Feast your eyes on our latest review roundup-a tastemaker of technolust! From an electrifying family affair in a next-gen EV to smoky backyard escapes conjured by a smart pellet grill, we’ve kept ourselves busy. Listen to radiant wireless earbuds, capture the unexpected via a quirky camera, and perhaps just maybe nab a GPU that is truly affordable. And beyond hardware, get in on some fresh Playdate adventures and beef up your digital fort with an in-depth VPN review. Pick whatever piques your interest; the last couple of weeks have something to taste! Dive in!
Quick Overview
Volkswagen ID.Buzz
$59,995 at Volkswagen
Weber Smoque
$799 at Weber
Fujifilm GFX100RF
$4,899 at B&H Photo Video
AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT
$350 at AMD
VW ID.Buzz
Volkswagen
Volkswagen ID.Buzz
The VW ID.Buzz: a retro electric experience! Retro it is, but then it is tagged with a super-duper price tag and not to forget, always dubious driving range!
Pros
- Fun and playful design
- Smooth driving
- Large infotainment screen
- Tons of storage
Cons
- Too expensive
- Relatively low range
- Awful capacitive touch controls
- Second row windows don’t fully open
$59,995 at Volkswagen
Electric minivan市場在美國?! How could it be so barren? Then there’s the VW ID.Buzz, lurking, far from a minivan in category but very much electrifying the landscape, with its retro-attitude to futurism. Cargo space? Cavernous- able to swallow passengers and packages alike. Yet, as weird as it may be in a few respects, according to our senior review reporter, Devindra Hardawar, the ID-Buzz may not be fun for the road trip but is great for comebacks in town. And at a price drop, this electric beauty could really be tempting.
Weber Smoque
Weber/Engadget
Weber Smoque
For one’s very first smart pellet grill by Weber: where simple backyard barbecues meet easy technology. A trusty workhorse whose presence on the scene reshuffled the ranks of would-be pitmasters and gave seasoned grillers new options in smart cooking.
Pros
- Simple controls
- Reliable performance
- Wi-Fi connectivity
- New cook chamber design
Cons
- No storage without upgrades
- SmokeBoost only works at 180 degrees
- No fuel monitoring
$799 at Weber
Throw sky-high pricing for smart grilling ideas out the window. The new Smoque pellet grill by Weber arrives at $799, proving that you need not break the bank for gorgeous barbecue. It packs everything a backyard pitmaster could want, for a reliable performance at a reasonable price.
Whereas last year’s Searwood really lumbered through the finish line, Smoque signals that Weber is just getting started. As per published accounts, this grill “saves you some money without sacrificing any of the culinary results,” now giving access to some incredible food.
Fujifilm GFX100RF
Fujifilm
Fujifilm GFX100RF
Introduction to the GFX100RF: the most fantastic 100MP medium format camera shoved into an exceedingly compact body. Prepare to witness an image quality never before offered to studio giants. The sensor does have a hard time when the sun starts setting, though; another big issue with this camera is the price, which calls for a big financial sacrifice. However, the GFX100RF does stake out territory for the discriminating imaging artist who seeks an unmatched level of detail.
Pros
- Incredibly sharp images
- Innovative aspect ratio dial
- Compact for a medium format camera
- Nice design and build quality
Cons
- Poor low-light performance
- No image stabilization
- No hybrid viewfinder
- Middling autofocus
$4,899 at B&H Photo Video
Fujifilm’s GFX100RF: A flawed masterpiece or the future of photography? Maybe at one point the GFX100RF was the first in the world, but it is bad at low-light performance, with autofocus struggles and a baffling absence of image stabilization to top everything. But this is, by all means, not a camera that can simply be dismissed. Senior reporter Steve Dent and I found charm in its uniqueness: From the odd aspect ratio dial to the sheer joy of its usage. He sees that the GFX100RF is probably not for the masses at all and that perhaps the true value in this camera is to instill conversations, challenge conventions, and attract fresh faces to photography. Is it perfect? Far from it. But can it nurture the next big thing?
AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT
Gigabyte
AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT
At $350, the Radeon RX 9060 XT packs a powerful punch in delivering smooth 1080p and 1440p gaming benchmarks. It is far from being a king on a hill, but for gamers searching for a golden price-to-performance ratio, the 9060 XT has certainly earned consideration.
Pros
- Excellent 1080p and 1440p performance
- Affordable retail price
- Solid cooling
- FSR 4 and frame gen is great when available
Cons
- Limited support for FSR 4 upscaling
$350 at AMD
Forget putting your home on the line for a graphics card! AMD has extended a lifeline to gamers with the Radeon RX 9060 XT, the sweet zone between power and affordability at $350. In the words of Devindra at Engadget, the card is “a reminder of a world where we didn’t have to pay more than $400 to get a capable GPU.” That said, you can forget about 4K fantasies and sky-high refresh rates; unless you are paying for ergonomic Pocahontas gaming chairs, the RX 9060 XT is the only card you’ll need to crush your favorite games.
Two sets of midrange earbuds: Skullcandy and Sony
Are you hunting for earbuds that are wireless but aren’t going for a huge amount of your money? We jumped into the below-$150 market and came out with two choices. First up are the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC. Think of them as the scrappier cousin to the QuietComfort Ultra. When it comes to them, the marketing states only “sound by Bose,” but clearly, that means they’re Bose knockoffs. If you expect flagship performance, well, don’t: “They’re a tier above most budget pairs, and they’ve got almost every feature you could want (eat your heart out, Beats Solo Buds!), along with a comfortable fit and enough bass to satisfy any craving for low end,” says Jeff Dunn.
Breaking the bank for killer sound? Well, Sony, the God of audio (especially if we take the mention of WH-1000XMs into account), has dropped another beauty in the mid-range section: the WF-C710N earbuds. Completely comfortable to wear but only priced at $120, the feature set is truly a killer that does not feel like it belongs in its price category.
Lest we forget: audiophiles may claim a difference in sound quality from Sony’s flagship products. Yet, given all the conveniences these offerings provide, they simply trample the competition.
Battery life was a little short in testing, BUT with that caveat, these are truly the most serious contenders in the price range. Sony is not just playing in the midrange; rather, they are setting the direction into which it will unfold.
All the fun on Playdate! Season Two will be releasing two new games every week till July 3, 2023. Our writer Cheyenne Macdonald was there to experience the first wave of Playdate games:Fulcrum DefenderandDig! Dig! Dino!, along with a bonus-paying title,Blippo+. On the other hand, Sam Chapman put ExpressVPN through its paces. While it’s not going to be winning any prizes for customization, with its speed, it attacks and annihilates the competition-to sometimes-that’s what you pay for.
Thanks for reading Engadget review recap: VW IDBuzz Weber Smoque Fujifilm GFX100RF and more
