I don't know if you can believe this, but we are quickly approaching the end of January. And I want to start the first summary of the 2025 review by acknowledging how busy you have already been. CES 2025, which seemed to last a year to me, now feels like it happened months ago. We've witnessed the demise and return of TikTok, the swearing-in of a new president, and the launch of new phones by Samsung. Even with everything that's been going on, our reviewers have been hard at work, with Devindra testing the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 and Billy on various headsets and grills. So much for flexibility towards 2025.
Before I give you the full summary, I also wanted to mention some reviews that we published in the second half of December, as well as others that we updated recently. This article is normally published every two weeks, but with the holidays, CES, and Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, we had to skip a few edits. At the time, I didn't have a chance to tell you all about our reviews of game consoles that were released years ago, like the Xbox Series well they accumulate today.
The team also published and updated reviews of colorful Kindles, an Intel processor, a Samsung Chromebook, and more. Here's a quick list, but you can always go to our Reviews page to scroll through whenever you want, if you prefer:
ICYMI: The 12 best gadgets we reviewed in 2024
In case you missed it, instead of the typical review roundup, we published a list of the 12 highest-rated products we reviewed last year. Spoiler alert: there were a lot of flagship phones, cameras, and drones on the list. I also included the two worst devices we've ever tested, and you'll just have to guess which ones they are. Or read the article, I guess.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Review
by Devindra Hardawar
NVIDIA/Engadget
NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5090 is incredibly fast thanks to DLSS 4, but at $2,000 it's not for mere mortals.
- so fast
- DLSS4 frame generation works fine
- Excellent cooling
- so expensive
- Why is it so expensive?
- Incredibly power hungry
$2,000 at Besy Buy
If you're the type of person who's in the market for a $2000 GPU, then the GeForce RTX 5090 is something you might consider. It's fast, powerful, and NVIDIA's frame generation was very impressive, according to Devindra. But for the rest of us with real, reasonable budgets, the company's highest offer is probably out of reach. We'll most likely be setting our sights on the $550 RTX 5070, and I look forward to our review to see how different a product that costs around $1,500 less will be.
Traeger Woodridge and ThermoWorks RFX Reviews
by Billy Steele
Trager
Traeger's Woodridge may be its new base model, but the grill is far from basic. Sturdy construction, reliable performance, and smart grilling features allow this grill to punch above its weight.
- Robust build quality
- Reliable performance
- Useful Wi-Fi features
- Convenient design touches
- The base model lacks advanced features
- Without Super Smoke mode
- Without pellet sensor
- Shelves and storage are add-ons.
$862 at amazon
Grills and kitchen accessories are becoming more technological. And Billy continues to expand his expertise in the space, as he delights his editors with tantalizing descriptions of smoked and grilled foods. Believe me, I always have to fuel up before starting an edit and I'm still a little jealous that I don't have room for a dedicated grill like the Traeger Woodridge. But as I read Billy's articles, I silently make notes about what I would like to achieve someday.
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 Review
by Billy Steele
Bowers and Wilkins
The Pi8 is an audio upgrade over last year's Pi7, but average ANC performance and only basic features hinder the overall experience.
- Excellent audio clarity
- Improved bass
- Reliable multipoint connectivity
- Expensive
- African National Congress Performance
- No advanced features
$389 at amazon
Billy has been busy, that's for sure. As our resident audio guru, you spend virtually most of your days with the latest headphones in your ears, seeing how they perform not only in everyday use but also against the competition. The Bowers & Wilkin Pi8 may offer excellent audio, but according to Billy it doesn't offer enough special features for its price. In fact, as he says, “for $399 you should get a lot more than great audio.”
On the horizon: upcoming reviews
Our reviewers already have units of the latest Samsung Galaxy S25 phones and are testing them in the real world as I write this. Devices that were announced at CES 2025, like some headphones, laptops, smart glasses, and even LED masks, are also coming to our team members, so stay tuned for our reviews. We're also planning some long-term reviews of popular products and welcome your feedback on things you'd like us to take on. In the future, Billy Steele will be taking over this recap, so I leave you with this extremely appropriate and relevant image to remember me by.
