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Product Reviews

This Anker 3-in-1 wireless charging station is 30 percent off right now

by admin August 18, 2025

Anker makes some of our favorite charging gear, and now you can save on a bunch of wireless power accessories from the brand. Whether you’re going back to school soon or want a new charging station that can power up a few devices at once, there are discounts here worth considering. One of the best is this 3-in-1 MagSafe charging station, on sale for a record low price of $63. The Qi2-certified charger wirelessly charges your compatible iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods on one compact and convenient dock. Qi2 boasts 15W of power, so you can take advantage of fast charging on compatible devices.

This means the station can charge an iPhone 16 Pro Max to 20 percent in just 20 minutes and an Apple Watch Series 10 from zero to 100 percent in just over an hour. The magnetic stand for your iPhone is adjustable with 45 degrees of vertical rotation and 360 degrees of horizontal rotation, so you can always find the perfect angle for your phone while charging.

Anker

Being able to wirelessly charge these three daily devices at once might remind you of Apple’s wireless charging pad that never was, but Anker’s 3-in-1 charging station offers an elegant solution. We tend to like Anker’s charging products, and we’ve found they make some of the best charging stations on the market.

Anker’s products can be a bit pricey, though, which is why the best time to pick them up is during these sales. The company actually has a slew of its charging products on sale right now. Its 3-in-1 wireless charging cube is 31 percent off right now, and its foldable 3-in-1 travel wireless charger is 22 percent off. If your iPhone is Qi2 compatible, then you might also look at Anker’s simple Qi2 charging pad, which is 35 percent off for a two-pack right now.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

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August 18, 2025 0 comments

Ugreen Nexode Power Bank 20000mAh 165W leaning on plinth on desk with pink background

Product Reviews

UGREEN Nexode Power Bank 20000mAh 165W review: a useful charger with plenty of power but too much heft

by admin August 18, 2025

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.

Ugreen Nexode Power Bank 20000mAh 165W: review

The Ugreen Nexode Power Bank has 165W of power and a 20000mAh, as well as a few features aimed at improving convenience.

In line with the range in which this power bank sits, the Nexode has a dark grey finish with black accents, making it slightly more interesting to look at than other power banks. The smooth matte finish also adds a hint of elegance, giving the impression that this is a premium product.

However, this belies the actual build quality of the Nexode. Despite its heaviness, some of the panels can flex slightly; they aren’t as solid as those you’ll find on many Anker power banks, for instance, which are some of the best power banks around in terms of construction.

Still, the Nexode should suffice for travel purposes. What’s more of an issue when traveling is just how bulky it is. It might have a relatively short length but it’s quite thick, and personally I would’ve preferred the compromise to be the other way around, as a thinner bank is easier to tuck away into a bag.

However, I did appreciate the rubber feet on the back panel. I haven’t noticed their absence on other power banks before, but seeing them here has made me realize how useful they are for protecting the bank and supporting surfaces from scratches. They also prevent the bank from sliding around.

The Nexode also has a large display, although unfortunately the readout is considerably smaller than the space appears to allow for. It’s also quite dim, which, combined with the reflective screen, can make it even hard to see.

The information it does provide, though, is quite useful. As well as the battery life percentage, there’s also estimated charging times for connected devices or the bank itself, as well as an indicator showing which connections are currently active and their wattage. Pressing the power button takes you to a second screen, where you can view the voltage and amperage of each connection, too.

Perhaps the standout feature of the Nexode, though, is the retractable USB-C cable. This is easy to use, although it does have a tendency to twist around, which can make it awkward to put back in. It’s also quite thin and doesn’t feel particularly hardy, but Ugreen does claim it can endure over 25,000 retractions and over 10,000 bends.

In addition to this cable, you also get two USB ports: one Type-A and one Type-C. Like the retractable cable, the latter port is both an input and an output, while the former is output only. Both USB-C interfaces are capable of receiving and delivering 100W each, although if both are used at the same time, the port will drop to 65W. The USB-A port delivers 33W maximum.

The Nexode also supports three-way charging, but in such cases the two USB ports drop to 10W, while the retractable cable retains its 100W capability. There’s also a trickle charging mode for charging smaller devices with more sensitive batteries, such as wireless earbuds and smartwatches, activated by holding the power button for five seconds.

Using the retractable USB-C cable, I managed to charge my Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 4, which has a 57Wh battery, from 5% to 90% in under 90 minutes, before the Nexode depleted completely. This is quite fast, but it’s a shame it ran out before making it to 100%, and means you can’t even get one full charge out of it. Charging the bank itself from empty to full took about one hour and 40 minutes, which again is a respectable time.

The Nexode is expensive for a power bank, even one with this much power, retailing for $99.99 / £79.99 (about AU$150). The Anker Laptop Power Bank is about the same price, but has a greater capacity and two integrated cables. It’s also slightly thinner and better made than the Nexode.

We have seen it around for less than its original price, though, and if you can catch it in a sale, the Nexode might still prove a solid pick for charging your large devices.

(Image credit: Future)

Ugreen Nexode Power Bank 20000mAh 165W review: price & specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Price

$99.99 / £79.99 (about AU$150)

Capacity

20,000mAh

Total wattage

165W

Number of ports

USB-C

2 (1 x built-in)

Wireless charging

Weight

18.9oz / 535g

Power-to-weight

37.4mAh/g

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Ugreen Nexode Power Bank 20000mAh 165W?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Ugreen Nexode Power Bank 20000mAh 165W review: Also consider

UGREEN Nexode Power Bank 20000mAh 165W : Price Comparison

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August 18, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Sketch crew Aunty Donna’s latest improv piece turned their set into a giant side-scrolling videogame and it’s great

by admin August 18, 2025

What happens when you put three very silly sketch comedians in a fantastical videogame environment reminiscent of the most frustrating, foolish, and hilarious 1990s point-and-click adventures? You get Aunty Donna’s latest sketch, “IRL videogame,” which in addition to using the PC Gamer preferred spelling of videogame is pretty funny stuff.

In it, comedians Mark Bonanno, Zachary Ruane, and Broden Kelly get dropped into a fantasy world by their producers and have to play along, including marching in place as the background scrolls past, through a series of increasingly strange and unhinged adventure encounters. Do they survive? What do they encounter besides a king that’s kind of like a baby? I don’t want to ruin it, but I can tell you there are way too many milkshakes for one man to handle.

The 30 minute version on YouTube is a cutdown of the full thing, which was made for subscribers of Aunty Donna’s (free) Patreon which has over 20,000 subscribers which is honestly a lot of subscribers for a Patreon even if it’s a free one. Anyway, subscribed or not, both versions are good and funny to me. They’re properly the exact kind of reaction you’d wish you could give to the goofy NPCs that popular adventure series.

Sketch group Aunty Donna has been doing their thing in Australia, and also the internet, for a long time now. It’s somewhere between surreal and absurd. They came to greater worldwide attention with Netflix series Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun, which prominently features a mouthy dishwasher that gets its rightful comeuppance.

Anyway, shoutout to Zachary Ruane for just straight-up sitting down because he’s tired. Man’s gotta get his rest somehow.

You can go watch these men react in an absurd way to their absurd life for about 30 minutes on YouTube and the full 70-minute cut on the Aunty Donna patreon.

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August 18, 2025 0 comments

SkyDefense CobraJet C-UAS fighter drone and interceptor

Product Reviews

CobraJet Nvidia AI-powered drone killer takes out ‘overwhelming enemy drone incursions’ at up to 300mph

by admin August 18, 2025

Defense startup SkyDefense LLC just launched an autonomous combat drone designed to take out enemy drone swarms at a much lower cost than traditional weapon systems. The company calls it the CobraJet — an uncrewed aerial vehicle (basically, a drone) designed for C-UAS (counter-unmanned aircraft system) missions. The drone combines Teledyne FLIR electro-optical and infrared sensors that do not contain restricted foreign parts, and Nvidia AI chips, allowing the drone to process the information that it sees with onboard sensors.

A different kind of VRAM

The CobraJet is also equipped with its proprietary Visual Realtime Area Monitoring (VRAM) system, allowing ground commanders to monitor the drone during autonomous operations and communicate with and control it, if needed. This gives its operator the option to let it operate on its own during reconnaissance, patrol, and identification, but still have a human making decisions when required. It can also use the same technology to communicate with other CobraJet units, allowing them to act together as a single entity to protect against enemy swarms.

Aside from its AI brain, the CobraJet also boasts an internal weapons bay and external hardpoints, allowing it to carry kamikaze drones, small missiles, or even fragmentation projectiles. It can also be modified to carry precision bombs and loitering munitions, making it a multirole drone. Its external design mimics that of the U.S.’s latest air superiority and multirole fighters, the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, with vertical take-off and landing capabilities and thrust vectoring nozzles. This means it can operate from the back of a truck and have improved maneuverability, allowing it to go toe-to-toe with small and nimble drones.

Asymmetric warfare answered?

CobraJet is SkyDefense’s solution to the emerging threat of drone swarms on the modern battlefield. These small and cheap weapons are widely used in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with the defending Ukrainians effectively using drones to initially counter the larger Russian army. Today, both sides in the conflict use UAVs, and actions on the battlefield highlight the U.S.’s need to develop a cost-effective counter.

While existing weapons like surface-to-air missiles and air-to-air missiles can engage drones, there’s often a huge mismatch in price between these two platforms. Missiles often cost between half a million to more than $4 million — while you can buy a cheap drone for just $200, with the more sophisticated ones, like Iran’s Shahed-136, only costing $20,000. You can also send up a platoon of combat choppers to engage a drone swarm with guns, but you’re risking several multi-million-dollar weapon platforms to combat cheap suicide drones.

(Image credit: SkyDefense LLC)

“Our USA-made CobraJets can communicate and coordinate as a flight team, enabling them to operate as an AI-powered unmanned Air Force,” said SkyDefense LLC President Nick Verini. “This team approach increases the effectiveness of the squadron while also significantly reducing the costs of destroying a swarm of enemy drones.”

SkyDefense LLC hasn’t released the unit cost of the CobraJet, but it’s going to be so much more affordable than the fighter jets it looks like, and the missiles they carry. The company is offering the drone to law enforcement, Homeland Security, and the U.S. military, giving them the ability to protect against hostile drone swarms without needing to spend copious amounts of money to take down such cheap weapons.

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August 18, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

‘Superman’ and ‘Star Wars’ Actor Terence Stamp Dies at Age 87

by admin August 18, 2025

English actor Terence Stamp, seen across a variety of film and TV over the decades, has passed away at 87 years old.

In a statement to Reuters, the actor’s family revealed he passed on Sunday morning. Born July 22, 1938, he made his film debut with the 1962 adaptation of Herman Melville’s Billy Budd as the title character. The role earned him an Academy Award nomination and recognition that allowed him to star in films like 1965’s The Collector and 1967’s Poor Cow.

Genre-wise, Terence Stamp famously played General Zod in the first two Superman movies, and Chancellor Valorum in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Other notable roles include Stick in 2005’s Elektra, Bud Chantilas in Red Planet, and Ramsley in Disney’s 2003 Haunted Mansion. Stamp would later return to DC for Smallville (as Jor-El) and Static Shock (Professor Menace), and voiced the Prophet of Truth in Halo 3 and Mankar Camoran in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. He was also a potential James Bond candidate after Sean Connery retired from the role, which ended up not working out. He also appeared in Tim Burton’s Big Eyes and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.

More recently, Stamp could be seen in Netflix’s Murder Mystery, HBO’s His Dark Materials series and Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho. Archival audio of his performance as Mankar was also used for the recent Oblivion remaster.

In its statement, Stamp’s family noted his “extraordinary body of work, both as an actor and as a writer that will continue to touch and inspire people for years to come.”

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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August 18, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Pebblebee Is Getting Serious About Personal Safety Tracking

by admin August 17, 2025

Think of Bluetooth trackers and safety in the past few years and your first thought might be the misuse of Apple AirTags and similar devices against women in domestic abuse and stalking cases.

Alongside collaborative initiatives to counter and shut down these malicious uses (such as the IETF’s Detection of Unwanted Location Trackers, or DULT, standard), tracker makers themselves are flipping the script, turning tech that has been used to monitor women against their will into tech that protects them.

In mid-July, Seattle-based Pebblebee announced a new, free SOS safety feature, named Alert, for its $35 Clip Bluetooth tracker which, like the rest of its Universal line-up, can be set up with either Apple’s Find My or Google’s Find Hub networks, is made from around 30 percent recycled plastic and runs on a rechargeable battery, with 12+ months between USB-C charges.

When multi-pressed (six-plus presses), the Clip can trigger a siren alarm, flashing LED lights and automatically send an SMS text notification to one “Safety Circle” contact that you’ve pre-saved in the Pebblebee app.

Courtesy of Peebblebee

It’s simple to set up the contact in the app, and a long press on the device shuts off the siren and LEDs, though it’s unlikely you’ll fumble or accidentally set this one off. The Clip’s siren isn’t as loud and the lights don’t cover as much radius as a dedicated personal alarm would, but they’re enough to alert passersby when out walking at night. Plus, the Pebblebee website states: “The Alert functionality including the siren, strobe, and first Safety Circle contact is and will always be completely free.”

We tested out the SOS system and it worked without a hiccup. Our Safety Circle buddy received a text saying: “URGENT: Sophie activated a Pebblebee Alert. Please check in immediately” with a link to the correct location via Google Maps. Clicking the “Mark as safe” button in the app and/or long-pressing on the Clip sends a follow-up text to say “Sophie cancelled their Pebblebee Alert” with the last location link.

Now, however, Pebblebee is adding a paid-for subscription option, named Alert Live, which offers a Safety Circle of up to five contacts to receive the SOS text notification when triggered via the Clip, plus live location tracking for these contacts, for $3 a month or $26 a year. There’s also a new Silent Mode, which sends the alert without the siren and LEDs, for both free and paid-for users: useful, though we haven’t had the chance to test this or the new real-time location sharing out yet.

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August 17, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

China's inaugural 'Robot Olmypics' delivers impressive feats and disastrous falls

by admin August 17, 2025

The first-ever World Humanoid Robot Games have come to a close with some new world records, but don't expect them to beat humans in a 100-meter dash any time soon. The three-day robotics event in Beijing, China that saw humanoid robots compete in everything from boxing to cleaning concluded this weekend. According to the World Humanoid Robot Games, more than 280 teams from 16 countries, including the US, Germany, Brazil and the host country, entered their robots into the event.

A majority of the teams came from universities, but several teams came from established robotics companies like Unitree and Fournier Intelligence. Hundreds of robots competed in traditional sporting events like running, soccer and table tennis, along with events for more practical tasks, like cleaning or sorting medicine. Unitree snagged gold medals in four categories, including the 1,500-meter, 400-meter, 100-meter, and 4×100-meter dash events. According to Unitree, the fastest speed achieved by one of its robots during the event was 4.78 m/s, which is roughly 10 mph.

In the 100-meter sprint, Unitree boasted a 33.71-second time, but that's nowhere near the world record holder Usain Bolt's time of 9.58 seconds, which was achieved in 2009. Instead, most teams took this event as an opportunity to showcase the abilities of their designs, while also stress-testing their robots in a competitive environment. We're still a long way from widespread adoption of these humanoid bots though, especially if they can't avoid running into each other.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/chinas-inaugural-robot-olmypics-delivers-impressive-feats-and-disastrous-falls-221450258.html?src=rss

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August 17, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Blackview BV7300 rugged phone review

by admin August 17, 2025

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.

Blackview BV7300: 30-second review

Blackview is a thriving technology brand that initially specialised in rugged outdoor phones designed to support rugged lifestyles and survive demanding and challenging environments. Over the years, Blackview has expanded its product range to include mainstream smartphones, smartwatches, earphones, tablets, and laptops.

The Blackview BV7300 is a rugged smartphone designed for outdoor enthusiasts and professionals who need a durable and reliable device. It features a reinforced frame and textured back for a secure grip, making it both tough and stylish. The BV7300 is equipped with dual camping lights and a 20MP night vision camera, ensuring safety and visibility in low-light conditions. Its super-large 15000mAh battery supports 45W fast charging, providing long-lasting power for extended use.

The device runs on Android 14 with DokeOS 4.0, offering a smooth and personalised user experience. With up to 18GB RAM and 256GB ROM, the BV7300 delivers powerful performance for various tasks. Additionally, it boasts IP68 and IP69K ratings for water and dust resistance, as well as MIL-STD-810H certification for durability in extreme environments.

The BV7300’s weaknesses include an odd low-resolution screen and a limitation to 4G comms, not 5G. And at 528g, this is a bulky phone to use for everyday use.

It is unlikely to be our top choice for rugged smartphones, but it offers excellent value for those who occasionally venture into challenging environments.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Blackview BV7300: price and availability

How much does it cost? $280/£166
When is it out? Available globally
Where can you get it? Direct from the maker or via an online retailer

Available directly from the maker’s own shop, the asking price is £166 in the UK and $279.99 for US customers, making it a substantially better deal in those countries that don’t apply tariffs to Chinese goods.

If bought via Amazon.com and with a coupon applied, it can be had for only $219.99, but the standard price is $249.99. UK customers can get it via Amazon for £170.

For those willing to wait for AliExpress to deliver, it can be found for less than £150 or $195.

Typically, I’d mention another phone that uses the same platform as the BV7300, but alas, it’s almost unique to this device. The only other Android device using the G81 SoC is the Oukitel RT3 Pro tablet.

Based on the specification, this is a decent phone for what is the bargain basement end of recent rugged phones

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Blackview BV7300: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Item

Spec

Model

BV7300

Processor (SoC)

MediaTek Helio G81 (12nm), Octa-core (2×2.0GHz Cortex-A75 + 6×1.8GHz Cortex-A55)

GPU

Mali-G52 MC2

RAM

6GB (expandable up to 18GB with virtual RAM)

Storage

256GB eMMC 5.1

Expandable Storage

microSDXC (up to 2TB, shared SIM slot)

Display

6.67″ IPS LCD, 720×1604 pixels, 90Hz refresh rate, 700 nits brightness

Rear Cameras

50MP (Samsung S5KJN1, f/1.8, PDAF) + 20MP (Sony IMX376 night vision, f/2.0)

Front Camera

32MP Galaxycore GC32E1

Video Recording

1080p @ 30fps (front and rear)

Operating System

Android 14 with DokeOS 4.0

Connectivity

Dual SIM (Nano), Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, FM radio

Wireless Networking

Dual Bands: 2.4G/5.0GHz,802.11 ab/g’n/ac, BT 5.3

2G Bands

850/900/1800900(B2/B3/B5/88)

3G Bands

WCDMA: B1/B2/B4/B5/B8

4G Bands LTE-FDD

81/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B12/B13/B17/B19/B20B26/B28A/B28B/B66

4G Bands LTE-TTD

B40/B41/B38

Ports

USB Type-C (no 3.5mm headphone jack)

Sensors

Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass

Flashlight

800-lumen dedicated flood flashlight

Battery

15,000mAh Li-Po, 45W wired charging, 7W reverse wired charging

Durability

IP68/IP69K water and dust resistance, MIL-STD-810H compliant

Build Materials

Polycarbonate, TPU, Aluminium alloy

Dimensions

186.2 × 85 × 24 mm

Weight

528g

Blackview BV7300: design

Built to last
Large camping light
No headphone jack

Blackview devices often feature sharp lines, reinforced corners, and textured surfaces that evoke a tool-like toughness. They look like they belong in a toolbox as much as a backpack. And, the BV7300 is no exception.

It has metal sides and buttons that, together with the rubberised bumpers, reinforce the rugged identity. These style aspects aren’t just decorative; they are a signal of durability, and this phone was made to operate in harsh environments.

The button layout is by-the-numbers, with the volume rockers and fingerprint-reading power button on the right, and the user-definable function button on the left.

In addition, the left side is also where the SIM tray resides, and it’s one where you can use two Nano SIMs or one and a MicroSD card for additional storage.

The rear mounts the two cameras near the top and relatively central, making them easy to aim, but the majority of the back is taken up with a substantial camping LED.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

To diverge for a moment, many phones these days come with a substantial metal label stuck to them. This details the model, spec, IMEI number, serial number and various standards that the maker wishes to acknowledge. Do you leave these on, or do you peel them off?

Until now, I’ve always left them on, as the information might be necessary at some point and locating it could be crucial.

Why am I mentioning this? On the BV7300, the label is slapped over half of the camping LED, and therefore, it needs to be removed if you want to use that feature. I chose to leave it in place for my photographs, but if I were to use this device in anger, it would need to be removed.

The use of the back with the dual-element LED lamp also negates the possibility of wireless charging, but with a battery this big, that probably wasn’t a possibility.

What this design lacks is a headphone jack, although you could use an adapter with the USB-C port if you own one.

As is often the case with Blackview hardware, the BV7300 sells its robust credentials confidently and doesn’t stray away from the feature set that most of its customers expect.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Design score: 4/5

Blackview BV7300: hardware

MediaTek Dimensity 7300
Odd resolution display
15000 mAh battery

The MediaTek Helio G81 is a mid-range SoC introduced in August 2024, designed primarily for budget-friendly Android smartphones with a focus on gaming and multimedia performance.

It has an older brother, the G80, that has basic AI features, and this chip added Enhanced AI (MediaTek NeuroPilot, Android NNAPI support), allegedly. It also sports EIS (electronic image stabilisation), along with support for a 120Hz display. The makers, Mediatek, have also added the Helio G85, which is remarkably similar to the G81 used in this phone.

All the G8X series use dual A75 performance cores combined with six A55 efficiency cores to deliver both power and long battery life. They also all use the Mali-G52 MP2 GPU, which isn’t especially powerful, but is good enough for smooth video playback.

It’s a solid choice for rugged phones and budget gaming handsets, offering a good balance of efficiency and features without pushing into premium territory.

One potential improvement could be that this chip uses a 12nm FinFET (TSMC), whereas the latest Dimensity chips use 6nm and even 4nm. That limits how far its efficiency can go, and it also has a capped bandwidth by using LPDDR4x 1800Mhz memory.

But this chip does support a screen with a 2520 x 1080 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, but unfortunately, that wasn’t what Blackview gave the BV7300.

The 6.67-inch IPS LCD has the curious resolution of 720 x 1604 pixels, a 90Hz refresh rate and a 700 nits brightness. That means it can’t display 1080p video at its full quality, and that includes the video captured by the primary camera.

If neither the screen nor the SoC are the star of this show, what is? Possibly the battery, which has a capacity of 15000mAh, is mostly responsible for this phone weighing more than 500g.

If you aren’t put off by such a bulky device, that’s plenty of battery capacity, and it can be shared with other devices using reverse charging.

When we get to the benchmarking, it will become evident that those comments are foreshadowing, in many respects.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Blackview BV7300: cameras

50MP and 20MP sensors on the rear
32MP on the front
Three cameras in total

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The Blackview BV7300 has three cameras:

Rear camera: 50MP Samsung JN1 primary, 20MP Sony IMX376 Night Vision
Front camera: 32MP Galaxycore GC32E1-WA1XA

I wasn’t expecting much considering the cost of this camera and its inevitably tight production budget. But the 50MP Samsung JN1 primary is a workmanlike sensor that, in good lighting conditions, can deliver some decent quality images.

I’d recommend that, unlike me, you disable the AI and HDR functionality, as it tends to oversaturate the colours to the point of making some captures pop-art.

The JN1 is a decent, if now slightly old, Samsung sensor that uses pixel-binning to create generally good 13MP captures from its 50MP source data.

Its limitation is that it isn’t great in low-light conditions, resulting in blurry and grainy results. Blackview’s answer to that was to make the second sensor the 20MP Sony IMX376, which is a specialist Night Vision camera.

What’s mildly confusing is that within the Android camera app, there are ‘Night’ and ‘Night Vision’ modes, with the first being an AI-enhanced EIS mode that uses the Samsung JN1 but longer exposure times.

Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS) is a technology used in the context of the MediaTek Helio G81 System on Chip (SoC) to reduce blurriness and shakiness in videos and images. EIS works by using software algorithms to compensate for small movements and vibrations during video recording or photography. This is particularly useful for handheld shooting, where even slight hand movements can cause noticeable shake in the footage.

While EIS helps, it’s not the same as optical stabilisation, and the results are a bit mixed. If you truly want to take images in low light, the MX376 is a much better choice as it uses IR flash to bathe even the darkest locations in light that the sensor can see and generate an image from. It’s only B&W, and the images are in 20.2MP resolution.

Using this mode, you should be able to capture nocturnal creatures if you turn the screen brightness down and stay quiet enough that your presence isn’t an issue.

As a camera system, the BV7300 is better than I expected, but it’s also worth noting that it is a budget device. So you get a Pro mode, panoramas, time-lapse, document shooting and even AR stickers. But equally, the best video resolution is ‘high’, which translates into 1080p when you’ve recorded something.

When you consider that the Samsung ISOCELL JN1 is capable of 4K at 30fps, that’s an intentional omission.

It’s normal at this point in my phone reviews to moan that the makers only support Widevine L3 video encryption, reducing the quality of streaming to only 480P from most of the big streaming brands.

However, since the best resolution this display can support is only 720p, it’s probably not an issue in the greater scheme of things.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Blackview BV7300 Camera samples

Image 1 of 16

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Blackview BV7300: performance

Not 3D game-friendly GPU
Decent battery performance

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Phone

Header Cell – Column 1

Blackview BV7300

Doogee Fire 6 Power

SoC

Row 0 – Cell 1

Mediaktek Helio G81

Unisoc T606

GPU

Row 1 – Cell 1

Mali-G52 MP2

Mali G57 MP1

Mem

Row 2 – Cell 1

N/A

NPU

Row 3 – Cell 1

6GB/256GB

8GB/256GB

Weight

Row 4 – Cell 1

528g

430g

Battery

Row 5 – Cell 1

15000

15500

Geekbench

Single

446

391

Row 7 – Cell 0

Multi

1469

1368

Row 8 – Cell 0

OpenCL

218

460

Row 9 – Cell 0

Vulkan

361

461

GFX

Aztec Open Normal

5.5

Row 11 – Cell 0

Aztec Vulkan Norm.

4.8

Row 12 – Cell 0

Car Chase

3.2

5.4

Row 13 – Cell 0

Manhattan 3.1

4.9

8.8

PCMark

3.0 Score

7391

7790

Row 15 – Cell 0

Battery

30h 40m

31h 18m

Charge 30

Passmark

Score

6767

6289

Row 18 – Cell 0

CPU

3268

2947

3DMark

Slingshot OGL

789

1479

Row 20 – Cell 0

Slingshot Ex. OGL

490

985

Row 21 – Cell 0

Slingshot Ex. Vulkan

504

976

Row 22 – Cell 0

Wildlife

226

432

Row 23 – Cell 0

Nomad Lite

N/A

It wasn’t easy to find a phone I’d reviewed recently that was comparable to the BV7300, because most that use the Helio G99 or one of the Dimensity series MediaTek SoCs are significantly more powerful than the G81 used here.

Eventually, I chose the Doogee Fire 6 Power, and its underwhelming Unisoc T606 SoC to be something to compare.

Performance-wise, these phones are closely matched, both in CPU and GPU speeds, and neither is a phone you would pick to play 3D games on.

What ultimately divides them is that the BV7300 only comes with 6GB of RAM, and the Nomad Lite test refuses to run with less than 8GB. And, I did try RAM expansion mode, and that 3D Mark test wants real memory, not mapped storage.

Where both phones excel is in respect of battery capacity and running time, with the Fire 6 being a little better because it has 500mAh more battery at its disposal. I worked out the running time per mAh, and the Blackview has a tiny advantage, although it’s also nearly 100g heavier for that win.

Overall, this isn’t a phone that anyone wanting high performance would gravitate towards, but if you want a rugged phone that can take reasonable pictures and last at least four working days without a recharge, then the Blackview BV7300 might be for you.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Blackview BV7300: Final verdict

Looking for an affordable phone that can withstand some abuse, whether on holiday, a building site, or in the jungle? Then the Blackview BV7300 might fit the bill.

There isn’t much about this phone that stands out, other than perhaps the battery life and the price, but for some, having a phone that can get wet and be dropped and still work is the critical requirement.

The BV7300 ticks that box, even if it makes it less than lightweight, and in a company scenario, you are unlikely to take flak for going over-budget.

Should I buy a Blackview BV7300?

Swipe to scroll horizontallyBlackview BV7300 Score Card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

Cheap and chunky

4/5

Design

Heavy, but designed to take abuse

4/5

Hardware

MediaTek Helio G81, odd screen, big battery

4/5

Camera

Two rear sensors but only 1080p video

3.5/5

Performance

Budget phone performance but good battery life

3.5/5

Overall

A practical device if you don’t mind the weight

4/5

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also Consider

For more durable devices, we’ve reviewed all the best rugged tablets, the best rugged laptops, and the best rugged hard drives

Blackview BV7300: Price Comparison

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August 17, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Cars have had real-life DLC for a while, but now Volkswagen’s gone full pay to win, locking a car’s max horsepower behind a subscription

by admin August 17, 2025

Some of the execs at Volkswagen must like Gacha games⁠—so much so that, as reported by Auto Express, you now have to “subscribe” to get your car’s full horsepower output with one of its new models.

VW’s proposition is this: buy a new ID.3—the brand’s “entry level” (I remember when that used to mean <£20,000, not over £30k) electric hatchback—in some of the mid-level trims, and you get a somewhat piddling 201 horsepower. But if you’re feeling frisky, you can tack on a £16.50/mo subscription, or a one-time £649 fee, to break the paywall and unleash an extra 27hp. Sound familiar? Even to a novice gamer, this business model is probably old hat.

I’m no stranger to aftermarket car modifications “unlocking” more power. There’s more of a special DIY feeling there, like overclocking your RTX 5080 or modding Skyrim to make elderly people graphically coherent. But when features of your car are built in, and then the marque upcharges you to access them? That’s where you lose me.

Back in my day, you bought Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 for the Nintendo GameCube, and that was it. You got the full game. But over the last two decades, as triple-A publishers learned to master the art of consumer exploitation via DLC and subscription models, buying a game these days can feel like buying a work in progress. Trust me, I play Paradox grand strategy games.

Auto manufacturers, a notoriously conservative bunch, were much slower to adopt this particular technique of wringing their buyers dry. But subscription features did start slowly creeping in in the late 2010s, as cars became integral parts of the “internet of things,” or the increasing number of formerly analogue objects and appliances that now have internet connectivity for some reason.

BMW gained particular infamy for locking Apple CarPlay and heated seats (seriously, you can’t make this up) behind a paywall. Luckily, consumers reacted so poorly that the company reversed course on both. But as any survival game expert will tell you, the horde of zombies outside your shelter don’t go away just because they failed to break down your door the first time.

I play 98% of my PC games on Steam—including some pretty darn old releases. But recently I’ve been wondering, what happens if/when Valve goes under, or computer hardware advances to a point where my previous purchases are no longer compatible, or my library loses support in some other way? I bought my games on Steam, but do I really own them? When cars debut in early access, with paywall-locked features and live-service models, what happens when your trusty jalopy bricks while driving down the road? Oh wait; we already know.

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August 17, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

UK’s Royal Navy tests 40-foot submarine drone which can be operated from ‘the other side of the world’

by admin August 17, 2025

The UK’s Royal Navy has shared an update on its progress in the development and testing of a large unmanned submarine. The new submarine drone is actually ‘extra large’ at 12m (~40ft) and is thus classed as an Extra Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (XLUUV). One of the headlining abilities of this unmanned vessel, aptly dubbed Excalibur, is the ability to control it while it is “submerged on the other side of the world.”

We got some more Excalibur specs ahead of the latest round of testing, when this XLUUV was first unwrapped, back in May. In addition to its length, noted above, we know this sub is 2m (~6.5ft) wide, and displaces 19 tonnes of seawater. The project caps the three-year-long Project Cetus, and becomes the largest uncrewed underwater vessel available to the Royal Navy.

Image 1 of 3

(Image credit: The Royal Navy )(Image credit: The Royal Navy )(Image credit: The Royal Navy )

Australia to the UK

In the recent sea trials the UK and Australia, as part of AUKUS Pillar II, tested the capabilities of Excalibur. The vessel, built by Plymouth (UK) based MSubs, was successfully operated in UK waters from a remote operating center in Australia.

How deadly is Excalibur?

So, what is an Excalibur XLUUV capable of? The Royal Navy sources don’t seem to be very specific about what this large drone can do. However, we saw a report around the time of its unveiling which shone a little more light on the vessel’s potential capabilities.

In brief, Navy Lookout describes the Excalibur as a technology demonstrator. Its designers are trialing “long-endurance surveillance, seabed warfare, and deployment of sensors or payloads in denied or contested environment,” says the navy news and analysis site.

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August 17, 2025 0 comments