Lepow 16" Quad Monitor for Laptop: 30-second review

The Lepow 16" Quad Monitor for Laptop is an innovative multi monitor design that essentially enables you to take the office with you. The four monitor set, stand and backpack is available as a complete system.

The build quality matches that of the TriScreen Pro side panels that I recently reviewed..

The set also comes with a stand which considering it's robust construction is surprisingly lightweight, and offers decent stability for the monitors through the test.

The monitors themselves are linked with the Transformer connectors, the same as those used on the TriScreen Pro, and as I found with that monitor setup the same is true here, careful alignment, then a firm press and a wiggle and click to ensure that everything is locked into place.

Once connected, the panels form a solid visual array with a decent of articulation once you discover that theres's additional flex in the connectors once you pull the two ends apart, once you get that shift in angle you can position them around or above your laptop screen.

For most of the test, I used the screens with my MacBook Pro M1 Max, and, as with the TriScreen, you need the USBDisplay app to get everything working; without it on the Mac at least, you’ll just see four blank monitors.

The installation process for USBDisplay does require a series of special permissions to be granted under Privacy and Security. Once done, the app lets you change the orientation of the screens via a menu accessible by clicking the icon at the top of your screen.

If you want to rotate a panel from horizontal (landscape) to vertical (portrait), you do it physically by unclipping the monitor and then clipping it back in your intended orientation, and then you can access the app to correct the orientation.

The screen arrangement is, as ever, configured through the main display settings for the OS, whether Windows or macOS.

In use, having four 16-inch panels arranged around my MacBook Pro was genuinely useful and offered a great way to organise my workspace, allocating an application to each screen. I found that I essentially had five displays: the main MacBook display, then the four mounted above.

While all the displays are identical in size, I used one as the main display, and the others for all other windows and content. The main Laptop screen I left empty for use with any color-critical apps I needed.

The display quality as covered by the benchmarking was good, although the results and specifications highlight the limited resolution, color accuracy and refresh rate; however, in a work environment and for pure productivity, the system, with the solid stand, absolutely makes sense and works exceptionally well.

Lepow 16" Quad Monitor for Laptop: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From approximately $1059
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Directly from Lepow official store

The Lepow TriScreen Pro is available now direct from Lepow's website here, where you can select between triple and quad display systems. At time of review, it's priced at $769 (down from $819).

You can order the system with a US, UK, AU, JP, EU, and KR plug, depending on where in the world you're based.

The system includes four 16-inch panels with proprietary connectors, an HDMI cable, a USB-C cable, a power supply, and a carry case.

• Value: 4 / 5

Lepow 16" Quad Monitor for Laptop: Specs

Screens: 4 × 16-inch IPS matte anti-glare
Resolution: 1920 × 1200
Aspect ratio: 16:10
Brightness: 400 nits
Contrast: 1500:1
Color gamut: 100% sRGB
Refresh rate: 60Hz
Connector: Proprietary Transformer magnetic connector
Host connection: USB-C (data) + USB-A or USB-C (power)
Driver: One-time installation required
Dimensions: 420 × 360 × 30mm per panel

Lepow 16" Quad Monitor for Laptop: Design

Each of the four 16-inch panels in the Lepow 16" Quad Monitor for Laptop are identical, with a thin, lightweight construction that enables them to pack into the supplied backpack and makes everything ultra portable.

When it comes to the size and weight of each, the monitors weigh 1050g per unit and measure 420 × 360 × 30mm. When the kit arrives, everything is nicely boxed, but it’s worth assembling before use just to check on the construction. I noted that the central monitor really needs to be screwed into the stand using the VESA mounting holes. Otherwise, once the other monitors are attached, it can feel unstable; attaching the monitor fixes this.

That said if you need to transport it in the back pack the monitor really needs to be detached from the stand to avoid it getting damaged, so I found securing it with two of the four screws saved time when disasembling, this is definately something in the design that needs reworking.

Each display is otherwise identical, with a matte IPS panel, a slim profile, and a finish that gives them a premium look, which is reflected in the price. Unlike the large 27-inch display from Lepow that I looked at recently, these are lightweight with a polymer composite build rather than metal, which makes each panel relatively light, which is handy due to their intended portability. The actual construction feels robust, the panels are rigid, and there is no flex when handling them, which is relevant when attaching the Transformer connectors.

The Transformer connectors are a real innovation and allow each monitor to connect seamlessly, and then there are just two cables that are needed to connect to the laptop and power. Each monitor has two USB-C ports: one for the display and the other for power, and it’s up to you which you use to connect to the system.

The Transformer connectors then carry the data to each of the other monitors without the need for additional cables.

Each monitor in the review kit is identical, and these can be mounted on the lightweight CNC’d aluminium stand. This is incredibly lightweight, a perfect design for a portable system like this, and provides a good, solid base to support the weight of the monitors.

Once the first monitor is placed in the stand, the others can be clipped on, and, as previously mentioned, screwing the central monitor into the stand ensures absolute stability, this is a bit of a design flaw and not ideal.

It does take a few minutes to assemble and connect, but once done, the setup is solid and essentially lets you set up a larger workspace with plenty of screen real estate in a relatively space-limited location.

Then at the end of your work session, the breakdown of all the components is relatively quick, and everything, including your laptop, can be neatly packed into the backpack along with the cables and charger. It’s a tight fit, but there is room.

• Design: 4 / 5

Lepow 16" Quad Monitor for Laptop: Features

The Lepow 16" Quad Monitor is a modular display system that's been designed to work alongside your laptop to expand on the screen space you have available.

Each monitor features three connection points: one on each side and one on top, so you can configure the system as you want. For instance, you could have four panels in a horizontal row, a vertical stack, a mixed landscape-and-portrait that wraps around your laptop screen, a 2×2 grid, or in a triangle for meets where all participants can see a screen.

In practice, the configuration I found most useful for day-to-day work had two panels in landscape mode above the laptop screen and one on each side also in landscape mode. I tried portrait, but I think that's going to take a mind shift on my behalf. This configuration kept a relatively low profile while still providing plenty of screen space.

This meant I could keep my main applications centre focus, with email and music on the side panels, and an additional browser window open at the top. Everything was always visible, and there was never a need to switch between applications as you do when using a single panel.

While PC users are used to this multi-screen display, Mac users often face constraints, and this system requires some initial setup with the USBDisplay App. Once installed however, you’re good to go.

One interesting feature of the monitors is that, as they’re designed for productivity and office work, the aspect ratio is 16:10 rather than the more common 16:9. This just means you have additional screen height for email, document editing, spreadsheets, and web browsing in landscape orientation, and more horizontal width in portrait. This format really does make sense for the intended use.

Switching between display modes, like turning a screen from horizontal (landscape) to vertical (portrait), has two steps: physically move the panel, then choose the correct option in the USBDisplay menu bar app.

The monitors switch relatively quickly, and the other part is to change the monitor arrangement in the operating system’s display settings. This takes only a few seconds and is easy after a couple of goes. The USBDisplay app is extremely simple and one of those single-screen support programs that runs in the background until you need it, when it can be accessed from the menu bar.

While the system is designed for multiple monitors, the modular approach means you can use one, two, three or all four even on a Mac.

If you need however, each panel can operate as an independent USB display with its own power and data connections, so if you want to travel with just one additional monitor for your laptop, then you can.

• Features: 4 / 5

Lepow 16" Quad Monitor for Laptop: Performance

Through this test, I was surprised by just how portable these monitors were, and while the supplied backpack was quite plain and uninspiring, it was perfectly sized to hold all four panels, with seperate sections for each, as well as a large cavity for the stand, and still room to squeeze in my 16-inch MacBook Pro.

The backpack was a little weighty, but no more than my usual work camera backpack, and perfectly acceptable for daily use on a commute from home to the studio/office or another location.

Over the test period, I varied the setup I took with me, and early on, screwed one of the panels onto the stand to make a secure base for any other monitor combination I would take.

The stand, while simple, is perfectly designed, with the three sections folding down securely so it essentially packs down nearly flat. Each section can be angled up to the position you need, and large push-button releases and locks the angle.

Through the test, I found that my most common configuration was to have two landscape panels above the laptop, one landscape panel on each side, which gave five visible screens, and I assigned a specific application to each.

As an example, email on one, 3D printer monitoring on another, music and media controls on a third, server monitoring on the fourth, and the main laptop screen reserved for primary work.

The fact that the four monitors are identical makes them extremely easy to work with, and they essentially match the one on the MacBook Pro, at least in size.

Initially, it took a while to figure out the best configuration, but once settled on the monitor positioning it was then time to install the USBDisplay software. Locating the software wasn’t straightforward, and finding the correct page, which didn’t seem to be linked from any page on the manual or website, took time. You can use this link on the official site, and scroll down to the firmware section.

Once this software is installed, everything else is straightforward: the monitors will flicker to life, ready to be oriented using the USBDisplay app and arranged in the system display settings.

Out of the box, the calibration is OK and perfectly adequate for productivity. If you do want to match them to the MacBook Pro monitor, then a calibration device is needed. Just as a matter of course for the test, I used the Spyder X2 Ultra to calibrate and analyse the displays.

During calibration, it showed that despite the relative limitations of the panels, they still scored 5/5 for Gamut and Contrast, with a Tone Response of 4.5/5, which is impressive.

White Point, however, was quite low at 2.5/5, out of the box, with a measured reading of 7200–7500K, but it improved after calibration as the monitors are set to a yellowish warm by default. More notable was the Luminance Uniformity, which also scored 2.5/5, with brightness differences across the panels. I tested each, and each was slightly different, though in all cases you’d be hard-pressed to notice it visually. Really, this would only be an issue for photographers and videographers.

As the initial benchmarks showed, the panels arrive with a slight warm tint before calibration, which is easily corrected via the OSD. Running the Spyder X2 calibration across all four panels individually takes around an hour, but it brings them closer in representation to each other and to the MacBook Pro screen. For productivity applications, Word, Excel and PowerPoint, this really isn’t an issue, however this is something to note for color-sensitive work.

As these monitors are designed to be portable and will more than likely be used away from ideal office conditions, brightness is an important feature. Here, the benchmarking measured 333.2 nits at 100% against a claimed 300 nits.

In a studio or office environment at 50–75% brightness, the panels are a decent brightness, and in normal ambient light, there is no visibility issue. The 1920×1200 resolution is a bit of a limitation, and comparing these panels directly to the MacBook Pro display makes the difference apparent, but in use with Word and Excel rather than being used for creative displays, it is absolutely fine.

On Windows, the setup is considerably more straightforward than on Mac. Install the driver once you find it, again link above, connect the panels, and Windows handles the rest without prompting for permissions. Switching between Mac and PC required only swapping the USB-C and power cables with no reconfiguration of the panels.

• Performance: 4 / 5

Lepow 16" Quad Monitor for Laptop: Final verdict

The Lepow Lepow 16" Quad Monitor for Laptop is a great choice if you’re looking for a lightweight multi-screen solution that is ultra-portable. The way they all connect is innovative, and once you figure out how you like to position them, they really do become a very slick display option.

These are, however, designed for productivity rather than creative use and gaming, and with the limitation of 1920x1200 resolution at 60Hz and limited color depth, those specifications lack for the creative or game sector, however, they are ideal for productivity. However, as an addition to a MacBook Pro or ASUS ProArt monitor, there’s no arguing just how useful the multi-display system is, we all have to write emails, and do you really need an Adobe RGB class monitor for your music library?

What I also liked was that, because of the modular design, you can take one, two, three, or all four, and that choice is fully up to you. That flexibility makes them extremely useful.

Over a month of testing, I initially started taking the system with me as part of the test, but relatively quickly, the use alongside the MacBook and Netgear M7 made a powerful onsite solution giving plenty of space for documents and other media, and then the fact that it all packs into a handy backpack just made it ultra convenient.

It is a shame that the resolution is limited, and while the panels are 100% sRGB, which is fine for productivity for photographers and videographers, the fact that the minimum DCI-P3 requirement is not met and is way off the ideal of Adobe RGB accuracy means that most creative users will find them slightly limited on the creative front.

These modular monitors however seem perfectly suited for developers, business users, remote workers, or content creators who need multiple screens for productivity, monitoring, and organisation, rather than for color grading. The Lepow 16" Quad Monitor is excellent and offers something that few other products at this price can match.

Should I buy the Lepow 16" Quad Monitor for Laptop?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

For more picks, see our guide to the best business monitors and the best portable monitors we've tested.

8849 TANK Pad Ultra: 2-minute review

The 8849 Tank Pad Ultra arrives as the company's most ambitious device to date. It builds on the original Tank Pad's projector concept and refines it considerably. Where the first Tank Pad offered a dim 100-lumen DLP unit running at sub-HD resolution, the Ultra steps up to 260 lumens and native 1920x1080 output. That is a 2.6x improvement in brightness in one generation, and it matters enormously in practice.

The hardware underneath is a MediaTek Dimensity 8200 paired with 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB of storage. This is not the fastest platform available in 2026, but it is more than sufficient for field work, document management, and media playback. Android 15 ships out of the box, which is a refreshing improvement over the Android 14 found on many rivals.

The camera cluster is genuinely impressive for a rugged device. A Sony IMX766 50MP main sensor sits alongside a 64MP night-vision camera using an OmniVision OV64B sensor backed by four infrared LEDs. The 32MP front camera uses a Sony IMX616. This is a meaningful step beyond the dual-camera arrangements on most competing rugged tablets.

Battery capacity is the headline stat: 23,400mAh. 8849 claims this is 11% larger than its predecessor. Charging speed is 66W, which is serviceable but falls well short of the 120W found on the recently launched Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra. At that battery capacity, 66W takes over two hours to fully recharge.

The body measures 268.3 x 170.3 x 24mm and weighs 1.345kg. It is a heavy device, though it sits below the Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra's 1.6kg. The integrated handle doubles as a kickstand and is the most practical design element here for outdoor projection use.

IP68 and IP69K certification allows for both submersion and high-pressure water jets. That is the expected baseline for a device at this price and positioning. A 4-metre laser rangefinder and an 800-lumen camping light round out the utility toolkit.

In the annals of tablets that came with a projector, this is clearly one of the best rugged tablets so far.

8849 TANK Pad Ultra: price and availability

• How much does it cost? $690/£524/€605
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? You can get it directly from 8849.

The Tank Pad Ultra is available in a range of territories and regions via the official 8849tech website here.

At $689.99, this rugged tablet is priced way below the Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra, which commands closer to $799. It sits significantly above the original Tank Pad's sub-$400 positioning. The price increase reflects genuine hardware improvements rather than marketing inflation, particularly in the projector and camera departments.

UK pricing is £525.84 and in the EU its €604.79. There is a summer sale for US, EU, UK and CA customers with a further $20 reduction until the 12th of June.

Currently, this machine isn't on Amazon.com, but given that everything else 8849-branded is, it's probably only a matter of time before it is. The hardware is also sold by AliExpress, but it was more expensive than buying it directly for whatever reason.

Given the specification, even if the TANK Pad Ultra isn't exactly cheap, it offers the best value for a tablet with a projector.

• Value score: 4/5

8849 TANK Pad Ultra: Specs

8849 TANK Pad Ultra: design

• Heavy duty
• Kickstand issues
• Idiosyncratic layout

On paper, the Tank Pad Ultra follows the established formula for rugged tablets. The body is thick and reinforced, with corner bumpers and rubberised edges. At 24mm deep it is not a device that slips into a jacket pocket unless you’re a friendly giant. The intention is clear: this is business equipment, not a lifestyle accessory.

The integrated handle on the rear is a practical touch. It locks flat against the body for carrying and swings out to serve as a kickstand for projection or media use. For a device this heavy, the handle is not an option, it is a functional necessity.

Which is why I was annoyed when I couldn’t get the one that came with my tablet to fit correctly. The stand is metal and is pinned to the TANK Pad Ultra by a single large bolt that has a straight slot that a ‘8849 coin’ is provided to tighten. On mine, it would never tighten enough to fully engage the stand, making it loose.

Initially, I thought this was because of an excessive amount of blue thread-locker on the bolt, but after I’d scraped that off and realised it didn’t fix the problem, I concluded the thread in the tablet was poorly manufactured.

I didn’t have the thread cutter to fix this handy, so I filed the bolt down a little to make it extend less, and it fitted much better. Not sure why 8849 quality assurance didn’t notice this, but they need to make sure that they do in the future.

One oddity about the stand is that it has a square profile that engages, allowing for four possible ways to attach it. Except that only one direction works properly, because the others interfere either with the camera cluster or the camping light. Perhaps a polariser is needed to help users put it on correctly?

The top edge houses the volume keys and two PPT buttons in roughly the middle of that side, with the projector mounted to the left. The power button with an integrated fingerprint scanner is on the left side, where I kept accidentally hitting it while trying to take photos.

I tried to set that button up with fingerprint unlock and failed miserably. When you enter the fingerprint training mode, it tells you to firmly press the button, and when you do, the tablet turns off. Thankfully, the face unlock works much better, so it’s hardly a deal breaker.

The SIM tray is on the lower edge, and the USB-C and audio jack ports are under a rubber plug on the right side.

What’s missing here is any pogo pin pads or extra USB port that could be used to connect the tablet to a vehicle cradle. Which, when you have a tablet that’s 1345 g, you would reasonably expect to exist. There isn’t one, which explains why the designers never considered supporting that functionality.

Overall, the layout of this tablet isn’t the best I’ve seen, but most people could probably adapt to it.

Design score: 3.5/5

8849 TANK Pad Ultra: hardware

• MediaTek Dimensity 8200 5G
• 260 Lumen Projector
• 23,400 mAh battery

The Dimensity 8200 is a solid midrange to upper-midrange platform. Built on a 4nm process, it delivers capable performance for multitasking, Android gaming, and field software use. It is not the Dimensity 9000 series or a Snapdragon 8 Gen equivalent, and buyers with heavy sustained workloads should note the distinction. For the use cases this device targets, it is more than adequate and a step up from the Dimensity 7400X that Ulefone used in its most recent design.

For no logical reason, rugged tablet makers seem to think decent processors or camera sensors aren’t required, when they’re as critical as they are in phones.

Sixteen gigabytes of LPDDR5 RAM is generous. Combined with the expandable storage via microSD, the Tank Pad Ultra avoids the storage cliff that afflicts cheaper rugged tablets.

But it's the DLP projector that is the engineering centrepiece in this design. At 260 lumens, it is 2.6 times brighter than the original Tank Pad's 100-lumen unit. Auto-focus handles throw distances between 0.5 and 4 metres. A micro-ranging laser assists the focus calibration for precise image sharpness. The native output resolution of 1920x1080 is a substantial step up from the 854x480 of the original device, and better than the 960 x 540 projector on the Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra.

My only issue with the projector is that 8849 didn’t implement a low-throw solution where the tablet could be flat on a desk and still project an image on the wall. With this design, you need to use the stand or a pile of books to elevate the tablet to a height where the projection will work.

The 23,400mAh battery is enormous, even if some rugged tablets have even more. Runtime estimates in the field will depend heavily on whether the projector, camping light, and 5G radio are active simultaneously. With the projector running, expect significantly reduced endurance versus a typical standby or browsing scenario.

One last special feature of this tablet is the GPS solution. It uses dual frequencies L1+L5 GPS for more precise positioning, in theory. I've not seen this in a rugged tablet before, and it could be genuinely useful for those flying drones or doing surveys. In my testing, it did seem marginally more accurate than the GPS in a typical phone.

• Hardware score: 4.5/5

8849 TANK Pad Ultra: cameras

• 50MP, 64MP on the rear
• 32MP on the front
• Three cameras in total

The 8849 Tank Pad Ultra has three cameras:

Rear cameras: 50MP Sony IMX766 , 64MP Omnivision OV64B1B Sensor (Night Vision)
Front camera: 32MP Sony IMX616

The camera configuration is one of the Tank Pad Ultra's stronger arguments over rivals. Most rugged tablets treat imaging as an afterthought. 8849 has invested meaningfully here.

The main camera uses a Sony IMX766 sensor at 50MP. This is the same sensor found in numerous premium Android smartphones, so expectations for image quality are reasonably well established. The large 1/1.56-inch format and all-pixel autofocus should deliver solid results in good light.

The night-vision camera is the headline differentiator. The 64MP OmniVision OV64B sensor is backed by four infrared LEDs and a dual-tone LED flash capable of 1.5A output. 8849 claims usable images in near-total darkness. This is genuinely useful for inspection work, security documentation, or field work in unlit environments.

The 32MP Sony IMX616 front camera is well specified for video calls and document scanning. For remote workers filing from a site office, the quality here matters more than it might for a consumer device.

Looking through my examples, the rear camera on this tablet produces some excellent results. The colour is accurate and not oversaturated, the edges of objects are crisp, and even the sky avoids being blown out. Using editing tools, it’s easy to get extra detail out of shadows and crop without making images appear blocky.

And, the 64MP Omnivision OV64B1B is one of the best choices for a night vision sensor, currently.

There are limited special photo modes, but you do get timelapse, super resolution, and QR codes, and there is a PRO mode. Video capture has scene modes and a full spectrum of resolutions from VGA up to 4K.

The only way this could get much better is if the optics had a proper zoom and not a digital one, but relatively few phones or tablets have that feature.

The only blot here is that 8849 wouldn’t pay for Widevine L1 encryption, so the best resolution you can stream from major providers is 480P, even if the screen would handle 1080p easily. Unfortunate, but a predictable limitation.

That point aside, this is one of the best camera solutions on a rugged tablet I’ve encountered, and for those doing surveys or wanting to capture property or vehicle damage, the provided tools are more than most will realistically need.

8849 TANK Pad Ultra Camera samples

• Camera score: 4/5

8849 TANK Pad Ultra: Performance

• Modern SoC
• Good battery life

The Dimensity 8200 platform performs comfortably in daily use. Android 15 runs without the stuttering or lag that can affect less powerful rugged tablets. Multitasking between field apps, maps, and documents is smooth.

Gaming performance is functional rather than flagship. The Mali-G610 MC6 GPU handles lighter titles well. Sustained gaming or graphics-intensive applications will cause throttling, as is typical for this class of chip under prolonged load.

The projector introduces a notable power draw. Thermal management under combined projector and processing load is an area worth monitoring in extended field scenarios. The device body will warm noticeably during sustained projection.

If we compare the 8200 with the 7400X that the Ulefone tablet uses, this SoC is roughly 25% quicker across the board, and better than that in graphics performance.

However, with great performance comes even greater power consumption. And, while the battery life of the machine looks good at 30 hours and 43 minutes, there is a caveat that the Ulefone device still had 27% of its battery unused when the benchmark aborted. Where the 8849 machine only had 5%, therefore the win should go to the Ulefone.

That said, this is more than enough capacity for most uses, and if curated, a running time of more than five days is easily within reach.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

8849 TANK Pad Ultra: Final verdict

For field engineers, survey teams, and outdoor professionals who project content regularly and need the clearest image possible from an integrated device, the Tank Pad Ultra earns a confident recommendation. For everyone else, the 8849 Tank Pad Ultra is the current high-water mark for built-in pico projection in a rugged tablet.

The leap from 100 lumens and 854x480 to 260 lumens and native 1080p is a generational step, not an incremental one. Add a Sony sensor main camera, a 64MP night-vision unit, a laser rangefinder, and a 23,400mAh battery at $690, and the value proposition is difficult to argue against.

The shortcomings are real but predictable. Sixty-six watts of charging is slow for a battery this large, even if it can manage a complete cycle in two hours. The device is heavy and thick by any standard other than the rugged-tablet category it occupies. The Dimensity 8200, while capable, is not a premium 2026 platform, even if it’s the exception to the rule that rugged tablets are typically underpowered.

Against the Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra, its most direct rival, the Tank Pad Ultra wins on projector brightness, projector resolution, SoC power, weight and price. It loses on charging speed and the dual-floodlight provision. Which device wins depends entirely on which compromises suit your workflow, and how tight your budget is.

Should I buy a 8849 TANK Pad Ultra?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also Consider

For more ruggedized devices, we've reviewed the best rugged phones, the best rugged laptops and the best rugged hard drives

Denon Home 400: two-minute review

The Denon Home 400 sits in the Japanese brand's completely repositioned Home 2.0 range for 2026, and it doesn’t take much to see the updates as a direct challenge to Sonos and the best wireless speakers on the market. The range features three speakers — the Denon Home 200, 400 and 600 — all of which promise spatial audio from a single box. They’re all tuned by sound masters, built for native stereo playback even as singular units, deliver an immersive experience, and have refined designs.

The Denon Home 400 sits right in the middle of the range, but occupies a bit of a sweet spot. Its $599 price tag puts it at the same ball park as the Sonos Era 300, and I think Denon comes out of the comparison looking like the better option.

Along with Sonos, though, there’s no shortage of competition from the likes of Apple’s HomePods, JBL’s Authentics 300 and the WiiM Sound smart speakers. While the Denon range technically supports Siri, this is a product that’s much more about the sound than it is the smarts.

In use, it sounds tremendous and is highly customizable with a full spatial audio experience where you really can hear the difference. The HEOS app works brilliantly, and set-up is a doddle. It also has a sense of style. This is a speaker that looks premium rather than plasticky, and that alone may make it easier to recommend than Sonos for many potential buyers.

Is it worth the premium price, though? I’ve been hands-on to find out what the Denon does differently.

Denon Home 400 review: price and availability

• Released on March 24th, 2026
• $599 / £449 / AU$999 (approx.)

The Denon Home 400 costs $599 / £449 / AU$999 (approx.) and is clearly positioned to rival the Sonos Era 300, which costs $479 / £449 / AU$749 officially, but it is a bit more likely to be available on offer, having gone down to $379 / £339 on Amazon within the past six months.

Other similarly sized rivals include the JBL Authentics 300, which costs $450 / £380 / AU$600, or the bass-heavy Brane X for $599 / £475 / AU$915. Apple fans will also, of course, consider whether a HomePod 2 ($299 / £299 / AU$479) may better suit their needs, as it has a few clever tricks and perks for the iOS faithful.

Denon Home 400 review: specs

Denon Home 400 review: features

• Native Dolby Atmos with adjustable height and bass
• Several connectivity options
• Voice control only via Siri, and only if you already have a HomePod

The core selling point of all the new speakers in the Denon range is Dolby Atmos support with adjustable sound modes. I’ll go into that in more depth in the 'Sound quality' section below, but it is a meaningful differentiator between this speaker and most of its competition. The vast majority of other smart speakers will either not have Atmos or rely on (the admittedly clever) digital processing trick of spatial virtualization. That’s what the Denon Home 200 does, too.

The one option offering proper Atmos is the aforementioned Sonos Era 300. The Denon Home 400, just like this rival, packs in true Dolby Atmos with a six-driver setup: dedicated left and right drivers, upfiring drive units and two 4.5-inch woofers (all powered by six independent Class-D amplifiers). What this means is that you’ll get much more width — throw a Dolby Atmos track at this speaker and you’ll hear a wider soundstage — and real height, as it bounces sound off your ceiling. The adjustability in the Auto mode means you can dial in exactly how much bass extension, width or height you want.

You can use voice assistance on this speaker, but I’m not going to pretend it’s a headline feature. Apple’s Siri is the only voice assistant on offer, so you’re not going to find Google Assistant or Alexa as an option during setup. And, in order to set it up, you need to have an Apple HomePod or HomePod mini on your Wi-Fi network to handle the Siri requests you make on the Denon speaker.

Luckily, I’ve got some HomePods in another room, so I could test this, and it works fairly well, but I wouldn’t go around suggesting that this is a speaker with built-in voice control. It’s more of a niche added extra, as long as you already have an extra accessory that would cost you at least £99.

In general, the HEOS app (HEOS stands for Home Entertainment Operating System, thanks for asking) is excellent and great if you think you might set up a multi-room ecosystem of speakers after investing in this one. It covers multiple brands, not just Denon, and works with a wide range of speakers, soundbars and receivers.

Overall, the Denon Home 400 offers a broad range of connectivity options, including a 3.5mm AUX for use with turntables or MP3 players, and a simple native Bluetooth button to connect to other devices if you’re not using the app. Bluetooth LE Audio is coming via an update, and it has support for ALAC and aptX formats over Bluetooth. You’ve also got Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, and Qobuz Connect built in, too.

Through the USB-C port, you can deliver firmware updates via a pen drive or use wired Ethernet via any USB-C adapter, which is a nice benefit compared with others that might make you buy a proprietary dongle. Obviously, it’s not quite the same as built-in Ethernet, but it’s not a feature everyone would use.

There’s no remote with the speaker, it’s designed for use with the feature-filled HEOS app, where you can gather together your music services — including Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, Soundcloud, Tidal, Qobuz and TuneIn — and internet radio stations, along with control of the multi-room setup and audio customizations. I wish my choice of streaming service, Apple Music, were added to the picks, but it’s otherwise an app I find hard to fault.

• Features score: 4.5 / 5

Denon Home 400 review: sound quality

• Outstanding spatial audio performance from a single unit
• Excellent customization for height and width
• Pure mode for a more direct and balanced experience

We’re going to be talking a lot about spatial audio in this section, because that really is the Denon Home 400’s party piece. It can take a well-encoded Atmos mix and make it feel three-dimensional. It’s in the Auto setting by default, and that’s probably where I’d leave it in my environment, in which it’s more than capable of an immersive room-filling sound.

If spatial isn’t for you, you’ll prefer the Pure sound mode. This bypasses the DSP and works as a great mode for anyone wanting the typical stereo image experience.

I’d already had a chance to hear the Denon Home 400 in a London hotel suite, and that gave me a sense of just how impressive it would be. During Ed Sheeran’s Shivers, I could hear a noticeable height extension that makes it perceptibly different when compared with the Home 200. Listening to the Atmos mix of Riders on the Storm by The Doors reveals background vocals in the height layer, an element that’s harder to pick out in the neutral mode.

Having the speaker within my own apartment only further confirmed how adept it is with spatial sound. To test it, I mostly focused on playing Dolby Atmos from Apple Music over AirPlay, but I also used it with Spotify Connect, radio stations, and I set up both Spotify and Deezer within the HEOS app to test those, too. The experience is convincing, there’s a lot of clarity to be heard across the whole frequency range, and two woofers deliver significant bass oomph.

Listening to Raye’s Where Is My Husband! in Dolby Atmos is highly rewarding for how much extra detail you start to hear in the layers of instrumentation, all while keeping her powerful vocals right in the center. I used the HEOS app to dial up the width and height, and you can feel the backing vocals spread out on the soundstage, with the instruments becoming easier to identify in space.

Putting the 400 in Pure mode and switching over to Click Clack Symphony shows that there’s a place for both modes. Pure is much more direct and balanced. There’s clearly more vocal presence in this mode, and the stomps have far more impact. You can get a different sonic experience by switching between both modes, something this track shows so well — it’s bordering on ethereal in Auto with those spatial customisations, yet sounds intimate on the Pure setting.

In general, I find the sound hard to fault. By default, the Auto mode may have a smidge too much bass for my tastes, but it’s easily remedied by moving the slider down two notches in the app. The Pure mode is fairly neutral in its approach, but still has its fair share of energy and dynamism. If you listen to spatial tracks, play around with Auto, but most of us should find Pure less fatiguing, making it a better 'set and forget' option.

• Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5

Denon Home 400 review: design

• Durable and stylish look
• Two neutral colorways
• Will suit most living spaces

Immediately after unboxing, it’s clear that the Denon Home 400 is more than your average utilitarian speaker. The best thing about its design is the lack of visible plastic, which is only really visible on the speaker's top section. The rest is covered by a seamless piece of fabric with no obvious seams, and the bottom of the speaker — just like every model in the new Denon range — is a sturdy titanium base plate. It adds a little bulk, sure, but also the satisfaction of knowing that this is durable and not something that can be tipped over.

Underneath the speaker, a light glows to let you know it’s turned on. This was something that my wife initially felt ruined the look, but it’s easily solved because you can lower the brightness (or turn the light off entirely) in the app. Crisis averted. There are physical controls on the right side of the device, allowing you to control volume and playback, along with three quick select buttons (for your favourite internet radio stations or streaming services) and an action button to summon voice control.

The speaker also comes in the same two neutral colorways as the rest of the range – Charcoal and Stone (my review unit). I’ve got no complaints. It’s a speaker that’s designed to look good in the living room without commanding attention, and it does exactly that. It’s also worth noting that, on the back, there’s a switch to mute the microphone and that it’s a hard-wired off button that’s not connected to the network circuitry.

I find this looks much less plasticky in comparison to rival speakers (looking at you, Sonos) and that the Home 400's buttons and controls are easier to understand and use (looking at you, Apple). It ends up being a winner on multiple fronts.

• Design score: 5 / 5

Denon Home 400 review: Usability & setup

• Controls are easy to understand and use
• The HEOS app is intuitive and full of features
• But there’s not much voice control available here

The Denon Home 400 is an exceptionally straightforward speaker to set up and use. The box gives you the speaker unit itself and the power cable. Once it’s plugged in, you set it up with the HEOS app, a process that took me approximately five to 10 minutes, and connect it to your home Wi-Fi network, telling the app whether the speaker is away from walls, in a corner, or just in front of one wall, which helps it adapt its sound.

You do need to use the app so that you get all of the internet-connected features, but it doesn’t take long at all to get started. Once you pick some favourite radio stations in the app, you can also press and hold on the preset buttons to save them for quick access, and you can always just use the Bluetooth button to connect devices that might not be on your wireless network. The same applies to wired playback.

I tested both with my MP3 player, the Activo P1, and found it seamless in use. However, it’s worth mentioning that I couldn’t get the Denon to play back at one of its supported higher-res Bluetooth codecs over the P1; it stayed stuck in SBC despite supporting higher bandwidth options.

In day-to-day use, though, this is highly intuitive to use, both wirelessly and if you were to connect an AUX cable to an MP3 player, CD player or turntable. Denon has said a goal with this product is getting you to your music with minimal button presses, and that holds true in use, whether you’re using those quick select buttons, or just playing wirelessly over the HEOS app, Spotify Connect or AirPlay. The one downside would be for those who are used to voice control of their playlists. Unless you use Siri and already have a HomePod, this doesn’t work well for that.

If you were keen to set up multi-room groups, this would also work well, with controls within the HEOS app, plus the ability to create a stereo pair with two Denon Home 400s. It’s also a great feature that the ability to mute the microphone is a physical control, not something that exists only in software, something that’s great for peace of mind if you don’t want to use voice assistance or have your voice recorded.

• Usability & setup score: 4.5 / 5

Denon Home 400 review: value

• Premium price to match the Sonos Era 300
• Cheaper units don’t deliver spatial audio this good
• Rivals are a bit better for voice control, though

At $599, the Home 400 is priced at the top of the standalone premium home speaker market, making it a direct rival to the Sonos Era 300. For me, the Denon more than matches its Sonos competition when it comes to powerful spatial audio and is also a more stylish speaker with more intuitive control and better connectivity. The Denon gives you spatial customization missing from Sonos, and it also has built-in AUX, USB-C and the option of Ethernet.

While rivals like the Sonos Era 100 and Apple HomePod are cheaper, they’re also more locked into ecosystems. They’re good as affordable rivals, but the Denon offers the more powerful, more immersive and more customizable sound. And, while the JBL Authentics 300 also holds a lot of appeal, and I’m a particular fan of its style and retro controls, it lacks native Dolby Atmos, so it doesn’t feel like a direct rival.

The one thing you’ll want to keep in mind is the lack of capable voice assistance from the Denon at launch, but if that doesn’t matter to you, the customizable spatial sound, ability to connect to players and turntables, plus intuitive control make the Denon Home 400 a good value buy in this price tier. Just make sure you’re keen on spatial sound and know you want to hear the layers inside a mix, as that’s what sets this apart.

• Value score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Denon Home 400?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Denon Home 400 review: also consider

How I tested the Denon Home 400

• Tested with music streamed from Spotify, Deezer and Apple Music via AirPlay, and radio stations within the HEOS app
• Also tested Bluetooth and wired performance with the Activo P1 audio player
• Used Audio Pro A10 MkII for comparison during listening tests
• Tested over several weeks of both casual and critical listening

I tested the Denon Home 400 using a wide range of different music genres and styles, including popular hits, soundtracks, ambient playlists and classical. I listened to podcasts and radio content, too, over several weeks of testing. I primarily used the Denon Home 400 in one spot, on a table in my living room, and that gave me a sense of how well it was able to fill the space in my small flat.

I used Bluetooth and wired connections with my Activo P1 music player, and also streamed using the HEOS app itself, accessing Deezer, Spotify and radio stations from this interface. Most of my spatial listening was tested via AirPlay, playing tracks mixed for Dolby Atmos through Apple Music.

For some direct comparisons, I used the other speakers that I currently have in my flat, including an Audio Pro A10 MkII and a couple of HomePod Minis in a stereo pair. And, to get a great understanding of the speaker’s performance, I made sure to listen to the widest possible range of genres at varying volume levels.

• First reviewed: June 2026
• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee

I consider Blackmagic’s DaVinci Resolve to be among the best professional-grade desktop non-linear video editing software out there.

You'll find it a core part of our guides to the best free video editing software and best video editing software we've ever tested. So, I was keen to see what the latest version (21), offers. And to say I was surprised would be an understatement. This is one of those tools that just keeps getting better.

And as its latest major update has just been officially released, I thought it would be a great opportunity to see what Resolve 21 has to offer.

You can download the free app by clicking here.

DaVinci Resolve 21: Pricing & plans

• Powerful free version
• One-off fee for more advanced tools
• Professional tools at an absolutely unbeatable price

This is going to be a quick section: DaVinci Resolve is free.

There are no one-off fees, and certainly no subscription costs. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. We all know of Adobe’s continuous (and pricy) subscription plans, and even Apple are now embracing the subscription model with its Apple Creator Studio collection. But Resolve bucks the trend, and remains a bright beacon of hope in a dystopian subscription landscape.

Now there are limitations to Resolve, but these are generous: your exports are limited to 4K and 60fps, and any hardware acceleration is throttled, for instance. That’s because Blackmagic also have Resolve Studio, which unlocks export resolutions up to 32K and 120fps, offer more advanced color correction, additional effects, and also introduces a slew of AI-driven tools, all for a one-off price of $300.

But don’t let that put you off: Resolve should fit most people’s needs, this review will focus on the free version.

• Score: 5/5

DaVinci Resolve 21: Interface

• Conceals complexity behind multiple interfaces called Pages
• Only shows the tools you need when you need them
• Great for beginners and veterans to use the same interface

Before we delve into what’s new, if you’re unfamiliar with what DaVinci Resolve is, let’s take a broad look at what it offers. Yes, it’s a video editor, but how good can it be considering it’s free? I mean, have you seen Windows Movie Maker? And iMovie used to show so much promise, but has now fallen by the wayside.

But Resolve is so much more than a basic and limited video tool. Despite it being free, it should really be compared to Apple’s Final Cut Pro and Adobe’s Premiere Pro. Within a single program, you can catalogue your clips, build your edit, apply transitions and titles, create complex effects, perform advanced color correction, perfect the audio, and finally export your completed project.

No need to venture into After Effects or Audition, or anything like that (unless you want to of course): pretty much everything can be done within Resolve. In order to achieve this, Resolve is divided into sections, which are referred to as ‘Pages’.

‘Media’ is where you ingest and organise your clips, ‘Cut’ and ‘Edit’ are two ways to build your project - ‘Cut’ having a simplified interface, while ‘Edit’ offers more versatile options. I see ‘Cut’ as ideal for newcomers to the editing world, but I also love the fact you can effortlessly move from one Page to the other and although you might not be able to alter the more advanced functions in ‘Cut’, if you added them while in ‘Edit’, you’ll still be able to preview them while in ‘Cut'.

Next is ‘Fusion' - which is probably the trickiest Page. It’s where you create special effects, but rather than dragging a function onto a clip, Fusion uses the concept of nodes: you add effects to your worktop then connect clips to those effects. It’s an incredibly versatile and powerful way of working - once you get used to it.

And getting used to it you must, as that concept is also present in ‘Color’, Resolve’s color Correction section, where you can perform anything from basic alteration to more advanced options used by professionals (not surprising, since Resolve started out solely as a color grading tool), and finally, the ‘Fairlight’ Page is for working on the audio.

Whether you’re using Resolve or Resolve Studio, you have access to all the same Pages. The major difference is all the added tools Studio brings to the table.

You could very easily start your journey in Resolve, primarily focussing your efforts in the ‘Cut’ Page, and as you grow in confidence, start exploring the other sections, maybe even graduating to Resolve Studio in time - all without having to pay a penny - at first. If only I had such tools when I myself started out as a struggling editor.

• Score: 5/5

DaVinci Resolve 21: Photo Page

• ‘Photo’ is a new dedicated space to work on your images
• Think of it as a sort of Lightroom replacement
• The color correction tools are relatively simple through Resolve’s powerful ‘Color’ Page
• Everything you could do to video clips, you can now do to photos.

It’s not that you couldn’t use photos in your video projects before, but now, they have their own dedicated Page, sitting between ‘Media’ and ‘Cut’. So what can you do with it? Pretty much everything you’d expect from a dedicated image organiser tool.

Resolve’s ‘Photo’ is compatible with common RAW formats from Canon, Sony and Nikon, as well as a host of others. Put it this way: I didn’t come across a format Resolve couldn’t handle. Working on an image is a fully non-destructive process: no matter what you do, the original file is never altered.

Any photo that’s added via the ‘Media’ Page will be found here, but you can also drag others straight onto the Page’s 'Media Pool’ sidebar. To the right in an Inspector, where you’ll find a histogram, cropping tools, various color adjustments, even pitch and yaw sliders to rectify errors like fish-eye distortions for instance. You can also mark photos as ‘good’ (represented with a heart), or ‘reject’ (with an x). It’s all there, but it’s all pretty basic. Put it this way, Lightroom won’t be having sleepless nights over this inclusion.

But that’s only part of the story. In order to perform more advanced alterations, you need to add photos to an album (which is conveniently located where the timeline usually is). Once that’s done, you can venture to Resolve’s ‘Color’ Page, and have access to all the power and versatility (and complexity) that comes with that incredible color grading tool. Just like ‘Fusion’, ‘Color' works with nodes.

You add them in sequence or parallel, reorder them, disconnect them, all of this will affect how each node affects your image, and once you go back to Photo, those alterations will be visible from there. This powerful versatility could be something Lightroom might have some concerns about, especially since this is but the first version of this few functionality.

• Score: 4.5/5

DaVinci Resolve 21: AI tools

• Packed with more and more AI tools
• I repeat, tools - not slop: this is the good stuff
• Only available for paying Resolve Studio users

A new Page is always a big thing to talk about when it comes to a new version of Resolve, but another new trend is the increasing addition of AI tools.

But there’s a caveat: they’re reserved for paying customers. In the free version, that menu’s either greyed out, or if you click on the ‘AI Clip Analysis’ icon, a popup window encourages you to pay the one-time fee to gain access to all the goodies in Resolve Studio.

And goodies there are, like IntelliSearch, which allows you to search for that specific element inside a clip, or the ability to transcribe what’s being said in a clip, detect faces, transform said faces, remove blemishes, remove motion blur, and so much more. Sadly, all these are out of bounds - they’ve got to entice you to upgrade somehow, right?

Should I try DaVinci Resolve?

Try it if...

You’re looking for a powerful professional-grade video editor with an impressive amount of complex and versatile features, which now includes a dedicated section for cataloguing and grading your photos… all for free.

Don't try it if...

You’re totally wedded to the likes of Apple or Adobe and have invested so much in those software ecosystems that you can’t be prised away from them, even at the prospect of a powerful and free video editing tool.

For more creative software, we've tested and reviewed the best video editing software for beginners and the best video editing apps for mobile devices.

Seagate FireCuda X Vault: 30-second review

The FireCuda X Vault is a first when it comes to desktop hard drives. It essentially brings bus-powered USB-C to a 3.5-inch external hard drive, something that is common with the smaller 2.5-inch portable HDDs that have been around for years, but as yet untried for the larger format.

A quick look at the drive shows it has been primarily designed for the gaming market; however, as I often find, its specifications and performance also make it a great option for creative professionals. The gaming aesthetic is very obvious, but it’s not over-the-top, and the drive is more minimalist than most gaming-themed peripherals; in fact, its styling matches well with my Asus ProArt desktop case.

What I really like about the drive is that it uses a single USB-C cable for both power and data, which is obviously unique in the market at present. Power is delivered via the USB cable, eliminating the need for a power brick. Aside from reducing cable clutter, it also simplifies moving the drive between machines, which is handy when transferring large quantities of files. During the test period, I utilised the drive on both a MacBook Pro M1 Max running Final Cut Pro X and Premiere Pro, and an Asus ProArt PZ14 also running Premiere Pro.

In the test, the drive performed well on both Mac and PC, with the Windows machine definitely having the edge in terms of speed and compatibility. Although that performance difference was partly due to the older M1 Max’s ability to decode the video codec from the Canon EOS R5 C. In use, the drive showed decent transfer rates of around 214 MB/s read and 207 MB/s write across CrystalDiskMark, ATTO, AS SSD, and AJA benchmarks. Importantly, these speeds reflected use across three days of video editing.

While the performance was generally excellent for an HDD, there are two points: the first is the initial transfer speed of the footage to the drive, and the second is the Mac-incompatible backup software. Offloading 1.5TB of 4K Canon EOS R5 C footage from CFexpress Type B took roughly two hours, compared with ten to twelve minutes via a portable SSD. Then there’s the Seagate Toolkit, which is included with the drive for backup management, but it only works on Windows. If you’re a Mac user, then you will need to use your own backup solution. For photographers and videographers, this drive still offers superb value for money.

Seagate FireCuda X Vault: Price & availability

The Seagate FireCuda X Vault 8TB is available direct from Seagate in the US for $270 and from the UK site for £280. Currently, the 20TB model isn't in stock in the UK (but it's listed as £486), and doesn't appear available in North America yet.

I've also seem the 8TB drive sold for $320 on Amazon.com. Over on Amazon.co.uk, the 8TB is £253 and the 20TB is £438 - although there appears to be a labelling error. However, shipping takes between 3 and 7 months, so I'd opt for the official site if you can get quicker delivery.

• Score: 5/5

Seagate FireCuda X Vault: Design & build

The FireCuda X Vault's gaming theme is obvious but thankfully restrained, and its aesthetics actually look perfectly at home in the studio. The black exterior breaks from the usual box design that so often accompanies this type of drive, and the plastic fin slats reflect the cooling vents that I’ve often seen on high-performance creative drives. However, the RGB cutouts along the top are clearly aimed at a gaming audience rather than a creative one. Aesthetically, I do quite like the effect, and overall, the design is more minimalist than most gaming-themed hardware.

The size and weight are more in line with what I would usually expect from a 3.5-inch external drive, weighing in at 2.84 lbs (1290g), and measuring 7.80 × 2.09 × 5.20in (198 × 53 × 132mm). While it is obviously larger than a portable drive, it doesn’t dominate the workspace, and the flat top panel, despite the design, means that if you do need to place things on top, you can.

What marks this drive out from others is that it draws power and transfers data through a single USB-C cable. The cable in the box is standard, 50 cm, which is long enough to position the drive beside a monitor or at the edge of a desk without a cable coil, though I did find occasions when a longer cable would be useful.

USB-C has enabled a huge change in the face of hardware development, and the fact that just one cable is used with no other power required is a major step forward, and actually surprising that this hasn’t been done before. Of course, in order for the drive to function, the USB-C port you connect to must supply at least 15W. This means that, unlike many portable HDDs, which are widely backwards compatible with USB-A ports, this drive won’t be.

On both the MacBook Pro M1 Max and the Asus ProArt PZ14, the drive powered up without issue, and when running the MacBook Pro on battery without a mains connection, battery life was slightly reduced but not dramatically, and, as this is really a desktop drive intended to sit on a desk, the laptop is almost always plugged in during use.

Data transfer stability during sustained video editing appears excellent. As the drive worked hard to supply the data required by a variety of applications, the 1,290g chassis stays in with minimal vibration or noise. During a long video editing session across three days, the drive produced barely any audible noise. I could, on occasion, hear the spinning mechanism, but it was so low that it was hardly noticeable, particularly once audio from the edit was playing through the monitors.

After an extended test period across multiple workstations, PC and Mac, the build quality has held up well; after all, it was really just being transferred from one desk to another.

• Design & build: 4/5

Seagate FireCuda X Vault: Features

The bus-powered USB-C design is the FireCuda X Vault's unique feature, and one that, as I started to use the drive, seems well overdue. The use of the USB-C cuts out the need for a power brick, meaning one less cable and ultimately freeing up a plug socket. It also makes moving the drive between a MacBook Pro and a Windows laptop simple, as you only need to unplug a single USB-C cable and plug it into the next machine.

During the test period,, I found myself shifting between a MacBook Pro M1 Max and an ProArt PZ14 for different applications, and this ease made the larger-capacity drive as easy to use in the studio as a portable option, just with far more storage for the price.

During the test, I used the drive formatted as exFAT, which was out of the box and ensured cross-platform compatibility between macOS and Windows without the need for reformatting. Setup on both platforms was instant: plug in, mount, start working. As an example, the single-cable transfer of a large Premiere Pro project between the ASUS and the Mac was notably easier than it would have been with a drive requiring a separate power connection, and is something I would usually do with small SSD drives.

One feature of the drive is its RGB lighting, which supports Windows Dynamic Lighting. This is a gaming-focused feature that proved to be a minor aesthetic addition rather than a practical one.

Another game-focused feature is the Xbox on PC certification, which includes a one-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which is aimed at gamers and is largely irrelevant for a content creation use case, though having the gaming library validation does offer some insight into the drive's intended use and the fact that it has been designed to handle sustained random reads.

An interesting addition is the Seagate Toolkit for backup management, which works well on Windows and lets you set up a backup schedule from a working footage folder to a NAS for long-term archive. It all seemed straightforward. However, Seagate Toolkit is not Mac-compatible, which is a notable gap for photographers and videographers working on macOS. Mac users will need to use Time Machine or a third-party backup solution for drive-level protection.

In this test, I’ve looked at the 8TB capacity, although there is a larger 20TB version. For a single drive option used as a working backup and rough-cut editing drive, 8TB provides a good balance for storing multiple concurrent projects over several months without needing to manage capacity.

The 20TB option would provide more headroom for longer-term archiving; however, managing 20TB on a single spinning drive introduces its own risks. The drive proved reliable, and if you have a 20TB backup drive, then why not? For photographers who shoot stills and moderate video, 8TB is a very workable starting point.

• Features: 4/5

Seagate FireCuda X Vault: Performance

Getting started with the drive is fast; it’s essentially plug-and-play on both Mac and PC systems, and once the USB-C cable is connected, you’re ready to go. On the Mac, the drive icon appears on the desktop, and on Windows, it can be found alongside other drives in the OS.

To start testing the drive, I went straight to benchmark performance tests and found that across CrystalDiskMark, ATTO, AS SSD, and AJA System Test, the results were consistent. Read speeds across all four tools ranged from 202 MB/s to 214 MB/s, and write speeds ranged from 197 MB/s to 207 MB/s. This essentially shows reliable performance with minimal variation across test methods and, therefore, across the different real-world applications, file sizes, and formats you’re likely to use. More importantly, these speeds remained consistent throughout a three-day video editing test, with no thermal throttling or audible performance reduction.

To double-check the results, I left each AJA System Test Lite running for several hours without any real effect on the final result.

A large part of the real-world test was conducted while editing 4K video; the test footage was from a Canon EOS R5 C, and the files were recorded in 4K UHD (3840 × 2160) at 50 fps, in Canon XF-AVC Long GOP, YCC422 10-bit, in MXF format.

On the MacBook Pro M1 Max in Final Cut Pro X, there were occasional moments during editing when the timeline required the machine to catch up, primarily a codec-decoding issue on the older Mac rather than a drive-throughput problem.

I then tested a similar project in Premiere Pro on the ProArt PZ14 and found that it the edit was significantly smoother. For 1080p content and lighter 4K workflows, the FireCuda X Vault is a workable primary editing drive. For high-bitrate 4K with multiple grades and tracks, an SSD remains the better option, especially the LaCie Big8, which I was also reviewing at the same time.

One of the early indicators of speed was the initial transfer of files from a CFexpress Type B card to the drive. Transferring 1.5TB of Canon EOS R5 C footage from a CFexpress Type B card to the FireCuda X Vault took approximately two hours. The same transfer via a portable SSD took 10 to 12 minutes, just to highlight the difference between an HDD and an SSD.

I’ll also note that this is not an issue with the FireCuda X Vault; it’s working exactly as a 215MB/s spinning drive should, it’s just that SSD is that much faster. If you do look at it from that perspective, in speed terms, then the drive is better suited as a first backup destination after an initial fast offload to an SSD, rather than as the primary offload destination from a card.

Of course, as this drive is designed for gaming, I had to test it with a few Steam titles. After transferring the storage from my machine to the drive, it was time to load up a few games. The first was Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and this, along with several other Steam titles, loaded from the FireCuda X Vault at speeds comparable to the Asus machine's faster internal SSD, showing that 215MB/s is more than adequate for game loading and save data, and that the gaming library certification is backed by genuine ability.

Noise levels throughout the test were minimal; to be honest, the noise from the video and games drowned out any noise, and it was so slow that I didn’t notice. Even under the sustained seek-and-write loads of a multi-hour video edit, the drive produced only a faint mechanical hum, inaudible over the monitor speakers.

• Performance: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Seagate FireCuda X Vault?

The Seagate FireCuda X Vault 8TB, with its bus-powered USB-C design, is genuinely innovative, and it’s hard to see why this hasn’t been done before. It essentially makes the drive simpler with fewer cables, and while it's larger than a portable hard drive, it’s far cheaper for the capacity. After testing on a MacBook Pro M1 Max and an Asus PZ14, the single-drive design and ease of moving it around were obvious advantages over traditional desktop drives.

While the performance was significantly slower than that of an SSD, it was consistent, especially for the capacity and price. In the benchmark tests, the drive offered roughly 214MB/s read and 207MB/s write across multiple benchmarks and maintained those speeds in real-world tests. For photographers, this makes the FireCuda X Vault a great option as a working and backup drive, essentially offering a price per terabyte that external SSDs cannot match.

For videographers, the drive can handle 1080p and light 4K editing, but when it comes to high-bitrate 4K workflows, the limits are pushed, and as I discovered, the CFexpress Type B offload speed was approximately 2 hours for 1.5 TB, versus 10 to 12 minutes via a portable SSD. For video-heavy workflows, while far more expensive, a fast large-capacity SSD, such as the LaCie Big8, would be a better choice as the primary editing drive, then the FireCuda X Vault as an 8TB accessible project archive sitting on the desk.

Seagate Toolkit's lack of Mac compatibility is a clear gap that Seagate should address. Mac users make up a significant portion of the creative professional market that I think this drive will appeal to, although more creative users are moving away from Mac-based workflows due to the prohibitive costs.

At $270 / £280 for 8TB, this is exceptional value, and thankfully, as the gaming theme is restrained, the drive sits comfortably on a creative workstation without looking out of place. The FireCuda X Vault is a great desktop drive for PC gamers who want high-capacity game storage, and also a good choice for photographers who need accessible bulk working storage, and a useful archive and rough-cut editing drive for videographers, as long as your primary editing workflow runs on a faster internal or external SSD.

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

For more storage options, we've tested the best portable SSDs around.

US Fleet Tracking: Overview

US Fleet Tracking has been in the GPS hardware business since 2005, originally supplying tracking systems exclusively to 911 dispatch, law enforcement, and emergency services before opening to commercial fleets. That public safety heritage shows up in its core product: fast, reliable, no-frills location tracking at a price that doesn't require a three-year commitment. You can find it listed among TechRadar's best fleet management software, though it occupies a specific niche rather than aiming for broader industry appeal.

TechRadar reviewers spend hundreds of hours each month researching B2B software, but fleet management is a crowded and competitive category. Our overall pick for 2026 has to be Samsara, which offers a much broader platform. US Fleet Tracking is a different kind of product, I think it's worth being clear about that upfront.

The platform has been rebranded by over 350 GPS tracking companies, now claiming hundreds of thousands of business customers. It has also served as the tracking provider for every Super Bowl since 2007. Those are real endorsements of its core tracking hardware, even if the software around it feels spartan by modern standards.

US Fleet Tracking: At a glance

US Fleet Tracking is a focused product with a very clear strength: GPS speed. Everything else in the platform is adequate at best. I'd recommend it to fleet operators who want live location visibility without paying for features they won't use, but it falls short as an all-in-one management system.

US Fleet Tracking: Features

• Cellular GPS updates every 5 or 10 seconds, faster than nearly every competing platform.
• Satellite tracking plans extend coverage globally, including remote areas without cellular service.
• Geofencing alerts notify managers when vehicles or assets enter or exit designated zones.
• Remote vehicle kill switch lets managers disable a stolen or unauthorized vehicle remotely.
• IFTA mileage tracking by state simplifies fuel tax reporting for commercial operators.
• Asset tracking shares the same refresh rate as vehicle tracking, useful for construction equipment and trailers.

The platform's headline feature is its refresh rate. The cellular "Most Popular" plan updates vehicle location every 10 seconds, while the "Blazing Fast" plan cuts that to every five seconds. Those speeds are genuinely faster than most competitors, many of which update every 30 seconds to two minutes. For operations where pinpoint real-time awareness matters, such as emergency response contractors or urban delivery fleets, that gap is meaningful.

Beyond GPS speed, the feature set narrows considerably. You get geofencing alerts, ignition notifications, idle warnings, maintenance reminders based on mileage or hours, and historical route playback. Weather and traffic overlays are built into the map view. There's also a remote kill switch, remote door unlock, and an ExxonMobil Fleet Affinity fuel card integration for managing fuel purchases. These are genuinely useful tools, but they cover a fairly small slice of what a full fleet management platform should handle.

Where US Fleet Tracking falls short is driver and vehicle management. There are no vehicle diagnostic tools, no maintenance records (only reminders), no automatic route optimization, no panic button, and no two-way messaging between drivers and dispatchers. ELD compliance, required for commercial carriers under FMCSA regulations, is only available as a paid add-on rather than a standard inclusion. Competitors like Samsara and Verizon Connect bundle most of this at comparable price points.

US Fleet Tracking: Ease of Use

US Fleet Tracking has a reputation for being one of the simpler fleet systems to set up and use. Device activation is handled online without needing a service call, and the interface is clean enough that most managers can navigate it without dedicated training. The mobile app is available on both iOS and Android, allowing location monitoring and alert management from a phone.

The web-based dashboard is functional but visually dated compared to platforms like Samsara or Motive, which have invested heavily in modern UI design. For users who don't need advanced dashboards, that's a reasonable trade-off. For teams expecting the kind of polished experience you'd get from newer entrants to the market, the interface may feel like a step back.

US Fleet Tracking: Pricing

US Fleet Tracking offers four plans split across cellular and satellite options. The cellular plans cost $29.95 per vehicle per month for 10-second updates and $39.95 per month for five-second updates. Satellite plans are $24.95 per month for standard coverage with three daily updates, and $79.95 per month for premium satellite with five-minute refresh intervals. Battery-powered trackers add $10 per month to any plan. Hardware is purchased separately: the entry-level AT-V4 Wireless GPS Tracker costs $199, while the QT-V4 Pro with additional sensor support runs $249.

The biggest pricing advantage is the absence of long-term contracts. Most competing platforms, including Samsara and Verizon Connect, require commitments of one to three years. US Fleet Tracking operates on rolling monthly agreements, which makes it easy to test the platform or scale down without penalty. Volume pricing is available for larger fleets by contacting the sales team directly, though those rates aren't published online.

US Fleet Tracking: Customer support

Support is available through live chat on the website, by phone at (405) 726-9900, and by email at sales@usft.com. The company also offers a free live demo for prospective customers, which is a reasonable substitute for the free trial many competitors provide. Hardware comes with a one-year limited warranty. There is no publicly listed Better Business Bureau rating, and independent user reviews are relatively sparse, which makes it harder to assess long-term support quality at scale.

US Fleet Tracking does not provide on-site installation technicians. For plug-and-play OBD-II devices, that's not a problem. For hardwired trackers across a larger fleet, you'll need to handle installation in-house or arrange a third-party technician. That's an extra cost and coordination burden that some operators may not anticipate upfront.

US Fleet Tracking: Alternatives

• Samsara: Techradar’s best fleet management platform for 2026, offering real-time tracking, AI dashcams, driver safety scoring, and ELD compliance in a single platform with strong support.
• Verizon Connect: Provides deeper vehicle diagnostics and driver management tools, making it a better fit for fleets that need comprehensive reporting alongside GPS tracking.
• Motive : covers ELD compliance, fuel management, and driver coaching out of the box, with near-real-time GPS updates at a competitive price point.

US Fleet Tracking: Final verdict

US Fleet Tracking occupies a clear but narrow position in the market. If your fleet's most pressing need is real-time location visibility at the fastest possible update speed, and you want to pay month-to-month without contracts, this platform is genuinely hard to beat at its price point. The satellite coverage options also make it a practical choice for operations in remote regions where cellular networks are unreliable.

Most commercial fleets, though, need more than a fast GPS signal. The missing maintenance records, lack of route optimization, absence of driver communication tools, and ELD locked behind an add-on are real gaps, not minor omissions. For any fleet where compliance, safety monitoring, or operational analytics are priorities, I'd point you toward Samsara or Verizon Connect instead.

US Fleet Tracking: How we tested

My evaluation drew on hands-on assessment of US Fleet Tracking's platform, published pricing and feature documentation from the company's official website, and corroborating data from independent review platforms.

I assessed the platform across nine key attributes relevant to fleet operators, comparing feature depth, pricing transparency, and support access against leading competitors in the category.

US Fleet Tracking: FAQs

Utility apps for Mac abound, each pledging to keep your machine running smoothly. Some focus purely on junk removal, others on app management, and still others on malware protection. The challenge has always been that covering all of those bases typically means juggling several tools at once.

CleanMyMac X, developed by MacPaw, has long aimed to solve that problem in a single package, and the app has grown considerably since its early days as a cleanup-focused utility. Today, it bundles system optimization, application management, file tools, and a full Protection module into one interface. That Protection module, powered by MacPaw's Moonlock Engine, targets macOS threats such as adware, spyware, and cryptocurrency miners, while a companion privacy suite handles browsing history, chat logs, and app permission management.

It's a more complete offering than it once was, and it faces a more competitive field. Tools like CCleaner for Mac, MacKeeper, Cleaner One Pro, and Nektony App Cleaner and Uninstaller each chip away at parts of what CleanMyMac X offers, at varying price points and with varying degrees of depth. Whether CleanMyMac X justifies its premium position in that market is exactly what this review sets out to answer.

Plans and pricing

CleanMyMac X is available through a yearly subscription or one-time purchase. The former gives you unlimited access to major updates, while the latter will require paying upgrade fees. The one time purchase currently starts at $119.95 for one Mac.

Subscription prices start at $39.95 for one Mac, scaling up through to $63.95 and $127.95 for two and five Macs respectively. You'll also find discounts when more than one license is purchased at a time. You can also download a free trial from the CleanMyMac X website.

Like other recently reviewed apps, including Canary Mail and Newton, CleanMyMac X is also part of the Setapp subscription plan, which gives you more than 230 Mac and iOS apps for $9.99/month. 

Features

CleanMyMac X has evolved over the years and now includes multiple tools grouped under five broad categories: Cleanup, Protection, Speed, Applications, and Files. Running any of the tools takes no more than just a few clicks making it one of the easiest to use Mac apps on the planet. 

Subjectively, the best CleanMyMac X feature is the Smart Scan, a two-step tool you can find at the top left of the app menu. After clicking on the hard-to-miss "Scan" button under this section, CleanMyMac X automatically searches for ways to quickly improve the computer's performance by concentrating on three of the five categories above, Cleanup, Protection, and Speed. 

After CleanMyMac X generates its Smart Scan results, you can click on the "Run" button to automatically perform the recommended tasks or explore the individual findings in more depth. For example, under Cleanup, the app identifies system junk, mail attachments, and trash it believes are worth deleting to save space. Under Protection, you'll find possible malware. Finally, under Speed are recommendations to make the machine perform more quickly, such as freeing up RAM and flushing DNS cache. 

CleanMyMac X's Cleanup, Protection, and Speed tools are its best ones. And thanks to the Smart Scan tool, the easiest ones to perform. If you rather not run the Smart Scan, you can run each tool individually from the app menu. This way is ideal for anyone who wants to feel more in control before wiping out files or freeing up RAM. I typically use Smart Scan, although there are times when I'm troubleshooting a problem and drilling down is best. Either way is pain-free and gets the job done. 

CleanMyMac X does a less impressive job with its Applications and Files tools. Under the former, you can quickly delete more than one app simultaneously, including leftover files from previous deletions. Regularly, I use this tool to identify apps I no longer need and remove them to save space and add some order. If they were downloaded from the Mac App Store, they can get added again at any time. 

There's also an app update tool, which lets you install multiple app updates concurrently. Unfortunately, the tool tends to be hit or miss as some updates weren't found during my tests. The app also includes an extension tool in this location. Use it to delete Spotlight, Safari, and other types of extensions individually or as a group. 

Finally, the three Files tools are Space Lens, Large & Old Files, and Shredder. The first one offers a visual comparison of your Mac's folders and files. It's intended to give you a birdseye view of what's located in storage. Unfortunately, the Space Lens design has much to be desired and doesn't look nearly as good as other solutions on the market, such as DaisyDisk, one of my favorites.  

I'm not saying Space Lens is bad. However, some refinement in its design would go a long way in making the feature much better and easier to use. 

The Large & Old Files tool is a little more valuable as it identifies "huge" and rarely used files that take up space you. With these identified, you can decide whether to delete them or keep them in place. For example, it's a great resource to find large video files no longer needed. 

Security and Privacy

CleanMyMac X, best known for its optimization tools, has deeply integrated security into the app, moving it well beyond a simple add-on. The Protection module delivers two main functions: malware removal and privacy management. The malware scanner runs on MacPaw's proprietary Moonlock Engine, which targets macOS-specific threats, including adware, spyware, and cryptocurrency miners. While it won't replace a dedicated security suite for high-risk users, Moonlock receives regular threat definition updates and sweeps up the usual Mac-focused suspects, such as adware and miners, without bogging down the system.

The privacy side of the Protection module is where CleanMyMac X tends to stand out from traditional antivirus tools. The app quickly clears browsing history, chat logs from apps like Messages, and recent items lists. These aren't just convenience features. Clearing this kind of residual data reduces your exposure if a device is lost, stolen, or accessed without your knowledge.

The Application Permissions manager consolidates all apps that have been granted access to your microphone, camera, or disk into a single view, letting you audit and revoke access without hunting through System Settings. For users who have accumulated years of installed software, this alone can surface long-forgotten permissions that are unsettling.

It's worth noting what the Protection module doesn't cover. There's no real-time threat monitoring, no network firewall, and no VPN. CleanMyMac X is not positioning itself as a full security suite, and the Protection module is better understood as a practical privacy maintenance tool for everyday Mac users who want something faster and more approachable than a dedicated antivirus platform. For the average user, it strikes a smart balance between utility and ease of use.

Interface and in use

MacPaw has gone out of its way to create a beautiful, easy-to-use app in CleanMyMac X. Besides Space Lens, ever section is designed with friendliness in mind. Better still, it offers explanations whenever it recommends file deletions. 

Support

You can find CleanMyMac X support from the MacPaw website. The site includes troubleshooting guides, a location to submit malware concerns, and a Contact Us page. 

The competition

CleanMyMac X targets the premium end of the Mac utility market but faces real pressure from both specialized tools and broader all-in-one platforms. If you’re looking for a household name on a budget, CCleaner is still the obvious starting point. Its free tier handles basic junk cleanup with a straightforward, no-frills interface, which makes it accessible to users who want occasional maintenance without a subscription commitment. However, CCleaner's Mac version has historically lagged behind its Windows counterpart in depth and refinement, and it offers no comparable malware scanning or permissions management to CleanMyMac X.

MacKeeper has rebuilt its reputation considerably after years of aggressive marketing that damaged user trust. The modern MacKeeper has evolved into a solid all-in-one suite that now includes antivirus scanning, a bundled VPN, and 24/7 live support, all under a subscription model. For users who want security, privacy, and cleanup tools in a single package with human support available, MacKeeper has become a more credible option than it once was. CleanMyMac X still holds an edge in interface polish and the depth of its optimization tools, but the lack of a VPN is a notable omission compared to MacKeeper’s bundle.

Cleaner One Pro, published by Trend Micro, takes a different approach by prioritizing speed and simplicity. Its disk space visualization is genuinely useful for quickly identifying storage hogs, and the app has a lighter resource footprint than CleanMyMac X. It won't appeal to users who want detailed cleanup control, but as an affordable, low-commitment option, it serves casual users well.

Nektony’s App Cleaner and Uninstaller is more of a specialist tool. It's built specifically for thorough app removal, hunting down the preference files, caches, and support folders that macOS leaves behind after a standard drag-to-trash uninstall. Available as a one-time purchase rather than a subscription, it appeals to users who distrust recurring billing models. It doesn't compete with CleanMyMac X on breadth, but for users whose primary frustration is incomplete uninstalls, it's a sharper tool for that specific job.

Final verdict

CleanMyMac X is a terrific maintenance solution that's reasonably priced and packed full of features. Of course, some of these are better than others. And yet, as a whole, the app serves a valuable purpose. At the minimum, you should download and install a trial version and see whether it's right for you. 

You might also be interested in our report on the best Mac apps of the year.

Onfleet isn't exactly a traditional fleet management platform. At its core, it's a last-mile delivery management solution built for couriers, retailers, pharmacies, and similar operations that need to track drivers, optimize routes, and keep customers updated in real time. If you're comparing it against options on our best fleet management software list, that distinction matters before you commit.

The platform launched in 2012 and now serves over 1,000 customers across 60 countries, supporting more than 75 million completed deliveries. TechRadar reviewers spend hundreds of hours each month researching B2B software across multiple categories, and in this space, our top overall pick for 2026 remains Samsara for teams needing a full-featured fleet telematics solution. That said, Onfleet carves out its own unique niche.

Onfleet’s strengths are in the delivery workflow: assigning tasks, tracking drivers live, capturing proof of delivery, and keeping recipients informed with automated notifications. For operations where that's the priority, it works very well. For businesses that also need ELD compliance, fuel tracking, or vehicle maintenance scheduling, you'll need to look elsewhere or plan to run a parallel system.

Onfleet: At a glance

The platform earns its strong ratings in last-mile delivery circles. The gaps become more apparent if you're expecting the vehicle monitoring depth that traditional fleet management software typically provides.

Onfleet: Features

• Live GPS tracking across all active drivers, with route overlays and predictive ETAs powered by historical traffic data
• Auto-dispatch assigns tasks to drivers based on capacity, location, and past performance
• Proof of delivery captures photos, signatures, barcodes, and timestamps, shared automatically with customers
• Age and ID verification is built into the driver app, with manual verification available as an alternative for Scale and Enterprise users
• The Command Center (Scale/Enterprise) provides a live operational overview so dispatchers can resolve issues before they escalate
• Branded customer tracking pages with two-way driver-recipient chat and automated delay notifications

Onfleet's feature set is purpose-built for delivery operations, and it shows. Route optimization, auto-dispatch, proof of delivery, and customer notifications all work with a level of refinement that generalist fleet tools rarely match. The platform is best suited to mid-sized and enterprise delivery operations in sectors like grocery, pharmacy, cannabis, and courier logistics - essentially any business where the last mile is the most critical part of fulfillment.

The 2025 product updates added meaningful capability across the board. The Command Center, available on Scale and Enterprise plans, gives dispatchers a live map view of all active routes with color-coded driver paths. Vehicle-type routing now lets operations plan routes before assigning specific drivers, which is useful for mixed fleets with different vehicle capacities. Age verification and ID scanning were also strengthened, which benefits regulated industries like cannabis and pharmacy delivery. Fuel consumption tracking, maintenance alerts, and ELD compliance are nowhere to be found, despite being standard at competing platforms.

The API quality is worth a specific mention. Multiple users describe Onfleet's RESTful API as one of the best-documented in the logistics category, with native integrations covering Shopify, Zapier, Leafly, Dutchie, GigSmart, and more. For e-commerce and cannabis operations already running those platforms, the integration story is solid.

Onfleet: Ease of Use

The platform has built a reputation as one of the easier delivery management systems to get running. Setup is quick, the dispatcher dashboard is clean, and the driver app holds consistently strong user ratings: 4.8 on the App Store and 4.7 on Google Play. Most teams don't need significant technical training to be productive from day one.

One limitation worth flagging is the absence of a native mobile dashboard for dispatchers. The web UI is responsive but not purpose-built for mobile the way a dedicated app would be. Operations managers who regularly move between a desk and a warehouse floor may find that slightly inconvenient. The driver-facing app, by contrast, is polished and well-designed - and it's the one that sees the most daily use.

Onfleet: Pricing

Onfleet bills on a task-based model across three tiers. Launch starts at $619/month and covers 2,500 completed tasks, basic route optimization, and email and scheduled phone support. Scale starts at $1,349/month with 5,000 tasks, auto-dispatch, barcode and ID scanning, and access to the Command Center. Enterprise starts at $3,099/month for 10,000 or more tasks, with multi-brand support, enterprise SSO, and premium onboarding. A Courier Suite add-on is available from $299/month. A 14-day free trial requires no credit card.

The entry-level cost is significant, especially compared to per-vehicle pricing models like Verizon Connect (around $20 per vehicle per month) or Samsara. The task-based model does have a logical appeal: you pay for completed deliveries rather than vehicle seats, which can favor high-volume operations. The catch is that unused tasks don't roll over, so it's worth calculating your expected monthly delivery volume carefully before picking a plan.

Onfleet: Customer support

Support quality shows up as a consistent highlight across user reviews. Response times are generally fast, and the guided onboarding included with Scale and Enterprise plans gives new teams a structured path to getting the most out of the platform. Dedicated Customer Success Managers are assigned at the Scale tier and above, which makes a meaningful difference for larger operations with more complex workflows.

One recurring issue in user feedback is that automated SMS notifications occasionally get flagged as spam by mobile carriers, which affects customer communication reliability. This is partly a carrier-level problem rather than a product flaw, but it does create real headaches for operations that depend heavily on SMS delivery alerts. Onfleet's support team addresses it when raised, but there's no in-product resolution for it yet.

Onfleet: Alternatives

• Samsara: Our top pick for 2026 and the better choice for operations that need ELD compliance, fuel analytics, and vehicle diagnostics alongside delivery tracking.
• Verizon Connect: Worth considering for mixed fleets that need HOS reporting, driver behavior monitoring, and scalable per-vehicle pricing.
• Motive: A strong fit for trucking and delivery fleets that need safety compliance tools and dash cam integration in a single platform.

Onfleet: Final verdict

For last-mile delivery management, Onfleet is one of the stronger options available. The route optimization, proof of delivery, and customer notification features are well executed, and the API quality makes it a practical choice for operations that need to integrate delivery management into a broader technical stack. Teams in grocery, pharmacy, cannabis, and courier logistics will find it covers their core needs without too much friction.

Where the platform falls short is in the broader fleet management category. ELD compliance, fuel tracking, vehicle maintenance scheduling, and driver safety scoring are all absent, which narrows its applicability significantly for mixed-use fleets or regulated transport operations. The pricing also places a real barrier for smaller teams. If either of those gaps is a dealbreaker, Samsara or Verizon Connect are more appropriate starting points.

Onfleet: How we tested

My evaluation combined Onfleet's official documentation, feature pages, and 2025 product update posts with user review data. I cross-referenced pricing and plan details directly from Onfleet's pricing page and assessed each attribute against standard fleet management benchmarks to produce consistent category-level scores.

Onfleet: FAQs

Picking a fleet management platform is one of the more consequential decisions a fleet operator can make, and the market is not short of capable options. Lytx sits near the top of our best fleet management software shortlist, and it has earned that position primarily through its video-backed telematics and AI-powered safety coaching, two areas where it consistently outperforms the field.

The platform is built around DriveCam, a dual-facing dash cam system that uses Lytx's proprietary machine vision and AI (MV+AI) technology to detect risky behavior both inside the cab and on the road ahead. In nearly three decades of operation, Lytx has accumulated over 500 billion kilometers of commercial driving data, the largest driving database of its kind, which powers a risk detection engine capable of identifying more than 60 distinct behaviors. TechRadar reviewers spend hundreds of hours each month evaluating B2B software across categories, and I came away from this one impressed by the AI depth but less convinced by the overall value proposition for smaller fleets.

If you're weighing Lytx against our current top pick, Samsara, the practical difference comes down to specialization. Lytx goes deeper on video safety and coaching; Samsara covers more operational ground at a more accessible price. Which one suits you depends on whether driver safety or broad fleet flexibility is your top priority.

Lytx: At a glance

Lytx performs strongest where it has invested most: video-based risk detection and compliance tooling. Its weakest points, pricing transparency and customer support, are however areas that affect businesses at every scale.

Lytx: Features

• Coach Assist uses AI to help safety managers deliver faster, more targeted driver feedback.
• Dynamic Risk provides a real-time, multi-dimensional view of road and weather hazards before they escalate.
• Fatigue Detection, launched in 2025, claims a 90% accuracy rate in identifying drowsy drivers.
• Privacy controls include automatic face and license plate blurring, plus a mode that detects risk without continuous video recording.
• The integration ecosystem spans fuel management, dispatch, routing, and insurance providers.

Lytx's MV+AI technology, built into the DriveCam SF-Series cameras, is the platform's clearest differentiator. It detects more than 60 risky behaviors (distracted driving, drowsiness, seat belt violations, harsh braking, and lane departures among them) and delivers real-time multilingual audio and visual alerts so drivers can self-correct before an incident occurs. Fleet managers receive flagged video clips for structured coaching sessions, with the recently launched Coach Assist tool using AI to help coaches deliver faster, more targeted feedback.

Beyond safety, the platform handles GPS tracking, geofencing, ELD compliance, preventive maintenance scheduling, and fuel management. The new LytxOne solution combines video safety and telematics on a single platform, while Lytx+ with Geotab, launched in the second half of 2025, integrates Lytx's video capabilities with Geotab's telematics for fleets that want a unified system. Lytx also offers rugged GPS trackers for non-powered equipment like trailers and heavy machinery.

One gap worth noting: Lytx does not include IFTA fuel tax reporting, which several competitors offer as standard. Operational cost management tools are also less developed than what you'd get from Samsara or Verizon Connect. The feature set justifies the investment for large, safety-focused fleets, but smaller operations may find themselves paying for capabilities they rarely use.

Lytx: Ease of Use

The Lytx dashboard earns consistently positive marks from experienced fleet managers, particularly around the coaching workflow. Coaches receive notifications, pull up flagged video clips, and log feedback through a process that G2 reviewers repeatedly describe as intuitive and low-friction. The driver app adds useful functionality for event flagging and field communication on the road.

Initial setup is where the experience gets harder. Larger fleet deployments can involve significant installation complexity, and user reviews warn that self-installation is difficult without hands-on technical guidance. Video retrieval has also drawn criticism, with some users reporting that footage isn't always available as quickly as they need it after an incident — for time-sensitive evidence collection, that delay matters.

Lytx: Pricing

Lytx does not publish its pricing. Based on third-party sources, costs typically start from $40 per vehicle per month with an additional upfront installation cost of $500 per vehicle, depending on the features selected and contract length, with hardware quoted separately. For a 50-vehicle fleet on a three-year contract, the total cost of ownership can reach $150,000 to $300,000.

Competitors like Samsara and Motive can often undercut those figures by $15 to $30 per vehicle per month. Lytx also does not offer a free trial, which means committing to a demo-and-quote process before you can properly evaluate the platform. If you're budget-sensitive or running a smaller fleet, those two factors in combination are a real barrier.

Lytx: Customer support

Lytx's support channels include phone, email, and ticket submission. Standard hours run Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm PT. That's a notable gap for fleets running overnight schedules or operating across multiple time zones, and a knowledge base plus online academy are the only self-service options available outside those hours.

The support reputation is a persistent weak point. Review data consistently surfaces complaints about long wait times, difficulty reaching knowledgeable agents, and inflexible early termination terms. G2 reviews from large enterprise fleets tend to be more positive, which suggests the quality of support may scale with account size — for smaller operators, though, it's a meaningful risk worth factoring in before you sign.

Lytx: Alternatives

• Samsara: Our top pick for 2026 offers broader fleet management capabilities, transparent pricing, and a more consistent support experience for fleets of all sizes.
• Verizon Connect: A solid choice for businesses already in the Verizon ecosystem, with comparable GPS tracking and compliance features at a more straightforward price point.
• Motive (formerly KeepTruckin): Typically priced $10 to $30 per vehicle per month, with a comparable ELD feature set to Lytx that suits trucking-focused fleets well.

Lytx: Final verdict

Lytx earns its reputation as one of the most capable video telematics platforms in the market. The MV+AI detection is sophisticated, the coaching workflow is well-designed, and the compliance tools cover everything a DOT-regulated fleet needs. Frost & Sullivan named it the 2025 Global Company of the Year in commercial vehicle video telematics and ABI Research ranked it the top overall video telematics provider. Based on my experience with the platform, the recognition appears more than justified.

That said, Lytx is not the right fit for every operation. The opaque pricing, limited support hours, and long contract commitments raise the barrier for smaller or budget-conscious fleets. If driver safety and video evidence are your primary concerns and you have the fleet size to justify the investment, Lytx is a legitimate leader in this space. If you need broader operational tools, clearer upfront costs, or more accessible support, Samsara is a stronger starting point.

Lytx: How we tested

My evaluation drew on Lytx's official product documentation, feature pages, and press releases, as well as independent review data from top review sites. I assessed each attribute against comparable fleet management solutions currently on the market and cross-referenced pricing estimates from multiple third-party analyst sources, since pricing is not disclosed publicly.

Lytx: FAQs

Finding a fleet management platform that handles the compliance workload without becoming a chore to navigate is harder than it sounds. Geotab's MyGeotab platform handles all of it from one web-based dashboard, and for good reason it appears near the top of our best fleet management software roundup. With more than 3.2 million subscribers across 130 countries, it operates at a scale few competitors can claim.

TechRadar reviewers spend hundreds of hours each month evaluating B2B software categories covering fleet management, GPS tracking, and vehicular telematics. Geotab is a platform we find ourselves returning to frequently. ABI Research's independent telematics vendor comparison report has ranked Geotab number one in commercial telematics, and after putting the platform through its paces, I'd say that recognition holds up. If you're still comparing options, Samsara remains our top pick for 2026, particularly for teams that want a polished, easy-to-deploy experience.

Yet what Geotab does well is scale. The platform can support a three-vehicle operation on a basic GPS plan just as effectively as it handles a national fleet running AI analytics and EV monitoring. A recent addition, Geotab Ace, is a generative AI assistant that lets you query your fleet data in plain language, bringing complex reporting within reach for managers who aren't data analysts by trade.

Geotab: At a glance

Geotab is a strong all-rounder suited to data-focused fleet operators. The compliance and analytics capabilities are among the best in the category, but the reseller pricing model and a steeper-than-average learning curve keep it from being the easiest starting point for first-time fleet managers.

Geotab: Features

• Geotab Ace AI assistant answers fleet data questions from natural language prompts.
• FMCSA-certified ELD covers HOS, DVIR, and IFTA for North American regulatory compliance.
• IOX expandability supports 250+ third-party integrations, from dash cams to temperature sensors.
• Active Tracking delivers faster GPS position updates on ProPlus and GO plans.
• EV battery monitoring tracks charge levels, state of health, and charging duration for mixed-fuel fleets.
• Driver ID via NFC technology identifies individual drivers in shared vehicles.

MyGeotab covers the full range of fleet management needs: GPS tracking, driver behavior monitoring, compliance reporting, fuel management, and EV fleet support across a five-tier plan structure (Base, Regulatory, Pro, ProPlus, and GO). The platform starts lean and scales as your operation grows, but some of the most useful capabilities are locked behind the Pro and ProPlus tiers. It's worth mapping your requirements against the plan structure before you commit.

The analytics and compliance coverage is where Geotab earns real credit. Geotab Ace answers plain-language fleet queries without requiring you to build custom reports from scratch, and the compliance suite is one of the most thorough in the market. The platform supports over 100 HOS rulesets, IFTA reporting, and DVIR workflows, covering the bulk of what regulated North American fleets need in one place.

The Marketplace ecosystem adds further depth, with 250+ third-party integrations connectable via the IOX expandability system. You can attach dash cams, temperature sensors, NFC card readers, and more. Competing platforms like Samsara offer more native safety features out of the box, including built-in theft prevention and real-time traffic overlays, which Geotab currently lacks. For organizations that want to build a tailored solution on an open platform, though, the Marketplace breadth is difficult to beat.

Geotab: Ease of Use

MyGeotab runs in any major browser without a local install, and the dashboard puts a lot of information in front of you immediately. That depth comes with a real learning curve: most users describe a significant adjustment period during the first few weeks, especially when configuring exception rules or building custom reports. Geotab does provide good onboarding resources through MyGeotab Academy, a detailed knowledge base, and video tutorials, so the path to proficiency is well-supported even if it takes time.

The mobile app extends the core features reasonably well, covering trip history, alerts, and driver status. Navigation feels cluttered compared to newer, mobile-first platforms, and the map interface can lag on slower connections. For tech-comfortable fleet managers, these are manageable. For teams short on training time, they're worth factoring into your assessment.

Geotab: Pricing

Geotab sells exclusively through third-party resellers, so you won't find a published price list on its website. As a general guideline, hardware units typically cost $80–$120 to purchase outright, while bundled plans that include rented hardware run approximately $30–$40 per vehicle, per month. Independent pricing estimates suggest per-plan costs in the $20–$40/vehicle/month range depending on tier, but your actual quote depends on your reseller.

This model cuts both ways.

Resellers can bundle local installation, custom support tiers, and competitive discounts that Geotab wouldn't offer directly. But the trade-off is that comparing costs takes effort, and some resellers lock you into multi-year contracts. Platforms like Samsara publish their rates openly, which makes budget planning much more straightforward. For established fleet operations with procurement teams, the reseller model is workable. For smaller teams buying for the first time, it slows the process down.

Geotab: Customer support

Geotab's support offering is strong for the category. Live chat is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week in English, French, and Spanish, accessible directly from within MyGeotab, the community portal, or the website. Phone support is available 24/7/365 through authorized resellers, alongside email, a community forum, and a detailed self-service knowledge base.

The reseller layer is worth understanding. Your primary support relationship is with your reseller rather than Geotab directly, so response quality can vary depending on the partner you're working with. When your reseller is responsive, the system works well. When it isn't, there's an extra step between you and resolution. On balance, though, Geotab's support infrastructure is one of its stronger selling points, and the free installation assistance available through its authorized installer network is something several competitors don't offer.

Geotab: Alternatives

• Samsara: Our top pick for 2026, with 30-second GPS refresh rates, built-in AI dash cams, a polished interface, and publicly listed pricing.
• Verizon Connect: A feature-rich option with strong maintenance scheduling tools, well-suited to mid-size and enterprise fleets.
• Teletrac Navman: A solid mid-market choice with better warranty and license renewal tracking than Geotab, worth considering for compliance-heavy operations.

Geotab: Final verdict

Geotab is one of the most capable fleet management platforms available, particularly for organizations that need deep compliance coverage and detailed analytics across a large vehicle count. The FMCSA-certified ELD, Geotab Ace AI assistant, and 250+ Marketplace integrations give fleet managers tools that hold up at scale, and the open API makes it one of the most customizable options in the category.

That said, it's not the most plug-and-play solution out there. The reseller-only pricing creates friction for buyers trying to compare costs quickly, and the MyGeotab learning curve requires a real onboarding investment. Teams that prioritize ease of use and speed to deployment will likely be better served by Samsara. But for fleet operators building a long-term, data-driven operation they plan to customize over time, Geotab makes a compelling case.

Geotab: How we tested

My evaluation drew on hands-on testing of the MyGeotab platform alongside a review of official Geotab documentation, third-party reseller information, and independent research from ABI Research, Tech.co's February 2026 fleet industry survey, and verified user reviews. I assessed the platform across nine core attributes covering GPS tracking, analytics, compliance, pricing structure, ease of use, and customer support quality.

Geotab: FAQs

Managing a commercial fleet gets complicated fast. Between tracking driver behavior, scheduling maintenance, and keeping tabs on assets across multiple locations, you need software that will help rather than get in the way. If you're still working through your options, TechRadar's guide to the best fleet management software covers the full competitive picture.

TechRadar reviewers spend hundreds of hours each month evaluating B2B software across categories, and fleet management is no exception. Our current top pick for 2026 is Samsara, which leads on compliance tools and driver safety analytics. GPSWOX takes a different approach. It's a broad-reach platform that prioritizes hardware flexibility and affordability over depth in any single area.

Launched in 2014 and headquartered in London, GPSWOX now serves over 100,000 users in 123 countries and supports more than 900 GPS tracker models, which is one of the widest compatibility ranges in the category. That makes it a practical choice if you're working with existing hardware, operating across borders, or can't standardize devices across your fleet.

GPSWOX GPS: At a glance

GPSWOX sits comfortably in the mid-tier of fleet management platforms. Its GPS tracking accuracy and alerting capabilities are among its strongest areas, and the pricing structure is transparent enough that smaller organizations can plan budgets without guesswork.

Compliance monitoring is the clearest gap. Fleets operating in heavily regulated environments will likely need a separate compliance-focused platform alongside it.

GPSWOX GPS: Features

• Real-time tracking updates every 3 seconds, with support for Google Maps, Google Street View, and OpenStreetMap (Google Maps is a paid add-on).
• Geofencing alerts trigger when vehicles enter or leave designated zones, delivered via SMS, email, or the mobile app.
• Maintenance scheduling supports triggers by miles driven, operating hours, or calendar time, with automated service reminders.
• Driver behavior monitoring tracks speeding, idling, and harsh acceleration to support fleet safety programs.
• Temperature and cargo sensor support extends the platform to cold-chain and specialized equipment fleets.
• Three-tier access controls (Admin, Manager, User) allow permission management across distributed teams.

GPSWOX covers the core requirements of fleet management well: real-time GPS tracking, geofencing, route history, driver behavior monitoring, fuel consumption analysis, and maintenance scheduling. The platform also supports dash cameras, temperature sensors, and a range of custom accessories, which extends its usefulness beyond standard vehicles to refrigerated cargo fleets and heavy equipment. For organizations that want to consolidate multiple tracking categories into one system, that breadth is a genuine advantage.

The driver behavior tools let fleet managers flag speeding, aggressive braking, and unauthorized vehicle use, feeding into vehicle-specific reports useful for coaching programs or identifying repeat issues. Maintenance scheduling can be triggered by mileage, engine hours, or elapsed time, with automatic alerts when service is due. According to GPSWOX's own documentation, a well-managed maintenance plan can cut repair and maintenance costs by up to 10%.

The white-label option sets GPSWOX apart from most competitors. Resellers and fleet service businesses can deploy the platform under their own brand, with a custom name, logo, and domain. That's not a feature most fleet operators need, but it signals a platform architecture built for scale. What's missing compared to leaders like Samsara is depth in regulatory compliance, AI-driven predictive analytics, and integrated ELD hardware.

GPSWOX GPS: Ease of Use

Setup is one of GPSWOX's genuine strengths. Once a plan is active, the registration process takes under five minutes, and GPSWOX's team handles the initial technical configuration at no extra charge. The interface has earned a Great User Experience Certificate from FinancesOnline, which was consistent with my findings during testing. Navigation is straightforward, plus the map-based dashboard gives a clear read on fleet status without requiring menu-diving.

That said, the platform's flexibility creates some complexity at scale. Organizations managing thousands of devices across multiple user accounts will find the three-tier permission system functional but not especially granular compared to enterprise-grade alternatives. The mobile app, available for iOS and Android, is included across all plans and works well for field use.

GPSWOX GPS: Pricing

GPSWOX offers four plans. Lite covers a single object at $2.99 per month billed annually. Basic tracks up to five objects at $9.97 per month, also billed annually. Pro steps up to 50 objects at $49 per month billed monthly. Finally, the White Label plan starts from $99 per month and supports unlimited objects, and it is the only tier that includes API access, custom branding, admin tools, database backup, and prioritized technical support.

That structure is straightforward, but the object limits are worth reading carefully. The Pro plan's ceiling of 50 objects will rule it out for mid-sized fleets, pushing them to the White Label plan even if they have no interest in the reseller features. Google Maps integration also carries a separate fee, which is an additional line item most competitors fold into their base plans. Samsara and Verizon Connect tend to bundle more at comparable price points, though they typically require hardware commitments or annual contracts that GPSWOX doesn't.

GPSWOX GPS: Customer support

GPSWOX provides 24/7 technical support across all plans, though only White Label subscribers get prioritized service. The lower three tiers (Lite, Basic, Pro) receive standard support, which is worth noting for businesses that depend on fast response times. Free setup and training are available to all customers, along with a documentation library covering video guides, written manuals, and webinar resources.

User reviews paint a mixed picture. Many customers highlight fast, responsive support for routine queries. A smaller number report longer wait times during platform outages. In one documented case, a reseller experienced a three-hour server disruption and waited over five hours for a substantive response.

GPSWOX GPS: Alternatives

• Samsara: TechRadar's top fleet management pick for 2026, with deeper compliance tools, integrated ELD hardware, and AI-powered safety analytics suited for regulated fleets.
• Verizon Connect: A strong option for North American fleets, offering tighter carrier integrations, HOS compliance reporting, and a more mature enterprise feature set.
• Motive: Built specifically for trucking and long-haul fleets, with FMCSA-compliant ELD support and driver coaching tools included by default.

GPSWOX GPS: Final verdict

GPSWOX is a capable, cost-transparent fleet management platform that does a lot of things well. The GPS tracking accuracy, broad hardware compatibility, and absence of long-term contracts make it a practical choice for small and mid-sized fleets, particularly those operating internationally or working with a mix of existing tracker hardware. The alerting and notification system holds up in practice, and free setup reduces the friction of getting started.

Where it falls down is compliance. Organizations subject to FMCSA regulations, or in industries where hours-of-service logging and ELD certification are mandatory, will find GPSWOX under-equipped for those requirements. For those fleets, a compliance-first platform is a better fit. For everyone else evaluating an accessible, hardware-flexible GPS tracking system with a transparent monthly cost, GPSWOX is worth a trial run.

GPSWOX GPS: How we tested

My evaluation of GPSWOX drew on a combination of hands-on platform testing, official product documentation, and verified user reviews. I assessed each major feature area, including tracking accuracy, alerting, reporting, usability, and support quality, against real-world fleet management requirements and compared the platform's pricing and capabilities against direct competitors in the mid-market category.

GPSWOX GPS: FAQs

Verizon Connect Reveal is a fleet management and GPS tracking platform built for companies that take their mobile workforce seriously. It traces its lineage to three major telematics brands, Telogis, Verizon Networkfleet, and Fleetmatics, and that combined history shows in the depth of its feature set. Whether you're managing a ten-vehicle service operation or a sprawling logistics network, Reveal is designed to be a platform you won't outgrow quickly.

At TechRadar, we evaluate dozens of fleet management tools each year, spending hundreds of hours examining how platforms perform across GPS accuracy, compliance coverage, reporting, and day-to-day usability. Verizon Connect consistently stands out for its analytics depth. For 2026, however, Samsara remains our top overall pick, offering stronger integration support and a more consistent customer experience. You can find all of our recommendations in our best fleet management software guide.

What draws fleet managers to Verizon Connect is the same thing that can frustrate smaller operations: this platform is built with enterprise scale in mind. The feature set is extensive, the data is granular, and customization goes deep. But that depth comes with a learning curve, a mandatory three-year contract, and customer support that too many users describe as difficult to reach when something goes wrong.

Verizon: At a glance

Verizon Connect earns high marks where it counts technically: tracking accuracy, compliance coverage, and analytics depth. Where it loses points is in the areas that affect the day-to-day experience of buying and running it, namely pricing transparency, contract flexibility, and support reliability.

Verizon: Features

• AI-powered dashcams with a 360-degree camera option introduced in 2025, storing up to 170 hours of footage on a 256GB SD card, with video accessible within minutes of an incident.
• Industry-leading fuel and carbon footprint reports with auto-calculated efficiency metrics not found on most competing platforms, including Samsara.
• Full FMCSA-compliant ELD with automated HOS tracking and DVIR logging built directly into driver app workflows.
• GIS data overlay on proprietary maps, letting utilities and infrastructure fleets view power lines, sewer routes, and commercial hazard data alongside live vehicle positions.
• Driver Safety Scorecards with per-driver breakdowns of speeding, hard braking, sharp cornering, and seatbelt compliance.
• Geofencing with real-time entry and exit alerts, out-of-hours driving notifications, and unassigned device alerts for theft deterrence.

Verizon Connect Reveal is feature-rich in ways that most competitors can't match outright. The analytics suite is the clearest differentiator. I found the fuel and carbon footprint reporting more detailed than anything I've seen from a comparable platform, including Samsara. The system tracks engine and cargo temperature, EV battery levels, driver scorecards built from harsh braking and acceleration events, and idling patterns across the entire fleet.

The compliance tools are equally strong. Verizon's ELD solution is fully FMCSA-compliant and covers hours-of-service (HOS) tracking and driver vehicle inspection reports (DVIRs) through both desktop and mobile apps. The Scheduler tool is a drag-and-drop job management system with live technician status and mobile job sheets, adding a field service layer that many fleet platforms treat as an afterthought. For fleets that need to stay on top of DOT regulations, this is one of the most complete compliance stacks available.

One area where Verizon Connect still lags behind is integrations. As of spring 2025, the platform offered 65 third-party integrations across a dozen categories, which is a genuine improvement over previous years but well short of Samsara's 300-plus app catalog. If your fleet depends on niche software for EV charging, fuel management, or maintenance scheduling, you'll want to verify compatibility before signing anything.

Verizon: Ease of Use

The web interface is polished and well laid out, with a top navigation bar that keeps core tools accessible without much hunting. I found the customizable dashboard genuinely useful for surface-level fleet monitoring, and the live map, powered by Google Maps, responds quickly with smart clustering that keeps large fleets readable at a glance. Online training courses are available and worth working through, particularly if you want to get the most out of the reporting tools.

The mobile experience is less consistent. The Spotlight app for iOS and Android covers the essentials: search, live tracking, and two-way messaging between drivers and managers. But a recurring complaint among users is lag and occasional data drops during busy windows, and for a platform pitched at enterprise operations where timing matters, those glitches add real friction. New users should also expect several weeks before the platform clicks fully; this is not something you can hand off to a dispatcher and walk away from on day one.

Verizon: Pricing

Verizon Connect no longer publishes pricing on its website. You'll need to request a quote directly, and the final number depends on fleet size, hardware choices, and selected features. Based on user-reported data and independent testing, the Reveal Starter plan starts at around $23.50 per vehicle per month, while the full Reveal plan typically lands between $35 and $55 per vehicle per month. A 30-day free trial is available, beginning five days after hardware ships.

The bigger concern is the contract structure. Verizon Connect defaults to a 36-month agreement, and hardware installation terms typically lock you into that full duration. Cancelling early means paying out the remaining contract balance, which for a 15-vehicle fleet can translate to thousands of dollars.

Contracts also auto-renew annually after the initial term, and multiple users have flagged that catching this in time is harder than it should be. For small to mid-size fleets without a procurement team scrutinizing the fine print, that kind of commitment deserves careful consideration before you sign.

Verizon: Customer support

Verizon Connect offers 24/7 phone support for Reveal customers at 1-844-617-1100, with additional dedicated lines for Fleet and Government Fleet services. There's also a direct support email at reveal.support@verizonconnect.com and an online knowledge base for self-service troubleshooting. The coverage options look solid on paper.

In practice, the experience is far less reliable. Reviews consistently flag long hold times, unanswered emails, and issues left unresolved for weeks or months at a time. Some enterprise customers have documented hardware failures that went unaddressed for well over 100 days under their Master Subscription Agreement.

Trustpilot does highlight genuine bright spots, with several users praising specific account representatives who deliver excellent, personal service, but that inconsistency is a real problem for a platform that businesses depend on around the clock. Verizon Connect also received a failing BBB grade with over 100 unresolved complaints as of 2025, a figure that's hard to overlook.

Verizon: Alternatives

• Samsara: Top fleet management pick for 2026, with 300-plus integrations, stronger real-time support, and a more accessible buying process.
• Motive: A solid choice for trucking-focused fleets that prioritize ELD compliance and a more intuitive interface over deep analytics.
• Teletrac Navman: Worth considering if you want a one-year initial contract and solid analytics without Verizon Connect's enterprise overhead.

Verizon: Final verdict

Verizon Connect Reveal is a platform with genuine technical strengths. The analytics depth, particularly around fuel efficiency, carbon footprint, and driver behavior, is among the best in the industry, and the compliance tools cover everything from FMCSA ELD requirements to detailed DVIR workflows. If you run a large, compliance-sensitive fleet and need a platform that can scale with you, Reveal has real merit.

The problem is everything surrounding the platform itself. The custom-only pricing, three-year default contracts, and auto-renewal terms create buying risk for mid-size fleets that don't have dedicated teams to manage the fine print. A support operation that so consistently fails its customers is hard to recommend without that caveat front and center. For enterprise buyers with the resources to absorb that risk and the patience to climb the learning curve, Verizon Connect is a serious contender. Everyone else should compare carefully with Samsara before making a commitment of this length.

Verizon: How we tested

I evaluated Verizon Connect by examining its feature documentation and testing the web-based Reveal platform directly, cross-referencing findings against verified user reviews from top review sites. I also compared Verizon Connect's performance against Samsara, Motive, and other fleet management suites across GPS tracking accuracy, compliance coverage, reporting depth, pricing structure, and customer service quality.

Verizon: FAQs

If your fleet runs on spreadsheets and paper inspection forms, Fleetio is built precisely to replace that workflow. It's a cloud-based fleet management platform for operations of five vehicles or more, covering maintenance scheduling, cost tracking, inspections, and full asset lifecycle management. You can find it among our picks for the best fleet management software.

TechRadar reviewers spend hundreds of hours each month evaluating B2B software across categories. In our testing, Fleetio stood out for the depth of its maintenance and analytics tools, with a focus that suits service-heavy fleets well. If you need real-time GPS tracking built in from the start, our top pick for 2026 is Samsara, which bundles telematics hardware with its software platform.

Fleetio takes a different approach: it integrates with telematics providers like Samsara, Verizon Connect, and Geotab rather than competing with them. That makes it a useful complement to an existing tracking setup, or a good standalone option for fleets where location monitoring isn't a core priority.

Fleetio: At a glance

Fleetio scores well across most attributes that matter for maintenance-oriented fleets.

The main gap is GPS tracking; its reliance on third-party integrations puts it behind telematics-first competitors. For fleets that already have a tracking solution, or simply don't need one, this is easy to work around.

Fleetio: Features

• Preventive maintenance scheduling tied to mileage, time, or engine hours, with manufacturer-recommended service intervals pulled automatically.
• Custom inspection forms that work offline, with FMCSA-compliant options for pre-trip and post-trip reporting.
• Fuel card integrations that automatically import transactions, calculate cost-per-mile, and flag invalid odometer readings.
• Full asset lifecycle tracking from acquisition through disposal, including warranty logs and service history per vehicle.
• Q2 2025 updates added customizable workflow automations, Spanish language support, and live tire pressure monitoring via asset sensors.

Fleetio's feature set is built around one operational priority: keeping vehicles on the road and costs under control. The platform covers preventive maintenance scheduling, work order management, parts inventory, fuel card integrations, inspection forms, and recall alerts, all from a single web interface. Higher-tier plans unlock advanced features like inventory management and deeper analytics, but even the entry-level Essential plan provides a meaningful range.

What I found most useful in testing was how the modules connect to each other. An inspection that flags an issue feeds directly into a service workflow, which tracks through to a work order and then surfaces in cost reports. The Vehicle Replacement Analysis tool works the same way, pulling maintenance history and total cost data together so you can identify when retiring a vehicle is the more economical call.

Fleetio's main limitation is GPS. There's no native live tracking; you'll need to connect a separate telematics provider like Samsara, Geotab, or Motive to get real-time location data. Those integrations work cleanly, but they add cost and setup time. Fleets that don't need live tracking won't miss this feature at all.

Fleetio: Ease of Use

Setup is fast. I had a vehicle added, a preventive maintenance schedule configured, and an inspection form live within the first session without once opening a help article. The web interface is clean and well-organized, with a home dashboard that surfaces key metrics straight away and lets you add or remove widgets to match what your team actually monitors.

The one area that can slow new users down is the Reports section. It offers dozens of configurable report types covering fuel trends, work order history, and vehicle costs, and the depth is impressive for this price point. For experienced fleet managers that's a selling point; for someone moving over from spreadsheets it can feel like a lot at first. The Fleetio Go mobile app, available on iOS and Android, handles field use well, letting drivers complete inspections, log fuel, and submit repair requests even without an internet connection.

Fleetio: Pricing

Fleetio offers three annual plans: Essential at $4 per vehicle per month, Professional at $7, and Premium at $10. Monthly billing is also available, though Essential rises to $5 per vehicle per month on that schedule. All plans include unlimited users and Fleetio Go mobile app access, and a 14-day free trial is available without a credit card commitment.

The main pricing caveat is the five-vehicle minimum, which means the cheapest plan costs at least $20 per month regardless of fleet size. Features like work order management and parts inventory are gated behind the Professional tier, so Essential-plan users with complex maintenance needs may find themselves upgrading sooner than expected.

Even so, Fleetio's pricing undercuts platforms like Samsara and Verizon Connect by a wide margin while covering the maintenance fundamentals most fleets actually need.

Fleetio: Customer support

Fleetio's support team receives consistently positive reviews on user review sites, with users highlighting response quality and follow-through on feature requests. Available channels include live chat within the platform, email support, and a Help Center with written guides, webinars, and tutorial videos. Paid Onboarding Services packages are also available for teams that want structured, feature-specific training at the start.

The limitation is coverage hours. Support runs from 8 AM to 8 PM Eastern, with no 24/7 option, which is a real consideration for fleets operating night shifts or across time zones. For most standard operations this won't cause issues, but it's worth factoring in before signing up.

Fleetio: Alternatives

• Samsara: Bundles GPS hardware, telematics, and compliance tools in one platform, making it the better choice for fleets that need live tracking as a primary requirement.
• Verizon Connect: Telematics-first platform with real-time GPS and driver safety features, better suited for large fleets with dedicated IT resources.
• Simply Fleet: This is a lighter, more affordable option for very small fleets that find Fleetio's five-vehicle minimum or feature depth more than they need right now.

Fleetio: Final verdict

Fleetio earns 4 stars on the strength of its maintenance tools, cost analytics, and transparent pricing. For mid-sized fleets focused on reducing downtime and controlling costs, it's one of the more capable options at this price point. Its integration library is broad enough that telematics and fuel card data can flow in cleanly, making Fleetio a capable operations hub even without native GPS.

The platform has clear limits. Very small operations hit the five-vehicle minimum before they even start, and fleets that need live tracking at the center of their workflow will find the reliance on third-party integrations adds both friction and expense. But for service-heavy, mid-market fleets that want a modern maintenance platform without enterprise-level prices, Fleetio is a strong option.

Fleetio: How we tested

I evaluated Fleetio by setting up a trial account and working through the platform's core modules, adding vehicles, configuring preventive maintenance schedules, building custom inspection forms, and generating reports across fuel, work order, and cost data.

I cross-referenced feature details and pricing against Fleetio's official documentation and product update announcements, alongside user reviews, to build a full picture of how the platform performs across different fleet sizes and use cases.

Fleetio: FAQs

Teletrac Navman has been in the telematics business since 1988, and its TN360 platform carries that history into a cloud-based suite covering GPS tracking, ELD compliance, driver safety, and asset management. For anyone evaluating options across the best fleet management software, TN360 is worth a close look, especially if regulatory compliance sits at the center of your operation.

TechRadar reviewers spend hundreds of hours each month evaluating B2B software, and fleet management is no exception. Our top pick for 2026 remains Samsara, which leads on ease of use, pricing transparency, and overall customer satisfaction. That said, Teletrac Navman has a legitimate case to make for industries where compliance obligations are non-negotiable.

The platform currently manages more than 700,000 vehicles and assets across six continents, and its FMCSA-registered ELD system has over a decade of development behind it. That experience shows in the depth of its compliance tools, though the experience outside those tools can feel uneven depending on who your account manager is.

Teletrac Navman TN360: At a glance

TN360 scores strongest where compliance and real-time visibility matter most. The areas that drag the overall score down are pricing structure and customer service consistency, which sit outside the platform itself but affect your experience just as much as what the software does.

Teletrac Navman TN360: Features

• Real-time GPS tracking with drone view monitoring and configurable geofencing
• FMCSA-registered ELD covering HOS, DVIR, and automated IFTA reporting
• AI-powered IQ Camera dash cams with driver behavior monitoring and in-cab coaching
• SmartJobs dispatch tool with digital proof of delivery and automated customer notifications
• EV and mixed-fuel fleet management with energy consumption and state-of-charge tracking
• Heavy equipment asset tracking via the RE400 device, built for extreme operating environments

TN360 is a dense platform. At its core, you get real-time GPS tracking across vehicles, trailers, and heavy equipment, backed by geofencing, drone view monitoring, and AI-powered dash cams through the IQ Camera system. The SmartJobs dispatch tool handles job allocation without requiring third-party integrations, which simplifies daily coordination for operations teams.

Compliance is where TN360 earns its strongest marks. The platform's ELD is FMCSA-registered and covers HOS tracking, DVIR, and automated IFTA reporting, with real-time alerts for violations and clear driver log visibility. The 2023 TN360 Transport update also added EV fleet support with state-of-charge tracking and energy consumption monitoring, which puts it ahead of most rivals for businesses managing mixed-fuel operations.

The Insights module adds AI-driven analytics with natural language search, making it possible to query fleet data without pulling individual reports. A number of users report a real learning curve before those analytics become second nature, and Samsara's dashboards tend to be more approachable from day one.

Teletrac Navman TN360: Ease of Use

The TN360 dashboard is well-structured. Logging in gives you a real-time snapshot of active vehicles, driver status, and live alerts, all accessible from a single view without extra clicks. A dedicated cameras tab sits next to the main dashboard, which I found to be a sensible layout choice since it doesn't assume every customer runs dash cams.

Setup is a different story. TN360 uses hardwired hardware installed by certified Teletrac Navman technicians, taking roughly 30 to 60 minutes per vehicle. That's a meaningful deployment commitment compared to plug-and-play OBD-II alternatives you can self-install in minutes, so factor in that time and cost before you compare it to lighter-weight competitors.

Teletrac Navman TN360: Pricing

Teletrac Navman doesn't publish its pricing publicly. The platform operates on a per-vehicle monthly SaaS model, with third-party estimates placing the entry point at around $25/vehicle/month, though your actual cost depends on fleet size, hardware selection, and which modules you add. You'll need a custom quote from the sales team to get exact numbers.

For most businesses, the bigger concern isn't the per-vehicle rate but the 36-month contract. Auto-renewal clauses are common, and early termination is not permitted under most agreements. Multiple users have reported being billed for inactive devices long after flagging the issue to their account manager, so read the contract terms carefully before signing.

Teletrac Navman TN360: Customer support

Teletrac Navman advertises 24/7/365 technical support, dedicated account managers, and white-glove onboarding assistance. Individual support agents tend to receive strong reviews, described as knowledgeable and particularly helpful on ELD troubleshooting. The problems surface at the account management level, where slow follow-ups and unresolved billing disputes appear repeatedly.

Recurring complaints include being charged for inactive devices, difficulty reaching the same representative twice, and escalations that stall even when taken to management. Customers who have been with Teletrac Navman for several years generally report a smoother experience, but newer accounts seem to encounter more friction getting issues resolved.

Teletrac Navman TN360: Alternatives

• Samsara: Our top pick for 2026 and surpasses TN360 on ease of use, pricing transparency, and customer satisfaction across fleet sizes.
• Verizon Connect: Strong enterprise option with broad integration support and more flexible contract terms for mid-size to large fleets.
• GPS Insight: A competitive mid-market alternative with solid pricing and well-regarded support for smaller, compliance-focused operations.

Teletrac Navman TN360: Final verdict

TN360 is a mature platform that earns its place in compliance-heavy industries. The ELD toolset is one of the most developed available, and the asset tracking coverage for mixed fleets, including heavy equipment, is genuinely strong. The AI analytics layer also delivers real value once your team is past the learning curve.

What holds TN360 back is the experience around the product. Opaque pricing, 36-month contracts with rigid auto-renewal terms, and inconsistent account management create friction that doesn't go away after onboarding. If regulatory compliance at scale is your primary concern, TN360 makes a strong case.

For a more transparent and accessible experience alongside those features, Samsara remains the better overall choice.

Teletrac Navman TN360: How we tested

My evaluation of TN360 drew on official platform documentation, verified user reviews across top review platforms, third-party analyst assessments, and Teletrac Navman's own press releases and feature update announcements. I focused on real-world performance across the nine attribute categories above, with particular attention to compliance tools, day-to-day usability, and post-sale support experience.

Teletrac Navman TN360: FAQs

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft: Two-minute review

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft delivers everything you could want from an e-reader (mostly). Amazon packed this device with all of the key features of its other Kindles, but unfortunately, it commands a much higher price as a result.

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft nails all the e-reader basics, and that chunky upcharge brings some color into the mix so you can experience comics and the like. You also get a fancy pen to annotate and take notes. Those features function well overall, but they're not perfect.

Despite combining the “Scribe” and “Colorsoft” portions in the Kindle, you actually can't use them in tandem. You can't annotate or take any notes when you're reading comics or manga, which is ironic considering this is meant to be an all-in-one solution.

However, the 11-inch display is large enough to mimic the size of some graphic novels. That means you have plenty of room to take notes, too. The screen also captures images in strong detail.

So, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is a great e-reader, but unless it's on sale, I'd only recommend it to folks in a higher tax bracket.

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: price and availability

• From $629 / £569 / AU$999
• Launched in the US and UK on December 10, 2025
• Launching in Australia on June 10, 2026

No. I simply cannot recommend the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft to the average Kindle user. It’s just too damn expensive. Adding color and a pen to your Kindle is a luxury that I would only recommend to those invested in Amazon’s eBook ecosystem or someone with significant disposable income.

At its starting price with 32GB of storage, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft costs $629 / £569 / AU$999 (it will launch in Australia on June 10). For 64GB of storage, that price jumps up to $679 / £629 / AU$1,099. As someone who just wants to read a book, that makes my wallet cry. But keep in mind that this is the peak premium Kindle device.

You can break down the features of the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft into three categories — Kindle, Scribe, and Colorsoft — and it's quite simple to pick apart its value proposition as a result. The Kindle is just your traditional Paperwhite device for $159 / £159 / AU$199, and then the Colorsoft adds a splash of color to that for $249 / £269 / AU$399, and finally, you’ve got the Scribe for $399 / £379 / AU$649, which is like the Paperwhite, except you can write on it. Combine all that, and you get the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.

If, for some reason, you need all three features packed into one device, then obviously, your only option in the Kindle ecosystem is the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. But focusing on one key feature will save you some decent coin, so I recommend doing just that before committing such a princely sum to this all-in-one device. Not to mention, there are cheaper color e-readers out there, like the Kobo Libra Colour ($219 / £199 / AU$359).

• Value score: 3 / 5

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: Specs

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: design

• Slightly less portable, but more reading room
• Pen placement is awkward

The 11-inch Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is almost as big as some of the taller graphic novels I have on my shelf, which seems appropriate considering its purpose. It does make it somewhat more difficult to carry around than the 7-inch Kindle Colorsoft, but it feels more authentic. And despite the larger 189 x 245mm body, it weighs only 400g and is 5.4mm thick, so it’s still more portable than some hardcover books.

As far as the overall design goes, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft looks exactly how you imagine a Kindle would look, except without that chunky bottom bezel. The bezels are still large enough for your hands to grip the device without getting in the way of the screen.

I reviewed the Graphite model with the white pen, but you can get the Fig colorway, which also comes with a Fig-colored pen. I usually don’t say this about tech, but I think I prefer the black model, only because the Fig colorway might be a little distracting while reading.

At the bottom, you’ll find the USB Type-C port for charging, and the power button is located on the top-right side. Just below that is the space where the pen attaches.

If you’re thinking that the pen might get in the way while attached to the right side, you’d be correct. It’s a silly design choice, especially when the pen is small enough (155 x 8.8mm) to easily fit on top of the Kindle.

Overall, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is sleek and inoffensive. It’s thin and light, albeit a bit harder to carry around than previous models, but who doesn’t want a little more reading and writing space? However, I am frustrated by the pen placement.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: display

• There’s color, but it’s not colorful
• Text and images are sharp

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft covers the black-and-white spectrum at 300 ppi and adds a splash of color at 150 ppi. There isn’t much the 11-inch display could do to elevate the average book reading experience, but it didn’t have to. Text looked clear and crisp, and the 36 white LEDs and 34 amber LEDs made it so I had a more comfortable reading experience depending on the setting I was in.

Like with other e-ink displays, the LEDs do create a layer of color (white or amber) that warps the image on the screen a little bit. With black text, it’s perfectly fine, as the difference is negligible. However, when introducing color, it’s more noticeable.

The problem is that, while it’s nice to have color, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is just not as colorful as I’d like it to be. I read “Hellblazer Vol. 1,” and when John Constantine heads to Africa, there are supposed to be these bright and bold pink and yellow hues, but they are muted on the Scribe Colorsoft’s screen. Even when set to “Vivid” mode, the color doesn’t pop. Honestly, this is to be expected from an e-ink display. But it doesn’t change the fact that you won’t get the same experience as looking at a real graphic novel. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that we can experience color at all, but at this wild asking price, it’s definitely not worth it for the color alone.

• Display score: 4 / 5

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: performance

• Relatively smooth
• The response times you expect

You’re not looking at a racehorse here; this is a little pony, and that's OK. You don’t need all the performance in the world to run an e-reader.

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is relatively smooth across the board but still suffers from slightly slow response times during navigation. This isn’t a huge turn-off, since most of the experience comes down to turning a page. I did have to restart my Kindle once because it simply refused to connect to Wi-Fi no matter how many times I tried, but it resolved itself afterwards.

When doing more involved things like annotating or taking notes, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft kept up with all of my movements and demands with little issue. Zooming in around the pages also looked and felt smooth, although there’s still a slight awkward delay for the image to refresh, as I could clearly see the ghost of an image from the previous screen.

• User experience score: 4 / 5

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: software

• Surprisingly fast performance on E Ink
• Smooth zooming, whether color or black and white

All of the important bits of the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, or any e-reader, come down to the software experience. I am generally happy with what this Kindle provides, and it’s not that much different from other e-readers.

You’ve got the essentials that allow you to adjust the layout, font, spacing, etc. There are little things like the “Popular highlights” and “About this book” info, which are neat. Then there’s Word Wise, which defines unfamiliar words but also still needs a lot of work — it identifies overly simple words even at its lowest setting instead of exclusively honing in on the university-level vocabulary that most people would struggle with.

One of my personal favorite software features is being able to isolate comic panels. Double-tapping on a comic panel will make it full screen, and then you can flip through the following panels with ease. When it gets to a new page, it’ll show you the full page and then break down each panel at full screen. This is super cool because you don’t have to zoom in to get a closer look at what’s happening. However, it’s not perfect. I noticed an issue when reading “Attack on Titan” where, when there are two panels and text sprawled across them, sometimes the Kindle won’t combine the panels, and it cuts off the text.

Another cool feature is being able to simulate page turns, which I love in theory, but it doesn’t look the best in practice. The problem is that it’s a fade-in and -out effect instead of an actual flipping animation. It looks a bit more natural when reading a book because it’s a quick fade between texts, but it’s a much uglier transition with comics because there’s a lot of ghosting happening. It looks like it fades in chunks, and it was visually unsatisfying to the point where I turned it off.

To highlight the “Scribe” portion of this Kindle, the notetaking and markup process is rather smooth. The pen is equipped with an eraser on the back and a shortcut button on its side (defaulted to highlight). When reading a standard book, there are two important icons, one on the left and right. The leftmost icon is for all of your pen settings to customize the look, change between highlighters and erasers, and even insert notes and canvases between the text.

The right side of the screen is where you take your notes; it can expand and either split the screen with the text or hover over it, and wherever you write notes, it’ll attach a note symbol next to the closest text. That’s pretty intuitive, since you can change the layout of the book, so naturally it would move the space of your notes. You can even expand the size of notes to take up the full page if you want, so there’s plenty of room to write.

There are a lot of features for folks interested in the “Scribe” portion of things, and they operate pretty seamlessly overall. There’s even a workspace section where you can take full notes unrelated to what you’re reading. In that workspace, there are two AI features, one of which can summarize your notes, and the other can “Refine writing,” which basically transforms your notes into a text font that you can customize.

The only absent feature I noticed is that you can’t take any notes in comics. That means no drawings, notetaking, or even highlighting.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: battery

• Light readers can go for weeks
• Heavy readers can go for days

According to Amazon, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft can survive for eight weeks if you're reading for 30 minutes at just under half brightness. I'll save you the math: that's 28 hours of reading time. For light readers, you could probably stretch that for a few weeks. Heavier readers will likely kill that battery in a few days.

I spent several weeks with the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, reading roughly an hour every day, and I didn't need to reach for a charger until toward the end of the month. That gives credit to Amazon’s battery life claim.

The reading time you experience will vary heavily based on the brightness of your screen. If you're someone who reads at close to zero brightness, you're going to get a lot more longevity out of the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.

Unfortunately, the battery does not charge fast. When I first got it, the battery was completely drained, and I had to wait quite a while before the Kindle showed any signs of life. It'll make you think it's broken, so I do not recommend letting it die.

• Battery score: 5 / 5

Should I buy the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft

• Review test period = four weeks
• Testing included = books, comics, manga

I spent a month bouncing around between books, comics, and manga. I read “The House Witch,” “The Time of Contempt,” “Hellblazer Vol. 1,” and “Attack on Titan,” most of which were available on Prime Reading. I spent roughly an hour a day reading. Logging into my Amazon account and getting them on the device was easy. Downloading comics and manga takes a little longer than books, but not significantly so.

For the “Scribe” portion of the review, I highlighted portions of dialogue and wrote little notes to myself to come back to later because the text was either written impeccably well or it was just a funny line. I also drew canvases between the text — just silly doodles right in the middle of the book.

First reviewed: May 2026

If you're evaluating fleet management tools and driver safety is your primary concern, GreenRoad deserves a close look. Founded in 2004, the Austin-based company has built its platform around a single conviction: that changing driver behavior is the most effective path to cutting accidents, fuel costs, and fleet risk.

Techradar reviewers spend hundreds of hours each month evaluating fleet management software in the market, and GreenRoad stands out for how deliberately it executes on this driver-first approach. You can find a full comparison of the top options in our guide to the best fleet management software.

The platform is used by more than 150,000 drivers across 80 countries, with clients including Chevron, Costa Express, and Kelsian. GreenRoad claims its solution delivers a positive ROI within the first three months, citing customer-reported reductions in crash-related costs of 50–70%, fuel costs of around 30%, and maintenance cost drops of roughly 10%. Those figures come from existing customers rather than independent audits, but they're specific enough to be taken seriously.

What you won't find here is the same breadth of asset lifecycle management or route optimization that you'd get from Samsara, our top fleet management pick for 2026. GreenRoad is a more focused product, and that focus is both its biggest asset and its clearest limitation. If you need a platform that handles the full operational picture from dispatch to driver coaching to maintenance scheduling, you'll need to look beyond GreenRoad or pair it with other tools.

GreenRoad: At a glance

GreenRoad scores well on safety, compliance, and analytics, but opacity around pricing and thin asset management tools pull the overall picture down. For safety-focused fleet operators who've already decided this is the main problem they want to solve, the scores reflect a coherent platform doing one thing very well.

GreenRoad: Features

• GreenRoad Central delivers a live fleet map with geofencing, resource locators, and full trip history in a single browser-accessible interface.
• The Drive app runs on iOS and Android without hardware installation, making rapid deployment practical across large or contractor-heavy fleets.
• VideoSense Pro monitors in real time for driver fatigue, distraction, and seatbelt compliance, sending alerts to both driver and manager simultaneously.
• The FMCSA-compliant ELD includes a full IFTA reporting suite and over 100 pre-formatted compliance reports that can be scheduled or pulled on demand.
• Gamified safety scoring and friendly driver competitions provide a structured, evidence-based way to encourage consistent improvement without resorting to punitive management.
• An open API allows GreenRoad to connect with existing telematics systems, sensors, and third-party platforms for a unified view of fleet data.

GreenRoad's feature set is purpose-built around driver behavior and safety. The core of the platform is GreenRoad Central, a cloud-based dashboard that brings together live fleet tracking, driver safety scores, fuel data, compliance records, and real-time alerts in a single browser-based view. Alongside Central, the Edge hardware device and Drive app provide in-vehicle coaching through a green-yellow-red system that monitors drivers across 150 specific maneuvers, including harsh braking, sharp cornering, and speed management.

Where GreenRoad stands apart from more generalist fleet tools is the depth of its behavior data. The VideoSense Pro dashcam adds AI-powered driver impairment monitoring, flagging fatigue, phone usage, seatbelt non-compliance, and distraction events in real time. The platform also includes low bridge alert technology, a feature that Stagecoach began deploying across its UK bus fleet in 2022, which gives drivers a heads-up warning before they reach a restricted height. For operations managers, idling hotspot maps, route replay, and on-time performance analysis fill out the picture.

What I'd like to see improved is the asset management side. If your fleet includes trailers, equipment, or other non-vehicle assets, GreenRoad offers little beyond basic location data. Competitors like Samsara and Motive provide more developed asset tracking at comparable price points. GreenRoad's focus is on its drivers, and the rest of the platform serves that goal, for better or worse.

GreenRoad: Ease of Use

The driver-facing experience is one of GreenRoad's clearest design strengths. The green-yellow-red coaching model is low-distraction by design: when a risky maneuver is detected, the driver gets a subtle cue and a 10-second window to correct before the event is recorded against their safety score. That kind of graduated, in-the-moment feedback doesn't ask drivers to remember much, and it works across both the hardware Edge device and the software-only Drive app.

The manager-facing side takes more deliberate setup. Multiple users on G2 and Capterra note that training drivers and establishing baseline expectations takes several weeks, particularly for fleets transitioning from older telematics systems or paper-based processes. The Central dashboard is clearly laid out, with KPI drill-downs and pre-built reports that reduce manual data work, but I wouldn't underestimate the initial lift, especially at scale.

GreenRoad: Pricing

GreenRoad does not publish pricing on its website. To get a quote, you'll need to submit a request form and wait for the sales team to respond. Third-party listing sites suggest the platform starts from around $12 per month, but that figure isn't verified by GreenRoad directly, and actual costs will vary depending on fleet size, hardware choices, and which modules you need.

The lack of public pricing makes early-stage evaluation harder than it needs to be. Most direct competitors, including Samsara, Motive, and Webfleet, either publish starting rates or outline tiered plans clearly. GreenRoad's approach is more common in enterprise-oriented software, but for fleet managers researching options with tight budgets and limited time, that friction has a real cost.

GreenRoad: Customer support

GreenRoad runs a dedicated customer support portal and offers performance consulting as part of its engagement model. The consulting service is worth noting specifically: rather than leaving customers to interpret dashboards on their own, GreenRoad works with fleet managers to translate platform data into a concrete action plan. That kind of structured support is relatively uncommon at this price tier, and several customers cite it as a meaningful part of the value proposition.

The company doesn't publish detailed SLA commitments or 24/7 support guarantees on its website, which makes it harder to assess reliability for time-sensitive fleet operations. Before signing a contract, I'd strongly recommend asking the sales team directly about support hours, expected response times, and escalation options for critical technical issues. Those details matter significantly for fleets that operate around the clock.

GreenRoad: Alternatives

• Samsara: TechRadar's top fleet management pick for 2026, offering broader asset tracking, more developed route optimization, and clearer published pricing across its plan tiers.
• Motive: Motive serves over 120,000 customers across trucking, construction, and logistics, with a fuller asset management suite and a more straightforward pricing structure for mid-size fleets.
• Webfleet: This is a strong option for European fleets that need deep compliance coverage, including Tachograph support and a long track record in heavily regulated transport sectors.

GreenRoad: Final verdict

GreenRoad is a well-executed platform for fleet operators who have decided that driver behavior is where they want to direct their safety investment. The combination of real-time in-cab coaching, VideoSense Pro's impairment detection, and a solid compliance toolkit creates a coherent product that delivers measurable results in the areas it targets. The customer evidence on cost reduction is more specific than what most competitors publish, and the 2024 European Commercial Vehicle Driver Behavior Management Industry Excellence award adds external validation to those claims.

The platform's limits are real, though. Asset management beyond vehicles is thin, pricing is opaque, and route optimization isn't a core feature. Fleet managers who need a single tool to handle the full operational picture from dispatch through maintenance will find GreenRoad insufficient on its own. For those with a clear mandate to improve driver safety specifically, it's one of the more credible and committed products available.

GreenRoad: How we tested

I evaluated GreenRoad by reviewing its official product pages, ELD compliance documentation, and feature specifications, then cross-referencing these against verified user reviews on G2, Capterra, and GetApp, alongside coverage in industry publications. I examined GreenRoad's driver coaching system, compliance toolkit, pricing model, and support structure, comparing each against established competitors including Samsara, Motive, and Webfleet to identify relative strengths and gaps.

GreenRoad: FAQs

Samsara is built around the idea that fleet managers shouldn't have to toggle between different tools to stay on top of their operations. The platform combines GPS tracking, AI-powered dashcams, ELD compliance, and asset management in one place. If you're still weighing your options, TechRadar's best fleet management software guide covers the competitive field in detail.

TechRadar reviewers spend hundreds of hours each month evaluating B2B software across categories. Samsara consistently ranks near the top of our fleet management testing. It's also our top pick for fleet management in 2026, which is exactly why I've been especially rigorous about where it falls short. The platform serves transportation, construction, logistics, and government organizations, from small owner-operators up to large enterprises.

What I found is a platform that earns its reputation through genuine depth, anchored by standout safety and compliance tools. It also comes with some real trade-offs for smaller organizations around pricing transparency and contract flexibility, things that aren't always obvious from the product page.

Samsara: At a glance

Samsara holds up well across nearly every attribute I tested. Its compliance and tracking tools are best-in-class, though the pricing model and contract terms bring the overall score down slightly.

Samsara: Features

Samsara's GPS tracking is among the most precise I've come across in this category. Location data refreshes every second with live traffic overlays and weather alerts, and a custom location tool lets you set recurring routes for drivers. Route optimization handles 100-plus stops, which makes a real difference for delivery fleets or utilities operations running complex daily schedules.

The AI safety layer is where Samsara pulls furthest ahead of mid-market alternatives. Dual-facing dashcams capture both the road and driver behavior, feeding into automated coaching workflows that surface risky events without requiring a manager to dig through footage manually. A 2025 platform update added AI-powered incident detection that flags near-misses in real time rather than after the fact.

Reporting customization is the weakest area in an otherwise strong feature set. Users on G2 and Capterra consistently note that dashboards become fairly rigid once you move past the standard views. Competitors like Geotab offer more flexibility there, and enterprise buyers running large operations may feel that constraint acutely.

Feature highlights:

• Real-time GPS with per-second updates, live traffic overlays, and weather alerts
• AI dashcams with automated driver coaching and real-time incident detection
• FMCSA-certified ELD and HOS tracking with automatically compiled audit records
• Geofencing alerts via SMS and email, while rivals like Motive deliver email only
• Environmental sensors for refrigerated cargo and temperature-sensitive loads
• Open REST API for connecting Samsara to ERP, TMS, and third-party software

Samsara: Ease of Use

The dashboard is well laid-out, with live maps, driver status, maintenance logs, and alerts all visible from the main view without drilling through submenus. Hardware installation is plug-and-play: you connect the device to a vehicle's OBD-II port and pair it through the Samsara Fleet app. Samsara also provides product tours, tutorial videos, and webinars for onboarding, with direct setup support available if anything goes wrong.

The mobile app is less consistent. Most drivers find it workable for HOS logging and route updates, but G2 and Capterra reviews flag recurring issues including crashes, slow load times, and delays when editing driver logs. Fleet managers overseeing operations from a desktop will rarely hit these problems, but drivers in the field are more likely to run into them.

Samsara: Pricing

Samsara doesn't publish pricing publicly, so you'll need to request a custom quote through the contact form on its website. Based on pricing we confirmed directly during testing, software subscriptions run between $27 and $33 per vehicle per month, with hardware adding $99 to $148 per unit. Dashcam-equipped configurations push the monthly total to around $40 to $60 per vehicle.

The three-year minimum contract is the biggest sticking point, and Samsara generally requires prepayment for the full term. There are no refunds after the 30-day free trial closes, so if your fleet size drops mid-contract you're still paying. Verizon Connect starts at roughly $23.50 per vehicle per month, and Motive offers one-year terms from around $25, making both more practical choices for fleets not ready to commit long-term.

Samsara: Customer support

Samsara offers 24/7 support via phone, live chat, and a ticketing system accessible within the platform. Its Better Business Bureau A+ rating reflects positively on how the company handles formal escalations. User reviews on G2 consistently describe the implementation and onboarding team as responsive and knowledgeable.

Post-onboarding, the experience becomes less predictable. Complaints about slow response times and unresolved billing disputes appear regularly across Capterra, G2, and BBB reviews. Samsara's self-service knowledge base is extensive and resolves most routine technical questions, though billing issues tend to take longer.

Samsara: Alternatives

• Verizon Connect: A comparable feature set at a slightly lower starting rate of around $23.50 per vehicle per month, though customer satisfaction scores tend to trail Samsara's on major review platforms.
• Motive: Similar AI dashcam capabilities with more flexible contract terms, including one-year and month-to-month options, making it a better fit for fleets not ready for a multi-year commitment.
• Geotab: Ranked first by ABI Research in 2025 for integration breadth, with over 430 verified solutions in its marketplace, making it worth prioritizing if connecting fleet data to third-party systems is a requirement.

Samsara: Final verdict

Samsara is one of the most capable fleet management platforms on the market, and my testing confirmed why it sits near the top of most comparison lists. The per-second GPS tracking and AI-driven safety features are executed at a level that mid-market competitors can't easily replicate, and the open API makes it relatively straightforward to connect with existing business systems. For transportation or logistics operations running 10 or more vehicles, that combination of depth and connectivity is hard to find elsewhere.

The contract terms are the real obstacle. A mandatory three-year prepayment with no published pricing and variable billing support adds friction at every stage. If those factors are dealbreakers, Motive or Teletrac Navman offer more flexibility; otherwise, Samsara delivers on what it promises.

Samsara: How we tested

My evaluation of Samsara included hands-on testing of the platform's core features, covering the dashboard, driver app, alert configuration, and reporting tools. I also requested a quote directly from Samsara's sales team to verify pricing, and cross-referenced user experience patterns through G2 and Capterra. Feature and safety data referenced in this review draws on Samsara's 2025 Safety Report and ABI Research's 2025 fleet management assessment.

Samsara: FAQs

Lenovo ThinkTab X11 Gen 1: 30-second review

The ThinkTab X11 Gen 1 is Lenovo's first serious push into rugged Android territory. It arrives with MIL-STD-810H certification, an IP68 rating, and a genuinely useful screwless removable battery.

To avoid the power demands of PC hardware, Lenovo went with an ARM-based architecture, using the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 to deliver capable everyday performance. This SoC is combined with a modest 10.95-inch display that is sharp and readable outdoors.

One interesting feature in all SKUs is that this tablet has a replaceable battery. But given the exercise to change it isn’t something you’ll want to be doing on a regular basis, this feature is more about extending the tablet’s life, not giving it extended run time with extra batteries.

While it ticks lots of boxes for performance and durability, the one major weakness of this option is its cameras, which are low quality by modern phone standards

The starting price of around £499 is competitive with the Samsung Galaxy Tab Active5 Pro, which appears to be the inspiration for this device.

If your work takes place on a factory floor, a building site, or in a vehicle cab, this is a credible option. Those looking for a general-purpose consumer tablet should look elsewhere, but if you need a go-anywhere tablet for drone flying or collecting data outdoors, this could be one of the best rugged tablet choices.

Lenovo ThinkTab X11 Gen 1: price and availability

• How much does it cost? £499/€499
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? You can get it from online retailers such as Insight in the UK.

Lenovo announced the ThinkTab X11 Gen 1 at MWC 2026 in Barcelona on 2 March 2026. It's currently listed as 'Coming soon' on the UK website.

Availability was confirmed for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa from April 2026. At the time of writing, Lenovo has not confirmed a US retail date, describing the X11 as a commercial product with pricing starting at €499 in the Eurozone.

What’s likely to confuse customers is the sheer number of SKUs that Lenovo has in this product line, which is ridiculous. In the UK alone, they make eight different options. The differences are primarily the storage capacity (typically 128GB or 256GB) and whether it includes mobile phone comms.

But there are models with no (Beidou + GPS + GLONASS + Galileo + QZSS + A-GPS), because the market for people who don’t want to know where they are is obviously huge. Some models come with a pen, while others do not.

The review hardware was a ZAHL0035GB, which comes with 256GB of storage, the Rugged Smart Case and Lenovo Tab Pen XE, but no slot for a mobile SIM.

That puts it directly in the orbit of the Samsung Galaxy Tab Active5 Pro, which carries a street price of between £499 and £549 in the UK, depending on configuration. Samsung uses the same Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, so the competition is genuinely close on paper.

The UK retailer Insight carries three models, the cheapest being £563.99 inc. VAT for one with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, but no 5G SIM card slot. The top model has 256GB of storage and is 5G-capable, and has a price of £615.49.

Higher-specified configurations with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage will command a premium when they become available. Lenovo has not published a full pricing matrix for all SKUs at launch. Business buyers will typically be quoted against volume contracts rather than consumer retail pricing, so the headline €499 figure should be treated as a floor.

• Value score: 4/5

Lenovo ThinkTab X11 Gen 1: Specs

Lenovo ThinkTab X11 Gen 1: design

• Lightweight
• Rubber bumper
• Toolless battery change
• Camera postioning

Pick up the ThinkTab X11, and the premise is immediately clear. This is not a tablet designed for the sofa. The chassis is thick by consumer standards, sitting at 9.9mm, and the 650g weight is modest for the category but noticeably heavier than a consumer 11-inch slate.

In the review hardware, it came with a soft silicon bumper that didn’t obscure any of the ports and is relatively easy to remove should you want to access the battery compartment.

The MIL-STD-810H certification covers a demanding set of environmental tests. That includes thermal extremes, vibration, altitude, humidity, and shock. The IP68 rating means submersion in up to 1.5 metres of water for 30 minutes, and that’s without a rubber plug in the USB-C port. For field workers in manufacturing, utilities, or construction, these are not marketing checkboxes. They are basic requirements.

To get inside requires one strong fingernail to be inserted into a cutout on the back that then starts popping clips to remove a cover. To be clear, taking this cover off isn’t easy, and it isn’t something I’ve want to do multiple times. But when the tablet arrives, the battery isn’t installed, so it’s necessary to get it working.

Where I’d place this in the Parthenon of replaceable battery systems is that it's good that you can swap the battery, especially because it could extend the working life of the device, but it isn’t something you would want to consider doing on a regular basis. Eventually, the clips on the cover will fail, and with them goes the environmental protection.

It's worth noting that you also need to access the battery area for the installation of a MicroSD, or if you have a 5G capable model, the Nano SIM slot. I think an approach more like the Samsung Active5G with screws might have been a better plan, I’d assert.

That said, most tablets don’t allow the battery to be replaced without entirely dismantling the hardware, and battery exhaustion is a major component in tablets and phones reaching the end of their useful life.

The display supports glove and wet-touch input, and it's designed to work with the Lenovo Tab Pen XE, which comes with some SKUs.

That is an important detail on a site where latex gloves are mandatory, or inclement weather intervenes. The Corning Gorilla Glass should handle the usual workplace knocks, and the front-mounted NFC will appeal to logistics and access-control use cases.

An OLED panel might have been a good option, but the IPS panel used is reasonably colourful, and using something better might have driven the price up.

Dual USB-C ports allow simultaneous charging and peripheral connection without an adapter or dock. Although the second port is clearly also designed for an add-on keyboard, which Lenovo didn’t provide for this review. This is such a useful feature, and SoCs generally support more than one USB port, that I do wonder why other brands don’t offer multiple USB ports.

An external feature I’m not a fan of is the camera's placement, which is positioned deep in the left corner. The upper corners are the common place to hold a tablet and I found that I activated the camera app and saw nothing, as my hand was obscuring the sensor.

If the camera cluster had been placed in the middle, this could have avoided fingers and also provided more natural framing for image and video capture.

Other than that point, and the nail-breaking nature of the battery cover, the design of this tablet is pretty good.

Design score: 4.5/5

Lenovo ThinkTab X11 Gen 1: hardware

• Snapdragon 7s Gen 3
• Adreno 810 GPU
• 10,200mAh battery

The Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 is the same platform Samsung chose for the Galaxy Tab Active5 Pro. On a 4nm process with an octa-core configuration (four Cortex-A720 performance cores and four Cortex-A520 efficiency cores), it delivers capable everyday performance without generating excessive heat in a sealed chassis.

Spoiling my performance reveal slightly, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 has a similar performance profile to the MediaTek Dimensity 7400X that I saw recently in the UleFone Amor Pad 5 Ultra.

The Adreno 810 GPU handles the expected range of business and light productivity workloads without difficulty. Video calls, document editing, ERP applications, and camera-intensive tasks are all within its comfort zone. Nobody is buying a MIL-SPEC enterprise tablet for gaming, and the hardware reflects that reality.

Memory options cover 8GB and 12GB LPDDR5, but all the UK SKUs were 8GB. For field workers running one or two dedicated applications, 8GB is sufficient. Environments running multiple concurrent enterprise apps, particularly with persistent background sync, will benefit from the 12GB option. Storage ranges from 128GB to 512GB UFS 3.1, supplemented by a microSD slot.

That combination is practical. Enterprise deployments often include large offline databases, maps, or media libraries. Being able to use a second USB device also allows for an external drive, and it would be easier to replace than the MicroSD card.

The 10,200mAh battery, charged at 45W, should cover a full shift under typical enterprise workloads. Lenovo has not published an official battery life figure. In my testing that I’ll talk about later, it recharges quickly, which makes the overall capacity less of an issue.

As a total capacity of 10,200mAh isn’t huge, and I’ve seen plenty of rugged phones with more, but in this context, it's enough to get at least two full working days out of the device, and with curation, the better part of a third day.

The front-mounted NFC is an unusual placement. Most tablets put NFC on the rear, which suits tap-to-pay and general contactless use. Positioning it on the front (upper right) of the screen makes it more accessible for door access control and identity verification, where the user faces the reader.

The hardware specification of the Lenovo ThinkTab X11 Gen 1 is decent, and the choice of the efficient SoC has enabled the battery to be scaled to a level where the machine becomes awkward to carry or only suitable for vehicle mounting.

• Hardware score: 4/5

Lenovo ThinkTab X11 Gen 1: cameras

• 16MP on the rear
• 8MP on the front
• Two cameras in total

The Lenovo ThinkTab X11 Gen 1 has two cameras:

Rear camera: 13MP Omnivision OV13B10, AF, LED flash
Front camera: 8MP GalaxyCore GC08A8

As seems the norm these days, extracting the correct camera sensors from the Android system provided little hard information about the camera sensors. At one point it the primary sensor could have been from Omnivision, Samsung or Sony.

But thankfully, I dug into the replacement parts list on Lenovo, and that revealed that the main sensor is a 13MP Omnivision OV13B10, and the selfie camera is an 8MP GalaxyCore GC08A8.

Anyone with a decent phone will immediately be thinking how underwhelming these sensors sound, and they’re not exactly cutting-edge. I’m not sure why tablet makers immediately assume that their customers don’t need high-quality images, but it’s a cost-saving that many take.

That said, the pictures taken by the 13MP Omnivision OV13B10 are reasonably sharp, and if you don’t activate HDR mode, the colour makes a stab at being representative.

The problem with a 13MP sensor is that there isn’t much margin for errors. There is no anti-shake compensation, only two levels of digital zoom (1X and 2X), and there are no special modes, like panorama or time-lapse, whatsoever.

However, there are two functions that people will like, the first being that there is a specific camera mode for capturing documents. That’s useful, and the other thing that impressed me is that even with only a 13MP sensor, it will capture both 2K and 4K video. There is no means to change the FPS; it’s 30 FPS by default, but at least you can capture a proper resolution.

I won’t talk about the 8MP fixed focus front-facing camera, to avoid annoying anyone at GalaxyCore. But that it can only capture 1080p video is probably a good thing.

Overall, if you have good lighting conditions, you can make the 13MP Omnivision OV13B10 work for photography and video. Though I wouldn’t expect miracles, and it might have been a better plan if Lenovo had splashed out another dollar or less for a 32MP Samsung sensor.

Lenovo ThinkTab X11 Gen 1 Camera samples

• Camera score: 3.5/5

Lenovo ThinkTab X11 Gen 1: Performance

• Modern and efficient SoC
• Workable battery life

Normally, I’d present the numbers of the review machine against a prior tablet in this instance, but I chose not to here.

That’s because no other tablet I’ve tested could get anywhere near these numbers, including some of the previous Ulefone Pad series. For example, the Ulefone Armor Pad 3 Pro scored only 296 and 1358 on the Geekbench single and multithreaded tests, which is a fraction of what this tablet offers.

Equally, GPU power is a magnitude better with the Pad 3 Pro, managing only 647 points on WildLife, or 18%. I’m sure there are Android tablets available that could go toe-to-toe with the Pad 5 Ultra, but I’ve yet to see them.

Another area this design excels in is battery life, even if I had some issues with getting PCMark to completely exhaust the battery without crashing. That’s not a problem specific to this tablet; it seems to happen with many tablets and phones, where something happens in the background that trips up the PCMark tool.

After running it a number of times, the best result I got was that it ran for 28 hours and 27 minutes, but there was still 39% of the battery capacity left. That result indicates that the total running time of the test using all the battery would be around 46 hours or more, which is substantial.

Using the provided 120W charger, it can recover about 27% of capacity in 30 minutes. That puts the total recovery from empty at between two and three hours. There is no wireless option, and given the battery's size, that’s probably not a bad thing.

Overall, the performance of the UleFone Armor Pad 5 Ultra is top-notch, and dramatically better than most rugged Android tablets.

• Performance score: 4/5

Lenovo ThinkTab X11 Gen 1: Final verdict

I’m going to make one complaint that has nothing to do with the hardware-software combination Lenovo has created. It’s the naming convention.

When I live and breathe platforms on a daily basis, and I can even get confused, then something is badly wrong. Calling something a Lenovo ThinkTab X11 when you already have a Lenovo ThinkPad X11 is a patently dumb idea. And this recent thing of calling them Gen 1 and so on, that’s hyperbolically stupid too.

Here’s a ‘next-gen’ idea: stop now! Lenovo makes far too many SKUs of all its products, and naming them so similarly only causes further customer confusion. Someone wanting an Android tablet doesn’t need a degree in the nuances of Lenovo product naming conventions, if there are any. Rant over, and I should say that this problem isn’t exclusive to Lenovo; it's all over the commercial platform space.

For the purpose of this review, the ThinkTab X11 Gen 1 is a well-considered entry from Lenovo into a market that Samsung has dominated for years. The removable battery alone separates it from most of the competition. In a sector where devices must survive shifts rather than evenings on the sofa, that matters.

The Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 provides enough headroom for the applications that enterprise Android tablets actually run. The IP68 and MIL-STD-810H certifications are genuine rather than decorative. The dual USB-C configuration is practical and is something that competitors typically do not offer.

There are only two areas that the ThinkTab X11 Gen 2 should embrace when it inevitably arrives. One is to repackage the battery so that the cover is part of the battery, and swapping them in and out is easier. And the other area that needs to be addressed is the cameras, which need to be brought up to the level of entry-level phones from today, not ones from five years ago.

With those things addressed, this would be the perfect rugged tablet solution for many people. In the meantime, the ThinkTab X11 Gen 1 is an affordable option that isn’t a bad device, though Lenovo could have made it even better with a bit of adaptive thinking.

Should I buy a Lenovo ThinkTab X11 Gen 1?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also Consider

For more ruggedized devices, we've reviewed the best rugged phones, best rugged laptops and the best rugged hard drives

Chuwi AuBox X 256V: 30-second review

Chuwi has crammed Intel's Lunar Lake platform into one of the smallest and most affordable packages, close in size to the original Intel NUC. The Intel 200 series processor is a serious proposition for anyone chasing efficient local AI compute, a punchy compact desktop replacement, or a whisper-quiet home server.

The 115 TOPS headline figure is not marketing fluff either. With the NPU, GPU, and CPU all pulling together, this machine genuinely handles Copilot+ workloads and lighter local LLM inference without breaking a sweat.

The price is the real story, though. At around $829 direct for the model with the Core Ultra 7 256V silicon, this is slightly more costly than a similar 1TB configuration from GMKtec while maintaining a similar physical footprint. Build quality is impressively high, and it comes with USB 4.0 ports, dual 2.5GbE LAN and dual monitor outputs.

The downsides of this design are that the 16GB of memory is not upgradable, the small size of the system doesn’t allow for a silent cooling system, and using the second USB4 port requires a docking station.

However, most high-end mini systems are transitioning to surface-mounted memory, and there aren’t many other options powerful enough for local LLMs.

Overall, if this system had been launched only a few months ago, it would have been cheaper and probably offered a 32GB option. But its price and specifications increasingly look like the new norm, and by definition, that’s a retrograde step from the systems that came out a year ago.

At a lower price, this might have been featured in our best mini PC guide, but that argument gets less compelling above $800.

Chuwi AuBox X 256V: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? $829/£612.87
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Currently, this machine can be obtained directly from Chuwi

Considering the specification, the price of the AuBox X 256V seems reasonable, but hardly a bargain - it's available direct from Chuwi here.

We’ve seen Intel 200 Series systems costing over $1000 on several occasions, so finding this one with the Core Ultra 7 256V chip directly from the makers for $829 is a small revelation.

The UK price is £612.87, and based on the current exchange rate, it is a little more expensive than in the USA. Euro pricing is €707.58, which is probably the most costly option.

At the time of writing, Chuwi has yet to release this hardware via online resellers, but they sell many products via Amazon, so its appearance on that channel is only a matter of time, I suspect.

For those wanting the same system style but at a lower price, Chuwi has a Core Ultra 5 225V model, just called the Chuwi AuBox X, that sells for $699/£516.76/€596.62. That design comes with the same 16GB of memory, but only 512GB of storage.

These are the only SKUs, and the maximum memory is only 16GB in either case.

The only competitor using the same processor series in a mini PC form factor is GMKtec NucBox K13, which is priced at $719.99 for a machine with the Core Ultra 7 256V and 1TB of storage. If you are willing to work with a 512GB drive, that price can be $669.99.

That makes the Chuwi AuBox X 256V seem overpriced, but there are subtle differences between these designs that might make the Chuwi system worth the extra money.

I suspect the price difference we are seeing is largely due to the dramatic increases in memory and storage costs that are affecting products currently in production. It may be that GMKtec finished making the K13 before these price hikes occurred, allowing them to undercut Chuwi in this instance.

What I don’t have a reason for is why only these two makers have built systems around this mobile silicon, because it seems well-suited to mini PC use.

• Value: 3.5 / 5

Chuwi AuBox X 256V: Specs

Chuwi AuBox X 256V: Design

• Mostly metal Mini PC
• USB ports on front and back
• Easy internal access

Mini PCs are not exactly celebrated for bold industrial design, and the AuBox X is no exception. Chuwi has kept things understated. The chassis is a compact black square measuring 128.4 x 128.4 x 40.5mm. That is smaller than the GMKtec NucBox K13, which runs to 186mm in length. The AuBox X is genuinely pocket-sized in the way that very few desktop-class machines manage.

At 580g, it is light enough to mount behind a monitor with the supplied VESA bracket, or it can happily live on the desktop, being so small.

Build quality is the area where Chuwi's budget DNA tends to show itself. The brand has a long history in the affordable tablet and laptop space, and its finish tolerances are better than some might expect.

While it isn’t engineered like an Asus NUC, it’s not cheap and plastic either.

The issue with a NUC this small was always going to be thermal design, and it is a genuine talking point here. Chuwi promises whisper-quiet operation, and the Core Ultra 7 256V is well suited to that ambition. With a configurable TDP range of 8 to 37W, the chip can run extremely cool under light loads.

However, when the processing load kicks in, the fan volume becomes much more noticeable. I noticed this on my desk, but if the system were behind a monitor, I suspect it would be much less apparent.

The port layout is generous, given the limited space on the front and back. Up front, you get two USB-A ports for everyday peripherals, plus one USB4 and the audio jack. On the back is the other USB4 port, but it is used by the external PSU to power the device.

Because of that choice, you will need a docking station to use both USB4 ports.

This might be a worthwhile purchase because each of the USB4 ports is rated at 40 Gbps, enabling them to support external SSDs, DisplayPort video, power delivery, and eGPU enclosures.

One especially useful feature is that the two M.2 NVMe slots are both 2280-sized, enabling this machine to take the least expensive storage in the most common form factor. By default, one of these slots is already occupied with a 512GB module, and that is connected thermally to the metal case with a silicon thermal pad.

On the rear are four USB-A ports, with three being USB 3.2 Gen 2 and one being USB 2.0.

As it has a total of four Gen 2 ports, that means one on the front is, by definition, a Gen 1 port, although Chuwi failed to label any of the USB ports, and I deduced that by testing them all.

Curiously, all the other ports are labelled, including the dual HDMI and DP and 2.5GbE LAN port on the back. But as the makers used black lettering on a dark grey case, it's not like they are easily readable.

Networking is handled by a 2.5GbE Intel port alongside Wi-Fi 6E. At this price, 2.5GbE is expected, and I was a little surprised that we didn’t get two LAN ports. Users planning to use the AuBox X 256V as a home server or NAS companion will appreciate the faster wired throughput. You could easily add another 5GbE or even 10GbE LAN port using an adapter with a USB4 port.

Internal access is straightforward, requiring only four screws to get inside. Once open, you can access the two PCIe M.2 slots. According to the specification, one of these is Gen4 and the other is Gen5, but it isn’t clearly labelled whether the faster port is SSD1 or SSD2.

I suspect the Gen5 one is SSD1, but I don’t have a Gen5 drive to test that assertion. The default Gen 4 drive was inserted into SSD2 on the review hardware.

My only reservations about using a Gen5 drive in this system, and a larger-capacity Gen4 mechanism, are that no thermal pads are included to transfer heat from the drives to the case, and as a result, there might be a tendency for them to overheat.

• Design: 4 / 5

Chuwi AuBox X 256V: Features

• Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
• 16GB of LPDDR5X
• Local AI platform

,The Intel Core Ultra 7 256V is a Lunar Lake chip. Lunar Lake is Intel's second-generation Core Ultra platform, built on TSMC's 3nm N3B process. It is a genuine SoC design, meaning the CPU cores, iGPU, NPU, and memory all live on the same package. That architecture brings real efficiency gains, but it also brings a fixed memory ceiling. The 256V ships with 16GB LPDDR5X running at 8533 MT/s and there is no way to add more.

The chip packs 8 cores across two architectures. Four Lion Cove P-cores handle the heavy lifting, boosting to 4.8GHz. The remaining four Skymont E-cores top out at 3.7GHz and handle background tasks. In PassMark testing, the 256V scores around 19,500 in multi-core, which puts it ahead of the previous-generation Core Ultra 155U and competitive with AMD's Ryzen 7 8840HS despite drawing significantly less power.

Chuwi quotes the PassMark multi-core score as 19,547 on their product page. That puts it ahead of the Core Ultra 5 226V (Chuwi's own lower configuration) and the Ryzen 7 7840HS. It trails dedicated gaming and workstation chips, as you would expect from a 37W-maximum mobile platform.

The integrated Intel Arc 140V is the graphics story here. This is an Xe2 architecture iGPU with 8 compute units running at up to 1.95GHz. Chuwi positions performance as close to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050, which is a stretch, but the Arc 140V is genuinely the best integrated graphics Intel has shipped.

It supports hardware ray tracing, XeSS upscaling, and XeSS3 Multi Frame Generation. For light gaming at 1080p on medium settings, it is a credible option. For serious gaming, the USB4 port opens the door to an external GPU, which transforms the proposition entirely.

The 16GB LPDDR5X is soldered onto the package. That is the nature of Lunar Lake. There is nothing Chuwi could have done differently. For most everyday tasks and Copilot+ AI workloads, 16GB is workable. For serious local LLM inference, particularly with larger quantised models above 7B parameters, the memory ceiling will bite.

A 7B model in Q4 quantisation sits around 4-5GB. A 13B model in the same format pushes past 8GB. Running either alongside Windows and supporting applications starts to feel cramped.

Storage is more flexible. The stock 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD gives ample room for the OS, applications, and a reasonable model library. The dual M.2 2280 slots are the important feature. One supports PCIe 5.0, which is genuinely forward-looking in a machine at this price. Users who want to load larger model libraries or run fast storage for video editing will appreciate the room to expand.

The headline AI figure is 115 TOPS combined. That breaks down to 47 TOPS from the dedicated NPU4, 64 TOPS from the Arc 140V GPU, and a small contribution from the CPU. The NPU4 supports OpenVINO, DirectML, ONNX Runtime, and WebNN. That breadth of framework support matters when you want to run models built for different ecosystems without converting them first.

The 47 TOPS NPU comfortably clears Microsoft's 40 TOPS threshold for Copilot+ certification. That means Recall, Cocreator, Click to Do, and real-time Live Captions all run natively on local hardware rather than bouncing to the cloud. For privacy-conscious users, that is a meaningful difference.

Chuwi specifically calls out OpenClaw support on the product page, which is a local AI agent framework for automation and scripting. It does not come pre-installed, but the hardware is fully capable of running it.

But, a short warning before doing that. OpenClaw isn’t classic AI; it’s an Agent, and therefore, to do clever things, it needs to use an AI to help it decide what to do with its problems. Using it with free AI services is extremely challenging, and even with paid-for AI services, it is possible to incur significant cost overruns given how many tokens OpenClaw can chew through.

• Features: 4 / 5

Chuwi AuBox X 256V: Performance

The only system I could reasonably compare this to is the GMKtec K13, since they use the same underlying platform.

And, it was soon apparent that the one in the Chuwi AuBox X 256V has been tweaked to deliver more than its brother in the GMKtec K13. I should state that I no longer have the K13, and it may be that GMKtec released later firmware that would level this playing field.

On paper, the Core Ultra 7 256V is an impressive mobile chip that comfortably handles everyday productivity workloads. Office applications, browser-based tools, video calling, and light code compilation all run without hesitation. The P-cores deliver strong single-threaded performance for tasks that do not parallelise well.

Where the chip feels its mobile origins is under extended operations with sustained load. The 37W power cap means the machine eventually throttles when pushed hard for long periods. This is not unusual for Lunar Lake in any chassis, but it is worth testing thoroughly with the loan unit, particularly given Chuwi's compact cooling solution.

This is where the Chuwi AuBox X 256V earns a separate conversation. The mini PC market has split into two camps. There are machines built around AMD Strix Halo APUs with up to 128GB of unified memory, purpose-built for serious local LLM inference.

Then there is everything else. The AuBox X 256V sits in the second camp, which is marginally less impressive, but it sits there with more credibility than most.

The 16GB memory ceiling is the critical limitation. Running a 7B model in Q4_K_M quantisation via Ollama or LM Studio is perfectly manageable and produces usable inference speeds. The GPU can handle the computation while the NPU assists with preprocessing and tokenisation, conveniently.

I’ve not started including AI benchmarks yet, but it is clearly something we will be looking to add, since people are making purchasing decisions based on AI performance.

The picture changes if you factor in the USB4 port. Connecting an eGPU enclosure with 16GB or more of discrete VRAM immediately removes the memory constraint for GPU-side inference. An RTX 4060 Ti 16GB in an external enclosure, for example, turns the AuBox X 256V into a genuinely capable local AI server at a fraction of the cost of a dedicated workstation. That is not a common use case, but it is possible, and this hardware supports it natively.

For Copilot+ workloads, the story is straightforward. Windows Recall, Cocreator, and Live Captions all run on the NPU and iGPU without touching the cloud. The 47 TOPS NPU handles the classification and inference tasks that these features rely on. In practice, that means image recognition, real-time transcription, and on-screen summarisation all work locally, with the privacy benefits that implies.

Speech recognition and lightweight embedding models are well within reach. If you are running a local assistant, a RAG pipeline over a personal document library, or a code completion backend via Continue or Tabby, the AuBox X 256V has enough horsepower to make it feel responsive. It will not replace a machine with an RTX 4090 or 5090 for anything serious, but for a small home server running background AI tasks, it punches well above its price point.

• Performance: 4 / 5

Chuwi AuBox X 256V: Final verdict

It’s been a while since I’ve seen a computer that was so well designed, was built around an excellent platform and had the potential to deliver such a good user experience.

It is a shame, therefore, that Chuwi then took such a solid foundation and let one extremely poor choice take away some of its shine.

Clearly, the person who said that 16GB of memory was plenty had no idea of the implications of that choice, or it was an entirely price-driven decision, where the cost of a 32GB or larger model was considered unworkable.

There is a potential workaround to the memory limits for AI users that involves adding an external GPU using USB4. But that’s an even greater expense to justify, and there are other Intel systems, like the Beelink GTi Ultra Series, that support an external GPU via an exposed PCIe slot.

These do cost a little more, starting at around $869 and requiring a PCIe dock that adds $179, but connecting a graphics card directly rather than via USB4 offers significant benefits. And, those systems come with 32GB of RAM onboard.

In its efforts to capture those with AI interests at the asking price, the Chuwi AuBox X 256V has a relatively narrow use case in that one area. But for more general use, it’s a punchy system that delivers enough performance to compete with traditional desktop systems.

Should you buy a Chuwi AuBox X 256V?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also Consider

For more professional hardware, we've reviewed the best business computers.

There are bound to be many people reading this review and wondering why something that should have been covered a decade ago has resurfaced on our site.

And, it is true that Seagate launched the IronWolf 8TB model in 2016, hardware that is hardly considered current in 2026.

But this review isn’t covering the mechanism that Seagate launched then, the ST8000VN0022, thankfully. Instead, it is the one that came after that in 2019, the ST8000VN004.

For complete transparency, they released a newer option, the ST8000VN002, in 2021, but during my review, I’ll explain the differences and why you might want one over the other.

OK, I accept that this model has been around for 8 years, almost, but we’re exceptionally busy here at Tech Radar Pro, and we get to things eventually.

The fundamentals of the 8TB IronWolf have been remarkably stable across the past decade. Every generation has used CMR recording, which matters. IronWolf drives feature CMR technology and AgileArray firmware, ensuring smooth RAID performance, reduced vibration, and efficient power management. The 180TB per year workload rating, the RV sensors, the three-year warranty, and the bundled Rescue Data Recovery Services have all persisted as defining features of the consumer tier.

The EHA (European Hardware Awards) named the Seagate IronWolf portfolio Best Hard Drive for 2025, which suggests the brand has maintained its reputation well.

However, there is one significant blot on this landscape, and that’s the price increases that this drive, and others have experienced in the past six months.

An IronWolf 8TB costs about 95% more than it did in 2025, depending on the region it is sourced from, and prices still show an upward trend. Admittedly, this isn’t as bad as the price increases we’ve seen in memory and SSDs, where some items have quadrupled in cost, but it’s a shock to a market that expected cost reductions over time.

Is it the right time to buy Seagate IronWolf drives? That depends on how flexible you are about timescales, and if you believe that the AI crash is just around the corner or that the price pad today will be a fraction of where it might end up going. Whichever side of that line you fall, there was probably a better time that has since passed.

Seagate IronWolf 8TB NAS drive: Price

You can’t get the ST8000VN004 on the Seagate site, but the company still makes it, and it can be found on Amazon (and other online retailers) for $299.99 on Amazon.com, or £283.94 on Amazon.co.uk. The price across the rest of Europe is €317 via Amazon.

To put that in perspective, in October of 2025, the same drive would cost you £145 in the UK, making it 95% more expensive in just a few months.

But Seagate’s competitors have pulled the same rug up under their customers, with the Western Digital 8TB WD Red Plus being $314.99, and the Toshiba N300 8TB NAS is close to $400.

The only cheap alternative I’ve seen is from a brand called MDD or MaxDigitalData, which sells an 8TB drive for $238.95, but I have no experience with this brand.

Excluding that option, Seagate is the cheapest option for 8TB 7200rpm NAS drives.

However, if we break down the current Seagate IronWolf drives, there is an important trend that we need to understand. As a side note, I’ve not included one of the 10TB models, since these don’t seem to be readily available at this time. All these prices are from Amazon, but you might get a better deal elsewhere.

As you can see, based on cost per TB, the most expensive IronWolf or IronWolf Pro are the 4TB capacities, and the sweet spot is the 12TB IronWolf. The 8TB IronWolf isn’t a bargain, but it's cheaper than the IronWolf Pro 8TB. Counterintuitively, the larger the drives get, up to 24TB, the cost goes down per TB.

Where things get weird is with the larger IronWolf models, as they approach their 18TB zenith. Due to poor availability, the 16TB IronWolf costs the same as the 16TB IronWolf Pro, and the 18TB model is actually more expensive.

Seagate IronWolf 8TB NAS drive: Design

As a reviewer of hard drives for at least the past thirty years or more, one of the critical selling points that makers often highlighted was the number of platters and heads.

And some brands still detail this in their product overviews, but Seagate does not.

Part of this coyness is down to the maker wanting to change the number of platters in existing product lines without generating a user backlash.

However, as storage technology has advanced, which allows for greater data density on each platter, the makers can reduce cost (and increase profit) by reducing the number of platters but retaining the same total drive capacity.

Curiously, the 8TB IronWolf is a classic example of this in action.

The first version in 2016, the ST8000VN0022, had six platters and twelve heads, at roughly 1.33TB per platter. Then came the ST8000VN004 that replaced it, which I believe had five platters and ten heads, which works out to 1.6TB per platter.

And finally, in 2021, the ST8000VN002 arrived, and it is suspected that it has just four platters, making each 2TB.

Note that the N004 is a 7200 rpm drive, whereas the more recent N002 is a 5400 rpm unit. They both use CMR recording technology, have the same 256MB of cache, and have a 3-year warranty. But the N004 uses 7.8W of power in operation, where the N002 uses less than half of that at 3.4W.

The faster rotation speed does translate into some extra transfer speed, 210MB/s versus 202MB/s, but even in an array with up to eight disks, that extra performance still doesn’t justify the extra power consumption for a system running 24/7. And, since power generally turns into heat, a system using the N002 drives might run cooler, too.

Seagate IronWolf 8TB NAS drive: Understanding the price hikes

As I mentioned at the start of this review, prices for all hard drives, not just NAS-specific ones, have increased in the past six months. Why is that?

• AI Data Centre Demands
• Supply Constraints
• Component Shortages
• Production priorities

Clearly, the biggest impact is being felt on those drives and drive types that are used in an AI data centre. Which is slightly odd, because while many companies have laid out ambitious plans to build massive gigawatt-consuming AI facilities, the number of these that have actually been built, or even broken ground, is remarkably small.

So, where did all the hard drives from the channel go? Mostly into warehousing, where they’re being held for the companies with the big plans. Some have gone into data archival solutions created by major cloud suppliers, expecting a huge increase in demand, but most are sitting waiting for AI to call them to action. For the drive makers, the idea that all this pre-sold stock might suddenly end up back in the channel if the AI bubble bursts must be a truly terrifying one.

While it doesn’t impact the 8TB model covered here, drives above this one, 10TB and up, are impacted by shortages in helium supply, which is necessary for high-capacity drives, and has hampered production output.

What has exacerbated the situation is that, wishing to cash in on the AI boom, drive makers have focused more heavily on the larger capacities, all of which need helium to work.

Prior to the AI era, there was a general transition underway from physical hard drives to SSDs. But since SSDs are now stupidly expensive, that has propelled system builders back towards the humble HDD, increasing demand.

Reacting to this, drive makers have focused on data centre, enterprise, and high-capacity consumer drives (IronWolf/EXOS), which are being prioritised, leading to shortages of general consumer models. And, in the context of the wider market, drives like the IronWolf 8TB are considered both business and consumer, further increasing demand for them.

In short, this is a perfect commercial storm in which market forces are aggressively driving prices, and the outlook is uncertain.

If it's ever been the right time to shop around, then this is it. Or, wait out the storm and hope that the AI bubble bursts and releases lots of stock into the market, forcing prices down.

For anyone working on a major NAS or server deployment in the near future, this news is not positive.

Seagate IronWolf 8TB NAS drive: Final verdict

The IronWolf ST8000VN004 is a mature, well-understood drive at this point. The core technology is not new, but that is not necessarily a weakness. CMR reliability at 8TB is proven, the compatibility list with NAS vendors is extensive, and Seagate's IHM integration is now embedded across most major platforms, including Synology and QNAP.

For home users or small businesses, the IronWolf 8TB is an option, but its 12TB brother offers better value. If you specifically want 8TB drives, then use the 5400rpm ST8000VN002 instead. It’s technically a little slower, but it has half the power consumption, impacting the cost of ownership.

But there might be better alternatives with higher-capacity drives, where the overall spend on drives isn’t substantially different.

Let’s imagine we have a six-bay NAS, and the plan is to use RAID 5 with a hot-swap drive ready to handle any failure. Using 8TB drives that would give 24TB of usable space and would cost approximately $1800 in drive expenditure.

Switching to 12TB drives, getting 24TB of usable capacity under RAID 5 requires only three drives, and even with a hot spare available, you have two free bays and a total outlay of $1644. And, some additional savings could be made on the NAS, getting a four-bay model.

There is an argument that an array with five active drives will perform better than one with three, and it will. But many NAS use SSDs for caching, and unless you use 10GbE networking, the roughly 630MB/s that the 12TB drives can shift won’t seem slower than the 1000MB/s that the 8TB could transfer.

Internally, there might be a difference in transfers, but to LAN-connected users, the performance benefit of having more drives in the array isn’t apparent. There is also good logic that the more drives you have, the greater the statistical chance that one of them will fail, though smaller drives also lead to a faster rebuild in the event of a drive failure.

So would I buy the 8TB IronWolf? Neither model has a compelling argument at these price points. There is a better argument for the 12TB, or the Pro 12TB.

My concern is that because people are spending company money in many cases, they’ll just pay what drive makers are asking, encouraging them to make even fewer drives, forcing prices even higher. Eventually, the businesses currently reaping massive profits (like Samsung and Micron) will cook their golden goose completely, if they haven't already

For more top performers, we've tested out the best NAS drives you can get.