Tom Bedford

Tom Bedford

Contributor

Tom Bedford joined TechRadar in early 2019 as a staff writer, and left the team as deputy phones editor in late 2022 to work for entertainment site What To Watch. He continues to contribute on a freelance basis for several sections including phones, audio and fitness, as well as many other websites.

He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist.

He grew up in Bristol, UK, and has also lived in Norwich, UK, Salt Lake City, UT, and currently resides in London, UK.

Articles by: Tom Bedford

Apple AirPods Pro 2 in open case
'These things aren't meant to take pictures.' As a fresh clip of camera-equipped AirPods leaks, people appear to have already made their minds up — whatever the experts say

By Tom Bedford Published

A leaked video, claimed to be from a late build of MacOS, shows how camera-toting AirPods would work, and it won't assuage your privacy fears.

Caucasian man wearing xiaomi fitness tracker with TR Fit List badge
No Apple Watch Ultra? No problem — here are 5 ways I use a budget fitness tracker to enhance my gym routine

By Tom Bedford Published

"All of the functions I need, I can use on my low-cost Xiaomi Smart Band 10, making a purchase like the Apple Watch Ultra 3 totally unnecessary."

Spotify Car Thing
Four years after its untimely demise, Spotify Car Thing is back, for free, and with absolutely no help from the streaming giant itself

By Tom Bedford Published

Spotify Car Thing was discontinued in 2022 and killed off in 2024, but fans have brought it back (in sort).

The Baseus Bowie MC2 on a bronze table.
I’ve been testing these cheap open earbuds for weeks, and they have me wondering why you’d spend more on expensive rivals from Shokz and Bose

By Tom Bedford Published

The Baseus Bowie MC2 undercut most rival open-style earbuds, but don't miss out on any major features.

The Kanto Audio Obi3 Gen 2 model on a wooden drawer.
Kanto's new budget-friendly turntable has a few smart features to make it easy for novices to use, and it's lovely and compact too

By Tom Bedford Published

Kanto Audio has unveiled the Obi3 Gen 2, a new affordable turntable that's designed with some entry-level considerations in mind.

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are getting a free update with 4 new features, announced quietly alongside Pixel 11 phones at the Made By Google event — including a new way to use Gemini

By Tom Bedford Published

The Pixel Buds Pro 3 are nowhere to be seen, but Google has spent its energy adding some new features to its existing earbuds alongside new handsets

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Sonos Ace headphones laying on their case
Sonos sees your AirPods Max 2 and raises you an Ace ‘Ultra’, and the much-rumored second-generation headphones sound extreme

By Tom Bedford Published

The Sonos Ace Ultra have been rumored and spotted in filings multiple times. So how soon can we expect them — and will they join the multi-room ecosystem?

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro buds on a table, next to their case.
Watch out AirPods Pro, Samsung Galaxy Buds’ hearing aid tech just gained US FDA clearance and should arrive in two Pro models by the end of 2026

By Tom Bedford Published

Watch out AirPods Pro, Samsung Galaxy Buds’ hearing aid tech just gained official US approval and should arrive in two Pro models by the end of 2026

Beats Culver City Campus
Beats teased new headphones then ghosted us — but now, Reddit sleuths think they’ve worked out when the new cans will land

By Tom Bedford Published

It's been two months since we saw the new Beats headphones teased and the brand has since been silent, but Reddit sleuths have bad news as to when the cans could come.

The Saccater Aera in a woman's ear.
What you need to know about your hearing health and wired earbuds, and why this Kickstarter campaign emphatically gets my backing as someone who tests IEMs

By Tom Bedford Published

A popular Kickstarter campaign promises in-ear monitors that protect your hearing, and they're also remarkably light and good-looking

Soundpeats UU2 earbuds and case in black, on white and pink TR background
My favorite budget clip-style open earbuds have a successor which solves two major problems with these designs

By Tom Bedford Published

The Soundpeats UU2 are clip-style earbuds with physical touch controls and sound leakage avoidance.

Goldmund's Telos 9800 amplifier on a grey background, with TR's 'Money No Object' franchise badge
This elite new amp stack looks like it was ripped straight from WALL-E, and it costs half a million dollars

By Tom Bedford Published

The Telos 9800 amp costs $500,000, and is designed to look like "a piece of contemporary architecture".

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 on a wooden table, showing a camera viewfinder.
I've taken over 650 photos on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra, and I'd pick the 'worse' camera phone to use long-term — here's why

By Tom Bedford Published

I've been testing both of Samsung's new expensive folding phones, and I'm surprised to say that the lesser has become my go-to camera phone.

The Eucalyptus Green Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) on a desk, leaning on some papers.
Bose's mid-range headphones just got their first upgrade in years, adding better ANC, wired USB-C audio and a limited edition Shrek-y colorway

By Tom Bedford Published

The Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) are here — and despite boasting several upgrades over the 2023 models, they're actually cheaper.

records
Suno is now letting users press their AI music slop to vinyl, thus alienating streaming services, artists and audiophiles

By Tom Bedford Published

The new service allows users to press their prompt-generated tracks onto vinyl records and even create album artwork.

The Astell&Kern PD5 on a gray background.
Our favorite high-end music player brand just unveiled a successor to its 5-star entry-level DAP — though its definition of 'entry-level' might differ to yours

By Tom Bedford Published

The Astell & Kern PD5 is the brand's latest 'entry-level' digital audio player, and A&K have announced... that they're announcing it.

A collage showing three different adaptations of Spider-Man in film
Think you know the rest? Then prove it with this ultimate Spider-Man quiz about the superhero's comics, movies, TV shows, games and more

By Tom Bedford Published

A big fan of everything Spider-Man? Take this 30-question quiz about the superhero's comic books, movies, shows and more to prove it.

Apple AirPods Pro 3 either worn by a man standing in front of a red-brick wall, or on a table with gray twine cover
New AirPods set to arrive before the end of the year, but don't hold your breath on cameras in Apple earbuds just yet

By Tom Bedford Published

A fresh report points to new AirPods set to be unveiled this year, but not Apple's much-touted camera-enhanced models (yet).

Some broken speakers and radio, with a sign saying "Media testing station".
'You can literally fix anything if you watch enough YouTube': I met with tech repair experts and campaigners to learn how to fix my broken gadgets — and why it's so important

By Tom Bedford Published

Is fixing your tech easy? I spoke to green gadget companies, volunteer repairers and campaigners to understand your right to repair your possessions

The Line 6 Spider IV amp in front of a cabinet with some Edifier speakers.
I turned my guitar amp into a giant home speaker and it was a loud and stupid idea, but it basically worked (with some serious caveats)

By Tom Bedford Published

A Line 6 Spider IV, a turntable, some speakers, an iPad, an overdrive pedal, loads of cables... what could go wrong?

The Shokz OpenDots Air case and earbuds on the arm of a sofa.
Shokz' new OpenDots Air aren't flashy, but after a month of testing I can confidently say they're the best clip-style open earbuds for most people

By Tom Bedford Published

The Shokz OpenDots Air miss some flashy features of their flagship siblings, but the low price and reliability makes them a solid buy

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 buds and case in a man's hand.
We got two Samsung Galaxy Folds, two Watches and a Flip at Unpacked, but no Buds: here's when Samsung's mythical cuff-style open earbuds are now said to be arriving

By Tom Bedford Published

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Able (or just 'Galaxy Able') were a no-show, so when could the much-rumored open earbuds release?

The Motorola Pad 70 Groove on an orange background.
JBL's latest speaker comes with 9 drivers and its wildest features yet: a 12-inch touchscreen, cameras and the ability to play games....

By Tom Bedford Published

The ultimate tablet for music-lovers just launched, with 9 JBL speakers squirrelled away in the back

A promo image of the Deezer app open on a smartphone
Over half of all new music on streaming sites is now AI-generated, and the number is growing rapidly — but one platform is bringing the hammer down hard

By Tom Bedford Published

Deezer has announced that half of all new music uploaded to its site is AI slop, alongside new rule changes on how it's dealing with it

The Topping DX1 II plugged into a tablet and some earbuds.
Ever wondered whether upping the sound quality of your PS5 might improve your gaming chops? If so, Topping’s cheap new DAC is worth an audition

By Tom Bedford Published

Topping's new DX1 II is an affordable DAC which is targeted specifically towards Switch or PS5 gamers — but even non-gamers should take note for this price

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