Uninstalling software from Windows should be easy, but sometimes it is not. Windows 11’s built-in software removal feature can often leave traces of the uninstalled software behind. This might be registry entries, or hidden data within your Windows profile directory.
As more and more of this orphaned data accumulates, your PC can slow down, which is where third-party uninstallers come in. One example is Bulk Crap Uninstaller, a utility that uninstalls software from Windows, including Windows Store apps.
While alternative tools are available from large software publishers, Bulk Crap Uninstaller is maintained by Marcin Szeniak, a solo Polish developer.
Also known as BC Uninstaller and BCU, this is free and open-source software for Windows that is hosted on GitHub.
Bulk crap uninstaller: Plans and pricing
As noted, Bulk Crap Uninstaller is a free application, released under the Apache 2.0 open-source license. It is offered by the developer for use in private and commercial environments, with no obligations, providing the license is not breached.
Power users and organizations may wish to support development of the software. This is possible by making a donation, either by PayPal or Bitcoin, via the BC Uninstaller home page. You can also send a gift within the app via the Steam store.
Two versions of BCU are available: a standard version for installation, and a portable version that runs from a USB stick.
Bulk crap uninstaller: Features
(Image credit: Bulk Crap Uninstaller)
An incredible number of features are included in Bulk Crap Uninstaller, putting many paid alternatives to shame.
Installed application detection
If you’re removing software with a third-party utility, it needs to be able to detect everything that is installed on Windows. Bulk Crap Uninstaller can find normal apps, those that are hidden or protected, portable software, Windows Store/Universal Windows Platform apps, Windows updates, Oculus games and apps, and Steam games and apps. It can also handle software installed via the command line tool Chocolatey.
A restore point can be set, and a backup of the system registry made before software is removed.
Automatic uninstalling
The main purpose of this tool is to remove software that you don’t want installed on your PC. Bulk Crap Uninstaller deals with pretty much anything, from single to batch removal of applications, with minimal user input if preferred.
Applications without uninstallers can be removed, and the tool can even uninstall software based on an app window, shortcut, or directory. Hanging and crashing uninstallers can be handled, and there is also a force removal feature for tough-to-shift software.
As soon as applications are removed, the BC Uninstaller checks for leftovers and prompts you to permit removal of these elements.
Startup manager
A useful startup manager is included in this utility, to see what software is running when Windows boots. While this information can also be found in Windows itself, this is a good way to quickly identify problematic software and remove it without switching between the two tools.
Portable version
As noted, there is a portable version of BC Uninstaller. This handles all of the same tasks as the installed version. To make the software portable, its settings are stored in a single file. It is, therefore, possible to make the “installed” version portable if necessary.
Built in manual
While similar tools have online documentation, they don’t usually provide information to the same depth as the manual provided with Bulk Crap Uninstaller. When you consider that this is the work of one guy, it’s quite an accomplishment. Better still, it’s very useful.
System requirements
Bulk Crap Uninstaller is designed to run on Windows 11, and any version of Windows since Vista. 32-bit and 64-bit versions are supported.
For use on older hardware, the minimum requirements are 300MB of RAM, 50MB of storage. It should run with any CPU. Note that Microsoft .NET 4.0 or above is recommended. The portable version has the same requirements.
BCU also supports multiple languages.
Bulk crap uninstaller: Support
First and foremost, Bulk Crap Uninstaller’s developer has provided a surprisingly detailed online user manual.
But what about actual customer support? This is a tricky factor to assess for open source software. No easy avenue for user support is available with Bulk Crap Uninstaller. Instead, you will need to open a discussion on the GitHub project page.
For most people, this will not be intuitive, as the environment is designed for developers and beta testers, rather than standard end users.
If you have technical insight, this shouldn’t be a problem; if you’re just looking for a friendly support assistant to guide you through, this isn’t the software for you.
Bulk crap uninstaller: Competition
Perhaps the most surprising thing about Bulk Crap Uninstaller is that it seems to be the only such free and open-source tool for Windows. While software giants are issuing updates to their software year-on-year, with features (and even support) accessible only to premium users, BC Uninstaller is free, as in beer.
That’s a major feather in Bulk Crap Uninstaller’s cap. But how does it compare on a functional level with tools like IObit Uninstaller or another free tool, Glarysoft Software Uninstaller?
Well, the sheer volume of free features here basically blows the other tools into the water. The alternatives are too numerous to mention specifics, but even against the two competitors mentioned above, Bulk Crap Uninstaller wins on features and ease of use.
But if you’re used to hands-on customer support, BC Uninstaller is not the tool for you.
Bulk crap uninstaller: Final verdict
If you’re not used to the potential of open-source software, then Bulk Crap Uninstaller’s considerable scope of features may come as a surprise. After all, while there is open source software on Windows, there isn’t that much of it.
But it isn’t just the open-source status of this software, or that it is maintained by one person. Bulk Crap Uninstaller is simply brilliant at what it does, identifying applications and their uninstallers and removing them with as many (or as few) clicks as you want.
It isn’t as pretty as, say, CCleaner, and there isn’t anything that can be realistically described as customer support. But this is potentially the best software uninstaller for Windows that you will find, and it is as free as you want it to be.
Not everyone needs a mobile workstation or a ruggedised laptop that can cope with being underwater, and the Teclast F16 Pro is the sort of machine that less ambitious users might gravitate towards.
Built around an Intel 12th Generation Alder Lake-N processor, it isn’t a powerhouse with only four cores and no hyperthreading. But Teclast did at least give it 16GB of DDR5 memory, a 15.6-inch display and 512GB of SSD storage.
However, the SSD is SATA, not NVMe, and upgrading this machine proved challenging.
The cut-down nature of this machine indicates that the Teclast F16 Pro is made for an occasional user who won’t be thinking about enhancing this basic machine and will probably be using it to surf.
Intel has launched much better 13th Gen parts since the Alder Lank-N series, but even these don’t deliver much computing or graphical performance. Teclast at least used DDR5 memory, although the difference between that and DDR4 on this type of processor is modest.
What’s missing here is any USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports or a LAN port, and the HDMI is only the mini variety. On the plus side, it has a good-sized keyboard with a numeric pad.
For the money, and this is a remarkably cheap laptop, the Teclast F16 Pro is a workable solution if your objectives are limited.
There is only one SKU of the Teclast F16 Pro, the one reviewed here, keeping things simple for potential customers. On the Teclast website, a large button will redirect you to “AMAZON” in your region, even if the product isn’t available globally on Amazon.
While it’s not available from Amazon in the UK, we did find it on American Amazon.com for only $269.99, reduced from $299.
That’s a decent price for a machine with this specification, with most brands asking more than $300 for something similar.
Teclast F16 Pro: Specifications
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Model:
Teclast F16 Pro
CPU:
Intel N95 processor (4 cores, 4 threads)
GPU:
Intel UHD Graphics 600 (EU 16)
RAM:
16GB DDR5 (maximum)
Storage:
512GB SATA M.2 2280
Screen:
IPS 15.6-inch, FHD (1920 x 1080)
Ports
1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C power delivery2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A1x Mini HDMI1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack1x MicroSD Card slot
Networking:
WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
Camera:
2MP 720p (no Windows Hello)
OS:
Windows 11 Pro (pre-installed)
Biometrics:
None
PSU:
12V/3A
Dimensions:
359mm(L) × 230mm(W) × 18.6mm(H)
TPD Limit:
15W
Battery:
5000mAh 3-cell Li-ion
Weight
1.638 kg (3.7 lbs)
Teclast F16 Pro: Design
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Feels cheap
No USB 3.2 Gen 2
Undersized M.2 slot pocket
The overall feeling of this machine is not unexpectedly built to a price. And given how low that price is, little about the F16 Pro feels durable or stylish.
In some aspects, Teclast gets away with the cheapness, as the keyboard is fine and more than large enough for most applications. However, this machine has easily had the worst trackpad we’ve recently encountered and will have most users reading for an old mouse.
One of the limitations of the Intel N95 chip used in this laptop is the lack of PCIe lanes, and that issue manifests itself in a distinctly lacklustre selection of ports.
While there are two USB 3.2 Type-A and one Type-C, all of them are Gen 1, capping file transfer speeds at 500MB/s. This would be a problem if the SSD inside was an NVMe model, but as it is only SATA, having Gen 2 external drives wouldn’t help even if the USB were properly bandwidth-supported.
The specifications on the Teclast website state that the F16 Pro has an HDMI port. This information is spurious as it has a Mini HDMI, which you will need a cable or adapter to use with a monitor if you decide to do that.
But the oddest thing about this laptop is that it has two M.2 slots, even if getting to either wasn’t straightforward.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Typically, we remove the underside of laptops to see if the battery is the size quoted and if storage upgrades are a possibility. Our attempts to do this were scuppered by screws unseen, but we assume that there are two or three under the rubber strip that runs across the F16 pro at the year. During the attempt, we saw under the shell and realised that the boot SSD drive was located at the rear left. What we didn’t ascertain was if the M.2 socket for that drive takes NVMe drives.
But the weirdest aspect is that there is an inspection port on the front right that gives the owner a way to upgrade the machine’s storage. This removable panel and pocket were evidently designed by someone who had never seen an M.2 2280 drive because the hole provided isn’t enough to easily access the slot and slide a drive in.
The slot appears to be for ‘M’ class drives, i.e. NVMe, but inserting a drive didn’t allow it to be seen by the system. It may be that we didn’t get it fully inserted because there is insufficient space to get anything behind the drive to push it into the slot. Whatever was going on here, it wasn’t good. Teclast provides no hardware-specific information to say what the slot supports and how you might insert drives without needing the dexterity of a neurosurgeon.
Our final complaint is the use of a tragic pin-barrel power connector, and an exceptionally thin and easily breakable one too. There is a USB-C port, so why didn’t they use a charger that meets that standard? As only 12v and 3A are required to charge it up.
Teclast F16 Pro: Features
Intel N95
Only 9 PCIe lanes
No biometrics
We’ve talked about the N95 previously and how Intel engineers made sure it didn’t provide a viable alternative to even the Core i3.
Four cores and no hyperthreading would never make for great performance, especially when Windows 11 thinks those four cores are purely for its use.
What condemns this architecture is that the N95 is not especially power-efficient silicon, which was fabricated using the old 10nm process that Intel was stuck using seemingly for the best part of a decade.
The other issue, which we’ve already mentioned, is that 9 PCIe lanes aren’t enough for a modern computer, and this impacts the bandwidth for SSDs and external ports. In this context, the lack of bandwidth delivers a machine with SATA SSDs and no USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports.
Other constraints include a low-resolution 2MP camera that doesn’t support Windows Hello, and no fingerprint reader for biometric security. Neither of these things is a surprise at this price, but we need to document them.
Interestingly, Teclast did include 16GB of DDR5, which is the maximum that the N95 can address. As we didn’t get fully inside, we couldn’t see if that was socketed, but it’s probably soldered to the mainboard.
Overall, the hardware in this laptop is about as low-powered as we’d recommend using it, but it might run Chrome OS better than Windows for those who want greater responsiveness.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Teclast F16 Pro: Performance
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Slow
Only a SATA SSD
Limited battery life
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Laptops
Header Cell – Column 1
Teclast F16 Pro
Meenhong P8
CPU
Row 0 – Cell 1
Intel N95
Intel N100
TPD
Row 1 – Cell 1
15W
6W
RAM
Row 2 – Cell 1
16GB DDR5
12GB DDR5
SSD
Row 3 – Cell 1
512GB SATA SSD
512 SATA SSD
Graphics
Row 4 – Cell 1
UHD Graphics 16EU
UHD Graphics 24EU
3DMark
WildLife
2,450
2,893
Row 6 – Cell 0
FireStrike
896
1157
Row 7 – Cell 0
TimeSpy
302
365
CineBench23
Single
579
810
Row 9 – Cell 0
Multi
2499
1843
GeekBench
Single
962
913
Row 11 – Cell 0
Multi
2642
2208
Row 12 – Cell 0
OpenCL
3171
3944
Row 13 – Cell 0
Vulkan
3116
3964
CrystalDIsk
Read MB/s
556
559
Row 15 – Cell 0
Write MB/s
485
507
PCMark 10
Office
2856
2572
Row 17 – Cell 0
Battery
3h 53m
5h 51m
When the N95 first appeared, it seemed an innovative design that offered decent performance and a good power profile. However, a year later, some of the limitations that Intel put into this series made it less than ideal for a Windows PC.
Comparing the F16 Pro to the Meenhong P8 seemed appropriate since the P8 uses the N100, a slightly uprated version of the N95.
As these results reveal, the performance of the N95 and the N100 isn’t spectacular, and even the slightly upgraded UHD graphics on the N100 don’t make it a gaming machine.
Some of the issues here have to do with how much processing Windows requires to function, something you become acutely aware of on a machine like the F16 Pro when Microsoft dispatches a big update that kills performance dramatically.
The difference between these two laptops is small, and they both scored 6.7 on the Windows Experience Index.
What reduced that number in both cases was the SATA SSD, as this impacts both the launching of Windows and any applications.
When reviewing the F16 Pro, it was noticeable how long it took to reset the laptop after we completed our testing. A reset from the local installation took over an hour, disturbingly.
This is not a fast system, even if it works well enough for surfing if it isn’t being asked to do anything else.
Battery life is about half what is required for a working day and possibly not enough for an evening of web-based activity.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Teclast F16 Pro: Verdict
At such a low price, it is easy to let the limited performance offered by the Intel N95 get slightly ignored. Not everyone needs excessive power or has the money for a premium system.
What is more of a concern is how this system would function if it were used by a student since nothing about it makes for exceptionally smooth sailing.
As an exercise, we ran Chrome OS Flex on the review hardware without installing it to the internal drive, and it was a much better user experience than Windows 11 Pro.
That hints that maybe this hardware would be better if it had a more sympathetic operating system rather than one hellbent on getting you to upgrade each year.
In short, the Teclast F16 Pro is cheap for a reason, and it is recommended to curb your expectations.
Should you buy a Teclast F16 Pro?
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Value
It’s cheap, but not the greatest value.
4 / 5
Design
Made to a tight budget, and some parts show that.
3 / 5
Features
Dual M.2 slots, but only one is accessible, and both are SATA.
3.5 / 5
Performance
Slow and punished by Windows for being so
2.5 / 5
Overall
Cheap, but most users will outgrow the F16 Pro quickly.
3.5 / 5
(Image credit: Teclast)
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Also consider
For more educational laptop options check out our Best Student Laptops selection.
Capacities available: 2TB to 32TB Size: 29mm x 192mm x 124mm Weight: 676g Enclosure material: Aluminum Connector: Thunderbolt 3 Technology: NVMe M.2 SSD Warranty (in years): 3 Rated R/W speeds (MB/s): Up to 2800MB/s Software bundle: SoftRAID
There are plenty of great storage solutions out there, many boasting incredible transfer speeds and features. However, the power and versatility that the OWC Thunderblade provides are far removed. Initially, the full metal heat sink-style casing and otherwise simplistic design may seem a little understated for a drive that costs as much as it does. But, available in capacities from 2TB up to 32TB, it offers options that might not suit every budget but will cater to those needing ultra-high performance and reliability.
Inside are eight M.2 SSDs that deliver the performance required by production teams working with the latest high-resolution video files. The drive can be tailored to the job’s requirements, from logging to transfer to editing, and its solid build ensures it’s tough enough to survive life on set or in the post.
Many factors make this drive stand out. Throughout the test, the ability to daisy chain the drive with any of the best external hard drives and storage media ensured a smooth workflow. With just two Thunderbolt ports and a power socket on the back, connection options are simple, and the drive is ready to be used with Mac systems. The OWC SoftRAID software on the drive enables you to configure it to the RAID type you want. This software must be registered at the time of purchase, and after the initial three years, it can be purchased separately.
Once you’ve selected your RAID option, in this review 0+1, you can begin using the drive. Here, the performance is outstanding. Using an 8K video shot on the Canon EOS R5 C, the drive delivers footage to a MacBook Pro M1 without issue. Transfer speeds are close to those quoted by OWC, and after four hours of editing and then rendering, both the machine and drive remain warm rather than hot to the touch.
We’ve tested many of the best portable SSDs, and as far as desktop storage solutions go, there are plenty of this size and speed, but rarely together in such a reliable package. For anyone working in video production, this drive might seem expensive, but it’s going to save you both time and money.
OWC Thunderblade X8: Price & availability
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The OWC Thunderblade X8 is available directly through OWC and can be configured to meet your work’s needs. Alternatively, off-the-shelf configurations can be purchased from photo and video specialists such as B&H Photo, Adorama, and Film Guys.
OWC Thunderblade X8: Design & build
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The Thunderblade X8 is simple in design, with its heavyweight aluminium case protecting internal drives and electronics. Although this relatively small desktop hard drive requires AC power, it is designed for video and photography production. The drive comes with its ballistic hard-shell case, helping to keep it protected while being transported around the globe.
Connecting the drive for the first time is very simple. You use a Thunderbolt cable to connect the drive to the computer through Thunderbolt 3, although it is fully backwards compatible if needed. Furthermore, daisy-chaining further drives or devices, whether from OWC or others, is also perfectly possible.
Once the drive is connected, SoftRAID is included with a free three-year sign-up for software management, after which an extension can be purchased. This software enables you to set up the drive in the RAID configuration of your choice; for this review, that’s RAID 0+1, which offers an ideal combination of speed and security for drives with more than four drives. In the case of this review unit, there are eight NVMe drives totalling 16TB; once the drive has been configured, this gives a capacity of 15.36TB and appears as a single drive on the desktop.
A nice feature of the SoftRAID software is that you can check the health of the drives that make up your RAID configuration. You can also adjust the configuration if needed, although you would, of course, need to clear the drives of content prior to changing the RAID configuration.
The Thunderblade X8 setup process is reassuringly quick: The drive is removed from the ballistic hard-shell case, plugged into an AC power outlet (in this case, a Bluetti AC60), and then connected to a MacBook. Throughout the test, the drive was powered by a power station and connected to a 16″ M1 MacBook Pro with 64GB of RAM and a 1TB HD.
Initial tests involved using the drive as an on-site solution for logging footage from various cameras, including Canon R5 Cs and Sony A7 IVs, mainly shooting 4K log video. The speed of downloading from CFExpress Type-B and A cards was incredibly quick, with 140GB of files copying across to the drive in just over a minute—a significant time saver on set.
The footage was then organized and arranged, ready for an initial edit, with the footage being accessible like any normal drive, making the process of editing directly from the drive fast and glitch-free.
During rendering, the drive and computer worked robustly over several days without issues, maintaining an issue-free workflow, which is almost unheard of. Throughout the editing process, the lack of noise was noticeable by its absence, although the drive was notably warm to the touch.
Over a two-week duration, the drive was put through its paces, used on set, and during the coverage of the Photography and Video Show at the NEC, proving to be a valuable companion to any of the best video editing PCs or the best photo editing PCs for professional creatives. The drive’s speed and reliability are hard to fault. It’s worth noting that while the drive is relatively compact, it isn’t designed as a throw-it-in-your-bag portable drive and should be seen as a professional storage or working drive solution that requires external power.
Durability is another strong point, which is crucial for equipment used on set. The drive’s all-metal design is incredibly robust, and the solid-state drives inside offer additional protection against substantial knocks and bashes. OWC’s experience with professionals is evident in their design choices, including the inclusion of the ballistic case, which further adds to the drive’s protection in transit. From build to use, the performance of the OWC Thunderblade X8 has been outstanding.
Should you buy the OWC Thunderblade X8?
When you work in video production, storage is key to several parts of the workflow, from the initial logging of footage—essentially the downloading and organizing of the video footage—through to editing; a decent storage solution is incredibly important. Away from the more obvious use as an external hard drive for Mac and Windows, video editors working remotely with cloud footage will often require a fast drive cache. There are often occasions where video files have to be transferred from one location to another, and the physical drive is still one of the fastest ways. For all these uses, the Thunderblade X8 absolutely hits the mark.
The build quality is superb, and this is matched by unbeatable performance that is beyond any other drive I have seen. For video production purposes, this really is a step above anything else on the market, and you will obviously pay a premium for it.
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Row 0 – Cell 0
Row 0 – Cell 1
Row 0 – Cell 2
Value
High price, but justified with the performance and build quality.
4.5
Design
Ultra-tough and designed for field as well as studio use.
4.5
Performance
Incredible speeds and storage capacity for a small external drive.
5
Total
Excellent choice for professional imaging professionals.
Okay, okay, I know that’s a bit of an inflammatory question, and it’s not one that’s easily answered. But it is a question I’ve pondered, on and off, since the iPhone became a somewhat ubiquitous smartphone.
But this has been dead easy, thanks to the simple fact that I’ve been able to use the latest iPhones through my job as a tech journalist, rather than pay for them with cold, hard cash. So while I extolled the virtues of titanium and other upgrades, I am doing so from a position of privilege.
The ultimate question – at least in the phones arena – is ‘would I actually buy a flagship iPhone with my own money?’ Which leads to a second question: ‘would it be an easy purchase, or would I be buying into a product that comes close to ripping people off just because its brand is so strong?’
Yes and no, and yes and no.
Worth it
(Image credit: Future / Roland Moore-Colyer)
Let’s tackle the first yes and no. I love having a flagship phone, and I feel the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are fantastic examples of a top-of-the-line flagship.
The combination of a familiar design that’s been refined over several generations, masses of power, a great battery life, lovely displays with 120Hz refresh rates, a sort-of-customizable Action button, and a trio of great still and video cameras, all wrapped up in a neat user interface thanks to iOS 17, makes these Pro iPhones and their predecessors some of the best phones around.
And while the starting price of $999 / £999 / AU$1,849 for the iPhone 15 Pro is hefty, various contracts (and the fact that iPhones retain their value longer than their counterparts) plus the customer care Apple offers, does translate to a decent amount for a solid chunk of cash.
Deals on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max
Sitting between the Samsung Galaxy S24’s price of $859 / £859 / AU$1,399 for the 256GB model and the Galaxy S24 Ultra with its starting price of $1,299.99 / £1,249 / AU$2,199, the iPhone 15 Pro’s pricing and the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s starting price of $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,199, seems reasonable; maybe a tad too premium for phones with many specs more closely aligned with the standard S24 than the S24 Ultra.
However, having used both the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro Max, I can’t help but err more towards the Apple phone. Sure it’s locked into Apple’s ecosystem and lacks the generative AI bells and whistles. But it’s just so usable and lets me get stuff done without features getting in the way; I reckon the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the ultimate tech tool rather than a slick bit of gadgetry.
With that in mind, I feel if I was no longer a tech journalist, I’d still opt for an iPhone 15 Pro model and not feel ripped off.
Of course, there’s a but.
Not worth it
(Image credit: Peter Hoffmann)
Splashing a grand or more on any bit of tech can feel like a huge outlay, given it’ll have obsolescence built-in by default. As someone who’s recently got into watches, I’m far happier splashing the cash on something that’ll likely outlive me, than a device that has a realistic lifespan of two to four years.
Furthermore, all you need to do is browse our list of the best cheap phones to find a selection of handsets that are very capable for less than half the price of an iPhone 15 Pro.
Take the Google Pixel 7a for example – it may not blow minds with performance but it’s more than fast enough for most things and has rear cameras that deliver flagship-grade photography. It’s hard for me not to recommend such Pixel phones or recent well-priced OnePlus models to anyone who isn’t caught in Apple’s iOS walled garden.
Deals on great iphone alternatives
When it comes to specs, like refresh rates, storage and real-world performance, iPhones can feel like a rip-off, asking people to pay a premium for not much more on paper than what good mid-range phones offer.
And I absolutely think the iPhone 15 is a rip-off and a phone I’d be reticent to swap to let alone buy, as a 60Hz display, a slow USB-C port and a mere two rear cameras for a starting price of $799 / £799 / AU$1,499, isn’t acceptable in my eyes.
Sure, my colleagues on the phones team are in agreement that the iPhone 15 is the best iPhone for most people, but I take that to mean it’s really for people who are too deep in the iOS ecosystem and don’t want to fork out for a Pro model.
I’d go so far to say the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are some of the most disappointing Apple phones of recent years, and fly in the face of the once innovative company Steve Jobs built. Yet that’s the power of good branding; even a lackluster phone in the eyes of tech fans can still sell like crazy.
Go Pro
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
My conclusion to the question in the headline, is an admittedly mealy-mouthed one with caveats. Yes the iPhones are a rip-off compared to other phones. Yet at the same time the Pro models are so good at being both everyday phones to content creation and gaming devices, that their asking price is reasonable.
But what I can say for sure, is if I did go out and buy an iPhone, I’d certainly go for a Pro model. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the current darling of the Apple phone lineup and deservedly so, with the price gap between it and the standard models being justified.
All that being said, I do hope Apple decided to pull out something special for the iPhone 16 range, with big upgrades to the standard models, and exciting features – hardware or software – for the Pro options. Let’s get back some of that generation-to-generation innovation, eh Apple?
StartMail is a popular email service provider with a special focus on security, privacy, and email management. Founded in 2013, the platform can be used independently or in collaboration with other email services such as Apple Mail or Outlook.
The tool’s primary purpose is to amp up encryption, leak-proof your email contents, and give you more control over how your emails travel. Read on as we review its best features, pros and cons, pricing, and whether it’s the best email service provider for your needs.
StartMail: Plans and pricing
StartMail has a very straightforward pricing model, with only two plans to pick from.
In addition to the individual benefits on each plan, some features are common to both, such as 20GB of storage, email management, a built-in ad tracker and blocker, one-click email deletion, support for multiple devices, and end-to-end encryption for all emails.
(Image credit: Future)
Personal plan
This plan is priced at $5/month when billed annually and lets you pay in Bitcoin (only when you opt for annual billing). It also offers a 7-day free trial. You can create unlimited burner email IDs for temporary use and then delete them all at once with a single click if/when needed.
The only thing you might not like about this plan is that all your emails will contain the StartMail domain. It’ll look something like this “[email protected]”.
Although this is standard practice and something that both Gmail and Outlook do, StartMail isn’t as household a name as them, so this might not be best for large businesses. Without your own domain, your customers might confuse your brand with StartMail. The only way to fix this issue is through the Custom Domain plan.
Custom Domain plan
Priced at $5.85/month (annually), the Custom Domain plan lets you create your own domain, meaning your emails will look something like “[email protected]” which is more professional and your customers will be able to easily identify your brand.
One of the best things about StartMail is that it lets you create multiple aliases. This way, when you need to log into a new site, you can just use one of your aliases, get the job done, and dispose of that email.
(Image credit: Future)
All of this protects you from unnecessary spam. You might have noticed that despite unsubscribing for email notifications, some sites go a little overboard and keep trying to reach you. In a situation like this, you can save yourself a lot of trouble by simply using a temporary email ID.
2. Group subscriptions
StartMail offers something known as group subscriptions where you can add your family members or friends to your account.
(Image credit: Future)
The best part about this is that everyone will get their own separate inboxes and none of the emails will overlap. Plus, instead of paying for each plan separately, you’ll only have to pay a discounted rate for each additional inbox.
3. Password protection
Just because you are sincere about data security and protection doesn’t mean everyone else is, and that’s why StartMail offers password protection—a feature that protects the sensitive contents of your email and prevents it from leaking in case the recipient doesn’t have appropriate encryption in place.
(Image credit: Future)
The feature is pretty simple to use. All you have to do is toggle the switch on your email screen that says “Encrypt”. Then click on the blue button at the top that says “Send Encrypted”.
A new window will pop up where you’ll be asked to set a password as well as enter a hint for the password.
4. Adequate storage
Right out of the box, StartMail offers 20GB of cloud storage to every user, so you’ll hardly ever run out of space. To give you a rough idea about how much 20GB really is, it’ll take you about 2,097,152 emails (not considering the size of their attachments) to fill up to 20 GB.
It’s also worth noting that both Gmail and Outlook offer 15GB of storage each, meaning StartMail is slightly better than the industry leaders in this regard.
5. PGP signature
Along with password-protected emails, StartMail has a bunch of other email security features that together provide world-class, unbreakable encryption. For instance, you can add a PGP signature at the end of your email.
(Image credit: Future)
The PGP signature consists of random letters and numbers but is actually a code that tells the receiver that it was written by the owner himself. In case someone hacks your email account and tries to send emails to your contacts, this signature (or the lack of it) will warn the recipients.
Using PGP, you can also encrypt your email in just one click and ensure that only the intended recipient is able to read the contents of the email. It basically leverages the public key-private key process where you use your public key to encrypt the email while you’re sending it and the recipient will decrypt the email with their private key while receiving it.
6. Email management
StartMail has some incredible email management features. You can customize the inbox view and use filters to easily find the email you’re looking for. What’s more, you also get to permanently block spam users and move them to the block list.
If you’re moving from a different email service provider, migrating and merging contacts will only take a few clicks. The best part is that it works with all your favorite email apps such as Thunderbird, Outlook, or Apple Email.
We loved StartMail’s auto-response, which can greatly benefit businesses. When you’re away on a holiday or simply away from your desk, turn on the auto-responder tool; it’ll send an automated email (that you need to craft beforehand) to anyone who tries to reach you during that period.
Similarly, if you want to reach out to all of your customers at once, StartMail will help you create a group and send emails in bulk.
7. No tracking
Another reason to praise SmartMail’s security is how it automatically blocks tracking pixels, which can be used to track your email activity. It also has built-in malicious link protection, which shows you the full web address before you click on an external link. Plus, it hides your IP address in email headers so that you cannot be tracked by any third party.
StartMail: Ease of use and setup
Setting up StartMail is pretty simple—all that you have to do is go to its website and get yourself a new plan. It’s worth noting that you can try it out risk-free with a 7-day free trial if you choose the Personal plan.
Next, you’ll get a sign-up page where you’ll have to enter your email ID, password, and display name. Once you’ve given the required info, hit “Next”.
On the next page, you’ll be asked to enter your payment details. You will see this page even if you opt for the 7-day free trial—don’t worry, they’ll charge your card only when the free trial is over, so click “Next” when you see this page.
Pick a payment tenure you like—a monthly or annual subscription. Enter your card details and click on “Next” again.
Once you’ve completed the process, you’ll be asked to add recovery details so that you can log back into your account in case you forget your password. After that, your account will be created and ready for use.
StartMail: Interface and dashboard
StartMail’s dashboard looks pretty similar to Gmail, except for the color scheme, of course. There’s a neatly organized menu on the left corner that consists of options like inbox, sent, drafts, spam, work folder, and more.
In your inbox, there’s a list of all the emails you’ve received recently which you can filter or sort them as per your preference. This is also where you can change the layout of the emails.
Speaking of filters, you can also create your own—simply enter a word and if an email contains that word, it’ll be moved to a folder of your choice. Apart from the usual “inbox” and “sent”, you can also have your own custom folders. Overall, we’ll say SmartMail is pretty beginner-friendly and easy to operate.
StartMail: Final verdict
StartMail stands tall as a revolutionary email management platform in what most will say is a tough industry, given the sheer amount of market share that Gmail and Outlook hold.
What sets SmartMail apart is its delightful combination of email management and security. One of our favorite features is Email Aliases. In a world where every website encourages you to share your email in order to access its content, StartMail ensures that you can keep your actual contact details private by allowing you to create burner email IDs.
Plus, you’re getting 20GB of storage space, which is more than what other email service providers like Gmail and Outlook offer. What’s more, Group Subscription allows you to manage multiple inboxes under the same primary domain at a discounted price—and you also get to create your own custom email domain with your brand’s name at a reasonable price.
Overall, with its features, user-friendly interface, and affordable pricing, StartMail is an email service you must try out—there’s a 7-day free trial so you can take it for a test drive without putting any money on the line.
Long ago, when the internet was young, two juggernauts fought for control of the website creation market: Macromedia’s Dreamweaver and GoLive’s Cyberstudio.
How times have changed. Adobe acquired the latter in 1999, and the former in 2005. But with alternative web builders sprouting up all over the place these days, is Dreamweaver still the best web design software on the market, and is it still relevant to today’s online world? We tested it to find out.
Adobe Dreamweaver: Pricing & plans
We appreciate that you can subscribe to Dreamweaver on its own, although the full (and expensive) package is still better value considering what you get.
As with most professional Adobe products, Dreamweaver is available as both a standalone subscription or as part of the Creative Cloud All Apps package. Both subscriptions offer three ways to pay: annual, monthly, and the contract-style annual paid monthly plan.
The advantage of getting the full Creative Cloud package is you can then design assets in packages such as Illustrator or Photoshop, and easily import them into your webpages, but at that cost, it’s really something only professional creatives can justify. You can try either option free for seven days.
Adobe Dreamweaver: Updates
You can start your journey by choosing from one of a handful of simple templates (Image credit: Adobe)
An excellent tool that has only received minor updates in years, doesn’t inspire confidence for its long term future.
We last took a look at Dreamweaver in 2020, and we would’ve expected some major changes and improvements since then, however, the last release was version 21.3 in June 2022 which mostly contained library updates and bug fixes. Before that, version 21.2 brought in support for Apple Silicon – a very welcome update for Mac users, granted, but not one that introduced new features. We have to go all the way back to October 2020 for the last major revision, version 21.0.
All this to say, that despite the possibility of renting this app on its own (not all Adobe apps have that privilege, which means Dreamweaver is seen by Adobe as an important part of its arsenal), the lack of major updates in years, in an ever evolving market, does not give the right reassurance.
Still, this is a major piece of software if you’re serious about wanting to design websites without having to rely on oh-so-samey templates from the plethora of website builders available today.
Adobe Dreamweaver: Website design
A sample code from one of those simple templates (Image credit: Adobe)
This software is incredibly flexible and versatile giving you the power to create whatever page you please… as long as you can read and understand the code that runs it.
The first thing to be aware of is this is not software for novices. Yes Adobe’s Creative Cloud website hosts a large number of tutorials, to help you understand the app’s inner workings, even if some haven’t been updated in years – another hint that the app hasn’t evolved much in a while, but the software’s features are vast and complex, starting with being able to work with the basics such as HTML, CSS, and Javascript, and including more modern functionalities, such as Bootstrap.
It should be clear that unlike other website builders that do the whole thing for you, you need some knowledge of the web’s inner workings before you can start. The advantage is that Dreamweaver can help you create much more optimised code than other services who do it all for you, leading to faster, more responsive sites. It might not feel like this is an important facet of website creation these days as more and more people have access to faster connections and powerful machines, but a page that loads fast and doesn’t unnecessarily eat up your visitor’s power should still be viewed as a valuable asset, especially since an increasing number do so from a mobile device.
Dreamweaver can offer you useful helping tips that appear as you work on your project (Image credit: Adobe)
You’ll find a handful of templates available, although these are very bare bones if you’re used to those from other services. Nevertheless, they are most welcome and much more useful than starting with a blank page.
You’ll also see occasional tips popping up now and again to help you along the creation process, showing that although you do need some knowledge to use this app, Dreamweaver does go out of its way to do its best to help you.
Dreamweaver is adept at creating static and responsive web pages, whatever suits the type of visitor you’re after. If you select the former, you then have the ability of redirecting them to different pages depending on the screen size they’re using. Flexibility is key with Dreamweaver.
Adobe Dreamweaver: Interface
The interface is very versatile although the best option is often ‘split view’ so you can work on the code while seeing the results in real time (Image credit: Adobe)
A good and flexible interface, giving you all the tools you need within easy reach.
The interface can be customised to some degree. The thin sidebar on the left grants you access to common commands, such as opening documents, file management and comment options, and you’re free to add or remove menus from it that suit your workflow. On the right is where you manage your files and libraries.
The central and main part of the interface is dedicated to your project, which you can view either purely as source code, a rendered preview of the page you’re building, or a little of both.
You’ll quickly find that working with the code is essential (hence your need to know and understand the net’s various languages). Dreamweaver will try to ease your job in many ways: highlight some text in the preview or the code section for instance, and the same section will be highlighted in the other, helping you find what you need to change quickly. Code hints is another great tool: start typing and Dreamweaver will offer you various options to help you complete a command more quickly, which also has the added benefit of limiting typos.
There’s a lot to love with Dreamweaver, from the sheer creative freedom that’s on offer to the numerous ways the interface is designed to help you. It’s just a shame nothing radical has changed in years, making us wonder just how much longer will Adobe support this crucial piece of software.
Adobe Dreamweaver: Scorecard
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Row 0 – Cell 0
Row 0 – Cell 1
Row 0 – Cell 2
Pricing & plans
Standard Adobe subscription plans, as a solo app or as part of Creative Cloud
4
Updates
Precious few updates make this software on life-support
2.5
Website design
Powerful and flexible website creation tool
4.5
Interface
Intuitively designed and well-organized, placing all tools in reach
4.5
Should I buy?
If you feel lost, Adobe’s Creative Cloud website offers you a good number of tutorials (Image credit: Adobe)
Buy it if…
You don’t like to rely on templates from automatic website builders, you’d prefer designing unique websites, and have at least a rudimentary knowledge of the languages that power the web.
Don’t buy it if…
You’d rather some other service did all or most of the work for you, or you’d rather avoid a subscription package.
The Cloverlane Mattress debuted in late 2023 as Resident Sleep’s new luxury label. (Resident is the company behind Nectar and DreamCloud – two of the best mattress brands around.) It’s available as a hybrid or all-foam bed and comes with three firmness levels: Plush Soft, Luxury Firm, or Firm).
For one month, I slept on a twin Cloverlane Hybrid Mattress in Plush Soft, which is deemed the best level of firmness for pressure relief. In addition to my experience, I asked four volunteers to nap on it as well and conducted a series of objective tests. My full Cloverlane Mattress review is below but if you’re short on time, here’s the abridged version…
(Image credit: Future)
The Cloverlane either has a bed of 8-inch wrapped coils surrounded by dense foam (hybrid) or a 9-inch foam core (memory foam). The core of the Cloverlane Mattress influences its level of firmness. Both versions of the Cloverlane Mattress have multiple foam layers, a latex lumbar support strip, and a polyester-blend cover.
My fellow testers and I found the Plush Soft Cloverlane Hybrid most suitable for side sleeping, but it has a firmer-than-advertised feel. You’ll need to give it at least a month before you start to feel more settled into it – and even then, it may still feel firm. Fortunately, you get 365 nights to break this mattress in.
The Cloverlane’s lumbar support system – a half-inch thick strip of latex and specialized quilting in the center of the bed – kept me from waking up with stiffness in my lower back. There’s all-over pressure relief with the Plush Soft Cloverlane Hybrid, which increases the more you sleep on it.
My drop tests showed that the Cloverlane Hybrid has above-average motion isolation. That result is likely to be even better with the Cloverlane Memory Foam Mattress. However, the hybrid should sleep cooler than the foam version since it has springs to increase airflow along with the breathable cover and 16 brass air vents. (I didn’t overheat with my Cloverlane Hybrid at all.)
(Image credit: Resident)
Edge support, however, was hit-or-miss on my twin test unit. I found the Cloverlane Hybrid supportive enough to keep me from rolling off the bed when I rolled too close to the edges, but some of my testers didn’t feel as steady when sitting along the middle perimeter. This could be a different story on larger versions of the bed, but I believe sturdy edges should be a feature of any mattress, regardless of size.
Does the Cloverlane Hybrid do enough to overtake the Saatva Classic as TechRadar’s #1 mattress? I don’t think so. The Cloverlane is a comfortable bed but it’s not meticulously hand-crafted like the Saatva. (The Cloverlane still comes in a box, despite arriving flat.) The polyester-blend cover doesn’t feel as luxe as the organic cotton cover that kept our reviewer comfortably cool in our Saatva Classic mattress review.
The Cloverlane Mattress is always on sale for up to $700 off – a queen-size goes for $1,499 in either hybrid or memory foam. (This is interesting to point out because hybrid mattresses generally cost more than their foam-only counterparts.) It comes with White Glove Delivery plus optional mattress disposal, a one-year risk-free trial, and a lifetime warranty.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Section
Notes
Score
Comfort
Buy according to your sleep style – and anticipate a lengthy break-in period.
N/A
Value
An all-around great value among luxury mattresses.
4/5
Design
Not quite as luxe as a Saatva but otherwise well-made.
4/5
Temperature
Brass air vents and a poly-blend cover will keep most sleepers cool.
4/5
Motion isolation
Most couples should be able to sleep uninterrupted.
4/5
Edge support
More stability at the foot than in the middle, but mixed results overall.
3.5/5
Customer service
One-year trial with free returns, lifetime warranty, and White Glove Delivery included.
4.5/5
Cloverlane Mattress review: Design & materials
Available as a 15-inch hybrid or all-foam mattress
Support coils affect the Cloverlane’s firmness level
More utilitarian than luxurious but still well-made
The Cloverlane comes in one height (15 inches), two builds (hybrid and memory foam), and three firmness levels (Plush Soft, Luxury Firm, and Firm). The Plush Soft Cloverlane Hybrid is what’s being reviewed here.
The bottom half of the mattress either has 8-inch wrapped coils surrounded by a dense foam wall for edge support or a 9-inch foam core instead. The core of the mattress influences the level of firmness. On top are 2.5 inches of transitional support foam plus 2 inches of gel-infused memory foam. In between those layers is a half-inch thick strip of latex that runs across the center of the mattress for lumbar support.
The Cloverlane Mattress has a Euro-top: 1.75 inches of plush foam wrapped in a blend of polyester, cotton, and polyethylene. Specialty quilting in the middle third complements the latex lumbar layer.
All of the foams in the Cloverlane Mattress are CertiPUR-US certified, meaning they’ve been tested for harmful chemicals and the VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions that result in off-gassing odors. (I didn’t detect any obvious smell from my Cloverlane Hybrid mattress.) It’s unclear whether the Cloverlane Mattresses have fiberglass.
The poly-blend cover isn’t uncomfortable, but compared to a luxury mattress with a tufted organic cotton cover (Saatva Classic) or a soft cashmere-blend cover (DreamCloud), the Cloverlane appears less shiny. However, the side-carry handles are a convenient touch, and the 16 brass air vents are a good way to boost airflow.
Design score: 4 out of 5
Cloverlane Mattress review: Price & value for money
Has been on sale for up to $700 off from the time it launched
An upper mid-range mattress, a queen sells for $1,499
White Glove Delivery and a risk-free one-year trial
The Cloverlane Mattress has been on sale for up to $700 off from the time it launched late last year. Like most Resident brands, you can ignore the MSRPs. A queen Cloverlane mattress sells for $1,499, which is right on the border between TechRadar’s upper mid-range and premium pricing brackets. Prices are the same for the all-foam version of the Cloverlane.
Here is the official sale pricing for the Cloverlane Mattress, at time of writing:
Twin MSRP: $1,199 (usually on sale for $699)
Twin XL MSRP: $1,499 (usually on sale for $999)
Full MSRP: $1,999 (usually on sale for $1,399)
Queen MSRP: $2,199 (usually on sale for $1,499)
King MSRP: $2,699 (usually on sale for $1,999)
California king MSRP: $2,699 (usually on sale for $1,999)
Add-ons include a specialty cooling cover with extra heat-wicking fibers for $199 and a discounted bedding bundle with down pillows, percale sheets, and a mattress pad from $199 (up to a $696 value).
Compared to the Saatva Classic, you’re paying about $200 to $400 less, depending on the type of Saatva mattress sale running at the moment. That’s not a significant differential. Cloverlane and Saatva both offer a one-year trial, a lifetime warranty, and free White Glove Delivery with optional mattress removal. (Saatva also adds foundation removal.) Cloverlane offers free returns, while Saatva charges a $99 fee.
Among the broader luxury mattress market, Cloverlane’s extras make it an excellent value for money. Side-by-side with the Saatva Classic, however, the difference is negligible. If you have the money to spare, I’d recommend just going for the luxe, handcrafted Saatva and its free mattress and foundation removal. Otherwise, the Cloverlane is a sound choice if you want to spend a few hundred dollars less.
Value for money score: 4.5 out of 5
Cloverlane Mattress review: Comfort & support
Expect a firmer-than-advertised feel at first
However, the mattress starts to soften after a month
Endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association for back pain
The Cloverlane Mattress comes in three firmness levels (based on a 10-point firmness scale):
Plush Soft (4): Side sleepers, lightweight sleepers, maximum pressure relief
Luxury Firm (5-7): Couples, back/combi sleepers, sleepers with back pain
For the first half of my month-long testing period, my Plush Soft Cloverlane Hybrid Mattress felt decidedly firm. I double-checked the mattress tag and my order details to make sure I knew what I was sleeping on. However, by the fourth and final week, I noticed more give around my shoulders and hips. It still wasn’t supremely plush – and I definitely wouldn’t rate it a 4 out of 10 on the firmness scale – but it’s slightly softer than when I first laid on it.
I’m not the only one who noticed this, either. One of my lightweight volunteers tried my Plush Soft Cloverlane Hybrid Mattress twice. During her initial trial in week two, she rated it a 10 out of 10 on the firmness scale, but when she tried it again during week four, she knocked that down to a 9 and said she felt more settled. You’ll need to make the most of your year-long trial because the Cloverlane may take quite a while to fully break in.
(Image credit: Future)
But is the Cloverlane Mattress comfortable otherwise? My fellow testers and I think so. I rate the Plush Soft Hybrid I tested the best for side sleeping for its pressure relief from the top foam layers. I was also comfortable stomach sleeping, particularly during the first couple of weeks when it was much firmer. If you strictly sleep on your stomach, though, choose the Cloverlane Firm.
Most of the back sleepers in my group liked the Plush Soft Cloverlane Hybrid Mattress but you’ll want to go for the Luxury Firm version for the best balance of support and relief. One of my older back sleepers with arthritis, who tried my Plush Soft Cloverlane Hybrid during week three, said she would have liked more lumbar support.
(Image credit: Future)
To objectively test the Cloverlane Hybrid’s pressure relief, I placed a 50lb weight at the center of the mattress, where it sank about three inches. That seems on-brand for a Plush Soft hybrid mattress. Moving the weight towards the bottom half of the mattress yielded a similar level of sinkage.
Is the Cloverlane a good mattress for back pain? After transitioning from the Saatva RX – which is one of the best mattresses for back pain I’ve ever slept on – I think the Cloverlane’s latex lumbar strip and specialty quilting do a good job of picking up where the Saatva left off for me. I didn’t wake up with any stiffness or pain in my lower lumbar at any point during testing. By the way – the Cloverlane Hybrid is endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association.
Cloverlane Mattress review: performance
Will keep most sleepers at a comfortable temperature
Absorbs most movement well – good for couples
Edge support is a mixed bag
For one month, I slept on a slept on a twin Cloverlane Hybrid mattress in Plush Soft and asked four adult volunteers of varying body types and sleep preferences to nap on it for at least 15 minutes to help provide a broader perspective. I also tested its temperature regulation, motion isolation, and edge support. Here’s what I found…
Temperature regulation
I tested the Cloverlane Hybrid between December 2023 and January 2024, so I endured plenty of frigid nights. Of course, I kept the heat running (around 72 degrees F) and layered up with a polyester blanket and a mid-weight polyester comforter atop my 100% cotton sheets.
(Image credit: Future)
The Cloverlane Hybrid did a good job of maintaining temperature-neutral sleep throughout the month I slept on it. I wouldn’t say it’s profoundly cooling but I’m willing to bet it’s more breathable than the all-foam Cloverlane Mattress. (It’s a hybrid, after all.) If you deal with regular night sweats, you can add a specialty cover with extra heat-wicking material for $199 more.
Still, the Cloverlane Mattress is built with breathability in mind. In addition to the aforementioned cover, there are 16 hand-installed brass vents along the base to boost airflow. (The vents are on the hybrid and memory foam versions.) It may not have the same effect as a dedicated cooling mattress but for most people, the Cloverlane Mattress should be comfortable enough.
Temperature regulation score: 4 out of 5
Motion isolation
To test the motion isolation of my twin-size Cloverlane Hybrid, I performed a drop test with an empty wine glass and a 10lb weight. I dropped the weight from six inches above the surface from three distances to simulate three levels of motion transfer. In addition to that, I also noticed how quickly the weight settled.
When I dropped the weight from four inches away, the glass fell over. I repeated this drop for insurance and the glass didn’t drop but it did wobble quite a bit. These results suggest that it’s perhaps not the best choice for couples with a restless partner.
Fortunately, the empty glass remained steady when I dropped the weight from 12 and 25 inches away. This means you’re unlikely to be disturbed if your partner gets in or out of bed. Meanwhile, the 10lb weight settled into the surface after a few short bounces, indicating good absorption of movement.
The all-foam version of the Cloverlane likely performs even better here, but the Cloverlane Hybrid has a nice bouncy rhythm while maintaining a low level of motion transfer. Either way, I think the Cloverlane Mattress will allow most couples to sleep uninterrupted.
Motion isolation score: 4 out of 5
Edge support
To test the edge support of my Plush Soft Cloverlane Hybrid mattress, I placed a 50lb weight on the middle perimeter, where it sank about three inches. It was the same result when I put the weight at the very foot of the bed. That’s the same level of sinkage I measured at the center of the bed – which is usually a good thing, but that’s quite a deep drop for the edges.
(Image credit: Future)
Among my fellow testers, opinions were mixed. Along the middle, my lighter and taller volunteers said they were comfortable but the shorter sleepers in my group felt unsteady. (Everyone felt at ease sitting at the foot of the bed.) Meanwhile, I tend to roll toward the edge when I sleep, but the Cloverlane’s edges kept me from falling overboard.
Of course, I can only speak for a twin-sized Plush Soft Cloverlane Hybrid. There’s a possibility larger, firmer versions perform better here. There currently aren’t any reviews that mention the Cloverlane’s edge support. But if you want a mattress that’s known for strong edges on even the smallest bed sizes, read my Awara Natural Hybrid mattress review, which I also tested in a twin.
Edge support score: 3.5 out of 5
Cloverlane Mattress review: Customer service
Arrives flat but still comes in a box
Includes White Glove Delivery and mattress removal
One-year trial with free returns
The Cloverlane Mattress arrives flat via free White Glove Delivery. The most I had to do was schedule a delivery time, which was not the smoothest experience. However, your mileage may vary here as you’ll be dealing with a local logistics company. Fortunately, the day of the delivery went off without a hitch as the delivery crew arrived right on time. The whole process took less than 10 minutes, and that even included the free mattress removal.
Interestingly, my Cloverlane Hybrid arrived flat but still came in a box. The two delivery drivers removed my mattress from a giant brown box from the back of their truck before taking it into my home. I peeked at the mattress tag, which says it was manufactured in August 2024. I received my mattress in December 2024, about four months later. Despite that, my Cloverlane Hybrid Mattress didn’t have an obvious off-gassing smell, and it was ready to sleep on right away. It’s not your typical bed-in-a-box.
The Cloverlane comes with a one-year warranty, with free returns if you’re not happy with it. There’s also a lifetime warranty, which includes a free replacement with a factory defect for the first 10 years you own the mattress. Beyond that, you’ll just have to pay a $50 transportation fee each way for repairs.
Customer service score: 4.5 out of 5
Cloverlane Mattress review: Specs
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Type
Row 0 – Cell 1
Materials
Memory foam, other foams, latex (coils with hybrid, reviewed here)
Cover
Polyester, cotton, polyethylene
Handles
Yes
Firmness (1-10)
Plush Soft (reviewed here), Luxury Firm, Firm
Height
15 inches
Trial period
365 nights
Warranty
Lifetime
Price bracket
Premium
Queen price
$1,499 (both hybrid and memory foam)
Sizes
Twin to California King
Delivery
Free White Glove Delivery
Returns
Free
Should you buy the Cloverlane Mattress?
Buy it if…
✅ You have a bad back: Between the free in-room delivery and the specialized lumbar support, the Cloverlane should relieve many sleepers with back pain. I didn’t wake up with stiffness in my lower back throughout my month of sleeping on the Cloverlane Hybrid. The American Chiropractic Association gives it its seal of approval.
✅ You want to customize your comfort: The Cloverlane is available as a hybrid (reviewed here) or all-foam mattress in three firmness levels. There’s no price difference between the two types of builds, either, which is rare. (Hybrids are usually more expensive than foam beds.)
✅ You want a bed that’s easy to move: The side carry handles will make rotating your mattress much less of a challenge. They’re also handy if you move house often or like to rearrange your space regularly.
Don’t buy it if…
❌ You can afford a Saatva: The Saatva Classic boasts better craftsmanship and a more sumptuous appearance than the Cloverlane Mattress. If you have enough for Saatva, make that your choice. It’s only about $200 to $400 more than either version of the Cloverlane Mattress. Plus, Saatva offers free mattress and foundation removal.
❌ You don’t want a bed with a long break-in period: My Plush Soft Cloverlane Hybrid was definitely firm at first, and one month later I’d downgrade it to a medium-firm. You’ll need to be patient and allow yourself time to fully break this mattress in. Fortunately, Cloverlane gives you a year to do that.
❌ You’d rather buy a mattress without fiberglass: Cloverlane doesn’t make it clear if it uses fiberglass in its mattresses. If you’re sensitive to fiberglass or simply don’t want to sleep on a bed that has it, check out our vetted list of the best fiberglass-free mattresses.
Cloverlane Mattress review: Also consider
How I tested the Cloverlane Mattress
I slept on a twin Cloverlane Hybrid mattress in Plush Firm every night for one month between December 2023 and January 2024. My review is a combination of real-world experience and objective tests.
In addition to my perspective as a 5-foot-4, 145lb side/stomach sleeper with a lower back issue, I asked four adult volunteers to nap on the Cloverlane for at least 15 minutes in their usual positions. Our testers ranged in size from 5ft 4 and 125lbs to 6ft and 185lbs, and one of them deals with arthritis.
It’s another cold winter here, so I’ll sometimes add a polyester blanket to my regular setup: a mid-weight polyester blend comforter and 100% cotton sheets. My bedroom temperature is usually around 72 degrees F.
The Emma Original pillow is a firm yet spongy pillow that capably supports your head whilst maintaining its form and keeping cool. I was a little wary of its firmness when I started using it, but I needn’t have worried. During my three weeks of testing I never woke up feeling any discomfort – in fact I slept on it just as soundly as with any of the best pillows on the market.
The pillow holds its shape and firmness thanks to its gel foam, memory foam and soft foam layers. These separate layers mean you can flip the pillow over for a slightly different firmness to support your body frame and sleeping position. Personally, I found the soft gel layer provided slightly more immediate comfort. Both the outer soft and gel layers feel a bit hard when I first lie on them each night, but within minutes my head sinks in comfortably, and feels reliably supported throughout the night.
(Image credit: Future)
At full price, the Emma Original Pillow sits in the premium price bracket, but it’s fairly common to see a discount that takes it down into the mid-range, making this a high-performance all-rounder that won’t break the bank if you catch it at the right time.
If you want to pair this pillow with an equally comfortable bed, be sure to take a look at our guide to this year’s best mattresses for all budgets.
Emma Original pillow specs
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Fill
Foam layers: gel memory foam, visco memory foam, soft foam
Cover
98% Polyester, 2% spandex
Dimensions
70 x 40cm
Firmness
Firm
Care
Machine-washable cover at 60°C max. Interior foams not washable.
Trial period
30 nights
Warranty
2 years
Price bracket
Premium / mid-range
Emma Original pillow review: price & value for money
Premium at full price, often discounted into mid-range
High quality materials
2-year warranty and 30-night trial
With an RRP of £69, the Emma Original pillow sits in the premium price bracket, but at time of writing there’s a regular discount that knocks 25% off and takes it down into the mid-range price bracket. For that money though you get high-quality materials (this is the brand behind one of the best memory foam mattresses, after all). A 30-night trial (with the security of a money back guarantee if you’re not happy with it during that period), a two-year warranty and free delivery further help to cushion the blow if you’re working to a budget.
The Original is the most affordable option in this brand’s pillow range. Its synthetic stuffed option (details in our Emma Premium Microfibre pillow review) has an RRP of £109 but is often sold at £65, while an option with more advanced foams (covered in our Emma Premium Pillow hands-on review) is a much bigger investment at £115. Yes, they all have confusingly similar names.
(Image credit: Future)
Other memory foam pillows might slightly undercut the Emma Original pillow on price, but in terms of performance I’d say the cost and customer service add-ons mean you’re getting good value for money, especially when you buy during an Emma sale period.
Emma Original pillow review: design & materials
Removable and machine-washable polyester cover
Three different-feeling foam layers
Foam layers can be removed to adjust loft
The Emma Original pillow is made of three foam layers and a polyester case. One one side, a feather-light Gel Foam layer that’s designed to hug your neck comfortably and maintain a stable temperature. In the middle, a Visco Memory Foam layer, which is meant to distribute weight evenly. Finally, on the other side there’s the High Resiliency Extra foam layer. This is the softest of the three and is there for extra pressure relief.
(Image credit: Future)
The layers tuck inside a polyester cover, which zips open. Depending on how you sleep, any of these layers can be removed to give a lower loft.
Emma Original pillow review: care & allergies
The pillow’s polyester case can be removed and machine washed at up to 60°C (which is the temperature required to get rid of dust mites). The three foam layers aren’t washable, and should just be left to dry in the event of anything getting spilled on them. Speaking of the cover, this has been tested by Emma to be hypoallergenic and non-toxic. The cover and foam layer inserts also comply with relevant ignitability regulations.
Emma Original pillow review: comfort & support
Firm memory foam layers
Two different sleep feels
Remains a comfortable temperature overnight
No need for re-plumping
I used the Emma Original pillow as my main pillow for three weeks for this review. To begin with I was wary of how firm it would be – the first time I tried it out it felt very hard. Fortunately, though, I found the pillow softened and moulded to my head after a few minutes of lying on it, although each night it did still feel hard to begin with.
What’s more, the Emma Original pillow has some flexibility in terms of use. The outer foam layers provide different levels of support, meaning you can flip the pillow over for a more comfortable sleep experience depending on your preference. The spongy gel foam layer is the firmest choice, whereas I found the soft but still somewhat firm foam layer cushioned my head slightly faster.
Our Sleep Editor also tested the pillow in our photo studio (Image credit: Future)
I slept on my side throughout and felt thoroughly supported every night; not once did I need to turn it over or plump it. The pillow has a high loft, but if the height or comfort are not quite to your taste you can easily adjust either by removing one or two of the three foam layers. I’m primarily a side sleeper, so all three layers together suited me perfectly; back sleepers would benefit from either two or three layers, while stomach sleepers would do best with just one layer.
Emma Original pillow review: temperature regulation
The Emma Original pillow is cool to the touch and remains at a similar temperature throughout the night. I tested it both with and without a pillowcase during the winter months in a heated bedroom and was never woken up by trapped warmth or overheating. Flipping over the pillow for a coolness shot was never required as it stayed at a comfortable room temperature level all night long and did not wake me up.
Should you buy the Emma Original pillow?
Buy it if…
✅ You’re sensitive to heat. I found that the Emma Original pillow remained at a consistent temperature all night long and never woke me up with the need to flip it over to the cool side.
✅ You’ve never tried a memory foam pillow before. This was my first time using one, and while it took a while to get used to the hardness, the 30-night trial would give me the confidence to take a chance on it.
✅ You want some firm support. The three foam layers work together brilliantly to make your head feel cushioned, and pressure is reliably spread to prevent any aches or strains developing while you sleep.
Don’t buy it if…
❌ Hardness is an issue. The Emma Original Pillow remains firm night after night, meaning you might want to try something a little softer. Luckily Emma has just the thing in the shape of the Emma Microfibre Pillow, which is in roughly the same price range too.
❌ You’re shopping to a budget and can’t wait for a deal. Even though the Emma Original pillow is quite reasonably priced, the 25% discount is too tempting to pass up. If you have the time to wait for the discount to come around, hold off on adding it to your basket.
❌ You specifically want a more breathable pillow. While the Emma Original pillow is ideal in terms of temperature, it isn’t geared towards breathability. The Emma Premium Foam Pillow has an Ultra-Dry Plus cover which caters to this need and lets your skin breathe during the night.
How I tested the Emma Original Pillow
I tested the Emma Original pillow over the course of three weeks in the winter months. During these nights I had the heating on in order to keep the pillow at room temperature and provide a controlled environment to conduct a fair test.
Each night I slept on my side, but I can easily see back or front sleepers benefiting from its foam layers too. The pillow was tested both with and without a cover to ensure that I could gauge the coolness accurately.
…and as usual, the Moto G84 is a surprisingly adept and reliable Android handset from one of the world’s most dedicated phone manufacturers, with Motorola continuing its forcible takeover of our round-up of the best cheap phones.
The latest entry in Motorola’s ever-growing G-line of low-cost mobiles, the G84 brings a few clear and concise arguments as to why it should be your next purchase, as well as a few wardrobes that it hopes you won’t be checking for skeletons.
First up, the Moto G84 is the company’s latest collaboration between Motorola and paint company Pantone, with one of its three colors designed by color experts. This is the Viva Magenta one that you can see pictured above, adorned in the shade that Pantone decided was its Color Of The Year 2023.
It’s a distinctive shade (which may put some people off), and we’re big enough fans to add the vibrant and striking look to the ‘Pros’ list above. But for some reason, Moto decided to release two other color options, silver and black, which look pretty boring by comparison.
We go from one of the phone’s touted selling points to something Motorola is barely mentioning: the G84 is a powerhouse for gaming. While I’ve been disappointed by other mobiles brandishing the same Snapdragon 695 chipset used here, the Moto chews through gaming and other intensive tasks. If you’re a gamer on a budget, this is definitely a solid pick.
(Image credit: Future)
It’s at this point in the review (less than a minute into the ‘two-minute review’, so pretty early on) that I should mention the Moto G73. This mobile, released in early 2023 and still ranged by most retailers including Moto itself, has lots of specs in common with the G84.
It has a lower price and the same camera array, same rough design, same software, same battery size, same charging speed and same screen size. Admittedly it’s screen quality is worse, it doesn’t have an under-display fingerprint scanner, it’s less powerful and it doesn’t catch the eye quite like this Viva Magenta-clad beast. But if you want to save some cash and don’t mind these tweaked features, it’s a very real competitor that may sway your attention.
‘Close competition’ is nothing new for Moto phones, given how many similar-looking budget mobiles it releases each year. Neither is my other major gripe with the handset: its cameras are anything but impressive, with photos that look a little dull and unexciting.
Picking up a Motorola phone and being surprised that its cameras aren’t amazing, is like picking up a dumbbell and being surprised it’s heavy – that trait is just par for the course. The cameras aren’t terrible either, they just won’t suit passionate smartphone-centric photographers.
And overall, the Moto G84 is a terribly impressive phone, when you consider its feisty look, gaming power and low price; it’ll just fit some users better than others.
Moto G84 review: price and availability
Released in September 2023
Costs £249.99 (roughly $315, AU$475)
Not for sale in US or Australia
(Image credit: Future)
The Moto G84 was released in the UK in mid-September 2023, after coming out in India and Europe in the weeks prior. It was joined by the low-end Moto G54 and premium-leaning Moto Edge 40 Neo.
You can pick up the phone for £249.99 (roughly $315, AU$475), which lodges it firmly in the category of ‘cheap Android phone’, perfect for people on a budget who want a reliable mobile. That’s Moto’s whole schtick, after all. There’s no information on a US or Australian launch, but they seem unlikely even several months after the phone’s release.
Rivals at that price include Samsung’s Galaxy A23 5G, Redmi’s Note 12 5G, OnePlus’ Nord CE 3 Lite and several of Motorola’s own mobiles, like the Moto G73 5G and Edge 40 Neo, which are all at roughly the same price point. But for its price and the performance it offers, the G84 is solidly good value.
Moto G84 review: specs
The Moto G84 has many traits in common with other budget phones, but it exceeds its class in a few areas too.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Moto G84 specs
Header Cell – Column 1
Dimensions:
160 x 74.4 x 7.6mm
Weight:
166.8g
Screen:
6.5-inch 20:9 FHD+ (2400×1080) 120Hz p-OLED
Chipset:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 695
RAM:
12GB
Storage:
256GB
OS:
Android 13
Primary camera:
50MP, f/1.9
Ultra-wide camera
8MP f/2.2
Front camera:
16MP f/2.5
Audio:
Stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack
Battery:
5,000mAh
Charging:
30W wired
Colors:
Viva Magenta, Marshmallow Blue, Midnight Blue
Moto G84 review: design
Vibrant Pantone-designed red shell
Repositioned under-display fingerprint scanner
3.5mm headphone jack and USB-C port
(Image credit: Future)
Motorola isn’t exactly in the business of revolutionizing smartphone design (well, at least for its budget mobiles, though you can say what you like about the Moto Razr). So if you’ve seen a Moto G in the last few years you’ve seen the G84.
It’s a standard Android mobile measuring 160 x 74.4 x 7.6 mm – a few years ago we could’ve called it “a little on the big side” though you could probably consider it average now. It’s surprisingly light at 166.8g, which means the phone sits a little comfier in the hand than most phones with a flat edge.
You’ve got the usual accouterments of a Moto: a USB-C port and 3.5mm headphone jack underneath, a power button and volume rocker on the right edge. But Motorola has made one big adjustment in its budget phones of late, and that’s in replacing the side-mounted fingerprint scanner with a more premium under-display one. And it’s a great change too, as unlocking the phone is much easier than in previous Motos. The scanner is a bit lower down the phone than on most others, but it’s something I got used to.
There are three different color options for the Moto G84: a silver and a black option, and also an eye-catching red version called Viva Magenta. This latter was created by paint company Pantone, and it’d make the phone very attractive if it wasn’t for the big Pantone-logo color swatch on the bottom. You can’t remove this, it’s part of the phone.
Still, if the G84 was in a line-up of 10 random other phones, it’d be the most attractive one the vast majority of the time – its red is a little richer than Apple’s Product Red and the glossy alternatives some Chinese phones offer.
In terms of protection, you’re looking at IP54: it’s partly dust proofed but not against all solids, and is splash-proof but can’t be dunked in water. That’s all to be expected at this price.
Moto G84 review: display
Big 6.5-inch screen
FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh
Automatic brightness issues
(Image credit: Future)
The Moto G84 has a 6.5-inch display, which is pretty average for a smartphone these days, but the Moto’s specs are anything but average.
The phone packs an FHD+ display (that’s 1080 x 2400) and a 120Hz refresh rate, which means the display updates its image 120 times per second, over the old standard of 60Hz. Lots of budget mobiles tout this spec now but certainly not all of them, and it brings a marked improvement when you’re scrolling around the menus.
Another unusual trait is the use of the DCI-P3 color gamut with over 1 billion colors – this was designed for use in movies and it makes videos look that little bit better than on another budget phone.
One other display feature worth flagging is that the punch-hole that houses the front-facing camera is very small, reducing the amount of screen space you’re losing from it.
A small issue I had with the phone was with its display and the automatic brightness features. Often, the phone would default to a screen brightness that was just too low, and I frequently had to manually adjust it to be able to make out the display.
Moto G84 review: software
Stock Android 13 is clean
Useful Moto Actions return
Plenty of customization options
(Image credit: Future)
When you boot up the Moto G84, it’ll come running stock Android 13 – that was the current OS when the mobile launched, though Android 14 started rolling out just weeks later. The G84 is only confirmed for one software update too, so Android 14 is all you’ll definitely get, though you’ll be able to enjoy at least three years’ security updates.
Stock Android is always fairly clean, at least compared to some other Android forks, but some bloatware has snuck into the Moto. There’s TikTok, LinkedIn and three simple games – it’s nothing too offensive, and if you’ve used one of the budget phones from another brand you might have used something a lot worse, but it’s still not ideal.
Moto phones have always been great for software customization, even before Google made it an official Android feature, and there’s no difference here. You have plenty of choice in terms of font, color scheme, icon shape, animations and more – if you like diving into the settings and then tweaking the nitty-gritty of how your phone looks, you’ll love this phone.
A returning feature exclusive to Moto phones are Moto Actions, which are easy navigation tricks that I find myself using a lot. Examples include a double karate-chop motion to quickly turn on the torch and a twisting shake to open the camera app. They take a little getting used to, but once you’ve got the knack for them, they’re incredibly handy.
Moto G84: cameras
50MP main and 8MP ultra-wide cameras
Some extra features like Spot Color
16MP front-facing camera for selfies
(Image credit: Future)
The camera department is an area that Motorola phones rarely excel in, and there’s no exception here. The phone uses up its ‘color’ budget on its exterior shell and there’s none left for its photos…
The main snapper is a 50MP f/1.9 unit and it’s joined by a single 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide companion. On the front, you’re looking at a 16MP f/2.5 selfie camera. That’s not exactly a revolutionary combo for Moto, which used the exact same line-up in the Moto G73 from earlier in the year.
Pictures taken on the main camera looked fine – that nondescript word is the best way to describe them – with fair sharpness but a lack of vibrancy or color that made me miss Samsung’s or Xiaomi’s handsets.
Flip onto the ultra-wide camera and you’re getting pretty grainy pictures – it’s an 8MP sensor, what did you expect – though not straight away. No, the secondary snapper was surprisingly slow to focus when I pressed the icon in the camera app, and I often found myself waiting a few moments for it to sharpen the image.
You can also use the ultra-wide camera for macro (close-up) shots, but this suffers from the issue that all wide-angle-macro phone photos do: it’s rounded and distorted thanks to the lens type. No thanks!
There’s no zoom lens on the Moto G84, so you have to use its 8x digital zoom to get closer to a subject. But I’d really recommend you don’t, unless you want your photo to be as grainy as spot art.
Grainy is also the word to use for pictures captured on the front camera, which is a surprising twist as some Motos redeem themselves on their selfie abilities. They’ll be fine for sending between phones, especially with bokeh working well in Portrait mode, but if you look at selfies on any bigger screen you’ll see the pixels clearly.
When capturing video, you can shoot at 1080p, with no 4K option. There’s also a slow-mo option as well as dual capture (front and back cameras at once) and Spot Color, which lets you isolate a single color in your recording. These latter two options are also available for photography.
Moto G84 camera samples
Image 1 of 7
This ‘standard’ shot of a coffee looks a little dull in the froth and colorful plates.(Image credit: Future)
This photo came out bizarrely yellow.(Image credit: Future)
Here’s a standard snap of a street, so you can contrast to the next pic…(Image credit: Future)
…here’s that same street in ultra-wide.(Image credit: Future)
This festive outlook also looks a little duller than what another phone would capture.(Image credit: Future)
If you were to zoom in close to the face, you’d see it’s quite grainy (but please don’t!).(Image credit: Future)
I captured the G84’s contemporary, the Edge 40 Neo, so you can see how it picks up color.(Image credit: Future)
Moto G84: performance and audio
Snapdragon 695 chip exceeds expectations
12GB RAM and 256GB storage
3.5mm headphone jack and Bluetooth 5.1
The Moto G84 packs the Snapdragon 695, and anyone who’s used a phone using this chipset knows what to expect: fine everyday performance, but a lackluster showing when used for gaming or intensive processes. That’s how this exact same chip worked in the recent OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite, and gaming was a slog.
In a pleasantly surprising plot twist, the G84 bucks expectations: it runs a lot faster than you’d think. In fact, through our rigorous gaming tests, it proved itself as one of the most reliable low-budget phones for gaming.
When playing titles like Call of Duty: Mobile and PUBG Mobile, the phone could be relied on to get through a match without lags, stutters or freezes – in fact, the G84 beat many gaming phones in that it didn’t even overheat!
This may be thanks to the 12GB RAM you’re getting, a surprising amount for a phone at this price. The 256GB storage is also laudable – this is a phone that’ll last you a long time, and even if you do manage to fill the device’s onboard storage, the microSD card slot will keep you going for even longer.
If you’re into your facts and figures, a benchmark test through Geekbench 6 returned a multi-core average score of 2,037. That middling score shows that this phone is no supercomputer that’ll land a spaceship on the sun or predict the future, but for the price, I was very surprised.
Onto audio – this is par for the course for a Moto phone. There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack for wired music and Bluetooth 5.1 for wireless. The onboard stereo speaker is nothing to write home about, but it’s not so tinny that voice calls or memos are affected.
Moto G84 review: battery life
Large 5,000mAh battery
Over a day’s use from a single charge
30W charging isn’t particularly fast
(Image credit: Future)
If there’s one thing a Motorola phone can be relied on to have, even more than a confusing name, great customization or that distinctive sound when you first boot it up, it’s a long-lasting battery life.
No surprise, then, that the Moto G84’s 5,000mAh battery lasts a long time. You can use it to get through a day of use with no issue, and in our tests it lasted well into a second day before the charging cable needed to come out.
That charging cable gets you powering at 30W, so it’s not particularly fast, not when rival budget mobiles hit 50W, 67W or higher. You’re looking at charging times just shy of an hour, or more if you’re using the thing as you power it.
There’s no wireless charging here, but at that price, no-one should be surprised.
Should you buy the Moto G84?
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Moto G84 score card
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Value
Moto offers a lot for its price, and undercuts some big-name rivals too
4 / 5
Design
A bright color and light frame distract from this otherwise standard-looking Android.
3.5 / 5
Display
Mostly unimpressive for the price, but DCI-P3 makes a difference.
3.5 / 5
Software
Moto expands upon stock Android 13 with useful features
4 / 5
Camera
There’s nothing impressive in the Moto G84’s three camera selection.
2.5 / 5
Performance
The Moto G84 redefines budget gaming power, plus has loads of storage
4 / 5
Battery
The phone has a long battery life though unimpressive charging speeds.
3.5 / 5
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Moto G84 review: Also consider
If you’re looking for Android phones at the Moto G84’s price, you’ve got loads of rivals to consider. Here are a few:
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Moto G84
Moto G73
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro
Price (at launch):
£249 (around $315, AU$475)
£269 (around $330, AU$500)
£299 (around $350 / AU$520)
£299 (around $350 / AU$520)
Dimensions:
160 x 74.4 x 7.6mm
161.4 x 73.8 x 8.3mm
165.5 x 76 x 8.3mm
163 x 76 x 8mm
Weight:
166.8g
181g
195g
187g
OS (at launch):
Android 13
Android 13
Android 13
Android 12
Screen Size:
6.5-inch
6.5-inch
6.72-inch
6.67-inch
Resolution:
1080×2400
1080×2400
1080×2400
1080×2400
CPU:
Snapdragon 695
Dimensity 930
Snapdragon 695
Dimensity 1080
RAM:
12GB
8GB
8GB
6GB / 8GB / 12GB
Storage (from):
256GB
128GB / 256GB
128GB / 256GB
128GB / 256GB
Battery:
5,000mAh
5,000mAh
5,000mAh
5,000mAh
Rear Cameras:
50MP main, 8MP ultra-wide
50MP main, 8MP ultra-wide
108MP main, 2MP depth sensor, 2MP macro
50MP main, 8MP ultra-wide. 2MP macro
Front camera:
16MP
16MP
16MP
16MP
How I tested the Moto G84
Review test period = 2 week
Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
As you can tell from my review and the images, I tested the Moto G84 in its Pantone-endorsed Viva Magenta colorway. It felt fitting to test this festive-looking mobile during winter, hence the Christmas baking images!
Before true testing commenced I set up the phone to let the battery use settle, then used it as a standard mobile for two weeks. This included all the tasks you’d use your mobile for: social media, photography and streaming.
I also used it for gaming a lot. In fact, it was so snappy and fast for this task, alongside its lovely display, that I was loathe to move onto the next handset I’m testing for TechRadar!
My tech review history spans five years for TechRadar, and more for other brands. I used to work as an editor and writer for the site, covering phones, tablets and wearables (as well as a wide range of other gadgets), and continue to write freelance reviews across many types of gadget.
