Reviews

Looking to buy your next phone, laptop, headphones, or other tech gear? Or maybe you just want to know all of the details about the latest products from Apple, Samsung, Google, and many others. The Verge Reviews is the place for all of that and more. Whether you’re looking for buying advice, how to use products you already own, or the best deals on products we’ve tested and used ourselves and can recommend, you needn’t look any further.

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Amazon Echo Pop review: more style, less substance

As the latest entry-level Alexa smart speaker, the $40 Echo Pop packs a lot of value into a small package. It’s not as good as the Echo Dot, but it’s got looks on its side.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

May 31

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Honor Magic VS review: foldable perks, foldable quirks

Honor’s foldable is the Samsung Z Fold’s first real competitor outside of China. It’s a more affordable alternative, but its rough edges are grating.

Jon Porter

Jun 1

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Sony’s small but mighty XB100 speaker is cheerful and very cheap

There are smarter and much bigger speakers to choose from, but this tiny little thing offers surprisingly crisp sound for its low price.

Chris Welch

May 31

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Dan Seifert May 31

Amazon’s Echo speakers are a late capitalism nightmare.

As a virtual assistant, Alexa is quite good: it responds quickly, often knows what it is you want, and is capable of doing many things.

As something I want to actually use, it’s terrible, all thanks to Amazon’s relentless upsells after Alexa responds. That’s my takeaway from Jen Tuohy’s review of the new Echo Pop, where it attempted to get her to pay for a louder alarm after she asked it to set an alarm. What a nightmare.

Amazon Echo Pop review: more style, less substance

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

May 31

Thomas Ricker May 30

BioLite BaseCharge 1500 solar generator review within a review.

My recent live/work experiment in the all-electric VW ID Buzz wouldn’t have been possible without BioLite’s first portable battery and solar panel. It was needed to provide continuous power to my Starlink internet, laptops, phones, and more because the Microbus can’t when parked. The BaseCharge 1500 has some minor quirks, but if it’s specced and priced right for your needs then it’s worth considering.

Logitech

Logi Dock review: conference calls have never been so cute

Jess Weatherbed

May 29

Reviews

Walmart’s 4K Google TV box is the best $20 deal in streaming

Chris Welch

May 28

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Living and working from an all-electric VW ID Buzz

Two humans and a beagle named Hank spent two weeks and 2,000 miles in Europe with a Ququq camping box to preview the future of #vanlife.

Thomas Ricker

May 27

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy May 26

The Echo Pop is in the house.

I just got review units of Amazon’s latest Alexa-powered smart speaker and will be putting them through their paces this weekend. Throw any questions you have about the newest (and cheapest) Echo at me in the comments below, and I’ll be sure to answer them in the review.