As far as Taylor Sheridan shows are concerned, nothing is topping Landman. We all know that the Yellowstone creator is most at home in the Western genre, and we seem to want that from him just as much as he yearns to give it.

But Lioness season 3 is an outlier, and with new episodes dropping from August 2, I can't help but feel it remains that way. Closer in tone to the likes of Tulsa King and Mayor of Kingstown, viewers are thrown into the governmental deep end, following an off-the-books special operative group of the titular name, which is led by hot-headed Joe (Zoe Saldaña).

In season 3, Joe's working life has gone from bad to worse. By the end of season 2, she looked to jack her perilous and secretive lifestyle in for the sake of her husband Neal (Dave Annable) and their two daughters, but a leopard can't change its spots.

Credit where credit is due: without giving anything away, the stakes have been raised fatally high as season 3 takes off. The emotion feels a lot more genuine, and now that there are finally no new team members to contend with, we've got the space and breadth to fully invest in everyone present.

But as always, the bombardment of military jargon and circumstances that a civilian will never understand — and will hopefully never have to — feels incredibly alienating.

I'm also often taken out of the moment when Cody, a character played by Sheridan, is featured in episodes. Does this entire IP exist purely to indulge his fantasies of playing soldier? The answer frequently feels like yes.

Lioness season 3 raises the dramatic stakes — and takes aim at AI along the way

But let's get back to the action. Unlike seasons 1-2, which involved different Middle Eastern conflicts at their centre, Lioness season 3 pushes the focus to the brooding tension between Russian operatives and domestic US forces.

Interestingly, Sheridan wastes no time at all addressing real-life crises, including Gaza-Israel and Ukraine-Russia. It's the latter that gets the most expansion, with war on Ukrainian land forming the backbone of the storyline that will send Joe to the brink... and beyond.

It also allows for us to fully consider how AI and technology are shaping how fights are fought on the ground. Within minutes, Errol (Martin Donovan) is seen telling Kaitlyn (Nicole Kidman) that AI is an undoubtedly bigger threat to us all than the potential end of democracy — and that's just the start of Sheridan's blatant takedown.

Much like we've seen across endless social media clips and news reports, the introduction of drones into a warzone also becomes a point of contention. None of this is an angle to modern warfare that I'd even considered, and I'm both impressed and pleased that Sheridan has created the space for that conversation. The Lionesses are raging, and so should we be.

Even amidst the backdrop of change, our team is as strong as ever, and I continue to be bowled over that the busiest working woman on Earth, Nicole Kidman, has made time for such a heavy screen presence. Personally, I think that speaks volumes about the level of craft Sheridan is operating at, and what Kidman thinks of him in turn.

The action itself is fast-paced and unflinching in who or what it takes prisoner. Deaths happen from the get-go, and Joe quickly finds herself reckoning with two different realities. Things feel elevated from what we've seen in the past, which could often become monotonous and inconsequential.

Sheridan really is his own hero, and I applaud that

You know how watching enough episodes of Grey's Anatomy starts to make you feel like you could be a doctor just through absorbing so many medical terms? Lioness season 3 somehow has the opposite effect.

I don't think there's been one season of the show yet where I've been able to confidently and succinctly explain the overarching narrative of the show. I've never once watched one of the many CIA boardroom scenes and properly been able to follow along with the plan, strategy, or off-the-books mission.

Partly, I wonder if this is down to my levels of practical intelligence, in the same way you sometimes panic during test conditions. But mostly, I think this is a script issue. The dialogue is (rightly) peppered with so much military terminology, but there's rarely a let-up in it. How is the average person supposed to relate to this, unless they've played a lot of Call of Duty?

But my favorite part of Lioness — which is either a positive or negative, depending on how you look at it — is how the show seems to exist simply to fulfil Sheridan's own desires. Once again, episode 1 contains a hefty dose of Delta Force operator Cody, but this time, he's the indisputable hero.

Again, no spoilers here, but Cody essentially leads a mission that is successful almost solely thanks to his own conspiring, and I think of the little boy who must have played with Action Man figures and wanted a slice of combat for himself.

Sheridan has won just as much as we all have with season 3 (except for the many onscreen casualties), in spite of its flaws. The man is allergic to making outright terrible TV, and for that, we should always be thankful.

Australian office furniture company Desky offers some competitively priced chairs to pair with its standing desk range, and the CoilFlex Ergonomic Office Chair is no different. It sits below Desky’s Pro and Pro Plus chairs, but it also features a spring-reinforced cushioned seat aiming to provide responsive, floating support.

Rounding out the seat technology is a mesh backrest for breathability, easy-to-adjust lumbar support, adjustable armrests and an optional headrest. The CoilFlex includes features you’d expect from many of the best office chairs in Australia, but at a mid-range price that’s lower than some of its competition.

I tested the Desky CoilFlex Ergonomic Office Chair at TechRadar’s Sydney office for over two months to find out if it truly offers good bang for buck, as well as all-day comfort and support.

Desky CoilFlex Ergonomic Office Chair review: Price and availability

Aside from its Australian store, Desky also has local stock in the US. While Desky sells through Amazon UK, the CoilFlex isn’t currently listed at the time of writing.

The CoilFlex is available for $499 / AU$599, and the optional headrest costs an extra $50 / AU$50. Easy-glide caster wheels are also available as another add-on for $39.90 / AU$49.90. US and Canadian customers get free shipping, while Aussies pay an extra AU$39.95 for delivery.

Desky rarely offers discounts on its products, save for maybe major sale events like Black Friday, but the discounts aren’t typically too much, which is something worth considering when compared to brands that are more generous with their offers.

Desky CoilFlex Ergonomic Office Chair review: Unboxing and first impressions

This isn’t our first Desky rodeo and getting one of the company’s products delivered has always been a seamless experience. Like other Desky chairs we’ve reviewed previously, the CoilFlex came unassembled, but where other brands have neatly packaged parts, everything inside the Desky box looked like they were just thrown in. Thankfully, bubble wrapping and plastic sheets kept scratches and tears at bay, as movement during transport would definitely have left some damage to the parts.

The assembly instructions are also bare minimal and, if this would be your first DIY project, or you’ve never assembled an office chair before, you’ll likely be left scratching your head. There are Desky videos online you can watch to get the chair assembled, but I think a proper manual would have been very helpful indeed.

However, the CoilFlex can be put together without instructions, but it will take some brain power to do so without help from the online video, which also offers insights into adjusting the chair to suit your body — another thing the tiny instruction pamphlet doesn’t provide.

Assembling the CoilFlex can be handled alone, although having someone to help with the seatpan would be ideal, as it’s the heaviest part. Full assembly can take about 15-20 minutes, even if you’re working solo.

We were sent the Wheat color variant for this review and, at first glance, it looked rather lovely. However, the grey wheels and arm pads stand out like sore thumbs, taking away from the overall aesthetic.

If the mismatched color scheme doesn’t bother you — and this does seem to be the case with the other variants of the CoilFlex as well — then you’ll end up with a solidly built chair that looks inviting enough to plonk onto immediately.

Desky CoilFlex Ergonomic Office Chair review: Design and build quality

As I’ve already mentioned, the Desky CoilFlex ain’t bad at all to look at… until you notice mismatched parts which is most evident in the Wheat colorway. While the mesh backrest and optional headrest look stylish enough to stand out from more affordable office chairs, grey wheels and armrests ultimately detract from what is an otherwise solid mid-range office chair.

It’s a strange design choice, and it’s not unique to the one color — all the variants have either black armrests and wheels or grey ones. This doesn’t look too bad on the darker CoilFlex options, like the Black or Blue, but it sure stands out on the others. I would have preferred to have most of the frame in a consistent colour throughout, or at least better contrasting or complementary colours. It makes the chair look like it was made out of spare parts left over from other seats, even though it’s well put together.

There are some considered design choices, though, and I particularly like that the seat-depth release panel being part of the frame, though it may be a little too subtle and users may not know it exists. It doesn’t help that there’s no mention of it anywhere in the instructions leaflet and I only found out about it from Desky’s promo video. It’s a nice touch to have one less lever to fiddle with underneath the seat.

Overall, I think the CoilFlex looks nicer than the more expensive Desky Pro Plus Ergonomic office chair, but nowhere near as aesthetically pleasing as offerings from some other, more premium brands.

Another aspect the CoilFlex does better than the Desky Pro Plus is in its overall build quality, which I think is superior. The latter’s plastic frame looks cheaper in comparison (we still have the chair in TechRadar’s Sydney office), and the headrest and arms sound and feel rattly when adjusting them, which is not the case at all with the CoilFlex, despite the lower price point. The plastic appears to be of excellent quality and the adjustments are smooth, which makes the chair feel more premium than it looks.

This chair takes its name from what Desky calls the Dynamic CoilFlex seat cushion technology, a multi-layered design that uses wave springs to provide extra support under a high-density shaping foam. Desky claims the system eliminates pressure points, absorbs movement and maintains alignment, so users can stay energized and focused throughout an 8-hour workday.

Personally, I’d say the claims check out — the seat feels comfortable and responsive as I shift my weight, and I never felt any pressure points developing in my lower back over the two-month testing period. That said, I have no pre-existing back issues, so your mileage may vary. For example, my colleague Sharmishta Sarkar, who has previously reviewed a fair few office chairs, found that the CoilFlex seat didn’t provide the kind of ergonomic support she needed, but she suffers from back issues.

It’s been only a few months, though, so the verdict’s still out on whether the seat’s foam will hold its shape or if the cushion will eventually compress and harden in the process. For reference, the Desky Pro Plus we’ve previously tested now has a flattened cushion seat after two years of use.

Desky CoilFlex Ergonomic Office Chair review: In use

Having tested more expensive office chairs in the TechRadar Sydney office from the likes of ErgoTune and Steelcase, I had low expectations from the Desky CoilFlex with its cheaper price tag and mostly plastic frame.

I was, however, pleasantly surprised at how comfortable it was when I began to use it. The cushion immediately felt comfortable and it felt far better than a lot of other chairs I’ve used previously. That said, it does fall short in terms of comfort and ergonomics compared to the ErgoTune Joobie and the Herman Miller Aeron, both of which I’ve used previously, but credit where credit is due — both the aforementioned chairs cost more, a heck of a lot more when it comes to the latter.

Even though one of my colleagues wasn’t keen on the minimal lumbar support, I found it to be just right, and a few adjustments to suit my height and body made the CoilFlex feel very good indeed. After two months, my back is still well supported, but potential users with pre-existing musculoskeletal issues might want to look elsewhere.

The adjustments are easy to do with levers under the seat within reach, and pulling or pushing the lumbar support and headrest into position doesn’t require you to get off the chair — just reach and fiddle with either of them until you find the setting that works best for you. The release panel I mentioned earlier for adjusting the seat depth was effective, but I do wish there were better instructions on where to find them as hidden under the cushion and not in an obvious or intuitive spot. The only way you can tell something is under the seat is because of the thin slits on one side of the seat’s plastic frame.

In total, there are 8 points of adjustment, or 6 without the headrest, which is fewer than on the ErgoTune Joobie with its 15 points, allowing for a more finely tuned setup. These 8 adjustment points are more than enough for the average user, though.

The CoilFlex’s mesh backrest and adjustable lumbar support did an OK job of keeping my posture in check, although I wouldn’t say it fixed my slouching habit. If, like me, you too tend to not mind your posture, again, I would recommend you look elsewhere.

The optional headrest is wide, especially when compared to the much narrower one on the Desky Pro Plus, supporting my neck whenever I shifted, turned or tilted my head throughout the workday.

The mesh backrest is breathable and is of good quality that’s more fabric than plastic (which also makes it more absorbent), but the cushioned seat means your derriere might still be too warm when the mercury’s up.

Desky CoilFlex Ergonomic Office Chair review: Final verdict

If you want a comfortable office chair but don’t want to spend four figures on a Steelcase or Herman Miller, and you also don’t want something cheap and flimsy, Desky’s CoilFlex is a strong mid-tier option that punches above its $499 / AU$599 price tag.

While the seat width is more conventionally sized and may not fit broader body types, the armrests and optional headrest can accommodate taller users (up to 200cm or 6’7”) well. The relatively low 6-8 points of adjustment mean your fit may not be as fine-tuned as more premium chairs that have at least 11 or more, but that’s to be expected at this price point.

The CoilFlex also outperforms its more expensive sibling, the Desky Pro Plus Ergonomic chair, thanks to the new spring-supported seat and a more premium-feeling plastic frame that doesn’t feel as rattly when making adjustments. It still isn’t as good as some of our best office chairs, especially the likes of the ErgoTune Joobie and Vesby that cost a little bit more when discounted, but the CoilFlex is still a solid choice for the price.

First reviewed: July 2026

DJI Osmo Pocket 4P: One-minute review

The Pocket 4P marks a big moment in DJI’s hugely popular series of compact vlogging cameras, being the first model with two lenses, even if Insta360 stole its thunder with the Luna Ultra, which it released in June.

I’ve already reviewed the single-lens Pocket 4, and it’s a brilliant handheld 4K camera. The ‘P’ version is largely identical but for its dual-lens array and a ‘refined’ 1-inch sensor that's equipped with LOFIC tech, plus a new D-Log 2 color profile.

For the most part, you can discover all you need to know about the Pocket 4P's design and performance in my Pocket 4 review. In this write-up, I'll focus on the new features of the bulkier model, and the real difference they make.

And I can say this right now: now that I’ve tried the Pocket 4P, it’ll be hard for me to return to single-lens models like the Pocket 4. That additional 3x telephoto lens unleashes a wide variety of shooting options to complement the highly capable ultra-wide main camera. On-the-go sequences with DJI's superb subject tracking in play, for example, can be particularly dynamic. It really is like having two cameras in one tiny device.

That being said, there is an inevitable design compromise: twin lenses make for a bulkier camera unit, with inexplicably no protective housing currently available, and a top-heavy design. If you already own a Pocket, and are wondering if the new Pocket 4P is worth it, or if it’s worth jumping ship from DJI to the Insta360 Luna Ultra, check out my Pocket 4 vs Luna Ultra article.

For me, the first-generation Luna Ultra is a compelling alternative with its 8K video and detachable module, but I can also tell that the Pocket 4P is a fourth-generation product — it feels more polished overall. It has neat accessories of its own, too, such as the magnetic fill light and remote module. As such, DJI's dual-lens Pocket 4P is now my top compact vlogging-camera pick.

DJI Osmo Pocket 4P: price and release date

• Announced on May 14 2026 at Cannes Film Festival, available from July 30
• Available in black or white versions, priced from £529 / AU$959. No US availability at launch
• Variety of bundles available, including a Vlog Combo kit for £605 / AU$1,099

Despite essentially having no competition in markets such as drones and, previously, gimbal vlogging cameras, DJI has always priced its products competitively. It usually undercuts rivals where actual alternatives exist, too, such as GoPro and Insta360 action cameras.

Insta360 outright said it wasn’t going to compete on price, but rather on features when speaking about its Luna Ultra, and that has turned out to be the case. Where the Luna Ultra starts at $770 / £650 / AU$1,230, the Pocket 4P comes in at £529 / AU$959 — though it's not available in the US at launch. Meanwhile, the single-lens Pocket 4 costs from £429 / AU$749.

Considering that the Pocket 4P has the extra camera with its own sensor, that price increase over the Pocket 4 feels completely justified, and in my book the Pocket 4P is excellent value, especially when you consider the quality of the 4K video footage it's able to produce.

The Pocket 4P is available in Black or White versions, and there are bundles available. The Vlog Combo, for example, includes the DJI Mic 2 Mini wireless mic, remote controller, fill light, tripod stand and tripod grip, and costs £605 / AU$1,099 — that's the bundle I'd go for.

• Price score: 5/5

DJI Osmo Pocket 4P: specs

DJI Osmo Pocket 4P: Design

• Dual 20mm f/2.0 and 60mm f/1.8 lenses
• Otherwise the same design as the Pocket 4, with rotating screen and gimbal-mounted camera
• USB-C charging and 107GB of internal storage in addition to micro SD

Save for the bulkier dual-camera system and a total weight of 8.1oz / 230g, the Pocket 4P’s design is identical to the Pocket 4; it’s extremely compact, features a 2-inch touchscreen which rotates 90 degrees between vertical and horizontal formats, and a customizable five-button array, with a joystick that controls gimbal movement or zoom.

The extra two buttons, revealed when the screen is rotated to horizontal, help speed up access to various settings. For example, the C button can be assigned for direct access to two custom profiles — handy if you regularly switch between, say, color settings such as D-Log and shooting modes such as slow motion.

It certainly pays dividends to spend time customizing the camera to suit how you use it, so that you’re not fussing with settings when you're out and about.

For me, the single-lens Pocket 4 feels perfectly balanced, and it’s notably smaller than Insta360’s Luna cameras. The 4P, however, somewhat sacrifices that advantage on the alter of dual-camera versatility — it’s a little top-heavy, and I found it more comfortable to use with a tripod grip and mini tripod attached. The Luna Ultra feels more balanced because its handle is bulkier (see the Pocket 4 / 4P / Luna Ultra comparison photos, below).

Gimbal movement still feels smooth, and the shots steady and smooth, despite the extra weight of the cameras.

At launch there's no hard-shell protective case for the Pocket 4P, as there is for the Pocket 3, nor a slimline gimbal protector, like you get with the Pocket 4. This means the bulkier camera module remains somewhat unprotected, which is something DJI needs to be rectify ASAP.

There are also no dedicated ND filter kits from DJI at launch, though I fully expect that situation to change very soon through third parties (it might even have done so by the time you read this).

As with the Pocket 4, there’s the fill-light accessory, which attaches magnetically to the gimbal’s arm and is powered by the camera, and which lets you choose between three brightness levels and three color temperatures.

The light won’t make much of a difference to your images in bright daylight, but in low light and for indoors, it’s game changing for vlogging. I found the warm setting at the medium brightness level was a sweet spot for the times I wanted to use the light.

Then there’s the tiny remote control, borrowed from the Osmo Mobile 8P. This easily connects to the Pocket 4P over Bluetooth, and can be used to remotely view and control the camera. It’s a neat answer to Insta360’s modular controller in its Luna cameras, though the DJI module doesn’t feature a built-in mic, as Insta360’s does.

For occasions when you're taking hands-free shots with the Pocket 4P rested on a surface or support, the remote controller is super-handy. The controls are slightly stripped back versus the camera’s control layout, but the key controls, such as touch subject-tracking, record, and gimbal movement / zoom are there.

• Design score: 4.5/5

DJI Osmo Pocket 4: Performance

• Improved subject tracking
• 107GB of built-in memory added
• Higher-capacity battery extends record times

A major feature in Pocket cameras is subject-tracking autofocus. You really don’t want to be messing around moving the gimbal manually with the joystick, which can be fiddly and jerky. Thankfully, subject tracking, the latest version of which DJI calls ‘ActiveTrack 7.0’, is super-reliable — you double-tap on the subject, and the camera does the rest. For me, it performs slightly better than Insta360 Luna’s tracking, even if it does at times feel like its ‘keeping up’ with fast-moving subjects rather than keeping them central.

Battery life is solid, though you will notice it drop quicker with certain modes, such as 4K 60fps video recording, hyperlapse, and slow-motion 240fps. The camera also gets pretty warm pretty quickly when using these modes, though I’ve not had it overheat and shut down during my testing.

With compact vlogging cameras such as the Pocket series, the battery is non-removable, so you are relying on that USB-C rechargeable internal unit. I found myself conscious of having to charge the camera on heavy use days — that’s life with a Pocket. There is, however, an optional battery grip available to extend shot life.

In addition to a microSD card slot, DJI includes a generous 107GB of built-in storage. That’s enough for a lot of 4K clips, even when utilizing the maximum 200Mbps bit rate.

Recording internally, you'll need to transfer files either over Wi-Fi or wired USB-C. Thankfully, there’s next-gen Wi-Fi 6 and USB 3.1 support on board, delivering fast transfer speeds and making for an efficient workflow on the move.

As with other Pockets, the 4P can get a little warm when you're using its more power-hungry features, such as 4K 60fps and hyperlapse. I've not had any overheating issues to the point where the camera shuts down, but I was aware of the camera warming up while holding it.

• Performance score: 5/5

DJI Osmo Pocket 4: Image and video quality

• 1-inch sensor ultra-wide camera, and a new 3x telephoto, up to 12x zoom
• D-Log2 profile with up 17EV dynamic range
• Low-light further boosts the improved 14 stops dynamic range

There is one minor difference between the Pocket 4P and Pocket 4’s ultra-wide 20mm f/2.0 camera: the ‘refined’ 1-inch sensor, which unleashes a new log color profile, D-Log 2.

DJI says the refined sensor features LOFIC tech — which in simple terms is like super HDR, only it works in real time, which differs to HDR. I first came across the term LOFIC when reviewing the Oppo Find X9 Ultra phone.

The fruit of LOFIC and D-Log 2 is an expanded 17 stops of dynamic range, while the regular Log profile has around 14 stops. D-Log 2 is only available with the ultra-wide camera because it’s linked to the sensor tech, whereas the new 3x telephoto camera uses a separate 1/1.28-inch sensor.

D-Log 2 also isn’t available in every shooting mode, such as Slow Motion 240fps, although like the Pocket 4, that 10x slo-mo is available in 4K, or up to 200fps when using the 3x telephoto camera.

I’ve shot the same clips in D-Log 2, D-Log and ‘Normal’ color profiles (all 10-bit) to make quality comparisons, especially regarding dynamic range, and to see how easy it is to grade the footage for a consistent look. I’ve also shot using some of the built-in color profiles, such as ‘NC film’ and ‘Movie’.

The level of detail that the Pocket 4P is able to hold, especially in D-Log 2, is majorly impressive, especially for such a small and affordable camera. For me, outright 4K image quality is where DJI has the edge over Insta360, and most leading smartphones.

Is D-Log2 enough reason to upgrade from the Pocket 4? Not for me, but there is a more compelling reason: the second camera. The 60mm f/1.8 telephoto optic is essentially a 3x portrait lens, with a pleasant shallow depth of field for upper-body vlogging and shooting closeup details. It’s limited to D-Log or Normal color profiles, but the overall quality is really, really nice, and the footage gives a totally different perspective to the ultra-wide camera's.

Where that 3x lens really shines is when it’s coupled with some of the Pocket 4P’s major features, such as active tracking. With the tighter perspective, creative camera movements tracking a subject on the move can look particularly dynamic, especially where there are other objects in the foreground.

The zoom capabilities are further extended — where the Pocket 4 was limited to a 2x lossless zoom and 4x digital zoom, the Pocket 4P again has the 2x lossless zoom with the ultra-wide lens, plus 6x lossless with the telephoto lens and up to a 12x digital zoom.

The quality of that 12x zoom is okay at a pinch, but if quality is your main concern, I wouldn’t go beyond the 6x setting.

I don’t like the way the heavier dual-camera setup impacts how the camera feels in the hand, but it’s a game-changing feature for this type of camera, and for me it now feels impossible to return to the single-lens format.

The Luna Ultra goes one step further for resolution, with 8K video recording. Personally, I’m happy with a camera that is limited to 4K recording, but whose quality at this resolution, especially regarding dynamic range and color, is more pleasing on the eye. That's the Pocket 4P.

• Image and video quality score: 5/5

DJI Osmo Pocket 4P: testing scorecard

Should I buy the DJI Osmo Pocket 4P?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

DJI Osmo Pocket 4P: also consider

How I tested the DJI Osmo Pocket 4P

• DJI loaned me the Pocket 4P Vlog Combo kit for a couple of months ahead of the July 30 release
• I shot plenty of 4K footage with the various color profiles, and used the various accessories
• I compared it to the single-lens Pocket 4 and dual-lens Insta360 Luna Ultra

I used the DJI Pocket 4P for almost two months ahead of my review embargo, during which time I regularly shot 4K video using the 20mm and 60mm lenses, the various frame rates up to 240fps, and the range of color profiles, including the new D-Log2. I tried the various shooting modes too, such as hyperlapse, and took photos in the regular and SuperPhoto modes.

In the Vlog Combo kit was a DJI Mini 2 Mini, remote module and fill light, and I tested both those accessories. I generally recorded onto the camera's internal memory, transferred files through USB-C and checked transfer times, ran the camera battery down, and checked recharge times using the supplied USB-C cable.

During my review period I also had the Pocket 4, enabling me to assess the key differences between the single- and dual-lens models. I also had the rival Insta360 Luna Ultra, again allowing me to make direct comparisons.

• First reviewed: July 2026
• Read more about how we test

KitchenAid KF3: Two-minute review

The KitchenAid KF3 Fully Automatic Espresso Machine is the middle child of the company’s 2026 release of a trio of compact bean-to-cup coffee machines, sitting below the KitchenAid KF4 and above the KF2. Because of its slim build, it’s a great option for smaller kitchens, but it can easily service a larger household thanks to four customizable user profiles and a solid selection of over 15 coffee-based drink recipes.

It benefits from KitchenAid’s IntelliGrind system — also featuring on the company’s larger machines like the KF8 and KF6 — that automatically determines the best grind size depending on the beans you pour into the top-mounted hopper. During my testing, I found it consistently delivered a well-extracted and tasty espresso.

The KF3’s automatic milk system uses a hose that you need to place into your own container (the KF4 uses a similar system but includes a container), letting you make a variety of drinks including lattes and cappuccinos. Despite not claiming to work with non-dairy milks, I found it delivered a good level of foam when using a barista-style oat milk.

KitchenAid has given the KF3 a couple of iced coffee recipes too. As with the KF4, and other machines I’ve tested such as the Philips LatteGo 4400 Series, you need to put some ice cubes in your glass or cup first, and KitchenAid claims that the machine will brew espresso at a lower temperature. However, when checking the temperature of a regular shot at 'medium' temperature and an iced-espresso shot with a food-grade thermometer, both registered at around 40ºC / 104ºF, meaning the iced espresso was still hot enough to melt the ice, resulting in a lukewarm and diluted drink.

The other slight niggle I have with the KF3 is that it goes through water quite quickly as it performs a rinse cycle on startup and shutdown. I can understand the latter process to clean out the internals, and the rinsing of the milk hose to keep everything hygienic, but the start-up rinse cycle seemed unnecessary. Fortunately the rear-mounted water tank is quite large at 1.8L, but if you have a larger household or you drink a lot of coffee each day, you'll be refilling it regularly.

Overall, however, the KitchenAid KF3 is a fantastic mid-range automatic espresso machine that’s well made, brews delicious drinks and is ultimately easy to maintain. In fact, I'd say that it does more than enough to compete with the best coffee makers.

KitchenAid KF3: Specifications

KitchenAid KF3: Price and availability

• Launched in UK and US April 2026, Australia in July 2026
• List price $999.99 / £749 / AU$1,349

The KitchenAid KF3 Fully Automatic Espresso Machine launched first in the UK and US in April 2026, and eventually made its way to Australia in July 2026. It has a list price of $999.99 / £749 / AU$1,349, meaning it’s one of the company’s more affordable machines, while being classified a mid-range option in the grand scheme of things.

Only the lower-spec KF2 is cheaper at $799.99 / £699 / AU$1,099 if you want an automatic machine, while the Semi Automatic Espresso Machine is cheaper still, although that naturally requires a bit more hands-on involvement.

The top-tier model in this latest series, the KF4 ($1,299.99 / £899 / AU$1,599) offers much of the same functionality as the KF3, albeit with a wider selection of recipes, a bigger touch display and ships with a milk carafe.

The similarly specced Philips LatteGo 4400 Series is also worth considering in this price range, with its list price of $799.99 / £599.99 / AU$1,199.

• Value score: 4 / 5

KitchenAid KF3: Design

• Compact size makes it great for smaller spaces
• Milk system is simple to use and clean
• No dishwasher-safe components

At first glance, the KitchenAid KF3 looks very similar to other models in the company’s lineup, from the KF4 and up to the KF8 (there’s currently no KF5). It’s more compact than the KF6-8, but the same size as the KF4 and KF2, at 14.2 x 7.7 x 18.5 inches / 361 x 196 x 470mm (H x W x D), making it easy to slide onto a kitchen counter. And slide it you can, as there are two small wheels on the bottom at the rear, so you can lift from the front and move it forwards and backwards with ease.

Looks-wise, it adopts a similar aesthetic as the rest of its siblings. It’s boxy, with rounded corners, and is available in either Porcelain White or Matte Black. To cut manufacturing costs, KitchenAid has ditched the predominantly metal build of the larger models, replacing it with plastic. It still looks and feels very much a premium product though.

The clearest indicator that lets you know this is the KF3 is the small 2.4-inch / 6cm color display. The KF2 doesn’t have one at all, while the KF4’s color screen is larger and touch enabled. It’s a relatively low-resolution screen compared to the likes of the Philips Café Aromis, but is still bright and clear, and the use of color helps to identify the drink you want to make.

The KF3's display is flanked by 10 touch buttons: four that provide quick access to user profiles, drinks menu, rinsing cycles and machine settings; two to initiate and cancel brewing; and four to cycle forward and back through menu options, return and select.

The top-mounted hopper is large enough to accommodate 250g of coffee beans and, as with the other compact machines in the series, it features a removable opaque lid with a silicone seal. This means you can’t easily see the amount of leftover beans (there’s a clear audible indication if it doesn’t have any to grind) but, then again, the beans aren’t exposed to light and air, keeping them fresher for longer.

Furthering its benefits for smaller kitchens, the lid is removable rather than hinged means it’s easy to fill the hopper if you have the KF3 positioned under a wall cabinet. There’s also a small chute for pre-ground coffee, and a scoop is included in the box.

The 1.8L water tank slides in and out the rear of the machine and has an integrated handle to make the process simple, although I personally prefer the side-mounted tank on the Philips LatteGo 4400 as it makes refilling a little bit easier. However, the KitchenAid’s tank features a hinged lid, so more often than not I would leave it in place and pour water in from a jug.

KitchenAid supplies a water filter with the KF3 that it says is good for around two months of use. It was initially a little fiddly to install, but the included coffee scoop doubles up as a tool that clips onto the filter, giving you the extra length needed to screw it into place.

The drip tray is deep and extends virtually the full depth of the KF3, and has a large spout at the back for easy emptying. Used coffee grounds are deposited into a removable bin in the center that can be tipped out when full — you'll see a notification on the display when it's time to do so.

The KF3’s milk system uses a silicone hose that connects to the side of the dispenser located on the front of the machine. You need to insert one end of the hose into a small socket, while the other end drops into a tall glass or bottle. KitchenAid offers a sealed container with a double-ended hose as an optional extra for $59.99 / £39 / AU$59, which is included with the KF4 by default.

The KF3 features a thorough rinsing cycle for the hose to ensure it’s kept clean, but note that none of the removable parts are dishwasher safe.

Lastly, the height of the coffee dispenser can be adjusted to suit a variety of cup sizes, including large mugs and tumbler glasses. I found I needed to use a little bit of force to move it, but this is a minor niggle.

• Design score 4.5 / 5

KitchenAid KF3: Performance

• Well-extracted espresso time after time
• Good, but not great, milk foaming
• ‘Iced’ drinks still hot
• Four customizable user profiles

The best thing about the KitchenAid KF3 Fully Automatic Espresso Machine is that you can confidently rely on it to deliver an excellent espresso with every use. The IntelliGrind system automatically determines the best grind size depending on your chosen beans to ensure it brews a tasty shot with good crema. I used medium-roast and dark-roast beans during my testing period and I was more than satisfied with the results in each case.

The fact that you don’t have to worry about grind size makes this a fantastic option for coffee novices who aren’t sure how to get the best results. If you're not entirely satisfied, then you'll find a lever hidden behind the side compartment (which provides access to the brewing unit) that you can use to adjust grind size to a finer or coarser level. I ultimately left it at the default setting in the middle.

That being said, the KF3 does give you the option to adjust the strength and body of the espresso. Strength is denoted on a scale of one to three, with the difference being the dose of coffee that’s ground into the brewing head — 7g being the lightest strength and 14g being the strongest.

You can also select light, medium or strong body, which relates to the rate at which water flows during extraction. A strong-bodied coffee, for example, takes the longest, as the water flows through slowly to extract the most amount of flavor.

You’re also able to adjust the volume of coffee delivered for each drink and the water temperature.

Auto Milk is KitchenAid's milk-foaming system and it works well, although I’m of the opinion that a steam wand will always produce superior results. I was, however, pleased to find that it worked well with plant-based milks, despite not having a dedicated option. Coffee machines that cater specifically to plant-based options, such as the KitchenAid KF8, will heat it to a lower temperature compared to dairy for optimal results.

When I made a cafe latte using a barista-style oat milk, I found the KF3 produced a good level of foam with a silky texture, and at a drinkable temperature. I achieved similarly good results with full-fat dairy.

There are four user profiles on the KF3 for you and your household to store their own drink preferences. While the KF4 lets you name them, they’re fixed at User Profile 1, 2, 3 and 4 here.

KitchenAid understands that iced drinks are popular, even at home, and has given the KF3 dedicated presets for cold coffees. In theory, the shot the machine dispenses is brewed at a lower temperature, although you do still need to put ice in your cup or glass, but that didn't seem to be the case in reality.

I used a thermometer to measure the temperature of both a regular espresso shot and an iced espresso shot and found them to be similar. The regular shot was around 50ºC when brewed at a medium temperature, while the iced shot was around 45ºC. I conducted this test twice, with the same results both times.

As such, the iced espresso shot was still too hot and melted the cubes in my cup relatively quickly, resulting in a diluted drink. If you like your cold coffees, you'd be better off considering other machines like the De’Longhi Dedica Duo and the Jura J10 that offer proper cold-extracted espresso.

The KF3, like other KitchenAid espresso machines, is QuietMark-certified, indicating it should be whisper-quiet in use. That’s something I can certainly attest to, as I recorded around 70dB while grinding and 60dB when brewing, using the decibelX app on my iPhone and standing next to the machine in a relatively quiet space. That puts it on par with the KF4, although we found the flagship KF8 to be quieter still with an average of 44dB during the entire coffee-making process.

Keeping the KitchenAid KF3 clean is incredibly simple. Not only does it automatically complete a rinse cycle on startup and shutdown (which, as I mentioned does mean the water tank can empty relatively quickly), but it will also prompt you when it’s time to empty the ground container and drip tray. It will also ask you to rinse the milk system after every use. You can skip this process at first, but when you turn the machine off — or it automatically shuts down after a predetermined amount of time — it won’t do so until the hose has been flushed.

There are further and more thorough cleaning procedures within the settings menu for washing the brewing unit with special cleaners, and a couple of tablets are included in the box. You will need to buy descaler and a milk system cleaner separately.

There’s also an option to evaporate all the water from the system entirely, which my colleague Cat Ellis has previously expressed as being a feature she wishes all automatic espresso machines had. This is particularly useful if you know you’re not going to be using the machine for an extended period of time and keep it hygienically dry for the duration.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the KitchenAid KF3?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

KitchenAid KF3: Also consider

If you're not sure whether the KitchenAid KF3 is the right espresso machine for you, here are three other options to keep in mind.

KitchenAid KF3: How I tested

I used the KitchenAid KF3 for two weeks, and having already spent time with the KF4, I was well versed with what to expect from the slightly lesser-specced machine. I prepared a wide range of drinks with and without milk, and used two different styles of coffee beans to test the IntelliGrind feature on the KF3.

I used a barista-style oat milk and full-fat dairy milk to test the automatic milk-foaming system, and ran the machine’s recommended cleaning cycles.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2026

Light spoilers follow for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day was meant to signal a fresh era for Tom Holland’s Peter Parker. With 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home effectively clearing the narrative slate and stripping away his safety net, this latest chapter had a golden opportunity to chart a bold, unburdened new course for a character whose cinematic journey now enters its 24th year.

And yet, tripped up by familiar Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) shortcomings and weighed down by my own sky-high expectations, Brand New Day yields a final product that is undeniably fun, but ultimately falls short of greatness.

Web of lies

Four years have passed in-universe since No Way Home, whose ending saw Doctor Strange cast a multiverse-saving spell to make everyone, including Parker's girlfriend M.J. (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon), forget that he was Spider-Man.

Since then, our friendly neighborhood hero has fully committed to cleaning up the streets of New York City. While that mission has been incredibly successful, it's come at a cost — that being said, the webslinger is practically shedding his civilian identity and becoming a social recluse.

That long-term, self-imposed isolation has seemingly dire consequences for Spider-Man, whose world is not only upended after he sees M.J. with a new man, but also by a sudden metamorphosis — one that super-charges his arachnid-like abilities — that he struggles to control.

Throw in the emergence of a powerful and invisible new threat that only Spidey can apparently stop, and the Marvel icon must turn detective, determine if this new superpowered being is as bad as he's been led to believe, and once again realize that with great power comes great responsibility.

That infamous slogan is one that Holland and director Destin Daniel Cretton hung their proverbial hats on throughout development.

The pair have spoken at length about making a Spider-Man movie unlike anything we've seen before, and that's especially true from an action spectacle standpoint. Whether it's the fights that Spidey's involved in — the Hulk and The Hand battles deserve special mention for being intense and imaginative — or simply giving us a first-person view of him swinging through his hometown, Spider-Man 4 is the webslinger at his acrobatic, wily, and inventive best. Full credit to Cretton, stunt co-ordinator and second unit director Peng Zhang, and his team for delivering some of the best action in a Spider-Man film to date.

Brand New Day isn't as adept at depicting loneliness and other mental health issues, mind you. Indeed, for all of the talk that Brand New Day puts Peter Parker in a mental and emotional echo chamber, that's not entirely accurate.

Sure, Parker spends much of the first two acts lying to himself about why he has to maintain his lone wolf status, a storytelling quirk that allows Holland to further tap into Parker's guilt complex and the volitional burden of responsibility he carries. Even so, he still interacts — and characteristically quips — with everyone who appears in the Marvel Phase 6 flick, and, while it would be a puzzlingly dialog-light film for a usually extroverted character if he didn't, I was disappointed that Spider-Man 4 didn't examine Parker's hermit lifestyle more thoroughly throughout its 142-minute runtime.

In fact, the movie's broader emotional impact didn't hit me as hard as I'd hoped.

Yes, there are myriad moving moments — particularly in the third act — where Holland, Zendaya, and MCU newcomer Sadie Sink deliver emotional gravitas aplenty. Sink, whose much-discussed mystery character in Spider-Man 4 I’ll come back to shortly, gives a performance that easily leaves a lump in the throat

Nevertheless, Thunderbolts* tackles its weightier themes — particularly around mental health — with a sensitivity that Spider-Man 4 lacks. Heck, I'd even say No Way Home and another of Holland's previous MCU outings in Spider-Man: Far From Home hit me much harder emotionally than this fourth entry; a take I certainly didn't expect to have prior to my Brand New Day screening.

Lost souls

Its action notwithstanding, Spider-Man: Brand New Day does a much better job at making New York feel like a city populated by more than one hero and villain at any given time.

That might sound silly for a shared universe like the MCU and for a film franchise that's seen the wallcrawler mingle with other Marvel characters. Still, the fact that he shares the screen with individuals who haven't operated in his orbit before is a positive, especially when, the Avengers movies aside, Marvel appears determined to keep its heroes apart despite their situational proximity.

It's an ingredient characterized best by Spider-Man's quarrelsome, sibling-like dynamic with Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle, aka The Punisher.

Ordinarily, Bernthal's foul-mouthed, unhinged anti-hero would have no place in a family-friendly MCU flick. However, his inclusion in Brand New Day allows Bernthal and Holland's incredibly natural chemistry to shine, and it's no coincidence that sequences involving the pair are some of the funniest and most memorable that Spider-Man 4 has to offer.

The film’s self-contained, 'pick-up-and-read' comic book vibe further extends to Spider-Man: Brand New Day's full cast of characters.

Returning favorites like Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner/The Hulk alongside newcomers in Tramell Tillman's Bill Metzger and Liza Colón-Zayas' Jean DeWolff add to its narrative flavor. However, its overstuffed roster leaves a slight aftertaste as few of them get the necessary development or screentime they require.

Among the supporting cast, Sink gets the most substantial character arc. Brand New Day waits until the 70-minute mark to finally confirm who she's playing, but it compensates for the inevitable reveal by soon putting the Stranger Things alumnus at the heart of its tale, albeit with mixed results.

On the upside, Spider-Man 4 thoughtfully draws parallels between Holland and Sink's characters. Driven by opposing worldviews rooted in personal tragedy, their dichotomous dynamic fuels the second act, and I'll readily admit I was completely engrossed by their superhuman tango.

The problem that Brand New Day runs into is that, by placing Sink at its narrative center, it quickly succumbs to the classic MCU pitfall: setting up future storylines instead of concentrating on its actual protagonist.

Indeed, by act three, Spidey becomes something of a passenger in his own film, and it isn't until its admittedly poignant climax that the focus shifts back to the wallcrawler. That's no slight on the talented Sink's performance, but, not for the first time, it's hard to watch another Spider-Man solo movie and not think that the titular hero has, at times, been overshadowed in his own story.

My verdict

From a recency bias viewpoint, it would be easy — and arguably lazy — to label Brand New Day as the best Spider-Man movie of all-time.

In some ways, you can argue that's true. This is the most relatable Peter Parker has ever felt in a live-action capacity; it ditches the weary multiversal shenanigans in favor of returning to the character's classic street-level roots, and is Holland's most mature outing yet as the legendary webslinger.

That said, while its ending strikes an optimistic note for an all-but-confirmed fifth solo film, Brand New Day is an ironic title for a movie that — much like its protagonist for large parts of this flick — refuses to move on from the past. Its sentimental attachment to legacy characters like Ned and M.J., paired with obstructive MCU world-building, reveals a franchise that hesitates to be as progressive as it could and should be. It’s an endlessly entertaining, ground-level Spider-Man story — it just can’t quite bring itself to let that brand new day truly dawn.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is out now in the UK, and hits theaters in the US and other regions on Friday, July 31.

A relative newcomer in the industry, DataImpulse has grabbed a slice of the proxy pie thanks to its wallet-friendly, high-performing service. From more than 90 million ethically-sourced residential IPs across 195 locations to mobile and datacenter proxies, users gain access to a speedy and reliable global network.

The company specializes in creating custom proxy services for businesses, though individual users who aim to access data from anywhere and collect the information they need will have no problem finding something for themselves.

Arguably, the biggest selling point is a highly competitive, pay-as-you-go pricing model with traffic that never expires. DataImpulse throws in free country-level targeting for every plan (more granular targeting options are also available), and full support for HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5 proxy protocols across all of its proxy networks.

Plans and Pricing

DataImpulse operates on a transparent pay-as-you-go model where traffic never expires. In case you’re unfamiliar with the concept, the bandwidth you buy here is yours until your scrapers actually consume the bytes, whether that takes days or months.

The price structure is based on the type of proxy and the amount of traffic.

For instance, residential proxies start at a flat $1 per GB for a 5GB starter block, and go up to 50GB at the same dollar-to-gigabyte ratio. If you ramp up your scraping to the Advanced tier, the cost drops down to $0.80 per GB for an 800GB package, with custom enterprise pricing scaling down even further for terabyte-scale deployments - though you’ll have to pony up at least $4000 for the option.

Datacenter proxies start at a mere $0.50 per GB for new users, slipping down to $0.45 per GB when upgrading to a larger $450 volume pool. Once again, you can get a custom price per gigabyte.

Gaining access to mobile proxies kicks off at $2 per GB for the entry-level 5GB option. The price goes down to $1.6 per GB for bulk operations, with custom pricing available for truly massive projects.

Finally, premium residential proxies will set you back $5 per GB via 1GB and 10GB plans. And yes, there is a custom option too with a $20k starting point.

It’s worth mentioning that DataImpulse doesn’t play favorites with its plans. Each includes free country-level geo-targeting, rotating and sticky sessions, HTTP(S) and SOCKS5 support, full programmatic API access, 24/7 support, and unrestricted concurrent threads. There are no overage penalties or hidden connection fees, which means your infrastructure bill will match your actual code execution down to a T.

Features

If you decide to give DataImpulse a go, your first step will be to register, either the old-fashioned way or through your Google, GitHub, or LinkedIn profile. A classic dashboard layout will greet you, where all the important stuff is located in the left sidebar.

The usage chart and details will be your starting point. Once you settle on a plan, you can begin with the proxy configuration by setting the targeting options down to the ASN (Autonomous System Number) and IP rotation interval, which you can save altogether as a dedicated configuration.

You have to choose between a sticky or rotating proxy, as well as the protocol in charge. Sticky proxies are port-based (IP addresses are bound to a specific port for a specific timeframe), and the rotation interval can range from 1 to 120 minutes. Rotating proxies change the IP address automatically with each new request.

From here, it’s also possible to top up your balance by choosing the number of GBs you want to add in the event you need more traffic.

Here’s a more detailed look at DataImpulse’s offering:

Residential proxies

Arguably the workhorse of the platform, the standard residential proxy pool provides on-demand access to a sizable footprint of over 90 million active IP addresses across 195 countries. DataImpulse proudly markets its pool as entirely ethically sourced, which means all nodes join the network legally and transparently.

As a result, the IPs maintain a pristine reputation score and are drastically less likely to be blacklisted by major CDN platforms. In other words, when your script routes data through these nodes, target web servers view the connection as an ordinary home user browsing a site, rather than an automated bot. In our tests, residential proxies delivered a consistently high scraping success rate.

Premium residential proxies

DataImpulse labels these as ultra-responsive IP addresses with minimal latency that deliver better reliability and security compared to regular residential proxies. So, you should see faster connection speeds and more precise geo-targeting, especially considering you get full customization options to tweak your scripts.

Moreover, upgrading to the premium residential line significantly reduces the risk of encountering unexpected access blocks or sudden CAPTCHAs. Since this is a premium offering, it includes additional operational perks, such as a dedicated account manager to help optimize your efforts and resolve any doubts or issues.

Datacenter proxies

When targeting open public directories or basic landing pages (basically, anything that isn’t buffed up with sophisticated anti-bot frameworks), residential IPs can be an expensive overkill. To that extent, DataImpulse offers 20 million datacenter IPs in 195+ countries to tide you over in a cost-efficient manner.

With a response time of less than 100 milliseconds and the fact that these IPs connect directly to high-speed enterprise data systems, this tier is built for pure speed and instances where you need to process thousands of requests per second. You can also configure your IP address to be active for up to 30 minutes.

Mobile proxies

For the most challenging anti-bot systems, like social networks or review platforms, DataImpulse provides rotating and sticky mobile proxies. Pulling from a pool of over 16 million real 3G, 4G, 5G, and LTE cellular towers across 195 locations, these carry a distinct security advantage due to the same public-facing IP to thousands of mobile devices simultaneously.

Hence, web firewalls seldom block a mobile IP address outright since doing so would mean blocking hundreds of legitimate human users on that cell tower network. The largest pool of DataImpulse’s mobile IPs is in India (1.57 million), Saudi Arabia (444k), Italy (257k), Morocco (239k), while the United States is covered with 129k IPs. You can have a single address remain active for up to two hours.

Traffic that never expires

Perhaps the defining USP separating DataImpulse from a chunk of its competitors is the fact that your purchased pay-as-you-go traffic never expires.

In most cases, you’ll wind up with monthly billing subscriptions or restrictions on how long your traffic is valid for. If you have unused bandwidth, it’s gone for good. With DataImpulse, it remains completely active until your crawlers actively consume the bytes. Having peace of mind that you can use data as long as you need without worrying about losing access makes the model a great fit for small businesses and dev teams with limited budgetary and operational width.

Scraping

Unlike some of its peers, DataImpulse leans heavily into a developer-first, DIY network architecture. This means there is no web scraping API, as the vendor’s focus is solely on providing raw proxy connections, rather than managed scraping tools. You must write your own code to manage requests, parse the HTML, handle retries, and bypass CAPTCHAs.

On the plus side, such a model brings financial and structural flexibility for teams writing custom data collectors. By routing scripts through DataImpulse’s proxy layer, they can plug the proxies directly into any automation framework or headless browser engine using basic credentials or token structures.

In that regard, DataImpulse provides a Gateway API to programmatically manage, authenticate, and automate the provisioning of their global proxy pools. From there, you can dynamically generate proxy lists, rotate IP addresses, track bandwidth consumption and request volumes, programmatically set advanced targeting filters, and more.

There are also comprehensive integration blueprints for popular developer frameworks and third-party apps. Some of these include Scrapy, Puppeteer, Selenium, Shadowrocket, Multilogin, AdsPower, Playwright, and Zapier, to name a few. The platform also provides short code snippets for Python, Node.js, PHP, C#, Go, Ruby, and cURL to set up proxies. All of the above is neatly documented with built-in support and code examples.

Advanced geo-targeting and session controls

Country-level geo-targeting across all 195 covered regions is built natively into the base $1/GB price floor with zero add-on activation fees. For more accurate data parsing, there are State, City, ZIP code, and ASN filter toggles.

When it comes to rotating sessions, the DataImpulse gateway dynamically inserts a randomized IP address on every network request your scraper submits. For standard HTTP/HTTPS traffic, you simply point your scripts to gw.dataimpulse.com on port 823. In case your stack relies on the more robust SOCKS5 protocol to handle raw TCP tunnels or high-performance scraping, you use port 824.

For situations where your code requires session continuity (like managing a social profile or handling account-tied logins), you can bind your traffic to a dedicated port range anywhere from port 10000 through 20000. Doing so locks a single IP address to your active thread for up to 120 minutes, though the system gracefully defaults to a 30-minute window if no interval is set.

Ease of Use

There’s not much to say here. Most importantly, the dashboard allows you to move effortlessly around via a single-page command center tailored for fast deployment. That said, the arrangement of certain sections could be better.

For starters, the section ‘Resources’ that features the onboarding guide is tucked away in the upper right corner of your respective plan, instead of being the first thing you see. The same place holds the links for documentation and tutorials.

Then, the ‘Proxy Locations’ section provides a table overview of supported countries for each of the four types of proxies available on DataImpulse. There’s no additional functionality or details to it, which feels like a missed opportunity.

Acting as a de facto homepage, there is a filterable real-time line chart that plots your request volume across custom date ranges and breaks down traffic metrics by total requests, charged traffic, and total spend.

The dashboard also logs individual session activity in an audit table showing the timestamp, targeted host, consumed traffic, and error/success states, with the option to export this data directly to a CSV report.

In terms of generating your target connection parameters, the dashboard provides a straightforward copy-paste system where you can grab your master username and password strings.

You can also manage whitelisted IPs via a simple menu. Just save your scraping server's public IP address within your dashboard profile, and the gateway will automatically recognize your incoming traffic tunnels, thus shaving valuable milliseconds off your script's execution times.

Customer Support

One of the things DataImpulse singles out is its 24/7 personalized, human support. The company proudly mentions that you’ll get an answer in under 3 minutes, courtesy of an ever-present chat icon in the lower right corner. Our experience was no different - we got a tidy reply in less than a minute.

If you prefer self-service support, the company provides a thorough Documentation page. Here, you’ll find various technical reference materials, API endpoints, authentication methods, and basic proxy setup instructions.

Covering the more practical elements is the Tutorials page. It acts as an extensive step-by-step engineering handbook, packed with detailed screenshots, videos, configuration blueprints, and copy-pasteable code snippets for integrating proxies across dozens of operating systems, scraping frameworks, and headless browsers.

For customers deploying huge data operations at the custom enterprise level, DataImpulse boosts its support to include dedicated account managers and custom feature engineering tailored specifically to the customer’s unique data requirements.

The Competition

Truth be told, proxy services are tough competition. DataImpulse has robust providers like Bright Data, Oxylabs, and Decodo playing in the same field, though its unexpiring pay-as-you-go traffic and a highly disruptive $1 per GB residential proxy baseline certainly make it stand out. Nonetheless, the main problem is a lack of out-of-the-box software tools or any sort of target templates, leaving all the coding execution to your team.

Final Verdict

If anything, DataImpulse proves you don’t have to pay a premium to get access to a reliable and ethically sourced proxy network. In no small part thanks to its price tag and data that never expires, the company has created an accessible, developer-first platform that is finely tuned to the needs of individual developers, startups, dev squads, and growing small businesses.

So, if you have the know-how and are looking to drastically slash data collection costs, DataImpulse will more than suffice. But, if you’re not much of a technical user and require a fully managed, hands-off scraping solution, it will likely be too bare-bones for your liking.

• Take a look at our guide to the best proxy services

When I first caught a glimpse of The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, it sparked a great sense of anticipation within me. After all, Square Enix and Claytechworks were collaborating to bring a brand new HD-2D RPG to the table, which appeared to combine sprinklings of classic Zelda titles with the visual, sonic, and environmental grandeur from series such as Mana and Dragon Quest.

I’m a huge fan of the HD-2D graphical style, and massively enjoyed recent releases such as Final Fantasy: The Ivalice Chronicles and Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake, but I still wasn’t quite sure if I’d love The Adventures of Elliot. Was the action combat going to be polished and engaging enough? Was the world going to deliver the spectacle and appeal conjured up with other series? Would the narrative have me hooked?

Well, after playing the game for more than 25 hours now, I have an answer to all of those questions. Here’s what I made of The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales.

The good: combat that exceeds expectations

Let’s start by addressing my curiosity surrounding combat in The Adventures of Elliot — just how good is it? Well, I’m pleased to report that I had a lot of fun with the action in this game. It clearly pulls on 2D Zelda, with real-time combat that challenges you to use a variety of weapons to overcome your foes.

You can equip two weapons at once, and while I typically used my sword for close range attacks and bow for projectiles, I found genuine utility in a lot of equipment, be that bombs, a hammer, spear, and more. Combat feels fluid, responsive, and well balanced. You can also defend or parry with a shield, and using this to avoid big damage can be crucial.

There’s a pretty fast, high-octane feel to battles, big or small, and by defeating multiple foes in a row, you can build up a streak to obtain better drops. This adds a layer of fun to combat, and gives you a genuine reason to seek out and destroy random creatures in your vicinity — I had a lot of fun pushing myself to get that streak as high as possible.

Combat is absolutely at its best during boss fights, though. These can offer genuine challenges, and often require you to switch up attacks, defend with care, and employ a variety of weapons to get the win. The satisfaction I got when evading a robotic titan’s assault and slashing it to smithereens with my blade was nothing short of exhilarating.

What’s more, you can customize weapons with something called Magicite, which imparts specific abilities to help you wipe out the opposition with greater ease. This is executed very well, and helps you to raise attack power, unlock elemental attacks, and extend the reach of your attacks, for instance.

By spending more Tul (the in-universe currency), you can use more Magicite, and this helps you scale in terms of power as the game unfolds, making progression feel natural and well-paced.

Other gameplay elements are solid too. Platforming isn’t a massive part of the game, but feels precise and smooth. Your companion for most of the journey, Faie, also has abilities such as dashing and warping, which make traversing environments and taking down enemies even more varied and seamless, and you can unlock more of — and improve on — said abilities as the game progresses.

The not-so good: a narrative missing its spark

So, the gameplay in The Adventures of Elliot is a hit, in my book. The brilliant bosses and close contests against frogs, robots, slugs, and more kept me coming back for more. But unfortunately, some things made me feel reluctant to indulge in long, uninterrupted play sessions — namely, the game’s narrative and dialogue.

Simply put, the story in The Adventures of Elliot lacks the spark that I was looking for. It often feels flat, lacking moments of surprise and suspense, and its largely predictable plot points paired with sluggish and dull dialogue meant that I was tempted, at times, to skip through a few scenes — something I never do with story-driven RPGs.

On top of this, the cast of characters is surprisingly weak for a Square Enix game. The protagonist, Elliot, feels somewhat hollow, and spends much of the game telling people to follow their heart, chase their dreams, and to believe in themselves. To be blunt, it feels a bit sappy, and despite his striking appearance, he’s actually quite an uninteresting lead.

A lot of the other characters are written in a slightly wooden way, too. Elliot will meet them, they’ll reveal something that troubles them — be that isolation, missing a loved one, or seeking connection with others — the hero will do something to assist them, and then you move on. As a result, characters often lack nuance or depth, and it feels hard to care about the various individuals involved.

Like a lot of other players have pointed out online, your companion, Faie, is also rather irritating. She speaks up…a lot…and her hand-holdy, pointless interjections can feel grating. You can mute your companion, thankfully, which is a good thing given that the fairy’s high-pitched tone is still haunting me.

Much of the game is centered around time travel, another element that could’ve been handled more effectively in my view. A lot of the environments look identical across different eras, and enemy variety can be pretty limited across time as well.

I did like the discoveries you could make across different ages, though, and hunting for new weapons in the various dungeons, and general exploration, was pretty enjoyable. My critique here, however, is that the puzzles within various areas are very easy, and require little effort to overcome. Therefore, anyone seeking out the ingenious design of classic Zelda dungeons may be left wanting more.

Final thoughts: a new IP with growing pains

The Adventures of Elliot still nails a lot of the fundamentals, with a beautiful soundtrack, gorgeous HD-2D visuals, and a neat UI. But when I look at the full package, I’m left feeling conflicted.

While the combat is slick and enticing, the underwhelming story and lack of variation in environments and enemies slightly disappointed me.

Although I still had a decent time with The Adventures of Elliot, and I enjoyed its delicious HD-2D graphics and high-octane battles, it’s clear that the new IP has gone through a few growing pains. And unfortunately, its forgettable characters and lacking dialogue bring the overall experience down a touch, meaning it doesn’t quite hit the highest of heights.

Should you play The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility features

There are a number of ways to customize the experience in The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales. There are a handful of text languages, and you can swap between English or Japanese voices. You can alter text display speed, and set dialogue to auto if you want to watch scenes unfurl naturally.

There are a range of difficulty modes too, and you can remap controls to your liking for a more custom experience. Unfortunately, there’s no colorblind mode, or similar.

How I reviewed Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake

I spent more than 25 hours playing through the main story and side quests in The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales. I played on Normal difficulty in this instance.

For the most part, I played the game on my PS5, which is connected up to my Sky Glass Gen 2 TV and Marshall Heston 120 soundbar. However, I occasionally dipped into the title on my PS Portal, and used the Sennheiser CX 80U to enjoy in-game audio while on the go.

More generally, I’ve reviewed a wide range of games here at TechRadar, though my main focus has been on RPGs, including Square Enix titles like Final Fantasy: The Ivalice Chronicles and Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake.

First reviewed: July 2026

Honor Magic V6 review: Two-minute review

Chinese phone giant Honor has been on a bit of a roll recently. In 2026, it’s already given us the exceptional Honor MagicPad 4 and the compelling Honor Magic 8 Pro flagship, not to mention the impressive (albeit slightly pricey) Honor 600 Pro. Its latest foldable, the Honor Magic V6, keeps up this formidable streak and is easily worthy of being considered one of the best foldable phones today.

The big draw here is the Magic V6's market-leading durability. I’ve taken plenty of foldables for a spin, from the clamshell Motorola Razr Plus to the tablet-style Oppo Find N5, but I’ve always maintained that I would never actually buy one. Why? Because these devices are often simply too fragile. I’m pretty clumsy with my phones and regularly use (and I must admit, sometimes drop) them in the shower or bath, and there’s no way that I’m going to splash out on a premium foldable only to see it turned into a damp paperweight.

The Honor Magic V6 is the first foldable I’ve tested that truly bucks that trend.

In its review documentation, Honor recommended not to baby the phone — I was encouraged to take it out and about without a case, use it in the rain, and so on. I’ve been doing exactly that and, after multiple months of use, it still looks brand new. With its IP68 and IP69 ratings, it offers the highest level of water protection that I can find on the market right now, comparable to most regular high-end flagships.

Its fold is smooth, quiet, and, after being unfolded multiple times a day for weeks, is still as good as new. Honor says that the inner screen is layered with tough UTG flexible glass and has an SGS Imperceptible Crease Certification, and it really shows. The fold is near-invisible head-on, and only really shows if you hold the phone at very specific angles. This is the first foldable I’ve used where you can truly forget that it’s even there.

All of this is underpinned by a premium design that’s impressively slim. The folded phone is about as thick as an iPhone 17 Pro Max, so it feels great in the hands. Unfolded, it becomes just 4.00mm — the same incredible slimness that we loved with the previous Honor Magic V5. On that note, it’s a shame that Honor hasn’t really changed the design that much for this new iteration, though.

The look is practically identical and, on a more serious note, the V5 often ran hot, and that’s still an issue this time around. It’s especially apparent when you’re putting the top-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC through its paces, so be prepared for some thermal throttling if you’re spending hours in the most demanding games.

Despite these minor shortcomings, the Magic V6 is a winner and another impressive showing for Honor. I’m eager to see what the company has planned next.

Honor Magic V6 review: Price and availability

• Priced at £1,999.99 / AU$2,999 (around $2,700)
• Already discounted by £500 thanks to a voucher
• Available in the UK and Australia, but not the US

The Honor Magic V6 is priced at £1,999.99 (AU$2,999), which is a pretty hefty sum, but roughly in line with competing devices like the $2,099.99 / £1,899 / AU$2,999 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

Honor gains a major edge when you consider that the V6 offers 512GB of storage as standard (the Z Fold 8 Ultra starts at just 256GB) and factor in the brand’s frequent promotions and freebies.

At the time of writing, for example, the phone is already £500 off on the official Honor website thanks to a voucher, and comes bundled with your choice of an Honor Pad 10 tablet, projector, or AI voice recorder in addition to some earbuds — you can’t really argue with the value there.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Honor Magic V6 review: Specs

Here's a look at the Honor Magic V6's spec sheet:

Honor Magic V6 review: Design

• Very similar to the V5
• Smoother, more premium hinge
• Still a large camera bump

The design of the Honor Magic V6 is practically identical to that of the V5. It is incredibly thin when unfolded, coming in at just 4.1mm, with a durable aluminium chassis. The back material depends on your choice of colorway, with the Red version using vegan leather and the Gold, Black, and White featuring a smooth fibre composite.

Whether you’re using it folded or unfolded, this is a very good-looking phone that feels great in the hands. I took it with me to Los Angeles on two business trips during my testing, and multiple people complimented the device completely unprompted and were eager to learn more about it — something that I can’t say has happened with any other mobile I’ve used.

Like most Chinese flagships, the rear of the phone features a large octagonal camera bump which isn't going to be to everyone’s taste. I do quite like how it looks, though, and appreciate the subtle tactile texture on the ring around it. The bump is also a bit smaller than that of the Honor Magic 8 Pro, which means that it’s less likely to rest under your fingers and get covered in smudges.

Although the aesthetic hasn’t changed, there have been some big improvements compared to the Honor Magic V5 when it comes to the hinge. It’s much quieter and smoother this time around, helping the phone feel more premium and sturdy. When opened, the phone’s inner display looks totally flat, and the crease is totally invisible in most situations. It only shows up at specific angles and when the screen is displaying lighter colors like grey or white.

Honor keeps things refreshingly simple when it comes to buttons with the Magic V6. There’s a small volume rocker and a power button on the right-hand side, and that’s your lot. They’re well placed for one-handed operation and feel pleasantly clicky. My only real gripe is the fingerprint reader built into the power button, which sometimes feels unresponsive and requires a few attempts to successfully unlock.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Honor Magic V6 review: Display

• Both screens are bright and attractive
• Crease is barely visible
• Comes with pre-applied screen protectors

Both of the displays found on the Honor Magic V6 are excellent. The 6.52-inch OLED outer screen has a 2420 x 1080 resolution, with a fantastic 2,000 nits peak brightness (or up to an absurd 6,000 nits with HDR) that ensures that it stays visible in even the harshest lighting conditions. It uses Honor’s Anti-scratch NanoCrystal Shield coating, which is decently scratch-resistant and has managed to keep the screen pristine throughout my testing.

It certainly helps that the outer screen also comes fitted with a screen protector out of the box, though I opted to remove it early on as it picked up a lot of marks very quickly. (The inner display also comes with a screen protector, though be warned that this is an integral part of the display that should not be removed by the user. It thankfully seems much more durable than the outer one). Despite the rectangular candy-bar shape of the folded phone, the outer screen uses rounded corners, presumably to give it symmetry with the inner one.

That inner display is a 7.5-inch foldable OLED panel, surrounded by impressively thin plastic bezels. It’s almost as bright as the external one, with a 1,300-nit peak brightness (or up to 5,000 nits with HDR). It’s decently high resolution at 2352 x 2172 and doesn’t look noticeably less sharp than the external one in use, so you can transition between them seamlessly. Honor also deserves some credit for just how closely calibrated both of the displays are: they’re practically identical in terms of color and together just feel like a natural extension of the same panel.

Both the inner and outer screens feature an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, too (avoiding a jarring transition between different refresh rates when switching between the two), which is fantastic for smoothly scrolling apps and social media websites.

Lastly, you absolutely don’t need to worry about an ugly crease spoiling your view with the Honor Magic V6. There is still a fold that you can feel if you really examine it with your fingers, but it’s practically invisible in regular use unless you hold your phone at specific side-on angles or look very closely on a totally blank screen.

I’ve been folding and unfolding the phone constantly throughout my testing, and it hasn’t become more visible either, which is a great sign for long-term durability.

• Display score: 4 / 5

Honor Magic V6 review: Cameras

• Good camera setup
• Not quite as strong as the Magic 8 Pro
• Plenty of software features

The cameras of the Honor Magic V6 aren’t quite as strong as those of the Honor Magic 8 Pro, but they’re still very capable compared to the rest of the wider foldable category. The rear camera offers a three-lens setup, with a 50MP ultra-wide, 50MP wide, and 64MP telephoto lens.

Photos are bright and poppy by default, which is great for capturing the mood of summer days, and they offer a good level of detail — even when dealing with busy scenes and foliage. The main sensor offers 3x optical zoom, which works fantastically, alongside a much less consistent 100x digital zoom. This setup performs well in low-light conditions and those with challenging lighting setups, like concerts with bright strobe effects.

There are plenty of software features to try out on the Magic V6, including AI-powered color filters and different photo watermarks. The ability to display the photo that you’re taking on the front screen is also brilliant for group settings.

Both the front and inner display have the same 20MP wide sensor, which does a good job with selfies, even if the results are a little overprocessed. The Honor Magic V6 also has strong video shooting capabilities and can capture 4K video at 60fps.

As good as it all is, though, I do think the results are overall less impressive than the images I’ve taken with the Honor Magic 8 Pro and its 200MP main lens.

• Cameras score: 4 / 5

Honor Magic V6 review: Camera samples

Honor Magic V6 review: Performance

• Flagship chip
• Can run hot
• Good RAM and storage

The Honor Magic V6 is powered by the flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, the same chip found in the Honor Magic 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, Xiaomi 17 Ultra, and other high–end smartphones. With this SoC, it should come as no surprise that the performance of the Honor Magic V6 is incredibly strong across the board.

In daily use, you’re not going to notice any hitches or slowdown when navigating system menus, browsers like Google Chrome or Firefox, and social media apps. It’s paired with 16GB of RAM, which is more than enough for serious multitasking. I normally rely on my phone for productivity tasks like note-taking, transcribing, and document editing while I’m out on business trips, and my flow was never broken by sudden reloads when flicking between multiple apps — even ones that I hadn’t opened for some time.

Gaming performance is also excellent. It almost goes without saying that casual titles like Plants vs Zombies 3 or Warhammer Combat Cards - 40K (two games I must admit I’ve been spending an embarrassing amount of time playing recently) are totally flawless. More demanding titles, like my go-to Zenless Zone Zero, will run beautifully at the maximum settings preset as well.

The Honor Magic V6 does have a problem with temperatures, though. Extended gaming sessions will cause the phone to heat up quite a bit, leading to eventual slowdown. I also found that it struggled massively during the recent UK heatwave, feeling red hot in my pocket and struggling to run even Google Maps smoothly in direct sunlight. Given the phone’s thinness, I think it’s reasonable that it runs hot at times — but if you want a dedicated gaming device, you would be better off looking outside the foldable market.

Only one configuration of the Honor Magic V6 is available, offering 512GB of storage out of the box. It’s a bit of a shame that there’s no 1TB model for proper power users, but this 512GB capacity will be more than sufficient for the vast majority of buyers. I still have almost 300GB of free space after multiple months of use.

The stereo speakers of the Honor Magic V6 are decent, but hardly going to blow your socks off. There’s more bass than you might expect given the phone’s slight profile, and they can get fairly loud. Just make sure that you run to the ‘Sound quality and effects’ menu in the settings app and disable the various effects that are, for some reason, enabled by default. They just make everything sound washed out.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Honor Magic V6 review: Software

• Transitions between screens seamlessly
• MagicOS 10 is still a winner
• Sleek, iOS-inspired design language

I’m a big fan of MagicOS 10, Honor’s Android 16-based operating system. The design is certainly Apple-inspired, but as an ex-iPhone user, I find it both visually appealing and easy to use. It has a liquid-glass-like aesthetic, with sleek, semi-transparent menus and rounded buttons.

You get all the visual flair of using an iPhone, but with all the additional customization options that you would expect from the Android ecosystem. New icon packs, themes, and a range of pre-set options can be selected from the in-built themes app. You can even disable the transparency effects throughout the OS if you want something that looks a bit more like traditional Android.

Smart features, like an AI tool to recommend images that would be well-suited for your lock screen and AI-powered widgets that use context to suggest the app that you’re most likely to want to use, make daily operation smooth.

Other AI software elements include the ability to generate or rephrase text and a surprisingly good translation feature. They’re not all winners though. The AI Settings Agent (which allows you to type or speak sentences like ‘Turn off Bluetooth’ in order to change key settings) is laughably useless, while the so-called AI Memories App is literally just a screenshot tool with the word AI slapped on it.

But compared to other foldables that I have used, the Honor Magic V6 is by far the smoothest when transitioning between the two displays on the software front. You will get the odd moment where things freeze up, or apps fail to resize properly, but the vast majority of the time it works exactly as you would expect. I soon found that being able to seamlessly access the larger screen made it much easier to compose apps in Gmail, or edit documents in Google Drive.

• Software score: 4 / 5

Honor Magic V6 review: Battery

• 6,660mAh lithium polymer cell
• Best in class battery life
• Easily lasts for more than a day

The battery life of the Honor Magic V6 is superb. The 6,660mAh lithium polymer cell offers more than enough juice for a full day of use, even if you play graphically demanding games or stream video content. I use my phone constantly throughout the day and regularly go to bed with about 25% of juice left. With light use, you could easily stretch multiple days out of a single charge, particularly if you enable one of the power-saving modes.

6,660mAh is the largest battery capacity you will find across the entire foldable category, and it shows in real-world use. The Honor Magic V6 can comfortably outlast both the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 (we’re yet to test it against the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra), as well as traditional flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Honor devices are already known for their serious battery chops, but cramming this much battery life into a device so thin and light is extremely impressive.

• Battery score: 5 / 5

Should you buy the Honor Magic V6?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Honor Magic V6 review: Also consider

Not so keen on the Honor Magic V6? Here are two alternatives to weigh up, one folding and one not.

How I tested the Honor Magic V6

• Tested for multiple months
• Used as a daily driver
• Compared to flagship devices

I tested the Honor Magic V6 over a period of multiple months, using it as my daily driver. I relied on it for a wide range of tasks, from listening to music and browsing social media on my commute to watching my favorite series on a plane and trying out the latest game releases.

Throughout my time with the phone, I frequently compared its performance to other flagship devices, including those from Honor and its major competitors.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2026

TP-Link Tapo C660 Kit: One-minute review

The TP-Link Tapo C660 Kit is a feature-packed 4K outdoor security camera that delivers many of the perks usually reserved for pricier models, including solar charging, pan-and-tilt coverage, color night vision and local microSD storage.

That last feature means you won’t need to pay for a subscription for video playback and download, but there are still some great (but non-essential) features in the paid Tapocare subscription, especially if you plan to expand your home's security with more than a single camera.

The Tapo app is also easy to use, and the C660 Kit will slot in alongside other Tapo smart home gear like lights, plugs and more to form its own smart home ecosystem. On the other hand, if you have other smart devices in the mix and would prefer a hub to control them all, Alexa has the strongest support, while Google Home only works with voice commands and video streaming to smart displays and TVs. There’s no native support for Apple HomeKit.

While it doesn't necessarily stand out in a crowded market with its design, the white casing looks sleek and stylish, and the IP65 waterproof rating means the C660 Kit is dust-tight and can withstand low-pressure water jets from any direction (aka rain, splashes or hose spray).

TP-Link Tapo C660 Kit review: Price and availability

• Starts at $169.99 / £179.99 / AU$299 for a single camera unit
• Available in multipacks of 2, 3 and 4-camera bundles
• Optional Tapocare subscription plans start at $3.49 / £2.99 / AU$3.99 per month

The Tapo C660 Kit costs $169.99 / £179.99 / AU$299 for a single camera unit, although multipacks of 2-, 3- and 4-camera kits are available either as set bundles or as part of a build-your-own package option directly from Tapo as well as through third-party retailers like Amazon.

While you may not need a subscription package, especially if you use a single camera unit, Tapocare might well be worthwhile for some users. It offers cloud storage, extended video clip history for up to 30 days and enhanced notifications, with plans starting at $3.49 / £2.99 / AU$3.99 per month for one camera on the Basic Tapocare tier. Prices increase as you add more cameras.

You can also buy the camera on its own without the solar panel under the TP-Link Tapo C560WS name for $99.99 / £109.99 / AU$199.

• Value: 5/5

TP-Link Tapo C660 Kit review: Specs

TP-Link Tapo C660 Kit review: Design and installation

• Sleek black and white color scheme
• Straightforward installation with easy-to-follow instructions
• Recommended mounting height is between 2.5m and 3m (8-10 feet)

The Tapo C660 Kit has a sleek white plastic body with black accents around the lens, with IP65 rating for dust ingress protection and resistance to low-pressure water jets from any direction. This means water from rain, splashes or hose spray will be fine, but it won’t withstand immersion and pressure washing.

The solar panel is just the right size relative to the camera — it isn’t small and subtle by any means and it’s definitely noticeable once installed, but it isn’t too imposing either. As mentioned above, there is a rubber flap underneath the camera lens concealing the power button, a reset button and a microSD card slot.

Installing the Tapo C660 Kit is straightforward thanks to the easy-to-follow instructions included in the box. You start by drilling holes where you want to mount the base plate, then slot the camera in. The solar panel is screwed on top, then plugged into the camera’s USB-C port located on the bottom.

It’s worth taking some time to think about where you want the camera placed before you install it, though. While the Tapo C660 Kit can pan and tilt the camera, getting the full view of an entire space isn’t guaranteed if it’s mounted too low since it doesn’t tilt upward. TP-Link recommends mounting it between 2.5m and 3m (8-10 feet) and in a location where the solar panel gets the most sunlight throughout the year.

TP-Link also recommends that the camera shouldn’t point at swaying trees and other moving objects like vehicles and pedestrians to prevent an avalanche of notifications, but if it’s unavoidable, the C660 lets you set motion detection zones via the app to reduce or minimize notifications of movement within those zones.

One thing to note about the installation is that the camera has a manual power button tucked away beneath a flap under the lens. Unlike other security cameras that power up automatically when plugged into a power source (like the solar panel or a USB-C cable), this button needs to be switched on before mounting (especially when it's in a hard-to-reach height) and pairing with the Tapo app.

Pairing the camera to the app is quick and straightforward, with only a few setup options at the beginning, like Wi-Fi connection type (2.4GHz for longer range or 5GHz for better video streaming quality, both using the Wi-Fi 4 standard), assigning the camera’s location and even the icon you want displayed in the Tapo app home screen.

• Design: 5/5

TP-Link Tapo C660 Kit review: Software and smart home support

• Tapo app is intuitive and easy to use
• Alexa has full support, while Google Home is limited
• Motion detection zones move with the camera instead of a fixed area

TP-Link’s Tapo C660 Kit natively integrates with the Tapo smart home app, allowing the camera to slot into any existing Tapo smart home ecosystem that might include lights, plugs, switches, robot vacuums, door locks and more.

If you have devices from other brands and use a smart assistant to consolidate them into one interface, the camera supports Amazon Alexa and Google Home. Alexa supports both live footage playback and voice commands, while Google Home only supports voice controls and video streaming on select devices. Apple HomeKit isn’t supported, but alerts and automations can still be done through Siri via iOS shortcuts enabled through the Tapo app.

The app works well, with an intuitive interface using tiles to show all your Tapo devices, with dedicated tabs for the different gadget categories (like cameras, vacuums and 'Smart' for automations). You can play the live feed and adjust settings by tapping on the tile for the camera (or cameras if you have more).

Camera settings include two-way audio, a toggle for the built-in spotlight and adjustments for panning and tilting the camera. There’s also an option to 'save' a set camera position via 'Viewpoints' and easily access those positions without manually adjusting each time. Those views can be used for automations, too.

To try out the feature, I set the camera to monitor the rear of the house instead of the driveway and front stairs for just a few hours during the day, and it would activate as scheduled each time. Patrol Mode also lets you move the camera between those set positions, but the Tapo app warns that this mode may impact the camera motor’s longevity.

One annoyance I found with the Viewpoints feature was that the motion detection zone that I set also moved with the camera and there’s no option to lock it to a specific spot. Thankfully, I didn’t have to move my camera too often for that to personally impact me, but I can see it being inconvenient for some users.

Adding to the motion tracking is a setting subject detection like person, pet or vehicle, and it can also be set for different motion detection zones as well.

• Software: 4/5

TP-Link Tapo C660 Kit review: Performance

• Crisp 4K image quality from 8MP lens
• Built-in spotlight provides color at night
• Solar panel keeps the unit running 24/7

The Tapo C660 Kit captures videos through its 8MP lens with 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) resolution, with a frame rate of 15 or 20 frames per second. The recorded video clips were crisp and detailed when viewing live or when playing back previously recorded footage. It was clear enough for me to see details like faces, vehicle license plates and larger text from further away, while the 18x digital zoom provided more detail than lower-resolution cameras.

It managed to retain detail in brighter areas and the video wasn’t washed out, like when direct sunlight was hitting the driveway. There’s built-in wide dynamic range to prevent overexposure in bright sunlight or underexposure in dark shadows.

Motion tracking was responsive, and the C660 Kit could track me moving when I was walking quickly, running or cycling (although I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a fast runner or cyclist to try and avoid the tracking). I also liked that the camera automatically reverts to the original position after detecting movement, so I didn’t have to adjust it manually as some security cameras require you to do.

At night, the f/1.6 aperture takes in enough light to provide a clear image, and the built-in spotlight adds more low-light visibility. There’s also an infrared sensor as an alternative to color night vision. While I found both modes were able to detect movement almost instantly, the image quality isn’t as crisp as daytime mode, but it was still decent enough to be clear and fully visible.

The built-in microphone produced clear audio and was loud enough for a conversation even when I wasn't at home.

The solar panel kept the battery topped up, with the camera almost always running at 100% apart from some overcast days. It was only when I switched on 24/7 Capture (which frankly most people won’t need) that the solar panel struggled to keep the camera charged, and I eventually had to bring it indoors (it can be removed from its base plate easily) for a top-up via a USB-C cable.

In a different test, I tried running the camera without the solar panel plugged in, and the camera ran uninterrupted for just over 2 weeks before it needed charging.

The Tapo C660 Kit isn't necessarily the cheapest 4K security camera, but having local storage via a microSD card makes it a great value option compared to others that require a subscription to access cloud storage for recorded footage. It supports up to 512GB, though you'll need to purchase the microSD card separately as it doesn't come with one in the box.

TP-Link says that’s enough for around 16 complete days of recording, which is plenty for most people. Local storage means you can also back up those recordings to your home computer or another drive for redundancy. The Tapo app also lets you password-protect the microSD card for an extra layer of security.

Accessing footage from the card is easy through the app, and notifications reliably link to recordings with almost no delay after the camera detects motion. Video playback is also very smooth in the app. If you prefer cloud storage, you can opt for the aforementioned Tapocare subscription and choose a plan based on the number of connected cameras you plan to have.

Other features in Tapocare include 30 days of encrypted video storage for events, rich notifications and video summaries.

• Performance: 4/5

Should I buy the TP-Link Tapo C660 Kit?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

How I tested the TP-Link Tapo C660 Kit

I installed the Tapo C660 Kit to a porch post on my property for a few months to get a sense of both its recording capabilities and whether its solar panel would keep the camera’s battery charged.

I tested all the settings, but had the alarm and spotlight mostly turned off to avoid disturbing neighbors, only doing one-off tests to see if they perform as advertized. I would also check captured footage whenever I got a push notification.

The smart home integrations were tested with smart displays (a 2nd-gen Google Nest Hub and an Amazon Echo Show 5) in addition to the Alexa and Google Home mobile apps.

First reviewed July 2026

GameSir G8+ Bluetooth: One-minute review

The GameSir G8+ Bluetooth is the wireless mobile controller in the G8 family and bolsters compatibility from being simply mobile, to the Nintendo Switch, tablets, and PC. The same full-size grips, Hall effect joysticks and triggers, and programmable back buttons that made the wired versions of the G8 so impressive remain, and at $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$129, so does the price.

On paper, you’d think it’s a no-brainer to go wireless, particularly with the addition of a six-axis gyroscope adding to that strong core experience, but the wireless freedom you gain comes with meaningful trade-offs. Noticeably, the lack of passthrough charging and the lack of a headphone jack, both obvious casualties of the move to Bluetooth.

More importantly for iPhone gamers, the GameSir iOS app doesn't recognize the controller, which means the stick calibration, dead zone tuning, hair-trigger configuration, and back button mapping that make the G8 Plus so compelling as an option on other platforms go completely to waste. The Bluetooth connection itself also feels less locked-in than the wired experience on iPhone, with small stick movements occasionally getting lost along the way.

On Android and PC, the experience is significantly better. The app works, the back buttons are configurable, and there’s haptic feedback on offer as well (albeit with patchy support, particularly on mobile). For the first time, you can even use the G8 Plus with your Nintendo Switch. But if an iPhone is your primary device, the wired GameSir G8+ MFi delivers a more complete, more reliable experience for the same money.

GameSir G8+ Bluetooth: Price and availability

• List price: $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$129
• Available from GameSir and major retailers
• Same price as the rest of the G8 range

The middle sibling, the GameSir G8+ Bluetooth launched in mid-2024 at $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$129, matching the rest of the G8 family.

Each variant has pros and cons, so the consistent price puts the onus firmly on the buyer to decide which set of trade-offs works best for their setup. GameSir has also released a couple of special edition color variants in some regions, including a Hulk and a Thanos Edition, which will set you back slightly more.

At this price, it remains highly competitive against the Backbone One 2nd Gen and is significantly cheaper than the Razer Kishi Ultra, though the Bluetooth limitations on iPhone mean it's not the straightforward recommendation the wired models are.

GameSir G8+ Bluetooth: Specs

GameSir G8+ Bluetooth: Design and features

• Comfortable, console controller-like ergonomics shared with the rest of the G8 range
• Bluetooth versatility across five platforms, but mode switching is a hassle
• Special edition designs are only available in certain markets

The G8+ Bluetooth is the first and only member of the G8 family that cuts the cord entirely. Wireless freedom and the versatility it brings are the entire pitch, and it helps broaden the G8’s platform compatibility too.

Unlike the original G8 Galileo and the G8+ MFi, which are limited to mobile only, this controller works with iOS, Android, the Nintendo Switch, PC (via wired USB-C or Bluetooth, with a wireless dongle sold separately), and macOS. Console gaming aside, in theory, that means the G8+ is ready to follow you anywhere on your gaming journey.

The reality, unfortunately, is a little more complicated. Each platform requires its own Bluetooth pairing mode, triggered by holding different button combinations on the controller. If you're a one-device person, this is a simple pair-once-and-forget situation, and you can skip to the next paragraph.

If you're hopping between platforms, as I was during testing, it gets tedious fast. Switching modes caused regular reconnection failures with devices the controller had previously been paired with, and keeping track of which mode goes with which platform isn't intuitive. It's workable, and we’re in first-world problem territory here for sure, but it's not the seamless experience it should be.

On the plus side, turning it on couldn’t be simpler because stretching the controller open automatically powers it on and letting it close fully again powers it down. This isn’t a life-changing feature but certainly a nice convenience that worked reliably throughout testing.

A 1000mAh battery sits split across both grips, charging via USB-C. The GameSir app tracks each side independently, which is how I discovered the left and right grips drain at slightly different rates despite charging as a single unit. I saw a couple of percent drop over half an hour of active use, and the rated eight-hour battery life seems about right based on that.

The black colorway is a clean, classic look that feels more like a traditional controller than the grey and grey-and-white of its wired siblings. GameSir has also released rather jazzy Hulk- and Thanos-themed special editions in some regions, making this the only G8 variant with cosmetic variety, though they’ll set you back a little more for the paint job.

The build quality and overall shape match the rest of the family; it’s well designed and well built with the same full-size, Xbox-like grips, textured backs and a solid chassis. It’s comfortable to hold for extended sessions, and while at 11oz/314g it's the heaviest of the three on paper, the balance is good, and the weight didn't register during testing.

Case compatibility is a mixed bag, as is often the case with mobile controller grips. Without a USB-C connector going into the phone, there's no port angle to stress about, thankfully, but the physical cradle can still be tight.

My iPhone 17 Pro fit with a slim case on but sat at a noticeable angle towards the left side, which saw it protrude more than I’d like. There is a rubber pad on the phone deck that appears to serve the same purpose as the G8+ MFi's removable magnetic panel for camera bump clearance, but this one is glued down rather than magnetically attached.

GameSir’s marketing suggests this is still meant to be removed to accommodate camera bumps, but it really didn't feel like it wanted to come off, and I wasn't willing to force it. If you do take it off, don’t expect it to go back on neatly and expect to trap plenty of dust in the residue.

The D-pad shares the same feel as the rest of the G8 family: slightly mushy initial movement but with a clicky, short-travel feel once you commit to an input. Swappable ABXY caps and thumbstick caps carry over, too, as do the three alternate stick options, and they’re easily adjusted by popping off the magnetic faceplates.

Once again, however, GameSir only includes one of each of these replaceable sticks, so you can’t run the same option on both sides. One annoyance that cropped up here for the first time on any G8 I’ve tested: on iOS, the controller connects as a DualShock controller, so all on-screen UI elements in compatible games display PlayStation button labels.

GameSir doesn't include any PlayStation-legended alternative keycaps in the box, so you’ll need to remember that triangle is Y, for example.

GameSir G8+ Bluetooth: Performance

• Hall effect inputs are excellent and responsive, but Bluetooth feels a step behind wired
• iPhone users lose app support, back buttons, and customization entirely
• Vibration motors remain largely a spec-sheet feature with no real-world use

As you’d expect, the core gameplay experience with the G8+ Bluetooth mirrors the other options in the G8 range. The Hall effect thumbsticks and triggers are smooth and precise with a high level of sensitivity.

Resistance in these is just right for my taste; I found I was able to confidently hold the sticks at a midpoint for fine adjustments without the sense that the stick was itching to return to its starting point. The triggers offer full analog travel with a responsive hair-trigger mode (assuming you can enable it, more on that shortly). In analog mode, I felt like I had a nice level of control and was able to modulate the throttle in Forza Horizon 6 with plenty of detail.

That said, the Bluetooth connection introduced a subtle but noticeable difference in feel I hadn’t experienced before with a GameSir G8. I couldn’t quite quantify it, but I didn't feel as locked-in using the G8+ Wireless as I did with the wired equivalents.

It's not consistent, obvious latency, or any kind of genuine stutter or interference; it's more that small thumbstick movements occasionally felt like they were getting lost along the way. Everything was perfectly playable, and my skill as a gamer is certainly not high enough for this to be a make-or-break thing, but if you're serious about your gaming, the wired experience is definitely tighter.

The biggest issue I came across, and the one that separates this controller from the rest of the G8 family, is the iPhone experience. It’s somewhat lacking. Because iOS sees the controller as a DualShock 4, the GameSir app doesn’t recognize the G8+ Bluetooth. That means no stick calibration, no deadzone adjustment, no hair-trigger toggling, and no back button mapping.

The two rear programmable buttons, labeled M1 and M2, ship unbound by default, and there's no way to configure them on iOS. They don't appear in the iPhone's native controller settings either because iOS thinks this is a DualShock 4, which doesn't have back buttons. On macOS, I was able to rebind other buttons through native system options, but back button mapping wasn't available there either for the same reason.

On Android, the picture is much better. The app recognized the controller (though admittedly it took a couple of attempts at first), and once connected, all the usual calibration, deadzone, hair-trigger, and back button configuration options were available. Gaming on the POCO X5 Pro was a smooth experience, with Fortnite and Call of Duty Mobile both running well after the usual game-side controller recognition quirks.

PC gaming was the most pleasant surprise. Connected via either USB-C or Bluetooth, the controller was recognized immediately as a PlayStation 4 controller and was fully mapped out of the box for both local and cloud gaming. Gyro tracking worked here too, which is a nice bonus for games that support it. On macOS, things were less smooth.

The controller initially tried to connect as a "GameSir G8" which required manual Steam configuration and then wasn't recognized in-game. Reverting to DualShock mode fixed the issue, and games worked with automated mapping after that.

Shoudl you buy the GameSir G8+ Bluetooth?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider...

Trying to work out if the GameSir G8+ Bluetooth is the one to get? Here's how it compares to other, similar controller grips.

How I tested the GameSir G8+ Bluetooth

• Tested with multiple devices
• A wide variety of games tried
• Compared to other mobile controllers

I spent several days testing across iOS, Android, PC, and macOS, with a focus on comparing the experience to the wired G8 and G8+ MFi I'd previously reviewed.

I tested on an iPhone 17 Pro and POCO X5 Pro 5G, playing Fortnite, Call of Duty Mobile, and Forza Horizon 6 via Xbox Cloud Gaming on mobile, and Stardew Valley via Steam on PC. I evaluated Bluetooth connectivity, app compatibility, back button functionality, latency feel, vibration motors, and cross-platform mode switching.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed June-July 2026

Cherry XTRFY K63W Pro Compact Ultra-Wideband: One-minute review

The Cherry XTRFY K63W Pro Compact Ultra-Wideband is a small gaming keyboard with a few surprises in store.

True to its name, it certainly doesn’t take up much room on your desk. It’s also pleasingly light, which means it’s easy to move around. Despite this and the plastic construction, the build quality seems high.

There are some unique features to the design of the K63W Pro. One is the prominent springiness of the gasket-mounted layout, which is a little strange at first, but ultimately it’s not an issue and the keys still feel just as solid as those in the best gaming keyboards.

Another is the arrow keys. Not only are they much larger than most, but each of the four directions has a second binding to include right control, right shift, menu, and Fn inputs. There’s a shortcut for toggling between the two sets of bindings, as well as activating both at the same time, with the input triggered determined by whether a key is pressed or held.

There’s also an option to select these modes in Cherry’s companion software. This software has other customizations, but not many. The remapping options are especially disappointing, thanks to their very awkward setup and limited options. There’s barely any performance tweaks here, either.

Thankfully, the K63W Pro is a capable performer as it is. The keys travel further than you might expect given their low profile, but they’re still just about snappy enough for fast gaming and typing. The ergonomic slant of the keycaps, as well as the generous spacing between them, make them easy to use, while the aforementioned thinness of the chassis makes for a comfortable experience, even without a wrist rest.

Cherry makes much of the K63W Pro’s Ultra-Wideband (UWB) wireless technology, which is designed to prevent potential interference. However, I can’t say I noticed an improvement over other wireless keyboards, and the tech isn’t worth the impracticality that comes with the incongruously large wireless puck. It’s also a shame there’s no Bluetooth support.

The K63W Pro is reasonably expensive for a compact keyboard, although the quality and interesting layout help its case in this regard. The performance is good and it's comfortable to use, but I’m not sure every gamer is going to get along with its unique features.

Cherry XTRFY K63W Pro Compact Ultra-Wideband review: Price and availability

• $169.99 (about £150 / AU$240)
• Available now
• Expensive for a small board

The Cherry XTRFY K63W Pro Compact Ultra-Wideband costs $169.99 (about £150 / AU$240) and is available now. It comes with a USB cable and the UWB USB receiver.

This is a reasonably high price for a 70% keyboard, especially one that lacks Bluetooth support and input customizations. However, there are certainly more expensive mechanical boards out there, such as the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75. I loved the performance of that board when I reviewed it, and it has a much better selection of input customizations than the K63W Pro.

If you want something more budget-friendly, consider the Monsgeek FUN60 Ultra. This keyboard has analog switches with a heap of performance-related features and tweaks at their disposal. They also feel just as good as mechanical switches in my view.

• Value score: 3.5

Cherry XTRFY K63W Pro Compact Ultra-Wideband review: Specs

Cherry XTRFY K63W Pro Compact Ultra-Wideband review: Design and features

• Thin and light
• Springboard-like
• Limited input customizations

There's nothing particularly exciting about the way the K63W Pro looks. It keeps things basic, although the rounded edges are a nice touch, helping to relieve its austerity a little.

True to its name, the K63W Pro is indeed compact. In addition to its truncated width, it’s also quite thin, making it comfortable to use even without a wrist rest — which is just as well, since it doesn’t come with one.

Despite its plastic construction, the K63W Pro feels sturdy and built to a high standard. Rather unique is the prominent flex of the keyboard plate. This can be pushed down quite a way when pressing a key, which is a little disconcerting at first, but it still feels perfectly stable and it rebounds fully. I wasn’t concerned about its durability, either.

The keycaps feel premium, too. They’re pleasingly textured and solid with little play. On top of this, the bright RGB backlighting shines through them very well, and the main legends are large and clear, although those for the Fn shortcuts on the function keys are a little too small.

You get more keys on the K63W Pro than you might think, including some navigation ones such as delete and insert. However, it’s odd there’s a blank key in the top-right corner; a missed opportunity to squeeze in another, perhaps, such as a Home key.

There are quite a few useful Fn shortcuts on the function row, including those for adjusting volume and one for opening your default browser, which are all welcome. However, a few remained a mystery to me. Two look like they adjust some sort of performance-related parameter, but I didn’t notice any action when I pressed them. There’s also one on F9 with Cherry’s logo on it that opens the Windows Run box and enters some kind of address, but again nothing happened when I pressed it. The text was too long and disappeared too quickly for me to read it, but my only guess is that it’s supposed to open some kind of Cherry software.

The most interesting aspect of the K63W Pro’s layout is the Mod Tap arrow keys. These are larger than your typical set since they have secondary bindings, with control, shift, menu, and Fn inputs mapped to each direction. Pressing Fn+M (there’s another Fn key mapped to the insert key) will cycle between three different modes: one enables the usual arrow key inputs, one enables the secondary bindings, and one enables both sets at the same time, with taps triggering arrow directions and holds triggering the secondary functions. The M key lights up a different color depending on which mode is active.

You can also switch between these modes using the Cherry Utility. This desktop app also features other customizations, although their dearth is disappointing. It has perhaps the worst rebinding mode I've ever seen in peripheral software, requiring you to click a ‘create’ button for every key you want to rebind, in order to bring up the option to rebind it. The layout graph doesn’t display your remapped bindings, which is another baffling oversight, and you can’t alter the Fn layer of shortcuts. There aren’t many performance-related settings here, either; you can adjust the polling rate for both wired and wireless modes, and there’s a SOCD mode with three basic settings, but that’s all you get.

Rather than your typical USB dongle, the K63W Pro comes with a block-shaped puck that requires a USB cable (also included) to connect to your device. This is what facilitates the UWB connectivity, which Cherry claims reduces interference compared to standard wireless connections. It looks sleek, but it’s quite large and takes up more space than I’m happy with, especially when you factor in the trailing cable.

• Design & features score: 3.5 / 5

Cherry XTRFY K63W Pro Compact Ultra-Wideband review: Performance

• Relatively heavy keys
• Great space bar
• Unnecessary Ultra-Wideband connectivity

I mostly enjoyed my time using the K63W Pro. The keys feel well lubed and reasonably damped, although it still verges on the side of clicky than thocky, which, depending on your preferences, is either a good thing or a bad thing. Personally, I liked the feedback they provided.

I was also fond of the low-profile keycaps, which seem to slant slightly towards the user. This helped me hit keys flush, making up for the somewhat limiting tilt angle of the board, even with the two-stage feet out. This was especially noticeable with the space bar, a key I often hit on its edge but not here. It also feels slightly more damped than the other keys, while still being easy to press, a combination that makes it very satisfying to hammer away at.

The switches themselves are also low profile (specifically, they’re Cherry’s MX Low Profile 2.0). However, they have surprisingly deep travel, which makes them more satisfying than they otherwise would be. Despite this, their actuation point is relatively shallow, which meant I could still type with a reasonably light touch. They strike just the right balance between being snappy and forgiving of minor mispresses.

Tying accuracy is also aided by the large size of the keycaps, as well as their wide spacing. While this made reaching certain keys a little difficult when touch typing, it made gaming in the WASD position quite comfortable and secure. I could also reach the peripheral keys easily from here, including the space bar, thanks to its aforementioned slant and low profile.

In my experience, the Mod Tap feature works reasonably well, achieving Cherry’s aim of reducing side bulk without sacrificing inputs. However, you have to hold an arrow key for a long time to activate its secondary binding. I found this particularly frustrating when typing, as I required quick and regular access to the right shift key, but I often didn’t hold the Up arrow key long enough to access it. It’s also disappointing that you can’t alter the hold time.

Although Cherry makes bold claims about the UWB wireless connectivity, I can't say I noticed any performance gains over other wireless keyboards I’ve tested. Such models have greatly improved in recent years, to the point where regular-sized USB dongles perform pretty much flawlessly. And if you are an elite player concerned about lags and dropouts, you’ll probably opt for a wired connection anyway. All this is to say that the UWB tech and the outsized puck are ultimately overkill for many. What’s more, the K63W Pro doesn’t have Bluetooth support, as lots of other premium wireless keyboards feature.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Cherry XTRFY K63W Pro Compact Ultra-Wideband?

Scorecard

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

Cherry XTRFY K63W Pro Compact Ultra-Wideband review: Also consider

How I tested the Cherry XTRFY K63W Pro Compact Ultra-Wideband

• Tested for a few days
• Used for a variety of tasks
• Plentiful gaming keyboard experience

I used the K63W Pro for a few days, during which time I used it for working, general browsing, and of course, gaming. I used it in both wired and wireless modes.

I played games such as 007 First Light and Counter-Strike 2, which are good tests for the speed and accuracy of key inputs.

I’ve been PC gaming for over a decade, and have used numerous keyboards in that time. I’ve also reviewed a large number of them, ranging widely in their form factors, switches types, feature sets, and price points.

• First reviewed: July 2026
• Read more about how we test

Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2: One-minute review

The Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2 is far from being one of the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers, but it gets a lot right, and in my testing I found it to be a solid—if unremarkable—stand-in for the official Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller.

After I reviewed the frankly terrible Horipad for Steam, I didn't have high hopes for the Wireless Horipad Turbo. I've been rendered pleasantly surprised, as there is plenty to like about the brand's latest Nintendo-facing controller. There are a decent number of features for the price, and build quality is generally solid. It's just a shame that a few limitations and design quirks stop it short of an outright recommendation.

Let's frontload the review with the good, though. Hori has opted for anti-drift thumbsticks that feel great and ensure longevity. That's something the Wireless Horipad Turbo has over the Switch 2 Pro Controller, which utilizes traditional analog sticks and is thus more likely to develop stick drift over time.

Build quality is generally nice, too. While larger than the Pro Controller (and thus better suited to big adult hands), it feels solid enough, and a selection of colorways is always really nice to see.

I'm a fan of the feature set, too, with the Wireless Horipad Turbo offering a robust Turbo button option, as well as two remappable rear buttons and a button lock switch that disables utility buttons like Start, Select, Home, and Capture (for taking screenshots). There's even a GameChat button for quick access to social gaming sessions.

It's a shame, then, that the Wireless Horipad Turbo doesn't quite stick the landing in a few key areas. Battery life is paltry, falling well short of the Switch 2 Pro Controller's 40- to 50-hour gold standard. The d-pad and triggers, specifically, aren't the best—feeling incredibly mushy during play, which really isn't something you want for digital triggers in particular.

Lastly, a lack of PC compatibility means this is strictly a Nintendo Switch 2 controller. That's not necessarily a bad thing if that's solely what you're after (and it's likely a result of this being an officially licensed Nintendo product). But it does make it a less versatile controller than the likes of the 8BitDo Pro 3.

Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2: Price and availability

• Costs $64.99 / £54.99 (around AU$93)
• Available to buy now at Hori's store page, Amazon, or local retailers
• Cheaper than the Switch 2 Pro Controller, and offers several colorways

The Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2 is available to buy now, and you've got options as to where you purchase it from. You can get it directly from Hori, Amazon, or local retailers based on your region, such as Best Buy in the US and Argos in the UK.

It'll run you $64.99 / £54.99 (around AU$93), which is a good deal cheaper than the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller ($89.99 / £74.99 / AU$119.95). You'll also find a healthy amount of colorways to choose from. Hori sent me the standard Black and Frost variants for review, but there's also an Aqua model, as well as special liveries based on Nintendo properties like Kirby and Super Mario.

Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2: Specs

Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2: Design and features

• Eye-catching translucent design
• Handy Turbo and button lock features
• Generally solid build quality

One way for a controller to win me over is if it sports a translucent design. It's a style I'm happy to see come in vogue again over the last few years, at least when it comes to controllers, and it helps the Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2 really stand out. I'm a huge fan of the crystal-clear Frost colorway, especially.

It doesn't just win out in the looks department, though. Build quality is really solid here; a huge step up from the listless Horipad for Steam, which I reviewed prior to this. It's not as premium as the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, but the Wireless Horipad Turbo feels really solid and secure in the hands, with just the right amount of weight to it.

The titular 'Turbo' feature is niche; not everyone will find a use for it, but it's a nice-to-have for retro games or ones that require frequent, rapid button presses. Holding down the central Hori logo button in tandem with 'A' will then let you assign a button for the Turbo input. You can also press the Start and Select buttons to adjust the speed of the Turbo setting by three increments, too.

Another feature I quite like (but again, it is probably quite niche) is the button lock switch. It's off by default, but one setting completely disables the Hori, Home, and Capture buttons, while another turns those off in addition to Start and Select.

I know I've accidentally hit the Home button instead of Start more times than I care to admit on the Pro Controller, so this is a thoughtful addition. The button lock switch doesn't extend to the pair of remappable buttons on the rear, but you can just leave these unassigned if you prefer.

Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2: Performance

• Performant TMR thumbsticks
• Poor battery life
• Weak-feeling triggers and mushy d-pad

Controllers that make use of TMR (that's tunneling magnetoresistance) thumbsticks are a dime a dozen in today's gaming hardware marketplace. It's more common to find them than not now, but this is the first time I've tested a Hori controller with TMR. And I'm glad the brand has opted for them with the Wireless Horipad Turbo. They feel fantastically smooth during play, and as it's a form of Hall effect technology, it should ensure the pad's longevity for years to come.

Otherwise, this is a fairly unremarkable but inoffensive controller purely from a play standpoint. It lacks things like HD Rumble, an NFC touchpoint for amiibo scanning, and 'press to wake' functionality for the console itself. However, as these are niceties reserved for Nintendo's own hardware, it's hard to leverage this as a complaint at Hori. The lack of a 3.5mm port for wired headphones does irk me, though, because wireless audio via Bluetooth on Switch 2 is shoddy at best.

I'm also not a big fan of the controller's d-pad. It feels rather mushy to press, which at worst can often lead to inputs very occasionally not registering. Much the same is true of the triggers, which are supposed to be digital, but kind of feel like they're made of sponge.

Thankfully, connectivity isn't an issue. The controller paired immediately to my Switch 2 console, and I never experienced dropouts or noticeable input delay. And that's for the best, as this is a wireless-first controller.

You can still plug in the controller via the included USB-C for charging purposes and carry on playing. And you might be doing that frequently, as the Wireless Horipad Turbo tops out at just 10 hours of charge. That's not much better than PlayStation's DualSense Wireless Controller, and falls well short of the Switch 2 Pro Controller's monster 40-hour battery life.

Lastly, it is unfortunate that the Wireless Horipad Turbo can't be used for PC gaming. The Switch 2 Pro Controller can't either, so I suspect this is a Nintendo-issued requirement, as the Turbo bears the company's seal of approval. It just means that it's not as versatile as third-party pads from the likes of 8BitDo and GameSir.

Should I buy the Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider...

If the Wireless Horipad Turbo has a few too many issues for your liking, consider the following alternatives.

How I tested the Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2

• Tested for one week
• Tested on Nintendo Switch 2 with a variety of modern and retro titles
• Used features like the Turbo functionality and button lock switch

For this review, I tested the Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2 on the console of the same name for about a week. I played a good mix of modern and old-school titles with the controller, including Star Fox, Street Fighter 6, Rhythm Heaven Groove, as well as Ridge Racer 64 and Super Mario 64 via Nintendo Switch Online's N64 library.

During testing, I made use of the Turbo functionality to enable easier, rapid button presses in classic titles like Metal Slug 3. Meanwhile, I went back and forth with the button lock switch, and I can confidently say it stopped me from accidentally backing out to the Home dashboard on a few occasions. I'd love to see this feature make a comeback for future Hori products.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2026

Valve Steam Machine: Two-minute review

It's finally happening! Valve's long-awaited Steam Machine has landed at last, promising to bring gaming-PC-level performance to an ultra-compact console-style device ideal for couch gamers who want to dip their toes into PC gaming for the first time. This is Valve's second run at the console-style PC market, and the gaming giant seems a lot more committed this time around.

And... well, I'm not entirely underwhelmed by it, but it's also not overwhelmingly impressive. I guess you could say I'm distinctly whelmed by the Steam Machine; it's a lovingly crafted piece of hardware that arguably achieves what it sets out to do, but falls down in two extremely important areas.

As you might have already guessed, those areas are performance and pricing. At the default 1080p resolution, it's a capable little machine that should be able to give you a good gaming experience with minimal fuss, but anyone expecting beefy 4K performance on par with the existing slate of top-tier home consoles is going to be disappointed.

Of course, this boils down to what sort of games you want to play. If you've got a 4K TV in your living room and want a compact PC specifically so you can enjoy older games, or the sort of indie game experiences that aren't so freely available on consoles – I'm talking the low-budget viral titles that so frequently dominate TikTok and Instagram Reels – then the Steam Machine might actually be an excellent choice.

Another key aspect of Valve's new console-PC hybrid is SteamOS, the recently updated operating system designed to provide a more console-like experience than conventional platforms like Windows and macOS. It's already available for anyone to put on their own PC, and of course powers Valve's own Steam Deck handheld. In a break from tradition for PC reviews, I've added an extra section to this review to specifically discuss SteamOS, but for now all I'll say is that it gets the job done well.

Moving on to pricing, it's painfully clear that the ongoing RAM crisis has taken a toll on the Steam Machine's value proposition. Starting at $1,049 / £879 / AU$1,609, it's a fair bit more costly than the PS5 Pro, which my esteemed colleague Rob Dwiar already noted was "too expensive" for the average gamer in his review here on TechRadar - and that was before Sony hiked the price of its home consoles earlier this year.

Considering that the Steam Machine was widely expected to represent an accessible path into the world of PC gaming for those who have previously not ventured beyond the confines of the console market, that price tag is sure to upset some gamers who were eagerly awaiting Valve's return to the console market. Hell, you might even be better off building your own Steam Machine killer.

But it's important to remember that the Steam Machine was probably never going to live up to the price-to-performance ratio of modern home consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X, even though it is ostensibly using newer, better hardware. This is due to the game development process and how developers implement platform optimization; if you're making a game for PS5, you're just making a game for PS5. You'll have to take the Pro model's specs into account now too, but at the end of the day you only need to optimize your game's performance for a specific set of hardware components with clearly defined limitations.

On the other hand, optimizing a game for PC means optimizing it for the uncountable millions of possible hardware configurations that exist across pre-built and custom gaming PCs, plus every gaming laptop on the market, plus handheld gaming PCs, and now plus the Steam Machine. It's a wildly different ballgame, and while some developers might skimp on good PC optimization, it's borderline impossible to get a game running consistently well on PC versus a specific console.

Does this entirely excuse the lackluster bang for your buck the Steam Machine offers? No, probably not. It's a mitigating factor that I have taken into account for this review – but quite frankly, I think Valve's second attempt at bringing PC gaming to the masses has slightly missed the mark.

Valve Steam Machine review: Price & availability

• Starts at $1,049 / £879 / AU$1,609
• Available now in the US, UK, and Australia
• Steam Controller can be added as a bundle

As I mentioned already, the Steam Machine starts at a rather steep $1,049 / £879 / AU$1,609, which gets you the standard configuration with no controller and 512GB of high-speed SSD storage. The actual performance spec doesn't change if you upgrade to the 2TB SSD model for $1,349 / £1,149 / AU$2,109, so you're essentially just paying for the extra storage – and even by current component pricing standards, that's an expensive upgrade.

Whether you pick the 512GB or 2TB model – and despite the price, I'd definitely recommend the latter if you play triple-A PC games, since install sizes have become frighteningly bloated as of late – you get the same semi-custom AMD Zen 4 CPU and discrete AMD RDNA 3 GPU, along with 16GB of RAM and a separate 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM.

Both models can also be bundled with Valve's Steam Controller (which also comes with a charging 'puck' and USB cable), which adds $79 / £59 / AU$119 to the base price of either model. This is actually a pretty decent add-on, since the Steam Controller is a genuinely good gamepad and normally costs $99 / £85 / AU$149 direct from Valve if you buy it separately. Unless you already own one of the best PC controllers, I'd strongly recommend getting the bundle.

It's also worth noting that pre-orders for the Steam Machine sold out almost immediately, so if you want to get your hands on one, you'll have to sign up for the waitlist directly through Steam.

• Value: 2.5 / 5

Valve Steam Deck review: Specs

Valve Steam Machine review: Design

• Compact, cubic design
• Tidy internals and front lightbar
• Somewhat limited port selection compared to most PCs

For a product that I found a little disappointing overall, I have to say that I have very little to criticize when it comes to the physical design of the Steam Machine.

Simply put, it looks great. The whole unit is a neat black cube of matte metal measuring roughly six inches along each edge and weighing a little under six pounds, with a thin indentation near the base on the front side, inside which nestles a bright LED lightbar. Beneath this, there's a power button with an additional LED (which stays illuminated while the Steam Machine is in sleep mode) along with two USB-A ports and a microSD card slot for easily adding extra storage. The cube sits atop four small rubber feet, which feel quite durable.

The 17-LED lightbar is more than just a simple power indicator, which I quite like. If your Steam Machine is downloading a game, it 'fills' from left to right to indicate the download's progress, and you can customize it with extra colors and functions in SteamOS too.

It's significantly smaller than any current-gen home console and the vast majority of pre-built gaming PCs, and certainly a lot smaller than any custom desktop PC the average system-builder could assemble - you'd need to be seriously confident with graphics card disassembly and custom cooling to even get close to something this small.

In fact, it's immediately reminiscent of the Nintendo GameCube I treasured in my teenage years, though I promise I haven't let nostalgia cloud my opinion here. The closest you're likely to get to this sort of compact gaming PC now is probably the Asus ROG NUC that I personally reviewed last year - and while that offers far superior performance, it's also so eye-wateringly expensive that it makes the Steam Machine look cheap.

The front panel is removable and can be easily swapped out with magnetic faceplates. If you spring for the 2TB model, you get two of these included: a red felt fabric one and a rather nice wood-effect one that matches my TV stand perfectly... it looks right at home there, actually. Wink wink, nudge nudge, Valve.

The power supply is (somehow) built into the breathtakingly compact chassis, meaning there's no chunky adapter brick here either - just a regular cable with a two-pin power connector. This is included in the box, along with an HDMI cable (though the rear I/O also features a DisplayPort 1.4 output, which may be preferable if you're connecting it to a desktop monitor rather than a TV).

That rear I/O is where you'll find the rest of the ports: the aforementioned HDMI and DisplayPort, along with an RJ-45 Ethernet port, two USB-As, and one USB-C. I'll confess that as a fan of physical connectivity, I find this port selection a little lacking, but it's realistically going to be plenty for the target audience of the Steam Machine. It might be less than a fully-fledged desktop PC, but it's comparable to any modern home console. Wireless connectivity uses Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 – I would've liked to see Wi-Fi 7 here, but it's not a dealbreaker.

The internals are very tidy, with a large air intake grille behind the magnetic faceplate behind which sits the mainboard. A single large upright fan draws air through and out of the rear exhaust. This is (surprisingly) an upgradable system, though it's more along the lines of a gaming laptop than the average desktop PC; you can swap out the M.2 SSD and the RAM, but that's it.

Lastly, I'll briefly touch on the new Steam Controller. We reviewed it separately here, so I won't go into too much detail, but it's certainly good (if overpriced, like the Steam Machine itself). Pairing the pad and the 'puck' that doubles as a wireless transmitter and charging dock is a seamless process, and the controller itself feels good to use in games. The lack of an audio jack, as seen on other mainline console controllers, is a bit of a shame, however.

I have to admit that I really, genuinely love the design of the Steam Machine. My only real criticism here (and the only thing stopping me from giving it a perfect score in this section) is that it only has one single USB-C port, and it's on the rear. This is a minor gripe, though; for the most part, this is a very well-designed piece of hardware.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

Valve Steam Machine review: Performance

• Strong gaming performance at 1080p
• Cracks start to show at 1440p; falls apart completely at 4K
• Runs quietly and doesn't get too hot

Benchmarking the Steam Machine was... interesting, to say the least. I had hoped to mostly stick to our usual suite of tests used for benchmarking the best gaming PCs and best gaming laptops, but the vast majority of those systems are running on Windows 10 or 11. SteamOS, while a very solid platform these days, simply doesn't have the same degree of flexibility as Microsoft's flagship operating system.

For starters, the Steam Machine locks itself to a maximum framerate based on the refresh rate of the monitor it's connected to, which meant I had to seek out a different high-refresh-rate display to get accurate results. Notably, the Steam Deck does something similar with its built-in 60/90Hz screen, so I suspect that this is a SteamOS quirk rather than any hardware-imposed limitation, but I wasn't able to find any way to disable it.

Then I got to the compatibility issues. Half the tests we usually run (most pertinently Geekbench and 3DMark) simply can't be installed and run natively in SteamOS's default Big Picture Mode, so I had to cut down my testing selection fairly significantly. To compensate (and to provide a better idea of how well the Steam Machine can actually handle gaming), I expanded my gaming tests to include more graphical configurations than usual.

Furthermore, you have to dig into the settings of SteamOS itself to uncap the resolution, which is set to FHD 1080p by default. Eagle-eyed gamers clocked prior to the Steam Machine's release that Valve had quietly lowered expectations by adjusting the language used in the product's store page from "4K gaming at 60 FPS" to "Up to 4K gaming with FSR", crushing hopes that it would be a true competitor to the likes of the PS5 Pro. Clearly, 1080p is the ideal target, which will no doubt be a disappointment for some potential customers.

Anyway, let's talk about the actual performance. At 1080p with graphical settings maxed out, the Steam Machine can handle almost anything you throw at it; the discrete semi-custom AMD RDNA 3 GPU inside this little black box was able to crack 60fps in most games I tested at FHD resolution (sometimes requiring the use of AMD's FSR upscaling tech, though this had virtually zero impact on visual fidelity), with the exception of titles that use ray tracing.

With ray tracing turned off, you'll be fine; turn it on, and you can expect framerates to tank even if you also switch on FSR. Cyberpunk 2077 looked and played great at 1080p Ultra settings with no upscaling, but switching to the Ray Tracing Ultra preset (with AMD FSR 3 set to Balanced) saw my average framerate drop to a little over 30 in the built-in benchmark, while actual in-game performance was even choppier.

Annoyingly, some games don't seem to properly support the most recent version of FSR on SteamOS; while I've been able to use it in games like Civilization VII and Shadow of the Tomb Raider while testing Windows-based gaming laptops and PCs, FSR 3 was conspicuously absent from the settings menu of both games on the Steam Machine - Civilization would only let me select FSR 1, while Shadow had no upscaling options available at all.

Once I started to crank things up to 1440p and 4K resolution, though, the cracks started to show. Older titles (and 2D games, like my current obsession, Slay the Spire 2) largely run fine at higher resolutions - but unfortunately, I could probably say the same about any home console and plenty of cheaper desktop PCs.

Modern triple-A games start to struggle a little at 1440p, but remain playable provided you're willing to tone down the settings a bit. I've only included the full suite of 1080p and 4K results in the results box above, but to give you a few quick examples: Cyberpunk 2077 remained playable with an average framerate of 68fps at 1440p Ultra with FSR 3 set to balanced (no ray tracing), while Total War: Warhammer III dropped to 45fps at Ultra - but could be salvaged to a stable 63fps with the Medium graphical preset.

At 4K, don't expect to be playing the latest hit games at high framerates; at least, not without some very significant graphical tweaks. The now eight-year-old Shadow of the Tomb Raider was the only game I tested that made it above 60fps at 4K resolution, and that was with the graphical settings turned down significantly.

As for more demanding titles, just don't bother. Total War: Warhammer III barely made it above a 30fps average at Low settings, with frequent drops into sub-30 territory, while Cyberpunk 2077 gave abysmal benchmarking at anything above the lowest possible graphical settings, even with FSR upscaling turned on, and struggled heavily to maintain a consistent framerate during actual gameplay. Turning on FSR frame generation did technically give a stable 30fps at 4K Ultra, but with the added issue of some visual tearing and artifacting, especially during busy scenes.

I also experienced a small number of crashes during my testing process, specifically in Total War: Warhammer III and Marathon. It's possible that these were merely down to game instability rather than any specific fault with the Steam Machine or SteamOS (I've personally had Marathon crash at least once on my Windows 10 gaming desktop), so I won't mark it down for this, but I've opted to include it for the sake of comprehensiveness.

Lastly, I'd like to briefly discuss the thermal performance of the Steam Machine, which is a shining beacon amidst the otherwise fairly underwhelming overall performance. The large cooling fan at the rear of this little cube was whisper-quiet throughout all my testing, and the casing barely got more than a little warm. Whatever thermal wizardry Valve pulled off here, it clearly works.

• Performance: 3 / 5

Valve Steam Machine review: SteamOS

• SteamOS 3 is a very solid operating system
• Accessible for newcomers, but still packs advanced features
• Optional Linux desktop mode

A bonus section appears! Yes, I'm going to take a moment here to discuss SteamOS, since it's arguably the linchpin of the Steam Machine's whole 'console rival' mission statement. Does it really make PC gaming more accessible? I'm pleased to say yes, it certainly does.

An Arch Linux-based operating system, SteamOS is now in its third main iteration, and it's improved greatly from its humble beginnings as the full-screen version of the Steam desktop app. It's easy to set up and offers a pleasingly straightforward interface that even a gaming rookie should be able to navigate, while also packing the full suite of settings found in the Windows desktop version of Steam.

One nifty feature is the optional Linux desktop mode. It's quite effective, if basic, letting you install Linux-compatible programs like LibreOffice and the Firefox browser. It's neat, but it's a feature that will likely only be used by a small subset of buyers since it doesn't really offer anything for pure gaming users.

Naturally, you can connect a keyboard and mouse as well as a controller, which is useful for games where typing is necessary, but it turned out to be even more vital. I wasn't actually able to complete the SteamOS setup without first connecting a mouse to select the system language, and when playing some other games after my initial benchmarking process, I found that I couldn't complete the initial setup for Forza Horizon 5 using just the Steam Controller, which was annoying.

As effective as SteamOS is, compatibility issues are an inevitability when dealing with a Linux-based system. While the vast majority of games on Steam are fully compatible, there will be specific outliers, and there are plenty of non-gaming programs that aren't available. And of course, you can't play games from other storefronts like Epic and GOG, unless you decide to go the whole hog and install Windows 11 on it instead - which is an option!

Should I buy the Valve Steam Machine?

Valve Steam Machine: Scorecard

Buy the Valve Steam Machine if…

Don't buy it if…

Valve Steam Machine review: Also consider

How I tested the Valve Steam Machine

• Ran multiple PC game benchmarks
• Connected to my TV to use for 'couch gaming'
• 8+ years of experience reviewing dozens of laptops and PCs

My review process for the Steam Machine was a little different from how I'd usually approach a gaming PC or laptop review, due largely to SteamOS's Big Picture Mode not supporting our non-gaming tests.

Still, I ran the Machine through all the usual gaming tests, then took it downstairs to my living room and set it up on my TV stand to use it for some good old-fashioned couch gaming. As someone who was raised on Nintendo consoles but made the jump to PC gaming in my teens, I was keen to get the full intended experience out of the Steam Machine.

In addition to our usual game tests, I played a bunch of other games over a full weekend spent rigorously testing (read: having lots of fun with) the Steam Machine. These included Marathon, Warframe, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and the frighteningly addictive Slay the Spire 2.

I've been testing and reviewing computer hardware for almost a decade, and I've been a gamer for much longer than that. Before joining the TechRadar team, I worked at the PC-building hobbyist magazine Maximum PC, so you can trust that I'm putting every ounce of knowledge and experience at my disposal into bringing you high-quality, insightful, and non-biased reviews.

• First reviewed: July 2026
• Read more about how we test

Shokz OpenDots Air: Two-minute review

I've long pointed to the flagship Shokz OpenDots One as the best open earbuds in the clip-style category, so I'll admit that I watched the release of the brand's budget-grade option with trepidation.

All too often, a brand's wallet-friendly earbuds tend to fit poorly, cut too many features, completely miss the mark sonically, or launch at a price point that doesn't make sense. But I'm happy to report that the Shokz OpenDots Air side-step those issues.

In fact, for most buyers, this pair just makes so much more sense than its sibling, the Shokz OpenDots 2. That's despite the set you're here to read about being an inferior model, on paper.

Like the numbered OpenDots, the Air uses dual 11.8mm drivers; you're only going to be able to hear a difference in sound quality if you really need Dolby Atmos or some of the unique Shokz features (which, I'm guessing, most people don't).

The OpenDots Air take a largely similar design too, which means they're just as reliable in your ear on long runs or gym sessions. Now and then, I did find them to pinch a little, which I take to be the fault of a few design tweaks, but it was nothing that stopped me using them.

There's more: the battery life is great, the carry case is nice and small and the connection was reliable. But some carry-overs are a little less desirable: like other OpenDots, the touch controls are finicky to use. And while Shokz offered some of the best-sounding open earbuds last year, the Air (and 2) launch to a much more competitive market.

What sets the OpenDots Air apart from the 2-suffixed set, making them a better buy, is the price; you can get them for roughly 25% less. For most buyers, I'd say that you should save your money and buy the Air... unless any of the other fantastic cuff-style buds (which typically do undercut any of Shokz' options) pique your interest.

After all, the Shokz premium is still in play, even with its more affordable buds.

Shokz OpenDots Air review: Price and release date

• Launched on June 4, 2026
• Sells for $129.95 / £129.99 / AU$219
• Cheaper alternative to OpenDots 2

The Shokz OpenDots Air were released on June 4, 2026, alongside the OpenDots 2. That was about 10 months after the original OpenDots One became available.

You can buy the earbuds for $129.95 / £129.99 / AU$219, so they're markedly cheaper than the $199.95 / £179.99 / AU$339 OpenDots 2. The original OpenDots One also went for that price, though a year on they're easy to find at around $150 / £150 / AU$239 (and even less during sales).

Note also the flagship Shokz OpenFit Pro, (more 'traditional' shell-like open earbuds) which include noise reduction and launched in January 2026, at the significant cost of $249.95 / £219 / AU$399.

I'll continue to refer to the OpenDots Air as affordable cuff-style buds, but that's only in comparison to the OpenDots 2 and the other Shokz options listed above. Remember, Shokz is a class-leader in this category, and you pay for that. You can easily find great alternatives for even cheaper (we've even listed a few at the bottom of this review).

Shokz OpenDots Air review: Specs

Shokz OpenDots Air review: Features

• You'll get 9 hours of listening; 36 with case
• EQ has four presets, 5-band custom mode
• App is pretty light on features

You're getting 9 hours of battery life with the Shokz OpenDots Air; at least, that's the cited listening time, and from my testing, I have no cause to doubt it. That's a hair below the OpenDots One / 2's 10 hours, but the difference is negligible, and it's still a solid battery life.

The case rounds that figure up to 36 hours of listening, including recharges. That's more in line with industry standards.

As with most open earbuds, there's no noise cancellation here. It's a shame, because Shokz is one of the few companies to offer ANC-adjacent tech in open-ears (the OpenFit Pro have 'noise reduction', but we tested it and it's the same thing), and I find it's even more useful in earbuds of the like.

While the OpenDots Air aren't as featured-packed as many other earbuds, downloading the Shokz app lets you play around with what there is.

Possibly the best reason to download the app is the equalizer; there are four presets (standard, vocal enhancement, bass enhancement and an audio leakage reduction mode), as well as a simplistic five-band custom EQ which lets you create your own mix.

The app also lets you turn on Multipoint Pairing, change what the touch controls do, turn on (or off) microphone noise cancellation in calls, and turn on (or off) wear detection.

Admittedly, the list is a little svelte. Beyond review purposes, I only opened the app a single time, and that was to double-check I hadn't accidentally turned gesture controls off (I hadn't, more on that later).

• Features score: 3.5/5

Shokz OpenDots Air review: Design

• Svelte carry case
• Attractive blue marbled design
• Not designed to stick in the ear

They ain’t called clip-on buds for nothing – the OpenDots Air are clip-shaped earbuds with a C-shaped band joining a rounded earbud with an ovoid counterweight. The 'dot' goes in your ear-well, the 'egg' sits just behind it, looping around the lower part of the helix.

The earbuds weigh 6.3g each, with silicone and plastic making up the casework of the earpiece. I tested them at the gym, on cycles and on runs (and in other, less-intensive settings) and never had a fit issue; that’s a benefit of this form factor, and I’ve never had a wobbly clipper.

However I did find that the Air could pinch a little during longer wear sessions, and I was surprised by the relief I felt at removing them after an hour-plus run. On the topic of criticisms, the buds technically have touch controls, but I could barely get them to pick up my touch. You have to be incredibly precise to find the right spot, and I quickly gave up on using them. At this level, it's not a deal-breaker in this type of design (at least not yet), but it's my job to notice.

You can buy the earbuds in black or purple, a choice which carries over to the charging case. They’re IP55 protected, which means they’re safe from dust and jets of water, but you shouldn’t take them swimming.

The charging case is lighter than most I’ve seen, tipping the scales to the tune of 37.3g — that’s without the buds, and you’re looking at a total package that’s under 50g. It’s nice and small too, and I really appreciate case like this that’s lightweight and portable like this: it disappeared in my pockets with no problem.

The simplicity extends to the ports and buttons; you’re getting a USB-C port but no wireless charging, unlike the OpenDots 2, and intriguingly no Bluetooth pairing override. I don’t recall the last time I saw an earbud case without this ‘hope-you-don’t-need-it’ feature, but Shokz apparently thinks you don’t need it at all.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Shokz OpenDots Air: Sound quality

• Dual 11.8mm drivers
• Well-defined treble and bass
• Some premium features missing

Shokz has found an audio set-up it likes and has stuck with it. As with the OpenDots One and OpenDots 2, the OpenDots Air have two custom 11.8mm drivers providing the music. The company is coy on what each of these drivers are actually handling, but I’m guessing at least one is tuned towards low-end, given how much "Bassphere" is mentioned in marketing.

(What’s Bassphere? Um, a marketing word, by the sounds of it, and Shokz is quite light on specifics. I've done my due journalistic diligence in trying to dig through the fluff to get granular on Bassphere, but have been unsuccessful. It seems to be what the company refers to as its two-driver system.)

The OpenDots Air do miss some features of their pricier stablemates. There’s no Dolby Atmos tuning, for one, and it lacks a few other Shokz-designed features, including MirrorPitch (which aims the sound into your ear) and Bassphere 2.0 (like 1.0, but designed to reduce distortion which could arise from the two-driver system).

Okay, I’ve been dancing around the topic; how do the Shokz OpenDots Air actually sound? They’re rather good, for open-ears — they’re not quite on par with the higher-end OpenDots, or some varied rivals, but I enjoyed listening to music with them.

It’s clear to my ear that one of the drivers is dialled into the low end, giving bass a clear scooping distinction that’s often missing in open-ears. Songs like Brian Kelley’s Beach Cowboy or Kasabian’s Superpowers offer clean low-end that sit comfortably below higher-frequency sounds, without blowing it out.

The lack of support for better-than-vanilla codecs such as LDAC, or seemingly any higher-quality streaming, means audiophiles might not find these an enjoyable listen. I can’t pretend they’re on par with ‘standard’ in-ear earbuds costing this much, including ones which are geared towards sports users. But for fitness-first listeners who need their ear canals free to hear traffic, they’re all you need.

Naturally, when you’re out and about, the bass will struggle a little bit — it has a harder time cutting through surrounding noise than treble does. That’s par for the course for this kind of earbud, but it bears repeating for those not familiar with the form factor.

• Sound quality: 4/5

Shokz OpenDots Air review: Value

• Great value for money compared to Shokz roster
• Other cufflinks undercut these

If you’re comparing the OpenDots Air solely to the OpenDots 2, they're great value: you’re basically getting the same earbuds for a sizeable discount. I see the Air being the better buy for most people, out of the two.

But when you look at the wider earbuds market, my recommendation gets a bit more muted. I’ve tested plenty of pairs of clip-style earbuds that hover at, or below, the £/$100 mark, which perform basically the same as the OpenDots Air do. If you’re not married to buying Shokz buds, then you’ll find a few different money-saving alternatives below.

• Value: 4/5

Should I buy the Shokz OpenDots Air?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Shokz OpenDots Air review: Also consider

The open earbuds market is incredibly competitive. Here are some others that I've tested and would recommend.

How I tested the Shokz OpenDots Air

• Tested for one month
• Paired with Android phone for Spotify, streaming and games
• Used during multiple kinds of activities

I used the Shokz OpenDots Air for roughly a month to write this review. This ensured they underwent some extensive testing.

This testing included countless runs, several cycles, many gym sessions, loads of walks around my neighborhood, plays on various kinds of public transport, a house move, and a trip to a surf town during a holiday.

During this time, the buds were paired to my Android smartphone. They got most of their use through Spotify, but I also used them for calls, watching some YouTube videos and playing games.

I've tested gadgets for TechRadar since early 2019. Since that time I've reviewed countless earbuds, including loads of open-style ones and the Shokz OpenDots One.

• First reviewed in July 2026

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Razer Kiyo V2 webcam: Two-minute review

Razer is a household name in the webcam space, with its Kiyo brand being one of the most popular choices for streamers and PC gamers. The latest Kiyo V2 is another sterling example of Razer's commitment to premium build quality and high-end components, and for the most part, it's a great product.

Delivering either 4K recording at 30 frames per second or 1080p at 60, the Kiyo V2 captures quality video with a high degree of customization via the Razer Synapse software. It's fairly pricey (don't expect to see it on our list of the best cheap webcams), but for a 4K webcam with this sort of build quality and feature set, it's actually quite competitively priced.

Coming in black, white, and pink colorways (mine is the pink 'Quartz' model), the Razer Kiyo V2 is an extremely well-constructed product. It's durable and pleasingly tactile. The base can be extended and rotated to capture the perfect angle, and it easily clasps onto any monitor; I tested it both with the two monitors in my home desktop setup and my laptop, and it snapped into place with no issues. It's a little heavy, however, so laptops with flimsier display hinges might struggle.

The design is a departure from previous Razer webcams, which typically opted for a singular large casing surrounding the lens construction. Instead, it's a smaller lens housing with an oblong body, immediately reminiscent of the Logitech MX Brio 705.

Not everything has been abandoned with this new design, however. The lens housing, like previous Kiyo models, includes a pleasingly tactile rim that can be twisted to close the built-in physical privacy shutter. I'm always a fan of privacy solutions like this, though given the large size of the glass lens face, it would've been nice to see a lens cap included to keep it dust- and scratch-free.

It would potentially be nice if the webcam could be detached from the attached mount in order to fit it to a different mount; many content creators will have their own video setups and may want to use their own camera stands. However, the mount does have a threaded screw connector on the base, letting you fit it atop most industry-standard camera mounts.

In terms of video quality, it's great. 4K video is sharp and colorful, and even zoomed in, I found I looked perfectly detailed in the footage I recorded. Color reproduction is great, and the camera performed well in a range of light conditions. Low-light performance resulted in some mild oversaturation, but I've seen worse performance in more expensive cameras. It also supports HDR, though only at 30fps even at lower resolutions.

The autofocus works well, but I found it was a little slow to adjust if I quickly moved closer or further from the camera. Having tested quite a few webcams in my time, I feel that a webcam in this price range should be a bit snappier to focus.

That big lens means that the default field of view is huge. A 93-degree FOV means that the Kiyo V2 is liable to capture not just yourself but the entire room you're in, but thankfully it's easy enough to tweak this via the zoom and crop tools in Razer's Synapse software.

On the topic of Synapse, it's still a frankly rather clunky piece of software, but for webcam users who want granular control over their hardware, it does a solid job. In addition to zoom and crop tools, you can also manually tweak the autofocus, auto exposure, and color balance.

The Kiyo V2's software-side feature set also includes a selection of AI-powered tools, which are covered prominently in the marketing material for the webcam. These include dynamic light correction and noise reduction, but these features already existed in Synapse, and to be honest, I'm not entirely clear on what AI brings to the table here.

Look, Razer: I get it. I'm sure there's tremendous pressure from your shareholders to make everything AI-powered, because it's the buzzword du jour. But anyone who actually wants AI in their webcam (for whatever inane reason) likely isn't going to be better served by the Kiyo V2 than any other cutting-edge 'AI' webcam, like the Obsbot Tiny SE.

One element that does actually benefit from the involvement of machine learning is the auto-framing feature, which uses AI-powered head-tracking to keep you in the center of the frame even if you move around. However, since the Kiyo V2 lacks a mechanized gimbal, it can't alter the frame while fully zoomed out and can only track you so far; it can keep you in center frame if you move by a foot or two, but it won't follow you around a room.

On the bright side, you don't actually have to use Synapse and the AI features at all. The Kiyo V2 works great straight out of the box; just plug in the bundled cable, and you're off to the races, assuming you're happy with the default wide-angle FOV.

Now, for the only real problem I have with the Razer Kiyo V2. It comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable in the box (the one with my review unit is pink, like the webcam itself), and as far as I can tell, you have to use this cable to access the full 4K functionality of the camera.

Considering that the cable is USB-C-exclusive, you'll need a free USB-C 3.0 port to make full use of the Kiyo V2. I tested it out with a USB-C to USB-A adapter, as well as using one of my own USB-C cables; no dice. It's frustrating, because USB-C ports can be in short supply for users connecting multiple peripherals, and the bundled cable is a bit short and inflexible.

Lastly, the built-in microphone is... fine, I guess. It's good enough for video calls, but anyone aiming to produce professional-level video content should definitely use a proper standalone microphone.

It's fair to say that the Razer Kiyo V2 deserves a spot among the best webcams on the market. There are a few niggling issues, but nothing that should ruin the experience for a gamer who wants a high-end webcam. For hardcore content creators, it remains a sound choice, but you should be aware of the downsides.

Razer Kiyo V2 webcam: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? $149.99 / £149.99 / AU$279.95
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? The US, UK, and Australia

At $149.99 / £149.99 / AU$279.95, the Razer Kiyo V2 is significantly cheaper than the brand's own older Kiyo Pro webcam. If you're looking for a high-quality 4K cam, it's not an unreasonable price.

Sure, you could easily get a cheaper 4K webcam, but you'll need to risk it on a less established brand, and you almost certainly won't be getting the same rich feature set seen in the Kiyo V2. Similarly effective models from other premium brands like Logitech and Elgato will cost a comparable amount, so I'm pleased to say that despite its reputation for pricey hardware, Razer got the price right this time around.

Razer Kiyo V2 webcam: Specs

Should you buy the Razer Kiyo V2 webcam?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Razer Kiyo V2 webcam: Also consider

How I tested the Razer Kiyo V2 webcam

• Tested the webcam in video calls and recording
• Compared image quality to other webcams
• 8+ years of experience reviewing computer hardware

I replaced my usual webcam (the Insta360 Link 2 4K) with the Razer Kiyo V2 for two weeks, using it for all my normal video calls during the workday. I also tested it in various different lighting conditions by recording video separately and comparing the clips side by side. Naturally, I installed (well, reinstalled) Razer Synapse to properly test out all the software-side features as well.

I've been testing and reviewing PC hardware for more than eight years, starting at the PC-building hobbyist magazine Maximum PC before making the leap to TechRadar's computing team. I put all of my knowledge and experience behind each and every one of my product reviews, so you can be assured that you're getting an informed and bias-free judgement.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed July 2026

Filament absorbs moisture as soon as you break the seal of the packaging, and that moisture will affect the quality of your prints, and it’s a problem that until recently no one talked about.

The effect of damp filament, even if it feels dry to the touch, shows up as stringing, popping, weak layer adhesion, and prints that just look slightly worse than they should. Because it creeps in gradually, you usually blame the printer, whereas it’s often the material.

The H1 HT is Elegoo's first dryer. It arrives to tackle one of the major quibbles with the otherwise excellent Centauri Carbon 2 (see my review here). Essentially, the fact that the machine features an open-air spool design, leaving filament exposed to whatever humidity the room happens to have.

In the case of my workshop at some points of the year, that can be high. This drybox is the company's answer. It's designed to take a single 1kg spool, heats to a maximum of 85°C, rotates the spool for even exposure and vents humid air automatically before sealing itself shut again.

The clever part is that you don't have to stop printing to use it and it’s not confined to use with just Elegoo machines. The design features two filament outlets that let you run the dryer as a heated dry box, feeding the printer while it keeps your filaments in prime condition.

ELEGOO H1 HT: Price and availability

The H1 HT is available for $70 from Elegoo's US site, and for £62 from the UK site.

For a single dryer, that's extremely well priced and undercuts most established names while offering a higher maximum temperature and, frankly, better design.

If you’re thinking about this for your Centauri Carbon 2, then you’ll need/want four, so that will set you back $280 / £248.

• Value: 5 / 5

ELEGOO H1 HT: Design

I’ve been looking at Elegoo's machines for a few years - most recently the Centauri Carbon 2 - and they have always been well made. Still, there have usually been a few rough edges, and it was only with the Centauri Carbon and Centauri Carbon 2 that I started to see that change, although the sci-fi or quirky graphic remained.

The H1 HT goes further again, and the build quality is one of the best of any dryer box I've seen and used. Elegoo has dropped the sci-fi industrial styling and finally offers something more professional.

In the background, there have been changes in the company, and you get the impression this is the first result of that new influence. There are small design details, such as the lid having a proper latch that closes and seals securely, which sounds trivial until you've used dryers where the lid simply rests in place.

At 1.53kg empty and 280 x 126 x 257mm, these are weights and measurements that I have measured and not from an official listing; it sits alongside a printer without taking up too much space on the work surface.

However, if you're using it with a multifilament, then you are looking at four of these. Each requires an AC (mains) socket, so while it’s a solution, the power and space requirements do need to be taken into account.

Another point is that units can't be stacked but sit side by side neatly. With the filament inside, it exits the dryer through one of two outlets. The rear outlet is horizontal to the work surface and takes PLA, PETG, ABS, and ASA through a tube into the printer's filament block.

In contrast, the second lid outlet handles TPU and fibre-reinforced materials, where the more direct upward route applies noticeably less friction.

• Design: 4 / 5

ELEGOO H1 HT: Features

Opening up the box when the dryer arrived, it’s obvious that Elegoo has invested in the development of this machine. Details such as the front-facing touchscreen stand out for their responsiveness and design, but more importantly, it's well thought out, with no multi-layer menu depth and everything exactly where you'd expect it.

The home screen shows chamber temperature and relative humidity alongside set temperature, remaining time and current material. The eleven presets run from PLA up to PC, PA and PAHT-CF, with Custom alongside; the inclusion of PAHT-CF highlights that Elegoo is thinking about the engineering materials that actually need that 85°C drying temperature.

I also like the fact that there’s plenty of customisation, accessed by a setup that lets you adjust almost any setting, and then you can adjust it. For printing from the dryer, I routed the filament into the block on the Centauri Carbon 2 printer, switched off the auto-rotation and set 40°C for PLA, matching the drying time to the length of the print. Unfortunately, there’s no direct communication between the box and the printer.

Rotating Drying and Lid Open Detection have their own triggers; venting simply happens with nothing to hear, and the only safety feature check activates as soon as I leave the lid open, beeping and pausing drying until secured.

It’s also worth noting that there is no app, no connectivity, and no communication with the printer, which, with a Centauri alongside, is a shame. However, this also means that it works with any FDM printer you own.

• Features: 4.5 / 5

ELEGOO H1 HT: Performance

To start the test with the H1 HT, I first wanted to check to see if the dryer was actually able to reach the temperature highlight. Setting up is straightforward with the packaging removed, power plugged in, filament tube inserted into the back and then the box boots up, which takes a few seconds, and you’re ready to start. I then set the temperature to 85C and pressed start. What instantly struck me was how easy this was to navigate.

The initial reading from the box was for an ambient temperature of 36°C, and watching that screen show the increase in internal temperature with the H1 HT reaching that 85°C in 8 minutes 25 seconds without a spool inside, then settled back to 77°C and fluctuated between 75 and 85°C.

I then watched it for a while, and it held that variance in temperature over a 15-minute period without issue.

I then popped in a spool of PLA that had been in the workshop for a while and ran that through the dryer for the suggested eight hours from the present. Despite the hot weather, humidity out there is higher than you'd expect. I then popped in filaments from Elegoo, Prusa and Fillamentum with no sign of spool deformation.

What was apparent with each as I printed the test models was the uplift in quality, surface smoothness and stringing all improving dramatically once dried. Running the filament, especially PLA from the box, really made a difference and enabled printing that was closer matched to a new spool of material than one that had been sat around for a while.

Printing directly from the dryer worked on the Centauri Carbon 2 with PLA, ASA and PETG, all fed smoothly through the rear outlet with the internal temperature fluctuating slightly as expected but ensuring that 40ºC was kept at the holding point.

Over the test, the quality of the prints really increased and just became part of the printing process, although there is only one, which is a shame. Ideally, I would have four, one for each feed; however, aside from the additional space you need, you also have to consider powering each of the boxes, with each requiring its own AC power in addition to the printer.

I was also interested in the power draw, and checking this showed it utilised between 170 and 180 W drying PLA at40ºC and when it came to noise, it runs at 57.2dB against 32.9dB ambient, audible but not intrusive. Still, again that noise will increase with additional units.

Again, the touchscreen really stands out through the test, with the humidity readout giving a good sense of what's happening in the chamber. When just drying filament, the rotating spool is hard to assess in isolation; prior experience tells me even heat exposure from the rotating spool helps, although you need to switch this off when used in combination with the printer, at which point the strength of the filament feed will rotate the spool.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

ELEGOO H1 HT: Final verdict

Elegoo is positioning the H1 HT as the answer to some of the feedback about the Centauri Carbon 2's open-air spool design. And having run one, I can see the potential. Considering what that machine costs, an additional $70 / £62 isn't excessive, although that price elevates as soon as more boxes are added.

While this is a great solution, it isn't as neat as a fully enclosed printer. Still, it offers flexibility and a scalable system, and the difference in print quality does make it worth the cost, especially if you’re an occasional printer and leave filament around for weeks or even months between use.

One issue worth knowing is that while drying rescues filament that's damp, not filament that's already gone brittle, so if spools have sat for months, check them before spending eight hours on a lost cause. You also have the issue of space and power outlets, but again the benefits that these dryers bring kind of outweigh that argument, at least for me.

At the end of the test, what stands out is just how good this thing is: the build, the interface, that latching lid. Something is shifting at Elegoo, and on this evidence it's one to watch.

Should I buy the Elegoo H1 HT?

For more top-performing models, see my guide to the best 3D printers I've tested and reviewed

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE: two-minute review

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE is a 10.9-inch tablet that sits between premium flagship slates and more modest mid-rangers. Launched in April 2025, it offers a rich, vibrant display, a robust build, and smart productivity tools. So, a year after its release, is it still worth your money?

Honestly, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE holds up pretty well. Not only is it relatively svelte at 6mm, it feels premium in the hands thanks to the sheer edges and satin finish. It also has a sturdy build, with its IP68 rating meaning it should happily shrug off both dust and dunkings in over 1m of water. The only part of its design I’m a little cooler on is the colorways it arrives in — some primary shades would add some interest in this parade of blues and grays.

Fortunately, the Tab S10 FE’s display doesn’t fall into this trap. While it might not quite knock the best tablets off their podium, its screen delivers sumptuous color — reds and blues, in particular, look super vibrant when sitting side by side. Whites aren’t quite as warm as I’d like, and it isn't the brightest display I’ve ever tested, but blacks feel surprisingly deep for an LED display and overall it achieves solid contrast.

The Tab S10 FE’s charms aren’t all surface level, though — it’s also capable of superb performance, given its Exynos 1580 chipset is less powerful than even some of its rival mid-rangers’. For productivity tasks, I experienced zero noticeable slowdown, even with a heap of apps open and video streaming in one half of multi-window mode. Gaming strained it a little:eh device became pretty warm during play, although mostly at higher graphics settings.

Having since been upgraded from the One UI 7 it was released with to 8.5, the Tab S10 FE’s OS feels light and versatile. Bloat is relatively minimal compared to some tablets, although I did find it a little irritating that a few of the apps that are preinstalled aren’t usable without paying money. But this aside, One UI is definitely one of the smoother Android skins I’ve used, offering effective gesture controls and easy-to-use multitasking functionality.

The Tab S10 also comes crammed with productivity tools and fun features. "Circle to Search" is an impressive feature that allows you to search images and text on-screen by circling it with the stylus. The "Handwriting Help" feature corrects the alignment and shape of your letters — a massive help if you suffer clumsy penmanship like I do — while the "Solve Math" function is accurate, albeit a little finicky. "Face Effects", like jawline correction and skin-tone tweaking, in photos feel a little bit borderline to me, though.

And you’ll keep getting the most out of all of these productivity tools for a long time, thanks to the Tab S10 FE’s extensive battery life. Even with a capacity of 8,000Ah, my battery test revealed the device should comfortably see you through 20 hours, which is likely to cover you for several days of real-world use. It’s none too shabby when charging, either: thanks to its 45W charging, fully topping up the battery took just 1 hour and 44 minutes, which is pretty speedy.

All told, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE is an impressive tablet for the price. It may not have the most powerful chipset on the market but it’s a fantastic slate for taking notes, sketching, and other productivity tasks; the display is bold and beautiful, and its battery will comfortably last twice as long as that of the similarly priced iPad Air. As long as you’re not looking for something to game on, you’re unlikely to be disappointed.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: price & availability

• Launched on April 10, 2025
• List price from $549.99 / £539 / AU$849
• Available with 8GB / 12GB RAM and 128GB / 256GB storage

Launched on April 10, 2025, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE is available now. The list price for the Wi-Fi-only version sits at $549.99 / £539 / AU$849, or it costs $649.99 / £639 / AU$1,049 for the 5G version.

The Tab S10 FE’s base spec offers 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, but you can also pick it up with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It comes in three colorways: Silver, Blue or the Gray version I tested here. Regardless of which version you opt for, you’ll get Samsung’s S Pen as part of the package — which is a great bonus, given how much functionality it unlocks.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: specs

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: design

• Thin and light
• Solid build with IP68 rating
• Unadventurous colorways

First off, there’s something about the Galaxy Tab S10 FE's flat, unbevelled design that feels pleasingly tactile in my hands. Those chiseled edges make it feel more sturdy and substantial, while the satin finish to its metal feels wonderfully tactile beneath your fingertips. Despite its mid-market price, it definitely has a premium feel to it.

Having said that, Samsung is hardly lighting the world on fire with the range of colors the Tab S10 FE comes in. As I’ve mentioned above, your options are Gray, Silver and Blue — with the latter definitely the most standout of the three, and the Gray I tested here a little too safe. I do think it’s a shame Samsung didn’t offer the device in some more adventurous hues, especially given the Apple iPad 11-inch (2025) includes vibrant shades like yellow and pink in its lineup.

The Tab S10 FE isn’t the most expansive slate I’ve ever used, with an area of just 6.53 x 10 inches / 165.8 x 254.3mm — for reference, that’s just a little shy of the iPad 11-inch at 9.79 x 7.07 inches / 248.6 x 179.5mm. But, on the plus side, the S10 FE is pretty slight, measuring in at just 17.64 oz / 500g and 0.24 inches / 6mm thick. That’s not quite as slim as the 0.2 inch / 5.1mm Apple iPad Pro 13-inch or the 0.22-inch / 5.6mm Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, but it’s still trimmer than a lot of tablets out there.

Despite this dainty build, though, the Tab S10 FE is no delicate flower. In fact, it offers an IP68 rating, which means it should happily shrug off dust and grit, as well as survive an accidental dunking in at least a meter of water — something that is far from a given with many tablets. Keen to put this to the test, I gave it a dunking in 6 inches / 15cm of water in TechRadar’s testing tank for several minutes, and it emerged thoroughly soaked yet fully functional.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: display

• Vibrant colors
• Strong contrast
• Could be brighter

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE doesn’t necessarily offer IMAX-scale viewing. Its display measures 10.9 inches and you lose a tiny bit of that to its rounded corners, so if you’re after something more expansive, the 13.1-inch Tab S10 FE+ might suit you better. However, its screen still performs impressively, with only a few small caveats.

To test what the display could do, I streamed some Blue Planet II in 4K. I was immediately impressed by the level of detail it was capable of: for example, the black-and-white lines flashing across a scintillating cuttlefish felt super sharp and well defined. While the Tab S10 FE’s 249.26ppi pixel density isn’t quite as detailed as the Apple iPad 11-inch (2025)’s 264ppi, the majority are unlikely to spot a huge difference in most scenarios.

Contrast also feels impressive, especially for an LCD panel. Even when side-by-side with the dappled sunlight, the depths of the ocean appeared inky black and well defined. Whites are also strong, although they run a little cooler than I’d expect — for example, the plumage of a wandering albatross and its fledgling chick looked a touch too blue for my tastes.

Fortunately, the Tab S10 FE’s hues are incredibly true to life elsewhere. Against the cobalt blue of the water, the bright red innards of a Lion’s mane jellyfish looked breathtaking, with the image not looking all that different to the Super Retina XDR OLED display in my flagship iPhone 16 Pro. For a mid-range tablet, Samsung’s Tab S10 FE sure offers some vibrant color performance.

Aside from those slightly cool whites, the only other area where the Tab S10 FE’s performance is less impressive is in terms of brightness. It offers 800-nit peak brightness outdoors in High Brightness mode, but its usual peak is 600 nits, meaning it isn't blazingly bright. That would be less of an issue if the S10 FE’s display wasn’t so reflective, but I did find it occasionally struggled to compete with the shine of the fluorescent lights overhead in TechRadar’s testing labs.

Despite this, the Tab S10 FE’s display is undeniably solid for its price, offering tantalizing viewing for a mid-market slate.

• Display score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: software

• Clean, agile OS
• Great Circle to Search and Handwriting Help tools
• Some slightly questionable Face Effects

Running One UI 8.5 built upon Android 16, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE feels light and easy to navigate. And compared to some tablets I’ve tested in recent months, it’s not crammed with bloat — I’m glad not to see Temu preloaded onto my device for the umpteenth time.

Which is what makes it all the more frustrating that some of the handful of apps that are preinstalled on the Tab S10 FE — such as LumaFusion and Clip Studio Paint — you have to pay for before using. Pre-loading my device with apps that are essentially just adverts for services you want me to sign up for just feels a bit grimey.

That’s a shame, because elsewhere Samsung’s OS feels light and offers decent productivity tools. Loading two apps in multi-window view is as simple as dragging two fingers from the side of the screen and loading the second app you’d like to use. Meanwhile, you can create multiple desktops to keep discrete workflows separate, making it a solid tool for working on the go.

Some of Samsung’s native apps are also pretty powerful. Using the drawing app Penup and the S Pen, I whipped up a sketch of my cat in an ukiyo-e style. Not only did the app make downloading and customising multiple watercolor and ink brushes straightforward, it quickly allowed me to add layers and a reference photograph to use. It even offers built-in functionality for exporting live drawing videos, which is a neat function for digital artists.

Baked into One UI 8.5 are multiple image manipulation tools. Removing irksome objects from your photographs is a pretty common feature these days, but Samsung’s Circle to Erase tool largely works well. It quickly removed an errant seagull and a hot-air balloon from a sunny evening selfie I'd snapped — although for reasons I can’t quite understand, it also half-mangled the corner of our blanket for no reason that I could fathom.

Some of Samsung’s built-in Face Effects are a little bit more dicey in my book. though. While I understand why you might want to fix blemishes or slightly smooth out complexions, tools for "fixing" people’s jawlines and lightening / darkening people’s skin tone honestly feels borderline for me in an era when looksmaxxing and colorism are very real trends. Meanwhile, the Reshape tool for tweaking facial and body features is horrifying in pretty much every sense — ethics aside, all I could really achieve with this feature was transforming myself into a Cronenbergian monster, which I’m not sure people are clamoring for on social media.

Fortunately, Samsung offers some other tools that are less contentious. Circle to Search stumped me at first, as I couldn’t seem to trigger it using the stylus or any context menus. Eventually, I worked out that you have to hold down the Home button to trigger the context-aware AI — and the results were then genuinely impressive, allowing me to quickly identify a weedy seadragon from a video or a bumblebee crawling across a rhododendron.

Samsung’s Handwriting Help tools are also pretty impressive. They deftly aligned my drifting script to the horizontal, although I found the claims that they'd "correct my letter shapes" to be a little overblown. Although, given that my handwriting looks like it was produced by a five-legged spider after too many espressos, I’ll admit this was a pretty boss-level challenge. And, more impressively, Samsung’s handwriting recognition almost invariably translated my jittering chicken scratch perfectly, something my own family can’t even do.

One of the more unique features the Tab S10 FE offers is its ability to solve calculations and equations for you. Write out a problem you’re struggling with, stick an equals sign after it and ping: an answer appears like magic. Or doesn’t. About half the time, the rabbit resolutely refused to pop out of the hat, leaving me to erase and rewrite functions over and over until it recognized them. And some sums proved more unreliable than others — root functions, in particular, seemed to throw up a lot of incorrect answers, although there’s a chance either my heinous handwriting or 25-year-old math knowledge is letting me down here.

For the most part, using the Galaxy Tab S10 FE’s software feels smooth and practical. I could just do without the paid bloat and the creepier of the photo-editing features.

• Software score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: performance

• Great productivity performance
• Games run well, for the most part
• Gets warm under heavy loads

Underneath the hood, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE runs the Exynos 1580 chipset and comes with either 8GB of RAM (on test here) or 12GB. That chipset will net you similar performance to, say, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, but it won’t really rival any of the Snapdragon 8 series or the current generation of Apple silicon chips.

When handling everyday productivity tasks, this still translated to pretty credible performance. While browsing the Internet with multiple tabs open, I never noticed any substantial slowdown or unusual behaviour. Typing this section of this review, the Tab S10 FE didn't show any noticeable lag or hanging, even with multiple apps open in the background. Always one to push things to their most absurd extreme, I even tried streaming Louis Theroux’s My Scientology Movie in multi-window mode as I typed, and — blow me down — both Google Docs and iPlayer continued to run as smooth as a frog slathered in peptide face cream.

This stable performance extends to gaming as well. Loading up Call of Duty: Mobile, I was generally impressed with how stably it ran, even with the hi-res graphics packs downloaded. Even if there was the tiniest hint of jitter on the odd occasion, I never found it impacted my gameplay all that much — I was still able to click heads consistently enough to pick up multiple MVP awards in a row.

Unfortunately, playing Genshin Impact proved a bumpier ride, though. Defaulting to the lowest graphics setting, the game looked pretty awful on the Tab S10 FE, rendering everything with blocky, jagged visuals. Yet switching the graphics settings even to Low threw up a warning I was overclocking the tablet’s CPU. I was expecting this would make the game unplayable on Medium settings, but actually it still ran pretty slickly.

Which leads me to suspect that the issue lies more with the Tab S10 FE’s cooling than that medium-range chipset. Even while playing Call of Duty: Mobile, I found the device warmed up considerably after about three matches back-to-back, while playing Genshin Impact the device started to get a touch toasty after just 10 minutes. This means that you’ll probably be fine if you nerf the graphics settings, but you might not want to red-line it quite as much as I did if you’ll be playing for extended periods.

• Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: battery

• Lengthy 20-hour battery life
• Fast 45W charging

According to Samsung, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE’s battery should last you around 20 hours, which was pretty much spot on according to my tests. After continuously streaming a video in 2K for five hours, its battery had dropped to 74%. Even allowing a little wiggle room for how uneven battery discharge curves are, Samsung’s estimates seem pretty on the money, so you should happily be able to use this tablet for several days running without it dying on you.

Even when it does run out of juice, it shouldn’t take long to top up using that 45W charging. During my testing, I found it took 1 hour and 44 minutes to go from 0% to 100% — given its 8,000mAh battery capacity, that’s really very decent.

Taking all of this into account, the Tab S10 FE’s battery life is pretty competitive. While 8,000mAh is far from the largest capacity you’ll find out there, its diminutive display and efficient chipset means it can outlast more premium tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus. It might not quite be able to rival the Honor MagicPad 4, our pick for the best tablet for battery life, but it’s still seriously long-lived.

• Battery score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: also consider

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE

• Tested it over a week
• Tried out a wide variety of tasks, from work to games
• Used specific tests to assess screen, performance and battery life

I tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE over the course of a week. During that time, I used it for a range of purposes, whether that was productivity tasks such as writing this review, playing games, or watching TV and movies. I also tried out a range of the tablet’s pre-loaded software —for example, using the Notes app for taking notes or Penup for drawing.

When it comes to specific tests, I assessed the Tab S10 FE’s display by streaming Blue Planet II to see how its display delivered brightness, color, contrast and resolution. I tested performance by playing multiple games and using various apps in multitasking mode. Finally, I tested the battery by streaming 2K video at medium brightness for 5 hours to see how much it was depleted during that time.

In terms of personal experience, I’ve been reviewing phones and tablets for TechRadar for several years now and writing about tech for far longer. I’ve also tested a wide range of drawing tablets, giving me a lot of experience in commenting on color fidelity and stylus performance.

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

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025): Two-minute review

I've used the 2024 release of the Kindle Scribe (2nd generation) for two years and I've loved every minute of it. I didn't think there was a better E Ink display to write on (and read on for that matter) and I definitely didn't think it could be improved. Yet that's exactly what Amazon has done with the 2025 (3rd generation) Kindle Scribe with frontlight.

The epaper display is still one of the best to read and write on, but it looks even brighter and, indeed, it is bigger, with 11 inches of screen real estate to use. That's fantastic for note-taking and drawing, but unnecessary for a device that also doubles up as an ereader.

Despite the additional height, the 3rd generation Kindle Scribe is both marginally thinner and lighter than its predecessor, but it is hard to hold in the hand for long periods of use — I constantly felt the need to place it on my lap or a table even when reading, but more so when jotting notes. Moreover, the lack of a broad bezel means it's very easy to trigger a page turn as the thumb rests so close to the edge of the display.

The thinner chassis is solidly built, although there's still no waterproofing (as is the case on most digital notebooks), so be careful if you decide to use it by the pool, the bath or the kitchen sink. And definitely keep it away from the sea's salty water to avoid corrosion.

The new stylus is also redesigned and, while it might feel too smooth for some users, I adore it! It never slipped once, even with sweaty palms, and, personally, gave me one of the best writing experiences I've had on a digital notebook (with the exception of the ViWoods C1 ceramic stylus possibly). Additionally, the magnetic hold to the side of the device is the strongest I've seen to date on any such device.

The homescreen interface has been refreshed and is quite practical in my opinion, and renaming the previous Notebooks tab to Workspace kinda makes sense to me. There are a few new features here: a handful of fresh templates in Workspace, a Smart Shapes feature that some users might find useful and, importantly, Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive connectivity for seamless cloud transfer of files. There's even AI-enable search that can trawl through handwritten notes to give you a concise summary to answer your query.

What I'm struggling with is justifying its high price tag. While everything is now a lot more expensive, the extra screen real estate and handful of new features don't go a long way in explaining the significant price increase over its predecessor but, then again, the base model now has double the storage at 32GB and it sure is a very fast performer.

As someone who's extensively used reMarkables and Boox alternatives, I think the 3rd generation Kindle Scribe definitely gives its competitors a run for their money. I'd still only consider picking it up when discounted and only if you don't already have a previous Scribe and are embedded in the Amazon ecosystem.

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) review: price and availability

• First announced October 2025 in the US; available to buy since December 2025
• Released in the UK and other select markets in early 2026, available in Australia since mid 2026
• List price: from $499.99 / £449.99 / AU$849

The 3rd-generation Kindle Scribe is expensive — at a starting price of $499.99 / £449.99 / AU$849, it's $100 / £70 / AU$200 more than its predecessor's entry cost, but it does go some way in justifying the increase.

Firstly, as I've already mentioned, the entry model now has 32GB of storage compared to 16GB, plus the display is 11 inches (previously 10.2 inches). There are a few new software features that make it a better digital notepad compared to the 2nd-gen Kindle Scribe from 2024, but it's still hard to justify paying full price when color E Ink devices don't cost much more.

That said, color E Ink isn't where it should be in 2026 and I wouldn't recommend the $629 / £569 / AU$999 Kindle Scribe Colorsoft over this monochrome sibling.

On the other hand, the reMarkable Paper Pure, which also offers 32GB of storage, but a 10.3-inch screen and a minimal interface that's not conducive to reading is a lot cheaper with a starting price of $399 / £359 / AU$629. Even the 64GB Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) Lumi is cheaper at $449.99 / £429.99 / AU$729.

I would still recommend the 3rd-gen Kindle Scribe if you want both a reading and note-taking device in one, but perhaps consider picking it up when it's discounted, which it invariably will be during a major sale, more so once Amazon discontinues the 2024 edition (which it invariably will).

However, if you already own the 2024 version, I wouldn't recommend the 3rd-gen as an upgrade as you won't miss much. And as long as it's available to buy, the 2nd-gen is definitely better value even at full price.

• Value score: 3.5 / 5

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) review: specs

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) review: design and display

• 11 inches of beautiful, bright E Ink Carta 1300 screen real estate
• Sturdy, premium build, but slim bezels can be an issue
• Thinner and lighter than previous generation, with newly designed Premium Pen

It might not seem all that different from the previous two Kindle Scribes, but the 3rd-gen model with frontlight is a different beast, at least physically. As already mentioned, it's now a little taller thanks to an 11-inch display, but it's ever-so-slightly thinner (5.4mm vs 5.7mm) and lighter than the second-generation Scribe (400g vs 433g).

How Amazon has managed that is beyond my understanding, but it's a welcome change as it helps negates a little bit of the hand and wrist fatigue the extra height adds during handheld use over longer periods of time.

That, sadly, is exacerbated by the fact that the broader bezel from the previous generations is no longer there beside the screen where your thumb could rest. Now, all four sides are surrounded by even yet narrow bezels that can trigger a page turn if your finger or palm even remotely touches the edge of the screen. It's something you can get used to but, even then, I think all the new 2025 Kindle Scribes are best used while on a table or desk, or your lap.

Other than that, the Kindle Scribe still looks like a premium device with a very sturdy build, despite being thin and light, with minimal embellishments for a clean look. Unlike the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, though, the 3rd-gen model only comes in the usual Graphite (previously called Tungsten) variant, and I do wish another chassis color was available. You're also not going to get any waterproofing here like with the other Kindles.

What I'm thrilled about, though, is the new stylus. Amazon has redesigned the Premium Pen, which is now a white, smooth-bodied styls with a slightly sharper nib that adds better control to marking on the screen. The smoothness of the pen's body might make it harder to hold for some users, but I didn't have any issues with slipping, even if my palms ended up being sweaty for whatever reason.

Better yet is the magnet that attaches the pen to the side of the tablet, which is arguably the strongest I've come across on any such device. Even without a case, the Pen has never come off inside my bag when taking it in or out of a pocket. And I do mean never — it has shifted in angle, sure, but not completely fallen off. That's just my experience, though.

You still get an eraser on the top and the customizable shortcut button, as well as five spare tips in the box. What you don't get is the aforementioned sleep case, which you will need to purchase separately, but there are options galore directly from Amazon and third parties.

As much as I would love to wax lyrical about the stylus, it's the 11-inch E Ink Carta 1300 display that's the star of the show here. It was already fantastic on the 10.2-inch 2024 Scribe, but now it just seems a touch better.

I'd like to say it's because of the 100nit peak brightness that makes it look nicer, but even with the LEDs dimmed, it's the cleanest, almost-white display I've used on an epaper tablet that still manages to seem like paper. In fact, I much prefer it over the duller-looking E Ink Kaleido 3 display on the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.

The flush screen is protected by a top layer of glass that also has an anti-glare coating. You also get the standard 300ppi resolution which, despite being spread over a larger area, still renders text and writing in sharp clarity, and it's arguably one of the most responsive screens on an epaper device to date.

• Design & display score: 4.5 / 5

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) review: Software

• Refreshed homescreen setup which is cluttered with Kindle Store recommendations
• Cloud service access is very welcome
• More writing tools but not necessarily of note (pun not intended), but new a AI feature could prove useful

It's not a complete makeover, but the homescreen setup on the top of the 2025 Kindle Scribes is different to what was previously on the older models. There's easy access to what Amazon is calling a Quick Note — just tap on it and it opens up an empty notebook for you to start writing on — beside which is a single column of your recently opened items (now called Jump Back In) that were previously arranged horizontally.

By default, the Quick Note takes up more than half the left side of the screen, but it can be shrunk by tapping double arrows, which then separates your recently opened items list into two columns, thus adding more, whether that be notes or ebooks.

I like this setup better as it's a quick glance at a fair few recently opened items, rather than you needing to scroll horizontally, plus you can see what you wrote in the Quick Note without needing to open it.

Below this section is a whole lot of what I think is clutter but some users who are embedded in the Amazon ecosystem would appreciate. These include the Recently Added items list, followed by new-feature intros and several Kindle Store recommendations based on your reading habits, which is what I really detest — it just feels like overkill and I much prefer Kobo's homepage which looks neater to me.

While the bottom navigation menu still has four items, the previous Notebooks tab is now called Workspace and it has a few extra templates that I personally couldn't find much use for. I would have loved a dedicated journal template but... oh well. Otherwise, everything else is carried over from before, with limited pen and brush options that artists perhaps won't be very happy with.

The biggest improvement here (across all three 2025 Scribes in fact) is the addition of Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive support. As someone who uses the former, it's made file transfer a lot easier than using the email sharing option that has previously been the clunkier norm.

There is, however, a caveat when it comes to PDFs: you can't actually mark them up after exporting them if you need to do so. The only way to reflect changes is to export the file and open in Google Docs to edit. Despite that, I still think access to cloud services is a huge improvement and I hope Amazon rolls it out to the older Scribes as well.

Also new is a feature called Smart Shapes that you can access from the stylus menu in a note — if you need to create, say, flowcharts, you can roughly draw a circle or triangle and it will automatically get converted into a proper (or neat) shape. It's not something I personally found useful, but I think it could be for students, teachers and scientists.

The AI-powered handwriting conversion and summary creation tools from the previous generation is available here, as are the ebook annotations (Active Canvas) and side-margin notes from before, but AI search in your notes is new. It allows you to enter a keyword or phrase and all your notes, including handwritten ones (uh-huh, that's different, innit?) will be scanned to give you an AI-generated summary. It's another feature that I don't see everyone needing, but if you have a copious amount of notes on the same subject (like I occasionally do), it can be handy.

I should note that all this software improvement takes up a heck of a lot of storage. For example, when I looked into the Device Options on my 3rd-gen Scribe and Colorsoft units, I only had about 22GB and 21GB of usable storage respectively out of 32GB. This is still a good amount, but 11GB is still a heck of a lot of space to give up for power users who might want to store a lot of ebooks, audiobooks and documents on the device. To put it into context in another way: there was a time when 8GB storage was the norm in an ereader, meaning the Scribe software wouldn't even fit into an older ereader!

Software score: 4 / 5

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) review: User experience

• Despite its size, it's one of the best screens to read on
• New stylus writes wonderfully, although writing and drawing features are still comparatively limited
• Handful of new templates added for note taking

I have a few Kindle devices at home, including three of the 2024 releases, and yet I'm not really a Kindle fan because of how much the user interface forces you into the Amazon ecosystem.

However, the 3rd-generation Kindle Scribe with frontlight has come very close to changing my mind — I am willing to put up with the homescreen clutter because of how good reading and writing is on that glorious E Ink display. It's hands down the best epaper tablet I've tested in 2026 (it's a delayed review as it wasn't released in Australia, where I'm based, until June this year).

Reading

As I've already said, the 300ppi resolution looks a little better on this Scribe than it did on the previous generation because Amazon has optimized the display very well to render text in sharp clarity.

I've seen some users complain that the Scribes don't look as good as the Paperwhite, but it's important to keep in mind that the 7-inch Kindle has less surface area with the same amount of pixels as the 11-inch version, so the pixel size on the larger device will be slightly bigger. And that makes a difference, but not so much that it stands out. You have to look really carefully to see that kind of difference.

I am a big fan of the ambient light sensor on the display, which means the screen automatically dims or brightens up depending on whether I'm indoors or outdoors, or how bright or dark it might be around me. In other words, it automatically gives me a pleasing brightness for nighttime reading.

The larger screen makes it an ideal choice for comic book fans but, then again, color makes them more enjoyable while you'll be reading them in grayscale. The bigger screen, however, is fantastic for those who prefer larger fonts, so you aren't turning pages after a few sentences and, thus, conserving a little battery.

The Kindle font support is still not as good as flexible as on a Kobo or a Boox device. For example, sideloaded EPUBs added to the device via the Send To Kindle platform render well, but I found a few MOBI files that didn't open as expected but work perfectly fine on my Kobo Libra Colour.

I am, however, very grateful for Amazon's cloud storage where anything in your library previously added to older devices are accessible on any new Kindle.

Writing & drawing

I didn't think Amazon could better the writing experience from the previous-generation Scribe, but lo and behold, a redesigned stylus has achieved just that. As I've previously stated, the pen is the real hero when it comes to epaper writing tablets and the white Premium Pen with a slightly sharper nib glides very well over the glass and yet has just the right friction.

Then again, a pen choice is very personal and some users might prefer more friction, which is understandable. Personally, my experience was perfect, allowing me very good control over the marks I made in a note.

What I'm not necessarily too enthused by are the limited writing tools. I think Kobo's Advanced Notebooks are still a better option compared to what Amazon offers on the Scribe, although Android devices give you even more features and tools if you think you'd need them.

While there are some new templates for notes, I think their use would be very limited to select users, and I would have much preferred if Amazon had, instead, added more pen options. I may not be able to draw to save my life, but I can see how this limitation might affect artists. For everyday doodling, my colleague Lance Ulanoff finds the Kindle Scribe better than his iPad for drawing, especially when outdoors.

Writing and drawing limitations aside, the physical experience of putting words down on the 2025 Scribe is par excellence and, for that, I can't deduct too many marks.

User experience score: 4.5 / 5

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) review: Performance

• The fastest Kindle yet, with page turns barely visible (unless animated)
• Absolutely no ghosting, even with image-heavy ebooks
• Battery life takes a small hit compared to previous generation

Amazon doesn't reveal what hardware components it uses under the hood of its devices — all we know is that there's a quad-core chip with an indeterminate amount of RAM — to keep things ticking along, but whatever there is sure makes the 3rd-generation Scribe the fastest Kindle yet.

In fact, I think I might go so far as to say it's arguably the fastest ereader and epaper writing tablet I've tested to date. I make that claim based on my recent Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) Lumi review that I was testing at the same time the Amazon device and, despite being a 2026 release, was so significantly slower than the 2025 Scribe, specifically in terms of page turns.

On the Scribe, you can barely discern a page turn, unless you have the animation turned on of course. Several times during my two-week test period with the Scribe I didn't even think a tap registered until I saw the words on the new page. The time I did notice a blip was when the device was doing a full refresh.

Like its predecessor, there's absolutely no ghosting here, whether you've got image-heavy or word-heavy books. Not even a faded mark appears overlaid on notes, and I do wish Boox would learn how to achieve that.

Battery capacity is another spec that Amazon doesn't reveal, but it does say that it can last up to 12 weeks on a single charge when used for about 30 minutes a day. It's definitely doable, but I think battery life on the previous 2024 edition was slightly better. Potentially more LEDs (another spec that Amazon doesn't reveal) to power a larger display could be the main culprit here, but it doesn't take too much of a hit in comparison.

In my use case, with up to four hours of reading and about 30 minutes of writing each day saw the battery nearly empty in five days. That's with the ambient light sensor on, so no manual brightness adjustments were made and that does put pressure on the battery. Sleep timer was set to 30 minutes and Bluetooth was off, although Wi-Fi was always on. Similar use with the 2024 Kindle Scribe saw the battery drain in approximately seven days for me with the same settings.

Recharging, however, seems to be remarkably quick on the 2025 version of the Scribe with frontlight, with my unit taking just about 20 minutes to top up from 21% down when plugged into a 60W wall charger. That's with the screen switched off, though. If I charged it while the device was in use, it took close to two hours via the same adaptor and USB-C cable.

On the other hand, my Kindle Scribe Colorsoft drains even quicker and takes a heck of a lot longer to recharge.

• Performance score: 5 / 5

Should I buy the Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) with frontlight?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

The 3rd-generation Kindle Scribe with frontlight is easy to recommend and, for some users, it might even justify its high price tag. For anyone else, know that there are alternatives to consider, and they'll actually save you a little cash even at full price.

How I tested the Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025)

I sadly had the 3rd-generation Kindle Scribe for just two weeks for this review, but I ensured I spent as much time as I could with it. As I've previously mentioned, I spent an average of 4-5 hours with it each day during that time, sometimes more, both reading and writing.

I was able to access my existing library as soon as I signed into my Amazon account, but I also uploaded some new EPUBs using the Send To Kindle web platform. I also connected the Scribe to my Google Drive account to transfer a couple of PDFs to the device, but I also saved select notes to the cloud, which automatically upload as PDFs with handwriting (no automatic text conversion takes place, but you can manually trigger that on the Scribe if you wish).

I tried the Smart Shapes feature and used the new AI search to test if it would be able to summarize my own review notes for me, which is successfully did. Handwriting conversion was also tested, albeit using a colleague's scrawl (I hate to admit but I can't scribble chicken scratchings no matter how hard I try).

Kindle Unlimited and Audible were also accessed on the device, and I was able to pair a JBL Bluetooth speaker for listening.

Learn more about how we test devices here at TechRadar

[First published July 2026]

Keychron K2 Ultra 8K: One-minute review

The K2 Ultra 8K is a wireless mechanical keyboard that aims to compete with the big names in the space.

It adopts a fairly basic design, harking back to keyboards of yore with its chunky chassis and tall keycaps. This substantial form is complimented by a reassuring weight that keeps the unit in place, without being too heavy to move around when needed.

The aluminum frame is also welcome thanks to its pleasingly solidity, although its texture isn’t the most alluring. The keycaps are of a better quality, though, since they’re Double Shot PBT, which often adorns the best gaming keyboards. Their opaque lettering means the backlighting fails to shine through them, which is an oversight committed by many Keychron keyboards.

To customize the inputs of the K2 Ultra 8K, you can use Keychron’s Web App. There are plenty of remapping options here, with numerous system and media commands available. There’s also a SOCD feature with a few different modes to choose from. You can also adjust the bounce time of both down and up strokes.

My review unit came with Red switches, which performed quite well. They were slightly lubed and well-damped, while still retaining a certain snappiness. However, I found their actuation a little too deep, which did result in some of my presses failing to register. Also, the sheer thickness of the keyboard did cause my wrists to ache after a while.

Using the WASD position when gaming was a little more comfortable than a typing position, and the generous spacing of the keys made navigating them quite easy. The quick rebound of the keys was also something I appreciated, and helped to make up somewhat for that aforementioned deep actuation point. Both wireless connectivity options worked well, and hot-swapping between devices was easy, thanks to the switch on the side of the unit.

The K2 Ultra 8K is competitively priced for a wireless mechanical keyboard with hot-swappable hardware. It can’t match the sheer performance and premium designs of its more notable rivals, such as the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% and the HyperX Origins 2 1800, but considering all that it offers, the K2 Ultra 8K is good value.

Keychron K2 Ultra 8K review: Price and availability

• $119.99 (about £90 / AU$170)
• Available now with various switch types
• Reasonable for a wireless gaming keyboard

The K2 Ultra 8K costs $119.99 (about £90 / AU$170) and is available now. Three stock switches are available to choose from: Red, Brown, or Banana.

This is a reasonable price for a hot-swappable, wireless mechanical keyboard with premium materials and numerous customizations available. Equivalent models from bigger brands are generally more expensive. Take the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%, which is an eyewatering $299 / £299 / AU$499. However, this is one of the best mechanical gaming keyboards I’ve ever tested, and it offers a wealth of customizations that put many others, including the K2 Ultra 8K, to shame.

Then there’s the HyperX Origins 2 1800, another superb mechanical keyboard, but one that’s only marginally more expensive than the K2 Ultra 8K. Again, I thought this performed better than the K2 Ultra 8K when I tested it, although its customizations aren’t as extensive. It’s also wired only, which diminishes its value somewhat relative to the K2 Ultra 8K.

• Value: 4.5 / 5

Keychron K2 Ultra 8K review: Specs

Keychron K2 Ultra 8K review: Design and features

• Very thick
• Solid aluminum frame
• Numerous customizations via web app

The K2 Ultra 8K has a somewhat retro design with some modern touches. The chunky chassis and squared off frame are certainly throwbacks to simpler time, but the keycaps are more contemporary affairs, thanks to their soft, rounded form.

With that thick body comes a considerable weight. This helps keep the K2 Ultra 8K planted, yet it’s not too heavy to make moving it around a chore when needed. It also contributes to the unit’s durability, as does the aluminum construction of the frame. This doesn’t feel quite as premium as others, owing to its slightly rough texture, but it’s welcome all the same. Better are the keycaps, since they’re Double Shot PBT, which is the gold standard in the keyboard world.

Somewhat unusually, the USB-C port is located on the left side of the K2 Ultra 8K rather than the rear. This may prove inconvenient for certain setups, but thankfully it’s positioned quite far back, so the difference isn’t that huge. Also, the provided USB cable has an L-shaped jack, so it doesn’t protrude outwards all that much, with the cable naturally running towards the likely location of your device.

There is some RGB backlighting on the K2 Ultra 8K, but like other Keychron keyboards, this is quite lackluster. It barely shines through the spaces between each keycap and since the keycap symbols are opaque, you still can’t make them out in a dark environment, which rather defeats the point of backlighting in the first place. Keychron does sell transparent keycaps, but this is an add-on you have to purchase separately rather than being a configurable substitute.

At least this lighting can be customized, either by using the dedicated key in the top-right corner or Keychron’s Web App. This app contains a lot of options for patterns and colors. It also features input customizations, with a wealth of rebinding options that includes various media and system shortcuts.

There aren’t any advanced performance-based features here, save for bounce time settings and an SOCD function. The former lets you set the press and reset times independently for keys. There are two sliders for this purpose with a range of 10-50ms, with millisecond increments. The latter lets you adjust key priority when two are pressed at the same time — you can set the first pressed key to take priority, a chosen key to always take priority, or both to cancel.

As web apps go, Keychron’s is fast and easy to use. I didn’t encounter any frustrating loading times and or major bugs. Still, I would’ve preferred a standalone app for the sake of convenience, saving you from having to load your browser every time.

• Design and features: 4 / 5

Keychron K2 Ultra 8K review: Performance

• Actuation too deep for effective typing
• Good key spacing and response for gaming
• Unit thickness can cause discomfort

My review unit came with Keychron’s Red switches, which felt a little heavier than I’m used to. They’re damped and lubed to a reasonable degree, though, which made their operation smooth, and I found the clicky impact at the end of a key’s travel quite satisfying.

I was less enamored with the actuation point. It felt like I had to press down quite far for inputs to register, which caused me issues when typing fast, as characters were often missed. Typing isn’t helped by the tall keycaps, either: as someone who usually prefers a low profile, my ability to glide around the board was limited.

What’s more, that aforementioned thickness of the chassis caused me some discomfort after a while, even with the feet folded out, as I had to angle my wrists a fair amount. The K2 Ultra 8K is crying out for a wrist rest, but alas it doesn’t come with one.

Thankfully, I found gaming in the WASD position less problematic. Despite the compact nature of the layout, the keys are still generously separated, while the ergonomic shape makes navigating them quite easy. They also rebound quickly, too, which somewhat makes up for that deep actuation point.

I didn’t have any issues when connecting the K2 Ultra 8K to my PCs wirelessly via the 2.4GHz USB dongle or via Bluetooth. Hot-switching between two devices was also easy and effective, thanks to the slider on the side of the unit.

• Performance: 3.5 / 5

Should I buy the Keychron K2 Ultra 8K?

Scorecard

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

Keychron K2 Ultra 8K review: Also consider

How I tested the Keychron K2 Ultra 8K

• Tested for a few days
• Used for a variety of tasks
• Plenty keyboard reviewing experience

I used the Keychron K2 Ultra 8K for a couple of days, during which time I used it for working, gaming, and general browsing. I connected to two different Windows 11 PCs, one via the 2.4GHz dongle and the other via Bluetooth. I also used it in wired mode with the supplied cable.

I played games such as 007 First Light and Counter-Strike 2, both of which are good tests for the responsiveness of key presses and the comfort of using the all-important WASD position.

I’ve been using keyboards for decades for all sorts of purposes, from working to gaming. I’ve also reviewed a large number of them, from budget offerings to high-performing, feature-filled extravagances.

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

The Halo series is in an awkward spot right now. With 2021’s Halo Infinite being the last major release, the franchise’s status as a system seller isn’t as strong as it was two decades ago. Halo: Campaign Evolved is a safe yet surprisingly competent remake of Halo: Combat Evolved that attempts to bring back the glory days.

My earliest memory of Combat Evolved on the original Xbox was when I could barely read. My dad was visiting his university friends from back in the day, and he left me with their college-aged children. I remember getting absolutely cooked in PvP, as the only video game I had ever played before that point was Pokémon.

25 years later, I’ve played every major Halo release, and even revisited 2011’s Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary remaster to see how it fared before diving into Campaign Evolved. When playing these two back-to-back, they really put into perspective how much small changes could yield substantially different experiences.

The same old story

Like the original game, Halo: Campaign Evolved follows the space marine Master Chief after his starship, the Pillar of Autumn, crash-lands on a large ring world. The Covenant alien race wants to destroy Earth, and it's up to Master Chief, along with his AI companion Cortana, to fight back against them. It’s the same exact story told in the original. Although it’s not particularly deep, it sets up an enticing universe that makes you eager to discover more about the Covenant, as well as the secrets of this new ring world.

Campaign Evolved offers three new bonus missions that, together, act as a prequel to the events of the main story. Here, Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson join up, and the duo infiltrates an enemy ship to steal some data that could point them towards the Covenant’s home world. In these missions, Master Chief doesn’t have Cortana yet and is surprisingly more of a chatterbox than his usual stoic self. He and Sergeant Johnson constantly exchange quips — Johnson’s sarcasm juxtaposes well with the Chief’s more nonchalant attitude.

However, it’s tonally inconsistent. Without going into spoilers, the ending doesn’t explain Master Chief’s stoicism in the following events of Campaign Evolved. Chief’s demeanor here would fit better in a post-Bungie universe, where the series became more character-driven beginning with Halo 4. But as a prequel to the original trilogy, his frequent yapping feels out of character.

Additionally, the three missions trade the original’s streamlined level design in favor of the more modern Halo combat arena approach. Large-scale firefights across long structures and domes are everywhere. Halo is no stranger to enemy skirmishes, but they were kept at close to medium range encounters. I won’t lie and say I didn’t have fun playing these, but I just wish Halo Studios kept the new levels more uniform with the original’s design philosophy.

The prequel missions also reintroduce the Jiralhanae brutes, which were first introduced in Halo 2. These furry monstrosities are a nice change of pace when considering that enemy variety was limited in the original.

Back to basics

The first-person-shooter gameplay isn’t as revolutionary as it was back in 2001, but I enjoyed going back to the more boots-on-the-ground experience compared to flying around everywhere with Chief’s grappling hook in Infinite. There are so many small adjustments and additions to the gameplay that actually made me take modern Halo gameplay mechanics for granted.

For starters, you can now hijack enemy vehicles, something you couldn’t do in the original or even the Anniversary remaster. You instead had to either shoot the enemy piloting the vehicle first, or blow it up, hoping that it was still operable afterwards. When I replayed Anniversary ahead of Campaign Evolved, years of muscle memory conditioned me to hijack a vehicle, only to remember that Chief can’t do that and subsequently get run over and die!

Along with the typical weapons like the pistols, assault rifles, and rocket launchers, Campaign Evolved includes new weapons found in later Halo games like the Needle Rifle and the Brute Spiker.

These new weapons actually feel more of a fit for the bonus missions. The Needle Rifle almost felt like a cheat code when I used it during the main campaign. Energy Swords were also in the original game, but Chief couldn’t pick those up. Now he can, and I never got tired of hearing the satisfying sizzling plasma every time I pulled it out. Effectively doubling the total weapon count, the minute-to-minute gunplay is more varied and fun than ever.

The radar now also shows an arrow up or down on red dots to indicate whether an enemy is above or below you. Verticality was always a personal issue for me in these games, so this is much appreciated. Power-ups can be held like in Infinite, letting you activate them when you want rather than in older Halo games where they activated upon pickup. This had a tangible impact on how I approached certain levels compared to the original, like Truth and Reconciliation, where I could choose the optimal time to turn invisible and sneak past enemies.

On the surface, these changes may seem minuscule. But when actually playing Campaign Evolved, I came to appreciate the gameplay iterations that came with later Halo games.

The human connection

Whereas the original only supported two-player co-op, Campaign Evolved can support up to four. This increase makes shootouts even more hectic and exciting, especially during the bonus missions where having a full team fits the combat design ethos. Online co-op is an easy process, as all you need to do is invite other players to your fireteam. Crossplay between PC, PlayStation, and Xbox players is a big plus too.

Performance is solid, even with bullets and explosions going off every second, although cutscenes can lag sometimes.

You can also find skull collectibles scattered throughout the campaign, which are gameplay modifiers that make your runs easier or harder, like enabling infinite ammo or disabling your sprint function. There’s a whopping 42 skulls to find, so not only do finding the skulls add more replayability to the campaign, but also turning them on does too.

The biggest letdown of Campaign Evolved is the lack of any PvP multiplayer. It’s a staple of the Halo series that makes this remake feel a bit lesser.

Even with the lack of PvP multiplayer, Halo: Campaign Evolved is comfortably the best way to play the first Halo adventure with all the bells and whistles that come with the modernized features of later games. The new bonus missions are fun if not a bit uneven. Campaign Evolved feels good to play, whether solo or with friends.

Should I play Halo: Campaign Evolved?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility features

Halo: Campaign Evolved has an extensive suite of accessibility features. This includes text options like subtitles, HUD text, and voice chat text size. You can also adjust font, line spacing, and dialogue color for friends and foes.

There’s screen narration with volume and speed sliders, as well as color filters. You can adjust color correction strength, brightness, and contrast. Furthermore, you can turn on and off screen shake, flashing effects, and motion blur. For crosshairs, you can change the size, color, opacity, and thickness to see what works best for you.

There are also options to change directional damage indicators, navigation points, and even teammate markers to make finding things easier. Things like voice chat volume, widget opacity, and fade-out timer can be adjusted too.

How I reviewed Halo: Campaign Evolved

I played about 15 hours of Halo: Campaign Evolved (and counting) on Xbox Series X with a SANSUI 34-Inch Curved Gaming Monitor UWQHD. I finished the campaign, finding as many collectibles as I could along the way. I also played through the three prequel missions, as well as participated in a few missions with other reviewers in co-op.

First reviewed July 2026

AngryMiao AM Infinity.97: two-minute review

It seems everyone and their dog is betting on where the high end gaming mouse market is going next, and the AngryMiao AM Infinity.97 is betting big on super light and powerful mice that nail the basics.

Okay, we've already seen this with the Razer Viper V4 Pro, but AngryMiao takes a different approach, with a heavily perforated chassis that looks like it's escaped from a sci-fi film rather than the gaming section of a branch of Currys or Best Buy.

Look past the aesthetics, though, and there's a genuinely accomplished mouse underneath. A sub-50g weight with or without a battery, a zippy 30,000 DPI PixArt PAW3950 sensor and true 8000Hz wireless polling put it right up there with the best ultralight mice I've tested this year, and its swappable battery system is a genuinely clever solution to the age-old wireless mouse problem of battery anxiety, with spares stashed inside the wireless receiver box for whenever you need them.

It's not a mouse without its flaws, though. The companion software is basic and has an annoying habit of running in the background, there's no dedicated DPI button or clutch anywhere on the chassis, and at $189 it's more expensive than its direct rivals. Whether that's a dealbreaker depends on how much you value standing out from the crowd.

That's ultimately what I feel you're paying for here. The AM Infinity.97 looks and feels like nothing else on the market, and backs that up with performance that goes toe-to-toe with mice from far bigger names. If you want a boutique ultralight mouse that doesn't sacrifice substance for style, this is one of the most compelling options I've tested all year.

AngryMiao AM Infinity.97 review: Price & release date

• $189 (approx £141/AU$270)
• Released in January 2026
• Towards the top end of the market

The AM Infinity.97 costs $189, and that puts it right at the top of the ultralight gaming mouse market against some genuinely excellent competition. The Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike costs $179.99, and the Razer Viper V4 Pro is $159.99 — meaning AngryMiao's boutique option is comfortably the priciest of the three.

It launched in January 2026 as the slightly smaller brother to the brand's original AM Infinity mouse, offering a different take on the highly competitive ultralight mouse sector from a brand better known for its keyboards than such potent mice.

For the price, it's competitive in features, too, with a flagship wireless sensor and polling rate specs, clever swappable batteries and a magnesium alloy chassis that's lighter than both Razer and Logitech's choices. In terms of features. It's perhaps closer to the Viper V4 Pro in that it seeeks to nail the basics of being a competitive ultralight mouse, rather than introducing new features such as rapid trigger, as the G Pro X2 Superstrike does.

AngryMiao AM Infinity.97 review: Specs

AngryMiao AM Infinity.97 review: Design

• Sci-fi-inspired looks
• Magnesium alloy chassis keeps things sturdy
• Software has very little frills

AngryMiao is a brand I associate more for its wacky keyboards than mice, but its house style is unmistakeable. As with the likes of Gravastar, it leans into a sci-fi aesthetic with a perforated chassis in keeping with the older guard of what ultralight gaming mice used to look like.

Intriguingly, it's slightly smaller than rivals, too, being only 97% of the size of a standard gaming mouse. That's because of AngryMiao's own market research that demonstrated this kind of size was what players preferred, not least for a mouse designed more for claw grippers than palm or fingertip users. Saying that, I had no issues using this high-power rodent with my usual palm grip, and the little orange piece on the rear of the chassis acts as a useful grip that does more of the heavy lifting than you might initially expect.

The AM Infinity.97 is available in three colors: black, white, and pink. I asked for my sample in the vivid pink, but ended up with a white one – no harm done, though, as it's a nice white that's almost got a creamy, off-white hue in some lighting environments.

At 47g with the battery in, it's one of the lightest mice I've used this year, and pulling out the battery for wired use drops that to a genuinely absurd 39g. That's a fair bit lighter than both Logitech and Razer's choices, although not quite as light as the Corsair Sabre V2 Pro, which weighs 36g with its internal battery.

That lightness doesn't feel flimsy, either. The AM Infinity.97's chassis is magnesium-aluminium alloy, and it's properly sturdy under the fingers, with gentle contouring to to sit well in the hand and a cool metallic touch that's oddly pleasant during longer sessions.

The button layout here is sensible, with two main clickers and a scroll wheel on top, side buttons within easy reach on the left, and a Bluetooth/2.4GHz toggle tucked underneath. What you don't get is a dedicated DPI button – an odd omission at this price, and the first real crack in an otherwise polished package. The main clicks use custom TTC Orange Dot Optical V2 switches, and I've become a big fan of these in my two weeks with this mouse. They're snappy and positive under finger, and because they're optical rather than mechanical, they're also noticeably quicker to register than more traditional gaming mice.

Okay, there isn't the rapid trigger or haptic feedback you'll get from the Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike, but the short, sharp travel with ample tactility still feels pleasantly brisk and solid under finger.

If there's one area where things get less impressive for this AngryMiao mouse, it's th software. Being a web-based UI means things should be lightweight, although it's paired with a a downloadable executable that has an annoying habit of nibbling away at system resources you'd rather it left alone when running in the background.

When you do open it, it's easy enough to navigate, but there isn't much to it — DPI and polling rate, remapping, macros, profiles, lift-off distance and acceleration is about where the feature list ends. The bigger brand rivals offer much more complete software customisation.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

AngryMiao AM Infinity.97 review: Performance

• Flagship 30,000 DPI sensor
• 8000Hz wireless polling
• Innovative swappable batteries

AngryMiao has fitted the AM Infinity.97 with a 30,000 DPI PixArt PAW3950 sensor, one I've put through its paces in plenty of other mice as a top-end flagship sensor, and it's every bit as sharp and responsive here either for general navigation or for getting stuck into Counter Strike 2 – my usual test for peripherals.

You won't get away for using the full 30,000 DPI all the time, as it turns this rodent into a jittery nightmare, hence why it can be moved down to a number of preset levels between 100 and 30,000 DPI in the mouse's software. Somewhere between 1600 DPI and 3200 DPI is where I ended up, preferring the former for more precise aiming in CS2, and the latter for navigating Windows and productivity workloads.

Alongside the beefy sensor, the AM Infinity.97 benefits from true 8000Hz polling across both wired and 2.4GHz connectivity, plus you get Bluetooth as an added bonus. In my testing, both wireless connectivity methods felt rock solid throughout testing, whether I was on Bluetooth with a MacBook Pro or the 2.4GHz receiver box on my Windows gaming PC.

As much as 8000Hz wireless polling isn't the standout feature it was a couple of years ago, and its efficacy for normal folks is debatable, it's still very nice to see for a competitive oriented rodent such as this AngryMiao choice. It's something competitive players will feel more than us normal folks, but is still handy for peace of mind your mouse is performing at its best.

The fact is that the high DPI sensor, fast wireless polling, superlight chassis and snappy optical switches combine to make the AM Infinity.97 one of the best gaming mice I've tested this year, and I've given both the G Pro X2 Superstrike and Viper V4 Pro a run for their money, too. I'd wager it's closer in philosophy to Razer, nailing the fundamentals rather than throwing haptics and rapid trigger into a light chassis the way Logitech does — but as a first impression, it's a knockout.

I found its low mass makes wrist flicks and sweeping CS2 movements almost effortless, while those optical switches give you brisk, satisfying clicks and its sensor felt dead accurate to boot.This is a mouse that nails the basics and turns that into something genuinely excellent.

The AM Infinity.97 also has one further trick up its sleeve with a feature I've only seen on a couple of other gaming mice – the Glorious Model O3 and D3 Wireless – with swappable batteries. In this instance, the batteries clip on magnetically to the underside of the mouse, and can be swapped out for a spare kept inside the 2.4GHz wireless receiver box that connects to your PC with the bundled USB-C to USB-A cable.

The mouse also works wired, so a dead battery is never really a crisis. What you don't get is an internal backup cell, meaning if both external batteries die, you're out of luck until you plug in – Glorious has a 'Guardian battery' inside the mouse chassis itself, which is the one area where I think they win.

This swappable battery system leads AngryMiao to claim 'infinite' battery life in its marketing bumf, although a little further down the product page, it's more reasonable. With 1,000Hz polling, you'll see up to 165 hours, while at the full 8,000Hz, this drops to up to 30 hours. For reference, I was getting between 25 or so hours on a charge on one battery with 8,000Hz enabled, demonstrating just how thirsty a higher polling rate continues to be.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the AngryMiao AM Infinity.97?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider

How I tested the AngryMiao AM Infinity.97

• Tested over two weeks of use
• Used across both Windows and macOS
• Extensive gaming mouse review experience

I used the AM Infinity.97 for a couple of weeks across both a Windows gaming PC and a MacBook Pro, testing it over Bluetooth, the bundled 2.4GHz receiver, and wired via USB-C.

Counter-Strike 2 formed the backbone of my performance testing, given how heavily it leans on quick, accurate mouse movement, alongside general everyday use for browsing and productivity to assess comfort and grip over longer sessions. I also used the web-based software extensively to test each of its functions.

I've been a tech journalist for the best part of a decade, and have reviewed plenty of gaming and productivity mice in that time from brands big and small from up and down the price ladder.

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

In life, you often have to meet something at what it is, not what you want it to be. This is the logic that I need you to apply to Ransom Canyon season 2 when you watch it, as all eight episodes drop on Netflix on July 23.

This Western drama soap opera hybrid serves to entertain, but it doesn't ever aim to cross a boundary. It's not striving to be the best TV show of 2026, or do anything remotely challenging or ambitious. Ransom Canyon is a show that stays in its subtly cringe and often stereotypical lane... and for that, I'm thankful.

I don't need all of my television to be profound, life-changing or even that meaningful. Sometimes, I just want to switch my brain off and pretend I live in a picturesque, rural town on the other side of the world where everyone has unrelenting drama except for me. Enter Double K ranch owner Staten (Josh Duhamel), local bar owner Quinn (Minka Kelly) and an eclectic ensemble of characters.

When Netflix commits to the soap opera bit, it ticks the genre boxes incredibly well. Season 1 of Ransom Canyon was already a strong outing, but now that the show knows itself a little more, season 2 is easily on par with the strongest seasons of Virgin River, the streamer's most iconic "cozy drama" IP.

The catch? Season 2 is releasing just weeks after the epic Yellowstone spinoff Dutton Ranch released on Paramount+, which was widely praised by fans and critics (including me) alike. With both shows in such close proximity of each other, it's easy to see how weak the cowboy drama in Ransom Canyon actually is.

Ransom Canyon season 2 is a love story with cowboying on the side — that's an important distinction

Here's where the two shows differ dramatically: Dutton Ranch is a Western drama that sprinkles complex love stories in between. Ransom Canyon is a love story that sprinkles Western drama in between.

Once we've understood this, we know that we can't directly compare them... as much as we want to. The two have completely different functions and goals, and it's highly likely that the fanbases won't fully cross over. That being said, I think following straight after the return of Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) in the Yellowstone spinoff will undoubtedly hurt Staten and Quinn's second outing.

On the surface, season 2 puts a lot of emphasis on the ongoing land feud between the Double K ranch owned by Staten and the Fuller ranch next door, now owned by dubious newcomer Yancy (Jack Schumacher). But by the time we've reached the season 2 finale, it feels completely inconsequential.

This is because we're really being driven by the romantic drama that intertwines the Ransom Canyon residents rather than the mechanics of the town itself. Nobody really cares who owns what or who works where, as long as the right people settle into the relationships that are clearly destined for them.

If Netflix hadn't have hyped the feud up in its marketing, I don't think I'd have noticed that the cowboying actually lets Ransom Canyon down so easily. Taylor Sheridan ain't in these parts, and I think it will always show.

But it's a sensational soap opera — as is cast newcomer Patricia Clarkson

As a flat-out soap opera, Ransom Canyon season 2 is delicious. The indecisively infuriating will-they-won't-they dynamics run wild, the dramatic breakups are deployed at the perfect time, but when it comes down to it, things draw to a close in exactly the way you think they will.

It's almost a comfort to know what you're going to get at an end result, to have something that's often more stable than your actual life (well, if you remove all of the fictional chaos ). Even though tensions between Staten and Quinn remain front and centre, not a single supporting character feels underused.

With each connection feeling like a fulfilling one, we're really getting a lot of bang for our buck when it comes to narrative sustenance. An extra shoutout must go to newcomer Patricia Clarkson, who joins the series as Quinn's firecracker mother, Claire. I've honestly got no clue how the show scored such a uniquely legendary talent, but they've certainly not been complacent about it.

Is Ransom Canyon season 2 more of the same? Essentially, yes. Is that a bad thing? No, that's exactly what we want. If you overlook the cowboying, you'll probably fall in love with each and every character as much as I did... and soap opera historically aren't my thing. If you can't trust the opinion of a reformer hater, who can you?

Fliki is a popular AI video generator, trusted by more than 12 million users worldwide and 50,000 companies, including brands like Meta, ByteDance, Oracle, and PayPal. You can create and edit AI videos with natural-language prompts using its AI Copilot.

In this article, we’ve put Fliki to the test, evaluating its features, pricing, and real-world in-app experience to help you find out whether this AI video editor lives up to its claims and whether it’s the right tool for you.

Fliki: Plans and pricing

Fliki is a fairly limited free video editing software, which gives you three credits per month, or 36 credits for the entire year. You can export videos with a maximum length of one minute in 720p resolution, along with access to 300 standard voices. All other video and audio generation features are limited on the free plan and restricted by the number of credits you receive.

We found the provision of just three credits per month quite stingy. For instance, generating a one-minute AI video costs around 0.8 credits. If it includes an AI avatar, it can cost around 5.3 credits alone. This means you can't do much with the free plan besides testing out the platform.

To get the most out of Fliki, you'll have to subscribe to one of its paid plans. Its Standard plan starts at $28 per month. Right now, you can get 50% off the subscription, bringing the effective price down to $14 per month. With this plan, you get 2,160 credits for the entire year, along with an expanded export length of 15 minutes in 1080p resolution, which disappointed us a bit. Kapwing, for instance, allows you to export videos in 4K quality at around the same price.

You can check out Fliki by clicking here.

That said, you get unlimited access to various video and audio tools, along with features like voice cloning, custom voices, and Brand Kits. You also get access to various templates, which help you create content using pre-built video layouts. This plan also includes several collaboration features, such as the ability to bulk-create videos from a single CSV file, an AI assistant, and Zapier integrations. However, it still does not include team collaboration, which is again a letdown.

Then there's the Premium plan, costing $88 per month, or $44 per month with the current discount. Here, the maximum export length increases to 40 minutes, but the resolution remains capped at 1080p. Some additional features include unlimited AI avatars, custom fonts, faster exports, and team collaboration.

If you've exhausted your credits, you can purchase top-up credits if you have an active subscription plan. These additional credits are valid for up to 180 days and remain active even if your subscription is canceled during this period. You can get 60 credits for $10, 130 credits for $25, and so on, all the way up to $2,500 worth of credits.

Fliki: Features

Fliki houses as many as 54 tools to create and edit videos and images, supporting various use cases. For instance, you can create social media reels, TikTok videos, or a faceless YouTube channel with Fliki.

There’s also the popular AI Avatar feature, which helps you build avatars of your own and reuse them in your videos. Besides this, you also get an AI Script Writer, voice cloning, a subtitle generator, and a pretty fun Talking Photo feature.

That said, we found Fliki’s AI avatars to be based largely on real people, rather than offering the wide range of outlandish and fictional characters we get with a site like Kapwing.

These are better viewed as use cases rather than standalone features. The core feature remains the same: generating videos and images through prompts. These prompts can be in the form of scripts, reference images, videos, or even audio. Editing tools include background removers, translators, and screen recorders.

Fliki has made a lot of recent additions to its available tools, making it a more complete video generation and editing platform. For instance, it has introduced new models such as Flux Klein 2, Nano Banana 2 for images, Kling 3.0, Seedance 2.0 for video, native audio, multi-shot, and P-Video for video and lip-syncing needs.

You can also use your own media in video workflows, along with 130 new character-driven voices in 20+ languages. As recently as February 2026, Fliki rebuilt its voices to include a wider range of emotions, such as laughing, sarcasm, and deadpan, all of which can be fine-tuned using natural language descriptions.

Fliki now also supports YouTube-licensed music protected by copyright. It has also expanded its character library, allowing you to create and reuse AI characters across multiple projects.

One of its most exciting additions has been the ability to create stop-motion story videos with needle-felted wool puppet looks. Another addition is TikTok auto-publishing, which allows you to post videos created through Fliki directly to TikTok by linking your account in Workspace Settings. You can either publish them immediately or set up a drip schedule to release episodes on TikTok.

Fliki: Interface and in use

Getting started with Fliki is very easy. We used a Google account to sign up for the platform, which took less than a minute. Once you’re in, you’re greeted with a dashboard featuring a black background, along with various features highlighted in small red rectangular tabs below a prompt box.

On the left-hand panel, you’ll find all the settings you need for your video creation, including Media, Subtitles, Audio, AI Copilot, and various templates. However, note that not all of these will be accessible if you’re on the free plan, as several features are locked behind Fliki’s paid tiers.

The best part about editing with Fliki is its AI-powered editing assistant, where you can type in plain English what you want. For instance, you can ask it to make the intro slower or add a text overlay at any point in the video.

Besides this, you get two ways to build a video. The first is an at-a-glance scene reel laid out horizontally with a full timeline, while the second is a traditional timeline with functions like zooming and snapping, giving you more control.

Fliki has also overhauled its dashboard, giving it a more intuitive layout with a fresher look and easy-to-access tools.

Fliki: How we tested

We used the free version of Fliki to check out its AI video generation capabilities. We entered the following prompt: A woman in a red coat walks across a rain-soaked city street at night, neon signs reflecting in the puddles, camera slowly tracking alongside her (the same prompt we use for all our AI video testing).

We were impressed by the sheer number of customization options that Fliki offers. Once you enter the prompt, you have to select the video duration you want, with the minimum being 30 seconds. This was a bit disappointing, as we’d have liked to see shorter video generation options as well.

However, Fliki gets to work once you make the selection and generates a detailed script for you. You can edit this script before moving ahead with video generation. Besides this, you get a lot of options to customize your video right before the generation process starts.

For instance, you can choose the format and template, selecting between portrait, square, and landscape modes, along with the type of character you want. You can also select the AI model you want to use for generation, although most of them are Pro features. Besides this, you also have the option to select a voiceover, add captions, or choose an AI avatar.

We found this to be pretty convenient since you can make all the required selections in one place and don’t have to go back and forth through the platform making edits afterward. Once we were done with all the selections, we clicked on Generate Video. The actual video rendering process took less than a minute.

However, since the free tier does not allow you to create AI videos on its own, we were a bit disappointed by the output. The final video consisted of still images with voiceovers instead of a full-fledged video, like we got with Kapwing.

Fliki: Alternatives

While Fliki is a pretty good AI video generator and editor, it does have a few strong competitors. The first one would be Adobe Firefly, which costs around $8.49 per month, around 40% cheaper than Fliki during the discount period.

The biggest advantage of Firefly is its robust workflow features, which allow teams to build virtual storyboards and collaborate in real time, something that Fliki restricts to its highest-tier plan. You also get access to Adobe Express Premium and Photoshop with all its paid plans. That said, its video editing capabilities are still in development and are not as good as Fliki’s.

Another competitor is Kapwing, which comes with better AI avatar generation capabilities. While Fliki depends heavily on real-life characters, Kapwing gives you a lot of fictional character generation options, such as Dracula, vampires, and everything else you can imagine.

Kapwing also supports 4K video exports of up to 120 minutes, whereas Fliki restricts exports to just 1080p, which is certainly not enough in the modern content creation landscape. That said, Kapwing is a bit more expensive than Fliki, costing $16 per month. However, its free plan is more robust, allowing you to create AI videos instead of videos with still images and voiceovers.

Fliki: Final verdict

We used the free version of Fliki to check out its AI video generation capabilities. We entered the following prompt: A woman in a red coat walks across a rain-soaked city street at night, neon signs reflecting in the puddles, camera slowly tracking alongside her (the same prompt we use for all our AI video testing).

We were impressed by the sheer number of customization options that Fliki offers. Once you enter the prompt, you have to select the video duration you want, with the minimum being 30 seconds. This was a bit disappointing, as we’d have liked to see shorter video generation options as well.

However, Fliki gets to work once you make the selection and generates a detailed script for you. You can edit this script before moving ahead with video generation. Besides this, you get a lot of options to customize your video right before the generation process starts.

We've tested a range of video makers and editors, including the best video editing software, the best video editing apps and the best free video editing software.

8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition: One-minute review

The 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition takes the brand’s existing wireless mobile controller grip and makes a couple of surface-level changes.

The overall shape, style, and functions remain, but official Xbox licensing sees the Turbo button swapped for a dedicated Xbox button. It retains the $49.99 / £43.99 / AU$89 price tag of the original, meaning it's significantly cheaper than alternatives like the Backbone One or GameSir G8.

The Hall effect joysticks and triggers from the original are still here too, with clicky bumpers and what 8BitDo describes as a refined D-pad, though it felt pretty standard to me. For Xbox Cloud Gaming specifically, which is what I imagine most gamers would turn to this option for, it’s excellent on the whole. Cruising the streets of Japan in Forza Horizon 6 across iOS, Android, and Mac was smooth and responsive, with no perceptible latency over its wireless Bluetooth connection. The telescopic grip is the most secure I've seen in this category, confidently holding an iPhone 17 Pro with a case without any flex or creaking, and it’s comfortable enough for longer sessions.

The problems start when you step outside cloud gaming and into native mobile titles. Call of Duty Mobile refused to recognize the controller on both iOS and Android, and games that do work natively, like Fortnite, display PlayStation button prompts on screen despite the controller's physical ABXY layout and Xbox branding. The two back paddle buttons, a feature prominently listed on the spec sheet, also weren't recognized in any game or cloud gaming scenario I tested.

The core experience, however, is a pleasant one. If Xbox Cloud Gaming is your primary use case, the 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition is close to a bargain. For native mobile gaming, the experience is a harder sell, and you’d be better off exploring other options on our list of the best mobile controllers.

8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition: Price and availability

• List price: $49.99 / ~£43.99 / AU$89
• Retains the same price as the original and undercuts similar competitors
• Available in white or black from 8BitDo and retailers

The 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition launched in July 2025, half a year after the non-branded version, keeping the same $49.99 / £43.99 / AU$89 price. You’ll find it at a range of retailers, though 8BitDo is keen to push you towards Amazon, as well as from its own online store.

It’s worth checking out different options because at the time of writing, 8BitDo's store has it on sale for $38.99 in the US, making an already competitive price even more attractive.

For context, the Backbone One 2nd Gen runs $99.99, and the GameSir G8 Wireless sits at $79.99, so even at full price, the 8BitDo undercuts its closest competitors by a comfortable margin.

If you’re not too fussed about that Xbox tie-in, it’s worth noting that the original version of this controller now shares the same iOS and Android compatibility and has been spotted as low as $25 on sale. The day-to-day differences are extremely minor, so if budget is a concern, it’s worth keeping an eye on both.

8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition: Specs

8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition: Design and features

• The most secure phone grip I've tested in a mobile controller
• Hall effect sticks and triggers are impressive at this price
• Quite a small overall profile

The 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition carries that familiar 8BitDo styling with rounded edges everywhere that almost look like they’re gently melting. It’s not, thankfully, and build quality is good across the board.

The textured rubber surface on the back of the phone deck is a highlight with a fun input-themed pattern, and the small amount of texture on the back of the main grips feels nice under your fingers. It’s available in your choice of black or white. I’ve been testing the former, and it’s a magnet for greasy marks, and I can see it getting shiny over time. Keep a microfibre cloth handy.

I don’t have massive hands, but the 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition feels slightly small to hold, and it’s the length of the main grips that is the culprit. The left stick falls in a natural position, but the right one ends up nearly at the base of my thumb, and I essentially had to claw-grip the right side to reach it. It's not a dealbreaker, though coming from the stock Xbox Wireless Controller or even another mobile grip like the GameSir G8, it’s certainly a downgrade in comfort.

Where this controller definitely impresses is the phone deck. The telescopic action extends smoothly, and in testing, it held both my phones in a reassuringly sturdy way. This is the first mobile controller grip I've tested that confidently holds both a super slim POCO X5 Pro 5G and a chunky iPhone 17 Pro with a case still on without any sense that the phone might pop loose. There are no replaceable pads or removable elements to fiddle with; it’s just a good base design that’s wonderfully fit for purpose.

Feedback from the bumpers is sharp and clicky, with a responsiveness that feels better than you'd expect at this price point. The face buttons are a more standard fare, neither exceptional nor disappointing, though they are a little rattly. The D-pad has a noticeable wobble before the input registers, though the actual click is short and responsive once it fires.

There are Hall effect sticks and triggers on offer here, which is impressive for the price, and the sticks feel great with just the right amount of resistance. The triggers have a good level of detail but have a quirk: both left and right complete their full input range before the trigger is physically all the way down, leaving roughly 5% of dead travel at the bottom of the press. They don’t have the longest travel to begin with, so it’s a shame not to be using all of it.

8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition: Performance

• Xbox Cloud Gaming works excellently across iOS, Android, and Mac
• Native mobile game compatibility is highly inconsistent
• Back buttons weren't recognized in any scenario I tested

Given its name, it should be no surprise that the 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition is at its best when playing games via Xbox Cloud Gaming. I’d even go so far as to say that if you’re not a Game Pass subscriber, you can probably stop reading now and look to another mobile grip instead.

Initial pairing to devices is straightforward, and thankfully, there are no multiple connectivity modes to fumble with like on the GameSir G8 Bluetooth. The whole experience works smoothly out of the box, and I didn’t even need to consult the user guide for pairing mode instructions. I took a punt on holding a button until a light flashed, and I was right.

Switching the controller between devices wasn’t quite so simple, though admittedly my testing environment is a real stress test for this kind of thing. I attempted to jump around between my iPhone, MacBook Air, and Android phone, and things got rather temperamental.

The controller seemed to want to cling on to a previously paired device, even if Bluetooth was now switched off on it, so moving between a phone and a laptop usually required repairing from scratch rather than reconnecting to a previously paired device. If you’re not hopping back and forth as I have been, this won’t be an issue, though after a few days of testing I’ve ended up with four separate "Ultimate MGX" entries in my Android Bluetooth list.

No matter which of those devices I was connected to, the Xbox Cloud Gaming experience was excellent. I drove around Japan in Forza Horizon 6 without a hitch; the controls were responsive, and there was no noticeable Bluetooth latency.

The triggers offer plenty of granular control for working the throttle, though that dead zone at the end I mentioned earlier took some getting used to when it came to small throttle lifts around high-speed corners. There's no rumble or vibration support, but I’ll happily admit I didn't miss it. Cloud gaming and mobile titles rarely lean heavily on haptic feedback anyway.

Steam had a love-hate relationship with the controller, depending on the platform. Connecting to my MacBook Air over Bluetooth had Steam recognizing it as a different, previously paired controller, which then failed to work in-game. Plugging it in via USB-C looked promising at first with macOS referencing it by name, but it was never seen by Steam or Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Windows fared much better across both Steam and cloud; over USB-C, it was instantly set up as a general XInput device, fully mapped and compatible with both.

8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition gains a dedicated Xbox home button on the front, replacing the turbo button from the standard version. When in the cloud gaming app, this button opens the guide just like it would on console; outside cloud gaming, it’ll open either the Apple Gaming app or act as a home button on Android. It’s a nice-to-have sort of feature rather than a game-changing one, but I’ll admit I did use it a few times in testing and wouldn’t have looked twice at a turbo button.

The moment you step into native mobile games, however, things start to get messier, and you’re at the mercy of individual developers. Fortnite recognized the controller immediately on both iOS and Android, and the gameplay experience was responsive and reliable. But the on-screen button labels display PlayStation symbols (Circle, Cross, Square, Triangle) despite the controller's physical ABXY layout and Xbox branding.

That’s a little awkward. This usually happens because the controller identifies itself as a generic gamepad rather than as an actual Xbox controller, which means the Xbox licensing doesn't extend to how games see it. Call of Duty Mobile, one of the biggest mobile shooters on the planet, simply doesn't recognize the controller at all. Not on iOS, not on Android, and there’s no hardware mapping workaround either.

Depending on your play style, the back paddle buttons are perhaps the most frustrating limitation. They're physically well-designed, nicely positioned, and require just the right amount of force to trigger, but they weren't recognized in any scenario I tested. Not in Fortnite, not in cloud gaming, not anywhere. Even after binding them to specific inputs through the 8BitDo Ultimate Software V2 app, games simply didn't see them.

Speaking of the app, it’s incredibly basic and falls far behind competitors in this space. Firstly, there are confusingly two versions on the App Store; V1 doesn't recognize the controller at all, and V2 requires you to manually select and pair your controller model during setup despite the device already being Bluetooth-paired to your phone.

Once you're in, the customization options are barebones: button remapping, dead zone adjustments, and trigger tuning. It worked on both iOS and Android, though anything you configure is device-specific and doesn’t save on the controller itself.

Shoudl you buy the 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider...

Here are two strong alternatives to weigh up.

How I tested the 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition

• Spent several days testing across multiple devices and platforms
• I tested native mobile games, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Steam on Mac and Windows
• Tried the companion app on both iOS and Android

I tested the 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller Xbox Edition with an iPhone 17 Pro and a POCO X5 Pro 5G for mobile gaming, as well as a Mac and Windows PC for cloud gaming and Steam. I tested native mobile games, including Fortnite (on both iOS and Android), and attempted Call of Duty Mobile on both platforms. Cloud gaming testing focused on Forza Horizon 6 via Xbox Cloud Gaming on all devices.

I evaluated the companion app experience on both iOS and Android, including firmware checking, profile setup, and button remapping. I tested the back paddle buttons across multiple scenarios, including native games, cloud gaming, and through the 8BitDo Ultimate Software V2 app. I also tested the controller's behavior on Steam, including calibration and in-game recognition.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2026

Long hours at a screen is the reality for many professionals and gamers, and the Swedish company Arozzi's mission is to make items that enhance the experience, especially ergonomic chairs.

I've already reviewed an electric standing desk by Arozzi — the minimal, reliable and outright impressive Arena Nordico. In this review I focus on one of the company's best office chairs — the Vernazza Supersoft.

If we're going off price and materials used, the Vernazza Supersoft is a premium pick, and following 4-5 months of daily office use, I couldn't be happier. This is the comfiest and most durable office and gaming chair I've regularly parked myself in, and it's an easy recommendation.

Arozzi Vernazza Supersoft: Unboxing and First Impressions

Shipped from Sweden, the Arozzi Vernazza Supersoft came securely packaged in a large box and included the chair backrest, chair base, wheel base, wheels, gas lift column and sleeve and two arm components, plus adjustable lumbar and neck supports, hex screws and a premium dual length hex key tool with rubber handle.

Assembling the chair was a breeze and took me less than 15 minutes in all. Each wheel can be pushed and clicked into place on the wheel base, then flip it around and add the center column and protective plastic casing — gravity does the work.

You then move onto the chair, fixing the back rest and base together through the sturdy steel bracket with hex screws, two on each side. Plastic casing then covers those steel brackets. The seat mechanism attaches to the chair base with four hex screws — it's clearly labeled which way around it goes — while each arm has four hex screws, that's a total of 16.

Once those are all securely fastened to the chair's underside, you're ready to slide it onto the gas lift column and lock it off. The finishing touches are positioning the two memory foam pillows. The instructional video on Arozzi's site walks through the entire assembly.

I was supplied with the premium 'Supersoft' version of the Vernazza and have not tried the standard Soft Fabric version or the PU leather versions. The finish is as described, velvety-soft to the touch, though the padding is decently firm for long stints at a screen. And despite not being a mesh chair, the Supersoft is surprisingly breathable.

Arozzi Vernazza Supersoft: Price and Availability

The Arozzi Vernazza Supersoft is available directly from the Arozzi store for £379 / €449 (or £419 / €499 for the XL version) and ships Europe-wide directly from Sweden, with shipping costs calculated at checkout. The site says shipping is free for orders over €100 and products come with a 'hassle-free' two year warranty. At the time of writing, UK shoppers can get the Vernazza Supersoft for £299 from Currys.

I tested the 'Supersoft' version, which is priciest of the Vernazza range which also includes 'Soft Fabric' and 'PU finishes, at lower price points. Each of the three finishes are available in regular or 'XL' versions. The main difference between the two versions is the suitable user height and maximum weight capacity (check website for details).

Available colors depends on which version of the Vernazza you opt for. The Vernazza Supersoft, for example, comes in nine varieties including the Black - Grey that I opted for, whereas the XL version comes in just three. Other colors include pink, brown, white and pure black, each with their own matching memory foam lumbar cushion.

Optional memory foam arm rests can be purchased for £25 / €30.

Arozzi Vernazza Supersoft: Design & Build Quality

There's nothing particularly exciting about the Vernazza Supersoft's design — it's a typical looking gaming / office chair. However, it's certainly a step up in quality over entry-level models, and the generous choice of colors caters for various tastes.

I've already touched on the firm, supportive and comfortable cushioning and soft-to-the-touch velvet-like fabric — combined, they ooze quality, and the fabric is surprisingly breathable. In fact, Supersoft is a trademarked microfiber fabric which Arozzi says is made up of dust-repellant dense synthetic fibers.

The look and feel of the arms and protective plastic casings which cover the chairs mechanisms, on the other hand, are a little more rudimentary. That said, after months of use, every component still behaves as it did one day one. The plastic casing, and especially the chair's fabric, feel built to last.

The arms can be adjusted four ways (Arozzi calls it 4D); height, width, forwards / backwards and angled in / out — the latter is the only button-less adjustment, but has the right level of resistance to avoid accidental adjustments. In general, the button controls are smooth enough, though I'd like to see a greater range of motion for the angled in / out setting.

Class 4 gas lift suspension in the chair softens heavy landings, height adjustments are smooth, while a rocking control on the underside can be employed to lock the chair in an upright position or loosened for it to tilt freely.

The backrest recline function securely extends to a whopping 165-degrees — that's almost horizontal — being lockable in 4-degree increments. Thankfully, the aluminum wheel base is wide and sturdy, so I felt secure laying back even in the maximum reclined position. The wheels are large and glided smoothly over surfaces, even carpet.

Arozzi Vernazza Supersoft: In use

I have used the Arozzi Vernazza Supersoft as my primary office chair and a spot of gaming for four months and counting, with regular full working days at a screen. Put simply, it's the most comfortable chair I've worked in.

Two color-matching memory foam pillows are supplied with the Vernazza Supersoft — one for the lumbar and the other the neck. My lower back can feel stiff after long sessions being seated, but I can attest that the pillows further improve the chair's comfort levels.

Yes, it has the familiar look of many an office / gaming chair, but the premium materials are built to last. Every mechanism has worked perfectly, and the seat is wider than most others that I have previously used, able to fit users of all shapes and sizes.

The regular Supersoft I had is listed as supporting up to 145kg, so it's a truly sturdy chair! It is best suited for users approximately 165-190cm in height. The XL version for larger users can support up to 17pkg and is designed for 180-205cm tall users.

It's probably the Supersoft material that impressed me the most; velvety soft, durable and dust repellant.

Arozzi Vernazza Supersoft: Final verdict

At first glance, the Arozzi Vernazza Supersoft looks like any other gaming / office chair, but once you're seated and using it, the premium quality is immediately evident. The velvet-soft material is highly durable and dust repellant, the memory foam lumbar and neck pillows enhance comfort levels, and every mechanism to adjust the chair's settings work smoothly and reliably. A range of colors further enhances the Vernazza Supersoft's appeal.

First tested: July 2026

For more top office furniture, see our guide to the best standing desks to complete your setup.

I'll level with you: I was never the biggest fan of The Big Bang Theory. I held a torch for Young Sheldon like my life depended on it and was even happy to give Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, but something has always felt off with TBBT in my eyes.

Maybe it was the bright lights and constant laugh track, or maybe it was the fact that I always felt too dumb to understand the nerdy science at its core. But there's good news — new HBO Max spinoff Stuart Fails to Save the Universe has made me feel like a born-again sitcom fan.

Logically, a TBBT spinoff should have followed Sheldon (Jim Parsons), Leonard (Johnny Galecki) or Howard (Simon Helberg) in their days after Caltech. That was what the fans wanted, right? Some even outright lobbied for Young Leonard, which would have been worthwhile for Christine Baranski screentime alone.

What we weren't expecting was a reality where awkward comic book owner Stuart (Kevin Sussman) accidentally triggered a multiverse Armageddon after breaking a device supposedly built by Sheldon and Leonard.

Together with on-off girlfriend Denise (Lauren Lapkus), as well as friends Kripke (John Ross Bowie) and Bert (Brian Posehn), they land in a different universe in each episode. It's something that should seem like a wildly complicated framework that runs away from us, but it's actually a solid foundation for some really silly fun.

Creators Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady and Zak Penn have thrown everything and everyone's kitchen sinks into Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, and objectively, it's whip smart. Does it always fall on its feet? No. But you've got to have a huge amount of respect for something that swings so big and boldly.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is a breath of fresh air amongst TV that takes itself too seriously

The problem with something that's so dependent on its relatively complex premise is that you have to wade through a bit of metaphorical treacle in order for the TV show to feel effortless. Annoyingly, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe suffers from this, but I think the payoff is more than worth it.

Like a baby being taught to walk for the first time, we're handheld through explanations of Sheldon's device, how universe transportation works, how we ended up here in the first place, and what this means for what we might see across the season's remaining nine episodes (no spoilers here, don't worry).

I've never studied at Caltech and never plan to, but this is essentially a 25-minute crash course in things beyond most of our understanding. But once that's all out of the way, we relax into the laughs, stupidity and self-poking fun... and boy is the creative team coming in hot with self-awareness.

If the core storyline isn't doing it for you, there's an abundance of other intricately shrewd details to keep you occupied. Each of the episodes 10 title sequences are subtly different from each other, ensuring that we're engaged rather than committing the mortal sin of skipping through the credits.

On top of that, there's an extra layer of fun wrapped up in guessing what's going to be wrong with the next universe. Will its population have caterpillar bodies? Will they eat food with lizard tongues like that Treehouse of Horror episode of The Simpsons? The guessing never ends!

Ultimately, it's this sense of endlessness that is Stuart Fails to Save the Universe's biggest strength. The comedy could hypothetically run for 30 seasons and never lose its sense of freshness and wonder. What is continuity when you're constantly leaping through different universes?

This is an incredibly rare chance to be bold in the landscape of TV storytelling, and not only do I think HBO Max will continue to take it, but fan demand will be high — investing in something feels more worthwhile when there's (literal) infinite potential.

It's both a blessing and a curse for Big Bang Theory fans

For existing TBBT fans, however, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe signifies a different kind of importance. There's existing lore hanging over the concept of the spinoff itself, with fans theorizing that ideas like The Council of Sheldons, seen in TBBT season 11 episode 3, could return here.

The beauty of this spinoff is that you don't really need to know the first thing about TBBT to understand it, but Easter eggs are still effectively woven into its fabric. Aside from the mechanics of Sheldon and Leonard's device, the overall lore isn't too dense or meta. However, as the original synopsis suggested, TBBT cameos will appear at different points throughout the season.

Who? I will not say. But it's important to note that not everyone has returned — this isn't a reunion special. This is bound to cause some friction among the existing fanbase, but packaging Stuart Fails to Save the Universe as a flat-out TBBT 2.0 would almost have been belittling.

The threads that have been taken forward are smart choices, and we certainly get bang for our buck when it comes to screentime and plot inclusion. Plus, this is a 'never say never' situation... in infinite universes, anything can happen, and anyone can appear.

Has 'King of Sitcoms' Chuck Lorre done it again? You bet. Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is a TV triumph that I never expected, and with episodes ranging from 18-25 minutes in length, you'll be left longing for more.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe drops on HBO Max weekly from July 23.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: One minute review

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 might look much the same as last year’s Galaxy Watch Ultra, but it feels very different to wear thanks to Samsung’s efficiency savings. A 12% slimmer titanium body and a lighter band (that remains the same size) mean the watch weighs less as an overall package and has better lockdown onto your wrist, so it doesn’t move around as much during strenuous exercise.

It’s got a new chipset under the hood: the AI-capable Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite, which, Samsung says, offers 32% faster CPU and 19% faster GPU performance compared to last year’s model. It’s launching with three new bands, new wellness features like Vital and Heart Health, and all the usual smartwatch goodies like notifications, call accept/reject, digital wallet and third-party app support. The Ultra comes with LTE capabilities as standard to add the watch to your phone’s data plan, and new fitness tools tailor-made for adventurers, including trail running features with GPX routes, a Daily Cardio Load metric, mid-activity hydration alerts, professional-level diving certifications and — soon — a dedicated diving app.

Fortunately for them (but perhaps unfortunately for Samsung) adventurers find themselves spoiled for choice these days between the Apple Watch Ultra 3, the best Garmin watches, and challengers from brands such as Coros, Polar and Amazfit. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 may be good in a vacuum, with excellent health and fitness features, but it’s fighting for space amid a crowd of exceptional wearables. Ultimately, it’s the best Galaxy Watch ever from a specs perspective, and does everything you expect a smartwatch to do (and several things you might not expect); but it’s also expensive, big and bulky. I do wonder how many Samsung users will opt for this over either the much cheaper Galaxy Watch9 or, at the other end of the scale, a chunky specialist tool such as the Garmin Fenix 8 if they’re really interested in wilderness exploration.

It’s fast, it’s accurate (albeit with some niggles — see the Performance section below for more details), it’s got the brightest screen of any smartwatch, on-device Gemini capabilities, and is packed with enough features to make any smartwatch aficionado happy. It’s a terrific gadget, and if you’re a Samsung user who wants the best native watch for your phone’s ecosystem, this is it. But if you’re buying it for trails and routes, Garmin does this better, and with far better battery endurance, albeit with a less robust AI-powered interface for all your communication features.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Specifications

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Price and availability

• $699.99 in the US
• £649 in the UK
• AU$1,299 in Australia

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is priced at $699.99 / £649 / AU$1,299. This is actually a small increase of $50 / £50 in the US and UK over the launch price of the original Watch Ultra (but it's the same in Australia), likely due to the escalating price of electronics components.

While it’s still relatively competitively priced compared to the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and premium Garmins such as the Garmin Forerunner 970, it’s certainly on the higher end of the smartwatch price scale; but then again, this is a higher-end smartwatch.

• Value score: 4/5

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Design

• 12% slimmer, but still quite bulky
• Titanium squircle cushion
• Strap is 25% lighter

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 iterates on the titanium squircle case design we first saw on the original Ultra, which Samsung calls a ‘cushion’, and which has since become a staple of the entire Galaxy Watch range. Housed within this body is the circular display, which is, according to Samsung…

The cushion incorporates new innards, including a larger 800mAh battery and a new Snapdragon Wear Elite processor. Despite the upgrades, the chassis is actually 12% slimmer than the original Watch Ultra’s, which is really a blessing, as that watch was a real beast. The cushion shape looks bulbous, but while it’s still a big watch that’s unsuitable for small wrists, it’s now better suited to a slightly wider variety of wrists than 2024’s enormous cuboid.

Couple this with the bands being 25% lighter this year, and the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 has had a serious size and weight reduction, which makes it much better for staying locked on your wrist during strenuous exercise, where the previous model was prone to moving around.

The Ultra 2 has the Samsung Galaxy Watch series’ standard pair of side buttons, plus the programmable ‘Quick Button’ that only the premium watches get. This is set to opening ‘my exercises’ as standard, while a long press can activate the watch’s emergency siren, but you can assign a different function to this button to suit your needs. If you’ve used a Samsung watch before, the UI (One Watch UI, to be exact, based on Google’s Wear OS) is virtually unchanged, and for beginners it’s easy and intuitive to use.

The redesigned, AI-forward Samsung Health app is simple to use too, and even though much was made of its big makeover, it’s a far cry from Google Health’s chatbot-focused premium tier.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Features

• All the smartwatch features you’d expect
• Parcel of new health metrics: Vitals, Vascular Load & more
• Diving and trail-running features

The Ultra 2 offers all the usual smartwatch features you’d expect from an LTE-enabled watch, so I won’t list them all here, but suffice to say you can use virtual wallets, accept calls, message, control or store music, use the screen as a viewfinder for a Samsung phone’s camera, and even use Google Gemini via the new, easier Raise-to-Talk feature. Gemini works across devices, so you can make a quick voice note in the moment, and have it transcribed and saved to Samsung Notes or Google Keep, to be viewed later on your phone, tablet or laptop.

Samsung watches have always had strong health credentials, and the Ultra 2 is no different. It retains more esoteric features like blood-pressure monitoring (which requires an inflatable cuff for regular calibration, then uses your biometrics to predict fluctuations) and body composition (which uses electrical signals to estimate your fat and muscle mass) alongside the usual heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, ECG scan functionality (which is medically certified, according to Samsung) and more. Running Coach, introduced last year, also makes a welcome return, along with its advanced analytics for runners.

New health features include Vitals, which looks at readings of five different heart-related metrics while you sleep and lets you know of any baseline deviations, a Daily Cardio Load score that estimates how much stress your exercise routine is putting your heart under, and Vascular Load, which measures stress and arterial stiffness.

Finally, new features have been added in the shape of two adventure-themed activity profiles. The watch is now a working dive computer — or will be when its companion app is released later this year in partnership with diving company Mares. The Apple Watch Ultra has a similar app, so I’m sure Samsung has been working overtime to catch up.

The Trail Running profile now includes the ability to save GPX routes into the workout activity itself, so you can follow turn-by-turn directions and see maps on your watch with a swipe of your finger. You can download routes yourself, or you have the option to save previous outdoor runs as a route to test yourself against later on, if you want to try to beat your own personal best. What you can’t do is create your own routes in-app, as you can in Garmin Connect for example.

• Features score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Performance

• Heart rate had some drift compared to Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Polar H10, but tightened up after 10-15 minutes of wear
• Watch is more comfortable to wear than its predecessor
• Accurate sleep tracking

I wore the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 for five days and four nights before writing this review, and I'll update it when I’ve logged enough nights sleep for features like Vitals to calibrate with seven-day averages. I was dreading wearing the Ultra 2 to bed given its bulkiness and size, but the slimmer, lighter Watch Ultra 2 was surprisingly comfortable for all-day wear — although I’m a man of fairly average build, and those with slimmer wrists may still find it uncomfortable.

Battery life was as described, with the Ultra 2 lasting the as-described 60 hours with always-on display enabled before needing a charge. Sleep was estimated accurately, with the watch and app correctly identifying my wake-up times during the night, and generating numbers corresponding with my energy levels.

To test GPS and heart rate accuracy, I went on a 30-minute run with the Watch Ultra 2 on one wrist, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 on the other, and a Polar H10 electrical heart-rate monitor (the gold standard for wearable heart-rate accuracy) strapped to my chest.

I was initially quite surprised at the difference in heart-rate readings the Watch Ultra 2 recorded at the start of the workout compared to the other two devices, with the Samsung watch sometimes reading 20 beats per minute lower than the Apple and Polar devices. However, after 15 minutes of exercise, I found that the Ultra 2’s readings were closely matching those of the other devices, as you can see from the corresponding graphs and readings below / above.

Initial heart rate ‘drift’ is a known problem with many optical heart-rate sensors (used by all smartwatches) in comparison to electrical ones, although Apple seems to have ironed out much of the problem with its Ultra 3. Still, even if the Samsung Ultra 2 does show some deviation at the beginning of a workout, if you’re exercising for any length of time your results are likely to be broadly accurate. I repeated this test during an indoor HIIT workout, and the results were the same: accurate after a brief warm-up period.

I also tested Body Composition, which uses the same method as the best smart scales — an electrical pulse moving through fat, muscle and water at a variety of speeds. I tested this against an industrial scale at my local gym after my run, and the ticket the scale produced showed that I was at 19% body fat. The smartwatch estimated 9%, a huge difference. It wasn’t until I did the test again later that day, after hydrating and adjusting my technique by raising my arms, that the watch showed 16% — a much closer result, and within the range of deviation I’d expect from two different devices.

I also tested the Ultra 2’s water lock feature by dunking it in a glass of water — after all, I’ve been burned before by so-say dive-ready watches — and it worked just fine afterwards.

• Performance score: 4/5

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Scorecard

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Should I buy?

Buy it if…

You’re a runner

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is awash with terrific running features, and now trail runners are well catered for too.

You’re a Samsung phone user

Unsurprisingly, the Watch Ultra 2 works perfectly within the wider Samsung ecosystem.

You’re a Gemini user

Use AI for everything? Samsung’s Raise-to-Talk functionality and true on-watch Gemini makes using the smart assistant a doddle.

Don’t buy it if…

You need ultimate battery life

If you prioritize battery life and fitness features over connectivity, consider a Garmin or Coros watch.

You’re a casual exerciser and gym-goer

The Samsung Galaxy Watch9 is a much better-value fitness tracker for those who won’t use all the extra adventuring, diving, and safety features.

You’re an Apple user

The Watch Ultra 2 doesn’t work with Apple phones.

Also Consider…

How I tested

I wore the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 for the better part of a week, running the battery down and using it as my daily driver to accept and reject calls, check notifications and messages, use Gemini and control music. I tested it against devices such as the Apple Watch Ultra 3, the Polar H10 electrical heart rate monitor, and an industrial smart scale, and I dropped it into a glass of water to test its water lock feature.

First reviewed: July 2026

Filmora is one of the most well-known video editing software in the industry. The company has also done well to embrace AI, adding a whole new range of advanced AI functions that have only made the platform better and more capable over time.

In this review, we've put Filmora to the test, trying out its top features hands-on to see if they live up to expectations. We also dive deeper into its other offerings, value for money, and in-use experience, as well as compare it to the best AI video editors to help you find out if it's the right choice for you.

Filmora: Plans and pricing

Much like other AI editing and content generation tools, Filmora also offers a free-forever plan, allowing you to edit videos along with access to a limited amount of creative assets such as effects, filters, transitions, music, and sound effects.

However, unlike Kapwing, Adobe Firefly, or Fliki, Filmora's free plan does not include any AI credits. This means you won't be able to generate AI videos or images for free with Filmora, which is a bit of a letdown considering the competitive landscape.

Filmora's paid plans start at $4.17 per month. The Basic plan is not much different from the free plan, except that you get 500 uses of its proprietary AI Mate, along with 1GB of cloud storage. Besides this, everything else remains pretty similar to the free plan.

You also have the option to add the Filmora Creative Assets add-on to the Basic plan for $19.99 per month. However, you do get a 14-day trial of the Creative Assets package.

There's also an option to purchase the Basic plan with a one-time perpetual license for $79.99. However, you will not receive future updates and will need to pay an additional upgrade fee to access newer versions.

You can check out Filmora by clicking here.

Next up is the Advanced plan at $5 per month, which comes with 1,000 AI credits. This is the first plan where you can create AI videos and short clips, and use AI tools like Text to Object, Text to Speech, AI Music, AI Images, AI Copywriting, and more. You also get 10GB of cloud storage, along with limited access to Creative Assets.

Compared to the likes of Veed, which costs $12 per user per month, or Kapwing, which costs $16 per user per month, Filmora's Advanced plan is one of the most affordable options available for AI content generation. Just like the Basic plan, you can also add the Filmora Creative Assets pack for $19.99 per month.

However, the Premium plan, which costs $8.33 per month, already includes the Creative Assets package and is, in our opinion, one of the best value-for-money plans you can get. You receive 2,000 AI credits per month, along with 100GB of cloud storage. The Creative Assets package also includes over 12,000 effects and filters, more than 7,000 transitions, and access to 1.5 million stock media assets.

Also, all the prices mentioned above are for the Windows version, with Mac pricing being slightly higher. For instance, the Basic plan on Mac costs $5.83 per month, with a perpetual license priced at $99.99, whereas the Advanced plan costs $6.67 per month and the Premium plan costs $10 per month.

Even though they are a tad pricier than the Windows version, they're still pretty affordable compared to other similar video editing and AI generation tools.

Filmora: Features

The best thing about Filmora is that it keeps adding new features. With the release of version 15, the platform has added a new repertoire of both AI and video editing features. For instance, there's the new AI Video Extender, which helps you expand your footage forward or backward with the help of a prompt.

This may come in handy when your footage is too short and you need a bit more footage for smooth intros and outros. Using it is also pretty simple. You just need to drag its Smart Pen onto the editing dashboard and add a prompt describing how the video should continue.

In the same vein, Filmora has also introduced Prompt Video Editing, which allows you to add, replace, or remove objects in your videos using simple text prompts instead of having to do it manually on the editing dashboard.

Another impressive new feature is Animated Charts, which lets you import CSV or Excel files and generate chart and graph animations to build dynamic line, area, and pie charts. This comes in handy for commercial teams that want to prepare engaging presentations with animated visualizations.

The platform has also recently introduced advanced pixel tracking and motion compensation algorithms for its built-in video stabilization. This helps repair shaky video footage, making it more stable.

Similarly, there's also a Lens Correction option, which helps you remove optical distortions caused by camera lenses. This includes barrel or fisheye distortion, pincushion distortion, vignetting, and perspective or keystone distortion.

This comes in handy while editing wide-angle or action camera footage, where the fisheye bulge is distracting, or architecture and interior shots, where you want walls and buildings to look straight instead of curved.

Furthermore, Filmora now has advanced planar tracking, which can follow an entire flat surface across a moving video and lets you add images, videos, text, logos, mosaics, or anything else you want to that flat surface, much like inserting an image into a video. For instance, you can attach a logo to a moving truck, billboard, or storefront sign.

Filmora also has one of the largest libraries of creative assets we have seen across similar applications. Although it's a paid add-on, the Creative Assets package unlocks a large pool of premium effects and media.

This includes stock media and original video effects, over 100,000 royalty-free audio tracks, professionally designed title templates, a wide range of basic and professional transitions, aesthetic and cinematic effects and filters, stickers, more than 10,000 ready-made templates, and over 500 AI-powered effects.

Here are some other features you get with Filmora:

• AI text-to-video, audio-to-video, and image-to-video.
• AI Storyboard Generator, allowing you to generate ready-to-use storyboards with editable characters, scenes, and styles.
• An all-new Pen Tool, which lets you draw custom vector paths and shapes directly onto the video frame.
• AI Color Palette for cinematic color editing.
• Text animation with immersive and dynamic effects.
• An automated AI-powered subtitle generator, along with more than 100 animated subtitle templates.
• AI voice cloning in 16 languages.

Filmora: Interface and in use

The Filmora dashboard can seem a bit overwhelming at first, especially if you are a beginner. The editing panel is divided into three panes: one for adding edits and elements such as audio, titles, transitions, and effects; one for viewing your image or video as you edit it; and a horizontal editing bar at the bottom, which lets you drag and drop various editing elements into your project.

At the top of your dashboard, you'll see various options such as Media, Filters, Transitions, Effects, and Templates. Simply click on any of them to open all the available options and drag and drop the ones you want onto the horizontal bar at the bottom.

Once you click on the panel where your video is being previewed, a host of other options opens on the right-hand toolbar, where you can adjust various video settings such as width, height, rotation, and flip.

As you scroll down, you'll find various AI functions such as motion tracking, planar tracking, motion blur, and stabilization. What we liked most is that you simply have to toggle the buttons to activate the features and drag elements onto your video to apply the edits. There are no complex steps involved.

In addition to video, you'll also find other advanced editing options such as speed, animation, color grading, and AI palettes on the same right-hand panel.

To be fair, it can take a bit of time for new users to get the hang of the platform. That said, Filmora is one of the most rewarding platforms once you get past that learning curve thanks to the sheer number of editing options available.

Filmora: How we tested

Since Filmora doesn't allow you to create AI content on its free plan, we couldn't test the platform's AI capabilities. However, we did put Filmora's editing functions through a thorough test.

We first downloaded the application on our Windows 11 PC, which took around a minute or two. Once set up, we imported stock media to edit. We clicked on Effects and added an RGB Stroke effect to our video of a man skateboarding. Filmora was able to identify and track the person in the video and apply the RGB Stroke effect pretty accurately.

Adding the effect was also pretty easy. We only had to select and drag the effect onto the horizontal bar. We then added a dissolving transition to the beginning of our video. Again, a simple drag-and-drop did the trick.

We then played around with various video and audio editing settings, and all of them were applied to our video almost instantaneously. There was no lag or buffering while editing even the most complex or longest videos.

Filmora: Alternatives

Filmora focuses heavily on video editing features, offering several advanced options for professional editors. But there are a few alternatives you can consider.

If you're looking for free AI video and image generation, you can consider tools like Kapwing or Fliki. Both allow you to create AI videos and images for free.

Kapwing does a good job when it comes to generating AI characters, from simple everyday characters like a baby or a cheerleader to fantasy characters like a dragon or a cyborg. There are plenty of options.

Fliki, meanwhile, gives you many pre-video generation options to choose from. For instance, you can customize your video format, template, AI avatar, voiceover, and captions before generating a video, which saves a lot of editing work afterward.

However, Kapwing's highest-tier plan can be pretty expensive, costing $50 per user per month, whereas Fliki can go up to $44 per month. Even Filmora's most advanced plan costs only $8.33 per month, making it far more affordable. Plus, both platforms lack advanced editing options such as planar tracking and video stabilization.

Filmora: Final verdict

Filmora is one of the most feature-packed AI content generation and editing tools on the market. Apart from basic features like image-to-video, script-to-video, and audio generation, you get advanced editing options such as planar tracking, storyboard generators, video stabilization, AI video and audio extenders, dual-monitor editing, animated charts, and lens correction.

Additionally, Filmora houses one of the most extensive libraries of stock assets, including licensed music, effects, transitions, stickers, and more than 10,000 templates.

That said, its interface is not among the simplest we have seen and requires a bit of a learning curve. Also, its free plan does not allow you to create any AI content, which was a bit of a disappointment. If this is a deal-breaker for you, you can consider other options like Adobe Firefly or Kapwing.

We've tested a range of video makers and editors, including the best video editing software, the best video editing apps and the best free video editing software.

Arozzi's Arena Nordico hails from Sweden and is a premium contender for our best standing desks guide, being suitably minimalist, sturdy and reliable. And end price aside (once key accessories are factored in), it's an easy recommendation.

This has been my daily work station for four months and its electric motor has proved completely reliable, with its four customizable height settings. The smart cable tidy setup and generous cable trays ensure a clean look once all is in place, and the host of accessories I had for this review, which included a 'desk riser', monitor arm, headphone hanger and more, have all proved to be top quality too.

If you like the look of the Arena Nordico and its one-size dimensions suit your needs, then you won't be disappointed.

Arena Nordico Electric Standing Desk: Unboxing

Like most standing desks, the Arena Nordico arrives flat-packed in two boxes, the heavier of which contains the steel legs and frame, the larger and lighter of which includes the particle board tabletop. It is shipped directly from Sweden.

Given the simplicity and dimensions of the desk, I also requested accessories to complete my home setup, which came in separate boxes; a desk riser (raised worktop section), gas spring monitor arm (for my large and weighty 32:9 curved monitor), plus a headphone hanger.

The contents in each box were securely packaged by protective foam and cardboard. Unfortunately there was scuffing on the curved supporting bracket of one of the main steel legs — I'm pretty sure that would have occurred prior to packing. Once the desk was assembled, it was damage that you'd hardly notice at all.

All assembling accessories and instructions were neatly packaged together and every component easily identifiable; the two worktop pieces, legs, control box, screws and so on.

A premium hex key tool with rubber handle and dual length hex keys was supplied with desk, which I greatly appreciated because it made the task of tightening the screws that much more comfortable and straightforward, even for awkwardly placed screw holes.

There was even white gloves supplied presumably to avoid fingerprint smudge marks, which felt a little overkill — this wasn't developing photo prints in a lab!

I chose the walnut version of the Arena Nordico with black steel legs of the four versions available. There are also pine, white or black finishes available (with white or black steel legs). The worktop measures 70 x 140cm, and there are no alternative sizes to choose from.

Arena Nordico Electric Standing Desk: Assembly

I've assembled a complex L-shaped standing desk before, and by comparison the build of the Arena Nordico proved particularly straightforward, and much quicker — with the help of my teenage son, I clocked 47 minutes exactly from unboxing to the desk being in situ with optional accessories attached.

The instruction manual couldn't be clearer, with the only potential point of confusion being which side to attach the desk's control box, given the desk is best constructed upside down and you need to think about it potentially reversing as the desk is turned over. Not once did I have to backtrack on the assembly.

There are two worktop panels; the main panel and a slimmer panel which is positioned to the desk's far side. They are lined up with underside brackets which form part of the generous cable tidy baskets frame, and the gap between the two worktop sections can be closed and opened to neatly feed cables through — that's a neat bit of design rather than a hole in one of the worktops.

The cable tidy brackets go on first, followed by the legs which slot in and then a final bracket to fix the legs in place. You'll need to decide which side of the desk you want to fix the electric motor and control panel, but the consequent steps remain the same.

On the same side of the motor goes the control panel. Thankfully the shorter screws design for the control panel fixed it into place perfectly (and months later the panel hasn't so much as budged, which is more than I can say for other standing desks that I have built).

I also added the (optional) headphone hanger before flipping the desk over off of its back and into position, with the help of my son. This is the one part of the whole process that you ideally need two people for.

After that, I attached another accessory, the raised worktop which Arozzi calls the 'Desk Riser', which is fixed in place with screw clamps. I would treat this additional worktop as if its max payload was pretty limited. Then went on the two cable tidy baskets, which easily slot into the bracket holes.

Installing the monitor arm was probably the fiddliest part of the entire build. To reiterate, this is an optional accessory that I went for because my monitor is massive, and I wanted to minimize its footprint on the desk set up.

It works best to screw in the monitor to the monitor arm before sliding the arm's base into place between the two worktop sections, and I found this process much easier with the help of my son.

Throughout the whole process, I thanked Arozzi for supplying the versatile dual length hex key tool — it made the historically fiddliest parts of this type of build a comparative breeze.

Arena Nordico Electric Standing Desk: In use

I've had an electric standing desk fail on me before after extended use, so I was sure to give the Nordico a long-term review. At the time of writing, I've used the desk every working day for 4-5 months, and it works perfectly the same as it did on day one.

The Nordico is able to support up to 60kg according to Arena, which is modest by comparison to other standing desks that I've seen quoting double that payload.

However, I'm not in the habit of sitting on my desk and raising myself up and down, as fun as that sounds. No, I have loaded it with a weighty 32:9 monitor (supported by the heavy duty gas spring version of Arena's monitor arm accessory), my laptop and various other items, and the desk has never struggled or slowed under that weight.

The control box offers four customizable single-push height presets, or you can simply press and hold the up or down buttons to adjust the height in centimeter increments. I was the main user of the desk and 2-3 presets would have been plenty enough, but I can see four presets being useful for desks shared by two users of different heights.

My only gripe about the standing function is that the maximum height of 115cm didn't feel quite high enough for me, and I'm 6ft 1 inches. Taller users might find the maximum standing setting not quote high enough. The minimum 71cm setting was plenty low enough, mind you.

Sadly, the desk doesn't include accessories — those are optional extras, and the cost quickly adds up. And with the limited one-size, I felt like I really needed a monitor arm to free up desk space. Even the headphone hanger is an optional extra.

There's also no option for on-desk storage, for example drawers to slot underneath the desk riser accessory, and so I found the desk quickly filled up with my daily mess.

Thankfully, there's a smart cable tidy setup, with that additional worktop panel that slides open from the far side of the main worktop, and generous cable trays underneath. Sorting and hiding messy cables, therefore, proved pretty easy.

The feet were large and stable, and with their low profile I have so far avoided any stubbed toes.

I didn't necessarily appreciate the motor's rotor being exposed rather than concealed on the desk's underside at first, but it felt like should I run into any issues, that a fix would be simpler to issue.

Overall, every part of the desk, besides the scuffed leg, arrived and has remained entirely presentable and operational.

Arena Nordico Electric Standing Desk: Final verdict

If you like your standing desk with a clean, minimal look, then the Arena Nordico is worth considering. You'll likely need to factor in additional accessories which add to the already sizeable cost, but otherwise and following many month of reliable service, I have few complaints. I can see the Arena Nordico being my primary standing desk for many years to come.

First reviewed: July 2026

For more top office furniture, we've tested out all the best office chairs.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11: Two-minute review

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 is the brand’s answer to the iPad Air, with its premium design and compact form factor.

It certainly looks the part, taking cues from Apple with its sleek and minimalist aesthetic. It only comes in two colors — or rather shades, since it’s merely a choice between Grey and Silver. My review unit was the former, and I have to say that I enjoyed its classy appearance.

Beyond this, Samsung has also nailed the S11’s build quality. The one-piece metal chassis feels as expensive as they come, thanks to its incredibly smooth texture (so be careful when holding it) and supreme solidity. It easily ranks among the best tablets in terms of sheer construction.

The display, however, is less impressive. At 11 inches, content already feels squeezed, but the thick inner bezel only exacerbates the issue. What’s more, it's a magnet for dust and debris, while the grabby touchscreen is far from class-leading.

Thankfully, the included S Pen fairs better than fingers. There’s no dragging with the stylus, as it glides effortlessly across the screen. It’s also perfectly responsive and comfortable to grip, thanks to its ergonomic hexagonal form that provides extra security.

As with Samsung’s smartphones, the S11 features numerous first-party apps, which vary in their usefulness. Many fail to offer anything over and above Google’s suite of apps (which also come preinstalled), although I have to concede that some of the AI features, such as those for editing images, impressed me with their effectiveness. The One UI operating system is as clear and as stable as you could hope an Android fork to be, too.

The overall performance of the S11 is also impressive. Whether you're working, browsing, streaming content or even gaming, it can seemingly handle it all. What’s more, it does so while staying relatively cool; only parts of the rear heat up, and never to an uncomfortable degree.

The battery life of the S11 measures up well against its rivals. Samsung claims it can survive 18 hours of continuous streaming, whereas the iPad Air can only manage 10. Charging is quick, too, thanks to its 45W wired charging support.

There are certainly things to like about the S11, such as its premium design and excellent all-round performance. However, the touchscreen is somewhat disappointing. On balance it’s a little hard to recommend over the iPad Air given it it's slightly dearer, but if you want an Apple-inspired design while remaining in the Android realm, the S11 is far from a terrible choice.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Price & availability

• Starts from $899.99 / £869 / AU$1,399
• Available now in two colors
• Very expensive for a small tablet

The S11 starts from $899.99 / £869 / AU$1,399 and is available now in two colorways: Grey and Silver. The base model features 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. All models come with Samsung’s S Pen. If you want cellular capability, you’ll need to part with an additional £50 / AU$250. US customers only get the Wi-Fi-only model.

This is undeniably expensive for an 11-inch tablet, even one as premium as the S11. An equivalent iPad Air model bundled with the Apple Pencil currently costs slightly less. What’s more, it’s one of the best tablets we’ve reviewed, thanks to its excellent performance and display.

If you want to stick with Android, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 is a great budget alternative to the S11. It comes in at a mere $399.99 / £319 (around AU$570), yet still has a respectable spec and impressive performance. It may have less RAM (8GB), but we still found it capable enough for everyday use.

• Value score: 3/5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Specs

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Display

• Slight lack of fidelity
• Thick bezel
• Grabby touchscreen

Despite the high 1600 x 2560 resolution of the S11, there’s a slight but noticeable softness and fuzziness to some elements of the UI, as if the resolution is stretched a little too thin for this size of display. This also means that Ultra HD content isn’t quite as pinpoint sharp as you might expect. Thankfully, there’s plenty of brightness and colors are vibrant, so it still makes for a pleasurable viewing experience.

The thickness of the bezel is also disappointing. At 11 inches the display is already small, so you’d think Samsung would want to maximize its real estate to its fullest potential, but instead a thick black border constricts the frame even more.

Perhaps the worst aspect of the display, though, is its touchscreen functionality. I found there was too much friction to perform gestures and swipes easily. What’s more, it’s also prone to attracting debris, more so than other tablets I’ve used. This is not only a visual impediment but no doubt affects the performance of the touchscreen, too.

• Display score: 3.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Design

• Fabulously premium design
• Compact and relatively light
• Slippery back panel

To say that the S11 takes inspiration from the iPad Air is an understatement. It’s virtually indistinguishable from Apple’s compact tablet, but this isn’t exactly a bad thing, given its stylish looks. However, the S11 lacks the same vibrant color options, with only grey and silver to choose from. My unit was the former and it still looked smart and sleek though.

But the resemblance is more than skin deep. The metal chassis feels just as high-grade as the iPad’s; in fact, it might actually be a cut above the best iPad constructions. The back panel folds around to form the edges, rather than being created from two separate pieces, which is very impressive. On the front, the join to the screen is also close to seamless.

It’s also reassuringly solid and durable, as well as being incredibly smooth. This latter aspect is a slight issue, though, since it can feel quite slippery, so you'll need to take care when holding it upright. At least it’s comfortable to hold, owing to its compact dimensions, minimal weight, and generously rounded corners.

The included S Pen is a fairly basic affair but I found its hexagonal design comfortable and secure. It features a well-placed and easy-to-use button, which is used like a ‘right-click’ to bring up context menus in apps and in the OS itself.

Both of the tablet’s long sides are magnetic, so can be used to attach the S Pen, which is convenient. It’s a shame that the top edge isn’t, though, since it can be awkward to hold the tablet in portrait mode when the stylus is attached to the side. The magnetic hold is strong without making it difficult to remove the stylus when needed.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Software

• Numerous first-party apps
• Their usefulness varies
• OS is clear and fast

Plenty of Samsung apps are preinstalled on the S11. You’ll have to create a Samsung account to use them, which is a frustrating barrier for using any app. At least it’s easy to set one up if you already have a Google account, as you can use these credentials instead.

Although there’s a lot of them, the first-party apps are mercifully unintrusive. And since this is the year 2026, there are plenty of AI features, too. The most interesting of these is the photo assist mode, which allows you to effortlessly edit images to remove certain elements — such as photobombers and unwanted objects — and add others in based on text prompts.

I have to say I was impressed by this mode when I tested it on photos I shot. As with all things AI, its results aren’t perfect every time, but for rescuing images from unwanted aspects and adding all kinds of extra content, it’s a capable and easy-to-use tool. You can also stylize images by selecting presets, of which there are several, from Anime to Pop Art. Again, this is effective a lot of the time, but not always.

There’s also a drawing app with enough basic illustration features to please budding artists. It’s intuitive to use and it was fast and stable during my time with it, without any glaring bugs or slowdowns occurring.

More basic productivity apps are included as well, such as a note taker and a calendar. The main issue with these — and indeed any first-party Android apps that aren’t owned by Google — is that they fail to outperform Google’s counterparts. And given Google’s cloud platform is similarly superior, you’re much better off using its apps if you plan on working across multiple devices.

One UI 8.5 is an intuitive and amenable operating system. As you might expect, it’s very similar to its smartphone counterpart, which is part of the reason why the Galaxy models are some of the best phones around. The UI is clear and uncluttered, and it's quite easy to navigate and adjust settings.

It’s also easy to resize app windows and move them around on screen, since the options to toggle between fullscreen and pop-out windows, as well as minimize them altogether, are ever-present in the top-right corner of every app, just like a desktop app.

However, I found switching between windows in gesture mode too awkward and slow. After dragging from the bottom of the screen, you have to hold your finger in place for a long time until all your app windows are displayed for selecting. What’s more, that aforementioned grabbiness of the touchscreen makes the action even more difficult. I much preferred using the navigation bar, with its three buttons at the bottom much simpler and quicker to use.

• Software score: 3.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Performance

• Capable all-round performance
• Fluid and responsive S Pen
• Low-fidelity cameras

The S11 performs well at the kinds of tasks you’d expect from a tablet. It can handle web browsing, light productivity, and 4K streaming without any frustrating slowdowns and stutters.

I was pleasantly surprised with its gaming prowess, too. I managed to play Hitman: Blood Money — Reprisal, a fairly demanding mobile game, without issue. It looked great and ran very smoothly, while my controller worked flawlessly over Bluetooth.

What’s more impressive is that the S11 stays relatively cool during such intensive tasks. A few hotspots appear on the back, but these are far from alarming in my experience, with the tablet remaining comfortable to hold.

Despite the aforementioned touchscreen issues, I’m pleased to report that the S Pen fairs a lot better on the screen. Glides and gestures are frictionless and responsive, making it great for all kinds of scenarios, from basic navigation to drawing and note taking. The palm block feature works as intended, too.

Using the S Pen also gives you access to a handy shortcut menu with selectable functions such as screen drawing and AI search. You can also add your own app shortcuts to this menu, which is convenient.

Despite the impressive image editing capabilities, the cameras in the S11 are disappointing. The low megapixel count means photos lack fidelity, and the basic enhancements available in the camera app can’t fix the lackluster quality of the camera hardware.

• Performance score: 4/5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Battery

The battery life of the S11 is impressive. While its 8,400mAh battery has a lower capacity than the the 11,600mAh one in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, the smaller tablet is less power-hungry.

After a couple of days, it drained to 30%. My use during this time wasn’t constant, but I did use it for a variety of tasks, from productivity and browsing to streaming and gaming. Samsung claims it can stream continuously for 18 hours, and the brand is usually accurate on such matters. This makes it significantly more enduring than the iPad Air, which can last about 10 hours under similar conditions.

Charging the S11 is a quick affair, too, thanks to its 45W wired charging capability, the same as the Ultra’s. It took about a couple of hours to fully replenish in my experience.

• Battery score: 4.5

Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11?

Scorecard

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Also consider

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11

• Tested for several days
• Used for a variety of task
• Tablet reviewing experience

I tested the S11 for several days. I used it for a variety of tasks, from general browsing and light productivity to streaming and gaming.

I also used the included S Pen for drawing, writing, and navigation. I tried its various first-party apps and AI features, and tested the cameras by taking photos and holding video calls. I wasn’t able to use the S11 with the optional Book Cover Keyboard, though.

I have experience reviewing tablets and other mobile devices, such as smartphones and laptops. I’ve also used such devices personally for decades.

• Read more about how we test
• First reviewed: July 2026

If you’ve always loved the world of the Splatoon series but have been — understandably — put off by the prospect of its sweaty competitive multiplayer modes, then this latest Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive third-person shooter is for you.

Splatoon Raiders offers an incredibly compelling, single-player take on the series’ trademark ink-spewing action. It’s all underpinned by the same excellent shooting mechanics that make online matches of Splatoon 3 such a blast, now smartly recontextualized in a wholly player versus environment (PvE) format and enhanced with a plethora of satisfying progression systems that allow you to experiment with countless impactful character builds.

The sheer volume of content here is formidable: there are a vast number of highly replayable missions that can be tackled in multiple difficulty levels, more than a hundred weapons to wield, and even lend others a hand in online co-op for more unlockable rewards. This is comfortably one of the best Nintendo Switch 2 games and I know I’ll be coming back to it, even now I’ve seen the credits roll.

Fishy business

While the main Splatoon games are known for their clean urban aesthetics, Splatoon Raiders sets itself apart with a much grimier, more salvaged look. Set on the distant Spirhalite Islands, it follows an unnamed mechanic working for the Deep Cut trio — the iconic TV show hosts from Splatoon 3 who apparently moonlight as treasure hunters. With the group stranded on a raft after their latest treasure hunting expedition goes awry, they’re forced to improvise gear and track down the resources necessary to escape.

Fashioned from wooden crates and metal grates, the raft functions as your hub world in between missions and can be outfitted with a range of useful features like a customizable firing range and a range of upgrade stations, in addition to more whimsical options like an arcade cabinet that offers some cute pixel-art minigames. You always feel like there’s a meaningful upgrade that you’re working towards, and watching your craft develop from a ramshackle structure into a fully-fledged mobile base as you progress through the story is immensely satisfying.

That’s not to say that you need much encouragement to complete missions, however, as they’re a load of fun. There are three main types: quickfire dens that have you beating a few waves of foes in a short time limit, longer raids where you drop into large semi-open environments to secure nearby treasure chests, and dungeons that challenge you to get to a goal with a set loadout.

It seems pretty basic at first, but there are an incredible number of unique twists that keep each new mission feeling fresh. A den, for example, might throw hundreds of the same area-denial enemies at you — coating the small arena with noxious slime that chips away at your health and forces you to stay on your feet — while a raid could surprise you with tricky platforming sections and a strict time limit.

The dungeons, meanwhile, are more focused around puzzles and cleverly serve to tutorialize many of the weapons and abilities that you can unlock.

In the tank

Your character can carry one of three ink tanks (which basically determine your chosen ‘class’), designed for raw power, speed, or more careful ranged tactics. They all play completely differently, with their own roster of powerful gadgets to unlock and an overall power level that gradually ticks up with use.

I mainly relied on the Power Tank, which, true to its name, is all about big, bombastic attacks that deal massive damage. My favorite gadgets include the inky hatchet with its huge slashing strike that is invaluable for taking out tankier foes and a charging rocket launcher that wonderfully shreds through groups of smaller ones.

It might be tempting to rely on one favorite, but there are plenty of good reasons to try the others. Fully upgrading one tank requires you to spend time with the others, and some dungeons even have specific rewards depending on which you use to complete them. I initially thought that this might prove a frustrating barrier to progression, but soon came to appreciate being made to step out of my comfort zone because all three tanks are equally enjoyable to use with a huge variety of gadgets to discover.

Every gadget is highly customizable as well, with a plethora of collectible parts that do everything from minor stat upgrades to fundamentally change how they work. You can only add a certain number of parts at a time, so you’ll need to think carefully in order to craft a new build to successfully overcome a particularly tricky challenge.

There’s just as much depth to the wide selection of weapons. The 11 types on offer will all be familiar if you’ve played Splatoon 3, with a good mix of long-range shooters, nimble pistols, sloshing buckets, and so on, all with their own mechanics to master. Tackling more difficult missions rewards more powerful weapons at a strong pace, which, alongside the steady introduction of new rarities with their own unique qualities, further stops everything from becoming stale.

The same is true of the many enemy types. It’s the same malevolent Salmonids from the Salmon Run side modes of Splatoon 2 and 3, but with a healthy number of new varieties to surprise even the most seasoned fish hunters.

It all comes together for an experience that, even when some of the more difficult challenges force you to grind up your power level, remains fresh and exciting like a delicious piece of sashimi throughout.

Should I play Splatoon Raiders?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility features

Like most modern Nintendo releases, Splatoon Raiders is lacking when it comes to accessibility features. It offers the ability to invert both thumbsticks, or use motion controls to aim.

The color of ink is usually random, but you can lock it to either blue or purple in order to be easier to see. In addition to offering harder versions of most missions, the game features three overall difficulty modes which decreases or increases the power of enemies.

How I reviewed Splatoon Raiders

I played nearly 20 hours of Splatoon Raiders on Nintendo Switch 2 using the Joy-Con 2 controllers in handheld mode. For audio, I used the system’s built-in speaker setup.

I experienced the whole of the game’s story, hitting the credits having tackled all of the major missions on the standard difficulty mode, in addition to some online co-op play.

First reviewed June 2026

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11: Two-minute review

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 is an ultra-thin laptop with a strong spec that makes it more than capable for workday use.

It looks smart, thanks to its minimalist form. All sides are flat, and the Cosmic Blue colorway is subtle yet helps to distinguish it in this largely monochromatic sector.

The build quality is excellent. The body is as premium as it comes, feeling very solid but also light and smooth to the touch. In fact, it could probably lay claim to having one of the best laptop constructions around right now. Allied to that lightness is its thinness, which is quite remarkable, although the thick rear foot underneath somewhat negates this aspect, which is a shame. What’s more, these truncated dimensions mean that you get three ports, all of which are USB-C.

With the new Snapdragon X2 Elite chip equipped, the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 is a capable all-round performer. It handles multiple browser tabs and 4K streaming with ease, as well as basic productivity. While it's not necessarily aimed at gamers and lacks a dedicated GPU, it's even capable of some light gaming; it managed to run Cyberpunk 2077 in a playable state, although don't expect top-tier performance. Heat and fan noise are generated when such workloads are conducted, but neither is too disruptive.

Another advantage of the X2 Elite chip is the improved efficiency. This is evident in the battery life of the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11, which is one of its most impressive aspects. It lasted close to a full day when I ran a movie on a continuous loop, which ranks among the best in class. It’s also quick to charge, taking about two hours to do so.

The 2.8K display in my review unit was sharp, bright, and vivid, although it was prone to showing reflections at times. For the most part, though, these were only apparent in the most unfavorable of lighting conditions.

The keyboard is fairly easy to use, thanks to the ergonomic keycaps and their spacing. However, presses are a little heavier than you might expect, so this can take some getting used to if you’ve come from a board that requires a light touch. The touchpad is large and smooth, which makes for easy navigation, while taps and clicks are responsive and provide good feedback.

The Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 commands a reasonably high price tag, but considering its spec and quality, it makes for good value compared to some of its less premium-feeling rivals. It might lack the ports and graphical performance of other laptops, but it’s a fine choice if portability and build quality are among your top priorities.

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 review: Price & availability

• Starts from $999.99 / £945 / AU$1,999
• Available now in one colorway
• Reasonably expensive for the spec

The Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 starts from $999.99 / £945 / AU$1,999 and is available now in one color: Cosmic Blue. This base spec features a Snapdragon X2 Plus X2P-42-100, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and WUXGA display. This isn't exactly cheap, and costs escalate quickly as you move up the model range. The top-spec unit, which features 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and a 2.8K display, costs $2,299.99 (about £1,700 / AU$3,300).

If you’re looking for another thin and light laptop, then the HP OmniBook 7 is a very strong alternative. I was very impressed with its performance when I reviewed it, and its only missteps are the port placements and slightly harsh keyboard. It's base model is slightly cheaper than the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11's in the US, and significantly so in the UK.

There’s also the Asus Zenbook A14, which is incredibly thin and light, and has one of the best battery lifespans around. However, it lacks the build quality and display brightness of the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11, yet it’s significantly more expensive when comparing like-for-like models.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 review: Specs

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 review: Design

• Extremely thin
• Premium materials
• Lacks ports

The minimalist design of the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 is appealing, while the dark Cosmic Blue colorway rescues the unit from looking dull. The rounded sides and corners help to soften its appearance. Most sides are flat, with no extraneous bulges, save for the central camera bezel that extends beyond the rest of the lid. However, the overhang this creates actually helps you to open the lid, which is a thoughtful touch.

The body is one of the best I’ve seen in a laptop. It looks and feels premium, rivaling what the best MacBooks have to offer. It’s incredibly smooth and seems very durable. There’s some flex to the base and the lid, but they’re remarkably solid when you consider just how light the whole unit is. The lid is also very stable when open, and adjustments are smooth and easy to make.

Just as impressive is the thinness of the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11. It’s certainly one of the thinnest 14-inch laptops I’ve seen, although it’s a shame the bulky bar underneath, which acts as the rear foot, somewhat undermines this aspect. This is no doubt to improve airflow from the underside vent, which is more exposed than many others.

To achieve this thinness, port selection has been compromised. There are only three ports, all of which are USB-C, which means you’ll need plenty of adapters (or a hub) if you’re going to be connecting lots of peripherals. The saving grace is that all ports have 40Gbps transfer rates, support the Power Delivery standard, and can be used to charge the laptop itself. They’re also split across both sides of the unit, which improves practicality.

On the right you’ll also find the power button and a button for disabling the webcam, which might disappoint those hoping for a physical privacy shutter.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 review: Performance

• Capable everyday performance
• Light gaming possible
• Keys are a little heavy

For everyday use, the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 is certainly fast enough. It handled many of the tasks I threw at it with aplomb, from basic productivity to 4K streaming. With the 32GB of RAM in my unit, it also handled multi-tab web browsing with ease.

No doubt a lot of this performance comes from the new Snapdragon X2 Elite chip inside the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11. Qualcomm claims this chip is a stronger performer than Intel equivalents, and based on our testing this appears to be true. For instance, it beat the Geekbench Single Core benchmark score of the HP OmniBook 7, with its Intel Core 5 220H, by over a thousand points, and doubled its Multi Core score.

When it comes to gaming, the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 was less competent, but that's hardly a surprise — it's not really aimed at wooing gamers, given it doesn’t have a dedicated GPU. However, I still managed to run Cyberpunk 2077 in a playable state, albeit with ray tracing disabled and resolution scaling set to Balanced. It wasn’t exactly a smooth experience, so it's not likely to be for you if you're in the market for a dedicated gaming laptop, but if you want a productivity powerhouse with just a little casual gaming on the side, it should suffice.

As expected, the fans can be heard whirring away in such cases, but the noise isn’t too disruptive. Heat is also generated, and temperatures can get quite high in places, although thankfully these hotspots are confined to the top and underside of the base.

The display in my review unit was crisp, thanks to its 2880 x 1800 resolution, and the high levels of brightness ensure content is viewable in most conditions. There were times when reflections showed on screen, but only when the lighting in my environment was particularly unsuitable.

The keys in the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 adopt Lenovo’s trademark shape, which are very ergonomic. The generous spacing between them also makes for a forgiving typing experience. However, they’re a little heavier and travel further than you might expect, which might throw off those who prefer a light and snappy response. The touchpad is suitably large and incredibly smooth, making it conducive to cursor navigation. Taps are responsive without being overly sensitive, and clicks are easy to perform and provide plenty of feedback.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 review: Battery life

The battery life of the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 is very impressive. No doubt that aforementioned new Snapdragon chip plays a major part here, due to its improved efficiency. It managed to last just under 24 hours in our movie playback test, putting it ahead of many other laptops in this sector. This may be partly due to that aforementioned chipset, which Snapdragon claims brings improved efficiency. Charging is a quick affair, too, as it took about two hours to fully replenish.

However, there are those that can match and even outlast it, such as the HP OmniBook 7, which managed 26 hours in the same test. And then there’s the Asus Zenbook A14, which managed a staggering 28 hours and 25 minutes.

• Battery life score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11?

Scorecard

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 review: Also consider

How I tested the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11

• Tested for several days
• Used for a variety of tasks
• Plentiful laptop experience

I tested the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 for several days, during which time I used it for a variety of tasks, from productivity and browsing to streaming and gaming.

I also ran our series of benchmark tests, designed to assess every aspect of a laptop's performance. I also ran a movie on a continuous loop to test the battery life.

I've been using laptops for decades, and have reviewed a large number of them, from small budget models to large gaming machines.

• First reviewed: July 2026
• Read more about how we test

Adobe is a popular brand when it comes to all things creative, including AI content generation and editing. With its newly improved Firefly tool, Adobe has taken AI content generation a step further with realistic, real-time outputs.

In addition to being highly accurate, Firefly is also one of the most affordable tools on the market today. But is it the best AI video editor for your needs? Read on to find out. In this article, we've put Firefly to the test, examining its features, pricing, ease of use, and overall value for money.

Adobe Firefly: Plans and pricing

Adobe Firefly is available online by clicking here, as well as part of the Creative Cloud suite of apps.

It offers one of the most generous free video editing software we've seen. Instead of capping your monthly or one-time usage, Adobe allows you to generate a limited number of images and videos each day. This means you can continue using Firefly for a longer period, provided you stay within the daily limits.

What we like about the free plan is that Firefly does not lock its image or video editing features behind paywalls. Even on the free plan, you get access to features such as Generative Fill, Background Removal, AI Markup, video upscaling, text-based editing, as well as audio features such as generating soundtracks, speech, text-to-avatar, and more. Unlike other platforms, Firefly's free plan can actually come in handy for limited individual use.

Its paid plans are also among the most inexpensive we've seen in the category, with the Standard plan starting at $8.49 per month when billed annually, which comes with 2,000 credits.

With this plan, you get access to all the AI models Firefly has to offer, with hard upper limits on the number of images and videos you can generate with each model. Videos, however, are capped at a maximum duration of five seconds, which might not be enough for users looking to generate long-form content. Besides this, you get access to unlimited Firefly Boards, while the remaining features stay the same as those in the free plan.

Next is the Pro plan at $16.99 per month (4,000 credits), billed annually, where you get unlimited access to several AI models such as Gemini 2.5 Flash, FLUX.1 Kontext, and others. The maximum number of images and videos you can generate is also higher than in the Standard plan.

Then there's the Pro Plus plan, priced at $29.38 per month, where you get up to 10,000 credits and higher limits on image and video generation. In this plan, a wider range of models comes with unlimited access, including Gemini 3.0, ChatGPT Image, Runway Gen-4.5, and Gemini 3 Nano Banana Pro 2K.

Finally, there's the Premium plan at $118.93 per month, offering 50,000 credits and unlimited access to almost all AI models except a few. This plan is ideal for large content creation and creative teams.

Adobe Firefly: Features

Right off the bat, what impressed us most about Firefly is its brainstorming and early-stage concepting feature called Firefly Boards. It is essentially an infinite-canvas mood board and ideation workspace that lets you upload your own images, sketches, or stock images, or generate new ones.

You can select multiple assets and combine elements while brainstorming ideas with your creative team. This is similar to Midjourney- or Discord-style iteration, giving remote creative teams a space to flesh out new ideas.

Moreover, Firefly offers access to more than 10 popular video, audio, and image models, each with its own limits on the amount of content you can generate. Some notable features are Generative Expand and Generative Fill, which let you expand the canvas of an image or video after it has been generated using Adobe's AI engine. Similarly, there's also Generative Remove, which helps you remove elements from a piece of content.

Firefly also throws in a range of audio features, such as the ability to generate speech, translate videos from one language to another, or add text-to-sound effects to your content. However, we were a bit disappointed with its video editing features, such as trimming, arranging, and refining content, all of which are still in beta. Its AI assistant is also at a very early stage and currently supports only one conversation at a time.

You also have the option to upload an image to provide Firefly with a style or structure reference and create a consistent look across a batch of images. Unlike many other AI tools, Firefly allows you to use your own images to train its AI models and create custom models. This is still an early-stage feature, and we expect it to improve over the next year or so.

Firefly has also expanded its multilingual reach and now supports prompts in more than 100 languages, along with translations in more than 20 languages. There's also an option for bulk actions such as background removal, color grading, and cropping.

Its mobile apps have also improved a lot over the past year and now offer native iOS and Android apps with an experience that's very close to the web interface. And of course, Firefly is part of Adobe's broader AI-powered content generation and editing ecosystem, integrating directly with apps like Photoshop and Illustrator.

Adobe Firefly: Interface and in use

Adobe Firefly is by far one of the most improved image and video editing software we have seen in a long time. One of the biggest criticisms of Firefly was that it did not offer any option to edit the images it generated. However, all that has changed with its revamped user interface.

Not only did it generate a pretty high-quality image for us, but it also provided several editing options. We especially liked its Tune feature, which is currently in beta and allows you to change the look of an image by selecting from a list of preconfigured options.

There is also a prompt option, which lets you keep fine-tuning your generated image with follow-up prompts.

However, if that is too much work, there are several fine-grained controls available. For instance, there is a Fill feature that lets you fill any blank spaces in the image with an element of your choice. Similarly, there's the Remove feature, which lets you remove any element you do not want in the final result.

What we liked the most is its Select feature, where you can select a particular element in an image or video and then type a prompt to edit only that selected portion. This helps avoid unwanted changes in other parts of the image or video and ensures that the edit is applied only to the section you selected.

The generation interface itself is pretty simple. You'll see a prompt box at the bottom of your screen, along with a panel on the left-hand side where you can control the generation settings.

For instance, you can select the model you want to use, the resolution, the aspect ratio (16:9 or 9:16), and the duration of the video. There is also an advanced setting where you can enter a random seed value to experiment with the AI engine settings.

What we found particularly eye-catching is the prompt enhancement feature, which lets you improve your prompts before generating an image or video. This helps you create more detailed prompts, which in turn result in more accurate outputs.

Adobe Firefly: How we tested

We tried the free version of Adobe Firefly over several days and were quite impressed with the results. We first tried to create an AI image with the following prompt:

"A tired line cook in a stained white apron, frowning with exhaustion, wiping sweat off his forehead while chopping six carrots on a wooden cutting board. Behind him, a dim, cluttered restaurant kitchen with steam rising from a pot. Photorealistic, dramatic low lighting, shot on 35mm film."

As soon as we hit Generate, Firefly got to work and produced a pretty impressive image that closely matched our prompt.

However, it's worth noting that Firefly is a tad slower compared to the likes of Fliki or Kapwing. That said, the accuracy of the results is worth the wait.

Once the image was generated, we clicked on it to open the editing panel and played around with the settings. For instance, we selected the burning steel pot behind the cook and prompted Firefly to change it to a wooden pot instead.

Rather than simply making the change, Adobe gave us an Edit Strength slider, allowing us to control how strongly the wooden effect was applied to the pot.

We then tried the Remove feature by selecting a bunch of carrots and asking Firefly to remove them. Adobe once again impressed us, as it accurately removed the carrots without distorting the chopping board around them.

Lastly, we used the Upscale feature to improve the quality of the image. This took the longest, more time than it took to generate the image in the first place. However, we were once again very satisfied with the final result.

We also generated an AI video using the following prompt:

"A woman in a red coat walks across a rain-soaked city street at night, neon signs reflecting in the puddles, camera slowly tracking alongside her."

The results were again highly accurate, the colors were vibrant, and we were impressed by how closely Firefly followed the prompt without significantly diverging from the intended output.

Adobe Firefly: Alternatives

Although Adobe Firefly is a much-improved product, it does have a few shortcomings, which is why you may want to consider some alternatives. For instance, Adobe isn't the best choice if you want to generate AI avatars. Although it offers the feature in a limited capacity, the results are not what you'd expect from a dedicated AI avatar generation tool.

In that case, you can try Kapwing, which offers one of the most extensive collections of AI avatars. You can choose from a wide range of characters, including traditional human-inspired faces and more outlandish options such as aliens, Cupid, demons, cyborgs, Dracula, and more.

Kapwing produces some of the best photorealistic AI avatars we have seen in the industry. It is also one of the few tools that can render videos in 4K quality. That said, it is a bit on the expensive side, with plans starting at $16 per month.

If you need a dedicated AI assistant to help with content generation and editing, you can try Fliki, which offers an AI Copilot that understands natural language inputs and helps you achieve your desired results more effortlessly. It also includes licensed YouTube music and advanced video generation options such as stop-motion videos.

Fliki also offers a wider range of customization options compared to Adobe Firefly, such as choosing the format and template, customizing the type of character, selecting the AI model you want to use, and adding voiceovers, captions, and AI avatars.

Adobe Firefly: Final verdict

Adobe Firefly is one of the best-known names in the content creation industry, and its recent improvements put it right at the top of our list of the best AI video editors. Firefly offers more than 10 AI models for image, video, and audio generation, helping you create photorealistic images, videos, and audio with simple prompts.

We were particularly impressed by Firefly Boards, which helps you brainstorm ideas on an endless online canvas in real time while collaborating with your content team. Firefly has also improved its editing interface and tools and now supports follow-up prompt editing, along with features like Generative Fill and Generative Remove.

That said, it has a few drawbacks, such as the lack of mature video editing tools, which are still in beta, and rather limited AI avatar generation capabilities. That said, if you already use Adobe tools like Illustrator or Photoshop, adding Firefly to your repertoire is a no-brainer.

We've tested a range of video makers and editors, including the best video editing software, the best video editing apps and the best free video editing software.