While I might be exposed to many of the best headphones in my job, if money were no object, I’d be hitting on a pair of Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 over-ears without hesitation. And that’s without ever actually holding a pair in my hands, let alone listening to them.

So I’m thrilled to see that they’ve had their price slashed by up to 45% (depending on the colour) at Amazon SG for Prime Day, making them an easy recommendation for anyone seeking a premium set of cans.

• View the latest Amazon SG Prime Day deals

So, why am I so confident recommending them, having not actually heard them myself? My complete and utter trust in Simon Lucas, who published our Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 review. Not only did he heap praise on the headphones themselves, but he went one step further and claimed they were one of the company’s “very best products when judged on a pound-for-pound basis”.

B&W is a hi-fi brand steeped in history and really does know a thing or two about producing high-end audio products. All its expertise has trickled down into these over-ears, allowing them to deliver a wonderfully balanced sound profile, and are able to unearth extreme amounts of detail from recordings.

They’re well-specced when it comes to features too, with support for higher quality aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless audio codecs, 30 hours of battery life and great, but not quite class-leading, active noise cancellation.

And, as you’d hope from a pair of headphones that normally retail for SG$699, they look and feel like they’re worth every dollar, especially in the Frost Blue colour that receives the biggest discount — Indigo Blue and Canvas White colours are available for an extra premium.

I don’t expect these deals to last forever, and they’ll very likely come to an end when Prime Day in Singapore finishes at 11.59pm SGT on Friday, June 26, so if you’ve been looking for a pair of seriously capable headphones, and a pair that will look a little more unique walking down the street, now’s the time to snap these up — do note that all pairs are shipped and sold from Amazon Germany, so may take a bit to arrive at your door.

If there's one thing that gets me out of bed to write an article on TechRadar is a good ereader, especially one that's going cheap. And with Prime Day 2026 in Singapore in full swing, it shouldn't come as a surprise that there are discounted Kindles to be had.

The best offer is on the Kindle Paperwhite — which also happens to be my pick of the best Kindle — but this deal from Amazon US is quickly running out of stock as the Prime exclusive discount is too good to pass up. It's going for just over SG$175, which is about what you'd see the entry-level Kindle go for at retail usually.

However, with this lightning deal 70% claimed, I'm thrilled that the Kindle Colorsoft is also discounted, albeit via the Amazon US store again. It's not as good a discount as the Paperwhite, but I would still recommend it, particularly for those of you who enjoy graphic novels, comics and manga. Admittedly paying SG$260 for the colour E Ink display isn't 'cheap', but it can make a difference to some readers and I think Amazon has done a remarkable job of optimising that display for reading.

You can call me crazy that I get excited about ereaders, but I've been reviewing them for nigh on a decade now and I've followed the progress E Ink has made with its various displays for these devices.

What makes the Colorsoft worth the money is, even though the colours are comparatively muted against those displayed on, say, an iPad, it's still a very sharp screen that makes reading comics and graphic novels a joy.

Now, I don't read that much in colour, but I do appreciate my book covers being displayed in all their glory on the screen. I've even looked at National Geographic pages on the Kindle Colorsoft and they look lovely.

Battery life, like all the Kindles, is excellent, so you can go off on a long holiday and not even worry about leaving your charging cable behind, but in case you do need to top it up, any USB-C cable will suffice.

While there's a total of 16GB of storage available on this discounted model, I will have to note that Kindle OS takes up a rather large amout of space and you'll likely be left with about 10GB for all your needs, but that's thousands of ebooks. Audiobooks, though, are larger files, so you'll need to manage your storage space accordingly.

On the plus side, though, you're getting a durable and water-resistant ereader that you can lounge by (or in) the pool or bath and enjoy a relaxing read.

So, go on, kindle that digital reading habit — trust me when I say it's just as easy to get lost in a story digitally as it is via a physical book.

I’ve tested a lot — and I mean a lot — of the best Bluetooth speakers. More than 50 to be exact. And if we’re talking about sheer popularity, then one brand is the clear and obvious top dog: JBL. For good reason too. In my years of testing, I’ve found that JBL regularly delivers the ideal blend of quality and affordability, regularly producing Bluetooth speakers with great sound and impressive durability at an easy-to-stomach price.

JBL also makes loads of different options, so I though I'd help you narrow things down a bit, and have picked out three JBL speakers I’d actually spend my own money on — with speakers for all budgets.

I’ve selected a small, budget-friendly speaker, a mid-priced maestro, and a premium pick that’s ideal for parties — there really is something here for everyone. If a speaker hasn't make this list, it’s by no means a vote of no confidence; this is simply a list of the three I’d personally grab right now.

1. JBL Go 5

Let’s start with the small yet mighty JBL Go 5, which I recently reviewed and rated five stars. The Go 5 is, in my view, the best small speaker on the market right now, offering clear, precise, and well-balanced sound, alongside an extremely hardy build, and a stellar feature-set.

As a mini speaker, the Go 5 won’t be able to belt out earth-shaking bass, but it plays to its strengths. Low-end sound is agile and punchy rather than ‘boomy’ and uncontrolled. Meanwhile, mids are clear and composed, and treble is highly articulate, resulting in great sound within a small package.

There’s also USB-C audio for lossless playback and EQ options to tailor audio to your specific tastes. The Go 5 has a more layered, full sound than its predecessor, the JBL Go 4, so if you own that model, I’d still recommend upgrading.

Another reason to opt for the Go 5 over the Go 4 is its design. The newer variant is equipped with edge lighting that makes listening to music even more immersive — especially in low-lit rooms if you want a bit of ambience. Waterproofing also got a boost to IP68, meaning the Go 5 is fully dustproof and capable of surviving a 1.5 meter dunking underwater for as long as 30 minutes — ideal for beach trips and pool parties.

Mix in solid battery life, Auracast compatibility, as well as a drop proof exterior, and the JBL Go 5 really is the full package — albeit a small-sized one. It’s typically available for $54.95 / £39.99 (about AU$75) as well, meaning it’s an absolute bargain.

2. JBL Flip 7

If we’re talking about value for money, then the JBL Flip 7 might just be the greatest Bluetooth speaker I’ve ever tested. Big statement, I know.

The reason for this is actually fairly simple: the sound it produces defies belief — not only based on the speaker’s low price, but also on its low footprint. Yes, the five-star Flip 7 is very compact, but it produces big, impactful sound, with strikingly impactful bass that demands your attention. But this doesn’t come at the expense of the rest of the frequency range. Mids are layered and intricate with vocals sounding especially well-defined, while treble sounds exert a level of expressiveness that’s beyond expectation.

Elsewhere, the Flip 7 carries over a lot of the Go 5’s greatest features, like an IP68 rating, USB-C audio, Auracast, and PlayTime Boost if you need a bit more battery life — though the standard 14 hours should get you a decent way. Sure, there’s no edge lighting on this one, but it's a clear step-up in terms of sound quality and power — it has a 35W maximum power output compared to the Go 5’s humble 4.8W.

At $149 / £129 / AU$179, the Flip 7 already overdelivers against its asking price, but I’ve seen it pop up on sale plenty of times, so keep your eye out for a sweet deal.

3. JBL Xtreme 5

Last but most definitely not least, I have the JBL Xtreme 5. If you’re working with a larger budget, want massive sound, or want a speaker for parties, then this one’s for you. This model was released alongside the Go 5, so I also reviewed it very recently, and like its small counterpart, it earned a glowing five-star review.

But what makes the Xtreme 5 so special? Of course it has all of the aforementioned features, whether that be IP68 dust and waterproofing, wired lossless playback or personalizable EQ. But the big difference is made in the audio department.

The Xtreme 5 has a massive maximum power output of 130W, meaning it can supply seismic sound, with thumping bass, driven and direct mids, and vibrant highs. Although it's a great performer all-round, it really is the low-end that wows. I described this model’s bass as “mesmerizing” in my review, and during testing I was blown away by the sheer might of its low-end output, which was significantly improved from the JBL Xtreme 4.

In addition, the Xtreme can squeeze out up to 28 hours of playtime, has JBL EasySing Mic compatibility for karaoke, and like the Go 5 it has customizable LED lighting. If you want the ultimate portable party speaker, look no further than this. The Xtreme 5 usually sells for $399.95 / £329.99 (about AU$560), which is very competitive in the upper echelons of the Bluetooth speaker market, although it's undoubtedly quite the investment.

I’ll be honest: I’ve yet to be really sold on AI laptops. The problem is, laptop makers like Apple, Samsung, HP, Microsoft, and more have been trying to convince us we need a device capable of local AI tasks by suggesting it can help us write emails (I can do that already) and generate images (a fun distraction initially, but I quickly lose interest – and there’s something about AI-generated images, videos, and music that gives me the ick).

It left me feeling as if even the best AI laptops are more of a gimmick used by companies just trying to get us to buy new devices, rather than something revolutionary.

However, after talking to Dr Liv Grant, a technology influencer, science podcaster, and ‘PhD Queen’, I’m actually excited about the implications of on-device AI in laptops, especially for students.

Dr Liv Grant recently ran a vibe coding workshop with Apple, where she showed students with no coding experience how they can create apps using MacBooks and local LLMs (Large Language Models, the tech that modern AI as we know it is based on) and spoke to me about the laptops she uses and recommends to students.

With the Back to School period approaching and Prime Day sales in full swing, students and their parents will be looking for the best student laptops to see them through college and university, so I was keen to get Dr Liv Grant's recommendation.

“I have a MacBook Neo,” she told me, “that’s great for people who are beginning to code. For someone who is learning online and branching into something less data-heavy, such as web developing, it’s a great choice.”

However, Dr Liv Grant explains, "while you can do extremely light cloud-based AI using the device, if someone is looking for the best Mac to use for on-device AI, my recommendation is the MacBook Pro, and if you’re looking for more of an entry device, it would be the MacBook Air.” She continues, “If you’re curious about coding and you already have a MacBook Neo you can begin your journey there, but you’d ideally need an Air or Pro.” 

The MacBook Neo is Apple’s most affordable MacBook, selling for $599 / £599 / AU$899. If you’re a student, there's an exclusive discount from the Apple Education store, which drops the price to $499 / £499. Despite the low price, it performs very well at day-to-day tasks, and thanks to the Apple A18 Pro chip that powers it, it can also handle on-device AI, though Apple would like to make clear that the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are better suited for coding and on device AI and LLM workflows.

The Apple A18 Pro features an NPU (Neural Processing Unit), which Apple calls the Neural Engine, and is the part of the chip that enables on-device artificial intelligence.

What’s on device AI?

Let’s back up a bit for a minute. You might be wondering what on-device AI means, and what makes it different from online AI chatbots such as ChatGPT.

ChatGPT, Claude and other popular AI chatbots are mainly cloud-based and accessed via the internet. On-device AI means that AI tasks such as image or text generation are performed on the device itself by the NPU using a local LLM.

You don’t need an AI-capable laptop or device to use cloud-based AI tools – all you need is an internet connection. However, devices that can run AI locally offer plenty of benefits, as Dr Liv Grant explained.

“With on-device AI, you don’t need internet connectivity. I’m always working on the go; especially when working at university, I’d work during my commute. The Wi-Fi on public transport can be awful, and it would interrupt my work.”

This is probably the most noticeable benefit for many people. If you’re doing important work that requires AI tools, using those tools locally on the device means that if you lose your internet connection, you can still keep working – and you won’t be in danger of losing your work.

Running those tasks locally has privacy and security benefits as well, as you’re not sharing data, files, or any other information with a remote third party, which is the case with cloud-based AI tools. For extremely sensitive data, or even personal things like using AI to help edit family photos, you should use on-device AI.

To ensure a laptop you’re considering buying is capable of on-device AI, you should check to see if it comes with an NPU (or Neural Engine if you’re looking at MacBooks).

The good news is that most modern chips from Intel, AMD, Qualcomm and Apple feature NPUs. Windows 11 laptops with these chips will most likely be labeled as ‘Copilot+ PCs’ – not the best name, but that’s Microsoft for you. Meanwhile, Apple products will be labeled as being ready for Apple Intelligence.

NPU performance is often measured in TOPS (Trillions of Operations Per Second). The higher the TOPS, the faster the NPU will complete AI tasks. Windows 11 laptops with an NPU of 40 TOPS or more can be labeled as a Copilot+ PC, for example.

This is why Dr Liv Grant suggests the MacBook Neo is best for less-intensive AI tasks, as its NPU is capable of around 35 TOPS, while it's also limited to 8GB of unified memory.

So, the MacBook Neo is fine for beginners, but if you have more ambitious plans that require on-device AI, you’ll want to go for a device with an NPU capable of higher TOPS and offering more RAM.

Light as air

Because of that, Dr Liv Grant uses a MacBook Air for the majority of her coding and AI work. It’s a great alternative due to its thin and light design (ideal for people who work while traveling) and its relatively affordable price (the 13-inch MacBook Air with M5 chip starts at $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,799, and again, there’s a student discount that’ll knock $100/£100/AU$160 off the price if you qualify).

It's also far more capable when it comes to day-to-day tasks and on-device AI, thanks to its M5 chip and 16GB of unified memory to start.

While Apple doesn’t officially disclose the TOPS of its chips, we estimate that it’s around 133 TOPS – which, on paper, makes it around four times faster for AI. Combine that with the larger amount of faster unified memory, and the MacBook Air becomes an excellent mobile AI workstation. At Dr Liv Grant’s vibe coding workshop, the participants all used a MacBook Air.

The final tool in Dr Liv Grant’s MacBook arsenal is a MacBook Pro, which she primarily uses for content creation for her extremely popular Instagram and TikTok accounts.

"My everyday device is my MacBook Pro, because of the heaviness of my workflow. When I’m on the go, I use MacBook Air, which is what we used for the workshop at Apple," she told me.

For students (or anyone, for that matter)looking for a laptop that can handle complex AI tasks as well as demanding creative workloads, a MacBook Pro might be a wise investment, but it is a lot more expensive.

All about the vibe coding

So, what’s the importance of AI for students? While a lot of focus has been on how AI can help students research and study, Dr Liv Grant suggests vibe coding is where it can make the biggest difference, and not necessarily just for programming students.

“Vibe coding is where you use AI or a chatbot tool to help you write code,” explains Dr Liv Grant. “For example, I have an idea for an app to help content creators do a job – a few years ago I’d have had to learn the language, the syntax, the codebase from scratch. With vibe coding you can use AI to help you.”

As Dr Liv Grant is keen to stress, vibe coding isn’t a replacement for traditional coding, and she is familiar with many programming languages. Instead, it’s a tool that can help coders experiment and get creative while still being productive.

Dr Liv Grant’s mention of coding languages is an interesting one, as there’s a huge range of languages used. Web developers, for example, might use JavaScript, while someone making Windows 11 apps would use C#, and someone coding for Macs or iOS apps would likely use Swift. Being experienced with one coding language doesn’t mean you’ll be ‘fluent’ in others, and that’s where vibe coding can really help.

“Even if you know what you’re doing, everyone should use vibe coding,” Dr Liv Grant suggests.

In her workshop, students with no coding background used MacBook Airs to create an app. “We made a pomodoro timer app using LLM studio, picked a vibe coding tool, and gave it three prompts.”

The AI tool would then give examples of code to use in the desired language. “With the first prompt,” explains Dr Liv Grant, “there were some errors, but those were easy to fix.” This is where a basic understanding of coding and syntax comes in, as Dr Grant used her coding experience to correct any mistakes in the AI-generated code.

The ease of vibe coding combined with more affordable laptops such as the MacBook Neo “opens up the world of coding to so many people – people in lower socioeconomic groups, students, anyone,” Dr Liv Grant told me. “It’s very exciting; students have so many ideas, and vibe coding helps those students realize those ideas without having to learn entire programming languages.

“Red Bull Basement recently ran a competition for people to pitch their ideas for an AI tool or app. All the entrants were using vibe coding. They didn’t have a background in coding.”

To me, that sounds both exciting and worrying. Exciting because it could mean that new (once-marginalized) voices, ideas, and products come to market. Someone who once might have had a great idea for an app, but never did anything with it as they were unable to code, could now rustle up a prototype with vibe coding.

Similarly, someone without a coding background who needs an app for a specific task could make their own rather than trying to find someone who would do it for them.

However, I’m also worried – could vibe coding mean an influx of slop apps? And what about programmers, will they be out of jobs? Is it even worth becoming a programming student?

“Yes,” says Dr Liv Grant when I ask her if people should still study to become programmers, “but maybe not in the depth we used to learn coding in. Learn basic syntax, how code works,” Dr Grant suggests. Those skills will prove essential to ensuring any vibe-coded project has a base level of quality. As for programming as a career? “It’s going to move more towards how good you are at interacting with AI and how good you are at prompting.”

I left our conversation with a newfound appreciation for how AI can help students, especially when it comes to vibe coding, and how that, combined with more affordable devices like the MacBook Neo (even considering its limitations), could make app developing much more accessible.

It’s certainly an interesting time, and if you or someone you know is considering getting a laptop to vibe code on, I’ve picked some of my top choices below. Make sure you also follow Dr Liv Grant on TikTok and Instagram for more fascinating insights into tech, science and Epigenetics.

If what we talked about here has got you interested in getting a MacBook for vibe coding (and more), then check out these fantastic MacBook Prime Day deals I've hand-picked below.

Prime Day MacBook deals

Full disclosure: I am writing this before Amazon Prime Day. If the iPhone Air is not currently on sale in your region, then you should only pay its $999 / £999 / AU$1,799 asking price if a) you have a bottomless supply of cash or b) you simply must own Apple’s most beautiful iPhone (and make no mistake: the iPhone Air is Apple’s most beautiful iPhone).

But I will eat my hat if there aren't any meaningful deals on the iPhone Air by the time you read this. It's already been discounted by as much as 30% in both the UK and Australia this year, and as such, I have a hunch that Amazon will run similar deals during its annual Prime Day sale (if you’re in the US, look out for carrier-based offers on Apple’s best iPhones).

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

If you can snag the iPhone Air for around 20% less than its retail price this week, I’m utterly convinced that it’s the best-value phone purchase you could make right now — for two reasons.

Firstly, you will not find a nicer-looking — and nicer-feeling — phone than the iPhone Air without spending silly money on one of the best foldable phones. The Air measures just 5.64mm at its thinnest point and is some 41g lighter than the iPhone 17 Pro, despite boasting a larger 6.5-inch display.

You might not think you care about having a thin and light phone — I also didn’t to begin with — but trust me: once you start using a device of such svelte proportions, you won’t want to go back to a regular-sized phone.

Don’t believe me? Here’s a recent picture of me with a group of tech content creators showing off our current phones of choice:

All four of us test the best phones for a living, and all four of us settled on Apple's super slim iPhone as our personal handset of choice.

The second reason why a discounted iPhone Air is the best-value phone purchase you can make right now is less obvious. Not only is this Apple’s most beautiful iPhone, but it’s also its most powerful: like the iPhone 17 Pro, the Air boasts an A19 Pro chipset and 12GB of RAM.

Now, I don’t usually highlight chipsets as a reason to buy phones — the iPhone 17e’s A19 chipset, for instance, is plenty fast enough for most people — but the iPhone Air's A19 Pro chipset and 12GB of RAM combination has suddenly become more significant than most people realize.

Here's an extract from a recent article in which I explain why the iPhone Air is future-proofed in a way that only the iPhone 17 Pro can match:

At WWDC 2026, Apple announced its all-singing, all-dancing Siri AI assistant, which will soon be available on all Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhones (read: the iPhone 15 Pro and upwards) as part of iOS 27. But only three iPhones will get the very best version of Siri AI — and the iPhone Air is among that number.

Specifically, only the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air will get Siri voice customization and more advanced systemwide dictation, because only these phones run on Apple’s AFM Core Advanced model and 12GB of RAM.

Admittedly, these two features aren’t reason enough to buy a top-end iPhone — the former gives you the ability to customize the expressiveness and pace of Siri’s voice, while the latter makes Siri more effective at converting speech into accurate text — but I would bet my (non-existent) house that Apple locks several additional, more significant features behind this AFM Core Advanced paywall in future versions of iOS.

In other words, like the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, the iPhone Air will soon support more software features than any other iPhone — and the gap between model capabilities will only grow wider as more hardware-exclusive features are announced.

I genuinely believe this under-the-radar feature makes the iPhone Air almost worth its regular $999 / £999 / AU$1,799 asking price, but if you can pick it up for significantly cheaper than that during Prime Day, it’s a bona fide bargain.

I’ve tested more than 20 soundbars during my years of reviewing tech and audio products at TechRadar, many of which have performed brilliantly, while some… it’s best we don’t talk about them.

Although I’ve tested some premium surround-sound options such as the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro and JBL Bar 1300MK2, I’ve also tested a lot of budget-friendly, affordable options. And today, I’m here to share some of the very best affordable models I’ve tested, so you can upgrade from basic TV audio or enter into the world of cinematic Dolby Atmos home entertainment without breaking the bank.

I’ve picked out a range of options, from an ultra-cheap 2.0 channel bar, all the way up to a multi-box combo with Dolby Atmos and Wi-Fi streaming. There really is something for everyone in this list, so without further ado, let’s get into my top picks.

1. Sony HT-S100F / HT-SF150

Whenever a big sale comes around, I always plug the Sony HT-S100F — also known as the Sony HT-SF150 in some markets, including the UK. Why? Well, it’s because Sony created the ideal affordable audio upgrade for anyone frustrated by unpleasant TV sound.

This one-box 2.0 channel soundbar produces solid clarity and width, with well-defined dialogue, and a built-in bass reflex speaker for enhanced low-end performance. It also makes use of Sony’s proprietary S-Force Front Surround virtual processing, which creates the impression of three-dimensional audio to impressive effect.

With HDMI, digital optical, USB, and Bluetooth connectivity, there are so many ways to enjoy sound on the HT-S100F, and it’s incredibly quick and easy to set up too.

Of course, you’re not going to get the thumping, cinematic bass that larger models can offer, and there’s no Dolby Atmos here either. But if you want clearer sound at an ultra-low price, then the Sony HT-S100F is still one of the very best options on the market.

2. Klipsch Flexus Core 100

Moving onto a Dolby Atmos soundbar now with the Klipsch Flexus Core 100. This 2.1 channel model is a great performer, with impactful, striking bass output, accurate dialogue reproduction, and impressive power.

Like the aforementioned Sony option, the Flexus Core 100 is also very simple to set up, and its LED display makes it incredibly easy to flick between various modes and options. There’s also a remote included in the box, as well as an awesome companion app which is free to download and super-responsive.

Although there are some limitations in terms of height, the Flexus Core 100 delivers admirable width when watching movies in Dolby Atmos, and when I watched a 4K UHD Blu-ray of The Mask, the titular character’s cartoonish spin sounded as if it was coming from the corners of our testing space.

While an alternative like the Marshall Heston 60 may offer sharper Atmos effects and stronger all-round quality, the Flexus Core 100 is often on-sale for far less than this model, which is a very capable alternative. This Klipsch bar’s talents in the bass department alone make it well-worth considering — especially if you just need a step-up from thin-sounding TV audio.

3. Sonos Beam Gen 2

OK, shifting up a gear once more, and I’ve simply got to shout out the Sonos Beam Gen 2. This small soundbar may not be the newest, but it’s still sensational. Sure, Sonos owners will get the beauty of multi-room capabilities, and there’s Wi-Fi streaming here too, which makes streaming music from your phone incredibly seamless. But that’s not even the best part.

See, the thing that really stands out about the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is its ability to conjure up almost thunderous bass, in spite of its limited confines. Even when testing it against the newer Marshall Heston 60, I found the Beam Gen 2 to offer more dynamic, and more immersive low-end sound, with high-octane action scenes and sudden jump-scares in horror movies hitting with striking impact.

On top of this, the Beam Gen 2 serves up crystal-clear dialogue, commendable musicality, and Dolby Atmos capabilities. If you want, you can also customize the model’s sound via the Sonos companion app.

What’s more, the Beam 2 looks absolutely gorgeous, with a modern, minimalist aesthetic that I can’t get enough of. If you’re short on space, have a smaller TV, or don’t want to spend all too much, then the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is a ridiculously easy recommendation to make.

4. Samsung HW-Q800F

Finally, we have the best overall choice in our guide to the best soundbars: the Samsung HW-Q800F. And this soundbar isn’t only one of the best affordable options out there, it’s simply one of the best soundbars I’ve ever tested here at TechRadar.

The Q800F is a soundbar-subwoofer combo that delivers incredible value for money. You get seriously convincing, multi-dimensional Dolby Atmos and DTS:X effects, and even height effects come through well — something a lot of Atmos soundbars struggle with. You also get seismic bass from the compact sub, crystal clear dialogue from the main bar, and precise, controlled treble.

In addition, the Q800F is crammed with connectivity options, with HDMI eARC, digital optical, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and even an HDMI input for your games consoles, streaming devices, and more. The sub and soundbar are also paired right out of the box, making your set up phenomenally straightforward.

Yes, the Q800F is a little pricier than the other entries in this list, but you can often find it on sale for far less than its initial list price of $1,099 / £799, which was already strong value considering the quality of this model’s audio, build, and feature-set.

I’ve been reviewing gadgets at TechRadar for years now, and it’s pretty rare that something stops me in my tracks and so violently defies my expectations. But sometimes, a special product comes along and totally stuns me: and that was well and truly the case with the Sennheiser CX 80U.

Now you might be thinking: really? A pair of wired earbuds? But yes, they really were that impressive. See it all comes down to quality vs price, and these earbuds genuinely sound way, way better than I expected given their typical cost of $39.95 / £34.99. If you want rich, detailed sound at a highly-accessible price-point, the CX 80U are all you need.

I’ll drill into the beauty of this product more down below, but the bottom line is: the CX 80U are what I’d recommend to anyone looking to go back to wired earbuds in 2026.

Low risk, high reward

I’ve already touched on the Sennheiser CX 80U’s low price (and they’re occasionally discounted for even less), but let’s discuss what exactly makes them so special.

These buds use a USB-C connector with a built-in DAC, opening up lossless audio — something that’s not truly possible over Bluetooth, which is an inherently lossy technology. By using USB-C as a connectivity method, the CX 80U aren’t only optimized for modern smartphones, tablets, and laptops, but they also won’t need to be charged like their Bluetooth counterparts — and I often keep them with me in case I forget to juice up my Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones or LG Tone Free T90S earbuds.

But as practical as the CX 80U are, the real highlight is their performance. They show impeccable attention to detail, and can easily illuminate elements such as subtle percussion or delicate vocal intricacies. However, they also nail the fundamentals, with well-balanced, agile bass, clear mids, and vivid treble.

Speaking of treble, I found this to be a real highlight on the CX 80U — highs have an impressive sense of space, and often sound as if they’re operating in a well-defined pocket, giving percussion in particular plenty of space to express itself. But during my time testing the CX 80U, I was impressed with their quality right across the frequency range, and regardless of what genre I threw at them, they delivered an enjoyable and entertaining listen each time.

As well as sounding great, the CX 80U manage to provide surprisingly substantial passive noise cancellation, and they come with various-sized eartips, so you can find the perfect seal. Whenever I use them, I also find that cable noise is pretty muted, and they’re comfortable to wear, even for longer listening sessions.

One more thing I love about the CX 80U is their build quality. They look more premium than their price suggests, and I’m drawn to their rounded buds, slim wires, and enticing silver details. Classy.

So, if you’re on a budget but looking to get into the wired earbuds game, then it really doesn’t get much better than the Sennheiser CX 80U. Go on, give ‘em a go!

• Check Point Research warns Prime Day (June 23–26, 2026) is fueling a surge in malicious Amazon‑themed domains
• 6,843 domains registered Dec–May; nearly 10% flagged malicious/suspicious, with June showing 1 in 13 domains risky
• Shoppers urged to avoid Google searches for Amazon, verify URLs, and treat “too good to be true” deals with caution

Thousands of new domains were registered in the weeks and months leading up to Amazon Prime Day, most of which are malicious and created to steal consumer data and possibly money. This is according to a new report from Check Point Research (CPR), in which the security outfit warns about Prime Day being the perfect storm for every cybercriminal.

Amazon’s Prime Day is set to take place between June 23 and 26, 2026. During these four days, thousands of retailers in 25 countries will offer great deals on their goods and services, creating one of the biggest retail events on the planet. Consequently, they’ll also be creating one of the biggest cyberattack events on the planet, as well:

“Major retail moments bring together the three ingredients’ attackers exploit most: a globally trusted brand, time-limited urgency, and massive purchase intent at scale,” CPR warns, adding that phishing emails, fake websites, fraudulent offers, and account takeover attempts all surge during this period.

How to defend against Prime Day scams

For events such as this one, crooks prepare months in advance. CPR found that between December 2025 and May 2026, there were 6,843 new Amazon-themed domains registered worldwide, most of which were set up in April (1,446). May 2026 added another 1,267 domains.

Obviously, not all of them will be malicious, but CPR said that almost one in ten (9.2%) were already classified as either malicious or suspicious, and in the first week of June, one in every thirteen was labeled the same way.

“This pattern reflects a broader build-up of malicious infrastructure ahead of the event, with multiple Amazon-themed domains designed to exploit brand trust, urgency, and high purchase intent at scale,” the researchers warned.

To stay safe this Amazon Prime Day, always double-check the website you’re visiting, always go to Amazon's legitimate domain (https://www.amazon.com/) rather than relying on Google search results, and remember - if something is too good to be true, it most likely is.

"You can take the MacBook back. I don’t have the patience to learn a new thing," said my wife as she slid the MacBook Neo back across the kitchen counter.

It was the unceremonious end to a two-week-long experiment in which I encouraged my wife, a decades-long Windows user, to give Apple a try, more specifically, the flavor of Apple found in a lovely, citrus MacBook Neo.

Look, I am no pusher. Ever since I started testing the $599 laptop, my wife had been eyeing it. She was becoming Mac curious. This had a lot to do with her creaky Microsoft Surface Pro 4, a decade-old system that would soon face the dreaded end of Windows 10 security updates (no TPM 2.0 on that old Surface Pro).

As a realtor, she kind of loved the old girl. It ably ran all of her Web-based business software, handled emails, basic art needs for whipping up new listing sheets, and social media materials. She also knew, however, that it was almost time for an upgrade. We both wondered if the affordable and mid-range-powered MacBook Neo could ably step in for the Surface Pro.

My wife even told me that, if she went with the MacBook Neo, Cirtus would not be her choice; the blush looked rather nice. Of course, Citrus is what I had on hand, so that's what she got.

I told her that, while different, macOS would not be completely foreign. Sure, it moved some things around, but my wife was no Luddite; she picked up new tech pretty well.

One thing about her, though, should have been a warning: she hates change.

Taking the macOS plunge

Simply buying her a MacBook Neo — even if there are some nifty Prime Day Deals right now — without knowing if she'd take to it made no sense, and since I'd been testing and using this on-and-off for months, we decided to set her up with it as if she'd bought the system brand new.

I reset the MacBook Neo. It's a $699 model with Touch ID and 512GB of storage, and I told her that this would likely be the one we would buy anyway since I wouldn't want her to run into storage issues.

Next, we sat side-by-side as I walked her through the setup. She took to this part quickly, though I realized that the placement of Touch ID on the power/sleep button was non-obvious. When I told her to register her finger to unlock the laptop, she stared at the system for a few seconds, clearly looking for something with a fingerprint symbol.

You're on your own

For the next couple of weeks, I would watch her slip the laptop into her work bag or use it at the dining room table. I did catch her occasionally trying to tap the screen, which was unsurprising. After all, she'd spent a decade with a touch-screen convertible. I'd ask her how it was going, and she'd give me a slightly less-than-enthusiastic "OK".

At work, she said she struggled to connect to the office printer and finally had a coworker step in and help her.

When she was at home, I showed her how to add her OneDrive account to access work files, a move that seemed to both confound and confuse her. The Windows system automatically integrates the drive. For the Mac, there's an app and then a few steps.

Even the benefits I found in adding a Mac to my Apple ecosystem were lost on her:
"Why do my iPhone notifications keep popping up on the MacBook? That's annoying."

I kept waiting for that moment, the epiphany that triggered, "Why didn't I make this switch years ago?"

It never came.

She found the need to use two fingers to enact right-click functions confusing and didn't seem all that thrilled with the trackpad.

It was clear she appreciated the MacBook Neo design, and yet, she told me, “It’s nice and sleek and all of that, but I could get a new PC that’s nice and sleek and all of that."

As we walked through a Best Buy looking at both MacBook Neo and a bunch of comparable Windows machines from Lenovo, HP, Dell, and Acer, it was clear that the MacBook Neo had not won her over.

After she returned the system, my wife told me that she just couldn't get used to all the differences. Why was the control center at the top? Why did the dock look like that? How could they not have a Start button?

For the average Mac user, like myself, there were all good reasons for these design elements and placements, but, having been a switcher myself, I understood the confusion. Working on a MacBook after 30 years on Windows means you are living in a constant state of "Who moved my cheese?" And when you, as my wife does, have important work to get done, you can't have a system's quirks getting in the way of your productivity.

Getting real

None of this is a commentary on the still excellent MacBook Neo, but it does say something about a certain class of users who, while Apple might try to attract them with the affordable MacBook Neo, are unlikely to make the switch.

The reality is that the best market for the MacBook Neo is still the back-to-school market, where it will likely have an easier time of swaying kids who've used Chromebooks or have only been on iPads.

They'll become Apple's newest customers. As for aging Windows users, getting them to make the switch might be more than Apple can or should hope for — even with the appealing MacBook Neo.

Upgrading any area of one's gaming setup is something I can always get behind, and regardless of budget, need, desire, or platform, I'm often able to find recommendations across all kinds of gear.

Shop more early Prime Day deals at Amazon US

However, audiophile or high-end gaming headsets is one of my favourite areas in which to delve and recommend. We've seen a surge of new products in recent years either targeting the audiophile market directly or at least the audiophile-adjacent, premium and high-end part of the spectrum. As such, there's now a good few products to choose from nowadays.

But there's only a few I recommend over the others. Each offers something slightly different, but all are excellent and are my personal picks for the best audiophile gaming headsets going right now. They're so good, they justify their price tag even when at full price, I believe, too. So if you're looking to enhance your gaming audio ahead of GTA 6 pre-orders starting this Thursday, then check out my recommendations below.

Planar-magnetic drivers FTW

For me, the Audeze Maxwell 2 is the greatest-sounding gaming headset money can buy right now. It is now my default go-to set of cups for all gaming, no matter the genre or type of game I'm playing, and I absolutely love it.

At the core of the headset are its 90mm planar magnetic drivers, which are frankly absurd. I am a big fan of a lot of brands' default audio quality, but I have never had better audio out of the box than the Maxwell 2's. It's the best going right now, and literally can't speak highly enough about it.

The science and philosophy of Audeze really make it exquisite for those looking to get better audio for single-player games, stemming from the company's history in making premium headphones for music and media. The reality is that it is still brilliant for multiplayer games, and you also get some flexibility via the Audeze app for tweaking your own EQ settings if you need to.

There are very few chinks in the armor, but some things to be aware of might be its good but unspectacular mic, and its overall bulkiness — though I think we are all a bit too scared of headsets that are big and that weigh more than others; it's genuinely OK if a headset weighs a few more ounces or grams, don't worry! I really like the chunky feel and slightly heavier feel of the set myself, and find the set incredibly comfortable.

Otherwise, I simply cannot reiterate this again: if you really want to get the best gaming audio, and something that'll make GTA 6 sing beautifully no matter the scenario, then this is the audiophile gaming headset to buy right now.

An Elite experience

While the Maxwell 2 rules on the driver and audio quality front, if you're looking for an audiophile-level, premium headset that offers a complete solution and all the bells and whistles — along with some excellent audio, of course — that you need from a headset on any platform, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite is worth considering.

It's pricey, I know, but as I said in my review, it really is the best gaming headset I've ever tested. It simply offers it all in one truly excellent package, from audio quality and versatility — you can use it across every platform, simultaneously — to feature set, build quality, comfort, and microphone performance — literally everything.

If you really want one high-grade headset to rule them all while offering audiophile-level gaming audio, then this is the upgrade to make this year, ahead of GTA 6.

It's an old one, but a great one

The PC38X is a wonderful wired audiophile-level headset which I have loved using on both PC and PS5. It sounds fantastic, and is a pretty no-nonsense gaming headset with genuine pedigree behind it.

You might see it styled as Drop + Epos PC38X or just a Drop PC38X, but whichever title you see it under, I really recommend this as a wired set for anyone who wants to keep things simple and get a brilliant-sounding open-backed set of audio givers.

It is a bit old now, but you know what they say: class and quality endures (or something like that. Now, there is one caveat with this headset, and one that is directly related to it being a slightly older model: its availability is a bit spotty. Our automatic price-finding tool below should surface the headset, however, and I have seen it with my own eyes at Amazon US and Amazon UK this week.

However, if you are looking for some wired audiophile gaming headset alternatives to the PC38X if it's not available in your region, then I have some picks for you too.

The Audeze LCD-GX is an open-back premium set of headphones that have been built for gaming. Channeling all that planar magnetic goodness that the brand is known for, these are a seriously high-end set of cups. The massive 106mm drivers pack an almighty punch and offer immense detail, while it comes with a mic, so it's a genuine wired headset option.

The Sennheiser HD 550s are one of my favorite sets of headphones from recent years, and while they may appear as another headphone offering from Sennheiser, these are definitely targeted at gamers who want higher quality audio. You'll need to buy a mic attachment separately to elevate it to a full gaming headset offering.

The Asus ROG Kithara is another option, and is a recent release into the audiophile market. Developed with HiFiMan, this headset has huge 100mm planar-magnetic drivers (not too dissimilar to the Maxwell 2), an open-backed design, and sounds wonderful.

And while not an audiophile gaming headset in the truest sense, per se, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro wired gaming headset is an excellent option for those looking for a complete wired gaming headset experience, with brilliant audio and all the features to boot.

• Nothing's Carl Pei has bad news about the RAM crisis
• "Phone prices are going up and they’ll keep going up into next year.”
• He adds that seasonal sales might not be as useful as in previous years

The RAM crisis feels like one of those problems that might one day — ideally soon — be solved, and consumer tech would return to a more reasonable cost. Unfortunately, yet another industry expert — this time the CEO of Nothing, Carl Pei — says prices might be as good as they’ll get for a while. And that we’re better off acting fast to avoid disappointment.

In a post on social media, Pei explained that “Memory is now the most expensive component in a smartphone," adding that it “can account for more than 50% of the total hardware bill.” As a result, “phone prices are going up,” Pei says, “and they’ll keep going up into next year.”

His post ends saying, “If you've been waiting to upgrade a device, the best time was yesterday. The next best time is now. This year's sale season won't have the discounts people are used to.”

That might mean Black Friday — and the surrounding sales the end of the year brings — might not usher in the level of discounts we’re used to. As some older tech prices rise — like the recent hikes to the PS5, Steam Deck, and others — it’s possible end-of-year sales might only return gadgets to their pre-hike cost, or worse yet, offer a discount that falls short of that pre-hike level.

Pei’s warning echoes that of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who predicted at a recent event that the ongoing memory shortage is a crisis that'll last for "quite a few years", however an ex-Samsung boss — Kye-hyun Kyung, who was the head of Samsung's semiconductor business just a couple of years ago — predicts RAM costs may soften by late 2027, or early 2028, thanks to Chinese companies expanding the RAM output.

Additionally, Kyung noted that if the AI boom slows, investment and demand for RAM may stall, helping lower costs amid an influx of Chinese supply and a dip in demand.

When's the best time to buy new tech?

Of course, this is all speculation. While Chinese chips may be on the way it’s possible countries like the US may impose import bans or extreme tariffs to counter them (especially if they pose a risk to American companies like Nvidia), and it’s possible they won’t be as desirable as Kyung predicts if they can’t match the performance of their rivals — though for budget-friendly tech cheap and slightly worse chips would be better than nothing.

At the same time, Huang and Pei’s RAM crisis warnings come with baggage. Nvidia’ massive stock price gains are in part because RAM and other component prices used by AI are on the up, Huang doesn’t want companies waiting and hoping for a better deal, he wants them buying more Nvidia chips now out of fear costs will go up.

Similarly, Pei doesn’t want consumers waiting to buy tech when it’s on sale or when prices drop; he wants them to buy Nothing’s phones now to help the company recoup the higher costs it has paid to make the current lineup.

If you’re feeling strapped for cash but in need of a tech upgrade, the middle ground option might be to wait just a week. That’s because starting June 23, we’ll hit Prime Day and get a flavor for what this year’s sales could look like.

While Amazon has a proper event, other retailers around the world will slash prices to compete with the global shopping giant. Black Friday usually sees deeper discounts and more accessible deals that don’t require a Prime membership, but Prime Day — and whether it’s what we expected, worse than usual, or better than usual — should give us a hint at what Black Friday has in store.

Alternatively, it could offer you a prime sweet spot. Giving you a chance to buy tech now at a reduced rate before it climbs higher, as Pei and Huang predict.

Unfortunately, there’s no single right answer to this conundrum, given the many unknowns. Even beyond RAM, we’re seeing SSD prices rise, so even if one crisis ends, another could be in full swing, and if there is some kind of AI bubble pop, costs won’t drop instantly, as many companies have preordered their components to lock-in pricing and availability ahead of time — meaning inflated prices will stick around for a while even in the best-case scenario.

Hopefully, some light is coming at the end of this RAM crisis tunnel — I have my fingers crossed, but I’m not holding my breath.

Black Friday might be over, but Cyber Monday has just begun.

Cloud storage is an ever growing part of not just businesses, but normal life - with most of us using software storage in some shape or form. If you're not (or if you're in the market for a new provider) Internxt is a great place to start - with a huge 90% off on storage plans this Black Friday.

For the security-conscious among us, Internext is a fantastic one to consider - winning top spot in our list of best cloud storage for security.

The platform earns this place thanks to the advanced security features offered. Internxt provides post quantum encryption, two factor authentication, and zero-knowledge architecture - meaning no data is scanned or saved as it travels through the platform.

The end-to-end encryption ensures that no one, not even Internxt, can see your files - a feature that is crucial to security, but not all cloud storage services offer this.

This current deal on offer is for a lifetime of cloud storage - so you don't have to fuss around with subscription costs - and at 90% off, you can be sure you're getting a great price.

You can claim this deal on the Essential, Premium, and Ultimate lifetime plans - and these include cloud storage, backups, antivirus, and even an encrypted VPN.

EDIT: These prices have all been updated to reflect price changes. Internxt prices were lower last week for some reason, with the Essential plan was $130 down from $1300, the Premium plan was $230 down from $2300, and the Ultimate plan was $330 down from $3300. So really these plans are more like 85% off, which is still a really good deal, just not as good as last week.

Today's top Internxt Cloud Storage deals

Also consider: More Cloud Storage

• Over 120,000 fake Amazon websites appeared before Prime Day sales
• Unauthorized payment scams rose to 38%, showing hackers’ shifting focus
• Shoppers’ excitement around Prime Day is the perfect tool for scammers

Cybersecurity researchers have revealed cybercriminals once again took advantage of a massive shopping event to spread scams.

NordVPN found more than 120,000 malicious websites were created in the months leading up to the July 2025 sale, and this trend continued ahead of October’s sale, as attackers sought to exploit the rush.

Amazon Prime Day deals have long been a magnet for online shoppers, but the data suggests they have also become a magnet for scammers.

A changing objective among cybercriminals

NordVPN reports hackers are increasingly setting up fake websites designed to look like legitimate Amazon pages.

These pages often trick users into sharing payment information or downloading harmful files.

Amazon’s own data shows that the tactics of cybercriminals are shifting. Instead of trying to gain access to customer accounts, many are now targeting direct financial theft.

The number of cases involving unauthorized payments rose from 28% in April to 38%, marking the highest reported goal among attackers.

NordVPN’s analysis also found that during Amazon’s 2025 Big Spring Sale earlier this year, the number of malware websites surged by 1,661%.

Similarly, phishing and scam sites increased by 1,294% and 8,325% respectively.

Many of these sites mimic the design and URL structure of official Amazon pages, tricking users into entering sensitive data or downloading harmful software.

The company detected 92,000 phishing websites masquerading as Amazon domains and nearly 21,000 that attempted to distribute malicious files.

Malware removal tools can help in such situations, but the most effective defense remains prevention.

“Major shopping events like Prime Day create perfect storms for cybercriminals. Scammers know that shoppers’ excitement and urgency around limited-time deals make them more susceptible to clicking on malicious links or sharing personal information,” says Marijus Briedis, chief technology officer (CTO) at NordVPN.

Experts advise shoppers to always use Amazon’s official website rather than following links from promotional emails or third-party posts.

Customers should also look for the secure “https://” prefix and the padlock symbol in the browser bar before entering any personal details.

Suspicious messages filled with grammatical errors or warnings about account closures should be treated with skepticism.

Amazon does not request sensitive information such as passwords or Social Security numbers through email.

Using a reliable password manager can also reduce exposure by generating unique, complex passwords for each site, minimizing the risk if one account is compromised.

Even though October 2025’s Amazon Prime Day is over, online shoppers are urged to stay cautious and remember that deals promising unrealistic discounts are often bait for scams.

“The fundamentals of cybersecurity can sometimes be forgotten during major online shopping events,” says Briedis.

“Shoppers should never click links in unsolicited emails, even if they appear to come from Amazon.”

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It’s Prime Day in Singapore, and amidst all the incredible deals that have cropped up on day one of the sale, this SG$100 discount on the Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle is one of my highlights.

The long-awaited second-gen console offers numerous upgrades across the board over the original Nintendo Switch, and this deal will be a hard one to pass up if you’ve been patiently waiting for it to come down in price.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is a much more versatile console than what is offered by both Xbox and PlayStation. Capable of being played on the go in a handheld mode, or using a TV more traditionally via a docking station, the Switch 2 bridges a wide subset of the gaming audience. There are plenty of gamers who love Nintendo’s console for their iconic games, including Mario titles, The Legend of Zelda series – which also get discounts for Prime Day – and many more, but it’s just as well a good gadget for the kids and more casual gamers, down to its easy usability and handy modes of operation.

We loved the console in our Nintendo Switch 2 review, applauding its build quality, performance and backwards compatibility with previous Switch games. That being said, we weren’t too impressed with its battery life, and there are some things that feel a little bit too close to the original Switch, such as a barely changed user interface.

Still, the strengths of the Nintendo Switch 2 speak for themselves. It’s a remarkably handy console for the home or for travelling with. In fact, we really do think it’s just about the best console you could have for entertaining a room full of people.

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Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale is officially coming, and it's the biggest one ever! Running for a full seven days from October 7 to October 13, it beats the six-day sale we saw last year, and matches the week-long Prime Day we enjoyed in July. It kicks off the massive end-of-year shopping season, which culminates in Black Friday and then Christmas.

Our colleagues in the United States are calling it a 'mini Prime Day sale', but that's because the American sale is only 48 hours long. Acting as a true second Prime Day in Singapore and Down Under, there's nothing 'mini' about the deals we'll be seeing.

Similar to the first event in July, the discounts during Big Deal Days are exclusive to Prime members – including limited-time 'lightning' deals. Luckily, with the deals ending on October 13, you can take advantage of Amazon's 30-day free trial of Prime now to gain access. And, if you find the service isn't quite right for you, you can cancel at any time within your 30-day window to avoid the subscription cost.

Note, Amazon Australia’s Prime membership is only available to customers with an Australian billing address, though delivery can be made to New Zealand.

What to expect from Prime Big Deal Days

Positioned perfectly between the mid-year and Black Friday sales, Prime Big Deal Days is the first major opportunity for shoppers to get a head start on holiday shopping.

While you might be tempted to wait until November, Amazon has already confirmed deals from top brands like Lego and Samsung, as well as Amazon devices like Ring security cameras, Fire TV Sticks and Kindle ereaders. And, if it's anything like last year's sale, we expect the seven-day event to cover thousands of products, from tech and homewares to everyday essentials.

Considering the sheer number of the best Amazon deals we see each week, a dedicated event that promises to improve its usual offering to Prime members is exciting in its own right. To help get an idea of what to expect in October, here are some of our favourite deals we saw in Australia during July's Prime Day sale.

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• 200 million Amazon Prime subscribers got a warning email about scams
• Most attacks centered around fake price hikes
• Social engineering is an attacker's best friend

With Amazon Prime Day now behind us, Malwarebytes has revealed new research showing old trends repeat themselves – every year, we see a surge in scams and attacks on unsuspecting victims, and 2025 was no different.

This year, around 200 million Prime customers received warnings from the company about ongoing attacks, with some handy pointers on what to look out for.

"Scammers are sending fake emails claiming your Amazon Prime subscription will automatically renew at an unexpected price," the company said.

Amazon Prime Day scams

By making genuine subscribers believe that costs are rising, attackers are able to instil a sense of urgency as many seek to prevent price hikes or cancel altogether. Customized and personal information in emails, such as a user's name, may also aid in mimicking authenticity.

In many cases, attackers include a link to a page for victims to cancel their subscription or change account settings, leading them to a lookalike site where they enter their credentials. Some cases also saw attackers direct victims to sites that deliver malicious payloads, including malware that could put far more than just their Amazon accounts at risk.

"The fake site might also request payment information and other personal details which, when entered, will go straight to the scammer who will be quick to use or sell them on," Malwarebytes continued.

Fake messages about Prime membership renewals, bogus refund offers and calls claiming Amazon accounts have been hacked were among the most popular scenarios Amazon workers were forced to deal with during this month's Prime Day sales.

Thankfully, the same advice still applies when it comes to protecting accounts, because social engineering remains the most effective attack vector.

Some common steps include checking the sender's email address against a verified list, enabling two-step verification on accounts, not repeating passwords on multiple accounts and not following links unless it is absolutely necessary.

Amazon also repeats its messages in the Message Center, so if a message is received by email only, this could be a sign of an attack.

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The Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones have been one of 2025’s most anticipated product launches. It’s easy to see why, as the electronics giant has had certified hits with its previous two generations of these over-ear headphones – both of which are still on sale and with generous Prime Day discounts – but if you want the absolute best, the pinnacle of premium headphones, the XM6s are the way to go.

They launched just two months ago, in mid-May, to critical acclaim, not just from us but from critics everywhere. You can of course read our Sony WH-1000XM6 review to find out exactly why we love them so much.

At full price, however, even I had to wince. As good as they are, I don’t personally think they offer a big enough leap over their predecessors to be good value at their normal price. However, with Amazon Singapore offering a SG$120 discount for Prime Day, that's a big enough saving to change my mind.

They were always going to need to be something special to topple the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones as the top premium pick in our list of the best noise cancelling headphones, but the Sony WH-1000XM6s have managed it. Thanks to a combination of 12 microphones (four more than in the XM5s) and a new QN3 processor, these Sony cans are able to cancel out an obscene amount of external noise. What’s more, they use the mics to help deliver crystal-clear voice quality on calls too.

Elsewhere they’re packed with features, including LDAC and DSEE Extreme, which both work to deliver the best possible sound to your ears, and there are also a range of EQ options, including a new Cinema mode for more immersive audio. Auracast support is also onboard.

And for anyone wishing Sony didn’t ditch the folding design for the XM5s will be pleased to know the XM6s have brought it back, making them more travel-friendly in the process. Plus, the case is a solid thing with a magnetic clasp, a feature I wish more headphone manufacturers would adopt.

All in all, they’re a superb set of headphones, made even more appealing by this significant price drop.

Prime Day is an easy opportunity to be dragged into spending, but this year, I'm tapping out. I've tracked deals for years, from Samsung pre-orders to broadband discounts, and nothing has got my attention like this deal from NordVPN.

It's not the cheapest VPN, nor is it miles ahead in terms of speed but, to my own personal testing, it's the best VPN around. So, when I heard our readers could grab a two-year NordVPN plan and get a $50 Amazon gift card for my troubles, I was hooked.

But, VPNs are always 'on sale', so what makes this different? I've not seen NordVPN offer any sales this extreme since Black Friday 2023. Dropping an offer this good in mid-July is seriously out of character. What's more, four months extra for free is on the cards if you pick up the offer through TechRadar.

The deal isn't all sunshine and rainbows, though. You have to wait 31 days or more before your gift card is sent to you. That means that you can't use the gift card over Prime Day, and it means you can't use NordVPN's 30-day money-back guarantee to get the gift card and then change your mind about the VPN subscription.

But Amazon is a good place to shop any time of year and NordVPN is a great subscription choice, so it's win-win the way I see it.

The big $50 gift card is only available on the most expensive plans, which, for most, are simply overkill. While extras such as cloud storage (available on Complete plans and above), Identity Protection (on Prime plans), and data removal (on Ultra plans) are nice, the reality is that many people won't often need them, and they'll just be added cost.

What I recommend

It's for this reason I recommend picking up the Plus plan. No unnecessary extras, just the best VPN out there, the best password manager out there, and a capable antivirus system.

All of this comes packed in arguably my favorite VPN to look at. No, it's not the simplest VPN, but on my S24 Ultra, it looks cleaner than almost any other provider. Plus, its apps span every device in my home, and all perform equally well.

Also, I love the tools you get with NordVPN. Yes, it's not the best antivirus, but Threat Protection Pro performed better than any other VPN antivirus out there. NordPass, its password management system, is the best password manager out there. You also get data breach alerts and ad-blocking, so whenever I'm online, it's free of pesky banners.

If you're not sure which plan is for you, here's a comparison of all the plans eligible for a free Amazon gift card. The available plans vary by region, but we've broken down everything you need to know to make the right choice.

Prime Day in Singapore is well underway and amongst the deluge of fantastic deals, there’s one that’s caught my attention in particular – a hefty 29% discount on the super-powerful Dyson Gen5detect vacuum cleaner, now just SG$999.

What makes this even more attractive is the fact this deal applies to the Complete model, which comes with no fewer than six attachments, two cleaning heads – the Fluffy optic and Digital Motorbar – and the Floor Dok Multi. You’re getting a lotta vacuum for your money.

As we said in our Dyson Gen5detect review, this stick vacuum delivers "a powerful yet quiet clean on all types of floors” and it’s able to tackle hair and built-up dirt “very well” thanks to its 262 air watts of power. Our reviewer loved the dirt-illuminating light on the Fluffy Optic floorhead too, as it’s the brightest one Dyson has made, swapping the laser for an LED, meaning it can be clearly seen during the daytime and it has a broader beam than before.

What’s especially impressive about the Gen5detect, however, is its battery life. Offering up to 70 minutes on a full charge, you’ll likely find you’ll rarely need to plug it back into the mains in the middle of a cleaning session. And, of course, being a Dyson, the Gen5detect removes 99.9% of dust and allergens, plus a whole-machine HEPA filtration system means it’s all kept inside the unit.

We can’t be sure how long this deal will last as this price is rather enticing if I say so myself, so if you’ve been eyeing up Dyson’s most powerful vacuum but haven’t wanted to pay top dollar, now’s your chance.

The Nintendo Switch 2 only debuted last month, with the long awaited console offering upgrades across the board over its predecessor – and while rounding up the best Prime Day deals, we spotted an attractive early discount that brings the Mario Kart World bundle down to just SG$699.

A SG$70 discount on the Nintendo Switch 2 might not sound like a lot, but keep in mind this console has only just been released – and that this deal includes the latest Mario Kart game. You’ll get the standard Switch 2 console in the box, along with a docking station for TV play, attachable JoyCons and a bridging mount that turns the JoyCons into a more traditional controller.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is a much more versatile console than what's offered by either Xbox and PlayStation. Capable of being played on the go in a dedicated handheld mode, or using a TV more traditionally via a docking station, the Switch 2 should appeal to gamers of all stripes. There are plenty who love Nintendo’s consoles for their iconic games, including Mario titles, The Legend of Zelda series and many more, but the Switch 2 works just as well as a good gadget for kids and more casual gamers, thanks to its easy usability and handy modes of operation.

We loved the console in our Nintendo Switch 2 review, applauding its build quality, performance and backwards compatibility with previous Switch games. That being said, we weren’t too impressed with its battery life, and there are some things that feel a little bit too close to the original Switch, such as a barely changed user interface.

Still, the strengths of the Nintendo Switch 2 speak for themselves. It’s a remarkably handy console for the home or for travelling with. Personally, I love the Switch 2 because it’s just about the best console you could have for entertaining a room full of people or, if you’re a fun aunt or uncle like me, a particularly excitable niece or nephew for an afternoon.

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• Amazon Prime Day has begun and Prime members can now claim four additional games for free
• They include Marvel’s Midnight Suns, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, and Football Manager 2024
• Prime Day is running from July 18 through July 11

Amazon Prime Day 2025 has officially kicked off, and Prime Gaming members can now get their hands on a selection of free games to celebrate the occasion.

Starting July 8 through July 11, Amazon is hosting its annual Prime Day sale, offering exclusive deals and promotions to members, and for the first day of Prime Day, four bonus games are now available to claim throughout the month at no additional cost.

Those games include Marvel’s Midnight Suns, which first launched in 2022, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2, and one of the best horror games of all time Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

Prime members can also claim Football Manager 2024 for a limited time during the event, from July 8 to July 11.

In addition to these games, Prime members can still claim the assortment of titles that were revealed last month ahead of Prime Day.

These six games include Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered Starring Lara Croft, Saints Row 2, Saints Row 4: Re-Elected, Star Wars: Rebellion, TOEM, and Dungeon of the Endless Definitive Edition.

Starting July 17, Prime members can also claim the month's batch of free games, which includes Endless Space 2 Definitive Edition and Besiege: The Splintered Sea DLC, Venba, and I Love Finding Wild Friends Collector's Edition on July 24, and Heroes of Loot, which will be available to claim on July 31.

To secure these games, and the Prime Day offers, you just need to head to the Prime Gaming homepage, log in, and claim them.

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• Nvidia is rumored to be cutting production of RTX 5000 GPUs
• Manufacturing levels are supposedly looking at a cut of 20% or more in July
• If true, as the effects of that filter through, we can expect price rises by September

Nvidia could be planning to cut down production of its RTX 5000 graphics cards, according to a new rumor, which would of course mean less stock on shelves.

Japanese tech blog Gazlog noticed a Chiphell post (via Wccftech) claiming this is the case, and that Nvidia has already reduced supply of its Blackwell graphics cards as of June.

We're told that in May 2025, RTX 5000 supply stabilized and stock levels of the GPUs increased, with prices falling – in some cases, below MSRP. Team Green has therefore seemingly decided to reduce stock levels from July, with supply expected to drop by between 20% to 30% compared to June - and as noted, there's already been something of a cut in production for June.

Of course, less inventory would mean the possible specter of GPU price rises, but we must be very careful around the speculation aired here – particularly because it derives from Chiphell, which isn't always the most reliable source (though it has provided hardware rumors that have proved true in the past).

Analysis: Grab a GPU quickly?

I'd be particularly cautious about this rumor since the theorized drop in production is a hefty one. If true, though, it would mean that prices for Nvidia's RTX 5000 GPUs are surely set to rise.

Why would Nvidia be planning such a move? Well, part of the assertion made here is that prices have fallen too much, due to GPU stock getting beefed up beyond the demand that's out there. Another theory is that Nvidia may want to allocate chips elsewhere – namely to graphics cards for China, and primarily the new version of the GeForce RTX 5090 D (the Asian variant of the Blackwell flagship). The latter sounds a plausible enough scenario.

Of course, if production is indeed being adjusted as this rumor suggests, the effects of that won't be felt immediately, but rather in a couple of months. (As there are already chips out there being distributed, of course, in the long chain of events that happens when putting together graphics cards).

This amounts to the prospect of price rises around September time, and funnily enough, that idea chimes with other chatter from the GPU grapevine that we've been hearing lately. Namely the speculation from Moore's Law is Dead on YouTube that due to various factors – relating to both tariffs, and hardware upgrades because of the end of support for Windows 10 – graphics card price hikes are coming in Q4 of 2025 (from October, in other words).

All of which, given this fresh rumor, adds up to some seriously heavy hinting that now might be the best time to buy a GPU, particularly if you're eyeing up one of Nvidia's RTX 5000 models. And with Prime Day about to happen – and early deals already available, in fact – you might want to keep a close eye on potential GPU bargains therein. Any discounted graphics cards could possibly represent the cheapest prices you might see this year, as Black Friday will come too late to avoid what's in the pipeline in terms of price rises, at least in theory.

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• Amazon Prime users are being hit with fake renewal emails designed to steal login details
• Clicking fake “cancel” links could expose your banking info to professional online fraudsters
• Scammers are mimicking Amazon to trick shoppers before the four-day global Prime Day event

With Amazon Prime Day upon us, and set to run in twenty-six countries, the company is urging customers to be wary of a growing wave of cyber scams.

The company has sent out emails informing the over 200 million Prime members it has seen a sharp rise in fraudulent activity, especially impersonation attempts using fake emails, texts, and calls, ahead of the event.

These scams often target unsuspecting users with misleading claims about their Amazon Prime membership or account security, attempting to extract sensitive data or login details.

Phishing scams use fear tactics to defraud unsuspecting victims

Amazon says Prime members are being targeted by emails which falsely claim their subscriptions are about to renew at a new price.

These emails sometimes contain personal information and may include a "cancel subscription" button that redirects to a fake login page.

"We've recently noticed an increase in customers reporting fake emails about Amazon Prime membership subscriptions," Amazon said in an email to Prime members.

The aim is to trick users into revealing login credentials or banking information.

Amazon warns clicking on links in these fake emails can lead to compromised accounts and stolen payment details.

The company says such activity is not limited to email, as between February and March 2025, Amazon recorded a 71 percent surge in scam phone calls in the UK alone.

Impersonators typically warn users about false order issues or claim urgent action is needed.

“Scammers rely on urgency and fear,” Amazon explained, noting they often pretend accounts will be locked or charged unless immediate steps are taken.

In one notable case from Prime Day 2024, there was an 80 percent spike in impersonation scams in the US, a trend that is already repeating this year.

Although Amazon fights these scammers, and says it shut down over 55,000 phishing websites and 12,000 fake phone numbers in 2024 alone, the volume of new threats remains high.

The company says that 94% of impersonation scams globally arrive via email, text, or phone.

In a March 2025 update, Amazon also revealed social media scams had risen by 33 percent since December 2024, as fraudsters responded to customer complaints using counterfeit profiles.

How to stay safe

To avoid falling for scams, always access Amazon through the official app or by typing the website address directly into your browser.

Check the Message Center in your account for real messages, and enable two-factor authentication to block unauthorized access.

Never reuse passwords across sites, as stolen credentials can be used elsewhere.

Be cautious with messages that demand quick action, and think before clicking any link.

Confirm that items are “Shipped and sold by Amazon” for stronger protection.

If you mistakenly click on any suspicious link, monitor your debit or credit card closely for any unauthorized transactions and report the same to your bank.

The best antivirus helps to detect phishing attempts, while the best malware protection blocks data theft and can help you stay safe in this shopping season.

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• Akaso 360 price starts at $199.99 / £199.99 / AUS329.99 – a record low for 360 cameras
• It was launched worldwide on July 7, 2025
• Prime Day deals for rival models crash the party

Insta360 may have cornered the 360 camera market in recent times, but it's under threat from a rumored DJI Osmo 360 and now a surprise entry to the market, the new Akaso 360.

Akaso is a proven alternative to leading action camera brands such as GoPro, Insta360 and DJI, with an impressive lineup of low-cost models. Now it has entered the 360 camera space with the Akaso 360, and it's super impressive for the money – check out our in-depth Akaso 360 review.

The all-new 360 camera shoots crisp 5.7K video with total 360 degree coverage through its twin lenses, complete with the software smarts we've come to expect from the best 360 cameras, such as seamless stitching and selfie stick removal.

Perhaps what's most impressive, though, is the price point at which the Akaso 360 enters the market – it's so much cheaper than any other current model.

Lowering the bar for 360 camera prices, but is the Akaso 360 the best value?

The launch price for the Akaso 360 starts at just $199.99 / £199.99 / AUS329.99 for the Standard Combo, or $249.99 / £249.99 / AU$399.99 for the Creator Combo, which adds two additional batteries, a battery charging case and a 120cm selfie stick. It's available at Amazon US and Amazon UK, or directly from the Akaso store.

For price, no other 360 camera comes close – the Insta360 X5 is well over double, while the GoPro Max (2025) is around $150 / £150 / AU$200 more (and that's following a new price point from the original Max model from 2019, which was a similar price to the X5).

But just because the Akaso 360 is the cheapest model available, should you get it?

The comparison between the Akaso 360 and Insta360 X5 is hardly fair – the latter is the best 360 camera on the market, and it beats Akaso's model in almost every respect, including its 8K video and low light image quality.

The X5's twin lenses can be swapped out in case of damage too, with cheap replacement lenses available. In the long run, this feature alone could make it better value than any other 360 camera. After all, break a lens while recording with any other model, which is a likely eventuality for filming outdoor pursuits, and the whole camera needs a pricey repair or replacing. Not so with the X5.

For features and performance, however, I think the older Insta360 X3 is the closest Akaso 360 rival.

It doesn't help Akaso's cause that it unveiled its first 360 camera during Prime Day week, at a time when there are huge price cuts for the X3. You can get the Insta360 X3 for $249.99 at Amazon US (original price $449.99), or £259.99 at Amazon UK (original price £459.99) or at the Insta360 store for the same price, with other bundles available.

The X3 is still a little pricier, then, but I think it has the edge over the Akaso 360 in two ways. First, it's waterproof up to 33ft / 10m, while Akaso's model is not, and second, the X3 also shoots HDR video.

If your wallet stretches that little bit further, the X3 deal is superb value. Otherwise, the cameras are pretty similar, and if the two points above don't put you off Akaso's new model, then a full-price Akaso 360 is still excellent value. It's a super impressive 360 camera for the money.

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• NordVPN's researchers saw more than 100,000 malicious websites with an Amazon theme
• Besides phishing for credentials, crooks are tricking people into making fraudulent purchases
• Consumers are advised caution during Prime Day

Hackers have set up thousands of fake websites, using them to steal login credentials, trick people into downloading malware, or make fraudulent purchases ahead of this year’s Amazon Prime Day.

A new report from NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro team has urged consumers to be extra vigilant, claiming to have observed more than 120,000 malware, phishing, and scam websites propped up in the last two months, spoofing Amazon.

Of that number, there were 92,000 phishing sites, 21,000 malware distribution sites, and 11,000 fake goods sites.

Perfect storms

"Major shopping events like Prime Day create perfect storms for cybercriminals. Scammers know that shoppers' excitement and urgency around limited-time deals make them more susceptible to clicking on malicious links or sharing personal information without proper verification,” Marijus Briedis, NordVPN’s CTO said.

“People should maintain good cyber hygiene even when looking for the best deals."

While stealing login credentials remains a key goal for many fraudsters, one thing is growing increasingly popular - tricking people into making unauthorized payments. Apparently, this rose from 28% in April, to 38% today, and is “the highest reported objective.”

Events such as Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday, or Cyber Monday, remain key dates when cybercriminals ramp up their activity.

Amazon Prime Day is a major annual shopping event, during which the retail behemoth offers exclusive deals and discounts only for Prime members. It typically runs for two days, but this year, it will be four days long.

While this could be great for consumers, it’s even better for scammers who will definitely look to exploit the change, the researchers warned.

During Amazon's Big Spring Sale week, which took place between March 31 and April 7, 2025, malicious activity “exploded”, NordVPN said, comparing the data to the week prior.

“Malware websites surged by 1,661%, phishing sites increased by 1,294%, and scam websites skyrocketed by 8,325%,” it was said.

Spotting a fake website can be tricky sometimes, but often there are giveaways - in particular, keep an eye out for obvious spelling mistakes in URLs or headlines - "Amazom.com" for example. And remember, a good rule of thumb is always that if a deal looks to good to be true, there's a decent chance it is.

If you're concerned you may have been caught by a fake site, don't worry - there are a number of methods to find out. HaveIBeenPwned? is probably the best resource only to check if your details have been affected, offering a run-down of every big cyber incident of the past few years.

You should also ensure your devices have the best antivirus tools on offer to keep you protected, alongside the best firewall and best endpoint protection software.

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Amazon Prime Day 2025 is coming in fast, five days to be exact. The member’s only shopping event kicks off on July 8, 2025, and for the first time ever will last for four days, and will likely bring with it thousands of deals across nearly every category on the site, including plenty of gadgets.

• Shop Amazon's full early sale

Now, as the name suggests, you’ll need to be a Prime member to take part and access the deals, but also get a host of other benefits like free, fast shipping on plenty of items. And Amazon is rolling out a pretty epic deal in a refresh of one of its Prime membership tiers. Prime for Young Adults has been updated, and it’s probably the most attractive offer leading into Prime in terms of subscription options.

It’s available if you fall between the age of 18 to 24 or are a student and is priced at a 50% discount compared to the standard Prime membership at just $7.49 a month or $69 for a whole year, but right now those eligible for the offer can get six months of Prime for Young Adults for free. You’ll either verify your eligibility with a government-issued ID or a .edu email address.

Beyond the fact that it will unlock Prime Day 2025 deals for you, it comes with a host of Prime membership perks. Yes, it’s the free, fast shipping, but it’s also access to Prime Video to stream TV shows and movies on one of the best streaming services, but also access to Amazon Music and Prime Gaming. You can also get GrubHub+ for free for delivery from participating restaurants in your area.

But there’s a hidden bonus of sorts, and that’s cash back on eligible purchases in select categories all year round. Those will stand as an annual perk, but for Prime Day 2025, Amazon is doubling it to 10% cash back on products within electronics, apparel, and beauty categories, among others. It’s not unlimited, though, as it’s capped at $500 per year; however, it’s an excellent perk that can help make a standard Prime Day discount even better.

Prime for Young Adults is a pretty stellar deal right now, especially if you meet the requirements to sign up, as you’ll get six months for free and unlock a whole host of perks. Now, if you’re like me and a bit jealous that you’re out of the age range, you can still sign up for Prime to unlock deals next week and score some perks; it just doesn’t have a six-month free trial, only 30-days.

And if you can’t wait until next week, check out the best 4th of July and early Prime Day deals here.

Shop more early Prime Day deals

• Amazon Devices: 50% off TVs, Ring & Fire Sticks
• Apple: AirPods + iPads from $99
• Back to school: deals from $5.99
• Beauty: 80% off toothbrushes & skincare
• Headphones: $120 off Bose, Apple & Sony
• Health: electric toothbrushes from $24.99
• Kitchen: 54% off Ninja, Nespresso & Keurig
• Laptops: record-low prices from $175
• Tablets: iPads and Samsung from $54.99
• Toys: 40% off Lego, scooters & Toniebox
• TVs: cheap TVs from $59.99
• Vacuums: Shark, Bissell & Dyson from $49.99

I’m exposed to many of the best headphones in my job. I’ve spoken many times about my love for the Sonos Ace and how they’ve been able to fend off incoming competition from the Sony WH-1000XM6, for example. And yet, there are often times when certain pairs elude me, much to my dismay. The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e are one such pair, and they’ve now received a huge 51% discount at Amazon SG ahead of Prime Day.

I should make it clear, I have had the opportunity to hear the Px7 S2e, but I’ve never been able to own them – they’re just a little way out of my price range. However, a quick listen to them around the time they launched towards the end of 2023 has stuck with me and I’ve been yearning to own them ever since.

They sound phenomenal, deliver a hugely detailed performance, are incredibly comfortable to wear (a hugely important factor for myself), and I think they look fantastic. With this discount, they’re now in affordable territory, and so I can’t recommend them highly enough for anyone looking to massively upgrade their personal audio listening. Note, however, that this is an imported model, shipping from Amazon Germany.

A quick note on the deal: the price depends on the colour you choose. I’ve selected the lowest price above, which is for the gorgeous Ocean Blue. Anthracite Black, Cloud Grey and even the stunning Forest Green colours are all available for up to SG$14 more.

We haven’t given the Px7 S2e a full review ourselves here at TechRadar, but our esteemed colleagues at What Hi-Fi? have, and in their review they boldly state the B&Ws are “tremendously detailed for wireless headphones at this level, able to surface finer details and communicate subtle dynamic shifts to an extent that is rare for their price.”

Key to their success is upgraded digital signal processing (DSP) over their Px7 S2 predecessor – and which, from my understanding, has been upgraded even further in the recently released Px7 S3 – which injects an extra dose of fun into them to the point you’ll rarely want to take them off.

Bowers also gives you plenty of options for customisation within the companion Music app. You can tweak the EQ settings to your preference, adjust the strength of the noise cancellation and change the function of the buttons on the earcups – yes, there are reliable, physical button controls for playback here, rather than touch-sensitive gestures that can take some time to learn.

Battery life is decent at a claimed 30 hours, and you’ll get seven hours of playback time from a quick 15-minute charge, and they also support wired listening, which opens up the possibility for high-resolution audio from devices that don't support it via streaming.

I don’t expect this deal to last forever, and I’d be very surprised if the price was lowered even further when Prime Day in Singapore lands next week, so if you’ve been looking for a pair of seriously capable headphones, and a pair that will look a little more unique walking down the street, now’s the time to snap these up.

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Amazon Prime Day is fast approaching, with deals starting July 8 and ending July 11. Here at TechRadar, we'll be rounding up all the best offers on laptops, TVs, cameras, and more. However, personally, there's only one product I'm really hoping will receive a price cut: the Ecovacs WinBot W2 Pro Omni robot window cleaner.

I've been lucky enough to test some seriously cool gadgets during my 15 years as a tech journalist, but the Winbot stands out as the one that's impressed me the most, and one I'd recommend to anyone who wants to take some of the sweat out of one of life's most tedious chores.

I had my doubts at first. Would it attach firmly enough? Could it really remove dirt, or would it just move it around? Would using it be a chore in itself? Thankfully, the Winbot proved me wrong on all counts.

The Winbot attaches to your window using suction from a powerful fan and roams around the surface using a pair of treads. It can be used on windows with frames or frameless glass panels. Once it's in place, it works by spraying the glass with cleaner (stored in a small reservoir on the machine), then scooting over your window to wipe it with a damp microfiber cloth.

The windows in my apartment were embarrassingly dirty (a result of nearby construction work and my own laziness), and presented the little bot with a genuine challenge. Incredibly, though, its 'thorough' cleaning program effectively removed every trace of grime without leaving streaks.

I think the image below speaks for itself. All I had to do was hold the bot against the glass and press a button, leave the machine to do its work, then hold the same button to detach it once it was done.

It's very effective, and never showed any signs of losing suction – even when I tried it on my mirrors and shower doors. If it was flat and made of glass, I tried it, and it never failed.

This particular model comes with a cooler-sized case containing a high-capacity rechargeable battery, which means you can carry the bot around your home, inside and out, without needing to keep it plugged in. In the unlikely event that it does lose its grip, the cable attaching the bot to the case is reinforced and serves as a tether to prevent it falling from a height. You can also attach the base station to something sturdy using a carabiner clip for added peace of mind.

Maintenance is minimal, too; The only tasks that need to be done regularly are washing the removable cloth (which is why you get two) and cleaning the spherical sensor at each corner of the bot, which lets it detect if it's reached the edge of a frameless pane of glass.

You can use the Winbot by itself straight out of the box, or install the Ecovacs app, which lets you access a menu of different cleaning options, including spot cleaning, light cleaning, and thorough cleaning. There's even a manual mode so you can 'drive' the bot around the glass yourself.

The only real negative is the price. It's an excellent device, and can genuinely replace a regular window-cleaning service, but at $699.99 / AU$999 (about £500) it's a significant investment. With the right Prime Day discount, however, I think it'll be one of the smartest purchases you can make.

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In the run-up to last year’s Amazon Prime Day, so many people I spoke to said they planned to buy a new Kindle in the sale. I proudly told them it was a smart move, as I’ve said countless times before, because Prime Day is when Amazon Devices are available for their lowest-ever prices. Then the big sale rolled around, and we saw some of the most disappointing Kindle deals in recent memory. Yikes.

Another year on and I’m hearing those same hopes and dreams from friends, family and colleagues who are eyeing up a new ereader for Prime Day. And I’m here to tell you that, uh oh, I don’t think it’s going to be any better in 2025.

New tech, new higher prices

First up, two updated models of the most popular Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite were launched in October last year. That led to some welcome, if also fairly underwhelming, deals in the Black Friday sales.

Since then, I’ve been able to count the number of price cuts on these ereaders in both the US and the UK on one hand. Compared to the regular and aggressive discounts on the last generation Kindles, it seems Amazon is more reluctant to discount the new and improved versions.

Of course, they will definitely be reduced for Prime Day. That’s a given. Amazon itself has even teased that deals on the Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite are coming in the sale. Still, I can’t see them going as low as I’ve seen in years past. The days of a $59.99 / £34.99 Kindle are, sadly, long gone.

And that’s before I mention the Kindle Scribe and Kindle Colorsoft. These two devices are certainly in line for deals over Prime Day, but given that they are already more expensive premium models with advanced features and capabilities, you won’t be seeing them for cheap.

Kindle is king

I also think that, with the way so much anticipation is placed on Prime Day as the best time to pick up Amazon products, the retailer doesn’t necessarily need to go for such substantial discounts on its most popular items any more. Sure, it’ll slash an Echo Dot or Fire TV Stick to nothing to get Alexa and the Amazon ecosystem in your home, but the Kindle is a different proposition.

Despite admirable competition from the likes of Kobo and Onyx, the Kindle is still well-established as one of the best ereaders you can buy. Amazon knows it’s onto a winner with this one.

Current readers are also potentially locked into an existing collection of books from Amazon’s exclusive library, set up with recurring Kindle Unlimited subscriptions, and enjoying the benefits of regular free books through Prime.

When you weigh those things up, it’s hard to see why Amazon would want to sell Kindles for as cheaply as it has done in the past. I think that’s played into why discounts have been fewer and smaller recently.

And then there’s everything else going on

Lastly, there are a handful of other wider factors to consider that I’m bundling together here. We’re living in a world where everything costs more nowadays. The tariff nonsense still has manufacturers and retailers jumpy. Consumer spending power is generally down across the board.

As a British bloke with a film degree, I’m not going to dare wade in on the specifics of how these will affect the price of a Kindle, but I don’t need to study economics to know it’s all having an impact. Amazon is undoubtedly considering all of this when it comes to setting prices for its members-only sale. The same members it’s charging extra to if you want ads removed on Prime Video.

I’m prepared to be pleasantly surprised, but I’m not hopeful. Just putting it all together, the tech is newer, the discounts throughout the year have slowed, Prime Day is a well-established sale, and the current state of the world all point towards another disappointing year for Kindle deals.

Whether you want to up your security measures or check your cat hasn’t completed its plans for world domination, the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam can help you keep an eye on the goings-on at home.

Indoor security camera footage comes in useful for all kinds of scenarios. Say one wants to establish precisely who scratched the paintwork after trying to jump through a closed skylight – it’s great for that. Just keep in mind that the audio and visual quality of recordings can vary vastly between security cameras, so it’s important to look for one that offers the best specs within your budget.

In terms of recording quality, videos are satisfyingly clear thanks to the 1080p HD resolution, and visuals play smoothly without any major pixelation or lagging. And, aside from a bit of tinniness, the sound quality is good too; recorded words are easy to distinguish, and I haven’t encountered any issues with the sound not aligning with the video.

The Ring Home app is both responsive in use and in keeping me well-informed with notifications. Privacy and activity zones were easy to set up and shape, as there are six points I could adjust to create each zone. Both features work well, and save me from constant notifications from high-traffic areas in my home.

While it may not be the cheapest on the market, the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam’s features, specs, and app make it worth the $79.99 / £69.99 / AU$129 price tag. Having said that, there are often offers to be found either directly from Ring or Amazon. And, most importantly, as Ring is an Amazon brand, it’s bound to see some decent discounts come Prime Day. Last Cyber Monday, I saw the price drop to just $49.99 / £44.99, so there could be some serious savings to be had this Amazon Prime Day.

It’s worth noting that, while you do still get instant notifications, can access the live feed, and use the two-way talk feature, a subscription is required if you want to review or store footage after an event has occurred – there’s no option for local storage here. For more details about pricing, take a look at our guide to Ring subscriptions, which breaks down what features are available in each of the Ring Home Basic, Standard, and Premium tiers.

I don’t have a Premium subscription, but if I did, I might be able to get to the jist of my kitties' hijinx quicker with access to the Smart Video Search feature, and, at some point, the Video Description feature, too, which at the time of writing this is only available to Ring Premium subscribers in the US and Canada.

While the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam does a good job of capturing cat-based catastrophes, I do really wish that it had motion tracking. This feature isn’t a necessity if the camera has a view of the whole room, but it’d be a very useful addition for situations when this isn’t possible. If motion tracking is a must for you, I’d recommend taking a look at the IMOU Rex 3D instead.

If you’re on a mission to find one of the best home security cams, you should be quite pleased with the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam, thanks to its prompt detection, high-quality footage, and reassuring privacy features. For a more detailed account of what this little security camera can do, have a read through my full Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam review.

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The Nintendo Switch 2 has been out for several weeks now, and we here at TechRadar rated it four-and-a-half out of five stars in our Switch 2 review, thanks to its visual upgrades, premium build and improved processing over its predecessor. The Switch 2 impressed us in one other key area: features.

Switch 2 feature upgrades include 4K resolution, 120fps support (capped at 1080p) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), although this is only in handheld mode. These are some pretty big upgrades, even though they may be too much for your current TV.

I wrote a brief guide on what the Switch 2’s upgrades mean for your TV and how to see if they’re supported, which you can check out at the link. If you’re looking to get a new TV to complement your Switch 2, below, I’ve picked three of the best gaming TVs that are currently more affordable for various reasons, including one model that is certainly going to get a deal at the upcoming Amazon Prime Day, running July 8-11.

1. LG C4 42-inch

The LG C4 sits at the top of pretty much every TechRadar best TV list, including the best gaming TVs and best OLED TVs, as it offers everything you could need for movies and gaming.

LG’s C4 delivers exceptional picture quality, with bold, bright colors that will complement the Switch 2’s more vibrant games, such as Mario Kart World or Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and it has rich contrast, inky, deep black levels, and realistic, almost 3D-like textures. If you’re looking for the ultimate picture quality from a mid-range OLED, the C4 is top of the list.

The C4 is also a phenomenal gaming TV, supporting 4K 144Hz, VRR (AMD FreeSync, Nvidia GSync included), HGiG, Dolby Vision gaming and ALLM, and its Game Optimizer mode is a truly useful tool for gamers. It also boasts an ultra-low 9.2ms input lag time (in Boost mode) that’s perfect for fast-paced racing games like Mario Kart. While the Switch 2 will select features here, the C4 is perfect for gamers with multiple consoles.

Right now, you can pick up the 42-inch LG C4, which is perfect for smaller spaces or bedrooms, for as low as $699 / £589 (roughly AU$1,069), an exceptional value for what this TV can do. You can even get the 48-inch model for $899 / £699 (roughly AU$1,375). This is the perfect time to pick up this TV before stock runs out and the new LG C5 takes its place.

2. Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED

It may be Amazon’s most premium TV in its own Fire TV range, but the Omni Mini-LED is still great value. It has a mini-LED panel for improved local dimming over standard LED models and introduces more advanced gaming features than previous models in the Amazon Fire TV range.

When I tested the Omni Mini-LED, I was impressed by its color display and strong contrast. Textures and details were also refined, and it proved to be an excellent TV for sports with a sports mode that was accurate out of the box.

The Omni Mini-LED also boasts a great list of features for gaming that will suit your Switch 2, with support for 4K 144Hz, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming. Its 13.4ms input lag may not be the lowest, but it’s lower than the 15ms threshold that gamers look for.

One of the Omni Mini-LED’s best aspects is its value. At full price, the Omni Mini-LED 55-inch model costs $819.99 / £849.99 (roughly AU$1,254), but you can expect this price to drop throughout the year during Prime Day and Black Friday. The 55-inch model is, in fact, available for $699 at Amazon US and £699 at Amazon UK right now ahead of Prime Day!

3. Samsung Q80D

The Samsung Q80D is a QLED TV that delivers better-than-expected performance, and it's also a great value TV.

We found the Q80D’s contrast and black levels to be exceptional for a QLED TV, showcasing effective local dimming. You’ll need to tweak its colors, but once you have, you’ll be rewarded with a vivid color display that’s among the best for a mid-range TV.

But gaming features and performance are where the Q80D really impresses. It supports 4K 120Hz, VRR and ALLM and also features Samsung’s Gaming Hub for cloud-based gaming. It also has an impressively low 9.8ms input lag time, which is excellent for this price range!

As the Q80D nears the end of its life cycle, its prices are constantly dropping and there’s always a deal available. You can find the 65-inch Q80D for as low as $899 / £699 (AU$1,379) if you look in the right places, and smaller-sized models are even better value.

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• Amazon is expanding Same-Day and Next-Day delivery to more rural US areas
• It will spend $4 billion to triple the size of its US rural delivery network
• Over 4,000 smaller cities, towns, and rural communities will be covered by the end of 2025

Amazon has announced further plans to expand its fast Prime delivery services across more rural parts of the US.

The ecommerce giant says the move will mean thousands of smaller cities, towns, and rural communities will be able to shop a wide range of popular items, and get them delivered, within hours.

However the expansion, set to complete by the end of the year will come too late for Amazon Prime Day 2025, which starts in just a few days.

Amazon Prime rural expansion

The expansion will see Same-Day and Next-Day Delivery services coming to customers in more than 4,000 smaller US cities, towns, and rural communities by the end of 2025.

Amazon says this will expand the reach to "tens of million" of customers, and will be transforming daily life for rural customers", who often have limited product choices due to living further away from stores, as well as facing limited delivery options when shopping online.

The company notes it is also widening the amount of essential everyday products available for Same-Day Delivery, covering household goods, cleaning supplies, vitamins and medications, and food.

There's no change to Prime's pricing - members will still need to spend over $25 at checkout to get access to unlimited free Same-Day Delivery.

“Everybody loves fast delivery. So, whether you live in Monmouth, Iowa or in downtown Los Angeles, now you're going to have the same fantastic Amazon customer experience: the ability to get the wide variety of items you need to keep your household running every day, delivered the same or next day,” said Doug Herrington, CEO of Worldwide Amazon Stores.

The news comes shortly after Amazon revealed plans to spend $4 billion by the end of 2026 to expand its delivery network across rural areas of the US.

This will see it add over 200 additional delivery stations to its network, claiming to support more than 100,000 full- and part-time jobs both on the road and in warehouses.

This will include Amazon's own network as well as schemes like its Delivery Service Partner program, Amazon Flex, and Hub Delivery, which enables small businesses and members of the community to offer their support.

With the expansion, Amazon hopes to improve delivery speeds by up to 50% in rural areas.

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Brick by brick, day by day, we’re getting closer to Amazon’s summer sale extravaganza for Prime members. Prime Day officially kicks off on July 8, 2025, and instead of just being a two-day affair, it’s four days this year.

• Shop more deals at Amazon

But here’s the good news – while we do expect some epic, significant price cuts to occur then, you don’t need to wait to find deals. The TechRadar team is already hard at work finding the best early Prime Day deals that you can shop for right now at Amazon and other retailers, such as Walmart.

• Prime members can get $560 in free perks without spending a cent ahead of Prime Day

Here, though, I’m using my Lego expertise – I have well over 25 sets – to build this list of the 11 best Lego sets that are discounted right now on Amazon. These deals come in advance of Prime Day and whether you’re a Star Wars fan, a sucker for Lego Botanicals, really like Marvel, or countless themes in between, there’s a Lego set on sale that I bet will pique your interest.

Today's 10 best Lego deals on Amazon

The Nintendo Switch 2 has periodically taken the handheld gaming spotlight, with its early June launch leading to high sales – to be specific, it's already sold over 3.5 million units worldwide. However, if it wasn't clear enough already from my previous articles, I don't recommend the device for many reasons.

The $80 price tag for first-party games, the lack of freedom and ownership issues, alongside its price against other handheld gaming PCs and consoles, all play a significant factor in my decision not to buy one.

Amazon's Prime Day is also on the horizon – but if you had any hopes of major Switch 2 price drops, there likely won't be any worth noting, because it's still far too early post-launch. This means looking at alternatives – you could still purchase the original Nintendo Switch, but that would leave you behind a generation in terms of performance.

That opens the gateway to handheld gaming PCs, and since I've used a handful of them, there's a few that I would recommend if you're out for a Switch 2 alternative.

1. Asus ROG Ally

Having used both the Asus ROG Ally and the Lenovo Legion Go for a long time (mostly the former), I can tell you that they're the best handhelds you can get in the same price region as the Switch 2.

Both use AMD's Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, which utilizes 8 cores and 16 threads, along with 12 RDNA 3 GPU cores – and that's ideal for a 1080p game resolution.

It has the benefit of VRR (variable refresh rate) to ensure the screen's refresh rate syncs with your game's frame rate, eliminating screen tearing in the process – a game-changing tool the Switch 2 doesn't have, while docked.

I've gone as far as installing Bazzite on the Asus ROG Ally, and it's made the handheld gaming experience much easier and more streamlined. It's no secret that Windows 11 has a significant impact on gaming performance, as we've seen that SteamOS performance shines in several games in comparison.

Most importantly, though, the ROG Ally has a faster processor, more RAM at 16GB vs the Switch 2's 12GB, with access to a greater library of games (since it's a PC, after all). Its price at launch was $699 / £699 / AU$1,299, but that's dropped down to $649 / £522 on Amazon. Already on Amazon in the UK, it's available at £449 on sale, in the same price region as the Switch 2's Mario Kart World bundle – and since Prime Day is on the horizon, expect it to drop even lower.

2. Lenovo Legion Go

The same applies to the Lenovo Legion Go; you're getting great performance across a variety of games with the Z1 Extreme chip, and a 144Hz refresh rate. If anything, this is a direct competitor to the Switch 2, with its detachable controllers allowing you to replicate the Joy-Con experience.

While I'd still recommend the Asus ROG Ally for most gamers, the Lenovo Legion Go slightly widens the gap with a much bigger 8.8-inch 2560x1440 screen. However, it's important to note that this can be a detriment in a decent number of games – and that's because the Z1 Extreme is pushing above its weight with gaming at 1440p.

You may be able to get away with it in titles like Hades that don't require a lot of power to run well, but you'll definitely be tuning down the resolution in games like Cyberpunk 2077, Resident Evil 4, or Hitman World of Assassination.

Don't let that deter you from purchasing, though, as you'll still be getting the same or better gaming performance as you would with the Switch 2 with a screen of higher quality (just note, that it doesn't have VRR).

As for its price, you can find it at $699 at Amazon in the US and Best Buy, but if you're in the UK, you can find it as low as £499. With Prime Day almost here, prices should drop significantly.

There's also a Lenovo Legion Go S, using a weaker Ryzen Z2 Go processor, but there's another variant using the same Ryzen Z1 Extreme; it knocks the resolution down to a more reasonable 1920x1200 on an 8-inch display with VRR.

3. MSI Claw 8 AI+

While the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is the most expensive option compared to the Switch 2, Lenovo Legion Go, and Asus ROG Ally (and by a significant margin) at $900 / £899 / AU$1,799, it's easily the best handheld gaming PC under $1,000.

Using Intel's Core Ultra 7 258V processor, gaming at low TDPs (power consumption) is the biggest highlight as it provides extensive battery life without a heavy compromise on frame rates.

It's the one handheld I recommend for anyone willing to spend more than they would for affordable handhelds, as you'll get the bang for your buck. I haven't had the opportunity to get hands-on yet, but based on performance results and Intel's driver improving performance, it's enough for me to say it's a better choice than the Switch 2.

The only potential downside is that I don't see any major discounts coming in for this one on Prime Day – and that could be a dealbreaker for anyone wincing at the price tag. It's still a fairly new handheld, and there is a lack of availability right now. So in reality, you'll likely find yourself choosing between the Legion Go and ROG Ally.

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Our best budget earbuds guide is a turbulent beast that sees changes month in, month out. But one product holds fast at the very top – and has done for over a year. I tested them, (I'm TechRadar's Audio Editor) and I still can't better them.

Perhaps you came here because you learned that Prime Day dates have been confirmed and this year, it's a full-on four day extravaganza. Want to spend days looking for an earbuds deal? Sounds exhausting, no?

I'm here to tell you it's OK – you don't need to get stressed out ahead of July. Why? Because best cheap noise-canceling earbuds are here, and, if you're in a spending mood, a great deal is already live.

The product is the outstanding, five-star Nothing Ear (a), which jumped to top of the shop in that aforementioned roundup, soon after their release in April 2024. They've also been in our top 3 affordable earbuds mini-roundup and on the receiving end of so much praise from us that I'm struggling for fresh superlatives…

Except no I'm not. Because right now, 'incredible value' is of paramount importance, along with three other factors that make these buds a cut above anything that's tried to beat 'em in 2025. Here are the four reasons you won't find better in the budget realm.

1. Simple sound-per-pound value

As I mentioned in the 'Sound' section of my glowing five-star review of the Nothing Ear (a): you get LDAC codec support here, (the Sony-developed codec that lets you stream high-resolution audio up to 32-bit/96kHz over Bluetooth at up to 990kbps, if your device supports it and the file can deliver it) which is basically unheard of for this money. Got a Sony smartphone? Oh, you're going to love it.

But even lossy Spotify tracks (or much better Apple Music songs) are handled admirably here, with ample texture and space that other earbuds at this price simply can't reach – and you should know that I've tested them.

For dynamic build, the Nothing Ear (a) are meaty and arresting, with a broad and expansive soundstage across the frequencies. Worried they may lack detail refinement? No, although the sonic tuning here does emphasize fun and energy over that integrated hi-fi listen some might prefer. Personally, I cannot find fault. I simply won't – especially not when they're at least $20 or £20 cheaper than their original and already-reasonable MSRP.

No, they're not sonically superior to something triple the price (such as the Technics EAH-AZ100, maybe). If they were, we could all give up and go home. But for the money, Nothing has knocked it out the park with the Ear (a) – and I'll keep saying it 'til everyone gets it!

2. Stunning transparent design (and excellent fit)

I don't do a self-titled 'Floral Photoshoot' for just any earbuds, reader. But I wanted to shine a light on the pride of ownership I still feel a year after procuring a pair (they actually arrived in April 2024) – they're just way too good-looking for the money.

It's the details: the red and white dots at the top of the stems and in the case so you know which bud goes where; the transparent case lid so you know you haven't lost one; the various ear tips in the same color as the driver housing to keep the lines clean; the super subtle branding; the fact that when I put them in, they stay…

3. ChatGPT squeezy stems (and other features)

Nothing won the ChatGPT race back in May 2024, so if you're considering the Nothing Phone 3 (landing in July), simply install the ChatGPT app on your phone and you'll be able to access the AI chatbot simply by squeezing the stems. It'll also work with current Nothing smartphones. Cool, no?

Add to this great call handling – yes, it's far better than older Nothing earbuds in this respect, with recipients telling me my voice was unusually clear. I mean, it checks out when you see that the Clear Voice Technology was upped from v2.0 in the Ear (2) – or 1.0 with Bass Lock software in the Ear (Stick) – to 3.0 here, but it's still worth giving the Ear (a) its flowers (see what I did there?).

OK, there's no onboard spatial audio wizardry side-sauce and you don't get the Ear (2)'s splendid personalized hearing tests, but you do get in-ear detection (to pause music when they're out and resume it when they're in), multipoint to two devices, a low lag toggle for gaming, an ear tip 'fit test' and a Find My Earbuds feature, which issues a very cool rattlesnake-style sound from whichever bud you're trying to locate.

All in all, I love this feature set for Nothing.

4. ANC in a different league to anything in its price bracket

Yes, you could call this entire missive Much Ado About Nothing – because nothing is largely what you'll hear when you deploy the Ear (a)'s vastly-superior-for-the-level noise cancellation.

After selecting ANC (rather than 'Transparency' or 'Off'), you can pick either High, Mid, Low, and Adaptive profiles in the companion app. High is very good: the hairdryer we use in our meticulous and methodical testing was largely gone to my ears. Let's just say, I can see why it drops the battery life from 9.5 hours without ANC to 5.5 with it.

The quoted improvement over Nothing's older buds is 45dB over 40dB of ambient noise nixing and if that's hard to imagine, know that when I sat down at home wearing Ear (a) with ANC on High in our small flat, I didn't realize the oven extractor fan was on – my other half was making breakfast. As soon as I switched to Ear (2)? Easily perceptible.

Look, it's my job to tell you the best earbuds at various price points, and the Nothing Ear (a) are a shoo-in for the best at this low price. I've said what I needed to say. Don't thank me! Don't say a word – say nothing…

Alright, you’ve measured up space in your home office, you’re certain the best standing desk you can find is going to fit. You love the style, the desktop material is suitable for your needs. Now it’s just a case of adding it to your basket and checking out, right?

Well, hold your horses - your office furniture shopping spree isn’t over just yet. There are a few specs and features you’ll want to make a note of before committing to the purchase.

I’ve already spotted a host of Prime Day standing desk deals ahead of Amazon’s summer sales event. And while it may be tempting to select the cheapest one you can find (or the most expensive, if you’re a regular Moneybags), I wouldn’t recommend just hitting buy until you’ve checked a few specifications and features first.

Based on my extensive tests and reviews of standing desks, here are the things I’d absolutely check first, to make sure your desk ticks every box.

1. Height range

Most adjustable desks I find on Amazon have a height range of around 28in to 48in (or 71cm to 112cm, if you’re into the whole metric thing). To be honest, that’s going to be suitable for most users of average height.

For users standing at 5ft 5in, the best height to set your desk is 39in - you won’t want it any lower than this or you’ll be hunched over the desk.

If you stand around 6ft, you’ll want to make sure the desk rises to at least 44in. Taller than that? Well, get one that goes as high as you can find.

2. Storage

One of the biggest complaints I hear about standing desks is the lack of storage - that's partly due to the design and partly because it serves to add more weight to the tabletop, which means it demands more power to elevate.

Some desk-makers do include storage options, though. For example, the Comhar range from FlexiSpot has a traditional but admittedly slim under-desk drawer, suitable for storing documents and tablets, maybe a laptop at a push. Even budget brands like Fezibo and Devoko have models with top-side fabric drawers and monitor shelving that at least help you keep the desk uncluttered.

As part of this, I'd also be looking at whether the desk has some form of cable management - a fancy way of saying 'a tray at the back'. Some standing desks, like the Secretlab Magnus, have these built into the desk itself, while others sell them separately.

3. Memory presets

Memory presets on a desk’s control panel is a really nice way of being able to raise or lower a desk from sitting to standing height without having to press and hold the up and down buttons or spend endless hours tweaking it.

Find the perfect height, set the memory, and now, at the push of a button you can hit that sweet spot every time. It’s a good way to consistently maintain ergonomics and comfort levels.

I generally like my standing desks to have three memory presets, but I tend to see a lot of the cheaper standing desks only hold two height ranges in memory. This may be fine, but it’s always worth checking how many your chosen desk has, as you may find you require more than that for different ways of working.

4. Anti-collision detection

Desks with anti-collision detection will have built-in sensors that can pick up when something is obstructing the lowering or elevation of a desk, and then stop the operation.

Most standing desks have this feature, particularly the mid-range and high-end models. However, it’s not a universal feature, though it’s worth making sure it comes as part of the package.

As far as I’m concerned, this feature is absolutely vital, especially if you have children and pets. You don’t want to clonk them on the head as they duck under the table during operation (or maybe you do?). It’ll also help prevent damaging the desk itself. So, it’s worth making sure any standing desk you get has it.

5. Charging ports

One of the best things about adjustable desks is that a lot of them include some form of mobile device charging. That's really convenient and helps you stay productive - or unproductive, depending on what you're using your phone for.

Cheaper desks often don't have any charging whatsoever. So you'll need to trail more cables across the room to keep the battery up.

Mid-range desks will have one or two USB-A ports set beside or built into the control panel. And higher-end standing desks may have either USB charging or a wireless charging area on the desktop itself.

6. Warranty

I like a good, long warranty. It’s nice to feel covered, especially when spending out on an investment like a standing desk, so if anything goes wrong, you can get parts replaced.

I see a lot of budget standing desks offer low warranties of around a year or two, three years if you’re lucky. At the upper end of the scale, I’ve seen long coverage of anywhere between 7 and 15 years.

As a note on this, a lot of manufacturers will offer different warranties for different parts of the desk. Generally speaking, the frame will be covered for longer than the desktop itself (since that’s where the magic happens, and you’re not sliding your mouse across the metal legs for hours at a time - no judgement if you are, mind).

My advice? Buy the standing desk with the longest warranty within your budget.

7. Manufacturer

Amazon is absolutely full of standing desks from different desk-makers - and not all of them will be worth it. I’d personally opt for recognizable brands in this area, as you know what you’re going to get.

At the budget end, Fezibo is a company we’ve had generally good experiences with, and still offer a wide range, from desks with drawers to L-shaped models.

For low to mid-range desks, FlexiSpot remains one of the best brands we’ve tested, with excellent build quality and stability for the price. For gaming desks, Secretlab straddles the mid- to high-end range.

And if money’s no object, companies like Branch, Herman Miller, Ergonofis, and Autonomous offer stylish and superb-quality standing desks for professionals and executives.

That’s not to say other manufacturers aren’t worth checking out - especially if the price is right - but check the reviews and the above specs to see if the juice is worth the squeeze.

• EA games have arrived on Amazon Luna
• Titles include EA Sports FC 25, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• You can play them for free if you already own them on PC and have Amazon Prime

Amazon Luna is a criminally underappreciated cloud gaming service, offering the chance to play loads of demanding games without the need for any expensive PC hardware.

If you have access to a basic laptop, old phone, compatible smart TV, or spare tablet, then you can its large library of titles straight from your browser window. You need a strong internet connection for it to work well, but that's still much cheaper than splurging out for fully fledged gaming laptop or PC that will be out of date in a few years anyway.

The biggest reason I love it is the fact that a brilliant free tier is included with your Amazon Prime subscription - letting you play loads of great games at no extra cost. You can link your Luna account to your GOG or Ubisoft libraries, allowing you to play select games that you already own wherever and whenever you want to.

To give you an example of what this means, I already own Far Cry 5 on PC so I can play it straight from my phone using Amazon Luna while I'm out and about. It runs via Amazon's servers, so no installation is required and I can play it even if my PC is turned off at home.

If all that wasn't enough, earlier this month the service received a massive upgrade with a robust slate of games added from the catalog of publishing giant Electronic Arts (EA). This includes EA Sports FC 25, Need for Speed Unbound, Dead Space, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

I'd recommend each any every one, and if you have Prime, and already own them on PC, you can access them right now for at no additional cost. Just head to the Luna homepage to sign in and link your accounts.

But what if you don't own these games on PC and still want to play? They're also part of the Luna+ subscription service, which costs $9.99 / £8.99 per month and includes access to loads of other games.

You can also buy the titles outright on Amazon Luna itself, which also nets you a PC copy. They're currently subject to some pretty generous discounts, so this option is definitely worth checking out.

If you want to learn even more about how Amazon Luna works, and see how it stacked up in my testing, check out my detailed Amazon Luna review.

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Amazon Singapore has already given us a number of same-day sales events this year, but now it's time to get ready for the big one. Yep, Amazon SG has confirmed its annual Prime Day event is returning on Tuesday, July 8 at 00:01am SGT and, for the first time ever, it will run for an entire week, ending on Monday, July 14.

The most recent Prime Day event, known as Prime Big Deal Days, ran for six days in October 2024. We expected more of the same this year, so it was quite the shock to hear that this year's event will run for an extra day.

Clearly Amazon is in the giving spirit. And, as we also look ahead to Black Friday and (even further to Christmas) this sale provides shoppers in Singapore a greater chance to score big savings on the best headphones and best vacuum cleaners, among other categories that will likely include cameras, tablets, PC and gaming.

As with any Amazon Prime sale, the biggest savings will be reserved for Amazon Prime members. If you've still not yet signed up for a membership, you can grab yourself a free 30-day trial from today and be covered for the duration of the six days in October. If you aren't too keen on paying up for the following month, you can always cancel any time – no questions asked.

As ever, the TechRadar team will be all hands on deck come Tuesday, July 8, picking out the best Prime Day deals in Singapore throughout the duration of the next big Amazon sale, saving you time from trawling through the countless pages.

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• Amazon Prime Day begins on July 8, but members can claim these titles now ahead of the event

Amazon Prime Day is just around the corner, and to celebrate, Prime Gaming members can claim an assortment of free games leading up to the event.

The annual sale officially begins on July 8, but starting today through July 7, subscribers can claim six PC games, including Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered Starring Lara Croft, Saints Row 2, Saints Row 4: Re-Elected, Star Wars: Rebellion, TOEM, and Dungeon of the Endless Definitive Edition.

These games are now available for platforms like the Amazon Games App and GOG, and can be claimed on top of the previously announced Prime Gaming titles for the month of June.

This collection includes Mordheim: City of the Damned, The Abandoned Planet, Station to Station and Death Squared, which can be claimed now.

Starting on June 19, Prime members can claim Dark Envoy and Fate: Undiscovered Realms, while Thief: Deadly Shadows, Jupiter Hell, and Gallery of Things: Reveries will be redeemable on June 26.

Amazon also revealed that more Prime Day offers for Prime members will be announced soon.

If you're looking to get in on the early sales, you can check out our coverage of the early Amazon Prime Day deals that are now live.

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NordVPN has slammed a limited-time Amazon gift card offer onto the table for new customers ahead of Amazon Prime Day.

Starting June 12, 2025, all US and Canadian citizens signing up for one of NordVPN's two-year plans will receive an Amazon gift card up to the value of $50, as well as a discount on their chosen NordVPN plan of up to 76%.

The value of the gift card depends on which of the 2-year plans you choose.

NordVPN Plus plans get you 20USD/CAD to spend, NordVPN Complete plans give 40USD/CAD, and Ultra or Prime plans give a whopping 50USD/CAD when signing up. You can take a look at the full NordVPN price and plan structure here.

We rate NordVPN as the best VPN service available. So, this is really a no-brainer for anyone in North America who's been thinking about signing up.

Is NordVPN worth it?

We regularly put VPN software under scrutiny – both in our VPN lab and in real-world user testing – and we rate NordVPN as the best there is.

It has easy-to-use apps across all major platforms (iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux, Fire TV Stick, and Apple TV) with fast connection speeds.

It's excellent for bypassing geo-blocks, making it great for gaming or streaming with the new NordWhisper protocol which is designed to get by even the most challenging network filtering techniques.

If you want malware and ad-blocking too, then go for NordVPN Plus, which includes the NordVPN Threat Protection Pro security suite.

Whichever you choose, NordVPN offers a 30-day money back guarantee which we've actually tried, so we know its good to its word. So, if you do change your mind you will get your cash back with no questions asked.

Amazon may be best known as the internet's largest marketplace, but its second-est accolade is for releasing the world's first smart speakers; the Amazon Echo device lineup. Embedded with Alexa smarts, these affordable gadgets have continued to grow in popularity, combining humble yet capable tech specs with impressive utility in one, affordably priced package.

Of course, the best Alexa speakers, being Amazon products are also regularly discounted during major sales events like Amazon Prime Day (which, as of writing, we're right in the midst of, meaning a fair few are heavily discounted right now). You can use the navigation bar to find the best prices on Alexa devices in your region today.

So, whether you're deals hunting and considering smartening up your home or a new Alexa speaker is already on its next-day journey to a countertop or nightstand near you, here's the seven tips I'd give any new Alexa user so you don't repeat my mistakes.

1. Don't buy them at list price

Let's pick back up on that deals point; every year, we see huge discounts on Echo speakers during sales events like Black Friday and around the Christmas/Holiday deals. The most recent event as of writing is Prime Day, which as mentioned, is currently happening while I'm writing this.

Below are the deals we're seeing right now, which are likely to be the deals prices we see all year-long. Not in the US? Check out today's best deals, localized to you, at the end of this article.

2. Placing your speaker out of Wi-Fi range

This might seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people don't think about connectivity when setting up internet-connected devices.

Alexa is broadly considered to be low-bandwidth in terms of internet usage. However, the speaker still needs to be in decent proximity to a strong internet connection to deliver important, timely updates and fetch information upon request.

I'd suggest placing your smart speaker within 30ft / 10m of your router to ensure the best possible performance. Still, it's also worth noting that newer Amazon Echo devices also function as Wi-Fi extenders for Eero mesh systems.

3. Not connecting your other smart home devices

You might not realize that some of the gadgets you have in your home are among the best smart home devices, so the first step after setting up your Alexa is seeing what else you might be able to connect to your new smart home ecosystem.

Especially with the ever-growing number of Matter-compatible devices, you might be surprised that you already have smart devices at home.

Normally, if the device is powered and detectable, pop-ups will appear in the Alexa app to prompt you to connect them, but you can also just say "Alexa, discover devices" to prompt your new smart speaker to search for devices in your home.

4. Not organizing smart devices

OK, so you've added your smart home devices, great! Now comes the boring part: app admin.

Especially if you have a lot of devices or multiple of the same type, your devices list can get pretty messy pretty quickly. Luckily, Amazon considered the potential problems that could arise from devices with similar names or nondescript names and offers the ability to rename them for ease.

For example, I have a Hue Signe floor lamp at home (it's beautiful!), but Alexa frequently struggles with my pronunciation of the name, so in the app, it's just called "Hue floor lamp."

Simply press 'Devices' in the Alexa app, navigate to the device you want to rename, hit the cog icon in the top-right-hand corner of the device control screen and press 'Edit name'. Thank me later; this is a frequent lifesaver for me as a smart home device reviewer.

Have multiple Alexa devices? Make sure you also group your speakers so you can enjoy multi-room audio.

5. Not checking out Alexa Skills

Alexa is pretty capable as it stands, but you can drastically improve its capabilities by bolting on Alexa Skills.

Skills are, effectively, plug-ins that allow Alexa to increase its capabilities. Want to listen to the radio? Try myTuner.Need some encouragement to get fit? Try the 7-minute Workout Skill. Can't quite unwind? Try Deep Breath.

You get the gist; there are abundant and varied Skills available in the Alexa ecosystem. Head to the 'More' tab in the Alexa app, then select 'Skills and Games.' You can search for specific Skills - perhaps those that align with other gadgets in your home - or browse through the most popular options in the Top Skills section.

We've also got a list of the best Alexa Skills if you're experiencing a paralysis of choice.

6. Changing Alexa's wake word, voice and more

Alexa is a highly configurable smart speaker; you can change its voice, wake word, and various other voice command settings.

To change Alexa's wake word, you'll need to head to 'More' and 'Settings' and then scroll to 'Voice Responses'. Select 'Alexa's Voice,' then select an Alexa-compatible device in your network. Press the cog icon in the top right-hand corner and scroll down to 'Wake Word.' Here, you can select from one of five options: Alexa, Amazon, Computer, Echo, or Ziggy.

It's annoying that you have to change this device by device, but it's well worth the effort to tailor your Alexa experience. Under the same settings menu as the Wake Word settings, you can also toggle settings like 'Follow-Up Mode', which reduces the amount of times you'll need to summon Alexa in a single interaction, or select 'Alexa's Voice' to change its voice, accent and speaking rate.

You can also turn on settings like Adaptive Listening Mode, which improves accessibility for different speech patterns, and Gestures, which allow you to dismiss some interactions with a raised hand (provided the speaker has the right sensors to detect this motion).

From the same 'Voice Responses' menu, you can also select 'Brief Mode', which keeps Alexa's responses short and snappy, or 'Whisper Mode'.

7. Not changing audio preferences

One of the most underrated settings, in my opinion, is the ability to customize the audio settings in your smart speaker. Especially if you want to use your Echo device for streaming or if you have unusual acoustics, this can be a real lifesaver for enjoying the speakers in all their glory.

Head once again to the 'More' tab in the Alexa app, then select 'Settings.' Next, head to 'All Devices' and choose the speaker you want to tweak. Hit the cog icon in the top-right-hand corner again, then select 'Audio Settings.' Here, you can use the Equalizer to adjust the Bass, Mid Range, and Treble of your speaker.

Streaming music is one of the most popular uses of Amazon Echo devices, and while you can use these smart speakers like Bluetooth speakers and play from your phone or computer, it's nice to have the hands-free option of asking Alexa to play your favorite tracks. By default, it will try to stream from Amazon Music.

Once you've logged in to your Amazon account in the Alexa app and paired your new speaker, there should be a prompt in the app's home page to change your preferred streaming platform. Select this, follow the instructions and enjoy streaming music from one of the best music streaming services.

If the option isn't immediately apparent, tap ‘More’, then ‘Settings’, ‘Music & Podcasts’, and lastly ‘Default Services’. There should be a ‘Music’ heading; under this, select ‘Change’ and opt instead for services like Apple Music, Spotify, and more.

While you're in this menu, check out the various other preferences you can play with; from dietary preferences under 'Food and Recipes' to preferred news outlets under 'News', there are ample ways to customize Alexa's assistance.

Today's best deals

More Alexa tips and tricks

• How to set up Amazon Echo devices
• The best Alexa Skills and commands
• How to set up your Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)
• How to set up Routines with Alexa
• How to connect an Amazon Echo device to a Bluetooth speaker
• How to use Alexa to make phone calls on an Amazon Echo
• How to change Alexa wake word
• How to set up and use Alexa sound detection
• What is Alexa Drop In and how to use it on an Amazon Echo
• Alexa not responding? Here's how to fix
• Every Alexa privacy setting and how to change them
• How to use Alexa Whisper Mode on an Amazon Echo
• How to change Alexa's voice, speed, language and accent

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Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days sale is in full swing and as expected, has been throwing up plenty of excellent deals on headphones, vacuum cleaners and Bluetooth speakers. But one of the best Prime Day deals in Singapore we’ve come across is the huge saving on Sennheiser’s fantastic Momentum 4 Wireless over-ear headphones.

A premium pair of noise-cancelling headphones in every sense of the word, right now you can grab a pair from Amazon SG with up to SG$298 in savings, colour dependent, with the Special Edition Black Copper model (and our personal favourite) receiving the biggest discount.

Sennheiser’s premium pair of cans ticks all the right boxes. Along with the aforementioned superb sound and stellar battery life, they deliver great noise-cancellation performance. Is it the outright best in this category? Perhaps not, but it comes awfully close and can be fine tuned to your liking either within the app or by ‘pinching’ the right ear cup.

Elsewhere on its enviable spec sheet is support for aptX and aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codecs, which enables you to stream higher-quality audio if your source device and music streaming service of choice are compatible. We also love their ‘Sound Zones’ feature, which lets you create custom sound profiles for different locations, which automatically activate or deactivate whenever you enter or leave a specified zone.

This is by far the best price we’ve seen in Singapore and we’re sure it won’t last forever. If you’ve been looking to upgrade your music listening, this is a great opportunity.

• Shop more discounts in our dedicated Amazon Prime Day deals coverage or check out all the Prime Big Deal Days discounts at Amazon.

Working from home doesn’t always mean working from home, and this portable monitor could help you make the most of the hybrid lifestyle.

We’ve found this fantastic monitor deal in Amazon October Prime Day, which could help bring the luxury of the two-screen method to your local coffee shop, train journey, or just a different spot around the house.

Prime Day is making staying within your budget easy, without sacrificing on quality. The ARZOPA 15.6” FHD 1080P Portable Monitor is currently selling at just $59.98 down from $129.99, with a saving of almost $70 - this one will fly off the shelves.

Compatibility, color, and comfort

The ARZOPA boasts a stunning 1080P, FHD, IPS, and anti-glare display, with a 60Hz resolution for a rich color, bringing your pictures and videos to life. The 15.6” display gives you plenty of screen space whilst being lightweight enough to easily bring on the go.

Coming in at just 1.7lbs, the monitor is slim and compact, allowing you plenty of space for all your other devices.

Staying connected is easier than ever with the ARZOPA, with three connectors; two USB-C and one mini HDMI ensuring a seamless experience for all your devices. The monitor is compatible with any laptop, or with PC, Switch, Phone, Xbox, and more.

The adjustable protective case means your monitor is safe and sturdy, and the USB-C and mini HDMI included mean you’re all set to dive right in.

The ARZOPA portable monitor is on sale until the 10th of October, so make sure you grab it while you can.

Amazon Prime Day is here now, but alongside all the great deals to be had, shoppers have been warned to be careful when browsing.

A study from Check Point Research (CRP) has found scammers are impersonating Amazon or affiliates to trick online shoppers - and in the last 30 days alone, over 1,000 new Amazon related domains have been registered, 88% of which were identified as suspicious.

Many of these domains are ‘parked’ or not in use, but could be activated in the coming days, or used in phishing attacks. The scams come in a number of forms, but commonly advise customers to update their payment methods to ‘access’ prime benefits - and of course then steal their sensitive information.

Prime targets

As Amazon Prime Day grows in popularity, such scams have become sadly more common - and because the event specifically encourages customers to order within a specific time frame to access deals and benefits, fraudsters pressure victims into acting fast with urgent calls to action.

The deception goes beyond just emails too, with some criminals going as far as to call customers to ‘inform’ them that their memberships are missing information or a payment method - data that they will collect and exploit.

Every year around Prime Day, bogus sites pop-up at an accelerated rate looking to take advantage of shoppers looking for discounts.

To stay safe this year, CPR recommends checking URLs and email addresses carefully, common misspellings are often used to trick users by impersonating a trusted site. Also, look for HTTPS website URLs, which indicate a more secure connection.

We know the deals on Prime Day can be pretty juicy, but be wary of any that seem unrealistic - trust your instincts on sales, an iPhone for $10 is probably less than legit. Ideally, shoppers should stick to the verified Amazon website or App, and never click on links to third parties.

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If you’re feeling overwhelmed ahead of Amazon Prime Day, a new AI feature from the e-commerce giant may help you score everything you want, even the items you don’t yet know you want to buy. Amazon announced this week that customers will have a more personalized experience when shopping by employing large language models (LLMs) to match individual preferences and provide more relevant product information.

The most useful, though subtle, change is the recommendation system. The list of products under “more like this” has always been based on the current product page you’re looking at, as well as your previous searches and purchases. With the updated system, you’ll see ideas for things to buy that rely on specific details of your searches. Amazon's examples describe how you might see gift suggestions based on a holiday that you’ve bought gifts for previously or recent deals on gear for a sport your history suggests you like to play. 

The actual descriptions of those recommended products will also now reflect your search history. A particular attribute or adjective you include in your search, such as vegan food or a particular color of furniture, will translate to seeing those aspects highlighted in the title of the product. The point is to help you make informed decisions without having to scroll through tons of details you don’t care about, which, on a mobile device, saves valuable screen space. Combined, you should see better products and why they are recommended immediately. 

Prime Plan

“If the primary LLM generates a product description that is too generic or fails to highlight key features unique to a specific customer, the evaluator LLM will flag the issue,” Amazon director of personalization Mihir Bhanot explained. “This feedback loop allows the system to continuously refine suggestions, ensuring that customers see the most accurate and informative product descriptions possible.”

This year, Amazon has been steadily deploying new AI features for shoppers. The biggest addition is its Rufus chatbot, which uses AI to research products and recommend purchases through conversations rather than keyword searches. As with much of the rest of Amazon’s shopping experience, that will now include advertisements, but the general idea is still making your shopping experience specific to your interests.  

In the future, Amazon wants its customized advice to pull from more than just your Amazon history. The company has plans for extensions to pull data from sources like Gmail and YouTube Music that would further enhance shopping personalization. For now, you can expect your Prime Day to be a little more efficient and the products you see recommended a little more like exactly what you didn’t know you were searching for.  

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No sooner had we recovered from the six-day deals mayhem of Amazon Prime Day in July, the online retail giant has confirmed its second Prime Day of 2024. Like last year, it will be called Prime Big Deal Days and will serve up deals galore. Unlike last year, though, it's going to run for another six full days in October, just like July's main event. 

Amazon had previously teased Prime Big Deal Days would return next month, but kept quiet on the official dates. Well, that's all changed, as Prime Big Deal Days 2024 will return on Tuesday, October 8 at 00:01am SGT and run all the way through to 11:59pm SGT on Sunday, October 13.

The previous Prime Big Deal Days held in October 2023 was just a two-day affair, and we expected very much the same this year (having been taken by surprise when Amazon announced the main July sale was being extended to six days). How wrong we were. Clearly, Amazon is in the giving spirit as we steam towards Black Friday and Christmas, giving shoppers in Singapore the chance to score big on the best headphones and best vacuum cleaners, among other categories that will likely include cameras, tablets, PC and gaming.

As with any Amazon Prime sale, the biggest savings will be reserved for Amazon Prime members. If you've still not yet signed up for a membership, you can grab yourself a free 30-day trial from today and be covered for the duration of the six days in October. If you aren't too keen on paying up for the following month, you can always cancel any time – no questions asked.

As ever, the TechRadar team will be all hands on deck come Tuesday, October 8, picking out the best Prime Day deals in Singapore throughout the duration of the next big Amazon sale, saving you time from trawling through the countless pages. 

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The Google Pixel phones are some of the best phones you can buy and certainly among the best Android phones. The latest Pixel 8 series in particular is more than capable of holding its own against the very best from Apple and Samsung, for example, as it not only benefits from powerful processors and capable cameras, but both phones are fully up to date with the latest in AI technologies. 

And right now, for the final day of Prime Day in Singapore, you can grab a Google Pixel 8 series phone from as little as SGS$768 for the Pixel 8 or SG$1,039 for the more powerful Pixel 8 Pro. And to complete your Google ecosystem, you can also grab the Google Pixel Watch 2 for SG$365.

If you already own an Android phone, the Pixel Watch 2 is still a fantastic addition to track your health and fitness, and show you incoming notifications. 

• Shop more last-minute discounts in our full coverage of the best Prime Day deals in Singapore.

Amazon's Prime Day sale in Singapore has thrown up some incredible deals across a wide range of product categories. But, as I expected, it's headphones that are one of the particular stars of the show. From budget in-ear models all the way through to audiophile-grade over-ear models, there's sure to be a pair for all budgets and personal preferences. 

As a headphone reviewer, I feel I have the knowhow to pick out the very best pairs of headphones in the Prime Day sale in Singapore that are genuinely worth your money, and I've listed them below. 

If you disagree with my selections – hey, it can happen – then you can click through to view the full selection of Prime Day headphone deals.

Over-ear headphone deals

In-ear headphone deals

• Shop more deals with our dedicated coverage of Amazon Prime Day in Singapore

I started slowly, but within minutes I was frenetically tearing through my backpack’s seemingly 200 pockets searching for my beloved Amazon Kindle. It had to be there, somewhere. But it wasn’t; and I soon accepted that I’d left it behind on my flight to Paris for Samsung Unpacked.

Twelve years – that’s how long I owned that Kindle. It was the first Paperwhite edition, bringing higher contrast to the 212ppi reflective E Ink screen. It had built-in 3G that no longer worked, and an experimental web browser that was all but useless. There was a built-in LED light to illuminate the screen when there wasn’t enough sun or ambient light for comfortable reading, but I usually turned it way down because the vaunted weeks of battery life had shrunk to maybe a week (I also kept the built-in Wi-Fi turned off most of the time, until I was ready to download a new book).

• Prime Day deals are here - shop our expert picks

Yet, I loved my Kindle for its portability and simplicity. It flew all over the world with me, made many trips to the beach, and probably watched me fall asleep reading more times than I care to admit. I contacted Delta airlines, which has tried in vain to locate the the 6-inch-screen device. I appreciate the effort, but I know what I have to do: buy a new Kindle.

I should mention that I own a Kindle Scribe, which is a lovely 10.2-inch ereader that even allows for stylus input, but it’s too large to take to the beach; and when I travel  I always look for ways to lower the weight of my backpack and, as thin as the Scribe is, it’s still double the weight of a standard Kindle.

Prime Day to the rescue

If there’s a silver lining to the timing of my gadget misfortune it’s that Amazon Prime Day (July 16-17) is upon us, which means there’s a solid chance that I’ll find an excellent deal on one or more of the three core best Kindle ereader options: Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, and Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition. Amazon also lists the Kindle Oasis if you search for it, but it doesn't appear to ship globally anymore, and more importantly not to my neighborhood in the US.

The differences across the three core Kindle models are now small, but worth considering. All offer 300ppi screens and weeks of battery life, but screen sizes vary from six inches to 6.8 inches, and the basic Kindle does not offer a flush-front design. You can get an ample 16GB of storage in both the basic Kindle and Paperwhite, while the Signature Edition gives you 32GB.  

My Paperwhite had just 2GB of storage and, to be honest, it was enough. Part of the reason is that it makes little sense to read, for instance, graphic novels (lots of color graphics and larger files) on the monochrome E Ink display, and even a 300-page book of text might only take up 2.6MB of space.

All the Kindles I'm looking at have touchscreens, but you don’t get waterproofing unless you upgrade to at least the Paperwhite, and only the Signature gets you wireless charging.

My lost Kindle was so old it still used a micro USB charger, which meant that when I did have to charge it I had to go hunting for one of my few remaining micro USB cables.

The price variation across these three core options is considerable. In the US I could pay from $99.99 for the basic Kindle up to $189.99 for the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition. However, as I noted above, it’s almost Prime Day, which means often considerable discounts on Amazon's own devices.

Naturally, I want to go for the Signature model, but paying almost $200 for a device that essentially does one thing very well (I guess Audible book playback sort of makes it two things) does not appeal to me.

The Paperwhite, which is currently $149.99 in the US, might drop to $99, which would make it an excellent deal, but it’s unlikely that my desired Signature will fall below $150; it might, but I’m not counting on it. Also, do I really need to pay that much more just to get wireless charging? Even the number of LEDS – 17 – is the same as on the regular Paperwhite, I also don’t think auto LED-light adjustment is worth the extra bucks.

Okay, I think I decided. As soon as the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite goes on sale this Prime Day, I’ll pull the trigger. Unless of course, Delta finds my old Kindle, in which case I might keep using it – at least until Black Friday.

The best early Amazon Prime Day deals

• Amazon Devices: Fire TV Stick from $14.99
• Apple: iPads and Apple Watch from $189
• Audible: three months free
• Back to school: essentials and tech from $5
• Cameras: $100 off GoPro bundle
• Gaming: free PC games until July 16
• Headphones: deals on Anker and Bose
• Health: electric toothbrushes from $14.99
• Kitchen: up to 22% off KitchenAid
• Kindle: three months Kindle Unlimited
• Laptops: record-low prices for MacBook Air
• Music Unlimited: five months free
• Smart home: up to 61% off cameras
• Tablets: Fire and Samsung tablets from $64.99
• TVs: cheap TVs from $64.99
• Vacuums: Shark from $149.99

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The Amazon Prime Day sales are almost upon us, and although the sales period isn’t due to officially kick off until Tuesday, July 16, some of the earliest Amazon Prime Day smartwatch deals are already live right now. 

Historically, Amazon Prime Day has been an opportunity to get the best Apple Watches, best Garmin watches, best running watches, or even the best golf watches at a sizeable discount, saving potentially hundreds of dollars or pounds. Cheap fitness trackers are also in the mix, so you can pick up a band like the Huawei Band 7 or Fitbit Inspire 3 for a song. 

However, the very cheapest deals are always reserved for watches with names on Amazon like (and this is verbatim) “Smart Watch for Men Women Answer/Make Call,1.85" Smartwatch,Fitness Tracker Watch with Heart Rate Blood Pressure Sleep Monitor,140+Sports,IP68 Waterproof Step Counter Watch Compatible with Android IOS.” Catchy.  

The reason this smartwatch is named thus is so it shows up in more searches around these keywords, so a shopper looking for “fitness tracker with heart rate” will find it further up the list of results. I’m seeing an increased amount of these very cheap watches this year, even on the “suggested” entries when I search keywords like “Apple Watch” or “Garmin Watch.” 

Those keyword-heavy listings are working, and Amazon seems not to be punishing the stores for gaming the system, so they must be getting bought. I suppose it makes sense: after all, the similarly-priced $20 / £15 /AU$26 Casio F-91W is the best-selling watch in the world. 

The big difference here is that the Casio F-91W is notoriously ultra-reliable, as well as being ultra-cheap. I’m not going to wax lyrical about this (you can read my love letter to this Casio watch being the best $15 I’ve ever spent here), but I can tell you these cheap smartwatches aren’t nearly as reliable as the humble plastic Casio. 

The Smart Watch for Men Women Answer/Make Call is actually produced by a company called AcclaFit, and I had the dubious pleasure of testing one out last year as part of a "$20 challenge" article. I was initially impressed with the number of features on offer but concluded its lack of accuracy in most features made it pretty much unusable for anything other than a rough guesstimate.  

I also tested a cheap fitness tracker, the Viido tracker, in a similar price range against a top Garmin watch and concluded it was unusable. More than that, it was potentially dangerous, supplying people looking for accurate fitness metrics with false information.

Even if it’s not displaying your data correctly, it’s still sending your health data, perhaps the most valuable data set you can ever give away, to a server somewhere for undisclosed purposes. Most name-brand smartwatches have privacy policies that lay out how your data is treated: Apple published a white paper on how it handles users’ health data, and even Google is subject to GDPR and other protective data legislation. 

I hit a dead end when attempting to track down AcclaFit and Viido’s data privacy policies. The Viido website was actually, hilariously, flagged by my computer’s antivirus software, so I chose not to pry any further there. AcclaFit has no online presence beyond a Facebook group with around 20 followers. I got a little further by finding its apparent parent company, Shenzhen Wanchuangxing Technology Co., Ltd., and its Alibaba page, but I could find no info on its usage of user data. It actually sells industrial manufacturing equipment as well as consumer-focused health trackers.

So, if they’re borderline useless as wearables and potentially harmful when it comes to using your data, the conclusion is: don’t fall for it, even if they look like Apple Watches or Fitbits. Tell your less tech-savvy friends and family not to buy them, should they be thinking of doing so - even as gifts. Instead, check out the great deals on more useful devices, and buy a tracker that’s actually good by spending a little bit more money. 

Amazon Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks from $14.99
• Apple: AirPods and iPads from $69
• Audible: three months free
• Back to school: essentials and tech from $5
• Gaming: free PC games until July 16
• Headphones: cheapest-ever AirPods
• Kitchen: coffee makers from $24.99
• Kindle: three months Kindle Unlimited
• Laptops: deals from $179.99
• Music Unlimited: five months free
• Smart home: up to 61% off cameras
• Tablets: Fire tablets from $54.99
• TVs: cheap TVs from $64.99
• Vacuums: Shark from $149.99

More Amazon Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Devices: up to 66% off
• Audible: three months free
• Books: from 99p
• Cars: dash cams from £33.99
• Fans: deals from £15
• Gaming: free PC games until July 16
• Headphones: from £7.99
• Health: electric toothbrushes from £16.99
• Kitchen: air fryers from £29.99
• Laptops: devices from £149
• Music Unlimited: five months free
• Phones: Samsung and OnePlus from £159
• Vacuums: deals on Vax and eufy
• Video: movies and TV shows from £1.99