Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2025 i Stuff UK

Hello and welcome to another packed issue of Stuff. However you listen to music at home, this month we’ve got the latest gear for digital streaming and analogue listening alike – including some excellent speakers, turntables and multiroom kit. Hot Stuff previews the upcoming ROG Xbox Ally X handheld, developed in cahoots with Asus. Will mobile Xbox gaming finally take off? Plus there’s ace new tech from Bose, Dyson, Fujifilm and VanMoof. Flicking on a few pages, we’ve got some essential roundups this issue: our main group test covers sports watches, and we also compare a couple of home security cameras. Plus, if you’ve not got a pizza oven yet, they’re more accessible than ever, especially with the advent of electric options. We’ve compared three. Now Nintendo’s Switch 2 has…

£tba / nissan.co.uk This is a Micra? Whatever will my grandparents think? Indeed, Nissan has had the rather good idea of bringing its tired old Micra format back to life using the same all-electric platform as the fabulous new Renault 5. It’s designed to be affordable and fun, with a new shape to help shrug off its old image as a runabout for pensioners and broke students. But does the world need another supermini? Why not? Small electric cars are the way forward when it comes to getting around city streets efficiently. The new Micra is light but still comes armed with a 52kWh battery pack driving a fizzy 152bhp electric motor. It should get to 62mph in 8secs. Is it practical, then? Nissan expects it to have a range…

The ‘thin phone’ revolution has been a long time coming. All the major names are rumoured to be working on one, but it was Samsung that was first out of the gate. At 5.8mm, the S25 Edge is considerably slimmer than its Galaxy stablemates… and a lot lighter too. Samsung hasn’t had to make too many cutbacks to achieve those size-zero proportions either. You’re getting the same Snapdragon CPU as the rest of the range; a 6.7in AMOLED screen with 3120x1440 resolution, adaptive refresh rate and 2600 nits of peak brightness; a titanium frame and 200MP lead camera to match the S25 Ultra; plus all the usual Galaxy AI gubbins that fans have come to expect. And you can’t fault Samsung when it comes to long-term software commitments. Seven years…

■ If heaving me is easy While they don’t fold away for travel, the AKG N9 Hybrids have enough tilt and swivel that the ear-cups can sit flush to your shoulders when worn around the neck. At 281g, I like how light they are as well. ■ Against small prods The buttons and ports are spread across both ear-cups, with a twist of the right one adjusting the volume, meaning you don’t have to worry about accidentally triggering overly sensitive touch controls. £300 / go.stuff.tv/N9 ■ These aren’t the flashiest headphones ever made, and the ear-cushions and headband aren’t the plushest, but they’re very comfortable to wear. And passive sound isolation is decent. ■ Here’s the clever bit, though: a hidden compartment inside one ear-cup slides out to reveal a…

Were you one of the three million eager gamers who bagged a Switch 2 on launch day? Once the excitement of fondling the first piece of new Nintendo hardware in eight years has faded, you’re probably wondering what you should play. Well, there’s a healthy lineup for early adopters, as well as the option to transfer your old Switch library. A lot of it does seem to be looking back to the past, with ports of older titles that struggled to run smoothly on the OG Switch’s rapidly ageing tech. But beyond just a lick of paint, you might be surprised how many of ’em have been given exclusive features and enhancements. In some cases it’s enough to make games you’ve played before feel like new. The lack of a…

Apple iPhone 16 from £699 / go.stuff.tv/iPhone16 This year’s iPhone Pro lineup is a mighty fine selection to choose from (see the 16 Pro at No6 on this list), but it’s the standard model that does more to impress. The camera control button and the 2x telephoto zoom are great to have in particular, while the battery life is excellent. The 6.1in screen’s refresh rate is fixed at 60Hz, which is a bit disappointing, but Apple clearly believes most people don’t care about that. Stuff says A pleasing update that’s much more appealing than spending more to go Pro NOW ADD THIS Apple MagSafe Charger The latest version of Apple’s wireless charger lets you fuel up your iPhone at up to 25W. from £39 / apple.com ● Prices quoted are…

¥84,920 / go.stuff.tv/PencilVac That’s a funny-looking pencil. You’d certainly struggle to write a shopping list with it, and you’d need to be an elephant to tuck it behind your ear, but the cordless PencilVac is still very fittingly named. Dyson reckons it’s the slimmest vacuum cleaner in the world, and with a handle that’s just 38mm in diameter – similar to a can of deodorant – it makes Henry the Hoover look like he’s been sneaking extra dust dinners while nobody’s looking. At just 1.8kg it weighs about the same as nine hamsters, but it’ll make less of a mess when you let it loose in your house. Where does all the dirt go? That’s the clever bit. Pretty much everything – the bin, battery, motor, etc – is crammed…

My role is a bit of everything. One of the great things about HTC is that we are pretty open and flat-structured. My day-to-day role is head of the EMEA region with a focus on sales and marketing, but I’m an engineer by trade so I’m involved in product development as well. I also love engaging with the media and speaking at events. So it’s quite a large remit and every day is different. As a kid I was obsessed with Lego Technic. I always loved physics and building little things. Then I discovered computing thanks to my dad. He was an engineer, which I thought was a very cool name for a job so I thought I would be an engineer too. He worked with the original Apple Macintosh…

VOITED combines a love for outdoor adventure with a range made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic. And in this month’s competition, four lucky readers will each win VOITED’s new Drycoat 3.0 (RRP £150) and CloudTouch blanket (£130) – the perfect combo for eco-conscious outdoorsy enthusiasts. The Drycoat 3.0 is an evolution in outdoor changing robes, redesigned for cold-water swimmers, surfers, vanlifers and adventurers who need warmth, protection and convenience. It has a long-sleeved and oversized design for easy changing. The 4-in-1 CloudTouch pillow blanket offers extra warmth with its ultra-soft man-made fleece, making it ideal for evenings under the stars. Crafted from 100% recycled materials and machine-washable, it transforms into a pillow, a blanket, a sleep sack and a waterproof cape. See the whole range at voited.co.uk Ready to love…

BEASTY BEATS The rhythm rig Native Instruments Maschine Mikro Schubert never needed drum pads. Then again, dear Franz didn’t do trip-hop beats. If you’re more about Unfinished Sympathy than Unfinished Symphony, try this groovebox. Colour-coded pads help you compose percussion parts, while a Smart Strip lets you add effects. £219 / go.stuff.tv/Mikro The groovy grid Novation Launchpad X You need light and sound for a desktop disco. Luckily, this rainbow grid does both: like a dancefloor for your fingers, it has 64 velocity-sensitive pads that let you paint your tunes with RGB pixels. Designed for Ableton Live, it also works with Logic Pro. £139 / go.stuff.tv/LaunchpadX The stealthy stepper Don’t let its dinky build fool you: this compact controller can do it all. Use its pressure pads for finger drumming…

Ninja Artisan Electric Outdoor Pizza Oven What’s the story? Ninja now makes a whole range of outdoor cookers, and this one specialises in being simple to use, relying on presets – though you can customise. An electric oven, it can cook 12in pizzas in just a few minutes at temperatures up to 370°C. A window makes it easy to check on progress… and, inevitably, it’s an air fryer too. Is it any good? You might not expect miracles without an open flame, but pizzas cook consistently without too much interaction. OK, it’s not an authentic experience, but if you like the oven to be in charge then you can’t do better. The price here is for the oven only, but for £40 more you can bag a tidy bundle with…

Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED What’s the story? The latest incarnation of Garmin’s do-it-all rugged multisport and adventure watch is getting smarter. It now packs a killer-sharp smartwatch-style AMOLED screen, better battery life, and a built-in mic and speaker to power some basic voice-activation and memo tools. All that new firepower adds to Garmin’s latest sensors to unlock the most comprehensive suite of tracking, training, recovery, health and general smarts that you’ll find on a Garmin sports watch. The three sizes (43mm, 47mm and 51mm) all sit big on the wrist, and it’s built to withstand adventures with premium materials such as toughened sapphire glass and titanium. It goes big on navigation, with offline maps and the excellent ClimbPro feature that lets you preview the lumps and bumps up in your…

THE BASICS ■ Sync it up Signed in before? Great! Chrome will remember. If not, set up a profile to sync your browser’s brain across devices, including recent tabs. (Find those in ⋮ > ‘History’ on desktop and ⋮ or … > ‘Recent tabs’ on mobile.) Got a work life? Set up a separate profile to keep it apart. ■ Make it your own Your Chrome doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s. On desktop, head to ⋮ > ‘More tools’ > ‘Customise Chrome’ to shake up the theme. On iPhone, use … > ‘Customise menu’. And on Android, long-press the toolbar shortcut to change it, while wondering why Android’s Chrome is the least fun. Tsk. ■ Dig into the desktop Chrome on desktop lets you poke around the guts…

Honor Magic V3 £1283 / go.stuff.tv/MagicV3 The Magic V3 is the first foldable we’ve used that’s like having a normal phone in your pocket – and that feels like a big deal. It’s almost unbelievably thin and seems superbly made. There are still some areas that could be improved, most obviously the limited multitasking powers; but along with its superb main camera and all-day battery life (further enhanced by wireless charging), the V3’s real achievement is that it makes carrying a foldable phone feel normal. Stuff says A major step up from the previous model, the Magic V3 will change how you think about foldable phones Motorola Razr 60 Ultra £1100 / go.stuff.tv/Razr60Ultra Motorola has really nailed the flip phone experience. You can choose which apps appear on the outer…

OnePlus Watch 3 £319 / go.stuff.tv/OPWatch3 This is a simply superb wearable, with the best battery life of any Wear OS watch – thanks to silicon-carbon cell technology borrowed from OnePlus’s smartphones – and subtle yet meaningfully improved styling. Health tracking has taken a big step forward, even if we’d still give the edge to a top-tier Garmin for more serious stattery; but with pricing on its side, the OnePlus Watch 3 should be right at the top of any Android smartwatch shopper’s list. Stuff says A more refined take on an already fantastic watch that lasts longer and is even more fitness-friendly Apple Watch SE from £219 / go.stuff.tv/AppleWatchSE The SE is easily the best-value Apple Watch. It tracks sleep and all the exercise metrics you need, supports Apple…

Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max £1999 / go.stuff.tv/AmbeoMax Utterly convincing Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D sound, ample power and lots of inputs mean no other soundbar currently available can perform sonic feats with the solidity and confidence of this Sennheiser. The sheer room-filling scale of its sound is remarkable – and the more affordable (but still hugely powerful) Plus version is also worth a look. Stuff says The Ambeo Soundbar Max is a big unit but the sound it makes is bigger still Sonos Arc Ultra £899 / go.stuff.tv/ArcUltra It’s scarcely believable that such high-quality sound can come from such a diminutive form. The Ultra is about as big as upgrades get, with much more quality on offer than you get from the standard Arc. Stuff says Incredible for movies, music…

Sonos Move 2 £329 / go.stuff.tv/SonosMove2 The ‘2’ means our favourite speaker is now even better. Sonos has upgraded the Move in the areas that matter most: sound quality and battery life, the latter of which has more than doubled. Our only criticisms are about the high price and the weight – and the Sonos app, which has been a pain for years now. Line-in is also a little bit of a faff with the extra adapter… but if you’re in the market for this box, you’re probably beyond cables. Stuff says Beefed-up audio and a longer-lasting battery – a winning combo NOW ADD THIS YouTube Music Premium If you’d like a side of optional visuals with your audio, try the ad-free tier of YouTube Music. £10.99/m / music.youtube.com Cambridge…

Amazon Echo (4th Gen) £109 / go.stuff.tv/Echo4Gen Having morphed from a cylinder to a sphere, the latest Echo is an excellent newsreader, weather forecaster, personal assistant and intercom straight out of the box; but it’s now also a capable speaker and a very accessible smart home hub. It doesn’t sound as good as the Sonos Era 100 for listening to music, but it’s significantly smarter and cheaper too. Stuff says An all-round upgrade that makes the Echo a smarter speaker than ever NOW ADD THIS Honeywell T6R This Zigbee-enabled thermostat is wireless so you can place it anywhere. £160 / screwfix.com Amazon Echo Spot £80 / go.stuff.tv/EchoSpot The Spot can do everything that Alexa normally can, making it much more than an alarm clock: playing podcasts, audiobooks and music from…

Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) £55 / go.stuff.tv/EchoDot5 The latest Dot offers improved sound quality over the 4th Gen model. Not surprisingly given its size, it still doesn’t have the heft of a full-scale Echo, but this Dot is more than good enough for bedside table or kitchen listening. The only pity is that Amazon has discontinued the better ‘with Clock’ variant in favour of the Echo Spot. Stuff says The 5th Gen brings a nice upgrade to an already excellent little gadget NOW ADD THIS Wall Mount for Echo Dot This mount for the Dot (and other small speakers) will keep it clear from wet kitchen surfaces. £14 / amazon.co.uk Microsoft Xbox Wireless Headset (2024) £100 / go.stuff.tv/XboxWireless Now with the added bonus of Dolby Atmos, the sound of…

Commuters craving a bit of peace have a new king… but what does gen two add? The jangling conversation It’s been almost two years since Bose launched its QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. We were impressed enough by their unbeatable ANC and top-notch sound quality to award them a glowing five-star review – but now there’s a second-gen pair with a whole bunch of upgrades. For starters, the ANC should do an even better job of filtering out sudden blasts of noise, and adapt to what’s going on around you more smoothly. They also use AI to improve the suppression of background noise during calls, although you might still struggle to make your voice heard over the sound of a marching band. Healin’ groovy The battery life hasn’t changed, so you’re still…

WhatsApp for iPad £free / iPadOS Word on the street is that things are getting frosty in hell – because 16 years after it first launched, and almost as many after Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPad, WhatsApp is finally available for Apple’s tablet. We don’t know why it’s taken so long, but at least it’s been worth the wait. It’s compatible with the iPad’s multitasking features, including Split View, Slide Over and the much-maligned Stage Manager (which is only available on certain models), so you can use another app while you’re on a video call or sending a message. It’ll also work with your Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil. Apart from that it’s the same app you’ll know and love from your iOS or Android phone, so you can…

APPLE’S SYNCED SYSTEMS GO TOP OF THE GLASS Apple has unveiled new versions of iOS, iPadOS, watchOS and tvOS. All numbered 26 (a bit like the way EA Sports FC25 actually came out in 2024), they share the same ‘Liquid Glass’ redesign and will be available to download to your Apple device(s) in the autumn. RUARK’S DESKTOP DOOZIES HAVE BEEN WORKING OUT Ruark has released a third generation of its fine MR1 powered Bluetooth speakers. They’re a smidge bigger to fit a new 3.5in mid/bass driver, 2x 25W of Class D amplification and slightly more comprehensive connectivity, with a price tag of £399 per stereo pair. BOOKMARKING SERVICE HAS A HOLE IN ITS POCKET Read-it-later app Pocket is shutting down. As of 8 July you’ll no longer be able to…

Image-processing algorithms can lift a flagship phone above its rivals, even if its hardware isn’t particularly heroic. It’s why most brands keep their behind-the-scenes software under lock and key. So when OnePlus offered to show us around one of its camera-tuning facilities, it was a rare chance to see what’s in the firm’s secret snapper sauce. Something is clearly working, given OnePlus has come on hugely in the photography department in a relatively short period. In three years, we’ve gone from the OnePlus 10 Pro – an also-ran in low light – to the OnePlus 13, an ace performer in all conditions. The photography lab in Guangdong, China, almost certainly played a key part. BOOM, FAKE THE ROOM There’s more here than walls full of test charts. Behind the unassuming…

NEW Straight outta testing and into our rankings. BARGAIN BUY A proper steal, worth owning regardless of cashflow. UPDATE Time changes everything, including Stuff Top Ten entries. Smartphones 82, 83  Headphones 84, 85  Smartwatches, 86 fitness tech  Laptops 87 TVs 88 Soundbars, 89  streamers Tablets, consoles 90 Games 91  Speakers 92  E-bikes, 93 electric cars Smart home 94 VR headsets, 95 drones & action cams Cameras 96 Budget buys 97 HOW WE RATE Always fair and accurate, our reviews are scored from 1 to 5 and might get one of these awards too: For selected products that are rated with four stars but stand out from the pack. A step up in approval, this can only be awarded to five-star products. Our highest accolade is given out just a few times…

Sony WF-1000XM5 £197 / go.stuff.tv/WFXM5 The WF-1000XM5 in-ears are significantly smaller than the XM4s, which were already a lot more compact than their predecessors. And yet Sony has still squeezed even larger drivers inside each earbud, along with the firm’s best noise-cancelling yet. The feature list is as extensive as ever, and they’re priced to compete with Bose’s best. Add in decent battery life and a strong app, and you won’t find anything more well-rounded for less. Stuff says Excellent noise-cancellation, a comfy fit and simply stellar audio NOW ADD THIS Spigen Rugged Armor Case This drop-resistant outer shield comes with a carabiner clip for keeping your buds within reach. £20 / amazon.co.uk Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds £219 / go.stuff.tv/QCUBuds These in-ears don’t provide much of a design upgrade over…

Apple iPad Pro (M4) from £999 / go.stuff.tv/iPadProM4 The latest iPad Pro gets incredible processing power, while being slimmer than before. The performance gains are quite staggering… and the only question is, why has Apple bothered to upgrade this tablet quite so much? It offers a level of capability that most people won’t ever need – so this is really a powerhouse for the 1% who edit or design with the stylus. And for them, the talented Pencil Pro is also a serious upgrade on the standard Pencil. Stuff says This really takes iPad power to the next level, even if iPadOS still needs more multitasking clout Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra from £1099 / go.stuff.tv/TabS10Ultra The Tab S10 Ultra raises the bar for Android tablets yet again… just not…

Fujifilm X-T50 £1149 / go.stuff.tv/XT50 This is a wonderfully compact mirrorless camera with a distinctive top plate covered in control dials – including one dedicated to Fuji’s excellent film simulations. On paper it should deliver identical image quality to the flagship X-T5 (both have the same sensor and image processor), and that is absolutely the case: the 40MP sensor captures amazing detail, noise is well maintained at all ISO levels, and sharpness is on point across the frame. Stuff says A brilliant camera that puts Fuji’s fine film simulations front and centre NOW ADD THIS Fujifilm XF 16-50mm f2.8-4.8 An essential first lens for any Fuji newcomer, the 16-50mm is well suited to most scenarios. £599 / parkcameras.com OM System OM-3 £1699 / go.stuff.tv/OM3 The first thing anyone will notice…