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

With a barrage of recent Apple and Google units across the nook, our critiques staff is clearing their desks of recent 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 all the critiques you would possibly’ve missed over the previous few weeks from Engadget.Dell 14 PremiumDell / EngadgetWhile Dell rebranded the XPS 14 with a brand new and admittedly worse title, it is nonetheless each bit the world-class Home windows laptop computer that its predecessors have been. ProsSleek designVivid elective OLED displaySolid performanceGiant touchpadConsDivisive capacitive contact buttonsOptional discrete GPU is one technology outdated$1,500 at DellWhile we’re nonetheless attempting to wrap our heads round Dell’s naming scheme choice, the corporate continues to churn out new units. The newest to cross senior critiques author Sam Rutherford’s desk was the Dell 14 Premium. You would possibly keep in mind this mannequin because the XPS 14, and based on Sam, Dell retained “the DNA” that made earlier variations a number of the greatest pocket book PCs you might purchase. “Even with a brand new and reasonably uninspired title, it in all probability should not come as a shock that the Dell 14 Premium stays among the finest Home windows laptops in the marketplace,” he mentioned. “It has the identical smooth design from again when it was nonetheless known as the XPS 14 however with some refreshed specs and elements for 2025.”Framework Desktop (2025)EngadgetFramework’s first desktop is highly effective and environment friendly. Nevertheless it’s not as modular, or repairable as an everyday PC. ProsPowerful APUSmall and efficientEasy to arrange and useCompatible with different Mini-ITX casesConsAPU and RAM are soldered to the mainboardNo repairability$1,099 at FrameworkFramework is thought for its modular, repairable laptops, however the firm has now tried its hand at bringing the identical formulation to a desktop. Sadly, the primary try is not almost as modular or repairable as an everyday PC, based on senior editor Daniel Cooper. “Framework was open concerning the truth this was one thing akin to a facet undertaking, outdoors its common remit to construct modular laptops, based mostly on a very thrilling chip,” he defined. “So whereas I feel the all-in-one method is a backward step in comparison with common PCs, I get the rationale for doing so right here.”Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6SonySony’s midrange soundbar provides spectacular audio that pushes the boundaries of its 3.1.2-channel configuration. Nonetheless, the shortage of Wi-Fi leaves main options off the spec sheet. ProsClean, low-profile designFull sound with nice clarityDedicated heart speaker for enhanced dialogueConsDoesn’t assist AirPlay, Chromecast or Spotify ConnectSubwoofer is a bit heftyUpdates require inserting a thumb drive$548 at Macy’sThis 12 months’s crop of soundbars lastly arrived over the summer season, so I have been spending plenty of time with house theater audio system not too long ago. The newest 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 EditionLenovo / EngadgetThe ThinkPad X9-14 Aura Version is Lenovo’s latest enterprise laptop computer gunning for the X1 Carbon’s throne with its ultraportable design, beautiful show, and lengthy battery life. However a mushy keyboard and lack of USB-A port maintain it again. ProsSleek, ultraportable designGorgeous OLED screenWell-rounded speakersSolid efficiency for informal useLong battery lifeConsNo USB Kind-A portMushy keyboardPricey for the specs$1,090 at LenovoLenovo’s ThinkPads are in style 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 provides quite a lot of the qualities that make ThinkPads nice, however the worth, low-power CPU and subpar keyboard go away one thing to be desired. “I can’t justify the common client paying $1,283 for the ThinkPad X9-14 with specs you’d discover in laptops that value lots of of {dollars} much less (minus the RAM, after all),” he famous. “For small enterprise homeowners, I like to recommend ready for a sale or think about 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 reviewWe’re shortly 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 defined 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 unhealthy, it additionally would not provide 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 manner it distinguishes itself is the Norton title,” he mentioned. “For the whole lot else it does, a competitor does it higher.”