In early 2023 I reviewed Google's first dedicated gaming Chromebook, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE, and it changed my mind about Chromebooks and gaming. So I was excited to get my hands on the long-awaited refresh, the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024).
The Chromebook has been upgraded in every meaningful way, from the display to the specs, and even has new AI features included for those looking to double it as a productivity machine. Unfortunately, there are a few aspects that have been left in the dust in the meantime, which could impact whether this is a truly robust refresh worth reinvesting in if you already have the original model.
The screen is a 16-inch IPS display with a 2560 x 1600 resolution and 350 nits of brightness. The refresh rate is a lovely 120Hz, making it perfect for most video games, while the sRGB 100% color gamut pairs well with the Chromebook's AI tools for creative and editing projects.
It's good to see that so much was invested in upgrading the display since it's the most important aspect of the gaming experience for the Chromebook Plus 516 GE.
(Image credit: Future)
The outer design is rather brand, identical to the original Chromebook 516 GE, though that tends to be a trait among budget gaming laptops in the first place. Despite that, it has a sturdy yet decently light chassis, especially for the screen size, which makes transportation that much easier.
Its keyboard and trackpad have been mostly left the same as well, which is a good thing as they were already quite solid on their own and needed little tampering. The webcam is very good, with 1080p at 60fps video, which is more than what many of even the best laptops offer. And while I do appreciate the physical switch on the side that turns the webcam off and on, the camera itself should have a physical shutter for added security.
The port selection is varied and includes two USB Type-C ports, a USB Type-A port, an HDMI 2.1 port, an ethernet port, and a combo jack. For its size, however, more USB ports as well as an SD card reader could have been added.
There's still a massive downside to its design, and that's the still abysmal sound quality. Google boasts that the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE features "cinematic sounds with DTS audio" and I can confirm that it's not the case. There's a tinny, almost muddiness to the sound, which shows through even with YouTube videos, and sounds even worse when playing games. You'll want to invest in the best PC gaming headsets if you get this Chromebook.
(Image credit: Future)
Like its competition, the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024) has plenty of AI features built into the Chrome OS. But one of the more unique traits is that they use a combination of local and cloud storage.
The webcam, for instance, has a feature that automatically adjusts both picture quality and lighting when using the webcam. It's pretty handy for minor enhancements but don't expect any major improvements either.
There are plenty of other AI tools, which are mostly powered by Google Gemini. Help Me Write generates text based on prompts and lets you edit text based on tone and more, while Help Me Read summarizes PDFs and websites by simply right-clicking the text.
Focus is a tool that turns on a Do Not Disturb mode once you select a window of time, a Google Task you want to finish, and a YouTube Music playlist. There's Magic Editor which uses AI to enhance and correct images on Google Photos, or you can use generative AI to create unique wallpapers and video call backgrounds.
My favorite tool is Project Gameface, an AI-powered hands-free control with face and gesture tracking. This is a major accessibility feature, as you can custom-map out ways to control the entire OS through non-hand controls. While it's still in beta, what I was able to experience is quite impressive and I truly look forward to the finished product once it launches.
(Image credit: Future)
Game dashboard is the new tool that pairs the best with the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024). You have access to features like window resizing, screen capture, game capture, and control mapping, a great option for those who can't or don't want to invest in a game recording setup.
The game recording is fine, though naturally not as high as a premium capture card, but it does a surprisingly great job thanks to the screen quality. It's also easy, allowing you to avoid setting up a whole mess of wires. Control mapping is a standard feature but always appreciated, especially for games that don't come with it like mobile titles that rely on touchscreen controls.
Benchmarks
Here's how the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
The upgraded specs of the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024) shine through in its benchmark scores, as these are some of the highest test results I've seen in any Chromebook and are solid improvements over the already excellent scores from the original Chromebook 516 GE model.
I was particularly impressed by the WebGL Aquarium, as it was able to maintain a high 85fps with the maximum amount of fish enabled.
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The Intel Core CPU is certainly working overtime, which is great to hear from those interested in playing the best PC games through Steam or any Android titles. While you'll mainly want to game through a streaming service like Nvidia's GeForce Now or Amazon Luna, having the option to play locally is always a boon.
Just know that the Steam Borealis is still in beta, meaning you'll have to enable it through developer mode at your own risk. But in my experience, it runs quite well with little in the way of slowdown or bugs.
The best way to use this Chromebook, however, is through GeForce Now. If you're using the most premium subscription option and you have a solid internet connection, the experience is incredibly smooth and stutter-free. I played AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Baldur's Gate 3 with no issues at all. And thanks to the great display, the games look even better than in the original model and beat out most other Chromebooks.
(Image credit: Future)
The battery life isn't too shabby, lasting about seven hours when under heavy video use and a bit more under normal work conditions. While it's not the best for a Chromebook, it still outstrips most Windows laptops using an Intel Core CPU. The good thing is that you can play for quite a bit before running low on battery, making it way more portable-minded than other gaming laptops.
It lasts a little longer when it comes to productivity work, ensuring that you'll have a full work or school day worth of charge. And it charges pretty fact too, so you won't be stuck at an outlet for too long in case you need to juice up.
Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE: Price & availability
How much does it cost? starting price is $649.99 (around £515 / AU$980)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US
The price for the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024) is $649.99 (around £515 / AU$980), which is the same price that the original Acer Chromebook 516 GE sold for at launch. While it's a steep price point for a Chromebook, for a gaming laptop it's a steal, especially for more casual gamers who don't require much firepower for the games they play, or those who only want to stream games instead of playing locally.
Currently, it's only available in the US through Best Buy, with no units available to purchase in the UK and Australia at the time of this writing.
Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE: Specs
The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE I reviewed came with an Intel Core 5 120U CPU with Intel Arc Graphics, up to 16GB of LPDDR4X SDRAM, and 256 GB PCIe storage. There aren't any options to upgrade your specs, and Chromebooks are notorious for poor self-repairability and no self-upgrade options.
Should you buy the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE?
(Image credit: Future)
Buy the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE if...
You want solid game streaming performance This is a laptop made for game streaming and it does it well. The vibrant display also helps, as titles look clean and clear through near stutter-free gameplay.
You’re on a budget
This laptop is quite affordable compared to other gaming laptops with similar or worse performance and specs. If you're on a budget, this is an excellent choice.
Don't buy it if...
Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE: Also consider
If my Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024) review has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...
How I tested the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE
I tested the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE for several weeks
I tested its gaming capabilities
I stress-tested the battery using the TechRadar movie test
First, I tested the general weight and portability of the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE by carrying it around in a laptop bag. After I set it up, I ran several benchmarks to thoroughly test out its upgraded specs and compare them to the original model. Finally, I used a variety of programs and applications to test out both battery life and general performance during work-like conditions.
The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE is a gaming laptop that can also do productivity work, meaning I needed to test out both of those capabilities. I also tested out battery life to see how long it could last off AC power.
I've tested plenty of Chromebooks, making me more than qualified to understand benchmark test results and how to properly stress test machines to see how well they perform as a work machine.
The Big 3 U.S. wireless carriers are experiencing an international roaming outage. Users on AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile have reported no service on international soil across South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. As it stands, it seems the issue is not related to one specific country or carrier.
At the time of writing, neither of the big three carriers have issued official statements on the matter. Users who managed to contact Verizon support shared that the carrier is aware of the problem which is classified as a global service issue and Verizon is actively working to resolve the...
It's no secret that I'm not fond of the Microsoft Surface Laptop series, so even with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip and all the new Copilot+ AI bells and whistles attached to the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, I wasn't expecting much of an upgrade. But to my surprise, it's quickly turning into one of the best Windows laptops and best laptops of the year thanks to a sleek design, solid battery life, and excellent performance.
One of the most consistent aspects of the Surface Laptop series is its design. The chassis is always sleek and lightweight yet sturdy, there's a nice variety of colors to choose from, and the keyboard feels snappy and responsive while typing. Thankfully, the Laptop 7 doesn't change on that front but instead embraces its positives while focusing its efforts on enacting improvements it actually needs.
(Image credit: Future)
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 boasts a 13.8-inch (2304x1536) HDR-supported display with a high refresh rate of 120Hz - especially high for a non-gaming laptop. It weighs less than three pounds, ensuring its super portability - an absolute gem for any office worker or student who needs to transport it around between home and work offices or to and from school. I wish it also featured an OLED screen option but omitting it keeps the cost down, so it makes sense.
Its keyboard is also just as snappy and responsive as you'd expect, though the touchpad has minimal response issues that need to be rectified by adjusting the sensitivity settings. The webcam is the standard 1080p fare, nothing too shabby, but it lacks a physical shutter which for its price point is an oversight worth mentioning.
Port selection isn't the worst, as it comes with two USB Type-C ports, a USB Type-A port, and a combo port. But it's certainly not well-balanced either, with it missing several important ports like ethernet, SD card reader, and an HDMI. Even worse, Microsoft still insists on that abysmal Surface Laptop connect charging port, which only serves to take up space that could have been given to literally anything else.
It has a solid sound quality as well, with instruments sounding clear and distinct from each other. Bass isn't too shabby as well, which is always surprising when it comes to a non-Ultrabook or gaming laptop.
(Image credit: Future)
Another defining feature of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 is its AI Copilot+ integration, including the Copilot key that Windows AI laptop keyboards are now outfitted with. As of now, however, the Copilot key simply doesn't work and there's no way to reprogram the key to make it work either.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7: Benchmarks
Here's how the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
The Copilot feature does work and quite well I might add. I tested out the Copilot chatbot on all three levels - creative, balanced, and precise - and it performed quite well on all three. The answers, ranging from basic math to a mock interview to an outline for a novel, were well thought out and well sourced. You can also enable various plug-ins for more types of conversations or to help with shopping for a variety of products.
I also tried out two other features included in Microsoft Paint called Cocreator and Image Creator, both powered by AI model DALL-E. The former transforms your own drawing into an AI-generated picture, and you can choose between several styles as well as the level of 'creativity' (aka how much of the finished product is from you versus the AI). Unfortunately, Image Creator uses a credit system, in which you're awarded 50 credits when you sign up for the service and each image generation costs one credit, so you'd need to pay for additional images after you run out of credits.
(Image credit: Future)
There was one feature that I couldn't test out, the infamous Windows 11 AI Recall. Set to launch alongside Windows AI PCs, it was kicked back to the Windows Insider Program when its numerous security issues came to light.
Basically, Recall takes screenshots every few seconds, building up a library of images you can search via AI. But the issue is that the Recall database, which contains all the data from those screenshots and the history of your PC usage, is stored in plain text (in an SQLite database).
This makes it light work for hackers to obtain highly sensitive information like finances, passwords, work data, and more. So as of right now, Recall is not available for me to test out, and until Microsoft works out the safety issues it shouldn't be.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7's benchmark results are quite impressive, especially compared to its competition. Even without a GPU, the CPU does an incredible job of maintaining a high level of performance no matter which and how many tasks you're currently balancing. These benchmarks prove that the Laptop 7 can handle productivity work, conference calls, streaming, and more.
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The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 I tested featured a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite CPU and boy does it make all the difference. A common denominator between the past Surface Laptops is their poor performance, as they juggle a massive amount of tasks behind the scenes that result in major slow down, freezes, and even the aptly named 'Blue Screen of Death.'
But the Laptop 7's Qualcomm chip rounds out and fills in the numerous issues. It starts up and runs quickly, it's responsive when it comes to loading video websites as well as AI tools, and programs run as smoothly as they can. The latter is especially important as one of the biggest drawbacks was constant crashing when certain large programs booted up, including benchmarks like PCMark 10. But since I've been using it, there have been no performance hiccups in the slightest - in fact, I genuinely enjoyed my time with this laptop and would jump at the chance to make it my official work machine.
(Image credit: Future)
The battery life has also been rejuvenated, with an absolutely incredible 15 hours of off-AC power when it comes to regular use and just over ten hours with the TechRadar movie test. It's rare to find a laptop with that kind of lasting power outside of MacBooks these days, and coming from a Windows laptop it's even more unbelievable.
Another improvement is the ventilation system, as I never experienced any overheating even when the Laptop 7 had been running for several hours without break. Better vents also lead to better performance and less risk of crashes, going hand in hand with its superior battery life.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7: Price & availability
How much does it cost? starting price is $999.99 / £1,049.99 / AU$1,899
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
The starting price for the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8-inch model is $999.99 / £1,049.99 / AU$1,899, netting you a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus processor with 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD storage. The 15-inch model starts at $1,299.99 and comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD.
It's cheaper than the entry-level M3 MacBook Air 13-inch and matches the starting price of the M3 MacBook Air 15-inch, while the highest configuration roughly matches the price of the highest configuration of the MacBook Air.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7: Specs
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8-inch model starts with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus processor with 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD storage. The 15-inch model starts out with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD.
Should you buy the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7?
(Image credit: Future)
Buy the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 if...
You want solid productivity performance This laptop can handle plenty of productivity work including video calls, documents, web surfing, and more while never sacrificing performance on any level.
You’re on a budget
This laptop is quite affordable, beating out other laptops with similar or worse performance and specs. If you're on a budget, this is an excellent choice.
Don't buy it if...
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7: Also consider
If my Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 review has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...
How I tested the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7?
I tested the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 for a week
I tested it using productivity and creative applications
I stress-tested the battery using the TechRadar movie test
First, I tested the general weight and portability of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 by carrying it around in a laptop bag. After I set it up, I ran several benchmarks to thoroughly test out the new Qualcomm processor. Finally, I used a variety of programs and applications to test out both battery life and general performance during work-like conditions.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 is meant to be a portable laptop with a thin and light chassis. I had to spend a good amount of testing not only on performance issues but also looking for any ventilation issues. I also tested out battery life to see how long it could last off AC power.
I've tested plenty of gaming PCs and laptops, making me more than qualified to understand benchmark test results and how to properly stress test machines to see how well they perform as a work machine.
The 32-inch Aorus FO32U2P “Tactical” gaming monitor has a fast, 4K third-gen Samsung QD-OLED panel, some nifty design elements and is the first I’ve tested that has DisplayPort 2.1 connectivity. It’s in a crowded market, so how competitive and compelling will it be?
First up, it’s worth noting that there’s very little benefit to having DP 2.1 right now. Only AMD’s top-end workstation cards currently support it and there’s likely little real-world visual difference compared to DP 1.4 anyway. Still, it may be attractive to those seeking future-proofing.
The monitor is easy to assemble thanks to its three-piece-one-screw stand design. The panel itself is incredibly thin and all core electronics are isolated in a box at the back where it attaches to the stand. It's generally quasi-aggressive in terms of styling and includes an RGB strip at the rear – although you’ll likely never see it. A cool, rainbow-iridescent logo catches the light at the base, but all other design elements are geometric in nature.
While early QD-OLED panels struggled to display text without turning it spidery, this was practically banished when second-gen screens appeared and now there’s no problem at all. It uses the same anti-reflective coating we've seen on previous QD-OLEDs and this does a fine job of eliminating the black-mirror effect when viewing dark content – unless you have a bright light source behind you. The main downside of the coating is that it can slightly wash out OLED’s inherent true-black performance but it’s really not by much and I, for one, am OK with the trade-off.
The on-screen display (OSD) is operated by a small joystick button at the base that provides low-lag access to numerous standard display options, plus OLED care settings and game-boosting functionality – the latter includes on-screen crosshairs and contrast-equalization that stops enemies jumping out of shadows and bright lights.
The numerous anti-burn-in features still highlight the QD-OLED technology’s potential flaw (for use as computer monitors) – static images like toolbars risk burning into the screen if you regularly use them for work. Fortunately there’s a three-year anti-burn-in warranty to provide peace of mind.
A ‘tactical’ switch next to the joystick button can be programmed to do things like drop the screen size to 24 inches for competitive FPS players and also to activate, change or deactivate the crosshair.
As for gaming performance, the fast pixel response time marries with the fast 240Hz refresh rate to produce impressive ghost-free motion performance. It’s not as blur-free as 360Hz or pro-grade TN (twisted nematic) technology panels, but only some pro FPS players might grumble.
Multimedia performance is impressive, especially when Windows HDR is activated. Bright lights shine out of the screen and details are retained in dark shadows. Both colorful and monochromatic gradients are impressively smooth and designers will like that it supports 99% of the difficult DCI-P3 color gamut.
There are two 5W speakers that get loud but don’t provide much in the way of bass-heavy punch, but it's still handy to have them for casual video watching.
(Image credit: Future)
Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2P: Price and availability
$1,299 / AU$2,199; UK price TBC
Available in US and Australia, UK availability TBC
This is far from a cheap monitor and it’s difficult to find outside of Asian markets right now. There are plenty of high-performing gaming monitors that rival many of the specs here, but the combination of QD-OLED, a UHD resolution, a 240Hz refresh rate and DisplayPort 2.1 really bumps the price up. Rivals with similar specifications (though without DP 2.1) can be found from MSI and Asus, but their availability and price also varies from region to region.
Value score: 3 / 5
Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2P: Specs
Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2P: Design and features
Easy to build
Packed with future-proof features
Some features not totally necessary right now
The Aorus FO32U2P has a very thin screen that’s mounted to a two-foot stand and has only minor decorative elements when compared to some bling-laden gaming beasts. It’s simple to fit together using the screen’s clip and a single finger screw (at the base) and, after construction, you’re left with a smart-looking gaming monitor that’s got a discreet (nay, hidden) RGB strip on the back and some ‘aggressive’ geometric lines.
The stand affords plenty of adjustments: there’s +20° to -5° of tilt, +20° to -20° of swivel, 90° of clockwise pivot and a generous 130mm of height adjustment.
There’s also one of the most impressive complements of ports I’ve come across on a monitor, even though some are so new (and expensive) that I’m questioning the value of their inclusion in the current market.
(Image credit: Future)
Indeed, if the 48Gbps bandwidth of HDMI 2.1 has felt constrictive for you(!), the Aorus FO32U2P supports DisplayPort 2.1 UHBR20 connectivity that goes up to 80Gbps for a potentially completely uncompressed 240Hz UHD image. For most people this will be a bit like Spinal Tap going up to 11, as the existing image is excellent and looks far from compressed. Still, when compatible consumer graphics cards appear, image quality might suddenly improve – to some extent – and I might be eating my words. That’s hard to imagine on a 32-inch screen, though I’d expect it to be more apparent on massive 4K and 8K TVs.
Right now DP 2.1 UHBR20 only works on Radeon Pro (workstation) graphics cards anyway. Also be aware that the supplied DP cable is relatively short, so might not reach if your PC isn’t on your desk.
A joystick button provides access to the OSD where the usual preset display settings (plus HDR additions when turned on) live, along with the option to activate FreeSync Premium Pro.
There’s Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture that can be made use of via the two HDMI 2.1 ports, a USB-C port (with 65W PD charging) and the two main DisplayPorts (one is miniDP). There’s also a DisplayPort out for daisy chaining. Note too, there are dual 3.5mm audio jacks that will please/annoy those with (in)compatible headsets.
A Game Assist menu enables you to display a timer and the monitor refresh rate. There are also various styles of onscreen crosshairs (great for CoD Hardcore) and an Eagle Eye (sniper) mode that zooms in on a moveable area of the screen so you can cheat get better headshots. To be frank, if you can succeed using such a distracting feature, then good for you.
(Image credit: Future)
You can also activate a Dashboard that provides an on-screen system status (CPU, GPU and frame rate) list.
A Resolution Switch mode transforms the display into a virtual 24-inch screen – gimmicky but potentially attractive to e-sports players who require a smaller screen with a more eye-friendly field of view.
An OLED Care menu monitors how long you’ve been using the screen and provides numerous burn-in tools like Pixel Clean, Static Control, Pixel Shift and (zoned) screen dimming. While burn-in on QD-OLED panels is still a heated issue, Gigabyte offers a three-year burn-in warranty for peace of mind.
A Tactical Button next to the joystick can be configured to instantly drop the resolution, activate the crosshair, enable an OLE-care cleaning cycle or mute the speakers.
Ultimately, it’s a good-looking and very well-specced monitor with few missing features and additional future-proofed, high-bandwidth connections.
Design and features score: 5 / 5
(Image credit: Future)
Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2P: Performance
Vibrant colors
Impressively fast in use
Built-in speakers are good but not great
The Aorus FO32U2P’s colors are as vibrant as I’d expect from a QD-OLED screen and both monochromatic and colorful transitions are smooth when Windows HDR is turned on.
Contrast is excellent, with details remaining visible in bright and dark areas alike. The 250 nit SDR brightness might seem low but it's uniform and well suited to gaming and day-to-day use. HDR brightness can hit 1000 nits on 3% of the screen – enough that all but larger highlights really pop. You can also butcher it with Aorus’ Black Equalizer 2.0 settings to stop enemies hiding in shadows and jumping out of the sun.
The 240Hz refresh rate marries well with the super-quick 0.03ms (stated) pixel response time. You can get faster screens but only super-fussy pro e-sports players might grumble at the minuscule blur on show.
(Image credit: Future)
Another potentially contentious issue with monitors using this third-gen Samsung QD-OLED panel is that it’s not quite true black. An anti-reflective coating does a very impressive job of banishing reflections (even in dark scenes) and despite this being a great trade-off, some multimedia purists might hate having ever-so-slightly washed-out blacks.
A less contentious issue concerns the QD-OLED’s spidery text problems from its early days. It was almost perfectly fixed on second-gen panels and I didn’t have any issues on this third-gen display.
The twin 5W speakers get loud and offer a bit of punch. However, there’s not much bass to speak of and fidelity suffers in the mid-range when at high volume. Still, I like having them as sometimes you want to watch a quick video without dealing with headphones.
Performance score: 5 / 5
(Image credit: Future)
Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2P: Score card
Should I buy the Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2P?
Buy it if...
You want an uncompromising gaming monitor
Having a 240Hz refresh rate on a UHD-resolution QD-OLED panel ticks my three core features of a dream monitor, and this Aorus has them all.
You want DisplayPort 2.1
There are few actual benefits to having this technology but, if you’ve been hanging out for huge video bandwidth, then this is the first monitor to provide it.
Don't buy it if...
Money is an issue
It’s a very expensive display and you can get non QD-OLED variants that have similar headline specs for much less money.
Thoughts of QD-OLED burn-in gives you anxiety
There are many anti-burn-in technologies in the Aorus FO32U2P (plus a three-year warranty), but you’ll be thinking about it a lot – especially if you’re planning on working with a fixed Windows Taskbar on a day-to-day basis.
Also consider
Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2
The non-P version of this monitor doesn’t have DisplayPort 2.1 (or DP daisy chaining) and its USB-C port isn’t as powerful (18-Watt PD), but this can save you some money. However availability is not great in all regions.
Gigabyte M32UC
Gigabyte’s non-QD-OLED 4K gaming monitor packs in the features and still manages to offer a 144Hz refresh rate. It also costs one-third of the price!
For the review, I tested the Aorus FO32U2P over the course of a month by using it as my work-from-home monitor, which I also use for gaming. That means I regularly use all Microsoft and Google Office applications, Adobe photo and video editing applications, social media and YouTube.
In order to test the overall image quality I focus on real-world tests and a few technical tests. For multimedia performance I use UHD video clips (HDR where possible) on YouTube to establish color vibrancy and accuracy, smoothness (and noisiness) of chromatic and monochromatic gradients, plus contrast range and true-black performance.
For speed and gaming performance I predominantly focus upon CoD MWIII and PCars 2 for fast-and-frantic motion smoothness. I also look at the TestUFO technical motion test.
For physical attributes I check reflectivity of the screen and speed/intuitiveness/features of the OSD.
I’ve been reviewing computers, peripherals and components for over 20 years for multiple titles in the UK, Australia and internationally.
Samsung is shaping the future of mobile – it continues to refine foldable phones and, starting this year, it is incorporating AI into the mix. We even hear that there will be special AI features introduced with the Galaxy Z Fold6 and its S Pen, though that isn’t official yet.
In fact, the next-gen Galaxy Z Flip6 and Z Fold6 are still a couple of weeks away. However, you can reserve a unit today from Samsung US and you will receive $50 Samsung Credit.
Okay, this isn’t a real reservation, it’s Samsung’s usual early bird promo – there was a similar campaign for the Galaxy S24 a few months...
Motorola has done it. If you’re sick of the same old smartphone, the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 is your cure. The Razr Plus is the flip phone that should be the envy of boring slab phone owners everywhere. It’s bright and colorful in every way, inside and out, screens and shell. This Razr is completely different in (mostly) the best ways.
I didn’t think last year’s Motorola Razr Plus needed much improvement, but Motorola has improved it anyway. The best flip-phone cover display, larger and more versatile than the file-folder window on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 6, is even bigger and brighter this year than before. It fills the phone and gives you a miniature window into all of your apps. Apps become more useful than ever when you use them on this palm-sized marvel.
The Razr Plus 2024 also gets a welcome durability upgrade, and it’s now water resistant enough to take a dunk. Motorola’s vegan leather, with a new suede feel, replaces the glass on the back of the Razr Plus. The result is a colorful finish that feels great to hold, giving the Razr a unique look all its own. It also won’t slip off your desk.
No branding on the spine, unlike Samsung's Z Flip (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Has Motorola avoided the latest smartphone AI fads? Or has it crammed AI onto the new Razr 2024 phones? Unfortunately, it’s the latter. Motorola has run with the crowd and pushed half-baked AI onto its new Razr Plus, with predictably bad results that may only get worse.
The Razr Plus 2024 has Moto AI tools that highlight the worst stereotyping tendencies of generative AI. Moto AI produces results that seem racist, misogynist, ageist, and anti-Semitic. The AI tools on the Razr Plus 2024 show how AI is not ready for retail. Tools like this should not be part of a consumer device, especially an expensive smartphone. It’s embarrassing, and the Moto AI image generator needs to go.
Kind of a bummer, right? I was excited for the new Motorola Razr Plus 2024, with its new colors and bigger cover display, but the offensive AI quelled my excitement. Even worse, Motorola promises that even more intrusive AI features are coming. Right now, the bigotry is confined to the wallpapers, but soon Moto AI will be listening to all of your phone calls and conversations. Ugh.
Frankly, you can ignore these new AI features on the Razr Plus 2024. This phone is still very good without the AI gimmicks. The improved hinge on the Razr Plus 2024 snaps open and shut with more aplomb. You can take a group photo and watch people smile when they see themselves on the cover screen.
All of the Motorola Plus 2024 color options (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Nasty AI can’t make this phone less cool, right? It comes in Hot Pink! Can AI ruin Hot Pink? No, nothing can ruin Hot Pink.
For now, I’d take a wait-and-see approach to buying the Motorola Razr Plus 2024. If the price drops, or if Motorola cleans up its AI act a little bit, this will be an easier phone to recommend. However, if you’d rather not endorse Motorola’s vision of a mobile AI future, I would avoid it and look for a future that’s a little less cool.
Razr Plus 2024 review: Price and availability
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Available to pre-order for $999.99 / £999.99 / AU $1,699
256GB storage in US; 512GB storage in UK and Australia
Called Motorola Razr Plus 2024 in the US, Motorola Razr 50 Ultra everywhere else
The Motorola Razr Plus 2024 starts around $1,000 / £1,000 / AU$1,700, which puts it in the same price range as the Google Pixel 8 Pro and the Apple iPhone 15 Pro.
To Motorola’s benefit, Samsung raised the price of its flip phone by $100 / AU$150 (the Z Flip’s price is unchanged in the UK), making the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 more expensive than the Razr Plus 2024 in those regions.
That’s a lot of competition at this price, but Motorola loves to offer discounts, so I would wait for a good deal if you don’t need to buy this phone right away. The Razr Plus 2023 saw fantastic deals throughout its first year on the market, including a perpetual $300 discount in the US.
Will the new Razr Plus 2024 get the same deals? Only time will tell, but the improvements here aren’t so groundbreaking that a price cut is out of the question. The cover display is a bit larger, and the phone is now officially water resistant, instead of just unofficially splashproof.
This phone would be an easier choice if it cost less, but at this price I worry that it competes poorly on cameras, long-term software support, and overall durability – aspects that make a smartphone worth keeping for longer. If Moto dropped the price by 25% or more, I wouldn’t care so much.
Value score: 3 / 5
Razr Plus 2024 review: Specs
Motorola Razr Plus 2024 (left) and Razr 2024 (right) (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Motorola only offers one configuration for the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 in the US, and another in the UK and Australia – you get 12GB of RAM wherever you are, with 256GB of storage in the US and 512GB in the UK and Australia. Don’t worry, US fans; that’s enough space, especially if you use cloud storage for photos and videos.
The Razr Plus 2024 doesn’t skimp on specs when it comes to its two displays: each screen refreshes at a blazing fast 165Hz, and brightness levels are exceptionally high.
The Motorola Razr Plus 2024 is the first phone with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset that was announced earlier this year. It’s a step down from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor found in phones like the OnePlus 12, but Qualcomm says it can still handle more AI tasks than older Snapdragon platforms. I found performance to be acceptable for non-AI tasks, and battery life was excellent on this new platform.
Razr Plus 2024 review: Design
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Bigger cover display than any other flip phone
Stylish color options available
Cameras sometimes get in the way
The Motorola Razr Plus 2024 is the coolest phone you can buy, and Moto has clad it in some fabulous colors, including the Spring Green of my review sample and a Hot Pink that’s a throwback to 2005’s pink Motorola Razr V3. Motorola has found its audience for this phone – people who hate boring slabs of glass and metal, even if the metal is titanium.
Everything about the design is thoughtful and slick, from the ‘vegan leather’ back that shows off the Peach Fuzz paint job nicely, to the humongous cover display that the twin camera lenses float in like lily pads in a pixel pond. The foldable inner screen lays so flat you have to concentrate to feel the crease.
Sometimes it doesn't matter if the cameras are in the way (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
That folding mechanism is improved as well. It snaps open and shut in a much more satisfying way than on the Razr Plus 2023, and flicking the phone open and slamming it shut is a joy that becomes addictive; I may need to start making more phone calls so I can answer and hang up more often. The Razr Plus 2024 is also more durable, with an IPX8 rating ensuring that it can take a dunk under water without issue. It’s not all perfect. Sure, the cover display is amazing, wrapping around the camera lenses like pixel magic, but some important buttons on my apps were obscured by those lenses, and while you can resize apps to fit better, it’s a chore. On Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 6, the cover display is smaller, but it isn’t blocked by the lenses. Samsung may be onto something here.
I also take issue with ‘vegan leather,’ but only because ‘vegan’ gets confused with ‘environmentally friendly.’ Vegan leather is plastic. It’s very nice plastic, and Motorola says it won’t fade or stain, and it’s still good for vegans because no animals were harmed in its production. Other benefits seem purely aesthetic, not environmental. Whatever, aesthetic is in.
If you want a phone that’s cooler than what everybody else is carrying, get the Razr Plus 2024. Watch eyes widen when you fold it in half and tuck it away. Check the smiles on your cover display as you take a group photo.
This is a phone for showing off, and my biggest design complaint is that I can only choose one color. Check back around the new year, as well, because Motorola has partnered with Pantone for two years straight to launch Razr phones in Pantone’s Color of the Year.
Design score: 5 / 5
Razr Plus 2024 review: Display
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Wow and wow: both the inner and outer displays are excellent
Interior screen is humongous
Both displays are super-bright, maybe too bright
The Motorola Razr Plus 2024 has a larger cover display than last year’s Razr Plus, and though it didn’t need the upgrade, the bigger outer screen cements Motorola’s dominance in flip phones. This is how a flip smartphone should look. Once you’ve used it, with its dominating cover display, you’ll see that no other flip phone comes close.
Both screens on the Razr Plus 2024 are incredibly bright. The big interior screen can hit 3,000 nits peak brightness, according to Moto, and the cover display can go to 2,400 nits. That’s too bright for a phone I leave next to my bed – checking messages late at night, I blasted myself in the face with bright light more than a few times.
The cover screen wraps around the camera lenses for a signature Motorola look that Samsung hasn’t aped for its Galaxy Z Flip series. Sometimes those lenses get in the way, as on my Roku TV remote app, where some buttons are hidden. I still think it’s a better look than the cutout that Samsung uses; I just wish developers accounted for apps being shown on a smaller, squarish screen.
Sometimes those cameras block important buttons (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
The foldable inner display is flatter than ever – I can’t see the crease unless I hold the phone at an angle to the light. I can hardly feel the crease either, even if I flick my finger back and forth.
Display score: 5 / 5
Razr Plus 2024 review: Software
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
A light touch on Androi… wait, is that AI? Oh no
Motorola makes the huge AI mistake we’ve been hoping it would avoid
I’ll get the basic Motorola Android software out of the way first so I can rant about my huge problems with Moto AI. I was hoping that Motorola would stay away from AI – OnePlus has mostly managed to avoid the topic – but unfortunately, Moto ventures into dangerous AI territory, and the results are sadly predictable.
Ignoring Moto AI, the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 is a solid Android phone. Motorola’s version of Android looks a lot like Android on the Google Pixel 8. Moto doesn’t brand its interface; it’s just Android 14. It also doesn’t promise five years of software updates, so don’t expect to run Android 19 on this phone, like you will (hopefully) with the Samsung Galaxy S24 and Google Pixel 8 phones.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Motorola has added useful shortcuts to its phones. I love the camera gesture: you twist your wrist a couple of times to launch it. I found this even more fun and reliable than double-pressing the power button, which is the shortcut on most Android phones. You can also ‘chop’ the phone twice to toggle the flashlight on and off.
Both of these shortcuts also work when the phone is closed, which makes taking selfies on the cover display even easier, with a quick double twist of my wrist. The Razr Plus is also the best flashlight phone I’ve ever used, since it’s so easy to hold when it’s closed.
This butterfly background was made with Moto AI (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Okay, enough compliments – let’s talk about AI. Motorola has added some AI features, with more on the way. I’ll start with AI wallpaper, because it’s emblematic of the larger problem.
The Motorola Razr Plus 2024 has an AI wallpaper generator, but it’s nothing like the AI wallpaper you’ll find on the Google Pixel 8 and Samsung Galaxy S24, both of which use AI as a tool to produce stylish and unique wallpapers.
The Motorola Razr Plus, on the other hand, produces images that often cling to stereotypes, with repeated results that are racist, misogynistic, and bigoted. I wish I were joking.
On the Pixel 8, the AI wallpaper is limited. You choose a look such as ‘Soft-focus,’ and then you fill in some blanks: “A soft-focus photo of ________ with ________ hues.”
You can’t fill the blanks with any word you choose – there are options to pick. For the first blank, there are eight choices, including Butterflies, Flowers, and Fireflies. There are nine options for the hues, including Red, Cream, and Natural. It’s limited, but you get 72 different options, and the phone creates four images each time you generate a wallpaper from a phrase. So that one ‘Soft-focus’ scene results in 288 wallpapers. You can ask the phone to generate new wallpaper again and again based on the same phrase, so the choices are limited, but there are infinite possible results.
If the Pixel 8 seems too constrained in this respect, and you’d like the option to submit open prompts, as you’ll find on Midjourney and other AI image-generation tools, I have good news and bad news.
Moto AI created this happy, furry lighthouse wallpaper for me (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
The good news is that the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 has an AI wallpaper feature that can generate anything you can imagine (with some limits); the bad news is that the generative AI image tools are so bad that they're offensive.
How is the Razr Plus 2024 offensive? That depends on what a happy person looks like. Or a successful person. A happy person could look like anybody! So, how does an AI generate an image of a happy person? What image does it create, drawing upon its understanding of a successful person?
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
I asked the Razr Plus 2024 to make me a wallpaper image of “a happy person.” I asked 10 times. Eight of the images were young, white, blond women smiling. Another image was a young, white man smiling, and the last was a dark-haired, young, white woman.
I tried the same test for a number of terms, and the results were strikingly similar. If you ask the Moto AI wallpaper tool to create an image of “a successful person,” I’ll bet you $1,000 that person will be young, male, and white.
It’s a huge problem when your AI has been modeled to understand that only young white people can be happy or successful, but if you think that’s bad, buckle up.
Can you guess what I asked for when I got this result? (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
I asked the Razr Plus 2024 to make me a wallpaper of “a Jewish person.” I asked 20 times. I got 20 white men. Not a single woman, nor any other skin tone. Almost all the men were wearing hats, beards, and payes, the long locks that Orthodox Jews grow at their temples. There was nobody who might not be an Orthodox Jew, even though Orthodox Judaism accounts for only one in seven Jews in the world. I asked for “a Palestinian person” and I only got men with beards.
When an AI has been modeled to understand that all Jewish people look the same, or that all Palestinian people look the same, to the exclusion of women, then that AI will generate images that support stereotypes including anti-Semitism, misogyny, and other forms of bigotry. That’s what I see happening with Moto AI, and I have a huge problem with this.
Don't look close or you may barf (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Also, it’s just weird. I asked for “friends having fun at the beach” and I only got groups of young, white people, mostly wearing string bikinis. AI doesn’t do good string bikinis, and the photos were monstrous, like a horror movie. I asked for “a strong person” and I got impossibly muscle-bound men, often only a view of bodies from the bulging neck to below the bulging crotch. I’m not joking.
How did this make it into a final product? This is entirely unacceptable. Moto AI isn’t an AI wallpaper generator. It’s an AI stereotype generator. It needs to be removed.
If Motorola isn’t taking this seriously, maybe it will if one of its execs asks its own AI for an image of “a cool smartphone.” I got pictures of an iPhone Pro, with its characteristic triangle camera layout. I got no pictures of a Motorola Razr.
That's no six pack. How many packs is that, 8? 12? (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Before this review, I took the unusual step of telling Motorola that I had serious concerns about the AI image tool, and asked if they had any response. I shared the results of my queries, and the conclusions I was drawing. At press time, Motorola had no response.
If you do use the Moto AI wallpaper generator, despite all of the above, be warned that there’s a monthly limit to how many images you can create. You can’t buy more images, so you just have to wait until the first of the next month.
Software score: 1 / 5
Razr Plus 2024 review: Cameras
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Image quality is good, but still not great
Taking photos and video is much more fun with a Razr
Photographers say the best camera is the one you have with you; I carry two or three phones at a time, so I would say that the best camera is the one I like using the most. Whether or not the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 takes the best photos, it is the most fun camera to use in almost every situation.
Video shooting is especially clever with the Razr Plus. The camera automatically recognizes ‘camcorder mode,’ when you bend the screen halfway and aim the camera at the action. The Razr Plus will start recording video automatically, and you can stop with a tap anywhere on the bottom half of the screen.
Shooting selfies is ridiculously fun. There’s no need to open the phone – I just give my wrist a twist (or tap the Camera app) and the cover display shows what the camera sees. Instead of using the selfie camera, the higher-quality main cameras can take selfies and portraits. Holding the folded Razr Plus is easier than trying to hold a large smartphone for selfie shots, and people loved seeing themselves on the cover display as I lined up group photos.
The Razr Plus has even more creative shooting options. You can fold the phone in a variety of ways to make it stand on its own. If you want a selfie when the phone is aiming up from the ground, just raise a palm and the camera will start a countdown. It works very nicely. There’s also a Photobooth mode that will take four shots in a row and post the quad-photo composite to Google Photos.
Images from the Razr Plus 2024 look good, and photos are definitely helped by whatever AI tools Motorola is applying. Colors look very saturated in most shots, although photographs seem to lack a sense of depth and life. In photos with a blurred bokeh background, the blurring looks very artificial and digital, and not smooth like you’d get from a better camera.
The camera also had trouble focusing, especially for close-ups. It never seemed to get exactly what I wanted in the sharpest plane of focus, even if I tapped on my subject on the screen before taking the shot.
I also had some trouble with the digital level that you can use on the camera screen to ensure that your photos look straight. My landscape photos often seemed crooked, even though I followed the level until it turned green.
Camera score: 3 / 5
Razr Plus 2024 camera samples
Here are samples taken in New York City and the surrounding suburbs
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Razr Plus 2024 review: Performance
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
Performance was smooth until the AI needed to talk to the cloud
The Motorola Razr Plus 2024 is the first phone launched with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, and the ‘s’ apparently stands for ‘slower.’ In Future Labs’ benchmark tests, the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 landed closer to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, which uses a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, than the Galaxy S24, which has the more powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy. We’re still putting the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 through testing, but it has the same processor inside as the Galaxy S24.
Still, I had no trouble running any of my apps on the Motorola Razr Plus 2024, and the interface was smooth and snappy. Even fancy tricks like opening the camera with gestures, or moving an app from the big internal display to the smaller cover screen, worked with no delay. The phone also did a great job playing games and movies, including high-resolution, multiplayer games like Call of Duty: Mobile.
My only setback came when I was using the new AI features. I have Google Gemini loaded on the phone, and I subscribe to Gemini Advanced, so I enjoyed using Gemini on the Moto Razr Plus cover display – you can’t do that on the Galaxy Z Flip 6. However, most AI features were very laggy, especially compared to the performance of similar features, like the AI writing tools and AI wallpapers, on the Pixel 8 Pro and Galaxy S24. Whether I was generating a new wallpaper or just revising some text, I had to wait for a connection to Motorola’s cloud, and this added a long delay.
In fact, often the AI features would simply fail to connect, seemingly for no reason. I could make 10 successful requests in a row, then all of a sudden the AI would stop working for the next request. It would usually work again if I changed one word slightly, but there was no apparent problem with my choice of words; it just stopped working, then started again.
Performance score: 3 / 5
Razr Plus 2024 review: Battery
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Excellent battery life beats the competition
Fast charging is nice, but no charger included
That mid-range Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor on the Razr Plus 2024 pays off in battery life, if not in performance. The Razr Plus has a 4,000mAh battery that is only 7.5% larger than the 3,700mAh cell in the Galaxy Z Flip 5, but it delivers almost 50% more battery life in our tests. We saw less than 10 hours of screen time on the Z Flip 5, but we regularly topped 14 hours of use with the Motorola Razr Plus 2024. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 has a 4,000mAh cell, and we’ll publish detailed comparisons once we’re done testing Samsung’s latest flip phone.
The Motorola Razr Plus offers fast 45W charging, but you need to buy a special charger to use the 45W capabilities. There’s no charger included in the box, and if you’re upgrading, especially from an iPhone, your charger probably tops out at 25W or less. It’s worth buying a newer charger, because that fast charging speed can give you extra hours of phone time if you top up in the 10 minutes you spend getting ready for an evening out.
I had a weird charging glitch with the Razr Plus 2024 as well as my Motorola Razr 2024 review sample. As I was charging the phones, they would frequently wake up and flash the charging percentage on screen, as if I had just plugged in the power cord. They would each do this repeatedly, no matter which USB-C cord I used.
Even worse, when I put the phones on a wireless Qi2 charger, they did the same thing. The phones still charged, but the display lit up in an annoying way to report their progress every few seconds.
I was expecting a software update during my two-week review period, but it never arrived. I’m hoping Motorola’s first update for the Razr 2024 family fixes this glitch.
Battery score: 4 / 5
Should you buy the Motorola Razr Plus 2024?
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Buy it if...
You want the coolest-looking phone around
The Motorola Razr Plus 2024 is the coolest phone you can buy right now, with snazzy color options and unbeatable features that show what a flip phone can be in the age of smartphones.
You want two devices in one
The Razr Plus 2024 has such a large cover display that it’s almost like getting two devices – a pocket-sized communicator that opens up to reveal a massive smartphone inside. It’s a totally new experience.
You don’t want the phone everybody else has
The Razr Plus 2024 is drawing iPhone fans away from Apple, according to Motorola, and it’s easy to see why. Motorola does everything Apple won’t, from foldable screens to bright colors to open AI features.
Don't buy it if...
You need a really good camera
The camera on the Motorola Razr Plus has gotten undeniably better, but it still can’t match the best camera phones you can buy, and doesn’t have the lenses and features of other phones in this price range.
You’re worried about bad AI features
The Motorola Razr Plus makes a major misstep with its AI image generator tool that creates stereotyping images and results that feel racist, misogynist, and possibly anti-Semitic. Yes, it’s that bad.
You can wait for a good discount The Motorola Razr Plus 2024 launches at a good price, comparable to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip, but Moto put last year’s Razr on a perpetual sale that dropped the price by hundreds. If you can wait, you might save big.
Razr Plus 2024 review: Also consider
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is like a Motorola Razr Plus with more power and less cover screen. Samsung is more conservative with its outer display, but the Z Flip packs more features, and is a professional flip phone, not a party trick.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro For the same price as the Razr Plus 2024 you can have an iPhone 15 Pro, which not only has much better cameras, but will also give you Apple’s (hopefully) more refined Apple Intelligence AI features in the next year or so.
Motorola Razr 2024 The base-model Motorola Razr this year has a slower processor, but a much bigger cover display than before, more like last year’s Razr Plus. For the incredibly low price it may be worth suffering the weird AI, and you can get it in orange.
How I tested the Motorola Razr Plus 2024
I tested the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 for two weeks before starting this review. I received the Razr Plus 2024 and the Razr 2024 together, and I used the Razr Plus as my only smartphone for work purposes. I checked messages, managed my calendar, wrote stories, and edited photos on the display. I also used the phone as a primary personal phone: controlling my smart home devices, playing games, and managing my social life.
I tested the durability of the phone thoroughly. Every time I opened and closed the phone I did so with deliberate force. I used the phone in the bathtub, and washed it in the sink. I dropped it a few times onto the pavement. It still looks just fine.
To test the AI features, I used a standard prompt list that I always use with AI image-generation tools to prove that they resort to common stereotypes. I ask every AI tool for the same images, 10 times for each prompt, and sometimes more if results are interesting or inconsistent. I ask for images that test stereotypes on race, religion, ethnicity, culture, gender, socio-economic status, and other criteria.
I tested the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 with a variety of accessories, including the Pixel Buds Pro earbuds, a Pixel Watch 2, and my Bluetooth car receiver. I used an Xbox One gaming controller, in addition to a variety of charging devices, especially my Anker 737 battery, which can charge the Razr Plus at full speed.
The Engwe L20 is a step-through bike that is perfectly designed for people looking for a more accessible mounting experience. This makes it very similar to the M20 minus the top tube. The lack of that part of the frame does make it more difficult to mount a second battery should you wish to.
At 34kg (75 lb), there's no getting away from how heavy this e-bike is. The only saving grace is that locating the battery underneath the seat provides a good level of balance to the bike. The quality of the build is high with no concerns about it falling apart or not being able to stand up to wear and tear.
The advertised range of 140km (87 miles) is unlikely to ever be achieved because who rides e-bikes under normal conditions? For a start, there's always some wind resistance and different road surfaces result in great friction levels that will reduce the range of even the best e-bikes. Secondly, you'll want to ride this e-bike with the highest level of pedal assist most of the time and that will put a serious dent in your battery performance.
The front basket and rear rack converts the L20 from a fun cruiser into something substantially more functional. Buying one of Engwe's basket or rack bags will ensure a perfect fit but in reality you can strap anything you want onto this e-bike. It'll handle anything under the maximum weight levels with ease.
The L20 is a fun bike that is perfect for getting jobs done and traveling from A to B. It will also work for a short daily commute, especially if you have things that need carrying into the office. At under £1,000 / $1,200 it's amazing what you get for the price.
Engwe L20 review: specs
(Image credit: Future)
Engwe L20 review: Price and availability
$1,200 / £999
Only available in the US and EU
Available from the manufacturer directly
The Engwe L20 is a budget-friendly e-bike available at the bargain price of US $1,200 / £999. For the price, you'll get the cruiser-style bike, a 48V, 13Ah lithium-ion battery, and a charger. On top of this, there are a range of accessories included in the package, such as mud guards, a front basket, and a rear rack. You can pick from four different colours including Avocado Green, Snow White, Onyx Black, or Flamingo Pink, which is the paint trim that I had.
If you'd like to go the whole hog, then you can also purchase items including a rack bag, a phone mount, or a bicycle pump. These are available to purchase at the time of buying or separately afterwards.
Alongside these accessories, Engwe also sells batteries, which are perfect for replacing old and depleted ones or just having a spare in case you run low and don't have time to charge the others. I personally think that's a huge luxury but if you've got the money, then why not?
(Image credit: Future)
Engwe L20 review: Design
Heavyweight aluminum frame
Battery located behind seat tube
Unbranded parts
At he heart of the Engwe L20's design is a step-through aluminum frame. The removal of the top tube makes it possible for almost anyone to get on this bike. This bike frame is therefore perfect for people who are on the shorter side or are unable to lift their leg over a standard-framed bike. As someone who isn't affected by either of those things, I just enjoyed the fact that it was incredibly easy to get on and off!
One of Engwe's more recent bikes, the P275 Pro, has much thinner tires but you won't find anything like that on the L20. These tires are classic Engwe; they are absolutely massive. At 20 x 4 inches, you'll have all the weight and grip you need to confidently navigate various types of terrain.
In terms of electronics, there are quite a lot of cables, which is detrimental to the overall aesthetic. Even though the cables from front to back travel inside the down tube, there are still a lot of them that are visible, especially at the front. Cables running from the brakes, gears, display, and front light are coiled together, but this almost adds to their bulk.
The 48V, 13Ah battery is tucked neatly behind the seat post and can be removed by lifting the seat lever and rotating the seat 90 degrees. This has been engineered really well and works efficiently, even if it is a little annoying to have to adjust the seat every time the battery needs to be removed.
The L20 is an absolute beast. At 34kg, this e-bike is not for the faint-hearted. Lugging it around requires some muscles, which might make it counterproductive for the market that Engwe is targeting with the step-through design. Some of this additional bulk is a result of the weighty front basket and rear rack, as well as the solid metal mud guards.
Both of the lights are powered by the on-board battery and the rear one even acts as a brake light, which is ideal in terms of safety. There is also suspension located on the front fork, as well as springs under the seat to help with navigating uneven terrain.
Design Score: 4/5
(Image credit: Future)
Engwe L20 review: Performance
250W brushless motor
Shimano 7-speed
160mm front & rear disc mechanical brake
The 250W brushless motor is capped at the European limit of 25km / 15.5 miles per hour. Because of the chunky tires and extra weight, it actually takes quite a while to get up to this top speed. Once you're there though, it feels pretty quick and nippy. The low centre of gravity really helps to root you to the experience of riding the bike.
The pedal sensor could do with being upgraded to a magnetic alternative because it is slower to respond than I would have liked. It can feel a bit stop start and when pulling away at traffic lights I needed the motor to kick in much quicker than it actually did.
The Shimano gears were smooth and reliable and having seven of them was just about enough for most gradual inclines. You wouldn't want to be climbing mountains with it but you should look at other e-bikes if you are. When traveling downhill or moving through traffic, the 160mm mechanical brakes deliver enough performance to stop quickly. They took a little fine-tuning during the bike-build stage but that's to be expected.
Thanks to the front suspension and under seat springs, most of the surfaces I came across were dampened, which was a relief to my body. The fat tires further helped to soften any impact from potholes to uneven roads.
If you're after a quiet ride then the L20 is far from it. The motor combined with thick tires resulted in relentless whirring noises throughout the ride. Personally, I don't mind that though, as there's something about the noise, especially from the tires, that grounds you in what you're doing.
Performance score: 4/5
(Image credit: Future)
Engwe L20 review: Battery life
48V, 13Ah lithium-ion battery
140km / 87 miles maximum range
Removable battery
The 48V, 13Ah lithium-ion battery is heavy but easily removed after tilting the seat into a vertical position. It provides an advertised range of 140km, which is rather generous compared to the reality of most riding conditions.
I found that any assist mode lower than the maximum was not enough to make for an enjoyable ride. This naturally affected the battery range. With the highest level of pedal assist and regular wind resistance, I found the bike was able to provide closer to 70km. Considering I was only traveling relatively short distances at a time, this was absolutely fine for making sure I was home in between rides to recharge.
The L20 ships with less-than-fully inflated tires so to help with maximizing the range, make sure you inflate them properly. This will limit the level of friction and drag and therefore boost the overall achievable range.
The provided battery charger provides a full charge in around four to five hours and can be done by either removing the battery from the bike or by keeping it in location.
Battery life score: 4/5
(Image credit: Future)
Engwe L20 review: Should I buy it?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Also consider
How I tested the Engwe L20
The Engwe L20 is perfect for cruising around so that's exactly what I did. I took it around my local neighbourhood and out onto country roads, thoroughly testing all of its features. In traffic and with the open road out in front of me, I was impressed at how the L20 handled. I tried all the assistance levels and tested the brakes in normal and emergency situations.
Spotify recently put its latest price hike into effect in the US, bringing individual plans from $10.99 up to $11.99. Dual Plans went up to $16.99 ($2 increase), and family plans now cost $19.99 ($3 increase). One of the ways the streaming giant justified the price increase was the introduction of audiobook support to the platform, with premium users now getting 15 hours of audiobook listening per month.
Apparently, Spotify is aware that not everybody is going to care about its audiobook offering, and it is now introducing a new “Basic” plan in the US. It includes unlimited access to music...
The Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo reviewed here may be the closest I’ve gotten with a robot vacuum to not feeling like I also need one of the best vacuums on standby for deep cleaning purposes. Part of that is the fact that it does a great job vacuuming and mopping including edges – it has a retractable mop pad – but another factor is that the Combo and Combo Complete versions of the new T30S model come with extra vacuuming capabilities.
In the case of the Combo reviewed here, it comes with a handheld vacuum (plus attachments) that has its own dock in the base station. The Complete version also has a stick vacuum.
(Image credit: Future)
No matter which version you end up with, you’ll find a feature-filled affair including its own voice assistant. Whether it's the best robot vacuum for you will depend on whether you’re willing to spend the money for it. After all, most of my issues with it, outside of price, are fairly unimportant, such as the fact that its foot control (a light tap should set it off to clean) doesn’t always register and that it’s not great with cables (like most robot vacuums).
The only bigger issue I’ve had is with the hot water mop pad washing and its ability to wash out coffee concentrate before continuing cleaning, and even that was easily remedied. I’ll discuss that a bit more at length later.
If you don’t flinch at the high price, however, you will end up with an excellent robot vacuum system.
Though Ecovacs has plenty of products available in the UK and Australia, the new family of T30S robot vacuums seems to only be available in the US at the time of writing. While unfortunate, let’s hope that it’s temporary as it’s a worthy upgrade from the Ecovacs DEEBOT T20 Omni robot vacuum I reviewed in 2023. Like that vacuum, it’s also expensive.
There are three tiers in the Ecovacs Deebot T30S family. There’s the basic Ecovacs Deebot T30S, the Combo and the Combo Complete. The basic model goes for $999.99 (about £790 / AU$1,500), while the Combo reviewed here goes for $1,199.99 (about £950 / AU$1,800) and the Combo Complete goes for $1,299.99 (about £1,020 / AU$1,950). The difference between these three models comes down to the inclusion of external cleaning tools. The basic model is still fully featured but doesn’t come with an additional hand vacuum or stick vacuum. The Combo comes with a hand vacuum and attachments. And the Combo Complete comes with the hand vacuum and attachments as well as a stick vacuum, all of which dock on the base station. That’s pretty cool considering the difference in price between the different tiers is quite minimal.
All in all, the pricing is not bad for what you get, even if it sits squarely in the premium camp. For comparison’s sake, the Ecovacs Deebot T20 Omni mentioned above retailed for $1,099.99 / £951.65 / AU$1,799 when it was released. In fact, it technically still does, though you’ll find it regularly on sale for much less. But the T20 doesn’t include the extra handheld and hasn’t mastered cleaning the edges as well as the T30S.
There are options that cost even more, such as the Narwal Freo, which retails at $1,399.99 / AU$1,999 (about £1,100) and doesn’t offer quite the same level of vacuuming performance.
Robot vacuums seem to come in one of two colors, black or white. In the case of the Ecovacs Deebot T30S, it’s matte black. Regardless of where you place it, it will probably blend in as long as you have the space for it. Measuring almost 22" wide and 20" tall, it does require a little more floor space than most robot vacuums that come with a base station.
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Everything that comes with the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo (Image credit: Future)
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Controls on the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo robot vacuum (Image credit: Future)
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The Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo robot vacuum's dust bin (Image credit: Future)
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(Image credit: Future)
The robot vacuum itself looks like most robot vacuums these days. It has the typical round shape with a raised cylindrical area, which I always assume is for navigational purposes like a bridge on a ship. The front of the unit has a bumper that registers presses for the foot control (a light press will start a cleaning cycle). There’s one side brush that feeds debris into a roller brush with v-shaped bristles designed to keep tangles at bay. And there are two mop pads at the back of the unit that can retract over carpeting. Oh, and one of them can extend out to clean edges.
(Image credit: Future)
The base station contains two water reservoirs, one for clean water and one for dirty, a dock for the robot vacuum as well as the handheld vacuum it comes with, and a compartment for the handheld vacuum's attachments.
There’s also a front panel that pops open for access to the dust bag into which all the contents of the robot vacuum and handheld vacuum automatically empty when they’re docked. Also of note is that the base station will wash the mop pads during and after use and then dry the mop pads for the next cleaning.
(Image credit: Future)
As far as the handheld goes, it has a somewhat bulky shape. However, it’s not cumbersome to use. There are three attachments: a mini power brush, a flat brush, and a crevice tool.
When it comes to vacuuming and mopping, I have been generally impressed with the recent crop of robot vacuums that I’ve gotten my hands on, and the Ecovacs Deebot T30S is no different.
In regard to the vacuuming, one of my tests was to pour a bunch of bay seasoning on the floor. It vacuumed it up in one go. I also ran it after a birthday party with some small bits of food and small bits of trash and it managed to pick everything up. I’ve also not had to worry about untangling anything – an issue with some cheaper vacuums.
(Image credit: Future)
The Ecovacs Deebot T30S mops in an even and orderly fashion as well, leaving my floors spotless. I do have to share one experience that highlights the pros and cons of its mopping capability. When I put down the bay seasoning, I also poured a bunch of coffee concentrate on the floor for it to mop up. The good news is that the coffee concentrate was swiftly whisked off the floor. However, since it is a concentrate, it permeated the mop pads and ended up leaving a thin layer of coffee-flavored water all over my floors. Even after the hot water mop pad washing, it still would make my floors smell like coffee.
Luckily, the mop pads pop right off so I just washed them with some dish soap. After that, no more coffee smell. Of course, most (but not all) of the robot vacuums that I’ve used don’t require or ask you to put any kind of cleaning solution into the clean water reservoir, so this is not going to be unique to this robot vacuum.
(Image credit: Future)
On a brighter note, one of the mop pads extends out during use so this vacuum is able to clean the edges of my flooring, making the need for a regular vacuum for deep cleaning a little less necessary. The inclusion of the handheld vacuum also makes investing in extra cleaning tools a lower priority. It has plenty of power and a useful range of tools. I was able to quickly and easily suck up leaves and debris from some windowsills that had accumulated a few months of pollen, dirt, and small, fallen leaves.
Having reviewed a few robot vacuums that are stellar in almost every regard but fall short with their software, I’m particularly sensitive to app-related issues. Thankfully, I have yet to experience anything bad with the Ecovacs Deebot T30S.
It has all the regular functionality of choosing whether to vacuum, mop, or both, and at what strength each function runs at. You can schedule cleaning or start a cleaning cycle remotely. You can adjust the voice assistant controls here as well along with plenty of other fine-tuning.
(Image credit: Ecovacs)
Really, where apps have failed me in the past is with the ability to partition a mapped space into rooms. Not only did I have no issues with that here, but the robot vacuum automatically partitioned all the spaces into their own spaces. It almost did a perfect job, though it did think that my living room is actually two rooms since I have a couch that cuts it in half (and with no space underneath for a vacuum to go). That makes selecting a room to clean very easy. You can also create a zone to clean if you wish.
The only thing I will mention is that the mapping looks a little rudimentary compared to the detailed maps I’ve seen with some other robot vacuums. However, this is more of an observation than a complaint.
App score: 5 out of 5
Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo robot vacuum review: battery life
More than enough battery life
Uses fast charging
Though the battery life runs between 200 and 290 minutes depending on the settings that you run it at, you’ll probably never see it run out of juice. Part of that is the fact that it employs fast charging and regularly returns to the base station to wash the mop pads, during which it will start to charge back up.
I tested the Ecovacs Deebot T30S in a one-bedroom apartment, where it would clean a large living room, bedroom, and kitchen. While it returned to the base station to wash those mop pads, it never needed to return just to charge. And I almost always ran this robot vacuum with vacuuming and mopping capabilities. If you have a larger space, you might experience it having to spend some time charging, but unless it gets stuck somewhere, you won’t have to deal with it. Just give it a little extra time to charge and continue its job.
Battery life score: 5 out of 5
Should you buy the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo robot vacuum?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo robot vacuum review: also consider
How I tested the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo robot vacuum
To test the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo, I used it for a couple of weeks to vacuum and mop the hardwood floors and carpeting in my apartment. I also tested all the features listed in the app, from mapping to scheduling. I took note of how well the vacuum cleaned the edges of a room as well as around obstacles, not to mention running how the handheld vacuum performed.
The Tenways CGO600 Pro is one of the best e-bikes I've had the pleasure of riding. Almost every part of the bike looks great and performs well. The battery is tucked away inside the down tube and cables from front to back are hidden in the frame. All of this makes it very difficult to tell that you're actually riding an e-bike at all.
The magnetic torque sensor is the star of the show, providing a seamless provision of assistance whenever it is required. There is absolutely no lag between pedalling and the motor kicking in, making the whole experience very enjoyable. I've had e-bikes before that have motors that kick in very slowly and unreliably and they're a nightmare to ride.
(Image credit: Future)
The carbon belt drive is long-lasting and low-maintenance. An advertised life of 19,000 miles for the belt means it'll take a long time to require replacement. Not having any grease to deal with not only makes maintenance a breeze but also removes the risk of getting it on your clothes.
The 36V, 10Ah Lithium-ion battery with LG Cells has a maximum range of 100 km / 62 miles. This is far from the longest the best electric bikes have to offer but it is more than adequate for any commute. A four-hour recharge can be easily achieved while either at work or overnight before riding it again in the morning.
The CGO600 Pro is perfectly positioned as a city commuter. The medium-to-thin tires eat up the miles and handling around traffic is light and easy. The price is comparable with most of its competitors for this e-bike type and, given its fantastic performance, it's one of the best commuter bikes on the market at the moment.
Tenways CGO600 Pro review: Specs
Tenways CGO600 Pro review: Price and availability
(Image credit: Future)
$1,599 / £1,569
Only available in the US and EU
Available from the manufacturer directly
The CGO600 Pro, with its 250W motor and 25km / 15.5 miles per hour speed limit, is perfectly tailored for the European market. At $1,599 / £1,569, it sits squarely in the middle of the city commuter bracket of e-bikes. Considering the features and performance, I would have expected to pay a little more for it.
There's no shortage of color options with Midnight Black, Avocado Green, Pebble Grey and Sky Blue to choose from. You can also specify the frame size you request, with medium, large, and extra large as options.
If you'd like the mudguards and kickstand as well, then you'll need to pay an additional £78. That is, unless you're prepared to subscribe to the Tenways newsletter. If you do, remarkably, you'll get those accessories for free. Don't get over excited about the kickstand, though; it's far too short for the size of the bike and is absolutely useless unless you're propping your bike up on a significant incline.
Tenways CGO600 Pro review: Design
(Image credit: Future)
Beautiful and slim design
Battery is tucked away in the down tube
Noticeably lightweight
If you're looking for an e-bike that doesn't look like an e-bike, then the CGO600 Pro is going to be right up your street. This is thanks to the battery being neatly tucked into the down tube, the cables being hidden in the frame, and the frame being a more traditional shape. Unless you look closely, there is very little to give the game away that this is in fact an e-bike.
It is available in four different colors. I had the Pebble Grey option but I think the Avocado Green and Sky Blue paint colors are much nicer. The frame is made of aluminum and is perfectly balanced in terms of tube thicknesses and wheel sizes. I particularly like the way the top tube tapers out as it travels from the seat tube to the headset.
One of the standout design features is the carbon belt drive, which is superior in many ways to a more traditional chain. We'll cover more about its benefits in the performance section of this review but it's worth saying here that it certainly looks the part and there's a removable section in the chain stay if it does need to be replaced.
The 700c aluminum rims with 40mm road tires are perfectly proportioned for the the frame. Their size and thickness also make them perfect for eating up the miles on flat, even terrain while being thick enough to provide the necessary grip around corners. They are advertised as puncture-proof but I refrained from cycling over any shards of glass to test the validity of this claim.
The OLED display is positioned on the left-hand side of the handlebar and is, unfortunately, rather on the small side. I didn't have too much difficulty reading the display but I have read reports of people who struggle with it. The controls are easy to use and straight-forward, making it a pleasure to operate.
Design Score: 4.5/5
Tenways CGO600 Pro review: Performance
(Image credit: Future)
Magnetic torque sensor
Mivice M070 250W Rear Hub Motor (40 Nm Torque)
Hydraulic disc brakes
The CGO600 Pro, with magnetic torque sensor, provides one of the most seamless riding experiences I've ever had. The magnetic, rather than cadence-based, technology, almost eliminates any sense of lag between pedaling and the motor kicking in. I've experienced e-bike motors that take several seconds to kick in, which is far from ideal when you're needing to pull away quickly from a stationary position. Thankfully, Tenways has absolutely nailed this implementation.
The single-speed drivetrain makes it super easy to get moving and stay moving, a reality that contributes significantly to the enjoyment of the ride. Tenways has managed to engineer a gear ratio that is absolutely spot on for flat roads and is easy enough to keep things moving when going up hills. The addition of the powered motor makes this a powerful combination.
The bike, as a whole, is wonderfully quiet. This is to be expected with carbon belts and it's certainly the case with the CGO600 Pro. There is limited noise coming from the motor so you can still properly enjoy nature's surroundings as you're pedalling along.
The hydraulic disk brakes also perform very well. They're made by TEKTRO, rather than a more premium brand such as Shimano but they seem to deliver what's required. They are quick to respond and firm enough to apply the necessary braking pressure to the wheels.
The entire performance of the e-bike is very positive, with nothing that got in the way of me thoroughly enjoying every ride I had on it.
Performance score: 4.5/5
Tenways CGO600 Pro review: Battery life
(Image credit: Future)
100km / 62 miles maximum range
36V, 10Ah Lithium-ion battery with LG Cells
Removable battery
The advertised range of the 36V, 10Ah Lithium-ion battery with LG Cells is 100km / 62 miles. This does pale into insignificance compared to the 250km range of the Engwe P275 Pro but it's still fairly respectable. As someone who commutes around fifteen miles each day, this is more than enough for a few days of journeys between charges. I personally always opt for the highest level of assistance, and in this mode, I found the maximum range drops to around 30 miles.
The battery level is reported on the OLED display as a percentage, which I prefer over a simple three or four bar readout. Having a specific percentage really helps to keep track of that precious juice and make sure you don't run out mid-ride.
The battery is perfectly contained inside the down tube of the frame, providing a seamless design. With the provided key, it is possible to 'pop' the battery out of the tube, making it ideal for charging at home or in the office. A full recharge takes in the region of four hours, which is comparable to most e-bikes of this type.
Battery life score: 4/5
Should I buy the Tenways CGO600 Pro?
(Image credit: Future)
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Also consider
How I tested the Tenways CGO600 Pro
Even though the CGO600 Pro is advertised as suitable for flat roads, I was keen to test its ability on a broader range of terrains and inclines. My commute to the office made for a perfect collection of mild and steep hills, as well as tarmac and dirt tracks. Using the e-bike in these locations helped me build up a picture of not only how good it is under ideal conditions but also when you're forced out of those.
I thoroughly enjoyed using the e-bike every time I took it out. The single-speed setup and magnetic torque sensor provided an ideal combination for effortless riding.
