The Scuf Valor Wired is a mid-range wired PC and Xbox controller. It’s actually the second controller to bear this moniker, with the previous version equipped with the less-sensitive Hall-effect thumbsticks rather than the TMR ones here. But is a wired controller worth the investment right now, when there are so many cheap wireless alternatives to pick from?

Despite its mid-market price, the Valor Wired feels suitably premium in the hand. Thanks to its lightly textured grips and thumbsticks, I always felt like I had a firm grasp on it, even with sweaty palms during particularly stress-filled FPS tournaments. I also love the silky-smooth plastic of its faceplate, while the Smoke colorway I tested looked gorgeous, with its translucent gray body and orange highlights.

The Valor Wired isn't a poser, though: many of its features equal those of the best Xbox controllers on the market, even if it can’t fully eclipse them.

Rocking the TMR thumbsticks more usually seen in premium pads, the Valor Wired won’t succumb to stick drift and should prove more sensitive than Hall-effect alternatives. Meanwhile, its dual-mode shoulder triggers allow you to switch between full-range analog movement and clicky micro-switches — sadly, they’re not quite as sensitive as the more premium TMR triggers of some pads — and provide discrete vibrations from the grips for more immersive gameplay. Remappable back buttons deliver plenty of options for in-game shortcuts, although I’d rather its face buttons were of the faster micro-switch variety than the more spongy ones here.

Many of these inputs are customizable in Scuf’s flexible and easy-to-use companion app, available for both Windows and Xbox. Whipping up personal profiles for shooting and racing games took barely any time at all — I was able to tweak dead zones and set custom curves based on my needs, as well as remap buttons to suit my requirements. Saving my preferred profiles to one of three slots on the controller was simple, and I could rapidly flip between them in-game with a single press of a button.

But how does all of this translate to performance? Pretty efficiently, it turns out.

Not only do those TMR thumbsticks offer better durability, but they felt sensitive and responsive, delivering great control over the steering wheel in Forza Horizon 6. I’m already fully converted to the benefits of dual-mode triggers, and they’re fantastic here, enabling me to fire off effective parries in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, even if it wasn’t quite as snappy as on my more premium Asus ROG Raikiri II Xbox Wireless. And the separate rumble function in the triggers is a fun addition, even if I wouldn’t say it's a revolution in immersion.

And those custom profiles I created definitely seemed to have a material impact on my performance. With its dynamic response curves and trimmed dead zones for the triggers, my racing profile felt like it offered more granular control over the gas and brake pedals, enabling me go from seventh in some races to first place. Meanwhile, aggressive trigger curves in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 made squeezing off headshots faster — although not quite as fast as when using the triggers’ micro-switch mode.

All things being equal, the Scuf Valor Wired is a strong PC and Xbox controller. Its TMR thumbsticks, dual-mode triggers, and sheer customizability are impressive. Its lack of wireless connectivity, TMR triggers, and micro-switch buttons stop it from being truly top-tier, though. Having said that, it's the price that makes it truly compelling. Getting so many features in a pad for $89.99 / £69.99 / AU$179.99 is fantastic, even if that means sacrificing the flexibility of wireless connectivity and the most premium features.

Scuf Valor Wired review: price & availability

• Launched on March 31, 2026
• Available from $89.99 / £69.99 / AU$179.99

Released on March 31, 2026, the Scuf Valor Wired is available now. While its list price is $99.99 / £94.99 / AU$179.99, we're already seeing reductions in some markets, seeing it go down to $89.99 / £69.99 in the US and UK.

Rather than a bunch of different versions for different platforms, the one-size-fits-all Scuf Valor Wired is just for Xbox and PC, so if you’re a PlayStation gamer this isn't for you.

On the plus side, it's available in a huge range of colorways — from the ash-colored body and orange detailing of the Light Grey to the red-and-black, dragon-bedecked Prosperity. Plus, removable face plates mean you can purchase multiple colorways to switch things up when you fancy a new look.

Scuf Valor Wired review: specs

Scuf Valor Wired review: Design & features

As soon as I got my hands on the Scuf Valor Wired, I was struck by how comfortable it is to hold. It’s pleasingly ergonomic, perfectly tailored to the shape of my palms, and using it feels effortless even over longer gaming sessions. The satin-smooth finish of its faceplate is wonderfully tactile, too, giving a distinctly premium vibe despite its mid-market price.

While I don’t always love coarser textures for controller grips, the hexagonal print on the rubber here meant the Valor Wired had decent traction in my hands. On top of this, the light texturing on its triggers and around its stock thumbsticks prevents either feeling slippery, even during the sweatiest shootouts I encountered while playing FPS games.

But the Valor Wired tickled more of my senses than touch alone. Visually, I’d say it’s a knockout — I legit love the translucent charcoal casing and orange highlights of the Smoke colorway I tested here. If that isn't your cup of tea, there are plenty of alternative options, such as the sakura-bedecked Cherry Blossom or the cyberpunk-coded purple and magenta Respawn. And if you’re perennially indecisive like me, its faceplate is easily removable, meaning you can buy a bunch of options to switch out depending on your mood on a given day.

Let’s talk inputs. Probably the most immediate attention grabber is its thumbsticks. Unlike Scuf’s previous Valor Wired controller, this incarnation comes with TMR sticks, rather than Hall-effect ones. So not only can you breathe easy knowing your controller won’t eventually succumb to the dreaded stick drift, but it should also offer far better sensitivity, more granular tracking, and better centering.

Like some of the more premium pads on the market, each of the Valor Wired’s triggers has a toggle that allows you to switch between full-range analog movement and micro-switches, giving you more rapid response for games such as shooters. While these aren’t the super-precise TMR triggers you’ll see on controllers such as the ROG Raikiri II, they do have their own discrete rumble function, which at least promises to add to the in-game immersion.

Perhaps a little less premium-feeling are the Valor Wired’s buttons. I’ll admit it took me a while to warm up to snappier micro-switch face buttons on my controllers, but now I find that the spongier buttons featured on this pad feel a bit less precise.

On the plus side, the mappable back buttons trigger with a satisfying click. However, their horizontal arrangement is a little unorthodox, forcing you to hold the pad in a certain way. When I rested just my index fingers on the pad’s triggers, the rest of my digits naturally found their way to these switches — but if you prefer to double up your index and middle fingers on the shoulder buttons and triggers, activating these switches feels more awkward. A vertical alignment would make the pad feel a little more grip-agnostic.

An equally novel — but definitely less controversial — design decision Scuf has made here is to include two distinct volume controls on either side of the 3.5mm headphone jack, one for controlling the volume of your mic and the other for in-game sound.

Admittedly, I don’t play a lot of online games — a skill issue more than a lack-of-friends issue — but I can absolutely still see the appeal here for those who do. Despite the fact that both dials are lightly notched, I’d say they still feel a little loose to offer super-precise control. Fortunately, though, their position at the base of the controller means you’re unlikely to knock them accidentally, so this is unlikely to cause you too much stress during day-to-day use.

So that’s it as far as hardware goes. But what about software?

Honestly, the Scuf Valor companion app is very strong. Not only is it easy to download and use on both PC and Xbox, but it also delivers a lot of granular control over various settings on the Valor Wired, which you can then save to custom profiles. You can remap all of its inputs, customize trigger and thumbstick curves and dead zones, and tweak the intensity of trigger or grip vibration. Once you’ve saved the resulting profile, you can then save it to one of three slots on the pad as either red, green, or blue.

Switching between these profiles on-the-fly is super easy. Any time I wanted to change to a different profile, I just had to tap the profile button on the back to cycle through them. Reaching this button can sometimes feel like a bit of a stretch — but, being charitable, this might be an intentional move on Scuf's part to reduce the risk of an accidental knock in the midst of a heated gun battle.

All things considered, the Scuf Valor Wired is well-featured and designed for its price. It may not come with cutting-edge tech such as TMR triggers or micro-switch face buttons, and — spoiler alert — it’s not wireless. But in return for sacrificing a few of those premium features, you get a seriously solid spec for a much lower price. So where’s the downside?

Scuf Valor Wired review: performance

Well, a major downside would be that the features the Scuf Valor Wired offers don’t translate to great performance. Fortunately, this isn't the case — while it can’t quite compete with the best Xbox and PC controllers I’ve ever used, it still does a pretty decent job.

First off, let’s start with those TMR thumbsticks. Not only did their action feel nice and smooth, but they rapidly spring back to their dead zone, making gentle steering corrections in Forza Horizon 6 a breeze. And thanks to that superior sensing tech, their responsiveness really wowed me, always feeling smooth and in control.

In addition, the discrete trigger vibration delivered some decent additional feedback for racing titles, offering a bit of haptic response as my tires locked when drifting around corners. I wouldn’t expect too much here, though — we’re not talking about a PlayStation DualSense level of immersive haptic feedback; it’s not going to substantially up the realism.

In my mind, there’s only one game that provides a worthy test of how responsive shoulder triggers can be: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Using the analog triggers, parrying attacks from new enemies could still be punishingly difficult, but after switching them to micro-switch mode, I found the Catapult Sakapatate's cannon attack in the Endless Night Sanctuary much easier to rebuff. That said, during some of the game's more complex combos, I still found myself flailing around like strips of flypaper glued to an electric drill, suggesting these triggers aren’t quite as responsive as some of the TMR options on the market.

But I wasn’t satisfied simply testing the Valor Wired’s stock settings. I wanted to get to the nitty-gritty of how you can really customize the controller to suit your play style. So I whipped up a couple of custom profiles: a Racing profile and my Pew Pew! profile (FPSes, for anyone with an emotional age of more than eight).

Trying out the pad’s default profile in Forza Horizon 6, I found I was regularly finishing center of the pack. Basically the only way I could keep control of my 2022 Toyota GR86 was to feather the accelerator approaching the bends, then pump the brake trigger to prevent my wheels from locking. But once I’d activated my Racing profile with reduced trigger dead zones and dynamic response curves, it was far easier to reduce the throttle in a controlled way before easing on the brakes for far more controlled drifts. After this, I happily netted several first-place spots on the podium.

By contrast, for my tailor-made profile for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, I remapped the faceplate buttons to the rear paddles and stuck the triggers to an aggressive response curve. While it took some getting used to, the remapped controls made it easy to control the in-game action without ever taking my thumb off the stick. By contrast, the sharper trigger curve made a small difference, but it was switching on the Valor Wired’s micro-switches that really helped me click some heads.

And the nicest part about all of this is how easy it was to tweak these settings on the fly. My chief complaint about my beloved ROG Raikiri II is that I can’t access its Gear Link software on Xbox, meaning I have to fire up my PC whenever I want to tweak a setting. By contrast, updating my settings or swapping out the profile saved to the controller here was easy to do on either platform — I simply had to switch to the app mid-game, edit and save my profiles, and then I could leap back into the action.

Ultimately, the Scuf Valor Wired offers great performance. On many fronts, it comes close to many premium controllers in its performance, feeling highly responsive and customizable. While a physical umbilical cord connecting your pad to your console is a definite compromise, it’s one of the few sacrifices you have to make here to get snappy, pro-feeling performance without having to pay through the nose.

Should I buy the Scuf Valor Wired?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Scuf Valor Wired review: also consider

How I tested the Scuf Valor Wired

• Tested over four days
• Tried out on a range of platforms and games
• Many years experience writing about gadgets

I tested the Scuf Valor Wired over a long weekend. I tried it out on both my Xbox Series X and my gaming PC, as well as playing a range of games of different genres, including racing games, FPSes, and RPGs. I particularly focused on the sensitivity and responsiveness of the TMR thumbsticks, the triggers, and the buttons to see how they compared to other controllers.

To really test the Valor Wired’s capabilities, I customized its settings in multiple ways. I experimented with different dead zones, utilizing different response curves for its thumbsticks and triggers, saving them to multiple profiles to see how they impacted different styles of game. I also created various custom button mappings to gauge their impact on play.

Alongside working and writing about tech and gadgets for over seven years, I’ve been playing games all my life. I play across multiple platforms, on my desktop PC, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch 2, and Steam Deck.

• First reviewed: August 2026
• Read more about how we test

It ends up being diverting fun and well-priced for what it is, and gamers who loved the original (or perhaps loved games like it, such as Dragon Age: Origins) will enjoy the return to this sort of simple-but-satisfying gameplay loop of hitting orcs, looting gear, and upgrading your characters so they can hit orcs harder, faster, and for longer without falling over.

But while much of the game is fine, if not spectacular, it's a shame there are a few technical problems and deeper issues. Swapping between characters on-the-fly is novel, and there has been an effort to incorporate this into all aspects of gameplay. However, hot-swapping is obviously not quite what the original game intended, so there is some awkwardness here, while glitches and bugs sometimes mar the game at key points.

What about second Fellowship?

If you never played the old version, the basis of the game is this: as the Fellowship of the Ring embarks on their quest for Mount Doom, you play an adjacent, original party consisting of Eradan, a Dunedain ranger with all the skills of Aragorn; Farin, a dwarf warrior from the Lonely Mountain who looks an awful lot like Gimli with the serial numbers filed off; and Andriel, a Loremaster elf from Rivendell who can create magical blasts and forcefields.

Together, the 'other' Fellowship party chats with old friends like Aragorn, Arwen and Gandalf, visits familiar and new locations (book-readers will get a kick out of delving into the Barrow-Downs and fighting the famous Wights), and slices through hordes of orcs led by an evil man called Agandaûr, a fallen Numenorean like the Mouth of Sauron. Agandaûr is one of Sauron's trusted servants, one we've never heard of before or since.

So yes, it's all a bit fan-fictionesque, and it plays a lot like other action RPGs set in fantasy worlds, only this one takes the basic fantasy character set and plops them straight into Middle-Earth rather than a parallel-but-similar setting of elves, dwarves and dragons. It's even funnier when you get hold of special character weapon options, and you're controlling a random dwarf running around with legendary gear like Anduril or Sting. Dedicated Tolkien enthusiasts might find it a bit egregious, but it's all in the name of good fun and enabling the sort of repetitive hack-and-slash gameplay the genre is best at.

If you've played any other Lord Of The Rings games, whether the PlayStation 2's Return of the King or a more recent title like Middle-earth: Shadow of War, you'll be used to LOTR games taking these sorts of creative liberties. As a result, it works for what it is, and even as a die-hard hobbit-enjoyer I had fun scything through the dark lord's evil hordes and meeting characters never adapted like Elladan and Elrohir, Elrond's twin ranger sons.

Old game, new tactics

If you've played any action RPG, you'll know what to expect: you and your party are taking on wave after wave of mooks, weapons swinging with basic attacks, but you'll also trigger powerful maneuvers and spells that require cooldowns and replenishing a power meter, so tactical implementation of these moves is vital. Playing as Eradan, I would be skirting low on health and could use my disappearing skill, so I could make a break for it unharmed to Andriel's side, who can create a protective healing field. I'd quickly swap to Farin to unleash War Cry to up my party's health and durability.

It's this sort of synergy that creates tactical play beyond mashing light and heavy attacks until you see the 'Finish Him!' yellow triangle that pops up over an enemy's head. The ability to swap characters allows the quick-of-thumb to set up these combos without the use of the AI characters, who are otherwise competent enough to look after themselves and augment the main player. But you do need to be nimble, as the controls to do this are awkward on Switch: even ten hours in, I was accidentally drinking potions when I was trying to swap from elf to dwarf. Co-operative gameplay is available on most platforms (both online, in which you drop into someone else's game, and couch), but not on the original Switch.

There's a surprisingly steep learning curve once you learn the ropes: enemies come from all sides thick and fast, in numerous varieties, forcing you to switch from attack to defence, and then to ranged as explosive enemies approach, and implement your powers carefully.

You level up quickly too, and loot is plentiful, so there are plenty of regular rewards encouraging you to persevere through the samey waves of orcs and goblins, as PCs, enemies and environments begin to blend into various overlapping shades of brown and grey. I began the game thinking carefully about upgrading stats at each level, but after a while, I just pumped Stamina to keep myself alive while concentrating on that character's main attack stat, and that strategy seemed to work just fine too. I'm honestly not sure how much difference these RPG elements made.

Feeling thin, sort of stretched...

While a simple-but-satisfying gameplay loop, it's still very much of its time, and parts haven't aged well. The target lock-on can get tricky, and you'll occasionally find your character engaged in a long, sluggish animation, swinging their weapon at empty air while you cringe as you watch orcs running at you from behind.

Despite the hot-swapping feature and inclusion of each character's unique secret-finding ability (the dwarf, for example, can detect treasure hidden behind stone walls), the game is clearly still geared for a single-character experience. Ammo drops are still linked to the character you're playing at the time, so you might find you swap to a character without any ranged capacity. You'll also need to visit shops with each character in turn to do a proper gear comparison before buying new equipment, which is tedious.

Your health and power replenish slowly on their own, but once you've cleared an encounter, you're under no pressure to carry on. Occasionally, I found myself putting the controller down unpaused, heading off to make a cup of tea, and returning with my beverage to a rested, unmolested party at full health.

There's no sheathing weapons, so you'll occasionally be wandering around Bree or Rivendell, incongruously with swords drawn ready for action. There's also no jumping, which is fine on its own, but the frustration of encountering a chest-high wall and having to find a set of stairs is a sensation I've almost forgotten about, a relic of level design marred by the technology of the time.

Worst of all are the bugs, Aspyr's revamp of the game delivering fresh technical glitches alongside the improvements. These are quite common complaints on threads about WITN, and my experience was no different: from flashing inventory tiles to small areas of the map that caused my entire screen to flip to solid green. At one stage I was fighting blind, looking at chequered green flashes, while I could still hear Eradan's shouts of 'You face a Dunedan now!'

Others report platform-specific glitches, such as an 0KB save file problem on PlayStation 5.

The North Remembers

I think you already know if you want this game: you're either a Tolkien fiend who likes the idea of exploring and interacting with lesser-known locations and characters in an original story, a fantasy action RPG junkie, or you played the original and remember loving it. At the reduced price it's selling for, it's worth getting if you fit two out of three of the above criteria.

Personally, even though I'm as Tolkien-mad as they come and I've got no shortage of love for the RPG genre, I think The Lord Of The Rings: War In The North Legacy Edition is... fine. Serviceable. Enjoyable at times, but without much to set it apart from all the other games in the space, even back when it was first released, other than its LOTR wrapper and nostalgia goggles.

I liked my experience with the game, but I can't see myself going back to it once done. It's a poor man's bite of lembas compared to the previous generation's excellent Return of the King hack 'em up.

Should you play The Lord Of The Rings: War In The North Legacy Edition?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

How I reviewed Lord of the Rings: War In The North Legacy Edition

I played Lord Of The Rings: War In The North Legacy Edition on my Nintendo Switch (generation 1) for 15 hours, trying each character's various combinations and progressing through the story mode. I used the Switch both in handheld mode and on my LG OLED TV. When I encountered glitches, I examined community pages and threads for similar reports.

First reviewed August 2026

The Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i Air Purifier is designed to combat common household problems with a single device. It purifies the air, cools you down when temperatures rise and provides heat when it gets cooler.

One of two models in Blueair’s ComfortPure range, the ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i Air Purifier sits alongside the larger and more powerful T20i, which is designed for bigger spaces. Blueair also has an established reputation when it comes to air purification.

The appeal of the T10i compared to the best air purifiers is obvious. Rather than filling your home with separate appliances for heating, cooling and air purification, Blueair has combined all three into a single unit that’s designed to keep you comfortable throughout the year.

As someone who lives in a relatively small space, struggles with seasonal allergies and generally loves multi-purpose tech, that’s a compelling proposition. The catch is the price. It’s expensive and you’ll need to factor in placement filter costs over time. But if you genuinely see yourself using all three functions throughout the year, it could offer better value than buying separate devices.

To find out whether that’s actually the case, I spent 10 days testing the Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i, putting its purification, cooling and heating features through their paces to see whether it earns its place in your home.

I feel like the Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i is already geared towards versatility, simply because it's combining air purification, heating and cooling in a single appliance. That flexibility then continues with a solid range of features and settings that let you tailor the experience to your home and preferences.

Blueair says the T10i can clean a 16m² room in 12.5 minutes, a 39m² room in 30 minutes and a 78m² room in one hour. It also has a Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) of 132 cubic feet per minute (cfm) for pollen, 129cfm for dust and 113cfm for smoke, giving you an idea of how quickly it can circulate clean air around a room.

There are four fan speeds to choose from, alongside dedicated cooling, heating and boosted purification modes. You'll also find a Night mode that reduces noise and dims the display, plus an Auto mode that automatically adjusts performance when pollutants are detected.

According to Blueair, the T10i uses its proprietary HEPASilent filtration technology, which combines mechanical and electrostatic filtration to capture airborne particles like pollen, dust and smoke while keeping noise levels relatively low.

One feature I particularly liked was the way the purifier automatically ramped up when air quality dropped and then settled back down once conditions improved. It meant the unit never felt like it needed to run at full power all the time.

Another highlight is the T10i's 350-degree oscillation. Not only does it provide excellent coverage, but you can customize the oscillation pattern within the app. So if you only want airflow directed towards one side of a room, you can fine-tune that rather than simply choosing between a handful of preset options.

The app deserves a special mention because it's one of the best companion apps I've used with a home appliance. It looks clean and modern, it's easy to navigate and there are plenty of genuinely useful controls. You can set timers and schedules, monitor filter life, check indoor air quality readings, adjust oscillation settings and even enable location-based automation so the purifier can prepare your home before you arrive.

You can also control the T10i directly from the touchscreen panel on top of the unit, via the included remote control or through Amazon Alexa voice commands. So whatever your preferred way of interacting with smart home devices, there's probably an option here that suits you.

With its large cylindrical design, the Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i immediately feels more substantial than many standalone air purifiers.

That's not necessarily a criticism. In fact, considering you're getting an air purifier, fan and heater in one appliance, I'd actually say it's surprisingly compact. But it's still worth checking the dimensions (19.69 x 10.24 x 10.24 inches / 500 x 260 x 260mm) before buying because it takes up a noticeable amount of floor space and Blueair recommends leaving clearance around the unit for optimal performance.

Looks-wise, I really liked it. The design is sleek, minimal and unobtrusive enough to blend into a wide range of homes. It feels premium without trying too hard and never looked out of place in my small apartment.

There’s a sturdy fabric handle on the back, which makes it much easier to move around than you'd expect from something of this size and weight. Because, at 13.7 lbs / 6.2kg, it’s not exactly heavy but I'd definitely say that handle is still essential. Blueair has also included an anti-tip sensor that automatically switches the unit off if it's knocked over, which is reassuring if you have children or pets at home.

On top of the purifier you'll find a bright, responsive display with clear icons for different modes and settings. I found it easy to read from across the room and simple to navigate without needing to constantly reach for my phone. Thankfully, Night mode also reduces the brightness significantly if you're using it in a bedroom.

Around the back there's a removable panel that provides access to the filter when it eventually needs replacing. It's all very straightforward and feels thoughtfully designed from a day-to-day usability perspective.

Getting the T10i up and running couldn't have been much simpler. After removing the protective packaging from the filter and reinstalling it, I was ready to go within minutes. Connecting it to the app was equally straightforward and took just a few moments over Wi-Fi.

It's worth noting that the smart features rely on that Wi-Fi connection. During the final few days of testing, I was in the middle of moving house and temporarily without internet access, which made me realize just how much I'd come to rely on the app's controls and customization options.

Performance-wise, I was testing the T10i at the perfect time. Not only was the UK experiencing a heatwave, but I was also packing up my apartment, moving boxes, cleaning rooms and generally creating the sort of dusty, messy environment that puts an air purifier through its paces.

One of the most impressive things about the T10i was how quickly it responded to changes in air quality. While cleaning, packing dusty boxes and using household cleaning products, I could see the air quality readings change almost immediately. Within a relatively short period of time, the readings would settle back down again as the purifier did its job.

I noticed something similar while cooking. The purifier consistently detected changes in air quality and cooking smells before ramping up its performance to deal with them. Watching the readings change in real time gave me confidence that it wasn't simply running on a fixed schedule but was actively responding to what was happening in my home.

Of course, the bigger question is whether I actually noticed a difference. As someone who's particularly sensitive to allergens and airborne irritants, I genuinely did. There's always a risk of placebo effect when you're reviewing an air purifier because cleaner air can be difficult to quantify in everyday life. But over the course of testing my apartment consistently felt fresher and more comfortable, even while I was creating more dust and disruption than usual.

The cooling performance was also surprisingly good. Now, I'd recently tested the MeacoFan Sefte Pro 10in Air Circulator and you're not getting that same level of airflow here. That's hardly surprising considering cooling isn't the T10i's primary purpose. But during several days of temperatures above 86°F / 30°C, I still found the fan mode genuinely effective and comforting.

Its heating mode delivered a similarly solid performance. The weather cooled dramatically towards the end of testing, so I had an opportunity to try it out properly. It won't replace a full central heating system, but it quickly produced warm air and helped make smaller spaces feel noticeably more comfortable.

Noise levels were also impressive. During my own testing, I measured around 35dB on the lowest cooling setting and roughly 52dB at maximum fan speed and boosted purification mode from one meter away. For context, my hairdryer measures around 78dB and my kettle reaches around 69dB. So while there's certainly some fan noise at higher settings, I found it surprisingly quiet overall.

That said, noise tolerance is subjective. Some people will inevitably find higher fan speeds a little intrusive. Personally, I'm someone who enjoys white noise and often sleeps with fan sounds in the background, so I found the sound profile more soothing than distracting.

Ultimately, the T10i performed exactly as I'd hoped. It noticeably improved air quality in my apartment, provided useful cooling during hot weather, offered effective supplemental heating when temperatures dropped and wrapped everything up in a smart, well-designed package. It's best suited to small and medium-sized spaces rather than large homes, but within those limits it's a genuinely impressive all-rounder.

Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i review: Price and release date

• Released in Summer 2025
• Priced at $499.99 / £399 (around AU$700)

The Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i Air Purifier launched in Summer 2025 with a retail price of $499.99 / £399 (around AU$700). While it's available right now in the US and UK, it doesn't currently seem to be available in Australia.

If your first reaction to that price is that it sounds expensive, I get it. That's probably because most of us instinctively compare it to the price of a good fan or a good air purifier rather than a device that's attempting to do three jobs at once.

For example, one of my current favorite tabletop air circulators, the MeacoFan Sefte Pro 10in, costs considerably less at £119.99 and delivers more powerful cooling. Likewise, there are excellent standalone air purifiers available for much less money, including Blueair's own Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i at £169 / $169.99. But neither of those products heats, cools and purifies the air from a single appliance.

That's really how the T10i needs to be evaluated. You're not simply buying an air purifier here. You're buying an air purifier, a cooling fan and a space heater rolled into one. Whether that represents good value depends largely on how often you'll use all three functions.

In terms of direct competition, there aren't many devices that combine air purification, heating and cooling in quite the same way. The closest comparison is probably Dyson's Purifier Hot+Cool range, which offers a similar all-in-one approach. Dyson's models tend to have a more futuristic design and some additional features depending on the model, but they're often significantly more expensive than the T10i. For example, the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 purifying fan is $529.99 / £549.99 / AU$899.

Personally, I can imagine the upfront cost feeling a little steep initially, but it's also the sort of product that will earn its keep throughout the year. Cooling during summer, heating during colder months and air purification all year round is a compelling combination.

Of course, not everyone will need that versatility. If air quality isn't a major concern where you live and you're primarily looking for heating or cooling, there are more cost-effective specialist products available. But if you like the idea of cleaner air alongside temperature control, the value proposition becomes much easier to justify.

Blueair also offers a larger version called the ComfortPure T20i. It costs around £100 / $100 more, but it's designed for significantly larger spaces. Blueair says the T20i can clean spaces up to 156m² in one hour, compared to the 78m² maximum coverage claimed for the T10i. If you live in a larger home or have an open-plan living space, the extra investment could make sense.

One final consideration is filter replacement. Blueair says the filter should last up to a year and the app tracks its condition so you'll know when a replacement is needed. However, you'll also need to factor in the cost of a new filter, which currently costs £49 / $66.99.

Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i review: Specs

Should I buy the Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i?

Buy it if...

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Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i review: Also consider

How I tested the Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i Air Purifier

• Tested the air purifier for 10 days
• Used all of the settings regularly
• Used it while working, sleeping and relaxing at home

I tested the Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i Air Purifier for 10 days during a period of warmer weather in the UK when I was also moving house and dealing with some mild allergies. It turned out to be ideal timing, giving me a chance to see how well both the air purification and cooling functions performed in real-world conditions.

I used it most often while working from home at my desk, during the night in my bedroom and throughout the day while cooking, cleaning and relaxing. This gave me plenty of opportunities to switch between the different modes and experiment with various cooling levels, oscillation settings and purification options.

Over the course of testing, I paid close attention to how comfortable it made my home feel, how easy it was to live day-to-day and whether the combination of purification, heating and cooling genuinely offered an advantage over separate devices.

I’ve been testing tech and writing about it for more than 15 years. During that time, I’ve covered everything from health tech and smart home devices to audio tech and wearable gear. Whatever I’m reviewing, my focus is always on whether a product genuinely improves everyday life, rather than delivering an impressive list of features.

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• First reviewed: September 2026

The Sony Bravia 5 is a mini-LED TV with crisp images, strong contrast and great gaming features. It occupies that level in Sony’s TV range where the brand has historically struggled to maintain its high standards. The Bravia 5, though, bucks this trend in pretty spectacular fashion.

The Sony Bravia 5 retains both mini-LED lighting and local dimming, for starters, as well as an 120Hz panel to keep gamers happy. Sony says the Bravia 5 LCD panels are still made to the brand’s Master Backlight Drive standard too, and they’re equipped with a full up-to-date version of the Google TV smart system.

There are ‘catches’ to this promising specification, of course. In particular, the Bravia 5 won’t benefit from as many dimming zones as the step up Bravia 7, or achieve so much brightness. In reality, though, the 65-inch Bravia 5 (AKA the K65XR55) delivers much less of a step down from Sony’s mid-range models than expected based on past Sony lines. Pictures are vibrant, crisp, full of contrast and just way less compromised than previous generations of the same level of Sony TV would have been.

Add punchy, clean and detailed audio to its surprising picture talents, and the Bravia 5 is the Sony value TV we’ve always wanted.

Sony Bravia 5 review: Price and release date

• Release Date: July 2025
• 55-inch: $1,399.99 / £1,299 / AU$1,999
• 65-inch: $1,499.99 / £1,499 / AU$2,299
• 75-inch: $1,999.99 / £1,799 / AU$2,899
• 85-inch: $2,399.99 / £2,299 / AU$3,899
• 98-inch: $4,999.99 / £4,499 (around AU$8,570)

While the Bravia 5 is affordable by Sony TV standards, $1,499.99 / £1,499 / AU$2,299 is no longer cheap for a 65-inch TV.

The Bravia 5 retains much more of Sony’s mid-range — and even premium — TV DNA than expected based on similarly positioned models in previous Sony ranges, though. As a result, it has at least the potential to take a clear performance edge over more affordable rivals.

Sony Bravia 5 review: Specs

Sony Bravia 5 review: Benchmark results

Sony Bravia 5 review: Features

• Mini-LED lighting
• Direct lighting with local dimming
• Bravia XR processor

As I’ve hinted more than once already, the Sony Bravia 5 is packing much more feature heat than I would have expected it to, based on Sony TV ranges of the past.

This is particularly true of the screen hardware at the Bravia 5’s heart. Designated one of Sony’s Master Backlight Drive panels, it is illuminated by mini-LEDs driven by a local dimming system that, according to my own counting efforts, operates across an impressive 240 zones. That’s 240 areas of the image that are capable of receiving their own light level, independent of their neighbors, according to the needs of the image.

The Bravia 5’s panel is a VA type, too, which should further enhance contrast (though maybe not viewing angles). Meanwhile, even this far down Sony’s range, the brand's consistently impressive XR processor is still on hand to power all the constituent parts of the TV’s pictures. On top of this, rather than dropping down to 50/60Hz, the panel also maintains a native 120Hz refresh rate.

Meanwhile, its support for high dynamic range images extends to Dolby Vision, as well as the more basic HDR10 and HLG formats. Sony is also unusual in the TV world for automatically applying an HDR upgrade to SDR sources on some of its picture presets. There’s no interest from Sony, though, in the HDR10+ format designed as an open-source alternative to Dolby Vision.

The Bravia 5’s connections keep up with its step-up siblings. So you get four HDMIs (though only two support the TV’s full range of gaming features like VRR and ALLM), USB media playback support, and wireless support that includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, built-in Chromecast, Apple Airplay, and Apple HomeKit.

Sony’s TV business has long traded on its ‘from camera to TV’ product chain, and the potential for accuracy that this can bring. So as usual the Bravia 5’s Professional Mode setting, at least, will have been tuned alongside one of Sony’s professional mastering monitors, and the set is equipped with a bunch of so-called Calibrated modes designed to replicate as closely as possible the mastering standards of the Prime Video, Netflix and Sony Pictures Core video streaming services.

Buying a Bravia 5 entitles you to 10 free films and 24 months of access to Sony Pictures Core too, by the way, complete with its unique high-bandwidth streaming speeds for enhanced picture quality.

Further ‘third party’ endorsement finds the Bravia 5 earning an IMAX Enhanced badge, indicating that it has been deemed capable of doing justice to the special noise-limiting mastering processes and potential shifting aspect ratios associated with the IMAX Enhanced system. IMAX Enhanced titles are available on Sony Pictures Core and Disney+.

The Bravia 5’s audio setup is pretty potent by mid-range TV standards. It offers two full range Bass Reflex-design drivers and two separated tweeters getting 10W a piece to deliver both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks — the latter even includes the special tweaked version of DTS:X associated with IMAX Enhanced content.

• Features score: 4.5 / 5

Sony Bravia 5 review: Picture quality

• Impressive brightness and light control
• Bold but also natural colour
• Genuine 4K sharpness and excellent 4K upscaling

The Sony Bravia 5’s image quality instantly changes the fortunes of this level of Sony’s TV range, leaning much more towards the Sony TVs above it than those below.

Particularly great to see is how much contrast the Bravia 5 retains for this level of Sony’s range. Black colors look deep and strikingly consistent, exhibiting minimal issues with backlight blooming around bright objects or general areas of clouding. That's despite the fact the screen is capable of hitting nearly 900 nit brightness peaks on a 10% HDR window and sustaining an OLED-beating 595 nits with a full 100% HDR window.

Combining Sony’s backlight structure and XR Processor, the Bravia 5 can maintain more intensely bright highlights against dark backdrops than you’d expect for its price tag, despite how limited the clouding around such highlights is. This combination of bright stand-out objects and limited clouding is very difficult to achieve with locally dimmed TVs, yet the Bravia 5 makes it look easy.

Dark scenes look stable, too, in the sense that you never feel aware of the sudden brightness jumps or obvious ‘handovers’ between different dimming zones as bright objects move around a dark backdrop.

Many screens with strong contrast performances are often capable of good color reproduction too — and this trend continues with the Bravia 5. In its Standard preset, it produces strikingly vibrant, rich and bold tones (actually upgraded to HDR if you’re watching an SDR source) that still feel balanced, full of subtlety and nuance, and connected to source tones for the most part. They feel more like amplifications of source content colors rather than aggressive departures from them.

Unfortunately, the Bravia 5 pushes this amplification effect way too far in the Vivid preset, which is best avoided. But the Standard setting is an excellent bright room option, as well as actually being delicate and balanced enough to hold up as a dark room movie night option if your image tastes tend towards the bright and vibrant.

Unlike most other TV brands, Sony doesn't offer a Filmmaker Mode preset for AV fans who favor ‘as the director intended’ viewing. Its Professional Mode, though, does pretty much the same thing, with an emphasis on trying to match the image as closely as possible to Sony’s professional video mastering monitor.

Using Portrait Display’s Calman Ultimate software, G1 signal generator and C6 HDR5000 colorimeter, the accuracy of the Bravia 5 Professional mode was easy enough to demonstate. Errors recorded in both SDR and HDR across the board came in at well under the 3.0 DeltaE 2000 average beyond which errors might become visible to the human eye.

The Bravia 5’s Professional mode doesn’t just measure well. It also looks subjectively lovely, packed with the subtle texturing, immaculate color balance, and remarkable light control for a lower mid-range LCD TV. The benefits of Sony finally being able to introduce a superior core panel in a TV at the Bravia 5’s level are arguably at their most obvious in the Professional preset, in fact, given that this mode uses relatively few processing tools to help ‘boost’ its appearance.

Inevitably, given it’s far from the most premium TV in Sony’s range, there are a few limitations to the Bravia 5’s picture performance. Dark scenes in the Professional mode look a little grayer than they do in Standard mode, and backlight blooming around bright objects can become more noticeable if you view the TV from an angle. Strangely, certain shades of red can look a bit over-ripe during dark scenes, and some dark shots also take on a slightly green undertone.

Finally, some of Sony’s preset choices don’t actually help the Bravia 5’s pictures at all. Motion processing only really helps 24p movie sources if it’s switched to its True Cinema mode, for instance, with other settings tending to generate unwanted digital side effects or leave the image looking unnaturally smooth. I’d also recommend turning off the noise reduction features, especially with native 4K sources, to ensure the screen’s impressive native sharpness isn’t unnecessarily softened away.

The Bravia 5’s issues are mild enough or easy enough to fix, though, that they don’t stop it from being an all-round excellent picture performer for its money.

• Picture quality score: 4.5 / 5

Sony Bravia 5 review: Sound quality

• Impressive clarity and detailing
• Sound doesn’t suffer with distortions
• Bass is a bit lightweight

The Bravia 5’s sound joins its pictures in being impressively expressive and clean, working within the speaker’s limitations rather than pushing things beyond their breaking point as so many integrated TV sound systems are wont to do.

Even the brightest, shrillest treble sounds are produced without sounding thin or brittle, while the mid-range is clean and pretty expansive, able to cope with the ebbs and flows of even quite dense action scenes without sounding forced, muddy or compressed.

It uses its four-speaker system well to create a fairly large soundstage, too — one that’s well populated with accurately placed, crisp but never overstated details.

My only complaint is that the Bravia 5 feels a bit light in the bass department. Dinosaur footprints, rumbling space ships, meaty explosions and the like don’t hit with quite as much heft as I’d like. At the same time, though, not even Hollywood’s most extreme bass moments cause the Bravia 5’s speakers to succumb to distracting crackles or distortions.

• Sound quality score: 4 / 5

Sony Bravia 5 review: Design

• Multi-point foot attachment
• Recycled plastic remote control
• Minimal frame

The Bravia 5’s design doesn’t feel like much of a step-down at all from Sony’s Bravia 7 series. Its screen frame is extremely narrow, distracting scarcely at all from the pictures within, and it also stays fairly trim around the back for a lower mid-range LCD TV.

Its feet look a little basic when attached to such an elegantly minimalistic screen, perhaps. But Sony has thoughtfully provided the option to attach them either quite close together or out towards the TV’s bottom corners, depending on the width of the furniture you want to stand the TV on.

Build quality is good, too, and despite its relatively affordable position in Sony’s current TV range, it ships with two remote controls. The sleeker, more modern and more feature-rich handset is made largely made from recycled plastic, as part of Sony’s wide-ranging attempts to make the TV production process greener.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Sony Bravia 5 review: Smart TV & menus

• Google TV smart system
• YouView for full UK app coverage
• Optional Bravia Cam

The Sony Bravia 5 runs the latest Google TV system very well, avoiding the sluggishness the system sometimes causes on less powerful TVs. Google TV carries pretty much all of the most popular and important video streaming services, and Sony has helpfully worked round Google TV’s blind spot when it comes to some of the UK’s most popular terrestrial broadcaster catch up services by adding the YouView app.

Google TV can still feel a little overwhelming in its presentation and doesn’t feel as intelligent as some rival smart systems when it comes to recommending content based on your viewing habits. The smarter of the two remote controls Sony provides, though, makes navigation of the menus feel straightforward. On top of this, you can access a good range of features and issue quite complex search instructions just by talking to the Bravia 5 via the Google Assistant voice recognition system.

You can even add basic gesture control features to the Bravia 5 if you cough up £200 for one of Sony’s Bravia Cam accessories. This add-on camera can also detect your location in the room and adjust the TV’s picture and sound settings accordingly, as well as issuing audio warnings if it detects anyone getting too close to the screen. I’m not personally convinced Bravia CAM does enough to justify its price, but if the features I’ve just described sound good to you, then fill your boots!

• Smart TV & menus score: 4.5 / 5

Sony Bravia 5 review: Gaming

• 4K/120Hz support
• VRR support
• Perfect For PlayStation 5 support

The Sony Bravia 5 is fairly, rather than brilliantly, well specified as a gaming display. For instance, while it does support 4K game feeds at 120Hz refresh rates, it only does so over two of its HDMIs, rather than all four. It also doesn’t stretch the refresh rate support to 144Hz or even 165Hz, like some rival TVs currently do.

Similarly, while the Bravia 5 supports variable refresh rates, that support doesn’t extend to the AMD Freesync or Nvidia G-Sync systems. There is support for auto low latency mode switching, though, so the TV can automatically switch into its fastest responding picture mode when a game source is detected. While in this mode, the Bravia 5 takes just 13.3ms to render 60Hz gaming feeds.

There’s support, too, for Sony’s unique Perfect For PlayStation 5 features, comprising a PS5-specific version of automatic game mode switching, and an excellent system where a connected PS5 is able to tell which Sony TV model it’s attached to, and automatically optimize its HDR output accordingly.

You can also call up a dedicated gaming menu when the Bravia 5 is in Game mode, containing information on the game feed and a few helpful gaming assistants. Finally, the actual gaming experience when using one of the two wide-bandwidth HDMIs is very enjoyable. The TV’s vibrant, exceptionally sharp and contrast-rich pictures provide a perfect fit for today’s usually HDR and 4K graphics, while the rapid response time and VRR support means gaming never feels sluggish or laggy.

• Gaming score: 4 / 5

Sony Bravia 5 review: Value

Not so long ago, spending $1,499.99 / £1,499 / AU$2,299 to get a 65-inch TV as good and feature rich as the Sony Bravia 5 would have felt like a great deal. Recently, though, TCL in particular has drastically shifted the TV value ‘window’, with its bright, vibrant and gaming-friendly 65-inch C7K currently going for just £779.

The Bravia 5 does offer more precision and balance in its pictures than the TCL C7K, but the price gap is big enough to mean you may feel like holding out for a special offer on Sony’s model, or searching beyond the most popular electronics retailers for a better deal.

• Value score: 3.5 / 5

Should I buy the Sony Bravia 5?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Sony Bravia 5 review: also consider

How I tested the Sony Bravia 5

• Tested over three weeks
• Tested with 4K Blu-rays, multiple streaming platforms and resolutions, Freeview HD broadcasts, and HD Blu-rays
• Reviewed in both dark and light dedicated test room conditions, on its feet in both corner and mid wall positions

I tested the Sony Bravia 5 over a three-week period in a variety of room conditions — including using it as a regular living room TV for more than a week.

I checked out streamed content at a variety of resolutions from all of the main video streaming platforms, including Sony’s exclusive Sony Pictures Core high-bandwidth services. I also watched tuner channels and fed it a selection of our regularly used test Blu-rays and 4K Blu-ray discs. Gaming was explored using a PlayStation 5, an Xbox Series X and a gaming PC.

Objective testing was performed using Portrait Displays’ Calman Ultimate analysis software, G1 signal generator, and C6 HDR5000 light meter.

• First reviewed: September 2026
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Ever wondered what life would be like if your earbuds had a touchscreen case? OK, you probably haven’t, but stick with me here. The JBL Live Buds 4 are the new generation of the audio specialist’s in-ears that pair with a smart charging case, enabling you to adjust sound settings, adapt ANC, and more — all without having to download a companion app.

They’re a standout model in a congested market. The Live Buds 4 also sit within JBL's wider Live range, which is itself fairly congested in that it also includes the stemmed JBL Live Beam, plus the open-fit JBL Live Flex. This specific model, though — the Live Buds 4 — comes with a number of claimed upgrades over its predecessor, including enhanced ANC, new “fidelity drivers,” and boosted call quality. But are they worth the money and can they compete with options in our best earbuds roundup? Here’s what I think after three weeks of testing.

We’ve got to start with the smart charging case, which has a revamped UI for a smoother, more complete user experience. The touchscreen is undoubtedly small, but it's highly responsive, and there are clear menus to access EQ tweaking, ANC modes, appearance options, and even tools like a flashlight and timer. I sometimes preferred using the JBL Headphones app for the ease of a larger screen, and the ability to set a custom wallpaper from my photo gallery, but for on-the-go tweaks, the charging case is a neat option — even if it is arguably a little bit gimmicky. But hey, I like a good gimmick now and then.

Beyond what I’ve already mentioned, the case features a lot of fun features, like a smart-talk option, which picks up voices if you want to have a conversation while keeping your buds in. There are also customizable touch controls for the buds themselves (which I found to be reactive and convenient), and settings for how your voice sounds on a call, including a bright, natural, and powerful option.

Speaking of calls, JBL has included 6 mics in these earbuds, as well as its new Perfect Calls 2.0 tech, which makes use of AI to keep your voice clear, even in noisier environments. As I mentioned in my JBL Live Beam 4 review (I know, it's easy to get confused with names), I did find my voice to be relatively clear on calls and when taking a recording, but unfortunately I didn’t get the premium clarity I was expecting. There was some noticeable sibilance in my recording, and I also found that some background noises remained more prominent than anticipated.

I also want to talk about active noise cancellation, which has been improved for the Live 4 series. Overall, ANC is decent, but it’s still not up to the standards offered by buds from Apple and Bose. When out and about or on public transport, I could still make out background chatter, and in the office, typing sounds and doors closing were still audible. Sounds are still dulled effectively, and ANC is by no means bad — but if you’re expecting a curtain of silence when using the Live Buds 4, you may be left wanting more.

One area that the Buds 4 totally excel in, though, is sound quality. For earbuds in this price-range, the Buds 4 are excellent, dishing out impactful bass, clean mids, and expressive highs, impressive handling of dynamics, and good attention to detail.

When tuning into Labor of Love by Ned Doheny, I was struck by the beautifully textured and weighted acoustic guitars, which were well separated from clear, tonally accurate vocals. Subtle percussive details also came through beautifully, and funky bass sounded impactful without drowning out other sounds across the frequency range. What’s more, by activating the higher-res Bluetooth codec, LDAC, I could make out some more intricacies in the mid-range, with almost life-like guitars taking the listening experience to the next level.

The Live Buds 4 proved to cope brilliantly with any genre, though. With a deeper, more energetic track, such as Don’t Compare Yourself by Kolter, the pumping deep bass hit phenomenally hard, and reached down to tremendous depths for this level. Bassy synths sounded textured and controlled, lively drums sounded articulate and precise, and emotive vocals, while impactful, never overwhelmed the mix.

I have very few complaints about the sound, and it’s super-simple to customize it to your liking with the EQ settings on the charging case or JBL headphones app. But one thing that could’ve been better was the spatial audio setting, which just lacked the clarity and openness of the standard tuning. I’d also argue that the soundstage is relatively broad on the Live Buds 4 anyway, so you should just keep this mode off if you ask me.

Let’s also talk design, as this is the main area where the Live Buds 4 differentiate themselves from the Beam and Flex. They take up a small, snug in-ear feel, which is ideal for those who prefer earbuds without the stems. I found the buds to be incredibly comfortable, and had no issue keeping them in for multiple hours at a time. They’re also highly secure, never feeling as if they’ll fall out of your ears.

The buds also have a good standard of build, the case has an attractive, textured finish, and the model can be purchased in a wide range of colors. The buds are also IP55-rated, making them splashproof. Some rivals offer superior IP57 protection, but IP55 is enough to keep your buds safe on a rainy day.

One more difference the Buds 4 have, is that they offer the least amount of battery life in the Live 4 lineup, with 8 hours of playtime with the buds when ANC is on, and up to 40 hours with the case. That’s still a good amount of playtime, and competes well with major rivals.

So, are the JBL Live Buds 4 worth their £179.99 / AU$269.95 (about $240) asking price? For me, it’s an emphatic yes. Of course, they’re not the cheapest buds on the market, but they’re also a fair bit cheaper than big-name rivals like the AirPods Pro 3 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Gen 2. They also sound fantastic for the money, with the nifty charging case only adding more value. Sure, they could do better in the call quality and ANC department, but ultimately, they still offer decent enough quality in those areas.

JBL Live Buds 4 review: price & release date

• List price of £179.99 / AU$269.95 (about $240)
• Revealed in May 2026

The JBL Live Buds 4 were revealed in May 2026, alongside their siblings, the JBL Live Beam 4 and the JBL Live Flex 4. They released about two years after their predecessor, the JBL Live Buds 3.

They come in at £179.99 / AU$269.95 (about $240), which is the same as their predecessors cost at the point of launch (in the UK). We’re yet to catch wind of a release date and pricing for the US, but we’ll update this review accordingly if and when further details emerge.

These buds are available at a relatively affordable price for the quality on offer, coming in at a lower cost than rivals such as the Apple AirPods Pro 3 and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Gen 2.

Our top pick for wireless earbuds whatever your budget is the Technics EAH-AZ100, at $299 / £259 (around AU$478). So at quite a bit less than those figures, the JBL Live Buds 4 can be yours for a shade under flagship money — and that's a very good thing in terms of value.

That said, the Huawei Freebuds Pro 5 are our current 'best mid-range' pick in that detailed guide, and those excellent buds retail for the same £179.99 fee as the JBL option. They don't have a smart charging case, but still, food for thought…

JBL Live Buds 4 review: specs

Should I buy the JBL Live Buds 4?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

JBL Live Buds 4 review: also consider

How I tested the JBL Live Buds 4

• Tested over the course of three weeks
• Used in the office, on walks, and on public transport
• Mainly streamed tunes over Tidal, but tapped into Spotify too

I spent three weeks putting the JBL Live Buds 4 through their paces. During this time, I listened to countless hours of music, messed around with everything the smart charging case had to offer, and exhausted their various features.

As always, I made sure to use these buds in a range of environments — including at home or at the office, but also when out on walks near busy roads, and when on public transport like buses and trains. When listening to tunes, I predominantly streamed music over Tidal on my Xiaomi 17 phone, but I also jumped into Spotify now and then. I made sure to soft through the multi-genre TechRadar reference playlist, but also bumped a bunch of tunes from my personal library.

More generally, I’ve spent years testing audio gear here at TechRadar, where I serve as a Senior Reviews Writer. I’ve reviewed everything from premium wireless headphones like the Sony 1000X The Collexion to hulking party speakers like the Marshall Bromley 750. Of course, I’ve also tested many pairs of wireless earbuds, so I know exactly what it takes for a model to stand out in a highly competitive market.

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• First reviewed: August 2026

When the Fenix 8 finally dropped in 2024, it quickly earned a reputation as the best Garmin GPS watch money can buy, even if that meant parting with a lot of money. I gave it a thorough test on the 11-day trek to Everest Base Camp, and with Garmin’s full suite of training features, a bright AMOLED display, microphone and speaker, plus an LED torch, there was no doubt that it was a big step up from the hugely popular Fenix 7.

Last year, Garmin followed the Garmin Fenix 8 up with the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro, which took the winning formula and added built-in LTE cellular and inReach satellite connectivity for phone-free messaging and SOS alerts. I tested it at the Love Trails running festival this summer, and genuinely started to doubt the rumours that a Fenix 9 could really be imminent. What more could there possibly be to add?

I went along to the Fenix 9 release in Chamonix to find out, and immediately afterwards I strapped the Fenix 9 Pro on and hit the trail. It hasn’t been off my wrist since, and between its refined design, faster processing, plus some very fun new navigation and tracking features, I can say it’s a clear improvement over the Fenix 8.

Built with a titanium case and bezel, the 9 Pro is lighter, more durable and resistant to the elements. Side-by-side with my 8 Pro, it looks nicer and more expensive thanks to a nanomoulding construction process that produces a more streamlined build without the need for screws. This also makes it significantly thinner, in all sizes, and with the arrival of a 43mm case option (which I’m testing), it’s more wearable day-to-day than its predecessor.

The 3,000-nit AMOLED display is brighter, sure (although not as bright as the 8 Pro’s MicroLED option), but it’s more the improved clarity that I find myself appreciating. The green light option that’s been added to the LED torch makes a fantastic difference to my night vision, whether I’m out late on the trail or trying to make a cup of tea in the middle of the night without disturbing my entire household.

Garmin is already the industry leader in maps, and the Fenix 9 Pro map loads faster and adds a new Perspective orientation, which I think is useful when navigating in urban areas, and it’s more useful to be able to see what side streets and road junctions are up ahead.

Rolled out with the Fenix 9 are improved Stamina readings, including new Stamina Zones, which I’ve started using to help me manage my effort and pace when I’m on the trail. Brand new is the Garmin Epic feature, which essentially lets you group workouts such as training blocks, long-distance treks or adventure holidays so you can see their cumulative effect. There are also updates to the Rucking activity mode, so it now reflects the additional energy demands of your pack weight.

Like the Fenix 8 Pro, this watch boasts LTE-M cellular technology, which means I can easily respond to messages and phone calls from my wrist so long as my phone is nearby. There are some improvements to LiveTrack and Location Tracking, which are useful for both urban explorers and long bouts in the wild.

For hikers like myself, inReach satellite connectivity means I can reach emergency response from almost anywhere on the planet, and it does mean I can message friends and family when I’m offline; however, that’s only through the Garmin Messenger app. When I spoke to Garmin’s Global Lead Product Manager Jon Hosler in Chamonix, he admitted that the brand’s functionality here does lag a bit behind competitors like Apple, which have more control over the cellular ecosystem, but he also stressed that the Fenix remains a performance watch first and foremost.

In summary, the Fenix 9 Pro plants a flag firmly at the GPS watch summit as a top-of-the-line option. It’s brighter, faster, ludicrously well-featured, and, unsurprisingly, even pricier. All of that said, this shouldn’t be considered a realistic upgrade for Fenix 8 users, who are already sporting a fantastic timepiece. But compared to anything before the 8, it’s better by a country mile.

Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: specifications

Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: price and availability

• Starts at £949.99 for smallest 43mm
• Prices for Fenix 9 start at £859.99
• Reaches up to £1,209.99

The Fenix 9 Pro starts at $1,099.99 / £949.99 / AU$1,749 for the 43mm case size without inReach connectivity. With inReach, pricing starts at $1,199.99 / £1,029.99 / AU$1,899. The Fenix 9 Pro Solar is the same price, while the regular Fenix 9, which has a fibre-reinforced polymer case instead of titanium, starts at $999.99 / £859.99 / AU$1,599, and that’s for both the 43mm and 47mm.

The largest and most expensive 51mm Fenix 9 Pro with inReach is priced at $1,399.99 / £1,209.99 / AU$2199, and for that you get yourself a considerable increase in battery life with up to 31 days in smartwatch mode / 56 hours in activity mode compared to 10 days / 18 hours in the 43mm watch.

If you’re looking at a model with satellite technology, you’ll also need to factor in the cost of an inReach subscription if you actually want to use it (which starts at £7.99 / $7.99 a month), and all in, it definitely prices a lot of people out.

But the high price shouldn’t come as a surprise for anyone familiar with Garmin Fenix watches, and it’s hard to criticize it on being a high-performing piece of tech made with premium materials. There are plenty of other great options out there right now, including the Fenix 8, which you’re likely to find at a discount now that the Fenix 9 has been unleashed.

• Value score: 4/5

Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: design

• Titanium case and bezel
• Slimmer design
• Brighter AMOLED display

I tend to feel a bit indifferent to changes in materials in my GPS watches, but I have to admit that the titanium case and bezel on the Fenix 9 Pro do make this look and feel like the expensive watch that it is. It’s sleeker and less rugged, down to both the materials and the nanomoulding process, which removes the need for screws.

It’s not totally fair to do a side-by-side comparison with the Fenix 8 Pro here because the latter isn’t available in 43mm, and that accounts for some of the 15g weight difference (equalling an almost 25% increase), but suffice to say that my Fenix 9 Pro is considerably lighter and thinner (to the tune of 16%, according to Garmin), and it has a less sporty aesthetic, which for me is a huge upgrade. If I’m being honest, this is the first Garmin watch I’ve tested that I’m happy wearing all of the time, though I might take it off to go to a wedding.

The AMOLED display is brighter than both my Fenix 8 and 8 Pro models, while the new, more subdued colour scheme is a bit more sophisticated, and it’s all a little sharper whether I’m looking at the stats of a run or using maps to navigate. I’m also amazed at how accurate the touchscreen keyboard is for typing out text messages, even on the smallest display available.

Other than that, everything will feel familiar to existing Fenix users, including the five-button setup, intuitive widget-based layout and responsive touchscreen (that is sometimes a little too responsive, pulling up the weather forecast when I’m in the shower). I’ve finally taken the time to add a bunch of widgets that I use frequently to my quick list, such as my endurance score and recovery estimates, last activity, moon phases and tides, so it’s ready to go before I even leave the house.

You’ll need the enormously comprehensive Garmin Connect app to view your metrics, and the slightly clunkier Garmin Messenger app if you want to use satellite technology for messaging, and if I were to pinpoint a weakness, I’d say it’s a shame that these two aren’t yet integrated into one app.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: features

• Updated build
• Better maps and LED torch
• New training and adventure tools

First up, maps have been updated, and according to Garmin, they render 40% faster than on the 8 Pro and pan 30% faster when you’re searching for something up ahead. There’s a new perspective view added to the map orientation, which you can enable to better see what’s up ahead.

Also new are Stamina Zones, which use heart rate, pace and speed, and Hosler explains that they can be more useful than Heart Rate Zones for managing your effort. I’ve added them to the data screens in different activity modes, so I can see what zone I’m in and how much of my potential stamina I’m using. It’s more obvious in interval training, where I can see my zones dip and rise, but even on long plods it’s an interesting way to see how much gas I might have left in the tank at a current pace.

After an activity, I can view the top contributors to my Endurance Score (hiking for me), and see estimates of how long I should be able to run at a given pace: apparently over seven hours at my easy pace and nearly 20 minutes at max effort, which I’m yet to put to the test.

Garmin’s commitment to upgrading Rucking mode in recent years signals that this is an activity in ascendancy, and it now calculates better estimates of your energy expenditure rather than just being a way to catalogue different activities. The Fenix 9 allows you to set a calorie goal rather than distance or time, and to edit your pack weight mid-activity, which Hosler explains gives ruckers more accurate readings when they’re hiking uphill with water or rocks that they ditch for the descent. I often hike with a heavy pack, and now my activity report shows the difference between my calories burned through activity and the additional calories from the weight of my pack. This is mildly interesting, and could in theory change my fuelling strategy on a long thru hike.

A very fun – if non-essential – feature rolled out with the Fenix 9 and 9 Pro is called Garmin Epic, which lets you group workouts. When I heard about it in the press conference, I worried it might be similar to the gratuitous Adventure Journal in the Coros Nomad, but after testing it out, I genuinely love it. I gave it a quick test in Chamonix by grouping together all five hikes and trail runs I went on so I could see my cumulative distance, time on the trails and related health stats. But it’s also retrospective, so I’ve been able to make an Epic for last year’s trek to Everest Base Camp and finally see that entire, unforgettable trip as one adventure, from the map of my entire 11-day route to my total elevation gain. I can share my Epic with friends and family, but I can see the demand for Garmin to develop this into a video that users can share on social media.

As for connectivity, I have an active inReach subscription, so I’m able to signal for help from anywhere, but fortunately haven’t had to do so yet. This feature does rely on the Garmin Messenger app, and most of my friends and family are not on there, so this is an area where the Fenix lags behind the Apple Watch Ultra 3. In our conversations, Hosler was clear that he doesn’t consider this watch a true replacement for a satellite device like my Garmin inReach Mini 2, but more of a nice-to-have backup. LiveTrack has improved and now you can send a tracking link directly from your phone, which has good implications for urban runners as well as hikers.

And last but not least, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention everyone’s favourite feature: the upgraded LED torch, which was being heralded by elite trail runners like Katie Schide, Tom Evans and Elsey Davis in Chamonix, who all said this was among their top Garmin features.

The Fenix 9 and 9 Pro have both added a green light option, which is better for night vision, though perhaps not quite as kind to your significant other when you’re looking for your running socks at 5 a.m. It may not be a substitute for a headtorch on a night run, but when your torch runs out of batteries, you’ll be glad you have your Garmin.

Add on to this all the features of the Fenix 8, and I can’t imagine what else you could possibly want from your watch.

• Features score: 5/5

Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: performance

• Reliable sensors
• Lightning-fast maps
• Better night vision

The Garmin Fenix 9 Pro has all the same sensors as its predecessor, and after testing the two out on the same run, I’m confident that the readings were all virtually identical (though Hosler did explain that GPS differences can be down to the two watches being on different wrists and pointing in different directions).

I prefer the smaller case size, but it does mean I’m sacrificing battery life. My battery lost 17% during my first two-hour hike, which was a little shocking, but going forward I’ve been using Max Battery mode for longer sessions, which uses energy-saving measures and means a little less accuracy from GPS.

In the last 10 days, I did four short hikes and runs in Chamonix, two spin sessions, a pool swim, a long trail run, a short treadmill workout and a base run. I ran the battery all the way down, had to charge it once, and now it’s at 61%. In regular use, where I’ll typically have it in activity mode for at least 30 minutes a day, I expect to have to charge it once a week, and for a multi-day trek, I’d expect to be charging it at least every other day. That said, if you compare the 51mm Fenix 9 Pro and 8 Pro side by side, the 9 Pro has a better battery life, so if you’re after endurance, size up.

The display is really easy to see in all light conditions, brilliant sunshine and torrential rain and is really responsive when I lift my wrist, although this naturally declines as the battery runs low.

I put maps to the test straight away in Chamonix, charting a course to a mountainside cafe on the Tour du Mont Blanc, and it all renders so quickly and smoothly I don’t even really have to stop and think about it. Though I didn’t find the perspective view that helpful on the trails, it was great for navigating through the busy streets of Chamonix, which often poses a challenge as my phone doesn’t work well there. On my first test, I tried going off-course to see if the maps would reroute me and it didn’t work, but I’ve since been able to chalk that up to Garmin rolling out the watch to the world at the very same time I was testing it, as when I got back to Scotland, I went out on a 12k trail run and found the rerouting to work perfectly.

he LTE connectivity means I can leave my phone in my backpack, and that is really quite refreshing. I did send my boyfriend a link to track me on my most recent trail run via Garmin Connect, and he was able to do so, if not with a fair amount of apathy. I’ve also sent some test messages to my few Garmin Messenger contacts; it’s easy to type directly on the watch, and the message sends in a flash.

I don’t love wearing a watch to bed, but thanks to the slimmer design, I’ve been able to test out the sleep tracking, and it’s really accurate. My subsequent training Readiness scores and Recovery predictions have been pretty in line in accordance with how I feel.

Also at night, the green light function on the torch has quickly rendered my beloved red light nearly obsolete, making it easier than ever to creep around the house without bumping into things and even read a book in bed without turning my lamp on.

• Performance score: 5/5

Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: should I buy?

Buy it if…

Your adventures take you into the wild

The Fenix 9 Pro has all the field tools for a backcountry adventure, and the technology to help get you out of there if things go wrong.

You’ve been running on a Fenix older than the 8 for years

Even the fabulous Fenix 7 pales in comparison to this one.

You’re a tech junkie with a big budget

All the best tech is on display here at an aspirational price.

Don’t buy it if…

You have the Fenix 8

The Fenix 8 is a cracking watch, and while we admit this is an upgrade, we can’t make a compelling case to switch

You’re saving up for a down payment on a house

This watch comes with some serious sticker shock

Also consider

How I tested

I’ve tested this watch from the French Alps to Scotland, over multiple hikes, trail runs and road runs, with a few indoor workouts on the bike, treadmill and in the pool thrown in. I’ve compared it with the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro and the Suunto Vertical 2 for good measure, and spent hours talking to Garmin experts and poring over the data in the watch and on the Garmin Connect app.

The Huntsman line has long been a distinguished marque in the gaming keyboard world, and now this new analog addition seeks to add Hall Effect technology to the formula.

It looks like a high-performing machine. The all-black colorway might be a little drab, but the floating keycaps and subtly brushed metal faceplate add touches of class. The bright RGB backlighting also helps to sell its gaming prowess.

What’s more, it’s built exceptionally well. That faceplate feels incredibly smooth and solid, while the keycaps are planted and have a great-feeling texture. At the same time, the V3 HE is also very light and compact — doubly impressive when you consider it includes quite a few navigation keys.

Razer’s Synapse software can be used to customize the inputs of the V3 HE. You’ll find plenty of analog adjustments here, and there’s even a handy visualizer to display key travel in real time, although this isn’t available for every analog setting. The software is easy to use and I didn’t experience any major issues during my time with it.

Once you’ve dialled in your preferred settings, gaming with the V3 HE is a joy. The keys are very tactile and provide plenty of feedback without feeling heavy. However, due to the height of the keycaps and the lack of wrist support, I found typing quite uncomfortable.

This is perhaps the major drawback of the V3 HE, along with its price, which is quite high for a keyboard lacking wireless connectivity. However, its gaming performance and build quality are to be admired, and might just make it worth the outlay.

Razer Huntsman V3 HE Magnetic Tenkeyless 8KHz review: Price and availability

• $139.99 / £139.99 / AU$229.95
• Preorders available now
• Expensive for a wired keyboard

The Razer Huntsman V3 HE Magnetic Tenkeyless 8KHz costs $139.99 / £139.99 / AU$229.95 and will be available later this year, but you can preorder it now. A mini 65% variant will also be available for $20 / £20 / AU$30 less.

It's undeniably expensive for a wired gaming keyboard. However, it’s still cheaper than some of its rivals, such as the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL, another fantastic analog keyboard. This is easily one of the best analog keyboards I’ve tested. It also features an integrated OLED screen for a visually appealing way to access various settings and adjustments, and it can display certain in-game information as well.

If you’re looking for a decidedly more budget-friendly analog keyboard, you can’t do much better than the MonsGeek FUN60 Ultra. Not only is this much cheaper than the Huntsman, but it also performs very admirably and has multiple wireless connectivity modes to boot.

Razer Huntsman V3 HE Magnetic Tenkeyless 8KHz review: Specs

Razer Huntsman V3 HE Magnetic Tenkeyless 8KHz review: Design and features

• Great build quality
• Bright RGB lighting
• Copious customization options

In line with Razer’s other products, the V3 HE looks like a premium product. I especially liked the floating keycaps and the brushed metal faceplate, which add elements of sophistication. The all-black colorway is a little austere, but the bright and customizable RGB backlighting does well to liven things up, especially since those aforementioned floating keycaps increase the illumination.

Equal to its appearance is the build quality of the V3 HE. Despite the plastic material, the chassis is incredibly solid, while that faceplate feels lusciously smooth. The double-shot PBT keycaps have a gratifying texture to them as well, and are as planted and as stable as you could wish for.

Another nice touch is the recessed USB port. This encloses the jack completely, adding security and creating a neater look. The included cable should prove long enough to accommodate most setups, and what’s more it’s braided, which is more common on the best gaming mice. This improves flexibility, although it’s thicker and seems more durable than those on said mice.

Despite the strong build, the V3 HE is also very light, which pleasantly surprised me. It’s also quite compact, yet still features some useful keys for navigation. And there are plenty of Fn shortcuts dotted around, including those for tweaking certain aspects of the V3 HE, such as the RGB, actuation point (between 0.1mm and 4mm), and Rapid Trigger sensitivity. Thankfully, these shortcuts are also labelled.

For further customizations, you’ll need to download Razer’s Synapse peripheral software. Alongside those mentioned above, you can adjust the Rapid Trigger sensitivity of upstrokes and downstrokes independently, map up to four inputs to a single key, select up to four keys to have a secondary function on their release, and decide which key takes priority when two are pressed at the same time (with numerous options to choose from). There are also a few pre-made profiles catering to certain game types and scenarios, as well as a remapping suite with a large selection of assignments at your disposal, including gamepad buttons, sticks, and triggers.

I was glad to see the inclusion of a visualizer that shows the travel of your presses in real time by filling up a bar. This bar is also marked with your currently set actuation point in millimeters, so you can see when you’ve passed it. It’s a shame there’s no visualizer for the Rapid Trigger function, given this can be a little tricky to comprehend. For the most part, though, Synapse is clearly laid out and easy to use.

Razer Huntsman V3 HE Magnetic Tenkeyless 8KHz review: Performance

• Snappy and tactile
• Comfortable and secure when gaming
• Hard to type with

As with most Razer keyboards, the performance of the V3 HE is exemplary. The analog switches have plenty of tactility, being easy to press yet providing just enough resistance to allow for controlled presses; relative to other analog keyboards, I found it easy to hit certain actuation points. They also have a wonderfully springy response, which makes them feel snappy. But they’re quite clicky, too, with just enough dampening to prevent them feeling harsh.

The keycaps themselves are a boon when gaming, too. Their aforementioned texture not only feels great but should also help to prevent slips when things get sweaty. Prominent indentations improve finger security further, as well as helping you to avoid hitting the wrong key.

However, I found them less amenable to typing. Their sheer height means that even though the base of the V3 HE is reasonably thin, I still found myself having to angle my wrists upwards to an uncomfortable degree. I wish a wrist rest was included in the box like other Razer models, especially as Razer’s are some of the best in class thanks to their exceedingly plush padding.

Should I buy the Razer Huntsman V3 HE Magnetic Tenkeyless 8KHz?

Scorecard

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

Razer Huntsman V3 HE Magnetic Tenkeyless 8KHz review: Also consider

How I tested the Razer Huntsman V3 HE Magnetic Tenkeyless 8KHz

• Tested for a few days
• Used for a variety of tasks
• Lots of gaming keyboard experience

I tested the Huntsman V3 HE for a few days, using it for gaming, working, and general browsing. I used it with two different Windows 11 PCs.

I played games such as Counter-Strike 2, which offers a stern test for peripherals given its emphasis on quick and precise inputs. I also played S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, which requires a broader use of the layout, so I could test how easy it was to use keys outside of those within the immediate vicinity of the WASD position.

I’ve been PC gaming for over a decade, and have used many different keyboards in that time. I’ve also reviewed a large number of them with various switch types, form factors, and price points.

• First reviewed: September 2026
• Read more about how we test

The Google Pixel 11 Pro XL, like the rest of the new Pixel 11 phones, doesn't offer much in terms of huge upgrades over the Pixel 10 line. The Pixel 11 Pro XL's design is only slightly altered versus that of the Pixel 10 Pro XL, with a new all-glass camera bump and an LED light in place of the temperature sensor that I'm convinced no one ever used anyway.

The new color options are fun, including the matte black, despite yours truly being bored of black phones.

Inside the 11 Pro XL is Google's new Tensor G6 processor. Storage options start at 256GB, then double to 512GB and 1TB. With the base model doubling in storage from last year's 128GB entry, Google didn't lower the price to match. Instead, you're going to pay $100 / £80 / AU$150 more than last year for the entry-level XL.

Not only does it cost more to buy a Pixel phone, but Google also dropped the base model's memory from 16GB to 12GB (you'll get 16GB if you choose the 512GB or 1TB storage variants). It's unclear how much of an impact this has on the overall performance, but Google says it's made optimizations to get more out of less memory.

The Pixel 11 Pro XL's cameras are fantastic, as usual. There's a new Magic Capture mode that takes the guesswork out of recording video or snapping pics of precious moments, and is surely something parents will use a lot. However, 120x Pro Zoom is more of a parlor trick than something useful. I found that, after 30x, you're not really getting good results.

The Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL are nearly identical phones, with the XL having a larger footprint, battery, and display. As such, virtually everything I said about the 11 Pro in its review applies to the 11 Pro XL. Be sure to read my Google Pixel 11 Pro review to get a full picture of what to expect from either phone.

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL: Price and availability

• Starts at $1,299 / £1,279 / AU$2,099 for 256GB + 12GB RAM

Google's Pixel 11 Pro XL was announced in mid-August 2026, alongside a revamp of the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. The new line started shipping on August 20.

Like the Pixel 11 Pro, the XL version is available in Canyon, Olive, Fog, and Obsidian. There's no longer a 128GB storage option, with Google instead bumping up the starting storage amount to 256GB. Other storage options include 512GB and 1TB. The 256GB comes with 12GB of memory — a downgrade from last year's equivalent — while the rest of the portfolio has 16GB.

Google kept the price of the 256GB model the same as last year — $1,299 / £1,279 / AU$2,099 — effectively raising the price of the 11 Pro XL by $100 / £80 / AU$150. The 512GB and 1TB models are $1,419 / £1,399 / AU$2,299 and $1,649 / £1,629 / AU$2,649, respectively.

The same base-model price hike happened across the entire Pixel 11 lineup and is becoming commonplace industry-wide. Smartphone makers like Apple, Samsung, and now Google seem to have adopted the same pricing approach, with the Pixel 11 Pro XL priced to match the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Last year's iPhone 17 Pro Max still starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,149. However, that's likely to change on September 9 when Apple announces the iPhone 18 line; price increases seem inevitable.

• Value score: 3 / 5

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL review: Specs

Here's a breakdown of the Google Pixel 11 Pro XL's key specs:

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL review: Design

• Nearly identical design to the Pixel 10 Pro XL
• Camera bar is all glass
• Obsidian (matte) looks great

You wouldn't have to try very hard to convince me that Google recycled last year's Pixel 10 Pro XL design with the Pixel 11 Pro XL. The two phones are nearly identical, with the biggest noticeable differences being an all-glass camera bump and new colors.

I've been using the matte black model, or Obsidian (matte) as Google refers to it, and I'm obsessed. Black phones are boring, sure, but the matte finish on every single surface of the 11 Pro XL looks really nice.

There's a new scratchproof coating on the display glass that's — surprise! — supposed to make it very hard to scratch. And while I haven't been gentle with the 11 Pro XL over the last week or so, I haven't purposely tried to scratch the screen, and I don't plan on doing so.

The 11 Pro XL measures 162.6 x 76.2 x 7.6mm and weighs 226g. On the right side is a volume rocker with a sleep/wake/Gemini button just above it. Other than those buttons and a USB-C port on the bottom, the Pro XL's exterior is unblemished. It'll survive an accidental splash or two thanks to its IP68 rating.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL review: Display

• 6.8-inch Super Actua panel
• 120Hz refresh rate
• Smooth, bright, and vivid

If you pull up Google's phone comparison tool and look at the Pixel 11 Pro XL's screen compared to the 10 Pro XL, you'll be hard-pressed to find many differences. It's still a 6.8-inch Super Actua display with a resolution of 1,334 x 2,992 and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz.

There's that new anti-scratch coating I previously mentioned, along with a boost in HRD and peak brightness. Peak brightness now maxes out at 3,600 nits and HDR at 2,400 nits, up from 3,300 and 2,200, respectively.

The display looks sharp and is easily viewable outside on bright days. The OLED panel does a great job with both dark and bright colors, making it easy to feel as immersed as you can on a phone.

I appreciate the larger display of the Pro XL over the Pro's smaller panel, but that's a matter of personal preference. Both are great.

• Display score: 5 / 5

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL review: Software

• HiLight needs a rethink
• Proactive Assistance is missing in action
• Rambler is just too cool

The Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL have the same software tricks. Android 17 is preinstalled and brings with it many Gemini features.

You can read my Google Pixel 11 Pro review for a more thorough take on the software features found in this year's crop of the Pixel Pro models, but the gist of it is this: Proactive Assistance is still something I've yet to see in action. I haven't seen a dish recommendation at a restaurant, and the conversations I've had in various apps have yet to trigger any sort of Gemini suggestion.

HiLight, a new notification light that takes the place of the temperature sensor in the camera bump, is pretty pointless in its current form. It only works during hands-free conversations with Gemini or when you receive an incoming call — when your phone is face down.

Rambler, the Pixel's new voice dictation tool, feels like a step forward for voice dictation as a whole. Talk how you normally would, make mistakes, correct yourself, and stammer through your thoughts, and Rambler will make sense of it all. It's pretty great.

• Software score: 4 / 5

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL review: Cameras

• 50MP main camera
• 48MP ultra-wide
• 48MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom

The Pixel 11 Pro XL boasts three rear cameras: a 50MP main, 48MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom, and a 48MP ultra-wide.

I appreciate the larger screen on the 11 Pro XL when taking pictures simply because it's a larger viewfinder, and it makes framing shots easier.

One thing I noticed when testing the 11 Pro XL's 120x Pro Zoom feature is that its AI rendering powers are hit and miss.

Several photos have obvious AI-like qualities to them. For example, the smokestack I took various pictures of at different zoom levels suddenly has two ladders — one white, one black — the closer the zoom gets.

Another photo of several American flags on top of a building looks like a really bad Photoshop job, with strips placed where the stars should be, and other blatant mistakes.

I also used Pro Zoom to capture some pretty cool pics of the 96% lunar eclipse, but I'm not sure I trust what I see. Nonetheless, they look pretty darn cool.

Interestingly, to me, the photos I captured with the 11 Pro XL didn't have the same flat look as those I snapped with the smaller 11 Pro. I'm honestly not sure what's caused that difference; I took nearly identical pictures on both phones.

For my full thoughts on the Pixel 11 Pro's new camera setup, including the impressive new Magic Capture feature (which automatically takes high-quality stills while you're shooting a video), be sure to read my Google Pixel 11 Pro review.

• Camera score: 4 / 5

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL review: Camera samples

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL review: Performance

• Google Tensor G6 chipset
• 12GB or 16GB of memory
• 256GB starting storage

On paper, the Pixel 11 Pro XL matches a mid-range phone in the performance department. Its benchmark performance isn't impressive; it beats out three-year-old processors but falls short of current flagship models.

For example, the Pixel 11 Pro XL's Geekbench 6 single- and multi-core scores are 2,721 and 7,305, respectively. The same test on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 produces results of 2,625 and 8,430. So, the Pixel 11 Pro XL wins on single-core performance, but there's a notable drop-off in multicore, which is indicative of performance during resource-heavy tasks.

But benchmarks aren't the complete story. In my daily use with the Pixel 11 Pro XL, I haven't run into a single performance-based issue. Apps open without delay, and bouncing between multiple apps while streaming a video in picture-in-picture mode or listening to music is a process the Pixel 11 Pro XL handles without issue.

The Pixel 11 Pro XL uses Google's Tensor G6 chipset, and as previously mentioned, it comes with 12GB or 16GB of storage. Like the Pixel 11 Pro review sample, I received a 512GB/16GB sample of the Pixel 11 Pro XL. As such, I can't vouch for what the experience is like on the base model.

• Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL review: Battery

• 5,115mAh battery
• 45W wired charging
• 25W wireless charging

The Pixel 11 Pro XL comes with a 5,115mAh battery and is capable of wired charging up to 45W. Support for the Qi2.2 standard also brings 25W wireless charging to the phone; Google claims 30 hours of battery life, and my experience has matched that with regular use.

My days start at 6am and usually end around 10pm, with lots of messages sent in several apps — Slack, BlueBubbles, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, etc. — too much doomscrolling, and plenty of interacting with Gemini.

When connected to a 65W charger, the Pixel 11 Pro XL went from completely drained to 25% in 15 minutes. At 30 minutes, it was at 49%, and it took 1 hour and 32 minutes to fully charge.

I experienced the same charging cadence with a 45W charging adapter, which I suppose is to be expected. During both of those tests, I monitored the charging output and never saw it go above 28W.

However, there's a new Extreme Charging Mode that you can enable in the quick settings panel. When running the same charging test, going from 0-100%, the Pixel 11 Pro XL charged much, much faster.

At the 15-minute mark, it was at 38%; at 30 minutes, it was at 73%; at 1 hour and 3 minutes, it was fully charged. I recorded a peak charging speed of 38W with Extreme Charging Mode turned on, which limits background activities while your battery is below 50% to increase charging speeds.

I would love to see a permanent toggle to always have Extreme Charging Mode turned on, instead of having to enable it every time you want to use it. Hopefully that's something Google implements in the future.

• Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Google Pixel 11 Pro XL?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL review: Also consider

How I tested the Google Pixel 11 Pro

After wrapping up my Pixel 11 Pro review, I switched to the Pixel 11 Pro XL. The phones are nearly identical, save for the latter's larger size, and as such, I didn't spend as much time with the Pro XL as the standard Pro.

That said, I went through the same testing process, just in a condensed timeframe. I chatted with Gemini, took plenty of photos, texted, scrolled, and even gamed a bit.

In other words — I lived with the phone, treating it as my daily driver.

Read more about how we test here.

• First reviewed: August 2026

In a nutshell, this is what I think we need to keep coming back to now that Prime Video has revamped its hit car show. Not everybody is going to be thrilled with the changes, and understandably so — original presenters Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond are the absolute lifeblood of the concept. But at the end of the day, no single person can sustain a light entertainment show forever.

And light entertainment The Grand Tour is. None of the core sections of the show have been altered, with our new trio still galivanting across the world in expensive supercars, or doing something stupid like sticking parts of a classic school bus to a microcar. If chaos is what you're tuning in for, it hasn't gone anywhere.

Neither, in a way, have the original trio. Amazon has shrewdly been able to include their spirit and legacy in a way that doesn't overshadow the authority of the new presenters (no spoilers here, though), and the new six episodes feel like the perfect homage to everything that has come before.

Do I miss Clarkson, Hammond and May having the run of resources and Amazon budget? Without question. But just because something has changed doesn't inherently make it worse.

Don't write our new hosts of The Grand Tour off as mere 'content creators'

If, like me, you're chronically online but don't fall into any type of niche content, you might only recognize one of the three faces above. Bourgeois went viral on TikTok for his (frankly, nerdy) love of trains, but the internet was won over by his wholesome charm. As luck would have it, his love and understanding of cars is almost as strong as a high-carbon steel train track.

But our other two presenters shouldn't be overlooked. Engelsman and Holland are the creators of popular car YouTube channel Throttle House. Fans have dubbed it "the spiritual successor to Top Gear for years," and with a similar blend of fun and smarts, it's easy to see why. They even had Hammond on in a cameo role years before any of the TV stuff took off.

For the trio to be asked to take over feels somewhat written in the stars, particularly as more traditional media formats are actively looking to capitalize on the success of online influencers. However, TV and content creation are two entirely different disciplines, and having an active social media presence doesn't automatically mean that you'll make a great presenter.

Yes, there are bouts of awkwardness, stilted banter and hesitant connection, but there's a great deal of promise in the three as a newly-formed team. There's an underlying ease between them that proves why they were brought together, and their expansive love for all things transport is all the glue that they really need. In time, they'll clearly be seasoned, and I don't think they'll need much help to get them to that level.

Yes, I still miss the original team — I can't help it

I'm desperate to talk about — but won't, at least here — the ways that Prime Video has incorporated the essence of Clarkson, Hammond and May into The Grand Tour's new episodes, but you're just going to have to see it to believe it. It's a mixture of passing the baton onto a new generation, and knowing there's a huge chance that viewership will drop if they're not somehow included.

The meat of the show, from the global car trips to sheer stupidity, acts as a constant, regardless of who is presenting. Our new boys might not be as hilariously mean to each other as the originals were, but the spirit of just being idiots on the telly hasn't died out. Who is involved here almost doesn't matter, because you're so wrapped up in the possibility of that being you. I hate driving, but I still want to try out a supercar on the palm tree-laden streets of Malaysia.

Ultimately, The Grand Tour's revamp is as successful as it ever could have been. Nothing has been compromised, yet everything subtly feels different... in a positive way. A particular shoutout must go to Bourgeois, who I think is easily the strongest of the bunch. His combination of deep-dive intellect and soft-spoken delivery will make him the James May of tomorrow, and I can't help but feel immensely proud of that.

The Logitech G305 X Superlight is a lightweight wireless gaming mouse. Logitech is no stranger to this category, but this addition to its G305 line aims to keep things relatively simple while including some surprisingly advanced features relative to its price point.

It has quite a basic appearance, with a lack of branding or any odd contours. There’s an RGB light strip that looks too small to be effective, but it manages to brighten up the G305 X Superlight to an impressive degree — especially the black model — thanks to its wealth of animation customizations.

The overall build quality is great, too, adhering to Logitech’s typically high standards. Despite how light the unit is (it weighs just 61g), it’s surprisingly solid, lacking any flimsiness or hollowness. The plastic body is smooth with just a hint of texture that feels tactile and just as premium as the best gaming mouse shells. Furthermore, all of its buttons and the scroll wheel are solidly planted without a hint of play.

To customize the inputs (as well as the aforementioned RGB lighting) of the G305 X Superlight, you’ll need to download Logitech’s G HUB software. In one section, you’ll find five configurable DPI sliders that you can set to a range between 100 and 44,000 — you can then cycle through these using the dedicated button on the G305 X Superlight, which is thankfully placed on top rather than underneath, making it easy to access. You can save your five settings as a custom preset or select from several provided by Logitech, catering to various game types and scenarios — something I haven’t seen much in peripheral software.

In another section, you can reassign all of the G305 X Superlight’s buttons. There are a large number of assignments available, ranging from a multitude of system and media commands to keyboard inputs and mouse adjustments. You’ll also find custom actions for Discord, Overwolf, OBS, and Streamlabs Desktop. What’s more, a second mapping layer is available via Logitech’s G-shift feature, which is accessed by holding down a button of your choosing.

However, there aren’t any performance-related tweaks for the G305 X Superlight; you can’t alter the lift-off distance or debounce times, nor can you enable motion sync or angle snapping, for example. About the only feature in this area is what Logitech calls BHOP mode. This is designed to prevent accidental knocks of the scroll wheel from registering by ignoring the first scroll event unless a second is performed within a certain time frame (adjustable between 100ms and 1000ms).

Such omissions didn’t spoil my time gaming with G305 X Superlight, though. Its low profile suited my grip style, and the rear hump was just about prominent enough to sit comfortably in my palm without being obstructive. Also, I could grip the mouse securely with my thumb and ring finger during lift-offs thanks to the sidewalls that narrow as they reach the bottom, making up for the lack of grip tape or embossing.

Maneuvering the G305 X Superlight is easy thanks to that aforementioned lightness, too. And despite the relatively small skates, swipes were smooth and frictionless on my mouse pad. This was the case even when I had the USB cable attached — a surprise given it isn’t braided as many gaming mice cables are. Although it created some noticeable drag, it’s still lighter and more malleable than your average rubber cable.

As for the mouse buttons, I appreciated the ergonomics of their downward slant and subtle indentations. Clicks are solid yet snappy, with a good amount of feedback and a surprisingly deep travel. This means spamming is relatively effortless while accidental taps are unlikely to register. The side buttons are easy to reach and actuate, too.

The scroll wheel is easy to flick thanks to its light notching, yet there’s still just enough feedback to make single scrolls easy to perform. However, there were a few occasions when scrolls triggered when I pressed the middle button. This button can also feel quite firm if you don’t hit it at precisely the right angle, which can make presses awkward, but with practice this became less of an issue.

I had no problems with the connectivity of the G305 X Superlight. It connected to my devices via both Bluetooth and the 2.4GHz dongle without a hitch, and hot-switching between them was quick and easy thanks to the selector button underneath. You’ll also find a handy slot here for storing the dongle.

It is a shame there’s no native 8KHz support, although most PC gamers probably won’t need it. Taking everything into consideration, though, the G305 X Superlight is a great value gaming mouse that offers high performance and has a pleasing amount of features at this price point.

Logitech G305 X Superlight review: Price & availability

• $79.99 / £69.99 / AU$149.95
• Available now in black or white
• Good price for a wireless gaming mouse

The Logitech G305 X Superlight costs $79.99 / £69.99 / AU$149.95 and is available now. Two colorways are available: black and white. A USB cable is included for charging and wired play, but it isn’t braided. There are also no spare skates or optional grip tape to adhere to the sidewalls or mouse buttons.

Nevertheless, the G305 X Superlight is well priced for a gaming wireless mouse that has two wireless modes. It also performs very well and has a generous number of input customizations, although it lacks performance-related adjustments. It’s much cheaper than the Razer Viper V4 Pro, even though that mouse has a similar number of input customizations and no additional Bluetooth support. However, we loved virtually every aspect of its performance when we tested it, and gamers may find its form more ergonomic.

If you’re looking for something even cheaper, the Cooler Master MM311 is one of the best value gaming mice around right now. We were impressed with its light and symmetrical design, as well as its fast performance. Again, it doesn’t feature Bluetooth support, and you also have to supply your battery, but it’s hard to complain too much about such omissions when it’s so cheap.

Should I buy the Logitech G305 X Superlight?

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

Logitech G305 X Superlight review: Also consider

How I tested the Logitech G305 X Superlight

• Tested for several days
• Used for gaming and other tasks
• Plentiful gaming mouse experience

I tested the G305 X Superlight for several days, and used it to play several games, including Counter-Strike 2, which is a great test for mice given it requires extremely fast and precise movements. I also used the mouse for general browsing and working.

I’ve been PC gaming for over a decade, so I’ve used plenty of mice in that time. I’ve also reviewed a large number of gaming mice before, including other Logitech models.

• Read more about how we test
• First reviewed: August 2026

Google's Pixel 11 Pro doesn't move the needle very far in terms of new design, hardware, and features. It looks almost identical to the Google Pixel 10 Pro, save for a new all-glass Camera Bar. The temperature sensor has been replaced by an LED that lights up when you're talking to Gemini or you're getting a phone call, but it's about as useful as that temp sensor was in the first place.

Inside the phone is a new Tensor G6 processor, and either 12GB or 16GB of memory. Performance during daily tasks and gaming isn't an issue, despite what Pixel naysayers may like to claim. That smaller RAM allotment is reserved for the entry-level 256GB option, while more storage means more memory for both the 512GB and 1TB models. Google didn't double the storage for nothing, however, as the 256GB model keeps its predecessor's 256GB price, effectively hiking the base cost of the Pixel 11 Pro by $100 / £80 / AU$150.

The cameras are mostly the same as those on the 10 Pro, but with some new software features that are mostly good. The new Camera Looks lets you tailor the 11 Pro's camera performance to your liking and makes it easy to switch between different settings on the fly. Magic Capture, meanwhile, makes it super easy to capture both photos and video of special moments. The new 120x Pro Zoom feature is cool, but only in limited situations; we're still trying to figure out exactly what those are.

Battery life is good enough to last all day, and if you're in a hurry, you can enable a new Extreme Charge Mode feature to top off the 11 Pro faster than non-extreme charging does.

Software-wise, the 11 Pro is loaded full of AI and Gemini features. The new Rambler voice dictation tool is really cool and will let you talk like you used to in middle school, but get rid of all the fluff and make you sound coherent.

Overall, the Pixel 11 Pro is a solid phone that doesn't move the Pixel line too far forward. Most of the new features are software and could very well come to older Pixel devices in due time. Only Google knows if or when.

That said, it's a great phone that's sure to make any older Pixel owners happy. Or, if you've been tempted to jump into Samsung or Apple's ecosystem, come on over; the Pixel 11 Pro's water is fine.

Google Pixel 11 Pro: Price and availability

• Starts at $1,099 / £1,079 / AU$1,849 for 256GB + 12GB RAM

Google announced the Pixel 11 Pro alongside a refresh of the entire Pixel lineup — except the Pixel 10a — on August 12, with an official launch date of August 20.

The Pixel 11 Pro is available in four colors: Canyon, Olive, Fog, and Obsidian. Google did away with the 128GB base storage model, and instead is offering 256GB and 512GB storage allotments with 12GB and 16GB of memory, respectively. The base model has less RAM than the Pixel 10 Pro, dropping from 16GB to 12GB.

However, instead of keeping the previous starting price of $999 / £999 / AU $1,699 for the base model, the Pixel 11 Pro now starts at $1,099 / £1,079 / AU$1,849 for 256GB or $1,219 / £1,199 / AU$2,049 for 512GB. Sure, you're getting double the storage, but you're also getting less memory and paying more.

Price increases are something we're seeing across all smartphone makers, and even though it's our new reality, it doesn't make it any easier to accept.

That said, the Pixel 11 Pro's starting price is in line with comparable smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus and Apple iPhone 17 Pro.

• Value score: 3 / 5

Google Pixel 11 Pro review: Specs

Here's a breakdown of the Google Pixel 11 Pro's key specs:

Google Pixel 11 Pro review: Design

• Similar design to the Pixel 10 Pro
• Camera bar is now all glass

There isn't much to talk about in terms of design changes between the 11 Pro and the 10 Pro. It's hard to tell the two apart unless you look closely. I'm undecided if that's a bad thing — I rather liked the design of the larger Pixel 10 Pro XL.

The biggest difference is the camera bar that now features an all-glass design instead of a mix of glass and metal. The thermometer sensor has been replaced with a notification light, which Google calls HiLight. I go into more detail about HiLight in the software section, but after under a week of use, I'd say it's just as useful as the thermometer sensor. As in — there's really no point to it right now.

Along with a revamped camera bar, Google claims the display has a new coating that makes it twice as scratchproof. I haven't put that claim to the test.

The Pixel 11 Pro measures 152.7 x 71.9 x 8.4mm and weighs 204g. The volume and sleep/wake buttons live on the right edge, with a USB-C port on the bottom edge of the phone. It's IP68 rated, meaning it should have no issues surviving a plunge in the pool.

It's available in four colors, all of which I happen to rather like. Google sent me the Olive version of the 11 Pro and the Obsidian (Matte) version of the 11 Pro XL. I've grown rather bored of black or white phones, so I'm pretty fond of the Olive option and imagine I'd be just as happy with Fog or Canyon. They're fun colors. I like fun.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Google Pixel 11 Pro review: Display

• Direct sunlight isn't an issue
• Crisp, clear and sharp

The Pixel 11 Pro's display is nearly a 1:1 match to the Pixel 10 Pro's on the spec sheet. It's a 6.3-inch Super AMOLED display with a 1,280 x 2856 resolution and a 1-120Hz refresh rate.

Where the 11 Pro breaks away is with brightness, offering a 2,400-nit HDR peak and up to 3,600 nits outdoors. That's up from 2,200 and 3,300, respectively, on the Pixel 10 Pro.

I had no complaints about the Pixel 10 Pro XL's screen, and the same can be said about the 11 Pro's. I can use it outside in direct sunlight without issue, and the small bump in overall brightness helps ensure content remains visible.

There's really nothing groundbreaking about this screen, but the bar was already high. Colors are bright and vibrant for binge-watching videos on YouTube, while text and graphics look clear and sharp when scrolling Reddit. You won't have any display-related problems with the Pixel 11 Pro.

• Display score: 5 / 5

Google Pixel 11 Pro review: Software

• HiLight is pretty pointless
• Gemini is everywhere you look
• Rambler feels like a leap forward for voice dictation

The Pixel 11 Pro ships with Android 17 and is chock-full of Gemini features — including Proactive Assistance, which Google says will proactively make recommendations and surface information without you explicitly requesting it throughout the operating system.

For example, if someone asks you about an upcoming flight, it's supposed to find and present your flight time without you leaving the conversation. It's also capable of showing meal suggestions for the restaurant you're at in the At a Glance widget.

After over a week of use, I can't tell you whether or not anything I've experienced on the Pixel 11 Pro has been from Proactive Assistance. I certainly haven't seen any meal recommendations when at a restaurant, and nobody's asked me about an upcoming flight. I'm sure, eventually, maybe, perhaps, I'll see a recommendation and the promised magic will make sense, but right now: Meh.

The same can be said for the new HiLight feature. Google swapped out the temperature sensor in the camera bump and replaced it with a multi-color light. The indicator light is reminiscent of my BlackBerry days, when I'd have specific colors set for important contacts and on an app-by-app basis.

Right now, HiLight's only triggered during two very specific scenarios: when you're interacting with Google Gemini hands-free, and when one of your contacts saved as a favorite is calling. It's only active when your phone is face down.

I've triggered Gemini a few times with the Pixel 11 Pro sitting on my desk for the sole reason of invoking HiLight. The animations and various colors are fun to look at, but I rarely talk to Gemini hands-free. And if I do, it's usually while holding the phone, when I long-press the side button and ask about something on my screen (super handy), so the light doesn't come into play at all.

But where HiLight really falls short is the fact that it's limited to just phone calls right now. I can't tell you how often my phone rings, but I can say it's not a lot.

That said, my most used and loved Pixel feature has long been the ability to place the phone face down on my desk during meetings and instantly have do not disturb turned enabled. It effectively cuts me off from the outside world. So when I first read rumors about HiLight, I wasn't very happy.

"Google is ruining my favorite Pixel feature!", I yelled alone in my office.

So, part of me is glad the LED light is so crippled. I'd surely fall victim to enabling it beyond phone calls and be far more distracted during meetings than I'd like.

Google hasn't said if it plans on bringing more apps to HiLight, including those made by third parties, but a developer has already figured out how to do just that. You need to be comfortable with sideloading and reactivating the feature every time your phone reboots — but it's possible with HiLight Studio.

If you're someone who often uses voice dictation instead of tapping on a glass display, you'll love Google's new voice-input tool, Rambler. I rarely use voice dictation, simply because it's historically been so bad, often requiring extra time to fix mistakes.

However, Rambler feels like it's a big step in the right direction. You activate it following the same steps you always have, start talking, and when you're done, you're given a clean block of text, without any awkward pauses and filler words. If you say 'um' a lot, or repeat words while trying to finish your thought, Rambler strips all of that out.

After reviewing your text, you can then tell Rambler which words to fix or ask it to rewrite the entire thing with a different tone.

I don't know if it'll get me to start using voice dictation more often, but I can say it's pretty darn cool.

• Software score: 4 / 5

Google Pixel 11 Pro review: Cameras

• 50MP main camera
• 48MP ultra-wide
• 48MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom
• Magic Capture is a nice addition

The Pixel 11 Pro has three rear cameras: a 50MP main, a 48MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom, and a 48MP ultra-wide.

There have been slight changes to the sensors and image processor of the Tensor G6, but the most notable improvements to the camera setup of the Pixel 11 Pro lineup this year come in the form of new features.

There's a new 120x Pro Zoom for far-away shots, a new Camera Looks option for fine-tuning photos based on your preferences, and a Magic Capture feature that eliminates the need to decide when to take a video or photo.

I've tested the 120x Pro Zoom on a wide range of subjects, from people to random ducks to buildings — and it's hit or miss. There's a clear degradation of image quality and an increase in the AI-like look to the pictures the more you zoom. I'd say it's nothing but diminishing returns after you get past 30x.

When taking a 120x photo of my son from across five tennis courts, he ended up looking more like a watercolor painting than a standard photo. However, a 120x photo of the spire on our town hall — well, it doesn't look terrible. Not great, but not terrible.

The new Camera Looks feature is neat, and something the iPhone has had for a couple of years now, in that you can preset your preferred settings for things like contrast and brightness, save it as a look, and use it going forward. Google includes a few Looks to get you started. I'm not sure how many people are going to dive into tweaking and creating their own look, but the option is good and welcome.

Magic Capture is by far the most notable new feature on the Pixel 11 Pro; it's a dedicated shooting mode in the Camera app. When selected, you press the shutter button and hold the phone and frame the subject as if you're recording a video. Tap the shutter button again when you're done.

Then, when you go into the Photos app, you'll see a series of photos and videos from the session. It's very much like Google Clips, the standalone camera Google released in 2017 and abandoned soon after.

I used Magic Capture to get pictures and videos of my niece playing volleyball, and I was totally skeptical going into it. However, after letting Magic Capture do its thing — which also requires some processing after the fact — I was pleasantly surprised to see short video clips of her in action and not just standing around waiting for the ball. There were also several photos of her diving for or setting a ball that made sense — situations I would have tried to capture on my own, sometimes successfully and sometimes not.

Here's an example of Magic Capture being used to snap a moving train:

Overall, the photo quality of the Pixel 11 Pro sticks to Google's tried-and-true results. That said, I do have to admit that the pics from the 11 Pro feel a little flat to me. Colors aren't as bright and vibrant as I'd normally see, but with some small tweaks to create my own Look, I'm sure I could boost saturation and get the results I wanted.

Then again, there's nothing really wrong with the settings out of the box.

• Camera score: 4 / 5

Google Pixel 11 Pro review: Camera samples

Google Pixel 11 Pro review: Performance

• Google Tensor G6 chipset
• 12GB or 16GB memory
• 256GB starting storage

I'll get the potentially controversial part out of the way: I don't have any issues with the Pixel 11 Pro's performance. It's handled everything I've thrown at it with ease.

That includes watching YouTube live streams while scrolling through Reddit, triaging my inbox, the occasional gaming session in Asphalt Legends, and fumbling my way through a Fortnite match using only touch controls. I'm so bad.

Before I go much further, let's cover the basics. Inside the Pixel 11 Pro is Google's Tensor G6 processor, which boasts better and faster image processing and improved on-device Gemini capabilities. The amount of memory you get is based on how much storage your phone has. If you order the 256GB base model, you're getting 12GB. If you order anything above that, you're getting 16GB.

Google claims it's made improvements to memory usage, and Pixel owners with 12GB of memory shouldn't have any performance issues.

I received a 512GB model with 16GB of memory. As such, I can only speak to my experience with that specific build. I don't know if Google really has optimized Gemini and the rest of the AI features to leverage less memory.

The entire reason there's an industry-wide memory shortage, along with rising costs, is because AI relies heavily on memory. Reducing the amount of memory in a phone that boasts a lot of AI features seems counterintuitive.

But I digress.

On paper, Pixels have never been the fastest phones. The same goes for the Pixel 11 Pro compared to other current flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S26.

The latter beats the Pixel 11 Pro across the board in Geekbench 6 and 3DMark benchmark testing, and while Google's phone does actually beat something like the Motorola Razr Plus 2026 in the same tests, the Razr uses a processor that debuted three years ago. Google's Tensor G6 chipset is box-fresh.

However, in daily use, the Pixel 11 Pro delivered consistent, reliable performance no matter what I was doing. I haven't had a single moment where it felt underpowered or like it wasn't living up to what I'd expect from a flagship phone in 2026. Benchmark scores can be useful, but they rarely tell the whole story.

• Performance score: 3 / 5

Google Pixel 11 Pro review: Battery

• 4,850mAh battery
• 30W wired charging
• 25W wireless charging

The Pixel 11 Pro has a 4,850mAh battery and supports up to 30W charging. That battery is only slightly smaller than the Pixel 10 Pro's 4,870mAh cell, but Google estimates battery life at over 30 hours (up from 24 hours last year), and I'd say that's mostly accurate.

On days when I streamed far too many YouTube videos or played Asphalt Legends, battery life still lasted the entire day, but I had to charge overnight.

To test the Pixel 11 Pro's charging speed, I completely drained the battery, plugged it into a 45W power adapter, waited for the phone to boot up, and then turned on Extreme Charging Mode — a new feature, making its debut with the Pixel 11 line.

When enabled — and while your battery is under 50% — Extreme Charging Mode limits background activities to increase charging speeds.

At the 15-minute mark, the 11 Pro reached 25%. At an hour, it was at 86% and reached 100% in under 90 minutes.

And the result? Extreme charging does make a difference in charging speed.

I ran a charging test without it enabled, and the Pixel 11 charged to 24% in 15 minutes, 71% in an hour, and fully charged in 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Even though the 15-minute results were nearly identical, the rest of the charging process was faster. It's worth enabling if you're in a hurry.

In addition to the new extreme fast charging feature, the Pixel 11 Pro now supports 25W wireless charging and the Qi2.2 standard, and it includes the required magnets in the phone itself (unlike Samsung devices) to attach any compatible accessories like wallets, mounts, or to hold it in place on magnetic wireless charging pads.

I'm an avid user of all things MagSafe/PixelSnap/whatever marketing name you want to apply to a ring of magnets on the back of a phone.

• Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Google Pixel 11 Pro?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Google Pixel 11 Pro review: Also consider

How I tested the Google Pixel 11 Pro

I was on a road trip dropping my daughter off at college when the Pixel 11 Pro arrived at my house. It was waiting for me when I got back home, and I immediately set it up and started testing it. I've spent just over a week using it for work and play, as if it was my personal device.

That means I spent a lot of time chatting with Gemini, taking photos and the occasional video, texting with friends and family, and playing the occasional game. I also spent my fair share of time doomscrolling on social networks I should have ditched long ago.

I even have a BlueBubbles server set up at my house, which allows me to continue my iMessage conversations — the platform of choice for my entire family — while testing Android phones.

Read more about how we test here.

• First reviewed: August 2026

Just a year after launching its debut 360 camera, the Osmo 360, DJI has delivered a sequel that addresses pretty much every complaint I had with the original — without asking you to pay through the nose for the privilege.

The Osmo 360 II looks and feels almost identical to its predecessor: same dimensions, same weight, same general shape. But DJI has used that 12-month gap wisely, fixing the two biggest issues I had with the original Osmo 360 in one swift update.

First, the lenses. They're now built with a tougher optical coating, and — far more importantly — they're user-replaceable if you crack or scratch one. For anyone using this camera to capture action sports, that alone might be worth the modest price increase.

Second, DJI's approach to underwater shooting has changed. The waterproof rating hasn't budged from 10m, but where DJI once actively discouraged submersion with the original Osmo 360, it now positions the Osmo 360 II as a viable sub-aqua option for snorkelers and scuba divers.

On the imaging side, the headline feature is native 8K video at 60fps — a first for any 360 camera, edging out even the freshly-launched Insta360 X6 (which tops out at 8K/50fps). Dynamic range, slow motion, timelapse resolution and SuperNight low-light performance have all improved too, though the underlying sensor appears to be physically the same as before, suggesting these are largely processing-driven gains rather than a major hardware leap.

Performance is solid across the board: battery life is roughly on par with the original, storage remains a generous 105GB built-in, and DJI's Mimo and Studio apps are dependable if unspectacular.

Is this a transformative upgrade? Not quite — image quality is a slight rather than dramatic step forward. But DJI has plugged the gaps that mattered, kept what already worked, and done it all while keeping this camera's price significantly below that of the Insta360 X6.

Against the GoPro Max 2, the Osmo 360 II's low-light performance is a clear win too. Right now, my instinct is that there's very little to separate the Osmo 360 II and the X6 on image quality alone — I'll be testing the two head-to-head in more depth soon to see which comes out on top overall — but as an all-rounder at this price, the Osmo 360 II is a seriously compelling 360 camera.

DJI Osmo 360 II specs

DJI Osmo 360 II: Price and availability

• Launches on September 15 2026, roughly a year after the original DJI Osmo 360
• Standard Combo costs £509 / AU$921, up from the original's £409.99 / AU$759
• The Adventure Combo (£639 / AU$1,096) throws in useful extras

The DJI Osmo 360 II arrives around 13 months after its predecessor, and it's more expensive: the Standard Combo will set you back £509 / AU$921, compared with £409.99 / AU$759 for the original Osmo 360 at launch. That's a pretty big jump, but it doesn't stop the Osmo 360 II being significantly more affordable than its biggest rival.

That rival is the Insta360 X6, which starts at £619.99 / AU$1,049.99 for its own Standard bundle. Not that the Osmo 360 II is the budget option in this category, though: the GoPro Max 2, now available for as little as £269.99 / AU$849.95, undercuts DJI comfortably if outright affordability is your main concern.

If you can stretch to it, the pricier Adventure Combo (£639 / AU$1,096) is worth consideration. It throws in two extra batteries (three in total), a charging case that holds three batteries at once, plus a 1.2m selfie stick — accessories that anyone shooting for extended periods will likely want anyway, and which would cost more bought separately.

As with several other recent DJI launches, the Osmo 360 II won't be arriving in the US for now, with the company's application for regulatory authorization still pending. American buyers will need to look elsewhere (or import through a third party) in the meantime.

• Price score: 4.5/5

DJI Osmo 360 II: Design

• Same 61 x 36.3 x 81mm dimensions and 183g weight as the original
• Lenses are now tougher and user-replaceable if damaged
• Still 10m waterproof case-free, but DJI now encourages underwater use

Hold the Osmo 360 II next to its predecessor and there's very little physical difference. DJI has kept the same 61 x 36.3 x 81mm body and 183g weight, and the overall silhouette — a squat, screen-fronted block with two bulging lenses, one on either side — is unchanged. The screen, connectivity options and mounting hardware, including the 1/4-inch tripod thread and DJI's own magnetic quick-release mount, all carry over unaltered from the original too.

The main changes here are on the lenses themselves. DJI says the Osmo 360 II's lenses use a tougher optical coating that better resists scratches, and if you do manage to crack or damage one, it's now a user-replaceable part via DJI's own lens replacement kit (£35 / AU$50 — and if you prefer, there's also the option of taking or sending it to an authorized repair spot to get someone else to fix it). It sounds like a modest tweak on paper, but it's the biggest change DJI has made this generation from a peace-of-mind perspective, particularly for anyone shooting the kind of high-impact action footage where dinging the lenses is a real risk.

DJI hasn't increased the Osmo 360 II's case-free waterproof rating, which remains at 10m (half of the 20m offered by the Insta360 X6). What has changed is the company's own confidence in the camera underwater: where DJI previously discouraged underwater capture on the original Osmo 360, it now positions the Osmo 360 II as a viable option for snorkelers and scuba divers working within that 10m limit.

• Design score: 4.5/5

DJI Osmo 360 II: Performance

• Battery capacity increased slightly, and format stays interchangeable across the Osmo range
• DJI's claimed 100 minutes of 8K/30fps recording held up in testing
• Extended 8K/60fps recording can cause overheating

DJI has nudged the Osmo 360 II's battery capacity up from 1950mAh to 2150mAh, but real-world battery life is roughly on a par with the original. The batteries themselves remain interchangeable across both Osmo 360 generations and recent Osmo Action-series cameras, so anyone already invested in DJI's action camera ecosystem can use batteries across their various devices.

DJI claims you get 100 minutes of continuous 8K/30fps recording on a full charge. In my testing, I used 25% of the battery to capture 25 minutes of 8K/30fps footage, which backs up DJI's figure almost exactly.

Push the Osmo 360 II to its most demanding setting, 8K at 60fps, and a warning prompt appears letting you know that overheating is a possibility. How long you actually get before that happens depends on ambient conditions, with airflow and temperature both playing a part, but in my testing indoors at room temperature, with no fan or breeze to help cool the camera, it lasted around 19 minutes before shutting itself down to cool off. If you're planning extended 8K/60fps sessions, especially somewhere warm, it's worth considering that limitation.

Storage carries over unchanged from the original Osmo 360, with a generous 105GB of usable built-in space, plus a microSD card slot if you need more.

Already own a DJI Mic? There's a good chance it'll connect wirelessly to the Osmo 360 II for 24-bit audio, as part of DJI's OsmoAudio ecosystem. If you don't, the camera's four built-in microphones do a decent job of capturing usable sound on their own.

Editing and reframing your 360 footage means going through one of DJI's two companion apps: the mobile DJI Mimo app, or desktop-based DJI Studio. I tested both, and found them solid and dependable overall, if not spectacular. Mimo's AI-assisted auto-editing tools left me distinctly unimpressed, so if you were hoping to shoot all day and wake up to a finished edit, temper your expectations — but for anyone willing to manually cut, reframe and tweak their own clips, both apps get the job done without drama. DJI Studio stood out in particular for its excellent subject tracking and the impressive 64x slow-motion mode, which uses interpolation to smooth out footage.

• Performance score: 4/5

DJI Osmo 360 II: Image quality

• First 360 camera offering native 8K/60fps video recording
• SuperNight low-light mode now runs at up to 60fps
• 120MP still photos with HDR

The Osmo 360 II is the first 360 camera on the market to offer native 8K video at 60fps — even the just-released Insta360 X6 tops out at 8K/50fps. That's not the only imaging upgrade either: DJI has added a stop of extra dynamic range, bumped slow-motion up to 4K/240fps (from 4K/100fps), pushed timelapse resolution to 16K/30fps (from 4K/30fps), and introduced HDR support for the 120MP photo mode. Edit your footage in DJI Studio and you can also access up to 64x slow-motion via frame interpolation.

Then there's SuperNight 2.0, DJI's low-light shooting mode. I wasn't blown away by the original Osmo 360's version of SuperNight — it was decent, no more — but here the results look significantly cleaner and sharper, and you can now record at up to 60fps rather than being capped at 30fps. There is one catch: you still can't shoot in D-Log M with SuperNight 2.0 active, so you're restricted to the standard color profile (Adaptive Tone remains available, however).

Interestingly, the image sensor itself appears to be physically identical to the one in the original Osmo 360, which suggests that all of the above gains have come via processing and software refinement rather than new hardware. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean these image quality improvements are evolutionary rather than the product of some new imaging leap.

All the usual 360-camera fundamentals — stabilization, stitching, selfie stick removal and flare handling — are brilliantly handled here. It's a slick camera that can capture good-looking footage while requiring very little effort from the user.

Taken as a whole, image quality is excellent, if perhaps not a huge leap over the original — more a slight but real improvement on what was already a very good setup built around a large, capable sensor. For the sample video embedded in this review, I shot footage using the default Standard color profile, D-Log M (graded afterward using DJI's own LUT plus some manual color tweaks), and SuperNight 2.0, all recorded at 10-bit. Everything was reframed in DJI Studio on my Mac, then edited in DaVinci Resolve.

Video is, understandably, still noticeably sharper, more detailed and more impactful in daylight, but shoot with a bit of care and it's absolutely possible to capture excellent after-dark footage too.

Photos are perfectly fine too, though I've never considered still photography much of a draw on a 360 camera personally — it feels like a secondary feature here rather than a primary selling point.

• Image quality score: 5/5

DJI Osmo 360 II: testing scorecard

Should I buy the DJI Osmo 360 II?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the DJI Osmo 360 II

• I tested the DJI Osmo 360 II Adventure Combo ahead of its official release
• I shot video across a long weekend trip to northeast England, plus my hometown
• I used the included 1.2m selfie stick and a car mount, in daylight and at night

I was sent a DJI Osmo 360 II Adventure Combo a few days ahead of its official release for testing. I put the camera through its paces on a long weekend trip to the northeast of England, as well as around my Kent coast hometown, mounting it on the included 1.2m selfie stick for on-foot shooting and attaching it to my car for vehicle-mounted footage. I tested it across a range of lighting conditions, from strong daylight to full nighttime darkness, and also shot a handful of 120MP stills alongside my video testing. I also tested both DJI's desktop and mobile companion apps, using them to reframe footage and photos.

• First reviewed September 2026

I think that it takes a lot to shock the modern viewer, given how immediately exposed we are to everything in the world thanks to social media. Somehow, The Gentlemen season 2 (which is out now) manages exactly that, and I spent a good deal of time while watching its eight episodes with my mouth wide open.

The sense of crazed chaos established in its first season, which debuted back in 2024, is only heightened, which in itself feels like an extraordinary feat. If you strip it back, Eddie (James) is following the classic 'chosen one' archetypal storyline, but his unhinged family and work colleagues add layers of deranged complexity... and a fair few obstacles along the way.

Eddie is still working directly with Susie (Kaya Scodelario) and Bobby (Ray Winstone) as the action picks back up, but the trio's new business partners come in the form of an Italian crime network. Cue some questionable under-the-table deals, alliances and betrayal, and a tiger kept in a questionably small cage.

At the Halstead manor, things aren't exactly quiet either. Freddy (Daniel Ings) has been quietly sent to a rehab centre while Lady Sabrina (Joely Richardson) tentatively tries to keep him in check from a distance. Bobby's decision-making takes on a more spiritual approach, while Susie genuinely seems like the only person around with her head screwed on.

The groundwork is set, then, for a Shakespearean level of drama that's tinged with signature Guy Ritchie-style brutality to unfold. But whatever you think that looks like, times it by 100, and add in a chainsaw.

The Gentlemen season 2's darker storylines are the ideal step forward — and make for a tasty season 3 setup

It's odd to think of The Gentlemen season 1 as superficial or even jovial, but compared to season 2, that's how it feels in hindsight. Without giving the game away, new episodes are integral to Eddie's development, transforming him from a criminal network cog into a brutish, no-nonsense leader.

Because we already know that season 3 has been renewed, the only clear path for The Gentlemen to follow is charting the rise of Eddie's own illegal underground empire, or at least his individual role within that world. Susie describes him as a dog desperate to be free of his leash in episode 1, and by episode 8, there really is no turning back.

In essence, the brutal underbelly that we've always known was there — both in the wider network and within Eddie himself — comes to the surface. Whether it's mental manipulation, underhand strategy or outright physical force, everyone should be scared of what is actually capable of happening... including Eddie.

For us, that means getting stuck into scene after scene of wildly outlandish chaos. People die in ways that I didn't actually think people could die, cruelty and deception translate into delicious onscreen tension, and where do I even begin with the physical and emotional torture? Ball-achingly good, to put it one way.

It's no surprise that Jame and his gaggle of core co-stars are as impeccably brilliant as they always have been, and it's a relief to know that each person involved in The Gentlemen can be so solidly relied on. But at the same time, a huge shoutout must go to our new cast members, none of whom feel at all out of place.

Hugh Bonneville's eccentric aristocrat feels like Downton Abbey on acid, and is worth tuning in for alone. First-time actors Maya Jama and Chris Eubank Jr. are astounding in a completely different way, never letting their lack of experience get in the way of a convincing performance. They're somewhat playing fictional versions of themselves (or at least share characteristics), but still: credit where credit is due.

Style and satisfaction are still number 1 priorities

The more of The Gentlemen season 2 you see, the more you perversely want to watch, yet the best way to describe a single episode is that it feels like a sumptuous feast. You feel full digesting one, able to sit apart as a full, complete story.

I like the fact that the Netflix show feels so rich that you don't — or perhaps can't — binge it all in one go, and the devil really is in the detail. Given how heavy-handed the streamer usually is with how its TV shows look (read: they all look the same), The Gentlemen is able to adhere to this while being incredibly stylish at the same time.

Through shrewd editing, handwritten effects, sound and narrative structure, new episodes feel playful and unserious despite its often sombre and hard-hitting undertones, with Ritchie's tonal balance across it all being nothing short of impressive. Clearly, the best way to deal with the bad things in life is to sprinkle in as much absurdity and humor as possible, and Ritchie never lets us forget that.

Do parts wane in interest and have pacing issues? Absolutely, but what modern TV show doesn't suffer from that? In fact, I doubt that The Gentlemen season 2 actually cares about this: it exists in the world with wanton abandon, and you're going to like it however it's packaged, or else.

Why? Because The Office spinoff is still suffering from the same overarching issue as it did in season 1: everything is just that little bit underwhelming. Exactly a year after we left the writers of the Toledo Truth Teller, not much has changed in terms of the big picture.

Editor-in-Chief Ned (Domhnall Gleeson) is still desperately searching for the stories that will take his team to the next level, while Esmeralda (Sabrina Impacciatore) rarely thinks about anybody's reputation but her own. Nicole (Ramona Young) is still giving Kelly Kapoor vibes in a majorly inferior way, while Mare (Chelsea Frei)... well, she's just trying her best.

Without giving anything away, there are enough major dramatic plot points to steer the drama away from journalists despairing in an office. However, some of these are short-lived, and worse, give off trying-too-hard energy.

In Mean Girls, Regina George tells Gretchen Wieners to "stop making fetch happen. It's not going to happen," and I almost want to shake Peacock by the shoulders and explain that the same thing is happening here. The Paper season is being forced into existence, rather than having having a natural evolution.

Still, you can grab laughs where you can in some places, but for Brits, there's a lot more reason to be smiling. Tim Key and Gbemisola Ikumelo are easily the strongest players in this wayward cast, and they alone would be enough reason for me to keep watching if season 3 is given the green light.

The Paper season 2 is trying (and mostly failing) to make fetch happen

I think we can all agree that The Paper is far more similar to Parks and Recreation than it ever has been to The Office. This awkward resemblance only becomes more noticeable in season 2, as Ned's eagerness to become a pillar of the community (which incidentally seems to hate him) only increases.

I think the key difference here is how easy and natural the camaraderie, and sense of community, comes in Parks and Rec. None of that is genuine in The Paper, to the point where I'm almost rooting for Ned to fail. With the exception of Esmeralda, everyone is better off spending their time elsewhere — something that is directly explored as season 2 continues.

Some fans have critiqued The Paper's 10-episode bursts, arguing that seasons should rival the 25 episodes a piece we used to get for such shows back in the glory days of the early 2000s. However, I'd argue that the season already struggles to fill those 10 episodes, with some feeling like stagnant filler content in between the more intriguing storylines.

I can also see how Esmeralda was so divisive in season 1, and in bad news for critics, I think creators have doubled down on her grating personality traits this year. From the moment episode 1 kicks off, her extroverted vanity is on display in full force, and it hits pantomime levels of performance.

While there are points in season 2 where I enjoy this, her temperament does risk overshadowing the rest of the ensemble cast... and I've come away wishing that I felt a more invested in their stories as a result.

Tim Key Supremacy

But never fear! There are two heroes in our midst in the form of Tim Key and Gbemisola Ikumelo. Where Esmeralda is spiralling into chaos, Key's character Ken is the only one able to use this to his advantage. Esmeralda becomes the sidekick in their compelling (and genuinely hilarious) double act, which hits its peak between episodes 2 and 3.

A sharp, witty British man who is always armed with thinly-veiled criticism is exactly what this show needs, and Key plays his part to perfection. In fact, his scenes made me feel ashamed that I'd forgotten how good a comedic actor he is — since The Ballad of Wallis Island, I'd filed him in the director directory part of my brain.

Then there's Ikumelo. I couldn't believe that this quietly sassy and genius American accountant was the same woman who found Diane Morgan's fake farts on Last One Laughing UK season 2 so funny that she screamed her tears out. Metamorphosis is an incredible (and incredibly rare) skill to have as an actor, meaning she should never be underestimated. Now she just needs more bookings on UK comedy shows, please.

I know I may have made it sound like it's the case, but The Paper season 2 is far from the worst TV show, or comedy series, in 2026. But don't think it will be gracing my 'best of the year' lists, either.

Unfortunately, the new Robert De Niro and Adam Scott led movie was another bitter disappointment. It had potential, but suffers from pacing issues and a predictable plot throughout. This was a frustrating experience for me because with a storyline like this, they could have included some smarter twists.

The Whisper Man follows grieving widower Tom Kennedy (Adam Scott), whose son Jake (Acston Luca Porto) is abducted after they move to a new town to start a new life. What was meant to be a fresh start turns into a living nightmare for Tom, who is desperate to find his son.

This desperation leads him to his estranged father, Peter Willis (Robert De Niro), from whom Tom has completely separated himself to the point they don't share a surname. Peter has never met his grandson, but after a panicked Tom arranges a meet with him he agrees to help track him down. Peter was once a detective, so has the resources and skillset that Tom needs to track down Jake.

The first act of the movie does feel promising. Jake's abduction is sudden and creepy, there's the family tensions to dive into, and I had hoped a good movie would follow. Unfortunately, it loses momentum fast and becomes quite predictable.

It also differs from the book in some ways, so those wanting to see a completely faithful adaptation might be left disappointed. Without spoiling it, some of the changes to the script annoyed me and I think it could've benefitted from following the book more accurately.

The Whisper Man has very good performances from its core cast, especially from De Niro and Scott. They did the best that they could with the script, but even their combined talent couldn't make this a better movie. Their father-son relationship is an interesting one but quite a lot of their reconnection felt rushed.

The story is focused on family, especially grief and loss, and I would've liked to learn more about what had happened between Peter and Tom. The few emotionally driven scenes we did get between them felt important, so I was frustrated that other, less important scenes seemed to drag on longer than they needed to.

Another great addition to the cast is Michael Keaton, who plays convicted serial killer Frank Carter, whom Peter helped to convict in the height of his days as a detective. Scenes between De Niro and Keaton are also well acted, providing a familiar interrogation scene that crime lovers never seem to tire of.

Unfortunately, The Whisper Man is another run of the mill thriller movie that doesn't offer anything new. It's an alright thriller to watch on a rainy day if you want a familiar, easy to follow story, but it won't satisfy viewers who are looking for twists, turns and unpredictability.

I'm hopeful that Netflix picks up some better thrillers in future because so far in 2026, it's been very disappointing. If you're looking for good titles to stream, why not check out our guide to the best Netflix movies.

Now, after sinking dozens more hours into the full release, this team that includes several ex-Witcher 3 developers hasn’t quite made that formative game’s spiritual successor. However, I can’t fault the ambition found in the studio’s debut release — even if not every idea is fully realised and a few elements lack polish.

Ever since playing through that exciting opening, which sees Coen’s village razed and his family held captive to be used as sacrifices in an upcoming coronation for the valley’s vampire overlord, Brencis, I've been desperate to get back in and see what awaited in the rest of the game.

So, it’s strange that when you first hit the open world, the game starts to feel a little aimless. Your main goal may be to kill Brencis and save your family, but the direct approach is almost certainly going to lead to your death. Instead, it’s smarter to take the time to destabilise Brencis’ reign by going after his generals and increasing your power for the upcoming showdown.

No rest for the wicked

Unfortunately, that means engaging with a lot of dull and fairly repetitive tasks dotted around the map, mostly clearing camps of soldiers and smashing up boxes of supplies. The set dressing changes a little depending on which vampire lieutenant you’re going after (it may be blood supplies for Ambrus or slivovitz distilleries with Bakir), but you’re ultimately going through the same motions.

And I was surprised at how little some of the vampire leaders actually feature in the story while you’re being such a thorn in their side. Most development happens off-screen, while notes are found on soldiers bemoaning Coen’s actions and edicts are issued as you become more notorious.

There isn’t as much time given to interacting with these villains before an inevitable confrontation. And that’s a shame, because when you do come face-to-face with these flamboyant, furious, and fascinating characters, they end up being killed off just as they’re starting to get interesting.

I did find that The Blood of Dawnwalker found its feet when you dig into one of its many lengthier multi-part quests. Given the developer’s history and pedigree, and what was shown off in the prologue, this is more of what I expected. You get to spend time with some entertaining and well-written characters, explore interesting environments and dungeons, tackle challenging combat encounters, and often emerge with some nice new loot.

Choices and consequences come front and center in many of these quests, and I felt the game gives a surprising amount of room, as your investigations can open up different approaches or outcomes. And quite cleverly, not all effects are felt immediately, with some outcomes or repercussions only felt much later down the line. It shows Rebel Wolves really thought about the interconnectivity of its world and wanted to show the impact you have on it. A huge plus for the RPG lovers who thrive on that level of world-building.

The final countdown

Tying it all together is the 30-day time limit that’s central to The Blood of Dawnwalker. Much has been said about this mechanic, but the countdown to Brencis’ coronation and your family’s execution wasn’t a constant threat looming overhead. I considered it a lot at the start, but eventually, instead of making me question whether every single action was worth doing or made worthwhile progress, losing chunks of time eventually became something I just accepted as the price of doing business.

Where it was always a frustration, though, was during levelling up, where almost all skills and perks require you to spend time learning them, meaning you could lose half a day (or night) simply to make Coen stronger. I would understand this if it were reserved for learning more advanced skills, but when the same price must be paid to get 25 per cent more health or some passive stamina regeneration, it doesn’t feel worth the cost.

The transition from day to night didn’t substantially change the game, either. Yes, it enables Coen’s vampiric powers, with neat tricks such as shadowstepping across chasms or walking up walls, but these don’t have the impact I feel they could have.

For starters, there’s so much blood available in consumables or animals to hunt out in the wild that I never felt this moral dilemma the game wants to push about Coen needing to feed. There is a neat idea that only happens if you’re low on health in vampire form and chatting with a non-player character (NPC), where you risk Coen giving in to the hunger and sucking the blood from his conversation partner, but it didn’t happen to me once in my playthrough.

Tonight I'm going to suck...your blood

When it comes to a clash of steel and fangs, the vampire powers don’t elevate what is a perfectly serviceable, if mostly underwhelming, combat system. The foundation is based on directional inputs to attack, block, or dodge, and picking the correct direction will set up your opponent for a devastating riposte from your sword or claws.

You can weave in a few abilities that range from the mundane, such as using pocket sand to temporarily blind an enemy, to several witchcraft or vampiric skills that burn your opponent's blood or set them up for a gruesome and bloody explosion. And while it all works fine, it never flows as smoothly as you would like or feels as impactful as you wish it did. Combat ultimately became something that I got through impassively rather than finding myself excited for the next encounter.

And that’s ultimately what makes me struggle to wholeheartedly recommend The Blood of Dawnwalker. Too many elements are dull, repetitive, or underused to keep me fully engaged over its lengthy playtime. There are captivating moments, though, that I feel some may be able to appreciate more if you’re able to overlook some of its flaws. Perhaps with some updates or a sequel, the ambitions of Rebel Wolves can be fully met.

Should you play The Blood of Dawnwalker?

Play it if…

Don’t play it if…

Accessibility

The Blood of Dawnwalker has limited accessibility features. Subtitles are available in 14 languages, but you cannot customise the size, color, or position on the screen. Two control options are available, with the ability to invert both axes if required.

There are more choices when it comes to refining the difficulty of the game, though. As well as general preset options ranging from Story to Duelist, you can also specifically tweak enemy health, enemy aggressiveness, how easy it is to perform perfect blocks, and whether blocking is automatic if you want an easier combat experience.

How I reviewed The Blood of Dawnwalker

I’ve put around 25 hours into The Blood of Dawnwalker over the past week and a half, and while I haven’t completed it yet, I feel I’ve seen more than enough of the game’s main story and side quests to offer a comprehensive verdict.

I spent all my time playing on a PlayStation 5 Pro on a Samsung S90C OLED TV and Samsung HW-Q930C soundbar while using a DualSense Wireless Controller.

I played on Balanced mode, which aims to run the game at 40 frames per second (fps) in dynamic 4K. A 30fps Quality mode is also available, but I preferred the option with a more stable fps that didn’t impact the visuals significantly. A Performance mode targeting 60fps will also be made available at launch.

First reviewed September 2026.

The Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact might be a bit of a mouthful to say, but there's plenty to like about this air fryer.

Things start off well when you open the box with a useful quick start guide and fun little cookbook with over 20 recipes, showing you the range of possibilities available with this appliance.

With roast, grill and bake modes alongside the standard air fry function, and with an 8.6L basket that also has a divider so you can cook two things simultaneously, the Twinfry Compact could replace multiple appliances in your kitchen.

From crispy chicken wings, roast potatoes and wonderfully baked cakes, to gooey cookies, grilled burgers, and reheated pizza, I enjoyed using this air fryer.

The controls are straight forward, the basket is easy to clean, and it's not going to set you back as much as some of the more premium machines - while giving you results which are almost as good as expensive rivals.

It's a large device, so those with smaller kitchens might struggle to fit it in, while the lack of a shake reminder means you'll need to be vigilant when it's in use to make sure your food is turned/tossed correctly.

But these are minor points against what is a very capable air fryer, and one you should consider buying — especially if you can find it discounted.

Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact: price and availability

• £159.99, but I’ve seen it discounted to £130
• This model isn't available in the US and Australia

The Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact Air Fryer price is £159.99, putting it in the middle of the larger-basket market, although I have seen it discounted to £130 at some retailers, so it’s worth shopping around to find the best price.

That means the Twinfry Compact finds itself up against some strong competition, including the Philips 1000 Series Dual Basket and Tower Elite 11 Litre Flexi Drawer.

The list price equates to around $220 / AU$300, but this particular model isn't available in the US and Australia.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact: specifications

Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact: design

• Well designed with clear buttons and useful quick-start guide
• You can split the basket in two, and there are six preset modes
• No shake reminder or window on the basket

The Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact Air Fryer is nicely designed, with a sleek matte finish and clear controls. Sure it’s on the larger side, but the sizable 8.6L basket has to go somewhere.

It does mean you’ll need a chunk of worksurface space to fit the 339cm (D) x 482cm (W) x 281cm (H) machine, so those with smaller kitchens might find it a struggle to comfortably place this air fryer, or have enough space in a cupboard to store it. If you are tight on counter space, consider a smaller basket air fryer, or a vertically stacked, dual-basket option such as the Philips 4000 Series Stacked Dual Basket or Ninja Double Stack XL.

You can split the 8.6L basket into two 4.3L offerings with the included divider in the box. This allows you to cook two separate foods, at different settings, simultaneously, offering greater flexibility.

Get past the size though, and there’s a lot to like. I was particularly impressed with the quick start guide in the box, which explained the main functions clearly and offered up a big table of different foods with the best cooking mode, temperature and time. This makes it really easy to get cooking.

What helps the Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact stand out from the crowd however, is its four heating elements. Two above, and two below the basket, providing even heat above and below your food, for an improved cook.

You get six preset cooking modes too, with Air Fry, Roast, Grill, Bake, Reheat, and Dry - but there are no food-specific presets like you see on some air fryers.

I do like the button layout on this appliance, with clearly labelled buttons making it easy to select if you’re cooking on one side of the basket, or doing a large batch in the whole thing — Cosori calls this the 'grandzone'.

Temperature and time are easily adjusted with up and down arrow buttons, while the ‘match’ button can copy the settings from one side of the basket to the other, and sync allows you to cook two foods in each side of the basket for different durations, but have them finish at the same time by delaying the start of the side with the shorter time.

There’s no shake reminder though, which is a small miss as you need to remember to shake or turn the food yourself. There’s also no window on the basket, so you can’t keep an eye on the food while it cooks, you have to remove the basket which pauses cooking.

When you come to remove the basket from the air fryer, the large handle that runs the full width of the basket makes it easy to grip and move around. Although, if you’ve loaded up the basket with food it can be heavy, so you’ll need to use both hands.

Before you put any food in the air fryer for the first time though, you need to wash the basket and pop the air fryer through a test run. The manual says to run the Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact for five minutes at 200C (give the basket, divider and trays a quick wash first) to ensure it's working and to remove any residue on components. During this time it will smell a bit, but don’t worry as it’s doing what it needs to.

Cleaning is pretty easy too. The basket, divider and trays are all dishwasher safe, while you can also hand wash them with warm water, mild soap, and a non-abrasive sponge. The size of the basket does mean washing it in smaller kitchen sinks can be a touch tricky, but it’s not a huge issue.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact: performance

• Great results from air fry, bake, grill and roast modes
• It takes time to fully understand the best temps and timings
• Opt for shorter cook times, to avoid burning food

At 60dB (from my own tests), the fans on this air fryer are noisier than some, so you’ll be well aware that it’s on and cooking. It’s not loud enough to drown out conversation, but you might want to take a step or two away from it if you are chatting to someone.

Whenever I review a large basket air fryer one of my go-to first cooks is pizza. When I tested the Tower Elite 11 Litre Flexi Drawer I was able to fit a small circular pizza in the drawer. With the Cosori, the basket isn’t as big, nor as deep as the Tower, which means I had to slice my pizza in half to fit it in the basket.

Round pizza

Cooked using Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact Air Fryer

Before

After

This wasn’t an issue as it was a fresh pie, but had I purchased a frozen pizza I wouldn’t have been able to cook it in this air fryer. I selected air fry mode, set the temperature to 180C and the time to eight minutes.

After six minutes the pizza was done, with a crispy base and melted cheese making for a satisfying lunch. I returned a few days later with an oval pizza that I could easily fit in the basket. Another six minutes at 180C and again I had a nicely cooked pizza. It’s quicker and easier than using the oven.

Frozen fries

Cooked using Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact Air Fryer

Before

After

I was also able to air fry a large batch of delicious homemade fries (200C for 20 minutes), that came out wonderfully crispy on the outside while remaining fluffy in the middle.

Frozen fries come out equally as well, with the same temperature and duration as their homemade counterparts to achieve a similar cook. The adjustment I made when I came to cook fries again was to reduce the time by a couple of minutes, to avoid the outside of the fries being quite so well done.

Chicken wings

Cooked using Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact Air Fryer

Before

After

Chicken wings, coated in a buffalo ranch rub, came out with wonderfully crispy skin and succulent meat after 20 minutes at 185C.

I was able to fit eight full size wings in the basket, and I might have been able to squeeze one or two more in if I bunch them up a bit, but I didn't want to compromise the cook.

While they were very good, they weren't quite as moist inside as the wings I steam fried in the Philips 5000 series.

Cookie cup

Baked using Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact Air Fryer

Before

After

I also tried a Marks & Spencer cookie cup, currently doing the rounds on social in the UK as a must-try air fryer treat. I went for the Smores Cookie cup, and after 10 minutes in zone 1 (the left side of the basket) at 160C I got a cup that oozed chocolate topped with nicely toasted marshmallows.

And while we’re on the subject of sweet treats, the bake mode was another favorite of mine, with the Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact capable of excellent results. I cooked a simple banana bread in the grandzone for 25 minutes at 160C, and a further 20 minutes at 140C.

It rose wonderfully, and delivered an excellent bake that was soft, fluffy and flavourful. I also whipped up a batch of cookies, and on the bake mode for eight minutes at 175C I was treated to gooey-centered delights with a crispy exterior. The cook on them wasn't quite as impressive as the more premium Philips 5000 series I had recently tested, but they were still tasty.

Banana bread

Baked using Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact Air Fryer

Before

After

The roast mode is also a useful addition. I was able to cook fluffy roast potatoes (with a reasonably crispy exterior) in less time, and using less power than my oven. And there was no need to par boil them either.

I cooked them for 25 minutes at 200C using the roast mode, and while you'll get crispier results using an oven, the Cosori is a great option when you're looking for faster results.

I roasted the potatoes alongside broccoli and sprouts, using the divider so the vegetables could be cooked for 15 minutes at 190C (per Cosori’s own instructions).

This turned out to be too long, as after 10 minutes they were already overcooked. An example of the initial trial and error required when understanding a new air fryer. However, for chunkier veg — such as carrots and parsnips - this setting works much better.

One of the slightly more unusual cooking modes available here is grill, but it works surprisingly well. I tested it out with four beef burgers, with the quick start guide that came with the air fryer suggesting I cook them for 11 minutes at 230C.

I was initially worried when I pulled them out at the end that they could be overcooked, but I was happy to find they were still juicy in the middle. You wouldn’t know it was the work of an air fryer rather than a traditional grill, and it was incredibly easy to do.

If you are someone who grills a lot, the Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact can replace your traditional grill, as well as being a strong air fryer and baking machine.

Burgers

Cooked using Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact Air Fryer

Before

After

Something I did notice was you want to lean towards the shorter end of cooking times, because if forget about the air fryer, or set the timer for the higher end of a cooking range, you might find food gets a little cremated.

This is all part of the air fryer ownership journey, and during the first couple of weeks you’ll need to spend some time closely monitoring how quickly food is cooking to get a better understanding of the performance.

The lack of a shake reminder means it’s easier to forget about checking how your food is getting. But don’t let this put you off. All air fryers come with this learning curve, and with the Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact less tends to be more when it comes to cooking duration.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact?

Buy it if

Don’t buy it if

Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact: also consider

How I tested the Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact

• I used the Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact for multiple weeks in my kitchen
• I cooked a variety of food, including fries, cakes, vegetables, pizza and meat
• I tested the various cooking modes, and the cleaning process

For my review of the Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry Compact Air Fryer, I used it for a number of weeks at home, cooking a wide variety of food and testing out the various functions.

I baked cakes and cookies, air fried fries, chicken wings and pizza, roasted potatoes and vegetables, and grilled kebabs and burgers. I even reheated leftover pizza the next day - which was sensational on a slight hangover.

I also hand-washed the components, and ran them through a dishwasher, to ensure cleaning and maintenance was easy.

First reviewed September 2026