Welcome to TechRadar’s inaugural Reviews Recap. Each week, we’ll be rounding up the most exciting gadgets we’ve tested to let you know which is the best tech hitting the market. So make sure you check back this time every week to get the lowdown on the latest reviews to hit our site.
So, what have we been testing this week? Well, we’ve been putting the Amazon Kindle Scribe 2024 and the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) through their paces, both of which have seen some cracking updates.
But there’s plenty more where that came from: we’ve also been giving eco-friendly turntables a spin, trying out a less spendy ultra short-throw projector, and checking out a seriously powerful mid-range gaming phone.
1. Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) review: a gorgeous e-reader with upgraded smarts for wordsmiths and scribblers
Pros
✅ Excellent big-screened e-reader
✅ Much-improved writing tools
✅ Actually useful AI?!
Cons
❌ Boosted price
❌ Not a fit for anyone with AI-fatigue
Not only is the latest Amazon Kindle Scribe a great big-screen e-reader, but this update also makes it a fantastic writing tool.
Even the most AI-phobic writer will probably find its new features useful. The Scribe can now send your scribblings to the cloud to provide much smarter handwriting recognition and correct your spelling errors and typos. It can also provide summaries of your notes and jottings – helpful for lectures and taking minutes.
It also allows you to more directly add handwritten notes to existing ebooks by adding ‘canvases’ to add text or sketches – not as helpful as being able to free write on your books, but a step in the right direction.
The Scribe has also had a slight glowup, with a new white border around the e-paper display, giving it a crisp look. And if you pay for the more premium version, it comes in a gorgeous Metallic Jade finish that feels super premium. Despite this, it’s still designed to fit all your old accessories, which is a nice touch from Amazon.
2. House of Marley Revolution review: a cheap, eco-friendly turntable that’s easy as pie to use
Pros
✅ Super easy to set up
✅ Attractive, eco-friendly design
✅ Really good value
Cons
❌ Mid-range lacks clarity
❌ Bass overwhelming over Bluetooth
❌ Runs slightly slow
The House of Marley Revolution is an eco-friendly, budget turntable that offers a great option for beginners. Despite its affordable price, it’s not made of cheap, plasticky components. Instead, it’s wrapped in fabric from recycled sources, and its bamboo plinth is both stylish and sustainable.
It’s super easy for a beginner to set up – you simply have to add the felt mat to the platter and add a counterweight to the tone arm, and then you’re ready to spin tunes over wired or Bluetooth connectivity.
And while the resultant sound isn’t necessarily going to thrill audiophiles, with the mids feeling a little wooly and the treble occasionally sounding brittle, it’s still a good listen if you’re not too fussy about having unimpeachable audio quality. Bass, in particular, sounds confident, while the whole thing offers decent dynamic variation.
Ultimately, if you’re looking for a turntable with a sense of style, solid sound, and straightforward operation, the Revolution will offer a great return for little investment.
3. Formovie Cinema Edge review: a complete 4K laser projector that’s economical in every sense
Pros
✅ Huge detailed 4K picture
✅ All-in-one package
✅ Relatively affordable
Cons
❌ Bland color
❌ No Dolby Vision support
❌ Google TV interface sluggish
The Formovie Cinema Edge is a (comparatively) affordable compact 4K ultra-short-throw projector. Currently reduced to $1,799 (roughly £1,413 / AU$2,215) on Amazon, it’s a good value projector despite facing tough competition from older, more premium products.
Thanks to its Advanced Laser Phosphor Display, it offers a sharp, contrasty 4K image that’s seriously bright in dark rooms and performs reasonably well in lighter ones. It can project a 120-inch picture at just a 33cm distance, while its 30-watt speakers mean it’s ready for movie night right out of the box.
Unfortunately, color performance isn’t quite up there with some of its higher-priced rivals – certain hues in normally vibrant movies like Avatar 2 often ended up feeling dull and muted. On top of this, the only HDR profiles it offers are HDR10 and HLG; unlike some ultra short throw projectors, it doesn’t offer the superior Dolby Vision.
Overall it’s a solid option at this price, though it’s worth bearing in mind that spending a little more could get you stronger features and more flawless performance.
4. DragonTouch Classic 15 Pro Digital Photo Frame review: a straightforward photo frame with decent internal storage
Pros
✅ Straight-forward app
✅ Auto rotates
✅ 32GB built-in storage
Cons
❌ Struggles in bright light
❌ No battery option
❌ US only
DragonTouch Classic 15 Pro is a solid mid-sized frame for a really affordable price. It’s straightforward to set up and use, allowing you to easily transfer snaps to its 32GB internal storage remotely.
Its full HD (1920 x 1080) display makes your photos look crisp enough at most distances, although up close viewing may reveal slight blurring here and there. Brightness is more than sufficient for most rooms, although you might find it can’t keep up in particularly sunny spaces.
The Classic 15 Pro’s design is a little utilitarian, focusing more on fading into the background but this does allow your snaps to pull more attention. It automatically rotates for either portrait or landscape orientation and can be wall-mounted should you wish – although it doesn’t have an internal battery so it will have a visible wire.
So while there are more premium frames out there, the DragonTouch is hard to beat for its modest price.
5. Nubia Red Magic 10 Pro review: amazing performance at a more reasonable price
Pros
✅ Seriously high performance
✅ Lengthy battery life
✅ Amazing mid-range price
Cons
❌ Awkward design choices
❌ Cameras pretty so-so
The Nubia Red Magic 10 Pro is a powerful mid-market gaming phone that offers high-end performance. It packs the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, giving it serious high-end performance, while its built-in cooling fan ensures it can deliver more consistent results. It also brings an even bigger battery to the table, which can see it last a whopping two days.
It has a slightly larger and crisper 6.85-inch AMOLED display than its predecessor, and can now hit a refresh rate of 144Hz rather than 120Hz. Its cameras haven’t had much of an update since its predecessor, while its 2MP under-display front camera is pretty disappointing for anyone interested in photography. Elsewhere, its design gives off a distinctly gamer vibe, with flat edges, RGB lighting and transparent rear panel.
Ultimately, if you’re wanting to play high-end games on the go, without spending over the odds, this is a solid choice.
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josh.russell@futurenet.com (Josh Russell)
