If you've spent any time on the London Underground during the current heatwave, you have my sympathies — we know all too well the feeling.

The Central line is somehow hotter than the sun. The tube mice have little sombreros on. And the tiny handheld fan you panic-bought during last summer's heatwave is doing little more than sputtering warm air directly into your face.

Enter the Sony Reon Pocket Pro Plus — a wearable cooling gadget that feels like it has been designed specifically for surviving a sweltering Tube commute. I've been using it for a few weeks now and, as the mercury rises, it's one of the only things keeping me sane.

Reon Pocket Pro Plus: In Short...

• Hands-free cooling throughout the day
• Sauna-like tube journeys become considerably more bearable
• More effective than a handheld fan
• Discreet enough for office wear
• Heating function useful in winter too
• Up to 10 hours battery life
• Priced at £199

There’s no denying though that the Reon Pocket Pro Plus is an odd looking thing. Like a backpack for a miniature astronaut, it has a vaguely medical look to it. Its angular white box, finished with a metal plate on one side and balancing on your back just below your neck with the help of two rubber-coated arms that reach over your shoulders, isn't immediately intuitive. Without a bit of explanation, a newbie wouldn't know what to do with it.

It won’t win any style awards, but that doesn’t matter — it's a surprisingly practical device that sits discreetly beneath your shirt and actively cools your body while you travel. Sony describes it as a wearable thermo device, but let's be honest: it's essentially a personal air conditioner for your back.

How it works

Rather than blasting air like a fan, the Reon Pocket Pro Plus uses a cooled stainless steel plate that sits against the upper spine, with an internal heat regulator working away to keep it fridge-like cool. The effect is immediate. Imagine pressing an ice cube against the back of your neck on a 30°C day, except it doesn’t melt, and continues working throughout your journey. Out and about in this oppressive heat, and even just sitting at my desk, I have found it noticeably more effective than conventional portable fans, particularly during commuting.

The latest Pro Plus model arrives at exactly the right moment, with London set to see a June record temperature of a 38°C high.

Sony claims it offers 20% greater cooling performance than its predecessor and can achieve an additional 2°C reduction in cooling plate temperature thanks to a redesigned thermal system and upgraded cooling algorithms. Measuring exactly how much it cooled me without thermal imaging gear wasn't really possible, but I can attest it's more than just a placebo — I felt calmer and more comfortable during the hottest moments of the day while wearing it.

More importantly for Londoners, Sony has also fixed one of the biggest complaints about previous versions. The new 'Adaptive Hold' neckband increases stability by as much as 40% they say, helping the device stay firmly in contact with your skin while walking through stations, climbing escalators or sprinting to catch a train. You'll need to maintain relatively good posture to get the greatest effect from the Reon Pocket Pro Plus, but that's no bad habit to get into.

It's also remarkably discreet. Despite being about the size of a Magnum ice cream (to keep the theme going), it's worn underneath a shirt with the top poking over your collar, so most people won't even realise you've got a cooling device attached to your back. Unlike a fan, it doesn't occupy a hand, is practically silent, and doesn't advertise your desperation to everybody in the carriage.

It takes some getting used to its sensation in use, but after a short while you forget its place against your skin, its little removable and adjustable exhaust fan (a larger one comes in the box for collared shirts) silently venting air away from you.

A companion app allows you to fine-tune cooling levels, while Smart Cool mode automatically adjusts performance depending on your surroundings. The Reon Pocket Pro Plus also comes with a small temperature sensor, the Reon Pocket Tag, on a carabiner that can be hooked onto a bag and paired with the app, giving detailed ambient heat and humidity readings and working in conjunction with the Smart Cool mode to balance cooling needs against unnecessary battery drain. Battery life is rated at up to 10 hours, which is enough to handle a full workday and commute.

It IS expensive though. £199 isn't cheap. But neither is arriving at the office looking like you've just completed ran a marathon ending in the fires of Mount Doom. We've also already seen retailers offering significant discounts on the device (though whether those cuts will survive the heatwave remains to be seen).

And unlike many seasonal gadgets, the Reon Pocket Pro Plus also includes a warming mode for winter use, potentially making it one of the few gadgets you'll appreciate in both July and January.

Verdict

As temperatures continue to climb and London's ageing transport network struggles to keep commuters comfortable, Sony's wearable cooler feels less like a novelty and more like a glimpse into how we'll all be surviving summer in the years ahead. It’s the end of the world as we know it, but this little gadget might just make you feel fine.

• Dreading the heatwave? This map shows you which places have air con near you

The Meta Ray-Ban Scriber Optics Gen 2 might be the first smart glasses that you’ll want to wear all day, every day.

For a gadget category that’s knocked around for a few years now, that's an important distinction. Despite the sci-fi concept, connected eyewear has felt like technology on the fringes. Most looked awkward, did too little, or demanded too many compromises. Meta’s latest releases, the Scriber Optics Gen 2 and Blayzer Optics Gen 2, change that equation by starting with something many people already wear every day: prescription glasses.

Instead of pushing users towards a futuristic gadget, Meta has instead embedded cameras, speakers, microphones and AI features into a frame that wouldn't look out of place in an optician's showroom. The result is a product that feels less like wearable technology and more like, well, a standard pair of glasses.

Priced starting at £429 for the Scriber Optics prescription models (dependant on lens options and prescription requirements), they sit firmly in premium territory. But unlike many tech products, their value isn't measured solely by specifications. It's measured by how seamlessly those techy features sit inside an item you’d otherwise take for granted.

I’ve been living with the Scriber Optics Gen 2 for about a month now, and while there’s still a social hurdle Meta needs to clear for the spectacles to become truly mainstream, I think I’m finally ready to pop smart glasses onto my head 7 days a week.

Meta Ray-Ban Scriber Optics Gen 2: In short…

• Prescription glasses with useful AI features
• Excellent hands-free photo and video capture
• Open-ear audio works surprisingly well
• Stylish enough for everyday wear
• Solid battery life you don’t need to worry about

1. They're smart glasses that actually look like glasses

The biggest achievement of the Scriber Optics Gen 2 isn't technological. It's aesthetic.

Previous generations of smart eyewear often announced themselves from across the room (by being bulky and tech-forward) and on your noggin' (by being too heavy to wear comfortably all day long). The Scriber, with its rounded frame shape and prescription-first design, simply looks like a premium pair of spectacles. The technology is largely hidden away inside slightly thicker temples and discreet camera modules.

That matters because wearable technology only works when people are willing to wear it. Unlike a smartwatch, glasses sit directly on your face. If they're uncomfortable or attention-grabbing, they'll spend most of their life in a drawer.

Meta's partnership with Ray-Ban and EssilorLuxottica continues to pay dividends here. The frames feel like proper eyewear rather than miniature computers, while the prescription-focused Scriber design adds practical fit improvements including adjustable nose pads and enhanced flexibility at the temples with spring-loaded arms.

For anyone who already wears glasses daily, the Scriber feels less like adopting a new gadget and more like upgrading a trusty old one.

2. The camera captures moments your phone never will

The headline hardware feature remains the integrated 12MP camera.

On paper, that specification doesn't sound particularly exciting in a world where smartphones routinely boast 50MP sensors. In practice, however, the appeal isn't image quality. It's perspective.

Being able to capture photos and videos hands-free (there’s also a capture button on the right arm) fundamentally changes the type of content you record. Walking through a city, cycling, travelling, cooking or spending time with family is made effortless to document. There is no fumbling for a phone, no interrupting a moment and no need to decide whether something is worth recording. You can even set snaps and videos to auto-populate on your Instagram feeds, including live streams.

Video quality has improved significantly over earlier models, with support for up to 3K recording and stabilisation features helping footage remain usable even while moving. The upgrade is especially noticeable in daylight conditions, where footage feels immersive and natural.

The trade-off is predictably low-light performance. Tiny sensors remain tiny sensors. Your flagship smartphone will still outperform these glasses after dark.

But that's missing the point. The best camera remains the one that's already there when something happens, and these will do in a pinch if you've nothing else to capture with. In fact, when placed against shots from a mid-range smartphone, the Meta Ray-Ban snaps held their own respectably.

The elephant in the room remains privacy. With glasses that look like regular no-tech spectacles, there’s a genuine and reasonable fear of bad-faith wearers taking ‘creepy’, non-consensual photos.

It’s a tough call — Meta has done well to signpost any recording actions with LED lights that flash on the front exterior of the glasses when a photo or video is being captured, along with a 'shutter' sound. That’s actually more visible than a sly smartphone snap someone can take while pretending to read their social feeds. But the different form factor, linked to a lingering human stare, will still make some people uncomfortable. I think Meta has done enough to allay fears here — but it’s going to take time for the general public to catch up.

3. The open-ear audio is more useful than you'd expect

One of the most underrated features of the whole Meta Ray-Ban line, and the one I find myself missing the most when popping back on my dumb glasses, is the built-in speaker system.

Integrated into the arms of the glasses, the open-ear speakers allow you to listen to music, podcasts, audiobooks and phone calls without blocking out the world around you. Tiny speakers sit just by your ears, loud enough for you to hear comfortably, but not so noticeable to annoy those sitting next to you at anything but the loudest of volume settings.

It's a surprisingly liberating experience. Unlike earbuds, there's no pressure inside your ears and no feeling of isolation from your surroundings. You remain aware of traffic, conversations and environmental sounds while still enjoying private audio. Audio quality can't compare, of course, to dedicated buds — it's tinny and lacking depth or bass. But the comfort of the form factor, and convenience, may still win out in many situations.

For commuters, walkers and anyone who spends long periods wearing glasses, this will quickly become one of the most-used features. Wearing the glasses on a hot Croatian beach holiday, after a few days I found myself leaving my regular earbuds back in the hotel room — having my ears open to the sound of waves and birds was not only more relaxing alongside my tunes, but felt physically, literally cooler as well. I can't say if it's anything more than a placebo effect, but when the summer sun ramps up, I'll be reaching for these rather than my regular buds.

Call quality is impressive, too, thanks to the six-microphone array — this new design places one closer to your nose, which helps isolate voices even in busy environments. Those on the other end of a call didn't realise I was speaking through glasses rather than headphones until I pointed it out to them.

4. Meta AI gets a practical home

AI features can feel bolted onto products because they're fashionable rather than useful.

There's still room for improvement with Meta's AI, but within the Scriber Optics Gen 2, it's one of the few use cases where conversational AI feels genuinely at home.

Using voice commands, wearers can ask questions about practically any topic or point of interest around them — landmarks, objects, signs and surroundings. Paired with the camera system, which effectively becomes a set of eyes for Meta AI, the glasses can provide contextual information about what you're looking at.

Need to identify a building while travelling? Translate a road sign? Remember where you've parked? Or simply can't remember who won the last World Cup? You can ask a quick question without reaching for your phone, and, between what the camera sees and Meta's AI knows, an answer can be read out over the built-in speakers. You can even ask follow up questions and carry on the conversation.

These are small conveniences rather than revolutionary breakthroughs, but they're precisely the kind of friction-free interactions that suit wearable technology.

These AI conversations are all stored in the Meta AI app, which also houses your camera captures, glasses pairing details and other useful settings. If you're AI-curious, you can also generate AI images and videos from prompts and your own imagery here (and browse a rather cringe 'Vibes' section where other people's AI creations live).

Importantly, the AI remains optional. The glasses continue functioning perfectly well as audio devices, cameras and prescription eyewear even if you never utter the trigger words "Hey Meta." That's a welcome contrast to many AI-first products that become considerably less useful once the novelty wears off.

But mileage will vary! Some specifics can be lost on the AI: I asked for 20 facts about a location to help me plan a day trip, but I only got five, and a reminder that 'you can now have a more natural conversation with [Meta's AI]', where it'll be 'more expressive, listen longer after you speak and won't play a chime after responding'. Show, don't tell, Meta, show, don't tell...

5. Battery life to see you through a day

Battery anxiety has haunted smart glasses for years — it's simply really difficult to put a battery of any great size into frames that you wan't to keep slim and lightweight.

But Meta appears to have made meaningful progress here.

The latest generation promises up to eight hours of use, while the included charging case extends that dramatically by providing multiple additional charges throughout the day. Meta claims up to 48 hours of total use with the case available.

Real-world performance naturally varies depending on how heavily you use the camera and AI functions. Record lots of video and you'll see endurance drop considerably.

But I found the glasses are now capable of lasting through most working days with mixed usage, representing a significant improvement over earlier generations. And a quick charge function will bring you back from 0% to 50% after just twenty minutes back in the USB-C charging case.

Crucially, the case (attractive in its own right with a faux-leather textured finish and charging LED where the lid magnetically snaps shut) is compact enough to throw into a bag and forget about. That removes much of the stress associated with managing another battery-powered device. Keep in mind though that, while a cleaning cloth is included in the case, a USB-C charging cable is not.

Verdict

The Scriber Optics Gen 2 succeeds because it solves a simple problem: if you're trying to coax the millions of people who wear prescription glasses every day to the smart headwear fold, they don't want to have to carry a second pair around to simply see clearly.

By combining eyewear, headphones, a camera and an AI assistant into a single product, Meta has created something that feels genuinely additive rather than experimental.

They're not perfect. The camera can't compete with a top-tier smartphone, privacy concerns will remain a discussion point, and the £429-plus price is a substantial investment. But for prescription-glasses wearers in particular, the Scriber Optics Gen 2 offers perhaps the clearest argument yet for why smart glasses deserve a place in everyday life. I won't be leaving home without them.

• 5 things you need to know about the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses

For more than a decade, reMarkable has been chasing a simple idea: recreate the feeling of writing on paper without sacrificing the modern conveniences of digital storage and sharing.

The new reMarkable Paper Pure is arguably the company’s, ahem, purest expression of that philosophy yet. Replacing the ageing reMarkable 2 as the brand’s entry-level black-and-white tablet, it strips away colour screens, app stores and endless notifications in favour of a singular focus: helping you think, write, sketch and read.

Starting at £359 with the standard Marker stylus, the Paper Pure arrives with a faster processor, improved display technology, three-week battery life and deeper integration with workplace tools such as Google Calendar, Outlook, Slack and Miro. It also introduces a more repairable, sustainable design, with 38% recycled materials and a carbon footprint reportedly 45% lower than its predecessor.

In a world where every device seems determined to grab your attention, the Paper Pure’s biggest strength may be its refusal to do so.

reMarkable Paper Pure: In Short…

• Outstanding paper-like writing feel
• Brilliantly distraction-free workspace
• Three-week battery life reduces charging anxiety
• Excellent note organisation and search tools
• Lightweight, repairable and sustainably designed

1. It delivers one of the best writing experiences in tech

The first thing that stands out is how convincing the writing experience feels.

reMarkable has borrowed the textured writing surface from its premium Paper Pro, pairing it with a third-generation monochrome Canvas display that feels remarkably close to pen and paper. Digital ink appears with just 21ms of latency, creating an experience that feels immediate and natural during note-taking, sketching and document annotation. How ever fast you scribble away at the screen, it’ll keep up, with no visible delay between stroke and resulting lines.

More importantly, the sensation has texture. Unlike writing on an iPad or conventional tablet, there’s resistance beneath the pen tip. It feels less like gliding across glass and more like working through a notebook page. The marker here is built with that added friction in mind — it’ll degrade over time, and you’ll need to replace the nib. And while that introduces a bit of long-term maintenance and investment, it’s well worth it given the feeling in the hand.

In my experience (and, notably, without trying this year’s rival Kindle Scribe Colorsoft for myself yet) it’s the most authentic digital writing device currently available. Opt for the premium Marker Plus add-on, which we tested here, and the stylus gets the added feature of an ‘eraser’ on its other end, like a traditional pencil. Neat.

Just note that there’s no colour screen here, and no backlight — if you like working on colour illustrations or colour-coded note-taking and… like doing so in the dark… you'll need to check out the pricier reMarkable devices and rivals. But if your primary goal is simply replacing thousands of notebook pages rather than owning another multipurpose tablet, the Paper Pure feels purpose-built for the task.

2. It helps you focus when every other device is competing for attention

The Paper Pure’s minimalist approach won’t appeal to everyone, but that’s exactly the point.

There are no social media feeds. No notification banners. No app marketplace tempting you away from the task at hand. Instead, you’re presented with a blank page and the freedom to fill it.

For journalists, students, writers and anyone who spends their days in meetings, that simplicity can be surprisingly liberating. The absence of distractions encourages deeper thinking and longer periods of concentration in a way that few modern devices manage.

This philosophy has always been reMarkable’s calling card, but it arguably makes more sense now than ever. The company isn’t trying to compete with the iPad or Galaxy Tab. It’s building a digital notebook for people who miss the focus that physical notebooks naturally provide.

3. Its software finally bridges the gap between paper and digital

Traditional notebooks are wonderful until you need to find something you wrote three months ago.

This is where the Paper Pure starts to justify its digital credentials.

Through reMarkable’s Connect service, handwritten notes become searchable, shareable and easier to integrate into everyday workflows. Meeting notes can be automatically generated from Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook events. Documents imported from Word, OneDrive, Dropbox and Google Drive can be converted into reMarkable-native notebooks for annotation and review.

The standout feature is arguably handwriting conversion. Notes can be transformed into editable text and easily shared to other services and devices, meaning your scribbled notes can easily be refined in word processors elsewhere. I was shocked at how well my messy scrawl was translated into typed text with rarely a readability hiccup. I was a bit disappointed though, that handwritten notes couldn’t be converted in batches onto a page — each scribbled note becomes its own separate typed page, so you’ll want to compile all your handwritten notes for a task in one go before exporting into a typed format.

The reMarkable platform also has a tonne of worksheet templates and notebooks to work from. If you’re a musician, there are stave sheets to work in and tablature pages. Architects get fixed-perspective sheets. There are lined pages of all major standards, and even templates for storyboarding and calendar tracking. Community-submitted ‘Methods’ let you grab community-approved templates from key reMarkable creators too, from journaling books to problem-solving flow sheets. And don't forget the man digital marker types you can use too, from calligraphy pens to technical pencils and ballpoints, each with an authentic grading to their strokes.

All your work can also be synced online with the Connect subscription and apps, priced at £3.99 a month. With apps for desktop, mobile and tablet, it lets you easily edit and share your work on over devices, get AI summaries and suggestions on what you’re working on, and even screen share from your Paper Pure during meetings.

None of these features feels revolutionary individually. Together, however, they solve one of paper’s biggest weaknesses: information becoming trapped on a page.

The result is a device that retains the freedom of handwriting while offering many of the benefits of digital productivity tools.

The only significant issue I had on the software side of things was how bare-bones the reMarkable is as an eReader. It’s fine that there’s no library store app — that’d be a distraction, and it’s easy enough to drag and drop your own eBooks onto the device over a cabled connection or through the Connect cloud platform. But beyond marker-powered annotations, there’s not much else here — no bookmarks, no key passage highlight collections, not even a dictionary tool. The dictionary especially feels like a simple addition that’d elevate a crucial secondary function most will expect of the device.

4. The battery life is refreshingly solid

Perhaps the highest compliment you can pay the Paper Pure is that you’ll rarely think about charging it.

reMarkable claims up to three weeks of battery life from a single charge. That figure will vary depending on usage, of course, but even half that stated figure will be more than enough for the average student or office-bound scribbler.

Part of that comes from the monochrome E Ink display, which consumes far less power than traditional LCD or OLED panels. Part comes from the company’s efficient internal hardware. Regardless, the result feels reassuringly analogue. You throw it into a bag, take it to meetings, scribble notes throughout the week, and only occasionally remember it has a battery at all.

For commuters, travellers and anyone tired of carrying multiple chargers, that’s a genuinely useful advantage.

5. It feels thoughtfully designed, inside and out

The Paper Pure is so, so easy to live with. At 360g and just 6mm thick, it’s lighter than many tablets and slips easily into a backpack or tote bag. But it won’t slip when you’re writing on it, thanks to some subtly-raised rubber feet on the back. The stylus snaps satisfyingly to the edge of the device for storage and charging, and an attractive (sold-separately) slipcase, in a range of pastel colours, keeps everything safe when on the go, too.

More impressively, reMarkable has made sustainability and repairability central to the design. The device uses 38% recycled materials, including recycled lithium, cobalt, magnesium and plastics. It is also assembled using screws and clips rather than excessive adhesive, making repairs easier for professionals.

That’s a welcome contrast to much of the consumer electronics industry, where slimness often comes at the expense of longevity.

Verdict

The reMarkable Paper Pure succeeds because it knows exactly what it wants to be.

It isn’t a replacement for an iPad. It doesn’t offer colour, entertainment apps or endless customisation. In fact, some prospective buyers may be disappointed by the continued absence of a front light and the bare-bones eReader offering. On that last front, I’d count myself among them.

Yet judged on its own terms, the Paper Pure is one of the most compelling digital notebooks available today.

Its writing experience is exceptional, its software is increasingly useful, and its distraction-free approach feels more valuable with every passing year. For writers, students, journalists, creatives and anyone else who still does their best thinking with a pen in hand, the reMarkable Paper Pure offers a persuasive blend of analogue freedom and digital convenience.

Not everyone needs one. But if you’ve ever found yourself reaching for a notebook before opening a laptop, there’s a good chance you’ll understand exactly why this device exists.

• iPad Mini review: 5 things you need to know about the latest model

Sony’s flagship noise-cancelling headphones have long been hard to beat, offering the ultimate over-ear noise cancelling performance against some incredibly stiff competition. And they’ve also occupied a rare position in the audio sphere — mainstream enough to dominate airport lounges and commuter trains, yet serious enough to tempt audiophiles who would normally avoid wireless cans altogether.

With the all-new, long-rumoured 1000X THE COLLEXION headphones, Sony wants to make sure those most discerning of listeners are fully catered for.

While it’d be easy to think of THE COLLEXION as a ‘WH-1000XM6 Pro’ upgrade to last year’s world beating over-ears, that’d be slightly missing the point. This is not simply another yearly upgrade focused on cancelling more engine rumble or squeezing in another AI feature (even if it’s also attempting to do both). Instead, THE COLLEXION feels like Sony asking what happens when its most-loved headphone line is given the spared-no-expense treatment — something designed to be worn and admired as much as getting down to the nitty-gritty of making your tunes sound great.

Want some luxury to accompany your playlists? Here’s five reasons why the Sony 1000X THE COLLEXION might be the headphones for you.

Sony 1000X THE COLLEXION: In short…

• Luxury stainless steel and matte faux leather design feels genuinely premium
• Comfort-focused fit reduces pressure during long listening sessions
• Refined audio tuning prioritises clarity and immersive sound quality
• AI upscaling and spatial modes personalise music, movies and gaming
• Advanced microphones improve calls, adaptive noise cancelling and daily usability
• Available from May 2026 in Platinum (white) and Black shades
• Priced at £550

1. The Design Feels As Premium As The Price Tag

Sony says the design philosophy behind its 1000X THE COLLEXION headphones (right, from here on in, to save our fingers, we’re just going to call ‘em the ‘COLLEXION’) is “Resonate” — the idea that you should hear, feel and experience premium sound and texture at the same time. Marketing language aside, there is a noticeable shift in approach here.

Every visible surface uses just two materials: hand-polished stainless steel and a newly developed faux leather finish. That faux leather alone reportedly took two years to develop, and it shows in the details. Rather than the glossy synthetic textures that can make premium headphones feel oddly plastic, Sony has opted for a matte finish that looks restrained and feels high-end to the touch — important, as you’ll be swiping and tapping the cups regularly to control playback.

The result is cleaner and more architectural than previous over-ear models. In black, the headphones look understated and expensive. In ‘Platinum’ white, they feel closer to luxury fashion tech than your usual over-ears. But they’re not flashy, either — these aren’t the diamond-encrusted nonsense that often tempts the higher-end of the tech market. It’s classic Sony minimalism.

That extends to the accompanying carry case too, which manages to do something even Apple’s equally-luxurious AirPods Pro Max couldn’t — being stylish and functional. Like the Apple competition, Sony’s case opts for a carry handle style. But, with the headphone cups rotating flat rather than folding inwards, the case wraps around the headband to create that carry handle. Fastening closed with a magnetic snap, the entirety of the headphone is enclosed and protected. Apple, take note.

Sony has also made the earcups slimmer than the WH-1000XM6, reducing the depth to 40.1mm from 45.4mm. That sounds minor on paper, but visually it creates a more refined silhouette on the head, giving the illusion of a softer, slightly curvier can.

2. Comfort Has Been Given Real Attention

Premium headphones live or die by comfort. Nobody cares how advanced the internals are if they’re clamping to your noggin’ like a vice.

The COLLEXION however is supremely comfortable. Designed with long listening sessions in mind, using a wider headband, and with softer earpads to reduce side pressure, you can wear them for hours without any fatigue. The internal earcup space is also notably generous, meaning the pads sit around the ear rather than pressing directly onto it. As a glasses wearer, that clamping force was just right in all the right places too — tight enough to keep them from slipping, but not so squeezed as to push my specs’ arms into my skull.

Even the internal battery layout has been reconsidered. Sony split the battery into two separate components to improve weight distribution and maximise acoustic space inside the cups. Again, it is the sort of engineering decision that users may never consciously notice, but they will feel the benefits over several hours of wear.

There is no official IP rating here, which may disappoint gym users or anyone regularly caught in the customary surprise UK downpour. But these are clearly intended as luxury listening headphones first, and all-day comfort seems to have been prioritised above ruggedness.

3. The Sound Is The Real Star

Sony’s flagship headphones have always balanced sound quality against noise cancelling. With COLLEXION, the balance appears to tilt slightly more toward the audio side. The aim here is to get closer to an artist’s intention in the studio, trimming back some of the bass-heavy moments of the WH-1000XM6, and promoting clarity over sheer noise-cancelling grunt.

The redeveloped driver unit uses a unidirectional carbon layered core composite material in the diaphragm dome section (intended to deliver natural tones from the most delicate high-frequency moments), alongside Sony’s HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN3 and an entirely new integrated V3 processor.

That V3 processor delivers some of the COLLEXION’s smartest audio tricks. Support for Hi-Res Wireless audio and LDAC is onboard, but the headline addition may actually be DSEE Ultimate. Available in Sony headphones for the first time in this form, the AI-powered upscaling system attempts to restore detail lost in compressed music files.

Sony claims it can effectively upscale 44kHz audio to 96kHz and increase 16-bit audio to 24-bit equivalents, very useful when using streaming services over a mobile connection. Whether listeners hear every technical improvement will vary, but the intention is clear: these are headphones built for people who genuinely care about music quality, not simply background listening.

Equally interesting is how much Sony has borrowed from its dedicated Walkman audio division. COLLEXION includes technologies such as a low-phase-noise crystal oscillator, advanced solder containing gold and optimised circuitry components — details normally associated with specialist hi-fi gear rather than wireless travel headphones.

The proof, as ever, is in the listening, and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed our time with the COLLEXION headphones. Note: from our experience, you’re going to get the most from the headphones with a Hi-Res playback source, as you’d expect. But the COLLEXION is pretty agnostic when it comes to genre.

With the glacial ‘Computer Love’ of electro pioneers Kraftwerk, the COLLEXION shows off its precision and clarity — tight bass tones, snappy drum clicks and crystal clear high-end synths.

For something a little more earthy, Love’s ‘You Set The Scene’ from the masterful Forever Changes album is a great work out for the COLLEXION’s claimed wide soundstage and instrumental separation. The headphones do a great job, bringing a warmth and immediacy to the presentation, and ably pulling out the individual orchestral qualities of strings, horns and guitars as the three all battle in the song’s final third.

At the other end of the spectrum, Nine Inch Nail’s brutal ‘March Of The Pigs’ hits like a hammer blow. Guitars have bite and power, while the complex industrial underpinnings of the song feel thick and full, without Trent Reznor’s raspy vocal being lost.

There’s a feeling that the most demanding of audiophiles will be looking for a little more dynamism in the mid-range, but that’s nitpicking, and when paired with the rest of the feature set offered here, the COLLEXION is a great package.

4. The Features Feel More Personal And Flexible

Wireless headphones increasingly succeed or fail based on how adaptable they are to everyday life, but Sony’s had a handle on that right from the start with its 1000X series. Each successive model has brought new smarts to the table — and the COLLEXION might be the smartest of them all.

The V3 processor introduces several new upmix modes, including dedicated 360-degree settings for music, movies and gaming. These modes attempt to create a more immersive spatial presentation depending on what you are listening to.

I usually avoid additional processing modes on audio devices — they tend to move the music too far away from the original intention of a mix. But I had a lot of fun with Sony’s music upmix mode. It gives an almost ‘live’ quality to a recording, widening the soundstage and putting you closer to the centre of a performance. It’s lively and an interesting way to get a new perspective on tracks you’re well versed in, if not necessarily the most faithful reproduction. The gaming mode was enjoyable and explosive too, adding a level of immersive bombast to proceedings — but I was disappointed by relatively high latency when gaming over Bluetooth, meaning some audio cues felt just a beat behind the action.

There is also a surprisingly intriguing “background music” mode (returning from the WH-1000XM6) designed to make songs feel as though they are playing slightly away from you, like music drifting through a café rather than directly into your ears. It sounds gimmicky initially, but it could prove genuinely useful for people who dislike the intense isolation that noise-cancelling headphones can create.

A customisable physical button on the headset lets users quickly switch between modes without diving into menus or apps, which is exactly the kind of practical touch premium products should include.

Sony also includes a 10-band EQ for users who want more detailed control over tuning. Casual listeners can leave everything alone, while enthusiasts can fine-tune the presentation to suit different genres.

It all adds up to a product that feels less rigidly one-size-fits-all than many rivals, and makes the accompanying Sound Connect app less of an optional add-on and more an essential tweak station.

5. They Still Deliver Serious Everyday Practicality

Even with the more luxurious positioning, Sony has not abandoned the practical strengths that made its over-ear line successful in the first place.

COLLEXION uses 12 onboard microphones for adaptive noise-cancelling optimisation, allowing the headphones to constantly adjust to changing environments. Sony is not pushing noise cancelling as aggressively as before — the messaging here is more about sound refinement — but the capability is still substantial. Aggressive pre-release secrecy around the headphones mean I’ve not been able to test them against the rigours of public transport yet, but I was able to mimic the hum of a flight quite effectively, thanks to the whirring of my gaming PC’s fan in my hotbox of a flat. While not quite a match for the total isolation of the WH-1000XM6 cans, the noise cancelling here is still better than the majority of Sony’s competitors.

Sony also has the advantage of its smart adaptive noise cancelling features. Let the Sound Connect app access your location, and the headphones will adapt their noise-blocking features according to the situation. Walking down the road, you can set them to let in a little more exterior sound so as to better hear an oncoming Uber Eats bike, and then seamlessly switch to zen-like full noise cancellation once you reach the office.

Call quality has also received serious attention. Six beamforming microphones help isolate the speaker’s voice while reducing wind interference, and Bluetooth LE Audio support enables Super Wide Band speech transmission for clearer calls. The audio mode selecting button can also be configured to act as a physical mic mute switch, something that feels particularly relevant in the hybrid-working era where headphones double as office equipment as often as entertainment devices.

I’d say, however, that the decision to leave a USB-C cable out of the package feels a little bit stingy, though. Yes, e-waste needs to be taken into consideration. But grab these at an airport shop before boarding your flight, and you’re going to have a long, noisy journey ahead of you unless you come prepared with a charging cable. Battery life shouldn’t be much of a concern though — 24 hours with ANC switched on will see you around the world, even if it’s a few hours short of the battery life managed by the WH-1000XM6. And there is a 3.5mm jack cable in the box.

Final Verdict

Sony’s 1000X THE COLLEXION headphones admirably merge luxury looks, audiophile ambition and daily practicality into one sumptuous package. It’s a complex balancing act, but COLLEXION feels like Sony recognising that premium headphones are no longer just tech accessories, but fashion objects, productivity tools and personal audio systems all at once.

That versatility comes with a hefty price tag, but for listeners who want one pair of headphones capable of handling all three roles with a little more elegance than usual, they’ll be confidently covered.

The toss up between the older WH-1000XM6 and the COLLEXION model will be a difficult one to make — if cream-of-the-crop noise cancelling is your primary concern, the former will probably still win out. But for a taste of the high life, 1000X THE COLLEXION is among the best headphones Sony’s ever made.

• The BIG London gig list 2026: Your guide to this year's very best shows, festivals and concerts

Marshall has never struggled with aesthetic cool. Its iconic amplifiers have been stage staples for the biggest rock bands of all time, since the days when all Bluetooth meant was that someone had drunk one too many gnasher-dyeing Slush Puppies. Away from the mosh pit, its headphones have spent the last decade translating that rock-and-roll heritage into commuter-friendly tech. And with its latest release, the Marshall Milton A.N.C. headphones, it's ready to power your playlists for a non-stop weekend or longer.

Priced at £179.99, these new wireless on-ear headphones arrive with adaptive noise cancelling, spatial audio and a frankly outrageous battery life figure. More importantly, they appear designed for people who actually live in their headphones — commuters, travellers, office workers and anyone who can’t function without their own personal soundtrack on at all times.

For those about to rock, here’s five reasons the Marshall Milton A.N.C might be the headphones for you.

Marshall Milton A.N.C.: In short…

• Adaptive ANC reacts automatically to surroundings
• Up to 80 hours battery life, 50+ with noise cancelling
• Foldable design built for constant travel
• Spatial audio adds depth to everyday listening
• Repairable design with replaceable battery
• Available now, priced £179.99

1. Battery life that borders on barmy

Most wireless headphones promise enough battery to survive a few work sessions. Marshall laughs at that paltry goal. There’s battery life so good here you might forget you ever needed to charge them in the first place.

The Milton A.N.C. delivers up to 80 hours of wireless playtime without active noise cancelling switched on, or more than 50 hours with ANC enabled. That is several long-haul flights, countless Tube journeys and probably an entire festival weekend without desperately hunting for a USB-C cable.

For people tired of battery anxiety, this is arguably the headline feature. Marshall is essentially removing charging from the daily routine. Two hours gets the headphones fully recharged, and then you’re back into musical bliss for another solid couple of days.

2. Adaptive ANC that works with on-ear headphones

Over-ear headphones have dominated the premium ANC market for years largely because on-ear alternatives often leaked sound and struggled with isolation. And though the ANC of the Milton isn’t quite as all-encompassing as over-ear alternatives, those that prefer the on-ear form factor will thankfully still be able to block out the majority of surrounding annoyances with these new cans.

The Milton A.N.C. uses adaptive active noise cancelling that continuously analyses surroundings and adjusts in real time. Six microphones work together to reduce environmental noise while also improving call quality. Crucially, Marshall has enlarged the ear cushions and added softer memory foam to improve passive isolation before the electronics even get involved.

That ‘adaptive’ feature means that, instead of aggressively silencing the world, the headphones react to it. In a quiet library? It’ll dial back the intensity of noise-cancellation, but on a train, in an open-plan office or during a flight, they adapt automatically to the din and work harder to block out distractions. And when situational awareness matters, Transparency mode lets outside sound back in instantly with a single press of a button.

3. Portable — but still pretty

At just over 200 grams, the Milton A.N.C is light and portable, with a foldable design intended to survive constant packing, commuting and travel. But Marshall hasn’t stripped back any of those stage-ready good looks.

The textured leather finish, brass logo detailing and powder-coated metal arms all lean into the company’s vintage rock aesthetic. Importantly, they still feel grown-up. These are headphones designed to look as comfortable beside a MacBook in Soho as they would backstage at a venue.

The durability angle matters too. Marshall says the headphones are repairable and include a replaceable battery — you’ll have to get Marshall’s own engineers to do the job, though.

And they’re comfortable on your head, too. On-ear headphones can feel quite clampy, pushing on the squishy bits of your ears uncomfortably over longer stretches of time. But the Milton A.N.C is light and breezy, with well-padded cans and a forgiving clamping force that means they don’t cause fatigue over longer periods of time.

4. Sound improvements

Marshall headphones tend to lean warmer and more energetic rather than neutral in their tuning, and the Milton A.N.C follows suit.

A redesigned driver system promises improved bass and treble alongside Hi-Res audio support. Bluetooth 6.0 compatibility and support for SBC, AAC, LC3 and LDAC codecs show Marshall is taking wireless audio quality seriously, even at a mid-range price.

Though they’re not going to tempt audiophiles away from their studio-tuned favourites, the Marshall Milton A.N.C is an exciting listen. They’re bass and mid forward in a way that suits crunchier rock music and big beat pop best, and can go ear-splittingly loud when pushed to max volume.

An intriguing feature is Soundstage spatial audio, Marshall’s in-house spatialisation system that adds depth and width to stereo tracks. It’s not a true-to-source sound, but can be fun for giving a more live-performance-feel to your tracks.

There’s also Adaptive Loudness, which subtly adjusts tonal balance depending on listening volume and background noise. In practice, that means late-night listening should still sound rich rather than thin and anaemic — though it can flatten highs in some circumstances.

5. Convenient design

One of the smartest details is the customisable M-button. Instead of burying features inside endless app menus, Marshall lets users assign shortcuts for ANC, Transparency mode, EQ presets, Spotify access, spatial audio or voice assistant controls.

We’ll take a physical control over a touch-pad swipe any day.

It’s a winning combo of solid sound, smart features, convenience and style. If you like your headphones as rocking as your tunes, the Milton A.N.C are ready to hit the road with you.

• 10 London festivals worth leaving the house for this summer

For guitarists raised on bedroom amps and clunky practice rigs, the idea of a compact speaker that can also isolate tracks in real time sounds almost too good to be true. Like many a 30-something indie kid, I’d spend hours playing along to songs with my trusty axe, but was always frustrated by how difficult it was to rip out just the bits I wanted to play along with — if only not to have to compare my rudimentary playing to the guitar god trinity of Hendrix, Page and Marr.

If the JBL BandBox Solo had been around in my guitar playing glory years, perhaps I too could have joined that hallowed pantheon. Part Bluetooth speaker, part smart practice amp and part songwriting tool, it’s designed for modern musicians who learn from streaming platforms rather than dusty tab books.

More importantly, it makes practice genuinely addictive again, with some of the smartest use of AI I’ve seen so far in off-the-shelf music gear. Here are five reasons this clever little box deserves a place in your setup.

JBL BandBox Solo: In short...

• Clever AI stem separation isolates tracks from streaming in real time
• Includes a full practice studio: looper, tuner, drum machine, effects
• Sound is punchy and bigger than its small, compact size
• Designed for streaming practice; portable with six-hour battery life
• Surprisingly affordable, offering great flexibility for the £230 price

1. The AI stem separation is genuinely good

The headline feature is JBL’s Stem AI technology, which can isolate or remove vocals, guitar and drums from streamed tracks in real time. In practice, that means you can jam along with Spotify playlists and effectively create your own backing tracks without touching a laptop.

Unlike many gimmicky “smart” music products, this solves a real problem. Want to learn a solo? Strip out the original guitar. Want to practise rhythm? Remove the drums and become the timekeeper yourself. The fact that it’s doing it from a stream in real time (well, almost real-time — there’s a miniscule delay as you fire up each track) is crazy, the sort of feat once reserved for meticulously deconstructed tape reels.

It’s not perfect — every now and then the opening of a guitar line will pop through, or a cymbal crash will be needlessly dimmed. But the speed and ease with which this can be done with the accompanying JBL One app is incredible.

2. It packs an entire practice studio into one box

The BandBox Solo may be small (weighing about half a kilo and measuring 210x106x76mm), but it’s packed full of features beyond even that clever stem-removing tool. JBL has loaded it with a looper, tuner, metronome, drum machine, USB recording interface and multiple effects and amp models. There’s even a pinhole mic for vocals to go along with the ¼” guitar jack input.

And that’s before checking out a surprisingly-robust range of guitar tone ‘pedal’ presets, letting you add just the right amount of crunch or reverb to your playback.

That means fewer cables, fewer pedals and far less clutter. For newer players especially, it removes the intimidation factor of building a complicated home setup. You plug in, connect the app via Bluetooth with your phone and start playing within minutes.

3. It sounds far bigger than it looks

Compact practice amps often sound thin, fizzy or lifeless. But the BandBox Solo manages to sound much bigger than its diminutive size. JBL’s full-range speaker design (there’s a 2.25” full range speaker capable of 30W output in here) proves surprisingly punchy.

It has to serve several instrumental functions of course, and low-end frequencies for bass practice will suffer. But it’s still impressive considering the tiny size.

4. It’s built for the streaming generation — and on the road play

JBL understands how budding musicians actually consume music in 2026. The BandBox solo works directly with streamed audio over Bluetooth and integrates with the JBL One app for tone editing and control. That might sound like a small detail, but it fundamentally changes how convenient practice becomes. Instead of downloading tracks or hunting for backing versions on YouTube, you can simply stream a song and start interacting with it immediately.

For younger players especially, this feels intuitive in the same way older generations once found plugging into a cassette deck intuitive.

It feels like it’s built to last, too. Though the outer casing is plastic, rubberised corner padding will see that the BandBox Solo can survive a tumble or too. And despite the techy-innards, it’s very tactile to use. Menu buttons are clicky, the dial knob has notched feedback to make dialling in settings easier, and the small LED text indicator will be useful for making changes to settings in low-lit rooms.

The rechargeable battery (offering a respectable six-hour’s play per USB-C charge) is good for the size, and small dimensions make it easy to carry from the sofa to a backpack to a rehearsal space, which encourages more spontaneous playing. And that usually means more improvement when practicing over time.

The one drawback is one that will hopefully be easy to fix with an app update — there’s no master volume slider for all your different settings and playback tracks, making fine tuning the overall audio mix a bit of a pain.

5. It’s surprisingly affordable

This might be the biggest selling point of all. At just a £229.99 RRP (and already hitting storefronts for below the £200 mark) the JBL BandBox Solo is pretty darn good value.

Sure, there are simpler, cheaper, louder practice amps out there. But the sheer amount of flexibility the different features of the BandBox Solo offers for the price makes it really attractive. As a portable practice tool for a pro it’s a space-saving on-the-road replacement for loads of gear — and for a total beginner there’s loads of cool sounds to play with without breaking the bank on individual units.

Final verdict

The JBL BandBox Solo is the sort of gadget that would have seemed impossible just a few short years ago. Surprisingly intuitive, it opens up a world of practice options for the budding axe-master, and does so with sonic punch at a good price point.

For beginners it’s approachable, for experienced players it’s inspiring, and for anyone bored of traditional practice routines, it might be the most enjoyable guitar gadget you can throw in a bag.

With most of the major phone companies launching flagship phones yearly, this constant grind to push new hardware sometimes feels like there isn’t actually anything new to push at all.

With the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, however, this really isn’t the case. In fact, Sammy’s new handset brings with it one of the most innovative phone features in recent years — the ability to block your screen from prying eyes, thanks to some mind-blowing display tech.

My colleague Hermione recently wrote about the virtues of this tech when living somewhere as busy as London — it really is a welcomed layer of discretion on a phone that is in pretty much every way on top of its game.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is another stunning device from Samsung and the most premium non-folding phone the tech giant has produced.

I have been using the Android handset as my main whip for a number of weeks now — and have fallen for the thing in a big way. Even its use of AI smarts, which I usually pour scorn on, have won me over. Just how, I hear you scream? Well, here are 5 things to know about the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra…

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: In Short

• Privacy Display: Innovative Flex Magic Pixel technology limits screen view from prying eyes.
• Redesigned Form Factor: Softer, curved edges replace the S25's sharp design, plus a visually improved, raised camera enclosure.
• Ultimate Power and Efficiency: Features the powerful, overclocked Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip for smooth performance and 30+ hour battery.
• Advanced Camera System: The 200MP main and 50MP telephoto cameras have wider apertures for better light and sharper images.
• New AI Smart Features: Fun and useful enhancements like Super Steady Video and impressive background noise removal from videos.

1. Design lacks sharpness — and that’s a good thing

Samsung now offers a consistent look and feel across all three devices in the S26 range (which comprises the S26, S26 Plus and S26 Ultra). There is a lovely unified look that is all about smooth, curved, round edges — gone are the sharp edges of the S25 and I prefer this softer form factor.

There is also now a consistency in terms of colours. The choices you have are: Cobalt Violet, White, Black and Sky Blue. There are also two online exclusive colours on offer: Silver Shadow and Pink Gold (Samsung loves a colour adjective).

As for price, this is how much you need to ask your bank manager for: the 256GB version costs £1,279, 512GB £1,449 and the 1TB model is £1,699. Expensive, sure — but the tech on show here is worth it.

The Galaxy S 26 Ultra is the only one in the range that comes with the almighty S Pen — it’s situated within the chassis, fitting in there nice and flush, and it is still a stunning stylus and one that has been redesigned. It’s now thinner with an improved grip.

It also comes with a screen that sports Corning Gorilla Armor 2 glass which has anti-reflective properties. The S26 Ultra is the thinnest Galaxy S Ultra phone yet and, at 214 grams, it’s one of the lightest too.

When it comes to the chassis itself, Samsung has moved away from titanium on to something called Armor Aluminium 2 — we’re guessing there is a better durability factor here, but we’re not sure why it’s switched this up.

As great as the design is, it's only really when you flip the phone over that you see real differences with the S25 Ultra. That is because of the camera enclosure — it’s been redesigned and looks great, with the three lenses now in more of a raised section.

While this does mean that it causes the handset to rock when the phone is flush on a surface, it does look a whole lot better. Other than that, there is definitely a feeling of ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ with the look of this Ultra iteration.

2. The S26 Ultra is the ultimate private chancer

At first glance, it’s clear that the Galaxy S26 Ultra's display is the same size, resolution and brightness as the S25. This is no bad thing, as the 6.9-inch OLED panel is still stunning, with its 2600 nits and 1-120Hz variable refresh rate and stonking QHD+ resolution (1440 x 3120 pixels).

But there is a big difference — and it’s something of a game changer when it comes to phones. It’s called simply Privacy Display, but the tech behind it is far from simple, being a version of Samsung’s Flex Magic Pixel technology which limits the field of view someone can read a phone, meaning those who are next to you won’t be able to see what you are typing or, ahem, sending.

This tech can be ramped up or down, depending on what kind of privacy you want and it is certainly one of the standout, unique things about the S26 Ultra. This is also display tech that isn’t available on any other phone in the range.

I tried this feature in a number of places, including out and about and on the Tube and it really does keep prying eyes away. Well, at least I hope it does because the things I wrote about the person sitting next to me on the Northern line are not for publication here and if they did see it then they are much more forgiving than most.

Jokes aside, it is rare that we see game-changing technology like this nowadays, so good work Samsung on developing it. We reckon iterations of this tech will be in every phone going forward.

3. It’s the most powerful Ultra yet

Inside the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. This is a 'for Galaxy' version of the chip, which essentially means that it is overclocked for the handset. This is no understatement: this chip is one of the most powerful to be in a phone, so performance punches way above its weight.

Flipping through apps and socials are a breeze, while gaming didn’t seem to warm the handset up too much. There is a vapour chamber for cooling on board, so that is obviously working well.

Battery wise, there is a 5,000mAh on board. While this hasn’t changed since the S24, Samsung’s new chip seems to help with conserving energy as we managed 30 hours’ plus without having to charge the thing. And when we did charge it, the 60W charger got us to 78% in 30 minutes.

As for the cameras, there have been some small but powerful tweaks. The main camera (as well as the 5x telephoto) now have wider apertures, so more light can be let in, leading to better images.

Megapixel wise, they do stay the same. The 5x telephoto is 50MP, the main is 200MP (thanks to processing) and the 3x optical zoom still clocks in at 10MP but uses a new sensor.

Taking photos with the S26 Ultra was a joy. While the sun finally came out, it was the night photography that impressed me the most — images stayed sharp, even when the available light was just a street lamp or two.

There is a 100x zoom on board, which is also impressive but the quality does wear a little thin at that point, even with some neat AI interpolation.

4. There’s a bevy of new AI features — which you will (mostly) want to use

While the biggest new feature on board is the already mentioned Privacy Display, there are a number of new and fun feature enhancements added for the S26 Ultra.

There’s a Super Steady Video feature that uses the phone’s gyroscope. While this isn’t a new feature as such, it now has the ability to lock in horizontal mode. The outcome is really steady footage, no matter how wild you have been with your hand movements. And boy were my hand movements wild when I tried it — Samsung has done well here, catering for the extreme sports crowd who will be shooting content on the go.

There’s also the ability to take background noise out of video (you can do this on YouTube and Netflix videos as well) and really focus on what people are saying. This is incredibly impressive and will help those who struggle with dialogue, even if the result won’t exactly be what the director intended.

There’s a bevy of new AI features, too, including a feature that gets AI to respond and screen unknown calls.

AI is prevalent throughout the S26 Ultra, whether it enhances the pictures you take on it, helping you create new ones, or just to aid productivity on the device.

5. If this all sounds too premium, there is a budget alternative...

Samsung hasn't just launched the S26 Ultra, which is the most premium version of its handsets, but two other phones, too (we haven’t reviewed these, though).

The others are the Samsung Galaxy S26 and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus. Neither of these handsets come with the new Privacy Display feature but they share a lot of the new features of the S26 Ultra.

When it comes to screen size, the S26 clocks in at 6.3 inches and the S26 Plus has a 6.7-inch screen.

Samsung Galaxy 26 Ultra: Final Verdict

The best Android phone just got better. The Samsung Galaxy 26 Ultra is a stunning, premium device that has power to spare and a battery life that lasts for ages.

Design has been improved, with better curves and a new, nicer lozenge for the cameras on the back. The colours on show are decent, too, while the AI features on board range from fun to actually really bloody useful. And then there’s the new Privacy Display — this really is a piece of tech that changes how you use a phone.

The price will be a bit much for some, but if you can stomach it then you will be rewarded with a handset that excels in pretty much everything it does.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is available now, from £1,279.

• Apple MacBook Neo review: 5 reasons it's the £599 MacBook for the masses

There’s an iPhone in every other pocket in the world. Can Apple put a MacBook in every other home on the planet — or at the very least, in every classroom? That the aim of the brand new MacBook Neo, Apple’s new portable computer that swaps out a traditional computing chipset for a mobile chip instead.

It’s cheap, it’s colourfully cheerful and, after just shy of a week's worth of testing in real-world conditions, more than up to the majority of tasks most people use their computers for.

MacBook Neo: In Short…

• A MacBook powered by an iPhone chipset, the A18 Pro
• Runs full-fat macOS Tahoe
• Starts at £599, with student pricing at £499
• 8GB of RAM across all models, with 256GB or 512GB of storage
• Touch ID on £699 model
• 13-inch Liquid Retina display at 2408 x 1506 resolution
• Colourful aluminium external casing options
• 16 hour quoted battery life
• 1080p FaceTime camera
• Two USB-C ports and a headphone jack
• Lightweight at 1.22kg

This is the MacBooks for the masses, at a price approachable to even cash-strapped students.

Here's five reasons why everyone should be paying attention to Apple's budget-oriented MacBook Neo.

1. A genuinely affordable Mac

Here’s the first big point — this is a MacBook that is actually, no kidding, affordable. Starting at £599, it’s coming up to close to half the price of the next-most-affordable MacBook, the M5 MacBook Air. Though the Air just got a price bump, with its entry point now at £1,099, no doubt due to the ongoing RAM meltdown the industry faces, the Neo still undercuts it significantly. Older Air models can be picked up cheaper, but the new MacBook Neo is, by a considerable margin, Apple’s cheapest portable computer when bought brand new.

The £599 unit gets you 256GB of storage, and has a lock button on its keyboard. A step-up model at £699 bumps the storage to 512GB and adds a Touch ID fingerprint scanner to the keyboard for quick unlocks, payments and an added layer of security.

£599 is a great starting point — but it gets even better if you’re a student. Apple’s student pricing scheme gets you in the door here for £499.

Is there a catch? A small one — there’s no charger in the box. But if you’ve got a recent iPhone or iPad, or any other device that charges over USB-C, chances are you’ve already got what you need to refuel the MacBook Neo. If not, you’re going to have to factor a few more notes into that otherwise-great price.

Move the comparison away from Apple's own line of products and to the wider Chromebook and Windows competition at this budget, and it's an even wilder match-up. From build quality to performance to screen clarity, Apple makes a massive leapfrog over alternative computers at this price point. And, compared to the Chromebook category, which still has limited app support 15 years after first launching, the Neo's full-fat macOS experience simply wipes the floor.

2. It can do anything a Mac can do

Anything the M-Series chips can do… an iPhone chip can do just as well? Or at least, almost? That’s the gambit here. Apple’s betting that, for the majority of users the MacBook Neo is aimed at, an A18 Pro chipset will get the job done. And the A18 Pro proves itself very capable in its laptop-shaped home.

This is the same chipset that was found in 2024’s flagship handset, the iPhone 16 Pro — an incredibly capable device even today. It may be a 'binned' version of that chipset (meaning its GPU core count, the visual processing brain of the machine, is slightly less powerful than that of the smartphone version), but in reality that will mean little to the day-to-day operation of the Neo for the audience it's aimed at.

Both the A-series chips (found in iPhones and some iPads) and M-series chips (found in MacBooks and some high-end iPads) are Apple’s in-house silicon design. As both are 64-bit, ARM-based and similar in core architecture, it's made it relatively simple for Apple to equip the MacBook Neo with the iPhone's guts, with little to no compromise in terms of macOS performance.

The full macOS operating system, Apple's own apps, and thousands of third-party applications are all available to MacBook Neo users. And despite the seeming limitations of what was originally a smartphone chipset limited to 8GB of RAM support, the Neo proves very smooth in operation.

For the past few days I've been using it as my primary work machine, and, like many in the workplace or studying on campus, find that the majority of my work tasks are now carried out across dozens of browser tabs. The MacBook Neo has absolutely no qualms with this environment, even when working with my company's preferred Google Chrome browser rather than Apple's own Safari.

I regularly jumped between tens of browser tabs, streaming apps, PDF files and image editing software like Canva and Photoshop, and the Neo didn't miss a beat. My primary machine at home is an M2 MacBook Air released in 2022, and the experience felt largely the same. Heavier multi-tasking maybe saw the Neo occasionally miss a beat when batch editing high-resolution images... but not in any deal-breaking way, and certainly not at the expense of an additional few hundred quid in an end-user's pocket.

There will undoubtedly be eyebrows raised at whether or not a mobile chip, backed with just 8GB of RAM, has the juice to fuel a regular computing session — but that’s as much of a question as to what constitutes a regular computing session for the everyman. If you’re mostly browsing the internet, replying to emails, watching videos and tapping away at documents… well, you can do all that on an iPhone very easily, not to mention doing very capable video and audio editing and some pretty beefy gaming these days, too. So putting that power in a MacBook shell, at an affordable price, has proved here to be not only conceivable, but possibly even sensible.

Yes, video editors with multiple ingest streams and high-pressure edits are still going to covet their super-powerful MacBook Pros (which also got an M5 Pro and M5 Max update , too). But for those that just need to get a little school work done, pay some bills or share some photos? Maybe even do a little creative work on the side? The Neo will have more than enough in the tank for that.

3. MacBook and iPhone apps living side-by-side

This may be an iPhone chipset, but you’re getting full macOS Tahoe applications here, not just some mobile-only alternative builds. If you’re familiar with Pages, Keynote, Freeform and the usual suite of built-in Apple Mac apps, they’re all present, as well as third-party favourites like Photoshop, Slack, or whatever else you use every day. The underlying similarities between Apple’s A-series and M-series chips mean nothing gets left behind.

And, if you’re coming to Mac for the first time as an iPhone user, all your favourite iPhone apps are here now too. Apple’s excellent Continuity feature, which lets Apple devices interact and piggy-back off each other, means your iPhone can easily pair with the MacBook Neo and put your iPhone apps side-by-side in the same library as your Mac apps, ready to be run right next to your Mac apps. The same goes for iCloud-based Photos and Notes, synced between devices, and also clipboard entries too — copy something on your iPhone, and it’s available to paste on your MacBook Neo.

Sure, there’s nothing new here — all this works on a MacBook Air, or Pro, or desktop Mac Mini or Mac Studio — but getting this feature set and convenience at this price point is very attractive. Microsoft's Windows and Google's Chromebook machines attempt similar interoperability across devices, but neither pulls it off with the level of ease that Apple manages, fuelled as it is by having control over every bracket of hardware with its branding on it. Pop open your AirPods case, and the Neo will automatically connect to them. Sit an iPad next to the MacBook Neo and it'll act as a second screen for the laptop. Recieve a FaceTime call on your iPhone left in one room, and answer it on the Neo in another spot. It's all seamless.

Where things are going to get interesting is with more demanding applications and power users. MacBooks are beloved by the creative industries for their processing power, be that for 3D rendering, ultra-resolution video editing, and near-infinite audio stem recordings. This is not the machine for that sort of workflow, and at £599, that's totally reasonable. But for beginners in those industries, looking to start on some smaller projects? iMovie, Garageband and the like will get them on the road to those professional worlds.

4. AI-ready — and onboard

Apple’s AI, or Apple Intelligence as the company calls it, is cooked into all of Apple’s latest products, and the MacBook Neo is no exception. Just like the iPhone 16 Pro that the A18 Pro chip debuted in, the MacBook Neo can access on-device Apple Intelligence features, as well as tapping into additional ChatGPT artificial intelligence features in the cloud if specified. It's one of the main reasons that the chip is employed here over, say, the original M1 MacBook chips — this smartphone silicon, with its neural processors, is much more capable with on-device artificial intelligence applications.

At a basic level, Apple Intelligence can help you clean up hastily-written text, generate images from prompts, and help with quick image editing tasks like removing a background — or an unwanted photobomber — from a scene. That’s the tip of the iceberg, and Apple Intelligence is getting new features all the time.

5. The most colourful Macs ever — and with better-than-you’d-guess specs

The MacBook Neo comes in four very attractive colours. As well as the staple MacBook Silver, you’ve got a soft pink, a blue-gray indigo, and what I’m calling the ‘Brat Mac’ citrus green, which I've been testing out for this review. The attention to detail is careful throughout — keyboards are colour matched with complementary tones to each case, as are even the speaker grilles (stereo, with spatial audio support, built into each edge) and the underside feet.

Those speakers are surprisingly loud and capable too, giving a good sense of separation when sat in front of the MacBook Neo, and, when paired with the 13-inch, 2408 x 1506 resolution display, will be great for a bit of dorm-room movie viewing. It’s bright, sharp and richly coloured, and a fair sight finer than the quality of screen you usually find on a laptop at this price point.

In terms of connectivity it’s no slouch either — Wi-Fi 6E isn’t far off the fastest standard available at the moment, and Bluetooth 6 is bang up to date.

There’s a couple of compromises to the build of the MacBook Neo. There’s no backlit keyboard (which may prove a legitimate pain to students taking notes in dimly-lit lecture halls), and though the trackpad is perfectly responsive to multi-touch gestures, it doesn’t have the haptic feedback other MacBooks offer. Only one of the two USB-C ports onboard is a speedy 3.0 port, with the other being a 2.0 port best suited for attaching low-powered accessories. With USB 2.0 limited to just 60MB/s, it feels antiquated, and, as the two ports aren't labelled could prove confusing for the less tech-savvy buyer wondering why their transfer speeds are so diminished on one port over the other.

Battery life is quoted as ‘all day’ — and that’s counted here by Apple as 16 hours of general use compared to the M5 MacBook Air’s 18 hours. On a full charge with what I'd consider to be standard usage for the user this machine is aimed at, I clocked around 15 hours of use before reaching for a charger. That's pretty good going, and will easily see someone through a full work day and through an evening's recreational Apple TV stream.

It’s also Apple’s lowest-carbon MacBook, with the Neo using 60 percent recycled content in its construction, more than in any other Apple product to date.

MacBook Neo: Final Verdict

The MacBook Neo punches far above its weight, and way beyond its peers in this price point. It's the most important laptop Apple has launched in years. At £599 (£499 for students), it meaningfully lowers the barrier to macOS, and it does so without feeling like a token “budget” compromise. The headline gamble — running a Mac on the A18 Pro chip first seen in the iPhone 16 Pro — makes more sense than it might initially sound. For browsing, essays, streaming, light creative work and everyday multitasking, there’s clearly enough headroom to run macOS Tahoe.

Yes, power users will still want a MacBook Air or Pro, and there are a few minor corners cut: no backlit keys, mixed-speed USB-C, and a few premium niceties missing. But judged on its audience — students, families, first-time Mac buyers — the Neo feels less like a bargain. Expect to see even more MacBooks in coffee shops by the time the next school term starts.

• The affordable iPhone just got a glow-up with the 17e

Over ear or in ear? It’s the age-old question in the world of personal audio and your preference really depends on a number of factors but one of the biggest is comfort. From my experience — and I’ve spent some, gulp, 15 years reviewing headphones — over ears offer comfort while in ears offer ease of use. The caveat: audio quality usually diminishes the smaller the earphones get.

With the Samsung Galaxy Ear Buds 4 Pros, this changes as these are perhaps the most comfortable in-ear ’phones we have ever tested. They are like little fluffy clouds resting on our lobes. Put them on and you can almost forget you are wearing the things, if it wasn’t for the seriously good music quality that comes from them.

I’ve been using Buds 4 Pros for the best part of a week now, and here’s what you need to know…

SAMSUNG GALAXY BUDS 4 PRO: IN SHORT

• Support 24-bit audio up to 96KHz
• Enhanced Active Noise Canceling
• Adaptive EQ
• Premium Metal Design
• AI assistant compatible
• £219

1. The fit is comfortable

Little fluffy clouds. That’s the description we gave the Buds 4 in our intro — and for good reason, these ear buds are a superb fit in the ears, offering a lovely balance of being lightweight but snug.

Staying in the ears is key here, and it’s what the Buds 4 Pros do admirably. It’s worth noting that they are a canal tip design — if you want ones that sit on your ear, then go for the cheaper Buds 4 as they are more of an open type design that have been made to sit on your ear.

One reason for the fit being decent might be because Samsung has been doing a lot of homework, looking at ears of all types and figuring out a design that works whether you wear your ear bud shafts down or across. According to Sammy, it “took over 100 million different ear data points from people from all around the world, and ran over 10,000 different simulations to build these buds from the ground up”.

As with pretty much every ear bud, these come with a selection of rubber tips to choose from.

2. The look is premium

At £219, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pros are the most premium in-ear headphones that Samsung has produced and their looks showcase this. They are a moulded plastic design, with a brushed metal blade. On the side, there is a tiny oval grille and a small rectangle situated on the top. A black circle can be found on the inside frame of the buds. The design is slick but certainly not flashy.

This is complemented by a simple clamshell case with a clear lid. While the case says Samsung, this is the only bit of branding found on the ear buds which I really like. Not that it’s bad being a fan boy, but I would rather someone asks who made my ear buds, rather than showcasing their branding to the world. As for the aforementioned case. I do think more of a design flourish could have been made here — it definitely errs towards functional rather than fancy. It does allow wired or wireless charging, though, which is a bonus.

Those metal blades, though, they don’t just look decent but house some decent functionality. They are slightly wider than previous efforts and include a recessed area for all touch and swipe controls. Here I can use a finger to swipe up and down to change the volume, and pinch the blades together to control things — whether it’s skipping tracks or conjuring up an AI assistant.

3. Sound quality is, well, quality

The audio quality of the Buds 4 Pro really is superb. First, the ANC works a charm for the most part. It may not be the most instant ‘shut out the world and leave me with my own thoughts’ noise cancelling I have heard, but it reduces background noise significantly even when you aren’t listening to anything. This ANC is constantly adjusting to the environment around you, too. So if you are in a gym then it will fight against the inevitably tinny music they will be playing in the background. On a train, the constant track rattling noise is reduced.

Once you add music, though, the world does disappear and leaves you with whatever you are listening to.

For me, this was a lot of lossless stuff, thanks to these ear buds offering up to 24 bit quality. To test the bass, Fred Again and Jamie T’s ode to South London, Light Burn Dimmer was a joy to listen to. There was a real warmth in the beats, a sharpness to the synths and even though the voice was layered with distortion it still cut through with the right amount of clarity.

So Much Country ‘Till We Get There by Westside Cowboy was ghostly and beautiful through the Buds 4 Pro. The drone of the cello and the brittle vocals were crisp, the uplifting guitar notes and drum stomp surrounding me nicely.

On older soul track Wild Flower, by The New Birth, the rousing vocals and strings sounded like they were recorded yesterday, not some 50 years ago.

There is a good reason that bass sounds are more prevalent in these new Buds. Samsung has made the space for the woofer some 20% bigger, so sounds are richer and deeper as a result.

4. Battery life is impressive (when you count the case)

I got around 6 hours’ continuous play out of the Galaxy Buds 4 Pros which is less than what Apple offers with its Pro range of in-ears. This was with ANC on at all times but it is less than what the Buds 3 Pros offered. Granted, there is more powerful audio tech inside these ear buds and the redesigned (and smaller) chassis size will have something to do with this battery reduction too.

The good news is that the case holds an extra 20 hours’ battery life and given you will be slipping these things in and out of the case all day, it’s doubtful you would ever get to 0 capacity — even though they are comfy enough to have on all day.

5. The price is punchy but there is an alternative

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro will be £219 out of the gates and they come in white, black and an online exclusive rose gold colour. This is on a par with the AirPods Pro 3 which are the same price.

If this is a little steep then there is an alternative: the Galaxy Buds 4 (no Pro) will also be available for £159 coming in white and black. These don’t have the ANC capabilities of the Pro version and sit on the ears, rather than in the ear canal.

If you are unsure whether they are for you, then there is a pre order offer. From the 25th of February to the 30th of April, buy them and if you aren’t 100% happy, you can return them to Samsung within 100 days for a full refund regardless of which retailer they bought them from — just send in your proof of purchase.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: Early Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pros are what Samsung fans have been waiting for — a true alternative to what Apple has with the AirPods. And one that comes alive when you use with a Samsung phone, thanks to quick pairing and settings options at a glance through a Galaxy handset.

Sound wise, they are fantastic with ANC that aids rather than hinders, a true belter of a bass response and high ends that reach to the sky. Battery life could be better but with the blade controls as intuitive as they are and features such as live translation just a press away, these ear buds have really impressed me so far.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pros are available for pre-order now for £219.

• Had your phone nicked in London? Here's how to protect your data — and what to do to stay safe from thieves next time

AI may be the buzz-word bingo term of the year but, for once, we’re able to embrace it without reservation — thanks to artificial intelligence, I’m getting to recreate the greatest Christmas of all time: Christmas 1997.

Why? How?

First the “why” — Christmas 1997 was the year I got a PlayStation 1, and with it the home port of arcade lightgun classic, Time Crisis. Many a pound coin was saved as I blasted away baddies at home rather than with the coin-op arcade machine. Santa did me proud, and it was the start of a beautiful friendship between me and my PS1.

And the” how”? That’s because, thanks to the nifty new G’AIM’E hardware and some AI wizardry, we’re finally able to get a faff-free lightgun experience at home on modern flatscreen TVs. And it’s brilliant.

Want to make a retro gamer’s Christmas dreams come true? The G’AIM’E might just be the answer. Read on to find out why.

G’AIM’E Lightgun: In short…

• AI powered lightguns that bring arcade shooters to your living room
• Easy to set up
• Works with TVs and projectors
• Comes pre-loaded with classic games
• Available now, starting at £99 for a single gun, console and Time Crisis
• ‘Premium’ bundle costs £149.99 and throws in three additional games and an arcade-authentic foot pedal
• ‘Ultimate’ bundle costs £199.99, includes two guns plus the pedal, all the games, and throws in bonus physical collectibles

An AI-fuelled arcade revival

Gamers of a certain vintage will have fond memories of the many lightgun games you could find in your local arcade. These point-and-shooters, with accessory guns that you pointed at a screen to aim and fire, were big business in the arcade’s hey-dey, and in the era of the bulky CRT TV screen, they were a core part of the at-home gaming experience, too.

But flat screen TVs changed all that. The aim tracking methods changed with the TV technology, old accessories no longer worked, and motion tracked consoles like the Nintendo Wii could never really match the experience of dedicated lightgun shooters. Plus, the decline of the arcade meant the lightgun shooter as a gaming genre fell out of vogue, and fewer games were available to be ported for home play.

It’s no wonder then that the G’AIM’E lightgun, created by Tassei Denki, cooked up a crowd-funding storm when it was revealed on Kickstarter. It managed to raise more than £860,000 by promising a dedicated console with AI-trained lightguns that would accurately work on all manner of TVs, including projection screens. Gamers starved of the arcade-at-home experience lined up to pledge their cash.

And, despite some small gripes, it was money well spent.

The hardware and set-up

To be clear, modern lightguns do exist, but they’re quite notoriously convoluted to set up, and are predominately for enthusiasts willing to work with emulators and PC software to get them up and running, making the plug-in-and-play nature of the G’AIM’E very appealing.

The fact the hardware on offer here is so satisfying and easy to use is just the icing on the cake. The G’AIM’E package consists of a main console unit (seemingly running a fork of Android) that plugs into your TV, plus the USB-C cabled gun. No wireless shooters here.

There’s two USB-C ports on the front of the console (a small black box the size of two CD cases stacked on top of each other), allowing for a second gun to be added for multiplayer play, or a pedal for arcade-accurate ducking and reloading in supported games. Those added extras are included in the pricier Premium and Ultimate bundles — you get just the console, a single gun and a single game at the basic tier.

Set up is surprisingly simple. Plug the power supply in, hook up the HDMI cable to your TV or projector (yes, projection screens work here!) and the console fires up into its calibration mode. You’ll be tasked with shooting a number of onscreen markers a few times, and then boom! You’re in the game selection menu.

A few pointers are shared to make sure calibration is as accurate as possible. You’ll need a distance of about 3 metres between you and the TV for a 50-inch TV, and 3.5m to 4m+ for 65-inch TVs and larger. Try to play in a darker room if possible, or at least minimise lights near your TV — lamps, other screens, or windows should be switched off or covered up, as it can confuse the camera tracker built into each gun. Also, make sure you’re using a high-quality USB-C charger — I started off using one I had laying around, and the guns kept disconnecting as a result. Only the Ultimate bundle includes a charger in the box.

Those boxes ticked, it’s a joy to play. Accuracy is as good as I remember from the PS1 days, and the blue-with-orange-highlights guns themselves are chunky and sturdy, walking that line between toy and not-quite-a-firearm satisfyingly. The force-feedback accompanying shots is a little weaker than you’d get in an arcade, but that’s a minor point, and the option for playing with a pedal will bring back fond memories of the original experience, very well recreated here. Rubber pads on the bottom keep it from sliding around too much underfoot.

The games

The star of the show here is undoubtedly Time Crisis, bundled in at every tier of the G’AIM’E package. Its innovative-for-the-era cover mechanic remains as satisfying as ever, and its against-the-clock shootouts against polygonal baddies as tense and thrilling as remembered.

A new conversion from original developers Namco Bandai is included here, based on the arcade original, meaning it's as close to that initial experience as you’re likely to find these days outside of a retro arcade. Note it is based on the arcade version — not the PS1 version which included a secondary campaign to fire through, meaning you might see all it has to offer relatively quickly.

Stump the cash for the Premium and Ultimate bundles, and you get three additional games — Point Blank, Steel Gunner, and its sequel Steel Gunner 2.

Of all the games offered, Point Blank may be the secret best of the bunch, certainly in terms of replayability. Offering a two-player mode that Time Crisis lacks, it’s a madcap point-chasing shooting gallery, full of minigames and manic ideas. You’ll likely spend most of your time here.

Steel Gunner and its sequel are 2D sci-fi shooters, and the oldest games included on the console. They’re still good fun, but show their age more than Time Crisis and Point Blank.

Notes for next time

We’ve had a lot of fun playing with the G’AIM’E kit, but there’s a few gripes we hope will be ironed out should any next-gen model appear, or variants of the hardware be produced.

Though accurate, the calibration can be a bit picky about the environment the kit is best played in. The ‘AI’ here has been baked in during development to work with as many TVs as possible, but doesn’t account for individual setups — this isn’t an actively learning model that can adapt to the unique characteristics of your living room. Likewise, it’s not saving any information about your setup, meaning you’re going to have to go through the calibration process every time you fire it up.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, there’s no plans to offer further games down the line. There’s no Wi-Fi onboard, and though the developers say the USB-C ports can be used to issue firmware updates in the future, the business model as it stands today is to sell the guns alongside preloaded consoles. So if any more games become available via the G’AIM’E, at present you’d have to buy the kit all over again to play them. Hopefully the manufacturers see sense and offer downloadable gaming updates, or at the very least offer future console units as sold-separately options without the guns.

Final verdict

Those small concerns aside, the G’AIM’E lightgun is a metaphoric and literal blast. Using the best of today’s technology to hark back to a golden age of gaming’s past, this is retro revivalism at its best. Well considered, well made, and with a bunch of classic games to play through, it’s time to party like it's 1997 all over again.

If you’re looking to add a little touch of boardroom class to your work-from-home-spare-bedroom-office, look no further than the Journey ALTI LIFT desk mat. Practical and sleek, it’ll elevate your workspace (even if the laundry is drying in the corner).

Journey has a knack for slick-looking gadget accessories, from chargers to Apple ‘Find My’ tracked water bottles that are impossible to lose, which we checked out earlier this year. Its latest product, the ALTI LIFT desk mat, iterates on the earlier excellent ALTI by taking the previous model’s wireless charging dock and literally elevating it.

I’ve been using it non-stop for the past few weeks, and it’s become an essential part of my at home working setup. Here’s why you should consider adding it to yours, too.

Smart solutions

The Journey ALTI LIFT desk mat comes in two parts — a reversible desk mat, and a snap-on magnetic charging station.

That mat part takes up the bulk of the desk real-estate needed for the ALTI LIFT. Essentially a giant mouse mat measuring 73cm x 37cm, it’s finished with PU leather on one side, and felt on the other, letting you take your pick between which surface you want to glide your mouse across.

I’ve found that I use the felt surface during the work day, and then flip it over to the smooth leather-like side when playing games in the evening. Each is joined at one end, but separated across the rest of the surface area, letting you lift them up like a flap to store away notes and papers.

The mat part finishes on one end with a magnetic edge, which connects to the star of the show, the charging station. It snaps onto the side of the mat, and offers two charging spots — one flat for charging items like AirPods, and the other section a fold-away, spinning, pivoting and tilting fast-charging arm for both powering your smartphone and angling its screen towards you so you can easily see it at all times.

Hooking up over USB-C to a power supply, the arm can fast charge at up to 15W, and is compatible with MagSafe-enabled iPhones or any Qi2 compatible smartphone. You’ll get 5W of charging from the stationary charging pad, too, while that charging arm works when folded flat as well, if you want to keep those phone-based distractions pointing away from you.

And, with a magnetic connection on either side of the charging base, you can position it for easy access whether you're left or right handed.

Tidy and smart, it’s great for keeping your desk organised and your gadgets juiced at the same time.

Available now in black or grey-and-beige shades, you can pick up the Journey ALTI LIFT wireless desk mat for £119.99.

• Journey REEVUS water bottle is perfect for gym-going content creators — and impossible to lose

Doing the vacuuming might just be the only enjoyable cleaning chore out there. There’s a simple satisfaction to sucking up visible debris from your floor like some sort of hygiene-addicted Ghostbuster, and Dyson’s cool-looking cordless models have always helped fuel that ‘vacuuming-makes-me-feel-good’ analogy.

But this one, the Dyson V16 Piston Animal, shoots out a green sci-fi beam onto your floor so you can plan your attack against every tiny, doomed dust particle, like you’ve been sent from the future to rid the world of kitchen crumbs. Throw in a new Submarine 2.0 wet-head roller add-on for sorting out spills and sticky stains, and you’ve got the complete floor cleaning package.

Want the full run down on what makes the Dyson V16 Piston Animal so great? Here’s 5 reasons why you want it in your cleaning cupboard.

Dyson V16 Piston Animal with Submarine: In Short…

• Powerful motor: Dyson’s Hyperdymium 900w motor offers ‘fade-free’ suction at 315 air watts
• Great battery life: 70 minute run time and a convenient removable battery
• Adaptive roller head: Main head automatically recognises hard floors and carpets, changing settings on the fly to best suit both
• Big bin capacity: With a smart compression feature to squeeze in more dust
• Tangle-free roller: Meaning you don’t have to worry about unravelling trapped hair
• Built in light: For illuminating even hidden dust
• Wet cleaning option: Submarine 2.0 add-on can replace your mop
• Price and availability: From £749.99, available now. £899.99 with Submarine add-on

1. This thing sucks

Yes, it’s an old joke at this point, but we’re going to use it again — the Dyson V16 Piston Animal sucks, in the best possible way. Dyson’s continual pursuit of miniaturised power presents itself this year in the Hyperdymium 900w motor. If this had existed in the 80s, the Honey I Shrunk The Kids gang would have never stood a chance. It has no problem pulling in even heavier particles, or stubborn fine grit stuck in grouting or flooring crevices.

Built into the main unit of the Dyson V16 Piston Animal is a small round LCD screen, letting you see in real-time the types of gunk the motor is sucking up, with a button letting you switch between eco, medium and high-strength suction settings. While I missed the trigger-button on/off suction starter of old, the vacuum remains ergonomic and easily manoeuvrable around tight spaces.

2. A sci-fi cleaning head for every task

Arguably the most notable change for the V16 Piston Animal is its redesigned main cleaning head. Whereas older Dyson models have had you change the head depending on whether you’re working on soft carpet or hard floors, this new vacuum cleaner boasts an ‘auto-adaptive’ head, the ‘All Floors Cones Sense’, that can intelligently spot when it’s on carpet or a harder surface, and adapt suction accordingly.

It’s using two conical bars sat side by side, including two brushes — a stiff one for digging out crumbs from soft surfaces, and a soft one for getting to work smoothly over hard floors. It works seamlessly, quickly changing speeds as surface types change. And I didn’t notice any significant difference in suction quality across surfaces, even with the 2-in-1 head style, while long hairs were mercifully cleanly pulled in, rather than tangling in the bars.

Best of all? The roller head also includes a floor-level green LED light that illuminates the space in front of the vacuum. I was shocked to see how much dirt built up in just a day or so across my home’s floors, clearly visible in the light beam. And it made it doubly satisfying to see it all sucked up as I swept through the collected mess.

For what it’s worth, Dyson has made it easier to remove the head too, with a release button at the standing end of the extension connector pole, despite the fact you’re now going to leave it on 90% of the time.

The only downside? With a tapered, rather than straight-edge end to the head, getting straight into corners can be a little tough at first, requiring more of a pivot to get into the meeting point between walls. But from our tests, the angle also means it performs better once it is slotted into those corners, so there’s some give and take there.

As per usual, Dyson throws in a few other useful attachments — a crevice tool, a hair screw tool ideal for getting rid of stubborn hair for pet lovers, and a combination brush for gently getting at upholstery. It’s worth noting that the main unit also can be used without either an attachment or an extension pole connected this time, too, letting you take the bare minimum with you to do some quick cleaning in tight spaces, such as cleaning a car interior. And, as we’ll get onto in a bit, there’s also an additional optional head for wet cleaning floors, too.

3. A removable battery for easy charging

Vacuum cleaners, even cordless ones, are reasonably large household items, especially when all the attachments are connected to them. So charging them up, even if you’re wall mounting a charging dock (as included in this package), sees them having a reasonable footprint when out of use. As such, it’s great to see Dyson working a removable battery into the V16 Piston Animal, placed in its 'foot', letting you plug just the battery itself into the charger, and pop it out of the way.

As for battery performance, it’s a really respectable 70-odd minutes on a full charge, in eco mode. You’ll get less in-use time from higher suction levels, but honestly, eco mode was good enough for 90% of jobs we faced during testing.

4. The best dust bin in the business

The dust bin on the V16 Piston Animal is a bit like Dr Who’s Tardis — despite being little larger than with previous models, it’s got a significantly higher capacity. You can squeeze 1.3 litres of rubbish into it before needing to empty it, close to double previous capacities.

Dyson’s managed this by tweaking the interior filter mesh, taking up less internal space but still getting the job done admirably. And that’s not all — the bin now has a sliding internal housing that can be used to compress and compact the collected junk to further delay the inevitable distress of having to empty the thing. Even this task is made as painless a process as possible though, with another internal mechanism scraping the insides of the bin to ensure a clean and full emptying with just one sweeping open.

5. Spills and stains, be gone!

You’ve got rid of the grit and dirt, but what about when that glass of wine spills over, or baby’s porridge ends up on the floor? Grab the Dyson V16 Piston Animal package with the revised Submarine 2.0 wet mop roller.

Rather than using suction, the motorised head uses its own fluffy roller to scrub your floor. With a 300ml liquid volume, you add a splash of detergent to the water reservoir, and get rolling across the floor. The smart difference with the Submarine 2.0 roller compared to other solutions is that it’s cleaning the roller as you’re using it, by adding fresh water with every rotation. It helps make sure you’re actually cleaning your surfaces, rather than pushing dirty water around your floor, or smearing spills.

The Submarine 2.0 add-on is pricey though, and the performance-to-pound difference between a vacuum and a broom, versus the submarine and a decent mop, isn’t quite so pronounced. It also needs to be manually cleaned after each use to keep performance at its best and to keep from there being a build up on the head. We’d consider this then a nice to have rather than an essential component.

Verdict

Is it weird that I now look forward to my round of the chores since living with the Dyson V16 Piston Animal? With a load of smart upgrades, and with more versatile cleaning applications than ever before, Dyson’s all-rounder is hard to beat.

If there’s one shadow looming over the whole package, it’s price — Dyson gear always comes at a premium, but the £899 price tag for the full package including the Submarine head is very costly. On top of that, a new generation of Dyson vacs inevitably pushes down the retail cost of the older ones — which remain excellent, and can now be found at a lower price, meaning if you’re on the market, shopping around for a deal on a previous model might be wise.

But that’s not to detract from what’s been achieved here. From smaller tweaks like the removable battery, to more fundamental changes like the dual-purpose main head and dust-compacting bin, Dyson’s done everything it can to make cleaning up frictionless. Dust-busting still makes us feel good.

Apple’s iPad Pro is the creme de la creme when it comes to tablets. It’s always been Apple’s most advanced offering, sitting above the regular iPad (A16) and the mighty iPad Air (M3) but it’s also one of the best tablets around, period. There’s more power than many will be able to utilise in the M4 model, let alone this new M5 option, so if you’re after a slim tablet that has enough oomph to replace your laptop, this is the one you’ll want.

I’ve been using it for the last couple of months since it was announced, switching between it and the MacBook Pro (M5).

It might look the same as its predecessor but one of the upgrades it comes with under the surface could be considered a reason in itself to buy it. Here’s everything you need to know about the iPad Pro (M5).

iPAD PRO (M5): IN SHORT

• Same design: The iPad Pro (M5) looks identical to its predecessor and it comes in the same colour options of Space Black and Silver.
• Upgraded performance: There have been a number of improvements under the iPad Pro (M5)’s hood, including an upgraded processor, as well as support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.
• Stunning display: There have been no changes to the iPad Pro (M5)’s display but there’s nothing wrong with that – it’s a superb screen.
• Faster charging: Finally! The iPad Pro (M5) supports fast charging, with up to 50 per cent in 30 minutes.
• Pricing and availability: The iPad Pro (M5) starts at £999. That’s for 256GB of storage, though it can be configured in storage capacities of 512GB, 1TB and 2TB with a Nano-texture display coating also available for £100 on the 1TB and 2TB models.

DESIGN: THE SAME - IF IT AIN’T BROKE, DON’T FIX IT

Apple has kept the design of the iPad Pro (M5) identical to the iPad Pro (M4) but that is by no means a bad thing. Instead, it’s probably the best decision Apple could have made for this tablet. The iPad Pro was redesigned in 2024 with a super slim 5.4mm frame and it is gorgeous as far as metal slabs go. It’s also skinnier than the iPhone Air for anyone counting those millimetres.

It comes in 11-inch and 13-inch size options but even the larger 13-inch model is portable. It’s the kind of thing you can fling in a backpack and barely notice it, which is more than we can say for most laptops out there. Add the Magic Keyboard (sold separately) to it and that’s a slightly different story but on its own, the iPad Pro (M5) is a delight.

It comes in Space Black and Silver colour options, which is the same offering as the MacBook Pro (M5). That’s a more serious affair than you’ll find on the pastel-coloured iPad Air and the punchy iPad (A16) but the iPad Pro (M5) is a more serious product so that all fits.

On the back, you’ll find the Smart Connector for attaching the Magic Keyboard, or a third party option, along with a single camera lens in the top left corner when holding this tablet in portrait. The camera lens is more than adequate for scanning documents and it will take a decent snap in good lighting but don’t expect the same quality as you would get from a smartphone. Also, just... don’t use a tablet for taking pictures. There is nothing big or clever in doing that.

On the shorter edges of the iPad Pro (M5), are where you’ll find the four-speakers, while the power button is positioned at the top. There’s no Touch ID fingerprint sensor, with unlocking and authentication happening through Face ID instead, as it has done since 2019 on the iPad Pro line. The Face ID sensors are built into the landscape-orientated front camera, which is great for video calls, while Face ID makes for a much more seamless experience when it comes to unlocking the tablet, accessing passwords or buying things using Apple Pay.

DISPLAY: MORE OF THE SAME BUT THAT’S MORE THAN OK

Just as the design hasn’t changed for the iPad Pro (M5), neither has the display but again, that’s far from a criticism. The Tandem OLED panel – which is effectively two OLED panels on top of each other to deliver a brighter screen – is one of the best in the business. It’s stunning.

Colours are wonderfully vibrant and punchy, blacks are true black and whites nice and bright.

Everything looks amazing, and that applies whether you’re watching a film or reading the news. The ProMotion tech and support for 120Hz refresh rates make for a lovely smooth scrolling experience too, especially when viewing social media or reading, though it’s handy for gaming too.

As with the MacBook Pro (M5), we’d highly recommend adding the Nano-texture glass option if your budget allows. It does a superb job of minimising reflections so it’s great for sunny day or using the iPad Pro (M5) outside or near a window. The only issue with the matte screen is that it is only an option on the higher storage models (1TB and 2TB), which is a real shame. On the MacBook Pro (M5), you can opt for the Nano-texture screen even in the base model so we’re disappointed that’s still the case for the iPad Pro.

Otherwise, there is almost nothing to criticise the iPad Pro (M5)’s display for. The bezels around the edge could be a little slimmer if we were being super picky, but both the 11-inch and 13-inch offer pin sharp detail, excellent brightness and a wonderful viewing experience.

INTERNAL SPECS: UPGRADED PERFORMANCE AND CONNECTIVITY

Lift the iPad Pro (M5)’s hood up (not literally, you can’t) and you’ll find the upgrades for this model. First up is the new Apple M5 processor, with this iPad and the MacBook Pro (M5) being the first two devices to run on the new hardware.

If you have the iPad Pro (M4) it’s very unlikely you’ll feel the need to upgrade to this model but if you’re coming from an older iPad model, like the iPad Pro (M1), you’ll notice a huge bump in power.

It’s seamless in its operation, switching rapidly between apps with no lag whatsoever and delivering smooth multitasking. There was nothing we tried to do on the iPad Pro (M5) that it wasn’t able to manage, from editing images and videos to playing games and watching movies. Its performance is excellent, offering a brilliant user experience.

Processor aside and the iPad Pro (M5)’s connectivity specifications have also been updated. It now supports WI-Fi 7 so if you have a compatible router, you’ll have access to the fastest Wi-Fi speeds. There’s also Bluetooth 6.0 support.

BATTERY AND CHARGING: THE MAIN REASON TO UPGRADE

Right, so to recap, the design and display have stayed the same compared to the iPad Pro (M5), while the processor and connectivity options have been upgraded. But this is the area you’ll really want to pay attention to because for the first time since iPad was announced over 15 years ago, fast charging has been introduced. Yes, you did read that right.

If you have ever plugged a tablet in before a plane journey or commute, you’ll know all too well the age these slabs can take to juice up. Ten minutes before you are due to leave the house wouldn’t make a dent in most tablet batteries, but for the iPad Pro (M5), you’ll get up to 50 per cent in 30 minutes and that’s almost worth upgrading for alone, even from the iPad Pro (M4).

Apple claims you will be able to watch video for 10 hours, or browse the web for nine hours and I have found this to be pretty much on the money over the last couple of months. Using the Magic Keyboard does deplete the battery faster than just browsing or watching, so expect around half that figure if you are typing for a long period of time.

It matters a lot less with the fast charging though because it is much quicker to get enough juice to watch a film on your morning train ride or sign a quick document. There is no power adapter in the box, however, so you will need to source your own, and if you want to benefit from the fast charging, you’ll need to make sure it is 60W or higher.

IPADOS 26: NEW DESIGN, NEW FEATURES, MORE LIKE MAC

When Apple first launched iPad, it ran on the same software as iPhone, with a couple of tweaks. It wasn’t until iPadOS arrived in 2019 where iPad got its own features, like Split Screen and multi-tasking, allowing it to come into its own a little more.

It still wasn’t as fluid to use as macOS if you wanted to use your iPad as a productivity tool, however, and while some features continue to be missing with iPadOS 26 like support for multiple users, the user experience is more like Mac now than it’s ever been before and we are here for that.

There’s things like the menu bar at the top with the traffic light buttons for closing down an app or snapping it into a grid on the screen so you can use multiple apps at the same time, like you can on Mac. You can also drag the corners of each app to resize them exactly how you want them and they will sit on top of each other should you want them to.

It’s possible to opt for the traditional iPad layout that we’ve seen for years that still allows you to use two apps side by side but otherwise will minimise an app when you open another one. If you’re planning on working on your iPad Pro (M5), we strongly recommend using the new layout but there’s nothing stopping you switching between them.

The latest iPadOS software also introduces coloured folders like Mac for better customisation of files, while also adding a Game app, Phone app and Preview app to iPad. The overall experience is significantly improved compared to previous iPadOS software and while iPadOS 26 runs on older iPads as well as the iPad Pro (M5), it’s seamless on the latest iPad with everything from switching between apps, using multiple apps at the same time and running background tasks buttery smooth.

FINAL VERDICT: PLENTY TO LOVE

The Apple iPad Pro (M5) is a superb tablet, retaining its crown as the best in class. Its super slim and lightweight build makes it exceptionally portable whichever size you choose, while the power under the hood leaves nothing to be desired.

There’s no getting away from its price, especially if you opt for the matte screen and the higher storage options, and we’d really like to see support for multiple profiles so families could share easier. But that’s really all we have to complain about.

The fast charging support is a huge upgrade and while those with an iPad Pro (M4) can probably skip this iteration, anyone with an older iPad or those coming to iPad for the first time will adore this tablet.

• Apple MacBook Pro (M5) review: Two months with the entry-level ‘Pro’ laptop – and why not to overlook it

We love a movie night - there’s something undeniably superior about an intentional movie night with a designated film, people, and microwavable popcorn as opposed to accidentally binging a Rocky marathon in your room as you fall asleep by number four. The key to any movie night, obviously, is a good quality image.

And if you're going big, go projector, which elevates it from five of you squinting at a TV (age increases, vision decreases), to a cinema-esque evening.

Whilst they’re the ultimate everyday luxury, a projector can be a bit of a faff; will you need to do some spontaneous feng shui to accommodate it? Will you need to rig up a sheet akin to a 90s washing line to project onto?

Thanks to brands like Hisense, gone are the days of clunky equipment with multiple cables, wires, extra (mandatory) technological accessories, and a light understanding of quantum mechanics. The all-in-one Hisense C2 Smart mini 4K projector is a spontaneous movie night's dream — compact, portable, with a great image and sound, plus all the smart platform bits you need to get a marathon movie session up and running in minutes. Projectors just got a whole lot more slick...

Hisense C2 Smart mini 4K projector: In Short...

• Inbuilt auto focus and orientation
• Easy set up - just plug and play
• High quality JBL speakers
• Able to project from the floor without the need for additional furniture
• Available now at £1,199, available from Amazon, Currys and AO.com

Design: Easy to place anywhere

Whilst on the heavier side for a mini projector (weighing in at around 6kg), the design remains compact and sleek; the JBL speakers are built in with grille and output surrounding the central lens. The projector itself is attached to a circular base and hinged for directing the image just where you want it. The boxey shape allows room for some clear and loud speakers without the need for added soundbars or speakers.

The C2 Smart Mini Projector is the epitome of easy-to-use, modern efficiency. You don’t even need any tripods or props to place it on (or, usually, in our case, a teetering pile of mismatched books and old DVDs). You can pop it on the floor and rotate the head until it’s right for your space.

The whole thing is a sort of slate, charcoal grey, which gives it a quiet luxury feeling.

The Features

The starring feature in the C2 is its keystone correction and focus - it’s like the projector equivalent of a point and shoot. You plug it in, point, and let the projector do the rest of the work. Not only will it adjust the focus (although sometimes this does take it more than a couple of minutes), it has inbuilt obstacle avoidance, and wall colour adjustment which we put ot the test on our (slightly misjudged) orange walls.

It also has a 65” to 300” wide screen capability, meaning you get a huge projection range, no matter what space you’re using, with a relatively short throw. You don’t have to worry if you’re setting up in a smaller room that you’re going to get awkward overspill that detracts from the film. You might think that this giant projection might yield a less precise and focused picture, but luckily, that is not the case, with the laser projection creating high clarity and richly coloured pictures.

In use

As we’ve already touched on and praised, it might just be the easiest projector to set up we’ve ever used. And it gets better. The C2 is a smart projector, meaning that all your favourite apps are already integrated - we’re talking Netflix, Disney, Prime, YouTube, and more.

The most time-consuming part of playing something is the five minutes spent trying to work out which password you’ve used for each different streamer, because, obviously, you added an exclamation mark and a different number to each variation. Plus, you can screenshare, and use AirPlay and Bluetooth.

The biggest selling point for our girls' night was the fact that it has two USB inputs, meaning we could very easily connect our phones, and subsequently had a group session going through my Hinge with everyone able to get a good view and give their input. So now not only do I have a good projector, I also have a date for Friday night.

The verdict

If the upper echelon of happy medium had a projector, it would be this. It's perfect for tech-lovers who aren't necessarily tech savvy, and want a projector that suits all movie-watchers and tech know-how. It's a fuss-free projector that has all the most useful features right at your fingertips, meaning you can create an at-home occasion for relatively little effort and set-up.

• The Steam Machine returns: Valve’s bold new bid for your living room

You’d be forgiven for thinking Apple’s MacBook Pro line was reserved only for those who live and breathe creativity. The filmmakers, photographers, music composers, illustrators and video editor types in the coffee shop.

But when it comes to the MacBook Pro (M5), that’s far from the case. In fact, we’d go as far as to argue that this base model – the entry point into the MacBook Pro line – is a great option for both creatives and us mere mortals.

We’ve always been big advocates for the MacBook Air for delivering power and portability in a nice slim package, but the MacBook Pro (M5) is a great machine for those looking for extra performance, more ports and the option of a stunning matte display.

I’ve been using the entry-level MacBook Pro since it was announced a couple of months ago and this is why you shouldn’t be put off by its ‘Pro’ badge.

MACBOOK PRO (M5): IN SHORT…

• Same design: The MacBook Pro (M5) has the same design and colour options (Silver and Space Black) as its predecessor – nothing has changed on this front.
• Upgraded performance: The MacBook Pro (M5) runs on the latest M5 processor, delivering speedier performance than the MacBook Pro (M4) and MacBook Air (M4), but not as quick as the M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pro models.
• Smooth, matte display: The MacBook Pro (M5) has the same display as the MacBook Pro (M4), which includes the option of a Nano-texture display for a matte finish.
• Storage upgrades: The MacBook Pro (M5) can be configured with up to 4TB of storage now, compared to the previous 2TB.
• Pricing and availability: The MacBook Pro (M5) starts at £1,599. That’s for 512GB of storage, 16GB memory and a standard display. The top model with 4TB of storage, 32GB memory and a matte display costs £3,349. It is on sale and available now.

DESIGN AND DISPLAY: A FAMILIAR AFFAIR STILL MISSING ONE KEY FEATURE

Put the latest MacBook Pro (M5) up against the MacBook Pro (M4) and you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. Why? Because there is no difference when it comes to design. The same Silver and Space Black colours are offered, so there’s no fancy option like the Sky Blue of the MacBook Air (M4), while the two models are also identical in terms of measurements and ports.

On the right edge, there’s a HDMI port, Thunderbolt 4 and an SDXC reader (our favourite), while the left edge has another couple of Thunderbolt 4 ports, the MagSafe charging connector and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Flip the MacBook Pro (M5) over and you’ll find its fans, while opening it up presents the expansive and very responsive trackpad, Magic Keyboard and the 14-inch display.

There is only one screen size in this model and that’s perhaps its biggest downfall. If you want a laptop that has a larger display than 14-inches, you’ll need to either upgrade to the M4 Pro or M4 Max MacBook Pro models, drop down to the MacBook Air (M4) 15-inch, or take a look at the Windows PCs out there. We found 14-inches perfect for most everyday tasks however; it was only the odd time when editing images or looking at two documents side-by-side that the extra couple of inches would have helped.

What it loses in display size though, the MacBook Pro (M5) makes up for in portability. It’s not as light to lug around as the MacBook Air (M4) but it doesn’t feel like you’re carrying a backpack of bricks around, either. We prefer the Space Black colour option as Silver certainly gets grubbier, but overall, the design of the MacBook Pro (M5) is hard to fault with a solid and exceptionally well built aluminium unibody.

The speakers that flank the keyboard are more than adequate for video calls, playing the odd movie or watching videos, while the Magic Keyboard is a delight to type on. There is good travel and feedback, making for a decent experience. Trust us when we say we are fussy too, given that’s our bread and butter.

Jumping back to the display before we get onto what’s under the hood of this thing and we can’t recommend the Nano-texture finish highly enough. It is superb at cutting out reflections and it also makes for an excellent viewing experience. It’s the one thing (apart from the extra ports) we really miss on the MacBook Air (M4) compared to this MacBook Pro (M5). The display is lovely and smooth too thanks to the inclusion of Apple’s ProMotion tech and support for 120Hz refresh rates, and detail is lovely and crisp.

If we had one complaint on the display, it would be the notch at the top (and the fact that it isn’t touchscreen but that’s never been an option for MacBooks). You get used to the notch but it’s a missed opportunity not to include Face ID for unlocking and authenticating, relying on the Touch ID button on the keyboard instead. With the MacBook Pro having had Touch ID since 2016 now, and Face ID having been available on iPad Pro since 2018, it’s about time the MacBook Pro got some Face ID love.

INTERNAL SPECS: THE M5 CHIP CAN HANDLE WHATEVER YOU NEED

The main story of the MacBook Pro (M5) is nothing to do with what it looks like on the outside however, and all about what is on the inside. As you might have guessed from its name, the MacBook Pro (M5) runs on Apple’s latest M5 processor.

Confusingly, it’s not designed to be as powerful as the M4 Pro or M4 Max processors that you will find at the top of the MacBook Pro range, but it is an upgrade from the M4 processor that ran last year’s entry-level MacBook Pro and that runs the current MacBook Air.

Anything we threw at the MacBook Pro (M5), it handled with ease. That included writing thousands of words every day, running multiple tasks, apps and programs in the background and editing images on software like Adobe Photoshop. No matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t get the fans to kick in, with everything running smoothly and showing no sign of lag or stutter.

If performance is your utmost priority, there’s the option of the MacBook Pro models with the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips as we said, but for most people, the MacBook Pro (M5) will offer more than enough power with plenty left in the tank for when you really want to push it.

The base model has 512GB of storage and 16GB of memory, though this can be configured up to 4TB of storage (previously it capped out at 2TB), while memory can be upgraded to 32GB. For reference, our review unit had 1TB of storage (of which around 995GB is available) and 32GB of memory so it certainly sits on the higher end of the specs available in this model.

Elsewhere, on the connectivity front, nothing has changed compared to the MacBook Pro (M4). It means that while the latest iPad Pro (M5) supports Wi-Fi 7, the MacBook Pro (M5) remains on Wi-Fi 6E, along with Bluetooth 5.3. We’d have preferred it to also have been upgraded but we have yet to experience any connectivity issues so all is not lost.

BATTERY: NO POWER ADAPTER IS INCLUDED

We’ve always thought the MacBook Air (M4) puts in a better showing when it comes to battery life compared to the MacBook Pro models, despite the on-paper specs saying otherwise. But the MacBook Pro (M5) performs well. It is rare we have to reach for our charger before the day is out but do note we said “our” charger there as unfortunately Apple decided to take the power adapter out of the MacBook Pro (M5)’s box.

Instead, you have to pay for one separately if you don’t already have one, which when you’re spending upwards of £1,599 feels mean. We would have preferred Apple offer the charger as a free add-on this time around so those without a high-power adapter could have opted in without having to fork out another £60 for the privilege of charging their new laptop.

In between charges, the MacBook Pro (M5) should see you through a working day without you worrying whether you’ll be able to send that last all important email before it dies. Certain tasks eat the battery a little faster – such as being connected to an external display, or image editing – but on the whole, we have found we only need to charge the MacBook Pro (M5) every other day.

Officially, Apple quotes 16 hours web browsing and 24 hours video streaming.

MACOS 26: NEW DESIGN, NEW FEATURES AND COLOURED FOLDERS

The MacBook Pro (M5) runs on Apple’s latest software, macOS Tahoe, which features the same Liquid Glass design as the iOS 26 software you’ll find on the latest iPhone 17 models and the iPadOS 26 software you’ll find on the latest iPads. It makes menus more translucent so you can see what is on your screen underneath things like the Control Centre.

The software also brings a huge update to Spotlight (which you access by pressing Cmd + Space Bar). It’s probably our most used Mac tool and it now lets you do everything from sending an email to creating an event, as well as searching your Mac like you were able to do before.

Elsewhere, the Phone app was introduced to Mac with macOS Tahoe, as well as a new Gaming app and there are also coloured folders, which are great for organising. Overall, the software is easy to use and it will be very familiar to anyone who has used a Mac in the past. For those that haven’t, it won’t take you long to get to grips with everything.

If you have an iPhone, there are some superb features with Continuity that make using these devices together lovely and simple. You can copy something on your iPhone and paste it directly onto your Mac for example, or use your iPhone to draw your signature with your finger for it to then appear on the document on your Mac.

Keep in mind that you don’t need the latest MacBook to run macOS Tahoe 26, with a number of older Macs also compatible. Apple Intelligence features like Writing Tools, Live Translation and Shortcuts will all run a little faster and smoother on the newer Macs however, including the MacBook Pro (M5).

FINAL VERDICT: A GREAT EVERYDAY LAPTOP

If you have the Apple MacBook Pro (M4), there is little need to upgrade to the MacBook Pro (M5), but if you are new to Mac or you have an older model, this is a superb laptop with excellent performance, a fantastic build quality and a decent battery life.

It is heavier than the MacBook Air, but it has more power and ports, a firmer base, a smoother display and the option of a matte finish for that display. There is only one screen size available, the price creeps up as you add storage and memory and there’s no power adapter in the box, but otherwise, there is very little to complain about.

There are more powerful MacBooks available in Apple’s line up, but this one is a superb middle option that can cater for both creatives and the everyday user alike.

• iPhone Air review: Apple’s cutting-edge is a slimline peek at the future of iPhone

Considering Windows is on most gaming PCs on the planet, it's wild that Microsoft has taken this long to put its Xbox stamp on a dedicated PC gaming device. But, with PC gaming having never been more popular, Microsoft has finally done just that, teaming up with ASUS for the ROG Xbox Ally X, and its lower-powered stablemate, the ROG Xbox Ally.

Building on the concept of ASUS’s own impressive ROG Ally handhelds, the ROG Xbox Ally X sprinkles some Xbox magic on the portable PC format, promising a familiar gamepad-like hardware design and access to Xbox Game Pass alongside all other Windows gaming storefronts. That’s a key differentiating factor to the class-leading Steam Deck from Valve and, alongside the ROG Xbox Ally X’s sheer under-the-hood horsepower, it’s enough to make hardcore gamers sit up and take notice.

It’s a touch more complicated than your average console, but the ROG Xbox Ally X is an absolute beast in play. After a month playing with the handheld, here’s 5 reasons why you’ll want to take this device on the road with you.

ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X: Core specs and features

Here’s an at-a-glance rundown of what the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X offers:

• PC flexibility and Xbox familiarity: A hybrid operating system lets you do everything a Windows PC can, while also giving you a stripped-back gaming interface for focusing on play
• Power that packs a punch: AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor 2.0 GHz and 24GB of RAM put even AAA games within reach
• Looks like a handheld, feels like a gamepad: It’s a chunky device, but its gamepad-like build makes it comfy to use over long periods of time
• Striking screen: The 7-inch, 120Hz, 16:9 display has a 1920 x 1080p resolution for sharp and fluid play
• Strong connectivity: Two USB-C ports plus a microSD slot make expansion easy and adding accessories simple too
• Big battery: 80Wh capacity will fuel long play sessions
• Loads of storage: 1TB lets you take dozens of games on the go, with microSD support for adding even more
• Price and availability: Premium pricing for a premium device — £799, available now

1. Part Xbox gamepad, part handheld PC

The ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X is a chunker, there’s no arguing that with its 715g weight and its 29.0cm × 12.1cm × 5.09cm size. It’s par for the course with Windows-based handheld PCs, but what’s special here is that ASUS has gone out of its way to make the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X as ergonomic as humanly possible.

How? By essentially chopping an Xbox gamepad in half, and sticking a touchscreen PC in the middle. You’ll be happily playing with the ROG Xbox Ally X for hours before fatigue kicks in, thanks to just how much its pronged grips feel like a regular Xbox pad. Lightly textured, its stick and Hall Effect triggers are a dead ringer for Microsoft’s home console controller (even if the face buttons are a bit clicky-clacky), while you also get a pair of programmable rear buttons, too.

Its industrial design does well to straddle the “I’M FOR GAMERS!” aesthetic (all RGB lighting sticks and angled venting) with well-considered ergonomics. Its vibrant 7-inch, 120Hz, 1920 x 1080 touchscreen, for instance, is angled just slightly away from you in use — smart, considering you’re likely going to be resting it on your lap and looking down slightly at it most of the time. And though their placement takes some getting used to, the additional face buttons for settings management and access to your game library mean regularly-used features are always within reach.

Connectivity is well covered here too, with speedy Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 onboard, a fingerprint-packing power button, microSD slot support, and two USB-C ports (one USB4, one USB 3.2), with a headphone jack along the top edge rounding things off.

2. AAA power

With an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme (24MB Cache, up to 5.0GHz, 8 cores, with 16 Threads) under the hood, backed by 24GB of RAM, the ROG Xbox Ally X is among the most powerful gaming handhelds ever built. Its integrated graphics, powered by AMD’s RDNA 3.5 tech, mean high-end, AAA gaming experiences are at your fingertips in a way previous Windows handhelds could only dream of.

Now, expectations should be tempered before going any further — even being in the top-tier of PC gaming handhelds, you’re still not going to get near the performance you would from a computer with a desktop GPU, or even a gaming laptop. For best results, you’re looking at playing games on lower graphical presets, and more often at a 720p resolution rather than the 1080p native pixel count of the screen.

But with those concessions accepted, we had many fun hours playing titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Horizon Zero Dawn on the handheld. For Cyberpunk 2077, setting the resolution to 1080p, graphical settings to medium and upscaling level to ‘Quality’ saw framerates hover between 45 and 54 frames per second, an admirable performance. With Horizon at original graphics settings and upscaling set to ‘Quality’, things were a bit more uneven, with extremes of 20fps to 70fps, but the 50fps average was very enjoyable.

Even the particularly demanding Indiana Jones and The Great Circle was very playable on the ROG Xbox Ally X — a game that sees the competing Steam Deck crumble. While these tests were conducted in the highest power-draw turbo setting (the battery-sapping 25W setting, best suited to play when plugged into a wall), the difference when dropping down to, say, a more reasonable 17W is only a matter of a few frames. It’s a very efficient chip.

And keep in mind that we’re talking here about three considerably power hungry 3D games. If you’re looking to play older titles or 2D indies, you’ll be reaching sky-high framerates at high resolutions with ease.

Expect to get around 3 hours of battery life for demanding titles — but you'll happily triple that with indie games.

3. Pick-your-platform

Perhaps the greatest strength of the ROG Xbox Ally X is its openness. The Xbox branding may make you think you’re locked into playing titles from Microsoft’s Xbox Game Store and Xbox Game Pass library. But that’s not the case — like a true Windows PC, you’re free to download and play titles from any Windows-based service that you like, be that Steam, Epic Games, GOG or any other storefront. It’s what makes PC gaming so great compared to closed-off console experiences, letting you shop around for great deals, easily installing decades-old games without backwards compatibility faffing, and offering online play without additional subscription charges.

What’s perhaps more surprising, though, is how Microsoft has gone out of its way to accommodate games picked up from services other than its own. The onboard Armory Crate interface from ASUS guides you to download portals for competing stores, while the Xbox app library is regularly scanning your device to find games installed from elsewhere, and happily integrates all those titles into a single view.

Yes, you can also play what you want on other Windows handhelds, and you can just about do the same on a Steam Deck, provided you’re willing to jump about with some complex Linux install methods. But no other PC gaming handheld has made it so easy to compile all your disparate gaming collections in one place.

4. Where Xbox meets Windows

From the marketing that preceded the release of the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the handheld was essentially an Xbox console in your hand. But as the earlier points in this review have proved… it’s more complicated than that, for better and worse. But mostly for better!

This is very much a PC. You’ll set it up like a Windows PC on first boot, signing into your Microsoft account and deciding whether you want OneDrive backups and Office 365 accounts and the like — it’s a jarring first impression.

But things change when you get to the Windows level — essentially, Microsoft has created a kind of virtual Xbox environment on top of regular old Windows, the ‘Xbox Full Screen Experience’. This puts the PC Xbox game launcher front and centre (an interface that’s very similar to what players of the Xbox home consoles will recognise). From here, you can launch and download your games, keep games in a suspended state, and swipe through other apps by swiping up on the touchscreen to reveal an app switcher. Microsoft reckons you claw a bit of performance back in this mode by keeping the full Windows experience out of sight.

HOWEVER! You can also switch to the full Windows experience at any time, and even run the Xbox Full Screen Experience in the regular Windows interface (at the expense of a small performance drop). Within the full Windows interface, you can do any Windows-y things you like, from web browsing to downloading additional apps, and then jump back into the full-screen set-up whenever you like.

On top of both of these sits the ASUS Armory Crate software. It’s here that you’ll tweak performance settings, screen resolution, RGB lighting and more. It’s very handy, works well, and has its own dedicated hardware button, so often you’ll be jumping into it. But it’s another layer of complication you wouldn’t find on a console, meaning finding the exact setting you’re looking for can be spread over multiple interfaces.

So it’s a best of both worlds sort of compromise, rather than a focused console experience. It has its quirks — you’ve got two game library launchers, for instance, with one in the Xbox app and one in Armoury Crate, and multiple menus where the power off function lives. There’s room for refinement for sure, but with a bit of patience, the flexibility it offers up is worth the learning curve.

5. Speakers that SHOUT, and fans that whisper

It may seem like a strange thing to highlight on a device of this price, but ASUS really deserves some praise for the quality of the speakers on this handheld.

Though we expect most players will have a headset connected to the ROG Xbox Ally X, the front-firing speakers have a real punchiness to them, and surprisingly high volume levels without distorting. Paired with the large screen, they really do help with immersing you in the game you’re playing.

On top of that, the fans on the ROG Xbox Ally X stay surprisingly quiet even when demanding games are causing them to work overtime to keep everything cool. We’ve used Windows handhelds that sound like they will take off when playing intense games, but ASUS’s device rarely sounded louder than a whisper.

Alternative options

There’s a tonne of different PC gaming handhelds on the market now, from companies as diverse as AyaNeo to MSI. But other than the ASUS ROG Ally line, the key alternative is Valve’s Steam Deck.

Rather than being a Windows device, it’s Linux-based, which means getting access to storefronts like Xbox Game Pass or Epic can be a bit of a pain. But if you’re doing most of your gaming through the uber-popular Steam store, it’s a dream device, as Linux remains better optimised for handheld gaming than Windows. There’s plenty of room to tinker with the Steam Deck if you want (though Linux takes some getting used to), but its core gaming-focussed interface is more responsive than the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X’s, even if it’s a weaker device. You can push the ASUS model further with high-end games, which may be the deciding factor for the most demanding gamers, but considering the Steam Deck starts at a mere £349, it’s an excellent option.

ASUS is also putting out a stripped-back version of the Xbox ROG Ally X — the Xbox ROG Ally. It’s similar in most respects to the ‘X’ variant, but comes with less storage (512GB), less RAM (16GB) and a weaker processor. It costs £499, so it is significantly cheaper. However, its performance felt compromised during our testing, and so at that price point, we’d definitely recommend the Steam Deck instead.

Final verdict

The ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X isn’t without its quirks, but for those who can afford its high asking price, it makes for a great PC gaming handheld.

Though navigating its competing interfaces takes some getting used to, having the flexibility to play PC games from any of the major download stores without issue is a fantastic feature — and may end up letting deal hunters save some cash in the long run when it comes to buying games.

There’s oodles of power at your disposal here, and a very comfortable design that will let you enjoy hours of play. It may not be quite the mobile Xbox console replacement that many were expecting, but in some ways, what we’ve ended up with is better. All the grunt, plus all the games, for a modicum of extra faff. If you’ve got the cash, it’s a fair trade in our books.

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All the gear, no idea? If you’re looking to do battle with your bulge ahead of the Christmas waistline onslaught, but need to keep some pennies in the coffers for the seasonal wishlists of your loved ones, Lypertek has you sorted.

The Lypertek Soundfree S30 offers road-safe music playback in a lightweight and comfortable package, letting you hit the road with tunes in tow, and money in your pocket.

Here’s 5 reasons why cash-conscious fitness fanatics might want to give the Lypertek Soundfree S30 a listen.

Lypertek Soundfree S30: In short…

• Open-ear headphones perfect for runners that need situational awareness
• Built-in song storage means no need for a phone
• IP68 waterproofing lets you swim while wearing the headphones
• Rear safety LEDs for outdoors night runs
• Up to 8 hours battery for marathon workouts
• Solid sound quality, if not class leading
• Available now, priced £79.95 — almost half the price against comparable rivals

1. Designed for safe outdoors exercise

The Lypertek Soundfree S30 don’t go in your ears — instead, its two speaker units sit in front of your ears on either end of a semi-circle headband, using cartilage conduction to generate sound by making small vibrations on your outer ear and tragus (the inner bit that some people get pierced) to allow you to hear your music or calls.

This means, as the tech’s name suggests, your ears are open to hear what’s going on around you. This is important if you’re exercising out on the street or in a busy gym, as you can enjoy your audio without losing awareness of any obstacles or movement around you. In fact, many outdoor races no longer let you compete with earbuds in your ears so as to avoid any clumsy bumps with fellow competitors and to hear instructions from marshalls.

They’re pretty comfortable too — made of silicone and titanium, the band rests around the rear of your head, with the speaker units hooking over your ears. The Soundfree S30 is light enough (just 23g) to forget you’re wearing it most of the time — though those with smaller heads might feel the band bounce around a bit.

IP68 waterproofing — good for submersion up to a 10 metre depth — makes them good for swimmers, with control buttons in easy reach under the left arm and on the edge of the left arm, letting you jump tracks, adjust volume, take calls and move through EQ modes.

One final safety feature — a little array of LED lights sit on the rear of the arms, and pulse when in use. Like taillights for your head, they're useful for anyone running along country lanes at dusk. Neat!

2. All the audio, plus your surroundings

With open-ear headphones, you’ve got to keep your expectations in check when it comes to audio quality — these aren’t going to compare to the sound quality you’ll get from in-ears like the AirPods Pro 3, let alone premium over-ears like the Bowers and Wilkins PX8 S2. They serve a different purpose than what you’d expect from an audiophile-aimed listening experience.

And that’s fine! The Lypertek Soundfree S30 put on a good show with your tracks and podcasts, while letting you keep aware of your surroundings. The audio profile favours higher frequencies and mid-range sounds — it's here where the most detail and clarity lives. There’s a bass-oriented EQ setting, but things get a bit muddy, so you’re better off leaving it on Lypertek’s balanced preset. If you like to jog to a podcast or rock music, these will be great — it’ll do a fine job with a thumping beat, but don’t expect clubnight levels of bass for dance and electronic fans.

Even at loud volumes, there’s essentially no audio leakage for those around you too, thanks to the technique employed here. It may take a little while to get used to the tickle of the vibrations, though.

3. Your tunes, built in

As you’d expect from wireless headphones, the Lypertek Soundfree S30 has Bluetooth built in (6.0) for connecting to phones and music players and streaming your tunes. But in a useful move — especially for those that want as few devices as possible with them when they’re exercising — there’s also built in storage for onboard playback.

32GB will give you enough room for around 8,000 tracks, with support for MP3, WAV, FLAC, WMA, APE and M4A file types. Plug the headphones into your computer and it’s then a simple matter of dragging and dropping your tracks onto the device.

4. Marathon-ready battery life

Despite being lightweight, the Lypertek Soundfree S30 offers up to 8 hours of battery life per charge. If you’re looking to maximise your battery life, you’re better off streaming from a device rather than playing onboard tunes, which will drain the battery faster.

8 hours of battery is plenty of time for a slow-paced marathon, and should be enough for a week’s worth of daily hour-long workouts between charges. That’s important, as the Soundfree S30 doesn’t offer any fast charging option, with its adapter taking over two hours to fully recharge the headset.

5. Great value

Available now, the Lypertek Soundfree S30 costs just £79.95. For open-ear headphones, that’s a relative steal. Though there are fancier models on the market, they can cost twice, even three times as much as what Lypertek is offering here. It makes the Lypertek Soundfree S30 a good choice for those unsure whether or not open-ear headphones are for them, or those simply looking to save a bit of dough.

Final Verdict

The Lypertek Soundfree S30 headphones offer a solid package for budget-conscious fitness enthusiasts. Their open-ear design puts safety first during outdoor activities, while the built-in MP3 storage frees you from carrying a phone in your gym shorts. With IP68 waterproofing, rear safety LEDs, and up to 8 hours of battery life, they're built for endurance — even if it takes a little while to charge them. While the sound quality is solid rather than spectacular, it's just right for podcasts and most music genres, especially given the affordable £79.95 price point. For those seeking a comfortable, feature-rich, and safe audio solution for their workouts without breaking the bank, the Lypertek Soundfree S30 is an excellent choice, proving that you don't need to spend a fortune to enjoy your tunes and get ripped at the same time.

Manual razors are a bit like bank accounts — your Dad sets you up with one, and then you basically just stick with it for life, whether it’s ‘the best a man can get’ or not.

So it takes something special to make you reconsider the blades taking care of that 5 o’clock shadow each day, once you’ve been in the game for a few years. But the Harry’s Plus Razor manages just that. Delivering a close shave at an everyday price point, it’s ready to stake its claim on your bathroom counter.

Here’s five reasons your chin n’ cheeks will love the Harry’s Plus razor:

1. Pivoting precision

It’s all in the pivot. The biggest difference between a Harry’s Plus and the brand's other razor heads it offers is the way the cartridge is able to glide over the angles and contours of your face.

That’s thanks to Harry’s new ‘Advanced Pivoting System’, letting you move quickly over stubborn stubble areas without nicks as you twist and turn the blades across your skin. The cartridge can feel a bit wobbly in the heavyweight metal grip, but that’s intentional, allowing all the movement needed to glide across those awkward parts of your face.

2. A super-close shave

As it’s moving over your face, it’s getting really close to the roots of your stubble, too. Harry’s has five separate blades squeezed into a compact head for its new ‘Progressive Blade Architecture’, each positioned and angled to get closer to the follicle as each passes the hair.

It’s a longer and thinner cartridge than it is tall. With little pressure, you’re able to get baby-smooth results with the first pass, and a second upward glide for any stragglers. A precision blade sits on the top rear too, letting you tidy up lines for ‘taches and sideburns.

3. Careful with your skin

With little need to return to patchy passes, the Harry’s Plus razor is very kind to your skin. The positioning of each blade helps to reduce irritation, and a conditioning, lubricating strip infused with aloe keeps the surface of your skin protected and prepared for those second upward sweeps.

Though I rarely get razor rash anyway, I saw no sign of it when using the Harry’s Plus, which is a good sign for those with particularly sensitive skin.

4. A non-slip grip

The Harry’s Razor Plus handle is sturdy, weighty, and well-balanced. Metal elements have a matte finish, and the reserved colouring of the rubber grip on the shaft means it won’t clash with your sleek bathroom decor.

Replacing cartridges is simple thanks to a push-to-release button near the top, while the finger rest is positioned well to keep you from losing grip. If you want to go all-in, there’s a metal stand you can buy that matches the shaft, too — it’s a tenner.

5. Affordable and widely available

It’s all well and good getting a new blade handle, but if you can’t actually find replacement cartridges — or afford them — you’re going to bounce back to your go-to set out of convenience if nothing else.

Thankfully, the Harry’s Plus is both widely available and affordable enough to make it easy to stay well stocked in cartridges. All good supermarkets and pharmacies stock Harry’s, and an entry shave set (which includes the blade handle, three cartridges, shaving foam and a blade protector) costs just £19. Packs of four replacement blades will set you back just £11 too — a few quid cheaper than a four-pack of Gillette Fusion 5 ProGlides.

They trim for a good, lengthy lifetime too — Harry’s estimates you’ll get 21 shaves per cartridge before needing a replacement.

Final verdict

The Harry’s Razor Plus proves you don’t have to break the bank to shake up your shaving routine for the better. With a smooth, close shave and a pivoting system that lets you get full coverage without bleeding out, it’s a premium-feeling razor at a value-oriented price point. Definitely worth a try, even if you’re set in your manual-shaving ways.

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Summer’s officially over, and with the colder mornings creeping in, I’ve already started my annual game of “how long can I hold out before turning the heating on?” This year, though, I might actually win. Dyson’s new Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 Purifying Fan Heater promises to heat, cool, and purify your air all in one sleek, bladeless unit.

I’ve been testing the device for a little while now, and not once have I cranked up — or dialled down — the heating. My home has stayed a comfortable temp through chilly mornings, humid nights, and the odd smoky cooking disaster.

This time of year, the weather is all over the place, and the versatile Dyson really comes into its own. For a gadget thats so minimalist in appearance, it’s surprisingly powerful and potentially a serious replacement for your radiator, fan, and air purifier combined.

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 in short:

• Stylish 3-in-1 fan heater that heats, cools, and purifies the air
• Simple setup and intuitive app with smart scheduling
• Heats rooms quickly and evenly using Dyson’s Air Multiplier tech
• Not the quietest option, so don't buy it expecting it to be silent
• Premium price, but premium performance

Sleek, simple, and compact

Like most Dyson products, the HP1 arrives looking like it belongs in a high-end design showroom rather than next to your sofa. The white and silver colourway is understated yet elegant, blending neatly into my flat without screaming tech gadget. It’s also compact enough to tuck into corners without cluttering the space, a welcome change from some of Dyson’s chunkier models.

Weighing in at 5.26kg, so 50% lighter than my Boston Terrier, the HP1 is easy to carry from room to room. The handle cutouts on the box and the lightweight frame make portability a non-issue, which is handy if, like me, you’re constantly migrating between a cold office and a warm living room or you’re carrying it from your office in central London to the Essex coastline.

The signature bladeless loop design isn’t just for looks; it ensures smooth, uninterrupted airflow while keeping curious pets (a la a Boston Terrier) and small fingers safe. The magnetic remote control, which snaps neatly onto the top, is another small but classy touch. It’s the kind of design detail that makes you wonder why every brand doesn’t do it, and means I always know where the remote is.

Moments away from comfort

Setting up the Dyson HP1 is refreshingly simple. You don’t need tools, and you don’t need patience; just plug it in, satisfyingly peel off the tape, and scan the serial number in the MyDyson app.

Once it’s up and running, everything about the interface feels effortless. The app lets you fine-tune temperature, oscillation, fan speed, and purification levels with a couple of taps. You can even create custom schedules for different days or link it to Alexa, Google Home, or Siri for voice control.

One of my favourite features was scheduling it to preheat the office before I woke up. There’s nothing like stepping out of bed and trotting to a comfortable space, preheated to your needs.

For those who prefer simplicity, or can't be bothered with the hassle of downloading a fresh app with every purchase, the remote control handles all the basics, too.

Fast, fierce, and full coverage

This is where the HP1 truly earns its keep. Using Dyson’s Air Multiplier technology, it projects over 290 litres of airflow per second. In layman's terms, that means my frosty office went from 15°C to 23°C in a quarter of an hour. That’s faster than cranking up the heating and means my electric blanket has officially been benched.

The 350° oscillation is key here, spreading warmth (or cool air) throughout the entire room rather than creating hot spots. Even sitting across the room, I could feel a steady, comfortable stream of heat — not that aggressive blast you often associate with a heater that quickly becomes overwhelming.

Cooling performance is equally impressive. I’ve not had to use it much, thanks to the time of year, but on the odd occasion where things have gotten oddly toasty after a chilly morning, the cooling side of the coin has done exactly what was expected: made things cooler, quickly.

Not quite a whisper

No point sugar-coating it: the HP1 isn’t whisper-quiet. However, the sound it produces is more of a consistent “whoosh” than a mechanical, jarring whir. It’s closer to white noise than annoyance, and I found it easy enough to tune out once I popped the telly on. You may need to have the TV volume up a touch higher, but it’s by no means excessive or egregious. Compared to other fan heaters that rattle and hum, Dyson’s smooth, bladeless design keeps things tolerable.

If absolute silence is your goal, this won’t be your dream machine. But for most people, it’s a fair trade-off for the performance on offer and considerably quieter than most fans and heaters you’ll buy.

Dyson's Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 is a literal breath of fresh air when it comes to air purifying performance. It makes use of a fully sealed 360-degree Glass HEPA and activated carbon filter system, which is engineered to capture 99.97% of ultrafine particles as small as 0.3 microns. That's all the nasty stuff that sets allergies on high alert, including allergens, bacteria, dust, and common household odours and gases. Think the stank left behind after an oily cooking session, for instance.

Once it's cleaned the air, it's able to distribute it too — Dyson's Air Multiplier technology powerfully circulates up to 200 litres of purified air per second, ensuring even reasonably large rooms are cleaned up relatively quickly. Built-in sensors can be set to automatically monitor and react to airborne pollutants like PM2.5 and PM10 to maintain continuous air quality control, so you'll be able to rest assured that you're coming home to a lung-friendly home at all times. Just note that, for the air purifier to work effectively, you'll need to keep doors and windows closed — so it's not going to counteract outdoor pollutants all that well in the summer when you're letting a breeze in. Handy then that it doubles as a fan too, eh?

With the app in hand, you can then check your air quality graphs, temperature trends, and PM2.5/PM10 particle levels at a glance, along with the option to schedule and automate air cleaning routines. For those living near polluting roads, or with allergies to contend with, it offers good peace of mind.

Smart but temperamental

Dyson’s MyDyson app is stacked with features, and with the HP1, it’s intuitive, attractive, and loaded with useful data.

There were a few moments when the app briefly lost connection, but reconnecting was seamless. When it’s working properly, the experience feels premium, especially with voice assistant integration and real-time environmental updates. For those that have fully kitted out their smart homes with disembodied voice assistants, it's certainly a nice to have the Dyson easily controllable that way for anyone who's adopted that way of life.

The app is also where you’ll find filter life tracking and replacement reminders, which means you won’t need to be some kind of mechanical genius to figure out if it needs replacing.

Premium price, premium payoff

At £549.99, this isn’t a budget buy, and the replacement filters at £75 a pop don’t exactly scream “cheap to run.” But when you consider that the HP1 replaces a heater, fan, and air purifier in one, the price begins to make more sense.

Maintenance is blissfully low-effort; the occasional wipe-down and an annual filter change are all that’s needed. It’s also worth noting how energy-efficient the machine feels in practice: by heating the room I’m in rather than the whole house, I’ve avoided switching on the heating entirely and being able to relocate the fan when I do makes working from home even better.

If you want one appliance that can handle all seasons with minimal fuss and maximum style, this is a worthy investment.

Final verdict: A year-round star

The Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 has genuinely changed how I heat and cool my home. It’s quick, powerful, beautifully designed, and, most importantly, it works. Whether it’s warming my cold office in the morning or getting the bedroom to the perfect temperature before bed. Though I don't personally suffer from allergies, it's fascinating to see all the gunk it's able to pull out of the air, and is reassuring to know it's helping make my home a healthier place to live in.

It’s not whisper-quiet, and it’s not cheap, but it’s incredibly efficient and surprisingly easy to use. The sleek aesthetics, smart features, and reliable performance make it one of the most versatile appliances around and something definitely worth considering.

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The Samsung Galaxy Tab range is back and, like its smartphone offerings, you have choices to make. The stylish new tablet comes in an Ultra version (a massive 14.6-inch screen size and a price that will make you weep a little) or the more manageable but still mighty S11.

It’s the latter that we have been taking for a spin recently — its 11-inch screen size matches its name nicely — and there is a lot to like about this tablet and S Pen combo… especially if you are looking for something that isn’t made by a certain fruit-based company.

Here’s what you need to know…

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11: In Short

• What is it? Samsung's latest premium tablet
• What's the battery life like? Around 10 hours which is not too shabby
• Size: 165.3 x 253.8 x 5.5mm (which is really thin)
• OS: Android 16, with a Galaxy One UI layer on top
• Screen Size: 11 inches

11 inches is the perfect tablet size

When it comes to the Tab S range, you know the quality levels are going to be high. It’s Samsung’s top range of tablets and the build is spot on. It’s as slim as they come, at just 5.5mm thick (exact measurements are: 165.3 x 253.8 x 5.5mm) and it weighs 469g.

It’s an all-metal aluminium shell, which looks gorgeous and it comes in two colours: Grey and Silver (reviewed).

There is some lovely detailing around the edge of the back of the chassis that adds some curve appeal to the device. Also on the back is a single-lens camera (13MP) and a flash.

There are three charging points at the bottom of the tablet, so it can be used on a wireless charger and the Samsung logo in the top left of the back. There are also speaker slits on each side of the tablet and a USB-C charger.

When using the tablet it was pretty clear that 11 inches is the just-right size. It was spot-on for general work stuff but really popped when we started watching things on it…

The screen is a streaming powerhouse

The screen is fantastic. It’s an 11-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display which has a resolution of 2,560 by 1,600 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate. That is… impressive. But it’s not the best bit: Samsung have upped the nits of the screen, so its brightness has been upped from 930 nits to an incredible 1,600 nits. As upgrades go, that’s pretty impressive.

There’s a High Brightness Mode (HBM) on the tablet which works well — it punches up 1,000 nits which gives the screen a good deal of legibility when using it outdoors.

But back to Netflix. When the HDR10+ kicks in the picture quality is superb. It’s a shame Dolby Vision isn’t supported but things look incredibly detailed. Add to this Dolby Atmos support and this is a portable powerhouse that made me stop watching Monster: The Ed Gein Story on my phone and stick to the tablet. I really should have just stopped watching, to be honest, but there’s no accounting for taste here.

The 120Hz refresh rate is decent, too. Scrolling through myriad apps and it’s all buttery smooth.

Performance is slick, battery plentiful

Some may sniff that Samsung is using a MediaTek 9400+ processor in its premium tablets but that’s mostly because Qualcomm is damn good at grabbing all the headlines with its Snapdragon processor.

This is as premium as they come, though, and offers a decent amount of grunt and made sure that when we played a number of CPU intensive games, the tablet didn’t falter (although it did get a touch warm).

Playing the likes of Final Fantasy VII on the thing was superfun and pretty power intensive but it didn’t bother the S11 in the slightest.

When you have to put your business hat on, the switch to DEX is nice and seamless, thanks to Samsung’s One UI 8 offering up a decent layer on top of Android 16. There are some other nice software flourishes, too, including the ability to resize windows, quick app access and a decent slathering of Galaxy AI. You can use this to summarise web pages, collate notes easier, offer up writing prompts and you can doodle away and then transform these drawings into fully realised AI entities. It’s a lot of fun, even if the whole AI thing still feels a little like you have to search for things to do, rather than automatically doing it.

As for battery life, we got around 10 hours before having to recharge — and that was blasting through a number of features. Charing takes a bit of time, but give it 90 minutes and it should be back to 100%.

The S Pen is mighty, but has been mightier

One of the USPs of getting a Samsung laptop is the S Pen. Now, it’s worth noting that the S Pen doesn’t attach to the tablet in any way — it’s not like how it used to disappear into the body of the Note — but one is included and it’s a fantastic accessory, even if it feels a little downgraded this time around.

It feels decent in the hand at least, with its new flatter edges. And it has a larger nib, too, which is decent for sketching. But there’s no Bluetooth support which is a shame — this means that gestures are limited and haptic feedback is no longer a thing. And it doesn’t magnetically attach to the tablet either.

That said, drawing with the S Pen is a joy and the S11 is a lovely canvas for all of our terrible doodles.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11: Final Verdict

A tablet is never going to have the ubiquity of a phone, but Samsung is proving with the S11 range that it is still an essential device and one that moves closer to usurping the laptop as our productivity tool of choice.

This Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 is a great upgrade: it’s slimmer, brighter, more powerful and packed perfectly with both software and hardware upgrades.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 is available now from £799.

Earlier this year, we reviewed the Sky Glass 2, a streamlined upgrade of the original Sky Glass that added improved picture and sound quality. While Glass 2 impressed with its all-in-one design and intuitive Sky OS software, it still came at a relatively premium price point.

Enter the Sky Glass Air – Sky’s new budget option that brings the same software smarts to a lighter, slimmer, and far more affordable TV. With prices starting at just £309 (or £6 a month), this could be the most accessible way to get Sky’s broadband-based, dish-free TV experience.

So, is Sky Glass Air the version Sky should’ve launched first? And more importantly, is it any good? Here's 7 key things to know about the Sky Glass Air, based on our extensive testing of the newest TV in Sky's line-up.

Sky Glass Air: In short...

• Genuinely affordable entry point into Sky’s all-in-one TV world – starts at £309
• Same interface and remote as Sky Glass 2, minus the integrated soundbar
• Bright, colourful 4K QLED panel, but no local dimming or Dolby Vision
• Audio is solid for a budget set, though it lacks bass and true surround
• Ideal for second rooms, kitchens or casual viewers, but not hardcore home cinema fans or gamers

1. A cheaper Sky experience without sacrificing the core features

Sky Glass Air is by far the most affordable way to get Sky’s all-in-one streaming TV setup. It comes in three sizes: 43in (£309), 55in (£509), and 65in (£649) – or on a monthly plan from just £6 with 0% interest over 48 months. That makes it roughly half the price of the equivalent Sky Glass 2 model, and significantly less than buying a mid-range OLED or QLED TV with a separate Sky Stream puck.

What’s impressive is that you’re not losing the core Sky experience. The same Sky OS runs on this set, complete with integrated voice search, a universal watchlist ("Playlist"), and support for virtually every major streaming app. Everything you need to get watching is ready to go, minutes after plugging it in, no additional gear required.

So yes, it’s cheaper, but crucially, it still feels like a complete Sky product.

2. All the Smart TV you need

The real strength of Sky Glass Air isn’t in its panel or sound, it’s in the software experience. Sky OS is one of the most user-friendly and visually consistent TV interfaces around. It does a better job than most rival platforms at blending live TV, on-demand shows, and streaming apps in one place.

You don’t need a dish, a box or an aerial. Everything runs over Wi-Fi (or Ethernet), and switching between live channels, Netflix, Disney+, iPlayer, and others feels fluid and logical. The voice controls work surprisingly well, too, either via the remote or by saying “Hello Sky” out loud, then you can just choose what you want to watch (as seen in the recently released ad featuring Larry Lamb). It’s shockingly seamless and has no doubt encouraged minimal searching for the remote.

Features like Playlist allow you to bookmark and return to shows across different apps and channels, which is far more intuitive than juggling bookmarks in multiple apps. For users who want convenience over tech tinkering, this is one of the best software packages around, and it’s just as good here as it is on Sky Glass 2. We can’t recommend this enough if you’re searching for a TV to suit someone who isn’t particularly tech savvy.

3. Bright and bold picture, but not deep or dynamic

Sky Glass Air uses a Quantum Dot 4K LCD panel with HDR support as well as Dolby Vision, although it lacks local dimming, meaning it can’t control brightness levels in precise individual screen zones.

In practice, that means the picture is bright and colourful, especially for daytime use and animated or live content, but contrast is limited. Blacks look a little more grey, and darker scenes in moody shows like The Penguin or The Last of Us lose a little punch and detail.

Still, for general TV, sports, and family-friendly content, it does a perfectly good job. If you’re not that fussed and just want a solid picture that holds up in most rooms, the Air gets it right most of the time, especially given its price tag.

4. Surprisingly clear sound, but it won’t shake the room

One of the biggest differences between Sky Glass Air and the Glass 2 is the removal of the integrated soundbar. Instead, the Air features 15W stereo speakers, and while that may sound underwhelming, they actually perform better than most budget TVs.

Vocals are clear and well-separated, and the speakers can reach room-filling volume without distortion. There’s even support for Dolby Atmos virtualisation, which gives a hint of height and space when supported content is playing, though don’t expect cinema-style immersion or deep rumbling bass.

For casual TV watching — think Strictly or Match of the Day — the sound is absolutely fine. If you want something more immersive, then you can plug in a soundbar via HDMI eARC or optical, but you may as well get the Sky Glass 2 at that point, price-wise. If you do grab a soundbar, you may need to raise the TV slightly too, as a soundbar could block the screen due to its low stand height.

5. Gaming and connectivity: Capable, but not ideal

Sky Glass Air comes with three HDMI 2.1 ports, which is great to see at this price. One supports eARC, ideal for connecting a soundbar. However, while the ports are HDMI 2.1, the panel is limited to 60Hz, meaning no 120Hz support for consoles like the PS5 or Xbox Series X.

It’s perfectly serviceable for casual gaming or cloud gaming services like Xbox Cloud, but this isn’t the set for high frame-rate, competitive gamers. If you’re looking for an all-purpose TV to seriously game on, then you have better options elsewhere, with this being where we noticed the biggest drawbacks. The Sky Glass Air, as obvious as it sounds, is at its best when you’re just watching telly.

6. Plastic fantastic

Sky Glass Air is notably slimmer and lighter than its predecessors, thanks to a shift from aluminium to plastic construction. That makes it easier to wall-mount or move into tight spots, but there is a noticeable reduction in build quality.

The plastic frame shows some flexing, especially around the screen edge, and the finish may not be to everyone’s taste. We reviewed the 65-inch Cotton White model, but the black finish will likely end up being the best option for most people — the white might stand out a bit, depending on your decor.

Overall, it looks and feels functional, not premium, but that’s also a fair trade-off at this price point.

7. The subscriptions are the real cost

Sky Glass Air is only as cheap as you make it. While the TV starts at £309, you’ll need at least the Sky Essentials pack (£15/month) to use it fully. That includes Netflix and Discovery+, but adding Sky Sports, Sky Cinema or Kids channels can push the monthly cost up fast.

Still, if you’re already a Sky household, the Glass Air makes a lot of sense for multi-room setups and avoids the need for more pucks. Just be mindful that the low price can balloon depending on your content choices, which has always been the case with Sky.

Setup: Quick, painless, plug-and-play

Sky has nailed the setup experience with Glass Air. Everything you need is in the box: a metal stand, a single remote, and the TV itself. Slot the stand into place, plug in the power, connect to your Wi-Fi and sign into your Sky account. Job done.

Setup takes less than 10 minutes, and there’s no need for aerials, cables or external boxes. You can opt for Sky’s delivery and install service for £20, or do it yourself and save the fee (which is dead easy). Plus, you have 31 days to return the set for a £25 fee if you’re not satisfied.

Final verdict: A compelling budget TV for Sky customers

Sky Glass Air is not the best TV in terms of pure picture or sound quality, and that’s OK. What it offers is convenience, value and simplicity, all wrapped in Sky’s increasingly polished software ecosystem.

For those already deep in the Sky world, it’s a perfect second-room solution. For newcomers, it’s an easy, affordable way to get Sky without the faff. You’ll get solid 4K visuals, surprisingly decent audio, and the same intuitive interface found on more expensive Sky sets.

Could you get a better TV at this price without Sky? Sure. But could you get a better Sky TV experience at this price? Absolutely not.

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Let’s be honest here — computer mice aren’t the most exciting thing in the world. Ubiquitous, functional — they’re like a kettle, or a calendar, something we reach for everyday without really thinking of them. We need them, but we don’t really love them — especially if all they bring to mind are spreadsheets.

But if like half the modern world you’re chained to a desk for most of your waking life for both business and pleasure, they’re also essential. If you’re going to wrap your mitts around one for 12 hours a day, it might as well be a good one.

And they don’t come any better than the Logitech MX Master 4. To paraphrase praise for its predecessor, the MX Master 3S, if something you love is built, designed or coded on a computer, chances are it was done with help from Logitech’s mouse in the mix, so popular has it become within the creative industries.

So the launch of the new MX Master 4 is, in an unexciting area, actually quite an exciting thing. It’s looking to build upon near-perfection — and with the MX Master 4 (and its accompanying Logi Options+ software) Logitech’s inched even closer to that lofty goal.

Here’s five reasons why the Logitech MX Master 4 is the best mouse in the world.

Logitech MX Master 4: In short…

• Supremely comfortable ergonomics
• Useful integrated shortcuts system
• Multi-device connectivity
• Haptic feedback across a number of applications
• Compatible with PC and Mac
• Out now, priced £119.99, available in graphite, black and grey colours

1. Quiet comfort, complete connectivity

Ergonomics are key to any good mouse, and the MX Master line up has had that on lock for years. The MX Master 4 is no different — it’s an incredibly well crafted gadget, fitting the contours of your hand wonderfully. As well as your usual left and right mouse buttons, you’ve also got a host of customisable clickers at your disposal too, with a shortcut-activating ‘Action Ring’ under your thumb alongside three other slimline buttons (one activating gestures), vertical and horizontal scroll wheels, and a scroll-speed switcher. Logitech has tuned the buttons to return 90% less click noise, making it less of a distraction for you — and anyone else you share an office with.

The mouse can connect with up to three different devices at once too, with Bluetooth and 2.4GHz USB-C dongle connectivity supported. If you’ve got a compatible Logitech keyboard, both peripherals will automatically reconnect to the device of your choice once the other has made the jump.

2. Feedback at your fingertips

The Logitech MX Master 4 has rumble built in, not dissimilar to what you’d find in a gamepad. However, rather than being used to add a bit of oomph to onscreen explosions, here it’s to make getting work done a bit easier. It’s used in all sorts of ways across the mouse — you’ll never lose your mouse pointer across screens again, for instance, with haptic feedback letting you know when you’re moving from one pane to the next. Through the Options+ software suite though you can download all manner of supporting plugins to go along with the haptic feedback — from rumbles to inform you of a completed generative AI fill in Photoshop finishing up in the background, to a hand being raised on a Zoom call while you’re secretly distractedly busy in another tab.

3. Thumb-ready shortcuts

The Logitech MX Master line has always had an ergonomic build, with a little resting point for your thumb. But that’s now got an added functional purpose, too. It now features a squeezey button that can trigger an ‘Action Ring’ — an onscreen pop up that circles your cursor and can have all manner of shortcuts assigned to it. Fully customisable, these can be system-wide or app specific, letting you quickly jump to a go-to app from the desktop, for instance, or pull up a specific well-used brush in Photoshop.

It’s simple to configure and quickly becomes second nature to reach for — Logitech reckons it’ll save users as much as 33% in time usually spent on repetitive tasks. It’s simple to configure, and will get better over time, with a ‘marketplace’ letting you try out new add-on shortcuts for applications as they become available.

Though it’s not designed as a gaming feature, it can be used to trigger button combos and macro inputs, so there’s nothing to stop you, theoretically, from using it to program in some quick actions for, say, your favourite MMO game, too.

An additional button next to the thumb’s back and forward buttons is now available for triggering gestures as well. Hold this down, and it can be programmed to trigger gesture-based shortcuts — say, dragging down with the mouse to reveal the desktop.

4. A super-responsive sensor, and super fast scrolling

With an 8000 DPI sensor — adjustable through 50 DPI increments — the Logitech MX Master 4 scrolls around your workspace with precision and super-smooth motion. It’s a very responsive sensor, and isn’t phased by unusual surfaces — it’s happy to glide across even tricky tabletops, including those made of glass, without losing accuracy. The scroll wheel here is crazy too — give it a spin and it can roll through 1,000 lines of text in a second, letting you smoothly rip through long documents and coding lines without wasting time. If that sort of speed isn’t needed, a press of the button on top of the mouse switches to a more reserved, textured-feeling scroll.

5. Battery life you never have to think about

You’ll get 70 days of power per charge of the MX Master 4 (slightly less if you set the haptic force at its highest setting), and you’ll claw back three hours of use from a one minute quick charge if you somehow run out. It charges over USB-C — though annoyingly, Logitech doesn’t offer a cable as part of the package here.

Any downsides?

It’s a minor one, but we can’t help but wish Logitech had included some sort of home for the accompanying dongle. This is the sort of peripheral you’re going to want to take with you from office to home, such is its comfort, and that tiny Logi Bolt USB-C add-on is going to be quite easy to lose if it’s coming in and out of your computer on the regular. Sure, you’ll always have Bluetooth to fall back on if that ever does occur, but the simplicity and reliability of pairing to a dedicated dongle — which helps maintain a 2x better connectivity promise that Logitech is touting here — will always win out.

Also, this is a mouse that very much favours right handed use, given where the Action Ring button sits. Lefties might have a hard time getting their mitts around it.

Final Verdict:

Logitech’s latest mouse lives up to the top-tier reputation of its predecessors. This is the sports car of computer mice. While we miss a dedicated dongle storage spot, and its right-hand favouritism will exclude some users, these niggles are easily overshadowed by the MX Master 4’s exceptional comfort, advanced features, and impressive performance. For anyone seeking a premium mouse to make the drudgery of everyday office work a little less tiresome, the MX Master 4 is an investment that promises to sand the rough edges off your work-life balance.

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If you’re after a pair of wireless headphones that combine luxury style with seriously impressive sound, the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 should be top of your shopping list. Known for its high-end audio gear, B&W has created a pair of cans that feel premium from the moment you put them on, with features that music lovers will adore. That they sound exemplary is just the icing on the cake.

That said, with a price that leans into the wallet-emptying zone, you might want to know exactly what you’re getting before you splash the cash. Here’s seven things you need to know about the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2, giving you the lowdown on what makes these headphones so special, and the rare spots they fall a little short.

Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2: In short...

• Sound that wows: Deep bass, crisp highs, and vocals so clear you’ll swear you’re in the studio
• Look good, feel good: Sleek metal and leather make these headphones a luxury item that is comfy to wear for hours
• Noise cancelling: Blocks out most distractions, although really loud noises might sneak through
• All-day battery: 30 hours per charge, plus a quick five-minute top-up for hours more
• Pricey, but premium: £629 isn’t small change, but if style, comfort, and sound matter, it’s a treat for your ears. Available now

1. Sound quality that hits all the right notes

The Px8 S2 headphones are all about delivering rich, detailed sound, powered by 40mm carbon cone drivers, the same high-precision components Bowers & Wilkins use in their flagship speakers. These drivers bring refined audio performance across the board, delivering an experience that’s detailed, warm, and impressively immersive.

To really put them to the test, we ran through a few tracks from artists that thrive on energy, texture, and layered production. Here’s how the Px8 S2 delivered:

• Heavy: Punk’s Dead – Soft Play
  This track is all snarl and drive, and the Px8 S2 handle it with real control. The aggressive guitar tones sound raw but not ragged, with a real sense of texture and bite. Drums punch through clearly, which is good for Soft Play who love presence to their drum mix — but the vocals stay prominent even when the song’s chaos kicks in. There’s a noticeable sense of space and separation, which helps the track avoid turning into a wall of indistinct noise (a common pitfall on cheaper headphones). Everything hits with power, but never overwhelms.
• Big beats: Sick in the Head – Kneecap
  The Px8 S2 showcase this track’s dense, moody production with clarity and punch. The bass is deep and solid, but never muddy, and the electronic textures layered under the beat come through clearly. It’s a great example of how well these headphones handle complex, beat-driven music without losing intensity or detail.
• Soul: Beyond – Leon Bridges
  A perfect match for the Px8 S2’s smooth, natural tuning. Leon’s voice sounds intimate and nuanced, and you can hear the breathiness in his delivery. The guitar tones are rich and full, and background instrumentation feels layered but never crushed. It’s a lush, smooth listening experience that makes slower tracks feel more intimate and immersive.

2. Luxury materials mean they feel as good as they sound

Put these headphones on, and you're wrapping your ears in luxury. The frame blends sleek metal with soft, leather earcups that mould comfortably around your ears. They weigh in at 310g, but the weight is so well-distributed that even after a few hours of listening, your head doesn’t feel pinched or develop that aching sensation that heavier headphones can cause.

Plus, the build feels rugged enough to survive daily use without looking worn down, which is rare for headphones this stylish. The exposed wire adds some extra panache. We reviewed the “Onyx Black”, which looked incredibly slick, but the “Warm Stone” was also stunning in person.

Every pair comes with a matching hard-shell carry case that’s as classy as you’d expect, sturdy and with a few handy compartments inside for cables and accessories. While the Px8 S2 don’t fold inwards like some travel-focused headphones, the earcups do rotate to lie flat in either direction, making them easier to slide into a bag or stow in their case.

They’re designed for people who care about both how their tech performs and looks, although if you’re someone who avoids animal products, you’re out of luck, as these only come in a leather finish.

3. Noise-cancelling that’s strong — but not the best on the market

If you’re buying premium headphones, great noise-cancelling is a must. The Px8 S2 do a solid job here, effectively blocking out everyday noises like background chatter, traffic, and the hum of trains, planes and automobiles.

However, if you’re the kind of person who needs absolute silence, especially in super noisy environments, other brands still edge ahead with slightly more powerful ANC. Sony's WH-1000XM6 remain the headphones to beat in this respect. But for most people, the noise cancelling here will be more than enough to focus or unwind. Just be ready to still hear a shallow hum over the top if anything too noisy is going on nearby… a tree surgeon working on your front garden, for example (and frustratingly from experience!).

4. Battery life that keeps up with your day

You won’t need to worry about constantly charging these headphones. They offer around 30 hours of playback on a single charge, which means they can easily power you through long flights, workdays, or weekend binge listening sessions.

If you forget to charge them, no sweat — the quick charge feature gives you several hours of listening from just five minutes plugged in. This kind of battery performance means less hassle and more music, which is always a win.

5. Simple controls and a handy app for tweaking your sound

Instead of touch-sensitive panels, the Px8 S2 use physical buttons, a welcome choice for most. They’re easy to locate without looking and handle playback, volume, skipping tracks, activating voice assistants, and toggling noise-cancelling/transparency modes.

The controls aren’t fully programmable, but the Bowers & Wilkins Music app lets you customise the noise-cancelling button’s function and tweak sound preferences.

There is also wear detection; take the headphones off and your music automatically pauses, pop them back on and it resumes. It’s a small touch, but it works seamlessly and makes use feel more intuitive.

6. Clear calls, but don’t expect studio-level mic quality

These headphones handle calls pretty well, capturing your voice clearly for meetings or casual chats. The mic does a good job of reducing background noise, so people on the other end can hear you without distractions.

That said, much like the noise cancelling, they’re not the absolute best if you’re looking for pristine, studio-quality call audio. But for everyday use, they’re reliable and definitely a step up from your phone’s built-in mic.

7. Premium price tag for a premium experience

At £629, these headphones definitely sit in the luxury category. But if you’re someone who cares deeply about audio quality, design, and comfort, this price will feel justified. They’re a statement as much as a piece of tech.

If that’s a bit steep, Bowers & Wilkins’ Px7 S3 offer a similar experience with a lower price tag, though with slightly fewer premium touches. We reviewed them earlier this year and loved them. Either way, the Px8 S2 are built for people who want to treat themselves and their ears.

Final verdict

The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 combine stylish design, rich sound, and practical features in a package that feels both luxurious and user-friendly. They might not have the absolute top-tier noise cancelling or call quality, but if you want headphones that feel special and sound fantastic, they’re a great choice.

Incredibly classy and offering a rich soundstage, Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 look lovely whilst you’re wearing them, and deliver immense comfort even during extensive listening sessions without compromising sound.

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For the first time since 2022, and for only the second time in the Apple Watch’s storied history, the company has graced us with three brand new wearables in a single year. The Apple Watch Ultra 3, Series 11, and SE 3 represent the culmination of wrist-worn tech in each of their respective categories to date.

But picking between them may be tougher than ever before. The punchy Apple Watch SE, the favourite of budget buyers and generous gift givers since its launch, is arguably the most impressive upgrade of the lot, sporting improved Always-On display tech and even the 5G of its big brother, the Series 11.

At the other end of the scale, the Ultra 3 is undeniably Apple’s finest smartwatch to date, but Ultra 2 owners will be hard-pressed to find reason to upgrade after just one year. The Ultra 3 is decidedly more impressive than the Series 11, however, which sits in the lineup as one of the more purely iterative upgrades in recent Apple memory, across any product category, not just Watch.

So no matter your budget or your need, here’s a rundown of everything new in this year’s Apple Watch lineup, and how the models stack up on the wrist following their release.

Apple Watch Ultra 3: In short…

• As tough and rugged as ever: Can handle everything you throw at it, with bulk to match
• Uprated display: 24% thinner bezels yield a 5% real estate increase without increasing form factor
• Safe as houses: 5G and satellite connectivity promise the safest experience yet
• Battery life king: The best Apple Watch battery ever, now promising 42 hours of normal use
• Health features: Debuts for Hypertension detection and sleep score, but they’re not exclusive to new models
• Pricing and availability: £799 ($799). On general sale from 19th September

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has been my daily driver for over a year, supplanting the Series lineup as my go-to for the last 12 months. The Ultra 3 on paper promises some key upgrades inside the same faithful form factor. Onlookers might be disappointed that three iterations of Ultra are yet to yield a design change, but honestly, I think the design is pretty much spot on. The Digital Crown is still big and chunky, the Action Button satisfyingly clicky for whatever need you can conjure. Despite its size, the Ultra 3 is a pretty comfortable wearable, if noticeably weightier than its less capable siblings.

Mercifully, Apple hasn’t made the watch any bigger despite the larger screen. The new LTPO3 OLED display comes with 24% thinner bezels, which gives you an increase of around 5% in terms of display real estate. Even side-by-side, the change is difficult to notice compared to last year, but every little helps, and in a form factor this small, an upgrade is an upgrade. Bigger changes to the display come in the form of the wide-angle viewing of last year’s Series 10. Last year, Apple touted brightness increases of up to 40% when viewing your watch from an angle, and like that attempt, the new Ultra 3 is noticeably more vibrant at a glance. The higher always-on refresh rate, which adds ticking seconds to over 20 watch faces when the watch is in Always-On mode, i.e, down at your wrist and darkened.

A huge noticeable upgrade in early testing is the battery life, improved to 42 hours of normal use (the low power mode is still good for 72 hours). That means almost two days of use on a single charge if you’re wearing the watch 24/7 for sleep tracking, or days of usage if you take the watch off at night. While a Sleep Score feature arrives on the Ultra 3 for this year, it’s not an exclusive feature, and in my humble opinion, the Ultra series is simply too bulky to wear comfortably during sleep. A final word on charge — the UItra 3 charges faster than its predecessor, and you can get 12 hours of usage from just 15 minutes on the included fast charger.

The other health upgrade is Hypertension, which can detect the warning signs of heart attacks, strokes, and more before they happen. However, like sleep score, this feature is also coming to some older models, so it isn’t a cause for an upgrade.

The Ultra 3 shines on the trails and out in the wilderness, and this year, users will benefit from two big connectivity upgrades. 5G means zippier cellular connectivity for streaming podcasts and music, as well as making calls or sending texts. More reassuringly, the iPhone’s Emergency SOS feature and satellite communication are now included, meaning you can reach help in the most remote locations even if you don’t have your phone handy, or it’s run out of charge.

Under the hood, the S10 chip isn’t a stonking leap, but quietly hums away, providing some of the aforementioned battery life improvements mentioned above.

Apple Watch Series 11: In short…

• Familiar design: The same chassis as previous years, rolled out once more
• Battery gains: 24 hours, up from 18 in the previous model
• Connectivity: 5G provides the best wireless connectivity yet
• One new color: Space gray
• Health features: Debuts for Hypertension detection and sleep score, but they’re not exclusive to new models
• Pricing and availability: £369 ($399) or £649 ($699 for titanium), prices increase for larger sizes, cellular, and premium watch bands. On general sale from 19th September

The Apple Watch Series line continues to be the middle-of-the-road “one for most people” option in 2025; however, in terms of upgrades, it’s a pretty safe outing. To its credit, it delivers an increase of around 33% battery life over its predecessor, now rated to around 24 hours of use compared to just 18 in the last model. That stacks up in testing, but as with all models, your mileage may vary. When you run out, charging is faster, too. Apple touts that 15 minutes of charging will get you eight hours of battery life, perfect for a quick charge on the nightstand before you head to bed.

Historically, every Apple Watch Series model I’ve owned has scratched pretty easily, so the new Ion-X glass is a welcome reassurance in this year’s release. It’s purportedly up to 2x more scratch-resistant compared to previous models, thanks to a shiny new ceramic coating bonded to the glass at an atomic level.

At least, that’s the cheaper aluminium version (pictured). Owners of the more premium titanium models get sapphire, which is harder still. However, the more expensive models in my book take the Series 11 well into Apple Watch Ultra 3 pricing territory, so unless your purchasing decision is a style statement, I’d push the boat out for a more expensive Ultra, or stick to an aluminium Series 11 where the model’s true value is found.

The new space grey colour pictured here is a bit of a letdown in my opinion; it feels washed out and cheap compared to my favoured black options of previous years, and as with any watch purchase, I’d strongly encourage buyers to visit their local Apple store and get hands-on if you’re able. Notably, the lighter chassis really overemphasises the bezels on the display, making the display appear smaller.

5G is a nice upgrade here and will benefit users of the cellular variety who want to stream music or take and make calls without an iPhone to hand, but it’s hard to imagine the material impact will be that noticeable, and of course, to users who don’t buy cellular, it’s of no consequence.

A special word must also go to the new Series 11 Apple Watch face, Flow. This monstrosity greets you when you set up a Series 11 from new, and in my nearly 20 years of following Apple, it must rank as one of the company’s worst-ever designs. The Flow face, which Apple says “beautifully refracts swirls of colour that also respond to the movement of a user’s wrist,” is completely unintelligible, requiring you to decode the fractured animations as though it were an Enigma message before you can establish the time.

The Series 11 is the best mainstream Watch Apple has made yet, but there is almost nothing that will see Series 10 users casting a jealous eye over this year’s model. The Series 11 stands out as the ideal purchase for users buying for the first time, but who want to take a step beyond the budget pick of the SE 3. Speaking of...

Apple Watch SE 3: In short…

• Aging design: Older form factor sticks out alongside the sleek Series 11
• Battery gains: No change in battery life, but fast charging is a welcome addition
• Connectivity: 5G a surprising inclusion for a budget model
• Under the hood: features the same S10 chip as the Apple Watch Ultra
• Health: Doesn’t get Hypertension from more expensive models, but does include sleep score and a host of other upgrades
• Pricing and availability: £219 ($249) for the smaller version or £249 ($279) for the larger model, add £10 ($10) for cellular on any given model. On general sale from 19th September

As noted, the Apple Watch SE 3 is a bit of a dark horse this year, adding an impressive array of new features and hardware that make it a standout budget pick in the lineup this year. The SE 3 is the perfect choice for anyone who wants to get on the Apple Watch ladder but doesn’t know where to start.

It’s even a tempting upgrade over the SE 2, but not in terms of design. Like the Apple Watch 3 before it, which Apple kept around for just a bit too long, the SE 3 design is starting to look a bit long in the tooth.

The Digital Crown, Side Button, and aluminium chassis all exude the same premium feel as the Series 11, but the shape and finish just aren’t quite there. Returning to the SE 3 after years of using the Series and Ultra models was a bit jarring, like playing a nostalgic video game where the graphics of which haven’t aged quite as well as you’d remembered. A particular sore point is the bezels, which look extremely thick — a problem amplified if you choose a lighter colour like the Starlight pictured here.

There are plenty of positives; however, SE owners now finally get the Always-On display, which has been a key differentiator of the budget model in previous years. This means your watch will always be viewable at a glance so you can check the time, and is a welcome addition. This upgrade is powered by the S10 chip, which you’ll note is the same chip that features in both the Series 11 and Ultra 3.

Chip parity across the lineup is an impressive move from Apple, where the company could have quite easily skimped on the budget model. The chip unlocks gestures like the wrist flick and the double-tap gesture, which are still a little gimmicky but nice to have, as well as on-device Siri, which drastically improves using the virtual assistant on your wrist and is a real game-changer. S10 also brings 64GB of onboard storage, so more room for podcasts and playlists.

Also new to the budget lineup are vital health features like sleep apnea notifications and Sleep Score. The latter is new to Apple Watch across the board, and while a helpful metric for some, I find that you quickly become a slave to it, so this won’t benefit everyone.

Aboard the SE 3, you also get a better low-power mode and better fast charging - and the cover glass is purportedly more durable than ever. Like S10, 5G is another surprising inclusion, and Apple should get kudos for stuffing a couple of new features into the budget model that really wouldn’t have been a surprising omission. As with the Series 11, 5G boosts data for use when streaming music and making calls, but again, there’s no benefit for users who don’t go for the more expensive cellular option.

Which Apple Watch should you buy in 2025?

In short, the Apple Watch lineup for 2025 is generally impressive — if not as upgrades over previous generations, then certainly intrinsically.

The Apple Watch SE 3 deserves plaudits for its feature-rich spec sheet while retaining its low price, even if the design is a bit of a shame and looks more dated than ever next to the sleek Series 11.

The Series 11 is a great mainstream pick, but there’s nothing here to convince Series 10 users to upgrade, and this year marks a notably stunted upgrade.

Finally, the Ultra 3 is a brilliant bit of kit, albeit a fairly muted improvement on last year’s model.

Across the board, Apple is sticking with tried and tested form factors, tweaking and iterating rather than reinventing the wheel. It’s a formula that works well, and buyers will still be spoiled for choice. But the Apple Watch remains a long-term commitment across the board, rather than a device you’d cycle regularly the way you might an iPhone. Buy once, buy right, and you'll get years of good use out this year's line up — but don't turn your nose up on a previous generation if a good deal rears its head.

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Football’s back. Again. But this time it’s split in two, like Oasis were before the summer. EA Sports FC 26 wants to please everyone: the sweaty Ultimate Team die-hards who think defending is optional, and the offline purists who still believe youth academies matter.

The solution? Two presets, two personalities, one slightly confused game, hoping to serve everyone that looks great in the process.

EA FC 26: In short...

• Two speeds, two vibes: Competitive mode is fast, flashy, and online-ready; Authentic is slower, tactical, and offline-focused, finally catering to both types of football fans
• Career Mode glow-up: Manager Live, unexpected events, and a global carousel of clubs make offline play feel more dynamic, unpredictable, and surprisingly personal
• Ultimate Team tweaks: Live Events, Evolutions, and a gentler power curve reward strategy over grind, though the Season Pass monetisation may grind your patience
• Gameplay improvements: Smoother dribbling, cleaner tackles, and headers finally working make matches feel sharper, fairer, and more satisfying
• Quality-of-life love: New camera views, UI enhancements, accessibility options, and fan-requested features across Rush, Clubs, and Manager Mode polish the overall experience

Competitive vs Authentic: Pep vs Pulis

Pick Competitive and you’re in Red Bull mode fast, fizzy, all about vibes and vibes only, much like the game has become over recent years. Every player moves like they’ve had a double espresso; trick-stick skills and five-star dribblers truly excel. It’s pure chaos in the best possible way. Goals come in flurries, wingers scream down the flanks, and clean sheets are a myth that historians will argue about for centuries. It’s the perfect playground for Ultimate Team warriors who enjoy swearing at screens and blaming latency.

Switch to Authentic and suddenly you’re in a Channel 4 documentary. Wind slows long balls, wet pitches kill dribbles, and fatigue actually matters. You’ll find yourself thinking tactically, adjusting formations, and actually appreciating the nuances of passing angles. The AI defenders feel smarter, rebounds are less predictable, and headers require timing rather than brute force.

It’s slower, smarter, and whisper it, actually feels like real football. The one downside? You can’t take it online. Imagine Rivals, where people had to actually think for a change. Terrifying. But also, oddly satisfying. This mode is purely for offline play, elevating Career Mode.

Pitchnotes

On the pitch, FC 26 feels like it’s finally learned some manners. Gone are the days of bizarre pinball rebounds and keepers handing opponents easy goals like party favours. Dribbling is more responsive, headers work, and your pace merchants like Mbappé or Vinícius Jr. can terrorise defenders without breaking the physics engine. Where the dribbling feels so tight, dribbley boys and girls like Dembele and Bonmati feel even better, but are a pain to defend against.

Let’s be honest, defending still feels like trying to herd cats. Your AI teammates wander off like they’ve just spotted an ice cream van, leaving gaps big enough to drive a double-decker through. Tackle-backs and rebounds are gone, and keepers are supposedly improved, but the game still favours attackers to the point that keeping a clean sheet is a miracle, and honestly, the keepers still seem to be made of Quavers.

Offline, though, things calm down a touch; authentic matches breathe more slowly, letting tactical setups and substitutions actually matter. Wet pitches can slow the ball mid-dribble or make a clearance skid in the wrong direction, little touches that make you feel like you’re genuinely controlling a football match, not a video game.

Career Mode improves

Career Mode has had a rough few years, but FC 26 might have finally breathed life into it. Manager Live challenges are a standout addition. These aren’t your usual “win the league” objectives; they offer unique scenarios that will make you tackle the game mode differently, adding some longevity and creeping gently closer to what Football Manager has always done better.

Unexpected Events spice things up further. Players retiring mid-season, urgent family leaves, or budget mismanagement can all throw your carefully planned campaigns into chaos. Meanwhile, the Manager Market gives the feeling of a living, breathing football world: you can track job openings, see which coaches are under pressure, and react like a proper manager rather than just clicking through menus.

• Unsure who to do a Career Mode with? Check out our favourite kits this season for some inspiration

The Big Short

The Premium Season Pass. It looms over FC 26 like a bad smell that won’t leave the dressing room. Many of the Icons and Heroes in Career Mode are locked behind it, meaning unless you spend money or grind through Ultimate Team, your dream lineup might stay just that: a dream.

It’s a clever and cheeky nudge from EA to get offline players interacting with the monetised side of the game, and it’s hard not to feel a little frustrated. Ultimate Team players are used to it, and whether it’s right or wrong, that’s what you sign up to, but Career Mode was supposed to be a safe place. On the bright side, though, the menus aren't as slow as they have been in previous years, so at least you can back out of the microtransaction screens nice and quickly.

Game modes galore

Ultimate Team sees meaningful updates, too. Live Events and Gauntlets encourage squad rotation and creativity, while disconnects now award wins if the score is tied, a small but satisfying touch that will do plenty of players' favours. Rivals qualifiers are streamlined, Weekend League has an extra tier, although it is still very much Ultimate Team, the moreish mode you love to hate.

Clubs introduces Archetypes for your Pro: pick Magician, Engine, or whatever suits your style and level up gradually. Previously, switching styles mid-game was simple; now it takes commitment, which could frustrate some, but also gives progression some teeth. Plus, you can finally join multiple clubs. Long overdue, and worth cheering for.

Rush mode has also smoothed out rubber-banding issues and added alternative commentary, making it far more enjoyable for five-a-side fun because the commentary from last year’s game was enough to make anyone question their sanity.

Final verdict

EA Sports FC 26 is a game of two halves. On the field, it’s sharper, smarter, and more fun than FC 25. Career Mode has been given real attention, Ultimate Team feels largely the same but slightly kinder, and the introduction of separate presets shows EA is finally listening to the community. Off the field, the Premium Season Pass casts a long shadow, nudging even offline players into spending cash.

Despite the monetisation, there’s still plenty to love here. FC 26 proves that small, thoughtful changes can add up to a genuinely enjoyable football experience.

Even if you were expecting a reinvention, this version of FC feels great at this stage of the game, and Career Mode is the closest it's been to an intricate, fully fledged mode in years.

• Battlefield 6 hands-on preview: 16 things to know about the series’ return

The iPhone Air has to be seen — and held — to be believed. A brand new form factor in Apple’s smartphone lineup, it puts the Cupertino company’s best-selling product on a crash diet, but without leaving it underpowered.

Joining the ranks of the MacBook Air and iPad Air in the impossibly-thin stable, it shows Apple’s design and engineering teams flexing their muscles and, sitting between an equally good entry-level iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max in this year’s lineup, gives Apple fans a real head scratcher in terms of what device to opt for.

The iPhone Air will turn heads, and offers some of the industrial design magic that Apple’s smartphones have lacked of late — but it does come with some notable, inevitable concessions necessitated by that super-slim design.

iPhone Air: In short…

• Ultra-Thin and Lightweight Design: Just 5.6mm thick at its thinnest point
• Pro-Level Performance: A19 Pro chip, despite the svelte frame
• Durable build: Stress tested against bends and drops with tough materials used throughout
• Solid battery: Enough juice to see you through a day… just
• The best selfie camera system ever: Center Stage will make selfies easier to take and less awkward to be in
• Pricing and availability: Starting at £999 ($999) for 256GB, rising to £1,399 ($1,399) for 1TB. On general sale from 19th September

Design: Unbelievably slim, surprisingly durable

Let’s not beat around the bush — the iPhone Air is gorgeous. Ridiculously thin and light, I have to admit to a couple of moments of mild panic with my review unit, as I mistakenly believed I’d lost the phone when it was in my pocket all along — I simply didn’t notice it was there.

5.6mm thick at its thinnest point, and weighing just 165 grams, it’s the most futuristic-feeling phone Apple’s made in years — it feels almost as if it’s floating in your hand. A gorgeous 6.5-inch, 120Hz ProMotion, always-on display adds to that sensation — that a screen this good, on a device this thin, can live in your pocket is quite amazing.

A phone this slim and light will inevitably see people question its durability, but Apple’s claiming that this is the hardiest phone it’s ever built. Made of 3D printed titanium, with a second generation Ceramic Shield coating across its screen (3x better at resisting scratches than previous generations), and a first-gen Ceramic Shield across the back (which Apple says is 4x more resistant to cracks than the glass it previously used on the rear of its mobiles), Apple’s ready to put that claim to the test. It’s invited reviewers to bend the phone and sit on it, and even showed at its Apple Park HQ the ridiculous pressure it puts the iPhone Air under for its automated bend tests. Accidents do happen, but the iPhone Air appears up to the challenge.

If it’s water damage you’re worried about, the iPhone Air is also IP68 rated, meaning it can survive submerged in 6 meters of water for 30 minutes.

Let’s get back to the way it looks, though. You’ll be able to get the iPhone Air in Sky Blue, Light Gold, Cloud White or Space Black. These shades cover the rear of the phone, and extend to the glossy titanium edges of the handset too — with the exception of the white version I tested, which has a silvery metallic finish around the edges.

That rear panel isn’t completely flat. Like most iPhones in recent years, there’s a sizeable camera bump — this time a pill-shaped ‘Plateau’ that extends across the width of the top eighth of the phone. As well as housing the single ‘Fusion’ camera lens, this bump is part of the smart engineering that allows the Air to be so thin elsewhere — inside it is the logic board and other key components, keeping as much space as possible for a slimline battery in the remaining area of the phone.

Around the edges you’ll find five buttons: one for power, a pair for volume up and down controls, the ‘Action’ button which can be programmed as a shortcut for essentially any conceivable control on your iPhone using the Shortcuts app or some preset options, and a Camera Control button that not only acts as shutter control and app launcher, but can also tweak camera settings with swipes and light presses without you needing to reach for the screen.

The Action button and Camera Control buttons are relatively new additions to the iPhone range, and so it wasn’t a given they’d be squeezed into the Air — they’re a welcome, useful sight.

Not that everything makes it through unscathed. As mentioned earlier, there’s only a single rear camera lens here, which means some more complicated shooting modes, such as the macro camera, are now gone. It’s also only a mono speaker on the iPhone Air, housed in that Plateau element — a mono speaker on a premium phone feels quite the step down, even if most people are doing their listening through AirPods and headphones, but the one present here is loud enough for watching a show with at least.

As for charging, that’s handled by either a USB-C connection on the lower edge or by hooking up a magnetic MagSafe charger on the rear. And, as we’ll go into detail on later, there’s no SIM tray here — all network carrier connections are handled via eSIM.

It’s an incredible design, not only in terms of aesthetics, but ingenious industrial design. Pick up an iPhone Air, and you’d better get used to people giving double-takes at your phone.

Performance: Pro power in a slinky frame

Though the reveal of the iPhone Air itself wasn’t a huge surprise (it’d been rumoured for a couple of years ahead of its official unveiling this September), the chipset powering the handset was somewhat unexpected. Rather than going for the new entry-level A19 chipset, Apple has pumped the iPhone Air up with A19 Pro power — the most powerful generation of smartphone CPU and GPU it's ever made.

The A19 Pro used in the Air features a 6-core CPU (two performance, four efficiency), a 5-core GPU (with AI-boosting neural accelerators in each core for 3x faster AI performance compared to A18 Pro), and a 16-core Neural Engine dedicated to AI performance.

What’s this mean in real terms? iPhone Air can handle basically anything you throw at it. Whether you’re playing console-quality games with ray-tracing high-fidelity bells and whistles like Resident Evil Village, or making broadcast-quality video edits on the go, iPhone Air won’t break a sweat.

So your everyday tasks are going to fly along and, when it comes to Apple’s AI ‘Apple Intelligence’ features that are processed on the device, like writing edits and Genmoji image-generating creations, they’ll be taken care of in an instant.

Now, the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max still have the edge here — they have a higher GPU count of six cores, and their thermal design caters better to prolonged intensive tasks, working harder for longer before throttling to keep from overheating. But the iPhone Air’s A19 Pro is whip sharp and super speedy, and a pleasant surprise in terms of performance, given the design. In terms of heat generated, I never noticed the Air getting more than just warm during testing, too, which is reassuring.

The A19 Pro is supported on the networking and connectivity side by a further two new chips: the Apple C1X modem and the N1 wireless networking chip. The C1X shows Apple rapidly improving its homegrown modem, just months after the initial C1 was revealed, with up to 2x faster download and upload speeds depending on your carrier, alongside GPS accuracy improvements. The N1 packs in Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread connectivity, and will boost transfer speeds over AirDrop, and connection quality using iPhone’s Personal Hotspot function.

There’s a focus on efficiency across all the new silicon this year — Apple is keen to stretch as much battery power out of the Air per charge as possible.

Cameras: Center Stage steals the show

A 48MP main camera sits on the back of the iPhone Air, which Apple is calling its ‘Fusion’ camera system. With the iPhone Pro models having a trio of lenses, and even the entry-level iPhone 17 having a pair of lenses, it’s the Air’s weakest point. If you’re used to taking macro close-up or wide-angle shots, that’s not possible here, and the telephoto zoom is limited.

What is present performs well. The camera defaults to a 24MP image (though you can push it to the full 48MP if that extra pro-level detail is needed), and can go from a neutral 1x zoom to crop to 1.1x (28mm) or 1.4x (35mm) for more intimate shots. These can also be set as the default shooting mode. There’s also a 2x Telephoto, which is ‘optical-quality’, with Apple’s Photonic Engine working to boost detail at the higher zoom range.

Apple’s image engine is a solid one — detail on the main lens is high, colour is accurate, and post processing is reserved so as to keep a life-like final image, with Apple perhaps the best of the major smartphone cameras when it comes to recreating accurate skin tones. The ability to dial in personalised ‘Photographic Styles’, creating a signature look for your images, is great too. But the limited lens options on the Air will scupper more adventurous shoots.

Video fares better. You’ve got 4K/60fps Dolby Vision recording on the iPhone Air, with smart image stabilisation at both the 1x and 2x zoom levels, and machine-learning fuelled tricks to reduce wind noise, isolate voices and capture spatial surround sound audio. Higher-end video recording features like ProRes and Genlock are reserved for the Pro models.

But the standout when it comes to photography on the iPhone Air is the new Center Stage front-facing camera. It’s a great idea, and one that I’m surprised hasn’t been used widely in the past. By using a 1:1 square ratio sensor, almost twice the size of those found in previous iPhones, Center Stage lets you more easily take selfie shots in a variety of orientations without having to turn your phone on its side or flip to the rear camera.

Onscreen buttons let you toggle zoom ranges and portrait to landscape angles, while the camera can use AI features to intelligently expand its frame to cater to additional friends and family who are squeezing into the shot. You no longer have to contort your arm to get a good angle, and you end up with more natural, comfortable-looking selfies as a result. It’s a huge improvement, with good detail and vibrancy from the resulting photos. That same Center Stage camera trick also works in FaceTime calls, keeping you positioned in the frame even as you move around in front of the camera.

Finally, there’s a new Dual Capture video recording option making use of both the rear and front-facing cameras at the same time. While the main camera captures action, your reaction is recorded on the front-facing Center Stage camera, with the two shots edited into a single video. It’s not exclusive to the iPhone Air, and we can see content creators and proud parents alike getting a kick out of it on their iPhones.

Connectivity: eSIM vim

With so little internal space to play with, it’s time to say goodbye to the physical SIM card. Apple’s been offering eSIM options (digital SIM cards built directly into your device, activated by a downloadable carrier profile) in its iPhones for a few years now. But the iPhone Air is the first one in the UK that is wholly reliant on the technology.

Set-up is pretty simple — most carriers offer a ‘Quick Transfer’ option that will pull your number over to the iPhone Air as part of the transfer process from an old phone, while those buying an iPhone directly from a network can have the eSIM set up at the point of purchase. Note, however, that if you are restoring from a backup with a physical SIM, transferring that to an eSIM will make the plastic card unusable going forward.

eSIM has lots of benefits, though. Chief among them is flexibility — you can set up as many as eight eSIMs on your phone, meaning you can have separate numbers for business and personal calls, while having international SIM cards in reserve for taking out the sting from roaming data charges. You can also set up a loved one’s phone through Family Sharing with an eSIM, and transferring your number from one device to another is easy, too.

From an internal engineering perspective, removing the physical SIM slot leaves Apple with more room to squeeze in as much battery as possible. Which leads us neatly on to…

Battery: All-day (but don’t push your luck)

Battery life on the iPhone Air is a tricky one to talk about. Apple quotes “all-day” battery life in the marketing for the new handset, which Apple says offers the same 27 hours of video playback as you’d get on an iPhone 16 Pro.

That doesn’t quite tally with my experience — though I was able to get through what I’d consider a standard day of usage for me (some video streaming, some GPS navigation, a few calls, some gaming, web browsing and some photo and video capture), I was happy to be able to get to a plug socket before bedtime.

That’s not to say what Apple’s managed here isn’t impressive — there is simply hardly any physical room in the iPhone Air for a giant battery, and so that ‘Plateau’ camera bump squeezes as much of the internal wizardry together to accommodate as big a battery as possible. Combine that with the C1X modems and A19 Pro chip’s efficiency, and iOS 26’s Adaptive Power management (which will learn your usage habits and tailor power saving features appropriately), and it’s an incredible feat. But I can see more demanding users, and those glued to their social media feeds 24/7, giving that “all-day” battery claim a run for its money.

If battery does concern you, the iPhone Air can be paired with a new bespoke MagSafe portable charger that adds “up to 65 per cent additional charge” to the phone, pushing that video playback stat up to 40 hours. Sold separately, it’s thin and light, but popping it on does kind of defeat the whole point of the slinky Air.

iOS 26: A glassy new look and some smart new features

Apple’s iOS software gets its annual update in time for the iPhone Air launch, and it’s a significant aesthetic overhaul this year. iOS 26 introduces the ‘Liquid Glass’ styling for Apple’s interface and apps — it adds touches of transparency throughout the device, and shadowing that makes buttons appear as if they’re floating slightly.

The idea is that, along with updates to Apple’s Mac and iPad software, there’s a greater sense of unity across Apple’s software. It’s jazzy, but I’m not totally sold on the look — the floating transparency can make things difficult to read as layers pass over each other. It seems inspired by the software styling of the Apple Vision Pro, where the sense of depth to panes and app buttons is useful for giving them a feeling of weight in an augmented reality scenario. It’s not quite as useful here.

What is more useful is the way app elements have more contextual awareness — search bars follow you around the browser, share buttons pop up only when needed, and tabs shrink and expand as you move through them. That’s on top of dozens of other small tweaks throughout the operating system — a camera app that will notify you when the lens is dirty; Live Translations for multi-lingual conversations; the ability to use AirPods as a camera remote; systemwide access to visual intelligence (where AI describes what the camera can see); auto-mixing DJ-like playlists in Apple Music; 3D-like depth to photos in widgets; more Homescreen customisation options — and much, much more. Unlike the introduction of Apple Intelligence, there isn’t one single standout new tool or feature in iOS 26, but lots of smaller, helpful tweaks.

Final verdict: The shape of things to come

The iPhone Air is an exciting new direction for Apple’s smartphone line up. It’s a dramatic rethinking of the classic iPhone form factor and, for a first roll of the dice, it’s delivered without too much compromise.

Yes, I miss the macro photography capabilities, and yes, I wouldn’t want to be travelling too far from a power supply for too long. You’re certainly paying a premium for the form factor here, above all else. But those concessions aside, this is the most fun the iPhone has been in a long time.

And it’s a solid performer in every other aspect — you’ve got a pro-level chipset, a really clever front-facing camera system and, of course, a genuinely startling design that manages to be both delicate to look at and durable under strain.

But this feels like only the start of the story for iPhone Air and… perhaps only half a phone? I couldn’t help but think that you could sandwich two iPhone Air’s together and still have a very pocketable foldable smartphone that could flip out for twice the screen surface area. When it comes to truly going toe-to-toe with the Android competition, it’d be the missing piece of the puzzle in Apple’s smartphone range.

What we have here today is still scintillating. The iPhone Air is a remarkable work of engineering, and impressive enough to be more than just an early-adopter curio.

• AirPods Pro 3 review: The best in-ear noise-cancelling you'll ever not hear

Of all the new products Apple announced at its iPhone 17 event last week, it was the AirPods Pro 3 that I knew were going to be put through the wringer the most.

I use my previous-generation AirPods Pro 2 every single day — their charging case hardly ever leaves my pocket, and they’ve become an invaluable partner when it comes to taking the edge off the mad buzz of London life.

I love them — but having seen and heard the improvements made with the AirPods Pro 3, there’s now no turning back. With outstanding noise cancellation, better battery life, and smart health and lifestyle features including in-ear heart rate monitoring and AI-powered live translations, these aren’t just the best AirPods ever — they might just be the best in-ear buds in the world, full stop.

Here’s 5 reasons why the new AirPods Pro 3 should be top of your earphone-buying wishlist.

AirPods Pro 3: In short….

• Twice as Effective Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): Apple claims the new buds are up to twice as effective as the AirPods Pro 2 and four times better than the original model.
• Heart Rate Monitoring: The earbuds include a custom photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor that can measure heart rate during workouts, with support for over 50 different workout types.
• Live Translation: Powered by Apple Intelligence, this feature enables real-time, multilingual conversations.
• Improved Fit and Design: The AirPods Pro 3 have a slightly smaller and more ergonomic design for a more secure and stable fit. They also come with new foam-infused ear tips in five different sizes (including a new XXS size), which helps create a better seal for improved audio quality and noise cancellation.
• Enhanced Sound Quality: The earbuds feature a new multiport acoustic architecture and next-generation Adaptive EQ for a wider soundstage, deeper bass, and greater vocal clarity.
• Extended Battery Life: You’ll now get up to 8 hours of listening time on a single charge, with 24 hours in the accompanying charging case.
• Increased Durability: An IP57 rating for sweat and water resistance makes the new AirPods hardier for workouts and rough weather conditions.
• Price and release date: AirPods Pro 3 go on general sale September 19th, priced £219 / $249.

1. Noise cancelling to silence the critics — and sublime sound quality

AirPods Pro have always had pretty solid noise cancelling capabilities, blocking out ambient sound around you as you listen to your tunes, take calls, and catch up on podcasts. But the AirPods Pro 3 active noise cancellation is better still by some margin — Apple is claiming it’s improved the feature two-fold for this generation, and it’s hard to argue against that.

Whether amidst the chatter of a busy conference centre, the horror of London’s tube, or simply the day-to-day traffic and hubbub of the high-street, AirPods Pro 3 bring ambient noise down to levels so low you’ll hardly care they’re there.

To achieve this, Apple’s essentially rebuilt the internals of each earbud from the ground up. A new multiport acoustic architecture has been designed to better direct sound into your ear canal, which also improves surround-sound-like Spatial Audio performance, and boosts bass quality.

Ultra-low noise microphones and years of computational data on dialling down exterior noise mean the AirPods Pro 3 are better equipped at recognising sounds, and how to counteract them, than ever before.

Throw in a new type of ear tip that passively blocks out more noise by using a foam-infused material, and the AirPods Pro 3 laugh in the face of a sonic onslaught.

Not only that, but the Transparency mode, used for dialling up ambient sound when you need better awareness of your surroundings (and powering Apple’s AirPods hearing aid feature) is the best it’s ever sounded, too.

That slightly synthetic, echoey quality that previous implementations of Transparency mode had is gone — it now just sounds like listening through your own ears, without any buds present at all. Likewise, calls made on the AirPods Pro 3 were said to be clear and focussed on my voice, eliminating background sound.

As for music playback, AirPods Pro 3 sound awesome. Quite a natural presentation, each instrument is given room to breathe, and the buds are comfortable with all sorts of musical genres. Kicking off with a Shortlist favourite in The Replacements’ Alex Chilton, the crunch of guitars and slight reverb snare hit with the impact the ramshackle band intended.

For something a bit more electro infused (a lot more in fact) Daft Punk’s Derezzed pushes the AirPods hard, snapping between driving digital drum beats and distorted synth arpeggios without ever becoming harsh or muddy. And at the complete other end of the spectrum, Judee Sill’s delicate The Kiss is a great showcase for the high-frequency clarity the revised architecture brings to the mix, with Sill’s ethereal vocal dancing around the soundstage beautifully.

If there’s one sound the new AirPods Pro 3 perhaps haven’t quite mastered quietening yet, it’s deflecting high winds. Walking along a stormy coastline, high winds could still be heard spiking through the AirPods’ defences — though again, they became much harder to hear once music was also playing. It’s a very impressive upgrade overall.

2. Health and fitness features, straight from your ear

Go to any gym and you’ll see loads of people jogging and flexing away with AirPods in their ears — but until this latest AirPods Pro 3 generation, the buds weren’t doing much more than distracting from the grunting around them. But this new model introduces a tiny, custom photoplethysmography sensor (try saying that ten times fast) into each earbud for tracking heart-rate, and unlocking 50 tracked workouts without the need for any other wearable to work.

That sensor, which measures light absorption in blood flow by shining infra-red light 256 times a second towards your capillaries, works in tandem with accelerometers, GPS and gyroscope sensors to track performance across 50 different work out types. You’ll get not only your heart rate stats, but also calories burned, just by wearing the AirPods Pro 3 (making sure you’ve got a secure fit to ensure accurate readings).

As Apple expects people to now use the AirPods in a fitness scenario without any other devices, it’s introducing an AI-powered ‘Workout Buddy’ to keep you on track while taking on a workout. This audio partner will look at your previous workout stats to offer motivational commentary as you workout, keeping you abreast of milestones even when you can’t reach for your phone or watch.

While you’ll still want your iPhone or an Apple Watch to get deeper workout and fitness insights, this new AirPods feature adds a level of flexibility for those that find themselves without a traditional workout tracker, or an entry point for those just starting their fitness journey.

3. Seamless Live Translation

With the launch of AirPods Pro 3, Apple’s bringing an AI-powered Live Translation feature, straight to your ears, letting you hold a conversation in your native language while a companion speaks in their own tongue, with the AirPods translating their words in near-real-time for you.

I’ve admittedly only had limited opportunity to test this feature, but was able to have a conversation with a Portuguese-speaking Apple employee to try it out.

Triggered either on your iPhone or by squeezing the stems of both earbuds at the same time, it was impressive — far more comprehensive and legible than similar systems I’ve tried in the past. Apple’s approach here is accuracy over speed — rather than rushing to translate individual words, it’ll pause to take in a whole phrase and the context of a conversation before translating a sentence.

The short pause (and we’re talking a second or two at most) results in a more informative translation, giving a better sense of intent from the speaker, with more nuance.

If the other person has AirPods on too, they’ll be able to get your native tongue in their language as well — though where that’s not possible, an onscreen translation on your iPhone will keep everyone up to speed. Volume is also automatically adjusted to help you keep abreast of both the speaker and the translation offered.

Note that, as this feature relies on our iPhone’s Apple Intelligence features, that Live Translation will be trickling down to previous generations of AirPod Pro with the iOS 26 software launch, too. Translation works across English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish, and will expand to Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified) by the end of the year.

4. Better fit, better battery

What good is an earbud if you can’t wear it for long periods of time? The AirPods Pro 3 are very comfortable in the ear, fitting securely and shaped to feel as comfortable as possible for as many ear types as possible. Apple used more than 10,000 user ear scans to figure out how best to ergonomically shape the new AirPods, which feel more as if they’re sitting in your ear now rather than balancing on the other parts of your ears. Not only are they smaller now, but they come with five different ear tip fits (up from three) to help people find the best seal possible to keep them secure and boost noise cancelling abilities.

The AirPods Pro 3 are now also IP57 rated. Considering Apple is expecting you to work out more in these buds, that’s great — it’ll make them better protected against sweat and water. Though not waterproof, you can rest easy knowing that a heavy workout isn’t going to affect them.

Battery life gets a giant boost too. With noise cancelling active and volume at 50%, Apple states you’ll get eight hours of music playback from the new gen earbuds — that’s a third more than you’d get from AirPods Pro 2, meaning you’ll get through a long(er) haul flight with the new generation than previously.

For those that use the Transparency feature, particularly as a hearing aid, you’ll be able to rely on it much longer too — 10 hours straight. Pop them in the case, and it's got enough juice to power 24 hours of playback from the buds.

5. The ‘they just work’ factor

All the above may be new features — but let’s not forget all the existing things that make the AirPods Pro great across generations. There’s lots to talk about, but top of the list is how well AirPods Pro works across devices if you’re already using multiple Apple devices. AirPods intelligently connect not only to iPhone once paired, but with iPad, Mac, and Apple TV without any fuss on your end.

The Apple TV side of it is particularly good — if you’re looking to do some late night viewing without compromising cinematic sound or waking the neighbours, just pop the AirPods on in front of the TV. Spatial Audio built into the AirPods brings virtualised 360-degree surround sound to movies and music, too.

Existing hearing health features are great too — AirPods can be used to test your hearing health, and the transparency features that use the mics to boost ambient sounds make them a useful and accessible alternative to hearing aids, too.

Finally, they’re just easy to use. Their touch-sensitive stems actually work when it comes to controlling volume, and the pressure sensitivity built into the stems also enables gesture controls for quickly tweaking active noise cancelling settings, skipping music tracks, answering calls and more.

Final Verdict: An impressive upgrade

Gen 2 AirPods Pro were already fantastic, but the new AirPods Pro 3 have been engineered to bring a significant leap forward in almost every aspect of the earbuds’ performance.

Active noise cancellation here is as good (if not better) than any competition I can think of, onboard health and fitness tracking is simple and effective, Live Translation will be a confidence booster for travellers, and improvements to comfort and battery life mean you’ll be able to go longer than ever before with these happily in your ears before reaching for the charging case.

Can I amend the last sentence to: AirPods Pro were already the easiest Apple product to recommend, and (especially for those in the Apple ecosystem) the AirPods Pro 3 are an absolute niente di complicato — which, anyone with AirPod Pro 3 will soon know, is Italian for 'no-brainer'.

• Hands-on: iPhone Air is the biggest change to iPhone in a decade — here’s 5 things you need to know

The newly-revealed iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max handsets have a lot to prove this year. The top-tier premium models in Apple’s annually updated smartphone line-up usually lord it over everything else announced during the company’s September showcase, but things are a bit different this year.

First up, the entry-level iPhone 17 handset has come out swinging with a top-notch new display that puts it on a par with its pricier siblings, and some smart selfie camera features that’ll give it mass-market appeal. Then there’s the all-new iPhone Air, which will make up for what it lacks in the most cutting-edge camera features of the Pro lineup with a design so thin and light it needs to be seen to be believed.

The strength of the range overall means that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max really have to push that ‘Pro’ part of their names to tempt your wallet open to their pricier demands.

Thankfully, Apple has pulled it off. We’ve gone hands-on with both Pro phones, and have spent the past fortnight with the two models. This is a lustworthy Pro line-up with oodles of power, incredible cameras and slickly redesigned externals that really catch the eye. But you’ll be forgiven for putting a sideways glance in the direction of the Air and entry-level models this year, too.

iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max: In short…

• Unibody Design: Apple has ditched the titanium and formed the Pro’s frame out of a single piece of aluminium
• Pro-Level Performance: A19 Pro chip cooled by a vapour chamber
• Strong battery: Larger battery makes for comfortable all-day stamina
• Apple’s best telephoto camera ever: A new 48MP sensor takes outstanding 4x and 8x zoom shots
• Pricing and availability: The iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099 / £1,099, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199 / £1,199. That’s for the 256GB storage capacity, while Apple also offers pricier 512GB and 1TB models, too. Go for the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and there’s a 2TB model that hits a whopping $1,999 / £1,999 price tag. On general sale now

Design: A unibody build and a ‘plateau’ in your pocket

Apple’s Pro-level iPhones have received a significant upgrade with their new designs — and see the greatest departure from last year’s model when taking a look at the handsets from the rear.

The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max both feature a new, oblong-shaped camera block that goes right across the top of their rear panels, something Apple is calling the “plateau.” It’s a look that may feel familiar to those who’ve looked at Google’s rival Pixel devices, which feature a similarly-raised portion to house cameras on the rear, too.

It’s quite different to the square-shaped camera block that usually sits on the back of the Pro iPhones, something that’s been a consistent feature of every Pro-level iPhone since the iPhone 11 Pro. While the three rear cameras themselves maintain their triangular orientation, the new design offers a more spacious layout.

With new, larger sensors and more advanced imaging technology onboard, it makes sense that Apple has put aside a bit more room here to fit it all in. And personally, I’m not against the larger bump on the rear, given it’s now uniformly sized across the back rather than asymmetrically adding some heft to just one side of the handset.

The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max also make use of a brushed aluminium unibody design — a first for the company — stepping back from the titanium frame Apple pushed hard in the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro. This is a double-edged sword, because while it’s a lighter and more malleable material (enabling that unibody design), it also makes the phone more scratch and ding-prone. All I can say on that front is that I’ve been running it case-free since launch, including on an active (and boozy) trip to Manchester and the Lake District, and haven’t noticed any cosmetic damage whatsoever.

Along with a newly-designed internal vapour chamber, this aluminium unibody also helps to better disperse heat across the device, keeping it from getting too toasty in the hand. Combined, they deliver what Apple considers its best-ever thermal performance in an iPhone. Apple reckons the aluminium in use here offers a 20x thermal performance boost over the titanium used in previous models. I noticed it getting warm when downloading (as well as playing) a particularly meaty game, but never uncomfortably so, and even this was an exception.

Finishing off the external design is Apple’s new second-generation Ceramic Shield glass. It’s Apple’s durable proprietary composite used to protect the display — and this year it’s present on the front and rear of the iPhone 17 Pro, giving the back panel its two-tone look. It helps make this the most durable Pro-grade device Apple’s ever made, with the Ceramic Shield gen 2 4x better at protecting against cracks, and offering 3x better defence against scratches too, compared to the previous generation.

This is an altogether softer, rounder, more inviting flagship iPhone design than any since the iPhone 11 Pro. Apple has sanded off those sharp corners, while the contrast of the aluminium unibody frame and the glass rear panel makes it as interesting to look at as it is comfortable to handle, if a little slippery. The Cosmic Orange shade, meanwhile, sees Apple finally recognising that pros can have fun too. There are Silver and Deep Blue options for those who want something a little more reserved or traditional.

Those screens remain essentially the same as on previous Pro models, with a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate and coming in at 6.3 and 6.9-inch sizes, depending on whether you go for the Pro or Pro Max size options. They’re still lovely to look at and manipulate, outputting vibrant yet accurate colours and deep blacks, and with a pleasingly tactile level of responsiveness, aided by Apple’s peerless haptic feedback.

This time around these screens can also get 50% brighter, with a peak output of 3,000 nits in sunny outdoors scenarios. Even on an unusually cloudless late-summer week in the North West of England, I never once struggled for visibility.

Cameras: Zooming to the front of the pack

Here’s where the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max start pulling away not only from their iPhone 17 and iPhone Air stablemates, but the Android competition, too. The camera tech squeezed into that plateau is, frankly, a bit mad.

Both the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Max feature a 48MP ‘Fusion’ telephoto camera with a 4x optical zoom and a crazy 8x ‘optical-quality’ zoom. That’s a significant jump over 3x and 5x optical zooms found in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro generations, respectively, and sees Apple going toe-to-toe with the 50MP / 5x optical zoom of the rival Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Apple’s use of language (optical-quality) sounds tricksy, but the results speak for themselves. There might be cropping and image processing involved with those 8x shots (Apple’s Photonic Engine comes into play), but the images are still packed full of detail. With a 56% larger main sensor, the iPhone 16 Pro can zoom to 4x at 100mm and 8x at 200mm, letting the iPhone blow up a scene eight times its original size. Digital zoom now goes to a wild 40x, too. Combined, the Fusion lens options are “equivalent to eight pro lenses in your pocket”, says Apple. I don’t quite buy that claim – the zoom falls apart beyond 8x, for one thing – but it does take compelling shots at the five immediately available focal lengths, including a solid 48MP ultra-wide.

I do wish Apple wouldn’t default to the ultra-wide for close-ups, though. It’s not a particularly large sensor, which can make for some murky food shots when snapping in low-lit restaurants.

That telephoto camera arguably isn’t even the most impressive camera here. Flip the camera around, and the selfie option gets a boost too. Jumping from 12MP to 18MP, the front-facing camera is now called the ‘Center Stage’ camera, and has some AI-enabled tricks of its own. Making use of a square sensor, it can now intelligently judge a scene to see what your intention is — whether that’s to take a glamorous solo shot, or squeeze in a bundle of mates — and use the ultra-wide lens on offer to smartly crop in a portrait or extend to a landscape shot to keep all your pals in focus. I really appreciated the ability to manually switch the orientation without requiring me to physically rotate the phone 90 degrees, too.

Selfie image quality is a real highlight here, offering sharp subject detail and rich colours. I shot several selfies side by side with the Google Pixel 10 Pro, which packs an awesome 42MP selfie camera, but I think the iPhone 17 Pro’s might just top it.

You can also use the rear and front-facing cameras together in a new ‘Dual Capture’ mode that captures from both lenses at once. You’ll be able to record both what you’re looking at, and your own reaction to events at the same time, automatically edited into a single video clip. I didn’t find a use for this in my own daily life, but it’ll doubtless be great for those key life moments, and for quick on-the-go reaction videos for content creators.

The most demanding of filmmakers also get access to ProRes RAW Capture and Genlock, which makes accurate and professional-looking transitions without needing painstaking frame alignment, via a BlackMagic accessory. The iPhone range has long been the best for video capture by some margin, and the iPhone 17 Pro continues the tradition.

Internal specs: A19 Pro efficiency

Top-tier iPhones always get Apple’s flashiest chipset, and this year’s is no exception. The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max both get the all-new A19 Pro chipset, Apple’s most capable mobile processing unit ever. This year, however, the handsets have to share that distinction with the iPhone Air, which also gets the A19 Pro, making the choice between the different tiers of iPhone a bit of a closer race than in recent generations.

So what’s the A19 Pro offering? Apple’s homegrown silicon packs in a 6-core CPU and 6-core GPU, which is faster and more efficient than the A18 Pro found in last year’s flagships. That’s also one extra GPU core over the iPhone Air, making this the fastest iPhone of the lot.

The keyword there might be ‘efficiency’ — though there are gains to 3D performance and on-device AI compute speeds, the thermal design here means the A19 Pro can sustain that high performance for 40% longer than previous generations, which would need to throttle sooner to keep them from overheating. The A19 can be pushed harder for longer, making it more capable for high-end processes like graphically-intensive games or video editing applications.

It’s hard to put the iPhone 17 Pro’s performance to the test, given that no 3D game or advanced app could really make its predecessor sweat. As already noted, though, the telling point is that it ran high-end games like GRID Legends extremely fluidly without heating up to a problematic degree. It also benchmarks as well as any Android phone on average, with particularly strong single-core CPU results.

Also introduced across the iPhone 17 line-up is the new N1 connectivity chip, which packs in Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread connections. It’s again faster and more efficient than what was seen in previous handsets, meaning features like AirDrop and Personal Hotspot are more performant and reliable. Anecdotally, I noticed iPhones appearing quickly and consistently when I went to share a local file with AirDrop, which hasn’t always been the case in my experience.

Battery life: Apple’s best ever phone battery

While Apple didn’t share specifics when it came to battery capacity in the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Max, it did claim that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will offer “the longest battery life of any iPhone model ever”. With internal changes freeing up space for a larger battery, it’s now quoting 39 hours of video playback per charge.

If you opt for an eSIM-only version of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, that battery life quote jumps a touch higher, too. By exactly how much is unclear, but the space freed up by a lack of a physical SIM card affords Apple the opportunity to squeeze in a larger battery in those models.

Even my non-eSIM iPhone 17 Pro model – which most people will be getting – packs a 3,998mAh battery, which is almost 12% larger than that of the iPhone 16 Pro. Combined with that more efficient A19 Pro chip, I didn’t experience a single day where the phone ran out of power before bed time, even during a trip to the Lake District in which the phone was constantly hunting for a mobile signal while the camera was in constant use.

On lighter days spent on a stable Wi-Fi connection, I was able to sail right through to dinner time on the second day before the telltale red low-battery symbol appeared.

This is still a phone that you’ll want to charge every night, then, but unlike the iPhone Air you should feel confident in pushing your luck.

iOS 26: Not-so-clear improvements

It isn’t specifically related to the iPhone 17 Pro, given that it’s available to all iPhones, but iOS 26 comes with the phone right out of the box.

This has been a somewhat divisive update from Apple, and it’s not hard to see why. I’m not a huge fan of the new Liquid Glass design language that pervades Apple’s current software. It brings to mind some of the dated ‘skuomorphic’ flourishes of the early days of iOS, particularly with the semi-transparent and shadowing effects seen in the notification pane and app icons.

As we noted in our iPhone Air review, the effect of those various transparent layers moving over one another can be distracting.

Elsewhere, though, the enhancements are mainly thoughtful. Some of the potentially irksome changes Apple has made to its various apps simply require some readjustment. The fact that you now have to press two buttons to bring up the tab view in Safari is annoying, right up until you realise you can swipe up from the URL bar or pinch the screen to obtain the same result.

Indeed, iOS 26 is full of little intuitive enhancements that I suspect will make life easier for most people. Things such as the way screen elements shrink or even disappear until you need them, or system-wide visual intelligence access.

This is a more customisable OS than before, too. Don’t like those see-through app icons? Change them to a different tint, Android-style.

Final verdict: Apple’s most compelling premium phone in years

The iPhone 17 Pro models are offering up crazy specs at a premium price, and will be coveted particularly by demanding photographers and videographers. It’ll be interesting, though, to see whether it’s these models or the iPhone Air which captures the imagination of the masses.

For my money, the iPhone 17 Pro is the better phone. At a mere 10% premium you’re getting superior sustained performance, dependable battery life, and a significantly more powerful and flexible camera system.

The latter incorporates the best zoom camera Apple has ever made, as well as a boldly innovative selfie camera that could well be the best example that any phone maker has made (though the latter isn’t exclusive to the Pro). Both are powerful, flexible, and take fabulous shots.

£1,099 remains a lot to pay for a smartphone, and the vast improvements made to the iPhone 17 this year make it the better buy for most people. But if you’re an avid user who wants the best photographic experience and raw performance that Apple can provide, all wrapped up in its boldest design work for years (especially in that striking Cosmic Orange), there’s only one choice.

• iPhone Air review: The biggest change to hit iPhone in a decade

When it comes to Apple’s regular iPhone model, there’s been a sense in recent years that you get what you pay for. It’s always a more-than-solid choice, but in the past, you’ve had to begrudgingly accept that the bells and whistles of the Pro models are going to be absent.

That’s not the case with the latest iPhone 17, though. It is, without question, the best a regular iPhone spec sheet has ever been. From display improvements to camera features and durability enhancements, practically every element that can be on a par with its pricier stablemates is on a par. Sure, the iPhone Air gets the super-slim build, and the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max have the flashier cameras and faster chips. But pound-for-literal-monetary-pound, the iPhone 17 is fighting fit.

We’ve been reviewing it alongside the iPhone Air and the iPhone 17 Pro models for the last month and let us tell you something for free – it’s absolutely the model most people should pick from the range. Here’s everything you need to know about Apple’s affordable winner.

iPHONE 17: IN SHORT…

• Same Design: Apple hasn’t changed the design of the iPhone 17 compared to the iPhone 16, but there are new colour options and it has a tougher screen.
• Upgraded Performance: The iPhone 17 runs on a new A19 processor, offering speedier performance than the iPhone 16.
• Smooth, always-on display: The regular iPhone 17 gets Apple’s ProMotion technology, supporting up to 120Hz refresh rates and an always-on display too.
• New front camera: The iPhone 17 has a new upgraded front camera with Centre Stage technology, matching the Pro models.
• Pricing and availability: The iPhone 17 starts at £799 / $799. That’s for 256GB of storage, though there is also a 512GB model that costs £999 / $999. It’s on sale and available now.

DESIGN: A FAMILIAR LOOK, BUT BIG CHANGES WHERE IT MATTERS MOST

Of all the new iPhones revealed by Apple, the iPhone 17 is the most familiar — it closely resembles its iPhone 16 counterpart, especially around the rear and edges. While the new iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max have a new pill-shaped raised ‘plateau’ on the rear to house cameras and internals, the iPhone 17 keeps the vertically-stacked dual camera lens that you’d have seen last year, along with the Camera Control button and Action Button on the edges.

That’s by no means a bad thing — it’s a good-looking design that’s far more streamlined than the ruggedness of the Pro counterparts this year. The five shades on offer (lavender, mist blue, black, white, and sage) are considerably more muted and subtle than the Pro models too, and overall, the regular iPhone remains an attractive handset and one we really like the look of. It’s lightweight in use too, while its size makes it nice and compact and perfect for using one-handed.

The big change this year though — and the one most requested for those regularly picking up the standard iPhone each generation — comes with the display. For the first time in a regular ol’ iPhone, Apple has put an always-on ProMotion display in the iPhone 17. That’s the silky-smooth, 120Hz refresh rate screen usually reserved for the Pro models, which feels like a night-and-day difference in terms of responsiveness and fluidity for anyone making the jump from last year’s entry-level devices.

It’s good for gaming but it is particularly noticeable when doomscrolling social media, reading the news and looking at things like a restaurant menu. It’s also a technology that once you have it, you’ll struggle to go back and the same can be said for the always-on display. Having at a glance information – like the time, date and some notifications – appear without having to pick your phone up and turn on the screen is something we’ve wanted to see from the regular iPhone for years. It was one of the reasons we would have always opted for the Pro in the past so this is a feature we are genuinely thrilled to see, and pleased to report that it doesn’t seem to impact battery life either.

The iPhone 17’s display is also larger and brighter this year, too. It now sits at 6.3 inches on the diagonal, up from last year’s 6.1 inches, getting that extra screen real estate by shrinking down the bezels. It’s also a match for the iPhone 17 Pro, which may swing some purchases in favour of this cheaper model.

Brightness jumps to 3,000 nits at peak, and it’s also protected by the new Ceramic Shield gen 2 composite glass — 4x times more crack resistant and 3x more scratch resistant than previous devices, and better at deflecting glare, too. That makes it Apple’s most durable entry-level device. The scratch and crack claims are difficult to quantify without us getting our keys out or deliberately dropping it, neither of which we are prepared to do, but we haven’t picked up any scratches or scuffs in the last month and we’ve not been using a case so we suppose that’s something.

The extra brightness is noticeable on very sunny days (some of our testing was done in Hawaii so this was something we spotted quickly), with everything visible without us having to squint. Contrast is good too with deep blacks and bright whites, while colours are rich and vibrant with plenty of pop so anything you’re looking at on the iPhone 17’s display looks fantastic, from watching the latest Netflix drama to reading the news.

INTERNAL SPECS: A19 CHIP READY FOR HIGH-END GAMING AND ON-DEVICE AI

If there’s one area where the iPhone 17 reveals its entry-level standing, it’s with its chip. It gets ‘merely’ the A19 chipset, whereas the new Air, Pro and Pro Max handsets get the A19 Pro instead. But using third-generation 3nm technology, it still represents a 20% speed bump over the iPhone 16, so it is hardly to be sniffed at.

According to Apple, the 6-core CPU is 1.5x faster than the A15 Bionic chip in iPhone 13, and the 5-core GPU is more than 2x faster than A15 Bionic — the device generation that we expect most people are making the upgrade from. With neural accelerators in each GPU core, it is designed to make for a responsive experience when using the increasingly important Apple Intelligence features, and, when paired with the slick new screen, a very enticing gaming package, too.

In use, we didn’t feel as though we were shortchanged on performance compared to the Pro models. Now, we will caveat that by saying we weren’t editing video or spending hours playing graphically intense games on the iPhone 17, but if those are two things you want to do on your phone, you’re probably looking at the iPhone 17 Pro instead anyway. For day-to-day use however, the iPhone 17 is more than up to the job. Everything runs quickly and efficiently, apps open without any lag and switching between tasks is as seamless as it is on the iPhone 17 Pro models.

Apple Intelligence features, meanwhile, are also no drama for this regular lad. It’s tricky to say whether there were any immediate differences in speed compared to the iPhone 16 as to be honest, last year’s iPhone is still more than capable, but we didn’t have any FOMO when using the iPhone 17 compared to the iPhone 17 Pro, despite it not offering that ‘Pro’ chip.

CAMERAS: A SELFIE-SHOOTING STAR

If you’re regularly shooting glamorous selfies with your iPhone (and, chances are, you are given Apple says that 500 billion selfies were shot with its cameras last year), the iPhone 17’s upgraded front-facing camera may be reason alone for you to pick it up. We can’t lie, it’s hands down one of our favourite features and some of the selfies we took with it were probably our best yet (if we do say so ourselves).

The front camera has been upgraded to what Apple calls its ‘Center Stage’ camera — taking a cue from the cameras found in its most recent Macs and iPads. Making use of an all-new square sensor capable of shooting high-detail, wider-field of view 18MP snaps, it allows you to switch between portrait and landscape selfies by tapping the toggles on the screen rather than rotating your phone. It's really useful and it means you don’t get any weird side-eye in your selfies with everyone looking the right way instead.

Apple’s AI contextual capabilities are also on board, enabling it to automatically crop or expand the field of view in a selfie based on what’s in frame. So if a bunch of your pals jump in to photo bomb you, it’ll automatically accommodate this switching between portrait and landscape accordingly, while also following you around when you’re on video calls to keep you centre stage in the picture, as the name suggests.

Around the rear, Apple’s pushed both lenses to 48MP. The main 48MP ‘Fusion’ camera shoots bold and detailed shots, with its combined 2x Telephoto mode letting you get closer to the action. The secondary 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide camera captures up to 4x the resolution compared to the last generation of iPhone, letting you get more detail out of expansive landscape shots or super-close-up macro shots.

Results from both lenses are excellent with great colour accuracy and consistency from both. Landscape shots were lovely, with good detail and good colour representation, even when it had to deal with half blue sky and half stormy sky (British weather, honestly). We’d rather Apple didn’t insist on using the ultra wide sensor for Macro shots as this creates some jumping around when you get close to a subject but it’s difficult to complain too much as close ups of flowers and the apples on our tree were still great. The main camera, meanwhile, gave us some lovely shots of our dog and kids, as well as the gorgeous Autumn trees, and that applied in good lighting and low lighting. They were without us trying very hard at all too. It’s a point and shoot approach, as it always has been, and it’s hard to take a bad photo with the iPhone 17.

As well as shooting in 4K and Dolby Vision HDR for video, the two cameras can be used in tandem for a new ‘Dual Capture’ mode, recording video from both lenses at once, and including both video feeds in a single clip.

That way, you can capture what you see and your reaction to it in a single video without needing to stitch the two views together, which we found to be handy for sports events and concerts. All in, the iPhone 17 is a great device for capturing content of all kinds, and not a giant step down from the top tier end of the iPhone range. You don’t get optical zoom passed 2x but otherwise, the package on offer here is excellent.

BATTERY AND STORAGE: FASTER, BIGGER, BETTER

Going back to the A19 chip, it’s not only powering all that AI and gaming action, but is doing a great job at eking out more battery performance than ever before on the regular iPhone, too. Apple claims it’ll give you an additional eight hours of video playback per charge compared to iPhone 16 — good for 30 hours of playback in total.

In real-world use, we found that we had no problem getting through the day and evening on a single charge. Taking the iPhone 17 off charge at 6AM and putting it back on charge around 11PM saw us finish our days between 30% and 40%, depending on what we had been doing.

The bump in capacity is aided by a new AI-boosted Adaptive Power Mode in the iOS 26 underlying OS, which learns when you’re pushing your battery the hardest and adapts its draw to accommodate it. The result is a decent battery experience on the whole with minimal battery anxiety.

In terms of charging, a new fast charging mode will get you to 50% of a full charge with just 20 minutes connected to a wall when using a compatible fast-charging wall adapter, though do keep in mind one of these doesn’t come in the box anymore (that’s been the case for several years) so you’ll need to source your own. If you want to take advantage of those speeds, make sure you get yourself a 40W adapter or higher.

In terms of storage, if you’ve felt Apple’s been a bit stingy with its options on the regular model in the past, it’s been a bit more generous with the iPhone 17. It now comes with 256GB onboard storage as standard, which is double what was offered on the iPhone 16, though it only goes up to 512GB rather than 1TB or even 2TB if you buy the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

iOS 26: NEW DESIGN, NEW FEATURES

The iPhone 17 comes with iOS 26 out of the box, which features a new design that Apple calls Liquid Glass. It was created to mimic layers of glass and it results in more translucent menus and controls that are overlaid across content on your screen, while interaction is more fluid – a little like running a magnifying glass over text.

Design aside – which some will like and others may not – there are a few improvements that come with the software that make for a more seamless user interface. The camera app has been considerably simplified with the more advanced functions outside of photo and video sitting within a grid menu in the top right corner. The phone app has also been redesigned and while it takes a little time to get used to, it does put everything on one screen.

One of our favourite new features of iOS 26 however, is the ability to change the snooze duration of our morning alarm. Nine minutes was just random – who even came up with that number? Now there’s the option to change it between 1 minute and 15 minutes, which is much more flexible for those of us who like to hit snooze three times in the morning and don’t have 27 minutes to do that. There are other changes too of course, but do you even need to read past being able to change the snooze duration?

FINAL VERDICT: THE BEST IPHONE TO BUY THIS YEAR

The Apple iPhone 17 might not have been the iPhone in the spotlight this year – the iPhone Air and its skinny frame definitely stole the show (and for good reason), followed closely by the iPhone 17 Pro models and their bold new design. But the iPhone 17 is the model you should be paying attention to and the one most should buy.

You don’t get the super slim build of the iPhone Air or the impressive zoom options and pure raw performance of the iPhone 17 Pro, but you get an excellent phone with a superbly smooth display, fantastic front and rear camera experience and great everyday performance.

Coupled with its solid battery life, compact and simple design (which some may prefer over the Pro), and £799 starting price that offers double the storage of last year, it’s impossible not to recommend this phone. We love an underdog and the iPhone 17 is exactly that in the latest iPhone line up, making the most compelling case for the regular iPhone in years. Don’t ignore it, it’s brilliant.

• iPhone Air review: Apple’s cutting-edge is a slimline peek at the future of iPhone

When it comes to making carbonated drinks in the home, SodaStream is the household name. The company usually chooses function over form, though, to offer up the fizz — that’s not to say its drinks makers aren’t good-looking gadgets but they have often lacked that premium appeal.

With the market going, well, upmarket with the arrival of the Smeg Soda Maker and Aarke Carbonator now in its third iteration, something had to change.

SodaStream ensō: The Details

What is it? It's SodaStream's premium sparkling water maker

How much? £179.99

What's the size of the thing? 241D x 160W x 447H mm

Anything else to know? You can purchase bundles from SodaStream's official site — this is where you can recycle the gas canister, too.

Why's it special? It's been designed by Naoto Fukasawa who is one of the best designers on the planet right now.

Enter the SodaStream ensō. To make sure it got the aesthetics right, the company has enlisted renowned designer Naoto Fukasawa to create the ensō and, boy, am I glad they did.

This is a stunning soda maker and one that demands kitchen top real estate, unlike some previous models that may well be in the back of your cupboards somewhere.

I’ve spent a good few weeks testing the SodaStream ensō — here’s what you need to know…

The design is gorgeous

Bringing in Naoto Fukasawa to design the SodaStream ensō is a stroke of genius. The designer, who made his mark at Sieko and has designed everything from Herman Miller chairs to designer teapots, has a history of making products that are effortlessly usable. And that’s exactly what he has brought to this soda maker.

The ensō isn’t a plastic clad concoction but a stainless steel savant. Its design is minimal but far from understated and adds a contemporary feel to SodaStream — given this is a brand that’s arguably best known for its ‘80s heyday, this is something that has been much needed.

The stainless steel design isn’t just for the body — which measures 241D x 160W x 447H, so there’s quite a bit of height to this device — the nozzle and the drip tray are also made from the same material. The 1L bottle that comes in the package has a great metal accent on its base and lid, too.

It’s incredibly simple to use

Naoto Fukasawa is known for his Without Thought philosophy to design. This essentially boils down to making things that are simple to use and blend seamlessly into your life.

With the SodaStream ensō he has hit that brief to a tee. It took just a minute to set up and start carbonating.

In the box, you get a compatible gas cylinder — this goes into the back of the device and while this process has been fiddly in the past, SodaStream has intro’d something called Quick Connect. I’m not sure of the process/magic that makes this work but the canister slid in with ease, ready to start gassing.

When the canister is slotted in, there is a little gap in the back of the ensō where you can see the top of the canister. This was the only jarring bit about the design, as it detracts from the stainless steel fascia. But it’s on the back, so you only really notice it when you are installing the gas.

Once this was done, I filled up the smart-looking bottle, attached it to the nozzle, and got fizzing. To add carbonation it’s just one touch — you simply press the big circular button on the top of the ensō which is flush (another bit of the design I really like).

For a bit off fizz, it take three one-second blasts. If you want to go full Club Soda, then five blasts should do it.

With a soda maker this stylish, it almost felt wrong to add in the syrups that SodaStream is well known for, but I mustered up a Pepsi Max as per the instructions and it tasted great.

I have a feeling, though, that the ensō will be a device that’s mainly used for those clean living, sparkling water types that would baulk at adding flavour to their bubbles.

SodaStream ensō final verdict

For those who want a bit of fizz in their home life, without compromising on design, then the SodaStream ensō is for you.

Yes, it’s pricier than all other SodaStreams — and even gives the Smeg Soda Maker a run for its money — but its design is superb, it’s easy to use and, most importantly, it will bring a bit of sparkle into your life. And who doesn’t want that?

From the synthwave and chiptune influences on Tyler The Creator and The Weeknd, to the rise of barcades across the country, to the reports of a Sydney Sweeney-starring Michael Bay movie based on all-time classic Sega racer Outrun – it’s clear that the golden era of arcade games is experiencing a full-throttle comeback in today’s pop culture.

Re-living those rose tinted visits to the seaside or your local video shop to bash away at the likes of Golden Axe or R-Type has become big business, as demonstrated by the growing popularity of retro gaming handhelds made by the likes of Anbernic and Retroid Pocket. But what if you want the full size experience at home?

Gaming hardware makers Xgaming’s somewhat unique solution is the Arcade2TV-XR — an arcade-style gaming controller that can be paired with a Meta Quest VR headset, allowing you to create your very own virtual games room packed with 80s and 90s coin-ops while still maintaining a tactile feel when playing.

As is often the case with VR experiences, seeing is believing, and it can be a little difficult to get across the experience without trying it out for yourself. This sizzle reel from Xgaming gives you an idea of what to expect:

Arcade2TV-XR: In short...

• VR-compatible controller creates a virtual arcade with classic controls and a trackball.
• Mixed reality enables placing virtual arcade cabinets within your physical room.
• The setup involves self-assembly of the pedestal and pairing with Meta Quest virtual reality headsets.
• The system requires users to source their own ROM files for games.
• While immersive, the Arcade Ranger app may experience occasional bugs.
• The unit's size and non-folding design present a notable space challenge.
• Available now, priced £299

Xgaming has a long history of making arcade-style controllers for retro play, but this dual-stick unit takes things up a notch. The reassuringly robust device features an array of classic-style buttons and a pair of clicky ball-top joysticks, along with dedicated mounts for Meta Quest controllers — more on those later.

It’s not just shoot ‘em up and fighting games like Space Invaders and Street Fighter that are catered for either. The controller also boasts a trackball built into the centre of the unit, allowing you to play the likes of palm-mashing classics like Marble Madness, Missile Command and Golden Tee Golf just as the makers originally intended.

• At Gamescom 2025 everything old is new again, as a retro-revival wave crashes over video games

The main unit can also be attached to an optional height-adjustable metal pedestal which features a suitably showy led-lit panel.

If you want to use the controller in a more conventional way rather than with a VR headset, the device can also be connected to a PC, Mac, PlayStation, Switch or Xbox — though some consoles require additional adaptors which are sold separately.

D.I.Y before P.L.A.Y

Setting things up takes a bit of work. The pedestal is self-assembly and its construction is a tad more fiddly than your average IKEA flatpack, though the controller itself pairs nice and easily with a Meta Quest via a small included dongle which plugs into the headset’s USB-C port.

The Arcade2TV-XR comes with a number of bundled apps that need to be downloaded onto your Meta Quest — the key one being Arcade Ranger.

Developed by Xgaming alongside Pumpkin VR, Arcade Ranger lets you create your own personalised virtual reality game room, complete with working cabinets, 80s-themed furniture, old school posters and a working jukebox.

The app cleverly uses the positioning of the Meta Quest controllers in the Arcade2TV-XR’s holes to correctly map its sticks and buttons to the correct height of your virtual arcade cabinet, creating a genuinely convincing effect that bridges the physical unit nicely with the arcade machines that appear in your headset.

You can also place virtual coin-ops in your actual living room using the app’s mixed reality mode, allowing you to plonk a full size Double Dragon machine next to your sofa should you so wish.

The app lets you install several open source emulators — software that mimics the original arcade machine or console’s hardware — but it doesn’t ship with any games. That means you’ll need to source your own ROM files (digital copies of the original game’s data, taken from the arcade machine’s storage chips), something that remains a well-documented legal grey area.

If you’re able to get past that hurdle, then Arcade Ranger offers up an immersive, if at times buggy approximation of the arcade experience. I regularly ran into issues with the app incorrectly mapping the location of the controller, but when things clicked, the experience was a wonderful trip down memory lane.

The also bundled Pinball FX VR is thankfully a bit more polished, allowing you to play strikingly accurate, fully licensed versions of classic tables such as Knight Rider and Star Trek: The Next Generation alongside more current machines.

Like Arcade Ranger, it uses the positioning of the Meta Quest controllers mounted on top of the for Arcade2TV-XR’s tracking, but uses the unit’s two side buttons to operate the flippers. The app comes with three free tables, with others available via in-app purchases.

Virtual gaming, real-world space

While offering an undeniably authentic experience, the Arcade2TV-XR nevertheless runs into the same key issue that prevents many gamers from owning a real-life arcade cab – space. It might not be a hulking lump of wood like an actual arcade machine, but with the pedestal attached it takes up the same sort of footprint.

That frame is also pretty hefty, meaning moving it around your house is a somewhat cumbersome endeavour. I can see many owners opting to use the controller detached and placed on a table instead. You’re also left wondering why Xgaming didn’t opt for a more versatile design that could also fold down for storage when not in use.

Despite these criticisms, I still really enjoyed putting the Arcade2TV-XR through its paces. It’s an ingenious use of VR that really transports you back to those dimly lit rooms where time and your pocket money slipped away.

XGaming’s recent release of an optional spinner controller add-on for games like Tempest and Arkanoid meanwhile suggests they’re committed to improving what it offers, giving hope that they might iron out the bugs with using the controller with Arcade Ranger at some point.

It’s far from a plug-and-play experience, but if you’ve ever dreamed of having your own games room and happen to have a Meta Quest lying around, the Arcade2TV-XR will get you remarkably close — all without the hassle of maintaining those bulky old CRT displays.

• Meta Quest 3S review: 5 features of the new, cheaper VR headset tested and rated

Without sounding like an actor from an infomercial, I have to admit my social life was in a bit of a mess before getting the Skylight Calendar. Keeping up with work commitments, catching up with friends and family, while making time for my partner and her equally-hectic schedule was getting a bit crazy. I had paper calendars, digital work calendars, an old school diary and at least two different mobile calendars and tracking apps on my phone — that’s before factoring cross-referencing the schedules of my pals and partner.

The Skylight Calendar then is a relatively simple solution that will sell itself to you instantly if you identify with that above scenario (which I am the first to admit is a little extreme). An at-home, web connected touchscreen calendar, it collates calendars from across your household from multiple providers, and displays it all on a tablet-like display at home, alongside an accompanying app on-the-go.

With it, you can organise everything from events and dates to meal planning and chore trackers for your kids — or lazy flatmates — and even turn it into a downtime photo frame for reliving the memories all those calendar events turned into. There are almost certainly cheaper alternatives (ye olde paper wall calendars didn’t require a subscription), and there’s a couple of things to be aware of before splashing down the cash. But the Skylight Calendar has let me offload some of the mental baggage that comes with modern life, and I’d find it hard to imagine living without it now.

Skylight Calendar: In short

• A touchscreen digital calendar that can sync with your existing online calendars
• Multiple profiles make planning across entire families easy
• Can be wall mounted or used on a shelf or tabletop
• Additional subscription unlocks features like meal planning, reward trackers and photo frame functionality
• Available in two sizes: 15-inch and 27-inch
• Priced at £290 for 15-inch Skylight Calendar (reviewed here), and £525 for 27-inch Skylight Calendar Max

Set up and calendar use

Set up is pretty simple. Like a large framed tablet device, a single power cable feeds into the rear of the Skylight, with just a trio of on/off and volume buttons along the top. For a tabletop setup, a robust stand gets screwed into the back, while there are all the plugs and screws needed to wall mount the device.

Once powered up, you’ll be prompted to download the accompanying Skylight app on a mobile device, set up an account, and start using the calendar. Being a touchscreen device, you can fill out any event listings with an onscreen keyboard, but it’s arguably easier just to use the app on your phone and see them synced over to the big screen.

The Skylight’s screen is big and bright, with an auto-brightness setting helping it fit among its surroundings without egregious and excessive light from the screen bringing unwanted attention to the display. The interface is clear too – even in its smaller 15-inch guise it’s easy to read the 1920 x 1080 display from across a room, and you’ve a few different layout options to choose from, including day, week, month and schedule views. Items can be colour coded to bring attention to just the events that matter to you — handy if in use by multiple people in a household.

Syncing existing calendars can take some figuring out, but it’s not beyond anyone familiar with the calendar apps they already use on their computing and mobile devices. The app talks you through the permissions you’ll need to allow on each service — usually not more difficult than signing into them. The magic of Skylight is that it can collate all your different digital calendars in one place, and apply them to profiles on the Skylight — so a ‘Family’ profile might show events from your kids and partner alongside your stuff, while you can keep work and extended family commitments in a different profile. These can then have two-way synced events from services like Google Calendar, Outlook, Yahoo and Cozi. There’s also support for Apple iCloud Calendars, though as we’ll explore later, the functionality is limited to one-way syncing there. If you’re not using any existing calendar services, Skylight offers its own either way.

Once you’ve then shared an invitation to the calendars with any other members of the household, they can then too start adding their own calendars and events, letting you all be notified on your device of choice as to any upcoming events. With a central at-home hub, it’s easy then to stay on top of, and communicate, events across multiple schedules and itineraries, wherever you all may be.

Additional features and subscription

As well as the calendar functionality, Skylight offers synced lists and chore trackers as standard. If you’re not already using a checklist app on your phone it’s another handy addition, but likely one you’ve already got a solution for. The ‘Task Manager’ chore tracker is a bit more useful, especially if you’ve got kids — you can assign points and rewards for anything you can think of, gamifying tidying a room or brushing teeth.

There’s also a £60 per year subscription service called Skylight Plus that unlocks further features.

The best of these (and one so key it’s a shame it’s tucked behind the ongoing fee) is Photo Frame functionality. You can set up a shared repository of thousands of photos, and have them cycle through as a screensaver when the Skylight isn’t actively being used. Considering without it you’ve either only got a relatively boring calendar on view all the time, or a blank black screen when off, it feels like an essential feature, and the crisp display does good justice to your snaps.

Other features of the Plus service include meal planning — letting you set meal schedules for a week. You might ask why you can’t just include them as calendar events — you of course could, but this keeps meal planning distinct, and also lets you create a repository of recipes to refer back to in the future.

The final, perhaps most impressive Plus feature, is the AI-fuelled Magic Import. Each Skylight user gets an individual email address along with their accounts — if you forward an invitation from an email or PDF to this email address, it’ll automatically scan its contents for location and date details, and fill out an event listing for your calendar. This is similar to how Google pops Gmail invitations into your Calendar, if you have that setting switched on.

Is the Skylight Plus subscription worth it? Begrudgingly, yes — though I think you shouldn’t really have to pay for the photo frame feature at all, the Skylight would feel dull when not in use without it. So factor that cost into your purchasing considerations.

What we’d change

The Skylight Calendar has been great for corralling some of the chaos that multiple calendars across my household have wrought, but it’s not without room for improvement.

Chief among these is integration with Apple’s Calendar app. Though it’s listed as supported, that’s only partially true — the two way sync (meaning that any changes made on either the Skylight or another device with access to the Apple Calendar app, such as an iPhone or Mac) is not yet working. You can still make event listings against Apple’s calendar, but will need to manually add them and track changes yourself. Skylight has told me true syncing will be added as an update before the end of the year, but it’s worth noting if Apple’s calendars are key to your organisational habits before that time.

I also think too many features are hidden behind the subscription aspect of Skylight. While I can understand the AI-driven aspects could sit behind a paywall, it seems a shame that the photo frame feature does too, given how relatively simple a feature it is, and how much life it brings to Skylight’s otherwise utilitarian interface.

Skylight Calendar: Final verdict

If keeping track of the comings and goings of your family is adding to the jumbled knot of stress in your brain, the Skylight Calendar is a fun and relatively simple way to keep things organized. Though I’d rather not see so many of its features behind a paywall, when the full experience is unlocked the Skylight will become an invaluable part of family life. A word of warning though — you’ll never have an excuse for forgetting an important date or chore ever again. Now, forgive me, for leaving this review here but I’ve just been reminded I have an invite to a gig that I am already late for!

• Mac buying guide: Which Apple computer to buy if you're a first timer, student, creative pro, or just about anyone else

Samsung’s new smartwatch has an air of sophistication about it. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is an elegant smartwatch, the sort of wearable you can pop on without it looking like you frequent your local tech support desk on a regular basis.

Looks-wise, it’s more timepiece than gangly gadget, with a fantastic rotating bezel, a comfortable leather strap and a bevy of 'analog' watch faces to choose from. Under the traditional hood, though, it’s packed with smartwatch tech that may even turn the heads of the Garmin crowd.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 has been on Shortlist’s wrists for a while now — which means we are well within our rights to offer up the following wrist-icle. Here are 5 things to know about Samsung’s suave new smartwatch…

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8: Core specs and features

• Design: Elegant, timepiece-like aesthetic with a functional rotating bezel and comfortable leather strap.
• Screen: 1.34-inch Super AMOLED display (438 x 438 pixels) with Sapphire crystal protection.
• Processor: Exynos W1000 chip, with 2GB RAM and 64GB storage.
• Operating System: WearOS with Samsung's One UI skin, including Google Gemini.
• Health Tracking: Extensive features including sleep tracking (with snoring detection), blood pressure, ECG, accelerometer, barometer, bioelectrical impedance analysis sensor, infrared, and geomagnetic sensors.
• Fitness Tracking: Automatic activity recognition, running assessment, and marathon plans.
• Battery Life: Typically lasts every other night with heavy use; up to three days on lighter days.

1. Design is for those who want a smarter smartwatch

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is a great-looking watch. The rotating bezel isn’t a new feature in the market, but it is a fantastic one, offering a nice way to skip through all the myriad options this smartwatch has to offer.

There has been a bit of a design change, though, compared to previous models: the pure circular design has been ditched for a lozenge with a bezel on top, all made from stainless steel. This is something that Samsung had kept for its more expensive Ultra smartwatch but I am glad that this look has trickled down into the Classic variant but it will be a little Marmite for some.

The strap included with our review unit was the hybrid band which is made from faux leather and is incredibly comfortable.

This band is fit in a new way — it uses a ‘dynamic lug system’.... which was a bit too dynamic for me as it took a while to figure out just how to clip and unclip the band. Once mastered, it means that the band is solidly held in place and more comfortable, too.

The watch isn’t chunky on the wrist, either, measuring just: 46.0 x 46.4 x 10.6mm and weighing 63g. This isn’t heavy but you could certainly feel it when you walked around with it on.

The design is rounded off with an innovative crown, which Samsung calls a Quick Button.

2. Setup was simple (if you use a Samsung phone)

I initially tried to set up the Galaxy Watch 8 on a Nothing device and, for some reason, the phone wouldn’t let me download the necessary app I needed for the Watch 8 to work. Without this app, I couldn’t do anything with the watch.

Thankfully I had a Galaxy Z Fold 7 on hand and once I started the set up process on this, it was very simple. Everything is done through the dedicated app — which I like but again will polarise folks — and all I really had to do was wait a couple of minutes while the watch connected, updates were downloaded and everything synced together.

The only time I had to touch the watch was to confirm that the number code was the same on both devices. This reliance on the app does make things simple but when you have compatibility issues, like I did with the latest Nothing Phone, it may be a frustrating, closed experience for some.

From the app, you can also customise the watch faces. I would have liked a bit more choice, but what is there does look rather fine.

3. The screen is big on detail

The screen on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is a 1.34-inch Super AMOLED (438 x 438 pixels) and this is protected by something called Sapphire crystal protection.

It’s a beautiful screen — although not the biggest Samsung offers — with more than enough real estate to swipe though the myriad options on offer.

It’s fantastically bright, too, so much that I was worried that I had upped the brightness by mistake. Using the screen to navigate was really easy, thanks to WearOS. Google has made its wearable operating system incredibly intuitive and Samsung has actually added to this, with its One UI skin on top.

When on a run and needing a quick glance, the display held up well but there is also the option to have the screen Always On, if you are paranoid you are going to miss something. This will drain the battery, though, so you do have to take that into consideration.

One other thing we would say about the screen is that it is a one-size fits all approach — the only option you get is the 1.34 inch one. If you want a bigger, 1.5-inch screen then you will have to opt for the original Watch 8. This isn’t a deal breaker but the bigger size was available on previous Classic ranges.

4. The Watch 8 tracks so many things

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is an absolute fiend when it comes to tracking. It’s got so many ways it can monitor your body that by the end of it I feared I would drown in data.

Having all these data points is nothing but a good thing, though, and Samsung has managed to make sure that the data that is delivered is clear and concise.

Included on the device is: sleep tracking (I snore, apparently, and don’t dream that much), bedtime guidance, blood pressure, there’s an ECG on board to measure heart rate.

This smartwatch has an accelerometer, barometer, a bioelectrical impedance analysis sensor, infrared sensors, geomagnetic sensors — it knows and tracks so much.

Its fitness tracking and awareness of activities is superb — I didn’t have to preselect running or cross trainer when I started these, with the watch just knowing by the cadence of my actions and tracking accordingly.

If you are trying to get into running, then the running assessment feature on the Watch 8 is well worth your time. While seasoned runners may not get much out of it — although there is a marathon plan there — it’s couch to 5K plan was great and readjusted for our fitness well.

5. Battery, good; performance, better

Let’s save you time here: Samsung hasn’t changed the innards of its smartwatch. It still uses a Exynos W1000 chip, has 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. This is fine — there’s nothing I did on the watch that experienced a slowdown of any kind.

This is a zippy experience and one Samsung has strengthened, thanks to tweaking the UI. A new Now Bar makes controlling media a lot simpler and tiles have been streamlined so you can find things quicker and not have to jump through myriad screens.

There’s also the inclusion of Google Gemini, this is the first time the AI overlord has made it to a smartwatch and using it veers more into Dick Tracy territory than ever before.

Battery life is great but not class leading. I found myself charging every other night when I was using the watch for fitness, music listening, and using the Always On Display. On slower days you could easily get three days out of the thing.

Oh, and the accompanying charger dock is easy to use and even harder to misuse — the amount of times I’ve thought I’ve been charging a smartwatch on rival pucks and the tiny charging pins haven’t aligned properly is countless. With the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9, this wasn’t an issue at all.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8: Final Verdict

Praise goes to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic for its sophisticated design. It resembles a traditional timepiece more than a gadget and this is nothing but a good thing.

It excels in fitness and health tracking, offering a vast array of data points and intuitive automatic activity recognition. Setup is straightforward (for Samsung users, at least — and the core audience here) and the 1.34-inch Super AMOLED screen is bright and detailed, though it's the only size option for this model.

If you own a Samsung phone, value a classic watch aesthetic over a purely sporty look, and want extensive health and fitness tracking capabilities with good performance and battery life, the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is a strong contender.

Alien: Earth is out next week, and judging by the critics’ reviews, this is a contender for the best new TV show of the whole of 2025.

The first season of Alien: Earth has landed with a 90% Rotten Tomatoes, at the time of writing. And the sheer level of praise coming out of some notable reviews could make you think that rating is perhaps even a little low for what we get.

Before we dig into what the critics have said, those in the UK will be able to watch the first two episodes of Alien: Earth from August 13th on Disney Plus. It’s out in the US on August 12th.

The show is set before the events of the original Alien, as a mysterious vessel containing all manner of alien nastiest crashes into Earth. Have a look at one of the early teasers, which doesn’t give away more than this very zoomed-out premise, released back in January.

Alien: Earth reviews

IGN gave Alien: Earth one of the most glowing reviews of the lot, with a 9/10 score attached

“Noah Hawley has made an amazing piece of science fiction on the strength of solid production and creature design, an incredible cast, and needle drops that make me want a cigarette,” said the reviewer.

The one critique is that at the end of the season, “it does start to feel a little rushed,” making you hope this one does get greenlit for a second run.

Empire’s review is also a total Alien: Earth love-in, with a 5/5 score. It’s “nothing short of a triumph” according to the publication.

“An Alien saga at once familiar and entirely fresh. An unsettling transhuman fable that stands on its own without aliens at all. An acutely cinematic experience, precision-tooled for hour-long instalments,” the review reads. Its only substantive criticism is that, as a prequel, there’s obviously a natural ceiling on where it can go — but even that is couched in more praise.

Film Stories has only seen the first couple of episodes we’ll get to witness on August 13th, but does come up with some useful impressions for those in a household not that primed for horror. “Hawley’s series is more tense than frightening,” reads the review, should you need ammo to coax a partner into watching. And the general take is otherwise a positive one.

“Assuming Alien: Earth can maintain the quality of storytelling of these first two episodes we could be in for something truly special – and horrifying – over the next few weeks.”

CBR gave Alien: Earth yet another 9/10 score, calling it “the ultimate sci-fi series for fans of Alien.”

As noted by IGN, the vibes are very much those of the 1979 movie rather than those of the later films and its various spin-offs.

“The series feels as if it perfectly embodies all the best parts of the original film, while still embracing and expounding on new concepts to make the franchise feel fresh and new,” reads the review.

We actually had to have a bit of a dig around to find any particularly notable negative Alien: Earth reviews. But we did find one, from The Seattle Times.

Its main issue is with the pacing of the show.

“The prequel series, set two years before the events of the first “Alien,” spends too long setting up a story that only barely gets going by the time the eight-episode season comes to an end,” it says.

Where others say the Alien: Earth approach is thought-provoking, this review says the show meanders, “taking hours to ponder what it means to be human as the story introduces us to the first half of its core concept: hybrids, synthetic beings infused with the consciousness of a human.”

Of course, the original 1979 Alien also took its time to get going, so perhaps it’s just more of that old-school approach having its effect.

From reports earlier this year, we may not have to wait long for Alien: Earth season 2. Back in late 2024, CBR reported work was already underway on the second season, with filming planned for Thailand, where much of the first season was also shot.

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Have you noticed the new narrative around Marvel movies? They have to be the saviour of the franchise if they want to hold up.

But there’s even more pressure on The Fantastic Four: First Steps than there ever was on Thunderbolts. These lot need to lead us into the next Avengers film, and the new era of the MCU.

So, is First Steps any good? While the reviews have scattered scoring, the overall outlook is suitably fantastic, leaving the film with an impressive 86% Rotten Tomatoes score at the time of writing.

What are the critics actually saying? Let’s dig in.

IGN gave the film a solid 7/10, saying that while it may not be memorable, massively action-packed or world-beating, it’s a decent film.

It calls First Steps “a solid foundation on which to (re-)introduce Marvel’s first family. Wherever they go from here, it’ll be on to bigger and better things.”

The Guardian’s write-up reads mostly positively, even if the 3/5 score isn’t what fans would hope for. It calls First Steps “a very silly movie” without necessarily suggesting that’s a bad thing.

It’s “an entertaining spectacle in its own innocent self-enclosed universe of fantasy wackiness,” says the review.”

One of the most positive reviews comes from rogerebert.com, with a 3.5/4 score attached.

The spoiler-free version of the review says the film is "a solid, intelligent, occasionally inspired comic book movie that delivers most of what a popular audience demands from the genre… plus a little bit more.” Not bad at all.

Empire’s review is also super-positive. Its 4/5 write-up calls The Fantastic Four “the best Marvel movie in years.”

It says this is the first time the Fantastic Four has actually been done justice in a movie (which, granted, isn’t saying much) through a combination of “the casting and the world-building.”

And how about a stinker of a review for good measure? The New York Post wasn’t persuaded at all, saying that, sure, while it’s better than the previous Fantastic Four flicks, it’s also “grave, gloomy and un-fun for most of the runtime,” in a 1.5/5 review.

That negative note aside, it sounds like The Fantastic Four: First Steps is well worth a watch for all but the most burned-out of Marvel watchers.

The film is expected to make between $190 and $210 million across the world in its opening weekend, comfortably higher than Thunderbolts, released earlier this year.

• The best Marvel movies - Marvel Cinematic Universe ranked

Foldable phones have been on shop shelves for some six years now, and in this time they've not exactly managed to capture the attention of the masses.

This is a shame... but not really a surprise. A shame because many are missing out on one of the greatest technical feats since the arrival of the smartphone. But unsurprising, because prices have been pretty prohibitive and their design has naturally meant that there’s a chunkiness to the devices that have put some off.

Skip to 2025 and one of these irks has been banished — the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, despite some claims from rival handset manufacturers, is the slimmest foldable ever. It’s so svelte that it’s lighter than the non-folding Samsung Galaxy 25 Ultra.

Shortlist has been using the Z Fold 7 as its daily driver for a little while now. Here are 5 things to know about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7...

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: core specs and features

• Super cameras: 7x cameras including a new 200MP lens
• Powerful processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
• Multi-tasking master: Up to 16GB RAM
• Storage a'plenty: Up to 1TB
• Runway slim: 26% thinner than previous models
• Big screen options: 8-inch and 6.5-inch screens
• Long-lasting battery: 4,400mAh battery capacity
• A lot of phone... for a lot of money: Starts at £1,799 / $1,999

1. The Z Fold 7 is slick and slim

I don’t know how Samsung has managed it — I’m guessing millions of R&D budget is helpful — but there is no underestimating just how slim the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is.

It’s some 26% thinner than the previous iteration, just 4.2mm when fully open and 8.9mm when folded. Compare this to the 5.6mm and 12.1mm of the Z Fold 6, and given the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is only 8.2mm thick, we are inching ever closer to normal smartphone parity.

And if that isn’t enough to pique your interest, it is actually lighter than the S25 Ultra at 215g (compared to 218g). The Z Fold 6 is now a little portly in comparison, at 239g.

Its thin frame doesn’t mean it’s vulnerable, either. In the hand it’s a solid device and opening and closing the device is an absolute joy. At no point did it feel flimsy when unfurling the thing.

The tech behind this is something called the Armor FlexHinge. Couple this with Advanced Armor Aluminum and you have got a phone that sounds like it’s equipped for war. I didn’t take it battle but it more than survived being in my pocket while on a London commute.

Given it's foldable, it’s pretty impressive how much waterproofing there is (it’s got an IP48 rating). Dust wise, though, it hasn’t got as much protection — presumably it's tougher to keep that's particles away from a hinged device.

2. The extra screen real estate is exceptional

The screens have been improved somewhat. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 has an 8-inch 1968 x 2184 foldable display (this is up 0.4 inches on the Z Fold 6), and a 6.5-inch 1080 x 2520 front screen (up 0.2 inches on the Z Fold 6).

These screens are AMOLED, with a 1-120Hz refresh rate (the higher the refresh rate, the smoother your games will look on it). When it comes to the main screen, this has a peak brightness of 2,600 nits — which is super bright.

One of the best changes is that the front screen has been widened. This means that it's so much more usable and, frankly, more like a normal smartphone screen, with its 21:9 aspect ratio.

And then there's the new, lighter hinge. Moving between the folded out screen to the normal screen is an absolute joy and I was constantly surprised at just how well it looked when things snapped together. The phone could do with a little ridge to help simplify the folding, but you get used to it.

The main screen is fantastic, for both game playing and movie watching. Load up a movie and the handset supports HDR10+ streaming, which means that the picture quality is incredible.

The bigger real estate also meant that the majority of mobile games played just great. Call of Duty Mobile was superb on the larger screen.

3. This is one of the most powerful handsets around

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a powerful device. It uses the best chipset available to Android phones, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, and because of this, you can throw a lot at the Fold 7 and it doesn't buckle at all.

Couple this with 12GB of RAM and it's a device that packs a punch.

From doom scrolling to game playing, there wasn't any judder or stutter — when flipping from it being folded and unfolded it only takes a moment for the UI to switch over. Flicking between apps was a breeze as well.

There was a little warmth when working on more power-intensive apps but it was never worrisome. It did get very warm when using it in the full sun of the UK's summer weather, but that's the same for every glass handset out there.

I have to admit that I have 'warmed' to the Samsung UI layer over Google's OS.

It offers a decent alternative to Google's stock apps, with the weather fitness and Now Brief apps all now really good.

When it comes to the camera, the biggest selling point here is the 200MP lens. This is a significant upgrade to the 50MP of before and it is a joy to use, taking clear, crisp pictures.

Most of the other cameras are the same as before: a 12MP ultra-wide camera (with a 120-degree field of view), a 10MP telephoto camera, with 3x optical zoom.

There's a pair of upgraded 10MP front-facing cameras (one for each screen).

The slightly annoying thing is the chunky lenses on the back do mean that you can't lay the phone out flush — the lenses mean that the thing will rock on a hard surface.

4. AI is a big part of the Z Fold 7

Samsung bloody love a bit of AI and this means that it is, quite rightly, seen to be at the forefront of this technology in the mobile world.

AI is all over the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, from briefings that start your day to the post-processing on images you take on the camera. While some of it is hit and miss, there is a lot to like here.

Smart Briefings work well. You can have both morning and evening ones and they consolidate information such as news alerts, calendar entries and the weather.

Other AI-infused additions I liked was the use of live transcribing phone calls, photo searching has vastly improved thanks to AI. There are also some interesting image manipulation that can be done with AI.

AI is here to stay and while the Fold 7 has it in abundance, it's still subtle and genuinely helpful most of the time.

5. Battery life is long, depending on how you use it

Battery life on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is solid. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 lasted around 11 hours in our tests, which improves on the Fold 6 — even if it's only by 20 minutes or so.

That's interesting because the 4,400 mAh battery is the same in both handsets, which means that the chip being used here is a touch more power efficient.

Samsung deserves some credit for trying to make the battery last longer on the Fold 7 but the gains here aren't huge.

There is wireless charging on board and some pretty swift wired charging, too.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 final verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the best foldable to date. Samsung has done well to revitalise the foldable market, by releasing the slimmest foldable around — a handset that is even lighter than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

The device's improved 8-inch and 6.5-inch AMOLED screens are a joy to use and while I sometimes had to remember that there was a bigger screen waiting to be folded out, the concept of a foldable really does work in this slimmer form factor.

But there is a catch: while your pockets will no longer bulge thanks to the slimmer frame, you better make sure they are still deep. Because with prices starting at £1,799 / $1,999, this is a handset that is as premium as they come. But that's the price you pay for sheer innovation.

Fun. It’s not a word that’s usually associated with technology but that’s the first thing that comes to mind when I think about the Nothing Phone (3).

Its makers may be deadly serious about taking on the big folks with its first full-fat flagship, but watching a bottle glyph spinning on the back of the device, it’s clear that this is a handset that’s taking the ‘business on top, party on bottom’ approach to things. And I couldn’t be happier about this.

I’ve had a few weeks with the Nothing Phone (3) and here are 5 things to know about the phone that puts the fun into flagship…

Nothing Phone (3): The core specs and features

Before we dig into the details, here’s a quick run down of the main features of the Nothing Phone (3):

• Dimensions: 160.6 x 75.6 x 9mm
• Weight:218g
• OS: Android 15
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4
• Cameras: 3x 50MP (wide, telephoto, ultrawide); 1x 50MP front camera
• Colours: White and Black
• Price: £ 799.00 / € 799.00 / $ 799

1. The design is distinctive

Anyone who has cast their eyes over a Nothing Phone will be well at home with the design quirks of the Nothing Phone (3). It is distinctive. Think back to when you could spot an iPhone in a crowd of other phones, before its design was poached by others.

That is what you get with the Nothing Phone (3). It still leans into the see-through design approach, where its back showcases the lines and avenues of its circuit boards and modules. But this is balanced by a more refined look.

Its seemingly skewed camera layout will irk some but I love it. The asymmetrical approach is a little discombobulating but the more I looked at it, the more it worked.

The real reason for the design refinement, though, is the disappearance of the Glyph LED lights. These have been replaced by a circular Glyph Matrix. This small circular screen on the top-right on the back of the phone is a joy and controlled by a touch-sensitive button — more on this later.

The rest of the phone is designed more conservatively. The screen is a 6.67 inch (120Hz) AMOLED, protected by Gorilla Glass 7i. The full phone dimensions are 160.6 x 75.6 x 9 mm — and it weighs 218g.

There are four buttons in total, two on each side — one of these on the right is small and is called the Essential Key, which allows you to quickly capture notes and the like which are all ordered by AI.

2. Performance is punchy

The Nothing Phone (3) aims high but doesn’t quite match its flagship bedfellows when it comes to performance on paper. But did I notice this when using the phone as my daily drive? Nope.

The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor — premium but not top draw — did well to cut away any feeling of lag or stutter when flipping between apps.

The phone did get a little warm when playing Call of Duty: Mobile but it handled the graphics and speed of the game brilliantly.

Loading up YouTube, the screen lit up with a vibrancy when the HDR kicked in.

The model I was using had 16GB + 2GB of RAM and it felt more than capable handling any task I used it for.

3. Nothing’s UI is still the best

When it comes to Android, I usually prefer the simplicity of Google’s operating system with no overlay, but I am in love with Nothing’s monochrome, dot matrix makeover.

You have the choice of this or a normal Android flavour but this minimalist look — where all icons are black and white — really does compliment the stylish hardware and Nothing has really thought about the usability of this design, as well as how it looks.

There are some 18 widgets to choose from — the step counter with the stick man is particularly cool, as is the analog clock and 8-bit weather app.

Swiping up on the homescreen allows you to see all your apps and Nothing has handily put these into categories that actually make sense. The monochrome look disappears here, but it’s still a neat and tidy space.

Swipe down and you can toggle which quick reach buttons you want. A swipe to the right brings you into Google’s Discover feed.

While not new — it was first introduced on the Nothing Phone (3a) — Nothing has embraced AI with its Essential Space area.

This has the potential to be something pretty powerful, although I did find myself filling it with needless screengrabs as I kept accidentally pressing its aforementioned dedicated button.

This niggle aside, it’s a great, quick way to take screenshots of things and append audio and written notes to them. Nothing manages to organise these well, so as not to look like inane scribblings.

It also uses AI in its internal search as well. Here when searching for something it will give you on-phone and on-Google results which is great if you are looking for a particular app or service.

Then there’s the Glyph Matrix. This successor to the Glyph Lights is a joy to use, even if it feels a touch underdeveloped right now.

This dot matrix screen sits in a small circle on the back of the device and you can interact with it, with the subtle touch-sensitive circle around midway down on the back of the right-side of the phone.

Touch this and you can tap through the various Glyphs available, including a clock, stopwatch and a visual of how much battery is left. If you want to interact with these, then you do a long press.

There are also Glyph Toys which add to the fun. These include a ‘spin the bottle’ game — the bottle spins on a long press. There are more options to program this space in the Glyph Matrix section of the phone, including personalising it for contacts and the like.

When I mentioned fun earlier, this is exactly what I am talking about. It isn't anything groundbreaking but it is unique and the right side of quirky.

4. Triple cameras are triple-A in quality

The biggest improvement in cameras on the Phone (3) is the addition of a periscope lens. This is a big deal, as it bridges the imaging gap between its rivals.

In total, there’s a 50MP Wide camera (main): 50MP Ultra wide angle: 50MP Telephoto; and a 50MP Front camera.

The front camera doesn’t have autofocus but worked well in my selfie tests, while the quality of the rear cameras is incredibly good.

The main camera offers natural-looking images, with very little over processing.

The macro shots I took with the telephoto lens were decent, capturing a nice amount of detail. While the ultra-wide was also commendable. There was an occasional lack of sharpness when it came to some of the images shot, but I was particularly impressed with the portrait mode.

When it comes to other modes within the camera app, there’s action, macro, night, slo-mo, pano and expert. There’s also video functionality.

And while I would usually shy away from adding watermarks to images, if you do it here they come with a lovely dot matrix style font.

5. Battery life is long-lasting

Battery life on the Nothing Phone (3) was solid. It uses a 5,150 mAh battery and I could get a day’s use out of it with no problem at all. At time of writing its 16:38 and there’s still 66% left on the clock.

That is with extensive testing, some light Netflix action and far too much doom scrolling than one person should be able to handle.

It’s got 65W charging on board, so if you have a charger that handles this — there isn’t one in the box — then you can juice the thing to around 30% in 15 minutes, 60 mins in half an hour, which is nice and speedy.

If you are someone that likes to charge wirelessly, then that’s also an option but you won’t get the speedy charge doing it that way.

Nothing Phone (3) review: Final Verdict

The Nothing Phone (3) truly stands out from the crowded crowd, proving that a flagship phone can be both powerful and playful.

Its distinctive design, the rather-brilliant Glyph Matrix and transparent look, combined with the monochrome Nothing OS, offers a refreshingly unique user experience.

While its performance isn’t a benchmark breaker, it handles daily tasks and even demanding games with no problems. The significant camera improvements, especially the addition of a periscope lens, also bridges the gap with rivals nicely.

The Nothing Phone (3) is fun but not a novelty; this is a smartphone that is different, defiantly so — and one that puts the fun back into flagship.

Superman has landed! Well, in the papers at least. And also at the Shard. In case you missed it, one of the biggest superheroes has been given a new lease of life by MCU / DC lynchpin James Gunn. With the film hitting screens on 11th July, the critics have now had their say…

David Corenswet has stepped into that red cape (and those red underpants), joined by Nicholas Hoult —who you may remember from Skins way back in the noughties — as nemesis Lex Luthor.

From four star loved up reviews praising it as “a fresh reinvention” to a more scathing two star “dim reboot” review, it’s definitely looking like a bit of a mixed bag.

The Telegraph’s review is probably the most laudatory of the bunch, not only awarding it four stars but calling it a “snappily vivacious reboot”, with a crucial “fresh reinvention” of the classic DC character. The leading duo have a “cuddly chemistry” according to The Telegraph, although this is more of a complement than it might sound - “it works on its own terms.” Although they do admit it doesn’t get close to “the screwball of joy of Reeve and Margot Kidder in 1980’s Superman II.”

Variety is also positive for the most part, labelling Gunn’s latest flick as an “exuberant and popping reboot”. Focusing more on Gunn’s adaptation, they commend how he has reset “the very idea of what a comic-book movie is.” In their eyes, the film “fits snugly into familiar tropes” - translation: it’s still giving all the fun, familiar storyline & cinematic nuggets that we want. But, they're keen to remind us that Gunn has also kept the storyline closer to the original comics, calling it “multifaceted” with “genuine emotional stakes.”

Time Out is more balanced, not as taken with the film on the whole as The Telegraph, but does praise Corenswet’s performance, calling him “the best Man of Steel since Chirstopher Reeve”, projective “a lovely balance of sweetness, strength, and self-doubt.” It seems as though the cast from Luthor to Lois are all receiving high praise for their performances.

The Guardian? They’re definitely not feeling the love, labelling the reboot a “pointless franchise restarter”, led by a “square-faced soullessness” by Coronswet. Youch. According to The Guardian, the new Superman is “encumbered by a pointless and cluttered new backstory” which essentially delays the action. Two measly stars from them.

Similarly, EMPIRE gives it a mixed review, awarding it just two stars also. Summing it up rather pithily: “the way Superman is constructed requires us to care about a war we have no context for, and the downfall of a hero whose ascension we haven’t seen.” Which, overall, makes it harder to be invested in the story.

Whilst all “the performances are solid”, from Coronswet’s introspective, nuanced performance, to Brosnahan’s “spiky and engaging” Lois, they criticise the writing, stating that Luthor “lacks depth, portrayed simply as an abusive sociopath.” Meanwhile, the “clunky dialogue and a cocky edge” means that Coronswet’s Superman “never quite meets the mark” of his predecessors.

Slash Film agrees that there are some script issues, but insists that this doesn’t stop it from being a good laugh - a “charming crowd pleaser” which is “silly in all the right ways.”

As for the cinema holy grail, Rotten Tomatoes, it’s currently looking pretty positive, with an 85% rating meaning it’s certified fresh.

Overall, there is a consistent thread of interest throughout all the critics: that Gunn hasn’t shied away from the political undercurrent. Between the AI, tech billionaire sociopath painted as the baddie to the (fictitious) attack on innocent people that leaves the whole world on the brink of a war, critics are raising collective eyebrow at the real life parallels and their worrying pertinence.

Really, no matter what the critics say, we'll definitely be seated in the cinema at 11am on 11th July tapping onto Teams every couple of minutes to prove we're definitely still online and working from home in earnest...

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Long reign the Prince of Darkness! Black Sabbath’s Back to the Beginning wasn’t just a farewell… it was one of the greatest rock shows in history.

A homecoming to Birmingham’s Villa Park, the all-day epic united metal’s loudest icons in front of 40,000 fans live and another 5 million streaming worldwide. What followed was a storming celebration of Ozzy Osbourne’s legacy: all-star stadium performances, emotional tributes, and one final, unforgettable set with the original Black Sabbath lineup.

From world-class supergroups to host Jason Momoa launching himself into the pit, here are the ten biggest moments from the night Ozzy Osbourne said goodbye with a bang…

1. Ozzy rose from the stage on a throne like the king of the underworld: “Let the madness begin!”

The moment we’d all been waiting for hit like a bolt of lightning to the heart. Ozzy erupted through the stage on a giant black throne, adorned fittingly with a huge bat and crystal-eyed skulls. Dressed in a black leather finery for a set of Ozzy Osbourne solo hits, the Prince of Darkness opened with I Don’t Know, as he rung out: “Let the madness begin!”

From there, he tore through powerhouse anthems like Mr. Crowley and Crazy Train - reminding everyone that no one, absolutely no one, says farewell quite like Ozzy Osbourne.

2. He joined the all-original Black Sabbath one last time

To close out the night, Ozzy returned to where it all began, joined on stage by the original Black Sabbath lineup first formed in 1969: Tony Iommi on guitar, Geezer Butler on bass, and Bill Ward on drums.

In a short but thundering set, the godfathers of metal tore through some of their most iconic tracks: War Pigs, N.I.B., Iron Man, and, of course, Paranoid. It was heavy, emotional, and historic - the final time the full original Sabbath would ever play together live.

3. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house (or the stadium)

With so much anticipation and love pouring in from around the world, Ozzy’s return to the stage hit hard. From the first note, the emotion was overwhelming. Fans screamed every lyric with tears rolling down their faces, clinging to every last moment.

Ozzy’s launch into Mama, I’m Coming Home, bathed in a sea of glittering phone torches, saw even the toughest of metalheads wiping their eyes. Ozzy looking out at the crowd and repeated “I love you all” really sealed the deal on the emotional night.

4. Steven Tyler’s Led Zeppelin cover blew the roof off

What better way to send off one of rock’s greatest ever frontmen, than with one of rock’s greatest ever frontmen? Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler stole the stage to perform Walk This Way and an epic cover of Whole Lotta Love, joined by Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello and Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ Chad Smith - and the crowd went wild. Now that is an A-list supergroup.

5. The drum battle of the century

Not one, not two, but three massive drum kits took over the stage as drummer legends Chad Smith, Danny Carey (Tool) and surprise guest Travis Barker came together with Tom Morello on guitar, for a killer drum-off during the show.

6. Supergroups with more stars than the Walk of Fame

Like seeing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame brought to life right in front of us, Judas Priest’s KK Downing and Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan ripped through Breaking the Law in the band’s Birmingham hometown, Sammy Hagar sung alongside Chad Smith, Ghost’s Papa V Perpetua and Travis Barker took on Bark at the Moon, Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale roared through Original Sin with Ozzy guitarist Jake E Lee… and The Rolling Stone’s Ronnie Wood played with Steven Tyler for some solid gold starpower.

7. Jack Black became Ozzy, and it was weirdly perfect

Wearing a bedazzled, fringed jumpsuit emblazoned ‘Ozzy’, Jack Black led a School of Rock-esque band of kids in a raucous rendition of Mr. Crowley. He unleashed his frontman vocals, he jumped, and he even lifted his young guitarist in the air - channeling all the appropriate Ozzy chaos in one brilliant cover.

8. The covers kept coming from rock’s biggest stars

Some of the biggest bands in the world paid tribute through Ozzy and Sabbath covers that lit up the stadium - among them, Guns n' Roses took on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Metallica stormed through Hole in the Sky and Johnny Blade alongside their own iconic hits, Lamb of God sent the crowd wild with Children of the Grave, Alice in Chains nailed Fairies Wear Boots, and a surprise appearance from Yungblud to rip through a raw rendition of Changes left the entire stadium with goosebumps.

9. Jason Momoa was a seriously committed host for the night

Where other Hollywood actors might have turned up, smiled for the cameras and waved to the crowd, host for the night Jason Momoa showed he doesn’t do things by halves. The Aquaman star embraced his inner rocker and even joined his fellow metalheads by diving into the mosh pit during Pantera’s set. Sweaty, headbanging, and hyping the acts like a true fan, Jason went all in - literally.

10. Ozzy’s grand finale was a farewell to remember

The night ended as it always had to: with Paranoid. As the final chords rang out across Villa Park, Ozzy took centre stage one last time, soaking in the roar of 40,000 voices. “Thank you. God bless you. That’s goodnight from Black Sabbath,” he said, his voice cracking.

There’s never been anything like this - and there’s never been a band like Black Sabbath, or anyone like Ozzy Osbourne.

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Jurassic World Rebirth is out this week. We’ve been eagerly awaiting this one, as sitting in the director’s chair is one of Shortlist’s top names in modern blockbuster movie-making, Gareth Edwards.

Who has put a big Hollywood budget up on screen more convincingly than the director of Godzilla (2014), Rogue One and The Creator?

So, is Jurassic World Rebirth any good? The answer isn’t a simple one.

Reviews range from 5-star love-ins to one and two-star reviews that long for the day the extended Jurassic Park universe will be laid to rest. And that has led to a questionable 53% Rotten Tomatoes score.

However, even some of the less positive reviews tend to give props to Gareth Edwards’s exciting action scenes. This one may boil down to: how much have the recent, pretty poor, Jurassic World movies soured you on the mere idea of another film in the series?

If you’re not tired to your bones, it sounds like there’s plenty to enjoy. Here are some of the notable critics’ takes, starting with the most positive and rolling straight downhill from there.

Jurassic World: Rebirth reviews

The Telegraph’s 5/5 review is positively euphoric, representing basically the best-case scenario we envisioned when we heard Gareth Edwards would take on directing duties for this one.

“It takes a deep, personal love of the medium for a director to deliver such crunchy impact, thrills, spills and euphoric highs while treading anew in footsteps as craterous (and muddy) as they come,” the review reads.

The Guardian liked Jurassic World Rebirth too. It gave the film 4/5 and called it a “return to form” after the pretty dismal Jurassic World: Dominion. However, it also suggests maybe it’s time to let this series finally die, rather than being reborn for a whole new run.

“This one would be great to go out on,” says Peter Bradshaw.

In a similar vein, Time Out says the film contains “the best dinosaur action since Spielberg,” but references the “dino-fatigue” many of us have. It’s a 3-star write-up that suggests the film, while well-made, doesn’t come with any real surprises.

Bloody Disgusting’s 2.5/5 review is also telling of how little goodwill this series has with the critics these days.

Jurassic World Rebirth is called a “a safe but fun enough theme park ride,” where the only real notable strength is the quality of the action sequences.

It’s “just a series of impressive action sequences that showcase the dinosaurs and the great digital effects bringing them to life,” according to the site. Not much cinematic heart, then.

Little White Lies really wasn’t a fan of Jurassic World Rebirth, saying it’s “utter­ly devoid of inter­est or originality” in a 2/5 write-up.

“Even work­ing at full pelt, there’s just too much that’s wrong and sil­ly and deriv­a­tive about this tired, tired run-out,” the review reads. Ouch.

Jurassic World Rebirth is currently on track to make $260 million over its opening weekend, or $100 million from its all-important domestic debut. That’s less than 2022’s Jurassic World: Dominion, which opened with $145 million in its home market. But should mean the film makes a good return on its budget.

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Tech innovator Nothing has just announced its latest line-up of tech products. On paper, it’s the same story: a new pair of headphones and a new phone. But these two products are a huge statement from Nothing and they see the company enter uncharted waters.

Its latest phone, the Nothing Phone (3), is the first premium flagship it has released. While the Nothing Headphone (1) are the very first over ears — a market that is notoriously difficult to win in. Even the likes of Apple have had mixed success here.

Nothing knows this and that is why it has enlisted the help of Kef to make sure the audio engineering beneath the unique-looking design is the best it can be.

Shortlist was lucky enough to be among the first in the world to try out the Nothing Headphone (1). Here are 5 things to know about the cool-looking cans.

1. Design is unique — and distinctly Nothing

Nothing’s mantra has always been to make products that stand out from the crowd and that’s certainly what they have created with the Nothing Headphone (1).

These headphones come packing Nothing’s see-through style, with each ear cup designed like the back of a Nothing phone.

I really like the transparent look, showing off the design architecture that you don’t normally see on a pair of headphones. Looking closely, you can see acoustic chambers and internal components — I bet the engineers had a headache making sure it all looked neat and tidy, knowing that the world’s eyes would be on tech that’s usually hidden.

This transparent lozenge gives way to a padded memory foam ear cup and an aluminium chassis. I would say that initially these headphones looked like they would be heavy but they aren’t — 329g — and are incredibly comfortable to wear.

2. Connectivity was simple — and there’s a lot of personalisation

Connectivity was incredibly easy — there’s a small Bluetooth button hidden on the right side of the earcup. Press this for two seconds and the headphones are in pairing mode.

There’s a manual on off switch at the bottom of the right ear cup and here the is the USB-C charger post and a 3.5mm jack for those who want to plug into a device the old-school way.

There is also a button on the top right of the left ear cup. This is said to be central to the experience of the headphones. Press this and it acts like a quick switch between your recently opened audio apps.

So, if you want to go from a Spotify playlist to something on Audible, then you can click this and ‘channel hop’ to the right app. All you have to do is connect these platforms up within the Nothing app. Nothing has noted that this feature will be available initially through the Nothing phone (3), so worth noting. It will be rolled out to other devices after this, though,

A long press on this button summons whichever AI assistant you are using.

The app is also where you can change the EQ, choose whether you want to use spatial audio, fixed or have this feature off. You can also enhance the bass here and toggle with the ANC. If you don’t like your ANC to be too overbearing there are three levels or you can put it onto adaptive.

3. Controls are malleable — no touch controls here

Nothing has tried to simplify the controls on its over ears so everything can be done by feel and touch, without the fear that you will accidentally skip a track or turn something off.

Other than the aforementioned button on the left ear cup there is a brilliant volume button that acts as a roller.

Roll it under your finger one way and it increases the volume, the other decreases. This is a fantastic way to offer volume control on a headphone and I can’t believe I haven’t used a volume controller on a headphone like this before.

Next to this is a ‘paddle’ button. Now I didn’t get on with this one quite as much. It’s quite stiff and while it does its job, I occasionally pressed the button instead of moving it left or right.

Ideally you move it left and right to toggle between tracks and press it to scrub through a track. Weirdly the pause button is on the volume roller, hard press this and it pauses the music. Or you can just use your phone.

4. Sound uses the power of Kef

Kef is a British audio brand that’s been going for 60-something years and feels like a great partnership for Nothing to be part of. It has its own wireless headphones — the Mu7 range — which are decently designed, too, and sound fantastic.

The sound of the Nothing Headphone (1) is all encompassing. The ANC works well when cranked up to High. We tried adaptive and while that worked for going inside to outside, it couldn’t quite cope with the rattling of the London Tube so sticking to High was the best option here.

Inspired by Glastonbury, both CMAT’s Take A Sexy Picture Of Me and Pulp’s Spike Island soared, the strings on Spike Island sounding particularly impressive throughout.

The bass on the headphones was given a workout, with Overmono’s Good Lies and The Prodigy’s Omen (yep, I am pretending that Glasto is still going on) was a miasma of crunching bass and high-hitting synthesisers.

For a calmer listen Big Thief’s Incomprehensible wrapped us up in a warm blanket of sound, sounding beautiful through the Headphone (1).

Believer by Annahstasia was a similar experience, with its soothing synths and their Tracy Chapman esque vocals.

5. Battery life is excellent — as is quick charging

The Nothing Headphone (1) clock in at around 30 hours’ playback with ANC on.

There certainly wasn’t any worry about them running out of battery as you can juice them up in five minutes’ to get 2.5 hours’ playback out of them with the ANC on.

Nothing (1) Headphones: final verdict

The definition of style and substance, the Nothing (1) Headphone range will be embraced by those who love Nothing and have enough going for them to turn the heads of other audio enthusiasts.

These are some of the most comfortable headphones we have used in a long time, with decent ANC and the sound quality is superb.

The Nothing Headphone (1) comes in both Black and White and cost £299. You can pre-order now from Nothing.

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The word "auteur" is traditionally reserved for filmmakers, with directors and game creators rarely afforded that kind of individual praise. However, Hideo Kojima, who’s responsible for the Metal Gear Solid franchise, is one developer who is recognised with that level of celebrity and prestige, with his latest game, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, seemingly proving why.

Despite not being released until the 26th June, reviews are now live for the latest instalment in what is now a series led by Norman Reedus, who plays the most dedicated courier the world has ever seen. The game takes place 11 months after the events of the first one, reintroducing us to Sam (Norman Reedus), who is living a quiet life in Mexico before things go awry and he has to slip back into the Porter Suit for another adventure - this time across Australia.

After 103 reviews, at the time of writing, Kojima’s latest epic boasts a Metacritic score of 90, whilst we will have to wait and see if users are as hot on the sequel. The first game was famously divisive, with opinions ranging from a masterpiece to being a bit dull. Continue reading for an overview of what various critics think, but be warned, it’s largely very positive.

VGC’s Jordan Middler, incredibly positive on Death Stranding 2, giving the game five out of five stars, “Death Stranding 2 delivers on the core concept the original game promised in a package that admirably balances Kojima’s Hollywood sensibilities with top-notch action and unmatched atmosphere. It’s undoubtedly one of the best sequels in recent memory, and arguably one of Kojima’s best ever games.”

Scott McCrae, for our pals over at TechRadar Gaming, also gave the game top marks, justifying it by saying, “Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a great example of a sequel that expands on the original without losing sight of it. The traversal is still the star of the show, while the action has been significantly improved without taking over the experience. While a conventional plot takes the back seat for a more character-driven story, the new cast of characters and a phenomenal final third act stick the landing with prime Hideo Kojima bombast.”

VideoGamer’s Tom Bardwell was also hot on the PlayStation exclusive, giving the game a nine of ten, “It’s a goofy spectacle, the folly of a man who has let it all go a bit to his head, utterly bizarre and enigmatically incoherent but nevertheless an earnest exploration of loss and connection. At any other studio, such a muzzily, decadent vision would have led to a quiet aside to tone it down or been simply shelved in favour of a safer bet. Thankfully, Kojima’s auteur status means he’s immune to this, free to fling about millions as he sees fit. Long may it continue.”

GameSpot, which still gave the game a seven out of ten, were one of the more negative reviews we read, stating “Hitting the end credits came with the painful realization that Death Stranding 2 can't rekindle the novelty of its world and characters as effectively the second time around. Ironically, it feels like a more ordinary experience, which makes sense as a sequel that isn't looking to be as disruptive with new ideas as it was the last time.”

What’s clear from the reviews is that if you loved the first one, you will feel the same this time around, with the game continuing along the same rocky path set out in the original, but with some fresh ideas, greater emphasis on character, and stunning visuals.

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28 Years Later finally releases in cinemas this weekend, 23 years after the original aired in 2001 and instilled fear into the hearts of film lovers everywhere. Just as fear instilling for the makers, the reviews are also live.

The original introduced many to the now Oscar-winning actor Cillian Murphy and director Danny Boyle, with the latter returning this time around to direct the much-anticipated threequel.

The latest film in the series, which is set to kick off a fresh new trilogy, stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, and Jodie Comer and has come out swinging, currently clocking in at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and 78 on Metacritic. The reviews leave it in a similar place to both 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, which have come before it.

Keep reading for a glimpse of what some of the critics have to say about this summer's biggest zombie film.

The Guardian gave the film three stars, adding “Now we have 28 Years Later, an interesting, tonally uncertain development which takes a generational, even evolutionary leap into the future from the initial catastrophe, creating something that mixes folk horror, little-England satire and even a grieving process for all that has happened.”

Empire’s Ben Travis was hotter on it than The Guardian, giving it four out of five stars: “the second half doesn’t quite grip the throat as tightly. It never bores; every moment brings a discovery. But by design, this is a wild, unruly odyssey, a coming-of-age tale that zigs and zags. It won’t satisfy everyone.”

IGN’s Tom Jorgensen was very hot on the film, giving it a nine out of ten, saying: “The infected action is slick and well-staged, but it’s here that the hordes of imitators have most watered down Boyle’s brand of zombie violence. 28 Years Later introduces some new subspecies of infected that feel like they could’ve shambled right out of Left 4 Dead, some of which pose questions about the nature of the infection that beg to be answered in the already-shot sequel 28 Days Later: The Bone Temple.”

The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey also gave the film three out of five star, “28 Years Later feels like being repeatedly bonked on the head by the metaphor hammer, Boyle’s still a largely compelling filmmaker, and the film separates itself from the first instalment by offering something distinctly more sentimental and mythic than before.”

28 Years Later seems to be a hit, maybe not capturing the subtlety of the original, but delivering enjoyable action and thrills in abundance. If you’re a fan of the series so far, it feels likely this will be a weekend treat to get the heart racing.

• The best Danny Boyle movies: Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later, Sunshine and more!

F1 the movie is out in cinemas this week. The reviews are out too, and it’s mostly good news for the petrolheads and Pitt-stoppers.

At the time of writing, F1 the movie averages a solid 69% at Metacritic and has an 85% Rotten Tomatoes score.

This means it has easily bested the fairly well-regarded Gran Turismo, while not quite reaching the heights of 2019’s Ford v Ferrari.

But what do the critics have to say?

The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw gave F1 the Movie a super-solid 4/5 rating: “There’s a fair bit of macho silliness here, but the panache with which director Joseph Kosinski puts it together is very entertaining.”

Rolling Stone’s David Fear was also largely positive in his write-up: “F1 couldn’t feel more contemporary in its focus over a sport that’s the current obsession of millions, yet couldn’t feel more like a flashback to a bygone age where a larger-than-life movie star was the only necessary I.P. This what blockbusters used to look like. “

The Daily Telegraph’s Robbie Collin again says F1 deserves a podium finish, giving it a 4/5 score: "the peerless race photography and deft writing around Pitt’s character – a late moment involving a pack of cards is even rather moving – are enough to smooth over the niggles."

Slant’s Jake Cole was roundly positive in his 3/4-score review, saying “F1 succeeds for many of the same reasons that Top Gun: Maverick does: for elevating familiar material with old-school filmmaking swagger.”

Not every reviewer was nearly as persuaded by F1 the Movie, though.

The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey was not a fan, calling it a “bad Top Gun: Maverick” in her 2/5 review: “We should feel so drawn into these niche, specific worlds that we walk out the other side feeling like we could hop into a car and race at Silverstone the very next day. That’s not what F1 achieves – instead, it takes the easier, more soulless route.”

The BBC's Nicholas Barber also gave F1 the Movie a 2/5 rating: “if you scribbled down what you guessed the structure might be, you'd be absolutely correct – except that your version might have some more high-stakes jeopardy than the actual film.”

What’s the takeaway? F1 the Movie doesn’t quite have the same magic as Senna or Ford v Ferrari, where the drama pulls you into the sport of racing even if you entered the cinema with no interest in it.

But it also doesn’t rely on your love of F1 too much either. Instead, it leans on its lead in a way that’s quite old-school. Some folks will love that, others may find it’s not quite enough to keep them fully engaged.

However, with the spread of reactions leaning far more towards the positive end, it sounds like those remotely interested in F1 the movie can snap up a ticket with a good degree of confidence.

You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to good video game controllers these days. Long gone are the times when picking up a third-party pad was a sign that you’d not been investing your pocket money wisely, with dozens of manufacturers now more than a match for Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo’s in-house wares.

Arguably the best of the bunch comes from 8BitDo, who for the last few years have been churning out pads of all shapes and sizes, of jaw-dropping quality. Its original 8BitDo Ultimate controller is Shortlist’s go-to option when we’ve put down our DualSenses and Switch Pro pads, and it’s now back with the new and improved 8BitDo Ultimate 2 pad.

And it’s not just as good as its predecessor, but it’s a cut above that classic too. Here’s 3 reasons the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 should be your next deathmatch partner.

8BitDo Ultimate 2: The specs and features

Before we break down exactly what makes the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 so special, here’s some quick facts:

• Great ergonomics: Lightly textured pad is perfectly sized
• Drift-free sticks: Joysticks here use TMR precision components
• Included dock: Charge the pad and pair to your devices in an instant with the included dock
• Customisable buttons: Including rear bumper pads and additional shoulder buttons
• Hair Triggers: For when a quick fire button is a must
• PC and Android compatibility: Over USB and Bluetooth connections
• Pricing and availability: On sale now, the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 is a steal at £49.99

1. Great in the hand and nifty extra features

8BitDo seems to make a pad for every scenario, from 16-bit style grip-free flat controllers to arcade sticks and pocketable mini pads. This one’s a little more traditional though, following the Xbox controller style layout with A, B, X, Y buttons and asymmetrical sticks. It’s a touch smaller than an Xbox pad, and it grips a little straighter, but we found it perfectly ergonomic for our mitts.

Available in a wide range of colours, including white, purple, green and the black we’re reviewing here, it’s a nice-looking pad, with a lightly textured surface for added grip, and RGB lighting for a little futuristic flair around the joysticks, configurable to follow your inputs around the pad.

What’s really special here though is the additional features built into the pad. For starters, there’s the sticks. They’re using TMR (Tunneling Magnetoresistance) joysticks, which use magnets to track your input — a low power and very accurate method that is designed to prevent phantom input in your controller. On top of that there are four additional buttons over a standard control scheme — two paddles built into the grips, and an extra pair of small shoulder buttons, which can be configured for whichever button presses you need. On top of that, there are toggleable switches on the rear to alter the depth of the shoulder trigger press. You’ve got the full range option, handy for finely adjusting your speed and acceleration in driving games, or a hair-trigger stopper, excellent for quick pop-shots in shooters.

The cherry on top is gyroscope control, which can be easily configured for Steam games and emulated titles to give you motion control over your movements.

Some reviewers have complained that the D-Pad is a bit mushy, but we’ve no complaints — we’d argue it’s actually pretty good for fighting games in particular, letting you roll off special moves with ease.

2. Sitting on the dock of the play

This might be the thing we love most about the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 controller. Included in the package is a curved charging dock that the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 controller can sit in when not in use. With charging pins in the base, it means your controller is always ready to play at full power, while a USB-A connection to your gaming device ensures pairing is hassle free, too.

There’s more than just charging to the dock, too. In its base sits a removable 2.4GHz USB-C dongle, letting it act as a passthrough receiver for the wireless connection to the controller. As it’s removable, it also gives you the option of taking the small dongle component on the go, ready to be plugged in and connected to another device. It makes moving the connection between our PC and Steam Deck dock a breeze, while a switch on the back of the controller itself makes it easily identifiable to Bluetooth devices like Android phones and tablets.

3. Customise to your exact needs

With accompanying software, almost every element of the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 controller is customisable too. You’re able to tweak anything from stick deadzone and sensitivity to button mapping, rumble intensity and trigger response times. It can be completely tailored to your specific gaming needs. Also, the RGB lighting can be turned to any colour you want, or a range of different light patterns through the software. And, of course, if you find the glow a bit obnoxious or just want to maximise battery life, it can be switched off here entirely.

4. Perfectly priced

We’ve gotten used to first-party pads gouging our pockets this generation of hardware. You’re looking at £64.99 for a PlayStation 5 Dualsense controller for instance, while the recently released Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller costs a whopping £74.99.

But the 8BitDo Ultimate 2, despite its strong, premium feature set and additional components like the dock, is a relatively affordable £49.99 — a steal in the current gaming climate.

8BitDo Ultimate 2: Final verdict

If you’re on the market for a fresh PC controller or something to wile away the hours with on your Android phone or tablet, you won’t find a better pad than the 8BitDo Ultimate 2. Highly customisable and with great ergonomics, it puts premium features in the palm of your hand without breaking the bank.

• Nintendo Switch 2 review: Powered up in all the right places

At Shortlist we like our phones like we like our tonic — slimline — so the latest handset from Samsung has captured our increasingly short attention.... sorry, where were we?

Ah, yes: the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is the thinnest Galaxy phone ever — and one of the thinnest phones ever made generally.

It is just 5.8mm thick, some 2mm slimmer than the regular S25. It’s an incredible design achievement and is the sort of phone that when you whip it out in your local pub, folks will put down their pint of mild to gawp at it.

But is the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge built for everyday use? Or is this a style icon that you’d rather lust after from afar?

I’ve been using the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge for a number of weeks now and here are 5 things you need to know…

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: The core specs and key features

• Dimensions: 158.2 x 75.6 x 5.8mm — this is one of the thinnest phones on the planet.
• Weight: 163g — It's lighter than the rest of the S25 Range.
• Display: 6.7-inch (Quad HD+) — This is one of the best screens money can buy.
• Screen refresh rate: 120 Hz — the higher the refresh rate, the smoother the viewing.
• Rear camera: 200MP + 12MP — it's lost one camer compared to the Ultra, but that's not biggie.
• Front camera: 12MP — this is a decent quality for all those selfies.
• Memory: 12GB — There's plenty of grunt here to make sure the Edge doesn't slow.
• Storage: 256GB — This isn't the top when it comes to storage, but more than enough for most.
• OS: Android — While Samsung UI is overlaid, this is a decent Android experience.

1. My god, it’s thin. Really thin!

Samsung calls the S25 Edge ‘beyond thin’ and I can see why. The phone is impressively slim. The 5.8mm chassis size feels fantastic in the hand, like you're holding a piece of art. It’s built from titanium which gives it a solid feel, despite being wafer-thin. This metal has also inspired the colour names of the S25 Edge. There are three options: Titanium Jetblack, Titanium Silver, Titanium Icyblue.

Look at it face on and it has an impressive 6.68-inch panel, with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio that’s protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2. This level of protection is pretty much the norm for flagship phones but looks even better on a thinner phone.

Flip the phone around and the back is unfamiliar territory. The usual Samsung camera bump has disappeared and is replaced by a lozenge of two lenses and a sensor.

2. Thin in size but not in performance

On board is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor which is the equivalent of strapping a V8 engine to a tea tray. It’s super fast and I could flip between doom scrolling, game playing and email ignoring in seconds. Gaming was particularly fun, with the 120Hz refresh rate making things silky smooooth.

Add to this 12GB RAM, a 3900mAh battery and 25W charging. Now, that battery size is smaller than we're used to from a Samsung flagship device and is a compromise due to the small form factor of the chassis — more on this later, but it does feel like a forced compromise.

3. AI is here and it’s here to stay

Away from the hardware, the big push from Samsung in the last year or so is AI. And it is ever present in the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.

Two of the more interesting AI features are the inclusion of Now Brief and Now Bar — these are round-ups of essential information to get you through the day, like weather reports, breaking news and the like. Now Brief is right there on your lock screen so can’t really be ignored. Other things like Circle To Search and Generative Edit, where you can remove objects from the background of photos using AI aren’t new but are really worthy features.

There’s 256GB of storage on board which is plenty, even if you are a photo fiend or still like having a record shop's worth of songs downloaded to your phone.

4. Cameras are ace, but streamlined

There are two cameras on the S25 Edge. Now, two is plenty — and both of the cameras on board are fantastic — but on the regular S25 range there are three cameras to choose from. The main camera uses a 200MP sensor, while the second camera is a 12MP ultrawide. On the front is a 12MP sensor, too.

You can also record video up to 8K and I found some really fun features here, including super slow motion shooting, night-ography mode, portrait enhancer, and super resolution zoom.

There are also specific modes for food photography (a nod to all those foodie influencers out there, a dedicated portrait mode and dual recording so you can record yourself and whatever you are looking at.

5. Battery could be better

With such a slight frame, something was going to have to give when it came to the Samsung S25 Galaxy Edge and it seems that it’s the battery. It’s not bad but I have been used to all day and then some, from the likes of the Nothing phone range. Here it’s around 12 hours which is a lot less than the rest of the S25 range.

I did manage to juice it up to around 50% in 30 minutes, though, so the fear of the thing losing power was more of a niggle than an outright anxiety attack.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: Final Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is one of the best-looking handsets out there. It boasts brilliant AI smarts, fantastic performance power and two solid rear cameras. Its battery life could be better but this phone is a stunning piece of technological design — If it means a few hours have to be shaved off the battery to achieve this, then I am all for it.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is available now, starting from £1,099.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is here — and improves upon its predecessor in every way possible, while still retaining the magic of the original's transforming charm.

The Mario maker’s first brand-new machine in eight years, Nintendo has opted to refine the concept rather than overhaul a winning formula, and that's a good thing. This is the Switch you know and love, with the rough edges polished to a sheen, nitro in its engine — and a few new tricks that you can't believe you lived without before.

Some of the features that we weren't convinced about pre-release have left us astonished when tested — not least of all the GameChat and camera features, which have to be used to understand how significant they are.

It's expensive, but this is a worthy upgrade for all existing Switch owners who can afford to dive in — and will prove an absolute delight for those that haven't had the pleasure of living with a Switch before.

Nintendo Switch 2: The core specs and features

Before we get into the jaw-dropping details, here’s a quick run down of the main features of the new console.

• More powerful: The Switch 2 can play games at higher resolutions and faster framerates than the original Switch, up to 4K / 120fps depending on the game, thanks to a new (as-yet-unnamed) Nvidia mobile chipset.
• New dock: Capable of 4K output, this larger dock has a built-in fan to keep the console cool when connected to your TV.
• Bigger screen: With a 7.9-inch screen, the Switch 2 has a considerably bigger display than the 6.2-inch original and 7-inch OLED model. It’s also sharper too, with a 1080p display, and is richer thanks to HDR and VRR frame rate support. That VRR support does NOT extend to docked play though, whether your TV supports it or not.
• Backwards compatible: 99.9% of original Switch games work on the Switch 2.
• New Joy-Con controllers: Not only are the new controllers bigger, with bigger joysticks, but they attach to the console with a new magnetic connection. Each Joy-Con 2 pad can instantly turn into a mouse for the console too, by placing it on its side.
• GameChat: A new dedicated button on the console fires up a built-in microphone and turns on in-game chat for you and your online friends. If you purchase a sold-separately camera, you can also see your pals while you play, with some games putting your video feed into the action. Video and voice chat features are tied to the Nintendo Switch Online subscription. Despite initial skepticism, it now feels like a killer feature that can't be missed.
• Storage and expansion: You get 256GB of built-in storage on the Switch 2. That's expandable, but you must get the new (and pricey) microSD Express cards for the new console — standard microSD won't work.
• Pricing and availability: Available for purchase now (if you can find a retailer that still has stock) the Nintendo Switch 2 costs £395.99. A good-value bundle throws in Mario Kart World for £429, — a big saving considering the game itself costs £74.99 if it were bought individually. The console was released on June 5th. It’s a price bump (the games are on average £10 more expensive, too). But the new features justify the leap.

• Nintendo Switch 2 order: Where to buy Nintendo's new console

Now, on to the good stuff — the details that impressed us most during our hands-on time…

Getting started: Simple set-up and a whizz-fast interface

Coming charged straight out of the box and ready to play, the Nintendo Switch 2 offers up a relatively thorough guide to how all its new hardware works when you first fire it up. Onscreen prompts tell you about the position of the console’s kickstand, how to detach the newly-magnetic Joy-Con controllers, how to re-attach them, and the many different controller configurations they open up.

It’ll even talk you through how to transfer system data from an original Switch to a new Switch 2 console — though, like us, you might have to jump a couple of hoops to make that feature work.

It’s otherwise a painless operation though. Setting up the dock, for instance, is a breeze too. The Nintendo Switch 2 charges over USB-C, and connecting the provided power pack to the docking station that comes in the box, along with a 4K high-speed HDMI cable that hooks up to your TV, lets you quickly move from handheld to sofa-bound play sessions. Head into the settings section and there are easy-to-follow instructions for making sure the new HDR image options pop.

If this all sounds quite familiar, then that’s somewhat intentional — this is a console that aims to build on the success of the Switch, rather than reinvent the wheel.

That familiarity extends to the user interface, which feels very similar to the grid-based layout of apps, games and storefronts found on the first Switch. The central part of the homescreen is dominated by your most recently played games, with an app library at the far right. Above that are icons for changing user profiles, and quick info like the time, Wi-Fi connectivity, and battery level.

Below that central strip are further options for accessing: the Nintendo Switch Online service; new GameChat features; the Nintendo news feed; the eShop digital game store; a library for your screenshots; GameShare (letting you play with another Switch player from a single cartridge or game download); Virtual Game Cards (Nintendo’s management system for sharing digital games across user profiles and consoles); general settings and a Sleep option.

Though it all more-or-less looks the same as it did on the first console, what’s striking is just how smooth it all feels in operation. The original Switch was hamstrung by a low memory allowance that had to be shared between in-action games and the core operating system behind everything. But with the Switch 2’s added processing oomph, everything flies along, with not a stutter to the interface — and a considerable boost to game loading speeds too. The eShop in particular is starkly different, much more pleasurable and responsive to browse — which is certain to be music to the ears of the golden coin-counting money men at Nintendo’s Kyoto HQ.

Nintendo Switch 2 screen is so much better than gen 1

Larger at 7.9-inches, brighter and running at higher frame rates, the Switch 2 LCD display is excellent, a massive improvement over the original Switch. With HDR and VRR features, the screen really pops, richer and smoother than the gen 1 display, with the power of the processor letting it run at twice the resolution, too. This is a 1080p display, rather than the 720p max of the original Switch. Viewing angles are massively improved, meaning you’ll more easily be able to share it when gathered around in tabletop mode.

VRR support might be the standout, most useful feature. In high-end games that struggle to maintain a solid frame rate, this feature smooths out the fluctuations in frame presentation, so as to make the dips less pronounced. It's just a shame it's not featured in the dock too, meaning even if your TV supports VRR, the Switch 2 won't benefit when plugged into your telly. For a game like Hitman 3, this is a deal breaker — VRR keeps everything smooth on the handheld display, but it leaves everything starkly choppy on the big screen.

Is it the new display as rich as the first Switch’s OLED revision? No, but nearly — blacks are rich, but don't have the inky depth that the OLED has. Nintendo will inevitably be creating a Switch 2 OLED to tempt latecomers and double-dippers to the system. But it’s not a huge gulf between this new-and-improved LCD and the OLED, and until a Switch 2 OLED turns up, it’s sharper and smoother than the pimped-up Switch 1 OLED, too.

As ever with the Switch, the screen unit is also where all the processing power is hidden. It's effectively a tablet, with a ten-point multi-touch screen, dual USB-C input (letting you charge the device and plug in accessories like a camera at the same time), a microSD Express storage expansion port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, volume controls and a Game Card slot along the top right edge. Just like the Switch, this main unit can be propped up independently thanks to a (now larger) kickstand on the rear — so you can huddle around it with detached Joy-Cons for a quick local multiplayer match wherever you might be.

Controllers: Joy-Con 2, magnets, mice and Pro pads

Controllers: The Joy-Con 2 magnets are strong

Whereas the original Joy-Con controllers attached to the core console component via a catch-and-release rail system, the new larger Joy-Con 2 controllers instead use magnets to satisfyingly snap to the sides of the Switch 2. The SL and SR buttons on the side of the pads now are made of metal, helping to keep the pads in place, and are released by a trigger that pushes the Joy-Con 2s away from the console.

Larger and heavier than the original Switch, we had our doubts that magnets could effectively hold the new Joy-Cons in place. Keep in mind that it’s a console primarily aimed at families, with youngsters not always great at holding pricey tech carefully. But, much to the horror of bystanders, we held the Switch 2 up by a single Joy-Con 2 to see if the connection could bear the weight of the console itself.

And, even with a little jostle, it held! It makes us much more confident about handing the new machine over to younger members of the family, and is a big part of what makes the new device feel more like a premium gadget than merely a toy, without taking that element of transforming fun out of the equation.

Larger console, better ergonomics: Bigger sticks make a massive difference

The Switch 2 is considerably bigger overall compared to the original Switch. With a 7.9-inch screen, it measures W 272mm x H 114mm x D 14mm and weighs 535g. That's compared to the original Switch's W 241mm x H 102mm x D 14mm and 422g. Though that might be a problem for kids with smaller hands, we actually found it less fatiguing to hold on the whole, as the extra space meant our grip was less cramped.

Bigger Joy-Cons make for more room for larger input controls, and Nintendo has taken advantage of that. It’s almost as if Nintendo has expected its younger Switch audience to have grown with the Switch 2, and scaled everything up to match.

That’s felt nowhere more keenly than with the Joy-Con 2 analogue sticks. They’re a tad bigger, but that makes a huge difference in adult hands, giving you greater on-the-go precision, and making a Nintendo Switch Pro controller less of a must-have accessory than with its predecessor.

The Joy-Con controllers overall feel much more comfortable than their predecessors — a better fit for the now-adult hands that grew up with the smaller original Switch. It's still a flat profile to the console, so you may want to invest in a grip with more traditional-controller like bulges. But even the slight increase in button size helps — single Joy-Con use for instance, held horizontally, is easier to enjoy given the wider layout and bigger SL / SR buttons. The face buttons are also marginally larger.

Will Joy-Con drift still be an issue? That remains a fear, as Nintendo hasn’t employed Hall Effect sticks here. But in every other respect, they’re an improvement.

New modes of play: Mouse control is actually good

You wouldn’t have been the only person to raise an eyebrow when you heard that the new Joy-Con controllers can be used as mice for the Switch 2. They’re a size unlike any other mouse out there, bringing ergonomics into question, not to mention how fit they are for living room play — the Switch’s natural home.

We're happy to report that the Joy-Con 2 controllers make for excellent mice. Turn them on their side and they glide around smoothly and with precision, with the two trigger buttons on each Joy-Con half working as your left and right mouse buttons. They even work well when dragged over your jeans too, meaning sofa play isn’t out of the question.

Whether controlling Samus’s aim in the Metroid Prime 4, dragging wheels in wheelchair basketball game Drag x Drive, or dodging obstacles in Mario Party mini-games, Nintendo already seems like it’s got plenty of ideas on how to use the control scheme, too.

It will take some getting used to — it’s a weird shape, and long-term play might benefit from a grip attachment. You’ll have to relearn where face buttons sit at a horizontal angle too. But, surprisingly, we're pretty excited about playing with a Joy-Con mouse on Switch 2.

Performance and Storage

Though we STILL don’t know exactly what Nvidia chipset is running the show on the Nintendo Switch 2, we can confirm it’s a banger — for the price point, this is the best-performing handheld device on the market, only challenged by portable PCs twice the price.

The Switch 2's chip is thought to be a custom version of the Nvidia Tegra T239 — though Nvidia's own announcement post, detailing some of the tech specs of the Switch 2 chip, did not confirm this.

As mentioned earlier, the interface is super-snappy compared to the Switch 1 predecessor. But things really start cooking in games. We’ll talk about individual titles in a moment, but seeing games run buttery-smooth at Full HD in handheld mode, and pushed to either 4K resolutions or 120Hz refresh rates when docked, is brain-melting. We’ve come a long way from the charming greenscale pixels of the original Game Boy — and the likes of the Steam Deck, ROG Ally, or any potential new handheld from Xbox or PlayStation will need to work hard to match the magic Nintendo has squeezed in here.

More impressive games demand more storage space to fit them on, and the Nintendo Switch 2 comes with a dramatic jump in onboard storage compared to the original Switch. You’re going from 64GB to 256GB of high-speed solid state storage here. You could argue that 512GB would have been a more generous offering at the Switch 2’s relatively high price point, but it is what it is.

What might be slightly more challenging however is expanding that storage space. While the original Switch would work with basically any old microSD card, you’re going to have to fork out for the newer, faster and (importantly) pricier microSD Express cards for the Nintendo Switch 2. That’s not a change for change’s sake — the more demanding games require faster cards in order to work, and microSD Express fits the bill. But it’s a relatively new storage format meaning prices remain high — you’re looking at about £50 quid for an extra 256GB. At least the benefits are clear to see — games loading times are much faster on Switch 2 than they ever were on Switch 1.

Nintendo Switch 2 Dock (and dangers)

As a 'hybrid' handheld games console, the Switch 2 can be placed in an accompanying dock attached to your TV, letting you take your handheld play sessions and instantly carry them over to the biggest screen in your house. So far, so Switch 1 — so what's new with the Switch 2 dock?

Well, for starters, it's a fair bit chunkier then last generation's dock. Black with curved sides and edges, in addition to its HDMI output, USB-C AC adaptor port and LAN cable input, the new dock includes two USB-A ports on its left hand side for charging and pairing accessories, and a ventilation fan system around the back, visible when you pop off the back cover panel.

That fan system was initially thought to be used to help cool the Switch 2 down when docked, but in reality, it's keeping the dock itself cool. That's because the dock itself is doing some heavy lifting now, outputting at 4K resolution when connected to a compatible TV. What's not present however is variable refresh rate (VRR) support — though the console's HDMI port is HDMI 2.1 specification, and the console's own in-built screen can handle it, VRR (which smooths out choppiness in games that can't maintain a constant refresh rate) is not supported in docked play.

One more big thing we would stress — BE EXTRA CAREFUL WHEN TAKING THE SWITCH 2 IN AND OUT OF ITS DOCK. In our first day of play with the Switch 2, we've ended up with the faintest scratch on the screen, and it could only have occured when taking the console out of the dock. It's only visible at extreme angles in certain lighting conditions, but woe are we. Put those screen protectors on before you do anything with the dock, then.

GameChat, cameras, mics and multiplayer accessibility

GameChat = Game-changer

If one element in particular of the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal had us raising eyebrows, it was the GameChat feature. Nintendo seemed to be creating fanfare around a now-standard console experience — voice chat — and ‘elevating’ it with very low-res accompanying video camera feeds.

Reader, we were wrong to doubt Nintendo. So, so wrong — GameChat is the most multiplayer fun we’ve had in years.

Whether you’re using the Switch 2 itself or a Pro controller, a quick button of the new ‘C’ button fires up GameChat. Pick which friends from you list you want to chat with, and a grid appears below the main game screen, showing your friends ready to chat. If they’ve got an external USB camera plugged into their consoles (Nintendo sells a first-party one, but many third-party models work just fine, too), you’ll also get a little video feed of them below the screen too. These can show their whole room, them on a cutout coloured background, or a zoomed-in close up of just their faces, intelligently following them if they move a little.

It’s hard to do justice to how profoundly intimate it makes the whole multiplayer game experience. For starters, it’s one of the easiest group-chat ‘party’ modes we’ve ever set up, taking the friction out of some of the arcane methods some chat clients use.

But more than that, the clarity of the audio, and the simplicity of the video set up, is frictionless.

The audio input is handled by a built-in far-field mic found in the Switch itself — no headset necessary unless privacy is an issue. And the Switch 2 does an incredible job of isolating voice audio away from in-game sounds. We had our Nintendo Switch 2 docked and behind our TV and surround speakers — and it still sent our voice crystal clear without game sound overlapping — from across the room. And though the camera feed is low resolution (sharing your personal gamescreen with friends is more a slideshow than a video), there’s something joyous about seeing your friends’ reactions live to being on the receiving end of a blue Spiny Shell in Mario Kart World.

It also has great accessibility features too — those with poor eyesight can benefit from text-to-speech messaging if a friend sends a text message to your system. And perhaps even more impressive, GameChat can pull off live voice-to-text transcription from a chat, which then can be set to scroll down the right hand side of your screen.

Even after our Mario Kart World game session ended, we still found ourselves hanging around on our call to chat with pals for another hour or so. That’s not something we do on a PlayStation or Xbox voice chat call. This is FaceTime for gamers, and it really is an awesome addition.

Now, there are some concessions here — after a trial period, GameChat will become part of the Nintendo Switch Online subscription, meaning its use will be only available to those that pay for the monthly service. It feels a bit weird to have a dedicated controller button only usable if you essentially subscribe to it (additional retro games on Switch Online notwithstanding). Also, Nintendo’s Friends system, requiring the trade of lengthy friend codes to initially pair up with pals, feels archaic.

It’s also uncharted territory in terms of safeguarding — putting a camera and mic in your console will undoubtedly have unexpected consequences, and could be abused by bad-faith players. This last part is at least partially protected against by the Friends-only camera chat stipulation, and the face GameChat requires an initial phone number authentication to work.

But those grumbles aside, we can’t stress enough just how fun and seamless GameChat felt. This is the closest any console has come to bringing that feeling of couch co-op online, and we absolutely love it for that.

Battery Life

The Nintendo Switch 2 has a 5,220mAh battery. That's a fair bit larger than the original Nintendo Switch's 4,310mAh — but the Switch 2 of course has a lot more going on, so don't expect a playtime bump to go alongside the capacity of the battery.

Nintendo is quoting between 2 hours and 6 hours of playtime per charge of the Switch 2. That's quite the gulf, but also shows the varied demands different games can have on the system. We put that claim to the test, and those worst-case scenarios ring true — with screen brightness at about 80%, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth audio switched on, we got almost spot-on two hours of playtime with Cyberpunk 2077 (probably the most demanding launch game for the new Switch), and with Mario Kart World in its 120fps mode, just a little more at 2 hours 8 minutes.

Admittedly, we'd have liked to have seen more battery life per charge than this, but it's roughly in the same ballpark as similar handhelds like the Steam Deck.

In a nice touch, you can now choose whether or not to charge your battery to 100% each time you plug it in, or lower that max to 80%. Though this may feel counterintuitive, in the long run this will improve the longevity of your system's battery, so is probably worth using save for those days when you know you're going to be on the road with your Switch 2 for hours on end.

Switch 2 vs Switch 1

Wondering how the key stats and specs of the Nintendo Switch 2 compare to original Nintendo Switch model? Check out the table below for the details:

Nintendo Switch 2 games: From first party Mario Kart World to AAA Cyberpunk 2077

Between previews and across the review period, we've now played dozens of games on the Nintendo Switch 2. This includes new Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives, enhanced-for-Switch 2 original Switch games, and standard Switch games in backwards compatibility mode.

With but a few rare exceptions which we'll detail below, the experience has been exemplary. Many new games target 60fps and 4K output when docked, or 1080p and 120fps in handheld mode, and remain (to the naked eye) stable. Switch 1 games patched with Switch 2 enhancements can feel like brand new games, and even games not specifically updated for the new console can feel smoother by virtue of the new console's additional horsepower. Here's some key thoughts on what we've played so far.

Mario Kart World is a first-party smash

THE game at the Nintendo 2 launch is Mario Kart World. Considering the Switch's classic Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was a port of a Wii U title, this actually the first new Mario Kart game in close to a decade. And it's a riot.

In terms of visuals, despite the cartoony nature of the Mario universe, it makes a great showcase for the Switch 2 hardware. Now presented as an open world, and supporting as many as 24 karters on screen at once, it's a tornado of colours, animations and particle effects, with landmarks looming far into the distance in a way not seen in Mario Kart games before. Physics, such as dynamic water wave effects, are used liberally, and the game can hit a buttery smooth 120fps. There's loads going on here that just wouldn't be possible on the original Switch. The new Rainbow Road track has to be seen to be believed.

It's loads of fun too, once you get your head around how manic everything is. Anew knockout leg-to-leg race mode brings Fortnite-style battle-royale mechanics to the racer, making for tense extended races. And single player open-world cruising is a game in its own right, as well as tying the waiting time between races together — it's here that you can go offroad, hunt unlockable outfits for characters, and take on skill-testing racing challenges. It'll take some more time with Mario Kart World to see whether it has the engine to keep us playing as long as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe did, but it's a cracking launch game either way.

We'd argue that this is however perhaps the least approachable Mario Kart game. The additional players in online mode make it pure chaos, and harder than ever to get a win over the game's hardcore elite, requiring expert use of the game's deep trick system. That, however, hasn't stopped it from dominating our Switch 2 playtime — we're thinking of diving straight back in after finishing this write up!

Nintendo's only other brand new first party game at launch is Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. It's a budget title at £7.99, and a charming idea — you essentially play as a tourist exploring a giant, top-down Nintendo Switch 2 console, with each part of the hardware hiding mini-games that show off what the new machine is capable of. It's well designed, like a model town built on top of a games console, and some of its minigames are very addictive — not least the mouse-showcasing game that has your guiding a spaceship around obstacles. But it really should have been a pack-in freebie, or at least thrown in with Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions. There's not much game here, but will make a good introduction for those members of your family that may not be so comfortable as gamers.

AAA gaming on the go actually works

…Which bodes incredibly well for future, high-end ports to the system. When Cyberpunk 2077 first released on PC back in 2020, we had to rebuild a relatively-good PC for it run at any acceptable rate. And it was a really shoddy experience when it first hit PS4 and Xbox One.

So the fact that Cyberpunk 2077 not only works on the handheld Switch 2 system, but looks great and runs surprisingly well at a stable 30fps, is shocking. It’s not the mega-flashy ray-tracing experience a high-end PC player gets, but it’s not so compromised as to detract from the fun of the gigantic, demanding game. We've played several hours of Cyberpunk 2077 on Switch now, and could honestly see ourselves diving back in for another full playthrough of the grim sci-fi RPG. There are some frame rate dips, sure, but there’s also a bit of time for some further refinements with post-launch updates. It makes us hopeful that we could see more games of great scale with modern technological features eventually make their way to the console.

Cyberpunk wasn't the only port that impressed us. Yakuza 0: Director's Cut may be less flashy, but its flawless 4K / 60fps docked output was a pleasure to play, wiping the floor with performance on the comparable Steam Deck handheld PC. It's also heartening for older gamers to see titles like Yakuza alongside Cyberpunk 2077, showing that out of the gates Nintendo is looking to cater to adult gamers as well as the kiddies.

Hogwarts Legacy is aimed at the kiddies though, and offers an interesting point of comparison as it already has a relatively hamstrung original Switch port. A mega-hit open world game in the Harry Potter world of witchcraft and wizardry, it's a charming title with beautiful wide open spaces to explore and detailed castle interiors to discover secrets within. In this native Switch 2 edition, it's incredibly impressive to look at from a handheld perspective — a night-and-day improvement over the muddy Switch 1 version, and on a par with the standard seen on the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game. Frame rates stay stable around the 30fps mark, making this a stress-free way to cast some gaming magic on the go.

It's not all roses though. Hitman: World of Assassination (Signature Edition) was perhaps our most eagerly-awaited of the third-party launch titles. Casting you as a resourceful assassin in luxuriously intricate locations, you've got to use your wits and your surroundings to take out targets undetected. It's a massive game with loads of replayability, making it perfect to dive into in Switch's hybrid format. But unfortunately Hitman is all over the place on Switch 2, unable to maintain a stable framerate. It's not so bad in handheld mode, where the console's VRR screen smooths out the peaks and troughs in the frame rate. But on the bigscreen, where VRR isn't available, it's near unplayable, jumping wildly from smooth action to barely-double-digit frame rates in some scenes. We're hoping a future patch, perhaps more aggressively dialling in dynamic resolution scaling, can fix this. But for now we'd pass on it.

Switch 2 Edition games from the Switch 1 era

In time for the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo has revisited some of its older first-party titles, and given them a patch that sees them take advantage of the new abilities of the modern machine. From what we've seen of these titles so far, they're as good as full blown remasters, and reason enough to take another look if you've even sunk hundreds of hours before into them.

This updates are split into two camps — paid-for updates, and free updates.

In the first paid-for camp sit Nintendo's amazing The Legend of Zelda games — Breath of the Wild, and its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom. They'll cost £7.99 each — though these specific upgrades are free to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers.

These updates are incredible. The game now runs at a solid 60fps, at up to 4K resolution, with HDR visuals and significantly faster load times. They're remarkably improved, particularly in handheld mode, and especially with Tears of the Kingdom, which could have some severe frame rate drops thanks to its 'Ultra Hand' make-your-own gadgets feature.

On top of that, it now includes 'Zelda Notes', a feature of the Nintendo Switch mobile app, giving you a dynamic, GPS-like mapping system that lets you track down hidden secrets more easily.

In terms of free updates, we gave a quick look to Super Mario Odyssey, another Switch 1 classic. Though it doesn't have the external app features the Zelda games get, it's otherwise essentially just as impressive — faster loading times, much improved resolutions and framerates, and greater detail on items in the distance.

If you're a first-time Switch player on these titles, you're getting superlative versions of these titles. And that's excellent. Here's hoping Nintendo takes the time to revisit other games in its back catalogue in a similar fashion, and that other developers follow suit.

Non-patched Switch 1 games on Switch 2

For the most part, playing unpatched original Switch games on Switch 2 will bring with it some benefits — some subtle, some huge. Almost all titles will benefit from improved loading times, thanks to the speedier nature of the storage in use on the new console. And many games will get a frame rate boost too.

What's key here is what was the bottleneck first time around. If a game was heavily reliant on CPU processing, you might not see a huge difference, as Switch 2's CPU isn't dramatically better than Switch 1. But if it was a GPU issue holding back performance of an older game, the new console will likely give it a notable boost, as that's where the majority of internal improvements have been made on the Switch 2.

Games that had an uncapped framerate as a result will now be able to hit heights not possible on Switch 1 hardware, with the flexibility left in by the developers automatically harnessed by the new hardware. The same goes for dynamic resolution scaling, so long as higher resolutions were factored in beyond the confines of the original console output.

But games played on the handheld can, counter-intuitively, sometimes look worse on the Switch 2, too. If a Switch 1 game didn't have dynamic resolution scaling, and was running at a lowly resolution on Switch 1, that blurry image is going to be blown up even larger on the Switch 2's bigger display. It's largely an improvement overall, but be ready for some outliers to break the spell — at least until (or unless) its developers put out patches to take advantage of the Switch 2's skillset.

GameCube games on Nintendo Switch Online

Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers get long-awaited access to (it pains us to call them this) 'retro' GameCube titles. It's a small offering to begin with — just The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, F Zero GX and Soul Calibur II.

A nice history lesson for those that didn't get to appreciate them back in 2001, these are three excellent titles. Wind Waker is a modern classic (even if we'd have rather seen its much-improved Wii U version make the jump here instead), and the other two titles are superb multiplayer games — F-Zero a blisteringly-fast racer, and Soul Calibur II a superb weapon-based 1-1 fighter.

In higher resolutions, with rewind and save state support, and including GameChat features, they're feature-rich ports — much cheaper than picking up retro hardware online, and much simpler to get going with than entering the legally murky realm of emulation.

Nintendo Switch 2: Verdict

The Nintendo Switch 2 is very much a sequel — but a great one at that. Bigger, flashier, building on the foundations of what came before rather than a conceptual restart. Evolution, not revolution — but refined in all the right ways to make the original Switch console look like a dinosaur by comparison.

Nintendo has clearly delivered a substantial upgrade with the Nintendo Switch 2. So many of the main drawbacks of the first Switch have been answered by this re-imagined design, and surprising features — like the mouse control, GameChat and screen specifications — have exceeded our expectations when seen and used in person.

Joy-Con 2 controllers feel less toy like and are more ergonomic, thanks to their larger size and improved attachment system. The processing grunt under the hood paves the way for ambitious ports and third-party titles — with support from outside studios already present for Nintendo's new console. And the screen, though not an OLED, is a beauty — sharp and with great high-refresh rate features making games feel wonderfully smooth in hand.

It's an expensive console, and not as groundbreaking a design as that initial Switch concept was. But everything here is improved. The Switch 2 is Mario after he's eaten his power up mushroom — and it's got a star-bright future ahead of it.

• 9 Nintendo Switch 2 Games, Played and Ranked: Our Most Anticipated Titles

A TV is usually a living-room centrepiece, a family purchase that everyone gathers around to enjoy. But the gamers in your household will want to smuggle the LG C5 OLED48C5 into their gaming dens and claim it as their own. While other manufacturers often compromise on their smaller form factors, LG has delivered a masterclass with killer gaming specifications in this 48-inch powerhouse.

It’s not a huge leap in performance over the C4 era displays at this size, and you’ll still need to do some out-of-the-box tweaking to its image presets. But, even with some audio compromises, this feels like a screen purpose built for solo gaming on, just as much as it is for the family movie night. Here’s 5 key things to know about the 48-inch LG C5 OLED.

LG C5 OLED48C5: In short…

• Excellent contrast and detail
• Four HDMI 2.1 ports with one eARC
• VRR, ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming support
• Alpha 9 Gen 8 processor
• webOS 25 with Xbox streaming app
• Available now, priced £1,499 RRP

1. Design, Build and Core Features – Refinement Over Reinvention

At first glance, the LG C5 OLED48C5 looks very familiar, and that’s largely intentional. LG hasn’t attempted a radical redesign for this generation of its C-series OLEDs, instead opting for a refined, proven formula. The slim panel, minimal bezels and understated central stand give the TV a premium appearance that fits easily into most living spaces, whether placed on a cabinet or wall-mounted. Build quality is reassuringly solid, with no sense of corners being cut despite the relatively compact 48-inch size.

Under the hood, the C5 continues to use LG’s WOLED panel technology rather than the brighter (and now retired) MLA, or QD-OLED alternatives found in more expensive models. There’s no heatsink either here, which does limit peak brightness compared with flagship OLEDs, meaning the screen’s brightness is tuned more conservatively to avoid burn-in.

One of the most impressive aspects of the C5’s feature set is its connectivity. All four HDMI inputs are full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, supporting 4K resolution at up to 144Hz. This is a standout specification, particularly in this size and price category, and makes the TV extremely flexible for anyone running multiple top-tier gaming consoles alongside streaming devices or Blu-ray players. Support for VRR, ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming is present across all ports, which is something many competitors still struggle to match.

Processing duties are handled by LG’s Alpha 9 Gen 8 processor. This brings updated AI-based picture and sound processing, improved upscaling of lower-resolution content, and more nuanced HDR tone mapping. The TV supports HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision, but, as with previous LG OLEDs, HDR10+ is not included. A Samsung standard, it’s unsurprising, but its growing popularity makes it a notable omission.

2. Picture Quality – OLED Strengths With A Few Caveats

When it comes to picture quality, the LG C5 successfully delivers what you would expect from a modern OLED TV: deep blacks, excellent contrast and strong overall clarity. In darker scenes, the TV excels, producing inky blacks without crushing shadow detail, allowing subtle textures and gradations to remain visible. This gives films and high-quality TV dramas a cinematic look that LCD-based TVs often struggle to replicate.

Out of the box, however, the default picture modes can be a little overenthusiastic. Colours may appear warmer than strictly accurate, and highlights can sometimes look slightly pushed. Switching to Filmmaker Mode or making modest adjustments brings the image much closer to reference standards, revealing a more balanced and natural presentation — even if that mode leans a little cool.

Colour reproduction is generally rich and engaging. Bright scenes benefit from strong vibrancy, while more muted sequences retain a pleasing sense of realism. That said, the C5 isn’t entirely flawless. In certain challenging scenes, such as complex skin tones or very bright HDR material, the TV can occasionally look a touch flat. These issues are subtle rather than glaring, and many viewers may never notice them, but they do prevent the C5 from being class-leading in absolute picture fidelity.

Motion handling is another area where setup matters. With LG’s motion processing enabled at default levels, fast movement will look artificial. Once adjusted, however, motion becomes impressively smooth without introducing excessive soap-opera effect or unwanted artefacts. Sports broadcasts and action films both benefit from a bit of careful tuning away from the presets.

Overall, the C5’s picture quality is consistently impressive and often excellent, even if it stops just short of being truly best-in-class.

3. Gaming Performance – The C5 At Its Best

Gaming is where the LG C5 OLED really shines. LG continues to position its C-series OLEDs as gaming-friendly displays, and the C5 may be one of the strongest examples yet, especially at this size. While a 42-incher is perfect for a superlative desktop gaming set-up, one of these in your gaming nook will make you the envy of your pad-pawing mates.

Four HDMI 2.1 ports capable of 4K at up to 144Hz is a huge advantage. Whether you’re connecting a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, gaming PC or all three at once, the TV handles them effortlessly. Variable Refresh Rate support reduces screen tearing, while Auto Low Latency Mode ensures the TV switches automatically into its most responsive gaming mode when a console is detected.

Input lag is extremely low, making gameplay feel immediate and responsive. Fast-paced shooters and competitive multiplayer titles benefit particularly from this, while more cinematic single-player games take advantage of the TV’s strong contrast and HDR performance.

Dolby Vision gaming support further enhances the experience on compatible Xbox titles, offering richer HDR visual, fuss-free. LG’s Game Optimiser menu also provides a convenient hub for adjusting gaming-specific settings, allowing players to fine-tune performance without diving through multiple sub-menus.

For gamers looking for a premium 48-inch TV that can double as both a console and PC display, the C5 is among the best options available.

4. Smart TV Platform – Feature-Rich But Slightly Dated

LG’s webOS 25 smart platform powers the C5, and it remains one of the most comprehensive smart TV systems on the market. Major streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+ and YouTube are all present, with broad support for 4K and HDR formats.

This version of webOS introduces additional gaming-focused features, including an Xbox cloud gaming app and Bluetooth controller pairing, making it possible to stream games directly to the TV without a console — a boon for the gaming-curious.

Navigation is generally smooth and responsive, though the interface can feel a little busy at times. LG’s emphasis on content recommendations and promotional tiles may not appeal to purists who prefer a cleaner home screen.

The Magic Remote remains a divisive feature. Some users appreciate its pointer-based navigation, while others find it less intuitive than traditional button-based remotes. Compared with newer minimalist remotes from rival brands, it does feel slightly dated, even if it remains functional.

Despite these minor criticisms, webOS remains a strong smart TV platform overall.

5. Sound Quality – Boost With A Bar

If there’s one area where the LG C5 clearly falls behind its visual performance, it’s sound quality. The built-in 2.2-channel, 40W speaker system is competent but unremarkable, particularly given the TV’s premium aspirations.

Dialogue is generally clear, but the soundstage lacks width and depth. Effects and music can feel compressed, and there’s little sense of directionality or immersion. LG’s AI Sound modes attempt to improve things, but they often add an unreal quality to sound, rather than genuine enhancement.

Bass is limited, as expected from a slim OLED design, and action scenes lack the weight and impact needed to truly impress. While the audio is serviceable for casual viewing, it doesn’t match the quality of the picture.

For anyone serious about home cinema, a soundbar or external audio system is strongly recommended to unlock the TV’s full potential, but remember — with a low-profile base, you’re going to need a slimline bar should you want to avoid obscuring the screen itself.

Final Verdict

The LG C5 OLED48C5 is a refined, highly capable OLED TV that plays to LG’s traditional strengths. Its picture quality is consistently strong, its gaming performance is particularly outstanding, and its feature set is among the most generous in its class. While it doesn’t dramatically improve on its predecessor and has clear weaknesses in audio performance, it remains one of the most well-rounded 48-inch OLED TVs available.

For viewers seeking a compact premium OLED that excels with films, TV shows and games alike, the C5 is an easy recommendation — provided you’re willing to pair it with external audio to complete the experience. If you want a premium 48-inch OLED for movies, series and serious gaming, it’s very hard to go wrong.

Two things make the Sky Glass gen 2 smart TV stick out from the crowd. First is its excellent interface that collates top streaming shows and movies into a single system for you to browse, no matter if they’re a Sky exclusive, a Netflix new release, or whatever third-party service your eyeballs are glued to. Secondly is its sound system, with a bombastic built in sound bar and upfiring speakers for Dolby Atmos surround sound listening.

But what if you’re into that interface and already have a great set of speakers at home? Or like the idea of a Sky-built telly, but can’t quite stomach the price tag of the premium sets and their top tier audio.

Enter Sky Glass Air. Revealed alongside Sky Glass gen 2 earlier this year, it’s a budget friendly offering that scales back the audio and high-end image features in favour of a value-oriented price tag.

Hitting stores in the coming days, we’ve had the pleasure of a hands-on viewing session with the new Sky Glass Air range, and are happy to report that, in this case, a cut price doesn’t mean cut corners. Here’s four things you need to know if you’re thinking of picking it up as your next telly purchase.

Sky Glass Air: The core specs and key features

• A solid screen: UHD Quantum Dot LCD, 4K resolution, support for Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG
• Slim and stylish: Three sizes available (48-, 55-, or 65-inches), in three colours (green, grey or white)
• High-spec HDMI: 3x HDMI 2.1 ports, with eARC and CEC support (plus USB-C and USB-A ports)
• Quick connectivity: Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 LE and Classic, plus AirPlay 2 support
• Voice activation: Speak-to-wake microphones in TV and remote for hands-free voice control
• All your shows and movies in one place: Mix content from Sky TV and apps including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+ and Amazon into one playlist interface
• Cheap-as-chips monthly costs: 48-month interest free payment plans offered,from £6 a month

1. Slim style, sans soundbar

A quick glance at the Sky Glass Air, and you might be forgiven for thinking it's simply the standard Sky Glass gen 2 screen. It’s certainly following a similar design language with its coloured frame and Sky OS-forward interface. But look more closely and there are two key differences — gone are the built in soundbar and up-firing speakers, and as a result, the chunkier profile of full-fat Sky Glass is replaced with a slimline panel depth. It’s just 69mm thick on the 43-inch and 55-inch models, and slightly thicker at 77mm for the 65-inch model.

This is the key cost-cutting change between the two models, leaving you with a standard two speaker stereo system in the panel. It sounds fine out of the box, but if you’ve got a soundbar or speakers at home you’re happy with, you can easily beef things up over a HDMI eARC connection on the back of the screen.

They’re great looking tellies too — the bold ‘Cotton White’ casing is our favourite, but Sea Green and Carbon Grey finishes should fit nicely in more reserved living rooms, while a minimalist stand is both simple to set up clicking into place without screws. With no need for a satellite dish (all content here beams over Wi-Fi) and the need for loads of separate streaming devices to be plugged in negated by Sky’s all-in-one streamer aggregating interface, cable management is kept to a minimum, too.

However, the bottom edge of the screen has very low clearance off of the surface it stands on. So if you’re planning on pairing with a soundbar, you may want to consider wall-mounting the screen, for fear of obscuring the bottom area of the picture.

2. A scintillating screen

Sky Glass Air makes use of a 4K Quantum Dot screen. It’s not a top-tier pricey OLED, but its LCD panel punches above its weight class in terms of pricing. Though it uses global dimming rather than dining zones to control the contrast between light and dark sections of a picture, it does well to avoid some of the key drawbacks of the technology, avoiding washed out dark scenes and halo effects when light sources interact with black canvases. It’s a step down from the Sky Glass gen 2, sure – but not a huge one that the average viewer would be able to spot outside a side-by-side comparison.

One of the key, convenient tricks of the Sky Glass Air experience is its Auto viewing mode. Though you can manually set custom picture settings, or dial through presets such as Sport, Music and Vivid, Sky uses its knowledge of the sort of programming you’re watching to automatically tune the picture based on what you’re currently viewing. Without you needing to lift a finger, Glass Air is always looking its best.

3. The main event — the Sky OS interface

Our absolute favourite part of the Sky Glass experience — whether on this new Sky Glass Air model or the top-tier Sky Glass gen 2 — is the Sky OS interface, which is essentially identical across all of Sky’s TV models, no matter the price or size.

In a nutshell, it pulls all of your streaming services’ content into one place, alongside Sky’s own shows and live TV offerings, letting you browse and play content without having to individually dive into separate apps. So your next-up Netflix watch sits alongside your Disney watchlist and your half-finished Apple TV+ film. Sky smartly organises and aggregates from each service, so similar genres of shows and movies can sit next to each other, even if they’re from competing apps. In a household full of different viewers, you can keep your individual favourites separate via Playlists, personalised to each person.

You’ve plenty of options when it comes to searching for shows too, whether that’s via the remote control, browsing Sky’s spot-on recommendations, or using voice search — with mics built into both the TV and the remote control itself. Search for content based on genre, director, celebrity stars, topics and more — Sky OS will throw up all the shows and movies that match its database. With so many services to parse, it makes hunting down hidden gems from across your available catalogues as easy as opening your mouth.

4. Sky on a budget

The most attractive part for cash-strapped viewers might be the price though — you can get the Sky Glass Air for as little as £6 a month, depending on the size and payment plan you go for. Over a 48 month interest free contract, the 43-inch model kicks off at £6 a month, rising to £10 a month for the 55-inch model, and £13 a month for the 65-incher. Halve the contract length, double those monthly prices.

You can also of course pick the TVs by purchasing them outright — the 43-incher costs £309, the 55-inch Sky Glass Air is £509, and the 65-inch bi boy is £649. For the 43-inch model that feels particularly good value — TVs at that price at that screen size can be a bit shabby, and Sky Glass Air is anything but that.

But there’s a bit of a catch here of course — when it comes to buying a TV from Sky, hardware costs are only part of the picture. Though you can get a basic TV signal in over an aerial to Sky Glass Air, to get all the smart features like voice control, playlists and content aggregation — not to mention access to Sky TV shows and movies — you’re going to have to cough up for a Sky TV subscription too. They start at £15 a month, bundling in Sky’s flagship TV channels and an ad-supported Netflix subscription. With so much of what makes Air special being that Sky interface special sauce, you’re not going to want this screen without that subscription. So, in reality, it’s more like a starting price of £21 per month.

That’s still a pretty good value offering though. It’s a great interface, solid picture quality, and a smart feature set crammed into the Sky Glass Air range. It’s easy to imagine this becoming the go-to TV for cash-strapped telly addicts, or those that want a convenient second screen somewhere else in their already-Sky-equipped households.

Fancy picking one up? Sky Glass Air goes on sale on June 10th, and can be ordered straight from Sky, or via Currys stores.

• The best movies on NOW TV worth watching today

The Sky Glass gen 2 TV might just be the most convenient — and best sounding — telly that’s ever been built.

Sky is taking what it learnt with the first iteration of Sky Glass — the company’s first jump from set-top box maker to full blown TV manufacturer, released in 2022 — and with Sky Glass gen 2 makes significant improvements over its predecessor, a sophomore effort that boosts screen picture quality while also rolling in a few years’ worth of incremental software upgrades.

It ends up with a television that’s got everything that the average binge-watching telly addict could need in one single device — enough to keep you happily glued to your sofa for years to come.

We’ve had the 55-inch Sky Glass gen 2 at the centre of our movie nights for a few months now. Read on for 7 reasons why it should take pride of place in your living room.

Sky Glass gen 2: The core specs and features

• An upgraded display: UHD Quantum Dot LCD, 4K resolution, support for Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG
• Style and colour: Three sizes available (48-, 55- or 65-inches), in three colours (silver, grey or blue)
• Superior audio: Dolby Atmos capable sound bar and up-firing speakers built in, with seven speakers in total for 250W output.
  High-end HDMI: 3x HDMI 2.1 ports, with eARC and CEC support (plus USB-C and USB-A ports)
• Speedy connectivity: Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 LE and Classic, plus AirPlay 2 support
• Smart power and voice features: Motion detection power-up, plus an ambient light sensor and speak-to-wake microphones for hands-free voice control
• An intuitive app-integrated viewing experience: Mix content from Sky TV and apps including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+ and Amazon into one playlist interface
• Spread-the-load pricing: 48-month interest free payment plans offered

1. No satellite? No problem

Before we get started, you might be thinking “Sky? Don’t I need a satellite for that?” Nope! With the first Sky Glass, Sky moved away from needing a satellite dish installation to beam shows and movies to your home, and continues in that tradition with Sky Glass gen 2. Instead, all you need is a half decent Wi-Fi connection, and it doesn’t have to be provided by Sky, either. From there, all content — including live shows and sports — stream over the web. It makes it way easier to get up and running with Sky Glass — especially for people living in properties where getting a satellite installed isn’t possible.

2. Simplicity at its core, from set-up to interface

If there’s one core principle of the Sky Glass gen 2 experience, it’s in its simplicity. And that’s right from the moment you open up the box — there’s no fiddly screws to connect the TV to its stand, as the two pieces simply slot together.

It extends to the interface too. Sky offers loads of ways to browse its TV-viewing wares, from a traditional chronological TV guide to ‘rails’ of recommendations on its homescreen, to individual user playlists and the native streaming app experiences themselves. That may sound overwhelming, but in practice it’s incredibly easy to navigate.

The trump card here is that all the content is aggregated into one place — your last-watched Netflix show sits next to the Sky documentary you’re half way through, and alongside the Disney+ movie you’ve saved for later.

There’s no jumping between sources (though you can dial into individual apps if you like), and even searching for stuff is made simple thanks to mics built not only into the remote, but the TV itself. You can ask Sky to ‘show me Pedro Pascal films’, and it’ll pull up everything he’s in on all your available services — you can even then save him as a favourite actor for quick access later on.

Those voice commands extend to TV controls too, whether that’s switching the thing off and on, or jumping to a specific channel, or changing the volume. Everything can of course be handled by the remote control— and it’s a very comfy, easily navigated one at that. But even should you lose the remote control down the back of the sofa, you can ask the TV to locate it, causing the remote to beep.

As everything is streamed from the internet, recordings on Sky Glass gen 2 aren’t strictly recordings — there’s no hard drive storage accessible here. Instead, think of things you save more like bookmarks, with Sky making a quick shortcut to the content you’re looking to view.

Local recordings definitely have benefits Glass can’t match — say, just recording a snippet of an hours-long show — but the Glass approach has its plus points, too. For starters, there are no storage limitations, so your watchlist can stretch as long as you’d like and, thanks to Sky’s smart content tagging system behind the scenes, your saves will update and automatically change service, should they get pulled from one streaming service and placed on another.

3. Much improved picture quality

A key criticism of the first generation of Sky Glass was with its picture quality. It was by no means bad, but it was a little uninspiring compared to top-tier models from other manufacturers. Sky Glass gen 2 is a significant improvement over the first edition — though it’s still an LCD display as opposed to the class-leading OLED panels in the most desirable sets on the market, its 4K Quantum Dot display is much punchier than its predecessor.

The most obvious difference is in brightness levels, with gen 2 significantly brighter than the first model, making its HDR modes (Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG are all supported) and daylight viewing more pleasing. Its local dimming zones now also does a better job of dealing with blooming effects (that halo effect you see on some screens when light objects sit in front of dark backgrounds), and colour banding (where the gradients of colours seem block like instead of a smooth transition from one shade to the next).

One way Sky ensures the TV is looking its best (and adds another layer of convenience), is by automatically applying picture settings based on what you’re watching. Pop on a film and it’ll switch over to ‘Movie’ mode, with a warmer, cinematic colour palette and calmer contrast, while turn on the footy and ‘Sports’ is activated, dialling up a cooler colour profile, higher contrast and prioritising smooth motion.

You can override these auto settings with whichever preset you prefer at any time, or create a ‘Custom’ viewing mode giving you control over colour saturation, brightness and more. But for the ‘plug-in-and-forget-it’ masses, it means image quality should be tuned just as intended without any fiddling with the settings.

If you like a REALLY punchy picture, Sky’s also introduced ‘Vivid’ and ‘Extra Vivid’ viewing modes, which push colour saturation and brightness to their limits. I’d suggest using them in moderation, but they can add lots of pop to colourful animated kids films.

4. Sky’s-the-limit sound

Perhaps the most impressive element of the Sky Glass gen 2 package though is its audio. For our money this is the best sounding TV out there — especially in terms of value, with only a handful of very pricey soundbar-equipped TVs otherwise coming close.

As with the original Sky Glass, gen 2 comes equipped with both a forward-facing soundbar built in below the screen, and up-firing speakers for spatial audio modes like Dolby Atmos that aim to project and bounce sound off the walls for an encompassing surround sound feeling.

And it’s really got some heft behind it. Sky Glass gen 2 is notably thicker than the paper-thing screens we now see in store showrooms, but isn’t chubby. That extra inch is put to good use though, giving room for the speakers to push a powerful amount of air compared to its dieting rivals. As a result, you get loud, clear, cinematic sound without the need for external speakers. Its surround sound approach isn’t always convincing, and its bass doesn’t have the kick of a separate subwoofer — but this is leagues ahead of the average smart TV sound.

It’s again aided by smart audio presets that let you tune the processing based on what you’re viewing, from bombastic movies to neutral music modes. There are also handy options for boosting speech clarity, and a ‘Night Mode’ which dials down the dynamism of bombastic shows and movies so that explosions won’t rattle the windows of your neighbours. And again, it’s convenient — there’s no cabling up (or purchasing) extra speakers needed, and the fact it’s all built in means you don’t have to combat often-finnicky lip-sync problems.

5. Design with a splash of colour

It’s all packaged up into a rather lovely looking design, too.

As mentioned above, Sky Glass gen 2 is not the slimmest set ever built. The screen is just shy of 5cm thick (22cm if you include the stand), and the aluminum build weighs a hefty 21.9 kg with its stand attached. You’ll want two people to set up the screen, whatever the size, as even the 43-inch model weighs a fair amount. But that click-in stand set up is simple.

It’s worth noting that Sky doesn’t install Sky Glass in your home. The TV is sent by courier but the out-of-box instructions are incredibly easy to follow. If you were to wall mount your Sky Glass TV then Sky recommends you use a professional installer.

With many of the devices you’d usually plug into a TV, such as speakers, streaming sticks and set-top boxes, already built into Sky Glass gen 2, there’s a good chance the only unsightly wire you’ll need to hide away is the power cable. It may be slightly monolithic in size, but it’s surprisingly minimalist in reality, too.

With extra bezel and the soundbar fabric cover on show, there’s an opportunity for a splash of colour with Sky Glass gen 2, so you’ve got a few options to choose from — black, blue or silver. Each slightly muted, it’s an attractive looking TV that should fit in amongst most home decors.

6. New tech, same price — but don’t forget the subscription

Despite the upgrades on offer here, Sky has done well to keep its Sky Glass gen 2 range at the same price as the first generation model. So that’s £699 for the 43-incher, £949 for the 55-inch version, and £1199 for the big boy 65-inch model.

Unlike most other TVs on the market though, this can be broken down into interest free payments over 24 and 48 months — something that’s perhaps more appealing than usual, given the average 7+ year lifespan of a modern TV. Spread the cost over 48-months, and you’re looking at £14 a month for the 43-inch model, £19 for 55-inches, and £24 for the 65-inch model, each with a one-off £20 upfront fee. Double those monthly costs for the two year payment plan.

That’s only half the story here though. As you’re getting a Sky-branded TV, you’re going to need to pick up an accompanying Sky content subscription too, if you’re going to get the full glass experience. Prices start at £15 a month, but that can soon add up once you’re throwing in sports and movies packages, so make sure you do all the maths before committing to a contract.

In the event you decide you no longer want to subscribe to a Sky TV package, but have paid off the hardware itself, it’ll work as a basic smart TV, with an aerial plugged in the back. However, you will lose access to Sky content, the Sky TV guide, voice search, and other Sky-related features.

Sky Glass gen 2 can be ordered directly from Sky, or at Currys stores.

7. Already got a TV but want the Glass UI? Enter the Sky Stream Puck

Chances are, you’ve got a perfectly good TV in your home already — or one that you’re looking to upgrade from and pop into a side-room. What if you want the Sky Glass experience there too, but don’t fancy having to buy another Sky Glass set to get it?

Sky’s got you covered with the Sky Stream Puck. It’s essentially a set-top box with the Sky Glass brains built in, which hooks up to any old TV over HDMI. It can do pretty much everything the Sky Glass can do (even voice control, thanks to the mic-laden remote), in a box that fits in the palm of your hand. It can be bought separately from the TV itself, at £15 a month with a Sky Essentials subscription package. But if you buy it alongside a Sky Glass or another Puck, it smartly will sync all your viewings and playlists across devices, so you can pick up where you left off whatever room you’re in.

Notes for next time

It’s a sizable improvement for Sky’s second generation TV, but there’s still some room for improvement. If we ever get to a gen 3 model, I’d love the option for more granular control over picture settings — there’s more freedom than initially was offered with Sky Glass through a ‘Custom’, tweakable viewing mode. But I’d like the option to have several custom options for different viewing scenarios, and the ability to copy Sky presets over to a Custom mode and tweak from that baseline. Also, the display specs — capped at 60Hz and lacking super-smooth variable refresh rate (VRR) options — put it behind the curve for gamers. Tick those boxes and it’ll make Sky Glass an easier sell for cinephiles and more demanding game players.

Sky Glass gen 2: Final verdict

If convenience is king in your household, then the Sky Glass gen 2 should be sat in front of your TV viewing throne of choice. The first-generation model was already class-leading when it came to sound, and now Sky Glass gen 2’s picture quality keeps up its side of the bargain, too.

More than presentation however, it’s the simplicity of its unified TV interface that makes Sky Glass gen 2 so appealing. By pulling all your favourite shows together in one place, and giving you plenty of options to home in on new things to watch, Sky Glass gen 2 is frictionless when it comes to enabling your binge-viewing sessions. Though gamers may want a TV more tuned to their needs, and Sky subscription prices can add up, it’s hard to argue against the plug-in-and-play quality of Sky Glass 2.

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