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Silksong Silver Bell quest location
Product Reviews

Silksong Easter egg hides a secret, super-hard permadeath mode, for those who want to suffer even more

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Hollow Knight: Silksong will get a little easier next week with the release of the game’s first patch, which among other things promises a “slight difficulty reduction in early game bosses Moorwing and Sister Splinter.” But what if, for some demented reason, you wanted to make the game harder? As it turns out, that’s on the menu too, and you don’t even have to wait for it.

Steel Soul mode is a permadeath mode that becomes available in the original Hollow Knight after completing the game for the first time, and it does indeed make the game more difficult: Just as in real life, death is not a condition from which one can recover. Steel Soul mode is also present in Silksong, revealed by the presence of the Steel Soul achievement on Steam.

But as discovered by redditor Buttnugtaster—man, I love quoting redditors in news stories—the Steel Soul mode in Silksong is not restricted to replays. By going to the “Extras” menu and entering Up, Down, Up, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right on your controller, you can unlock the Steel Soul mode immediately.


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Why would you want to do that to yourself? Look, people ask me the same question about picking digital mushrooms in a virtual forest. Everyone has their thing and it’s best not to judge.

CHEAT CODE DISCOVERY (Not joke) from r/Silksong

I’m sure it’s not gone overlooked, but this unlock, minus a couple button presses, comes by way of the Konami code, a cheat code created by Kazuhisa Hashimoto in 1985 to assist with game development that subsequently broke containment and appeared in numerous other games over the years. All due respect to IDDQD die-hards, but the Konami code is far and away the most famous cheat code in videogame history, and its use in this little Easter egg is a nice touch.

For the record, I tested this myself, and yup, it works. I fired up Silksong, went straight to the “Extras” menu, bashed in the code, the screen flashed and gave me a bit of a boooosh sound, and Steel Soul was then available when starting a new game.

I can also confirm that while the Konami code is traditionally applied with a controller, it works just as well in Silksong with a keyboard.

(Image credit: Team Cherry)

So there you have it: If you want to dive straight into Silksong’s permadeath mode, the option is now on the table. Some folks—not many, but a few—have already pulled it off:

(Image credit: Steam)

As mentioned, if all of this sounds like masochistic nonsense and you would really prefer to suffer less rather than more, that’s on the way too: Silksong’s first patch is expected to go live next week, but you can see what’s cooking now through public beta branches available on Steam and GOG.



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NASA to Make Major Announcement About Martian Rock Sample on Wednesday. Here's How to Watch
Product Reviews

NASA to Make Major Announcement About Martian Rock Sample on Wednesday. Here’s How to Watch

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In July 2024, NASA’s Perseverance rover extracted a rock core from the edge of Neretva Vallis, a river valley cut into the Martian surface by water rushing into the Jezero Crater billions of years ago. This mysterious rock caught the attention of scientists on Earth, as its features may reveal clues about possible ancient life on the Red Planet.

At 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday, September 10, NASA will host a press conference to discuss the analysis of the sample, dubbed “Sapphire Canyon,” and the subject of a forthcoming study. Participants include Sean Duffy, acting NASA administrator; Nicky Fox, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate; Lindsay Hays, senior scientist for Mars Exploration; Katie Stack Morgan, Perseverance project scientist; and Joel Hurowitz, a planetary scientist at Stony Brook University.

NASA will livestream the event on its YouTube channel, and you can watch it right here at the stream provided below. You can also watch the livestream through the NASA app, available for both iOS and Android.

What is “Sapphire Canyon”?

NASA believes the ancient lake delta in Jezero Crater is the best place for Perseverance to hunt for signs of past microbial life. Since arriving in this 28-mile-wide (45-kilometer-wide) impact crater in February 2021, the rover has gathered 30 samples of rock and regolith for a potential return to Earth.

The Sapphire Canyon sample was the 25th collected by Perseverance. The arrowhead-shaped specimen, extracted from a vein-filled rock named “Cheyava Falls,” features a striking pattern. Tiny black spots that NASA scientists call “poppy seeds” are interspersed among larger “leopard” spots, potentially indicating past chemical reactions that could have provided an energy source for microbes.

Perseverance captured this image of a rock called Cheyava Falls on July 18, 2024. © Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS, Labels: Gizmodo

Perseverance also took multiple scans of Cheyava Falls with its SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals) instrument. This indicated that the rock contains organic compounds—the building blocks of life. While it’s possible that these compounds formed through non-biological processes, their presence alongside Cheyava’s spots suggests this rock contains a potential biosignature.

What to expect from tomorrow’s event

NASA has not revealed any details about the forthcoming study’s findings, but the fact that the agency is holding a press conference to announce them suggests they’re a big deal.

Perseverance is equipped with a suite of instruments capable of detailed chemical, mineralogical, and imaging analysis. It’s possible that analyzing the rover’s data on Cheyava Falls and the Sapphire Canyon sample revealed more evidence for potential biosignatures. It’s also possible that the analysis pointed to alternative, geological explanations for the rock’s strange features.

Whatever NASA reveals at the press conference will be just the tip of the iceberg compared with what Sapphire Canyon could teach us if it returns to Earth. Researchers are already investigating the best ways to study Sapphire Canyon once they can get their hands on it.

NASA has partnered with the European Space Agency to plan a multi-mission campaign to retrieve Perseverance’s samples, but progress has stalled due to escalating costs and complexity. President Trump’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal threatened to kill the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, but Congress moved to reinstate its funding in July.

With the future of MSR uncertain, it’s encouraging that NASA scientists still have exciting new findings to share about Perseverance’s samples, even from 140 million miles (225 million kilometers) away. As the search for ancient life on Mars continues, tomorrow’s event is one you won’t want to miss.



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All the Dyson Hair Tools You’ll Ever Need (2025)
Product Reviews

All the Dyson Hair Tools You’ll Ever Need (2025)

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We test each tool on a range of hair types, lengths, and textures, including fine, curly, and color-treated hair. Our testers live in varied climates and span different routines, so we see how these tools perform in different environments.

We time how long it takes to dry freshly washed hair of different thicknesses and lengths. We pay attention to heat distribution and airflow strength across settings, and we note how comfortable the tool feels during styling sessions. Weight, cord length, and dual-voltage compatibility are also factors we consider.

We test every attachment as it’s intended, and we judge ease of use, durability, and styling results.

Beyond our initial two-week testing period, we continue using each tool for several months. This lets us track motor wear, filter maintenance needs, and any overall performance loss.



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Product Reviews

Silksong’s first patch should give you a chance against its early bosses

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Video game difficulty is a real balancing act. You want to be challenged and earn each new level, but when it’s too hard there’s more frustration than fun. Apparently, a number of players have found the new Hollow Knight: Silksong game a bit too hard, struggling to defeat some of the bosses.

Now, Team Cherry, the indie studio behind the Hollow Knight series, is making things a bit easier. Team Cherry has announced Hollow Knight: Silksong‘s first patch, which includes a “slight difficulty reduction in early game bosses.” This update includes the bosses Moorwing and Sister Splinter.

Otherwise, the patch mostly includes bug fixes, such as gamers remaining cloakless or getting stuck floating. It also brings an increase in rosary rewards from relics and psalm cylinders, as well as for courier deliveries. These retroactive updates should come by mid next week, but eager players can join the public-beta to get the fix. Team Cherry notes that its already working on more fixes in a second patch.

The long awaited sequel to Hollow Knight finally launched on September 4, with eager fans crashing Steam, the Nintendo eshop and the Xbox Store. It’s available now for $20.



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The OnePlus Nord 5 against a brick wall.
Product Reviews

OnePlus Nord 5 review: is this phone an upgrade or a downgrade?

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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.

OnePlus Nord 5: Two-minute review

Despite having a few sparkly upgrades over its predecessors, I can’t help but feel as though the OnePlus Nord 5 is a bit of a downgrade from last year’s model overall.

This new entry to OnePlus’ mid-spec (and mid-price) line of Nord Android phones is largely what you’d expect if you’ve been following the company for the last few years. In its top-end handsets, like the OnePlus 13, OnePlus offers novel designs, fancy camera arrays, and scary price tags, but the Nords are more modest in feature set and cost, and like all good mid-rangers, they generally focus on two key areas to excel in.

Even more so than in the OnePlus Nord 4, it’s clear that the focus of the Nord 5 is on its performance and its display, which are, funnily enough, the same two departments that most other mid-range Android makers focus on too.

And, credit to OnePlus, the Nord 5 does have such great specs in these areas that it may convince people to buy the phone for its performance and its display credentials alone.

Take, for example, the screen: it now exceeds 6.8 inches diagonally, making the Nord 5 one of the few mid-range Android phones to do so, and that extra real estate will give gamers more space for their fingers – I don’t even need to mention the higher refresh rate to get people raring to play.

The use of a Snapdragon 800-series chipset – albeit a toned-down one – also gives gamers a lot more processing power than we’ve seen on a Nord handset before (and that’s saying something!). Few mobiles at this price perform better under benchmark tests than this OnePlus.

I’m now on my sixth paragraph, and I’ve only talked about performance and display, and the reason is simple: while these two departments see notable increases, most other aspects of the phone show either no improvement or, in a surprising number of areas, spec downgrades from last year’s phone.

Some of these are minor changes. For example, the shift to a solid glass body instead of a two-tone metal one makes the handset look a lot more generic, but feel more premium, so some would argue about this being a downgrade at all.

Many more changes are inexplicable and result in a worse user experience, though. For example, the battery is slightly smaller and the charging is also slower, likely to include reverse wired charging, but it’s still an odd change. Plus, there’s less RAM available in the two models, the screen brightness has seen a decrease, there’s no UFS 4.0 for quick storage (admittedly a fairly niche feature), and the phone is also bigger and chunkier than before.

I’d be willing to bet that there’s a good reason, or at least a compromise, for every downgrade listed above. But that doesn’t change the fact that certain departments are worse off, and while the starting price of the Nord 4 is lower than that of the Nord 5, you’re actually paying more for the new model if you want to match the 12GB RAM capacity of last year’s entry-level configuration (the Nord 5 starts at 8GB of RAM).

It’s disappointing to see this many downgrades, but at the end of the day, the OnePlus Nord 5 is still a strong mid-range Android phone. It’s just one that offers a dubious ‘upgrade’ over the Nord 4, and in fact may not be worth buying at all if you can find its predecessor available at a discount (which really isn’t too hard, judging by my three minutes of research…).

Plus, its clipped wings make it fall behind the flock a little way in the competitive mid-range Android market, when its similar-priced rivals have even more powerful chipsets and more processing power.

OnePlus Nord 5 review: price and availability

(Image credit: Future)

  • Announced in July 2025; US launch unlikely
  • £399 / AU$799 (roughly $600) for 8GB RAM, 256GB storage
  • £499 / AU$899 (roughly $700) gets you 12GB RAM, 512GB storage

The OnePlus Nord 5 was announced in early July 2025 – exclusively to TechRadar, I may add – and went on sale shortly afterwards. It wasn’t alone, with the OnePlus Buds 4, OnePlus Pad Lite, OnePlus Nord CE5, and OnePlus Watch sharing the spotlight.

You can pick up the phone for £399 / AU$799 (roughly $600, though don’t expect it to go on sale in the US as OnePlus offers a completely different line-up of Nord phones there). The default model has 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, but you can also pick up a 12GB/512GB model for £499 / AU$899 (roughly $700).

On paper, this is a favorable comparison to the OnePlus Nord 4, but the Nord 5 does offer less RAM as standard. Last year’s phone had a 12GB/256GB model for £429 (around $550, AU$820 at the time) and a 16GB/512GB option for £529 (around $680 / AU$1,000). Technically, then, the Nord 5 is cheaper, but you’re getting less for that money – you’ll actually pay more to get 12GB of RAM.

However much value you think this £399 / AU$799 starting price gets you, the OnePlus Nord 5 sits in the murky area between budget phone and mid-ranger, a no-man’s land that’s incredibly competitive for Android phone buyers.

OnePlus Nord 5 review: specs

Here’s the spec sheet in full for the OnePlus Nord 5:

Swipe to scroll horizontallyOnePlus Nord 5 specsHeader Cell – Column 0 Header Cell – Column 1

Dimensions:

163.4 x 77 x 8.1mm

Weight:

211g

Screen:

6.83-inch 20:9 FHD (1272 x 2800) 144Hz Swift AMOLED

Chipset:

Snapdragon 8s Gen 3

RAM:

8GB / 12GB

Storage:

256GB / 512GB

OS:

Android 15, OxygenOS 15

Primary camera:

50MP, f/1.8

Ultra-wide camera:

8MP f/2.2 116-degree

Front camera:

50MP, f/2.0

Audio:

Stereo speakers

Battery:

5,200mAh

Charging:

80W wired

Colors:

Marble Sands, Phantom Grey, Dry Ice.

OnePlus Nord 5 review: design

(Image credit: Future)

  • Newly boring design
  • Glass adds premium feel
  • New mappable Plus Key is handy

The Nords have never exactly been lookers, and the OnePlus Nord 5 continues that tradition as one of the most boring-looking phones I’ve seen recently. I hope you plan to hide it in a case!

The phone is a big ‘chocolate-bar’ style box, coming in gray, white, or ice blue, depending on which variant you pick up. At 163.4 x 77 x 8.1mm, it’s a little on the big side, and at 211g, it’s slightly heavier than your average phone too.

Due to the phone’s size, the power button and volume rocker on its right edge are both quite hard to reach with your thumb, even with big hands like mine. Opposite them at the top of the handset’s left edge is the Plus Key, which you can customize in function; press and hold to open the camera, turn on Do Not Disturb, turn on the torch, and so on, with a fair range of options. It’s really useful, replacing OnePlus’ previous alert slider with a solid upgrade.

Rounding out our tour of the phone, there’s a USB-C port on the bottom edge as well as the SIM tray, which can allow for dual SIMs. No 3.5mm headphone jack here.

OnePlus has ditched the metal back of the Nord 5’s predecessor in favor of the premium-feeling but fragile glass, and I found the phone to readily pick up my fingerprints – though these were only visible from certain angles.

The glass of the screen is Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, which is designed to be hardy and survive bumps. Talking about durability, the handset has an IP65 rating to ensure it’s fully protected against solid dust particles, as well as jets of water, but not submersion in liquid.

OnePlus Nord 5 review: display

(Image credit: Future)

  • 6.83-inch, 1272 x 2800 resolution
  • New high refresh rate at 144Hz but lower max brightness
  • Aqua Touch feature returns

It’s in the display department where the OnePlus Nord 5 gets some of its biggest upgrades, and they all work together to make it a great device for entertainment.

Take, for instance, its sheer size. At 6.83 inches diagonally, it’s now one of the biggest panels on any Android phone right now, giving you lots of space to enjoy your game or TV show. The resolution, at 1272 x 2800, has remained the same from the Nord 4.

Another improvement is in the screen refresh rate, which now hits 144Hz. Admittedly, it’s rare that many people will make the most of this spec, as it’s only useful for a particularly narrow number of mobile games, but it’s an improvement nonetheless. It’s countered by a lower max brightness, though.

Elsewhere, you’re looking at what OnePlus calls Swift AMOLED, and while that first word seems mostly a marketing addition, you’re still getting a high-spec panel with a billion colors supported, 1800 nits max brightness, and Corning Gorilla Glass 7i for protection.

While it’s less of a selling point in OnePlus’ marketing materials this year, the Nord 5 brings back one of its predecessor’s best features in Aqua Touch. This ensures that you can tap on the screen and get accurate results even when the display (or your finger) is wet.

OnePlus Nord 5 review: software

(Image credit: Future)

  • Android 15 with OxygenOS 15, and four annual updates
  • Unique features couple with attractive UI
  • Lots of bloatware but few bugs

The OnePlus Nord 5 comes running Android 15, but with the company’s OxygenOS 15 layered over the top. OnePlus has pledged 4 years of Android updates as well as an additional 2 years of security updates, so the Nord will last until 2029 for software boots and 2031 for overall protection.

As with all Android forks, this is largely a design change, but I feel OxygenOS harks quite closely to stock Android in layout while being quite different and distinct in aesthetic. It has bold and punchy colors but more restraint than some other Android-alikes.

OxygenOS remains one of the most popular of these Android forks, despite the love growing more muted in recent years, and features like Zen Space (which locks your phone for a set time while you work) and the preinstalled translation app help explain why.

Re-reading my Nord 4 review, I recalled how buggy I found the software last time around. I needed this reminder, because it wasn’t the case with the Nord 5: it worked flawlessly, never throwing an issue at me, and constantly being snappy and quick to navigate.

You can expect two things from a mid-range Android phone from a Chinese maker: bloatware and random AI features being thrown at you. And the Nord 5 certainly has the former, with loads of unwanted games, social media apps, and OnePlus’ own additions all cluttering up the home page.

However, OnePlus has seemingly learnt the lesson that the average consumer just isn’t as interested in dubiously-useful AI features as tech fans, because I didn’t find myself being bombarded with odd little features and gimmicks bearing those two foreboding vowels. Other than the replacement of Google Assistant with the infamously goofy Gemini, something which has affected all Android phones over the last few years, the Nord 5’s AI features are largely confined to the camera.

OnePlus Nord 5 review: cameras

(Image credit: Future)

  • 50MP main and 8MP ultra-wide cameras, 50MP up front
  • Results are nothing to write home about
  • A few -post features are all handy

Curiously, OnePlus has been touting the camera department as one of the key areas of the OnePlus Nord 5. I’m not sure why, though, because it’s largely unchanged from the array on the previous-gen model, and so it’s just as unimpressive.

The handset packs a 50MP f/1.8 main and 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera, both of which are fractionally wider-angle than last time around, but that seems to be the only change.

These cameras are totally fine; the reason many Android companies have clung to the same 50MP sensors for years now is that they’re totally fit for purpose without costing too much money. Pictures are bright enough to make sense and have a fair amount of detail.

But you’re not getting amazing dynamic range, or genius smart optimization, nor all the versatility that a zoom lens (or even a passable ultra-wide lens – 8MP, really?) offers. The phone also has a tendency to blow out brighter areas of a shot and lose a lot of detail in the darker ones.

(Image credit: Future)

The ultra-wide camera takes pictures that are noticeably more vibrant, as you’ll see below, but they lack detail where it matters. The lens also facilitates a macro mode, but I found this quite hard to focus, especially with it turning on automatically at inconvenient times, and its use of the ultra-wide’s sensor means that you get the resulting oversaturated image too. That said, I find the vast majority of macro modes far worse, so props to OnePlus for that.

As I mentioned before, the camera department is where the most AI features exist. There’s the eraser tool that most Androids have nowadays to remove unwanted background items, as well as a tool to reframe pictures (which basically means it just crops them). There’s also a detail boost, which can help if you’ve zoomed in too far and have lost quality, an unblurrer for objects in motion, and a reflection eraser, which does what it says on the tin. These are all helpful to make little tweaks to a photo if there’s an error.

The Nord 5’s AI tools are the lion’s share of its features, with few actual shooting modes. Expect the basics: photo, video, Portrait, Pro, and a few extra low-light and video modes for certain situations. You can shoot video at up to 4K/60fps and down to 720p/240fps or 1080p/120fps for slow-motion.

The one noteworthy camera upgrade here is in the front-facing camera, which has jumped all the way up to a 50MP resolution. This gives you plenty more pixels to play around with, should you want to crop or reframe a selfie, although by default, selfies are shot in a pixel-binned 12.5MP, and you need to select Hi-Res mode in the camera app to get full 50MP.

OnePlus Nord 5 camera samples

Image 1 of 10

(Image credit: Future)

A picture of a gallery on a sunny day taken at 1x zoom. In real life the surrounding trees were a lot more varied in their ‘green’-ness.

(Image credit: Future)

A picture of a some flowers on a sunny day taken at 1x zoom. Note how the two parts have different focus.

(Image credit: Future)

A photo of some headphones taken indoors. I took the pictures for my Denon AH-C500W review using the Nord, and while the images in that review are all tweaked using editing software, this one isn’t.

(Image credit: Future)

A cup of coffee taken at 1x zoom.

(Image credit: Future)

Now let’s move into some modes. First up, this is a lake taken at 1x zoom to compare to the next image…

(Image credit: Future)

… which was taken on the ultra-wide camera. Note that it’s brighter and more vibrant but lots of detail is lost, especially in the background trees.

(Image credit: Future)

This is a standard selfie, taken to contrast to the next image…

(Image credit: Future)

… which is taken on Portrait mode, which has a light-touch effect but adds some bokeh background blur.

(Image credit: Future)

Finally, to macro. This is a piece of jammy toast taken on the main camera once again…

(Image credit: Future)

… and here it is in macro mode: much brighter but lacking depth of field. Note that I didn’t move the phone at all, and the changed framing is because it’s using a different camera and lens.

OnePlus Nord 5: performance and audio

  • Big upgrade to Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset
  • Two models: 8GB/256GB or 12GB/512GB
  • Bluetooth 5.4 or USB-C port for audio, no jack

OnePlus touts the Nord 5’s performance as its key selling point, and you can see why by just looking at the specs: they all reach above what you’d expect from a phone at this price point.

The chipset is a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 from Qualcomm, which is effectively a slightly-downgraded version of last year’s top-end Android chipset. It’s admittedly not the very fastest chipset being used in budget phones, with a successor announced several months prior to the Nord’s release (and many affordable Androids opting instead for non-Snapdragon 800-series chips, which are again more powerful), but it’s still a real perk of the phone.

The phone is blazingly fast, returning one of the best multi-core scores I’ve ever seen from a Geekbench test. Over three tests, it averaged 5,147, and I’d say anything above 4,500 is a fantastic score. More impressively, the scores I got stayed consistent even when the phone was heating up, which is certainly not always true in this price range, and it points to the Nord handling long gaming sessions well.

This high score shows from gaming to photo editing, and even when you’re whizzing around the phone’s menus. A few mid-rangers have a more powerful chipset, but I don’t see why you’d need more (or even this amount, really…)

As you read in the price section, there are two versions of the phone: one with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, and another that increases those capacities to 12GB/512GB. I tested the latter, which explains why the Nord felt so fast to use; I can’t speak to how the 8GB model runs, but it’s quite a price hike to get the higher-memory variant, so I don’t blame you for settling.

Audio-wise, OnePlus doesn’t rewrite any rules: there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack, and the stereo speakers sound totally fit for purpose, but they won’t replace your Dolby Atmos speakers any time soon. You can also listen to music by pairing headphones to the Nord, which supports Bluetooth 5.4.

  • Performance score: 4.5 / 5

OnePlus Nord 5 review: battery life

  • Smaller 5,200mAh battery
  • Fast 80W charging
  • Reverse wired charging lets you power up other gadgets

(Image credit: Future)

For the last few years, mid-range phone batteries have been ballooning in size, and with that in mind, the OnePlus Nord’s 5,200mAh power pack feels relatively restrained. It’s still big, just not huge like I’d expected, and it’s actually smaller than the Nord 4’s.

Downgrade aside, the phone will last for a day of ordinary use with no sweat, and you can get comfortably into day two of use before needing to charge the device up. Alternatively, if you want to use your phone pretty intensely, I can still see it lasting a full day of use.

Battery life doesn’t match the Nord 4, though, with the power pack’s decrease exacerbated by the bigger screen, which needs more juice.

As a side note, the version of the phone on sale in certain regions like Australia and India has a 6,800mAh battery, which, as you mathematicians may be able to work out, is much bigger and will last for much longer. No such luck for everyone else, though.

Another battery downgrade comes in the charging department, which is down 20W to 80W in the Nord 5. That’s still very fast, and the lost speed is made up for by the presence of reverse wired charging. This lets you use a USB-C to USB-C cable to charge up other devices using the Nord.

OnePlus Nord 5 review: value

(Image credit: Future)

Thanks to its new low price, the OnePlus Nord 5 does represent value for money, though it’ll depend exactly on what you’re looking for.

Thanks to its high-spec display and processor, the Nord feels like a premium phone for certain tasks like gaming and watching movies, and so you can easily convince yourself you’re using a top-end mobile if these are your main uses for a phone.

Myriad downgrades over the previous-gen model do make the Nord 5 feel like slightly poorer value, though, so if I were considering this newer model, I’d definitely also check what kind of discounts the year-older Nord 4 was enjoying.

Should you buy the OnePlus Nord 5?

Swipe to scroll horizontallyOnePlus Nord 5 score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

You’re roughly getting what you paid for in this decent-value device.

3.5 / 5

Design

A boring design, but the Plus Key is a useful addition.

3.5 / 5

Display

Big, bold and colorful, the huge panel is a boon for entertainment fans.

4 / 5

Software

OxygenOS remains great to use, with at least four years of upgrades promised to fans.

4 / 5

Camera

The cameras are nothing to write home about but they get the job done.

3 / 5

Performance

OnePlus keeps giving the Nord more power, even if there’s less RAM. Super powerful!

4.5 / 5

Battery

Slight battery and charging downgrades probably won’t affect many users.

3.5 / 5

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

OnePlus Nord 5 review: Also consider

There’s one obvious OnePlus Nord 5 competitor that I apparently can’t shut up about, but there are also a few other competitive mobiles on the market.

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

OnePlus Nord 5

OnePlus Nord 4

Xiaomi Poco F7

Nothing Phone 3a Pro

Starting price (at launch):

£399 / AU$799 (roughly $600)

£429 (roughly $550, AU$820)

£389 / $399 (roughly AU$750)

$459 / £449 / AU$849

Dimensions:

163.4 x 77 x 8.1mm

162.6 x 75 x 8mm

163.1 x 77.9 x 8.2mm

163.52 x 77.5 x 8.39mm

Weight:

111g

199.5g

215.7g

211g

OS (at launch):

Android 15, OxygenOS 15

Android 14, OxygenOS 14.1

Android 15, HyperOS 2

Android 15, NohtingOS 3.1

Screen Size:

6.83-inch

6.74-inch

6.83-inch

6.77-inch

Resolution:

1272 x 2800

1240 x 2772

2772 x 1280

1080 x 2392

CPU:

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3

Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4

Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3

RAM:

8GB / 12GB

12GB / 16GB

12GB

12GB

Storage (from):

256GB / 512GB

256GB / 512GB

256GB / 512GB

256GB

Battery:

5,200mAh

5,500mAh

6,500mAh

5,000mAh

Rear Cameras:

50MP main, 8MP ultra-wide

50MP main, 8MP ultra-wide

50MP main, 8MP ultra-wide

50MP main,. 50MP zoom, 8MP ultra-wide

Front camera:

50MP

16MP

20MP

50MP

How I tested the OnePlus Nord 5

(Image credit: Future)

  • Review test period = 2.5 weeks
  • Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
  • Tools used = Geekbench 6, Geekbench ML, GFXBench, native Android stats

To write this review, I tested the OnePlus Nord 5 for two weeks, but it got an extra half-week of play while I was writing this review.

I conducted a mix of experiential and ‘lab’-style testing. Experiential means I used the phone like anyone else would: playing games, using social media, taking it on trips, and taking photos on the go. Lab tests were when I put it through benchmark tests and the like.

As you can tell by my software gripes, this testing process is rigorous, and it also involves some benchmark tests and tools so that we can compare phones against themselves in an objective way.

I’ve been reviewing smartphones for TechRadar since early 2019, and in that time have used plenty of mobiles from OnePlus, as well as other devices in the price segment. This includes the Nord 4 from last year, and many of its 2025 rivals.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2025

OnePlus Nord 5: Price Comparison



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Humus walking around
Product Reviews

I jumped into the management god game Sintopia, only to have all my devil workers go on strike because I spent too much money on punishing sinners

by admin



Despite my love for management sims and all my best intentions when playing them, something always ends up going wrong. The real game isn’t to see how long I can keep the charade up, but how much I can manage to get done within the relatively short window of peace before everything goes to Hell.

The fact that Sintopia takes place in Hell half the time probably should have warned me about how well my antics would go, but I didn’t take the hint. Instead, I started my new job as manager of Hell and overlord of the humus, a sentient population of chickpeas.

(Image credit: Team 17)

Sintopia is kind of like two games in one. The overworld plays like a god game that has you casting spells to influence the humus. They go about their daily business with pretty limited intervention from you, farming crops, cutting down trees, electing a monarch to rule over them, and exploring the map to find new treasures and expand their village.


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I did spend a little bit of time helping them, like using a wind spell to blow away vicious animals that would attack hunting parties or ringing bells outside their homes at night to stop them from overpopulating the map. But if you asked the jumus, they probably would have a different, more violent story to tell, as to make money in Sintopia, you need to process souls, and to get souls to process, you need to kill humus.

The flipside of Sintopia is a management game located down in the belly of Hell. Here, you process the dead humus’ souls, squeeze all the sins that they’ve built up in the overworld out of them for cash and then send them on their way to be reincarnated in the overworld.

(Image credit: Team 17)

Your sin processing plant, like most management games, starts simple: Just build a couple of roads and buildings to help you extract all the humus’ sins. There are also basic buildings which drain the humus of their sins, earning you cash as it does so.

But these functions extract minimal profit out of the process. If you want to maximise your cash, you’ll need to start researching and investing in Sin Punishment Specialists. You can unlock rooms dedicated to each of the seven deadly sins: lust, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, pride, and gluttony.

I lacked the one thing they really wanted: a good wage and a nice work environment.

These will unlock buildings that you can place and send humus to if they have a particularly high meter for a specific sin. It’ll completely deplete their sins and give you more cash so you can build more infrastructure, like breakrooms for your demon workers, and give your employees raises or just pay them a fair wage. Something I may have forgotten to do:In my haste and greed, I got carried away with killing humus to fuel Hell’s production lines and exploiting the environment to build more money-making rooms, and forgot about looking after my employees.

I built them a breakroom, put up a few inspirational posters, and even set up a happy balloon demon to motivate them, but I lacked the one thing they really wanted: a good wage and a nice work environment.

Image 1 of 5

(Image credit: Team 17)(Image credit: Team 17)(Image credit: Team 17)(Image credit: Team 17)(Image credit: Team 17)

Lewis was the first demon worker to go on strike. I pushed him aside, kicking the ungrateful worker into some lava and opting to hire someone else for less money. But the peace didn’t last long, as after a while every single demon worker went on strike, seizing the means of production and stopping the cash flow.

Armed with the knowledge that my actions actually have consequences, I started a new save, with an eagle eye at all times on my employees’ wages and happiness. Luckily, this time things turned out better as I slowly built up production alongside my valued staff in Hell and the chosen monarch of the humus, Tiberius Snakenelly, who inspired his people to work hard and increase productivity in the overworld.

Even after all of these antics, I feel as if I’ve only scratched the surface of Sintopia. There’s so much room to perfect Hell’s production lines with intricate layouts, like using sorting gates that section particular humus into specific roads, so you can create the most efficient layout possible.

Then there’s everything that can play out in the overworld, like killing kings who don’t inspire their subordinates, fighting off rogue groups, and having to deal with an end-of-the-world type scenario. If you fail to squeeze all the sins out of a humus, their sin meter will reach 100% and this will turn them into a demon who will set up shop in the overworld and periodically launch attacks on your humus population. I haven’t got to this point yet, but it’s probably just a matter of time before it happens.



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These Climate Hacks to Save the Poles Could Totally Backfire
Product Reviews

These Climate Hacks to Save the Poles Could Totally Backfire

by admin


Last year, the United Nations predicted that Earth’s average temperature could rise more than 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius) by 2100 if we don’t reduce global emissions. That level of warming would cause catastrophic, irreversible damage to ecosystems, underscoring the urgent need to slow the pace of climate change.

Still, the amount of greenhouse gases humans pump into the atmosphere continues to rise. Without sufficient progress on the emissions front, some scientists have suggested another route: artificially counteracting global warming through geoengineering. Many of these controversial solutions aim to mitigate climate breakdown in the polar regions, but a review published Tuesday in Frontiers in Science concludes that even the most widely recognized proposals are likely to cause more harm than good.

“I find that there’s been confusion between urgency and haste,” co-author Ben Orlove, a professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University, told Gizmodo. “Though we recognize the urgency of action, that should never serve as an excuse for incompletely reviewed proposals moving forward.”

Polar regions under pressure

Earth’s polar regions are warming faster than the average global temperature. Experts predict this will lead to severe and irreversible consequences both regionally and globally, such as local ecosystem collapse and sea level rise. Proponents of geoengineering often cite this as a driving force behind efforts to implement such strategies in the Arctic and Antarctic, but none of them are backed by robust, real-world testing at scale.

For this review, an international team of researchers evaluated five geoengineering concepts designed to slow the pace of ice melt in the polar regions. The ideas include spraying reflective particles into the atmosphere, using giant underwater curtains to shield ice shelves from warm water, artificially thickening or boosting the reflectivity of sea ice, pumping water out from underneath glaciers, and adding nutrients to polar oceans to stimulate blooms of carbon-sequestering phytoplankton.

More problems than solutions

The researchers evaluated each proposed solution’s scope of implementation, effectiveness, feasibility, negative consequences, cost, and governance with respect to their deployment at scale. According to their assessment, all five ideas would lead to environmental damages such as the disruption of habitats, migration routes, the ocean’s natural chemical cycle, global climate patterns, and more.

Additionally, the authors estimate that each proposal would cost at least $10 billion to implement and maintain. This is likely an underestimate, they say, pointing to hidden costs that would undoubtedly arise as environmental and logistical consequences come into play. What’s more, polar regions lack sufficient governance to regulate these projects, necessitating extensive political negotiation and new frameworks before large-scale deployment.

Even if these tactics offered some benefit, none could scale fast enough to meaningfully address the climate crisis within the limited time available to do so, the researchers concluded.

“It is clear to us that the assessed approaches are not feasible, and that further research into these techniques would not be an effective use of limited time and resources,” the authors write, emphasizing the importance of focusing on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and conducting fundamental research in the polar regions.

Not every fix is worth the risk

Orlove hopes these findings encourage the scientific community and decision-makers to exercise scrutiny before investing time and money in polar geoengineering projects. “One of the things that troubles me is the claim that climate change is so severe that we need to try all possible methods, and blocking any possible solution is an error,” he said.

“There is a long history in medical research of not undertaking certain experiments on living humans and not attempting extreme cures that just seem unethical,” Orlove said. “But when it comes to experimenting on the planet—and its immediate effect on people—that kind of awareness doesn’t come forward.”



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50% Off LG Promo Codes & Coupons
Product Reviews

50% Off LG Promo Codes & Coupons

by admin


LG makes some of the best TVs you can buy. Its OLED TVs in particular are perennial favorites at WIRED, with C-series models like the C4 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) providing among the best performance for your dollars on the market. LG is about way more than TVs of course. The Korean brand offers multiple products across the A/V landscape, from soundbars to Bluetooth speakers, along with a host of other products like home appliances, laptops, and more. Save over 40% with LG promo codes and online exclusive discounts on home appliances, laptops, and more tech.

Save 20% With Today’s LG Promo Codes

If you’re looking to save on LG gear today, you can get up to 20% back on your first order with select eligible products when you sign up for LG rewards with your email address. Simply go to the My LG Membership rewards page, follow the instructions to sign up, fill your cart, and use code WELCOME20.

If you’re ready to check out one of those TVs mentioned above, LG’s C4 and the ultra-bright step-up model G4 are both eligible right now in 77-inch sizes. Otherwise, there are plenty of other products to shop currently on sale that you stack with MyLG Rewards for 5% back and points on every purchase.

Labor Day Discounts: 40% Off TVs, Fridges, Washers, and More LG Coupons

There are also online exclusive offers for the LG’s Labor Day Savings Event continuing to roll out this month. Deals include up to 67% off TVs and appliances, perks like free delivery to the room of choice, and free installation included on a variety of appliances purchased. Some of our favorites are on deep discount, like fridges as low as $599, French Door Refrigerators up to $1,700 off, washer/dryer combos up to $1,000 off, and Smart Wifi enabled ovens and electric/gas ranges up to a whopping $1,900 off.

Fall is near, which means football season—and staying inside more generally—is on the horizon. Now’s a great time to invest in a TV that will last. Samsung has sales just in time, with up to $300 off LG OLED AI Smart TVs, from 55 to 100 inches. Plus, you can get $900 off the new 77 inch Class OLED evo AI C5 4K, now $2,800. There’s also savings of up to $500 off, with same-day pickup in store on select models if you want to purchase with online discounts and get it ASAP—perfect for those in the middle of binging a season when the vertical bars of death appear on the screen. There’s also deals for $499 off the 86 inch QNED evo AI Mini LED 4K Smart TV and $399 off the 75 inch model.

Save Up To $1,000 With LG Bundle Offers and Back to School Tech Deals

Summer is winding down, and back to school deals are back. With discounts of essential academic tech, like up to 40% off lightweight laptops and monitors—plus an extra 5-10% off when you bundle 2 or more). Some bestsellers we’ve seen trending this season are UltraGear Gaming Monitors and Curved UltraWide QHD Monitors. Plus, if you want an upgrade, there’s up to $1,000 off LG gram Copilot/AI enabled laptops. If you need to stock up on tech, LG and LG STUDIO appliances have bundle offers, which include up to $1,000 off with Instant Rebate specials and extra $150 off with trade-in (which includes free delivery).

There are also bonus discounts if you buy LG STUDIO models, including the LG Studio UltraHeat gas cooktop for $600 off, discounts of $800 for the Instaview Electric Slide-in range, and $350 off a Over Range Convection Microwave with Air Fryer.

Students, Teachers, and First Responders Get a 10% Off LG Promo Code

Looking for further discounts? If you’re a teacher, student, or first responder, you could receive an additional LG Promo Code for more savings. To see if you’re eligible, simply click on the LG Appreciation Program link and follow the info to register your account. Exclusive discounts include free installation on refrigerators, cooking ranges, and washer/dryers, including select LG Studio and LG Signature appliances. You could also get year-round savings on LG products with a minimum guaranteed discount of 10% compared to LG.com sale prices.

Get up to 20% Back With MyLG Rewards or 5% Off Referral Code

With MyLG Rewards, you can get up to 20% back in rewards, as well as exclusive deals, extended warranties, and free installation. Eligible rewards members can get an additional 5% off LG products if you refer a friend or loved one with the LG Referral program when they make an eligible purchase of $200 or more. They’ll get 5% off, and you’ll earn 5,000 MyLG Rewards points, so it’s a win-win. This coupon is stackable with other promotions too, so you can still take advantage of the many other featured discounts.

When to Get the Best Discounts on LG of the Year

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are often the biggest times to save on LG gear, but the brand has promotions going all year. Last year’s LG TV models like the C4 and G4 are both on sale right now, as again the company clears out stock for 2025. Those are frankly the best deals you’ll likely see this year, including Black Friday, but if you’re not interested in last year’s models, there are already some discounts on the next wave.

LG’s new evo G5 OLED TV is poised to be one of the brightest, most beautiful TVs released this year. I saw it in person at CES 2025, and from my brief time with it I can already tell you its new quad-stack panel is a scorcher that keeps the perfect black levels and fabulous colors for which LG OLED TVs are praised. They’ve rolled out their latest version, the OLED evo AI G5 4K Smart TV, enhanced with AI for more personalization, an ultra crisp picture, and even less lag time. On top of up to $400 off, get free professional wall mounting, a free $200 TV stand, and $200 off when you bundle with a matching soundbar.

Looking for something for the kitchen or laundry room? You could save $200 on select Heat Pump laundry bundles, or up to 45% off on LG’s best-selling appliances. There are plenty of other ways to save, so if you’re excited to get your LG on, check out these deals now.



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Product Reviews

The best DACs for Apple Music Lossless in 2025

by admin


Apple Music is one of the few streaming services that offers high-resolution audio (aka “lossless”) at no extra charge. But enjoying that extra quality on your phone usually requires some extra hardware. That is the purpose of this guide, — to help you find exactly what you need depending on how you prefer to listen. Every product listed below will help you squeeze more audio quality out of your Apple Music subscription. In fact, whatever music service you use, your listening experience will be enhanced. Best of all, most of these recommendations are compatible with Android, Mac and Windows devices, too.

Fortunately, as data plans become more generous and technology advances, listening to these larger-files in their full glory is less of a challenge. There are still some hardware hurdles though, especially if you use AirPods (or any wireless headphones) as Bluetooth technology is theoretically capable of delivering some higher-resolution audio, and Apple products don’t support the required technology (codecs such as Aptx, LDAC etc.). Confusingly, there are also different levels of “lossless” on Apple Music, with standard “CD quality” audio and then “Hi-Res Lossless” files that are recorded at even higher data rates. But don’t worry, we have a solution for you below, no matter how you prefer to listen to your music.

Of course, a DAC or dongle is only part of the equation — your headphones or speakers are also just as important. So if you’re looking for the absolute best audio experience be sure to check out our guide to the best headphones. Although these options are wireless, many can be used with a cable, too, making them the perfect pairing for our recommendations below.

Best DACs for 2025

James Trew for Engadget

Fiio’s affordable KA11 dongle contains a DAC with a maximum resolution of 32bit/384kHz — which is well above Apple Music’s top-tier “Hi-Res” lossless format (24bit/192kHz) — so you can be sure that you’re getting every last bit of quality out of whatever you’re listening to. Best of all, the KA11 is powerful, too, with a higher volume output than Apple’s on headphone adapter (more on this below). At around $30, this dongle is the best bang for your buck when it comes to upgrading the audio experience on your iPhone, Android, PC or Mac. There’s even a Lightning version available for those with older iPhones and iPads.

We particularly like the simplicity of Fiio’s KA11 as it’s plug-and-play with no need to charge it. It’s only slightly bigger than a typical headphone adapter and it comes with a rugged, woven cable, so it can handle a lot of wear and tear. There’s even a small LED on the front that lets you know if you’re listening to standard, high, or higher-resolution files so you can be confident you’re getting the most out of your music in real time.

$33 at Amazon

Apple

Yes, it’s the Apple headphone adapter you know and (maybe) love, but it’s worth considering if you want something super lightweight and even more affordable. Apple’s dongle doesn’t support the larger, Hi-Res files available on its music service, but it can handle the standard lossless (24bit/48kHz) format no problem. As you’d expect, it’s available in Lightning and USB-C versions depending on which Apple device you’re connecting it to.

Sure, the most demanding listeners might lament the lack of support for the higher resolutions, and it can be a little quiet with some headphones that are high impedance (typically more expensive “audiophile” models). For the vast majority of users, though, Apple’s dongle will do the job. If you’re not sure, check the manual for your headphones and look for Impedance (often listed as Ohms) — anything below around 150Ohms and you should be fine. Anything above that, and you might want to consider Fiio’s dongle instead.

$15 at Adorama

iFi

While this guide is primarily focused on Apple Music, most of the gear here will unlock lossless audio no matter where you listen. If Tidal is your platform of choice, you might be familiar with the MQA codec, which the company used for its high-resolution audio until eventually switching to FLAC in 2024. MQA might not be as common in streaming anymore, but if you still want to make sure you can listen to music from stores or services that provide it, the iFi GO Link will have you covered, along with the standard Apple Music high resolution audio formats, and anything else, up to 32-bit/384kHz.

$59 at Macy’s

James Trew for Engadget

Sennheiser’s BTD700 is a wireless adapter that plugs into your phone, upgrading its Bluetooth capabilities with the latest high-resolution codecs such as Aptx Adaptive and Aptx Lossless. iPhones don’t support any of these natively, but with this small dongle, you can unlock the full potential of Bluetooth audio and the higher bitrates (and in theory audio quality) Aptx Lossless offers. There’s a small caveat, though: you will need Bluetooth headphones that also support one of these codecs such as these or these (or check the product page of the set you own or are considering).

The BTD700 is simple to use, just plug it in to your phone’s (or other device’s) USB-C port, pair your headphones to it and off you go. An LED on the dongle lets you know which of the six different Bluetooth “qualities” (codecs) you’re enjoying so you will know when you’re listening to lossless audio. The handy part? Once you’ve paired your headphones with the dongle, you won’t need to re-pair if you connect the BTD700 to a PC or Mac. This little adapter effectively gives anything with a USB-C port an audio upgrade, and there’s even a low-latency mode for gaming. Note, there’s no Lightning option here, so if you’re on an older phone you might have to live with using an adapter.

$60 at Macy’s

James Trew for Engadget

If you’re looking to take things to the next level without spending “high-end” money, there’s a lot to love about the Melody DAC from Snowsky. Unlike a simple dongle, the Melody has onboard controls and two headphone jacks. One of those is for regular 3.5mm headphones, but the other is for 4.4mm “balanced” headphones, which means the Melody can grow with you if your audio journey takes you deeper into the world of audiophilia.

The wood finish gives it a classy feel and although it’s light, it still delivers that quality “Hi-Fi” feel. As for sound quality, there’s support for 384K/32bit sample rates, which covers everything Apple Music can deliver. The built-in amplifier can easily go louder than you should probably ever listen and there are other luxuries, too, such as support for inline microphones — so you can still handle calls and take meetings on your phone. We also love that you can tailor the sound to your preference via the Fiio Control companion app.

$40 at Amazon

Fanmusic

While you can squeeze an impressive amount of audio tech into a headphone adapter, a slightly bigger device affords a decent step up in both specs and features. Moondrop’s Moonriver T2i DAC is slightly larger than a pack of gum, and it has a stylish design that doesn’t look like a boring, generic dongle.

Importantly, the Moonriver T2i builds on the success of the company’s Moonriver 2 DAC. The “2” partly refers to the use of dual DAC chips here, which delivers a “balanced” signal. Each channel can handle up to 32bit/384KHz resolution and there are two headphone ports. One for standard 3.5mm headphones and another for 4.4mm connections — making use of that balanced output. If this is your first step into the world of Hi-Fi DACs, you’re totally fine with 3.5mm headphones, but some prefer the 4.4mm connector as it provides more power and potential signal benefits, especially if you’re using a headphone amp.

With the Moonriver T2i you have a couple more practical advantages. For one, there are physical volume controls on the device itself. If you ever felt that the 16 levels of loudness on the iPhone (I just counted) weren’t enough, then the 100 steps of adjustment on the Moonriver T2i (via companion software) eliminate any worries about setting the music to the perfect level. If your headphones have an in-line microphone, the good news is that this dongle will pass that through to your phone or PC so you won’t need a separate device for calls.

Most importantly, the sound that comes out of the Moonriver T2i is bright and bold. You’ll hear audiophiles talk about sound stage, detail and width, all you need to know is that this DAC ticks off all the buzzwords and serves up bright, robust sound that’s going to make any lossless/hi-res music really shine.

$198 at Amazon

FiiO

Who said a DAC needs to be a dongle? If you’re looking for something a little more all-in-one then the SP3 BT active speakers from Fiio are a great option. We like that, for the same price as many standalone DACs, you have everything you need to decode high-resolution music from almost any source with USB-C and Aux inputs for phones along with standard Hi-Fi connections such as optical, RCA and coaxial.

These speakers didn’t make it to our testing bench, but the SP3 BTs regularly receive praise for their sound and premium build quality at a reasonable price. For Bluetooth listening, there’s support for both Aptx Adaptive and HD along with Sony’s rival LDAC making these speakers something of an audio swiss-army knife. While these speakers will make a perfect companion to your home office or workspace, they can easily find a home in your living room or den connecting to any other music players you might have (for vinyl you’ll still need a pre-amp).

$350 at Amazon

James Trew for Engadget

If you’ve had some experience with DACs and are looking to ratchet things up a notch or three, then the Mojo 2 from British company Chord wants to have a word. At $650, this is definitely in the high-end price range, but the experience and features it offers make it worth considering for serious audiophiles. But the brains behind the Mojo 2 have been making digital to analog converters pretty much since there was digital music to even convert. That experience is what makes the Mojo 2 a favorite among music fans.

Most options in this guide are designed for mobile devices first, the Mojo 2 is more of a hybrid device. The mobile dongles above all take their power from the player you connect them to, which is convenient, but obviously is less kind to your phone’s battery life. The Mojo 2 has an internal cell so won’t tax the one in your phone or laptop. It’s small enough to be portable, but substantial enough to live on your desk.

Unlike most DACs that use off the shelf chips to handle the digital-to-audio conversion, the Mojo 2 uses field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology to create its own custom “chip.” It’s also powerful enough to act as both a DAC and a preamp, driving even power-hungry headphones with ease. We’ve seen FPGA gain popularity in gaming circles for its ability to imitate various consoles, but that same flexibility is what makes it interesting to the audio engineers at Chord.

If you need something that’s capital L loud, then the Mojo 2 will not disappoint. Proceed with caution here. It’s actually powerful enough to drive two pairs of headphones at the same time and has two 3.5mm ports so you can do exactly that. The curious circular buttons can also be used to change sound profiles with an excruciating level of detail.

The Mojo 2 has standard USB-C, microUSB, optical and coax inputs so it’s more flexible than a lot of its competition in this regard. Although it’s worth noting that you can only charge the Mojo 2 via microUSB. Of course, there’s a cable provided for this, but if you’ve fully made the switch to USB-C, it’ll mean you have to guard the charging cable closely.

$643 at Amazon

DAC FAQs

What does DAC stand for?

DAC stands for digital to analogue converter. A digital-to-analog converter takes the digital (D) music from your phone or computer and converts (C) it into analog (A) sound you can hear. All phones and PCs have them, but since handsets moved to USB-C, Lightning or Bluetooth for music, the task of converting that signal was generally outsourced to either your adapter or your wireless headphones.

DACs can be used with phones, laptops and desktops but tend to be much simpler than a regular external audio interface. One basic distinction is that DACs are usually for listening only whereas an audio interface might have ports to plug in microphones and instruments (but an external audio interface is also technically a DAC). Some high-end DACs even include XLR outputs for better connectivity with professional audio equipment.

The best DACs tend to be lightweight, making them more suitable for mobile use, although it still gets a little tricky with the iPhone as you still might need to add another dongle to make it play nice with Lightning. Also, not all DACs support all the higher audio resolutions like DSD. Most standalone DACs require external power or an onboard battery, though some can use the power from whatever you plug them into — in which case expect a hit to your battery life.

Why do I need new hardware to listen to music?

The short answer is, you don’t. You can play “hi-res” audio files on most phones and PCs, you just might not be getting the full experience. If your device’s audio interface tops out at 44.1 or 48kHz (which is fairly common and covers the vast majority of music online) then that’s the experience you’ll get. If you want to enjoy better sounding music at a higher sample rate and bit-depth (aka resolution), you’ll need an interface that supports it and wired headphones, potentially using a headphone amp for an enhanced experience.

It’s worth pointing out that “lossless” and “hi-res” are related terms, but not the same thing and will vary from service to service. Apple uses ALAC encoding which is compressed, but without “loss” to the quality (unlike the ubiquitous .aac or .mp3 file formats). CDs were generally mastered to at least 16-bit / 44.1kHz which is the benchmark that Apple is using for its definition of lossless. In audio circles, a general consensus is that hi-res is anything with a sample rate above 44.1kHz. Increasingly, though, the term is being used for anything 96kHz and above.

This, of course, isn’t only about Apple’s new streaming formats. External DACs and audio interfaces are a great way to get the best sound and upgrade your listening experience generally. Especially if you want to get into the world of more exotic (read: pricey) headphones, as they often even require a DAC to provide enough clean digital signal to drive them. For audiophile headphones, a phone or laptop’s internal sound chipset often doesn’t have the oomph needed to deliver a hi-fi experience, meaning a better DAC could make all the difference in sound quality.

Okay, but can’t I just use the headphone adapter for my phone?

No. Well, yes, but see above. A Lightning or USB-C to 3.5mm headphone adapter often is an audio interface and most of the ones you’re buying for $7 (or that come free in the box) do not support hi-res audio beyond 48kHz / 24-bit. Android is a little more complicated, as some adapters are “passive” and really just connect you to the phone’s internal DAC like old school headphones. Others (active ones) have a DAC built-in and good luck finding out what your specific phone and the in-box adapter delivers. (Hint: connect it to a PC and see if it comes up as an audio interface. You might find some details there if it does).

What about Bluetooth headphones?

Chances are that over the last few years you’ve migrated from wired to wireless headphones (thanks, Apple). The world of Bluetooth headphones changes things a little when it comes to seeking better audio performance. What matters here is twofold, the headphones you’re using (as those will technically be the “DAC”) and the codec — the method used to send the musical data over to the headphones.

It’s also worth checking to see if your headphones support aptX and which version. Look out for aptX HD, aptX Adaptive and (for the highest quality) aptX Lossless which are all better than standard and becoming more common, albeit slowly. It’s worth noting that both your phone or media player and your headphones need to support the same aptX codec. Currently, no iPhone supports any type of aptX, though dongles exist that will offer that functionality.

Other higher-resolution Bluetooth codecs exist, like Sony’s LDAC, but Qualcomm’s AptX has wider support thanks to its prevalence in Android devices. Some high-end wireless headphones might even come with a headphone jack for wired connections when higher-quality audio is needed.



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Product Reviews

Dreame U20 review: the affordable cordless vacuum that tackles pet hair impressively well

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.

Dreame U20 cordless vacuum: two-minute review

Hailing from parent company, Xiaomi, Dreame is fast becoming a popular sub-brand with an extensive product lineup. Ranging from wet-dry vacuums, air purifiers, robot vacuums (including a robot lawnmower), cordless stick vacuums and hair dryers, Dreame has it all, and across different budgets, too.

While its high-end robovacs are items to dream about (pun intended), as you can see in our Dreame X50 Ultra review, I’m in love with a much cheaper product that helps me clean up after my pets. The affordable Dreame U20 has become my lifesaver, combining Dyson-like tech with the signature Dreame style. It’s a versatile and lightweight cordless vacuum that delivers great performance for an exceptionally low cost, as it’s very frequently discounted.

Its color scheme belies its budget price point – available in a gorgeous gold and beige colourway, the Dreame U20 looks far more premium than its $249.99 / £250 / AU$399.99 price point suggests.

What I found even more impressive is its suction. For the price, its 120AW power isn’t bad at all, which isn’t too far off the Shark Cordless Detect Pro’s 123AW of suction, and yet it was more than enough to clean my pup’s fur off my sofa and carpets well. Needless to say, it handles hard floors very easily, making it a candidate for being one of the best cordless vacuum cleaners.

It comes with the standard attachments, including a multi-surface brush head with LED blue lights to illuminate dark areas, a mini motorized brush for cleaning upholstery, a crevice tool and a removable battery that’s rated for up to 60 minutes.

Realistically, though, you’ll get no more 37-40 minutes when using the two motorized attachments on the lowest suction, but that’s fine for smaller homes – I can easily vacuum my living area, two bedrooms and two bathrooms within that time. However, if you mostly have carpets, I found it can take longer to get it clean as you may need to go back and forth a few times, thus consuming more battery. The only battery indicator on the U20 is a tiny light on the end cap, which is hard to see while in use, and it blinks when it’s running low. There’s also no quick charging here, and the vacuum can take up to 3.5 hours to fully recharge.

The only other downside to this otherwise great buy is that the dustbin capacity is only 0.5L, meaning you might need to empty it frequently if you have a large home with pets. If you don’t need any more bells and whistles, the Dreame U20 is easy to recommend as a top-notch budget cordless vacuum cleaner.

(Image credit: TechRadar)

  • Dreame U20 at Target for $249.99

Dreame U20 review: price & availability

  • List price: $249.99 / £250 / AU$399
  • Availability: Sold in the US, UK and Australia at third-party retailers

The Dreame U20 can be picked up in the US at Target for a list price of $249.99. It’s also available on Instacart, with supplies stocked at Costco and other smaller retailers. It is currently not available on Dreame’s US store.

In the UK, the list price is £250, and you can pick it up from Amazon UK or Curry’s, but again, the vacuum is currently unavailable at the brand’s UK store.

For customers living in Australia, Amazon AU lists it for AU$399.99, but it’s typically discounted to AU$199.99. Even in Australia, the U20 isn’t available on the Dreame website.

The Dreame website lists 27 countries where its devices are available, including the U20. If you’re having trouble finding the product, check their website to see if it’s available where you live.

Even at full price, the Dreame U20 represents superb value for money, particularly if you can find it at a discounted price. Admittedly it’s a very basic model, so if you want a touch more suction, Dreame has other mid-range models, with the Dreame R20 review scoring very well for balancing price and performance.

  • Value for money score: 5 out of 5

Dreame U20 review: specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Type:

Cordless stick vacuum

Bagless:

Yes

Weight:

7.27 lbs / 3.3kg

Bin size:

0.5 liters / 500ml

Max runtime:

60 mins

Charge time:

3.5 hours

Tools:

Multi-surface brush head, motorized mini brush head, wide combination crevice tool and extension rod

Power:

120AW

Dreame U20 review: design

  • Compact cordless stick vacuum in a lovely color scheme
  • Five attachments, including LED multi-surface brush, mini motorized brush and combination tool
  • Can be used as a stick vacuum or a small handheld vacuum

I’m new to the world of vacuum testing, with just one other for sister site Tom’s Guide under my belt. Needless to say, the Dreame U20 has been quite the dream, especially when it came to design. For me, the gold and beige colorway was a winner, a stray away from the typical grey or black of other competitors. It lends the affordable vacuum a classy look.

Other than that, the Dreame U20 has a stock-standard design which allows it to become a handheld unit quickly for cleaning cars, sofas, mattresses and, hey, even dog beds. To pair with the handheld unit, there’s a motorized mini brush in the box that would be handy for said dog bed and the sofa. It could even be used on carpeted stairs.

(Image credit: TechRadar)

It has a trigger, like most Dyson models, but you don’t need to keep this pressed at all times to run the machine – you just need to click it on and off. There’s just one other control button on the motor’s end cap to change suction modes and that should be easy to reach for most users with the thumb when holding the U20.

The main floor-cleaning attachment is called the Multi-Surface Brush, which features LED blue lights that help illuminate the floor in front of the brush head but don’t highlight miniscule dust particles like Dyson’s Fluffy tool does. And that’s OK because it still helps you see in dark areas – for example, I was able to see scattered kitty litter in an unlit bathroom.

The other attachment in the box is a combination crevice tool, but a wall-mount kit also ships with the vacuum in case you want to stow it away in a convenient place without compromising floor space.

Weighing 3.3kg / 7.27lbs, the Dreame U20 isn’t exactly lightweight (in comparison, the Shark Cordless Detect Pro weighs 2.7kg / 5.9lbs), but it’s still very easy to push around. It measures 16cm x 30cm x 68cm with the extension rod attached.

(Image credit: TechRadar)

The 120AW motor is capable of running at three different speed modes, indicated by three lights on the end cap of the motor. You can switch between the speed settings (low, medium and high) by tapping the button directly below the lights and switching it on by using the trigger. For most cleans, I found I tended to flick between medium and high, especially when cleaning carpets.

According to Dreame, the U20 motor has a multi-layer filtration system that captures up to 99.9% of fine dust and particles. Its HEPA filter also keeps debris out of the air and inside the bin while vacuuming, which is pretty standard for any cordless vacuum cleaner these days.

For its price point, the 0.5L bin is quite standard, but it’ll likely fill up fast if you have, say, a two-bedroom or larger home with pets, meaning you’ll need to make more trips to empty it. The bin has a handy sticker on the front (which I did refer back to many times) that indicates how to insert or remove it to empty, and its as simple as pushing the button on the base and twisting the canister clockwise. After detaching, all you have to do is unscrew the filter from the container to remove the debris – finer dust or crumbs fall out easily, but you may need to get your fingers inside to remove clumps of hair from the bin.

(Image credit: TechRadar)

The detachable battery pack could be handy for some users as you can clip it into the wall-mount attachment and begin charging it while you’re emptying the vacuum for example. However, if you’re a renter who can’t drill holes into your wall – like me – you can leave the battery attached to the U20 and keep the vacuum propped up against a wall or in a cupboard for topping up.

It lacks an LCD screen to show suction modes or time remaining before the next charge. Instead, the battery life is displayed by a small vertical light on the pack itself, which flashes when it needs charging. It’s unfortunate that it faces forward, so it’s not visible to the user, and neither is it a very noticeable light – and this is my biggest complaint with the Dreame U20 as there were a few instances where the machine shut down mid-clean during my testing.

(Image credit: TechRadar)

The U20’s multi-surface brush head is quite similar to many floor-cleaning attachments from other brands, but it features blue LED lights on the front that illuminate two small triangular sections of the floor immediately in front of the brush head. While it looks similar to Dyson’s green dust-illuminating light on the Fluffy Optic, this blue light doesn’t highlight invisible dust on the floor, but I found it’s bright and vivid enough to help walk around in a dark room without bumping into things. Case in point: it perfectly showed scattered kitty litter in an unlit bathroom that was, at the time, pitch dark.

The brush also has V-shaped bristles with comb-like teeth – in my experience, this not only prevents tangles effectively, but can pick up human hair and pet fur from low-pile carpets just as well.

This brush head is quite flexible, rotating 90º around chair legs and furniture. It’s also not as large as you’d find on other (more expensive) vacuum cleaners and I found it can get into corners, which is particularly helpful in my pet hair-filled home.

My favorite attachment, however, is the motorized mini brush, which clips in just under the bin for handheld use. It’s just right for sucking up fur from my couch and cushions – it’s both maneuvrable and anti-tangle.

If it wasn’t for the missing display to check battery life, I’d say that Dreame would deserve top marks for the U20’s design.

Dreame U20 review: performance

  • Excellent maneuverability
  • Impressive performance on hard floors and low-pile carpets
  • Lower suction than competitors but still tackles pet hair well

I’ve spent a few months with the Dreame U20 (as of publishing this review) and I still can’t get over how impressive its maneuverability is. The 90º rotating main brush head makes it very easy to clean around chair legs and furniture and I had no trouble handling the 3.3kg / 7.2lbs vacuum. That said, if you are using the extension tube to clean ceiling corners, the U20 could begin to feel heavy for some users quickly.

The controls are well placed, which are as simple as pushing the end cap button to select the speed and hitting the trigger underneath. And as I’ve mentioned previously, there’s no need to keep the latter depressed continuously for power like a Dyson.

Speaking of power: sure, we could ask for higher suction than its 120AW, but given its price point, it’s hard to argue with what it has. If you do need better performance, you could consider the Dreame R20 (if it’s available where you live), but I found the U20 does an admirable job nonetheless. It can struggle on some carpets as you will need to go over a particular spot multiple times to get a deeper clean, and I’ve found myself needing to push with full shoulder force on occasion.

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(Image credit: TechRadar)(Image credit: TechRadar)

Throughout my testing, the Dreame U20 impressed in more ways than one. I performed TechRadar’s standard tests for vacuum cleaners, sprinkling a smattering of oats and tea from a bag on both my hardwood and carpeted floors. As an extra measure, I also made sure the floors had extra pet debris – i.e. kitty litter and fur – which were my two motivations for purchasing the U20 in the first place.

During the hardwood mess test, the U20 performed remarkably well on the lowest speed setting in picking up most of the oats. I needed to boost the speed to the second (or medium) setting to do another pass to pick up every last speck of oats, though, but that left the hard floor entirely clean.

As for the tea, the U20 did a better job, sucking it all up in one go on the low setting, so it handles lighter and smaller dirt better than larger debris. It was the same for pet hair on hardwood – all strands got sucked up in one pass on the low setting. The vacuum struggled a touch with kitty litter, leaving a few specks behind on hard floors in a single pass, but it was cleaned up in the second go.

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(Image credit: TechRadar)(Image credit: TechRadar)(Image credit: TechRadar)

I wasn’t expecting as impressive a performance on carpets, but the U20 did better than I had anticipated on a low-pile carpet in my tests, quickly removing the oats and tea dust from a bag in one pass on the low suction setting. It will, however, struggle with medium and high-pile carpets, particularly if the dust and debris is deep-seated, although loose dirt will come away if you give the area a few gos with the U20.

In terms of pet hair on carpet, the U20 did indeed struggle at the lowest setting, leaving more than a few strands behind after the first pass. The U20 performed the best with pet hair on the same low-pile carpet at maximum suction, and didn’t require several passes to get the job done. The kitty litter yielded a similar result to the hardwood floor test, but I needed to boost suction again to pick up every last piece.

While it can tackle low-pile carpets with ease, pet hair embedded in medium- or high-pile carpets will remain even after several passes – you can expect about 80% off the fur to be sucked up from these kinds of flooring.

As a pet mum, it was important to me to own a vacuum cleaner with a tangle-free brush, as I’ve often painstakingly cleaned out wads of hair from cleaning attachments of older machines. I was thrilled to find that the U20’s V-shaped bristles were especially impressive at leaving no evidence of entanglements. That’s made ongoing maintenance of the vacuum easier.

This sentiment also rang true for the mini motor brush when cleaning my couch and cushions. It does, however, require several passes when using the handheld motor and mini brush to clean up pet hair due to its smaller footprint, but it still worked a treat.

The U20 collects a nice volume of hair in its 0.5L bin, and I have particularly enjoyed how easy it is to empty the bin with a twist of the base. If you are a pet owner with a shedding furry friend, then I would recommend the U20 for a quick, daily tidy-up, but you might want to consider other pet-focused vacuum cleaners, like the Shark Stratos Pet Pro (IZ400), as they usually have a larger-capacity bin and boast more suction power.

Despite its relatively lower suction and smaller bin, the U20 performs very well, given its budget price – it’s very easy to recommend for quick clean-ups.

  • Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Dreame U20 review: battery life

  • Average battery life for an affordable cordless vacuum
  • 3.5-hour charging time
  • Expect shorter runtimes if the floor is dirty

According to Dreame, the U20 has a battery life of up to 60 minutes on a full charge, and takes around 3.5 hours to top up from practically empty. Take that number with a pinch of salt, as it indicates runtime when using non-motorized tools, which in this case is the combination crevice attachment only.

With a motorized head like the main floor cleaner and the mini brush, I found that it lasts a maximum of 37 minutes on its lowest setting – and there’s no dynamic suction here to drain the battery faster. At TechRadar, we’ve tested over a hundred vacuum cleaners over the last decade, and we’ve found that the average battery life for a budget cordless vacuum is around 40 minutes, which puts the U20 on par with others, including the Dyson V8 .

Higher the suction, the faster the battery will drain, of course and, in testing, I got about 17 minutes of runtime on a full charge when set to maximum. That’s not bad, considering some premium models like the Dyson V15 Detect can give you lesser runtime on Boost mode (about 8 minutes on a dirty mid-pile carpet), although it automatically adjusts suction power to suit the amount of dirt it detects.

So while the U20 has average battery runtime, I’d recommend it for smaller homes or something for the shed, perhaps.

  • Battery life score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Dreame U20?

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Value

Often on sale, the U20 is an excellent budget option with great performance.

5/5

Design

The color combination makes it look premium, and its attachments are useful. It would have been good if there was a better way to gauge battery life.

4/5

Performance

Great for everyday, quick cleaning, even of pet hair, on hard floors and low-pile carpets, but it may struggle on particularly dirty mid- and high-pile carpets.

4.5/5

Battery

Rated for up to 60 minutes, but expect about 35 minutes in real-world use on low power.

4/5

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Dreame U20: alternatives to consider

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Product:

Dreame U20 (reviewed)

Shark Cordless Detect Pro

Dyson V8

Weight:

7.27lbs / 3.3kg

6lbs / 2.7kg

3.48lbs / 1.58kg

Bin volume:

0.5L

0.4L

0.54L

Max runtime:

60 mins

40 mins

40 mins

Accessories:

Multi-surface brush head, motorized mini brush head, wide combination crevice tool and extension rod

Duster, crevice tool, optional auto-empty dock (costs extra)

2 x floorheads, Hair screw tool, Combination tool, Crevice tool

How I tested the Dreame U20 cordless vacuum

TechRadar adopts a strict testing regime for all its products so potential buyers know exactly what they’re getting. To comply with the testing, I used the machine for a few months before putting it through some rigorous carpet and hard-floor tests using common pantry items, such as tea and raw oats. I also took into account the device’s ergonomics, design and overall experience to determine my final verdict.

Read more about how we test vacuum cleaners

  • First reviewed September 2025

Dreame U20: Price Comparison



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