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• You can now create Sora AI videos in the Bing app on mobile
• You get 10 credits, but can earn more by searching with Bing
• Videos are portrait and five seconds long with more formats coming soon

Remember Bing, Microsoft’s attempt to take on the mighty Google in search? I’ve got to admit, I’d completely forgotten about it until Microsoft’s latest trick to make it relevant again caught me off guard: It has added Sora AI video creation to the Bing app on iOS and Android, for free!

Since you would normally need to be a ChatGPT Plus subscriber (which costs $20 a month) to get access to Sora, that’s a pretty sweet deal.

However, a look at the small print shows there are some restrictions. You get 10 ‘fast creations’ credits to start with, and each time you create a video with Bing Video Creator you gobble up a credit.

Using 'fast credits' your video will be created in just a few minutes. Once you’re out of fast credits you switch to Standard speed. Standard means that it will take Bing “approximately several hours per video” to generate anything.

Intriguingly, the 'fast credits' don't auto-renew each month, but instead you can earn more of them by searching using the Bing search engine.

Microsoft has produced a video to show you how Bing Video Creator works:

Using Bing Video Creator

To use Bing Video Creator you have to be using the Bing app on mobile, available on the App Store and Google Play Store.

Once it's running just tap the apps icon at the bottom right of the Bing screen to access all the apps it contains. Next, tap on Video Creator.

You can then type in a prompt for your video. Obviously, the more descriptive you are with your prompts the better the video will be, but to test it out I tried something very simple: “A tiger prowling through the jungle” and hit the Create button.

Just a couple of minutes later, I had my five second AI video. And it had only used up one of my 'fast creations' credits.

I could share my video using all the usual methods on my iPhone, and the video file it produced was only 7MB in size. Videos created in Bing Video Creator are five seconds long and can be created in 9:16 format with 16:9 format “coming soon”.

Here it is:

Unlike Google’s recently released Veo 3 AI video creator, you can’t lip-sync voices in Sora videos, so you can’t make videos of people saying things, although it surely can’t be long before OpenAI add this feature to Sora. There also didn’t seem to be any way of adding sound to the video at all in Bing.

We all know that Microsoft has had a long-standing alliance with OpenAI which has meant that Copilot is powered by the ChatGPT search engine. This has sometimes meant that you can access premium features that you’d normally have to pay for via a ChatGPT.

The addition of Bing Video Creator is another welcome advantage of this deal, even if it's currently only available on mobile, however, Microsoft says that a desktop version is coming soon.

Earning more credits

The most interesting part of the new tool is how you earn 'fast creation' credits. To gain more you can redeem 100 Microsoft Rewards points for a single credit. You can earn these reward points by searching using Bing on desktop or mobile, browsing using the Edge browser or gaming using the Xbox console, provided you are logged in with your Microsoft account.

For example, you can earn five points by searching just once using Bing on either mobile or PC desktop. So, the more you search with Bing, the more Sora videos you can create.

Offering Sora video credits for searching in Bing is a clever tactic from Microsoft, and who knows, it might just bring Bing back into the spotlight again?

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• Photoshop on Android (beta) drops for devices running Android 11 or later
• It's free for a limited time
• Creative Cloud subscriptions unlock Adobe Stock assets and generative edits

Following the release of Photoshop for iPhone earlier this year, the biggest photo-editing app has finally made it to Android in pro-grade form, complete with Photoshop's marquee features and generative capabilities.

Offering much of the same functionality as the iPhone app, the free beta version of Photoshop for Android has an intuitive interface designed specifically for phones, with core Photoshop tools such as layering, masking, and blending.

I'm yet to use the app, but I watched a demonstration of its capabilities presented by Adobe, and it looks super impressive, seemingly being one of if not the most fully equipped and powerful photo editors for Android phones.

You can import images from your camera roll, start from a blank canvas, utilize Adobe Stock assets, and take a photo with your phone to then edit.

As a regular Photoshop user I can't wait to try the app out on my Google Pixel phone, and here are three tools I'll start with…

Tap select can be applied to both subjects and backgrounds and can utilize Adobe's generative Firefly tools. (Image credit: Adobe)1. Tap select

Simplifying Photoshop's subject and background selection tools on a mobile phone is no easy task, but what Adobe calls 'Tap select' appears to do the trick nicely.

During a demo, an Adobe professional walked us through an edit of a classic car photo, using Tap select to make image adjustments to just the car itself, and then to other subjects.

Tap select suggests various objects in an image that you might want to selectively edit, displaying thumbnails of these, and when you've made a selection it'll suggest a huge arsenal of Photoshop tools such as color adjustments and so forth.

Subject selection can be refined with Photoshop's Brush Tool to add / subtract from the selection when it has missed the mark.

And with these edits working within Photoshop's layering capabilities, changes can be tweaked at any point in the editing process.

Tap select is the kind of tool I can see myself using on almost every edit, and its implementation for Android phones looks well thought out.

With the model's clothes selected, it's possible to make selective edits, such as changing the hue. (Image credit: Adobe)2. Generative Firefly

Adobe has focused a lot of its energy recently into developing Firefly – the generative AI tools that sit within its leading apps such as Photoshop. Naturally, Photoshop for Android phones can tap into these tools too.

For example, Generative Fill can replace subjects and backgrounds to your liking, however fanciful your ideas are. Again, during the demo, we saw these tools put into practice – removing parked cars in the background and replacing surrounding trees for palm trees, with multiple generated options to choose between.

Naturally, there are limits to Firefly's capabilities, but the Android phone version appeared to be as powerful and efficient as the full version of Photoshop with the word prompt tasks it was assigned.

It's possible to work on the same file across Photoshop on mobile and Photoshop on web apps. (Image credit: Adobe)3. Tapping into Adobe Stock assets

Despite having a Creative Cloud subscription, I don't generally make use of the 'commercially safe' Adobe Stock assets at my disposal, whether that's images or textures or other assets. However, on the mobile version I can see myself having a proper play with these.

Let's say I want to add text to an image, for which there's a huge selection of fonts to choose from. I can then mask that text layer, modifying the lettering with just about any texture or image of my choice from hundreds of thousands of stock assets.

In the demo, we saw 'Aloha' text added to the classic car photo, taken in Hawaii, and then modified with an image of a hibiscus flower within the lettering.

I came away from the demo with the feeling that the scope of the edits I can make to photos from my phone is vast, and limited only by my imagination.

I'm really looking forward to having a play with Photoshop on my Android phone to get a proper feel for it.

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Adobe launched the first-ever Photoshop iPhone app earlier this year. Now it's available for Android owners.

LG xBoom Bounce: Two-minute review

Go to the LG website and you’ll see this Bluetooth speaker billed as the "LG xBoom Bounce by will.i.am". Recent marketing materials are rife with mentions of the Black Eyed Peas performer who, depending on where you look on LG's site, “crafted” the sound from the ground up, “fine-tuned” the sound of the Bounce after the fact or simply acted as... whatever an “Experiential Architect” is.

It’s a very loosely-defined partnership and I’ve no idea if the musician’s work really did involve engineering the Bounce’s sound or simply becoming a marketing figure, although a colleague at TechRadar did speak to the rapper, writer, actor, record producer and entrepreneur earlier this year on the collaboration. Anyway, the general gist is this: the LG xBoom Bounce is a new party speaker here to (hopefully) make you wanna Shake Ya Boom Boom – and thus, make its way into our best Bluetooth speakers roundup.

Its relative beefiness should have been clear from the name; LG’s busy line of xBoom speakers are all designed for room-filling sound, complete with hardy designs, high volumes and usually plenty of LED lights. The bounce was announced alongside the slightly-cheaper cylinder of the LG xBoom Grab and bigger, more expensive LG xBoom Stage 301.

I must admit that I’ve not been blown away by other xBoom devices I’ve used, and sadly the Bounce didn’t manage to change that.

The last xBoom I used was the petite Go XG2T, which is remarkable for its portability, a trait which is important for most Bluetooth speakers. Not in the Bounce, though, as it’s too big and heavy to slip in your bag and take to a picnic. It has an elastic carry band which loses form quickly, two unstable legs and a pet peeve of mine: no skip track button.

I can’t mark down the design too much though, with high-grade protections ensuring that the xBoom Bounce is safe from the hard knocks that could befall it when used in your garden (or forgotten in your garden after a few beers).

When it comes to features, LG’s nailed the basics with the LG xBoom Bounce: its battery life is pleasingly long and I’m always a fan of LED lights on speakers. However there’s not much extra if you download LG’s smart-home app (no, there’s no bespoke app), with a few of its potential features squandered.

For example there’s an on-speaker button which should, in theory, be used to quickly open a chosen playlist – however this doesn’t actually work alongside any streaming service, only with native content on your phone or LG’s own ambient songs.

The biggest issue with the Bounce is that its sound quality just doesn’t match rivals on the market. With Sonos and JBL both offering similar-priced alternatives, the bass-heavy but empty-sounding audio of the Bounce doesn’t cut it, no matter how loud it can go to impress fields of guests.

As a mid-range speaker in terms of price, LG’s rugged build quality, battery life and volume here may be enough to win over some users, including those who want a device specifically for outdoor activities and parties (and already own one or more for their home). But if you’re more of a one-and-done kind of speaker buyer, the xBoom Bounce is a lot harder to recommend.

LG xBoom Bounce review: Price and release date

• Released in April 2025
• Officially priced at $179.99 / £139 / AU$249

(Image credit: Future)

The LG xBoom Bounce was released in April 2025 alongside another member of its family: the xBoom Grab.

You can buy the speaker for $169 / £169 (around AU$300, though it’s the only one of its family not to be on sale in Australia at the time of writing).

That cost puts the xBoom Bounce in the shark-infested waters of a highly competitive price range: the Sonos Roam 2 is only a touch pricier, while the JBL Flip 7 is a small amount more affordable, and you don’t have to pay that much more for a close rival in the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2.

These three options are all within the top five in our round-up of the best Bluetooth speakers, so LG is entering a tough crowd. More on these competitors below.

LG xBoom Bounce review: Specs

Weight:

1.32kg

Dimensions:

26.2 x 9.9 x 9.4 cm

Battery life (quoted):

30 hours

Connectivity:

Not specified

Drivers:

2x tweeter, 1x woofer

Aux in:

No

Charger port:

USB-C

Microphone:

Yes

Waterproof rating:

IP67

LG xBoom Bounce review: Features

• Some set-up woes
• 30-hour battery life
• Useful location calibration mode

(Image credit: Future)

The XBoom Bounce can be used alongside the LG ThinQ app. This is an everything-app for all LG products, and it’s quite a lengthy set-up process between creating an account, finding ‘speakers’ on the list and, in my case, repeatedly trying to get it to pair until it finally succeeded. I may have given up several attempts earlier if I wasn’t reviewing the Bounce (and you can use the device just fine without pairing it to the app anyway). Pairing to devices simply for listening was quick and painless, it’s just the app that’s the issue.

The ThinQ app may make sense if you have lots of other LG products (or if this speaker boasted wi-fi streaming support, which to be clear, it does not), but if you don’t it’s a bit of a faff. Honestly, it feels like a bloated set-up process and some of the features just don’t make sense – why am I being asked where the speaker is located when, by definition, it’s a portable one?

Using the app you can change the speaker’s volume, switch the lighting pattern on it, set up the MY button (more on this imminently) and set up a few other features like Auracast for daisy-chaining more speakers for multi-room audio, a turn-off timer and a small playlist of ambient background music called Healing Therapy. There’s also a calibration mode which works out the speaker’s location (after a brief test) and adjusts the sound quality, which is admittedly quite neat – until you move it.

(Image credit: Future)

Once you’ve set up the MY button, pressing it on the speaker auto-plays from a playlist you’ve selected. However you can only use this for audio files on your device, or the Healing Therapy playlist on the app – no Spotify, no Apple Music, no Tidal. In addition, it’s staggeringly hard to browse the Healing Therapy library to find sounds – go to the page in the app and you’ll be shown a single song, with the options to download it, as well as a list of your downloaded songs. The only way I figured out to see all Healing Therapy options is to literally download everything you’re presented with.

There are a few preset Sound Effects you can use to modify your sound: Standard, Bass Boost and Voice Enhance are all pretty obvious and there’s a custom option to bring up a six-band equalizer. The other option is AI Sound which balances audio based on your chosen genre.

I tested the speaker for about 10 hours before going through the set-up process and if I could turn back time, I probably wouldn’t bother with the app. The only thing I ended up needing it for is to turn on Bass Boost mode. I mentioned above that I had trouble connecting to the app; this was never an issue connecting the speaker to my phone via Bluetooth, which was flawless.

Let’s clear our minds with a really positive feature: the battery life. According to LG this can stretch to 30 hours and in my testing I saw no reason to doubt that figure (as long as you’re playing at 50% volume, which is a reasonable figure indoors). That figure trumps lots of the competition with many rivals hovering between the 10-15 hour mark. Charging is done via the USB-C port on the back and takes three hours.

• Features score: 3.5/5

LG xBoom Bounce review: Design

• IP67 and military-grade protection
• Heavy and long body
• Wobbly legs and elastic strap

(Image credit: Future)

The LG xBoom Bounce is a big and heavy speaker – while all Bluetooth speakers are ostensibly portable, the heft of the Bounce means you probably won’t want to bring this to the park for a picnic or barbeque given that you’ll have to jettison half your food to fit it in your bag. At home I left it on the same shelf for the bulk of my testing, right by a wall outlet, completely offsetting any need for it to be wireless in the first place. The issue is, I don't think the audio is good enough for a dedicated indoor 'main' speaker… but again, I'm getting ahead of myself.

To be precise, the xBoom Bounce is 316.5mm long, 142.5mm tall and 136mm wide, taking a rough oval shape. It weighs 1.32kg which is heavy for a Bluetooth speaker like this – some other party speakers are a whole kilo lighter.

On top of the speaker are its two tweeters as well as buttons: power, volume up, volume down, pay/pause, Bluetooth pairing, multipoint and MY (the latter we’ll describe in the Features section). So far, so standard. The back of the speaker has a USB-C port for charging but no 3.5mm jack, so you can’t plug-and-play with your old iPod here.

(Image credit: Future)

A large feature on the back of the xBoom is the stretchy fabric band you can see in pictures. This has a little ‘pull’ to it so you can get your hand behind it to carry it, but its size and positioning means you can’t really use it to attach the Bounce to anything (not least of all because 1.4kg means this thing is prone to pulling over things you attach it to). The elastic also deformed pretty quickly in my testing, having a noticeable upward arc after just a few days of testing, and so I wasn't keen to rely on it as a way to transport the thing in case it snapped.

The front of the speaker has an LED strip which flickers to music, and you can choose the color or pattern through the app. It’s not a huge feature, but if you like having flashing LEDs to accompany your music, it’s a nice touch.

On the bottom of the xBoom are two circular ‘legs’ that it stands on, elevating the main body a touch off the ground. There’s probably a good reason for them but they resulted in the device wobbling an undue amount when on flat surfaces.

You'll probably realise I have mixed feelings on the xBoom Bounce’s design, but one undeniable boon is its protection. Not only does the Bounce have an IP67 rating against dust ingress and limited immersion in water, but also the military-grade MIL-STD-810H certification. This ensures it can withstand vibrations, impacts, spray from salt water, high temperatures and a few other fairly-specific types of assault. This is perhaps the first truly rugged Bluetooth speaker I’ve ever tested, and I’m always a fan of gadgets that are designed for longevity.

• Design score: 3.5/5

LG xBoom Bounce review: Sound quality

• High max volume
• Low-end focus
• Songs often sound 'empty'

(Image credit: Future)

Let’s unpack what you’re getting with the Bounce: there are two tweeters and a woofer for 2.1 stereo audio.

The LG xBoom Bounce doesn’t lack for power, with a high maximum volume; I generally listened at volume 10 at home but it goes all the way up to 30, so this will be suitable for fairly large gatherings. But what LG offers in volume, it lacks in quality.

The focus of the sound is clearly in the low-end, with songs’ bass lines being the first thing you’ll notice when you put on any track. But then, as is the issue with most ‘bass overload’ cases, it means mid- and high-end instruments sound compressed. Here, these frequencies seem almost squeezed into an oddly dull ooze of ‘noise’, stripping counter harmonies and detail from songs in favor of the ever insatiable god: bass.

Even vocals were often muddied and nonspecific in songs I listened to, and there were times when I simply couldn’t make out the lyrics of lead or backing singers due to how low they were in the box.

(Image credit: Future)

Let’s take a listen: Phosphorescent’s New Birth in New England usually offers a rich mix of rhythmic instruments but listening on the Bounce, all I can hear is the bass, vocal and some assorted ‘soup’ of everything else. The next song on my playlist is Letter to Lady J by Dispatch which starts with acoustic guitar and vocals, but the latter sounds muted and the former quickly loses any form of strumming pattern and timbre. Changing playlists for some variety, Morgan Wallen’s Thought You Should Know was listened to – just the intro, three times, to try to list the instruments we’ve got here. Sadly, I simply couldn’t make them out and throughout the song, Wallen sounds like he’s frantically waving his hand to the mixing desk and pointing upwards to indicate ‘turn me up!’.

The effect of all of this is that music seems a lot less complex and nuanced, and therefore lacking a little bit of the ‘soul’ that comes from the interplay and cohesion of different instruments. It made rock and pop less enjoyable and classical almost impossible to appreciate; I most enjoyed using the speaker when it was for dance-focused tracks with instrumental simplicity. Which, of course, is what certain users will be looking for, so don't let me put you off if that's you.

A focus on the low-end and a high max volume make the LG xBoom Bounce suited as a party speaker, but it’s not for audiophiles, who’ll find a few things missing from their music.

• Sound quality: 3/5

LG xBoom Bounce review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

If you’re simply looking at the xBoom Bounce for a personal loudspeaker for your home, you can find other options at a similar (or cheaper) price that offer better sound quality.

For party speakers, the question is a bit different, as the Bounce matches most of its close rivals in terms of price. However you may be swayed by the various protections on offer, which could ensure that it keeps serving you for a lot longer than one of its alternatives.

In the grand scheme of things, you’re pretty much getting what you pay for though.

• Value score: 3.5/5

Should I buy the LG xBoom Bounce?

(Image credit: Future)LG xBoom Bounce speaker score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

A long battery life and equalizer offset an annoying app experience.

3.5/5

Design

It's not quite 'portable' but it's well-protected.

3.5/5

Sound quality

The high max volume and focus on low-end will please some, but it's not for audiophiles.

3/5

Value

You get what you pay for, and it'll last you longer than some rivals.

3.5/5

Buy it if…

You need field-filling sound
Need a speaker to play to your whole back garden or large living room? Shy of a full-stack party speaker this can be your go-to.

You need something well-protected
The IP67 is a nice touch but the military-grade protection is what I'm talking about here: you won't need to worry about a rain storm hitting your party (or an earthquake, flash flood or drought).

You need something that lasts a little longer
With 30 hours of juice in the tank, the LG xBoom Bounce lasts longer than lots of its competitors before needing to be charged.

Don’t buy it if…

You're an audiophile
I wasn't that impressed with the sound of the Bounce, so if you're hoping to truly appreciate the music you're listening to, this party speaker isn't the way to go.

You need something portable
This isn't the gym, you're not expected to carry heavy weights around with you everywhere you go.

LG xBoom Bounce review: Also consider

LG xBoom Bounce

Tribit Stormbox Blast 2

JBL Flip 7

Weight:

1.32kg

8.7g

560g

Dimensions:

26.2 x 9.9 x 9.4 cm

47.6 x 25.9 x 19.3 cm

7 x 18.3 x 7.2 cm

Battery life (quoted):

30 hours

30 hours

16 hours

Connectivity:

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.4

Bluetooth 5.4

Drivers:

2x tweeter, 1x woofer

1x subwoofer, 2x drivers, 2x tweeters

1x driver, 1x tweeter

Aux-in:

No

Yes

No

Charger port:

USB-C

AC 100-240V

USB-C

Microphone:

Yes

No (mic ports)

No

Waterproof rating:

IP67

IP67

IP68

Tribit Stormbox Blast 2
For a small amount more than the LG, you can get the ultimate party speaker of the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2. This beast has a fantastic output, and even though it's a lot heavier than the LG, has a handle to let you deal with it.
Read our full Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 review

JBL Flip 7
A smaller and cheaper option, the Flip 7 extends JBL's lead as monarchs of the portable party speaker realm. It sounds great, offers a range of features and, like the LG, is well-protected.
Read our full JBL Flip 7 review

How I tested the LG XBoom Bounce

I used the LG xBoom Bounce for two weeks in order to write this review, which is the standard testing period.

I used the Bounce alongside two separate Android smartphones, one a Realme and another a Moto, and did most of the testing split between two different rooms in my house. Most of the playback was music from Spotify and the ThinQ app but I watched a few videos, listened to spoken-word content and played a game with the speaker attached.

I've been writing tech reviews for TechRadar for over six years now, including speakers as well as other LG products.

First tested: June 2025

Read more on how we test at TechRadar.

• The De'Longhi Dedica Duo is a new compact manual espresso machine
• It can brew hot and cold espresso, and has an integrated steam wand
• It comes in four colors, including three pastel shades inspired by gelato

De'Longhi has launched a new compact coffee maker, the De'Longhi Dedica Duo, which takes one of my all-time favorite machines and gives it a makeover with the ability to brew hot or cold, and a choice of four pretty pastel colors.

The De'Longhi Dedica Duo is an upgraded version of the Dedica Style, which has long held a top spot in our roundup of the best espresso machines thanks to its small footprint, impressive performance, high-quality integrated steam wand, and very reasonable price tag.

The Dedica Duo keeps all of those features, and adds the option to brew cold coffee for drinks like iced lattes and espresso martinis.

Cold brew is the biggest trend in home coffee machines right now, with brands including Breville, Ninja, and Jura all launching new models that aim to recreate the mellow flavor of cold-infused coffee in seconds rather than hours.

According to De'Longhi, the Dedica Duo can recreate the flavor profile of traditional cold brew in less than five minutes.

Image 1 of 3

(Image credit: De'Longhi)Image 2 of 3

(Image credit: De'Longhi)Image 3 of 3

(Image credit: De'Longhi)Espresso with gelato?

The Dedica Duo came in silver, gray, and black colorways, but the Dedica Duo breaks from tradition with a choice of four shades, three of which, according to De'Longhi, are inspired by the pastel colors of gelato. Alongside the classic stainless steel, you can also take your pick from muted green Pistachio, creamy Vanilla, and candy-pink Rose. The colors are part of a bigger overall trend towards soft shades in the kitchen, and away from clinical designs.

KitchenAid kicked things off in February when it announced that its color of the year would be a soft yellow called Butter, and since then we've seen a real shift towards more natural shades, with Kenwood, Breville and others all joining the trend. Just last week, the tiny Nespresso Vertuo Pop machine appeared in Pistachio (to match its pistachio vanilla coffee capsules) and Pastel Yellow.

Each Dedica Duo comes with a matching colored portafilter handle, which is a nice touch. Other design tweaks include a new knurled knob for controlling steam pressure, and controls positioned on top of the machine, leaving the front looking clean and smart.

The De'Longhi Dedica Duo is available to buy now direct from De'Longhi, and from third-party retailers like Amazon and Target for $299.95. International release dates and prices are yet to be announced, but we'll let you know as soon as this cute little espresso machine is available more widely.

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Honor 400: Two-minute review

In the time that I’ve spent with the Honor 400, part of me is stunned to see just how far the mid-range market has come. Usually, when I test phones at this end of the scale, I anticipate there being one area that significantly holds the phone back from true greatness. This is understandable – there needs to be some reason to upgrade to the best phones like the iPhone 16 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra – but on the Honor 400, this caveat never really applied.

For starters, with an affordable price tag of £399.99 in the UK, the Honor 400 already undercuts a ton of mid-range contenders like the Pixel 9a, the Samsung Galaxy A56 and the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, which will make it a more tempting buy for those who are tied to a strict budget.

Diving into the phone itself, Honor spoils us with a number of features, the highlight being the 6.55-inch AMOLED display, which can reach a peak brightness of 5000 nits. I’ve tested a lot of phones in my time, but Honor just knows how to make a mid-range display that’s instantly eye-catching. It’s colorful, easy to use outdoors, and great for streaming films and TV shows.

The new 200MP main camera captures some great shots, especially when the sun is out, but the setup really comes into its own when paired with the Harcourt-inspired filters in the phone’s portrait mode. If you prefer taking pictures of friends and family rather than what you had for dinner, then you’ll appreciate what’s available here.

This amounts to a solid experience overall, but in some instances, it’s a slight downgrade compared to the phone’s predecessor. For instance, the Honor 200 has a slightly larger 6.7-inch display as well as an additional telephoto lens. The same Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset has been carried over, so you won’t gain much where performance is concerned.

With that in mind, I wouldn’t recommend the Honor 400 to owners of last year’s Honor mid-range. For those with a device that’s been out for four or five years, though, it’s hard to argue with the value proposition Honor has put together.

Honor 400 review: price and availability

(Image credit: Future)

• Starts at £399.99 in the UK
• Released in May 2025

Situated as the middle child of the new Honor 400 series, the Honor 400 has a starting price of £399.99 for the 256GB model, but that price leaps up to £449 if you want the larger 512GB storage option.

At the time of writing, only UK pricing and availability have been confirmed, with the phone releasing in May 2025 both as a SIM-free device and from several UK networks.

Even though their naming conventions are easy to understand, the pricing within the Honor 400 range is a little confusing. At present, the Honor 400 Lite costs £249.99, just £150 less than the Honor 400, whereas the Honor 400 Pro asks for an extra £300 with an RRP of £699.99.

I can only hypothesize that the Honor 400’s entry-level price is a strategic move to make it more affordable than some of the established best mid-range phones, which tend to sit around £499.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Honor 400 review: specs

Dimensions:

156.5mm x 74.6mm x 7.3mm

Weight:

184g

Display:

6.55-inch (2736 x 1264) up to 120Hz AMOLED

Chipset:

Snapdragon 7 Gen 3

RAM:

8GB

Storage:

256GB / 512GB

OS:

Android 15

Primary camera:

200MP (f/1.9, 1/1.4'', OIS) sensor

Ultra-wide camera:

12MP (f/2.2, FOV 112°) sensor

Front Camera:

50MP sensor

Battery:

5,330mAh

Charging:

66W wired

Colors:

Midnight Black, Meteor Silver, Desert Gold

Honor 400 review: designImage 1 of 2

(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Future)

• Honor is definitely nipping at Apple’s heels
• The design feels more confident than the Honor 200

The overall design of Honor’s mid-range phones has always felt a little off to my eyes. For example, the Honor 90 from a few years back had a wonderful Emerald Green option that made it stand out, but it was hampered by two distinct camera bumps that felt wildly out of place.

Things weren’t much better with last year’s Honor 200, which featured far too much negative space in its camera module, making the design feel like an afterthought compared to the rest of the device. Thankfully, Honor has finally hit a far more premium, if potentially dull, aesthetic.

As mentioned in the Honor 400 Lite review, it isn’t hard to see where Honor is drawing its inspiration from here. The flat edges around the device, alongside the vertically aligned cameras, give off a whiff of the iPhone 16, which is no bad thing when you consider that the Honor 400 is less than half the price of Apple’s £699/$699 handset.

It does feel premium in the hand, and even with a plastic chassis, I think people would be surprised to learn just how cheap the Honor 400 is at the checkout, based solely on its looks.

I do wish, however, that Honor could have kept some of its signature flair where the colors are concerned. The company has instead opted for safe black, silver and gold variations. Thankfully, there is an official IP rating this time around of IP65, so you won’t have to worry about dust particles or jets of water – always helpful over long-term use.

While it certainly won’t wow anyone, I feel that this is the most confident-looking mid-ranger that Honor has ever put out, and I have to admire it for that.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Honor 400 review: display

(Image credit: Future)

• It’s a smaller display at 6.55 inches
• The curves have been swapped out for a flat panel

If there’s one area where this company has easily outpaced the mid-range competition, it’s in the quality of its displays, and the Honor 400 is no exception, although there is one tweak that might put off some folks from upgrading.

Starting with the good, this 6.55-inch AMOLED display is just drop-dead gorgeous to look at. It gets impressively bright at up to 5000 nits, and when using it outdoors against direct sunlight, I haven’t found myself squinting to make out what’s on the screen.

The crisp 2736 x 1264 resolution also makes the phone great for catching up on Netflix or whichever streaming service takes your fancy. Using the Honor 400 at the gym, I was quite immersed in a few episodes of Prime Video's Invincible while on the treadmill, with the phone doing the show’s vivid color palette justice.

If you don’t mind sacrificing a little more battery life, you can toggle Super Dynamic Display alongside Vivid Display, two modes that use AI to analyze what you're watching and respond with improved colors and realism in real time. I can’t say that I saw an immediate difference, but the screen already looked great, so I can’t really complain.

(Image credit: Future)

While the phone’s refresh rate can be set to 120Hz at all times, by default it’s placed in an adaptive mode that allows it to change depending on the task at hand, saving battery life in the process. Even though this has long been a feature among the best Android phones, it blows my mind that it’s now something we get as standard in the mid-range/budget market.

Making a return is all of Honor’s dimming and eye-health features. That sounds impressive on paper, with ‘3840Hz RiskFree Dimming’, but what does it actually mean? In practice, this tech limits the amount of refreshes that take place at a speed imperceptible to the human eye, reducing the risk of eye fatigue over time.

Of course, something like this is difficult to quantify. However, I will say that out of all the phones I’ve used, the Honor 400 is one of the few that doesn’t leave me with noticeable eye-strain if I do a quick bit of scrolling before bed, particularly if the fantastic ‘eBook mode’ is activated.

All of this amounts to a wonderful display, but if you currently own an Honor 90 or an Honor 200, it’s worth bearing in mind that both of those phones have a larger 6.7-inch display, so you are getting a slight downgrade where size is concerned. Personally, I don’t mind, particularly as it makes the Honor 400 easier to use one-handed, but it’s still something to consider.

• Display score: 4.5 / 5

Honor 400 review: cameras

(Image credit: Future)

• Just like the display, the cameras have also been downgraded/upgraded
• The new 200MP main sensor is the star of the show

There’s a definite pattern of give and take with the Honor 400. I’ve already mentioned the differences in the display tech, and unfortunately, it also extends to the new camera setup.

On paper, you’ve got a 200MP (f/1.9, 1/1.4'', OIS) main sensor, flanked by a 12MP (f/2.2, FOV 112°) ultrawide that also serves as a macro lens. That might sound fairly decent given the £399.99 price tag, but eagle-eyed readers might have already noticed that while the main sensor has had a bump from 50MP to 200MP, the phone is missing the additional 50MP telephoto lens from the Honor 200.

While it’s nice to have a dedicated telephoto lens, having the upgraded megapixel count on the main lens does open up more opportunities for cropping and zooming that don't completely wreck the quality of the photo.

Enjoying the wonderful sights of Surrey’s Box Hill, I was able to snap some fantastic shots that really did the trail justice, helped in large part by the brilliantly sunny weather. When I felt the need to crop in on certain photos for social media after the fact, I didn’t feel hard done by in the final results.

The same can be said for the ultra-wide shots, which, despite that 12MP ceiling, still packed an impressive degree of detail and color. In a pinch, that same ultra-wide lens can be used for macro shots if, like me, you enjoy getting the odd picture of fauna up close (although I can’t imagine using it for much else).

You’ve got 4x digital zoom for picking up subjects in the distance, but for something really far out, you can lean on Honor’s 30x AI Superzoom. Just like it operates on other Honor phones, this feature uses AI to recreate the picture you’ve taken. This means the end result isn’t technically a photo at all, but something AI has constructed from a real photo. As you might imagine, its success rate can be mixed, and there’s a general ‘watercolour’ look that plagues all of these images after the fact.

Speaking of AI, there’s an ‘image to video’ feature that lets you make short AI-driven animations out of shots you’ve taken. I’ll admit, one video it derived from a selfie felt so realistic that I didn’t like the idea of seeing what else it could do. Thankfully, these videos don’t go beyond five seconds, so there isn’t a huge use case for them.

When it comes to more traditional AI features in the phone’s editing suite, like AI cutout or AI outpainting (the latter of which extends the picture with generative AI), it all works rather well.

Last year, Honor made a big splash by partnering with photography studio Harcourt to add more pizazz to the portrait photography of the 200 series; now those signature Harcourt filters are back on the Honor 400, looking better than ever.

If you’re the type of person whose Instagram uploads are filled with model-style shots, you’ll appreciate what’s on offer here. Although there are just three Harcourt filters (Vibrant, Color and Classic), they all look great and pump out truly eye-catching shots.

While the 50MP selfie camera doesn’t utilize Harcourt’s prowess, it still managed to capture self-portraits that I was more than happy to share with the world, which doesn’t often happen. There’s a wonderfully soft bokeh here that pairs well with the camera’s autofocus.

The dedicated night mode also does a respectable job, so you should be in luck with most low-light situations if you do want to take a quick snap.

• Camera score: 4 / 5

Honor 400 review: camera samplesImage 1 of 6

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(Image credit: Future)Honor 400 review: performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Same chipset as last year
• Respectable performance in its price range

The best thing I can say about the Honor 400 from a performance perspective is just how little it’s been on my mind over the course of testing the device. Of course, I’m not saying that it exceeds the best iPhones – far from it – but even though it uses the same Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset as last year, it goes to show how far the mid-range market has come, where you can now expect solid day-to-day performance without breaking the bank.

In the time that I spent with the Honor 400, I didn't have an app fail to load or crash mid-use, and I could jump from one app to another without any significant delay. Even when using the phone as a hotspot to watch a video on my iPad, I could still scroll through Google Chrome on the Honor 400 without any noticeable slowdown.

When it came to games, the phone handled booting up a race in Asphalt Legends Unite and the game’s frenetic energy with ease. Graphics look bold and exciting on the display, and any visual stuttering was very brief and infrequent.

I found the performance within Call of Duty Mobile to be even better, so if you like to get in a few rounds of Nuketown on your lunch break, you won’t have any issues doing so here.

I will say that for both games (and at times when I was really pushing the device), I felt some heat radiating off the Honor 400. It was never enough to make holding the device uncomfortable, but it did give me pause to make sure that I didn’t overstretch the phone’s limitations.

I do, however, want to give a brief nod to the speakers, which performed surprisingly well in testing. I almost always anticipate a mono-speaker system at this end of the market, but there's a stereo set-up on the Honor 400, and it can get impressively loud and immersive when you're diving into a spot of gaming.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Honor 400 review: software

(Image credit: Future)

• Honor has gone all in on AI
• MagicOS is better, but there’s still room for improvement

Just like almost every other company on the block right now, Honor has gone all-in on AI.

As with AI implementation on other devices, I found the overall experience to be a mixed bag. I don’t think the situation is quite as dire as what I’ve come across using Apple Intelligence on my iPhone 16 Plus, but there are definitely areas where Honor has plenty of room for improvement.

On the better side of that equation is Honor’s Magic Portal, which operates similarly to Google’s Circle to Search (which already exists on the Honor 400), only this time requiring that you highlight an object using your knuckle. I found the feature to be incredibly responsive, and once you’ve selected your desired image or piece of text, you can quickly share it to a list of apps that appear on the side, as chosen by AI. It’s genuinely a great example of AI being used intelligently, and I did find myself using it a few times to save text quickly.

Features like AI Subtitles and AI Translate have their moments, but there’s still work to be done. For the former, it can generate speech to text with decent speed and accuracy, but when I tried to get it to make subtitles from a YouTube video, the whole experience fell apart with nonsensical text. AI Translate fares a bit better with a quick response time for translations, but it doesn’t boast quite as many available languages as Live Translate on Galaxy AI-toting Samsung phones, so you’ll find a more robust experience elsewhere.

At the lower end of the scale, AI Suggestions pretty much does what it says on the tin by offering up quick access to apps it thinks you need at certain times of day, but this is a feature Apple’s had for years so I don’t understand why Honor has drawn so much attention to it here as if it’s something brand new. There’s also AI Deepfake Detection, although this only works with video calls and doesn’t let you know if you’re seeing a video or image online that’s fake, which is really where it should be targeted.

Magic Capsule on the Honor 400 Pro, which also features on the 400 (Image credit: Future)

All of this sits on top of MagicOS 9.0, Honor’s Android 15 overlay, which in itself is something of a head-scratcher. I will say that compared to when I last used MagicOS on the Honor 90, the operating system has come quite a long way, and it feels less cumbersome to use than I remember.

It’s not quite as slick as stock Android, which can be found on the best Pixel phones, but it does have a nice aesthetic. And as someone who mostly uses an iPhone, I did appreciate the nods to iOS, including Honor’s take on the Dynamic Island, which shows music playback at the top of the display, as well as the need to swipe down from different sections to access the notification tray or the control center (even if I did find myself in the latter a few times when it wasn’t my intention).

What holds MagicOS back is the unfortunate amount of bloatware that comes preinstalled on the Honor 400. When setting the phone up, I needed to get rid of several apps, including TikTok and Temu, not to mention Honor’s own-brand apps, which include the company’s Google Play Store competitor, the Honor App Market. It’s not a deal-breaker, by any means, but it doesn’t help the phone against fierce competition.

On a better note, the Honor 400 now comes with a promised six years of updates, providing official support until at least 2031. Compared to the paltry support that Honor provided for previous devices, this is a huge shift that makes the Honor 400 a better option as a phone to last you well into the future.

• Software score: 3 / 5

Honor 400 review: battery life

• Slightly larger 5,300mAh cell
• Easily gets you through a full day of use comfortably

Despite its smaller stature, the Honor 400 features a slightly increased battery capacity compared to the Honor 200, jumping from 5,200mAh to 5,300mAh. Honor hasn't been too specific where longevity is concerned, other than claiming an “all-day battery life” for the phone, which, thankfully, is an assessment that’s more on the conservative side.

I put the Honor 400 through a heavy day of use, starting at 8:30am, getting just over four hours of screen time, including 40 minutes of Instagram and 25 minutes of Prime Video, alongside 33 minutes of Spotify in the background and 1 hour and 39 minutes of using the phone as a hotspot for my iPad. With all that in mind, the phone still had 30% left in the tank by 10:30pm, 14 hours later.

For my money, that’s more than enough to alleviate any major battery anxiety. You also toggle one of two power-saving modes, which halt a lot of background processing to extend the longevity as much as possible. On most days, however, I didn’t need to charge the Honor 400 until about halfway through the following day.

When you do need to top up, you won’t have to wait long as the Honor 400 boasts 66W fast charging, although there isn’t a compatible fast charger included in the box. When charging at a slightly slower 60W rate on an adapter I had to hand, it took about 30 minutes to get from 20% to 69%, and a total of 54 minutes to get back to a full tank.

Unfortunately, there’s no wireless charging available, which does feel like a sticking point when that feature is creeping into the mid-range conversation.

• Battery score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Honor 400?Honor 400 score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

It might not turn heads with its colorways but the Honor 400 has a confident look.

4 / 5

Display

The display is the true highlight here, just not for owners of last year’s phone.

4.5 / 5

Performance

Great everyday performance that’s difficult to fault.

4 / 5

Camera

The absent telephoto is missed, but everything else is solid.

4 / 5

Battery

More than enough to get you through an intensive day of use.

4 / 5

Software

MagicOS still has some way to go, as does Honor’s AI suite.

3 / 5

Value

Great cameras, a gorgeous display and tons of storage make this a winner.

5 / 5

Buy it if...

You want a vibrant display
The Honor 400’s bright and colorful 6.55-inch AMOLED display has been the highlight of my time using the phone. It’s set a very high bar indeed.

You want more storage for less
The ability to get 256GB as standard (or 512GB for just an extra £50) makes the Honor 400 a bargain for those who store tons of files locally.

You want a great phone for portrait photography
Honor’s 200MP main camera takes some great shots, but it’s the Harcourt-infused filters that make it a winner for those who love to indulge in portrait photography.

Don't buy it if...

You have last year’s Honor 200
With the Honor 400 carrying the same chipset, a smaller screen and one less camera, it isn’t exactly a must-buy for last year’s adopters.

You want the best Android experience
Honor’s MagicOS still has a way to go before it can compete with slicker operating system overlays found on Samsung and OnePlus phones.

You value wireless charging
Even though you get fast wired charging here, the lack of wireless charging is noticeable given that it’s slowly becoming a feature at this end of the market.

Honor 400 review: also consider

If you're not completely sold on the Honor 400's set of features, then these alternatives might be a better fit.

Google Pixel 9a
Even though it costs a little more, Google’s latest mid-ranger offers up a far better software experience that’s as close to iOS as you’ll find among the Android crowd.

Read our full Google Pixel 9a review

Samsung Galaxy A56
For a more premium-feeling build, not to mention a much longer lifespan of software and security updates, the Galaxy A56 is arguably a better buy for those who don’t want to upgrade again for quite a while.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy A56 review

How I tested the Honor 400

• Tested over a single week
• Used as the reviewer's main handset
• Battery tested against intensive and typical days of use

For the purposes of this review, I used the Honor 400 as my main handset for a total of seven days as it carried my SIM card. Due to this being a pre-release model, certain features like Google Wallet wouldn't work with the device, so I relied on a paired TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro smartwatch for payments.

While the phone does feature 66W fast charging, I used a 65W adapter during the charging test, which automatically downgrades to 60W in the process. The phone I used prior to the Honor 400 was the iPhone 16 Plus, which served as a mental reference over the testing period.

First reviewed: May 2025

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NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., about President Trump's budget bill, his own concerns about the legislation, and some of the changes he hopes to see.

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Whether it’s a shopping list, a work activity, school schedules, or other crucial information, we frequently need to be reminded about things. Reminder apps make this simple for everyone.

Apple, the company behind the iPhone, iPad, and Mac PC lineups, offers an intuitive reminder app for device owners. You can use this app for free instead of paying for an alternative.

I tested the Apple Reminders app to help you decide if it’s the right companion to avoid forgetting crucial information. Read on to learn its core features, pros & cons, and how it fares against competitors.

Apple Reminders: Plans and pricing

The Reminders app is free for Apple device owners, which is a main benefit. You don’t have to pay extra to use it on your iPhone or iPad; it’s pre-installed, and you can use it immediately.

Compare this to paying $5 to $15 monthly for reminder apps. Apple Reminders saves you considerable money if you’re looking for a simple to-do list system.

Apple Reminders: Features

Apple Reminders is a versatile tool you can access from a web browser or mobile app. I enjoyed its simple flow and intuitiveness during my test. Creating a reminder is as simple as clicking the “+” button. Then, you can fill in the details of the reminder and choose the specific date and time.

Every reminder you create is added to a reminder list, enabling you to organize them into different categories. For instance, you can have separate reminder lists for work and personal activities.

Seamless syncing is a major benefit of using Apple Reminders. With your iCloud enabled, any reminder you create can automatically sync across all your devices. For example, you can create a reminder on your desktop and receive the alarm on your smartphone. This flexibility enables your reminders to follow you wherever you go, whether at home with your smartphone or at work with your PC.

(Image credit: Apple)

You can easily delete or change the details of a previously created reminder. For example, you can change the date and time of your reminder or change the title altogether. Any change immediately syncs across all your iCloud-connected devices, so you shouldn’t worry about that.

A creative feature I like is the ability to set reminders for specific locations. For example, you can choose to be notified about something when you arrive at a particular location, such as a meeting reminder when you arrive at your workplace. Note that this feature requires location services to be enabled on your iPhone or iPad.

Another innovative feature is the ability to share your reminder lists with others. You can share reminder lists with other iCloud users, such as colleagues at your office or family members. Every user can create a new reminder or modify existing ones. Everyone will receive notifications about any updates to the reminder list. This feature fosters personal and work-related collaboration and keeps everyone on the same page.

(Image credit: Apple)

We’re talking about an Apple product, so Siri integration is expected. You can set reminders by giving voice commands to Siri, e.g., “Hey Siri, remind me about [task] at [time] on [date].” Siri will immediately confirm your reminder, and you can view it in the Reminders app. This feature differentiates Apple Reminders from many competitors.

Apple Reminders also differentiates itself by enabling users to create ‘smart’ lists. You can receive suggestions when creating reminders, often based on previous reminders you’ve created. For instance, if you’ve previously created reminders for “weekly office stand-ups,” you’ll receive similar suggestions when adding new reminders.

You can filter your reminders by tags, time, date, location, and other factors. Reminders can be recurring, e.g., monthly at a specific date and time. Apple Reminders lets you effectively create to-do lists and keep track of crucial tasks.

Apple Reminders: Interface and in-use

Apple Reminders’ seamless interface stood out during my test. It’s one of the best-designed to-do list apps I’ve tested, and I don’t say that lightly. It has the typical modern, responsive interface you’ll find on Apple apps.

All elements are arranged neatly on one page. You can quickly add a reminder by clicking on the “+ New Reminder” button and filling in the details, including the title, notes, date, time, location, priority, and list under which you want the reminder to fall.

(Image credit: Apple)

Likewise, you can easily add and differentiate a new list from other lists using a unique color. Then, you can share the list with other iCloud users by sending an invitation to their email addresses.

Apple Reminders is accessible from a web browser or mobile app. Both platforms have similar interfaces; the web interface is exactly like the mobile interface transposed onto a web browser. Thanks to the intuitive interface, I experienced no issues navigating Apple Reminders. An average user can easily understand it at first glance.

Apple Reminders: Customer Support

Apple provides detailed user guides about its Reminders app. You can also ask questions on the thriving Apple Community Support forum and get answers from other users or Apple staff. I didn’t experience issues in this criterion.

Apple Reminders: The Competition

I’d like to highlight Google Tasks as the main competitor. It’s a free to-do app with similar features to Apple Reminders and a user-friendly interface.

Although I preferred Apple Reminders’ seamless interface and collaborative features, Google Tasks offers an advantage. It’s compatible with iOS and Android, unlike Apple Reminders, which is compatible only with iOS. Hence, if you use an Android smartphone, Google Tasks is the preferred option.

Apple Reminders: Final Verdict

Apple Reminders is a simple, intuitive to-do list app I highly recommend. It lets you keep track of essential activities and plan your schedules effectively. The main drawback is the lack of an Android app, but it fulfills its purpose well.

We've compiled a list of the best todo list apps.

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Looking at your iPhone for a long time could cause your eyes to grow uncomfortable, but this feature might help.

At a TikTok Trends event at SXSW London, the company also revealed the content that's keeping us glued to our screens.

Since discovering this hidden iPhone feature, my sleep quality has significantly improved -- I use it every night now.

Acer Nitro 14: Two-minute review

The Acer Nitro 14 is the latest compact gaming laptop from the Taiwanese hardware company looking to bring a (largely) affordable solution to an otherwise premium form factor, with a couple of considerations made towards its design and hardware.

While the Acer Nitro 14 doesn't stand among the best thin and light gaming laptops or the best gaming laptops in general, it does offer solid performance, decent enough value for money, and a respectable battery life that makes it worth considering if you can find the machine discounted in 2025.

The main trade-off with a smaller machine as opposed to a more traditional 15-inch and 16-inch model is the choice of graphics cards inside this 14.5-inch gaming laptop. Armed with either an RTX 4050 or RTX 4060 (even during the arrival of the newer RTX 50 series laptops), it's something of a harder sell in 2025 considering it's also more expensive than many different alternatives.

Turning to the performance, the Acer Nitro 14 largely achieves 60fps in 1080p gaming when using its RTX 4060 configuration (the model we received for review). Demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2 are solid, but factoring in the age of these games, it's not the most telling sign for the things to come in the future. The 8GB GDDR6 VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are (just barely) enough for now, but what does that mean for PC gaming in the next few years?

(Image credit: Future)

Design-wise, the Acer Nitro 14 is solid but far from exciting. On the positive side of things, it has a sleek enough, primarily plastic frame and a bright RGB keyboard. However, getting your hands involved is where the cracks begin to show. The membrane keyboard is on the mushier side of things, and the trackpad is frankly poor. You'll be better off getting a wireless gaming keyboard and a proper mouse for navigation, and be sure to prop the rig up to aid airflow (it gets hot - more on that later).

The deck is somewhat stacked against the Acer Nitro 14. It's not a terrible gaming laptop by any means. However, it also doesn't excel in any particular way, meaning it's worth investing in another similarly priced (or cheaper) alternative instead.

Acer Nitro 14: Price & Availability

• How much is it? Starting from $1,099 / £1,199
• When is it available? It's available now
• Where can you get it? You can get it in the US and the UK

One of the biggest deciding factors for considering the Acer Nitro 14 is its price point. The RTX 4050 variant (the weakest of the lot) is available for $1,099 / £1,199 in the US and the UK, respectively. Our review unit is the RTX 4060 model, which carries an MSRP of $1,249 and an RRP of £1,299. However, it's worth pointing out that this machine has enjoyed regular discounts in the two territories since its launch near the end of 2024, so you may get a better deal by shopping around.

Straight off the bat, we recommend going for the RTX 4060 version as opposed to the RTX 4050 variant, as the former will be much more capable of gaming in 1080p. With that said, $1,249 / £1,299 for an RTX 4060 laptop is on the pricier end of things, especially in 2025 when the RTX 50 series launch is imminent, with budget Blackwell devices on the horizon.

(Image credit: Future)

We then need to look at how the Acer Nitro 14 compares to other small-factor gaming laptops. It's worth noting that 14-inch models are (generally) pricier than their more standard 15-inch equivalents. The similarly priced competition includes the Asus TUF Gaming A14, Gigabyte 14 Aero OLED, and the HP Omen 14 Transcend, all of which can be picked up for around the same price with an RTX 4050 or 4060 configuration in 2025.

The Acer Nitro 14 is definitely on the budget end for a smaller laptop, and leagues cheaper than leading models like the Razer Blade 14. However, its otherwise-aggressive pricing is sure to weaken over time, because it's about to be replaced by more capable hardware, making purchasing it right now less than ideal unless you've found an aggressive discount.

• Value: 3 / 5

Acer Nitro 14: SpecsAcer Nitro 14 Specs

Acer Nitro 14 Base Config

Acer Nitro 14 Review Config

Price

$1,099 / £1,199

$1,249 / £1,299

CPU

AMD Ryzen 5 8645HS

AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS

GPU

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 6GB

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 8GB

RAM

16GB LPDDR5

16GB LPDDR5

Storage

512GB Gen 4.0 NVMe SSD

1TB Gen 4.0 NVMe SSD

Display

14.5-inch IPS 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA) 120Hz @ 300 nits

14.5-inch IPS 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA) 120Hz @ 300 nits

Ports and Connectivity

USB Type-C x 1; USB 4 x 1; USB 3.2 x 2; HDMI 2.1 x 1; 3.5 mm jack x 1; Wi-Fi 6E; Bluetooth 5.3

USB Type-C x 1; USB 4 x 1; USB 3.2 x 2; HDMI 2.1 x 1; 3.5 mm jack x 1; Wi-Fi 6E; Bluetooth 5.3

Battery

76Wh 4-cell (Claims up to 9 hours of playback)

76Wh 4-cell (Claims up to 9 hours of playback)

Dimensions

22.84 x 324.12 x 255.9 mm

22.84 x 324.12 x 255.9 mm

Weight

2kg / 4.4lbs

2kg / 4.4lbs

Two configurations of the Acer Nitro 14 are available in the US and UK; one features an RTX 4050 and the other has an RTX 4060 inside. The key difference between the two variants is the available VRAM of the mobile graphics processor, with the former having 6GB GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus and the latter having 8GB GDDR6 memory on a larger 128-bit bus. Depending on region, you'll have the choice of either the AMD Ryzen 5 8645HS or the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS processor.

Outside of the GPUs on offer, the hardware inside of the Acer Nitro 14 is solid. Both Ryzen 8000 series processors are fast and responsive for gaming, productivity, and AI workloads, however, you are paying a premium on the smaller 14-inch form factor considering the lower-end graphics solution here.

It's very common to find much more capable RTX 4070 gaming laptops for around the same price (or cheaper), such as the Asus TUF Gaming A16, Acer Predator Helios Neo 16, Lenovo LOQ 15, and MSI Katana A15 AI in 2025. You'll note that these machines are all a touch larger, at either 15-inch or 16-inch, so be wary of the premium attached to going more compact.

• Specs: 3 / 5

Acer Nitro 14: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Average build quality
• Primarily plastic construction
• Lacking trackpad and keyboard

The most immediate thing about the Acer Nitro 14's design is the size of the display itself. As its name denotes, it's a 14.5-inch gaming laptop, which is fairly lean in terms of weight; it's less than one inch thick and is 2kg / 4.4lbs in heft. It's far more the sleekest or slimmest gaming laptop in the form factor, for that kind of thing, you're better off looking at the Razer Blade 14 (0.7-inch thick at 1.84kg / 4.05lbs), but then you're going to pay double for a device of a similar spec.

Then we get to the style of the Acer Nitro 14, which is so-so. The manufacturer has prioritized function over form here with its primarily plastic construction and (fairly) dull IPS LCD display. While the 1200p resolution and 16:10 aspect ratio are nice additions, filling up the bezel, it's let down by a peak brightness of only 300 nits with no HDR to speak of. It's not entirely unexpected in a laptop of this range, but it is disappointing considering that games and media won't pop much on this panel. The 120Hz refresh rate is nice, and about what you'll top out of in certain lesser-demanding games; any higher would have been wasted on this lower-end rig.

(Image credit: Future)

While the keyboard looks particularly fetching with its multi-zone RGB lighting, actually using it is another story. It's spongey with a lacking tactile feel and one of the cheapest-feeling and acting trackpads that I've used in some time. While fit for purpose, they detract from the user experience. Instead, I would recommend pairing the PC with one of the best gaming keyboards and the best gaming mouse at the very least, but you'll likely also have a Bluetooth (or USB) gamepad, too.

• Design: 2.5 / 5

Acer Nitro 14: Performance

• Achieves 60fps in 1080p
• CPU is held back by the GPU
• Gets loud and hot under load

The Acer Nitro 14 is a decent performer in 1080p for gaming and general computing applications. However, it's unlikely to blow you away with its just-respectable performance prowess. Starting with gaming, the laptop did fine in demanding games such as Cyberpunk 2077, Total War: Warhammer 3, and Red Dead Redemption 2, with average framerates in ultra/high settings above the 60fps mark. This is due to the RTX 4060 and its 8GB GDDR6 VRAM; if you are thinking of going for the cheaper RTX 4050 variant (with 6GB GDDR6 memory), then you're unlikely to achieve 1080p and 60fps with the sliders maxed out.

The 120Hz display is more likely to be useful when dropping down the settings or playing less demanding PC games, though. That's because I observed 132fps in Total War: Warhammer 3 on Low (showing the process of CPU-bound games backed by the Ryzen 7 chip), and it was a similar story in Cyberpunk 2077 on Low (83fps). Despite still being visual showcases for hardware, the titles are older now, with the games being released a handful of years ago. You may struggle to achieve 60fps in 1080p in today's games in 2025.

(Image credit: Future)Acer Nitro 14 Benchmarks

Here's how the Acer Nitro 14 held up in our industry-standard tests conducted over the last few weeks.

Geekbench 6.2:
Single - 2,392
Multi - 11,736
Cinebench R24:
Single - 1,719Multi - 16,106
3DMark:
Fire Strike - 22,862
Time Spy - 9,557
Port Royal - 5,357
Speed Way - 2,347
PCMark10:
7,490
CrossMark:
Overall - 1,613
Productivity - 1,583
Creativity - 1,669
Responsiveness - 1,542
Red Dead Redemption 2:
1080p Low - 83fps
1080p Ultra - 64fps
Cyberpunk 2077:
1080p Low - 108fps
1080p Ultra - 64fps
1080p Psycho RT - 44fps
Total War: Warhammer 3:
1080p Low - 132fps
1080p Ultra - 71fps
Battery test: 1 hour 59 minutes

Synthetic benchmarks tell the story of the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS's prowess inside of the Acer Nitro 14. The processor has eight cores (16 threads) and a maximum boost clock of 5.1 GHz, which is how we can see the strong performance in the likes of Cinebench R24 and Geekbench 6. It's a Ryzen AI chip with its own NPU rated at 16 TOPS, so Microsoft Copilot comes pre-installed (even with a dedicated key on the board). Gamers are unlikely to get much use out of this, but the NPU should be respectable enough for AI workloads.

To get the most out of the RTX 4060 mobile graphics processor, I recommend using Nvidia DLSS's upscaling and Frame Generation technology where supported. It'll downscale the picture to 720p and then blow the image back up to 1080p, but it's likely going to be a difference between a playable framerate and a less-than-ideal one. This is evidenced by Cyberpunk 2077 struggling to hit 60fps with "Psycho" RT functionality enabled.

While the Acer Nitro 14 is far from the noisest or hottest gaming laptop I've tested, it certainly lets its presence be known. Acer has confidently backed its "Liquid Metal Thermal Grease" for the heatsink on the CPU to the motherboard, and while the core temperatures are about average, you'll still see upwards of 70° and 80° when moderately gaming (or doing other hardware-intensive tasks).

It's not a problem that's unique to the laptop, but it's more common in 14-inch models, given their more compact design. I recommend using a laptop riser or a dedicated cooling pad to ensure top performance, and never to use it in bed (or on any plush surface) that covers the rear fans.

• Performance: 3 / 5

Acer Nitro 14: Battery Life

• Acer claims up to nine hours
• Windows estimated up to three hours
• Around two hours of media playback and less for gaming

The battery life of the Acer Nitro 14 is nothing special, but it's far from the worst I've seen from a budget gaming laptop. The company claims around nine hours of general use, but you certainly won't see a lifeline like that either gaming or consuming media.

Windows estimated just under three hours when on battery power with the machine idle or lightly in use, with activities such as web browsing. Dimming the screen and enabling battery saving mode might get you to the claimed rates, but it seems situational. When on battery power, the laptop lasted just under two hours in our battery test with media playback and just under this when gaming.

It's disappointing, considering the compact size of the Acer Nitro 14 means you would probably want it in your bag to kill time when not working or at school. However, carrying around the bulky charger kind of kills that idea. Again, this isn't an issue unique to the laptop, as many gaming laptops struggle with their battery, but it also doesn't buck the trend either.

• Battery Life: 3 / 5

Should you buy the Acer Nitro 14?Acer Nitro 14 Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

The Acer Nitro 14 is on the pricier side, considering its hardware, but that's the premium for a more compact laptop.

3 / 5

Design

It's a laptop that puts function over form, with a chunky, plastic chassis. However, it's small enough for your bag.

2.5 / 5

Performance

Gaming in 1080p at 60fps is no problem in demanding games, but it will likely struggle to maintain this in the near future.

3 / 5

Battery Life

Middling battery life with around two hours of media playback and slightly less when gaming. You're going to need to keep its charger nearby (or rely on mains power) for extended use sessions.

3 / 5

Total

The Acer Nitro 14 is a solid gaming laptop that largely achieves what it sets out to do, but there are cheaper and better options out there that you should consider instead.

3 / 5

Buy it if...

A small gaming laptop is a must

If you're opposed to a 15-inch or 16-inch gaming laptop then the Acer Nitro 14 will get the job done. It just don't won't be very exciting.

You can find it discounted

At MSRP, the Acer Nitro 14 is a hard sell. However, with the right discount, it could be a great investment, especially with the arrival of the new RTX 50 series laptops.

Don't buy it if...

You can find an RTX 4070 laptop for less

The RTX 4060 inside of the Acer Nitro 14 is just about enough for today's games, but already shows signs of struggling. You could try and find a higher-end GPU in a laptop if you want more peace of mind, as many can be found for the same price during sale periods.

You need a laptop for work or school

The Acer Nitro 14's lacking battery life, mushy keyboard, poor trackpad, and dull screen make it a poor fit for productivity use, which is a shame given its otherwise excellent CPU.

Acer Nitro 14: Also Consider

Razer Blade 14 (2024)

The Razer Blade 14 (2024) doesn't come cheap. However, it's our number one pick for the best gaming laptop that money can buy. If you want leading performance in a sleek aluminum chassis, then it may be worth considering instead.

Read our full Razer Blade 14 review.

HP Omen Transcend 14

It's a touch pricier at MSRP but is frequently discounted in the US and the UK to near that of the Acer Nitro 14. HP's small gaming laptop features a vastly superior OLED display in a smaller and lighter package.

Read our full HP Omen Transcend 14 review.

How I tested the Acer Nitro 14

• Tested for over a week
• Industry-standard benchmarking
• Used in real-world applications

I tested the Acer Nitro 14 over a week, benchmarking the machine with our suite of industry-standard synthetic benchmarks and gaming performance to see what it was capable of before deciding on my verdict.

I've been a hardware editor for over five years and a PC gamer for much longer. In my career, I've reviewed dozens of laptops over the years and have experience with all kinds of machines, of which I've weighed the Acer Nitro 14.

• First reviewed April 2025

• IO Interactive has announced its new James Bond game, 007 First Light
• The game will be revealed during the studio's first IOI Showcase on June 6
• The special showcase will also provide announcements and updates on the Hitman franchise and Mindseye

IO Interactive has announced its new James Bond game, 007 First Light, and it's set to be revealed at a special developer showcase this week.

To celebrate 25 years of the Hitman franchise, the first IOI Showcase will air online and in-person on June 6 at 6 PM PDT / 2 AM BST and provide new details for IOI's franchises, including Hitman, Mindseye, and 007 First Light.

The event will be livestreamed from Los Angeles on IOI’s Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok channels and feature exclusive trailers, announcements, gameplay demos, and a live Q&A with key figures from IO Interactive, Build A Rocket Boy, and more.

#EarnTheNumber in 007 First Light, a new game by @iointeractive. Mission brief is headed your way soon. Stay tuned for more information.#007FirstLight pic.twitter.com/Zk46IqHQfbJune 2, 2025

The studio has also confirmed that it will showcase its proprietary game engine, Glacier, alongside announcements regarding upcoming content for Hitman World of Assassination and collaborations within the Hitman franchise.

There will also be new information on the upcoming narrative-driven action-adventure thriller Mindseye, which launches on June 10 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC, as well as a first look at the developer's highly anticipated James Bond game, with presumably a cinematic trailer.

"This event celebrates our 25-years history with the HITMAN franchise and shares an in-depth look at the diverse future of our studio," said IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak in a press release. "We’ve prepared some truly exciting surprises."

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