing a new one direct from the phone (Image credit: Future)

You can choose between a traditional home screen or one with a separate app drawer, adjust icon sizes, and independently tweak the grid layout for the home screen, app drawer and folders.

One of my favorite additions, though, is the Now Bar. Originally a flagship feature in One UI 7, I was surprised (and delighted) to see it make its way to Samsung’s budget line.

It may seem like a small addition, but it can be an incredibly useful tool. Acting much like Apple’s Dynamic Island, the Now Bar sits at the bottom of the lock screen, working as a media manager that displays your current song or countdown timer, or displaying live notifications for specific apps like Maps, Samsung Health, Clock, Voice Recorder, Samsung Notes and Emergency Sharing.

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Samsung Galaxy A56 Now bar

The new Now Bar feature is nice to have on a budget phone (Image credit: Future)
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Samsung Galaxy A56 Now bar

Just tap it from the lock screen to open further actions (Image credit: Future)

With flagship-level features and a remarkably clean UI, the Samsung Galaxy A56 delivers an outstanding user experience for a budget phone. It also strikes a perfect balance with AI – offering just enough functionality to be useful for those who want it, while remaining unobtrusive for those who don’t.

And, more than just the cherry on top, especially for penny-pinching buyers, is the fact that the Galaxy A56 will see six years of security support and software updates – letting you enjoy its value for years to come.

  • Software score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: cameras

  • Rear camera trio with 50MP main
  • 12MP front camera
  • Helpful AI tools like Best Face

Unless you have a specific need – like top-tier gaming performance or a battery that can handle marathon sessions – a smartphone’s camera is arguably one of its most important features. From a parent wanting to capture family moments, a hobbyist hiker aiming for the perfect summit selfie, to a serious photographer looking for a reliable backup, any phone worth considering needs to nail its camera. And the Samsung Galaxy A56 does just that.

Simply put, the Galaxy A56 takes some seriously good photos – at any distance.

Its rear camera array includes a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 5MP macro lens. While a higher megapixel count is great, it’s the phone’s image processing that determines the results.

The Galaxy A55 struggled with this: while it produced crisp, well-defined shots, many mid-range and budget phones tend to over-process images, making colors look too saturated and unnatural. The A56 avoids both extremes. While photos come out slightly cooler than I’d prefer, they’re impressively natural, detailed and well balanced.

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Camera samples

Skyscraper with the 50MP main camera (Image credit: Future)
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Camera samples

Capturing the beautiful blue sky (Image credit: Future)
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Samsung Galaxy A56 camera samples

A kookaburra sitting with the 12MP ultra-wide (Image credit: Future)
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Samsung Galaxy A56 camera samples

The same kookaburra, captured with 10x zoom (Image credit: Future)
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Samsung Galaxy A56 camera samples

(Image credit: Future)
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Samsung Galaxy A56 camera samples

(Image credit: Future)
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Samsung Galaxy A56 camera samples

(Image credit: Future)
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Samsung Galaxy A56 camera samples

Sunny mornings with 1x zoom (Image credit: Future)
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Samsung Galaxy A56 camera samples

Same trees in 2x zoom (Image credit: Future)

The camera app includes several modes: Fun (which applies Snapchat-like filters), Portrait, Photo, and Video. It also allows easy toggling between the 12MP and 50MP lenses, quick filter application, aspect-ratio adjustments, and motion-photo settings.

For video, you can enable Super Steady mode to counteract shaky hands or turn it off to adjust frame rates: Space-saving HD at 30fps, Full HD at up to 60p, and Ultra HD at 30fps. Auto Framing keeps subjects centered automatically.

That’s not all – Samsung delivers a feature-rich camera experience on a budget here. Tapping ‘More’ unlocks additional modes, including Pro, Pro Video, Night, Food, Panorama, Macro, Slow Motion, Hyperlapse, Dual Rec, and Single Take.

When it comes to macro and night photography, the A56 is one of the more impressive budget phones I’ve used. Macro shots are often incredibly difficult to get right, especially if your subject isn't still, but I had no issue with the A56. And while taking photos in the middle of the night might not be common practice, the A56 performed impressively in low-light environments – taking clear snaps even with almost zero light present.

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Photos taken using the Galaxy A56's macro lens

The Galaxy A56's macro lens gets good results even when the subject is swaying in the wind or slowly crawling (Image credit: Future)
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Samsung Galaxy A56 low-light photography

Bluey and Bingo captured in night mode (Image credit: Future)
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Samsung Galaxy A56 low-light photography

The same photo with night mode turned off (Image credit: Future)
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Samsung Galaxy A56 low-light photography

The same photo with the (weak) light turned on (Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy A56 isn’t the best camera phone I’ve ever used, nor is it necessarily the camera phone I've used in this price range – that battle is fought between the Pixel 8a and Motorola Edge 50 Pro – but it continues the A56’s overarching theme: consistent, excellent performance across the board.

  • Camera score: 4/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: performance

  • Performs well under long periods of stress
  • Not built for gaming

Fortnite home page on the Galaxy A56

While Fortnite looks good on the Galaxy A56, the phone struggles with high-intensity tasks (Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy A56's weakest feature is without a doubt its performance. That’s not to say it’s bad – as I’ve previously mentioned, it’s more than enough for the average user. But to keep prices down, concessions have to be made. For some cheap phones, it's a lower-quality display or increased fragility. In the case of the Galaxy A56 and its Exynos 1580 chipset, it was how it performed under heavier loads – like mobile gaming.

In our Geekbench benchmark tests – which measure the phone's CPU performance in everyday tasks and GPU performance in real-world applications, the A56 performed well – beating the gaming-powered Poco F6 Pro, and only falling a few hundred points short of the Pixel 9.

However, in our two 3DMark benchmarks – Wild Life and Wild Life Extreme – that test the overall graphics performance and how the phone deals with both high performance in short bursts, it didn't look so good.

Its numbers aren't necessarily bad. In fact, it showed a massive improvement over the A55 in both. However, its single and multi-core scores of 1,330 and 3,759 weren't too far ahead of the Motorola Edge 50 Pro (1,132 / 3,076) – which isn't known for its gaming power. The A56 was also thoroughly beaten by the Poco F6 Pro (1,375 / 4733), and both phones can easily be found for around the same price or less.

In terms of sustained performance though, the A56 was impressive. In the Wild Life Extreme Stress Test – a 20-minute benchmark that assesses stability under heavy loads – it scored a top loop of 4,907, a low of 4,649, an impressive 94.9% stability and remained cool temperature-wise. For reference, I've seen the S25 Ultra score higher peaks, but also show less stability in this test, dropping to a loop score of less than 3,000.

As good as some of those numbers look on paper, it was a different experience during real-world use, with the A56 struggling when I played games like Fortnite Mobile – it failed to maintain even 20FPS, frequently stuttering on the lowest graphics settings. For comparison, the similarly priced Poco F6 Pro easily sustains 60FPS at high settings for hours.

Fortnite frames per second on the Galaxy A56

11FPS while playing Fortnite on the Galaxy A56 was the best I could do (Image credit: Future)

That said, these results still mark a significant improvement over the A55, a phone I loved when I tested it last year. The benchmark numbers may not impress, but they don’t take away from the A56’s status as an excellent budget phone for the average user, and I can attest that it holds up really well for the daily duties you’d want from a smartphone.

  • Performance score: 3.5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: battery

  • 5,000 mAh battery that easily sees you through the day
  • 45W wired charging

Samsung Galaxy A56 charging

It's not groundbreaking, but the battery life is quite impressive (Image credit: Future)

Keeping in line with its display, design, performance and cameras, the battery of the Samsung Galaxy A56 is perfectly suited to the average user.

My daily testing routine started at 5:30am, with an hour-long podcast while I walked the dog, followed by a quick music-fuelled workout accompanied by music before getting ready for work. Then there was about an hour of scrolling and listening during my commute, before I arrived at the office, where I’d use it for background music via a set of Bluetooth headphones.

Naturally, I needed a phone that could keep up, and the A56’s 5,000mAh battery delivered. Samsung claims the device offers up to 29 hours of video playback, so I put it to the test. Watching a YouTube video at 50% brightness, I picked up the phone 18 hours later to find it still had 39% battery remaining.

As another test, I played The Dark Knight Rises twice back-to-back (totaling 5 hours, 30 minutes) at 50% brightness, and the phone lost just 27% battery. Though these tests were conducted in different environments and with varying starting percentages, the results reinforced one thing: the A56 can go the distance.

For everyday use – texting, calling, video chatting, scrolling social media, checking emails and some light gaming – the A56 is more than up to the task, easily lasting a full day.

As for charging, you won’t get ultra-fast speeds like 120W or even 67W, but the A56 does offer 45W fast charging – an upgrade from the middling 25W speed of the Galaxy A55. That puts the new budget phone on par with itsGalaxy S25 Ultra cousin.

Using a 67W wall charger, the A56 gained:

8% in 5 minutes
Just under 30% in 15 minutes
A little over 55% in 30 minutes
A full charge in around 85 minutes

A 5,000mAh battery is far from an astounding inclusion in a specs list in 2025, but it’s still a notable positive. Paired with moderately fast charging, the A56’s battery – like the rest of the phone – is great.

And while 120W or even 67W charging is a helpful addition when you have it, it's far from necessary – and 55% battery in a quick 30-minute charge is plenty if you forget to plug it in overnight on the rare occasion.

  • Battery score: 4/5

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy A56?

Buy it if...

You want a large display without spending top dollar

The Samsung Galaxy A56's 6.7-inch display is an expansive screen that improves upon its predecessor, rivals the S25 series, and produces a vibrant and immersive experience.

You want a jack-of-all-trades handset
The A56 excels as an all-around performer, balancing design, display, camera and battery life in a way that caters to a wide range of needs. It handles daily tasks like texting, social media and video calls seamlessly, making it a great choice for anyone looking for a reliable, versatile phone.

You're shopping for value on a budget
If you’re after a phone that offers impressive features without breaking the bank, the A56 is a standout option. With a solid camera, long-lasting battery and smooth performance, it provides excellent value for those seeking a capable device without spending a fortune.

Don't buy it if...

You're a serious mobile gamer
While the A56 can handle light gaming, it’s not built for heavy gaming sessions or more intense games. If you're looking for a phone that can deliver high frame rates and smooth performance in graphically intense games, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

You want the best AI tools
The A56 offers basic AI features, but if you’re after the cutting-edge AI tools, you’ll need to shell out more for the likes of the Galaxy S25 or the Pixel 9 flagships.

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: also consider

Google Pixel 9a
We loved the Google Pixel 8a, and we're expecting five big upgrades from the Pixel 9a – namely a wealth of AI features alongside possibly the best camera on the market at its price and a 5,100mAh battery. Easily the biggest competitor to the Galaxy A56, if you want AI and cameras, it might be the better choice.

Xiaomi Poco F6 Pro
If you have more of a mobile gaming focus, but still want a phone that offers solid all-round performance and 120W charging, consider the Poco F6 Pro. Its bloatware will be confronting for first-time users, but once you get past that, it's a very good smartphone at this price range.
Read our full Poco F6 Pro review

Apple iPhone 16e
Android devices offer a greater amount of value compared to iPhones, with even older Apple devices still asking for a considerable price. However, the iPhone 16e offers Apple Intelligence, smooth performance and seamless Apple integration at a much more affordable price than the mainline iPhone 16 family.
Read our full Apple iPhone 16e review

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy A56

  • Review test period: 3 weeks
  • Testing included: Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
  • Tools used: Geekbench 6, 3DMark, native Android stats

The Samsung Galaxy A56 was my sole mobile device for the three weeks I spent with it, and I frankly wish I didn't have to return it after my testing period. As my regular daily device, I used it to listen to podcasts, check social media, watch YouTube and text, with some light reading thrown in. Oh, and a whole heap of dog photos.

Of course, I also put the Galaxy A56 through its paces with Geekbench 6 and 3DMark benchmark tests to see how the phone would handle activities that I may not use in my regular daily use, but someone else might. I did these tests several times, in different environments and different battery stages to ensure accurate results.

Why you can trust TechRadar

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This leads me to my gaming tests. It's always nice when you can make playing games part of your job, but I'm far from a mobile gamer. I love Marvel Snap, enjoy a few rounds of Clash Royale and dabble in some Wordle and Connections every now and then, but that's it. As part of my testing, I did play – or attempt to play – more serious mobile games like Fortnite on my Galaxy A56 to see how it would handle the life of a mobile gamer.

Given my experience testing other budget phones, including the Samsung Galaxy A55, I was equipped with the knowledge to make good comparisons with the A56.

Read more about how we test

[First reviewed April 2025]

After 3 weeks with Samsung’s Galaxy A56, I’m closer than ever to ditching my iPhone for Android
6:55 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Samsung Galaxy Phones | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: Two-minute review

Mid-range and budget smartphones are growing in popularity as flagship devices increasingly come with heftier price tags. That doesn’t mean the best cheap phones are slower, less durable versions of their high-end counterparts – in fact, they offer unique value to budget-conscious buyers. In this category, the Samsung Galaxy A series is perhaps the best example, and the A56 carries on the tradition.

Having launched alongside the A36 and A26, the Galaxy A56 is the most premium of the trio, boasting more RAM and better cameras. That doesn’t mean it’s expensive – far from it as it’s priced at just $499 / £499 / AU$699. The three siblings, however, share key features, like a 120Hz refresh rate, a 5,000mAh battery and an IP67 water- and dust-resistance rating.

The Samsung Galaxy A56 is the ideal smartphone for the average user, offering seriously fantastic showings across its cameras, display, design and battery.

The Galaxy A56 exudes class with its metal and glass design, feeling just as premium in hand and on the eyes, with a finish reminiscent of high-end devices like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 or the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but at a fraction of the cost.

I received the Awesome Olive model for this review – though I must admit, I had my eyes on the pink variant. Regardless of color choice, the A56’s build quality is undeniable. Improving upon the already impressive Galaxy A55 in every way, Samsung's mid-range marvel is bigger, thinner and lighter.

Featuring a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED panel, its display delivers vibrant colors, deep blacks, and smooth visuals thanks to its 120Hz refresh rate. As someone who values high-quality screens for watching content, I was genuinely impressed.

Samsung Galaxy A56 side buttons, metal frame, and cameras

Every inch of the Galaxy A56 looks and feels premium (Image credit: Future)

This quality continues in its battery life. It sports the same 5,000mAh battery as its predecessor, but that's still an impressive capacity in a budget phone – and my experience backs up Samsung's claim of up to 29 hours of video playback. The Samsung Galaxy A56 has also seen an upgrade from 25W to 45W charging, making top-ups faster and more convenient for most users, with a charging speed now equal to that of the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Both serious and casual photographers will be happy too, as the Galaxy A56 rivals the Motorola Edge 50 Pro for the title of best budget camera phone, though it's still far away from competing with the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The setup includes a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, a 5MP macro camera and a 12MP front-facing shooter. Whether you're capturing night shots, macro details or everyday moments, the A56 delivers sharp, well-balanced images with a variety of useful features.

Speaking of useful features, Samsung's famous Galaxy AI isn't present in its budget line of phones. However, the sprinkling of AI features Samsung does provide – like AI photo editing, note-taking, Google Gemini functionality and more – add a tasteful amount of flair without overwhelming users who may not want AI integration.

Fortnite on the Galaxy A56

I played Fortnite on the Galaxy A56 and it struggled (Image credit: Future)

Ironically, the one area in which the A56 isn't up to scratch – even compared to similarly priced phones – is its power. Don't get me wrong: it's still perfectly suited to the average user who wants to call, text, video chat, scroll socials, watch the best streaming services and play games like Clash Royale, but I think it could do with a touch more grunt under the hood. It's simply not the phone to buy if you need power from your handset. When playing Fortnite, for example, gameplay was seriously choppy even at low graphics settings and the minimum 20FPS.

That’s not a deal breaker, though. At its price point, the Samsung Galaxy A56 is a fantastic choice for the cost-conscious user who wants a well-balanced phone that looks and feels premium.

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: price and availability

  • Launch price: $499 / £499 / AU$699
  • Released March 19 in the UK and March 27 in Australia
  • Landing in the US later in 2025

The Samsung Galaxy A56 is one of the best budget phones on the market in terms of value, offering a seriously good experience for a truly wallet-friendly $499 /£499 / AU$699 price, with other phones either performing better at higher price points, or offering lesser experiences at a similar price.

Unlike the Samsung Galaxy A55, which never made it to the US market, Samsung officially confirmed on March 1 that the A56 would debut in the US "later this year", while the A36 and A26 became available on March 28 and 26 respectively.

Australians enjoy the same price on the Samsung Galaxy A56 as they did with its predecessor. However, potential owners in the UK will have to fork out an extra £60 compared to last year, with the A55 releasing for only £439.

The Samsung Galaxy A56 is only available in the 8GB RAM, 256GB storage configuration in the UK, and comes in Awesome Olive, Awesome Graphite, Awesome Lightgrey and Awesome Pink.

Importantly, while Australians only get two color options – olive and graphite – they also get two storage options, with a 128GB model priced at AU$699, and the 256GB model costing AU$799. There is also a 12GB RAM model available in select regions.

The only other comparable phone in terms of price versus performance is the near-flagship Google Pixel 9a, releasing soon at $499 / £499 / AU$849. We haven't reviewed the Pixel 9a yet, but if it continues the success of its predecessor, it makes the A56 harder to recommend in the US and UK given they are the same price.

  • Value score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: specs

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: display

  • 120Hz refresh rate
  • 1,900-nit peak outdoors
  • 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display

Watching a nature documentary on the Galaxy A56

Watching a nature documentary on the Galaxy A56 is a lovely experience (Image credit: Future)

I already loved the 6.6-inch display on the A55 – it struck a perfect balance between being comfortable to hold and offering an upgraded viewing experience over my 6.1-inch iPhone 15.

Samsung has taken that a step further with the A56, making it even more comfortable in hand while increasing the screen size to 6.7 inches for an even better entertainment experience. Whether I was watching videos, reading, gaming or video calling, the 1080 x 2340 Super AMOLED display provided one of the best viewing experiences I’ve had on a budget smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy A56 home screen outdoors

Peak brightness is fine on the Galaxy A56 home screen, but it could be better (Image credit: Future)

The only noticeable cost-cutting comes in the display’s peak brightness. While I never struggled to see the screen, its 1,200-nit brightness is lower than I’d like to see in 2025 – though it does bump up to 1,900 in direct sunlight. While this improves on the Galaxy A55’s 1,000-nit peak, it falls short of competitors like the Google Pixel 9a (2,700 nits) and the Poco F6 Pro (4,000 nits).

In every other aspect, though, the A56’s display feels truly premium. It’s even protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, adding durability against scratches and drops. While I didn’t test a full 2m drop onto concrete, a few accidental drops left it completely unscathed.

  • Display score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: design

  • Thinner and lighter than the Galaxy A55
  • Gorilla Glass Victus
  • IP67 water and dustproof rating

Samsung Galaxy A56 back design

The Samsung Galaxy A56 in the Olive looks quite good even though it's my least favorite color (Image credit: Future)

I loved the Samsung Galaxy A55, particularly its design – a blend of metal and glass that gave it a supremely premium feel at a truly budget price. The A56 improves on that in every way – refining an already impressive formula. I received the Awesome Olive colorway, which was probably my least favorite of the four options, yet I was still thoroughly impressed by how good it looks.

The A56 features a slightly larger 6.7-inch display (up from 6.6 inches) and is about a millimeter taller and wider to accommodate the bigger screen. Bigger may not always be better, but Samsung has offset the increased size with a 0.8mm reduction in thickness and a significant 15g drop in weight – making an exceptional design near perfect.

Or perhaps just perfect. Not only does the metal frame enhance the phone’s premium feel and sturdy build, but Samsung has also added subtle ridges to the frame – something I don’t recall seeing or feeling on the A55 when I reviewed it. The ridges didn’t necessarily improve the grip for me, but they served as a satisfying fidget point when I ran my fingers across them.

Samsung Galaxy A56 back cover and side design ridges

The slightly ridged chassis edges don't necessarily improve grip, but I don't mind it at all (Image credit: Future)

That’s about all the superlatives I can give the A56’s design. It’s everything you want a phone to look and feel like, regardless of its price. It’s also protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, offering excellent resistance against scratches and drops.

As with avoiding the 2m drop test, I didn’t throw the IP67-rated Galaxy A56 in the bath; however, my colleagues and I have spent plenty of time with Gorilla Glass to know how good the durability can be – and I had absolutely no issue the few times I did get the phone wet while doing the dishes and walking in the rain.

Big, beautiful, lightweight, and impressively durable, the A56 is an exceptionally designed piece of technology. The fact that it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg makes it all the more impressive.

  • Design score: 5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: software

  • No full Galaxy AI suite, but some “Awesome Intelligence” features are available
  • Six years of software and security support
  • Plenty of UI customizations with new Now Bar feature

Galaxy A56 software

The software package on Samsung's cheaper phones are as good as that on the flagships (Image credit: Future)

From a software perspective, the Samsung Galaxy A56 might be the most impressive budget-focused phone I’ve personally used. And that’s despite my colleagues praising the Google Pixel 8a for bringing Google’s AI tools to a wider audience. That’s not to say the A56 misses out entirely on AI features – it has a smattering of useful ones that won’t overwhelm the average user – but if AI is your top priority, you’ll need to shell out for the Samsung Galaxy S25 or wait for the Pixel 9a.

The AI-powered tools in the A56 aren’t being called Galaxy AI, instead appearing under the branding “Awesome Intelligence”, although similarities abound.

Samsung lays these features out neatly within the Settings menu and includes tools that let you remove objects from photos, capture the perfect group photo and receive AI-powered suggestions for improving images during editing.

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AI image remastering on the Galaxy A56

A screenshot of the Galaxy A56's AI remastering tool (Image credit: Future)
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AI object removal Galaxy A56

Removing objects with the object eraser – see the next image for results (Image credit: Future)
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AI Object removal Galaxy A56

Same image with several objects in the background removed with AI (Image credit: Future)

That's far from it, though. Within the camera app, you can create Custom Filters based on mood and style, quickly edit videos with Auto Trim or even translate real-world text when in foreign lands with Bixby Vision. AI Select provides suggested actions when you highlight something on-screen, Read Aloud will read articles or passages aloud for you, and you even get Google's Circle to Search tool.

That’s about it for AI, but there's plenty more to love about the Galaxy A56's software. For starters, you get an exceptionally clean user experience with minimal pre-installed bloatware.

Customization options are also extensive. On the wallpaper front, there are featured selections, interesting graphic designs and a variety of colors with different personalization options within. You can also set a dynamic lock screen that changes wallpapers every time you unlock the device, with five categories to choose from.

And that’s just the beginning. Once you settle on a wallpaper color, you can customize the system-wide color palette to match – or opt for basic colors instead. If that’s not enough, you can buy a full theme from the Galaxy Themes store to overhaul your device's entire aesthetic.

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Personalisation software within the Galaxy A56

Wallpaper customization options galore! (Image credit: Future)
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Personalisation software within the Galaxy A56

If you don't like the themes on offer, you can spend a little extra cash on purchasing a new one direct from the phone (Image credit: Future)

You can choose between a traditional home screen or one with a separate app drawer, adjust icon sizes, and independently tweak the grid layout for the home screen, app drawer and folders.

One of my favorite additions, though, is the Now Bar. Originally a flagship feature in One UI 7, I was surprised (and delighted) to see it make its way to Samsung’s budget line.

It may seem like a small addition, but it can be an incredibly useful tool. Acting much like Apple’s Dynamic Island, the Now Bar sits at the bottom of the lock screen, working as a media manager that displays your current song or countdown timer, or displaying live notifications for specific apps like Maps, Samsung Health, Clock, Voice Recorder, Samsung Notes and Emergency Sharing.

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Samsung Galaxy A56 Now bar

The new Now Bar feature is nice to have on a budget phone (Image credit: Future)
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Samsung Galaxy A56 Now bar

Just tap it from the lock screen to open further actions (Image credit: Future)

With flagship-level features and a remarkably clean UI, the Samsung Galaxy A56 delivers an outstanding user experience for a budget phone. It also strikes a perfect balance with AI – offering just enough functionality to be useful for those who want it, while remaining unobtrusive for those who don’t.

And, more than just the cherry on top, especially for penny-pinching buyers, is the fact that the Galaxy A56 will see six years of security support and software updates – letting you enjoy its value for years to come.

  • Software score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: cameras

  • Rear camera trio with 50MP main
  • 12MP front camera
  • Helpful AI tools like Best Face

Unless you have a specific need – like top-tier gaming performance or a battery that can handle marathon sessions – a smartphone’s camera is arguably one of its most important features. From a parent wanting to capture family moments, a hobbyist hiker aiming for the perfect summit selfie, to a serious photographer looking for a reliable backup, any phone worth considering needs to nail its camera. And the Samsung Galaxy A56 does just that.

Simply put, the Galaxy A56 takes some seriously good photos – at any distance.

Its rear camera array includes a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 5MP macro lens. While a higher megapixel count is great, it’s the phone’s image processing that determines the results.

The Galaxy A55 struggled with this: while it produced crisp, well-defined shots, many mid-range and budget phones tend to over-process images, making colors look too saturated and unnatural. The A56 avoids both extremes. While photos come out slightly cooler than I’d prefer, they’re impressively natural, detailed and well balanced.

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Camera samples

Skyscraper with the 50MP main camera (Image credit: Future)
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Camera samples

Capturing the beautiful blue sky (Image credit: Future)
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Samsung Galaxy A56 camera samples

A kookaburra sitting with the 12MP ultra-wide (Image credit: Future)
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Samsung Galaxy A56 camera samples

The same kookaburra, captured with 10x zoom (Image credit: Future)
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Samsung Galaxy A56 camera samples

(Image credit: Future)
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Samsung Galaxy A56 camera samples

(Image credit: Future)
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Samsung Galaxy A56 camera samples

(Image credit: Future)
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Samsung Galaxy A56 camera samples

Sunny mornings with 1x zoom (Image credit: Future)
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Samsung Galaxy A56 camera samples

Same trees in 2x zoom (Image credit: Future)

The camera app includes several modes: Fun (which applies Snapchat-like filters), Portrait, Photo, and Video. It also allows easy toggling between the 12MP and 50MP lenses, quick filter application, aspect-ratio adjustments, and motion-photo settings.

For video, you can enable Super Steady mode to counteract shaky hands or turn it off to adjust frame rates: Space-saving HD at 30fps, Full HD at up to 60p, and Ultra HD at 30fps. Auto Framing keeps subjects centered automatically.

That’s not all – Samsung delivers a feature-rich camera experience on a budget here. Tapping ‘More’ unlocks additional modes, including Pro, Pro Video, Night, Food, Panorama, Macro, Slow Motion, Hyperlapse, Dual Rec, and Single Take.

When it comes to macro and night photography, the A56 is one of the more impressive budget phones I’ve used. Macro shots are often incredibly difficult to get right, especially if your subject isn't still, but I had no issue with the A56. And while taking photos in the middle of the night might not be common practice, the A56 performed impressively in low-light environments – taking clear snaps even with almost zero light present.

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Photos taken using the Galaxy A56's macro lens

The Galaxy A56's macro lens gets good results even when the subject is swaying in the wind or slowly crawling (Image credit: Future)
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Samsung Galaxy A56 low-light photography

Bluey and Bingo captured in night mode (Image credit: Future)
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Samsung Galaxy A56 low-light photography

The same photo with night mode turned off (Image credit: Future)
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Samsung Galaxy A56 low-light photography

The same photo with the (weak) light turned on (Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy A56 isn’t the best camera phone I’ve ever used, nor is it necessarily the best camera phone I've used in this price range – that battle is fought between the Pixel 8a and Motorola Edge 50 Pro – but it continues the A56’s overarching theme: consistent, excellent performance across the board.

  • Camera score: 4/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: performance

  • Performs well under long periods of stress
  • Not built for gaming

Fortnite home page on the Galaxy A56

While Fortnite looks good on the Galaxy A56, the phone struggles with high-intensity tasks (Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy A56's weakest feature is without a doubt its performance. That’s not to say it’s bad – as I’ve previously mentioned, it’s more than enough for the average user. But to keep prices down, concessions have to be made. For some cheap phones, it's a lower-quality display or increased fragility. In the case of the Galaxy A56 and its Exynos 1580 chipset, it was how it performed under heavier loads – like mobile gaming.

In our Geekbench benchmark tests – which measure the phone's CPU performance in everyday tasks and GPU performance in real-world applications, the A56 performed well – beating the gaming-powered Poco F6 Pro, and only falling a few hundred points short of the Pixel 9.

However, in our two 3DMark benchmarks – Wild Life and Wild Life Extreme – that test the overall graphics performance and how the phone deals with both high performance in short bursts, it didn't look so good.

Its numbers aren't necessarily bad. In fact, it showed a massive improvement over the A55 in both. However, its single and multi-core scores of 1,330 and 3,759 weren't too far ahead of the Motorola Edge 50 Pro (1,132 / 3,076) – which isn't known for its gaming power. The A56 was also thoroughly beaten by the Poco F6 Pro (1,375 / 4,733), and both phones can easily be found for around the same price or less.

In terms of sustained performance though, the A56 was impressive. In the Wild Life Extreme Stress Test – a 20-minute benchmark that assesses stability under heavy loads – it scored a top loop of 4,907, a low of 4,649, an impressive 94.9% stability and remained cool temperature-wise. For reference, I've seen the S25 Ultra score higher peaks, but also show less stability in this test, dropping to a loop score of less than 3,000.

As good as some of those numbers look on paper, it was a different experience during real-world use, with the A56 struggling when I played games like Fortnite Mobile – it failed to maintain even 20FPS, frequently stuttering on the lowest graphics settings. For comparison, the similarly priced Poco F6 Pro easily sustains 60fps at high settings for hours.

Fortnite frames per second on the Galaxy A56

11FPS while playing Fortnite on the Galaxy A56 was the best I could do (Image credit: Future)

That said, these results still mark a significant improvement over the A55, a phone I loved when I tested it last year. The benchmark numbers may not impress, but they don’t take away from the A56’s status as an excellent budget phone for the average user, and I can attest that it holds up really well for the daily duties you’d want from a smartphone.

  • Performance score: 3.5/5

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: battery

  • 5,000 mAh battery that easily sees you through the day
  • 45W wired charging

Samsung Galaxy A56 charging

It's not groundbreaking, but the battery life is quite impressive (Image credit: Future)

Keeping in line with its display, design, performance and cameras, the battery of the Samsung Galaxy A56 is perfectly suited to the average user.

My daily testing routine started at 5:30am, with an hour-long podcast while I walked the dog, followed by a quick music-fueled workout accompanied by music before getting ready for work. Then there was about an hour of scrolling and listening during my commute, before I arrived at the office, where I’d use it for background music via a set of Bluetooth headphones.

Naturally, I needed a phone that could keep up, and the A56’s 5,000mAh battery delivered. Samsung claims the device offers up to 29 hours of video playback, so I put it to the test. Watching a YouTube video at 50% brightness, I picked up the phone 18 hours later to find it still had 39% battery remaining.

As another test, I played The Dark Knight Rises twice back-to-back (totaling 5 hours, 30 minutes) at 50% brightness, and the phone lost just 27% battery. Though these tests were conducted in different environments and with varying starting percentages, the results reinforced one thing: the A56 can go the distance.

For everyday use – texting, calling, video chatting, scrolling social media, checking emails and some light gaming – the A56 is more than up to the task, easily lasting a full day.

As for charging, you won’t get ultra-fast speeds like 120W or even 67W, but the A56 does offer 45W fast charging – an upgrade from the middling 25W speed of the Galaxy A55. That puts the new budget phone on par with its Galaxy S25 Ultra cousin.

Using a 67W wall charger, the A56 gained:

8% in 5 minutes
Just under 30% in 15 minutes
A little over 55% in 30 minutes
A full charge in around 85 minutes

A 5,000mAh battery is far from an astounding inclusion in a specs list in 2025, but it’s still a notable positive. Paired with moderately fast charging, the A56’s battery – like the rest of the phone – is great.

And while 120W or even 67W charging is a helpful addition when you have it, it's far from necessary – and 55% battery in a quick 30-minute charge is plenty if you forget to plug it in overnight on the rare occasion.

  • Battery score: 4/5

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy A56?

Buy it if...

You want a large display without spending top dollar

The Samsung Galaxy A56's 6.7-inch display is an expansive screen that improves upon its predecessor, rivals the S25 series, and produces a vibrant and immersive experience.

You want a jack-of-all-trades handset
The A56 excels as an all-around performer, balancing design, display, camera and battery life in a way that caters to a wide range of needs. It handles daily tasks like texting, social media and video calls seamlessly, making it a great choice for anyone looking for a reliable, versatile phone.

You're shopping for value on a budget
If you’re after a phone that offers impressive features without breaking the bank, the A56 is a standout option. With a solid camera, long-lasting battery and smooth performance, it provides excellent value for those seeking a capable device without spending a fortune.

Don't buy it if...

You're a serious mobile gamer
While the A56 can handle light gaming, it’s not built for heavy gaming sessions or more intense games. If you're looking for a phone that can deliver high frame rates and smooth performance in graphically intense games, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

You want the best AI tools
The A56 offers basic AI features, but if you’re after the cutting-edge AI tools, you’ll need to shell out more for the likes of the Galaxy S25 or the Pixel 9 flagships.

Samsung Galaxy A56 review: also consider

Google Pixel 9a
We loved the Google Pixel 8a, and we're expecting five big upgrades from the Pixel 9a – namely a wealth of AI features alongside possibly the best camera on the market at its price and a 5,100mAh battery. Easily the biggest competitor to the Galaxy A56, if you want AI and cameras, it might be the better choice.

Xiaomi Poco F6 Pro
If you have more of a mobile gaming focus, but still want a phone that offers solid all-round performance and 120W charging, consider the Poco F6 Pro. Its bloatware will be confronting for first-time users, but once you get past that, it's a very good smartphone at this price range.
Read our full Poco F6 Pro review

Apple iPhone 16e
Android devices offer a greater amount of value compared to iPhones, with even older Apple devices still asking for a considerable price. However, the iPhone 16e offers Apple Intelligence, smooth performance and seamless Apple integration at a much more affordable price than the mainline iPhone 16 family.
Read our full Apple iPhone 16e review

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy A56

  • Review test period: 3 weeks
  • Testing included: Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
  • Tools used: Geekbench 6, 3DMark, native Android stats

The Samsung Galaxy A56 was my sole mobile device for the three weeks I spent with it, and I frankly wish I didn't have to return it after my testing period. As my regular daily device, I used it to listen to podcasts, check social media, watch YouTube and text, with some light reading thrown in. Oh, and a whole heap of dog photos.

Of course, I also put the Galaxy A56 through its paces with Geekbench 6 and 3DMark benchmark tests to see how the phone would handle activities that I may not use in my regular daily use, but someone else might. I did these tests several times, in different environments and different battery stages to ensure accurate results.

Why you can trust TechRadar

☑️ 100s of smartphones reviewed
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This leads me to my gaming tests. It's always nice when you can make playing games part of your job, but I'm far from a mobile gamer. I love Marvel Snap, enjoy a few rounds of Clash Royale and dabble in some Wordle and Connections every now and then, but that's it. As part of my testing, I did play – or attempt to play – more serious mobile games like Fortnite on my Galaxy A56 to see how it would handle the life of a mobile gamer.

Given my experience testing other budget phones, including the Samsung Galaxy A55, I was equipped with the knowledge to make good comparisons with the A56.

Read more about how we test

[First reviewed April 2025]

I tested LG’s new earbuds fine-tuned by will.i.am and a lack of style was the last thing I expected
2:00 pm | April 1, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

LG xboom Buds: two-minute review

Enter the LG xboom Buds, a pair of wireless earbuds fine-tuned by the man who spins his chair around on UK primetime TV… and produces a few hit songs now and then too: will.i.am. LG and will.i.am’s combined effort looks to supply “supreme sound”, effective ANC and unique style factor.

And for the price of $99 / £119, that sounds like a pretty sweet deal. Sure, the LG xboom Buds aren’t the cheapest on the market, but they're hardly priced in the premium cost bracket. Having said that, these earbuds don’t quite hit the dizzying heights we’ve seen from a handful of previous efforts, with good but not great sound and disappointing design.

Let’s start by tackling sound – the thing that matters most for us in our hunt for the best earbuds. Out of the box, you’re going to be struck by decent, deep and impactful bass output, ramped-up treble and fairly clean mids. I’d argue that the treble is overly forward on occasion, and can get a little grating at high volumes. That’s not the end of the world, of course, just hop into the xboom Buds app and take it down a peg – but it’s still a bit of an inconvenience when other options (see the Nothing Ear (a) are good from the box).

Bass is responsive, controlled and capable of going pretty deep. The xboom Buds are even capable of handling dark sub-bass – exactly what I’d expect from a product with ‘boom’ in its name. You’re not going to get a super-detailed listen out of these earbuds – there are no fancy codecs like LDAC and you’re not going to get the phenomenal instrument separation required to conjure up an expansive, nuanced soundstage. But with the right tuning, the xboom Buds certainly sound clean enough for the price.

Something that, for me, reduced my enjoyment when listening though was the fit. They feel a little chunky in-ear and protrude a fair bit, making for a not-so-elegant appearance or security. Don’t get me wrong, these aren’t too uncomfortable to use or anything, I just didn’t like keeping them in for particularly long sessions. It’s also worth noting that each bud has a practical hook that ensures it’ll stay in, even in more action-packed moments. They’re also IPX4 splashproof, ensuring they’re workout-ready.

I feel like I need to give these buds their flowers and one area where they deserve praise is in their features. The xboom Buds have a bundle of options to mess around with, whether that be EQ adjustment, customizable ANC or adaptive touch controls. Another major feature is Auracast compatibility, which enables you to connect up to any available broadcast nearby, such as music playing from a TV at the gym.

What’s a bit of a shame, though, is the removal of certain smash hit features from the LG Tone Free T90S – one of LG’s more recently released pairs of wireless buds and for me personally, among the best I’ve tested. Sure, leaving out Dolby Atmos, head tracking and immersive audio tech is understandable – the xboom Buds are a more budget-friendly alternative and that’s premium stuff in the audio world. But I would’ve loved to have seen Plug & Wireless return – which enables you to stream audio over Bluetooth from a source wired to the charging case. There’s no UVnano tech for keeping your buds bacteria-free either, which was pretty nifty on the T90S.

But back to the positives: ANC is proficient at nixing excess noise. In public areas, chatter and vehicles in my surroundings had their rumblings kept pretty quiet – dulled at the worst of times and totally cut out at the best. There’s also a transparency mode that’s great if you want to let a few ambient sounds through.

Another positive is battery life. These can knock out ten hours with ANC off and 7.5 hours with it turned on, which is only lengthened by the lightweight charging case. That should be enough for a day or two’s worth of listening and it’s an improvement on the T90S’s nine hours and five hours you get with ANC off and on, respectively.

All in all, the LG xboom Buds are a solid, yet flawed entry into the South Korean tech giant’s audio portfolio. They have sound quality that’s up-to-scratch for everyday listening and that will likely suit non-audiophiles perfectly, though the more keen listeners among you may wish for a bit more sonic finesse. Not to mention the fact that they have a feature-set and battery life that can compete with some of the best noise cancelling earbuds about.

In the end, though, these are let down by sub-par style and comfort. Given they’re on sale now, I’d highly recommend picking up the LG Tone Free T90S instead, or if you’re willing to cheat on LG, the Sony WF-C700N – more on those later.

Person holding LG xboom Buds in their charging case

(Image credit: Future)

LG xboom Buds review: price and release date

  • $99 / £119
  • Launched in the UK March 2025
  • Coming to the US in April 2025

The LG xboom Buds launched in 2025 and the first hundred UK customers could grab them for £99. Now, the xboom Buds are available for $99 / £119, meaning they’re in a middle place between being budget and mid-range earbuds. You can grab them now on LG’s official website in either black or white – I tested out the latter variant.

LG xboom Buds review: specs

LG xboom Buds and their various ear tips on a table

(Image credit: Future)

LG xboom Buds review: features

  • Great app with customizable ANC, touch controls and EQ
  • Auracast broadcast option
  • Plug & Wireless, and UVnano left out

LG has a real knack of packing its audio tech with a flowing fountain of features and the xboom Buds are no different. But one of the flagship inclusions here is Auracast. This is a type of Bluetooth technology that enables you to tune into an audio broadcast transmitted from a phone, TV or similar device. Just download the LG xboom Buds app and you can access any nearby broadcasts.

The app also opens the door to some classic features like EQ options and adjustable ANC. In terms of EQ, you’re looking at a pretty slim set of presets: Natural; Immersive; Bass Boost; and Treble Boost. But you can also save two custom calibrations with the eight band equalizer, which you’ll likely want to make use of for the best possible sound – more on that later. ANC is pretty good too, during testing it effectively dulled the sound of a hairdryer and keyboard clacking, but it didn’t deliver that near-silent listening experience you’d expect from the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, for instance. There’s transparency mode here too, which enables some ambient noise to creep through if you’re on a run or similar.

Something I loved about the xboom Buds app was that it instantly triggered a test to determine the best in-ear fit for listening as well as optimizing ANC. All I had to do was position myself near a noise similar in volume to an air conditioner and the xboom Buds could work their magic. Some other nifty extras include: whispering mode, for keeping your voice clear when speaking softly on calls; wind noise detection, for reducing the disruptive nature of wind to listening; Find My Earbuds, which plays a sound if your buds have gone on the run; and game mode, for reduced latency.

All in all, there’s a lot here that was seen in LG’s recent outing, the LG Tone Free T90S. That means customizable touch controls, multi-point and voice alert, for reading messages received aloud to you. But unfortunately, you’ll also lose out on a few top-class inclusions from the T90S. That includes UVnano bacteria cleaning technology, Plug & Wireless (which enables you to connect the charging case to a source like an in-flight entertainment interface and stream its audio output over Bluetooth) and immersive sound tech like Dolby Atmos and Head Tracking.

So, if you still want the most premium audio and feature-rich option, the T90S are still going to be your best pal. But that doesn’t mean these buds don’t have a strong set of features in their own right. And that’s not to mention the fact that the xboom Buds actually have superior battery life. You get ten hours with ANC off and 7.5 hours with it turned on, which is only extended by the handy charging case. That’s not going to blow your mind, like the JBL Live Beam 3’s twelve hour battery life (ten with ANC on), but still LG serves up a commendable slice of playtime.

  • Features score: 4.5/5

LG xboom Buds plugged into USB-C charger

(Image credit: Future)

LG xboom Buds review: sound quality

  • Clear audio output with rich bass
  • Do need some tuning for a more balanced sound, though
  • AAC, but no aptX Adaptive this time out

After powering the LG xboom Buds on, I realized that they were set to the Natural EQ mode, which places emphasis on deep bass and treble sounds. Right off the bat, I switched into a custom EQ with more tempered treble. The default calibration put so much emphasis on sounds residing in the upper frequency range that higher-pitched sounds – especially percussion – could get quite grating.

Making that small alteration, made a world of difference. Treble sounded much more controlled and mids became a lot clearer too. But as the xboom name suggests, there’s some serious attention paid to low-end sounds. So, when listening to Black Eye by Allie X, I found the drum machine hits to have admirable depth – they were also rapid enough to ensure that the track maintained its trademark ‘bounce’. Vocals, synths and other elements weren’t separated enough to make for an elegantly layered, nuanced sound, but they were clear enough in the mix to ensure a decently enjoyable listen.

Unfortunately, though, delicate electronica that enters the fray around the song’s minute mark was a little too understated – perhaps in part due to the lack of higher resolution Bluetooth streaming. You get AAC here, but there’s no aptX Adaptive – something that made for a great inclusion in the LG Tone Free T90S.

Still, that shouldn’t detract from the fact that these buds are still capable of delivering a generally clean, enjoyable listening experience. When tuning into Come On Back With Your Love – Sunrise Mix by Kolter, vocal chops were clear and pumping bass had my head bopping.

The xboom Buds also handled bangers with imposing sub bass pretty well too. I was instantly struck by the in-your-face rumble that runs through The Boys Are Back In Town by Yung Gravy – something that cheaper rivals typically struggle with. Quality did take a bit of a hit at peak volumes – I’m talking 90% - 100% – but I never felt the need to blast my music quite so loud.

One more sound-related aspect I want to touch on is mic quality. Now, when I recorded a voice note, speech was relatively clear with limited static and I could only hear a bit of sibilance. On a video call with a colleague, there was a slight tinniness to my voice – not to the point where my words were hard to make out – but enough that switching to my everyday headphones made a noticeably positive impact.

  • Sound quality score: 4/5

LG xboom Buds out of their charging case

(Image credit: Future)

LG xboom Buds review: design

  • Not particularly sleek looking
  • Secure, but slightly uncomfortable in-ear fit
  • IPX4 splashproof

I’ll get straight to the point, reader: I’m not a massive fan of the design LG has gone with for the xboom Buds. Firstly, they look a little bulkier in-ear than the sleek and elegant-looking T90S. They protrude out a fair bit too, meaning they’re not the most discreet buds on the market.

The xboom Buds are a fair bit cheaper than the T90S and that shows from the more basic charging case and their plain outer casing. I tested the white variant, though these are also available in black if you’d prefer. The only design quirk here is that the buds have an almost hook like contraption fitted that keeps them firmly sealed into your ear, which is pretty handy for when you’re getting active. The hooks are a little awkward visually, but in-ear, they’re not going to be visible – not a bad addition all in all.

But something that’s more noticeable is that the in-ear fit of these is a touch uncomfortable, at least in my view. Their rounded shape made them feel a little too chunky in my ear, unfortunately, which meant I rarely wanted to keep them in for longer than an hour or so at a time. Sure, these buds feel nice and secure and form a tight seal, I just wish they looked and felt a bit more discreet.

On the upside, these are IPX4 splashproof. Well, at least the buds are – you’ll want to keep the case away from water. That means they’ll be well suited to workouts or use in light rain. There are also different sized ear gels in the box if you want to tighten or indeed loosen the in-ear feel.

  • Design score: 3/5

Someone picking one of the LG xboom Buds out of its charging case

(Image credit: Future)

LG xboom Buds review: value

  • Much cheaper launch price than LG’s previous buds...
  • ...but fewer premium features included here
  • Still by no means cheap and better value options are out there

With a list price of $99 / £119, the LG xboom Buds are essentially a budget to mid-range option with competition including the excellent Sony WF-C700N – more on those later. That makes them much cheaper than 2024’s LG Tone Free T90S, which launched at £229 (about $300), but these were admittedly more premium.

Of course, these buds are a totally different proposition. They’re not designed for the most high-end audio experience and take away that focus on spatial, three-dimensional sound. They’re also a bit more bare-boned with no UVnano tech or Plug & Wireless. But given that they still have a rich feature-set in their own right and they sound decent, all things considered, they’re not priced too badly.

I would argue, however, that there are a lot of buds that sound as good, if not a little better, that cost a fair chunk less. For instance, we scored the Nothing Ear (a) five out of five for sound quality, thanks to their fun, zealous sound and inclusion of LDAC. But they’re regularly available for less than $100 / £80. And even if you want to go for that more premium LG Tone Free T90S option, they’ve received a hearty price cut, making them available for closer to the $180 / £150 mark. I think they’re worth that extra cash.

That’s not to mention that $99 / £119 is by no means cheap for wireless earbuds. There are lots of excellent cheap options to choose from too if you’d prefer, such as the budget-friendly Sony WF-C510, which we even preferred to the far pricier Apple AirPods 4.

  • Value score: 3.5/5

LG xboom Buds in their charging case on a pink background

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the LG xboom Buds?

Buy them if...

You want wireless earbuds for a workout
The LG xboom Buds have a hook-like contraption attached to them that keeps them firmly in-ear, even during more active periods. They’re also IPX4-rated, making them both sweat and splash resistant.

You’re looking for Auracast-ready earbuds
There aren’t a ton of wireless earbuds out there that support Auracast, so if you want a solid pair that incorporate such tech, these are worth a look. Just fire up the LG xboom Buds app and you’ll be able to tune into any nearby Auracast broadcast. Easy as you like.

Don't buy them if...

You want top-tier sound quality
The xboom Buds don’t sound bad, let’s get that straight. But they’re not the most talented in the audio department either, sometimes lacking in instrument separation and detail. They’ll also require some tuning out of the box due to the top-loaded treble, which can get fairly harsh at high volumes.

You’re a movie fanatic
Unlike the LG Tone Free T90S, the LG xboom Buds don’t offer support for Dolby Atmos or head tracking. As a result, you’re not going to get the most immersive, three-dimensional sound in the world out of these.

LG xboom Buds: also consider

Sony WF-C700N
I’ve personally owned the Sony WF-C700N for well over a year and can vouch for their quality. These are some of the best value earbuds around, with impressive ANC, surprisingly detailed sound and a comfortable fit. You’re not going to get that Auracast compatibility here, and they have just been superseded by an upgraded Sony WF-C710 model (review incoming) but I’d still put these above LG’s latest earbuds effort. Read our full Sony WF-C700N review.

Nothing Ear (a)
These unorthodox looking buds are still a firm favorite of ours here at TechRadar. Why? They offer stellar sound with LDAC, admirable noise cancelation and wonderful in-app experience. No wonder they’re still sitting pretty as our best mid-range option in our best wireless earbuds guide. Read our full Nothing Ear (a) review.

LG xboom Buds review: How I tested

  • Tested for two weeks
  • Used in the office and while on walks
  • Predominantly tested using Tidal

I tested the LG xboom Buds over a two week period, using them for hours during each working day and beyond. I tried them out at the office, while at home and when on walks to assess the fortitude of ANC across multiple environments.

Most of the time, I tested these wireless buds using Tidal on the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, but I also tried using them with both Spotify and YouTube on my Windows laptop. When listening to music, I ran through the TechRadar testing playlist, which features tracks from a wide variety of genres but I also tuned in to hours worth of tunes from my personal library.

Where appropriate, I compared these to the LG Tone Free T90S earbuds on metrics such as comfort, audio quality, ANC capabilities and features.

I usually hate cleaning, but the Roborock F25 Ace wet-dry vacuum made it kind of satisfying
7:35 am | March 31, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances Vacuums | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Roborock F25 Ace: Two-minute review

If you’re someone like me whose home features predominantly hard floors, then investing in a wet-dry vacuum cleaner can be a godsend as it drastically reduces the amount of time it takes to clean, while also delivering excellent results.

The Roborock F25 Ace is the second wet-dry vacuum cleaner I’ve personally tested and after using it twice a week for four weeks straight, I’ve retired the previous one I had into storage.

Not only is the F25 Ace ludicrously simple to set up for first-time use, it’s left my floors looking cleaner, and I can’t feel any dust or grit underfoot after a session, something I’ve previously experienced with other such floor washers. It feels especially well built too, and I have every confidence in its reliability for years to come.

The F25 Ace is the range-topping model in Roborock’s latest F25 series of wet-dry vacuums. How many models it sits above depends on where you live. In the US, for example, there are four other models below it and a separate F25 Ace Combo that adds a vacuum cleaner attachment for soft flooring – much like the Tineco Floor One Switch S6 that I’d been using before this. Australia gets just two F25 models, with the Ace sitting just above the standard F25. At the time of writing, this series isn’t available in the UK but I’ve had confirmation it’s “coming soon”.

Roborock F25 Ace vacuum cleaner

(Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

What does this range-topping model offer over its lower-specced siblings? A more informative display (in comparison to other models, anyway), app connectivity and a few other notable cleaning features, including power-assisted wheels and an automatic detergent dispenser, both of which ultimately provide a more convenient and thorough cleaning experience.

What made my time using the F25 Ace particularly joyful was the fact it can maneuver around corners and furniture with ease thanks to a pivoting cleaning head, and the ability to lie completely flat to help get to hard-to-reach places, like under furniture. This maneuvrability, combined with its excellent cleaning results, make it a strong contender to be one of the best wet-dry vacuum cleaners.

The self-clean cycle is especially effective and, with the right settings activated, quiet too. It was a good job the hot self-clean cycle was effective, as the F25 Ace returned plenty of dirty water following each cleaning run around my home. The amount of dust and debris on my wooden floors was invisible to my eyes, but the Roborock machine was able to pick it all up and then some! Both the clean and dirty water tanks are simple to remove, clean out and refill, and depending on how large your home is you may not need to refill the clean tank after every use. In my case, it held enough water to complete two full cleans and two self-clean cycles.

There is plenty of customization on tap via the app, and you’re able to make just as many adjustments – the amount of water used during cleaning, the amount of detergent released, how thorough of a self-clean you want the machine to perform and more. There’s quite a lot to get your head around and certainly more than I’ve been used to from a vacuum cleaner, but they’re features I certainly appreciated.

At $549.99 / AU$999.99 it’s competitively priced compared to its closest rivals. It is still a decent chunk of cash, however, so I would say only people whose homes are virtually all hard floors should consider buying it. If you have a mixture of hard and soft flooring, then the aforementioned Tineco machine may be better suited to your needs, or two separate, more affordable vacuum cleaners.

Roborock F25 Ace review: Price & availability

  • Available since mid-February in US and late March in Australia; currently not sold in the UK
  • List price $549.99 / AU$999
  • Available directly from Roborock and authorized retailers, including Amazon

The Roborock F25 Ace made its official debut at CES 2025 in January and was available to buy in the US by mid-February. It’s currently enjoying a staggered launch around the world, with Australians able to purchase the appliance since late March 2025. At the time of writing, it’s been confirmed for launch in the UK, but pricing is still to be announced.

The F25 Ace is listed on Roborock’s US store with a list price of $549.99, while in Australia it’s available for AU$999.99. This puts it in the upper mid-range price bracket based on our experience and in direct competition with other wet-dry vacuum cleaners such as the Dyson G1, which costs $699.99 / £599.99 / AU$999, and the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro, which tops our list of the best wet-dry vacuum cleaners and costs $799 / £599 / AU$1,299.99. The latter can regularly be picked up at a discount however, especially during major sales events.

There are several other models within the F25 series depending on where you live. The US store also lists the F25 Alt, which misses out on smart dirt detection, the extra-informative LED display and app connectivity. There is also an F25 Ace Combo for $749.99, which adds a separate stick vacuum cleaner for cleaning carpets and other areas in handheld mode.

Roborock says the filter and roller head should be replaced every 12 months at the latest. A spare filter is supplied, but not a roller. The company has listed pricing for official replacement parts, but third-party options are available, the cost of which depends on where you live. You’ll also need to factor in the cost of replacement bottles of the floor cleaning solution, which you can get from the official Roborock store. The company says you should only use its own solution with the F25 Ace.

  • Value score: 4.5/5

Roborock F25 Ace review: specs

Roborock F25 Ace review: Design

Roborock F25 Ace roller head

(Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)
  • Lightweight and easy to maneuvre
  • Lie-flat design for hard-to-reach areas
  • LED display is good, but not great

There’s minimal effort required to get the F25 Ace up and running. Once you remove the pieces from the box, all you need to do is clip the handle into the main unit, then snap on the roller head. There are various pieces of protective packaging to remove but, otherwise, that’s all there is to it.

You’ll want to plug the charging dock in and place the machine onto it immediately for two reasons: to make sure there’s power before you use it for the first time, and connect it to the app via your home Wi-Fi network. There aren’t any other attachments included with the F25 Ace, aside from a small brush to help clean the filter and dirty-water tank, a small bottle of cleaning detergent and a spare filter.

Roborock F25 Ace clean-water tank removed

(Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

The Roborock F25 Ace follows a similar design language to floor washers from other brands, such as our current favorite wet-dry vacuum cleaner, the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro. Both are sleek grey-and-white units with the dirty-water tank on the front and a long, non-adjustable handle with a few control buttons for power, cleaning mode selection and self-cleaning. The S7 Pro does, however, come with a spare roller head, something not included with the F25 Ace.

Where the design of these two machines differs, and what is one of the F25 Ace’s key selling points, is that its clean-water tank is at the base of the machine, placed over the roller head beneath. On the Tineco Switch S7 Pro, the clean water tank is at the rear, which prevents it from tilting too far back.

Having the clean-water tank positioned towards the base of the machine, says Roborock, allows it to have a lower center of gravity, making it easier to move around your home and lay it flat to push under furniture. It also provides added weight to ensure the roller head remains in constant contact with hard floors to help improve its cleaning efficiency.

The dirty-water tank is on the front of the machine, as is the case with similar models from other brands. The capacity remains the same across all models within the F25 series at 720ml (the same as with the Tineco S7 Pro). The clean-water tank maxes out at 740ml, which is less than the S7 Pro’s 850ml capacity. It’s also smaller than other models in the F25 series, which get a larger 870ml water tank. Despite that, I was able to regularly get two full mopping runs from a single fill across a cleaning area of approximately 120 sqm / 1,300 sqft in my apartment.

Where Roborock says the F25 Ace differs from other floor washers is the design of the roller head. It features what the company calls JawScapers – 141 3mm-long comb teeth – positioned behind the roller. Not only is this said to prevent hairs getting tangled, but it also claims to squeeze dirty water out of the roller and into the tank, to prevent water marks appearing on the floor during cleaning sessions.

Roborock F25 Ace LED display

(Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

The F25 Ace has an LED display that shows you its battery life, the current cleaning mode and a small colored bar to indicate its dynamic performance facilitated by a proprietary DirTect Smart Sensor on the rear of the machine. This sensor detects the amount of dirt in the water it’s mopping to automatically adjust water-flow rate and suction power, while the roller head remains spinning at the same speed. For the majority of my testing, the bar (thankfully) remained blue, indicating my floor was a ‘normal’ level of dirty, although there were the occasional bits that pushed it into the red and nothing was needed on my part – the F25 Ace did what was needed by itself.

The LED display is clear to see, but compared to models from other brands, I found it to be a little uninspiring. It conveys information via icons only, which took me a few uses to wrap my head around. If voice prompts are on, it will tell you what mode you’re in, but there’s no extra information to tell you what each mode means and the user manual isn’t much help. This doesn’t affect the machine’s cleaning prowess, but it does mean the user experience isn’t as good as I’d expected.

The display on the Tineco S7 Pro on the other hand is a lot better at imparting information, using images, words and more colors to tell the user what’s going on. You’re also able to adjust settings better on the S7 Pro thanks to buttons on the handle – something the Roborock doesn’t have and requires you to use the app, which isn’t ideal if you need to tweak a setting on the fly and your phone is in another room.

The Roborock F25 Ace (along with the F25 Alt in the US) benefits from a few proprietary technologies that sets it apart from other models in the F25 series. These include SlideTech 2.0 Automated Wheels to add motorized assistance to reduce the effort it takes to push the F25 Ace around your home.

Roborock F25 Ace detergent dispenser lid

(Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

You can adjust the level of motorization in the app between Mild, Moderate and Intense. I left this setting on the default Moderate mode and appreciated how the vacuum didn’t want to take me for a walk around my home, as was the case with the Tineco Floor One Switch S6 that I’ve previously reviewed. The Intense setting, however, will pull you along for a ride.

The added motorization makes the machine feel lighter than its 4.7kg weight would suggest. Robrock does say the wheels “intelligently detect the user’s push and pull strength and adjust the power assistance in real time,” but I couldn’t tell if that was actually happening during my testing.

Another feature found on the F25 Ace is an automatic detergent dispenser. The 100ml compartment is next to the clean-water tank, both of which sit within a removable clear plastic unit on the roller head. You’re able to set the ratio of detergent to water to one of three settings within the app, and the appropriate amount of detergent gets automatically sprayed directly onto the roller during a cleaning run. I stuck to the default setting of Daily for the majority of my testing and that was enough to occasionally leave some soap suds on the floor. Another swipe over these areas took care of the remaining suds.

And, a small niggle, but the previous Tineco machine had an auto-stop feature when the handle is returned to its starting position. The Roborock machine doesn’t have this feature, and I found I missed it as it made pausing, cleaning and moving the machine to another room a bit easier.

  • Design score: 4.5/5

Roborock F25 Ace review: Performance

  • Powerful performance leaves floors clean
  • Exclusive features work well
  • Some setting tweaks may be required for best results

The F25 Ace is my first Roborock review, but I have tested similar wet-dry vacuums before. I was already quite impressed by the Tineco Floor One Switch S6’s mopping, cleaning and drying capabilities, and our reviewers have always rated other Roborock machines, like the Roborock Dyad Pro, very well. So my expectations from the F25 Ace were high going into testing and it didn’t disappoint.

Thanks to the aforementioned SlideTech wheels, I found it incredibly easy to move the machine around my home. The cleaning head has a 70º angle of pivot (35º left and right), making tight turns possible.

Roborock F25 Ace lying flat

(Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

I also found that thanks to its ability to tilt backwards by 180º, cleaning the floor under my dining table, for example, was easier than with other vacuum cleaners and I barely had to move the chairs. Instead I was able to weave the F25 Ace around the chair and table legs with ease with a light push with one hand. Do note that when the machine is totally flat, the cleaning head loses the ability to pivot, but any angle smaller than 180º allows it to remain agile.

Where I found the lay-flat ability most useful was getting underneath my bathroom vanity unit, an area that’s been ignored because no other vacuum or floor washer I’ve tried could get under it.

Similar to when I tested the Tineco Switch S6, I was surprised by just how much dirty water was collected after one run throughout my home. I was also impressed with how much debris was collected, especially as much of it wasn’t clearly visible to my eyes before the cleaning run. The F25 Ace has 20,000Pa suction power, so was evidently able to vacuum even the smallest of particles. Combined with a roller that rotates at up to 450rpm, and gets cleaned by scrapers within its housing unit on each turn, my floors felt much cleaner underfoot once I’d finished a session.

The design of the roller head on the F25 Ace ensures it can get closer to edges. To test this, I poured some milk along the edges of my kitchen cabinets to see how much would be cleaned up. It performed exceptionally well, mopping up the entire spillage in just one run. It wasn’t quite the same story with dry debris, as it did miss a few grains of rice I poured on the floor.

But, for dry spills in the center of the floor, I have zero complaints. I poured generous helpings of rice and coffee beans onto my floor and with one push over either spill with the F25 Ace cleared it up entirely.

Compared to the Tineco machine I’ve previously tested, the Roborock F25 Ace’s default water-rate flow is higher, meaning it uses more water for mopping. This really isn’t an issue as the roller is very effective at mopping, leaving no puddles behind. If the floors remain too wet for your liking, you can reduce the water-flow rate via the app.

That said, if you are going to use the detergent – and Roborock strongly suggests you use only the one it provides or recommends – you might see soap suds not fully disappearing with each swipe. This happened to me on occasion and I had to run the roller head over those areas a couple of times more to ensure no soap scum accumulated on my floors.

Roborock promises that the F25 Ace will leave floors streak-free, but I don’t completely agree with that claim. While my floors were certainly clean after going over them, when I viewed them in the right light, I could see some noticeable streaks where the roller head and wheels had passed over. They’re not so noticeable that it bothered me too much, but it’s not exactly fulfilling the promise.

  • Performance score: 4.5/5

Roborock F25 Ace review: Maintenance

  • Self-clean cycle is effective
  • Time and temperature settings can be adjusted
  • Dirty-water tank will need extra cleaning

Once placed back in the dock after a cleaning session, a voice prompt will instruct you to perform the self-clean cycle, which you activate by pressing a button on the handle or within the app.

Roborock says the whole cycle – cleaning and drying – should take approximately five minutes using a combination of hot water and 90ºC / 194ºF hot air. While that’s more or less true, I found it can be closer to 10 minutes in the Quiet Drying mode.

During self-cleaning, the roller head spins in both directions while it’s blasted with hot water to help remove as much dirt and bacteria as possible, with all dirty water being collected in the tank. You’re able to choose between ‘High’ and ‘Room Temperature’ water settings in the app – naturally, hotter water will be more effective for cleaning. Roborock doesn’t say how hot this water is, but does claim it uses 90ºC / 194ºF hot air as it hits the roller head, which is quite good as many robot vacuums with self-cleaning cycles use 75ºC air for drying.

Roborock F25 Ace JawScrapers

The JawScrapers help remove debris from the roller head during cleaning. (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

Considering how much dirty water was collected after each run around my home – indicating how dirty the floor was – the roller head looked surprisingly clean. The quality of the roller itself also seems to be very good because, even after several uses. It does have a limited lifespan, though, and you will need to replace it at some point – Roborock recommends changing it once every six to 12 months, depending on your use case.

The washing part of the self-clean cycle is quite noisy. I used a decibel meter app on my phone and recorded a maximum reading of around 75dB. The drying, however, registered a pleasant 55dB that Roborock calls “Quiet Drying”.

Using this drying mode will lengthen the time it takes to complete the self-clean cycle, so you can choose a quicker option. You can track the progress of the self-clean cycle in the app – it was how I realized the drying process took longer when quiet.

Roborock F25 Ace dirty-water tank

(Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

A voice prompt will inform you once the self-cleaning cycle has finished and instruct you to empty the water tank. Of course, this is only if you can hear the prompt. I had the F25 Ace stored in my laundry room towards the back of my apartment, and with the door closed, I could barely hear them. I would have liked a phone notification too, giving me a greater chance to ensure the dirty-water tank is cleaned out promptly. You can empty the dirty-water tank while the roller head is drying to save on time.

Once the tank had been emptied and debris collected in the filters washed away, I left all the pieces to air dry before returning them to the machine. The majority of debris came off under a tap, but Roborock supplies a long brush to help agitate any particularly stubborn pieces.

I did notice when cleaning the day after mopping up the milk spillage that milky water was being collected in the dirty-water tank, suggesting that the roller head wasn’t completely cleaned during the previous self-clean cycle. It didn’t have any effect on the cleanliness of the floor.

  • Maintenance score: 4.5/5

Roborock F25 Ace review: Software

  • Plenty of customization
  • Remote access when away from home
  • Pop-up notifications would be a nice feature

As I’ve already alluded to, the F25 Ace can connect to an app to open up a good selection of customization options. App connectivity is only possible on the F25 Ace and F25 Alt models, which I think is a shame as I think the other models in this range would also benefit from that extra control.

I was pleasantly surprised that the app gives me remote control over the F25 Ace’s settings when away from home. Not only can you make adjustments, you can also start a self-clean or drying cycle. While I don’t think it will see much use, I think this feature is handy if you’ve had to do an emergency quick clean before running out the door in the morning, letting you start a self-clean cycle while you’re on the road or in the office.

Screenshots of the Roborock app showing cleaning mode and self-clean cycle of the F25 Ace.

(Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

One feature I found utterly superfluous was the remote control mode. It asks you to lay the F25 Ace flat on the floor (there’s a small wheel in the handle to ensure it remains level), after which you can move it around your home using the remote control buttons on your phone. It doesn’t work well at all during my testing, where the machine either had a significant lag between command and action or didn’t register the button presses at all. While the roller turns when being remote controlled, I didn’t see it doing any cleaning at all.

Then there are the voice prompts that let you know what the machine is doing – when you switch cleaning modes, instructing you to perform a cleaning cycle or to tell you it’s finished. You can change the language of the voice prompts within the app or adjust the volume level. If you want to switch them off, as I did after testing them for this review, you just mute them by moving the volume slider all the way down.

I didn’t find the voice prompts too useful as they were unclear most of the time and, as I mentioned earlier, I would have appreciated additional pop-up notifications on my phone, particularly when the dirty-water tank needed emptying.

  • Software score: 4.5/5

Roborock F25 Ace review: Battery life

  • Good battery life, but may not suffice for larger homes
  • Up to 60 minutes in Eco mode; 40 minutes in Auto
  • Recharge time can take a while

The Roborock F25 Ace has a 4,000mAh battery that the company says is good for up to 60 minutes of use in Eco mode or 40 minutes in Auto mode. However, this is only really relevant for anyone with a particularly large surface area to clean as the machine recharges whenever it’s on the charging dock.

I never had any battery issues when cleaning my apartment with the F25 Ace, which has an approximate total cleaning area of 120 sqm / 1,300 sqft, as I was able to complete a full clean in roughly 10 minutes wherein I used just 15% of battery. For context, Roborock says the 60-minute runtime in Eco mode should be enough to cover a 410 sqm / 4,413 sqft space.

However, when I returned the F25 Ace to the charging dock to self-clean, I noticed the battery level continued to drop by as much as another 10%. I assume the power required to complete the clean uses up more battery than it receives from the dock.

  • Battery life score: 5/5

Should you buy the Roborock F25 Ace review?

Buy it if...

You want an easy, thorough clean

The F25 Ace can be moved around with little effort and its cleaning performance is stellar, leaving you with clean floors in no time at all.

Your home has hard-to-reach areas

Thanks to its ability to lie flat, the Roborock F25 Ace can get into more places than a large number of similar machines, meaning more of your floors will be cleaned.

You like to take control of your appliances

There are numerous customization options with the F25 Ace via the app, covering cleaning and maintenance. You may find the default settings don’t work for you, so you can easily change them.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

Your floors are carpeted

It may seem obvious, but the Roborock F25 Ace only works on hard floors. If your home is predominantly carpet, you’ll want to look at other vacuum cleaner models. View Deal

You have a limited budget

I think the F25 Ace is worth the money, but the fact remains there are cheaper alternatives available, like the Shark HydroVac Cordless, which can also work on low-pile soft floors.View Deal

Roborock F25 Ace review: Also consider

Tineco Floor One Switch Pro 7

Our favorite wet-dry vacuum for a reason, this powerful machine cleans incredibly well, can get up close to edges and has a gorgeous, interactive LED display. It costs more at full price, but can now regularly be picked up at a discount.

Read our full Tineco Floor One Switch Pro 7 reviewView Deal

Shark HyrdoVac Cordless

If your budget is tight, this Shark machine is a great option, especially as it can also be used on low-pile carpets, making it a more versatile proposition.

Read our full Shark HydroVac Cordless reviewView Deal

How I tested the Roborock F25 Ace

I tested this wet-dry vacuum over a period of about a month in my apartment, using it to clean at least twice a week. I experimented with the various settings adjustments within the app to see what effect they had on the overall cleanliness of my floors.

To really test its mopping and vacuuming credentials, I spilled milk and scattered grains such as rice on the floor to see how much was vacuumed up.

I made a note of how well the brush roller head was washed and dried after each cleaning run around my home and assessed how much clean water was left in the tank (and how much dirty water was collected).

This is the first Roborock vacuum cleaner I’ve tested, but I have previously tested the Tineco Floor One Switch S6, which is a similar wet-dry vacuum cleaner, but which also has extra attachments for cleaning carpets and other soft floorings.

The Huawei FreeArc are the best-sounding open-ear headphones I’ve ever tested – and they’re surprisingly cheap
6:00 pm | March 24, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Huawei FreeArc: One minute review

With audio brands and tech companies announcing open-ear earbuds left, right and center, it was only a matter of time before Chinese giant Huawei got in on the action too.

It was only minutes into the testing for this Huawei FreeArc review, though, that I understood these to be some of the best open-ear buds on the market right now. Huawei’s onto something here!

The reason for this is simple: as of their release, the Huawei FreeArc are the best-sounding examples of this form factor, and that’s a really impressive selling point given how earbuds like this work.

For those who aren’t familiar, open-ear headphones like these dangle the earbud over your eardrum, instead of plonking it straight in there; this means you can still hear sounds beyond your music. Useful for people in busy areas or who need to hear announcements, but less useful for audiophiles as having a bud centimeters from your ear can spell doom for well-tuned music.

Not with the FreeArc, though. Music has an impressive soundstage, sounds delicately tuned and maintains bristling energy. The best compliment I can give to Huawei is that I often forgot I was listening to open-ears.

Two enthusiastic thumbs up in the audio department, then, although the FreeArc do struggle just a little in a few other departments. The battery life is one, with the 23-hour lasting power of the case in particular an area that might dissuade certain buyers.

If you’ve got an Android phone, you’ll also find the app install process an absolute pain, as you have to side-load multiple apps through APKs. The process is only suitable for technophiles, or someone who can rope in a tech-savvy relative or friend to help.

OK so great-sounding, just slightly annoying to set up? Yes, but we're missing the big draw. Huawei has priced these buds to sell, making them some of the most affordable open-ears on the market right now.

You can overlook a few of issues in tech with competitive pricing, and the Huawei FreeArc do benefit from that when you consider their feature set. But purely from a sonic perspective, these are an absolute steal at the price.

Huawei FreeArc review: Specifications

Huawei FreeArc review: Price and availability

The Huawei FreeArc on a white shelf.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Announced in February 2025
  • Priced at £99.99 (roughly $130, AU$200)
  • Not on sale in Australia or US

The Huawei FreeArc were announced in February 2025, at the same time as a slew of rivals, and went on sale shortly afterwards.

You can pick up the buds for £99.99 (roughly $130, AU$200) so they’re priced competitively against many of these competitors. There’s no US or AU pricing at the time of writing and I don’t expect the buds will go on sale in either region.

There are a few open-ear buds priced around that general area, or a slight amount cheaper, but most competitors cost up to 50% more. So Huawei has put out a really tempting option here.

Huawei FreeArc review: Design

The Huawei FreeArc on a white shelf.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Mid-sized charging case
  • Comfortable and reliable bud fit
  • Temperamental touch controls

The Huawei FreeArc comes in a square carry case; it’s not the smallest I’ve ever seen from open-ear buds, but it’s definitely at the smaller end of the spectrum.

The case measures 67.8 x 67.8 x 26.5mm and weighs 67g, and it has basically what you’d expect from an earbuds case: place to lay each bud, a pairing button, and a USB-C port for charging.

The buds themselves weigh 8.9g so they’re not the lightest open-ears I’ve ever tested, but the difference is just a gram or so and they are by no means heavy. Like most open-ears (although not ear-clip/cuff designs – see the Bose Ultra Open), they consist of the main body as well as a sports loop that circles and slips behind the ear, which in the Huawei’s case ends in quite a pronounced teardrop shape.

The Huawei FreeArc on a white shelf.

Evidence of how easily-bendable the hook is. (Image credit: Future)

I found them reliably comfortable and lightweight to wear, and they didn’t shift much during exercises or runs, a problem some other open-ears have. Instead they’re firmly held pretty close to the ear, so you can hear your music well.

The buds’ body supports gesture controls, but I found them a little bit temperamental in picking up my touch. You’re meant to be able to swipe to change volume, double tap to pause or play songs and triple-tap to skip songs, and while the tapping ones worked well, I had to fight with the buds to pick up swiping.

The charging case doesn’t have any protective certification but the earbuds are IP57, which was a pleasant surprise to see given that most rivals are IP54. The ‘5’ in common means that they’re dust resistant and the ‘7’ means that they’re waterpoof up to a depth of 1m for half an hour, whereas most rivals are simply splash-proof. I don’t think this means that you should swim with the buds, but it still means they’re protected from the elements.

You can buy the FreeArcs in black, white or pale green, and as you can tell from the images, my review sample was the former.

  • Design score: 4/5

Huawei FreeArc review: Features

The Huawei FreeArc on a white shelf.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Battery life is 7 hours (only 23 for case)
  • App has convoluted installation process
  • Could do with extra features

The feature set is the Huawei FreeArc’s Achilles Heel, so let’s get the criticisms out the way upfront.

Firstly, the battery life isn’t amazing. At 7 hours of listening per bud, it’s not awful, though plenty of other buds (especially open-ears) beat it. But worse is the charging case, which only gets you 28 hours of listening, a stat that’s got to be one of the lowest I’ve seen in buds like this.

My biggest issue was that downloading the Huawei AI Life app, to unlock extra features, was an absolute pain (on Android, at least, but on iOS it’s simple). To get it on my Realme phone I had to download Huawei’s AppGallery (as an APK on my browser, as it’s not on the Play Store), which took some convincing on my phone, then use the AppGallery to download the AI Life, convince my phone to let me side-load apps from this app, and then set it up via this app. It’s a lot of faff and it took me about 10 minutes, which is approximately 9 and a half minutes more than this process generally takes me during reviews.

The Huawei FreeArc on a white shelf.

(Image credit: Future)

I’m not entirely convinced that the process is worth it either. It mainly lets you find your earbuds if you’ve misplaced them, manage which devices your buds are connected to, and change what the gesture controls do.

The main feature of the app is access to four music presets (default, Elevate for workouts, Treble boost and Voices for boosting vocals). You can also make your own, which gives you access to a 10-band equalizer.

Unlike at least one contemporary rival (that would be the Honor Earbuds Open) there’s no active noise cancellation, no low latency mode and no gimmicky AI feature – yes, I’m looking at the Honor Earbuds Open's AI translator here. None of these are ubiquitous in open-ears so I can’t detract points for that, but the FreeArc do feel like they’re missing some kind of USP.

  • Features score: 4/5

Huawei FreeArc review: Sound performance

The Huawei FreeArc on a man's head.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Large 17mm x 12mm drivers
  • Impressive sound stage
  • Could have done with ANC

The core selling point of the Huawei FreeArc is that they’re the best-sounding open-ear earbuds I’ve tested to date. That’s not the biggest compliment in the world, given that the form factor naturally leads to worse audio (the speaker is dangling away from your ear, of course, and bass clout is usually the first casualty), but I was still impressed with how the FreeArcs sound.

The most palpable and immediately-obvious positive of the FreeArcs’ audio is the soundstage: it’s unprecedented for open-ears, and I was surprised to be able to pick out the strums of guitars and range of piano keys when I was listening.

Music is energetic and exciting, zealous and crisp, and it was a joy to listen to my favorite workout songs and actually hear the details in them. Admittedly, lots of my excitement came from the sheer fact that I could make out individual lines in songs (I hate to harp on, but open-ears generally sound pretty bad), but the Huawei’s do sound great.

Each earbud has a single 17mm x 12mm driver, which is bigger than I can recall seeing in past open-ear headphones, and that might go some way in explaining the quality of the Huawei FreeArc's sonic performance.

I would have liked to hear a little more bass in the FreeArc, as it ended up sounding just a touch underwhelming during workouts when I wanted a bassy kick. The aforementioned Elevate mode does improve things in terms of bass clout, but it also makes more complex songs sound oddly ‘crunchy’ and distorted, so I stopped using it.

It was almost a shame to listen to such high-quality audio in open-ears – it sounded amazing when listening in quiet environments, but as soon as I left the house or went somewhere busy, the extraneous noise that can't help but enter your ear makes it hard to appreciate the detail. ANC would be a blessing on these buds.

  • Sound performance score: 5/5

Huawei FreeArc review: Value

The Huawei FreeArc on a white shelf.

(Image credit: Future)

Given that Huawei tends to release premium products, I was surprised to see the FreeArcs go for £99, which makes them fairly affordable as open-ears go.

They'd be decent value if they only had 'good' sound quality, but the fact that they sound great really helps cement the Huawei FreeArc as one of the best-value open-ear buds you can buy right now.

  • Value score: 4.5/5

Huawei FreeArc review: scorecard

Huawei FreeArc: Should I buy?

The Huawei FreeArc on a white shelf.

(Image credit: Future)

Buy them if...

You're an audiophile

If you care about audio fidelity but still need to use open-ear headphones, the FreeArcs are your go-to pick.

You're on a middling budget

While I can't recommend the Huawei FreeArc for people on a low budget, those willing to spend a middling amount will find these a great pick..

You have an iPhone or Huawei mobile

I've waxed lyrical about the app installation pains, but this isn't an issue for people who use iPhones or Huawei devices.

Don't buy them if...

You wait a while before charging

The FreeArcs' battery life isn't awful, but the case charge is. If you don't often get a chance to power up your gadgets, their 23-hour lasting time might not cut it.

You don't listen when it's quiet

Due to their design, you can only make the most of the Huaweis if you listen somewhere quiet. If you only use earbuds in noisy environments, you might not appreciate these buds.

Also consider

Honor Earbuds Open

These buds cost a little more and don't quite match the Huawei buds in sound, but their battery life is better, plus they offer effective active noise cancellation (I know, it shouldn't work, but it does).

Read our full Honor Earbuds Open review

OpenRock Pro

Fitness users should look perhaps to the OpenRock; they have an incredible battery life and a sturdy design – don't expect quite the levels of sonic brilliance as the Huawei or Honor options above though.

Read our full OpenRock Pro review

How I tested

I listened to the Huawei FreeArcs for two weeks before writing this review, and the testing process coincided with that of two rivals: the Honor Earbuds Open and the EarFun Openjump, which helped me better understand all three.

I used the Huawei FreeArc alongside my Android smartphone for most of the review, and also paired them to my Windows laptop at several times. Mostly I listened to music on Spotify but also tested podcasts, games and TV shows. I tested them at home, in the office, on walks around my area and also for various workouts (road cycling, running and gym workouts).

The FreeArcs are the latest of many products I've reviewed for TechRadar; I've been doing so for over six years and have reviewed headphones, smartphones, tablets and more.

Read more about how we test

  • First reviewed: March 2025
If your kitchen is as small as mine, the De’Longhi La Specialista Touch is one of the best espresso machines you can buy
5:00 pm | March 23, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Coffee Machines Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances | Tags: | Comments: Off

De'Longhi La Specialista Touch: two-minute review

The De'Longhi La Specialista Touch is one of the best espresso machines for those taking their first steps into the world of coffee and wanting a guiding hand along the way. It's one of the most affordable models around with a built-in grinder, and is surprisingly compact considering just how many features are on offer. Don't let its small plastic chassis fool you – this is a seriously good coffee machine.

De'Longhi's Smart Bean system helps tailor brew settings to suit your preferred beans, without the need for any specialist knowledge, while the smart dosing and tamping system will see you create a well-measured, even puck without any channelling or cracking, which can lead to poor extraction.

The results are reliably excellent, and tinkering is encouraged once you've built up some confidence, with room for nine custom drinks alongside the extensive menu of customizable options.

The steam wand is another standout feature, with options for manual and automatic milk texturizing. Its integrated temperature probe helps new users avoid overheating their milk when steaming freehand, and the auto frother includes options for both dairy and plant-based milk.

The only real drawbacks I found concerned cleaning and maintenance. After a while, the grinder started to feel a bit sticky when dialling in settings, but De'Longhi's manual and instructional videos don't show how to disassemble and clean it (they only show cleaning the exterior). There also doesn't seem to be an option to flush the group head after brewing an espresso.

The cold brew function is fine, but doesn't produce such a well-rounded and full-bodied drink as the Jura J10 I reviewed recently. However, this machine is a fraction of the price of the J10, and aimed at a very different user. If you're considering investing in your first coffee maker, the La Specialista Touch is definitely worth your consideration.

De'Longhi La Specialista Touch: price and availability

  • Launched in March 2025
  • Costs £699.99 / $1,099 (about $900)
  • Not yet available in the US

The De'Longhi La Specialista Touch launched in March 2025, and has a list price of £699.99 / AU$1,099 (about $900). At the time of writing, it isn't yet available in the US.

The price puts this coffee machine in the middle of the La Specialista range, costing less than the La Specialista Opera and Maestro, but less than the La Specialista Arte, Arte Evo and Arte Compact. As the name suggests, what differentiates this machine from the others is its touchscreen, which makes it super easy to operate and especially well suited to beginners.

De'Longhi La Specialista Touch coffee machine on kitchen counter

The De'Longhi La Specialista Touch is surprisingly small, and won't dominate your kitchen counter (Image credit: Future)

De'Longhi La Specialista Touch: specs

De'Longhi La Specialista Touch: design

  • Compact and lightweight, with a metallic-finish plastic case
  • Large touchscreen and user-friendly interface
  • Includes tools to assist with dosage and tamping

The De’Longhi La Specialista Touch is compact for such a fully featured semi-automatic coffee machine. In fact, it’s the smallest in the La Specialista range, measuring just 17.5 x 15 x 14.6 inches / 44.5 x 38 x 37cm. I should note that the photos in this review were shot in TechRadar's roomy test kitchen, not my small apartment. Its case is made mostly from plastic with a metallic silver finish, which keeps the weight down considerably compared to stainless steel, and is easy to clean with a damp cloth.

It’s operated via a vivid 3.5in color touchscreen, which is responsive and surprisingly resistant to fingerprints. The interface is well designed, with menus supported by diagrams and illustrations, and additional information available at every stage via a "Help me" button, which gives new users extra guidance without adding visual clutter.

Selecting bean roast on De'Longhi La Specialista Touch coffee machine

The machine is operated via a bright 3.5in color touchscreen (Image credit: Future)

The water tank slots neatly onto the back of the unit, and the machine is supplied with a testing strip so you can configure it to suit the hardness of water in your area (this is important, because limescale build-up can affect the performance of the probes that detect the water level in the coffee machine’s boiler). The tank is easy to fill and carry thanks to its built-in handle, but you’ll need a long-handled brush to clean inside; it’s too narrow for all but the smallest of hands.

The portafilter handle feels reassuringly weighty in the hand, and I particularly liked the knurled metal at the end. It’s supplied with two non-pressurized, single-walled baskets: one for single shots and another for doubles.

Water tank removed from De'Longhi La Specialista Touch coffee machine

The water tank has a capacity of 1.8qt / 1.7 liters, and slots onto the back of the machine (Image credit: Future)

Unlike some other machines in this price band, the La Specialista Touch doesn’t have a pull-down tamper that will add just the right amount of pressure to your coffee grounds. You have to take things into your own hands, but there’s a set of tools to make that less daunting for new users.

These include a dosing and tamping guide that attaches above the basket before grinding to funnel grounds neatly into the basket; a rubber tamping mat that sits on your work surface and keeps the filter handle steady; and an "advanced tamper" that lets you see when you’ve achieved the perfect dosage, and whether you need to add or remove some ground coffee. If you need to remove some, there’s a handy dose adjustment tool that you can place on top of the basket and twist to take a little off the top.

Accessories for De'Longhi La Specialista Touch coffee machine

You get a set of accessories to help you dose your coffee consistently without using scales (Image credit: Future)

It’s a smart system that reduces the risk of user error by eliminating the need to weigh anything, although it’s also worth noting that you can’t use the grinder without the guide in place.

The La Specialista Touch is designed to accommodate different-sized cups, with a little platform that you can place on top of the drip tray when using espresso cups. This helps to avoid splashing and preserve the crema as you pull your shot.

On the right-hand side you’ll find the steam wand, which has both manual and automatic settings, and is partnered with a temperature probe to help new users avoid creating custardy, overheated milk. There are automatic settings for both dairy milk and plant-based substitutes, which is a welcome addition. Things are changing, but some machines are still set up exclusively for dairy.

Drip tray from De'Longhi La Specialista Touch coffee machine

The drip tray is thoughtfully designed and practically impossible to spill when you're carrying it to the sink (Image credit: Future)

The only accessory I'd have appreciated is a knock-box for disposing of used pucks, since new users can easily knock the basket out of the handle and into the bin – but that’s a small wish. Everything supplied here feels solid and dependable.

The drip tray is also particularly well designed. It’s mostly enclosed until you choose to disassemble it for cleaning, with a pouring spout at the back for easy emptying.

  • Design score: 5/5

De'Longhi La Specialista Touch: performance

  • Guided brewing with auto adjustments for different beans and roasts
  • Milk texturizing is excellent (manual and automatic)
  • Rinsing and cleaning features could be better

The De’Longhi La Specialista Touch guides you through the process of brewing a perfect shot of espresso one step at a time, helping you achieve the consistent results that are the hallmark of a good coffee maker. The Bean Adapt Technology system automatically recommends ideal grinding and dosing settings to suit your chosen coffee, and takes the mystery out of setting up the optimum brewing process.

After loading your beans into the hopper, you’ll be asked a few basic questions about what you’re using: arabica or robusta, and the roast. The machine then uses this information to adjust the water brewing temperature and pre-infusion length (how long the grounds are allowed to soak before the shot is pulled).

Using grinder on De'Longhi La Specialista Touch coffee machine

Twist the tamping guide onto the portafilter and push it underneath the grinder to dispense your coffee without mess (Image credit: Future)

Many other machines stop there, but the La Specialista Touch goes further, giving you a hand with dosing your beans as well. When you’re ready to start, twist the tamping guide onto the basket, then push it under the grinder until it hits a button at the back of the machine and hold it still until grinding stops automatically.

Once the dose has been dispensed, you’re prompted to use the "smart tamper" to press down evenly (using the rubber mat for stability) and make a note of where the guide line ends up. If it reads +1 or +2, you have too much coffee and need to use the dosage adjuster to trim a little off the top. This twist-on tool is excellent, and allows you to remove just a few grounds without disturbing the whole coffee bed.

Image 1 of 2

Using smart tamper from De'Longhi La Specialista Touch coffee machine

The tamper lets you see whether you have an appropriate dose of coffee, or if you need to add some more or trim a little off the top (Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 2

Coffee puck prepared using De'Longhi La Specialista Touch coffee machine

It's easy to produce a perfectly even bed of coffee (Image credit: Future)

If the smart tamper reads "OK" then you’re ready to proceed to the next step, and if it reads -1 or -2 then you need to top it up a little. Push the handle under the grinder again to dispense some extra coffee, then tamp again. Dosing beans by volume rather than weight seems strange if you’re used to using scales, but it’s a valid method of dosing and the tools supplied with the La Specialista Touch make it pretty foolproof.

When you’re done, just enter the name of your beans using the on-screen keyboard, and you’re all set. Experimenting with different beans is part of the joy of coffee-making, so I appreciate the ability to create multiple profiles for different beans.

The machine’s grinder has 15 settings, and when brewing each drink, you’ll be prompted to dial it in. Your preset options are:

  • Espresso
  • Cappuccuno
  • Cold brew
  • Latte macchiato
  • Latte
  • Flat white
  • Hot milk
  • Long black
  • Americano

The machine can also dispense hot water, and in addition to customizing any of the presets, you can also create profiles for nine personal recipes. You’re not bombarded with options, but you are encouraged to tinker and experiment with brewing times and grind sizes to achieve the taste you prefer.

I was curious to test the cold brew function, particularly after experiencing the impressive results of the Jura J10, which was able to create a drink with a strikingly similar flavor profile to coffee brewed cold the traditional way, overnight.

Before starting the cold brew process, the De’Longhi La Specialista Touch will run cold water through its circuit to bring the temperature down (a sensible choice), then the water is passed slowly through the freshly ground coffee at low pressure. This machine doesn’t use the same "pulsing" brewing method as the J10, as you can see from the steady dripping in the video below.

The resulting cold brew americano (in this case) was smooth, but didn’t display the richness of the same drink made using the J10, with a thinner mouthfeel. It was okay, but not on the same level as traditionally cold-brewed coffee.

However, milk texturizing was excellent, with the Auto LatteArt system preparing your milk according to the drink you’ve chosen from the menu. Simply fill the pitcher to between the "maximum" and "minimum" lines, then select the option for dairy or an alternative. Next place the pitcher under the wand, adjust the wand to the angle marked "A" and you’re ready to begin. The wand will automatically incorporate air into the milk, then heat it to the correct temperature.

Foaming milk using De'Longhi La Specialista Touch coffee machine

The Auto LatteArt system works well to create different milk textures (Image credit: Future)

Achieving different textures for different drinks can be tricky, and I was impressed by how well the Auto LatteArt system managed to create different proportions of foam and steamed milk for various drinks. I’d say that the foam on my latte macchiato was a bit too aerated for my liking, but cappuccinos and caffe lattes turned out consistently well.

I also appreciated the temperature probe for manual steaming. Strictly speaking, it isn't necessary (I usually just use my hand on the side of the pitcher to judge temperature), and there will always be a degree of latency before temperature changes in the pitcher register on the machine’s display. Nevertheless, it’s a thoughtful addition for a machine designed to give new users a helping hand.

The only area where the De’Longhi La Specialista Touch seems to be lacking is maintenance. After some time I found that the grinder was becoming trickier to adjust – a sign that it had started to collect debris and coffee oils, and therefore required cleaning. De’Longhi’s instruction manual and cleaning video only describe cleaning the hopper and outside of the grinder using the brush supplied with the machine, so I’ve contacted the company to find out whether it’s possible to disassemble the grinder to access the burrs. I’ll update this review once I’ve heard back.

Having browsed through all the menus, I also haven't found a setting for rinsing the groupset between brews, and there’s no button to purge old grounds from the grinder if you’re changing the grind size – both of which are surprising.

  • Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the De'Longhi La Specialista Touch?

Buy it if

You're looking for your first espresso machine

The De'Longhi La Specialista Touch will help you brew great espresso, even if you're a complete beginner. Using it you'll develop your coffee-making skills so you can move to the next level. It's a machine that can grow with you, or let you stay in your comfort zone.

You're a little intimidated by technicalities

It's not fully automated, but the La Specialista Touch doesn't assume prior knowledge and makes brewing espresso a simple process.

You have a small kitchen

A fully manual machine such as the Gaggia Classic will take up even less space, but if you want a semi-automatic espresso maker then this is one of the most compact models available today.

Don't buy it if

You're time-poor

Dosing correctly using the smart tamping tools takes time, so if you want your coffee as quickly as possible then a fully automatic bean-to-cup machine would be a better choice.

You already use a coffee grinder

If you're already happy dialling in, grinding, and dosing your coffee, then you won't need all the features offered by the De'Longhi La Specialista Touch.

De'Longhi La Specialista Touch: also consider

Breville Bambino Plus

You'll need a separate grinder, but this is one of the best small espresso machines around. In fact, it's the one the trainer recommended when I completed my SCA training. Note that Breville products are branded as Sage in the UK.

Read our full Breville Bambino Plus review

Breville The Barista Touch Impress

A more premium semi-automatic espresso machine, the Barista Touch Impress is larger and pricier than the De'Longhi La Specialista Touch, but gives you even more of a helping hand to create the perfect drink thanks to its Impress puck system. One of the best coffee makers around.

Read our full Breville The Barista Touch Impress review

How I tested the De'Longhi La Specialista Touch

I used the De'Longhi La Specialista Touch with my favorite Burundi and Panama Winter Blend from local coffee shop Mokoko, fresh that week. I tested the water in the TechRadar test kitchen (hard) and configured the machine accordingly during the startup process. I used fresh water each time I began using the machine, and emptied the tank at the end of the day.

I used the Bean Adapt Technology system to configure the machine for my coffee, and dialled in the grinder so an espresso shot was extracted in about 28 seconds.

Latte prepared using De'Longhi La Specialista Touch coffee machine

(Image credit: Future)

I tested the milk frother using unhomogenized whole milk, freshly bought the same day and fridge-cold.

First reviewed March 2025

I’m an open-ear headphones naysayer, but the Honor Earbuds Open won me over for sound
2:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Honor Earbuds Open: One minute review

I’ve long been a naysayer of open-ear earbuds, despite (or probably because of) testing a huge number of them. However the first few months of 2025 brought a slew of impressive such buds to make me change my mind, and the Honor Earbuds Open is one of the ringleaders of the operation. While making it onto our list of the best open-ear earbuds is a relatively low bar, the Honors hurdle over it with ease.

Open-ear earbuds, for those of you who don’t know, are wireless earbuds that don’t sit in your ear, but rather very near your ear canal, to allow outside noises to get in too (useful for if you want to hear public service announcements on a commute, the noise of traffic that you’re nearby or light conversation). While Shokz popularized the category, most tech brands are now starting to reveal their own takes on an open-fit approach (production of such designs is reportedly up 600%, according to rival Huawei), and Honor is simply the latest company to take up the challenge. But the Chinese electronics firm, perhaps best known for its aspirational smartphones, has done a very good job here.

Given their design quirks, you have to forgive a few things with open-ear buds. But the slam-dunk of the Honor Earbuds Open is that they deliver everything you want in normal headphones, not just gimmicky "Ooh I can still hear you" ones.

For example, the Honors sound great, a compliment I’ve never once paid to open-ears. They offer energetic bass, bristling treble and a soundstage that’d be most welcome on normal earbuds, let alone ones that don’t even sit within your ears.

The fit is fantastic too, which is often the area that ruins otherwise-great open-ears. The Earbuds Open fit comfortably and securely, whether I was lounging at home, working out at the gym, cycling or going on runs. It was easy to forget I was wearing them at times!

Honor has also offered a feature that is incredibly rare in open-ears: active noise cancellation. When I first saw that the buds had this, I was baffled; after all, the entire point of open-ears is that they allow you to hear surrounding sounds. However in practice, it worked really well, with its light-touch implementation ensuring you can hear important environmental sounds without drowning your music in the hustle-and-bustle of city life.

A few issues affect the Honor Earbuds Open, most annoyingly the limited battery life which rules these out for long-distance runners. I also found the touch controls a little annoying to use, and you can easily mark any earbuds down for some of the features they don’t offer (an equalizer here) but none of these are deal-breakers… as you can probably tell, from the glowing review score and verdict.

The unfortunate release right at the same time as a cheaper, better-sounding rival (more on that in the 'Also consider' section) will only hurt the Honors, but they remain some of the best open-ear headphones on the market right now.

Honor Earbuds Open review: Specifications

Honor Earbuds Open review: Price and availability

The Honor Earbuds Open on a brown table.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Announced in February 2025
  • Priced at £149.99 (roughly $200, AU$300)
  • Not on sale in Australia or US

The Honor Earbuds Open were announced at annual tech conference MWC in February 2025, alongside a few other Honor gadgets.

You can pick up the buds for £149.99 (roughly $200, AU$300). Honor doesn’t seem to have a huge presence in the US or Australia, so I wouldn’t expect to see the buds go on sale in either region.

That’s a price slightly north of what some impressive rivals cost, (see the Shokz OpenFit Air, priced £119, which is around $150 or AU$229) but there are also big-name open-ears that cost a lot more, and the difference between Honor’s buds and its close rivals isn’t huge.

Honor Earbuds Open review: Design

The Honor Earbuds Open on a brown table.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Light-weight buds that are comfortable to wear
  • Comes in black or beige
  • Cigarette-case holder

The Honor Earbuds Open case reminds me of a cigarette case from an old movie. It’s wide and flat, incredibly slim and opens in a clamshell-style to reveal the curled earbuds hidden underneath. More practically, this compact design makes the case particularly easy to slip into pockets without it being a burden.

The case weighs roughly 80 x 61 x 20mm, and weighs 52.5g, so it’s smaller than a lot of other open-ear cases.

Now onto the buds: you can see the pictures, and you know what open-ear buds are like (hopefully, at least, if you’re considering buying some!). Like sport earbuds, they have a round-the-ear hook, holding the bud itself close to your ear and, hopefully, steadily in place.

The Honor Earbuds Open on a brown table.

Evidence of how easily-bendable the hook is. (Image credit: Future)

I found the Honors to be some of the more comfortable open-ears I’ve tested, thanks to the light weight (7.9g) and their soft plastic material. They also held the bud surprisingly close to the ear, which probably helps explain the superior audio quality which we’ll get to.

Rarely, for a pair of open-ear buds that isn’t being marketed towards athletes, the buds are secure enough for intense sports. I took them for several runs and gym workouts and never had an issue – they stay in place just fine.

Each bud has a touch control, which you can toggle by double- or triple-pressing the body of the bud (the silver bit in the images). It readily picked up my touch every time, but since you have to repeatedly hit the part of the bud that hangs down, I found myself repeatedly pushing it into my ear when I wanted to pause, which was a little bit annoying.

Two other things to note: firstly, you can pick up the buds in black or beige (which Honor calls Polar Gold). Secondly, they have an IP54 rating, which means they’re splash- and dust-proof – but don’t get them too wet.

  • Design score: 4.5/5

Honor Earbuds Open: Features

The Honor Earbuds Open on a brown table.

(Image credit: Future)
  • ANC is rare showing for open-ears
  • A few extra features with Honor app
  • Battery life is only 6 hours (40 for case)

The Honor Earbuds Open are the first open earbuds I’ve ever seen that have noise cancellation. What the point of noise cancellation is on an earbud form factor that people pick to let in outside sound I won’t understand, but it worked surprisingly well, so I can’t complain.

It’s by no means industry-leading noise cancellation, but its ‘less-is-more’ approach worked wonders. The open-ear frame lets you hear important sounds around you like train station announcements, the engines of nearby vehicles or calls from people in shops you’ve just left letting you know you’ve left your credit card behind. And the noise cancellation removes the unimportant sounds: distant traffic, annoying screeching trains and horrible weather conditions. Honor has found the Goldilocks spot for ANC: just right.

I personally chose to keep ANC off, not because I love hearing winds announcing that it was about to rain half-way through my 15k run, but because the battery life needs it. The buds only last for 6 hours of listening time when you’ve got ANC off, and even less when it’s on – I’d estimate about 4.5 hours. The charging case brings that total up to 22 hours which again isn’t great, and many rivals beat it.

The Honor Earbuds Open on a brown table.

(Image credit: Future)

If you download the Honor AI Space app on your smartphone, you get access to a few extra features. One of these is the ability to toggle the ANC on and off, another is the ability to connect to multiple smartphones, and you can also find your earbuds or change what the gesture controls do.

There’s technically an EQ toggle, but you can only change it between two modes: ‘Original’ and ‘Workout amplifier’, the latter of which I tested when I was working out and also in a more controlled sound environment. From what I can tell, the latter reduces the bass and the audio quality in favor of more volume and treble; I can see the reasoning for these changes, but they’re not pronounced enough for it to be worth the switch.

Another feature I need to flag is AI Translate; Honor’s website says you need the Honor Magic 7 Pro to use it, but it worked fine on my Realme phone. This is basically an interpreter app that lets you converse with someone in two of eleven languages, using both your phone’s speaker and the earbuds.

From what I can tell, and coming from someone who’s monolingual, it seemed to work well. It’s just a curious feature to come packaged with earbuds, especially when you could equally download and use Google Translate’s app.

  • Features score: 4.5/5

Honor Earbuds Open review: Sound

The Honor Earbuds Open in a man's ear.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Large 16mm drivers
  • Impressive treble and bass
  • No equalizer

I was ready to declare the Honor Earbuds Open the best-sounding open earbuds I’d ever tried; unfortunately, another pair of open-ears I was testing alongside them somehow managed to just pip them to the post, but they’re still great to listen to. I regularly forgot that I was listening to open-ear buds!

Tech-wise, the Honors each boast a 16mm dynamic driver each, which is bigger than on most rivals I’ve tested. And it tells.

Perhaps the most noticeable improvement the Honor Earbuds Open offer over other open-ears I’ve tested is that they have this thing called ‘bass’ – I can’t remember the last buds with this form factor that I’ve tested that have any noticeable amount of bass, a natural side-effect of buds hovering above ears. However the Honors offer warm and energetic low tones, perfect for thumping workout tunes.

But that’s not all: the buds have crisp treble, which is another useful component that lets the Earbuds Open cut through noise, and a pronounced sound stage that makes songs sound detailed and rich when you’re wanting to enjoy your tunes.

The only audio problem I faced was one that’s pretty common in all kinds of wireless earbud: mid sounds fell by the wayside a little compared to treble and bass. But in the eternal words of Meat Loaf “two out of three ain’t bad”, and the Honors are the first open-ears I’ve tested that I’ve actually been glad to put on my ears.

  • Sound performance score: 4.5/5

Honor Earbuds Open review: Value

The Honor Earbuds Open on a brown table.

(Image credit: Future)

Given that the open-ear bud market is still rather new, it’s hard to make decisive statements about the price categories for this kind of audio product. But I’d roughly say that these are at the cheaper end of the mid-range market.

With that in mind, there are definitely cheaper options available to you, although picking them up will naturally saddle you with worse-sounding earbuds (except in one case; more on that below). But there’s more to life than audio quality and some more affordable buds are better for certain uses, with longer battery life or more robust builds.

So if you’re looking for any passable pair of open-ears, the Honors might not offer you great value for money, but if you really care about good-sounding audio they’ll arguably be worth the higher price.

  • Value score: 4/5

Honor Earbuds Open review: scorecard

Honor Earbuds Open: Should I buy them?

The Honor Earbuds Open on a brown table.

(Image credit: Future)

Buy them if...

You need workout and non-workout open-ears

While many open-ear buds are best for exercising purposes, the Honors were equally good for that and for general use.

You need noise cancellation

There are very few open-ear buds that offer Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) but the Honors do – and in use, it is effective.

You need earbuds that translate for you

Admittedly a very niche use case, but if you need an on-the-go translator, I can't think of another pair of earbuds that offer it as a feature!

Don't buy them if...

You need a longer battery life

If you want to listen for long periods of time, whether it's through a full work day or a long run or a journey, the Honors won't help you much.

You like to fiddle with your audio mix

It's pretty easy to find wireless earbuds with some kind of EQ tab, even many open-ears, so the Honors won't suit people who like to tinker with their tunes.

Also consider

Huawei FreeArc

These open-ears from Honor's ex-parent-company Huawei are cheaper than the Earbuds Open, plus they sound better and have a few more features. The battery life is even worse though.

Our full Huawei FreeArc review is just days away… 

OpenRock Pro

These open-ears have a fantastic battery life, and they're really sturdy too, perfect for fitness users.

Read our full OpenRock Pro review

How I tested

The Honor Earbuds Open on a brown table.

(Image credit: Future)

I used the Honor Earbuds Open for two weeks in order to write this review. I tested them at the same time as two rival open-ears: the Huawei FreeArc and EarFun Openjump, which provided ample opportunity for comparison.

Through the review I used them alongside my Android smartphone, largely for music streaming on Spotify but also for streaming TV shows and playing games. As mentioned through the review I used them at home, on walks around my neighborhood, on cycle rides, on runs and at the gym.

I've been testing gadgets for TechRadar for over six years now, and have reviewed, amongst other things, many other open-ear earbuds.

Read more about how we test

  • First reviewed: March 2025
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Philips Sonicare 7100: Two-minute review

The Philips Sonicare 7100 isn’t quite as eye-wateringly expensive as the Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige, but at £350 (around $450 or AU$715) it’s still extremely pricey for a sonic toothbrush with a lithium rechargeable battery that will eventually decay. However, it’s a gorgeous piece of kit with a powerful motor, four brushing modes, three intensities, and a couple of cool accessories such as a charging travel case (downgraded from the Prestige's leather to cheaper plastic) as well as a stand. It's definitely up there with the best electric toothbrushes on our list.

The brush is very satisfying to hold and use. It feels premium: I’m used to very plasticky cheaper electric toothbrushes, so I’m pleased to say that if you're paying all this money, the Philips at least is satisfyingly weighty and incorporates metal into its design. Coupled with the black outer shell, it’s slightly reminiscent of a lightsaber, albeit one that cuts through plaque rather than Sith lords.

At 62,000 bristle motions per minute, the Philips Sonicare 7100 is on a par with the Sonicare 9900 Prestige in terms of its brushing performance. It’s got four brushing modes (Clean, Sensitive, White and Gum Health), and each one has three intensities, for 12 brush settings in total. It’s a case of trial-and-error to find the right one for your brushing routine, and I have a sneaking suspicion that a few of these setting and intensity combinations end up being repeated, based on sound and mouthfeel alone.

However, one thing’s for sure: this toothbrush is powerful. After using my cheaper, lower-powered brush for a while, the blast of the full-power Clean setting on the Philips was surprising, to say the least – a bit like grabbing onto a metal handrail and experiencing a static shock. After prolonged usage, and with the option for such a high-power setting should I want it, I’m not sure I could go back to my comparatively underpowered usual toothbrush.

Philips sonicare 7100

(Image credit: Future)

The power is evident in the motor, which does emit a moderate whine: using my phone’s decibel meter app, I measured readings of 55-57 decibels, equivalent to a soft conversation. The Ultim8 Supermouth brush, which I’m also testing, measured 44-46 decibels in comparison. The Philips is at the louder end, then, but it’s worth it for that extra oomph.

The battery life – up to three weeks – is largely immaterial, as your brush will likely either be on the charging stand or in the charging travel case most of the time. However, such a good battery life does mean that when you’re caught on the hop – for example, taking your case on long trips – that the brush will hold out and still provide a good clean.

There are only two issues I have with the Philips Sonicare 7100. The first is its price: while it’s an excellent toothbrush, it is more expensive than most in its category, although it does seem to receive frequent discounts. The second is in its name – Sonicare. This is a sonic toothbrush, which is a lot better than a manual brush, but some studies have shown that some oscillating brush heads are marginally more effective at getting rid of plaque than sonic ones. Our guide to sonic vs rotating toothbrushes can tell you more, but the power of the Philips will ensure that with regular proper usage, you’re still getting a great clean.

Philips Sonicare 7100: Specifications

Philips Sonicare 7100: Price and availability

Philips Sonicare 7100

(Image credit: Future)
  • £349.99 in the UK (around $450 / AU$715)
  • Frequently on sale
  • The Sonicare Expertclean 7500 is the similar equivalent model in US and Australia

The Philips Sonicare 7100 is available in the UK priced at £349.99 (around $450 / AU$715). This is crazy money for a toothbrush, but it’s frequently on sale: at the time of writing, Amazon has it for £158.99 (around $205 / AU$325). I don’t know what it is about electric toothbrushes that means they're priced so highly and then get such severe and almost permanent discounts, but it’s a recognized phenomenon.

Want one in the US or Australia? Philips doesn’t sell the Sonicare 7100 there as it categorizes its products differently in those regions. However, it does sell a very similar Sonicare Expertclean 7500, with four relabelled modes (Clean, White+, Gum Health and Deep Clean) and a slightly differently-shaped charging case. That retails for $199 / AU$312.

If the Sonicare 7100 wasn’t so frequently on sale I’d consider it poor value. However, it should be fairly easy to pick this brush up for around £150-£200, which makes it a very good buy indeed.

  • Value score: 3.5/5

Philips Sonicare 7100

(Image credit: Future)

Philips Sonicare 7100: Scorecard

Philips Sonicare 7100: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

You want more power

Want a serious sonic clean? The Sonicare 7100 has the power to tackle the toughest plaque.

You want to brush on the go

The charging case is convenient and very well-designed, with space for your brush head.

You want lots of options

With four modes, each with three intensities, you’ve got 12 combos to choose from.

Philips Sonicare 7100

(Image credit: Future)

Don't buy if if...

You can’t find it on sale

No toothbrush that I’ve yet tried is worth spending £350 / $450 / AU$715 on.

You want an oscillating brush head

As powerful as the Sonicare line is, if you’ve been advised to use an oscillating brush head by your dentist, consider the Oral-B iO Series.

You want to repair it

Unlike sustainable toothbrush manufacturer Suri, this toothbrush is not designed to be taken apart.

Also consider

Suri Sustainable Sonic Toothbrush

The best sustainability-focused sonic toothbrush.

Read our Suri Sustainable Sonic Toothbrush review

Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige

The best premium electric toothbrush.

Read our Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige review

How I tested

I used the Philips Sonicare 7100 for one week. I charged it using both the plug-in base and carry case, tried all the different modes on the toothbrush, and used a decibel meter app to calculate how loud the brush was compared to other brushes on the market.

First reviewed: March 2025

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