Engadget evaluation recap: Dell 16 Premium, Nikon ZR, Ooni Volt 2 and extra
We’ve slept off our collective turkey coma and returned to the evaluation lab right here at Engadget. Our staff can also be in full CES prep mode, however we’ve received a number of extra units to get off or our desks earlier than 2025 is over. Atone for all the critiques you may need missed over the previous couple of weeks — an ideal exercise for a lazy December weekend.
Dell 16 Premium
Dell
Dell’s 16 Premium appears as lovely as ever, however the firm’s usability points from the XPS lineup stay.
- Glossy minimalist design
- Quick efficiency
- Strong keyboard
- Invisible trackpad is not consumer pleasant
- Capacitive perform keys disappear in daylight
- Wants extra ports
- Mediocre battery life
There’s no denying the design of the Dell 16 Premium makes the laptop computer stay as much as its title. Sadly, all of that polish results in some points: a excessive worth and hampered usability. “The extra I appeared on the Dell 16 Premium’s lovely facade, the extra I wished one thing… extra,” senior reporter Devindra Hardawar wrote. “It wants extra usable ports, like HDMI and a full-sized SD card reader. It wants extra helpful perform keys which can be seen in brilliant gentle — and in addition keep in a single place — so I can contact kind extra simply. And for the love of god, simply surrender on the invisible trackpad.”
DJI Osmo Motion 6
DJI
DJI’s Osmo Motion 6 has the first-ever variable aperture and an even bigger sq. sensor. These options make it outperform rivals in low gentle and for social media, however the decrease video decision is a drawback.
- Clear video in low gentle
- Glorious battery life
- Constructed-in storage
- Versatile codecs
- Decrease video decision than rivals
- Guide aperture management restricted
- Not sufficient movie tone settings
DJI’s drone enterprise within the US faces an unsure future, and the corporate’s motion cams might be swept up within the ordeal as effectively. Fortunately, our contributing reporter Steve Dent resides within the EU the place he noticed first hand the Osmo Motion 6’s superior low gentle efficiency and battery life. “With an even bigger sensor and bigger aperture than the competitors, DJI’s Motion 6 is now the most effective motion cam available on the market for night time taking pictures, delivering clear, sharp video with higher stabilization than rivals,” he mentioned. “It’s additionally ultimate for customers who output to each YouTube and TikTok.”
Nikon ZR
Nikon
Nikon’s ZR provides the most effective RAW video high quality in any client digicam, together with fashions costing far more. On the similar time, it’s extra sensible than cinema cameras due to the wonderful autofocus and in-body stabilization. It does lack an EVF, although, and battery life isn’t nice.
- RED RAW provides glorious video high quality
- Quick and dependable autofocus
- Professional video monitoring instruments
- Big and brilliant display
- Mediocre battery life
- No digital viewfinder
- Stabilization much less efficient than rivals
Consistent with the video theme, Steve additionally hung out testing the Nikon ZR. Whereas that is primarily a mannequin for taking pictures video, it advantages from the addition of RED RAW, glorious autofocus and extra. “With the ZR, Nikon has proven that it’s lastly catching as much as and even surpassing its rivals for content material creation,” he defined. “Whether or not you’re doing social media, YouTube, documentaries and even movie manufacturing, this digicam is flexible and highly effective with few compromises.”
Ooni Volt 2
Ooni/Engadget
Ooni utterly revamped its idea of an electrical pizza oven for the Volt 2. The result’s a extra refined small equipment with loads of useful instruments for aspiring pizzaiolos of all ability ranges.
- Smaller than the unique
- Good mixture of presets and customization
- Giant viewing window
- Extra inexpensive than the first-gen Volt
- Nonetheless heavy
- Solely cooks 12-inch pizzas
- For indoor use solely
- Exterior will get fairly sizzling
The Ooni Volt introduced the corporate’s in style model of pizza making indoors for the primary time, however that mannequin wasn’t with out it faults. Now Ooni is again with the Volt 2, and the utterly overhauled design is an enormous improve over the unique. “It’s simpler to make use of for all ability ranges due to its clearer controls and huge show,” I defined. “Presets work effectively, however they’ll additionally function a place to begin for additional recipe refinement for knowledgeable customers. And the pizza — my goodness, the pizza is constantly restaurant high quality (or higher) throughout a variety of types.”
Antigravity A1
Antigravity/Engadget
Antigravity’s debut FPV drone is enjoyable, distinctive and full of options. There’s no drone prefer it.
- Enjoyable to fly
- Intuitive controls
- Distinctive options
- Crisp clear video (in good situations)
- Nice modifying instruments on each cell and PC
- Setup may be finicky
- Decrease video high quality than conventional video drones
- Value
Insta360’s spin-off Antigravity is now transport its first drone and our UK bureau chief Mat Smith has already flown it. The A1 comes with a controller and FPV headset to help with the piloting, however the mixture of distinctive options and crisp video (in good situations) can be laudable. “The intuitive controls and skill to look throughout you make it in contrast to the rest at the moment obtainable,” he mentioned. “It’s a pleasant introduction to drones, FPV or in any other case, however a disgrace that software program points marred my exams.”
Different latest critiques
On the gaming entrance, Mat spent a while with Closing Fantasy Techniques: The Ivalice Chronicles whereas deputy editor Nathan Ingraham put Metroid Prime 4 by way of its paces. Contributor Tim Stevens stepped again in time with the Analogue 3D to revisit some Nintendo 64 classics after getting behind the wheel of the 2025 Porsche Macan Electrical.