Reviews
Engadget's experienced review team thoroughly tests products and services across a wide range of categories.
All Reviews
Google Nest Hub Max review: Sometimes bigger is better
Last year, Google took on Amazon's Echo Show with a whole line of third-party Google Smart Displays. Then it revealed a rival of its very own, the Google Home Hub (since been renamed to "Nest Hub"). Its 7-inch screen and adorable form factor, plus its lack of camera, added up to a more personal take on the smart display, ideal for private spaces like the bedroom. Now, Google is ready to go big. At the I/O developer conference this year, the company unveiled the Nest Hub Max ($229), which has a larger 10-inch display and a camera, which works much better in communal spaces. There are similar smart displays, of course, but Google has wisely snuck a few AI tricks in the Hub Max that sets it apart from the competition. Whether these tricks are necessary, however, is another question.
Dell XPS 15 review (2019): A powerful laptop in need of a refresh
Dell's XPS series has been an industry favorite for years. We particularly love the 13-inch -- Devindra Hardawar, the only person at Engadget who's a bigger PC nerd than me, even called the XPS 13 the "perfect ultraportable". The XPS 15 is similarly well-rounded, offering powerful performance, a vibrant display and long-lasting battery. I wouldn't call it perfect -- it's a bit chunky, but I have few complaints about this year's XPS 15. Dell has addressed many of our issues with previous models and delivered what may be one of the best 15-inch notebooks around.
Cowboy's first e-bike solves the removable battery problem
Electric bicycles usually come in two flavors: either a gorgeous two-wheeler with a non-removable battery inside the frame, out of sight, or a design-be-damned mode of transportation that has the battery stuck to its frame like a hideous torpedo. Form or function? That's the decision most prospective e-bike buyers have to make. With the Cowboy, though, there's no compromise. The Brussels-based startup has managed to crack this age-old problem with a sleek but detachable battery that slides behind the seat post. It's a neat solution that immediately elevates the bike above most of its rivals.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 review: The right size at the wrong price
For the first time since launching the Galaxy Note, Samsung has made two sizes of its flagship big-phone. The Note 10+ is a powerhouse, but frankly, I find the smaller Note 10 more intriguing. It has a slightly smaller screen than the Note 9, squeezed into a body that's about the same size as the S10. Yes, it does have a 6.3-inch screen. But it's shoved inside a handset that's ever so slightly larger than an iPhone XS, which has only a 5.8-inch display. This offers a way for people to get the series' hallmark S Pen in something a little less cumbersome than the typically oversized Note.
The safest messaging apps
So you want to send a short, instant, text-based dispatch to another human. The options are endless -- iMessage, Slack, Instagram, WhatsApp, Skype, Snapchat -- but their security is variable. Short of whispering words into another person's ear, it's difficult to guarantee that no one else will ever be eavesdropping. For anything you wouldn't want to be seen by your ISP or used against you in a court of law, end-to-end encryption is necessary. It works by giving every user of an app a public key and a private key. Messages sent to you are encrypted with your public key and can only be opened with the private key. To anybody without your private key -- including the app company or a government that comes for the data later -- the text is indecipherable.
Blackmagic BMPCC 6K review: Peerless video power
Blackmagic has again beat all mirrorless camera challengers for video by launching the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K (BMPCC 6K). With a larger sensor, 12-bit RAW and 6K resolution, it goes well beyond the last BMPCC 4K model, which had already changed the game for affordable, high-quality video. The new model's video specs blow away every mirrorless camera, including Panasonic's upcoming full-frame S1H, and it costs just $2,495. But as before, the Pocket 6K has no continuous autofocus, in-body stabilization or other features that have become de rigueur on high-end mirrorless cameras. It also packs a smaller sensor than the full-frame cameras we've been lauding lately. It's incredible that an aspiring filmmaker can now buy such a powerful cinema camera, on paper, for a relatively paltry sum. To see if the video quality and performance measure up to the specs, I took it out shooting in some charming neighborhoods of Paris.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ review: Weird, but in a good way
I have to suspect that back in 2011 when the original Galaxy Note was released, not even Samsung knew it would become as popular as it did. By the standards of the time, the Note and its 5.3-inch screen were massive, and styluses were considered the mark of an inferior device. Instead of beelining toward the smartphone graveyard, though, the original Note helped redefine what we expected from phones and kicked off a series of hits (plus one spectacular miss). I'll be up front with you though: The Galaxy Note 10+ ($1,099) isn't perfect. Some of the decisions Samsung made here will take a bit of getting used to, and some features felt like they were created for the sake of having something new to talk about. But Samsung has been polishing the Note formula for nearly a decade now, and it's still an incredibly potent one. If you've never felt much affection for the S Pen, I'm not sure the Note 10+ will change your mind. Even so, the Note 10+'s blend of performance, hardware quality and a genuinely useful stylus mean that it's still the best big phone you can buy right now.
ThinkPad X1 Carbon review (2019): Sometimes it’s good to be boring
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is one of the most established laptops around, and this year's model marks the 7th iteration of the series. Just like every one before it, this X1 Carbon is thinner and lighter than ever. What else is new? Well, there's a brighter UHD display with HDR400 support, a better sound system, more far-field microphones, plus the usual processor and performance upgrades. Oh, and there's an optional carbon fiber weave pattern for those bored with a plain black lid.
Korg Volca Modular synth review: As weird as it is affordable
This review is a little different. Normally when Engadget reviews something, we're bringing years of experience and expertise to the table. But not here. The Volca Modular is a semimodular, West Coast-style synthesizer. And until I received this review unit, I had zero experience with either modular or West Coast-style synths. I am coming at this device from the perspective of a novice. And that's exactly the target audience. The Volca Modular is an affordable entry point to two worlds typically priced out of the range of the casual hobbyist. So the real question isn't "what do modular experts and West Coast veterans think about it?" It's "what can a beginner like myself learn from it?"
Bose 700 headphones review: The pursuit of perfection
Bose once dominated the world of noise-canceling headphones. For years, the company's QuietComfort line was the industry standard, mostly due to it's best-in-class ANC (active noise cancellation). At the time, it was a game-changer for frequent fliers and people trying to block out noisy work environments. Enter Sony's WH-1000X line. Now in its third iteration, the WH-1000XM3 has taken over the top spot with a stellar blend of sound, features and the ability to block out the world. Bose is playing second fiddle, but its 700 headphones pack in a lot of features for $399 in a bid to retake the crown.
Instagram users can now flag false content
Beginning today, Instagram users can report content that they believe to be false. Instagram will use those flags to better understand misinformation on the platform and to train its AI to spot false content. In time, Instagram will use the feedback, as well as other "signals" -- like how old a post is and the account's previous behavior -- to determine if a post needs to be reviewed by third-party fact checkers. This is slightly different than the pilot program Instagram launched in May, which allows users to flag false content for review by fact checkers. For now, that will remain a pilot.
The Kia Telluride is surprisingly high-tech and stylish (for a Kia)
For better or worse, automakers are categorized. BMW makes luxury cars, and Honda makes cars that last forever. Porsche builds cars that go fast while the driver wears black driving gloves. As for Kia, it's been placed in the "cheap, small car" bucket. The Telluride should change all that.
Jaybird Vista review: The best true wireless buds under $200
For any truly wireless earbuds to be worth a damn, they need to be comfortable, sound great, and fit securely. Jaybird's new Vista buds ($180) hit all those benchmarks — and more. They're fully waterproof and sweatproof. They're incredibly light, weighing just 6 grams, or as much as a sheet of paper. And they sound significantly better than Jaybird's Run, its last wireless earbuds, or any of the company's previous headphones. After spending a few weeks with the Vista, they're easily my favorite workout headphones of the year.
Whistle Go Explore review: GPS-powered puppy protection
I'm happy to say that I've never come close to losing Ellie, my beloved nine-year-old chocolate Labrador. But that doesn't mean I haven't occasionally had a moment of panic thinking about how truly terrible that would be. For years, the default protection against such a scenario has been "microchipping" — implanting a tiny ID chip under a pet's skin that can be scanned to reveal contact information for the animal's owner. While this is still a smart thing to do, it's only useful after your pet has gotten away and has been rescued by someone who tries to reunite the animal with its person. There's a lot that can go wrong before that happens, if it ever does. Whistle has been working to offer a better solution for several years now. What originally started out as a "Fitbit for dogs" evolved into a GPS-enabled pet tracker that alerts you when your pet left a designated "safe" zone and lets you see where it is on a map. Last week, the company released its latest trackers, the Whistle Go and Go Explore, which features real-time location tracking, improved battery life and a few other tweaks to the Whistle formula. Ellie and I have been testing the $129.95 Go Explore for almost a month, and while it's not without quirks, it's still a potentially important safety net for any dog. On a day-to-day basis, its activity-tracking features aren't particularly necessary, which made it easy for me to think of it as an unnecessary gadget. On the other hand, if Ellie ran off, I'd be very glad she was wearing it.
The Ferrari 812 Superfast is exactly what it sounds like
Every shift of the gears unleashes a burst of torque as I link corners on the mountain roads of Northern California. I hit the brakes hard as I head into a curve. I'm not even sure I needed to brake. The wheels are firmly planted to the asphalt and I power out of the apex and on to the next turn. I'm tapping into maybe 50 percent of the Ferrari 812 Superfast's ability as a supercar and it's outstanding.
Klipsch T5 True Wireless review: Great-sounding, but flawed earbuds
Klipsch has been making high quality audio gear since 1946, mostly catering to the audiophile and HiFi crowd. It makes plenty of speakers, soundbars and headphones for casual listeners too, and back at CES, the company debuted its first true wireless earbuds. At $199, the T5 True Wireless offer most of what you need in a pair of true wireless earbuds -- including a pretty cool Zippo-like charging case. But,they're far from perfect, and a few of their flaws could be deal breakers for you, even if they do cost $100 less than much of the competition.
HP Omen X 2S review: A dual-screen curio
A dual-screen gaming notebook sounds like a smart idea at first — who wouldn't want another display to keep an eye on Twitch streams and Discord chats? But is worth taking a gamble on unproven tech? That's what I've been asking myself as I've tested out HP's Omen X 2S, the company's first notebook with two screens. It certainly looks intriguing at first, but it's clear HP still has plenty of work left to do to make the extra display worth it.
Sony WF-1000XM3 review: Simply the best true wireless earbuds
Sony is no stranger to the true wireless-earbud craze. The company introduced the WF-1000X almost two years ago and followed with the WF-SP700N in 2018. However, even with that experience, Sony hasn't really seemed to hit its stride. There are always issues holding the products back from making the leap. Sony has perfected its over-ear noise-canceling headphones, the WH-1000XM3, and now it's leveraging some of that technology to improve its true wireless buds. Enter the $230 WF-1000XM3, Sony's best true-wireless product and a new contender for the top spot overall.
Panasonic S1R review: Big, powerful and too expensive
In a brutal camera market, only the strong survive. Until recently, Panasonic has not just survived, but thrived by focusing on niche, video-centric mirrorless cameras like the GH5. With the S1 and S1R models, though, it's going head-on with rivals Nikon, Canon and Sony in the more competitive, and potentially lucrative, full-frame mirrorless market.
Jammy’s digital guitar is a futuristic idea let down by today's tech
When I was younger I took my acoustic guitar with me wherever I traveled. It's ridden in the back of a van to the Poconos, taken rides down to the Jersey Shore and even flown to the Grand Canyon and Disney World. But it was always a hassle to bring places. It's bulky and fragile. Even if I trusted an airline to treat my guitar with care (which, to be clear, I 100 percent do not), it's prohibitively expensive these days to check something of that size every time you fly. Over the years a number of companies have tried to address this problem, most notably Martin with its Backpacker guitar. But if you prefer your electric guitar and a handful of pedals, then you've been SOL. This is where Jammy is supposed to come in. It's a portable digital guitar, with actual metal guitar strings, that comes apart and easily fits in a carry-on or even a backpack. You can plug a pair of headphones straight into it or connect to a regular guitar amp. It also has a companion app that allows you to change the sound from acoustic to electric or add effects. What's more, since it's digital, it can never go out of tune! It all sounds too good to be true. And for the most part it is.
