The biggest tech events in May and June may be software focused, but there’s plenty of hardware going through the wringer here at Engadget. Over the last two weeks alone, we’ve put a drone, gaming display, headphones and a gaming tablet through their paces. If you missed any of that, or our latest game analysis and EV test drive, keeping scrolling to catch up on our latest reviews.
DJI Mavic 4 Pro
DJI/Engadget
DJI’s Mavic 4 Pro is the most technologically advanced consumer drone I’ve seen, with improvements in video quality, obstacle detection, tracking, battery life and range. However, it’s not yet on sale in the US.
- Outstanding video quality
- LiDAR improves obstacle detection at night
- ActiveTrack 360 produces cool tracking shots
- Class-leading battery life
- Longest transmission range of any drone
- Sometimes fails to detect small obstacles
- Lacks agility
$2,360 at DJI
Reporter Steve Dent reviews a lot of drones at Engadget. So when he uses descriptors like “a new standard,” “the most technologically advanced drone I’ve seen” and “the best video quality,” everyone needs to take note. After his tests, Steve argued that the Mavic 4 Pro is further proof of how DJI continues to outpace its rivals. “It’s an improvement over the Mavic 3 Pro in nearly every area, and as mentioned, it doesn’t really have any competition in the consumer space,” he said. “The closest alternative in price and capability is Autel’s Evo II Pro 6K, but that drone has a single-camera system with a smaller sensor, less endurance and shorter range.”
Sony WH-1000XM6
Sony/Engadget
The crown is safe once again. Sony has managed to overhaul its flagship headphones in all the right ways that keep the 1000X line atop our best headphones list.
- Improved sound
- Better ANC performance
- Tons of handy features
- Supremely comfy
- Price has increased again
- Speak-to-Chat still needs work
- Call quality suffers in loud environments
$448 at Amazon
Sony’s latest flagship headphones were hardly a secret by the time they officially arrived last week, but thankfully, the three-year wait for the upgrade was well worth it. The company managed to improve its already great over-ear headphones yet again, with updates to sound quality, noise cancellation and overall comfort. “The only real downside is the price continues to go up: the M6 is $50 more than the M5 was at launch,” I wrote. “When you combine their performance with Sony’s ever-growing list of features, the 1000XM6 are the best headphones you can buy right now.”
ASUS ROG Flow Z13 (2025)
ASUS
The ROG Flow Z13 fills the gap between traditional gaming laptops and portable workstations, but its keyboard and price are hard to love.
- Nice screen
- Surprisingly good performance
- Customizable shortcut button
- Decent battery life for productivity
- Expensive
- Flimsy keyboard
- Big power brick
- Loud fans in turbo and performance modes
$2,300 at Best Buy
If you’re looking for a gaming tablet to replace your laptop, there are some perks to the ROG Flow Z13. However, there are also some drawbacks, mainly the flimsy keyboard that makes typing on anything other than a table or desk quite cumbersome. “It’s got a funky build and unapologetically aggressive styling,” senior reviews reporter Sam Rutherford explained. “But unless you have a very particular set of requirements, it doesn’t fit neatly into most people’s lives as an equivalent laptop.”
LG 27 UltraGear OLED
LG
The 27 UltraGear is a phenomenal OLED gaming monitor, and it proves that 480Hz screens aren’t all just hype.
- Transcendent 480Hz performance
- Still a great OLED
- Excellent color reproduction
- Bright highlights
- Future-proofed with DisplayPort 2.1
$800 at Amazon
It may have taken writing a review to get senior reviews reporter Devindra Hardwar to understand the hype around 480Hz gaming displays, but I’d argue the sacrifice was well worth it. The LG 27 UltraGear is a powerhouse, right down to the future-proof DisplayPort 2.1 connection. It’s expensive though, and besides the OLED panel, it’s not much of a looker. But that performance, it’ll make you forget where you are. “The real world melted away — I was fully inside Rocket League’s absurd soccer arena,” he described. “When the match ended, it took me a few minutes to reacclimatize to reality.”
Driving the Hyundai Ioniq 9 and FBC: Firebreak
Contributor Tim Stevens spent some time behind the wheel of Hyundai’s three-row Ioniq 9 EV SUV. Pricing for the more premium trims ventures into Rivian territory, but Tim argues the Ioniq 9 is the more practical choice for the rigors of daily life over the R1S. “The Ioniq 9 has a stance more like a Volvo station wagon than a gigantic family hauler, but make no mistake, it’s the latter,” he said. “That’s immediately evident as soon as you climb into the third row.”
Senior gaming editor Jessica Conditt took Remedy’s co-op shooter FBC: Firebreak for a spin. While the game enticed her to keep playing after almost three hours with two strangers, it could still use some polish before next month’s launch. “All of the issues I have with Firebreak can be fine-tuned before the game launches this summer, and I have faith in Remedy to do so,” she observed. “Firebreak is poised to be a thoughtful and focused entry in the co-op shooter genre, and it’s already an inviting extension of Remedy’s darkest and silliest sensibilities.
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