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.

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

The OnePlus Nord 5 against a brick wall.

I spent two weeks with the OnePlus Nord 5, and I can't decide whether it's an upgrade or a downgrade

By Tom Bedford published

The OnePlus Nord 5 brings upgrades in two key areas: display and processing. However, across the board, there are many smaller downgrades.

The Baseus Inspire XC1 above a green blanket.

I tested this cheaper rival to Bose and Shokz' cuff-style open earbuds and other brands could learn a lot from it

By Tom Bedford published

The Baseus XC1 are clip-on open earbuds with a few rough edges, but they're a valid alternative to pricier rivals.

The JLab Go Pods ANC on a window sill.

I tested some of the cheapest noise cancelling earbuds and now I’ll never spend more than $40

By Tom Bedford published

Recommended

The JLab Go Pods ANC are the cheapest noise cancelling earbuds that you should genuinely consider buying.

The Shokz OpenDots One on a white windowsill

Shokz' first clip-on open earbuds just beat the Bose Ultra Open in testing, for me – smart price; flexible design

By Tom Bedford published

Recommended

The Shokz OpenDots One offer a comfortable and reliable fit, decent sound quality and a price tag that won't break the bank.

The Generic P2961 headphones in black on a wooden table, with TR's $5 Challenge badge

I bought AirPods Max knockoffs for just 2% of the price, and it reminded me how good we have it

By Tom Bedford published

To win a $10 challenge, I tested budget AirPods Max knockoffs, but all it did was confirm just how good other budget headphones can be

Homepod mini review

HomePod mini 2: all the latest rumors, what we know and 5 things we want to see

By Tom Bedford last updated

Could the HomePod mini 2 arrive in 2025? There are certainly a few rumors gathering traction…

The Huawei FreeArc on a man's head.

It took 30 seconds of rain for me to realize: open earbuds are a genuine running essential

By Tom Bedford published

Trying to run 5k with my regular in-ear buds in the rain? A slippery mess. Trying that same run with open earbuds? Big yes.

The Denon AH-C840NCW against a wooden table.

Denon AH-C840NCW review: tempting earbuds from a price perspective, but as an overall package they fall short

By Tom Bedford published

The Denon AH-C840NCW are more affordable AirPods Pro alternatives which deliver in the audio and design department, but struggle for useful features.

The Denon AH-C500W buds next to the case.

Denon AH-C500W review: the first cheap AirPods rival I didn’t prefer to Apple’s earbuds

By Tom Bedford published

The Denon AH-C500W come at a surprising price, undercutting Apple’s AirPods – but not by enough to make them must-buy rivals

The Motorola Edge 60 in front of a flowery bush.

After a month with the Motorola Edge 60, I think it's as good as the most expensive phones I've tested

By Tom Bedford published

Recommended

The Motorola Edge 60 is an affordable Android that speeds past expectations in just about every department.

The OnePlus Buds 4 on a window sill.

Best back to school earbuds: 5 options for heading back to uni or college, all TechRadar tested

By Tom Bedford published

Heading back to campus and want to beat the noise with music? These pocketable (and pocket-friendly) earbuds will solve that

The OpenRock S2 in a man's hands

OneOdio OpenRock S2 review: second-gen earbuds that sit a lot closer to industry norms

By Tom Bedford published

The year of the open-ears continues with the OneOdio OpenRock S2, from one of the original open earbud makers.

The OnePlus Buds 4 on a window sill.

OnePlus Buds 4 review: the best earbuds for noise-cancellation I'll ever test (probably)

By Tom Bedford published

Recommended

The OnePlus Buds 4 have a svelte design, top-notch ANC and a bassy sound, so it’s a shame that a few rough edges let them down.

Several pairs of open earbuds lined up on a window ledge.

Considering open earbuds? These are the top 3 open-fit buds I've tested in 2025

By Tom Bedford published

They're everywhere in 2025, but which new open earbuds are the best right now? I've got this – I've tested little else this year… 

Android apps

7 must-try Android apps you didn't know you needed until now

By Tom Bedford published

I use these 7 lesser-known Android apps to level up my smartphone game.

A Spotify widget on a Realme phone

These 6 iOS-style features prove that Android isn't stuck in the past

By Tom Bedford published

Yes, widgets are a thing on Android. Yes, so is AirDrop, Apple Pay, and Genmoji – they just have different names.

The JLab Epic Open Sport on a tennis racquet.

JLab Epic Open Sport review: 'just fine' open-ears that play well but fail to serve up an ace

By Tom Bedford published

In a super-busy market, they're hard to recommend

Zen mode on a Realme phone

I've been using Android phones my whole life and here are 6 features I'm still waiting for

By Tom Bedford published

Here are some Android innovations I'd love to see Google introduce, either taken from its rivals or other companies who use Android.

The iPod Classic on a window sill.

I found my old iPod Classic in a shoe-box, spent the week burning CDs to iTunes and now I can't go back to Spotify

By Tom Bedford published

I found treasure in the form of my old iPod and promptly ditched Spotify – here's what it taught me

The a list of audio apps on a Realme phone.

These are the best audio apps for Android (that aren't Spotify)

By Tom Bedford published

Here are the best audio-centric apps you can download on Android phones, hand-and-ear tested for your pleasure.

Google Fit

These are the 7 best fitness apps for Android (that aren't Strava)

By Tom Bedford published

Sick of Strava? I've got a selection of alternatives for Android.

A battery-saving setting shown on a Realme GT5 Pro.

Quick! Disable these Android features to boost your battery life

By Tom Bedford published

I've selected a slew of tweaks you can do to get more battery life out of your Android phone.

The Earfun Tune Pro atop a bronze table.

Earfun Tune Pro review: budget cans with an amazing battery that sadly don't sound good

By Tom Bedford published

Spoiler alert: the Earfun Wave Pro's cousin misses the mark

The Motorola Edge 60 Pro above a leafy garden

I spent two weeks with the Motorola Edge 60 Pro, and it's hands-down one of the best-looking phones of the year

By Tom Bedford published

The Motorola Edge 60 Pro offers a winning combination of affordability and premium specs.

The LG xboom Bounce by a leafy plant on a shelf.

LG xBoom Bounce review: a rugged party speaker with plenty of 'boom' but not much 'pow'

By Tom Bedford published

LG and will.i.am's xBoom Bounce Bluetooth speaker is big and beefy, but it's let down by an uninspiring performance in terms of sound quality.

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