Dell 14 Premium, Framework Desktop, Sony Theater Bar 6 and extra

With a barrage of latest Apple and Google gadgets across the nook, our reviews staff is clearing their desks of latest merchandise earlier than the pre-fall deluge begins. There is a well-rounded mixture of in-depth testing this time round, together with an in depth preview of watchOS 26 and extra VPN trials. Kick off the weekend by catching up on the entire opinions you would possibly’ve missed over the previous couple of weeks from Engadget.

Dell 14 Premium

Whereas we’re nonetheless attempting to wrap our heads round Dell’s naming scheme choice, the corporate continues to churn out new gadgets. The most recent to cross senior opinions author Sam Rutherford’s desk was the Dell 14 Premium. You would possibly keep in mind this mannequin because the XPS 14, and in keeping with Sam, Dell retained “the DNA” that made earlier variations a number of the finest pocket book PCs you possibly can purchase. “Even with a brand new and moderately uninspired identify, it in all probability should not come as a shock that the Dell 14 Premium stays top-of-the-line Home windows laptops available on the market,” he said. “It has the identical modern design from again when it was nonetheless known as the XPS 14 however with some refreshed specs and parts for 2025.”

Framework Desktop (2025)

Engadget

Framework’s first desktop is highly effective and environment friendly. Nevertheless it’s not as modular, or repairable as an everyday PC.

Execs

• Highly effective APU
• Small and environment friendly
• Straightforward to arrange and use
• Suitable with different Mini-ITX instances

Cons

• APU and RAM are soldered to the mainboard
• No repairability

$1,099 at Framework

Framework is understood for its modular, repairable laptops, however the firm has now tried its hand at bringing the identical system to a desktop. Sadly, the primary try is not almost as modular or repairable as an everyday PC, in keeping with senior editor Daniel Cooper. “Framework was open in regards to the reality this was one thing akin to a facet venture, outdoors its common remit to construct modular laptops, primarily based on a very thrilling chip,” he explained. “So whereas I believe the all-in-one strategy is a backward step in comparison with common PCs, I get the rationale for doing so right here.”

Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6

Sony

Sony’s midrange soundbar affords spectacular audio that pushes the boundaries of its 3.1.2-channel configuration. Nonetheless, the dearth of Wi-Fi leaves main options off the spec sheet.

Execs

• Clear, low-profile design
• Full sound with nice readability
• Devoted middle speaker for enhanced dialogue

Cons

• Doesn’t assist AirPlay, Chromecast or Spotify Join
• Subwoofer is a bit hefty
• Updates require inserting a thumb drive

$548 at Macy’s

This 12 months’s crop of soundbars lastly arrived over the summer time, so I have been spending numerous time with dwelling theater audio system not too long ago. The most recent was the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6, a soundbar/subwoofer combo that sits in the midst of the corporate’s present lineup. Regardless of nice sound and dialogue efficiency, the caveats listed here are actual dealbreakers. “The dearth of Wi-Fi on a $650 soundbar is absurd, largely as a result of it strips customers of the comfort of AirPlay, Chromecast and different wi-fi connection choices,” I wrote. “I can also’t recover from the necessity to use a thumb drive for updates when OTA downloads for brand new firmware have been the norm on soundbars for years.”

Lenovo ThinkPad X9-14 Aura Version

Lenovo / Engadget

The ThinkPad X9-14 Aura Version is Lenovo’s latest enterprise laptop computer gunning for the X1 Carbon’s throne with its ultraportable design, gorgeous show, and lengthy battery life. However a mushy keyboard and lack of USB-A port maintain it again.

Execs

• Smooth, ultraportable design
• Beautiful OLED display
• Effectively-rounded audio system
• Strong efficiency for informal use
• Lengthy battery life

Cons

• No USB Kind-A port
• Mushy keyboard
• Dear for the specs

$1,090 at Lenovo

Lenovo’s ThinkPads are standard workplace laptops, and the X9-14 is the most recent in an extended line of enterprise machines. Contributing author Rami Tabari explains that this mannequin affords numerous the qualities that make ThinkPads nice, however the value, low-power CPU and subpar keyboard depart one thing to be desired. “I can’t justify the common shopper paying $1,283 for the ThinkPad X9-14 with specs you’d discover in laptops that value a whole bunch of {dollars} much less (minus the RAM, in fact),” he noted. “For small enterprise homeowners, I like to recommend ready for a sale or contemplate a enterprise laptop computer marketed extra towards you (once more, the ASUS ExpertBook P5 (P5405) is a superb alternative).”

watchOS 26 preview and Norton VPN overview

We’re rapidly approaching the arrival of a brand new set of Apple Watches, so senior shopping for recommendation reporter Amy Skorheim spent two weeks with the upcoming model of watchOS. Her favourite new options are the AI exercise companion and added gesture, however she explained that it is the little issues that make this annual overhaul worthwhile.

In the meantime, senior author Sam Chapman returned to the land of VPNs to check Norton’s model as a standalone app. Whereas this service is not essentially dangerous, it additionally does not supply sufficient to rise above the heap that features ExpressVPN, Surfshark and others. “After per week of working with Norton VPN, I’ve to conclude that the one approach it distinguishes itself is the Norton identify,” he said. “For the whole lot else it does, a competitor does it higher.”