Inhoudsopgave van June 2025 - Stuff UK

Hello and welcome to our travel issue! But it’s not just about traditional holiday tech this time around – we’ve also spent some time with Nintendo’s latest on-the-go marvel, the Switch 2. Turn to p74 to find out what we thought of it and, crucially, what it’s actually like to play. We’ve also profiled a bunch of the new games that are debuting alongside the handheld in early June, as well as the key accessories you can get for it. And the main travel feature? We’ve got a bumper selection covering everything from in-flight accessories to beach-friendly gear, as well as the latest sunglasses and plenty of gadgets to keep the kids occupied. Elsewhere there’s a group test of projectors to meet all needs. Projectors are no longer expensive hulks…

£200 / go.stuff.tv/PolaroidFlip With a nifty nature-inspired focusing trick and nostalgic design, could this be the ultimate point’n’shoot cam for impatient snappers? Measure hunt You might not think dolphins and instant cameras have much in common, and in general you’d be right. Polaroid’s new Flip can’t swim, there’s no blowhole on top, and it doesn’t have a layer of blubber to keep it warm… but very much like a dolphin, it does have sonar. Rather than finding fish, the Flip’s sonar skills are used to determine how far away you are from your subject before automatically selecting the most suitable of its four lenses – and because it uses sound to do so, it’ll even work when it’s dark. Knock busters You might remember a film from the ’90s (or,…

£free / Netflix If you’ve ever watched Black Mirror you’ll probably be mighty happy that it’s just a TV show and not real life… but Thronglets very much blurs the line. Episode four of the latest series is about a man who becomes obsessed with a mysterious PC game from the ’90s – and if watching the show hasn’t put you off, you can play it for yourself. You start by hatching one Thronglet – a small yellow creature with floppy ears and blue pants – and making sure it’s fed, washed and happy. Before long your single Thronglet will self-replicate, and soon you’ll command a whole army of the little blighters. To say much more would spoil both the game and the episode, but it’s basically a cross between…

DISC-LESS PS5 BECOMES DISCOUNTED-LESS PS5 If you were thinking about picking up a PS5 but hadn’t quite got round to it, we have bad news. Sony has just whacked an extra £40 onto the asking price of the digital edition (although the cost of the optional disc drive has dropped by £30). The standard model is still £480. NEW RANGE OF SHOWS IS FREELY AVAILABLE Freely, the terrestrial television service that streams over the internet rather than using an aerial, is adding 16 new channels. They’re all dedicated to either particular programmes, such as The Chase, or genres, including reality TV, property and home makeovers. RAZER SHARPENS YOUR MOBILE GAMING FUN Razer has finally released its PC Remote Play app for iOS and Android. Originally unveiled back in January, the…

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STREAMING STATIONS The multi menu Razer Stream Controller X There are many things you might need to do mid-stream. Mute your mic. Adjust your webcam. Launch Slack to explain to your boss why you’re currently live on Twitch instead of Teams. This 15-button board supports shortcuts for all of those and more. £180 / razer.com The informative interface Elgato Stream Deck Neo Being late to your stream won’t win you many fans. Luckily, this compact panel features a readout that can display the time and date. And if you are running behind schedule, its eight customisable shortcut keys should get you swiftly back on track. £100 / elgato.com The two-way toolpad Streamplify Streaming Deck One Between keyboards, coffee cups and framed pictures of your hamster, desk space is always at…

JBL TOUR ONE M3 SMART TX By taking the best bit from its Tour Pro 3 earbuds – namely the tricorder-like case – JBL has turned the Tour One M3s into one seriously clever pair of over-ear cans. The Smart Tx isn’t just a tiny touchscreen that moves playback and EQ adjustment off your phone – the pager-like puck also works as a Bluetooth broadcaster, so it can stay tethered to your in-flight entertainment source while you roam the cabin. And it acts as a pocket-sized DAC for hi-res streaming from wired audio kit. Up all light If you equate weight with luxury, you might be underwhelmed by the headphones themselves. Being so light makes them very comfortable for long listening sessions, though. This is a fun and easy listen,…

DJI NEO Youngsters looking to earn their wings will adore the simplicity of DJI’s smallest, cheapest drone. And this certainly isn’t a toy, even if it’s priced like one. Those more accustomed to DJI’s higher-end Mavic, Air and Mini ranges will notice the Neo’s shortcomings in flight capability and camera quality, but it still easily outperforms similar-priced rivals for battery life, sturdiness and 4K performance. Its 135g weight also makes it pretty much free of flight restrictions. Prop lifters of the world unite Designed to be flyable without a controller, and to launch from an outstretched palm, the Neo has six automated selfie modes for capturing quick videos and photos, but it can also be piloted using a phone or a twin-stick controller. While the latter is a £120 optional extra,…

from £499 / go.stuff.tv/Pixel9a DAY 01 I knew Google had stepped things up on the design front, but seeing the Pixel 9a for the first time in person is still an eye-opener. This might be the firm’s new affordable model, but it looks and feels very grown-up. The curved back and camera bar of the 8a are gone, replaced with clean lines and a svelte silhouette. OK, the streamlined camera bump – if you can even call it a bump, as it sits a mere millimetre up – looks more generic, but I can’t deny it slips into my pocket that much more easily. The metal frame also brings a more high-end feel. The back panel is recycled plastic, but with a smooth look that hides fingerprints well – and…

METROID PRIME 4: BEYOND Bounty hunter Samus Aran returns in this sequel, battling more space pirates and gaining new psychic powers. It’s a cross-gen release, but the Switch 2 version adds Joy-Con 2 mouse functionality.  Due tba BREATH OF THE WILD: SWITCH 2 EDITION With higher resolutions, smoother gameplay, speedier load times and HDR lighting that makes Hyrule’s fields come alive even more, this update feels like the way one of the best RPGs ever made was meant to be played.  Due 5 June SUPER MARIO PARTY JAMBOREE + JAMBOREE TV This greatly expanded update brings new modes and 20 new minigames that make use of the Switch 2’s microphone, mouse and camera capabilities. You can appear in the game now. Due 24 July SWITCH 2 WELCOME TOUR This interactive…

TIPS & TRICKS Flick upwards in Control Centre to see the new layout; tap-hold and you can tweak controls. Lightly press the camera control button twice to change settings for the current mode. Tap-hold any icon then select ‘Require Face ID’ so you can stop open access to particular apps. 1 Apple iPhone 16 from £699 / go.stuff.tv/iPhone16 This year’s iPhone Pro lineup is a mighty fine selection to choose from (see the 16 Pro at No6 on this list), but it’s the standard model that does more to impress. The camera control button and the 2x telephoto zoom are great to have in particular, while the battery life is excellent. The 6.1in screen’s refresh rate is fixed at 60Hz, which is a bit disappointing, but Apple clearly believes most…

1 Wahoo Elemnt Ace £450 / go.stuff.tv/WahooAce At first glance the Ace might not seem too far removed from previous Elemnt cycle computers, but Wahoo has changed almost every aspect under the hood – and entirely for the better. Setup and syncing are a breeze, tracking is spot-on, and this is the first to take wind resistance into account when measuring your metrics. If you want to analyse your rides like a pro, no mainstream tracker does it better than this deceptively smart little box. Stuff says Wahoo’s overhauled bike computer is about as comprehensive as they get, but still easy to use 2 Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 £250 / go.stuff.tv/PbP2 The main sell here is heart-rate tracking, which you won’t need if you’ve got an Apple Watch, but beyond…

1 Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max £1699 / go.stuff.tv/AmbeoMax Utterly convincing Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D sound, ample power and lots of inputs mean no other soundbar currently available can perform sonic feats with the solidity and confidence of this Sennheiser. The sheer room-filling scale of its sound is remarkable – and the more affordable (but still hugely powerful) Plus version is also worth a look. Stuff says The Ambeo Soundbar Max is a big unit but the sound it makes is bigger still 2 Sonos Arc Ultra £999 / go.stuff.tv/ArcUltra It’s scarcely believable that such high-quality sound can come from such a diminutive form. The Ultra is about as big as upgrades get, with much more quality on offer than you get from the standard Arc. Stuff says Incredible for…

£N/A (concept) / hyundai.com Well that looks sensible. This is the Hyundai Insteroid, which is based on the rather more modest all-electric Inster. The Korean maker recently unveiled this zany creation at an event in Seoul… where, needless to say, it turned a lot of heads. So where did that body come from? Hyundai’s design team were given free rein to come up with an EV in ‘street racer’ style. So you get boxy arches (complete with cooling vents) that just about cover the beefy wheels and track-optimised tyres. The big front spoiler is dwarfed by that rear wing, while also at the back, just above the diffuser, is an LED panel that can be used to display personalised messages. And the colour scheme? There are three core colours: a…

Don’t let the name fool you: medium-format camera sensors are huge. The 102MP unit found inside the GFX100RF is almost four times as big as the APS-C type found in the phenomenal X100VI fixed-lens compact. For Fujifilm to have squeezed one inside a rangefinder body that makes most of its rivals look positively portly is a quite massive achievement. It’s no coincidence that the smallest, lightest GFX model to date looks like an X100VI that’s had a growth spurt. Only the taller body and missing optical viewfinder give the game away. The retro-inspired styling, precision-milled metal top plate and control layout mean Fuji fans will feel instantly at home. And at 735g including battery and memory card, it’s impressively portable – at least if you leave off the bundled lens…

OM SYSTEM OM-3 The first thing anyone will notice about the OM-3 is its evocative retro styling. Inspired by illustrious forebears like the Olympus PEN, this compact silver and black camera looks like something Alain Delon might use to snap portraits of his petite amie in 1960s Nice. It even feels like a classic 35mm camera to use thanks to its flush surfaces, multiple dials and metal top and bottom plates. But make no mistake: beyond the vintage styling there lies a capable, serious modern-day mirrorless camera that can pretty much do it all. And the metal body isn’t just pretty: it helps it achieve IP53 weather-sealing. Its sensor is the same stacked Micro Four Thirds CMOS found in the flagship OM-1 Mark II, and it shares a lot with…

XIAOMI PAD 7 PRO We don’t think we’re being unfair when we say that, for most Android tablets, productivity comes a distant second to multimedia fun. If you want to get serious work done, you pick up an iPad… but still, Xiaomi’s slim 11in slate undercuts Apple’s equivalent by a wide margin, all while offering plenty for those who’d rather use their tablet for entertainment than boring old graft. OK, the LCD screen isn’t as contrast-rich as an OLED, but what it lacks in punch it makes up for with its crisp detail and brightness – it’s perfectly usable outdoors. And it’s 144Hz, which makes for a slick experience. The power of shove With a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 and up to 12GB of RAM, it’s got the processing grunt…

OAKLEY PLANTARIS Oakley’s gone full Earth Mother with its latest wraparound sunglasses, embracing ‘organic lines’ and ‘natural forms’ in their striking design. Even the name cribs from nature: the plantaris is a slender muscle that runs down the back of an animal’s leg. That muscle plays a key role in the way a frog’s legs extend during a jump – and it’s no coincidence that those arms look so… froggy. Then there’s the nose-guard. Probably the most distinctive design element on here, this beak can make you feel like Batman at times – and it keeps these ultra-lightweight shades in place during virtually any activity. It is easily removeable, though, in case you want a much more traditional look. Eye get around Regardless of what you make of the aesthetics, they’re…

£179 / go.stuff.tv/JM21 ■ At 13mm thick the JM21 is a teensy bit thicker than a modern phone, but it’s as pocket-friendly as an old iPod Classic. The rear is plastic, but the aluminium front half adds reassuring rigidity. Both halves held up well after several weeks of daily use. ■ A 4.7in screen dominates the front of the player, and is sharp enough to make track names easy to read at arm’s length. I had to crank the brightness slider, though: it looks pretty dim at anything below 75% and there’s no automatic adjustment. ■ Android 13 is powered by a Snapdragon 680 chipset and 3GB of RAM. There was enough beef for the likes of Spotify and BBC Sounds, but animations felt a little sluggish. ■ Audio is…

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1 Honor Magic V3 £1300 / go.stuff.tv/MagicV3 The Magic V3 is the first foldable we’ve used that’s like having a normal phone in your pocket – and that feels like a big deal. It’s almost unbelievably thin and seems superbly made. There are still some areas that could be improved, most obviously the limited multitasking powers; but along with its superb main camera and all-day battery life (further enhanced by wireless charging), the V3’s real achievement is that it makes carrying a foldable phone feel normal. Stuff says A major step up from the previous model, the Magic V3 will change how you think about foldable phones 2 OnePlus Open £1199 / go.stuff.tv/Open The Open’s camera system is the best of any folding phone, taking impressive photos in all conditions.…

TIPS & TRICKS Adaptive Sound Control auto-adjusts the ANC to suit your location – ideal for public transport. Speak-to-Chat pauses playback and activates ambient mode if you start talking. A firmware update means you can now use LDAC and multipoint Bluetooth at once. 1 Sony WH-1000XM5 £249 / go.stuff.tv/WHXM5 Nobody could knock the WH-1000XM4s off the top of this list for two years… yet Sony’s latest model manages to be even better. The new carbon-fibre composite 30mm drivers are key: they bring even greater clarity than the previous generation, and the sound reproduction is beautifully precise. The fact is that these are the best noise-cancellers around by almost every measure. You really won’t regret buying them. Stuff says Sony ties up top spot with an unrivalled combo of great sound,…

1 Sky Stream from £15/m / go.stuff.tv/SkyStream It’s hard to find fault with this little puck. The basic package includes the ad version of Netflix as well as Discovery+ with Eurosport – and while Sky Sports and Sky Cinema are a pricey upgrade, Sky’s Entertainment OS makes the Stream a bit of a doozy if you want to have a monthly sub rather than using Now (which is more of a dip-in job for when you just fancy the football or films for a brief period). Sky Q remains excellent, but if you can’t/won’t have a dish, this is the ideal solution. Stuff says Making it more affordable and accessible than ever, this is the best way to watch Sky TV 2 Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K £60 / go.stuff.tv/TVStick4K…

1 GoPro Hero13 Black £319 / go.stuff.tv/Hero13 GoPro diehards might be disappointed that the Hero13 doesn’t have the 8K video or bigger sensor that many were hoping for. Instead it has the same core specs as the Hero12… but there are some enticing new bits. A bigger battery with improved efficiency means you’ll get 1.5hrs of continuous recording in 4K, and also new is the addition of magnetic mounting (finally!), while three new lens mods open up your shooting options. And like all GoPros, this one is intuitive to use and rugged as hell. Stuff says The basics are unchanged from the last model, but numerous refinements make for a worthy new Hero 2 DJI Mini 4 Pro from £619 / go.stuff.tv/DJIMini4Pro This is definitely the best sub-250g drone we’ve…

Considering you can get fridges, mousetraps and cat litter trays with Wi-Fi these days, you might think a device that adds it to your hi-fi wouldn’t be necessary. But if you’ve got an old pair of powered speakers or a separates setup that needs an injection of modern connectivity, the Streamplayer looks like a tidy solution – and a smart update on the old Chromecast Audio formula. Just 7cm long, this unassuming black box has Wi-Fi 6 and supports AirPlay 2 and Google Cast, with Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect compatibility both on board. Just plug it into your kit with a standard aux cable or Mini Toslink, and your system will immediately be right up to date. You’ll have to use Atonemo’s app for the initial setup, but after…

£POA / go.stuff.tv/Natura That looks like it belongs in a museum. Yeah, the National Museum of Stuff You Can’t Afford. But you’re right, there’s something very grand about the Beosound Balance Natura, to the point that you can imagine Julius Caesar having one in his gaff. The speaker is perched atop a pedestal made from either quartz or fossilised wood – the result of a collab between B&O and an Italian company called Antolini that makes things out of natural stone. There’s a choice of six finishes (three for each material)… but don’t dither, as only 16 are going to be made. Veni, vidi, hi-fi? Very good. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because this Natura version is based on the existing Beosound Balance. It’s made up of seven drivers…

More people have been to the Moon than some of the places I’ve dived. There’s a lot of times when I’m exploring a cave that nobody’s ever been to, and probably nobody ever will return there. So I recognise that the data, the images, the stories I bring out from these remote places are really important and I need to share them with the world. I know I’m doing something that’s very risky. In all frankness I’ve lost more than a hundred friends to cave and technical diving accidents. So that is at the front of my mind, and I don’t really get an adrenaline rush like some people might expect. I’m interested in the new, in trying to capture unique places, so I’m really in that creative mindset. I…

GOMATIC METHOD LUGGAGE CHECK-IN Designed for long-haul adventures, this tidy wheeled suitcase is wonderfully capacious. Unzip it and you’ll find 86L of space split into two portions: a zipped section that works perfectly with compression cubes and has two large pockets for loose items plus a concealed pouch for a tracker; and an open section with a compression panel that adapts to whatever you stuff inside – even if you unzip the extender to expand its storage to a yawning 127L. That should be enough space for a month-long trip… as long as you’re not too fussy about changing your undies every day. Ride in your shell But the most remarkable thing about the Method is how well it balances robustness with weight. Empty, it weighs under 5kg, yet it can…

BOSE SOUNDLINK FLEX (2ND GEN) Bose’s reputation as a fusty brand aimed at Sunday-supplement pensioners is long gone. The SoundLink Flex Bluetooth speaker, now available in this second-gen edition, is a stylish devil – especially in its striking ‘petal pink’ finish (it also comes in black, green, brown and this handsome blue). The Flex is compact enough to toss into a small backpack and weighs only about as much as a can of lager, but there’s a real sense of solidity to it. The rubbery exterior will shrug off knocks and bumps, and the IP67-rated build means it’s impervious to sand, dust and water. It even floats. Slinking out loud This small speaker won’t win any awards for bass power, but it can whack out a surprisingly big sound. It’ll fill…

SIGMA BF The design philosophy for Sigma’s new full-frame camera is very much ‘less is more’. The first mirrorless with a Mac-like aluminium unibody, it’s had every possible bump, button and dial expunged in an effort to achieve zen-like minimalism. In fact, we’ve been told ‘BF’ stands for ‘beautiful foolishness’, a phrase from a poem urging us to jettison life’s complexities. And its straightforwardness is immensely inspiring: with few controls to worry about, you’re nudged towards concentrating on composition instead. The large sensor, paired with a good L-mount lens, delivers amazing photos in almost any situation. Twist and doubt On the flipside, Sigma’s approach also means there’s no EVF, no hot shoe for a flash, no mic or headphone sockets and not even a card slot (all photos and videos are…

THE BASICS Train the algorithm YouTube runs largely on engagement, which means the algorithm feeds up ‘more of the same’. So don’t watch awful stuff out of morbid curiosity, unless you want to turn your feed into a torrent of rubbishness. Use the thumbs-up button on videos you enjoy, and the ‘⋮’ menu’s ‘Not interested’ and ‘Don’t recommend channel’ options. Spend some cash You’d best like ads, because there are loads of them. If not, fork out £12.99/m (£7.99 for students, £19.99 for a family of five) for Premium: the ads will vanish, and you’ll get offline downloads, background playback and ad-free tunes on YouTube Music. Set timers In the ‘You’ tab, tap the cog, and then ‘General’. Turn on the break reminder to stop yourself from becoming a YouTube…

JOY-CON 2 CHARGING GRIP Nintendo bundles a basic Joy-Con 2 grip in with every Switch 2 console, turning your included controllers into a classic-style gamepad that’s arguably more comfortable to hold… but it can’t charge them while you play. This one can, via USB-C, and also adds GL and GR buttons on the rear for remapping to any of the console’s other inputs. At less than half the price of a Pro Controller (below right), it might be a must-buy. £30 / store.nintendo.co.uk SWITCH 2 GAMECUBE CONTROLLER Switch Online subscribers wanting the authentic GameCube experience should be first in line for this revived controller. The oddball layout is unchanged, but there’s an added C button for GameChat. Wireless connectivity and USB-C charging bring it up to date too. Apparently it’ll…

NEW Straight outta testing and into our rankings. BARGAIN BUY A proper steal, worth owning regardless of cashflow. UPDATE Time changes everything, including Stuff Top Ten entries. HOW WE RATE Always fair and accurate, our reviews are scored from 1 to 5 and might get one of these awards too: For selected products that are rated with four stars but stand out from the pack. A step up in approval, this can only be awarded to five-star products. Our highest accolade is given out just a few times a year in each key category. FOR FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE PRODUCTS IN OUR TOP TEN LISTINGS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10…

1 Google Pixel 8a from £349 / go.stuff.tv/Pixel8a In recent years, Google’s cheaper ‘a’ models have dominated the mid-range phone market. They’ve delivered outstanding value by including many of the brand’s flagship features (think amazing cameras and slick software) and cutting corners where you’re less likely to notice. And the good news is, that’s still true of the Pixel 8a, which looks almost identical to the full-on Pixel 8 and performs almost as well. Oh, and see p76 for our full verdict on the new Pixel 9a. Stuff says Once again Google proves you don’t need to spend over £500 to get a great phone 2 OnePlus Nord 4 from £379 / go.stuff.tv/Nord4 If you don’t want a Pixel 8a with its excellent camera, this is the next best thing.…

1 OnePlus Watch 3 £269 / go.stuff.tv/OPWatch3 This is a simply superb wearable, with the best battery life of any Wear OS watch – thanks to silicon-carbon cell technology borrowed from OnePlus’s smartphones – and subtle yet meaningfully improved styling. Health tracking has taken a big step forward, even if we’d still give the edge to a top-tier Garmin for more serious stattery; but with pricing on its side, the OnePlus Watch 3 should be right at the top of any Android smartwatch shopper’s list. Stuff says A more refined take on an already fantastic watch that lasts longer and is even more fitness-friendly 2 Apple Watch SE from £209 / go.stuff.tv/AppleWatchSE The SE is easily the best-value Apple Watch. It tracks sleep and all the exercise metrics you need,…

1 Apple iPad Pro (M4) from £999 / go.stuff.tv/iPadProM4 The latest iPad Pro gets incredible processing power, while being slimmer than before. The performance gains are quite staggering… and the only question is, why has Apple bothered to upgrade this tablet quite so much? It offers a level of capability that most people won’t ever need – so this is really a powerhouse for the 1% who edit or design with the stylus. And for them, the talented Pencil Pro is also a serious upgrade on the standard Pencil. Stuff says This really takes iPad power to the next level, even if iPadOS still needs more multitasking clout 2 Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra from £1299 / go.stuff.tv/TabS10Ultra The Tab S10 Ultra raises the bar for Android tablets yet again……

TIPS & TRICKS The built-in Zigbee hub can hook up hundreds of smart home devices without a bridge. Pair a compatible thermostat and the Echo’s temperature sensor can activate the heating. Flash Briefings deliver bursts of news or trivia; choose from a wide range of sources. 1 Amazon Echo (4th Gen) £109 / go.stuff.tv/Echo4Gen Having morphed from a cylinder to a sphere, the latest Echo is an excellent newsreader, weather forecaster, personal assistant and intercom straight out of the box; but it’s now also a capable speaker and a very accessible smart home hub. It doesn’t sound as good as the Sonos Era 100 for listening to music, but it’s significantly smarter and cheaper too. Stuff says An all-round upgrade that makes the Echo a smarter speaker than ever ●…

What? Apple was once so obsessed with perfection, it cloned its Macs? Not exactly. Back in the mid-’90s Apple was obsessed with survival, at the time being little more than a rounding error in terms of market share. So the firm hit upon a cunning plan: do an IBM and license the Mac ROM and system software to third parties. The idea was to flood the market with affordable Mac-compatible machines, enticing new users to the platform. Once hooked, converts would tire of the cheapies and demand the real thing: expensive, shiny new Macs from Apple itself. Something tells me you’re going to say the cunning plan wasn’t entirely cunning… Indeed. The plan had one flaw: it was rubbish. Apple had underestimated the impact of the clones. Instead of attracting…