Dyson released its Dyson V15s Detect Submarine in the UK this week (March 6), following its rollouts in Australia and later the US last year. It’s the company’s first-ever wet and dry vacuum cleaner (so it doubles as a mop, thanks to its eponymous Submarine head), and I was offered the chance to test it out.
As it happens, I’ve been moving into a new apartment this week, so how better to test the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine than seeing how it stacks up as a deep-cleaning tool for getting my new home ready before I move all my furniture in?
TL;DR: this cleaning gadget is almost everything I want. It’s powerful, and it does a fantastic job of cleaning carpets and hard floors, though the battery life and small dirt bin can mean it takes longer to do the job than other vacuums, especially as it doesn’t recharge quickly.
A lean cleaning machine
As a traditional vacuum the Dyson V15s Submarine has all the same bells and whistles as the non-mop equipped version. It comes with all the attachments, including the Motorbar cleaner head (my favorite for carpets), the Fluffy Optic head, and tools for sucking the dust from corners and crevices.
Most importantly, it also comes with the same supreme suction that all Dyson vacs are known for.
I loved cleaning with this thing (Image credit: Future)
The home had been cleaned before we arrived, but you might not know it if you saw the dust this machine ripped from the carpets. In the four carpeted rooms – the bedroom, office, living room and hallway – I managed to fill the canister two-and-a-half times, and I could swear the floors looked a shade lighter when I was finished.
The only downside was the vacuum’s aforementioned battery life. Because of all the dirt it was taking up the V15’s auto power setting must have mostly been running on high, and while this did deliver an amazing clean it meant I needed to recharge the vacuum after around 25 minutes of cleaning, when I was only about two-thirds finished.
To make matters worse, the vacuum is fairly slow to recharge. However, for a cordless vacuum these trade-offs in terms of charging and power are to be expected if you want to keep the device portable and easy to manoeuvre – which the V15s Detect Submarine certainly is.
Mop to it
Okay, but we already know how good a Dyson is at vacuuming – it’s kinda what they’re known for. But how does its first-ever mop compare?
At first glance I was worried that it wasn’t actually doing anything. That’s because the mopped floor is left with only a thin film of water on it after you’ve gone over it – the head is designed to not drench your floors in the first place, and excess dirty liquid is deposited in the Submarine’s dirty-water container.
After feeling that the mop head and floor were indeed damp – and checking that the water supply was fitted properly twice more – I carried on, and saw that the Dyson Submarine mop was indeed mopping up a lot of the messes I’d made while cleaning the kitchen counter and my bathroom earlier in the day.
The Submarine head can be stored in its drip tray when not in use (Image credit: Future)
This was especially true when I slowed down and let the mop head scrub each surface for longer, rather than manually moving it back and forth. The experience is a lot like transitioning from manual toothbrushes to electric ones; you have to learn to let the head do the work rather than your mechanical movement.
I was also glad to see that, because the pipe is completely blocked off, there’s no chance of any water being sucked up into the main bin and causing damage (which, in fairness would have been a massive oversight on Dyson’s part).
However, because of this I found that the mop head wasn’t as good at capturing debris chunks as the other attachments. Once the floor was dry (it dried fairly speedily) I had to go back over it with the fluffy head to pick up any remaining dirt.
The only thing I can’t speak to is how long it can mop for. I went over my modestly sized kitchen and bathroom, with the readout on the V15s Submarine’s screen saying I’d only used about 10% of the water tank. If your home has more hard floors that need mopping I expect that you’ll need to refill the water tank at least once.
A new best of the best?
(Image credit: Dyson)
If you already have a Dyson V15 Detect Absolute then I wouldn’t recommend upgrading to the V15s Detect Submarine. Apart from the Submarine mop attachment you won’t get anything extra out of your machine – which is why I’m a little surprised that Dyson doesn’t sell the mop attachment separately (unless there’s a hardware upgrade or two under the hood that’s required for the V15s to function).
But if you have an older Dyson vacuum that’s in need of a refresh, or you’re looking to transition from a rival brand, this is a model I’d seriously recommend considering over Dyson’s more traditional vacuums if you mop a lot (or want to mop more).
Alternatively, picking up one of the other best vacuum cleaners from our recommended guide and one of the best robot vacuums that can mop for you could be the way to go.
It’s been a while since we saw it last, but Saatva has finally brought back it’s ultra-rare $500 off any order over $1,000 discount. Popping up just a couple of times a year, it’s impossible to predict when this Saatva mattress sale will start, so who knows when it will be back again – shop now to avoid missing out. It’s a semi-exclusive for TechRadar, so make sure to follow one of the links on this page, or you won’t see it.
Always a dominating force in our best mattress guide, Saatva is one of our favorite sleep brands. It’s a premium brand, so you can expect a higher price tag, but you can also expect a quality finish, a luxury feel, and some of the best extras around (including 365 nights to try the bed out, and free white glove delivery). We’re particularly big fans of the Saatva Classic, which delivers an exceptionally strong performance all-round. Check out our Saatva Classic mattress review to learn more.
I’ve singled out the Saatva Classic because it has such a wide appeal, but if it’s not exactly what you’re after, there are mattresses to suit almost every sleep style in the Saatva sale. Just follow the links on this page and head to your favorite mattress to claim your discount.
Buy it if…
✅ You want a premium finish: The Saatva Classic is an expensive mattress, but it justifies that cost with an exceptional build, quality materials, and a luxurious finish. It’s like sleeping on the best hotel mattress, but you get to do it every single night, and thanks to the free white glove delivery, someone will even set up the bed for you – it’s just a shame Saatva can’t throw in room service.
✅ You want to customize your choice: One of the reasons behind the wide-ranging Classic appeal it the amount of options you have. There are three firmness levels available: Plush for side sleepers, Luxury Firm has an all-round support, while Firm is aimed at back and stomach sleepers. And you get to choose your height – upgrade from 11.5 inches to 14.5 inches for ultimate luxury.
✅ You want quality extras: Okay, this is a benefit of all Saatva adult mattresses, but it’s worth covering here. As well as the previously mentioned white glove delivery (which means Saatva will set-up the bed to the room of your choice), you’ll get a 365-night mattress trial and a lifetime warranty.
Don’t buy it if…
❌ You want contouring foam: While technically a hybrid, the Saatva Classic feels closer to an innerspring, thanks to prominent layer of coils. If you want the contouring hug of foam, consider the Loom & Leaf. In our Saatva Loom & Leaf mattress review we found this plush bed has incredible pressure relief, and there’s $500 off every size and firmness level.
❌ You have back or joint pain: For the record, the Classic is also good for those with aches and pains, but if a lumbar-friendly design is top priority, we recommend the Saatva RX. Described as “total opulence” in our Saatva RX mattress review, this bed has a balance of support and relief that’s ideal for anyone who wakes up stiff. All sizes are $500 off with our link.
❌ You prioritize edge support: Our reviewer described the Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress as “the best mattress for edge support [they’ve] ever tested.” Learn why with our Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress review. It’s also a slightly more affordable option – the queen size is down to $1,295 with our discount code.
While CG is still the medium of choice for many of the largest animation studios like Disney, Pixar and DreamWorks, traditional 2D animation still holds the hearts of many, including myself.
However, be it financial pressures, tighter deadlines, or viewers’ preference for the more glossy, finished feel of CG animation, there’s not a lot of mainstream 2D animation these days. Aaron Blaise, a former Disney animator, writer, director, and all-round animation legend, thinks that could be about to change, thanks to more accessible software like Procreate Dreams.
“I think Procreate Dreams could not have come out at a better time,” says Blaise. “The use of CG animation is wonderful; it’s a great tool that allowed a lot of animated filmmakers who didn’t draw to get into the field and create their visions. But I think that the industry has steered away from hand-drawn animation long enough – there’s a big hunger for it now.”
In an interview with TechRadar, Blaise discussed why he’s adopting new and more accessible software for his animation education business and even some of his future works, including a feature-length film.
(Image credit: Aaron Blaise)
Paint with all the colors of the wind
Blaise left Disney in 2007 after having worked on titles like Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Pocahontas, Mulan, and Aladdin – he also directed Brother Bear. He wanted to continue making films, but on a smaller scale, and his greatest ambition was to transform his over 35-year career into education.
More recently, a key component of that ambition has been Procreate Dreams. Blaise’s business, CreatureArtTeacher, even offers Procreate Dreams-specific workshops. “So many people ask me what software to use, and it’s a no-brainer. If you’ve got an iPad? No-brainer.”
In the run-up to Procreate Dreams’ release, Blaise spent 12 weeks working on a short animation using the software. “One of the biggest compliments and most consistent comments that I got on YouTube was, ‘This reminds me of the old Disney-style animation that I grew up on,’ which was always followed up with, ‘I wish there was more of this.’
“That really gets me excited for the young artists who want to come in, start drawing, and do it the way we used to do it.”
Adding to Blaise’s Procreate Dreams enthusiasm in light of this renewed hunger for 2D animation is its very approachable price – just $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$29.99. “There is no other software out there that does what Procreate Dreams does for the price point, and that to me is probably the biggest selling point,” he says. “We’re just gonna see this surge – and I’m already seeing it across YouTube and TikTok – this wave of new pieces of animation being done in Dreams.”
As a very amateur animator myself, I’ve also been pretty blown away by the Procreate Dreams experience. It’s remarkably robust and powerful but also incredibly flexible and easy to use – aspects Blaise sees huge potential in for newer animators.
Even for a seasoned pro like Blaise, though, Procreate Dreams is plenty powerful, too: “That penguin short I drew – that was before the software was even finished. I did it when a lot of the features weren’t even there yet, but Dreams was still strong enough that I could create all the backgrounds and the animation in about 12 weeks, which is huge for a full piece of animation like that.”
In fact, Blaise sees Dreams as so capable he might just make his next feature-length animation using it. “We’re talking about trying to do feature-length material using Dreams, and we’re really excited about that. We just have to figure out the pipeline.”
One jump ahead of the slowpokes
One of Blaise’s favorite things about Procreate Dreams is how easily it can replicate the experience of traditional, frame-by-frame animation on paper. “With young artists nowadays that is such a nostalgic mystery to them.
“The way I approach animation, even when I’m drawing digitally, is still a very old-school, traditional way as if I’m animating on paper, which Dreams allows me to do,” says Blaise, “I don’t use Lasso Tools and things like that, because I treat it like it’s paper.”
There’s one standout feature Blaise wishes he could have used earlier in his career; Performance mode. “The Performance mode is awesome. You can take a piece of animation, move it around the screen, record that movement, and then you’re done. That saves such an incredible amount of time.”
In fact, Blaise said Dreams’ biggest flaw has more to do with hardware – he’d love to see it on a larger slate: “Apple, if you’re reading this – make a bigger iPad.”
Still, he says, Procreate Deams has done a great job at allowing you to use that space economically, letting you easily switch between editing directly on the timeline and drawing in flipbook mode. ”I don’t know of any other software that does that. They’re really thinking about the artist and the ease of animation.”
(Image credit: Aaron Blaise)
Adventure in the great wide somewhere
For Blaise, the Dreams experience isn’t just exciting in its potential to bring in new animators; having the freedom to move with his artwork is even changing his own lifestyle as an artist.
At the Lightbox art conference in Pasadena, California, last year, fellow artist James Gurney arranged for a few peers, including Blaise, to gather one morning and complete landscape or cityscape paintings of downtown Pasadena. They also added giant creatures into the paintings as a fun illustration exercise.
Blaise, typically confined to his studio space and full setup for animation, was able to partake in a way he’d never be able to without Procreate Dreams. “Just having that portability and being able to animate anywhere, that’s pretty cool. I love that it’s ready to go when the inspiration hits you or if you want to go somewhere and you can’t be in the studio.”
It’s a freedom Blaise sees as central to the future and success of Procreate Dreams, and that freedom extends to the artistic flair of the individual using it. “It doesn’t have to be Disney style; that’s the thing I get excited about. There are so many new fresh ideas coming into the animation world; styles and ways of expression that we’ve never seen before that Dreams is going to allow people to do.”
All that’s left, Blaise says, is to try: “Just get in there and start animating and drawing, learning the basics; the bouncing ball, the stretch and squish exercises, the timing, all of that. Being able to do shots like that in Dreams is incredibly easy.”
“One of the things I love about apps like Procreate and Procreate Dreams is that they are so robust, there are 100 different ways that you can do any one thing. It just depends on what your workflow is, and how you come at it.”
Whether you’re an experienced artist like Blaise or an absolute amateur like myself, Procreate Dreams is one of the most accessible animation apps available, from its low price to the fact its hardware is a general-use tablet and not the pricey purpose-built best drawing tablets.
It shouldn’t be too much longer until we see the sixth-generation iPad Air, and another detail about the tablet has leaked: it’s rumored to be getting a landscape front-facing camera, in line with the 10th-gen entry-level iPad launched in 2022.
In other words, the selfie cam is on the top of the tablet when you’re using it in landscape mode, not down the side. This comes from seasoned tipster Instant Digital (via MacRumors), and will apparently apply to both sizes of the new iPad Air.
It certainly makes a lot of sense for video calls, because you can look at the top of the tablet when it’s set up in landscape mode. It’s also something that’s been rumored for the next iPad Pros, so every iPad should soon have the same front-facing camera placement.
As MacRumors points out, this is going to take a bit of engineering know-how: unlike the basic iPad, the iPad Air and iPad Pro have an inductive magnetic charger along the same edge for the Apple Pencil. Presumably Apple has found a way to handle this.
A bigger display, a faster chip
The current generation iPad Air (Image credit: Future)
In our 10.9-inch iPad 2022 review, we called the new camera placement “much more natural” for video calling, so it’s perhaps no surprise that the change is coming – and we should be getting official confirmation before too long.
New iPad Air and iPad Pro models could be announced as early as this week, according to sources. We thought it might happen last week too, but Apple decided to unveil the new M3-powered MacBook Air instead.
As well as a repositioned camera, the iPad Air 6 could well come in a larger 12.9-inch size, alongside the current 10.9-inch one. That means it would match the iPad Pro series in terms of giving consumers a choice of two screen sizes to pick from.
Under the hood, an upgrade to the latest M3 chip from Apple has been talked about as well, and we’ve also seen leaked schematics showing what the next iPad Air might look like. As soon as it’s official, we’ll let you know.
Keeping your phone till it dies has got a whole lot more difficult lately, right? Hardware has reached a point in recent years where for once, it’s more likely that you’ll get bored of your phone long before you kill it and phone companies are starting to steer into this, admittedly positive, skid.
That is, unless you are OnePlus. The relatively recent phone launches from Samsung and Google have introduced seven years of Android updates to the flagship norm. But OnePlus isn’t joining the party quite yet. The OnePlus 12 launched with support for only four years of major Android updates but, contrary to belief, this might actually be a good thing.
Sticking to its roots
(Image credit: Peter Hoffmann)
Since its inception, OnePlus has consistently towed the line of high performance without a high price. While its prices have creeped up over the years, it still produces phones that can nip at the best Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra all without a bank-breaking price. The OnePlus 12 continues this trend, and from what I can tell, it makes it all the more enticing.
OnePlus loyalists will often boast of their phone’s capability to match, or even surpass, the quality of its rivals from Samsung and Google, not to mention iPhone. It’s this near cult-like drive for superiority that arguably makes OnePlus’ call to have a reduced lifespan on the OnePlus 12 one of its best decisions yet.
See, with great lifespans, come great boredoms, to badly rephrase an iconic quote. Although this isn’t something that’s necessarily true for all phone users, it’s definitely true for phone lovers, which OnePlus users usually are. The data also supports this: in a UK survey by YouGov, 62% of people said they only expect to use a phone for up to four years. In the US, data from Statista suggests people are changing their phone on average every two to three years, and these aren’t just the OnePlus lovers, this is everyone.
So why would people need seven years of Android updates? Sure, it will serve those who simply choose not to change their phone until it is broken in a way the OnePlus 12 won’t, but, is that the majority right now? I think not.
Finding opportunities
(Image credit: OnePlus)
As ever, there is a small but malleable gap in the smartphone market that OnePlus has cleverly woven its way into. The OnePlus 12 takes the best bits of some of its key rivals such as the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Xiaomi 14 and reworks them to their own model in a way which, arguably, could make you want to spend four years with it, rather than needing to to ensure you get your money’s worth.
The OnePlus 12 features the Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 as standard, something which isn’t the case globally for the Samsung Galaxy S24, it has a camera system made in collaboration with Hasselblad to create an improved, yet recognisably OnePlus snapper suite, much like Xiaomi have done with Leica, and it surpasses the both of them in both battery size and charging speeds. That’s before you even consider the advanced cooling tech and battery maintenance engine featured in the OnePlus 12 to help keep it at top performance for longer.
Of course, as you’d expect, the OnePlus 12 does all of this, and still comes in at arguably great value. The basic 12GB RAM 256GB storage model of the OnePlus 12 is £849/$799.99, while the Samsung Galaxy S24 with only 8GB RAM and 128GB storage comes in at £799/$799. So for only £50 more – or absolutely no difference if you’re in the US – you can get more RAM, more storage, and specs that either match or beat the phone which is supposedly the best phone right now. So fundamentally, why wouldn’t you go OnePlus?
Looking forward
(Image credit: Peter Hoffmann)
Don’t get me wrong, seven years of updates is huge. If you can’t afford a new phone, that amount of Android updates will mean there’s all the more reason to look towards the refurbished phone market. It will add resale value to old devices, which will not only improve your bank balance but it will also give people fewer reasons to simply throw out their old phone, reducing electronic waste.
Okay now the environmental bit is mentioned, from a phones point-of-view there is one clear other side for diehard phone lovers, as fundamentally, seven years is a very long time in the tech world right now.
Right now phone advancements have picked up pace again, partly thanks to advancements in AI, yes, but also simply down to the sheer number of improvements we’re seeing in both the hardware and software devices are using. Seven years will simply leave you a long way behind everyone else, with a phone that could well be on its last legs, and a phone bill that will have seen one – or maybe six – too many yearly price increases. And nobody wants that, especially not true phone-lovers; four years however, might just be the sweet spot.
The Audio Pro C20 has a lot of connectivity options. As anyone familiar with the category of best wireless speakers knows, a box of drivers that’s able to harness your home’s Wi-Fi network can offer superior sound to that afforded by a Bluetooth connection, whether music is accessed via Google Cast, Apple’s AirPlay, ‘connected’ services such as Tidal Connect (which actually lets you stream losslessly in 24-bit hi-res, where AirPlay taps out at 16-bit CD quality) or a dedicated multi-room app such as the Audio Pro Control app. And the Audio Pro C20 offers all of this.
But just quickly, let’s explain why Audio Pro’s latest wireless speaker is worth your time from a technical perspective. First off, pinging music over Bluetooth from phone to speaker incurs compression. Wi-Fi’s higher bandwidth means you can listen in (very) high resolution, up to 24-bit/192kHz. Now, a Wi-Fi enabled speaker accesses your chosen tunes from the internet (or local drive connected to it) rather than from your phone itself – and if you walk into another room or take a call, as long as you stay within range of your Wi-Fi router, the music keeps playing.
Why explain this in the intro to a product review? Because Audio Pro gets it. The Swedish company’s been in the game for 40 years and the firm gets that we want more than one open gate leading to our music. Also, we now have plenty of kit we’d like to physically connect our shiny new speaker to, if possible (and thank you very much in advance). So, on top of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth streaming, Audio Pro has added to the sizeable C20 a compelling array of ports on the back: an RCA in (for turntables with an RIAA amp), a phono MM in (for moving-magnet cartridge decks without a phono stage), an RCA sub out (if you wanted to connect a dedicated subwoofer to it), a Toslink Optical in (for CD players or budget soundbars, say) and the arguably the biggest draw of the lot – an HDMI ARC in, so it can go straight into your TV and challenge some of the best soundbars. So long as it’ll fit beneath it without obscuring the screen, that is.
The grille attaches easily with magnets and offers clean lines, if you want those… (Image credit: Future)
What you need to know is this: this thing sounds fantastic, offering clarity, depth, excitement and finesse, even at higher volumes. The control app is easy to navigate and corrals all of your chosen music streaming services – but of course, you could go into each app on your phone and click the little Google cast or AirPlay icon to see the C20 ready to connect.
Audio Pro calls the C20 the complete solution for music and TV and it’s hard to argue. It’s also hard to imagine a home interior, color scheme or decor style that the Audio Pro C20 couldn’t be friends with – and the grille can remain on or easily be whipped off, if you prefer to see its three talented drivers.
The metal top plate adds an extra touch of class and the buttons click nicely, in a build that feels both reverent to traditional techniques and yet strikingly modern.
The fact that it comes from a long line of hits means it doesn’t come cheap though. I’ve written odes to Audio Pro’s beautiful speakers and I helped review the slightly smaller Audio Pro Addon C10 MkII for TechRadar’s sister site, What Hi-Fi?, so I can personally vouch the five-star rating there (and the multiple awards it subsequently gained), although I fear those likely didn’t do much to keep prices low.
In summary, it’s chic, it’s unique and it’s (virtually) the complete package. Why virtually? If you wanted a 3.5mm in for your headphones (or 4.4mm, 6.35mm, or XLR), you won’t find it – you’d have to go the the FiiO R9 for that. The C20 is for the enjoyment of shared music. And what an experience that is.
Audio Pro C20 review: Price and release date
Unveiled January 8, 2024, shipping from March 2024
$550 / £450 / €550 (around AU$820)
The Audio Pro C20 is available for pre-order now, and ships from March 2024. In the US, it costs $550 and in the UK, it’ll set you back £450, hardly a trifling sum, whatever whistles and bells it sports.
That said, the competition here isn’t much more affordable. Yes, the Q Acoustics M40 HD is (excellent and) a music system squirrelled into a set of speakers, but as far as wireless connectivity goes, it’s a Bluetooth only one. Then, there’s the fantastic FiiO R9, with all of the connectivity and hi-res wireless streaming smarts you could wish for, as long as you’ll provide your own speakers or headphones.
Sonus Faber and Naim also offer similar solutions – see the Naim Mu-so Qb, a 2019 release which doesn’t boast an HDMI ARC input, support, or the Sonus Faber Omnia, which does – but while the former is now available for similar money to the C20, the latter is a lot more expensive…
Audio Pro sports so many connections, it advises you on which to use for different kinds of turntable… (Image credit: Future)
Audio Pro C20 review: Specs
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Drivers
2x 1-inch tweeters, 1x 6.5-inch woofer
Weight
6.2kg
Connectivity (wireless)
Wi-Fi 2.4GHz/5GHz, Bluetooth 5.0, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Google Cast, AirPlay 2, Audio Pro multi-room
Connectivity (wired)
HDMI ARC, Toslink, RCA, Phone, Line, Sub Out
Power
190W (2x 30W and 1x130W Calss D amps)
Audio Pro C20 review: Features
Built in RIAA amplifier
Google Cast, Apple AirPlay and Audio Pro’s own multi-room audio option
HDMI ARC
By adding a phono stage to its latest masterwork, Audio Pro C20 can be plugged straight into your devoid-of-phono turntable (as long as it sports a moving magnet cartridge), allowing you to simply power it on, select ‘phono’ on the Audio Pro’s top plate, lower that needle and get into the groove. Got one of the best turntables with an RIAA amp inbuilt? That’s OK too, there’s a separate RCA line in for you too.
Of course, this is Audio Pro, so the new C20 also features the winning multi-room option triumvirate that the company introduced with the 2021-release Addon C10 MkII: AirPlay 2, Google Cast, plus its own multi-room audio capability. You also get Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, Bluetooth (v5.0) and HDMI ARC – so you can hook it straight up to your TV.
Thanks to a combination of these these things, you can also re-stream music (including vinyl from your turntable) to other Audio Pro speakers you may have collected from its A, C, or D-series, in a wireless multi-room system around your home (and you don’t even have to start making holes in your walls).
The C20 also offers the option of connecting an external subwoofer via its sub-out (the company would direct you to its own Audio Pro SW-5 or SW10) enabling you to enhance the C20’s bass performance even further, should you wish – although I didn’t find this necessary.
Finally, two C20’s can be set-up as a stereo pair using the Audio Pro app, or even via Apple Airplay 2. I think you’ll agree, that’s a lot of options. If you want a 3.5mm headphone jack, you won’t find it… but do you really?
Features score: 5/5
That’s a lot of options – and six presets (Image credit: Future)
Audio Pro C20 review: Sound quality
Clarity, neutrality and detail in spades
Ample bass clout without muddying the soundstage
Not an omnidirectional solution
Simply put, the Audio Pro C20 sounds very good indeed, whether physically hooked up to your TV or turntable, or when commanded to play music by your phone. You might anticipate having to make a compromise when buying a jack-of-all-trades box – a minor hit on sound in return for something that works with everything – but not so here.
Coheed and Cambria’s In Keeping Secrets of the Silent Earth: 3 accessed on Tidal Connectis a raucous proggy album and the C20 never shies away from any of it, serving indomitable energy across the frequencies in a cohesive but rigorously regimented mix.
Given delicate string progressions such as Joni Mitchell’s A Case of You, Mitchell’s textured vocal soars above her dynamically agile and three-dimensional Appalachian dulcimer (and James Taylor’s emotive acoustic guitar) where each musical passage is given enough space to have the necessary impact the track.
When handling TV content, the C20 is an easy (easy!) step up from anything my Sony TV’s speakers can do, opening out the sound and offering that extra ounce of detail through intakes of breath and clacks of high-heeled shoes on cobbles in Shetland.
It’s not a Dolby Atmos solution, of course, and the sound isn’t particularly omnidirectional (owing to the C20’s design), but there’s a wide soundstage here nonetheless.
However I listened to it across the course of my testing, the C20 continued to delight and entertain with its myriad connectivity perks, ease of use and gifted audio chops.
Sound quality score: 5/5
The remote certainly adds value – although volume adjustment is a slightly blunt affair (Image credit: Future)
Audio Pro C20: Design
2x 30W and 1x 130W digital class D amplifiers
Removable grille
Choice of three finishes
The Audio Pro C20 is available in Soft Satin White, Stylish Grey or Classic Black. The woven fabric front is fixed to the C20 by magnets and can be easily removed, giving the option of two very different looks, depending on your favored aesthetic.
I like to take off the grille off to better hear (and observe) Audio Pro’s iconic eyes-and-nose style driver configuration, as seen in the brand’s beloved T3+, C5 MkII and C10 MkII, for starters. Here, you get two 30W and one 130W Digital Class D amplifiers, powering the C20’s dual 1-inch tweeters and a 6.5-inch woofer.
At 41cm across,19.6cm high and 22cm deep (and weighing in at 6.2kg, which roughly the same as a gallon of paint), the C20 is a substantial thing and while it fits under my wall-mounted TV just fine, those thinking of using it as a soundbar will need to think about that height.
My ‘Stylish Grey’ sample is just that. The gold-tone top plate (with solo LEDs to denote which source you’re using as well as lights around the six preset buttons) also helps and while the gold accent on the grille is gone (as seen on the C10 MkII) I don’t miss it. Do I miss Audio Pro’s glorious rock ‘n’ roll leather handle? A little, but I also concede that this isn’t proposition is not meant to be especially portable.
It’s always been hard to find fault with Audio Pro’s build quality, and the C20 is no exception.
Design score: 4.5/5
You need a bit of clearance, but it works with my TV (Image credit: Future)
Audio Pro C20 review: Usability and setup
Simple, app-guided setup
App can handle your music –or not
No supplied remote
After powering the speaker on (in case it needs to be mentioned, the C20 needs to be plugged in to power at all times), you’re quickly guided to the Audio Pro companion app, which will add the C20 to your Wi-FI network and generally do the rest. During my time with it, it neither crashed nor tripped up even momentarily.
On the app, the ‘Browse’ tab (which seeks to keep your music all in one place) will open Apple Music natively through ‘open on Apple Music’ if using an iOS device, but third-party streaming services (such as Tidal) will require you to login again if going this route. You can also select the C20’s source here, whether that’s Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, phono, line in (I hooked it up to the FiiO R9 before setting it up and it did a fantastic job), optical or TV.
The central ‘Device’ tab in the app is meant to organise your speakers rather than your music, so here you can name your speaker, (either the model, or its placement in your home, such as ‘kitchen’) and with the C20 there’s a three-band EQ tab for bass, treble and subwoofer out.
The third and final ‘Settings’ tab basically lets you choose which services are displayed on ‘Browse’, as well as an FAQ section and details on the app version you’re running.
Audio Pro hasn’t supplied a dedicated remote control in the box (although if you’re using the HDMI ARC to your TV, you can just use your TV’s remote for volume) and honestly, I don’t miss it, because the app does the heavy lifting – or of course, you can use the premium top plate.
Usability and setup score: 5/5
Audio Pro’s companion app makes it really easy to group your music and your wireless speakers for multi-room audio (Image credit: Future)
Audio Pro C20: Value
Obviously, if you don’t have the expendable income to afford such a speaker, it doesn’t matter how good it is – you won’t be buying it.
That said, Sonus Faber will offer you something with a similar spec sheet that’s double the price, while Naim has an older option that offers less in terms of connectivity, but sounds excellent, for similar money (see below for a comparison of these products).
My advice? You will not be disappointed with the sound-per-pound value here.
Value score: 4.5/5
Audio Pro C20 review: Should you buy it?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Audio Pro C20: Also consider
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Audio Pro C20
Naim Mu-so Qb (2019)
Sonus Faber Omnia
Price
$550 / £450 (around AU$820)
$899 / £749 (around AU£1300) but can be found for less
$2,000 / £1,600 / AU$3,500
Drivers
2x 1-inch tweeters, 1x 6.5-inch woofer
7-driver array
7-driver array powered by a 490W amplifier
Connectivity (wireless)
2.4GHz/5GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, Google Cast, AirPlay 2, Audio Pro app for multi-room connectivity
Ethernet (10/100Mbps), Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n/ac), BLE v4.2,Apple AirPlay 2, Chromecast Built-in, UPnPTM, Spotify Connect, TIDAL, Roon Ready, Bluetooth, Internet Radio
2.4GHz/5GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 (aptX HD), AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect
Weight
6.2kg
5.6kg
7.6kg
Connectivity (wired)
HDMI ARC in, Phono, RCA line in, Optical Toslink in, Sub out
Optical S/PDIF, USB 2 (type A), 3.5mm jack
Switchable phono/line in (for turntable analog devices), HDMI Arc in, Ethernet port
Audio Pro C20 review: How I tested
Tested across seven days
Used as a TV soundbar, wireless speaker, wired to the FiiO R9, wired to a turntable and as a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker
Listened to a variety of music; watched three episodes of an action-packed TV show
When testing the Audio Pro C20, the only connection I didn’t use was the subwoofer out – because honestly, I really like Audio Pro’s tuning within its speakers and never felt the need to try to augment the low end.
The analogue inputs accommodated both pre-amplified and non-amplified turntables, the digital optical was used for a CD player, the line in for FiiO R9 (as a source device), my TV was hooked up to it… and, of course, Bluetooth and my home Wi-Fi network were handy for using it with my iPhone.
And then it’s the usual: listening to lots of familiar music from my reference playlist, (as well as three episodes of Shetland on TV, which I’m really into and highly recommend – yes, I know I’m late to that particular party) at a variety of volume levels, for the duration of my testing.
As a brief aside, I removed the grilles for the duration of my testing – it’s what I always do whenever possible. Why? The fewer physical obstructions between you and your music, the better…
The answer to my titular question is a tentative ‘I doubt it’. And that’s a pity, as I’ve long been a fan of the iPad mini.
Apple last updated its smallest fondle slate back in September 2021, which saw a specs boost and the removal of the sort-of iconic iPad Home button in favor of narrower bezels and Touch ID integrated into the power button, much like the iPad Air. I’m currently using the sixth-generation iPad mini, which replaced my decent if a tad long-in-the-tooth iPad mini 5, and I’ve got no real complaints about the latest mini other than a 90Hz or 120Hz display would be nice.
However, infrequent iPad mini updates and a lack of any solid rumors surrounding the iPad mini 7 have me and others on the TechRadar team thinking that the iPad mini’s days are numbered. I doubt Apple will explicitly kill the compact tablet, more that it’ll slowly leave it to fade into obscurity like that one difficult family member no one really hears much about and is awkward at gatherings.
I don’t want to see the iPad mini get ignored. It’s a wonderful little device, serving as a great digital notepad while I’m at events, a decent ereader and a rather neat gaming device, especially with an ever-expanding clutch of Apple Arcade games. But then I’m just one person, and arguably an odd one at that – I’m usually one of the few tech journalists tapping notes into an iPad while others prefer to go old-school and put pen to actual paper or type away on a laptop. So I doubt Apple will cater for just little ol’ me.
Furthermore, the iPad consistently sells less units than its larger brethren – according to data from the likes of Consumer Intelligence and Research Partners. That’s hardly surprising when smartphones have gotten bigger, with the likes of the iPhone 15 Pro Max offering a 6.7-inch display that’s not too far off in terms of diagonal space compared to the current iPad mini’s 8.3-inch screen. Some of the best foldable phones also work well as forms of Android-based iPad minis, albeit without the robust ecosystem.
Mini tablet, shrinking appeal
(Image credit: TechRadar)
So there’s an argument that the iPad mini no longer has a place in the market it once did when smartphones were smaller and tablets were chunkier.
I got a taste of this when I was using an iPad Air, which, while not as paperback-size friendly as the mini made for an excellent digital magazine reader, as well as gaming device – thanks to its refined design, I got all the benefits of a bigger screen without much extra weight, meaning when I had the Air I didn’t really give the mini much attention.
I’m also not sure where the iPad mini can go next. It’s too small to justify the extra peripherals that the standard iPad has been equipped with. Giving it an improved display and much more power could see it not only step towards Air territory, but also increase to a price – Apple being Apple – that could be hard to justify for a compact tablet. An entry-level iPad mini already costs $499 / £479 / AU$749, which is more expensive than the 10.9-inch iPad 2022 that starts at $449 / £499 / AU$749.
If Apple doubled down on Apple Arcade and made the iPad mini into more of a handheld console, say with a dock that added physical controls and a connector so it could output to a TV, then I could see a gaming-centric future for the iPad mini. But the likelihood of Apple doing that when devices like the Apple TV 4K exist is slim.
The 2024 version of Apple isn’t the company to come out with surprises like it once was, but there’s always a chance it could have something up its sleeve, and writing off the mini wholesale might be unwise. But I’m of the opinion that the iPad mini, as much as I like it, is on its way out.
However, that’s no reason not to get one as I still think it’s a fantastic tablet, especially if you get it at a good price. So if you fancy giving it a spin before it potentially disappears, go check out our collection of the best iPad deals to see if you can snag a mini bargain.
It’s been almost exactly a year since the last significant threat of a TikTok ban in the US. This time, a bill to ban the popular social media app on US shores passed by a unanimous vote in the House of Representatives committee. Considering the bipartisan support, the bill may glide through the House, to the Senate and end up on President Joe Biden’s desk within weeks.
The prospect of a total US ban now seems very real.
What this would mean, how it would work, and what comes next are largely unchanged from when we wrote this story last year.
TikTok’s infinite stream of lip-sync videos, illusions, and air fryer recipes might seem innocent enough, but the app is now facing the very serious threat of a US ban.
Over the past year, TikTok has been in the eye of a political storm that has seen it banned from government devices in the US, the EU, and now the UK. But it’s the very real prospect of an outright TikTok ban in the US that’s worrying the app’s millions of users.
The US government, including the current Biden administration, has investigated TikTok and its relationship with its China-based parent company for several years now.
The app has responded to allegations that it collects and stores the data of American users by making several changes, including moving all of its US data to Oracle’s servers. But none of this has sated US concerns that the app poses a national security threat. Last year, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew appeared before Congress to defend the app.
So what does this all mean for TikTok’s hundreds of millions of global users, and in particular the 150 million who live in the US? Here’s everything you need to know about the prospect of a TikTok ban in the US.
Why is the TikTok ban potentially happening?
The main accusation behind the potential TikTok ban in the US is that the app poses a threat to national security. But wait, aren’t most TikTok videos just frivolous video game walkthroughs and TV show clips?
Yes, but the problem is less the content and more what TikTok might allegedly be doing with the underlying data it gathers – about your likes and comments, and also where you are in the world and who you interact with.
For example, in February FBI Director Christopher Wray expressed “extreme” concern about the potential for China to “weaponize” data gathered from TikTok’s US-based fans.
This stems from the fact that TikTok is owned by Chinese company ByteDance – and Chinese law allows its government to force any company to hand over data they’re holding on their servers.
(Image credit: Shutterstock / Koshiro K)
Another accusation made by Wray was that the Chinese government could strong-arm TikTok in a way that would allow it to “control the recommendation algorithm”, therefore giving it huge potential influence given that more people than ever get their news from TikTok and YouTube.
While there’s currently no hard evidence of either practice being widespread TikTok, it does (like Facebook and Instagram) collect a lot of user data. Last year, four employees were also fired from TikTok’s parent company ByteDance for allegedly gathering usage data of US journalists.
A list of data that TikTok collects about you from The Washington Post. (Image credit: The Washington Post)
Whether or not this all poses enough of a security risk for the US government to take the unprecedented step of a complete TikTok ban remains to be seen. On March 7, 2023, a new bill made it easier for the US government to ban apps that pose a national security risk.
But on March 22, 2023, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew argued that the app has “never shared US users data” and has a “responsibility to protect” its 150 million US users.
How would a TikTok ban work?
We’ve actually already seen the most likely way that a TikTok ban would work in practice. Back in September 2020, the US Department of Commerce issued a ban that ordered both Apple and Google to remove TikTok and WeChat from their US app stores.
This ban was ultimately blocked by a federal judge and eventually revoked by President Biden last year, but the incident gives us a taste of what could happen if TikTok’s owners refuse to divest their stakes in the app.
(Image credit: Shutterstock / Ti Vla)
If US users can’t download TikTok from the iOS or Android app stores, that would cut them off from future updates. And after a while, this would likely result in the app no longer working on their smartphones.
It may also be possible for the US government to prevent TikTok access by identifying your IP address and preventing access to the web version of the app. But it isn’t yet clear if that’s on the cards, and there would be potential ways around this.
Is there a way around a potential TikTok Ban?
While a ban on TikTok appearing in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store would be a major roadblock to using the app in the US, there could be potential workarounds if that happened.
The most obvious way would be to use one of the best mobile VPNs to change your location (at least in the eyes of your ISP). While this would come at a monthly cost, the method could work as long as you choose a server that’s based in a country where TikTok isn’t banned.
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
Our top mobile VPN right now is ExpressVPN, though NordVPN and Surfshark are also good choices. That said, there is a chance that even these VPNs may not be able to circumvent a TikTok ban in the US.
TikTok says that it “collects your approximate location information based on your device or network information, such as SIM card and IP address”. In theory, this means that your device could still use that rough location data to ban you from using the service.
If that’s the case, your best hope may be the emergence of spin-off TikTok apps, which is what happened in India when the country banned the app in 2020.
CAD files for what is purported to be the iPhone 16 Pro have recently surfaced online, giving people an idea of what Apple’s upcoming flagship may look like.
According to tech news site 91mobiles, the smartphone will look similar to the iPhone 15 Pro with a few notable differences. First off, the 16 Pro is potentially slated to be slightly larger than the current model, measuring 149.6 x 71.4 x 8.4 mm. The website’s industry sources go on to say it’ll have a 6.1-inch display. There is a discrepancy with this as older leaks claim the mobile device will have a 6.3-inch screen. 91mobiles, however, leans more toward the larger display due to the newly listed dimensions and the fact that the renders show thinner bezels around the glass.
(Image credit: 91mobiles/Apple)
The biggest revision found in the files is the inclusion of the rumored Capture Button which will be located below the power button on the right side. The Capture Button, if you’re not familiar with it, is supposed to help users take better photographs by making the process more comfortable. You won’t have to tap the screen to take it.
The Capture Button’s full capabilities have been a mystery although a report from January offers some insight. Lightly tapping the Capture Button would cause the camera to focus while a complete press takes a photo – much like the shutter button on a traditional camera.
Keeping the best
On the back, the rear camera array apparently retains the same three-lens design as seen on the iPhone 15 Pro. Normally, this wouldn’t be important news, but another rumor from February claimed Apple was going to ditch the round camera platform, replacing it with a triangular one. People thought this would be the new design moving forward. However, it appears Apple may be sticking with the tried and true look.
91mobiles continues stating the “iPhone 16 Pro is expected to gain a 5X tetraprism telephoto camera”. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has the same type of lens and images taken by it are stunning. It’s unknown if the 16 Pro will have optical image stabilization. The tech isn’t mentioned in the leak. Presumably, it will since zoomed-in shots benefit greatly from robust stabilization. Other potential features for the iPhone 16 Pro include a 48MP ultra-wide camera and a 3,355mAh battery.
Apple holds a major event every September where it announces all of the new iPhone models. Not only do we expect to see the iPhone 16 Pro revealed six months from now, but also the fourth-generation iPhone SE and the Apple Watch X.
So it’s going to be a while until we get official info. While you wait, check out TechRadar’s roundup of the best iPhones for 2024.
We’re approaching that time of the year that everyone dreads – the switch to Daylight Savings Time and the loss of a precious hour in bed that comes with it – and naturally people are asking whether it’s time to ditch daylight savings.
As my learned colleague explains in the article linked above, there’s a whole stack of evidence to suggest that changing the clocks back and forth every year is a truly terrible idea, and the people seem to agree with the experts, with most in favor of sticking to a year-round standard time.
Sounds like a done deal, right? Sadly I’m here to tell you why it’s not going to happen. At least, not any time soon.
Permanent DST in the USA
Here’s the thing: the USA has already tried shifting to permanent DST, and it didn’t work out so well. Back in January 1974, President Richard Nixon enacted year-round DST as a two-year energy-saving experiment in response to the 1973 oil crisis. It was a popular move at first, with 79 per cent of Americans supporting it when surveyed in December 1973.
It didn’t take very long for the public mood to change, however; by February 1974 only 42 per cent were still in favor of the switch. The main reason? The increased danger of traffic accidents involving children going to school on dark winter mornings. The two-year experiment only lasted until October 1974, when the clocks went back as usual.
British Standard Time
The same concerns brought about the end of a similar experiment in the UK a few years earlier. Between 1968 and 1971 the British government introduced British Standard Time, time-shifting the whole country to DST all year round. The move resulted in an increase in road casualties in the morning, but it also transpired that there was a much greater decrease in evening road casualties. This decrease was skewed, however, by the introduction of new laws on drink-driving around the same time.
Ultimately it was the small increase in children getting injured on their way to school that led to the end of this experiment. However, the switch to darker winter mornings also made life harder for farmers and other workers who relied more on daylight to do their jobs effectively.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Despite this, even in mid-winter half of the population was in favor of remaining on BST; that said, in Scotland 61 per cent wanted to go back to GMT. And this raises an important point: how hard you’re hit by permanent DST depends on just how far north (or south) you are.
For people in the north of Scotland during the British Standard Time experiment, in the middle of winter the sun wasn’t rising until 10am, which is a horribly late start to the day. Where I live in the West of England, the sunrise would have been 9.15am, and I don’t think having an extra hour of daylight while at work would have been much of a compensation.
And I have to say, in the US you have it pretty easy by comparison (except perhaps in Alaska. Sorry, Alaska), because you’re a lot further south. Even then, you’d still be looking at kids having to walk to school on dark winter mornings in most states (even Florida), and even if the overall result was fewer road accidents in total, an uptick in accidents involving children because of a switch to permanent DST would be a hard pill to swallow.
Keep changing the clocks
Obviously I’m talking about switches to DST here, while many are arguing instead for a move to standard time year-round. That has its own drawbacks, though: the sun setting earlier, meaning winter evenings are as dark and long as ever, and rising earlier in the mornings, which would mean a much greater need for blackout curtains in the summer months.
An eventual switch to permanent DST or standard time isn’t an impossibility – more of the world has abandoned it than currently uses it, and there’s a whole swathe of equatorial countries that have never had the need for DST – but the potential risks involved in switching mean that despite the clear benefits, there’s not much appetite for actually doing it.
(Image credit: Getty/pcess609)
Numerous states have voted in favor of permanent DST, but switching hinges on Congress changing federal law to allow them to do this. However while the Sunshine Protection Act for permanent DST passed the Senate in 2022, it failed in the House; it was reintroduced in 2023 but hasn’t made any progress. And it doesn’t help that while there’s a definite mood for a single year-round time, there’s disagreement over whether that time should be daylight savings or standard time, which is proving to be a major hurdle for the Sunshine Protection Act. Ultimately it’s a lot easier to muddle along with what we have, than to effect a change that’ll be unpopular with some.
