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5:00 pm | May 19, 2024

Nutribullet Pro+ blender: two-minute review

The Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 personal blender sits towards the upper end of this brands range, with a more powerful motor and an added pulse button compared to cheaper models.

This looks a lot like a standard Nutribullet, and for the most part it's the same straightforward but effective design. Add the blade part to one of the two included cups, twist it on to the main body of the blender and it starts to blend immediately, cutting out after 60 seconds to prevent pressure from building up in the cup. The more powerful motor (1200W) makes light work of even tough smoothie ingredients, and delivers consistently smooth results. To-Go lids can be attached directly to the blending cup once you've taken off the blade part, enabling you to blend and go.

Another point of difference here is the addition of a pulse button. This is good for things like salsas, and make it easy to tailor your blend to the perfect consistency you're looking for.

Pulse button on Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 blender — (Image credit: Future)

Price-wise, it sits in the mid-range of the wider market, and I'd say it's worth it if you want that extra power and the versatility of the pulse function. If you don't want the pulse function and are happy with a lower-powered option, you might be just fine with a cheaper Nutribullet like the 900 (read TechRadar's Nutribullet Pro 900 review), and if you want a quieter model with a fancy touchscreen rather than the twist-to-blend approach, you'll need to spend a bit more on the Ultra model (read TechRadar's Nutribullet Ultra review). However, in terms of effectiveness and value for money, the Pro+ 1200 is easily one of the best blenders I've tested, especially for smoothies.

The names are very slightly different in different territories, so for avoidance of confusion, here's what you're looking for:

For my review, I tested the UK version. There may be very minor differences between the models in different territories.

Nutribullet Pro+ blender review: price & availability

List price: $129.99 / £119.99 / AU$189.95
Launched: 2023
Available: worldwide

The Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 is available worldwide and is a mid-range blender. At ticket price, it's $129.99 in the US, £119.99 in the UK and AU$189.95 in Australia.

Within the Nutribullet personal blender range, it's one of the pricier options, sitting between the 900 series and the top-of-the-range Ultra. If you're on a tighter budget, there's also the less powerful 600 Series. See how all the models compare in the specs comparison table.

While the Pro+ 1200 isn't the cheapest, I think it's reasonably priced for a personal blender with a powerful motor. It's also worth keeping an eye out for deals around sales periods like Black Friday.

Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Nutribullet Pro+ blender review: design

Powerful 1200W motor
Two cups with two To-Go lids and two Comfort Lip Rings
Twist-to-blend, with 60 second auto-shut off
Manual pulse mode that lasts up to a minute

The Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 sits neatly on the worktop and is held in place by four suction feet. The main machine, without cups attached, measures 5.4 x 5.4 x 15" / 13.6 x 13.6 x 37.5cm (W x D x H).

It has a black body with a silver trim, and while it's not quite as sleek as the Nutribullet Ultra or the eye-catching finish of the Pro 900, it's still compact and stylish on the countertop.

Close up of blade for Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 blender — (Image credit: Future)

It comes with a powerful 1200-watt motor which – like the Ultra – is designed to split through tough ingredients such as frozen berries and almonds. To start it, you simply need to twist on the cup and a 60 second blend will start. What makes it stand out from cheaper models in the Nutribullet blender range, is a dedicated illuminated Pulse button on the front of the motor base, which allows you to stop the auto-blend within 5 seconds of it starting and then manually pulse your ingredients yourself for up to a minute.

To-Go lids on Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 blender cup — (Image credit: Future)

There are two blending cups provided – an 'Oversized' 32oz / 900ml cup and a 'Tall' 24oz / 680ml cup. There's no 'Short' 18oz / 511ml cup provided (this is the best option for a single smoothie serving) but one can be purchased separately from Nutribullet. The larger cup sizes give you plenty of flexibility when it comes to making smoothies or dips for a few people.

Both provided cups come with To-Go lids and Comfort Lip Rings, which means you don't have to decant your smoothie to a different cup before taking it out with you.

The cups can simply be twisted off after use and while they are dishwasher-safe, I found that washing the blade and cups with warm, soapy water straight after use kept them looking box fresh. Note that if those cups don't suit your needs, you can purchase other sizes separately from Nutribullet.

Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Nutribullet Pro 900 specs

Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 blender review: performance

Creates super-smooth smoothies, and pulse function useful for chunky blends
A little noisy in use – and louder than the Nutribullet Ultra
Ingredients can get stuck at top for thicker blends
Also decent at crushing ice

To give the Nutrbullet Pro+ 1200 a fair trial, I used it for a month in my kitchen to create smoothies and dips. I followed the recipe for a Creamy Coffee Smoothie, with banana, coffee, almond milk, Greek yoghurt, cinnamon and maple syrup, for example, which made a nice change from my hot morning coffee. I was also keen to find out how well it did at creating grainier dips such as hummus, as well as for a thick pancake mix.

With a 1200-watt motor base, the Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 has twice the power of the original Nutribullet 600. As soon as the cup is twisted on the blend cycle starts, and it will cut off automatically after a minute. I used the full minute for my Creamy Coffee Smoothie, and it created the smoothest of blends, and whipped the ingredients into up a delicious frothy texture. The 60-sec cutoff is so as not to cause a pressure build-up inside the cup, and it's important to wait until the motor cools before blending again.

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Making pancake batter in Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 blender — (Image credit: Future)

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Coffee smoothie made in Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 blender — (Image credit: Future)

Like the Ultra, the blades in the Pro+ 1200 are designed to work on tough ingredients, so ice, nuts and chickpeas will all work well here – provided you have enough liquid in the cup to help the mixture blend that is. If you don't have enough liquid, the ingredients tend to get stuck at the top of the cup. I had this issue when making my pancake batter – on my first attempt, the flour got stuck to the sides. I added more almond milk and shook the cup a few times, and after that it combined more effectively, and very quickly, too.

Ingredients for pancakes next to Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 blender — (Image credit: Future)

My final test was to see if the Pro+1200 could handle crushing ice. It performed well in our ice test, blitzing through the majority of a cupful of ice so that it formed a powder like finish ideal for snow cones. After 30 seconds i gave the cup a shake and let it soldier on through the remaining ice cubes.

Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 blitzing ice — (Image credit: Future)

One feature the Pro+ 1200 has that cheaper Nutribullets don't is a Pulse button. I used this to help when making a textured hummus, and I also think this would work well for chunky salsas, guacamole or anything else where there are tough ingredients that need breaking down into small chunks.

To use the Pulse button, you need to twist the cup on the base and press the Pulse button within five seconds. You can then manually press the Pulse button for up to a minute to adjust the texture to your exact preferences.

Overall, I really enjoyed using this blender and appreciate how powerful and flexible it is. It's quite loud in operation, however. The Nutribullet Ultra (which is designed to be quiet) measured 88.9 decibels on my Decibel Meter App, while the Nutribullet 1200 Pro+ came in at around 93.3 decibels. This isn't something that would put me off buying it, however, as my household is more than used to hearing me say ‘cover your ears for 60 seconds' whenever I want to prepare my morning smoothie.

Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Should you buy the Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 blender?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 blender

I trialled the Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 personal blender in my kitchen to see if it was capable of blitzing up standard blending recipes with ease. I used it to make humus to see how well the pulse feature could work here, and also make pancakes and a creamy coffee smoothie to see if all the ingredients combined effectively. To get a good idea of how loud it is in use, I measured noise levels using the Decibel Meter App on my smartphone. I also gave it a good wipe down and washed it to see how easy it was to clean.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed May 2024

NEO S controller review – retro hardware that prioritizes customization and convenience

4:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming Gaming Accessories | Tags: Nintendo Switch, UK, US | Comments: Off

One-minute review

The NEO S is the newest product from CRKD, the creator of one of the best Nintendo Switch accessories in the Nitro Deck. Despite its compact size, there are a surprising amount of features stuffed into the controller that help it stand out in an oversaturated market of controllers for Nintendo’s console. But, if you want something more versatile, the NEO S is also compatible with PC, smart TVs, and mobile which makes for a great all-rounder.

Given its extensive range of features that pit its capabilities above its peers, there’s a lot that goes into making the NEO S a controller worth adding to your collection. For those after a new go-to Nintendo Switch controller, the NEO S is cheaper than a pair of official Joy-Con controllers as well as the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. Plus, it offers Hall effect thumbsticks to prevent stick drift, alongside neat extras like adaptable triggers and re-mappable back buttons to help further customize your experience.

These are features that a lot of budget Nintendo Switch controllers don’t offer, but can drastically improve your gaming experience and mark the NEO S as a standout product in its price range.

The corner of the CRKD Neo S controller. — (Image credit: Future)

Price and availability

$49.99 / £49.99
US and UK availability
Slightly pricier than third-party controllers from PowerA and PDP

The NEO S costs $49.99 / £49.99, and is available through the CRKD store page or via Amazon store. When compared to other ‘collectible’ controllers on the market, the NEO S isn’t an expensive controller by any stretch of the imagination but still falls a little short of being a hugely budget-friendly option for the Nintendo Switch. However, once you factor in that the controller isn’t exclusively compatible with the Nintendo Switch, since you can also connect via PC, mobile, and Smart TV, its price tag does begin to justify itself.

Specs

A top down view of the CRKD Neo S controller. — (Image credit: Future)

Design and features

The design of the NEO S is its main appeal. As we saw with CRKD’s Nitro Deck variants, the controller initially sells itself on its collectability. Although the unit we are reviewing is the ‘Classic Clear’ variation, the controller launched as part of a collection of nine controllers, all sporting various, vibrant designs.

The ‘Classic Clear’ design is quite literal, offering a translucent clear shell that allows you to see all the inner workings. Both thumbsticks and the d-pad and home buttons are black, and both triggers and back buttons are a light gray, but a pop of color is added through the face buttons. As a whole, the design of the controller is a blatant stab at replicating the retro side of 90s hardware, especially with its translucent design and vibrant buttons. It’s a sturdy build, though the face buttons somewhat betray the NEO S with a cheap feel compared to the rest of the controller.

The bottom left hand side of the CRKD Neo S. — (Image credit: Future)

One of the main concerns I had about the design of the NEO S prior to use was its potential discomfort during longer gaming sessions due to its rectangular shape. For players used to using controllers with grips, the NEO S will feel like a drastic difference since it's a very flat gamepad. But, even though the product looks as though it’ll be uncomfortable in your hands after using it for a few hours, curves on the back support your hands and provide a grip for overall more comfortable gaming.

The design of the back of the controller and where your hands naturally sit during use provide easier access to the pair of re-mappable back buttons. This is ideal if you need to quickly input something without moving your hands from the sticks or buttons on the front of the controller. Even though it does stray from the traditional controller shape in favor of something reminiscent of early Nintendo consoles like the SNES and NES, it's clear that the NEO S has been made with its ergonomics in mind to ensure it's consistently comfortable to use.

Performance

The NEO S is incredibly easy to set up straight out of the box regardless of which platform you’re connecting it to. For Nintendo Switch, it’s as simple as holding down the central CRKD button in the controller connect screen from the main menu while you can use the USB-C cable that comes with the controller to connect to a PC.

There are a lot of in-built features that make the NEO S feel like a high-quality product, especially given its reasonable price tag. You’ll feel the benefits of rumble, which you can increase or decrease the intensity of via the app, and motion controls which are essential for games on the Nintendo Switch like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Splatoon 3. For those looking for a more reactive gaming experience, you can fine-tune everything from trigger to thumbstick sensitivity.

Due to the amount of individual features you can customize, the experience can be tailored to suit your exact needs. Although you can use the controller straight away, there are noticeable dead zones for games that require fast movement such as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, meaning that there are certain distances you have to move your thumbsticks before inputs register in- game. Fortunately, the controller also comes with a no deadzone mode which you can toggle on and off in the same way you’re available to adjust trigger sensitivity and remap the back buttons.

The back of the CRKD Neo S. — (Image credit: Future)

This can all be done through the CRKD app, where you can scan in your controller to see your product number and its rarity. This is great if you’re an avid collector of hardware, and lean into the collectible side of CRKD products. However, alongside accessing all this information, a large button labeled ‘CTRL’ (also referred to as CRKD CTRL) is your gateway to customizing your controller and also installing any future firmware updates. Even if you’ve never personalized a controller before, the app does a great job at walking you through it step by step so you know exactly what you’re doing.

All in all it’s a neat bit of tech that offers everything you could need for a Nintendo Switch controller. Paired with a battery life that lasts around eight and a half hours from my testing, given I only had to charge it once during my 20-hour testing period, it’s a vital addition if you need a decent spare gamepad or something far more comfortable than the Joy-Con. But although its offerings don’t necessarily fall short when connected to a PC, Smart TV, or mobile, they do feel more tailored to the Switch which is why we hold our comparison so close to alternative third-party controllers designed for the system.

Should I buy the NEO S?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

If you’re not keen on the NEO S, take a look at these two alternatives.

The CRKD Neo S controller. — (Image credit: Future)

How I tested the NEO S

Tested for 25 hours
Tested across Nintendo Switch and PC
Compared to other third-party controllers at the same price point

I tested the NEO S controller on both Nintendo Switch and PC for over 20 hours on a variety of games. For the Nintendo Switch, I tested the controller within games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Super Smash Bros Ultimate, whereas I used it for games like Stardew Valley, Duck Game, and Tekken 8 on PC. The programmable back buttons and customizable dead zones of the controller gave me the opportunity to personalize my settings to suit whatever game I was playing, which is a feature many alternative products lack.

Given the mid to high price point for a third-party Nintendo Switch controller, I wanted to see how it stacks up against its competitors - especially given the emphasis on the collectible side of the product over its performance.

To ensure thorough and honest testing, I used a variety of other controllers at a similar price, such as the PDP Afterglow, and during the testing period within the same games, and can say with confidence that the NEO S offers a solid, more personal performance due to its customizable features, alongside a sturdy build quality and unique design that makes it a product well worth considering if you’re looking for an alternative gamepad that also looks the part.

Holy Stone HS900: one-minute review

I’ve reviewed almost every Holy Stone drone available and its latest model, the Holy Stone HS900, represents a significant improvement across the board which makes it the Chinese drone manufacturer’s best drone to date. So much so, that what’s on offer competes directly with the DJI Mini 3 and the Potensic Atom – two impressive mid-range sub-250g drones that come in at two price points.

In terms of price, the HS900 single battery kit costs $330 making it marginally more expensive than the Potensic Atom and significantly less expensive than the DJI Mini 3. Is it better than the Mini 3? No, but if you’re on a budget, it offers an enticing alternative to the Potensic Atom and also provides additional features that could be a deciding factor on which drone to choose, and firmly cements it as one of the best beginner drones available.

Holy Stone HS900 specs

Camera: Sony 1/2.3 in 48MP CMOS sensor / fixed focus f/2.6 lens
Video resolution: Up to 4K
Frame rates: 4K 30 fps / 1080p up to 60 fpsVideo transmission range: 1.86 miles / 3 kmFlight modes: Stable, Normal, Sport
Battery: 2250 mAh Li-ion / up to 30 minutes
Charger type: USB-C cable
Weight: 8.7oz / 249g
Dimensions: 5.63x3.26x2.44in / 143×82.8×62mm folded / 6.59x 8.57x2.44in / 167.4x217.8x62mm unfolded

We’ll go into much more detail later, but some of the features and functionality you can enjoy with the HS900 include a camera with a Sony 1/2.3 in 48MP CMOS sensor and a fixed focus f/2.6 lens, up to 4K 30fps video, subject tracking, time-lapse capture, cruise control, automated flight patterns and much more. Image quality is also very good, not perfect, but the minor issues here could be resolved with a future firmware update.

All-in-all, the HS900 slips into a burgeoning sub-250g drone category which is fiercely competitive, where less expensive options are now hacking at the heels of the DJI. It’s unlikely that they’ll succeed in catching up or overtaking the market leader – although DJI is facing a potential ban in the US – but with the trickle-down of features and improvements in flight performance and image quality with budget drones, it’s pilots who are ultimately benefitting from greater choice.

Holy Stone HS900: Release date and price

Released May 2024
Only available in the US at launch
Available in other regions soon

At launch in May 2024, the Holy Stone HS900 was initially only available in the US. The drone will become available in the UK and other regions shortly. At the time of writing, US residents can purchase the HS900 single battery kit from Amazon for $369.99 after applying a $100 voucher, although the price regularly fluctuates. For UK-based and Australian pilots, this converts to £280 / AU$550 respectively, but official pricing for these regions is yet to be announced so this price could vary.

The single-battery HS900 kit includes the HS900 drone, a controller, one smart battery, phone connection cables, a USB-C charging cable, a set of spare propellers, spare screws, a screwdriver and a carry bag.

Dual and triple battery kits are suggested on the Holy Stone website, so we could see additional battery kits becoming available in the future. We have been told that a battery charging hub is also due to be released, allowing multiple batteries to be charged at once rather than one at a time in the drone via USB-C.

We'll update this page with any price and availability updates.

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Holy Stone Sirius HS900 unfolded viewed from above — (Image credit: James Abbott)

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Holy Stone Sirius HS900 folded showing the top of the airframe — (Image credit: James Abbott)

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Holy Stone Sirius HS900 folded showing the bottom of the airframe — (Image credit: James Abbott)

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Holy Stone Sirius HS900 battery being slotted into the battery bay — (Image credit: James Abbott)

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Holy Stone Sirius HS900 battery — (Image credit: James Abbott)

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Holy Stone Sirius HS900 carry case — (Image credit: James Abbott)

Holy Stone HS900: Design and controller

Lightweight folding design
New controller
Great build quality

Most drones these days feature a folding design to reduce size for transportation and storage, and the HS900 is no exception in this regard. It’s a tried, tested and ultimately successful approach to drone design, so it makes perfect sense in every way. The dark gray drone is just 5.63x3.26x2.44in / 143×82.8×62mm when folded, with an unfolded size of 6.59x8.57x2.44in / 167.4x217.8x62mm and a weight of 8.7oz / 249g. So, all pretty standard for a drone of this type.

Build quality is very good, and there’s nothing to indicate the relatively low cost of the HS900. In fact, it looks more expensive than it actually is, even if looks don't ultimately impact performance. The drone is made of lightweight plastic so it doesn’t feel substantial in the hand, but to be fair this is the case with even the most expensive sub-250g models – it’s just a way of keeping weight down. Durability certainly isn’t an issue.

Flight times are respectable, averaging around 22 minutes in moderate to gusty wind before Return to Home was initiated at 20% battery, as opposed to the advertised flight times of up to 30 minutes. However in reality, with lower winds and warmer temperatures, flight times would likely increase. The 2250mAh battery takes just over an hour to charge in the drone via USB-C, which is quite fast, and you can also charge batteries this way using a USB power bank when out in the field.

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Holy Stone Sirius HS900 P2 controller — (Image credit: James Abbott)

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Holy Stone Sirius HS900 P2 controller with smartphone attached — (Image credit: James Abbott)

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Holy Stone Sirius HS900 P2 controller stick storage — (Image credit: James Abbott)

The HS900 uses a new P2 controller which sports a simple yet functional design with all of the direct access controls you need to control the drone, the camera and the gimbal. This includes a small joystick for adjusting specific camera settings and a dual-function Fn button that can be customized with two different functions.

For the review, I set the button to tilt the gimbal between 0-degrees and 90-degrees with a single press, and to initiate Cruise Control with a double press. The build quality of the controller can’t be faulted, and although the bottom-mounted folding phone holder arms have a slightly flimsy feel to them, they securely accommodate smartphones of all sizes, so no worries here.

Holy Stone HS900: Features and flight

Smooth flight controls
Includes subject tracking
Multiple flight modes

Holy Stone drones have always been pretty good flyers, but they have also lacked the finesse of more expensive drones. With the HS900, this has all changed and the flight performance on offer is greatly improved and puts the drone comfortably among its rivals. Flight controls are also smooth and responsive, so it’s possible to perform positive maneuvers when capturing video.

What’s more, the gimbal tilt, which has a range of 30 to -90-degrees, allows you to shoot upwards slightly as well as straight down, and has a smooth so you can confidently incorporate it into maneuvers for more dynamic video shots. Image stabilization is highly effective, using a combination of the 3-axis mechanical gimbal and Electronic Image Stabilization to produce shake-free video footage.

With GPS positioning, provided by GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou systems, hovering is generally stable with drift mostly noticeable at higher altitudes. With GPS, pilots can also take advantage of Return to Home functionality which can be initiated manually by the pilot, or automatically when the battery reaches 20% charge / when the connection between the drone and controller is lost. It can also be cancelled when the battery reaches 20% if you want to increase flight time slightly.

Despite being a small and lightweight drone, the HS900 offers level 5 wind resistance, which equates to wind speeds up to 24 mph. The HS900 was flown in wind gusts of 22mph during testing and showed no signs of struggling in any of the three main flight modes/speeds, so this claim appears to be correct. The flight modes include Stable with a top speed of 11mph, Normal with a top speed of 22mph and Sport which offers the maximum flight speed of 31mph.

Being a mid-range sub-250g drone, like its direct competitors, the HS900 doesn’t offer obstacle avoidance, so you do have to take care when flying close to obstacles and when using automated flight patterns. It does, however, have a downward vision system that’s used to determine the ground in situations when a GPS signal is unavailable, such as when flying indoors.

Holy Stone HS900 Time-lapse

The automated flight patterns on offer include Point of Interest, Spiral up, Tap Fly (waypoints), Gesture Selfie, One-key Ascension and Catapult, which work as intended. Plus, there’s subject tracking where you draw a box around the subject to be followed and the drone will do just that. This works well for the most part, but there are times when the HS900 loses the subject so it’s not perfect.

A fun and easy to use feature is Time-lapse, with manual control over the interval and video length, plus exposure and shutter speed to maintain consistency in your videos. Unlike DJI's Time-lapse feature, the HS900's version works independently from flight and you simply hover instead. If you wish to create a moving sequence, also known as a hyper-lapse, you have to judge flight distance and speed yourself, which is extremely tricky. It’s much easier to simply select a composition and shoot with the drone in a hover.

Cruise Control is another useful feature and one that, as the name suggests, allows you to set the drone on a course and maintain it without having to hold the control sticks. This provides greater consistency for videos thanks to a consistent speed. I did try to use Cruise Control when shooting a Time-lapse, but each time it adjusted the gimbal tilt making it unusable in this situation, unfortunately.

Holy Stone HS900: image quality

Sony 1/2.3 in CMOS sensor
Up to 48MP photos
4K 30 fps & 1080p 60 fps video

Holy Stone Sirius HS900 close-up of the camera and gimbal — (Image credit: James Abbott)

Once again, like overall performance, the image quality produced by the HS900 beats all other Holy Stone drones hands down. The camera features a Sony 1/2.3-inch 48MP CMOS sensor with a fixed focus f/2.6 lens providing a 100-degree field of view, and sharp video and photo quality.

Fixed focus may sound like a step down from autofocus, which it is in a way, but it uses the principle of hyperfocal distance to provide the maximum depth-of-field possible for the combination of focal length and aperture – meaning much of the scene will be in sharp focus.

Overall image quality is very good for both photos and videos, which can be captured with the camera set to auto or manual exposure. Image quality is best in brighter conditions, like all drones with a small image sensor, but white balance is a little quirky and could benefit from adjustments in a future firmware update. The white balance presets are a little off what you would expect, with Auto providing the best, yet not always perfect results.

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Photo of a pier taken with the Holy Stone Sirius HS900 — (Image credit: James Abbott)

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Photo of a coastal town taken with the Holy Stone Sirius HS900 — (Image credit: James Abbott)

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Photo of a beach and groyne from above taken with the Holy Stone Sirius HS900 — (Image credit: James Abbott)

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Photo of a circus from above taken with the Holy Stone Sirius HS900 — (Image credit: James Abbott)

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Photo of a cirus tent in a field taken with the Holy Stone Sirius HS900 — (Image credit: James Abbott)

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Photo of a bridge from above taken with the Holy Stone Sirius HS900 — (Image credit: James Abbott)

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Photo of an industrial area taken with the Holy Stone Sirius HS900 — (Image credit: James Abbott)

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Photo of a town taken with the Holy Stone Sirius HS900 — (Image credit: James Abbott)

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Photo of a water treatment facility taken with the Holy Stone Sirius HS900 — (Image credit: James Abbott)

Photos can be captured in 4K resolution (3840x2160 pixels) and 48MP with image dimensions of 8192x4608 pixels – these are in 16:9 format rather than the more common 4:3 format used for drone photos.

Photo capture is currently only available in JPEG format, but raw capture will be added in a future firmware update. Video can be captured in 4K at 30 fps and 1080p at 60 fps in a Normal/Standard color profile for straight-out-of-camera use, and is saved in MP4 format. A flat color profile for increased dynamic range and color grading is, unsurprisingly, unavailable.

My short wish list for a firmware update would be to build on the well-featured camera control by including a histogram and Automatic Exposure Bracketing (AEB). The former is invaluable for assessing exposure, while the latter makes shooting in high-contrast situations, such as around sunrise and sunset, much easier because you can capture bracketed exposures for HDR photography.

Holy Stone HS900 video in 4K / 30 fps

Should I buy the Holy Stone HS900?

Holy Stone Sirius HS900 unfolded on concrete — (Image credit: James Abbott)

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Holy Stone HS900

Several days and flights
Used in mixed weather, including moderate wind
Various flight modes and video and photo settings

The Holy Stone HS900 was tested over several days of flying in a range of locations, environments and weather conditions (excluding rain) to test flight performance, flight features, overall handling and image quality for both photo and video capture. All testing is conducted in a way that meets local aviation laws and restrictions to ensure that all flights are safe and legal.

Drones are always tested using manual flight patterns for video that are typical of professional aerial video capture to shoot visually interesting footage. This also provides the opportunity to test aspects such as the connection between the drone and controller, latency between the two and the accuracy of the controls and flight in general.

With nearly 30 years of photographic experience and 15 years working as a photography journalist, I’ve been covering drones in terms of shooting and editing techniques, alongside writing drone reviews for a number of years. As well as flying most consumer and prosumer models, I’ve previously held a PfCO (Permission for Commercial Operations) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority in the UK, and now fly under an A2 CofC (A2 Certificate of Competency).

First reviewed May 2024

Smeg Professional Blender review

1:25 pm | May 17, 2024

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

Smeg Professional Blender: two-minute review

The Smeg Professional Blender is a sleek, high-end appliance with an impressive array of functions: nine blending speeds, four presets, plus a Pulse and Auto Clean mode. It comes with 1.5 liter Tritan jug, a fixed blade, vacuum pump attachment, tamper, spatula, and cleaning brush. I tested one out to see how it compares to the rest of the best blenders on the market.

This model is known by different names in different territories:

US model: BLC01BLMUS Professional
UK model: BLC02BLMUK High Performance
Australian model: BLC02BLMAU High Performance

For this review I tested the UK model; note there might be minor differences between different countries' versions.

Smeg as a brand is perhaps best known for its juicers and espresso machines, but it also makes a small selection of blenders – elsewhere in the range you'll find the entry-level Smeg personal blender and a mid-range Smeg jug blender. The model I tested for this review is the brand's high-end jug blender.

Unlike the brightly-colored and bubble-shape of the majority of the Smeg appliance range, the Professional blender is more sleek and subtle. It's powered by a 1400W motor, and has a row of preset buttons along the top of its aluminum and plastic base. These are then controlled via an intuitive LCD dial on the front.

Thanks to the blender's slim design, it fits comfortably under kitchen cupboards, even with the jug attached. While its relatively low weight makes it easy to move around your countertop, and store. However, the fact the blades aren't removable makes things tricky when it comes to cleaning and getting blended food out of the jug.

Smeg BLC01 Professional Blender in reviewer's home — (Image credit: Future)

For this review, I used the blender to make a range of drinks and food, including a smoothie, a sauce and hummus. I also used it to crush ice. For the items that had preset functions, namely the smoothie and the ice, the performance was near-perfect. However, for the items for which I had to use the blender's Manual mode, the performance was hit-and-miss. For its premium price ($429.95 / £499.99 / AU$799), I expected slightly more consistent results.

However, all things considered, the Smeg Professional Blender looks great and works well. If you can afford it, and especially if you've previously been put off by the bright designs of the rest of the Smeg range, it will be a decent investment that should last you a long time.

Smeg Professional Blender review: price & availability

List price: $429.95 / £499.99 / AU$799

At time of writing, there are three models in the Smeg BLC01 blender range and the Professional version is the most expensive, with a list price of $429.95 / £499.99 / AU$799. For this price you get the blender base with a fixed blade, a 6 cup / 1.5 liter Tritan jug, a vacuum pump attachment, tamper, spatula and cleaning brush.

This price makes the Professional model significantly more expensive than other high-end models from the likes of Ninja and Nutribullet. In fact, many rival models, including Ninja's Foodi Power Blender system, offer a much wider range of accessories, blades and settings for half the price.

In the US, the Smeg Professional Blender is available in black (BLC01BLMUS) or white (BLC01WHMUS) and is sold at Crate & Barrel, Williams-Sonoma, plus a number of third-party retailers. You can see the full-range of retailers on the Smeg website.

In the UK, the appliance is known as the Smeg High-Performance blender and it's available directly from Smeg, AO, Robert Dyas and Amazon. Its black model is sold under code BLC02BLMUK, while its white version is BLC02WHMUK.

In Australia, the black (BLC02BLMAU), and white (BLC02WHMAU) models, plus an emerald green (BLC02EGMAU) version are sold as the High-Performance blender from Smeg, and Amazon.

If you want a Smeg blender but can't stretch to the Professional model, the entry-level PBF01 Personal blender costs $169.95 / £109.95 / AU$199. It only makes single serve drinks and has just two blending speeds but it's more compact. Alternatively, the mid-range, 50s style Smeg BLF03 Jug Blender costs $299.95 /£179.95 / AUS $362. It has the same 1.5L BPA-free Tritan Jug seen on the Professional model, and a range of presets, but only four blending speeds. It also lacks the vacuum, and Auto Clean feature of the Professional.

With the Smeg Professional blender you're largely paying for the brand and style. The performance is solid, the range of blending options is good, and the vacuum attachment and Auto Clean features are welcome. Yet none of these are revolutionary. This does mean the price of the Smeg Professional blender is a little excessive, but at least you know you're getting a quality appliance from a trusted manufacturer.

Value for money score: 3 out of 5

Smeg Professional Blender specifications

Smeg Professional Blender review: design & features

1400w motor, 1.5 liter BPA-Free Tritan jug
9 blending speeds + 4 presets, Pulse, and Auto Clean
Sleek design, but blades are fixed

Smeg is as renowned for the design of its appliances as it is for their functionality. The BLC01 blender is no exception. However, unlike the bubble-shaped, brightly colored designs seen across the majority of the Smeg range, the Professional blender looks much sleeker and more high-end.

There are hints at the iconic 'Smeg' shape, but they're more subtle. The base has smooth, curved lines with either a white or black plastic panel on the back, and an aluminum panel on the front emblazoned with the Smeg logo. I was sent a black model to review and it fit in seamlessly with my other metal and black appliances and cream units.

Inside the base is the 1400W motor which produces a max spin of 22,000 RPM. Below the Smeg logo is a circular dial with an LCD display. The power button is on the left-hand side of the base, and along the top is a row of buttons that each relate to the blender's different presets.

From left to right these buttons are:

Smoothie
Green smoothie
Frozen dessert
Ice Crush
Autoclean
Pulse

In addition to these presets, you can manually select from one of nine blending speeds in Manual Mode.

Size-wise, the blender measures 16.6 x 6.6 x 8.9 inches / 42.1 x 16.8 x 22.5 cm (H x W x D) and this means it should fit comfortably under most kitchen cupboards, even with the jug attached. Adding the vacuum pump to the top of the jug extends its height to 20.5 inches / 52.1 cm.

Weight-wise, the base and jug together weigh 14.5lb / 6.6 kg and this makes it easy to move around your countertop, or if you want to store it in a drawer or cupboard. It then has anti-slip feet on the bottom of the base, and a 3ft / 1m cord.

The jug slots on and off the base easily; there is no fiddly twisting or locking it into place like on most blenders. I was concerned it would move during use but it never did. A lid with a silicone seal slides on top, with a small, twist-off cap that is used to add ingredients mid-blend.

When making green smoothies, or any drink where you want to retain the nutritional value of your ingredients, the battery-powered vacuum is attached in place of the twist-off cap.

Smeg traditionalists may not like the sleeker, less conspicuous design of the Professional blender but I'm a big fan. It looks more professional and the small touches such as the smooth dial and discreet controls make it feel premium and closer in design to what I'd expect for the price point.

In fact, my only real complaint about the design is that the blades aren't removable. This means that cleaning the Smeg Professional Blender can be tricky, and somewhat dangerous. I couldn't guarantee that the jug and undersides of the blades were as clean as I'd like when washing by hand. Thankfully, the jug is dishwasher safe and the blender comes with a dedicated Automatic Cleaning mode. So this is a minor point.

Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Smeg Professional Blender review: performance

Didn't fully blitz kale or seeds
Makes perfect crushed ice
Presets perform better than manual settings

With each of the appliances I review, I begin by seeing if I can navigate the different controls and settings without looking at the Quick Start guide or instruction manual. This gives me an idea of how intuitive they truly are and the Smeg Professional blender passed the test.

The icons on each of the buttons are fairly obvious. My only confusion came from knowing what the difference was between the standard Smoothie button and its Green Smoothie equivalent. Pressing each of these presets brings the LCD display to life and it shows the blending time for the selected setting and an icon of either a single person (for Single Serve drinks) or a group of people for the Family Serve option. You can turn the dial to switch between these two modes before pushing the dial in to start the blend.

The default time for a Single smoothie is 30 seconds. This increases to 45 seconds on Family Serve mode (other default settings are listed in the manual). You can, at any point, turn the dial to increase or decrease the speed. If you'd rather use the Manual mode, simply turn the dial (without any presets selected) to cycle through the nine speed settings. Then push to start.

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Making a kale, blueberry and banana smoothie in the Smeg BLC01 Professional Blender — (Image credit: Future)

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For my first test, I made a kale, blueberry and banana smoothie mixed with almond milk. I pressed the Green Smoothie button, due to the presence of kale, turned the dial to select the Single Serve mode and pushed the dial to start the blend. The resulting smoothie looked far from appealing, but it tasted delicious.

The texture was thick and slightly gritty, and I could see small flecks of kale floating in the drink but this didn't take away from the enjoyment of drinking it. I had worried I'd be able to feel the kale in my mouth, but the overall texture of the smoothie meant the whole thing went down, well, smooth.

Making crushed ice in the Smeg BLC01 Professional Blender — (Image credit: Future)

Next, I used the blender to create crushed ice using the Ice Crush setting. This setting causes the blender to operate in short bursts for 35 seconds to crush the ice to a powder. It worked fantastically and created perfectly even and smooth powdered ice that was perfect for margaritas, or slushies.

Lastly, I used the Smeg blender to make tahini, before using the tahini to make hummus. I toasted sesame seeds, poured them into the jug and blended them at Speed 6 in Manual mode for 20 seconds, until they had a crumbly texture. I added olive oil and blended for a further two minutes until the tahini was smooth. I then added the tahini, garlic cloves, oil, lemon juice, drained chickpeas, a pinch of ground cumin and sea salt into the blender and blitzed the mixture for 10 seconds on Speed 4. I removed the lid, used a spatula to scrape the mixture from the sides and blended for another 10 seconds.

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Making hummus in the Smeg BLC01 Professional Blender — (Image credit: Future)

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After 20 seconds, the mixture had barely blended. I repeated the above step five more times – and even then there were still lumps of chickpea and an inconsistent texture. What's more, trying to get all of this mixture out from beneath the blades was difficult and I ended up having to wash a large portion away because it wasn't possible, or safe, for me to remove it, even with the provided cleaning brush.

Finally, in terms of noise, the blender averaged around 80dB on lower speeds. During my hummus test, this increased to 85db, on average, and during the Ice Crush test, the decibels soared to 95db+. On Manual Mode, Speed 1 produced around 69db, while on Speed 9 the average reading was 90db.

From my experience, this blender performs much better when you use the presets than when attempting to make something manually. If you only plan to use the blender for these set purposes – smoothies, frozen desserts and crushing ice – I can barely fault it. If you want it to function closer to a food processor, you may be disappointed.

Performance score: 4 out of 5

Should I buy the Smeg Professional Blender?

Buy it if...

Don’t buy it if...

How I tested the Smeg Professional Blender

I used it to blend drinks and food
I checked the noise level
I assessed how easy it was to clean

I used the Smeg Professional blender in my own home for two weeks, making smoothies, sauces, hummus and crushed ice.

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

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

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner: two-minute review

The Miele DuoFlex HX1 is part of the European brand's HX1 range, pitched as the brand's most affordable cordless vacuum cleaner. The DuoFlex HX1 is available in five different iterations. They're the same core vacuum with the same main cleaner head, but in a range of colors and with varying tools and accessories included. That means you can choose the model that suits you, without having to shell out for extra tools that you don't really need.

Miele is a European brand that has a long history of designing practical vacuums that stand the test of time. It's still best known for its plug-in vacuums, but will no doubt be hoping the HX1 range will earn it spot on TechRadar's best cordless vacuum ranking.

On test it felt well-built, sturdy and robust, but heavy and cumbersome. It's designed to be as powerful as Miele's bagged vacuums, and I found the dirt collection was good on the higher power level. The HX1's ability to automatically detect different floor types and adjust its suction in response takes the fuss out of vacuuming around your home. I also appreciated the clever self-cleaning filter.

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum laid out on the floor, surrounded by attachments — (Image credit: Future)

However, these innovative features are let down by some issues with the basics. The small dirt bin, messy emptying process and the short battery life are frustrating and mean this vacuum cleaner is best suited to smaller homes and those with predominantly hard floors.

For this review, I tested out the HX1 Cat & Dog version, the USP of which is a handheld 'Electro Compact' brush. I found this did a great job of removing hair from pet bedding and thoroughly cleaning upholstery. However, the small dust bin limits this vacuum's suitability for pet owners, especially if their four-legged friends shed a lot. Read on for my full Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner review.

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner review: price & availability

UK: from £449, available now (launched summer 2024)
US: from $599, launching June 2024
Australia: price and launch date TBC

Each of the five models in the Miele DuoFlex HX1 range is priced slightly differently. It's the same base model for all versions, but the accessories included differ. Hop to my model comparison table to see exactly how they compare, but price-wise the UK range runs from £369 to £499, with the Cat & Dog model I reviewed is £449. There's plenty of scope to choose the model that's right for your home and lifestyle.

The Miele DuoFlex HX1 range launched in summer 2024 in the UK. At time of writing, that's the only territory it's available in, but it is due to launch in the US in June 2024, at $599 for the standard HX1 model. It will also be available in Australia, but we don't have pricing information yet.

Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner specs

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum model options

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner review: design

Sturdy build, tools supplied vary by model
ComfortClean system removes the need to wash filter
Dust cup is small at 0.3L

The various models in the range are available in different colors. The Miele DuoFlex HX1 Cat & Dog comes in obsidian black and space gray, which is just a fancy way of saying it's essentially a black and gray vacuum – arguably a bit dull. That being said, not everyone wants a bright and lurid vacuum. And while the look is understated, the vacuum itself has a sturdy quality. It feels well built, as do all the tools.

The 'MultiFloor electrobrush' is the HX1's standard cleaning head. Additionally, all models come with a dusting brush and crevice nozzle – both of which can be stored on the wand of the vacuum so they're always to hand when needed – and a large upholstery nozzle.

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner with tools attached — (Image credit: Future)

Beyond those tools, the extras depend on the model you go for. The special addition for the Cat & Dog version I had on test is a small 'Electro Compact brush', designed specifically for tackling pet hair on upholstery.

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner in use in reviewer's home — (Image credit: Future)

The vacuum switches on via a button on the front of the handle, so there's no uncomfortable trigger to worry about. A second button below it enables you to switch between the two power levels.

The charging cable can be plugged directly into the vacuum, or, if you're installing the wall bracket it can be included in this setup so the vacuum automatically charges every time it's docked on the bracket.

While many vacuums now include washable lifetime filters, Miele has developed an even better solution with what it calls the ComfortClean self-cleaning function. By turning the ComfortClean cap, the fine dust filter is cleaned in place. Any dirt that's removed from the filter makes its way into the dust bin and gets emptied out with the rest of the debris into your trash.

The dust bin is emptied easily via a flap that releases the dirt into the trash. But the small 0.3 liter dirt capacity will definitely be off-putting for some households.

Design score: 4 out of 5

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner review: performance

Dirt bin fills up frustratingly fast, and emptying it can be messy
Feels heavy and a bit cumbersome, but maneuvers well
Suction is good and auto power switching is effective

When reviewing the Miele DuoFlex HX1, a few things were obvious even from the first use. This vacuum feels weighty, and I'm not just talking about vacuuming overhead. It has a heaviness even when vacuuming floors, which I think is down to the balance and the position and/or the angle of the handle.

Furthermore, the handle felt pretty chunky in my small hands, verging on uncomfortable. But I'm a 5ft 3in woman, so I got my 6ft 2in husband to try it out. He found the handle size to be more appropriate to his hand size. Though he felt there was less space under the handle and his fingers were a bit squashed. He also commented on the appearance of the vacuum which he liked, but I'm less keen on.

Maneuverability was good on all floors. The main floorhead automatically detects carpet and increases the suction in response. This auto switching function works effectively, and I found it really took the thinking out of maneuvering between floor types, though the down-side it that it drains the battery (more on that later).

Edge cleaning along baseboards is fine on the lower power setting, but much better on the higher setting. Even when I deliberately sprinkled debris along baseboards, it was thoroughly sucked up on the higher suction, which isn't always the case with cordless vacuums.

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner sucking up oats near the skirting board of the reviewer's home — (Image credit: Future)

I've got both carpeted and wood stairs and the HX1 coped well with both. However, in general, even on hard floors, it was rare that I could vacuum a whole room on the lower suction. Generally, I felt the need to increase the power to the higher level to be certain of a thorough clean. And again, this impacts the amount of cleaning time you get before the battery dies.

After just five minutes of vacuuming a bedroom carpet, that wasn't all that dirty, the small dust bin was full up. The loose carpet fibers quickly fill the small bin, and while it doesn't fill up this fast on hard floors. If you've got a very busy house with children and pets, the dirt bin is not likely to be big enough. Similarly for larger homes, the frequent need to empty the bin will become very tedious.

Further to that, emptying out the dirt wasn't always straightforward. While the catch releases the base of the dust bin, the dirt doesn't always fall out. Often hair gets tangled around the pre-filter and sometimes debris gets stuck behind it. The pre-filter then has to be pulled out by hand to fully release everything, so it can certainly be a messy task.

The ComfortClean system is great for unclogging the filter, but every three months the filter has to be removed and tapped on the side of the trash. Once again, this is very messy to do.

Miele DuoFlex HX1 filter — (Image credit: Future)

The noise level is pretty typical for a vacuum. When using the hand tools it's around 70dB, rising to 80dB on the higher suction level. With the multi-floor brush in place you can expect a noise level in the region of 75-80dB depending on the floor type and power level.

Miele DuoFlex HX1 tools

The main floor cleaner head is referred to as the MultiFloor ElectroBrush, but there are a range of supplementary tools, which I'll comment on more here. The tools you get will depend on which version of the HX1 you opt for. The smaller of these tools can be attached directly to the vacuum for use as a handheld vacuum, or they can be fitted to the end of the wand for a longer reach. However, as a handheld vacuum in the car the HX1 felt bulky.

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Dusting brush for Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner — Dusting brush (included with all models) (Image credit: Miele)

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Upholstery nozzle for Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner — Upholstery nozzle (all models) (Image credit: Miele)

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crevice nozzle for Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner — Crevice nozzle (all models) (Image credit: Miele)

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Electro Compact tool for Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner — Electro Compact tool (Cat & Dog / TotalCare versions) (Image credit: Miele)

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Universal brush tool for Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner — Universal brush (Extra / TotalCare versions) (Image credit: Miele)

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Flexible crevice nozzle XL tool for Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner — Flexible crevice nozzle XL (CarCare / TotalCare versions) (Image credit: Miele)

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Flexible suction hose tool for Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner — Flexible suction hose (CarCare / TotalCare versions) (Image credit: Miele)

The dusting brush (included with all models) was handy for dusting shelves, but depending on the angle and the height of the shelf, isn't always the most comfortable method of dusting. I also used it on some of my car dashboard, but it couldn't reach into tighter spots.

The wide upholstery nozzle (all models) means you can cover large surfaces at speed. I quickly vacuumed two sofas, but did need to increase the power to the higher level to effectively remove all the dust clinging to a velvet sofa.

Vacumming a sofa using the crevice tool on Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner — (Image credit: Future)

The crevice nozzle (all models) is a good length and the rubber end is a nice touch that means it won't damage or scratch anything. I found it particularly helpful for getting into hard-to-reach spots in the car.

The Electro Compact handheld brush is only included in the Cat & Dog version I tested, and the TotalCare version. On test, I found it was good for thoroughly cleaning my carpeted stairs. I also used it on my car mats, but found it couldn't reach everywhere in the foot wells. It works well on upholstery too and is designed for vacuuming up pet hair.

The nozzles from the HX1 range that I didn't test were the universal brush (Extra and TotalCare models) for cleaning sensitive surfaces, and the flexible crevice nozzle XL and the flexible suction hose (both CarCare and TotalCare only) designed to help you reach further into awkward areas in the car and the house.

Performance score: 4 out of 5

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner review: battery life

Short run times
Vacuuming carpet drains battery
Only three lights to indicate battery level

Vacuuming carpeted floors on the higher power setting is the fastest way to drain the battery. The Duoflex HX1 managed 11 minutes of vacuuming carpets on high power before the battery needed a full recharge. However, the surprise came when vacuuming carpets on the lower power level. Despite being on a lower suction, the battery lasted for a pretty pathetic 13 and a half minutes.

On hard floors I was able to vacuum continuously on the lower power level for 21 minutes before the HX1 ran out of juice. This is the longest run time you'll get on floors, which is only enough time to blitz round two to three rooms, depending on the size of your rooms and how thorough you're being.

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner, shot of the upper side showing battery life indicator lights — (Image credit: Future)

You'll get a longer vacuuming time when using the non-motorized hand tools, such as the dusting brush and crevice nozzle. But it still only offers up to 55 minutes, which will be on the lower power level.

When switching between all the hand tools, including the mini motorized tool, as well as switching between the power levels, the battery lasted just long enough for me to fully vacuum a Volkswagen Golf. But the car wasn't super dirty and if it had needed a more thorough, detailed clean, I would have had to do it in stages.

During testing, the battery recharge took between three and three and a half hours, which is in line with Miele's specs (which state 210 minutes).

Should you buy the Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Miele DuoFlex HX1

I tried every tool supplied
I used it on multiple surfaces throughout my home, as well as in my car
I timed the battery life

I used the vacuum in my own home for around a week. During that time, I tried all the various tools on a variety of surfaces. I vacuumed area rugs, carpet and hard floors, as well as upholstery, stairs, and even hard surfaces like shelving.

In addition to simply vacuuming, I took notice of ease of use, maneuverability and comfort. I also tested its performance on very specific tasks, like picking up that hard-to-reach debris along baseboards and in the corners of the room.

I reviewed my first vacuums over 15 years ago at the Good Housekeeping Institute in London. Over the years I've reviewed well in excess of one hundred vacuums. It really doesn't take me long to assess a vacuum and pinpoint its good features, as well as the less desirable qualities that are worth knowing before you buy.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed May 2024

Google Search rolls out AI Overviews to everyone in the US

10:34 pm | May 14, 2024

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

Google's Search Generative Experience experiment has reached the point where one of its features is now ready to graduate and be offered to everyone - at least everyone in the US at first. We're talking about AI Overviews, which was available as an experiment before, but is now rolling out to all Google Search users in the US. More countries will follow at some point in the future. Google expects the feature to reach a billion people by the end of the year. AI Overviews, like the name implies, will give you a quick overview of a topic with links to learn more. This was already available in...

OnePlus Watch 2 review: Finally, a Wear OS watch with staying power

7:34 pm | May 13, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness Smartwatches | Tags: Australia, UK, US | Comments: Off

OnePlus Watch 2: One minute review

After a less-than-stellar introduction to the world of smartwatches with the original OnePlus Watch in 2021, OnePlus is back with its second effort, and it’s a different beast entirely. Rather than relying on its own software, OnePlus’ latest wearable uses Google’s Wear OS platform to deliver a comprehensive set of features that will satisfy even the most demanding user.

Anyone who’s familiar with Wear OS will know that poor battery life is its biggest hurdle, and OnePlus manages to leap right over it with an ingenious solution. This watch has two processors and two operating systems working in tandem, one handles all the basic functions like telling the time and counting steps, while the other tackles the more complex stuff. Depending on your usage, you really can achieve 100 hours on a single charge.

The OnePlus Watch 2 offers a tasteful design, but its large dimensions mean that it’s less suited to those with petite wrists. It feels quality throughout, but I can’t help but wish for a functional rotating crown. This one can be rotated, but it doesn’t do anything. It’s just a circular button.

When it comes to features and performance, I have no complaints whatsoever. Fitness tracking data seems accurate, it pairs easily and remains connected to your phone, and the Wear OS ecosystem means you can install a wide variety of applications to achieve all sorts of tasks. I managed three days on a charge with the always-on display enabled, too.

As it stands, I think it’s one of the most compelling Wear OS options available today, and certainly one of the best smartwatches outside of Apple. It’s reasonably priced, well-designed, feature-packed and lasts for a long time. What more could you need?

OnePlus Watch 2: Specifications

OnePlus Watch 2: Price and Availability

OnePlus Watch 2 worn on man's wrist — (Image credit: Luke Baker)

£299 in the UK
$299.99 in the US
AU$459 in Australia

The OnePlus Watch 2 is available to purchase now globally with an MSRP of $299.99 / £299 / AU$459. It originally launched in Black Steel and Radiant Steel, but a Nordic Blue variant was introduced more recently in Europe, too. The specs and features are the same across all variants, it’s only the colour of the chassis and strap that changes.

The OnePlus Watch 2 is very reasonably priced compared to its Wear OS rivals. The Pixel Watch 2, TicWatch Pro 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro are all slightly more expensive at full retail, but frequent discounts mean that they can be found at similar prices.

Value score: 4/5

OnePlus Watch 2: Design and screen

1.43-inch AMOLED display
Steel chassis with sapphire crystal face
Black Steel, Radiant Steel and Nordic Blue options

The OnePlus Watch 2 immediately gives the impression of quality, it's dense, heavy and shiny, as you’d expect a high-end watch to be. However, the downsides to this design are immediately apparent, too: it’s a big, thick watch, and it’s only available in a single 46mm case size. This means it’s not going to be for everyone. I’m a big guy, and even on my wrists it felt a little large and heavy; I can certainly imagine it looking ridiculous on those with slim wrists.

The OnePlus Watch 2 is mostly circular, but it has a flat edge on the right-hand side. The buttons are offset at an angle, which means they’re never accidentally pressed by the back of your hand when you lean on a table. It’s a thoughtful touch.

OnePlus says the design is inspired by classic stopwatches, but it equally reminds me of the camera surround on the OnePlus 12, it’s a nice bit of design synergy if you happen to own both. On the whole, though, I think it’s lacking in personality. There’s nothing wrong with the design, it just doesn’t do much to stand out, either.

The uppermost button is circular and sticks out from the main body, like a watch crown. However, while it can be rotated, rotating it doesn’t do anything, it’s just a normal button. I found this a bit disappointing, most of the Watch 2’s competitors have functional crowns, and even the budget-oriented Huawei Watch Fit 3 manages to include one.

The display has an ample 466 x 466 resolution and it’s bright enough that I never had trouble seeing it in direct sunlight. The bezels are fairly chunky, but a selection of predominantly dark watch faces do a great job of disguising this. The screen is coated with sapphire crystal and has a hardness rating of 8+ Mohs, which essentially means that it’s highly scratch-resistant. After wearing it for a few weeks, the glass is still spotless (despite taking a few knocks).

The watch also has a MIL-STD 810H rating for durability, and it's completely waterproof up to 5ATM. So, no matter how adventurous your lifestyle may be, the OnePlus Watch 2 should be up to the task.

Design score: 3.5/5

OnePlus Watch 2: Features

32GB of onboard storage
Great flexibility with Wear OS apps
Over 100 built-in exercise modes

Since the Watch 2 runs Wear OS, it integrates seamlessly with all of Google’s services like Google Calendar, Google Fit, Google Wallet, Maps and more. As someone who relies on Google for most of my digital life, it’s blissful not having to manually link any of these services.

The other big advantage of Wear OS is that it has an app store. As an example, I like to track my rides using Strava. Most watches will require a (sometimes complex) linking process to share data with Strava, but on the OnePlus Watch 2 you just tap the Play Store, install Strava, and you’re ready to track.

It’s not just fitness stuff that you’ll find here either. You can find all manner of functionalities on Wear OS: I love having the ability to control my smart lights from my watch using Google Home or IFTTT, for example. That’s the kind of function that proprietary operating systems struggle with, but Wear OS handles like a breeze.

The downside to this system is usually the battery drain. Wear OS is a notoriously demanding smartwatch platform, and Wear OS watches with multi-day battery life are few and far between. Brands have tried various techniques to get around this, the TicWatch Pro 5’s dual-layer low-power display is a great example, but none are quite as seamless as the OnePlus Watch 2’s approach.

This watch is essentially two watches in one, and that’s probably why it’s so chunky. It has a Snapdragon W5 to run Wear OS and all the smart bits, while a low-power BES2700BP chip and RTOS system runs all the basics, like telling the time and capturing health data. The watch switches between the two systems depending on what you ask it to do, so you get all the features, without the usual battery woes. It’s a brilliant workaround.

You get 32GB of storage built in, ample space for offline Spotify listening if you want to leave the phone at home. Meanwhile, the default fitness tracking application can track over 100 different types of exercise. Of course, if your favorite is missing, you can always install a different app instead.

The watch uses the OHealth Android app to pair with your smartphone, but there’s no equivalent for iOS, so iPhone users need not apply. In the app, you can check out your fitness metrics, customize your watch face and settings, and start tracking a workout. It’s a little barebones, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. It keeps everything simple, and if you want to do something more advanced, you can do that on the watch itself.

Features score: 4/5

OnePlus Watch 2: Performance

OnePlus Watch 2 screen — (Image credit: Luke Baker)

Up to 100 hours of battery life
Heart rate, sleep, stress and SpO2 monitoring
Multi-band GPS tracking

The big thing that sets this watch apart is its battery life. I like to use my smartwatches with everything enabled, and the always-on display active, essentially the worst-case scenario for battery life. Even still, I was able to manage around three days per charge when I wasn’t using GPS, and around two days when I was.

If you’re fine with raise-to-wake, and maybe disable some of your more frequent notifications, then you’ll be able to achieve much longer. Kick it into power-saving mode and you can go 12 days between charges, and you’ll still get notifications and track your steps and heart rate, too. Of course, the more advanced features are disabled in this mode.

When it’s time to charge, it's done with a magnetic puck that attaches to the watch with some pogo pins. It’s a nice, compact unit with a removable USB-C cable, I found it much nicer to travel with than a lengthy proprietary cable. Wireless charging support would have been even nicer, though.

The connection between my phone and the OnePlus Watch 2 was rock-solid throughout my testing. Notifications came through reliably and quickly, and if I left the phone somewhere and came back to it, the two devices would reconnect without any hiccups.

It’s hard to gauge the accuracy of the watch’s many fitness sensors, but the readings I got were in line with most of my other wearables. The step count was continually a little higher than my phone’s built-in pedometer, but much of that can be attributed to leaving my phone at my desk as I get up and run errands. Heart rate readings matched those that I’m used to seeing from my TicWatch Pro 5, too.

The watch can track your sleep habits, too. The metrics include everything from sleep stage breakdowns to heart rate changes and even breathing patterns. I hate sleeping in a watch, especially one as chunky as this, but I was on a couple of overnight flights during my testing and managed to capture some data. I did, in fact, not get much sleep, as the watch kindly reminded me.

Performance score: 4.5/5

OnePlus Watch 2: Scorecard

OnePlus Watch 2: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

OnePlus Watch 2: How we tested

Our reviewer wore the OnePlus Watch 2 as his primary smartwatch for over two weeks, and it accompanied him on some international travels and during regular workouts. It was paired to a Vivo X100 Pro for the majority of the testing period but was also tried with the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra.

The tracking results were compared to historical results from the Huawei Watch Fit 3 and TicWatch Pro 5, as well as the built-in step counter on the smartphone to assess accuracy.

OnePlus Watch 2: Also consider

First reviewed: May 2024

Motorola Edge 40 Neo review

2:52 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones | Tags: Australia, US | Comments: Off

Moto Edge 40 Neo two-minute review

The Motorola Edge 40 Neo straddles the line between the type of fantastic cheap phone that Moto is known for, and a more esteemed breed of mid-range mobile. And while it manages to be a respectable jack of all trades, it’s a master of none.

The handset is ostensibly a more affordable spin on the Motorola Edge 40, released in the early months of 2023, but with some compromises and corners cut in order to save you a bit of money. The three main distinctions are that the chipset is weaker, it has no wireless charging and the body is made from less premium materials.

Offering a ‘budget’ version of a flagship is standard practice in mobile-making, but the Neo offers very few weaker areas than its more premium compadre – in fact, it’s actually a more powerful phone in a few areas, with a bigger battery and more RAM. If you gave me the phones and didn’t tell me which was which, I wouldn’t be able to identify which of them cost over £100 more.

Many of the Edge 40’s impressive features are here in force. The charging is very quick for a Moto phone, with 68W powering getting your phone full in 30 minutes or less. Moto’s spin on stock Android continues to offer loads of customization options and handy shortcuts. The phone has a good-looking display, a range of attractive Pantone-designed color options and more storage than you’ll find in many other mobiles of this price.

The Motorola Edge 40 Neo — (Image credit: Future)

Unfortunately, though the Moto Edge 40 Neo is an attractive alternative to its premium sibling, it doesn’t quite justify its higher price compared to members of the Moto G range of affordable Android handsets. We tested the Neo alongside the Moto G84 which costs less and is more impressive for what it offers, with similar specs, improved gaming capabilities and many features in common with the Neo.

One issue with the Edge 40 Neo is the curved-edge display. This is a feature that used to be commonplace in premium phones, and even some mid-rangers that were positioning themselves as neo-premiums. A display like this lets the phone sit more comfortably in the hand, and lends it a more refined feel, though it’s very easy to accidentally touch the edge and trigger some unintended function. That was the case with the Neo, and it made gaming an absolute pain.

Motorola’s continued Achilles’ Heel returns too in the form of the Edge 40 Neo’s cameras. The 50MP main and 13MP ultra-wide combo looks fine on paper, but the pictures are unremarkable and a little dull. This handset isn’t for the impassioned mobile photographer.

Overall the feature set here is solid, especially considering the low cost of the handset, but a few stumbling blocks stand in the way. Issues with the curved-edge display mean that gaming is more of a pain than it’s worth, making the powerful specs and good-looking screen redundant for gamers. And people who like the software and display will find contemporary Moto G handsets equal in function yet cheaper in price.

Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: price and availability

Released in September 2023
Costs £299.99 (roughly $375, AU$575)
Not for sale in US or Australia

The newest member of Motorola’s Edge family was announced in mid-September, alongside the Moto G84 and Moto G53. It went on sale shortly afterward in the UK – we don’t have any information on releases elsewhere, but judging by precedent, it could show up in the US down the line under a different name.

The phone costs just £299 (roughly $375, AU$575) which is surprisingly cheap for an Edge phone, given that some of the brand’s budget Moto G handsets have sold for more.

For comparison, the main Edge 40 costs £529 (roughly $690 / AU$1,015) while the Edge 30 Neo went for £349 (about $400, AU$500), so this is one of the cheapest Edge mobiles Moto has released.

Value score: 3.5 / 5

Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: specs

Is the Moto Edge 40 Neo a budget phone, or a mid-ranger? Let's look at its specs...

Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: design

Four Pantone-designed color options
Curved-edge display makes phone feel premium
USB-C port but no 3.5mm headphone jack

The Moto Edge 40 Neo looks surprisingly premium given its price tag. Between the curved-edge display, vibrant color options and svelte body, this could be confused from a distance for a Samsung or Xiaomi blower.

The Neo is one of several recent Moto phones that have had their color options designed by Pantone, and so three of the four you can pick between look distinct and unique. It’s the Caneel Bay model that you can see in pictures but there’s also Peach Fuzz, Soothing Sea (light green) and Black Beauty. This latter is the only one that looks rather basic — it’s just black.

Moto has also continued to use a design feature that used to be commonplace in premium mobiles, but is now sadly rare: the curved-edge display. This rounded screen makes the phone sit nice and comfortably in the hand, and it’s another element of the mobile that seems pinched from a much pricier model. While the angle isn’t as dramatic as the ‘Waterfall’ display used on the original Edge series, that just means it’s less slippery.

Unfortunately, some of the negative traits of premium mobiles are here too; there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack, for example, despite Moto continuing to feature this in most of its handsets. The only port, then, is the USB-C adaptor.

On the right edge of the phone is the volume rocker and power button, both in fairly easy-to-reach positions. The handset is lightweight at just 170g and measures 159.6 x 72 x 7.9mm.

It’s a well-protected handset with an IP68 rating. That means it’s nice and snug from dust particles and submersion in water.

Design score: 3.5 / 5

Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: display

Large 6.5-inch screen
Resolution of FHD+ (1080 x 2400)
High max brightness and snappy refresh rate

The phone’s screen is 6.55 inches across — fairly standard for a smartphone in this day and age. As mentioned in the design section it’s a curved-edge display, which makes it look a little larger, though this feature has a big drawback (head to the ‘Performance and audio’ section to learn more).

There’s nothing surprising in the resolution department: FHD+, or 2400 x 1080 pixels as the vast majority of smartphones are. This is all you really need, though, as popular games and streaming services output at this resolution or lower.

The phone has a nice snappy refresh rate of 144Hz, so motion looks lovely and smooth, and a fairly high max brightness of 1,300 nits too. As budget phone displays go this ticks all the boxes and puts a second tick in a few of them too, so you won’t be disappointed by it.

Display score: 4 / 5

Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: software

Uses Google's stock Android
Only two confirmed years of updates
Lots of navigation and customization features

The Motorola Edge 40 Neo comes running Android 13, the newest form of Google’s operating system as of its release. Moto tends to be reticent on future update plans though, so its promise for only two years of updates seems a little shallow compared to the longer update spans many other Android phones get. However, not everyone cares about getting the newest version of Android for years to come, and your phone will still work for many more years whether or not you get these updates.

The Neo uses near-stock Android, which means it’s as Google designed it, with no visual or functional overlay like many other Android brands use. Stock Android is generally regarded as having a pretty clean-looking interface with easy navigation.

Motorola has been slowly pulling stock Android in its own direction, though, by bringing more and more of its own features to the phones. These are all welcome additions. A long-running one is Moto Actions, little gestures you can do for shortcuts, including a double-karate-chop action to turn on a torch, or two rotating shakes to turn on the camera. They can take some getting used to, but they’re fantastic time-saving tools once you’ve got the knack.

In Moto’s recent phones it’s also been offering an expansive suite of customization options, more so than most rival mobiles. You can change font, color scheme, app icon shape, display edge light, and a lot more; if you love tinkering settings to your heart’s content, the Edge 40 Neo is going to let you do just that.

Software score: 4 / 5

Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: cameras

50MP main and 8MP ultra-wide cameras
Some extra features like Spot Color
32MP front-facing camera for selfies

You don't buy a Moto phone expecting Samsung- or iPhone-level photography chops, and there's no change in the Moto Edge 40 Neo.

The phone has two rear cameras, headed up by a 50MP f/1.8 snapper, which is joined by a 13MP f/2.2 120-degree ultra-wide. A fairly standard duo, all things considered.

The main camera is fit for purpose, but it won't wow. I took snaps that would be perfectly suitable for dropping onto Instagram or WhatsApp, but nothing that was fantastic enough that I was enthused to hunt down amazing scenes when I wasn't trying to test the cameras.

My main issue is that the snaps look a little grainy, even when well-lit, as you can see in the below cookies picture, which was taken with help from a professional photography light. The phone's processing sometimes added an odd color tint too, which you can see in both the pineapple and houseplant snaps.

Switch over to the ultra-wide camera, and you're getting pictures that are fairly low-res, and also a little duller than those taken on the main camera.

Selfies are... fine, that's the most descriptive word for these pictures. Portrait mode bokeh was fairly light-touch but sometimes gentle is better. Quality was lost in darker areas.

Moto has added a few extra camera modes beyond the standards, the main of which is a Samsung-esque Spot Color that lets you pick one color from the frame and remove all the others. It's a fun extra mode that not many phones offer, even though it wasn't always flawless in execution (it confused skin tone and wood colors on several occasions). It works both for photography and for videography.

You can record video in 1080p at 60fps or 4K at 30fps, and can drop the frame rate down to 240fps in slow-mo mode.

Camera score: 3 / 5

Motorola Edge 40 Neo camera samples

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A tray of biscuits taken on the Moto Edge 40 Neo — Some home-made jammy dodgers taken on the Moto's main camera. (Image credit: Future)

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A house plant taken on the Moto Edge 40 Neo — A houseplant taken on 1x camera mode, with an odd green tint (Image credit: Future)

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A selfie taken on the Moto Edge 40 Neo — A selfie taken in standard mode. (Image credit: Future)

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A pineapple taken on the Moto Edge 40 Neo — A picture of a pineapple taken on the main camera. (Image credit: Future)

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Another Moto phone taken on the Moto Edge 40 Neo — A picture of the Moto G84, another Pantone-colored Moto phone. Head over to that review to see a snap of the Neo taken on it. (Image credit: Future)

Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: performance and audio

Powerful Dimensity 7030 chipset plus 12GB RAM
Curved-edge display brings gaming problems
Bluetooth 5.4, tinny speakers and no headphone jack

On paper, the Moto is a budget gaming champ. It has the mid-range yet relatively powerful Dimensity 7030 chipset running under the hood, paired with an impressive 12GB RAM.

Those lend themselves to power, and a Geekbench 6 multi-core score of 2,513 shows that this certainly is a powerful phone compared to same-price contemporaries.

Unfortunately, the phone’s curvy screen makes gaming a frustrating experience. When I played Call of Duty: Mobile, I’d repeatedly accidentally tap the top edge of the display, bringing up the mini-map if it was on one edge or looking wildly around if it were the other. This same experience occurred on other titles too, depending on the buttons that their UI house right at the top.

There’s evidently little accidental-touch recognition here, despite this being a feature that Moto Edge phones have previously boasted. It’s a curious omission or flaw but it means the handset just isn’t great for gaming fans.

It’s a shame too, because the specs are fantastic for a phone of this price. A 144Hz display and 12GB RAM feels wasted in a phone like this.

As stated, there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack on the Moto Edge 40 Neo, so for music you’ll have to rely on connecting to the phone with Bluetooth 5.4 or using the stereo speakers. If you’re going for the latter, be warned that they’re a little tinny, especially if you crank up the volume louder. Fine for bangs and explosions for games, not so much for enjoying your favorite symphony on Spotify.

Performance score: 3 / 5

Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: battery life

Chunky 5,000mAh battery
Phone easily works into second day
Lovely fast 68W charging for half-hour power

As with the vast majority of its phones, Moto has put a 5,000mAh battery in the Edge 40 Neo, which is the largest-capacity power back you’ll find in the vast majority of smartphones.

In testing, the phone had no issues in lasting a full day of use, and often lasted until mid-way through a second day before it needed to be plugged in. Frugal phone users might even see the mobile last a whole second day.

So what’s that charging like? Well, Moto fans might do a double take here, but it’s 68W; given that Motorola generally sticks to slow charging for its phones, that’s a surprisingly snappy speed that we’re happy to see.

You can power the phone to full from empty in just over half an hour; Motorola’s selling the phone on its ability to charge to 50% in under 15 minutes, which our testing concurred with. Just don’t expect wireless charging, on the Neo or any phone at this price!

Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Motorola Edge 40 Neo?

Buy it if...

You like funky phones
Coming in four Pantone-designed color options, the Edge 40 Neo is one for you if you're bored of the typical 'black or blue' options you get for most Android phones.

You're a curved-edge display fan
Curved-edge displays have their fans and their detractors, and if you're in the latter camp you have few options. The Edge 40 Neo is a definite consideration for you.

You like customizing your software
Colorful phone options, colorful phone interface: Moto's phones are rife with ways to customize the look of your handset's interface.

Don't buy it if...

You're a mobile gamer
The curved-edge display's accidental touch issues nearly had me pulling my hair out when I was testing the Neo on online games. This is not one for mobile gamers!

You’re a phone photographer
Motorola's phones rarely have anything in the way of photography chops, and that's definitely the case here too. Fit for purpose, but won't wow.

You care about software updates
If you care about how long your smartphone will see new features for, you might find the Edge a little limited compared to some other brands' phones.

Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: also consider

Considering other mobiles beyond the Moto Edge 40 Neo? Here are some others you could look into:

Moto Edge 40
You're getting a more powerful chipset here as well as a slightly smaller phone made with more premium materials, but it costs more and is pretty much the same (or weaker) in all other departments.

Poco X5
For the same price as the Edge 40 Neo, gaming fans can get this powerful Android phone with a big, bold display. Don't expect as many features as on Moto's phones but its gaming chops far exceed the Neo's.

How I tested the Motorola Edge 40 Neo

Review test period = 2 week
Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
Tools used = Geekbench 5, Geekbench 6, Geekbench ML, GFXBench, native Android stats

I tested the Motorola Edge 40 Neo alongside the G84 and G53, which were announced and released alongside it. I used the Caneel Bay color variant of this mobile, and I've never been to Caneel Bay itself so I can't attest to the color's accuracy.

Since the Edge 40 Neo was not the first of the three phones I tested, it enjoyed an extended testing period, as for two weeks I set it up to let the battery settle, and for the occasional gaming or photography session. The 'true' testing time was two weeks, and I used the mobile as my own handset for this time.

I've been testing smartphones for TechRadar for almost five years now. In fact, after joining the team in early 2019, my first-ever review was a Motorola handset. I left TechRadar in late 2022 but continue to contribute freelance reviews of mobiles as well as speakers, running gadgets, headphones and more. That is to say, I have a long track record of testing devices like the Motorola Edge 40 Neo.

Inov-8 F-Lite G 300: One minute review

Stepping into the realm of cross-training shoes, the Inov-8 F-Lite G 300 is a standout choice for those with wider feet. This shoe blends durability and stability in a package that can be applied to a range of fitness environments.

The shoe boasts a lovely, striking design. It’s made with durable graphene, yet remains surprisingly light at only 300g – a balance of strength and lightness which is a rare find in cross-training shoes. The F-Lite G 300 offers a range of color selections, including a stylish black-and-white cow print, appealing to those who value aesthetics alongside performance.

Performance-wise, the F-Lite G 300 impresses. Its cushioning and flexibility are apt for diverse workouts, from weightlifting to cross-training. However, it's not without its quirks that prevent it from being given an elusive five stars: the laces don’t tighten as much as I’d like, and the black tab bled color on my ankle during initial uses. Comfort is generally good but not always consistent during testing.

Ideal for individuals with a wider foot, the shoe supports a transition between running and lifting seamlessly. Yet, it’s worth mentioning that it might not be the perfect fit for everyone, particularly those with narrow feet or people who prefer a completely flat-bottomed shoe.

Overall, the Inov-8 F-Lite G 300 stands as a robust option in the world of cross-training shoes, especially for those prioritising durability and a wider fit. Its unique blend of materials and thoughtful design make it a worthy consideration for your next athletic shoe purchase.

Inov-8 F-Lite G 300: Specifications

Inov-8 F-Lite G 300: Price and availability

Around $150 in the US
£145 in the UK
AU$159 in Australia

The Inov-8 F-Lite G 300 is competitively priced, catering to a global audience with varied regional pricing. In the United States, the cross-training shoes are available for approximately $150. For fitness enthusiasts in the UK, they can be purchased for £145, while in Australia, the price is set at around AU$159.

This is about the going rate for a good pair of fitness shoes, especially those that support a wide range of athletic pursuits, from gym workouts to outdoor activities, like these do. However, it’s not outstanding enough value to recommend on price alone.

Value score: 3.5/5

Inov-8 F-Lite G 300: Design

Robust graphene construction
Lightweight, weighing only 300g
Wide range of color options

When it comes to cross-training shoes, design isn't just about good looks; it's about crafting a shoe that meets the demands of varied workouts. The Inov-8 F-Lite G 300 makes a good first impression thanks to a blend of functionality and style.

One of the first things you'll notice about this shoe once it's on your foot is its durable graphene construction. Graphene is renowned for its strength, but don't let this toughness fool you – these shoes are surprisingly lightweight at just 300 grams. This delicate balance of durability and weight is quite the design feat, in my opinion, catering to the needs of cross-trainers who need both resilience and agility from their kicks.

Available in a variety of color combinations, the F-Lite G 300 can match just about any gym outfit. For those who prefer understated elegance, the black/white variant is the color I reviewed and proved to be a solid choice. If you're more about making a statement, then the black-and-white cow print could be your go-to.

As for the fit, these shoes are specially designed for those with wider feet, providing ample room without compromising on support. The knit upper of the shoe adds to the comfort factor, ensuring breathability during intense workouts. However, it's worth noting that the laces might not tighten to everyone's liking since their design tightens to the cage of the shoe, not your foot. Something to keep in mind for those who prefer a snugger fit.

Design score: 4/5

Inov-8 F-Lite G 300: Performance

Versatile performance across multiple activities
Stable base for weightlifting
Mixed bag comfort-wise

After putting the Inov-8 F-Lite G 300 through its paces, it's clear these shoes are a strong contender in the cross-training category, albeit with a few caveats.

Let's start with the positives. The graphene-enhanced durability means these shoes can take a beating, whether it's from rope climbs, box jumps, or sprints. Their resilience in varied training scenarios is commendable. Also, their lightweight nature is a pleasant surprise, especially given their robust build. During quick runs, the shoes felt agile and didn't weigh me down, a vital aspect for any cross-trainer.

The grip is another plus. The graphene outsole ensures excellent traction, giving that extra bit of confidence during workouts, particularly in lifts and quick directional changes. It's one of those features you don't realise you need until you experience it.

However, the F-Lite G 300 isn't without its drawbacks. The laces don't provide the tightness some athletes prefer, which could be a dealbreaker for those who need absolute stability, especially in dynamic movements. This was a notable concern during high-intensity workouts where foot security is paramount.

Comfort-wise, they're a mixed bag. The shoes don't require a lengthy break-in period, which is a significant plus. They're comfortable out of the box, a rarity in training shoes. Yet, for narrow-footed individuals, there’s risk they could be a bit too roomy: yet another reminder that these shoes are best suited for those with wider feet.

In terms of versatility, the Inov-8 F-Lite G 300 shoes do a decent job of balancing between lifting and cardio. While they aren't the best for specialised activities like Olympic lifting or long-distance running, they perform well in a general cross-training setting. A decent buy for those who like to do a bit of everything, if you ask me.

Performance score: 4/5

Inov-8 F-Lite G 300: Scorecard

Inov-8 F-Lite G 300: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

Aura Walden review: probably the best digital frame available

2:22 pm | May 10, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Smart Home | Tags: US | Comments: Off

Aura Walden: Two-minute review

The Walden is Aura's biggest and best digital photo frame yet, but it's also the priciest; it's only available directly for shoppers in the US. Those outside the US can find the Aura Walden from other retailers, and their efforts will be rewarded – the Aura Walden is exquisite, and one of the best digital photo frames available today.

With a similar frontage to the Aura Carver Mat, the Walden boasts a larger 15-inch display that makes it Aura's largest digital photo frame display, encased in a classic textured white border and black frame.

It comes with a slick metal stand for resting on a sideboard in both horizontal and vertical positions, plus simple wall fittings, too, for horizontal and vertical mounting. Truly, the overall look and feel of the frame is top drawer.

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Aura Walden digital photo frame box — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Aura Walden digital photo frame unboxing — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Supporting frame for the Aura Walden digital photo frame — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Closeup of the Aura Walden digital photo frame's finish — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Rear of the Aura Walden digital photo frame — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Closeup of the Aura Walden digital photo frame's rear and mounting options — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Touch bar panel of the Aura Walden digital photo frame — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Rear of the Aura Walden digital photo frame on a wooden sideboard — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Closeup of Aura Walden digital photo frame charging cable — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

The Walden may feel too big to rest on a sideboard, shelf or any surface, while it can also feel a little small when mounted on a wall – 15 inches is an awkward middle ground.

That said, I do prefer the size of display over the smaller 10.1-inch Aura Carver Mat, since it allows you to shows off your photos and videos on a larger scale – and having the option to wall mount or have it freestanding can only be a good thing.

For a digital photo frame, Aura's app is as good as they come: simple to use and to share with friends and family, who can also upload images to the frame from anywhere there's an internet connection, and with unlimited photo and video storage included.

Aura Walden was ~~$299~~ now $259

Aura Walden: design

Slick frame with neat touch bar panel
4:3 aspect ratio display
Aura's largest frame yet, and it can be wall mounted

Most digital photo frames – like Aura's own Carver series – are around 10 inches, and designed to stand on any surface; but the Walden is a different proposition, dwarfing those frames with its 15-inch display.

You probably won't quite be able to squeeze it onto bookshelf, and your sideboard will need to be generously sized to accommodate the frame comfortably. But if you have the space then the Walden will be the preferred choice; plus it's also easy enough to mount it to a wall instead.

The frame's power cable is covered in a cream-colored fabric, which is more likely to blend into the background than a black cable. Trailing cables can spoil the effect of a digital wall-mounted display, but this shouldn't be a problem here.

That said, while 15-inches feels big on a sideboard, it comes up small on a wall. For around twice the outlay, the 27-inch Vieunite Textura Digital Canvas is much more at home on a wall, plus that frame offers free and paid-for digital downloads of famous artworks and those from upcoming artists.

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Aura's app for the Walden digital photo frame — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Touch bar panel in use of the Aura Walden digital photo frame — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Supporting bracket of the Aura Walden digital photo frame on a wooden sideboard — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Aura Walden digital photo frame on a wooden sideboard alongside the smaller Aura Carver Mat — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

Design-wise, the Walden is eye-catching. It's slicker than the similarly sized Netgear Meural Wi-Fi art frame, sporting a matt-black frame and classic white border, for a total diagonal dimension of 15.7 inches.

At the rear, there's a recess to attach the metal triangular stand, or in which to rest the supplied wall mount hook. You can position the Walden in both landscape and portrait formats.

There are two touch bar panels, one on the top and the other on the side of the frame. You barely notice they're there, and they're super responsive for functions such as swipe to next image, plus press and hold to reveal image information such as who uploaded the picture – handy, if you have a lot of "members" with access to the frame.

Aura's free app is available for both iOS and Android devices, and is needed to set up the frame and upload images. It's also through the app that you can invite other "members" – such as family and friends – to upload their own images.

You can add multiple Aura frames to the app and take control of all of them, plus Aura wants to tempt you to buy several frames through multi-purchase deals. For example, at the time of writing, if you buy two Walden frames then there's a $15 discount.

Aura Walden: performance

Relatively low pixel density
Wide viewing angle in daylight and at night-time
4:3 aspect ratio suitable for most smartphone cameras

I have a sideboard at home that's big enough to accommodate the Walden frame, and I've found its size far more preferable to the standard 10-inch displays of most other digital photo frames.

It has an anti-glare finish that delivers a wide optimum viewing angle before reflections get in the way – or, indeed, before the luminosity of the backlit display is reduced when viewing the frame at night. Compared to the Aura Carver Mat, the viewing angle of the Walden is much wider.

The display's 4:3 aspect ratio suits most phones that natively shoot in this ratio. However, if you're uploading photos from a proper camera that's more likely to shoot in 3:2 aspect ratio, you'll have to choose between losing part of your shot or having a black border on the top and bottom of the display – as is the case for 16:9 videos.

The resolution of the frame is 1600 x 1200 pixels, making for a modest 133 pixels per inch density. However, I found the display packed enough detail unless I was up close – which you don't need to be given the size of the display.

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Aura Walden digital photo frame on a wooden sideboard — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Night mode of the Aura Walden digital photo frame on a wooden sideboard — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Aura Walden digital photo frame on a wooden sideboard at nighttime — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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As mentioned, it's possible to load videos to the Walden frame, too, although remember that the frame's aspect ratio is much narrower than the standard 16:9 format for video. There's a speaker on the back for audio, although don't hold any great expectation on audio quality – it's pretty basic.

A nice touch with Aura frames is that you can purchase them as a personalized gift and preload images onto the frame ahead of time.

Aura Walden: price and release date

Available in the US for $299 (currently on sale for $259)
Not directly available outside the US

The Aura Walden is available now, although do note that it's often sold out. It has a list price on the Aura website of $299; at the time of writing, it's reduced to $259. If you click onto other regions on the Aura website, such as the UK, then the Walden is unavailable. However, if you search the internet there are other retailers, such as Nordstrom, that will ship the Walden internationally. We'll update this review if and when the Aura Walden becomes available globally.

Aura Walden: should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Aura Walden: How I tested

At least two months of regular use
Image uploads through the Aura Android app
Viewed in daylight and at night

The Aura Walden has been a fixture in my home for a couple of months, positioned on a window-lit sideboard. The mains-powered display is automatically active during the day, and can power off at night to conserve power.

I’ve uploaded digital photos and videos through the Android version of Aura's app. I've scrolled through the gallery of images using the frame's touch panel and regularly updated the images in the gallery through the app.

I’ve checked out the quality of the display in daylight and at night, close-up and far away, plus viewed it straight on and from the side to check the viewing angle of the anti-glare display.

First reviewed May 2024

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