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Fall into smarter lighting | The Verge
Product Reviews

Fall into smarter lighting | The Verge

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Smart lighting is one of the most useful and enjoyable smart home upgrades you can make. The convenience of turning lights on and off with a voice command or having them come on at precisely the right brightness when you walk into a room, adjusted for the time of day, is a huge quality-of-life upgrade that you can’t truly appreciate until you try it.

The good news is that now is a great time to consider adding smart lights to your home.

The costs of smart LED bulbs, fixtures, and accessories, such as switches, are starting to come down, just as compatibility across smart home platforms and smartphones is going up — thanks to the Matter smart home standard.

All this means it’s easier than ever to add some smarts to your lighting. Here are a few of my favorite experiences and features that smart lighting can add to your home, along with tips on how to integrate them into your space.

Bring the outside in with Apple’s Adaptive Lighting

$40

Lifx’s 1,600 lumen, 9,000 kelvin smart lightbulb is one of several bulbs from multiple brands that work with Apple Home’s Adaptive Lighting feature. This automatically creates natural, circadian-rhythm light throughout your home.

Read More

Changing the color temperature of your lighting is one of smart lights’ least-known but best abilities. While color changing is fun when you want to decorate for a holiday or celebrate your favorite sports team, changing the color temperature — the warmth or coolness of white light — can improve your environment every day.

In my home, I set the majority of my smart lights to use Apple’s Home’s Adaptive Lighting. This feature automatically adjusts the temperature of their white light throughout the day to mimic natural daylight: cooler and brighter light in the morning to help me wake up, shifting to warmer, more relaxing tones in the evening to help me wind down.

Adaptive Lighting runs in the background, so I don’t have to set up specific scenes for morning or evening lighting, and the light inside my home feels more like the light outside.

$99

Apple’s HomePod Mini smart speaker can work as an Apple Home hub to power Apple Home’s Adaptive Lighting feature.

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To set this up, you need an Apple Home hub (an Apple TV, HomePod, or HomePod Mini) and compatible lights (bulbs, light strips, etc.), as well as an iPhone or iPad for control. Until recently, only a handful of manufacturers supported Adaptive Lighting, but with Apple’s Matter update, it’s now easier for manufacturers to implement. I have adaptive lighting working across Philips Hue, Nanoleaf, Aqara, and Lifx smart lights in my home. Meross and Eve also support it.

While Hue, Lifx, and Nanoleaf offer similar circadian-rhythm lighting scenes in their apps, each only works across that company’s lights. Apple’s approach lets you mix and match brands.

For those outside Apple’s ecosystem, Ikea’s Dirigeria hub has a similar circadian lighting feature. Currently, it’s limited to Ikea lights, but since Dirigera is now a Matter Controller, it should eventually work with any Matter-compatible bulbs.

$308

Philips Hue Twilight is a smart bedside lamp designed around circadian rhythms to help you wake up more naturally and wind down more peacefully. With 4,000 K / 1,380 lumens, its smooth, deep dimming is exceptionally gentle, and the dual light sources provide ample light when needed.

Read More

I haven’t used an alarm clock in years. Instead of jarring tones, I’m woken by light gradually brightening on my bedside table. I can’t recommend it enough. It makes mornings easier, and I never hit the snooze button — there isn’t one.

At first, I used a Philips Hue color bulb in a lamp with the Hue app’s “Wake up with light” feature, which I set to gradually brighten the bulb over 30 minutes. It worked well, but Hue’s new Twilight Sleep Wakeup light has taken the experience to a new level.

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1/2The Twilight offers good task lighting and an adjustable head. Photo: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

Designed specifically for sleep / wake, this bedside lamp is a big upgrade (both in price and function). The key difference is its dimmability: it fades as low as 0.02 percent, compared to a Hue bulb’s 0.2 percent, so the light increase feels smoother. It also features two light sources — the main lamp and a glowing LED column built into the back of the base that washes the wall with colorful light — creating a gentler, larger glow.

I like its compact form, adjustable head for easier task / reading light, and that its lights are both tunable white and color-changing, with six built-in sleep / wake routines that create some really beautiful light scenes. Crucially, it suppresses blue light in the nighttime scenes.

The device also features two buttons, one of which activates a Go To Sleep automation that fades in warm hues and turns off after 45 minutes. It’s nice not to have to reach for my phone to activate it. The other button cycles through the six preset scenes. Both buttons can be mapped to custom shortcuts if paired with a Hue Bridge. This also allows me to set wakeup routines to run every morning, plus connect it to Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home for voice control.

$385

An HDMI box, the Hue Sync syncs your Hue lights with whatever’s playing on any HDMI device connected to it. It supports up to 8K at 60Hz, has four inputs, and can sync up to 10 lights. Paired with Hue’s new Wall Washers ($384 for a pair) and a Bridge ($65.59), it makes for an impressive, albeit expensive, home theater lighting setup.

Read More

One of the best uses for color LEDs is syncing them with content on your TV or your PC for an immersive effect. The least expensive ways to do this involve pointing a small camera at your screen to capture the colors, which are relayed via an app to LED light strips attached to the back of your TV. Govee and Nanoleaf offer this kind of TV bias lighting kit, which also sync with their other smart lights.

My TV is flush-mounted, so I can’t use an LED strip. That’s one reason Philips Hue’s solution works best for me. Its Hue 8K Sync Box uses HDMI syncing so no need for a camera, and the new Hue Play Wall Washers project light onto the wall around my TV, similarly to how a light strip behind it would.

The new wall washers cast more and better light than Hue’s other alternative to an LED strip (Play light bars), and use the same smooth, color-changing gradient technology as the Twilight lamp. Their compact size also means they don’t block my TV, unlike other free-standing solutions.

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1/2The Hue Wall Washers work with the Hue Sync Box to cast gradient lighting around a TV, creating a more immersive feel. Photo: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

I like that Hue’s system doesn’t use a camera. Instead, I plug my streaming box and games console directly into the box via HDMI. It then syncs the content digitally instead of visually. The catch: since the Sync Box relies on data from the HDMI connection for its color information, it can’t sync with content played directly from the TV itself. But since I always use a streaming box, that’s fine for me. If you have a recent Samsung or LG TV, you can download the Hue Sync app and get the same functionality (for a fee).

The downside of the Hue option is that it’s expensive: you need the Hue Bridge, the Sync Box, and Hue lights — a setup that can run close to $1,000. If you can attach LED strips to the back of your TV and you don’t mind a camera in your living room, Govee or Nanoleaf are a better value.

$330

A huge, 8-foot-tall, 2,000-lumen RGBIC smart outdoor lamp, the Govee has six color zones and dedicated white lighting. It features built-in motion and light sensors, works with Matter, is IP66 rated, and includes a nice long power cord for easy installation.

Read More

Outdoor smart lighting adds ambiance and nighttime usability to porches, patios, and gardens. I use string lights around mine, and it makes it much nicer to sit outside in the evening or have dinner on the porch.

I also have smart solar path lights from Ring and Linkind, and recently started testing Govee’s new outdoor lamp post — a huge, 2,000-lumen fixture that lights up my whole garden in anything from white to playful color themes.

Nanoleaf and Lifx string lights lighting up my patio and porch. Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

Outdoors is where I find I use color-changing lighting the most. I set the Nanoleaf outdoor string lights around my patio to change colors with the seasons, and their crystal-like design acts as a decorative feature even when off. On my porch, I have a string of tunable white string lights from Govee over my dining table that create cozy dinner ambiance or brighter task lighting.

My favorite features for outdoor lighting are voice control and scheduling. I have an Amazon Alexa routine where I say, “Alexa, glow up the garden,” and all the lights come on. It’s also simple to shut them all off with a voice command, plus I have them on a schedule to turn on at sunset and off later in the evening.

Take control of holiday lighting

$540

With three LEDs in each bulb under a prism lens, these permanent outdoor lights can pull off bigger, fancier lighting effects. These full-color and tunable white lights can go from elegant white to jolly holidays in a flash. Featuring a IP67 weather rating and a single power cord for 100 feet of lights, they’re designed to be permanently installed on your home.

Read More

Every year, my husband climbs precariously up a very large ladder to hang holiday lights on our house. And every year, I stand below watching, stressing out. This year, we switched to permanent outdoor lights — a trend that’s exploded recently.

Instead of hanging temporary holiday string lights, you install durable weatherproof fixtures along rooflines and trim. Mostly hidden when off, they can cast elegant white light or colorful holiday displays when on. They mount with brackets and nails or 3M tape and connect to an app for control.

The Govee Prism permanent outdoor lights create a really nice effect on the facade of my house. Photo: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

We just installed the new Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights Prism lights, which start at $539.99 for 100 feet, and so far, I’m very impressed. With three lights in every bulb along the strip, they cast a softer, fuller glow than an individual light would. Plus, the prism lens above them lets me choose from three distinct colors or a more blended beam of light.

They were also relatively easy to install. Yes, a ladder was still involved, but theoretically for the last time! We used the provided tape to secure everything in place, then went back and used screws for a more permanent installation. With IP68 water- and dust-resistance, they should also be able to handle everything the elements can throw at them. However, how “permanent” they will actually be is something I’ll need to test over the long term.

The Govee Prism lights are Govee’s top-of-the-line option, but you can find cheaper models starting at $300. There are also offerings from Eufy, Lifx, Hampton Bay, and Nanoleaf, and Philips Hue just launched its first line of permanent outdoor string lights.

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GoPro Max 2 360 camera
Product Reviews

GoPro Max 2 review: worth the wait

by admin



Why you can trust TechRadar


We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

GoPro Max 2: two-minute review

The GoPro Max 2 is GoPro’s long-awaited return to the 360 camera arena, and it arrives with the rugged build quality and intuitive design philosophy that has made the brand synonymous with action cameras for over a decade.

It’s a compact, square-bodied camera that takes clear design inspiration from its predecessor while incorporating lessons learned from rivals like the Insta360 X5 and DJI Osmo 360. The Max 2 is built tough – waterproof to 5m without additional housing and ready to handle the kind of punishment that extreme sports can dish out. What sets it apart from the competition is GoPro’s decision to make the lenses fully user-replaceable without tools, a smart move given how vulnerable 360 camera lenses are to damage.

At $499.99 / £449.99 / AU$849.95, the Max 2 is priced between the DJI Osmo 360 and the premium Insta360 X5, offering a middle-ground option that should appeal to GoPro loyalists and newcomers alike.

The standout feature here is what GoPro calls “true 8K” recording; the Max 2 delivers genuine 8K capture with at least 3840 active pixels on each axis, and the results are undeniably sharp and vibrant in good lighting conditions.

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

Design-wise, there’s plenty to appreciate too: a bright 1.82-inch touchscreen, GoPro’s famously simple two-button control scheme, built-in GPS, and compatibility with three separate mounting systems: the classic GoPro fingers, standard tripod threads, and the newer magnetic latch system. The camera feels reassuringly solid and well-balanced, whether in your hand or mounted on some other part of your body.

Video tops out at 8K 30fps in 360 mode, with 5.6K 60fps and 4K 100fps options for slow-motion work. The Max 2 also captures 29MP 360-degree stills and supports 10-bit color recording plus GP-Log flat profile for post-production color grading.

Performance is strong in daylight, delivering the punchy, colorful footage GoPro is known for, with minimal distortion, effective automatic stitching and selfie stick removal. However, the camera struggles more noticeably in low-light conditions compared to rivals that offer dedicated night modes, and thermal management can be an issue during extended recording sessions.

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

The Max 2 pairs with GoPro’s established Quik mobile app for quick editing and sharing, plus the updated GoPro Player desktop software for more comprehensive post-production work. Both offer solid 360 video editing tools, though at present neither quite matches the sophistication of Insta360’s software suite.

Ultimately, while the Max 2 doesn’t revolutionize the 360 camera market, it delivers exactly what I’d expect from GoPro. This is a well-built, user-friendly camera that produces excellent results in the right conditions, and it’s backed up by an ecosystem of accessories and editing tools that make the whole experience relatively painless. GoPro is well truly back in the 360 camera game.

  • Look out for my in-depth GoPro Max 2 vs Insta360 X5 comparison, based on real tests, coming soon

GoPro Max 2 specs

Swipe to scroll horizontallyDJI Osmo 360 specs

Type:

360 camera

Waterproof depth:

5m / 16ft

Screen:

1.82-inch touchscreen

Storage:

microSD

Connectivity:

USB-C, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth

Dimensions:

64 x 69.7 x 48.7mm / 2.4 x 1.4 x 3.2 inches

Weight:

195g / 6.88oz

The Max 2 mounted on GoPro’s selfie stick (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

Today’s best GoPro Max 2 deals

GoPro Max 2: Price and availability

  • Launched worldwide on 23 September 2025
  • Pre-orders shipping 30 September 2025
  • Priced at $499.99 / £449.99 / AU$849.95

GoPro officially launched the Max 2 on September 23 2025, and it’s available to pre-order right away, with orders shipping from September 30.

It’s priced at $499.99 / £449.99 / AU$849.95 in a bundle that includes the camera and a single battery. At the time of writing I’ve not been informed of any bundles including accessories such as selfie sticks, microSD cards or extra batteries, but this section will be updated if that becomes the case.

This list price, which sits between the pricier Insta360 X5 and more affordable DJI Osmo 360, feels just about right to me. The Max 2 is a quality product and while being any cheaper would be a surprise, it’s clearly priced to compete with its closest rivals.

The GoPro Max 2 in the midst of its two main rivals, the DJI Osmo 360 and Insta360 X5 (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

GoPro Max 2: Design

  • Waterproof to 5m / 16ft plus replaceable lenses
  • Mountable via tripod, magnetic latch or mounting fingers
  • 1.82-inch rear touchscreen

The GoPro Max 2 looks similar to the original Max, favoring a squat, square design over the narrower candybar shape used by some 360 cameras. Constructed from tough plastic, it’s pretty discreet and unassuming, with the bright blue flashes of the GoPro logo and “Max 2” the only deviation from all-business dark grey. It’s slightly smaller than its closest recent rivals, the Insta360 X5 and DJI Osmo 360, but not to what I’d consider a significant degree.

As you’d expect from a GoPro camera, the Max 2 feels rugged and ready for adventure. While there’s no specific IP rating, GoPro says it’s waterproof to a depth of 5m and able to operate in cold temperatures. While the waterproof depth isn’t quite as impressive as on some rival cameras, GoPro told me a dive housing accessory offering more robust underwater protection is currently in development.

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

Crucially, GoPro has also made its lenses fully user-replaceable – and without the need for a tool, either, in a move that beats even the Insta360 X5’s lens replacement system. With 360 cameras’ lenses protruding so far out of the body, they’re highly vulnerable to damage, so making them simple (and relatively cheap) to swap out if something goes wrong is a great move from GoPro.

That being said, I did notice some condensation inside the lens when I went from indoors to outdoors, and it affected image quality (you can see it in the cycling sections of the videos embedded below). This could be fixed by removing the lens and wiping it with a microfiber cloth, then replacing it, but I found it an annoying issue to deal with. It’s not something I’ve encountered on other 360 cameras, and I suspect it might be due to the removeable lens design.

The pop-out mounting fingers make attaching the Max 2 to hundreds of existing mounts very simple (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

The Max 2 is small and lightweight enough for easy mounting on everything from helmets to bikes to selfie sticks, and GoPro has thoughtfully made it compatible with three mounting options. You have classic GoPro mounting fingers, a rock-solid way to fix the camera to a huge range of first- and third-party mounts, as well a standard tripod thread and the newer GoPro magnetic latch mount.

Controls are beautifully simple. There are two large rubber buttons – one for power and switching shooting modes, another for image capture – and a bright and sharp 1.82-inch touchscreen for everything else. The Max 2’s UI is extremely simple and easy to get to grips with, even for someone (like me) who doesn’t shoot on GoPro cameras particularly often, and I doubt anyone even slightly familiar with action camera menu screens will struggle to master it quickly.

GoPro Max 2: Performance and features

  • Editing via Quik and GoPro Player apps
  • Built-in GPS
  • 1,960mAh battery offers around an hour of 8K 30fps capture

With no built-in storage, footage and photos captured on the Max 2 are stored on microSD card, and can be quickly transferred wirelessly to a mobile device running the Quik app for editing and sharing.

I think Quik’s 360 video editor is pretty good, and I was able to swiftly reframe clips using manual keyframes or AI-assisted object tracking, plus tweak the image settings to achieve the look I wanted. Finished videos and photos can be saved to a phone’s camera roll, directly shared to social media or exported to other devices.

It’s also possible to edit on desktop, of course, and the updated GoPro Player app supports keyframe reframing but not, interestingly, AI-assisted tracking or image tweaking. GoPro says it’s getting a new denoise setting too, but this was greyed out and unavailable when I tested the app due to my M2-powered MacBook Air being not quite up to the task.

GoPro has informed me that both Adobe Premiere and DaVinci Resolve will be getting plug-ins allowing users to directly import the Max 2’s 360 files. Premiere support is due to be live by the end of 2025, with Resolve to follow later on.

One thing the Max 2 has that its DJI and Insta360 rivals don’t is built-in GPS, enabling users to embed location data in their footage and photos. Most other cameras either require an optional module or tethering to a smartphone for geotagging, so the Max 2, like the original Max, offers an edge there.

The battery, microSD slot and USB-C port are all located inside a single well-sealed compartment (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

Despite the large vent on one side, the Max 2 does get warm during use. When I left it recording video, it turned itself off to avoid overheating with both 8K 30fps and 5.6K 30fps recording. With the 8K footage, it recorded just under 30 minutes of footage before shutting down; it lasted almost 58 minutes when recording 5.6K footage. This was indoors at room temperature, and I did find that setting it up outdoors on a chilly autumn day allowed it to record for longer, as would actual outdoor pursuits scenarios.

GoPro doesn’t specify battery life from the 1,960mAh battery, but I managed to get just over an hour of 8K 30fps footage recorded when leaving the camera running outdoors. I think this performance is quite good given the bit rate and resolution of the videos being recorded, but those planning a long day of 360 shooting might want to invest in one or two extra batteries.

The camera features six built-in microphones – more than either of its main rivals (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

The Max 2, like the original Max, features six separate built-in mics, but here they offer directional audio capture. Neither the DJI Osmo 360 or Insta360 X5 offer six mics, but despite this I wouldn’t necessarily say the Max 2 outright beats its rivals here: audio sounds absolutely fine in good conditions, but when the wind picks up the built-in wind reduction tech can’t do much to suppress the noise.

GoPro says the Max 2 can be used with Apple AirPods and other Bluetooth earbuds for wireless mic input, and this may help avoid the wind issue, but bringing out a dedicated DJI Mic-style wireless mic may be the best solution the company could offer further down the line.

GoPro Max 2: Image quality

  • Captures 10-bit 8K 30fps / 5.6K 60fps / 4K 100fps video
  • 29MP 360 photos and 12MP single-lens photos
  • Up to 300Mbps video bit rate with GoPro Labs

GoPro has been keen to point out that the Max 2 is the only 360 camera that records what it calls “true 8K” resolution 360 video. The company claims rivals like Insta360 and DJI are essentially fudging the numbers in order to claim 8K capture – either by counting unused or overlapped pixels, or by upscaling output to 8K from lower resolution sources – whereas the Max 2’s 360 output is truly 8K with at least 3840 active pixels on each axis for both sensors.

Video can be shot at up to 10-bit quality and in either a standard color profile or the flat GP-Log mode for post-shoot grading, and the maximum video bit rate is 120Mbps, or 300Mbps for users of GoPro Labs. For the purposes of this review, I stuck with 120Mbps. I did try out GP-Log, but GoPro has yet to release a LUT at the time of writing and I found grading the footage more of a slog than I’d like. Once the LUT is out things should get a lot easier there.

Video quality is generally very strong, whether recording in 8K (which is capped at 30fps) or 5.6K (which can go up to 60fps, offering users the potential to use 2x slow-motion; a 4K 100fps option is also available for those who want even more slow-motion potential). GoPro has established itself as delivering colors that look good straight out of the camera, as well as minimal distortion and flare.

Mostly that’s the case here, although I found that some of my 360 videos looked a touch overexposed and washed out in bright skies – likely as a result of having to set exposure for a full 360º view rather than in a single direction. User intervention, by setting the exposure manually, could improve things here, but in general the results are strong.

Still photos are similarly good-looking, and while I tweaked the below example slightly using the Quik app, it’s basically fresh out of the camera.

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

At night, the Max 2 isn’t as impressive. Both the DJI Osmo 360 and Insta360 X5 have dedicated low light modes for 360 video, but with the Max 2 you’re left with the standard mode, and it’s noisy and smeary after dark. It’s possible that using GP-Log and some clever settings before editing in post could yield better results; I didn’t have time to delve into this, so I can’t say for sure – but what I can say is that both the Osmo 360 and X5 make capturing usable low light footage very easy, while the Max 2 doesn’t.

So, if low light footage is a priority for you, the Max 2 may not be the ideal 360 camera. If, however, you’re capturing footage in daylight and want the very cleanest, sharpest 8K around, I think it’s the best at doing it.

The camera includes a wide range of capture modes besides standard 360 videos and photos: time lapse modes, dedicated single-lens shooting modes and more. I’ve included a quick clip I captured using the Night Lapse mode in the sample video above.

GoPro Max 2: testing scorecard

Swipe to scroll horizontallyGoPro Max 2

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Price

Cheaper than the Insta360 X5, slightly pricier than the DJI Osmo 360.

4/5

Design

Great mounting options, rugged build and easily replaced lenses. Just watch for the condensation.

5/5

Performance

Good apps and battery life, but can overheat.

4/5

Image quality

Beats the X5 and Osmo 360 in broad daylight, but can’t match either in challenging after-dark conditions.

5/5

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

Should I buy the GoPro Max 2?

Buy it if…

You’re invested in the GoPro ecosystem
Got boxes of GoPro mounts and a subscription? The Max 2 slots right into the GoPro range, so if you’re already a fan you’ll be at home immediately.

You’re a risk-taker
The Max 2 is small and rugged, making it ideal for extreme sports. Its lenses are also very easy to replace in the field – no tool required.

You like things simple
The Max 2’s minimal controls, simple app and great out-of-the-camera image quality make it one of the easiest 360 cameras to use.

Don’t buy it if…

You shoot after dark or indoors
While it shines in broad daylight, the low light performance of the Max 2 just can’t match that of its DJI and Insta360 rivals.

You want built-in storage
A small thing, but the Osmo 360’s built-in storage means you don’t need to fumble for microSD cards – with the Max 2, you do.

Also consider

The X5’s rugged build, replaceable lenses, low-light performance, ease of use and battery life have made it our top pick ahead of the Max 2’s arrival. Its weight and profile aren’t as wearable as the Max 2, however, and I think the Max 2’s daylight image quality is slightly better.

Read our full Insta360 X5 review

A cheap and cheerful alternative to the GoPro Max 2, Akaso’s first 360 camera is surprisingly capable. Like the Max 2, it’s designed with outdoor daytime use in mind, but its overall image quality level is several notches below.

Read our full Akaso 360 review

How I tested the DJI Osmo 360

  • Tested camera running v01.09.71 firmware for four days
  • Camera mounted on invisible selfie stick, helmet, bike and chest harness
  • Recorded videos day and night on foot and cycling

GoPro sent me a review sample of the Max 2 a week ahead of the launch date, and it was updated to run v01.09.71 firmware. This meant full launch features, as far as I’m aware, enabling me to test all the shooting modes and image quality – which I did by taking the camera out in the field mounted to various things (bike, head, helmet, chest, selfie stick).

I tested it in various lighting and weather conditions, editing the resulting videos and photos using both GoPro apps: the Quik mobile app and the GoPro Player desktop app (the latter on my M2 MacBook Air, which sadly wasn’t powerful enough to make use of the app’s Denoise feature).

  • First reviewed September 2025

GoPro Max 2: Price Comparison



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Three sheep with big guns in Palworld.
Product Reviews

A week after saying it was going quiet for the rest of the year, Palworld announces a crossover with the brilliant and bloodstained shooter Ultrakill

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Only last week, Palworld developer Pocketpair announced that the hit survival game, which remains in early access, would be going quiet as it prepared for a full launch in 2026. Well well well… it looks like someone had a surprise up their sleeve, because today brought the announcement of an unexpected crossover, albeit with scant detail.

Palworld is collaborating with Ultrakill, a brilliant indie shooter by Arsi ‘Hakita’ Patala that’s still in early access itself, and continuing to blow minds (the game sits at “overwhelmingly positive” on Steam with roughly 120K user reviews). Ultrakill is fast-paced, bloody, and constructed around five weapons and the intricate way their various fire modes can be comboed together. It also boasts the brilliant tagline: “Mankind is dead. Blood is fuel. Hell is full.”

The announcement says that “collaboration gear and weapons from the cult-hit game Ultrakill are coming to Palworld!” Ultrakill’s hardware is fantastic, and you’d expect there’ll be some clever ways to get all your pals tooled-up and combo-ing merrily together.


Related articles

Palworld’s most recent high-profile crossover was with Terraria, which caused a big spike in players, so expect something similar for a collaboration that asks the question “will blood rain upon the Palpagos Islands?” You’d imagine it probably will.

(Image credit: New Blood Interactive)

There’s no release date beyond “later this year,” with Palworld also scheduled for a winter update (which Pocketpair has said won’t be as big as the 2024 equivalent: but that was enormous.) Other than that, the developer’s settling down to get it ready for the full release.

“Beyond just adding new content, there’s a lot of cleanup that needs to be done before Palworld can exit early access,” said Pocketpair community director Bucky last week. “It’s no secret that Palworld has a lot of quirks and jank, and we want to take the time to properly address those before releasing the game. With that in mind, we plan to start this cleanup this year.”



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The First Teaser for 'The Bride!' Is Monstrously Intriguing
Product Reviews

The First Teaser for ‘The Bride!’ Is Monstrously Intriguing

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Step aside, Poor Things, and take Joker: Folie à Deux with you when you go: the first teaser trailer for Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride! is here. Anyone who was wondering whether the world has enough bandwidth for two Frankenstein movies in the span of a few months can breathe easy; The Bride! looks like it has an entirely different, far more chaotic energy than what Guillermo del Toro‘s got cooking.

The Bride! has been touted as a musical, but there’s just a small hint of that in this teaser. Instead, it leans heavily into what looks to be a wild romance between Frankenstein’s monster (Christian Bale) and his newly revived bride (Jessie Buckley):

It’s billed as a “bold, iconoclastic take on one of the world’s most compelling stories,” and here’s the official description:

“A lonely Frankenstein (Bale) travels to 1930s Chicago to ask groundbreaking scientist Dr. Euphronious (Annette Bening) to create a companion for him. The two revive a murdered young woman and the Bride (Buckley) is born. What ensues is beyond what either of them imagined: Murder! Possession! A wild and radical cultural movement! And outlaw lovers in a wild and combustible romance!”

The rest of the cast includes Peter Sarsgaard, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Penélope Cruz; Maggie Gyllenhaal directs and also wrote the screenplay. The Bride! arrives March 6, 2026.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.



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DHS Has Been Collecting US Citizens’ DNA for Years
Product Reviews

DHS Has Been Collecting US Citizens’ DNA for Years

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The expansion has been driven by specific legal and bureaucratic levers. Foremost was an April 2020 Justice Department rule that revoked a long-standing waiver allowing DHS to skip DNA collection from immigration detainees, effectively green-lighting mass sampling. Later that summer, the FBI signed off on rules that let police booking stations run arrestee cheek swabs through Rapid DNA machines—automated devices that can spit out CODIS-ready profiles in under two hours.

The strain of the changes became apparent in subsequent years. Former FBI director Christopher Wray warned during Senate testimony in 2023 that the flood of DNA samples from DHS threatened to overwhelm the bureau’s systems. The 2020 rule change, he said, had pushed the FBI from a historic average of a few thousand monthly submissions to 92,000 per month—over 10 times its traditional intake. The surge, he cautioned, had created a backlog of roughly 650,000 unprocessed kits, raising the risk that people detained by DHS could be released before DNA checks produced investigative leads.

Under Trump’s renewed executive order on border enforcement, signed in January 2025, DHS agencies were instructed to deploy “any available technologies” to verify family ties and identity, a directive that explicitly covers genetic testing. This month, federal officials announced that it was soliciting new bids to install Rapid DNA at local booking facilities around the country, with combined awards of up to $3 million available.

“The Department of Homeland Security has been piloting a secret DNA collection program of American citizens since 2020. Now, the training wheels have come off,” said Anthony Enriquez, vice president of advocacy at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. “In 2025, Congress handed DHS a $178 billion check, making it the nation’s costliest law enforcement agency, even as the president gutted its civil rights watchdogs and the Supreme Court repeatedly signed off on unconstitutional tactics.”

Oversight bodies and lawmakers have raised alarms about the program. As early as 2021, the DHS Inspector General found the department lacked central oversight of DNA collection and that years of noncompliance that can undermine public safety—echoing an earlier rebuke from the Office of Special Counsel, which called CBP’s failures an “unacceptable dereliction.”

US senator Ron Wyden more recently pressed DHS and DOJ for explanations about why children’s DNA is being captured and whether CODIS has any mechanism to reject improperly obtained samples, saying the program was never intended to collect and permanently retain the DNA of all noncitizens, warning the children are likely to be “treated by law enforcement as suspects for every investigation of every future crime, indefinitely.”

Rights advocates allege that CBP’s DNA collection program has morphed into a sweeping genetic surveillance regime, with samples from migrants and even US citizens fed into criminal databases absent transparency, legal safeguards, or limits on retention. Georgetown’s privacy center points out that once DHS creates and uploads a CODIS profile, the government retains the physical DNA sample indefinitely, with no procedure to revisit or remove profiles when the legality of the detention is in doubt.

In parallel, Georgetown and allied groups have sued DHS over its refusal to fully release records about the program, highlighting how little the public knows about how DNA is being used, stored, or shared once it enters CODIS.

Taken together, these revelations may suggest a quiet repurposing of CODIS. A system long described as a forensic breakthrough is being remade into a surveillance archive—sweeping up immigrants, travelers, and US citizens alike, with few checks on the agents deciding whose DNA ends up in the federal government’s most intimate database.

“There’s much we still don’t know about DHS’s DNA collection activities,” Georgetown’s Glaberson says. “We’ve had to sue the agencies just to get them to do their statutory duty, and even then they’ve flouted court orders. The public has a right to know what its government is up to, and we’ll keep fighting to bring this program into the light.”



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Product Reviews

Hideo Kojima’s OD captures the spirit of P.T. in the first gameplay trailer

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Kojima Productions, the studio helmed by auteur and famed cardboard box enthusiast Hideo Kojima, has finally given us our first glimpse of gameplay for the horror game OD. Developed in collaboration with Get Out and Us director Jordan Peele, OD is being billed as a totally unique experience that Kojima expects to divide players. It’s also going to leverage Microsoft’s cloud gaming tech in ways we’re not yet aware of, with Xbox Game Studios publishing the game.

In the new just over three-minute trailer entitled “Knock”, we see first-person gameplay footage of the player character (played by a ludicrously photorealistic Sophia Lillis) anxiously lighting a series of candles, several of which have babies on them, because Kojima. In the background we hear a very ominous knocking sound, with the trailer ending as Lillis’ character is grabbed by someone (or something) who doesn’t appear to be especially friendly.

If you were fortunate enough to play P.T., the playable (and tragically no longer accessible) teaser for Kojima and Guillermo del Toro’s cancelled Silent Hill game, you’ll know that the Metal Gear creator clearly understands how to craft terrifying horror experiences. From what we’ve seen so far, it looks like the spirit of P.T. at least lives on in OD.

It’s been a busy day for Kojima and his studio, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year and has so far exclusively released Death Stranding games. At Kojima Productions’ “Beyond the Strand” event it was also announced that the studio is partnering with Niantic Spatial to develop what appears to be some kind of AR experience that brings Kojima’s “iconic storytelling into the real world.” Whether that means you can one day expect to encounter a virtual Norman Reedus attempting to steady his wobbling backpack on your way to the grocery store remains unclear, but Kojima Productions says the collaboration represents a “bold expansion into new forms of media beyond traditional gaming.”

And if all of that wasn’t enough, Kojima Productions is also teaming up with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group on a new credit card. It seemingly functions like a regular old credit card that can also be added to your phone, but you can accumulate reward points that can be spent on Kojima Productions merch and other items. Don’t get too excited unless you live in Japan, though, as it doesn’t look like the Kojima-branded credit card will be making its way to our shores when it launches next year.



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We’re living in a golden age of affordable mechanical keyboards
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We’re living in a golden age of affordable mechanical keyboards

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The mechanical keyboard world has undergone a renaissance. Thanks to increased competition and commoditized tech, features that used to be exclusive to limited-run DIY boards in the $300-plus range just a few years ago are now available in prebuilt boards in the $100 to $200 range — sometimes less. The DIY kit builds, limited-run group buys, and boutique boards made by artisans are still innovating and pushing boundaries, and they’re great if you’re looking for something extra adventurous or very specific. But if you just want a great keyboard for not much money, no assembly required, your options are better than ever.

Here are a bunch of keyboards under $200(ish) we like, including boards we’ve been sent for review and some we’ve bought ourselves.

We’re not picking a “best,” because these are all bangers. Nor is this a comprehensive list: there are so many great keyboards in this price range it’d be impossible to test them all. These are just ones we like. They’re all affordable, feature-rich keyboards that are a great upgrade for most people — excellent for simply typing away and more than capable for gaming.

What we’re looking for (and what we prefer):

Typing feel and sound

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Switches, keycaps, and case and switch plate material all influence how a mechanical keyboard feels and sounds. Obviously, preference plays a big role here: some people like light switches and some like heavy ones; some like loud boards and some like quiet. But most people look for boards that aren’t actively annoying to them or the people around them.

Build quality and construction

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Plastic cases are totally fine, especially if you’re shopping for mechanical keyboards under $60 or need something lightweight for travel. But an aluminum chassis feels nicer and makes the keyboard less likely to slide around on your desk. It also affects the typing sound and feel, and typically for the better. Most of the boards on this list have layers of foam within the case to dampen and deepen the typing sound and reduce echo and ping, and many use gaskets to isolate metal case components from each other while offering a softer typing feel. This combo is a big reason cheaper keyboards have gotten so good. That used to be something you had to mod yourself, but now even big brands like Razer mimic it. (And you can still mod most prebuilt boards plenty if you’re the tinkering type.)

Size and layout

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Many of our picks are 75 percent layout or smaller, which saves space on your desk and brings your mouse hand closer to your body for better ergonomics. The 75 percent layout maintains arrow keys, some function keys, and a whole F row, while a 65 percent ditches the F row (you can still use them with a modifier key and number row). If you insist on a number pad, you can shop for similar full-size or 1800-layout options — though your selection will be more limited. Or you can get a wireless numpad and even use it to the left of your keyboard (now we’re talking).

Connectivity

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Most of the boards we recommend are wireless “tri-mode” boards, which means they work wired, via Bluetooth, or with a 2.4GHz USB adapter. A wired connection is the simplest and can have the fastest polling rate for gaming. Bluetooth lets you use the keyboard with multiple devices, while 2.4GHz dongles offer an alternative to Bluetooth and can have a much higher polling rate.

Customizability

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All mechanical keyboards come with removable keycaps. Replacing the keycaps is an easy way to customize your board, but we also looked for keyboards with hot-swap sockets. These sockets let you remove and replace the key switches without having to solder, so you can easily experiment with totally different typing experiences. We also look for the ability to remap key assignments and set up custom layers and shortcuts. VIA software support is ideal for the plug-and-play simplicity of its web-based interface, though decent proprietary software can be acceptable.

The Toyota Corolla of keyboards

$85

The Good

  • Nice, light typing feel
  • “Max” boards come in many layouts
  • Sub-legends for shortcut functions
  • Two USB receivers with storage

The Bad

  • Plastic case feels and sounds cheaper than metal keyboards
  • Stock Keychron blue keycaps are a bit boring

Connectivity: USB, BT 5.1, 2.4GHz / Keycaps: Double-shot PBT / Hot-swappable: Yes (MX-compatible) / Available sizes: 60 percent, 65 percent, 75 percent, TKL, 1800, full size, 65 percent Alice, 75 percent Alice / Available layouts: ANSI, ISO / Switch options: Gateron Jupiter Red, Blue, Banana / Case colors: Black / Remapping software: VIA / Extras: Volume knob / Battery size: 4,000mAh

Keychrons are the Toyotas of the mechanical keyboard world: reliable and excellent for the money. And they come in just about every layout you can imagine. Southpaw Alice, anyone? The Q-series metal keyboards are among our personal favorites, but the cheaper, plastic-clad V series remains our go-to budget pick, and the V Max line adds 1,000Hz wireless connectivity.

The V1 Max is the 75-percent board in this lineup, and it’s a great value. I’d opt for the Gateron Jupiter Banana switches for a stronger tactile feel than the Browns. (You can get a bare-bones kit, but Keychron charges so little for caps and switches, you might as well get them.)

1/9The V1 Max looks like most other Keychrons, but a fresh set of keycaps can solve that. Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

The Keychron is the most humdrum among our selection here — it’s available in any color you want, as long as it’s black — but you can’t go wrong with one. The V1 Max comes with modifier keycaps for both Windows and Mac, its battery lasts for days even while using its RGB backlighting, and it includes both USB-A and USB-C 2.4GHz dongles — with magnetic garages built into the chassis, ensuring you don’t misplace either.

The hot-on-TikTok keyboard

$119

The Good

  • Very satisfying “raindrop-like” sound
  • Lots of color options with matching keycap sets
  • Huge battery in Pro model

The Bad

  • Power button hidden under Caps Lock key
  • Opening the case for mods is laborious

Connectivity: USB, BT 5.0, 2.4GHz / Keycaps: Double-shot PBT / Hot-swappable: Yes (MX-compatible) / Available sizes: 75 percent / Available layouts: ANSI (ISO requires alternate plate) / Switch options: HMX Violet (linear), Kailh Cocoa (linear) / Case colors: Black, silver, white, blue, pink, yellow, red, and limited-run variants / Remapping software: VIA / Battery size: 3,500mAh (Lite), 7,000mAh (Pro)

Wobkey’s Rainy 75 is one of a few keyboards that broke containment from the mech scene. It got big on TikTok thanks to videos highlighting its raindrops-on-a-window typing sound and vibey color options. If I close my eyes, I also imagine the sounds of marbles gently jostling in a small bag. It’s very satisfying to hear when rapidly typing, and its soft-but-not-too-light Kailh Cocoa linear switches feel pleasant as well.

It comes in three different versions: a $129 Lite model, a $139 Standard model, and a $159 Pro with double the battery capacity and Kailh Cocoa switches (the ones most associated with the Rainy’s distinctive sound). Each Rainy model supports Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connections and comes in a wide selection of charming colors, paired with clean-looking keycap sets.

1/8Simple and clean. Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

You used to have to go to great lengths to get the kind of sound that the Rainy 75 delivers: trying lots of mods and seeking out just the right combination of switches, switch plate, and internal foam setup. Now, you can buy this board as is, plop it on your desk, and get a fantastic typing and auditory experience. It’s really impressive.

A beast of a budget aluminum board

$72

The Good

  • Crisp, poppy typing sound
  • Excellent value for a well built board
  • Magnetized storage slot for USB dongle

The Bad

  • Wisteria Tactile switch may be too loud for some
  • Proprietary software not as good as universal options like VIA

Connectivity: USB, BT 5.0, 2.4GHz / Keycaps: Double-shot PBT / Hot-swappable: Yes (MX-compatible) / Available sizes: 75 percent / Available layouts: ANSI / Switch options: Epomaker Wisteria Linear, Wisteria Tactile, Zebra (linear) / Case colors: Silver / Remapping software: Proprietary / Extras: Volume knob / Battery size: 4,000mAh

The Epomaker P75 caused a stir among keyboard enthusiasts when it launched last year, offering tri-mode connectivity, a volume knob, three switch options, and a well-built aluminium chassis for just $100. It was an early sign we were hitting peak out-of-the-box keyboard. I picked one up myself for $80 during a Prime Day sale, and for that price, it blew me away.

I took a chance on the Wisteria tactile switches, which have a bright, poppy sound with strong tactile typing feedback. They’re not clicky switches, but they’re loud and proud. The P75 is one of the only keyboards I own that got on my wife’s nerves as she worked beside me during a hectic and long day, but it’s oh-so satisfying in short stints. The silver case is shinier than most matte-finish boards you normally find, but it could look right at home in front of a Mac Mini or other Apple-style silver peripherals (especially with the right keycaps). And the casing has a handy magnetic garage for easy storage of the 2.4GHz USB dongle — which I wish every keyboard had.

1/5Eighty bucks or less for this beauty? It still boggles my mind. Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

Considering how aggressively priced the P75 is, it’d be easy to recommend it over even a people-pleaser like the Keychron. It comes with nicer keycaps and a much better metal chassis, after all. But its loudness and somewhat janky (though workable) remapping software holds it back slightly.

Note: Epomaker has informed us the P75 is no longer being manufactured, so whatever inventory retailers like Amazon still have is likely to be all that’s left. Though it does have an even cheaper cousin, the Epomaker x Aula F75, which is plastic-clad and seemingly the king of KeyboardTok. We haven’t tried one yet, but it’s often raved about by YouTubers for what it offers at under $60.

If you feel that you actually type faster on a laptop keyboard or you want a keyboard that travels easier, a low-profile mechanical keyboard could be right for you. They use shorter switches and much lower-height keycaps but with only slightly less key travel than regular mechanical switches. This yields a much more compact board while still offering most of the same benefits. While there are now many low-profile switch options, they still pale in comparison to the choice you have with standard switches and keycaps, and low-profile switches from different vendors usually aren’t cross-compatible.

The Lofree Flows and NuPhy Airs of the world have been mainstays of our mechanical keyboard buying guide, but we’ve got a couple of newer alternatives here worth checking out.

Flexible, with great looks and sound

$95

The Good

  • Great sound for a low-profile keyboard
  • LCD for settings or a custom GIF
  • Also works with standard-height switches and keycaps

The Bad

  • Power button hidden under right Shift key
  • Stabilizers slightly rattly on one of our test units

Connectivity: USB, BT 5.0, 2.4GHz / Keycaps: Double-shot PBT / Hot-swappable: Yes (MX-compatible) / Available sizes: 75 percent / Available layouts: ANSI / Switch options: Aster low profile (linear) / Case colors: Beige, silver, white, black, blue, lavender / Remapping software: Proprietary / Extras: LCD screen / Battery size: 3,600mAh

The standard Chilkey ND75 is a great budget board in its own right, and the ND75 LP is a low-profile version. It’s a handsome little board that comes in a few fun colors, and it’s much easier to throw in your bag. That said, the low-profile switches that come with this board sound wonderfully clacky, though they’re not quiet, so the ND75 LP may not be the best choice for some offices. The included keycaps look sharp in their two-tone color schemes and are of nice quality, though unlike low-profile boards from NuPhy, Iqunix, and Lofree they lack sub-legends showing shortcut controls — like screen brightness, volume, and media playback. the ND75 LP has that functionality, but you’ll need to look up and memorize the shortcuts.

1/5Get low (profile). Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

The ND75 LP has a tiny screen you can use to toggle settings, or just display a looping GIF for funsies. And if you ever get tired of the low-profile feel, you can just swap in regular switches and keycaps — the ND75 LP is one of the few boards compatible with both low-profile and standard MX-compatible switches. Because why not?

A fun low-profile board I can roll with

$139

The Good

  • Great typing sound and feel
  • Nice design on the Pro versions
  • Excellent battery life
  • VIA programmable

The Bad

  • 75% and 96% layouts are a little cramped
  • No physical on/off switch (you have to hold Fn+Esc for 5 seconds)

Connectivity: USB, BT 5.1, 2.4GHz / Keycaps: PBT / Hot-swappable: Yes (Kailh Choc V2 only) / Available sizes: 65 percent, 75 percent, 96 percent / Available layouts: ANSI, ISO / Switch options: Gold Red switch / Case colors: Black, “ochre white” / Remapping software: VIA / Extras: Volume knob and media keys (Pro model only) / Battery size: 3,000mAh

I’ve tested a half-dozen keyboards with low-profile mechanical switches — including the ND75 LP and various Lofree Flow models — but the Iqunix Magi65 Pro is my favorite. Like the ND75 LP, it uses flat, uniform-profile keycaps, but because the MG65 Pro has a flatter typing angle and no function row, using it feels less like reaching uphill.

The Magi65 comes in two variants. There’s the regular Magi65 with a standard 65 percent layout, and the Pro. The Pro (which I prefer) adds a rolling volume encoder, X-shaped media keys, and a garage for its 2.4GHz dongle hidden beneath a magnetic cover plate, and it has an RGB light bar between the volume roller and media keys. I just think it’s neat.

The sound from its Gold Red linear switches give it a quieter, less poppy sound than the ND75 LP, and its number-row keycaps have Mac function-row sub-legends, which is handy. The Magi65 Pro also comes with a few bonus keycaps — both Mac and Windows modifier keys, and a few purely decorative keys, including two metal ones — and a coiled USB-C cable with faux-Lemo disconnect in it.

Add the facts that the Magi65 Pro is remappable using VIA, has hot-swap sockets that are compatible with any Kailh Choc V2 switches, and has battery life in the weeks and months with the backlight turned off, and you can maybe see why it’s my favorite low-profile board. Iqunix has since released both 75 percent and 96 percent layout versions in both Pro and regular iterations, which I haven’t tested. — Nathan Edwards, senior reviews editor

Gaming / Hall effect keyboards

Nearly any keyboard is fine for casual or enthusiast-level gaming. But if you’re serious about playing games competitively and seeking any edge you can get, then you want the fastest keyboard available. Even if, let’s be honest, it’s a bit of a placebo effect for many of us.

Generally, that means a keyboard that’s wired (for the fastest polling rate) with magnetic Hall effect switches (for a lightning-fast, user-programmable response time). The easy answer is to just get a Wooting keyboard, but there are some noteworthy alternatives for lower prices with some unique designs and builds.

A hot rod for esports-level gaming

$119

The Good

  • Super fast response time for high-level gaming
  • Unique open chassis design
  • Rock-solid build that’s also lightweight
  • Rotating gear for changing modes is a little silly but fun

The Bad

  • Not much potential for mods
  • Small (1U size) right Shift key
  • Wired only

Connectivity: Wired USB / Keycaps: Double-shot PBT / Hot-swappable: Yes, Hall effect (PCB compatibility unknown) / Available sizes: 63 percent / Available layouts: ANSI / Switch options: TTC King of Magnetic RGB / Case colors: Orange, silver, white, gray / Remapping software: Proprietary / Extras: Rotating sensitivity mode selector

One look at the Dry Studio Ice Ring 63 RT leaves almost anyone totally baffled. The whole chassis is open-air like a stripped-out race car, the bottom plate is a slab of aluminum for dissipating heat, and there’s a rotating gear jutting out its left side for tuning the responsiveness of the keys. It’s all kind of bizarre, but right on point for Angry Miao designs (Dry Studio’s parent brand).

This very compact, lightweight board goes hard for gaming — it even includes a padded travel case for competitions / LAN parties. The rotating gear’s sole purpose is to change the actuation point for the Ice Ring’s magnetic Hall effect switches. Turn the dial and the RGB light emanating underneath changes color to signify its preset mode: from a standard 2mm actuation point to an ultra-fast 0.1mm. The gaming modes also enable rapid trigger, allowing faster resetting of the key input as soon as your finger begins to lift.

1/11The Ice Ring also comes in silver, white, and titanium, but orange is obviously the correct color. Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

The Ice Ring is a legit and unique competitor to the Wooting 60HE. Scott Kim of YouTube channel Keybored did a great deep-dive video showing how the Ice Ring’s design and engineering really does yield absurdly fast response times (even faster than Wooting’s) — in part thanks to the cooling of its heatsink-like bottom plate that helps prevent potential accuracy dropoff in Hall effect switches. Even if you’re not the most hardcore FPS gamer, this board is good, quirky fun. It doesn’t have a satisfying buttery sound like other keyboards we’ve outlined here, but it’s pleasant in its own way. And even with its hardcore design and rock-solid build, devoid of any flex or softness, it’s still nice to type on.

Gaming chops and great sound and feel

$175

The Good

  • Excellent typing sound for an HE board thanks to cork dampening layer
  • Support for 8,000Hz polling and 32,000Hz scan rate
  • Rapid trigger and customizable actuation point for fast-paced games

The Bad

  • Wired only
  • Decorative logo in corner looks like it should be an LCD

Connectivity: Wired USB / Keycaps: Double-shot PBT / Hot-swappable: Yes (Hall effect switches only) / Available sizes: 75 percent / Available layouts: ANSI / Switch options: Gateron Magnetic Jade Pro / Case colors: Black, gray, white, pink / Remapping software: Proprietary

Now, if you want a great, affordable-ish Hall effect keyboard that does sound great, check out the Chilkey Slice75 HE. This wired-only HE board has much more conventional looks than the Dry Studio and a straightforward 75 percent layout. But what’s most unique about it is inside: a dampening layer made of cork instead of the typical foam. It helps yield a marbley sound, almost like the Rainy 75, but with the speedy and adjustable response of magnetic Hall effect switches. It’s got all the usual features of HE boards like the Ice Ring, including rapid trigger, adjustable actuation points, and even the ability to map multiple functions to one key depending on how far you press it.

1/6You never see the cork inside unless you open up the Slice75, but it’s like a secret weapon to this keyboard’s nice sound. Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

Even setting aside all the hardcore gaming-focused features, I want to emphasize that the Slice 75 looks, sounds, and feels great. At $199, it’s pricier than all the other keyboards above, but I still think it’s a great value for its excellent sound and HE performance.

Some great step-up / mid-tier options

As with any hobby, even as things get cheaper and commoditized there’s always a way you can dive even deeper down rabbit holes — and of course spend more money. Since it feels like everyone and their mother now makes hot-swap gasket-mounted keyboards with foam inserts and a metal chassis, that also means the mid-to-high-tier board makers are likely to start experimenting with whatever the next hot new thing may be. And aside from being cutting-edge, the other draw of higher-end keyboards is the dizzying amount of ways you can customize and build them.

$160

The Good

  • Incredible build for under $200
  • Fantastic out-of-the-box sound and typing feel
  • Lots of color options with unique satiny chassis finish
  • Ball-catch quick-release case with hidden USB storage

The Bad

  • Only sold at specialized retailers

Connectivity: USB, BT 5.0, 2.4GHz / Keycaps: Dye-sub PBT / Hot-swappable: Yes (MX-compatible) / Available sizes: TKL, 75 percent / Available layouts: ANSI / Switch options: Keygeek Oat linear, HMX Azure linear / Case colors: Black, purple, white, silver, pink, sand, red, light blue, cream, yellow / Remapping software: VIA / Extras: Magnetic ball-catch quick release / Battery size: 8,000mAh

Evoworks is a lower-cost sub-brand of Qwertykeys / Owlab, a company that’s made some of the best-quality, most trendsetting mechanical keyboards of the last handful of years. The Evoworks Evo80 is one of the nicest built mechs I’ve used — and I’ve tried some nice ones. The anodized metal case has a soft finish that feels so smooth and precious to the touch, I’d believe someone if they told me this keyboard cost well over $300 before even adding keycaps and switches. But it actually costs just $169.99 fully assembled with everything, including a massive battery and a decorative two-piece bottom weight plate.

1/7I can’t get over how pretty this thing is. Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

The real juice of the Evo80, though, is its sound. You can pick from a low-pitched “thocky”-sounding model with Oat switches and polypropylene internal plate or a high-pitched clacky setup with azure switches and FR4 thermoplastic-based plate. I know us keyboard fans overuse the term thock, which is meant to represent the deepest of marble-y sounds, but the low-pitch version of the Evo80 I tested is an absolute delight. Compared to something like the Rainy 75, which is fantastic in its own right, the Evo80 has a noticeably deeper, heftier tone. It’s a bass to the Rainy’s tenor or P75’s alto. As much as I’ve grown fond of many other keyboards in the low-$100 range we’re covering here, it’s very hard not to look at the Evo80 or new Evo75 that just launched and think, “What’s another 50 bucks, right?”

$215

The Good

  • Near-endless customization
  • Easy access to mods with ball-catch quick-release case and PCB pogo pin connectors
  • Very high-quality build and excellent typing experience
  • GIFs on the LCD are fun

The Bad

  • Assembly required, taking time and effort to build
  • BYO switches and keycaps
  • Like many group buys, it can be hard to get
  • 2.4GHz USB had issues and required replacing

Connectivity: USB, BT 5.0, 2.4GHz / Keycaps: Not included / Hot-swappable: Yes (MX-compatible) / Available sizes: 65 percent, 75 percent, TKL, 98 percent / Available layouts: ANSI, ISO / Switch options: Not included / Case colors: Black, gray, lavender, purple, aquamarine, dark green, red, sky blue, pale green, brown, white, e-white / Remapping software: VIA / Extras: Magnetic ball-catch quick release, LCD screen / Battery size: 8,000mAh

Over in the build-your-own keyboard kit world, the Zoom series from Meletrix is one of the best of the mid-tier, starting at $200 and up. With so many great prebuilt options out there it might not sound logical to assemble your own keyboard, but a kit like the Zoom75 Tiga has near-endless possibilities. You determine its internal mounting method, type of switch plate (if you even put one in), and dampening material (like cork or foam). You can even set it up with alternative layouts like ISO or a split backspace key. And that’s before you choose your stabilizers, switches, and keycaps.

Building the Zoom75 Tiga took me a few hours. It’s been a few years since my last kit, so I’m a little rusty. But it wasn’t very difficult, and once assembled with its cork dampening kit, polyoxymethylene (POM) plate, and WS BigLucky linear switches, it felt like a fun project worth the time spent.

1/7The Tiga has many decorative elements, like its three-tone trim details on the sides and bottom, and a magnetic badge above the USB-C port. Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

The Tiga, as I built it, sounds satisfyingly clacky but not overly bright or loud. But, keep in mind, you can change it whenever and however you want. It’s a time investment to strip down your keyboard and build it back up, but mid-tier boards like the Tiga (and even the Evo80) have new innovations to ease the pain, like a ball-catch quick-release top cover that releases with pressure instead of screws and magnetic pogo pin connectors instead of tiny ribbon cables for the PCB. The only downside of the Zoom75 was some spotty 2.4GHz wireless performance, requiring re-flashing the PCB and USB dongle firmware — eventually requiring a replacement USB dongle from Meletrix. (Users on the company’s Discord seemed to run into similar problems.)

That’s the risk with DIY kit boards: they’re infinitely customizable, but you can also run into small issues or quirks along the way (especially if you assembled it wrong). And customer support usually means troubleshooting in a Discord community. But if you’re the hobbyist type, the process can feel rewarding.

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A female photographer holding the DJI osmo Nano
Product Reviews

DJI Osmo Nano review: a tiny modular action cam big that’s big on quality

by admin



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We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

DJI Osmo Nano: two-minute review

The DJI Osmo Nano is the latest in the brand’s line of action cameras. Rather than building on a predecessor it’s a whole new concept in its own right, although it shares the same-sized 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor as the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro, which landed at the end of 2024.

The range of best action cameras is more diverse today than it was even just a few years ago. The one-block shops of design like the GoPro Hero 13 Black are still popular, for sensible reasons like ruggedness and extended battery times, but modular designs like the Osmo Nano and the new Insta360 Go Ultra are becoming more common.

Why? We don’t just want to hold our action cams or use a fiddly mount to attach them to our bike handlebars anymore. The content creation universe is continuing to grow, and so is the number and variety of places where we need our cameras to go.

In a nutshell, the Osmo Nano is a light, wearable action camera. You can wear it around your neck, on your head, on a hat or helmet, plonk it on your car, bike, or even attach it to your dog. It’s remarkably small, and at 52g it’s a gram lighter than its main competitor, the Insta360 Go Ultra, released a month before it.

The product is modular in design and built as a two-piece system, with a tiny, standalone camera unit that pairs with the Multifunctional Vision Dock underneath. The dock acts as a remote, screen, and charging station, with a small but bright 1.9-inch display to help you compose shots and adjust settings.

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

These two parts join together via two clips and a strong magnetic system, and it’s this magnet that also allows the camera to snap onto DJI’s various accessories, for a wide range of hands-free, wearable mounting options.

Although the camera is a fully IPX8-rated unit that’s waterproof down to 10m, the dock is only IPX4-rated for splash resistance, which limits its use in heavy rain or near a body of water – a totally rugged design this is not.

Inside the camera is a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor, which captures a dynamic range of up to 13.5 stops according to DJI. I haven’t done any calculations with my test images on this, but I did find great levels of detail and color in bright sky highlights as well as darker, shadowy areas like tunnels. I was genuinely impressed by the level of detail and tone the camera could capture, particularly for a sensor this small (in full-frame terms).

For me, DJI has always been a brand for what I’d call ‘serious’ creators, and that’s something I’m pleased to see the brand has leaned into with the Osmo Nano. There aren’t any ‘fun’ filters or gimmicks in the menus. Instead, the settings are pared back to sensible and helpful options; voice controls and gestures to start recording all work very well to make hands-free shooting that much easier.

A big draw for professionals is the color performance. I was surprised to discover that the Osmo Nano can record in 10-bit color with D-Log M and HLG profiles – a pro-level feature that gives you more leeway for color grading in post-production, if you want to edit manually rather than relying on the automatic outputs from the DJI Mimo app. In 10-bit, I found videos were punchy but still well-balanced.

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

Performance-wise, the Osmo Nano delivers exceptionally well in some areas but underwhelms in others. The promise of rapid file transfer holds up, with the 128GB version clocking transfer speeds of up to 600MB/s over a USB 3.1 connection. This is a huge time-saver.

Battery life, however, is a clear limitation. While DJI claims up to 90 minutes from the camera and 200 minutes with the dock, I found that shooting at 4K/60fps got me closer to just 60 minutes of continuous recording. On the upside, the dock’s ability to fast-charge the camera to 80% in about 20 minutes means you can be back to shooting in no time.

The RockSteady 3.0 and HorizonBalancing stabilization features work well for walking or light activity, and even when I tried recording star jumps and high-intensity workouts, the footage was stable in sports mode. Audio quality is good all-round too, and two built-in microphones capture immersive stereo sound, with decent but not brilliant wind reduction. Another plus for more advanced creators is the ability to pair the Nano with two mics separately, and you won’t need receivers if they’re from DJI.

While the image quality is good for a camera this small, it’s still bound by the limitations of its form factor. The fixed 143-degree ultra-wide field of view is great for first-person shots, but obviously lacks the versatility of a more zoomed-in lens. And while DJI’s SuperNight mode for low-light shooting is better than ever, it’s limited to 30fps and 8-bit color.

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

Today’s best DJI Osmo Nano deals

The Osmo Nano is pricing is really aggressive, coming in much cheaper than the Insta360 Go Ultra and the GoPro Hero 13 Black – and that’s with built-in storage too, meaning you can start shooting straight out of the box.

It’s not necessarily the most charming camera I’ve tested, but it’s thoroughly dependable and sensible, and for that reason I found it growing on me, while the low price sweetens the deal. The DJI Mimo app is less intuitive than Insta360’s, and AI edits are a little less exciting, but it’s smart and stable, and puts a clear live feed with access to settings at your fingertips on your smartphone.

DJI isn’t marketing the Osmo Nano for family users, and it lacks some of the fun features of the Insta360 lineup, plus Toddler Titan mode for capturing kids. While charging is fairly speedy it doesn’t charge as quickly as its main competitor, the Insta360 Go Ultra, either, but the camera does last longer.

If you need a fully rugged and all-in-one device for more extreme sports or environments, the GoPro Hero 13 Black or the DJI Action 5 Pro might be a better choice. But this is a well-thought-out, truly wearable action camera for creators who want to experiment with unique perspectives, and need a B-camera for places their main camera can’t go, for a B-cam price.

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

DJI Osmo Nano: specs

Swipe to scroll horizontallyDJI Osmo Nano specs

Sensor

1/1.3-inch CMOS

Max Resolution

35MP (6880 x 5160) photos
4K, 60fps footage

Weight

Camera: 2.54oz / 53g Vision dock: 3.8oz / 72g

Dimensions

Camera: 57 x 29 x 28mm
Vision Dock: 59 x 42 x 22mm

ISO Range

100–25600

Lens

FOV: 143 degrees
Aperture: f/2.8
Focus: 0.35m to ∞

Operating Time

Camera: 90 mins*
Camera + Multifunctional Vision Dock: 200 mins*

Connectivity

Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB-C 3.1

Storage

64GB/128GB built-in
microSD card, up to 1TB

Waterproofing

Camera: 33ft (10m)
Vision Dock: IPX4-Rated

DJI Osmo Nano: Price and availability

  • Launched worldwide on September 23 2025, except US
  • Osmo Nano Standard Combo (64GB) costs £239 / AU$529
  • Osmo Nano Standard Combo (128GB) costs £259 / AU$589

The DJI Osmo Nano was announced on August 23, 2025, and is now shipping from DJI’s online store and authorized retailers, including Amazon. It won’t be available officially in the United States at launch. A DJI Spokesperson told TechRadar that “DJI remains dedicated to the US market and is optimizing our strategy to best serve our customers amidst evolving local conditions.”

There are two standard combos to choose between, broken down by the internal storage capacity: the Osmo Nano Standard Combo at 64GB (£239 / AU$529) or 128GB (£259 / AU$589).

Each combo comes with the same content, including the Osmo Nano Camera, Multifunctional Vision Dock, Magnetic Hat Clip, Magnetic Lanyard, a protective case, USB-C cable (USB 3.1), and a Dual-Direction Magnetic Ball-Joint Adapter Mount. The protective case is more just a plastic sheath rather than substantial padded protection.

That price puts it way below the Insta360 Go Ultra Standard Combo ($449.99 / £369 / AU$759), which is more impressive given that you get built-in storage too. It’s also less than the GoPro Hero 13 Black (now available for around $359.99 / £315).

Image 1 of 4

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)(Image credit: Lauren Scott)(Image credit: Lauren Scott)(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

DJI Osmo Nano: Design

  • Standalone camera is waterproof, dock is splashproof
  • Magnetic base connects easily to mounts
  • The camera weighs 1.83oz / 52g

The DJI Osmo Nano camera is oblong-shaped, about half as wide as it is long. It sits comfortably between your thumb and forefinger in either portrait or landscape mode, but I didn’t find it as pocketable as the Insta360 Go Ultra because of its extra depth.

Without the dock, the Osmo is a light, wearable action camera at just 52g. Adding the dock, by way of two secure mounting clips and a magnetic, adds another 72g and turns the camera into a more complete action companion. It’s small, but I found the combo top-heavy on uneven surfaces, making low-level shots without a mount more difficult.

There’s just one built-in OLED HD touchscreen on the dock, rather than a screen at the front and back, or a flippable design like the Insta360 Go Ultra. This means you have to detach and remount the camera every time you want to go from shooting your environment to talking to the camera (if you want to see yourself, that is). Unlike the Go Ultra, which simply plops back into place with strong magnets, flipping the Osmo Nano around is a bit fiddly.

The design is gray and plastic, which is familiar territory for both DJI and action cams in general. The body is subtly textured though, meaning it’s easy to grab onto with cold, wet or sweaty hands. Ruggedness is key for an action camera, but only the wearable part of the Osmo Nano is waterproof. The camera is IPX8-rated for submersion up to 10 metres underwater.

The dock is only splash, rain and likely sweat resistant, and I wouldn’t fancy its chances in a heavy rain shower. This is a shame, because it limits potential usage and introduces a little caution to creativity when shooting. It’s also a far cry from DJI’s Action 5 Pro, which is verified down to 20m / 65ft.

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

While the dock isn’t waterproof, you can use the whole product in temperatures of -20C to 45C (-4F to 113F), so you’re good for everything from winter sports to desert treks. A lens cover screws over the main lens, so if you damage or scratch it a replacement costs a fraction of buying a whole new unit.

The Osmo Nano has just two physical controls: there’s a big red record button on the top of the camera and another on one side of the dock. These also act as power switches, and they require some force to push down so that you’re not likely to press them accidentally. That’s it, other than a small flap that opens up on the other side of the dock to reveal the USB 3.1 port for charging and transferring files, plus the microSD slot, which takes up to a 1TB card.

Image 1 of 3

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)(Image credit: Lauren Scott)(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

I didn’t find the DJI Osmo Nano as enjoyable or easy to navigate as other action cameras I’ve tested. You swipe up to access video settings, down for the main menu, and left to change the shooting mode. To toggle Pro Mode on or off, you tap the slider icon on the right side of the screen.

It’s not rocket science, but at 1.96 inches the small screen means you need to be extra precise with your touch gestures to bring up menus and dial in settings. My partner – who has bigger hands and fingers than I – sometimes had to tap the screen a few times to activate settings.

The menus are mainly black and white with yellow accents, and I found this less eye-catching than the GoPro or Insta360 ecosystems, although that may be more a matter of personal preference. Some settings are also overlaid on the live picture and can be difficult to read. The camera doesn’t have the same detailed tutorials and guides that you get when you start using the Insta360 Go Ultra, although I’m sure DJI fans will have no trouble finding their way around.

Image 1 of 1

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

DJI Osmo Nano: Performance and features

  • Quick-edit videos on the DJI Osmo Mimo app
  • Standalone camera charges 80% in about 20 mins
  • In-built storage and takes microSD cards up to 2TB

The performance of the Osmo Nano is hard to pin down. In some areas I felt it delivered exceptionally well, but in others it was a bit underwhelming. The rapid file transfer ended up being surprisingly helpful, and in my tests with the 128GB version DJI’s claim of up to 600 MB/s transfer speed over USB 3.1 holds up, and I found it a huge time-saver compared to sending lots of files wirelessly.

The camera’s battery life is a limitation, though, particularly when shooting at higher resolutions like 4K/60fps. I got closer to 60 minutes of continuous recording here – rather than the 90 minutes that DJI claims at 1080p/24fps – which isn’t bad for its size, but lags behind the multi-hour endurance of larger cameras like the Osmo Action 5 Pro. The dock can top up the battery on the go, and I was also impressed by its ability to charge to 80% in just 20 minutes, especially if you’re as bad as I am at remembering to charge your gear before a shoot.

You then get up to 200 minutes of 1080p/24fps video from the dock, but in reality, I found this closer to two hours once the screen and Wi-Fi are on and you’ve powered the camera up and down a few times.

If you tend to record short clips throughout a longer day, it’s nothing to worry about. If you’re the type of shooter to record continuously, you may lament the fact that there aren’t replaceable batteries to swap out when you run out of juice. I left the camera running for my battery tests during a particularly warm day, and although it felt hot to the touch during, it never overheated to the point of turning off.

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

The Osmo Nano is equipped with DJI’s RockSteady 3.0 stabilization and HorizonBalancing. It handles a fair amount of shake, but it’s not on the same level as a dedicated gimbal like the Osmo Pocket series. In footage of fast-paced, high-impact activities like running on trails you’ll still see some micro-jitters, but for walking shots it’s pretty impressive.

Using different mounts will dictate how stable your results are. Using the pendant seemed to cause me more wobbles than handholding the camera, for example, but the head mount gave me super-smooth footage when running. It’s worth noting that there are different levels of stabilization, with daily, sport, or anti-motion blur options. You can also turn off image stabilization to save battery, or if you’re using a secondary DJI product to keep things stable.

The DJI Osmo Nano performs really well in remote shooting scenarios without a phone. The voice commands, like ‘start recording’, work almost instantaneously in a quiet environment, but require you to shout when it’s loud (not a great look in a city center). I found that gestures worked well too, and I liked being able to pat the camera when it was powered off to start recording, or nod my head when it was mounted on my head. Much more subtle.

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

The Osmo Nano has two built-in microphones for stereo sound, and I found the audio straight out of the camera surprisingly immersive. It picks up sound from a variety of directions when you’re shooting in a public place, but still hones in on your voice when you’re speaking to the camera clearly.

Like all action cameras, the audio quality sounds muffled underwater, but the clarity returns more quickly than others I’ve tested when you pull the camera back out into fresh air. There are lower and stronger wind reduction modes, and both did a decent job of reducing disturbance when I captured some clips on a blustery countryside walk, without removing the noise entirely (see the clips below). My voice was clear and free from distortion, but it’s not the perfect solution for clean audio; for that, you’ll need a separate mic.

A major draw is the ability to connect the Osmo Nano directly to DJI’s wireless microphones without needing a separate receiver. I haven’t been able to try this yet, but I can see it being convenient for creators who want to capture high-quality audio, especially those already with DJI mics.

DJI Osmo Nano: Image quality

  • 1/1.3-inch sensor
  • Video up to 4K/120fps and 35MP photos
  • 10-bit D-Log M and HLG color profile options

The Osmo Nano has a 1/1.3-inch sensor, the same size as you’ll find in the Osmo Action 5 Pro and just a fraction smaller than the one in the Insta360 Go Ultra. Video headlines include 4K at 60fps in 16:9 format, and 4K 120fps slow-mo footage, which expands to 1080p 240fps.

The specs are one thing, but the proof is in the pudding; or in this case, in the videos and shots you get from the camera. Overall, I think the image quality is good for an action camera of this size. As ever, it won’t completely replace a full-sized or full-frame camera, but that’s not the expectation here. The fixed 143-degree ultra-wide field of view is perfect for first-person POV shots, and I could fit a whole wedding group in the frame (I don’t have permission to include the sample shot in the review, sadly), but it’s not easy to zoom in on the scene should you want to get closer in.

I tested the Osmo Nano in all weather and lighting scenarios. DJI touts the wide dynamic range of the Osmo Nano, but in direct sunshine I noticed some banding where the highlights had been clipped. You can see this in the video above, which was a test of the one-tap editing feature in the DJI Mimo app.

4K resolution is sharp and punchy, and even in 8-bit color mode the camera seems to capture vibrant blue skies and leafy greens, and handles quick changes in light (coming out of a dark tunnel, from indoors to outdoors) well; however, while I like a bit of lens flare, this is one area that could be handled better. It tended to keep my face exposed when I was talking to the camera, but this wasn’t set up anywhere in the camera. If I were to generalize, I’d say footage comes out darker than Insta360’s Go Ultra, possibly for greater leeway when editing, where the Insta option is designed for near-automatic use.

DJI’s SuperNight mode does a decent job of reducing noise in low light, but it only works at up to 30fps and with 8-bit color, which might limit its utility for serious cinematographers. It’s the best night image quality in a wearable camera I’ve seen, but it’s still bound by the laws of physics – a smaller lens and sensor will always have certain limitations compared to a larger, more dedicated camera. There’s some AI-smoothing being applied to reduce noise in low-light footage, but this is less obvious to the untrained eye, and less muddy than some night modes I’ve seen on earlier action cameras.

DJI’s automatic horizon leveling (which can be calibrated) is pretty flawless, and the RockSteady image stabilization is most impressive in sports mode. To really test it out, I wore the camera on DJI’s headband mount and recorded the first five minutes of a high-intensity workout. Throughout a gruelling round of burpies, star jumps and squats, the footage was stable and smooth (almost unnaturally so). Trail runs, dog walks, and cycle clips were all just as usable, but the handheld results are slightly more jittery than using a dedicated mount.

Photos from the camera have a medium-range megapixel count (the maximum resolution is 35MP and you can shoot in a 16:9 or 4:3 ratio), and as to their quality, I said the same thing about Insta360 Go Ultra’s photo results: they’re good enough to insert into videos, but I probably wouldn’t use them for standalone social posts or prints as a creator. Consider them as an additive rather than a standalone feature, and you won’t be disappointed.

Image 1 of 4

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)(Image credit: Lauren Scott)(Image credit: Lauren Scott)(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

Impressively, the Osmo Nano gives you the option of recording footage with a flat color profile (DJI’s D-Log M setting), designed to preserve the maximum color and brightness info in the video file, especially in lights and darks.

While the footage out of the camera is desaturated in this mode, I found you had far more wiggle room to adjust the colors, contrast, and saturation to achieve a specific, cinematic look without losing any of the detail captured in the original scene. This is also going to benefit creators shooting a project with the Osmo Nano alongside other cameras who want their edited work to look consistent.

DJI Osmo Nano: testing scorecard

Swipe to scroll horizontallyDJI Osmo Nano

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Price

Much cheaper than the Insta360 Go Ultra, and that includes helpful built-in storage.

5/5

Design

Unexciting but functional, and it’s a shame the dock is only splash-proof. The lens replacement adds ruggedness.

4/5

Performance & features

Fewer filters and modes than the Insta360 Go Ultra, but you get the option of manual controls. The DJI Osmo app makes quick, clever edits.

4/5

Image quality

In daylight, colors are vivid and dynamic range is good. Stabilization is excellent, and low light footage is fine. Slow-mo could be crisper.

4/5

Should I buy the DJI Osmo Nano?

Buy it if…

You want a camera that ‘disappears’
The Osmo Nano is small enough to be worn on a pendant, hat, or headband, thanks to its small size and weight. The magnetic mount allows for quirky mounting solutions like lamp posts, cars, and even washing machines.

You already own DJI products
To boost the sound quality, you can connect the Nano directly to two DJI microphone transmitters without needing a receiver. If you’ve already got a DJI mic, gimbal or camera, sticking with the brand also means greater familiarity with the app.

Don’t buy it if…

You like a roomy LCD screen
At less than two inches, I found the Osmo Nano’s LCD touchscreen a little small for composing shots and reviewing footage. You can use your phone for a larger live view, but this isn’t always convenient.

You want a fully waterproof solution
The Nano’s Vision Dock is only splashproof, and this made me uncomfortable while shooting in the rain or near water. If you’re a real action lover, I’d recommend a camera with a more rugged build.

Also consider

The Insta360 Go Ultra has a similar form factor, with a separate camera and action pod. The flip-up screen is more vlog-friendly and bigger at 2.5 inches, while the camera weighs the same as the Osmo Nano but is more square and shallow (which I found easier to mount). Pricing and image quality are similar, but it’s a slightly more fun action camera that’s great for the whole family.

Read my full Insta360 Go Ultra review

The GoPro Hero 13 Black is still the flagship of action cams and one I’d recommend for serious filmmakers. It’s chunkier than the Osmo, but it also has magnetic mounting. GoPro also has the widest range of mount accessories to open up creative shooting opportunities, and it’s possible to squeeze 1.5 hours of 5.3K video from the battery, for recording with fewer interruptions.

Read our full GoPro Hero 13 Black review

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

How I tested the DJI Osmo Nano

  • I tested the camera for two weeks pre-embargo
  • I wore it on walks and runs, and mounted it for drives
  • I recorded videos at all settings and in all modes

DJI sent me a full-production Osmo Nano for review around two weeks before its release date, and I used it at least once a day – often much more – during this period. I always like a camera to become a natural part of my workflow, rather than carrying out one intense period of testing, so that I uncover the nuances for a more informed and helpful review.

I tried all the camera’s modes, used it with and without the dock, and mounted it on the magnetic pendant and headband. I mainly used the DJI Mimo app to edit footage right from my iPhone 15 Pro.

  • First reviewed September 2025

DJI Osmo Nano: Price Comparison



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Apple I
Product Reviews

An original Apple I PC just sold for $500K and now I’m frantically ransacking boxes of old PC and Apple kit for my retirement fund

by admin



An original Apple I computer just hit $475,000 in an auction sale (via Tom’s Hardware). The Apple I was conceived as a bare circuit board for which enthusiasts would build their own case, but this unit was one of 50 made for Byte Shop and sold with a natty wooden case. Only nine of the 50 are known to survive today.

Apart from the sheer portent of an original Apple I and the particular rarity of this version (it’s thought there were only around 200 Apple I computers ever built, so this machine is in a very rarefied niche, even among Apple I’s), the incredible condition of this example and the fact that it’s fully functional (as demo’ed in this YouTube video) no doubt contributed to the hefty hammer price.

The Apple I was of course the work of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak and these “Byte Shop” machines are regarded as the turning point that made Apple Computer viable as a company.


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At the time in 1976, Jobs and Wozniak were selling a small handful of bare boards to enthusiasts. But Jobs approached Paul Terrell at the Byte Shop in Mountain View, California, an early personal computer outlet. Terrell apparently offered to buy 50 Apple I machines, but only if they came fully assembled in cases.

It’s said Jobs and Wozniak personally assembled all 200 of the original Apple I, though eventuality the Byte Shop Apple I’s were actually delivered as bare boards. Terrell nevertheless accepted them, knocking up wood cases that were a cut above the hobbyist norm.

The Apple I Byte Shop machine running the 30th Anniversary ASCII art demo. (Image credit: RR Auctions)

Whatever, that Byte Shop deal for 50 computers was absolutely critical in getting Apple over the line from being a couple of tinkerers in a garage to something resembling an actual company. “That was the biggest single episode in all of the company’s history. Nothing in subsequent years was so great and so unexpected,” Steve Wozniak later said of the deal.

And it is a pretty funky thing. It’s actually remarkable just how familiar it looks, the case and keyboard being instantly recognisable as a personal computer. Indeed, keyboards have changed remarkably little in the intervening 49 years.

It’s also not hard to imagine someone producing a hipster homebrew PC build that looked just like this original Apple I build. That said, today’s computing enthusiast might be just a touch disappointed by the specs. A maximum of 8K of onboard memory, as fitted here, and a 1 MHz CPU isn’t exactly the stuff of smooth Borderlands 4 frame rates.

Then again, watching ASCII art images of the Woz and Jobs emerge in text characters, line-by-line, on the Apple I’s screen is pretty cool and in some ways more impressive than the latest ray-traced pixel fest. At the very least, it’s awfully nostalgic, especially for someone who can very dimly remember the day his father brought an Apple II Plus back from the office. Now, whatever did happen to that…?

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Brand New Day' Pauses Production After Tom Holland Injury
Product Reviews

Brand New Day’ Pauses Production After Tom Holland Injury

by admin


Tom Holland recently suffered a stunt-related injury, which left the fate of Spider-Man: Brand New Day temporarily hanging in the balance of a web’s thread. And now it’s official: the Destin Daniel Cretton-helmed film will be going on pause, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The move comes as a way to give Holland seven days to recover from the injury while avoiding having to shoot without him. The trade described the injury as “a mild concussion,” and will be giving the franchise’s current Peter Parker a break from his Spider-Man commitments out of an abundance of caution. Holland was still able to attend a charity event on behalf of the Brother’s Trust, an organization the actor runs with his brothers.

While Spider-Man: Brand New Day shoot will be affected for a week, it’s not expected to impact the release of the film. As of now, the Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios feature is still on track to meet its release date. So we will be watching the continuation of a world where no one knows who Peter Parker is, let alone that he’s Spider-Man, come 2026.

Of course, even just under a year away, much of what Brand New Day is about is being kept under wraps. The film will bring back memory-wiped MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon) along with an extensive new ensemble of new and familiar Marvel Cinematic Universe players. Jon Bernthal will be featured as Frank Castle, aka the Punisher, alongside Avengers mainstay Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk. Better Call Saul actor Michael Mando will also reprise his role as the Scorpion from Spider-Man: Homecoming. Newcomers to the MCU include Stranger Things star Sadie Sink in a major undisclosed role, and Emmy-winning Severance star Trammell Tillman.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is still slated to open in theaters on July 31, 2026.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.



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