Tag: review

Sonos Ace Review: The Most Comfortable Headphones for Travel

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As soon as you want to hear the same music in multiple rooms, you understand why so many people love Sonos. When it comes to set-it and-forget-it multiroom audio, the company makes the hardware and software experience easier than anyone. From speakers to soundbars (and even turntables and networked amps), Sonos has taken over the homes of everyone who doesn’t want to drop oodles of cash on a “real” custom-installed system with wires running through walls. In a roundabout way, this makes a somewhat-costly Sonos system feel affordable.

The same can be said about its first pair of headphones, the $450 Sonos Ace. They might ride the high-water mark of the price set by Apple’s AirPods Max, but they also work seamlessly within Sonos’ ecosystem, albeit over Bluetooth rather than Wi-Fi.

Sonos has dabbled in portable speakers like the Roam and Sonos Move 2 to extend its in-home sound to patios and beach blankets, but the Ace headphones mark a real mobile turning point for the company, and they’re largely great. They might not perfectly match the expectations of audio nerds who have been begging for Wi-Fi-based Sonos headphones for a decade, but the Ace are a fantastic pair of Bluetooth over-ears that go toe to toe with the best from Bose, Sony, and Apple. If you’re shopping for premium wireless headphones, these should be on your short list.

Going Mobile

The Ace feel incredibly well-made. Pop open the included hard case—something the Airpods Max notably, and very oddly, lack—and you’ll see a sleek pair of over-ears with shiny metal bands and supple leather around the headband. They’re round, traditionally shaped headphones that do nothing to grab anyone’s attention—they look a lot like Sony’s WH-1000XM5.

The simple design is timeless, sleek, and professional, so as never to seem out of place. It’s a design language borrowed from the “I didn’t see you there” styling of its speakers, and a welcome one in the world of flashy modern cans. Like the speakers, they come in matte white or black.

Photograph: Parker Hall

You have two tones of gray inside the ear cups to tell you which is right and left (darker is left, lighter is right, which makes these great for people who are colorblind or have low vision), and they have three basic buttons on the outside, set between a large assortment of mesh-covered microphones. The replaceable ear cups use magnets to attach and come with a built-in mesh cover that helps keep gunk out of the headphones’ drivers, and there is also a slot for a USB-C cable on the bottom left.

The main thing you’ll use to control the headphones, apart from the app and your smartphone, is the volume slider on the right ear cup, which allows you to play and pause music with a press; you can slide it up or down for volume control. On the bottom of the left cup is the power button, and there is a similarly sized button on the bottom of the right that adjusts active noise canceling between on and transparency mode (which pipes in sound from the outside world). Inside the Sonos app, you can also set this button to turn off ANC and transparency entirely, but that isn’t the default option.

Other settings you can change in the app include basic bass and treble EQ, and whether you want the headphones to pause when you remove them, or to answer calls when you put them on.

All-Day Listening

The fit is astonishingly comfortable, thanks to the Ace’s 11-ounce weight. and there’s an excellent design choice where the headband attaches to the ear cups. It links up at the center of the cup, which gives the headphones a nice, center-directed clamping force. This means less headband fatigue and better comfort when wearing glasses, something I experience with the AirPods Max, which are heavier and have a higher clamping force on my head.

It’s headphone-reviewer hyperbole, but I genuinely did forget I was wearing the Ace on a few occasions. They’re that comfortable, and the included transparency and associated mics are so good that they have a weird ability to trick your brain into feeling like you have nothing on your head at all. I found none of the weird boxy sensations I get from other headphones with transparency turned on. I had full conversations with the headphones on, which I’ve usually felt too awkward to do with other over-ears. (I still think it’s rude to not remove your headphones when chatting.)

As far as noise reduction, I was genuinely astounded how the Ace immediately offers some of the best noise canceling on the market with a press of a button. Turning on ANC mode feels like turning the volume of the world from a 9 to a 1 on some global volume dial. HVAC noises all but disappear, cars on roads are reduced to nothing, and even my clacky mechanical keyboard sounds like a light tap of a pen on a pad. The noise reduction is easily on par with the top brass, with Bose still narrowly edging out the competition on high frequencies.

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June 3, 2024
Lovense Mini Sex Machine Review: All the Key Features at an Affordable Price

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Sex machines are usually an investment. They cost several hundred dollars, involve complicated machinery, and take up so much space in your home that you’d only really want one if you planned to make regular use of it. But if there was ever going to be a sex machine for people who have a more casual interest, the Lovense Mini Sex Machine might just be the one.

The Lovense Mini is in the category of devices primarily designed to simulate penetration. A long rod with a dildo on the end is attached to a motor that repeatedly thrusts forward. Devices like this can be pretty bulky, in part because the force required to maintain penetration is deceptively substantial. Weak motors can strain against the human body, and if the devices themselves don’t have a way to stabilize themselves, the motor can end up pushing the device away from the person, rather than thrusting inside.

This is what makes Lovense’s mini version of its flagship sex machine so impressive. The main body of the machine is about a foot long, and the stabilizing legs are similarly less than a foot tall. When taken apart, the whole thing can neatly fit in the back corner of a closet or a wide drawer, and when assembled, it’s small enough to comfortably fit on a bed without getting in the way. Combined with a $400 price—hundreds less than most comparable sex machines—it’s one of the most compelling devices in this sex toy space.

Who’s This for?

A part of the challenge in justifying a sex machine purchase is that every body has different needs. What feels great for one person might not do much for another. So, we can get this out of the way up front: If penetration doesn’t do much for you, then this machine probably isn’t for you. Other machines like the Motorbunny Buck are designed to provide penetration and vibration, so that might be a better direction to look if you want a different kinds of stimulation.

If penetration is something you enjoy, however, then the Lovense Mini Sex Machine has a surprising amount to offer. Despite its small size, Lovense claims the motor reaches up to 260 thrusts per minute, and in my testing that was a very slight underestimate. In practice, the device regularly hits between 270 to 280 thrusts per minute at its maximum speed.

The stroke length is also adjustable, though the process is a bit complicated. It requires removing the panel on the side of the device and using an Allen wrench to adjust a bolt that holds the thrusting rod to the motor. At its maximum, it can thrust forward up to three inches, and closer to an inch at the low end.

While the stroke length doesn’t affect the thrusts per minute much, it has a pronounced impact on how buck-wild this machine gets. When set to longer stroke lengths and at the highest speeds, the motor could shake the machine right off a table. On most moderate speeds and lengths, this wasn’t an issue, but it’s something to keep in mind when you’re using this machine while it’s not on a table.

Photograph: Lovense

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June 3, 2024
Nubia Flip 5G Review: Cute, Cheap, and Flawed

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Instead of zoom levels, Nubia lists focal length (the distance where lens and sensor converge) measured in millimeters, and smaller numbers mean a wider field of view and depth of field. The Flip 5G camera gives you an option of 50 mm or 26 mm. There is no telephoto lens, so zooming tends to wash out details. The processing is often heavy-handed, sometimes taking a second or two and resulting in an oil painting effect.

Most optional modes, including portrait, are poor, and the resulting photos never look natural, but you can achieve a reasonable bokeh effect with the regular camera. Rely on the automatic settings and you will be disappointed regularly. It works better if you turn off the AI and best if you are prepared to tinker with Pro mode, but there’s a lot of gimmicky fluff in the camera app. There isn’t much call to use the 16-megapixel front-facing camera outside of video calls, but it’s passable.

Software Worries

The Nubia Flip 5G gets off to a bad start on the software front, with the already outdated MyOS 13 on top of Android 13. It is fairly close to stock Android, but there’s some bloatware and pointless shortcuts to download apps and games you almost certainly do not want.

It’s important to note that the cover screen does not support third-party apps. It can display notifications, music controls, weather, your calendar, a pedometer, a stopwatch, or a voice recorder, and it enables you to take selfies with the main camera, but that’s about it. The “interactive” pets are super cute (my daughter loved the cat), but they aren’t really interactive; they are just animated wallpapers.

Nubia has a poor track record for updates. When I asked the company for clarity, it could not provide a definite timeline for Android 14 or subsequent updates. Based on past phones, you will be lucky to get three years, and that’s woeful when you consider Google is offering seven years for the similarly priced Pixel 8A.

Photograph: Simon Hill

The closest competitor is the Motorola Razr (2023) and, sadly, Motorola is also bad at software updates. There isn’t much to separate the two beyond the different designs. I prefer the look of the Nubia Flip 5G. It charges faster and comes with more storage. But the Razr supports wireless charging and scores an IP52 rating. One final consideration that might swing it for Motorola is network compatibility. The Flip 5G should be mostly OK on T-Mobile or AT&T in the States, but cross-check supported bands with your carrier before you buy.

If you can live without the fold, pick something better from the best cheap phones. If you are set on a folding flip phone, try to find an extra $200 or so for something like the Motorola Razr+ (7/10, WIRED Recommends) or Samsung Z Flip5, which both offer a more useful cover screen. Ultimately, I enjoyed using the Nubia Flip 5G, and it is cute enough that my 11-year-old daughter asked to trade it for her Pixel 6.

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June 2, 2024
HMD Vibe Review: OK Performance, Meh Everything Else

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HMD, the Finnish company that has been licensing the Nokia brand name to make cheapo and midrange Android phones for more than 7 years, is finally striking it out on its own. Now you’ll start seeing cheapo and midrange phones with the branding “HMD,” which stands for Human Mobile Devices. (The company says it plans on continuing its relationship with Nokia.)

A few of these devices have already hit European markets—the HMD Pulse series—but the US is getting the HMD Vibe. It’s a $150 smartphone, so don’t expect anything groundbreaking. It omits a few too many features, and HMD now takes the crown for the worst software policy out of all well-known Android makers. But if you want to spend very little on a mobile phone, the Vibe will do.

Vibe Check

To me, the most important feature of a cheap smartphone is performance. If it’s too slow and frustrating to use, then it doesn’t matter how cheap it is. Good news then—the HMD Vibe is a fairly smooth-performing smartphone considering its $150 price. My initial impression was not great, as the phone was ridiculously slow as I was setting it up and installing all my apps, but once that was sorted, it’s been fairly smooth sailing.

It’s powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 680 chipset with 6 GB of RAM. I’m not saying this is a speedy device—there’s even a small delay when you swipe up on an app to go to the home screen. Apps don’t launch at lightning speed. But I’ve been using the Vibe for more than a week (on 4G LTE no less) and it’s been better than tolerable. I’ve played games like Pako Forever and Alto’s Odyssey with no problems, and my benchmark scores place it on par with the similarly priced Moto G Play 2024.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

However, remember to turn on the Adaptive refresh rate in the phone’s display settings menu. This bumps the refresh rate from 60 Hz to 90 Hz. Things were a bit choppy without it, but after I turned it on, there was a noticeable improvement in smoothness. Speaking of the display, this is a 6.56-inch LCD screen that’s decently sharp but doesn’t get too bright. On sunny days out, I had a hard time seeing content on the screen while out and about.

This phone looks pretty bland. It’s just a black rectangle, with a bit of a graphite-esque design on the black rear. You do get a headphone jack and a microSD card slot to expand the included 128 GB of storage, but this phone does not have a fingerprint sensor. That’s a convenience available on its peer, the Moto G Play 2024, and it lets you access secure apps quickly without having to log in all the time. HMD offers a basic face unlock, but it won’t work with apps, and it doesn’t work in the dark (or when you wear sunglasses).

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June 1, 2024
Y-Brush DuoBrush Sonic Toothbrush Review: U-Shaped and Sonic Brush Heads

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I’ve long been skeptical of alternative toothbrushes, those mouthguard-like trays filled with nylon bristles that claim to brush your teeth in just 10 to 30 seconds. I’ve found them to be OK for days when I’m just too tired for a full brushing, but it doesn’t quite get my teeth clean enough. I’ve never felt like I could get close to someone’s face and chat after. But Y-Brush’s DuoBrush also comes with a regular sonic brush head. Both click onto the same brush handle.

U-shaped brushes aren’t a replacement for regular brushing. Your tongue still needs to be cleaned everyday, which these can’t do, and they’re likely missing some build-up and plaque. But for people with mobility problems, or in nursing homes or for small children, they can be useful tools. Despite watching Timmy the Tooth on repeat in my youth, some days even I struggle. That’s when I liked reaching for this.

Tooth by Tooth

The brand recommends using its Y-Brush for 10 to 20 seconds per jaw. I opted for 20 and occasionally went even longer. In addition to the vibrations caused by the brush handle, you should gently chew and slowly move it from side to side (that’s recommended with all these types of brushes). This gets your back teeth and offers a little more movement for the bristles to really work—according to the company, there are 35,000 bristles arranged in the tray. Taking it out and flipping it to get the rest of your teeth can be a little messy and slobbery, but do it over the sink and you should be fine.

While the brand does claim that the Y-Brush gets your teeth as clean in one minute as a regular brush does in two, I think having both the Y-brush and the sonic brush is important. It reminds you that you need to have a well-rounded dental routine, even if once a day you take the easier route. I brushed my teeth and tongue with the regular brush head in the morning or before I went somewhere, and used the U-shaped head at night. My teeth felt cleaner, but not as clean as they typically do.

Photograph: Medea Giordano

If I only used the U-shaped brush, my teeth wouldn’t fall out of my head, but I also don’t think they’d be sparkling or that my mouth would feel minty fresh. Still, I could go to bed at night not feeling completely gross.

It comes only in one size, though the tray head is made to fit most adult mouths. Every one of these alternative brushes I’ve tried has fit my top teeth comfortably, but hurts the back of my bottom jaw, where the edges push against my back gums. Thankfully, you don’t have to use it very long. The sonic brush head is standard and feels like any affordable brush I’ve tried. I like the options available from Sonicare more, as they’re just a little more dense without being hard, but the DuoBrush is on par with many others in the category.

The company recommends a toothpaste that foams well, but it works with any that you like. I used it with Crest and Sensodyne and found that both did the job, but you do end up using a bit more than you do on a regular brush head. Make sure you thoroughly clean the tray after each use, so spit and toothpaste doesn’t sit in between all those bristles. That would make for a nasty surprise next time you try to clean your teeth.

Brush Away

If you’ve been curious about these types of alternative toothbrushes, it might be worth giving the DuoBrush a try. At $80, it’s not a bad price for two types of brushes. WIRED writer and reviewer Brenda Stolyar likes the Symplbrush. It has more bristles—each clump of bristles is basically a regular toothbrush, plus they’re arranged on all three sides of the tray. That one is $129, however, and you still need another toothbrush. You also have to replace the heads, like with any electric toothbrush.

Y-Brush recommends changing the heads every four months, which is another $40. That’s kind of steep even with two brush heads included.

Mobility difficulties, depression, and exhaustion are just a few reasons why your dental care might suffer. If you’re a parent, you may have had more than a few moments where a frustrated or screaming child just refused to brush. You might take care of elderly family members who struggle to brush. If you think a U-shaped brush might work for you, the Y-brush is an affordable one to try.

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June 1, 2024
Blipblox myTracks Review: A Beatmaking Pad for Kids

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Playtime Engineering launched the $199 Blipblox synthesizer about five years ago. It didn’t come anywhere close to toppling the undeniable king of the budget synth market, Korg’s Volcas. Then again, that wasn’t the point. Blipblox isn’t a tiny, cheap keyboard designed to infect synth dads with a bad case of gear acquisition syndrome. It’s a children’s toy—a bulky piece of shiny plastic with the goal of teaching the basics of synthesis.

Now the company has just wrapped up a successful Kickstarter campaign for its second instrument, the Blipblox myTracks. MyTracks basically tries to answer one question: What if an Ableton Push and a Leapfrog toddler laptop had a baby? It’s a stand-alone sampler and groovebox that lets kids create their own songs from start to finish. It tries to simplify things as much as possible while still delivering a decent amount of fun sound mangling.

Editor’s note: The myTracks is still in preorder and will begin shipping later this year. We were granted early access to a preproduction model as the company finishes up the device for estimated delivery in November.

A New Musical Toy

Let’s start by clearing up what the myTracks is not: It’s not a fully-fledged MPC. You can’t chop up samples on it. The pads are not velocity sensitive (or particularly sensitive at all, really). It’s also not a synthesizer. While it has melodic tracks, they’re just single-shot samples that get pitched up and down by playing them back slower or faster. It has a certain lo-fi vibe that can be charming on the right sound, but this is not going to be the device for your kids to learn sound design or finger drumming on.

Photograph: Terrence O’Brien

Instead, what myTracks is meant to teach is the basics of music production. It has five tracks, one of which is dedicated to drums. Kids (or kids at heart) can simply hit Record, tap out a beat, then move on to the next track to put down a bass line, and so on, until they have a complete 5-track song. It even has a built-in microphone so they can sample their toys or their own voice and use that as part of the composition.

The arguably bigger difference between the BlipBlox synth and the myTracks, though, is the complexity. Where the colorful lines, buttons, and built-in sequences made the company’s kid-friendly synth approachable to even the youngest children, myTracks is geared toward older kids. For one, they’ll need to be able to read some of the labels. The myTracks has an actual workflow for making music, whereas the BlipBlox synth was more about button mashing.

In addition to note mode, there’s a clip mode, like what you’d find inside recording software like Ableton Live. Here, the pads trigger loops that you combine and recombine to create new variations on a theme. It’s a great way to introduce kids to the concept of arranging a song.

Photograph: Terrence O’Brien

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May 31, 2024
Apple iPad Air (M2, 2024) Review: Bigger and Slightly Brighter

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The major upgrade with this tablet is the bigger display. The 13-inch LCD screen is slightly brighter than its predecessor and 11-inch counterpart, with a 2,732 x 2,048-pixel resolution and the ability to hit 600 nits of peak brightness in Standard Dynamic Range (which is the same amount as the previous iPad Pro with M2).

This display does get bright for the most part. When I wasn’t working, I usually kept the brightness at about 20 to 30 percent—especially while watching TV before going to sleep. Since my desk is near the edge of a window, I usually keep it at 50 percent or slightly above that on sunnier days. But it struggles under direct sunlight. I realized this on a recent trip to Seattle. I was sitting on my bed in my hotel room catching up on an episode of Vanderpump Rules and, as the light was shining fully through the window, I had to crank the brightness up to see the content comfortably.

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

In these moments, I wish Apple would’ve swapped the Liquid Retina panel for a mini-LED panel from the previous iPad Pro generation. The backlighting technology would allow for a brighter screen. And, when coupled with the deeper, and crisper tones, it’d make for a far better viewing experience overall. I’d like to remind you that this is a $800 tablet with an LCD screen and 60-Hz refresh rate—most other high-end tablets feature OLED with 120-Hz screens. An upgraded screen technology would help justify the extra $200 on the 13-inch iPad Air over the smaller size.

Regardless, it’s still far more enjoyable to use than the 10.9-inch screen I relied on every day. The 13-inch size is more convenient as a secondary display alongside my MacBook. Between browser windows, tabs, and apps, I didn’t feel like I was cramming stuff onto the screen. The same applies to entertainment—if I’m bingeing a show, I carry the iPad all over the house to keep watching. I never got tired of staring at this screen.

Reliable and Versatile

Powering the iPad Air is the M2 chip (the same silicon featured in the MacBook Air from 2022), which packs an 8-core GPU and a 10-core GPU. It’s two years old, but Apple claims the chip is nearly 50 percent faster than the M1 and three times faster than the iPad Air with the A12 Bionic chip. Apple also doubled the base storage option from 64 gigabytes to 128 gigabytes.

Coming from the M1 iPad Air, I didn’t notice much of a difference in performance. If you’re coming from an older A-series chip, it’ll likely be easier to pick up on. Regardless, the M2 felt quick and smooth. On a typical workday, I’d have about 10 to 15 tabs open across several windows (on both Chrome and Safari), not to mention additional apps like Gmail, iMessage, Slack, Telegram, YouTube, and Zoom running simultaneously. The iPad Air never once felt sluggish.

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May 31, 2024
SnuzPod4 Bassinet Review: A Great-Looking and Simple Bassinet

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Everything sleep-related with a newborn is terrifying. Almost every parent feels a sharp stab in the heart every time they set their kid down for the first few weeks. It’s biology.

So who the hell do you trust to make a safe space for them to sleep? Where is it safe to put your little one, nestled in a straitjacket so that it can’t roll anywhere and suffocate itself while you sneak into the living room for a doomscroll about 529 plans? The Brits have the answer: The SnuzPod4, a simple wooden bedside cell that now occupies a permanent space next to my mattress, has been popular in the United Kingdom for years.

Given that my first child is only a few months old, I have limited experience with the best bassinets. But I’ve found this one to be simple, good-looking, and shockingly sleep-deprivation proof. I have yet to do anything sketchy with it on accident, which I can’t say about some other parenting tools I’ve tried (I’m looking at you, strollers and carriers).

Pod People

With midcentury-modern-meets-Ikea vibes (and assembly), the SnuzPod4 and its associated base come together in about half an hour of frenzied pre-birth building. There is a bottom section that acts as a cradle for the bassinet up top. The bassinet itself can sit atop the base, or you can just rock it on the floor (nice for travel).

Once you build the top and bottom sections (basically just putting fabric over some metal rods and screwing things together), you’re essentially off to bedtime. It comes with a breathable mattress so you can be less worried about your kiddos suffocating in the night (though that fear will never go away entirely, I’ve realized), and it has a gentle reflux incline position if your baby spits up more than the already large amount all babies spit up. Enjoy!

It is JPMA-certified, which means it meets the ASTM safety standard for infant beds, and I particularly love that it rocks really easily back and forth when my daughter just can’t seem to fall perfectly asleep and just needs a little extra soothing.

Photograph: Parker Hall

Close To Home

This is a bedside bassinet, which is increasingly popular among parents who don’t want the potential dangers of cosleeping but who want easy access to their kids during sleep (and the benefits of being in the same room). It squeezes in at just under 20 inches, which easily fits beside my bed, and the smooth bottom of the base helps it slide into place on wood or carpet.

You can adjust it to the height of your bed (there are seven positions to choose from). Ours turned out to be right about in the middle, go figure. If you sleep super close to the ground, you can just forgo the base entirely and use the bassinet straight on the ground, where it also has a sloped, flat bottom that you can rock. We found this particularly helpful right after my daughter was born, when a snowstorm (and associated mayhem in Portland, Oregon) had us crashing at my folks’ place for a few days.

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May 30, 2024
Klipsch Flexus Core 200 Soundbar Review: Serious Sound for Less

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Klipsch’s new Flexus Core 200 is the most powerful and cinematic soundbar I’ve heard at its price. While many of the best soundbars aim to be everything to everyone, Klipsch and its partner Onkyo buckled down to create a simple and skillful Dolby Atmos bar that melds Klipsch sonics with Onkyo electronics for knockout value.

There is a catch, of course. While the Flexus mimics other “modular” soundbar systems, letting you add components like satellite surround speakers and/or a burly subwoofer for a fee, the system omits advancements like auto-calibration to tune to your room, or Wi-Fi support to stream audio from services like Spotify Connect or AirPlay. This limits both the convenience and the quality of streaming music.

That doesn’t mean the Flexus is stuck in the past. You’ll get a modern app that connects over Bluetooth LE (Low Energy) for adjusting EQ and other settings, matched by traditional home theater trappings not found in rivals, like MDF components and a subwoofer out to let you connect any powered sub. However you accessorize, the Flexus Core 200 lives up to its name with fantastic baseline performance that lets you build as you go.

Full Bar

Compared to the growing class of “fun size” Atmos soundbars like the Sonos Beam and Bose Smart Soundbar 600, the Core 200’s massive size is almost startling. Stretching 44 inches across and just over 3 inches high, it looks more like Sony’s $1,000 HT-A5000 than most rivals in its class. Its height also makes it a potential obstacle for those with shorter TVs.

Photograph: Ryan Waniata

It’s got a kick of extra style, trading the usual plastic topside for MDF veneer, flanked on each side by 2.25-inch up-firing drivers designed to bounce sound off your ceiling for 3D sound. Also up top are dual up-firing 4-inch woofers that work in tandem to reproduce remarkably potent bass, again recalling pricier systems like the A5000 or the tubular Sonos Arc.

The Flexus offers fewer speaker channels than those pricier bars, with a more reserved 3.1.2-channel configuration that eschews any side-firing drivers. This limits its ability to throw sound off your walls for more convincing surround sound effects, but Klipsch’s audio prowess still manages to extract fantastic sound out of its minimalist setup.

The bar’s front-firing speakers are cleverly proportioned, including dual 2.25-inch drivers and a ¾-inch tweeter for the center channel and a 2.25-inch driver stretched out to the edges to expand the soundstage. A full-size LED display completes the design, making it easy to check inputs and adjust settings.

Dual Control

Speaking of adjustments, you’ll get nearly everything you need between the Klipsch Connect app and the dedicated remote, though you may need to bounce between each as you set things up. Either option provides control over basics like volume, inputs, and sound modes, including a Night Mode for softening the mood and dedicated Movie and Music modes.

The app adds access to a three-band EQ and control for the surround sound speakers if you choose to add on to the system. Oddly, you’ve got to grab the dedicated remote to raise the height channels for bigger overhead effects, and neither option can raise the center channel volume. Instead, you’ll find a three-level dialog enhancement feature. It works pretty well to pump up dialog in a pinch, but I’d still like to see a center-channel control for balancing between the subtler and more bombastic moments, as I occasionally had to ride the volume to balance things.

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May 30, 2024
Motorola Edge 50 Pro Review: A Solid Midrange Android Phone

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Rounding things out is a 50-megapixel front-facing camera that is solid for selfies. It’s an impressive camera system for a midrange phone. But what came close to ruining the camera for me was the sluggish performance. The post-shot processing sometimes takes a second or so, preventing you from capturing several shots in quick succession.

Photograph: Simon Hill

Motorola Edge 50 Pro, main camera. The main camera captures lots of detail and has a decent depth of field.

The Motorola Edge 50 Pro has a 4,500-mAh battery, and it’s enough to see you through an average day. I once had to charge before bedtime after shooting several photos and videos. Charging is another surprising highlight, because you can use the 125-watt charger in the box to fill the battery in less than 20 minutes, though it does get warm. The Edge 50 Pro also supports wireless charging (up to 50 watts with the right charger).

While the Edge 50 Pro feels close to stock Android 14, there is a little bloatware (Facebook, TikTok, Bingo Blitz are all preinstalled). But I like Motorola’s added features, such as karate chopping the phone to turn on the flashlight or twisting it to launch the camera. It’s also easy to connect the phone to your Windows PC or laptop to wirelessly share files or double up as a webcam. Family Space is a handy option for parents with young kids, enabling you to lock down part of your phone before you pass it off to them.

Competition Crunch

Ultimately, the Motorola Edge 50 Pro is a good phone, and with a better processor and a longer commitment to software support it might have been great. With Google offering seven years of software support and Samsung matching, Motorola’s three years of Android updates and four years of security updates feel stingy. I’d love to see seven years become the standard.

The Edge 50 Pro’s most obvious competition comes from Google. The Pixel 8A is £100 less, and you can pick up the regular Pixel 8 for around £600 now. Both are better than the Edge 50 Pro. If you’re not a Google fan, you can find other options, like the OnePlus 12R, in our Best Android Phones guide. Even last year’s compact Samsung Galaxy S23 is not much more than the Edge 50 Pro now, and it has a surprisingly similar spec sheet but more processing power.

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May 30, 2024