Garmin Cirqa: One minute review

I’ve spent a week with the Garmin Cirqa screenless fitness tracker, wearing it constantly during sleep, exercise and rest to determine how comfortable it is in everyday life, and measuring it against an electrical heart rate monitor and other wearables to determine accuracy.

After all my testing, I can confirm the Whoop and Google Fitbit Air have got serious competition. While some people will still want the AI-powered coaching from Whoop and Google Health, and others will want the screen-based interaction and notification features available on the best smartwatches, most users looking for a simple but high-quality screenless fitness tracker will be just fine getting the Cirqa.

If you’re reading this review wondering how it compares to the likes of the Whoop MG and the Google Fitbit Air, you’ll already know what to expect from the design: a fabric band that stretches over the fitness tracker’s plastic puck to create a solid-color screenless wearable. The idea is that you can use it for working out, sleeping, rest and work, get accurate metrics all day, and not glance at it all the time or be distracted by notifications on your wrist.

Where it differs is in the design specifics. It’s quite a large fitness tracker, sitting more obviously on the wrist compared to its rivals, and thus people with very small wrists might want to try it before they commit. However, I like the design overall, especially the inclusion of an actual button on the side of the device. This button is used to start a workout, signified by a strong vibration, and stop a workout, at which point it vibrates again. You can also use it to turn off its vibrating smart-wake alarm. It’s so much easier than tapping the Whoop’s puck, and provides certainty and security when tracking an activity, so you're not just hoping the device picks it up. It’s the perfect level of minimalist interaction for a tracker like this.

I generally found it accurate over my testing period, apart from a single outlier workout in which the heart rate sensor showed a 10BPM difference compared to my electrical heart rate monitor, the Polar H10 — my accuracy benchmark. The other workouts I recorded were within 1-2bpm of accuracy, and Garmin Connect correctly showed my wake-up times when recording sleep.

I found myself enjoying running more than I have in months by ‘vibe running’: ditching my watch with its pace and heart rate metrics updating me every kilometer and allowing the Cirqa to track in the background, leaving me to focus on my form, the trees, my music and my thoughts. It’s no good for specific training for timed runs, new courses, intervals and the like due to the lack of on-wrist information, but for wellness tracking, it works nicely.

It’s going to be a real boon for cyclists using Garmin’s Edge series of cycling computers. Many of the best Garmin watches double-up on the cycling computer's GPS features, so the Cirqa allows cyclists to add wellness metrics without a more expensive watch.

Watch our video review of the Garmin Cirqa here:

Garmin Cirqa review: Price and availability

• $199.99 in the US
• £179.99 in the UK
• AU$299.99 in the AU

The Garmin Cirqa fitness tracker costs $199.99 in the US, £179.99 in the UK and AU$299.99 in Australia. There’s no subscription fee — at least, no mandatory one — but Garmin Coach features are locked behind the Garmin Connect+ paywall in the app, which costs an extra $6.99 / £6.99 / AU$12 per month or $69.99 / £69.99 / AU$120 annually. A bicep band for the Cirqa comes at an added extra too.

You can get along just fine without the subscription, if you don’t want the coaching features. Live heart rate broadcasting was also originally locked behind this paywall, but Garmin rolled that back after an outcry. The free tier of Connect is an excellent training aid, and isn’t as stripped-back as the free tier of the Google Health app you use with the Google Fitbit Air. However, the Cirqa is also twice the price of Fitbit, so this is reflected in the price, and Connect (being Garmin’s app for all its devices) lists some stats you don’t get access to via the Cirqa if you dig a little deeper, leading to some annoying friction moments.

However, for most people, it’s better value than Whoop, which requires an annual subscription starting at £169 / $199 / AU$299 and going up from there. With Whoop, you never actually own either the device or the data you collect, merely rent it. With two years of the cheapest Whoop subscription, you could also buy a cheap Garmin running watch like the Garmin Forerunner 165 as well as a Cirqa and alternate between the two of them for many years.

While serious athletes such as CrossFit and Hyrox enthusiasts will want Whoop’s vast swathes of unique metrics such as the Strain score and AI-powered workout building features, the Cirqa’s subscription-free tier is much more affordable and better value for most, despite the relatively high price of the tracker itself compared to some of Garmin's more feature-rich running watches.

• Value score: 3.5/5

Garmin Cirqa review: Design

• Choice of four colors
• Screenless form factor
• Tactile button

The Garmin Cirqa is a simple design. A fabric band with four color options — Mauve, French Grey, Captain Blue and Black — wraps around a plastic puck with Garmin’s Elevate V4 heart rate sensor array. The puck is slightly curved to mimic the wrist’s shape, and as previously mentioned, it includes a ridged button on the side to start and stop workouts.

The design is very simple, and the button is the only way to interact with the puck. It’s very comfortable to wear, weighing only 21g, and light enough and comfortable enough that I often forgot I was wearing it during the week. That made wearing it for sleep and exercise a frictionless experience, and the band is soft to the touch.

It’s quite large for a ‘discreet’ band due to the size of Garmin’s Elevate V4 sensor, but not uncomfortable — at least, for my wrists. Those with very thin wrists may struggle, but I was told the more up-to-date Elevate V5 sensor would have made the puck even bigger.

I’ve always been a fan of the Garmin Connect app, and its design is really comprehensive. It can be difficult to navigate at first due to the breadth of information on offer, meaning some stats and features get lost in the mix, but once you’re used to it, it’s easy to access a lot of detail along with community features such as challenges.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Garmin Cirqa review: Features

• Deliberately hardware feature-light
• Plenty of detailed metrics
• Not as many as a full Garmin watch, or Whoop

There are very few interactive features on the Garmin Cirqa puck; you can start and stop workouts, or stop an alarm, but that’s more or less it. However, the information the Cirqa collects and shows you in the app aren't lacking in detail.

The Garmin Cirqa tracker collects data on sleep stages, heart rate variability (HRV), pulse ox and provides Garmin’s Training Readiness and Body Battery scores. Garmin’s Sleep Coach feature can recommend bedtimes and sleep length, letting you know if you’re in a sleep deficit, and smart wake alarm using the device’s haptic sensors buzzes on your wrist in a light sleep stage to wake you within a pre-prescribed window.

Automatic activity detection means the Cirqa quietly records activities lasting longer than 15 minutes, such as walks, which become more accurate if you amend the detected activities in the Garmin Connect app, including extending or trimming the duration. Alternatively, you can simply press the button to start a timed activity, and again amend in-app.

While you won’t get advanced running features like many Garmin watches, such as cadence, stride length, Hill Score (based on elevation) and so on, you still get generic training information like heart rate, VO2 Max and Training Load, which can help you tell you if you’re under or overtraining. Garmin also carries features like Fitness Age, which uses heart rate and activity data to tell you how well your body performs compared to its actual age. Whoop has a similar feature named Whoop Age — another example of the Cirqa eating Whoop’s lunch here.

You get quite a lot for your money. There's a small value issue, though: it’s not packing quite as many features as the premium Whoop subscriptions, nor a watch like the Garmin Forerunner 165, which gets you all of the above plus dedicated GPS, running and notification features for the same price. But it also comes with a screen, which you might not want. The Cirqa avoids bloat, prioritising the fitness and recovery metrics users want to see and eliminating the interactive features that screenless wearables fans don't want at all.

As well as the Garmin Coach features, AI-powered photograph-based nutrition tracking and AI-generated training insights are also available as part of Garmin’s premium Connect+ tier.

• Features score: 4/5

Garmin Cirqa review: Performance

• Accurate workout metrics, aside from one outlying workout
• Sleep tracking was competent
• Comfy and easy to wear

I tested the Garmin Cirqa for around nine days, performing several workouts compared against a Polar H10 heart rate monitor, tracking my sleep, and draining the battery. If you’re working out three to four times a week and enabling auto-detection for walks and other activities, it lasts a solid week between charges — I topped mine up on day seven of testing.

It recorded my sleep well and correctly identified wake-up times in the middle of the night and in the early hours of the morning. If I slept well or went to bed early, the Cirqa correctly identified this and the numbers matched my energy levels and perceived sleep quality. If I got up in the middle of the night (which I often do several nights out of the week), the Cirqa clocked it. Its sleep stages graph is easy to parse, while Sleep Score and HRV are sortable by the last week, month or year to show trends.

When it comes to measuring workout accuracy, while there’s no GPS to draw from other than piggybacking off my phone, the Cirqa closely matched my Polar H10 heart rate monitor during workouts. There was one instance in which it was an average of 10bpm off during a 40-minute strength session in the gym, but other workouts cleaved very closely to the HRM, within 2-3bpm accuracy (as you can see below). My guess is that if that particular workout was longer, the readings would have evened out.

Like other Garmin devices using the Elevate V4, the Cirqa is generally accurate enough for anyone who doesn’t need elite-level metrics, at which point they’d be using a heart rate monitor or Garmin’s Elevate V5. But even record-breaker Sebastian Sawe was spotted using a Garmin Forerunner 55, which uses a V4, during his sub-two hour London Marathon run.

I can’t overstate how nice the Cirqa is to wear. I found it a better daily driver than the Whoop band, despite its size, largely due to the Whoop’s often-detaching clasp. The tactile button gave me a sense of certainty in my recording, and I didn’t have to open the app to manually start a workout like the Google Fitbit Air if I wanted to be accurate. The haptics are nice and strong too.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Garmin Cirqa review: Scorecard

Garmin Cirqa review: Should I buy?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider

How I tested

I tested the Garmin Cirqa for over one week, draining the battery down and wearing it constantly during sleep, work, exercise and rest. I undertook multiple workouts, comparing them to a Polar H10 electrical heart rate monitor for accuracy, and compared its featureset to its peers in the screenless fitness tracker market.

First reviewed: August 2026

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni: One-minute review

The most succinct way to describe the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni gaming headset is that it feels like a 2026-ified version of its excellent predecessor, the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless — one of my favorite gaming headsets ever.

The Omni is a fantastic wireless gaming headset and offers a whole heap of improvements and enhancements over its older brethren, and in its own right, will tick every box most gamers can think of. Each feature that’s been tweaked or upgraded might not be huge in isolation, but every single one adds up, and it absolutely is greater than the sum of its parts when everything’s considered.

The design and build will be very familiar to anyone who’s used any of the Nova line, as it shares identical design language and aesthetics, while retaining a robust build quality you can have confidence in. The GameHub dongle is also identical in form to the one found on the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite and the Nova Pro Wireless, but is boosted to offer an upgraded level of connectivity: you can connect and mix up to four different inputs on the Omni, which is somewhat ludicrous but offers excellent versatility.

The audio quality, microphone, and overall performance of the Omni is spectacular, and can’t really be faulted. I think I might just prefer the bottom-end audio of my Audeze Maxwell 2 over the Omni, but that’s nitpicking as the overall audio experience is fantastic, no matter which platform you're connected to. Being able to change EQ on the fly with the Arctis Companion App is a great boost over the Nova Pro Wireless and an excellent feature of modern Nova headsets.

It’s an excellent headset, no doubt, but its pricing and the fact that Nova Pro Wireless will still be available mean the Omni’s place in the lineup is a little muddy for me. It performs fantastically, offers the full set of gaming headset features you could ask for, but I’m just not totally convinced it’s a great value option right now.

In isolation, however, this is a fantastic multiplatform wireless gaming headset and probably the one to go for if you really want the maximum flexibility and versatility.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni: Price and availability

• List price: $399.99 / £349.99 / AU$799
• Closely priced to the Nova Pro Wireless, which will inevitably be cheaper
• Way under the Nova Elite, but in direct competition to headsets like the Audeze Maxwell 2

In isolation, the Arctis Nova Pro Omni is pretty well placed price-wise at $399.99 / £349.99. However, its position alongside the rest of the Nova lineup raises an eyebrow.

A large part of this is because of the continued availability of the headset that the Omni feels like it was made to replace: the Nova Pro Wireless. With the latter now readily available for far less than the Omni’s list price, I think — as a fan of both — that the value proposition of the Omni is lessened.

Unless you really really want the four-device connectivity (as opposed to two), and really want the latest and greatest in a SteelSeries headset without going for the much more premium Nova Elite, then I still think the Nova Pro Wireless is going to be a better value purchase for you. Especially if you’re on just one platform.

The Omni is also up against formidable competition outside of its own brethren at this price point. My absolute favorite headset right now, and my top pick ever in terms of pure audio quality, the Audeze Maxwell 2 is in the same price territory and would be my recommendation for someone prioritizing that.

Then there’s also the likes of the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro 2, and the Sony Inzone H9 2 in the $300-ish zone, along with the likes of the Fractal Scape and the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro that come in slightly cheaper and all offer incredible wireless gaming headset experiences with a host of features.

Having said all that, the Omni does do a lot in and of itself to justify its price tag as a high-end, brilliantly flexible and top-performing wireless headset. It will definitely be the best wireless option in this part of the Nova lineup when or if the Nova Pro Wireless ceases to be made, but until then it’s not a slam dunk for me.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni: Specs

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni: Design & features

• Class-leading set of features and connectivity options
• Reliable and fantastic build quality and battery solution
• Very much from the Nova line of SteelSeries headsets

Straight out of the box, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the Omni really is a Nova Pro Wireless in disguise, as all the parts are there. That isn’t a criticism, as the Omni is simply another SteelSeries headset cut from the Arctis Nova cloth.

It’s a familiar design to anyone who’s seen or held a Nova headset, but it does have a tangible level of robustness and solidity that instils confidence — I’ve already dropped my unit a few times, but you wouldn’t be able to tell. The ear cushions are incredibly comfortable too, and I’ve been able to wear this headset for full work days without ever fully realising it too.

The GameHub is basically the same as on other Nova headsets that use it, but there are a few more options within the OLED display, and the addition of a texture to the navigation wheel is a welcome touch.

It’s this kind of small design change that’s present in a few areas across the Nova Pro Omni too: the multi-function volume wheel on the left cup has a new texture to it, the ear cushions are thicker and more padded compared to the Nova Pro Wireless, the mic is new and improved, and so on.

On top of intuitive controls, Arctis Companion App integration, boosted connectivity (Bluetooth 5.3 features here), greater battery life, and quicker fast charge, and more, all the Omni’s improvements over the Nova Pro Wireless do stand on their own feet, and, importantly, add up to a wonderfully designed and feature-filled wireless gaming headset that will offer everything even those with three consoles and a PC could ever want.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni: Performance

• Fantastic SteelSeries audio quality out of the box
• Every upgrade feels worthwhile
• Audio quality and overall performance still close to its predecessor

In terms of performance, the audio is the least difficult thing to cast an opinion on: it’s fantastic. Once again, this is from the SteelSeries Arctis Nova line so shares in all the excellent out-of-the-box audio quality the series is known for and does not disappoint in any way.

What’s more, the audio is now Hi-Res certified, and on PC you’ll be getting 96kHz/24bit, which is a sheer, immersive joy to behold in games like Cyberpunk 2077, and even the atmospheric noises in Frostpunk 2 are detailed and clear. But even away from that, on PS5 Pro (Sony’s console can’t take advantage of 96kHz audio), the gaming audio delivered by the Omni is, predictably, a treat.

Sea shanties, explosive ship combat, and swashbuckling sword action in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced are fantastically vivid and rich; the audio in 007 First Light is even more cinematic and bombastic; and even audio in older online games like my go-to, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, is elevated excellently, with enemy audio presented accurately, and the action and soundtrack mixed perfectly.

The ability to change EQ presets for individual games and preferences via the Arctis Companion App remains a brilliant feature too, expanding the Omni’s already excellent versatility.

On top of that, being wireless but plugged into a host of different devices as well as Bluetooth on my phone was very handy — in my particular setup. If you do have a multi-device setup and are looking for one headset that can be used on all of them with ease, even if not simultaneously, then this is a quality feature. For others on single-device setups, this is a bit overkill.

Away from games, music and entertainment is superb on the Omni, and using it for work calls - and multiplayer gaming sessions — with its new (compared with the Nova Pro Wireless) omnidirectional ClearCast Pro mic is brilliant. I found the overall quality of the mic to be excellent, though its omnidirectional design did mean a little more background noise escaped to my friends down the line at times, and it’s certainly a big step up over the Nova Pro Wireless’ microphone.

The way the headset feels to use is also a notable step up over the Nova Pro Wireless, and thus feels closer to the Nova Elite too. The wheel on the left ear cup is incredibly pleasing to use, the GameHub that offers more options is intuitive and easy to use, the new ear cushions are thicker and more comfy than the Pro Wireless (but only just), and there’s also improved ANC which I found worked well, as well as a hoist of boosts to Bluetooth (up to 5.3), longer battery life on the batteries and faster quick charge, and a few more to boot.

Each of the improvements over the Nova Pro Wireless do add up to something much greater than each in isolation.

Should I buy the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider...

If the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni might seem overkill in some departments, then check out these two fine offerings as alternatives.

How I tested the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni

• Used as a daily driver for a few months
• Tested on PC, PS5, and mobile
• Deployed across a host of games, as well as daily work calls and more

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni headset has been my sole unit for gaming on PS5 and PC, as well as work tasks and calls, for the best part of three months.

I have used it to play a bunch of 007 First Light, a full review playthrough and subsequent platinum playthrough of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, and a whole host of Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 on PS5, and also dived into Cyberpunk 2077, Frostpunk 2, and Crusader Kings 3 on Acer Predator Orion 5000 gaming PC (supplied by Acer) teamed with a productivity monitor and an Acer Predator X32QFS gaming monitor (also supplied by Acer).

For a lot of that game-time testing, the Omni was connected to my PC and PS5 simultaneously on one setup, deploying its multi-connectivity. I was then also able to use it for all my work calls, and listening to music.

During this time, I was able to directly compare the Omni with some other gaming headsets I had to hand, such as the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless and Nova Elite, as well as the Audeze Maxwell 2 and Maxwell 2 ANC.

First reviewed May-August 2026

Read more about how we test

Turtle Beach Command Series KB5: One-minute review

The Turtle Beach Command Series KB5 is a full-size keyboard with an interesting display module that has more functionality than many others.

However, the board fails to make a great first impression. It looks dated with its unnecessary angles, while the plastic materials feel cheap. The brushed metal face plate is a nice touch, though, as are the floating double-shot PBT keycaps. It’s also quite a light unit, especially so for a keyboard this size.

The included wrist rest also feels like a low-grade plastic, and doesn’t attach magnetically like those bundled with some of the best gaming keyboards. Instead, it relies on a somewhat fiddly — but ultimately secure — mechanical attachment. And despite its lack of padding, its ergonomic contours offer sufficient levels of comfort. The rest also helps to make up for the KB5’s shallow tilt angle, even with the two-stage feet propping it up.

The standout feature of the KB5, though, is its interactive touchscreen in the top-right corner of the unit. It lacks the responsiveness we’ve come to expect of modern touchscreens, taking multiple swipes and taps for it to register them. However, it has a lot of useful functions and features, with plenty of settings for the KB5 itself, as well as a wealth of customizable shortcuts and readouts for Windows and various apps.

These shortcuts can be customized using Turtle Beach’s Swarm 2 software. There are a wide variety of templates to choose from, but you can also create your own shortcut clusters from a wide selection of widgets. The software also has a generous selection of remapping and macro options, although there aren’t any performance-related adjustments. I wish it provided more explanations for its features, too.

In action, the KB5 performs reasonably well. The keycaps have a very low profile, which makes them easy to glide over, while the switches are satisfyingly damped. However, presses are a little heavier than you might expect, sometimes resulting in taps failing to register, especially if you have a light touch. This is more of an issue when typing than gaming.

The WASD position is comfortable and the keys are well spaced, making it easy to reach them. I could easily hit the space bar flush, thanks to its low profile and generous slant. However, the sheer width of the board can result in collisions when swiping your mouse vigorously.

At $150 / £140, the KB5 isn’t exactly a budget-friendly board, and is especially dear for one with no wireless connectivity and a less-than premium construction. The integrated touchscreen and large layout make up for this somewhat, but the fact remains there are better value rivals if you don’t need all those keys and a sophisticated display.

Turtle Beach Command Series KB5 review: Price & availability

• $149.99 / £139.99 (about AU$210)
• Available now in one colorway
• Reasonably expensive for a wired mechanical keyboard.

The KB5 costs $149.99 / £139.99 (about AU$210) and is available now in one colorway. It comes with a braided USB cable, an attachable wrist rest, and extra WASD keys with a grippier texture. You can remove the stock ones using the included keycap puller.

This is quite expensive for a wired mechanical keyboard. Granted, it’s a full-size board with plenty of keys, but it lacks the premium build of some of its cheaper rivals, such as the MonsGeek FUN60 Ultra. This is an extremely solid unit, and its gaming performance is as good if not better than the KB5’s, with its analog switches providing more adjustability. It also has multiple wireless connectivity modes.

Then there’s the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro. This is vastly more expensive than the KB5, but it’s one of the best performing mechanical keyboards I’ve ever used, and its software and build quality are superior. What’s more, its included wrist rest is far more plush, and it also has multiple wireless modes.

• Value score: 3.5 / 5

Turtle Beach Command Series KB5 review: Specs

Turtle Beach Command Series KB5 review: Design & features

• Gamer-ish design
• Cheap-feeling plastics
• Useful integrated display

The KB5 leans into the gamer aesthetic, with its odd contours along the top edge and flashes of brown. Personally, I found this look a little garish and quite dated, although I did like the brushed metal front plate and its countersunk screws, which are prominently displayed. These are also quite practical since they’re easily accessible.

Overall, the build quality is less impressive. The plastic of the chassis feels cheap, although in fairness it’s also quite light, which means this large keyboard isn’t a chore to move around. Another plus is the keycaps are made from double-shot PBT, the gold standard keycap material, and they’re solidly fitted.

The notching on the cylindrical volume wheel feels good too, making for easy flicks while at the same time offering fine control. However, it can be hard to press inwards to mute without accidentally triggering a scroll.

A wrist rest is included with the KB5, which is always a welcome addition in my view. However, it appears to be made from the same cut-price plastic as the keyboard itself. And while it actually attaches to the keyboard, it requires snapping latches in place, which is certainly less elegant than the magnetic method utilized by many others.

On a more positive note, the display in the top-right corner is larger, sharper, and more interactive than many others I’ve seen integrated in keyboards. It also has touchscreen functionality, although this is fairly rudimentary and gestures often require repeating two or three times before the display responds. Also, the texture of the screen itself is a little grippy, which can hamper swipes.

Nonetheless, it offers a lot of features. By tapping the left side of the screen, you can access three pages of settings for the KB5, with options to toggle ReacTap (Turtle Beach's Rapid Trigger function), remap keys, and alter the RGB backlighting, to name a few.

There are also three pages of widgets, with each page containing a cluster of six. These can be customized using Swarm 2, Turtle Beach’s peripheral software. You’ll find a large selection of template clusters to choose from, catering to various use cases. For instance, there’s a gaming one that features a shortcut widget for opening Steam, while the other widgets display CPU and GPU loads and temperatures. There’s also a template for general productivity, with widgets for copying and pasting and opening Windows’ Calculator app.

You can also edit and create your own templates by selecting each individual widget. In addition to common Windows commands and multimedia controls, there are app-specific widgets for Steam, OBS, Steamlabs, and Discord. There are also those under a section labelled ‘CS’, although it’s unclear what game or games in the Counter-Strike series these widgets are compatible with. All I can say is that they failed to work with Counter-Strike 2 when I played it.

Swarm 2 features other customizations, including key reassignment. There is a generous selection of shortcuts you can assign, and four mapping layers to choose from: primary, Fn, Game Mode, and Easy Shift. You can also remap the scrolls and button of the volume wheel, which isn’t always possible on gaming keyboards. More impressively, the wheel has the same four layers of assignments available to it.

There are a wealth of preset macros to choose from as well, not only across a broad selection of games, but also for other software such as Photoshop. However, a lot of the other macros are quite basic, merely boiling down to simple inputs and system commands.

During my time with Swarm 2, it performed well without any major bugs or glitches occurring. There were times when the RGB backlighting failed to turn on, but whether this was an issue with the app or the keyboard’s own firmware, I can’t say. Regardless, I managed to get it working again by unplugging and replugging the USB cable, or by turning the lighting off then on again in the app.

Swarm 2 is easy to use and navigate, although it could do with more explanations for some of its features. For instance, I couldn’t find any explanation as to how to access the Easy Shift and Game Mode layers, and the ReacTap feature isn’t toggleable anywhere in the app, only via the integrated screen. Neither location explains what it does or how it works; I had to gather this information from Turtle Beach's website.

• Design and features score: 3.5 / 5

Turtle Beach Command Series KB5 review: Performance

• Very low-profile keys
• Deep actuation point detrimental to typing
• Board width can hamper mouse movement

In general, the KB5 is a capable gaming keyboard. Its Titan mechanical switches are damped to a large degree, making them tactile and relatively quiet, although a certain clickiness emanates from key presses.

The keys also have a very low profile, perhaps the lowest I’ve ever come across. I appreciated this when typing, since I could glide between them easily, but their actuation point is deeper than you might expect, resulting in hits often failing to register when I typed quickly.

Thankfully, this is less of an issue when gaming. Also, the indents on the keycaps offer a secure hold, while the WASD position is comfortable thanks to the spacing of the keys, which is large enough to avoid feeling cramped, yet all the peripheral keys are still easy to reach. What’s more, the space bar slopes downwards slightly, making flush hits easier to achieve.

However, the KB5’s lack of tilt is slightly disappointing. Despite having two stages, the feet don’t create much of an angle, which is something I often lament in gaming keyboards. The included wrist rest does make up for this somewhat, thanks to its sloping design, and it’s comfortable to use. Despite the lack of padding, a bigger issue with the KB5 is its sheer width. If you like using a low DPI setting for your mouse and need to make large movements, you may find yourself slamming into the side of the board.

• Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Should I buy the Turtle Beach Command Series KB5?

Scorecard

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

Turtle Beach Command Series KB5 review: Also consider

How I tested the Turtle Beach Command Series KB5

• Tested for a few days
• Performed various tasks
• Plentiful gaming keyboard experience

I tested the KB5 for a few days, during which time I used it for gaming, general browsing, and working.

I played various games, including Counter-Strike 2, a great title for revealing the true performance of peripherals, given the demands it places on the speed and accuracy of inputs.

I’ve been PC gaming for over a decade, and have used a great many keyboards in that time. I’ve also reviewed a large number of them, from small budget models to large premium offerings, across a wide range of brands.

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

Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo: one-minute review

The Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo is an exceptionally small capsule coffee maker, which brews espresso using the company's own A Modo Mio pods. These vacuum-packed capsules are available in a wide variety of coffee types, roasts, and blends, but unlike Nespresso capsules, there are no elaborate brews with added flavors to choose from.

That's no bad thing in my opinion, because the Jolie Evo produces some of the best espresso I've had from a pod machine, and flavored coffees often tend to taste artificial.

The Jolie Evo is very reasonably priced too (considerably less than the A Modo Mio Smeg and A Modo Mio Deséa), though you'll need to pick up a standalone milk frother too (I recommend either the Smeg Mini Milk Frother or Philips Baristina Milk Frother) if you want to make lattes and cappuccinos.

The controls are extremely simple, with just a single button and a large lever. However, bear in mind that there's no timer, so you'll need to manually tap the button to stop the flow once the machine has dispensed the right amount of coffee.

Overall, it's an excellent compact espresso machine. For me, the only real drawback is that the plastic pods aren't particularly easy to recycle. They can only be dropped off at designated collection points, which can be scarce outside big cities.

Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo: specifications

Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo: price and availability

• List price £99 / AU$129 (about $190)
• Widely available in UK and Australia
• Listed on Lavazza's US site, but not available at the time of writing

The Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo has a list price of £99 / AU$129, which is about $133, but at the time of writing the machine doesn't seem to be available to actually buy in the US — even though it's listed on Lavazza's site. So it may become available in the future.

If you're in the UK, you can get the coffee maker for £49 if you subscribe to Lavazza's coffee capsule delivery service.

Even at full price, that's very reasonable for a good quality capsule coffee maker. For comparison, the Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg is £249 / AU$349 (about $350), while the Lavazza A Modo Mio Deséa is £249 / AU$349 (about $330) — though the latter machine also has a built-in milk-frothing system.

If you want to make lattes and cappuccinos with the Jolie Evo, you'll need a standalone milk frother like the Lavazza MilkEasy Plus, which is priced at £79 / AU$119 (about $150) — or the Smeg Mini Milk Frother or Philips Baristina Milk Frother I mentioned earlier.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo: design

• Ideal for small kitchens
• Only two controls (lever and button)
• Lever is ergonomic and easy to use

The Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo is easily one of the smallest coffee makers I’ve tested, measuring a mere 4.9 x 8.3 x 13 inches / 124 x 210 x 330mm (W x H x D). That’s even tinier than the diminutive Nespresso Vertuo Pop, which is 5.3 x 9.8 x 16.7 inches / 136 x 250 x 426mm. It’s ideal for slotting into small spaces, and you can even route the power cable right or left underneath the machine if you need it to sit against a wall.

The Lavazza machine looks classier than its Nespresso counterpart as well, with a smart matte finish and a large chrome handle on top. Pulling this handle up opens a slot on top of the machine. so you can slide a coffee pod inside.

Pushing it back down closes the drawer and pierces the pod, and pulling it up a second time will drop the used capsule into a small bin behind the Jolie Evo’s drip tray. The bin has a grille at the bottom that allows the pods to drain so they’re dry when you remove them for recycling, which is a thoughtful touch.

The large lever is easy to grip and requires barely any force to move, which makes this a particularly good option for people with limited strength or mobility in their hands.

The drip tray has a plastic grate that can be removed for easy cleaning, and is just the right height for an espresso cup. A standard size cup or mug will fit neatly under the dispenser with the drip tray detached.

Other than the handle, there is just one control on the Jolie Evi: a button on top of the machine, with a white light to indicate the machine’s current status: blinking means heating, and white means ready to brew.

It’s available in black and white in Australia, with a gray option also offered in the UK. It was sold in green and red too when it launched in the US.

• Design score: 5/5

Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo: performance

• Extremely simple to use, but there's no timer for the coffee dispenser
• It makes delicious espresso in moments
• Its pods can be hard to recycle compared to Nespresso aluminum ones

What makes the Jolie Evo different from all other capsule coffee makers I’ve tested to date is its lack of a timer for brewing different sized drinks. Once you’ve pressed its single button, the little machine will continue dispensing coffee (or hot water, if there’s no pod inside) until you either tap the button again or the tank is empty.

This isn’t ideal if you want to leave your coffee maker to handle itself while you’re preparing the rest of your breakfast, but making a double espresso takes less than a minute so it’s no real hardship.

I would recommend using a measuring cup as your recepticle, though, at least until you’ve got your eye in, because it’s easy to under or over-estimate the output. You could use a coffee scale to a perfect measure, but it would be overkill; this entry-level machine makes a very good espresso, but it’s not intended for real aficionados.

It uses Lavazza’s own A Modo Mio capsules, which are excellent value compared to most coffee pods. Different types command different prices, but you can pick up 80 Qualità Rossa pods direct from Lavazza for £24.50 (about $30 / AU$50). That’s just over 30p per drink, compared to 49p for the cheapest Nespresso Vertuo pods.

Unlike Nespresso, the Modo Mio selection doesn’t include elaborate flavored drinks; there are various beans, blends and roasts to choose from in Lavazza’s store, but each pod contains only ground coffee with no extras. That's no bad thing, in my opinion — coffee capsules with added flavors can taste unpleasantly artificial.

I tested the Jolie Evo with three of Lavazza’s coffees: Qualità Rossa, Passionale, and Qualità Oro. Each comes in a box of 16, and is marked with an intensity score out of 12 to give you an idea of what to expect. The first is a blend of robusta and arabica beans, while the other two are 100% arabica.

My personal favorite was the Qualità Oro, which produced one of the best-tasting espressos I’ve had from a capsule machine and is described as “Sweet and delicate taste, with an intense and fragrant aroma”.

It goes particularly well with milk in a white americano or (if you also pick up a milk frother) a creamy latte.

The problem with these pods, delicious though they are, is that they can be difficult to recycle. Nespresso pods are made entirely from aluminum, which is relatively easy to process once the coffee grounds are removed, and there’s almost certain to be a location nearby where you can drop off the used capsules. If not, you can mail them off for recycling with a pre-paid bag.

By contrast, Lavazza A Modo Mio pods are mostly plastic and can be recycled in the UK through the company’s partnership with Terracycle, but collection points are few and far between.

If there’s nowhere to drop off your pods, your only option is to start your own collection point, accepting pods from other people and sending them for processing yourself. Individuals can’t send their pods in the mail.

South England is relatively well-served, but at the time of writing there are only four drop-off points in Scotland, and none at all in Wales or Northern Ireland.

• Performance score: 4/5

Should you buy the Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo: also consider

If you're not sure whether the Jolie Evo is the right espresso machine for you, here are two others to think about.

How I tested the Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo

I used the Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo in place of my usual espresso machine for two weeks. I used three different types of A Modo Mio capsules (Qualità Rossa, Passionale, and Qualità Oro), drinking it neat as an espresso, and using the Jolie Evo to add extra hot water to make an americano.

I set up and cleaned the machine following the directions in the instruction manual, and allowed the components to air-dry before reassembly.

• For more details, see how TechRadar tests, reviews, and rates products.
• First reviewed: August 2026

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: Two-minute review

Spare a thought for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, which isn't having the easiest time of it right now. Yes, it's a fantastic foldable phone, but it was launched in the shadow of its upstart sibling, the Galaxy Z Fold 8, with Samsung taking the OG folding phones' name and applying it to a fresh, dare I say cute, design.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, by contrast, is almost indistinguishable from its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Fold 7. That's hardly a criticism — I loved that Android device — but it's hard to stand out when you've launched alongside to the phone world's shiny new object.

If we can put the 4:3 aspect-ratio Galaxy Z Fold 8 aside for a moment — you can read our Z Fold 8 review if you're so inclined — I'll focus here on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, a fantastic folding device in its own right.

If you're unfamiliar with the Galaxy Z Fold line, here are the highlights for the Z Fold 8 Ultra. 'Ultra', but the way, does not mean it somehow more closely resembles the Galaxy S26 Ultra, though the camera and CPU enhancements do bring it more in line with the performance of its flagship cousin.

Folded, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra looks like a standard, if slightly narrower than normal smartphone (the S26 Ultra is a few millimeters wider). Unfolded, it's an 8.0-inch flexible display — and the chief upgrade on the display side is a mechanical and material engineering marvel.

Under the protective plastic cover, ultra-thin glass and a flexible AMOLED screen are a pair of new titanium panels. One is pure titanium, with an all-new perforation design for better bending performance, and the other is an alloy that, while thinner than the previous polymer sheet, is stronger and more reliable.

The quite noticeable result is an essentially flat main screen with a far less visible crease, with the promise that over the years the bendy display won't suffer noticeable deformations (i.e., a more noticeable crease).

There are still five (yes, five) cameras, and while the 200MP main camera is essentially unchanged, the ultra-wide is now a more powerful 50MP camera (up from 10MP). The 3x optical zoom is still 10MP, and I do wish it were a 5x optical zoom (or at least 4x like the iPhone 17 Pro Max's). You can go far further with digital zoom, but then you have to wonder how much of an assist your photos are getting from the on-board AI (assume a decent amount). All of the photography is further improved by the upgraded image processing.

Under the hood is the latest Qualcomm silicon, which supports an impressive array of AI features. As with other Galaxy devices, there's almost too much AI here, but features like Photo Assist and Now Brief are standouts.

All in all, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is an excellent follow-up to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and is set to easily take over from its predecessor at the top of our rankings of the best foldable phones.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra review: Price and availability

• Even more expensive than the Z Fold 7
• Still a good value for a two-in-one device

I guess it was inevitable that with the price of RAM and components rising, the latest Galaxy Z Fold would be more expensive than its predecessor.

The new Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra starts at $2,099.99 / £1,899.00 / AU$2,999. If anything, the $100 bump in the US is less than I thought it might be; double that would not have been surprising.

Released alongside the smaller Galaxy Z Fold 8 ($1,899.99 / £1,699 / AU$2,699 ), the Z Fold 8 Ultra has an inarguably premium price, though it seems more reasonable when you consider that this is a two-in-one device.

The Z Fold 8 Ultra is available in Graphite, Cream, Green Shadow, and my test unit's Violet Shadow.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra review: Specs

Here's a breakdown of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's key specs:

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra review: Design

• Folded, it looks virtually identical to the last model
• Easier to unfold
• Unfolds flat... finally
• The crease is almost gone

There's little argument that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is, despite the new superlative, a visually iterative update. Folded, it's hard to distinguish it from the Z Fold 7.; it's virtually the same size and weight, meaning it's still lighter than the Galaxy S26 Ultra. It's still an Armor Aluminum Frame, though the Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 from the last Fold 6.5-inch cover display is now Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3. On the back is Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

It's not until you unfold the handset, or rather attempt to unfold it, that the design changes, er... unfold.

First, there's a new chamfered edge along the fold inseam, which makes it far easier to insert the tips of your fingers and unfold the phone. Samsung told us it made this change because some users complained that the 4.2mm thick Z Fold 7 was difficult to open. The even thinner 4.1mm Z Fold 8 Ultra is, in fact, easier to open. I might even call it a pleasure.

Speaking of pleasure, there's another tiny little change that I really love. The power/sleep/fingerprint/Gemini button is no longer recessed, and is now so much easier to find by touch.

The biggest design upgrade is almost purely mechanical, and Samsung pulled it off by swapping out various materials and hinge designs to finally achieve a virtually flat and almost creaseless unfolded body and display. That is to say, the screen and chassis are flat, although if you lay it on a table, that ample camera bump will keep the whole thing rocking.

Inside the 4.1mm body — it's so thin it only just accomodates the USB-C port — Samsung has re-engineered the rigid titanium panel along the hinge strip, transforming the perforations into an almost 'A' shape, which allows for easier and more reliable bending. That panel is paired with a new titanium alloy sheet (it's thinner and stronger than the old polymer one). Together, they make the folding and unfolding processes better, and, when the phone is fully unfolded, allow for a virtually flat frame and the least noticeable crease yet. I'll have more to say about this design in the Display section below.

As I've been carrying around the Z Fold 8 Ultra and opening and closing it, people have consistently asked how long the phone might last, and whether it fatigues at the bend. I reply that, in the course of using and testing Samsung's folding phones over the last seven years, I've found them surprisingly resilient.

This model is actually water-resistant (IP48; yes, I ran it under water, yes, it survived, and perhaps enjoyed it), though I would not take it to the beach if it's not in a sealed case. When I traveled to South Korea last month. Samsung showed me how it torture-tests these devices, including folding and unfolding them thousands of times. I'm quite confident that with normal use the Z Fold 8 Ultra will last for years — at least through all seven years of Samsung's promised OS and security updates.

• Design score: 5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra review: Displays

• Main screen is almost perfectly flat
• Responsive, colorful, main screen has sunlight-beating brightness
• Cover screen is wide enough to be useful as a regular phone
• I wish the cover screen was a little brighter

Samsung now has enough experience making folding phones to be well into the refinement phase. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is already thin and light enough, and the last model, the Z Fold 7, folded the screen so tightly that there was barely any gap between the two halves of the display. Now, though, the new display technology allows the screen to unfold virtually flat and, thanks to both the hinge engineering and new anti-reflective coating, make the crease very close to invisible.

The crease is not entirely gone. When I run my finger over the center of the 8-inch display I can feel it, and if I view the screen at the right angle, I can just make out the slight half-inch-wide indent.

Still, everything looks fantastic on the tablet-size display, which now sports a 2504 x 2256 resolution, a slight upgrade from the Z Fold 7's 2184 x 1968 resolution. I played games, watched video, viewed countless photos, used it for full-screen turn-by-turn navigation in maps (it's easy to get lost in London, which I was visiting for the Galaxy Unpacked event at which this phone was launched), and played more games.

If I had one real criticism of the main screen, it's that it no longer has a digitizing display — but this is not an issue new to the Z Fold 8 Ultra. Samsung dropped this feature on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and there were rumors that the S Pen-supporting digitizing layer would return with the 8, but that didn't happen. Without it, and a special S Pen, to protect the phone’s flexible display, I really don't feel comfortable drawing on it with a universal rubber stylus (which you can buy from third-party providers, but which lack the S Pen’s unique features.

The cover screen reads as a 6.5-inch display, but that's measured diagonally, and the reality is that it's not as wide as the display on the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. The Z Fold 8 Ultra cover display is about 2.5 inches wide, and the S26 Ultra is about 2.75 inches.

I still find the Z Fold 8 Ultra's cover display more than usable. The virtual keyboard is large enough for me to comfortably type on it. Websites, texts, and social media look good on it. The only issue I found is that its max brightness is not as strong as the inner display (3,000 nits, max), and it was occasionally overwhelmed by direct sunlight.

It's also a good-looking screen across multiple content types and activities thanks to the variable refresh rate that can sit anywhere from a power-sipping 1Hz up to a silky smooth 120Hz.

• Display score: 5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra review: Cameras

• Excellent collection of cameras
• Best image processing I've seen from Samsung to date
• Finally, a 50MP ultra-wide camera
• Wish the telephoto was 5x optical

As with most of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Samsung didn't completely reinvent the photography suite. Instead, we have a strong collection of cameras with some key improvements, chief among them a much more powerful 50MP ultrawide and the overall updates to the ProVisual engine for some of the best photography I've ever achieved with a Samsung smartphone.

I've spent more than a week photographing everything from the iconic landmarks of London to a soccer match between Wrexham and Liverpool at New York's Yankee Stadium. In virtually every scenario, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's cameras did not disappoint. Samsung's ProVisual engine is finally focused on color fidelity, and while I can use Galaxy AI Photo Assist to alter mu images to my heart's content, I applaud Samsung's focus on photographic reality.

To recap, here are all the cameras (five of them!) you get:

• 200MP wide
• 50MP ultra-wide
• 10MP telephoto (3x optical)
• 10MP selfie (main screen)
• 10MP selfie (cover screen)

Like most high-megapixel main cameras on phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's 200MP and 50MP cameras default to a binned mode, squeezing multiple pixels into one (the main 48MP camera on iPhone 17 Pro, for instance, similarly defaults to 24MP). The result with the Z Fold 8 Ultra is 12MP photos, unless you choose 50MP or 200MP. The majority of my photos were shot with the 12MP default.

Even though Apple defaults to a higher resolution, Samsung's overall higher megapixel count means it's theoretically squeezing even more information into each photo. In anecdotal side-by-side shots, Samsung's photography is now as good as, and sometimes better than, what I can get with the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Portrait-mode photos have become a real highlight in Samsung's photographic arsenal. From the very first photo I took of my colleague Axel Metz (above) to a shot of my son and his girlfriend, I've been impressed with the phone's uncanny ability to capture every detail and strand of hair while warmly blurring the background. My favorite shot is this one, of one of the Beefeaters who guard the Tower of London guards. This gentleman was kind enough to pose for me, and I think even he was surprised at the result.

While I was generally pleased with the telephoto performance, I'm not thrilled with the underpowered, 10MP 3x optical zoom lens. It obviously pales in comparison to the iPhone 17 Pro Max's 48MP 4x optical zoom. Those extra megapixels also help the iPhone produce unprocessed 8x zoom sensor crops. After 3x on the Z Fold 8 Ultra, everything else gets some digital enhancement. Most of the images I've shared are optical-strength only.

One lens that's gotten a big upgrade with the Z Fold 8 Ultra is the ultra-wide, which is now a 50MP lens. This helps improve the quality of those wide-angle shots, and macro images, as well. There's some real drama in these ultra-wide images, and I'm impressed with how even the edges remain sharp.

Night photography is also strong, and I was often pleased with how much light, color, and detail the Z Fold 8 Ultra could find in even the darkest environments.

On the video side, the Z Fold 8 Ultra lives up to its name, letting you shoot and edit 8K video. I waded into my pair of hydrangea bushes and dozens of buzzing bees to capture some cool, up-close 8K footage that I was then able to fully edit inside the phone's camera app, including adjusting brightness, and even using the AI-powered audio scrubber to bring down the wind and sound of leaves brushing against the microphones.

One of the other highlights is the Dual Camera shooting mode, which, while using a front and back camera, produces a rather distinct result. Instead of the 10MP selfie-camera image appearing as a picture-in-picture window on the front-facing camera video — as it does when using the similar Dual Capture mode on Apple’s latest iPhones — the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra creates a split-screen view.

I used this mode a few times in London, most memorably at the Royal Palace and at Borough Market, where I shot the famous strawberry stand. It's a great effect, and creates some really engaging videos.

The other most notable video feature is a Galaxy AI enhancement called My FanCam. As the name implies, it lets you focus on your favorite video subject. The example we saw involved video of a soccer game. On playback in the camera app, you select the Galaxy AI icon and then the My FanCam option. The system identifies all the moving people (it doesn't work with animals or anything other than humans). You select the one you want, and the video tracks that subject. But the best part is that it can auto-crop around the subject in the aspect ratio of your choice — perfect for sharing on social media.

I ran a couple of tests with My FanCam, and it worked perfectly every time.

• Camera score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra review: Software

• One UI 9 is clean, elegant, and intuitive
• Lots of AI, but none of it gets in the way

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra arrives with Android 17 and OneUI 9. It's a great combination. Overall, OneUI is a great Android overlay, because it's useful without getting in the way of Android. There are still some odd choices, like the existence of a Galaxy web browser that I never use (does anyone?), but some of the native Galaxy features are actually quite useful.

It's also a system with multiple AI platforms: Bixby, Galaxy AI, and Gemini. Of the three, Bixby, which can answer general questions and step into controlling key phone features, got the least amount of use. I do like though for it for how it lets you dig down to settings like brightness control without ever digging into settings. I could simply talk to Bixby and tell it what I wanted, like when I asked, "Can you make sure the brightness is set to 100%?" Bixby opened settings, brightness control, and pushed it to 100%.

Galaxy AI is a far richer collection of native AI tools, ranging from on-screen awareness to voice-driven photo editing.

I had some fun editing photos with my voice — and I was shocked by how good the results were. With the above photo pair, I simply asked Galaxy AI to "Remove the old man". There was no hesitation, and in about 20 seconds I had the second image. I was gone, and Galaxy AI filled in the rest of my friend's arm, turned a small satchel he was carrying into a shoulder bag, and fleshed out the guy behind me. It looked like reality.

There's also a whole collection of Now features, including the "your world on a single screen" Now Brief, which now adds custom cards, and Now Nudge, which pops up contextual guidance for things like multitasking and automatically noticing that you might want to add an appointment to your calendar. I couldn't get Now Nudge working for me in messages in RCS — I suspect it may take some time for the system to learn about me and start making these suggestions.

On the quality-of-life front, the QuickShare updates that make sharing between this Android Phone and iPhones (and Macs) possible have been a revelation. I feel as if the world's been thrown open, and I can only say it's about time. Okay, I know that's a bit much, but this feature update is bigger than you might think.

Gemini is especially powerful if you give it access to personal details and data inside apps like calendar and mail. When I asked Gemini, without preamble, "Where am I going today?" it looked in my emails and gave me my schedule and location for my next meeting. Impressive.

Features like Circle to Search can be summoned by holding down the virtual home button and then circling on-screen objects. The results are quick and accurate

I can also hold down the power/sleep button to summon Gemini. Six months of access to the more powerful Pro version comes with the phone; after that, you have the most basic Google AI, which is still pretty good.

• Software score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra review: Performance

• Powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
• Performance is peerless
• Back can get a little hot

This is a powerful and smoothly performing smartphone. Qualcomm's latest silicon virtually matches the iPhone 17 Pro Max's A19 Pro Geekbench 7 single- and multi-core scores. The numbers, by the way, appear lower than phones tested last year with Geekbench 6 because, in the upgrade to 7, Geekbench completely recalibrated how it measures performance.

In the real world, I have yet to run into a task or situation the phone couldn't handle. Games like Asphalt Legends looked and ran perfectly. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra can handle multitasking with ease — you can have up to four apps open simultaneously on the main screen — and editing 8K video is seamless.

There were times when I could feel the back of the phone getting warm, but not so much that it became uncomfortable to hold.

In other performance areas, like audio, the speakers can get loud but with virtually no bass; they can also sound a bit tinny. Call quality is excellent, though my first few call tests were with phone scammers who somehow instantly found the new number.

5G speeds and WiFi 7 connectivity were strong and, with enough signal, fast. I've also enjoyed a solid Bluetooth 6.0 connection to my Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 2 and Galaxy Watch Ultra.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra review: Battery

• 5,000mAh battery
• 45W wired charging
• All-day battery life

Even though this is a thinner Z Fold than last year, the battery is now a larger 5,000mAh, a feat made possible by the thinner titanium alloy, which replaced the thicker polymer layer and the new silicon-carbon battery technology (more power in less space).

That battery gave me, with constant, all-day, mixed use in bright sunlight, 12.5 hours of battery life. In our lab tests, we got a solid 14 hours. It's an all-day champ, to be sure.

The phone can also charge quickly with a 45W fast charger — I almost 50% in 15 minutes and 76% in half an hour — while wireless charging supports 20W charging. You can also put another Galaxy phone on the back and share a little power via Wireless PowerShare.

• Battery score: 5 / 5

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra review: Also consider

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

I've been working, playing, and traveling with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra for almost two weeks. I've tried to use it as I would any smartphone, but with the added benefit of the large screen.

This is my seventh year testing foldable phones, and I am constantly astonished by the progress that's being made with the form factor, especially by Samsung. The Z Fold 8 Ultra is the full expression of its smartphone ideas and, as I carried it with me and pulled it out to take photos in London, Manhattan, and at home, I was constantly surprised and pleased with its performance.

More broadly, I've been testing phones for over 22 years and technology for 40. I use my wealth of experience to put products like the Z Fold 8 Ultra in context and perspective. As I see it, this is the best folding phone on the market right now.
Read more about how we test

First reviewed August 2026

Light spoilers follow for Ted Lasso season 4 episodes 1 to 4.

Ted Lasso is back — and so, too, is Apple TV’s hugely popular sports comedy-drama. Three years after the final whistle was seemingly blown on the hit show, it returns not just as a continuation of where its third season left off, but also as a narrative and character-based evolution by way of a squad rebuild.

Even with its new line-up and the multi-year gap between seasons, though, Ted Lasso season 4 is a triumphant return to winning ways for the fan-favorite series — and I say that as someone who didn't dislike its divisive third season as many others did.

Home is where the heart is

Three years have passed since Ted (Jason Sudeikis) ended his AFC Richmond journey with the men's team and returned to Kansas to spend more time with his son Henry (Grant Feely). When season 4 reunites us with the eponymous soccer coach, we learn he's given up on the game entirely and now works as the assistant manager of a local grocery store.

A surprise visit from old friends — Richmond owner Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), Director of Football Operations Leslie Higgins (Jeremy Swift), and Keeley Jones (Juno Temple), now serving as chief marketing officer for the club's new women's division — soon has Ted questioning his current lot in life, though.

The reason? They want him to manage Richmond's newly founded women's team, work the same magic that he did with their male counterparts, and establish a similar culture of excellence that'll last well past his tenure in the dugout.

Of course, this being the latest chapter of the beloved Apple TV show, it's not a spoiler to reveal that an at-first reluctant Ted eventually accepts their offer. After all, it would be an incredibly short season if he didn't.

Nevertheless, although this is a significant, life-changing choice for Ted, episode 1 spends far too much time grappling with the proposal laid at his feet — so much so, in fact, that I worried it would derail the series' return before it had really begun.

Indeed, with the bulk of episode 1's runtime spent on exploring Ted's inner struggle before its inevitable resolution, this season's premiere feels like a largely superfluous prologue to the main event of Ted actually becoming a Richmond native once more.

That's not to say this narrative set-up isn't necessary, because it's the biggest decision Ted has faced since he left Richmond in the first place. Showing him wrestle with himself over whether he should take charge of Richmond's women's team, and deal with his loved ones' not-so-subtle nudges to do so, then, is a worthy storytelling exercise.

Nonetheless, an insightful subplot where Higgins learns about the Negro Baseball Leagues and Ted's inner conflict notwithstanding, I couldn't help but feel that season 4 episode 1's story could've been condensed and avoided the extraneous plot filler that drags out his prospective homecoming.

We're not in Kansas anymore

Once season 4 properly gets underway in its second episode, though, it's like the show has never been away, nor missed a beat. Indeed, it effortlessly slips back into the purposeful stride that underpinned its first two electrifying seasons and parts of its third — again, a season I still largely enjoyed.

There's a satisfying air of familiarity as Ted — and, by proxy, the audience — reunites with the pillars of the AFC Richmond community, too. Rebecca, Keeley, and Higgins aside, other well-known faces like Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) and Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) welcome us and Ted back in typically eccentric fashion, and further emphasize the continuity between the show's past and its latest chapter.

By virtue of Ted managing Richmond Women, season 4 also represents a new era for the acclaimed series. With that comes a whole line-up of fresh faces — the first of which we're introduced to is diligent but emotionally cold soccer coach Alice Chilton (Tanya Reynolds).

Initially resentful of Ted for pipping her to the top job and Rebecca for not even considering a woman for said position, Alice starts out as a — and this'll sound harsher than intended — dollar store Roy Kent. Or, rather, the season 1 version of Kent, who was an antagonistic figure whose sole purpose was to rail against Ted's cheery demeanor.

Thankfully, it soon becomes clear that Alice isn't a Kent knock-off, but a fascinatingly complex and likeable individual in her own right. She also not only comes around to respecting Ted, but also quickly embeds herself as an integral cog in a new-look, eccentric triumvirate alongside Ted and Coach Beard, as well as a fully-formed foil to this established intrepid duo.

Clearly, Ted's capacity to thaw even the iciest of exteriors has no limits, and I'm eager to see how Richmond Women's primary coaching team collectively evolves throughout season 4 amid myriad issues that'll come their way.

New team, new problems

And fall their way, those problems most certainly do.

Indeed, season 4 metes out its share of obstacles, starting with a goal-scoring crisis after Richmond Women's main strikers are ruled out for the season. Meanwhile, in a far cry from their time in charge of the men's team, Ted and Beard no longer have free rein to walk into the locker room whenever they please — an obvious boundary that becomes a recurring, comedic point of contention for all concerned. Ted also finds himself in plenty of awkward one-on-one chats with his new squad, most notably with zany, slightly unhinged goalkeeper Katy 'Boots' Quinn (Jude Mack), who's easily the highlight of this season's new additions.

'Boots' is far from the only unique personality in the Richmond Women squad.

We don't get to meet the vast majority of this rambunctious rabble until episode 3 but, in its follow-up, they manage to do the impossible: make Ted lose his cool and lay down the law amid dressing room splits. Ultimately, though, they're an instantly lovable collection of characters with distinct quirks and personal problems that'll inform their individual character journeys, and I get the impression that viewers will be just as captivated by this group — and their various trials and tribulations — as they were by the men’s team.

Off-the-field challenges also permeate many of season 4's early subplots, many of which give major supporting characters in Waddingham's Rebecca and Temple's Keeley a stage on which to shine.

From gender inequality and pregnancy and motherhood to systemic underfunding and the media coverage gap, Ted Lasso tackles these heavy real-world issues head-on. That's to be expected, but it's nevertheless pleasing to see the show do so with warmth, empathy, and the occasional slice of its trademark irreverent humor.

On the whole, Ted Lasso season 4’s opening four episodes handle their secondary storylines reasonably well. However, a few subplots lean into comedy at the expense of substance and subsequently feel a little shallow due to their flippant execution.

Take episode 2, where Rebecca grapples with perceptions that she isn't much of a feminist. It's a subplot that highlights Waddingham's comedic timing and dramatic range, but falters somewhat by prioritizing quick laughs over meaningful narrative resolution, thereby coming across as unbalanced.

The other major misfire in episodes 1 to 4 is Goldstein's Kent.

His presence remains vital to the series, but he feels oddly overused in a season that has moved away from Richmond's men's team. Of more concern is how the show worryingly appears to be turning his character into a caricature of his signature gruffness. Pair that with his recycled 'will they, won't they' subplot with Keeley — an eye-rolling dance that's run its course — and Roy's evolution feels increasingly sidelined in favor of easy gags. Hopefully, a finer balance will be struck between the Kent of old and his new persona in chapters to come.

My verdict

Noteworthy flaws in Ted Lasso season 4's early episodes aside, it's great to see this wonderfully silly, optimistic, cosy comfort show back on the air.

There was understandable scepticism when Ted Lasso season 4 was officially announced, with plenty of 'cash-grab' and 'who asked for this?' murmurings in the wake of what felt like a definitive finale.

As heart-soaring returns go, though, Ted Lasso's comeback delivers a match-winning performance in its first half, rich in both laugh-out-loud moments and striking emotional notes. Keep up this kind of form, and few will argue against another trophy-laden season of television.

Ted Lasso season 4 episode 1 is out now on Apple TV. New chapters air weekly.

Beelink EQi Wildcat Lake: 30-second review

The Beelink EQi is essentially an ideal office machine. There’s nothing fancy about the design; in fact, it feels a little lightweight and plasticy; however, the balance of features is far greater than the specifications would initially have you believe.

As ever, this Mini PC is compact with its 126mm-square footprint that enables easy positioning around the desk; however, while the looks may not highlight anything special, it packs in an unusual amount of connectivity for a Mini PC at this price and with this level of CPU.

The major surprise here is that on the back, alongside the usual 2.5GbE LAN port, is a second, ultra-fast 10GbE port, which is the sort of specification you normally find on hardware costing far more, but also ideal if you’re connecting into a UGREEN IDX6011 NAS over a 10GbE network for archiving. Next to this network port are two Thunderbolt 4 ports at 40 Gbps, HDMI 2.0, and triple-display support, meaning that for integration into an office or studio this machine is highly tuned.

It’s also very neat with the dark grey ABS enclosure feeling cheap compared to aluminium rivals. Still, the 85W power supply is built into the chassis, so the only cable at the back is a mains lead, and those going to monitors and accessories, there’s no power brick to get in the way.

Open the base and the interior is exceptionally well organised, with both M.2 slots covered by a substantial metal heatsink that lifts off with two screws. The rear port layout is the odd decision, with the two Type-A ports placed on either side of the HDMI output rather than together, which is awkward if you use a wired keyboard and mouse.

Performance is well balanced by Intel's Core 3 304, though it has its limitations. It’s quick where it counts when browsing the internet, using office software, or playing media, and I've even found myself using it to offload image and video files to the server quickly and to book equipment and locations. Where it does fall is in graphics performance, as highlighted by the benchmarks: great for the office but really a no-go for gaming unless optimised for lower-specification systems.

Storage is also interesting with two M.2 slots. However, they support different lane counts, and a Crucial T710 Gen 5 drive returned 3510.25 MB/s read in slot one but only 1750.42 MB/s in slot two, which is slower than the UFS drive Beelink already fits, but then does enable you to boost the overall internal storage neatly.

Everything else is again well-balanced for office use. This is a nice, quiet machine with Windows 11 Pro pre-installed. The design is nothing flashy, but for dedicated office use with serious network potential it’s one of the best mini PCs I've tested.

Beelink EQi Wildcat Lake: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From $509
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Directly from Beelink and retailers such as Amazon

The EQi costs $509 for the 16GB LPDDR5 and 512GB configuration that I’ve looked at in this review. It's available direct from Beelink here in three configurations - 16GB LPDDR5, 24GB DDR5, and 32GB DDR5 RAM, all with 512GB SSD.

I'm also seeing several models on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk for around the same price.

• Value: 5 / 5

Beelink EQi Wildcat Lake: Specs

CPU: Intel Core 3 304, 5 cores/5 threads, up to 4.3GHz, 6MB cache, 15W TDP
Graphics: Intel Xe3-LPG integrated graphics
RAM: 16GB LPDDR5, or 24GB/32GB DDR5 at 5600MT/s; DDR5 version upgradeable to 64GB
Storage: 512GB UFS 3.1; two M.2 2280 slots (slot 1 PCIe 4.0 x2, slot 2 PCIe 4.0 x1), up to 4TB each
Left Ports: USB 3.2 Type-A, USB 3.2 Type-C, 3.5mm audio jack
Right Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB 2.0, HDMI 2.0, 10GbE, 2.5GbE, AC input
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, 10GbE Ethernet, 2.5GbE Ethernet
Audio: 3.5mm combined audio connection
Camera: None
Size: 126 x 126 x 44.2mm,
Weight: 500g
OS Installed: Windows 11 Pro
Accessories: HDMI cable, regional AC lead/power adapter and user manual

Beelink EQi Wildcat Lake: Design

If you’re looking for a machine that blends into the office background, then the Beelink EQi Wildcat Lake is a perfect option. The dark grey finish, rounded corners, and a lightly textured top panel are neat and strike a note that really highlights the machine's price point and specifications.

The size is also in line with what you’d expect from a standard Office Mini PC, with a relatively small form factor and a compact 126mm x 126mm footprint, at just 500g.

While the design might not be the most inspiring, it is generally well thought out and, surprisingly, has a built-in 85W power supply, so just a single power cable runs to the AC mains, with no need for a power brick.

On the front and back are a good range of ports, highly specified for a machine at this price. There’s also good air ventilation through the base, with airflow entering over the processor and passing through the storage.

Beelink quotes 32dB as the noise in normal use, and this seemed about right, with the ambient noise in the office slightly higher when ideal. This is also one of the neatest laid-out Mini PCs internally that I’ve seen, accessible through the base, which is held in place by four small cross-head screws. A small attention to detail is the small label that just helps to lift the base free, enabling easy access.

Once inside the interior, both M.2 slots are slightly hidden under a single large metal heatsink that lifts off with two screw. Once removed, your choice of M. 2 2280 SSD can be installed. This heatsink shows real consideration as a thermal solution for the installed drives, with the installation process taking no more than a couple of minutes.

The port selection and specification are where things really get interesting. Starting at the back, there are two USB 2.0 Type-A ports on either side of the HDMI Max 4.0 60Hz output rather than together, so a wired keyboard and mouse end up separated by a display cable.

Then there are two LAN ports, a 2.5GbE and a 10GbE, which is very unusual for a machine at this level; also unusual are the two Thunderbolt 4 ports. The front is a little more standard, with a USB 3.2 Type-A, a USB-C 10 Gbps, a 3.5mm audio jack, and finally the power button.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

Beelink EQi Wildcat Lake: Features

A quick check through the features highlights the intended audience for this PC. At the heart of the machine is the very respectable Intel Core 3 304; it’s nothing flashy, but this is a new-generation CPU so offers far more than entry-level CPUs in the past, and while not an AI powerhouse, does feature an integrated NPU as well as GPU, handy if you use Copilot on a day-to-day basis for work.

The CPU offers a five-core, five-thread processor with one performance core and four efficiency cores, 6MB of cache and a 15W TDP, turboing to 4.3GHz. Beelink quotes AI performance at 24 TOPS across the CPU, GPU and NPU for local AI processing.

While it’s great to see this entry-level office machine has AI potential, connectivity is what has surprised me about the EQi through this test. On the back are those two Thunderbolt 4 ports that run at 40 Gbps with DisplayPort 1.4, and if you need to connect more monitors, then there’s the more traditional HDMI 2.0, which I used to connect to my monitor for this review.

The two network ports, one 10GbE and one 2.5GbE, are a headline feature and enabled me to connect directly into the 10GbE LAN in the office. This meant that I could quickly offload video and image files through the machine's Thunderbolt 4 to the network. While this is an office-focused machine, I use an old Intel NUC 9 in the office for this exact task, and its speed over 1GbE and USB3.2 Gen 1 is unmatched by this.

Inside there’s a fixed 16GB LPDDR5 or upgradeable DDR5 at 24GB or 32GB, both at 5600 MT/s, with the DDR5 version supporting up to 64GB. Storage is 512GB of UFS 3.1, again fixed, but there is the option to install two M.2 2280 SSDs, both enabling up to 4TB. One point about these two slots is that they don’t support the same number of PCIe lanes, with one half as fast as the other.

Wireless runs over a MediaTek MT7922 module, with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.

• Features: 4.5 / 5

Beelink EQi Wildcat Lake: Performance

Getting started with the Beelink EQi was extremely straightforward, with a single power cord that plugs in, eliminating the need for the usual power brick. While this may seem small, it actually makes quite a difference, reducing cables and bulk to deal with.

Once the initial setup with the mouse, keyboard, and 4K monitor was complete and Windows 11 Pro was set up, the machine was installed with the usual array of applications. Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite and a few games for good measure.

Starting with the main office applications, performance proved solid, running PowerPoint, Word, and Excel without issue, with Copilot there to support me as I put together a presentation for September. The speed is good, and despite the CPU's entry-level position, it handled everything impressively.

Checking out the results of the Geekbench 2,337 single-core and 6,303 multi-core results and, more importantly, the PCMark 10 came in at 4,733, showing that while this machine doesn’t excel, it’s where you would want it for a competent everyday computer that won’t get bogged down under heavy processing.

During the test, I edited a few images in Lightroom and Photoshop, and both ran surprisingly well, even with the images stored on the internal UFS 3.1 drive. While this drive isn’t the fastest compared with the latest SSDs, it is fast enough for most office-based work, with CrystalDiskMark results of 1977.4 MB/s read and 806.79 MB/s write.

What’s interesting is that inside there are two PCIe 4.0 slots, one listed as PCIe 4.0 x2 and the other as PCIe 4.0 x1, so I fitted a Micron Crucial T710 Gen 5 NVMe to each in turn to check out the speeds of each, just as a note you can add up to 4TB in each, giving a total of 8.5TB of storage which is impressive.

The first slot recorded 3510.25 MB/s read and 3530.98 MB/s write. The same drive in slot two returned 1750.42 MB/s read and 1766.17 MB/s write. That's roughly twice the speed in the first compared with the second and still very acceptable for the intended end user. While I used a PCIe 5.0 SSD, a respectable PCIe 4.0 SSD which is far cheaper should gain a similar result.

Switching to the Xe3-LPG graphics, things start to fall slightly. The integrated graphics are ideal for everyday work, watching back multimedia and light photo and video editing.

However, when it comes to gaming, the potential is limited. Hogwarts Legacy ran slowly, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was a no-go. Other games ran, but due to the lack of space on the internal storage, I ran all from the faster Crucial in the first of the two spare SSD slots.

After running the Mini PC in the office for a week, using it mainly for Word and research work with some light photo editing, a few features became apparent that set this Mini PC and test apart from most others. The speed of those connections just enabled the EQi to integrate perfectly with the studio; it’s nothing flashy, but it turned out to be the fastest machine for transferring image and video data to the NAS.

After a shoot, I plugged the CFExpress Type-B card reader into the Thunderbolt 4 port and transferred the files at speed over to the Ugreen IDX6011 NAS. The connection speed over the network, due to that 10GbE port, made the transfer speed far exceed that of any other machine I know.

I usually use an old Intel Nuc 9 Ghost Canyon that I can leave for a few hours before network editing on the MacBook Pro; however, here, with this small, inexpensive machine, it handled everything at speed.

While the 24-core TOPS, as quoted by Beelink, is marginal on the AI processing front, and while I was able to use Co-Pilot, running a local LLM was limited to a 3-4B model, I opted for Qwen3. The main issue here was that the RAM is only single-channel, which limits the speed; however, for checking through documents and basic summary tasks, it actually worked surprisingly well.

• Performance: 4 / 5

Beelink EQi Wildcat Lake: Final verdict

The Beelink EQi is an impressive office-focused machine that underwhelms with its design but outperforms in performance. It packs in the usual office-based Mini PC features such as being able to support three displays, 2.5GbE networking, a base level of storage and RAM, but then it surprises by offering more.

The 10GbE networking and Thunderbolt 4 ports are surprising and completely change what’s possible with this machine, and for something with such a small footprint, those two specifications instantly make it interesting.

When you then add in the fact that you can expand the internal storage with two 4TB SSDs, it then becomes even more interesting.

For me, the 10GbE and Thunderbolt ports are what make this Mini PC go from something that would blend into the background to something that’s actually very useful. The speed of those two ports enables me to hook this directly into an existing 10GbE network and to take advantage of the speeds that it offers. The issue, of course, is that you need the network infrastructure in place to make the most of this speed.

That brings me round to who the Beelink EQi is best for? Straight down the line, it would be for Office work. It has excellent single-core performance, runs pretty much silently, supports up to three displays, lets you upgrade the internal storage, and has an ultra-fast network connection that is beyond what most desktops offer. It’s also not really usable for playing games, and, on the surface, if you work in the creative sector, it’s not going to make an impact there either.

However, as I found with a cheapish mini PC that offers solid performance, the Thunderbolt 4 and 10GbE network make it great for offloading large video and image files to the NAS. Realistically, however, this is a Mini PC perfectly suited to anyone whose work involves documents, spreadsheets, browsers, and moving large files across a network; it is one of the more capable small machines I have tested this year.

Should I buy the Beelink EQi Wildcat Lake?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

For more professional-grade desktops, we've tested the best business computers.

Fanxiang PS2000W: 30-second review

Fanxiang is a Chinese storage brand, most commonly known as Shenzhen Fanxiang Information Technology. The company grew out of a team with a decade of prior experience in storage design, firmware, and product sales, and they've built their range around four main product lines: solid-state drives, mobile storage, memory modules, and storage cards.

It’s been making external SSD storage for about five years, with a wide range of devices and specifications.

The PS2000W appeared in 2025, and delivers capacities from 500Mb to 4TB in a slim aluminium case. It comes with a soft carry pouch and a cable that has an integrated adapter for both USB-A and USB-C connections.

The quoted performance is 2000MB/s reads, and 1800MB/s writes, but that assumes you have a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port, and that’s not a common standard.

More realistically, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port will achieve a little over 1000 MB/s reads, and 950 MB/s writes with either a USB-C or USB-A connection.

For those wanting faster transfers, you either need a system with the rare USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port, or choose a different drive that supports the USB4 standard, like the Fanxiang PS3000 portable SSD.

However, that option costs $350 for the 1TB model, which is substantially more than the $150 the PS2000W is typically priced at for that capacity.

The problem the PS2000W doesn’t address is that this drive is double the price it was only eight months ago, and unless you have a system that can make the most of its enhanced performance, there are cheaper alternatives. In fact, if you have a spare NVMe drive, then buying an external enclosure for USB4 is probably a better choice.

Not the best portable SSD, or the worst, but sadly impacted by the outrageous cost of flash memory in 2026.

Fanxiang PS2000W: Pricing and availability

• How much does it cost? Starts from $90
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Sold through online retailers and also directly from Fanxiang.

The Fanxiang PS2000W portable SSD comes in capacities starting at 500 GB, doubling each step to include 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB drives.

Directly from the maker, these are priced at $112.99, $203.99, $379.99 and $495.99 for the largest capacity. That pricing makes the 4TB the best value, and the 500MB the worst.

But the maker prices aren’t especially good, and I was able to find it much cheaper on Amazon. On Amazon.com in the US, the 500MB model is only $89.99, the 1TB model is $149.99, and the 4TB model is $419.99. There wasn’t a price for the 2TB version.

UK pricing via Amazon.co.uk is £64.60, £119.99, £169.99, and £319.99, and Amazon EU sites are €94.99, €139.99, €229.99, and €379.99, respectively.

For those curious, the UK is the cheapest place to buy this hardware, followed by the EU, and the most expensive is the USA.

While officially Crucial has exited the retail market, its equivalent product, the X10, is still available from many retailers. At $207 for the 1TB option, and $299.99 for the 2TB option, the X10 is slightly more expensive. But it is rated as water-resistant, and while there isn’t a 500GB model, there are 6TB and 8TB options.

A cheaper option with the same spec is the PNY RP60, but the 1TB model is still $10 more than the PS2000W.

But many of the familiar brands are more expensive, such as the SanDisk Extreme Pro V2, Samsung T9, Kingston XS2000 and LaCie Rugged Mini. Western Digital has its My Passport SSD, but it’s the same price as the PS2000W, but only offers half the performance.

Those looking for a cheaper option should consider the $82 Orico S20 with 512GB storage.

It’s tempting to look at the pricing of the PS2000W and see it as a good deal, when it’s far from that.

Price tracking the 1TB model: it was $149.99 at the time of writing; it was $75.99 in November of 2025. That’s nearly a 100% markup.

Now, I should say that Fanxiang doesn’t control the price of Flash memory, which has spiked since AI companies and speculators decided to buy all of it. But in good conscience, I can’t recommend people spend this sort of money on devices that cost half as much a year ago.

• Value: 3 / 5

Fanxiang PS2000W: Specs

Fanxiang PS2000W: Design

• Aluminium enclosure
• Dual USB standards cable

Some brands, and you know the names, will try to make their external SSDs and HDDs as cheaply as possible, typically by using mostly plastic construction.

Thankfully, Fanxiang didn’t go down that path with the PS2000W, and this device appears to be entirely made of metal. And, based on its relatively low weight, it uses aluminium.

The package is a simple lozenge shape with curved sides and flattened ends, measuring 85mm long by 50mm wide and less than a centimetre thick.

Out of the box, it comes with a 30cm USB-C to USB-C cable that has a USB-A adapter permanently attached. The drive and cable fit neatly into a soft drawstring bag, also provided, making for a neat and easily pocketable solution.

The review model was a 2TB capacity drive, which translated into 1863GiB of usable space, and it connects to the host device using USAP (Serial ATA).

To achieve the best performance, it requires a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port, but the drive is backwards compatible with USB 3.2 Gen 2, Gen 1, and even USB 2.0. However, as you move down the USB interface pecking order, the expected speed decreases.

As for features, this drive is basic. It supports S.M.A.R.T. NCQ, TRIM and GPL, but it doesn’t offer hardware encryption like on the Kingston XS2000 or the Crucial X10 Pro.

There are also no software tools included, though you can download a utility for SSD management from the Fanxiang website. I didn’t notice any means to update the installed firmware, or any firmware releases.

To be blunt, this is a basic USB SSD with a Gen 2x2 interface, but otherwise it’s unremarkable. And therefore, if you don’t have that interface, there appears to be no compelling reason why you would choose this one over another brand.

• Design: 3.5 / 5

Fanxiang PS2000W: Performance

• Needs USB 3.2 Gen 2x2
• Performs within quoted specification

Let’s be brutally honest: USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 was a dead standard walking from its inception, and USB4 didn’t really include it in its repertoire of supported prior standards. There are a few exceptions, but in general, if you don’t actually have a port to the 2x2 standard, then you won’t see the true performance that this drive can muster.

For that reason, I’ve presented the performance via a Gen 2x2 port and a much more common Gen 2 variety. How does it compare with the best Gen 2x2 drives?

Well, read speed is below the Crucial X10 Pro, ADATA Elite SE880 and LaCie Rugged Mini SSD, but write speed is close to what all those achieve.

Given the different controllers and implementations of Gen 2x2 interfaces, the Fanxiang PS2000W portable SSD doesn’t have a compelling reason to be chosen over any other drive in Gen 2x2 mode, but it can get close to the maximum realistic speed for this interface.

But if speed is the prerequisite, then a USB4 or Thunderbolt external drive, like the Corsair EX400U or the SanDisk Extreme PRO with USB4, would be a better choice if you have a USB4 port. These drives can hit read speeds of 3800MB/s or higher, and 3650MB/s writes.

And, if I were rushing to catch a plane or train, and needed to transfer files, I know which I’d prefer.

• Performance: 4 / 5

Fanxiang PS2000W: Final verdict

If the Fanxiang PS2000W portable SSD had appeared during the golden age of Gen 2x2, when the Kingston XS2000 appeared back in early 2022, and at a reasonable price, then it might have been something I’d recommend.

And the fine irony of that comparison is that the price of the PS2000W is almost exactly the same as the XS2000's MSRP was nearly four years ago. And the Kingston device supported hardware encryption, where the Fanxiang does not.

To be clear, the construction quality and performance of the PS2000W are absolutely fine, but what isn’t is the amount of money being asked for.

If money isn’t an issue for you, I’d buy the Crucial X10 Pro before they’re extinct, as it has hardware encryption. Or I’d consider a USB4-capable drive, like the Corsair EX400U, if you have a port that supports that specification.

Should I buy the Fanxiang PS2000W?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

We've also tested out the fastest external SSDs around.

BenQ has been one of my favorite monitor brands for quite a while now. The build quality is spectacular, the built-in features are wonderful, and their companion software makes it feel like a first-party device for Apple products, which is a huge win for me as an Apple product lover.

When it comes to creative hardware, those working in the industry need the best of the best. They crave color accuracy. A lot of them crave fun features as well, but above all they crave the ability to reduce friction in their day-to-day work.

Specifically, when it comes to monitors, color accuracy and calibration matter more than most people realize. If you're in this space, you're very familiar with how to calibrate your monitor. BenQ decided to answer that not just with its own hardware, but by building its own hardware. The company built a color calibrator into its monitors that are designed for those who need the color calibrator. BenQ didn't just do it in a way that would work, but did it in a way that's elegant and very BenQ-esque.

The monitor has a color calibrator arm that swivels down from the monitor and then pushes itself back up as well, hiding away when you're not using it but popping out when you need to calibrate further. It has a light shade or a hood, depending on the industry that you're in, that helps make sure there's no glare or reflections or anything that can manipulate the colors, producing an even more true-to-spec experience. So, for those looking for the best video editing monitor or best photo editing monitor, this one is excellent in my experience.

BenQ PD2770U: Price and availability

Right now, this monitor sells for around $1,700, and that comes with the hood and the built-in color calibrator. BenQ is also really good about sending cables that you need in the box, so don't worry about that.

If you buy this monitor, you can literally just plug it straight into your computer of choice without needing any extra accessories. It's widely available, and you can pick this up from BenQ's website, Amazon, and other retailers.

BenQ PD2770U: Unboxing and First Impressions

As expected with BenQ monitors, the packaging is simple yet well-done. It's no Apple unboxing experience, but it is one that is predictable and expected. On first unboxing, I was a little confused about how the shield could be folded up so tightly, but then I realized how intricately they've tucked it into the box to keep it safe and protected.

Other than that, I was able to set up the monitor fairly quickly. I tried it first with the built-in stand and then quickly added it to a monitor arm that I had to try out some testing. Once I finished initial rounds of testing, I moved this to somebody on my team who does a lot of video editing, and now he has been using it on his desk for the last 100 days.

I've tested this monitor in low-light scenarios and in high-light scenarios with fluorescent lights directly above the desk. Thanks to the shader, this monitor has performed brilliantly and brighter, but the shader makes it so that even this dimmer color is still spectacular and vibrant.

BenQ PD2770U: Design & Build Quality

This brand came out very much like all the others, to where it is professional and simple. It's got a basic stand if you choose to use it. It's got great cable management and simple height adjustments.

What's great is that even if you choose to not use the stand, the hood attachment magnetically connects directly to the monitor itself, meaning that you can use this with any monitor arm or monitor stand that you so choose.

Also, since it is magnetic, if you're the kind of person that works in a light-controlled room or maybe a dimmer room (like a personal home office), you can customize the lighting. Perhaps you won't need the shade. If you work in a coworking space or an area where you cannot control the lighting as much, that's where the shade comes in clutch.

Last but not least, having the USB-C hub built in makes this a monitor and a hub all in one. If you don't have a ton of ports and perhaps you're just running a more simple setup where you have a desktop or laptop plugged directly into this monitor and that's about it, then you can run all of that.

You can have plenty of room to wiggle directly from the monitor itself without needing a docking station. Even if you had a couple accessories from a laptop, you can plug those in if you wanted to.

BenQ PD2770U: In use

As I previously mentioned up above, my team and I have had this 4K monitor in our arsenal for over 100 days. It's actually even closer to 150 at this point. I wanted to make sure that we could get some good long-term testing with this panel before giving results.

In that 100 days, my team and I have put this monitor through the tests. We've edited countless videos on it, done multiple big photo projects, done administrative tasks, and used it for managing content and so much more. While it is phenomenal, all those things, it is 100% overkill for anything other than photo or video editing where you need color accuracy.

Currently, this monitor is set up in a coworking area that has some pretty aggressive fluorescent lighting right above the desk. For our scenario, having the shader has been an absolute game changer, as it helps keep any glare off of the monitor, changing and destroying the color and visual sighting.

Plus, having the color calibrator built in is not only a fun element but an absolute game changer if you need to confirm and double-check calibration throughout your projects.

BenQ PD2770U: Final verdict

I've been using this monitor mostly for creative products, but of course had to test and see how it would work for basic administrative tasks. As expected, I can reassure you that if you are using this monitor for business or productivity or administrative tasks, you are dead wrong.

This is not meant for that at all. It's overkill in price, feature set, and physical operation. However, if you are in that creative space and you want something that is more consistent than what you ever had before, then you should absolutely check out the BenQ Creative Pro PD2770U monitor.

To make a long story short, if you are in the creative space and you need color accuracy above all else, or if you find yourself reaching for or even wishing for a color calibrator regularly, then this is absolutely your monitor.

If you are just looking for a 27-inch 4K monitor, this is 100% overkill, but it will do the job in a better and fancier way than you probably need. If image quality, screen resolution, and picture clarity are a part of your workflow, consider this one. If not, check out some of our other spectacular monitors.

For more top-performers, we've tested the best business monitors and the best monitors for Mac mini.

The Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 6 is exactly what you expect to see if a ThinkPad got Botox. This computer is a professional workstation with the familiar soul of a ThinkPad business laptop, just in a sleek, facelifted chassis.

Everything about the P14s is geared toward getting work done without compromising looks or quality-of-life features that have been overlooked in the past when other workhorse laptops hit the market.

It combines serious hardware with a compact design without sacrificing the physical qualities that make a work laptop enjoyable to use. Given the size, In my experience it's one of the best laptops for engineering students looking for a more portable powerhouse, or professionals working across multiple locations.

Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 6: Price and availability

The P16s Gen 3 is available in a range of configurations, with both AMD and Intel chips. You can grab the AMD version and the Intel version from Lenovo US. That's the same for Lenovo UK with AMD models and Intel models.

I'm testing the Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 6, Model 21QT0029US to be exact. It has an Intel Core Ultra 7 265H processor, an Nvidia RTX Pro 500 Blackwell GPU with 6 GB of GDDR7 memory, 32 GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1 TB NVMe SSD. It also includes Windows 11 Pro and Intel vPro support, which fits Lenovo’s stellar reputation for business security and management.

This ThinkPad P14s Gen 6 has 32 GB RAM, while leaving the second slot unused. For this laptop, Lenovo supports up to 96 GB, giving the device room to grow for larger projects. There is also only one internal M.2 storage slot, though, so if you increase storage, you must replace the existing drive.

Our exact testing model and configuration can be found for about $2,700, but with Lenovo’s frequent promotions you can also find a similar P14s configuration closer to the mid-$2,000 range. That number makes more sense when the laptop is compared with other professional mobile workstations.

Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 6: Unboxing and First Impressions

Physically, the ThinkPad P14s Gen 6 is fantastic. Its aluminum top and bottom give the chassis a sturdy feel with very little flex or anything else that makes it seem fragile.

Lenovo also puts the system through MIL-STD-810H testing, which is a standard used by the DOD for drops/shocks, extreme temperatures/humidity, dust, and high altitude. So, TL;DR—this thing is solid.

Its construction feels quite fitting for a computer you’d expect to travel with, to and from work every day. The design itself is unmistakably ThinkPad as well. Which is a pro and a con depending on how unique you want to be in your laptop.

It features an all-black, professional-looking frame with subtle Lenovo branding and the familiar red TrackPoint on the keyboard. If you want to stand out and make it your own, slap a sticker on there, but if you want to look professional and crisp, then you'll fit right in with yet another ThinkPad that looks exactly like the rest.

Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 6: Design & Build Quality

The keyboard is the undisputed favorite part of the laptop across our entire team. The shape and texture of the keys feel excellent, and each press is incredibly responsive, tactile, and honestly satisfying. Typing for long periods never makes my hand feel tired or makes me want to switch to a different keyboard for a break.

In fact, this whole article is typed on the P14s, that’s how much I enjoy its keyboard. I have several people who help me test laptops to ensure I am not just using my own personal bias in my reviews, and we all unanimously agree that the ThinkPad keyboards are spectacular, and the P14s Gen 6 is no exception.

The backlighting of the keyboard is also convenient, with brightness control using the Fn key and spacebar that offers a few different lighting/brightness options. The TrackPoint, along with its corresponding buttons, works as you’d expect too. With so many laptops moving to have this be software-driven, it is nice to see some business devices still have these elements built into key commands that have been around for quite some time.

The fingerprint reader is built into the power button, works quickly, and was much more dependable for us than facial recognition. The 5 MP infrared camera is acceptable for video calls, but we ran into issues when strong backlighting was present, mainly with facial recognition when trying to unlock the device.

The 14.5-inch display on this configuration has a 2560 × 1600 resolution at a 16:10 aspect ratio, a 90 Hz refresh rate, and a rated brightness of 400 nits. It covers 100% of the sRGB color space and is X-Rite factory-calibrated. In person, the screen is beautiful: the text looks sharp, colors have plenty of vibrance, and the taller 16:10 aspect ratio gives you extra vertical space for any project, document, or webpage.

The 90 Hz refresh does a good enough job to keep up with pretty much all on-screen movement and keep it looking smooth. Of course, we wouldn't suggest video editing or photo editing even on this at a professional level, but that's not what this is designed for now, is it? I'm still shocked at how many people in the classic professional white-collar jobs are happy with standard HD screens.

Movies, TV, and other media look great, but its more important job is providing a clear, color-accurate workspace for professional applications, and it does that quite well, too. The screen itself has that silky, smooth feel that many modern displays have.

There are also two 2-watt speakers, which are surprisingly good for laptop speakers. Dolby Audio helps voices and other sounds come out clearly and gives music and video a fuller sound than I would have expected from a laptop.

Of course, they will not replace quality headphones or external desktop speakers, but they work well for calls, presentations, and, as I mentioned before, your movies and TV if you plan on using this laptop for fun things too.

Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 6: In use

During normal use, the P14S feels extremely fast. I was able to move between multiple programs, browser windows, and background tasks without experiencing any noticeable lag. It responds like a computer ready for real work rather than one suited for online shopping and the occasional email.

The RTX Pro 500 is a workstation-class GPU, and the P14s carries independent software vendor certifications for its intended professional applications. That matters when stability is more valuable than chasing gaming-level frame rates. It also shows that Lenovo knows its lane with this laptop.

They aren't making this for the gamers, generalists, or the budget-seekers. This has its niche in the professional category of needing to be able to handle demanding programs with speed but needing to break records in any way either. The reliability and stability are the game here, and Lenovo has it in spades.

There are reasonable limits. The GPU’s 6GB of memory may restrict extremely complicated renders, massive simulations, or demanding local AI projects - set expectations, though, and you'll get by.

The included 32GB may also become a ceiling for unusually large workloads, although the 96 GB upgrade limit provides potential to grow. For seriously demanding workloads, the ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 is still the king.

The laptop “can” run games, but gaming is simply not its purpose. Performance is good rather than great, maybe even just okay, and the RTX Pro hardware is better suited to professional engineering applications than maximizing frame rate for games. This kind of testing is helpful too, as it gives a glimpse into how this may perform for CAD renderings and other graphically-intensive scenarios.

While this could pull up some models, the more complex ones may take longer than desired, and this isn't the machine you'd want long-term if you live in that space -- or at least not as your only machine.

The cooling system for the P14s becomes noticeable during heavy work. Under sustained loads, the fan is medium-loud, with a somewhat turbine-like sound. Imagine a Dyson bladeless fan. It’s not crazy loud, but there is no mistaking when the laptop is working hard.

Our review unit has the larger 75Wh battery and a 100-watt USB-C charger. Under normal or light use, it lasted pretty much the entire day even at maximum brightness. This was a real-world observation rather than a controlled rundown, but it showed that the device can work away from an outlet without constant anxiety over battery life.

Heavy CAD rendering or other sustained CPU and GPU work will indeed drain the battery much faster, especially with higher screen brightness. That is to be expected from mobile workstation hardware. Lenovo rates Rapid Charge to restore up to 80% in about an hour, which makes it easier to recover a useful amount of battery life during a short break.

Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 6: Final verdict

The ThinkPad P14s Gen 6 feels like another professional tool to choose from if you are in that arena of the professional workforce. Its solid construction, fantastic keyboard, sharp display, quality ports, upgradable memory, and consistent performance support the work it was designed to do.

When you consider the professional hardware, ISV certifications, display quality, and upgradable options, the price of this laptop honestly shifts from a negative to one of its strongest positives.

For professionals and students seeking serious power without moving to a larger or significantly more expensive workstation, this computer is a solid all-around option. They don't necessarily want the newest or the fanciest in the category, they want something they know they can rely on, because downtime isn't worth the cost of a fun feature they occasionally use.

For more powerhouse performers, we've tested the best business laptops and the best mobile workstations.

Samsung Galaxy S26: Two-minute review

Every year, Samsung's S-series lineup consists of three models. There's the entry-level option — in this case, the Galaxy S26 — followed by mid- and high-end offerings, which in 2026 are the Galaxy S26 Plus and Galaxy S26 Ultra. While the Ultra steals most of the headlines, the Galaxy S26 is no slouch. It's a great, well-rounded option for those who want a compact phone or don't want to shell out silly money on buying one of the very best Android phones.

The S26 features a slightly tweaked design versus the Galaxy S25, with a new pill-shaped camera array on the back, a 6.3-inch display, and several color options. Tucked underneath its exterior is a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, 12GB of RAM, and storage options that now start at 256GB (RIP 128GB). All these specs, along with Android 16 and Samsung's feature-packed One UI 8.5 software, combine for a smooth mobile experience.

In terms of endurance, the Galaxy S26's 4,300mAh battery routinely delivered more than a full day of use in my testing, often leaving me with enough juice to go into the next day. And its trio of rear-facing cameras does the job, as does the selfie cam.

One downside is the $100 / £80 price increase over last year's model (though Australian buyers actually get a AU$50 saving). Yes, this is an industry-wide trend right now — but that doesn't make the numbers feel any better. Thankfully, while the S26 starts at $899 / £879 / AU$1,349, it can often be found on sale.

Another blemish is the limited 25W charging speed and lack of internal magnets to fully support Qi2 chargers and accessories without a case.

Overall, then, if you can find the Galaxy S26 on sale and want to stay within the Samsung ecosystem, it's a great pick-up. However, there's stiff competition at this price point — and below it, too.

Samsung Galaxy S26 review: Price and availability

• Starts at $899 / £879 / AU$1,349 for 256GB + 12GB RAM

Samsung announced the Galaxy S26 line, including the base S26, S26 Plus and S26 Ultra, on February 25, 2026. Preorders opened the same day, and deliveries started March 11.

You can buy the S26 directly from Samsung with a starting price of $899 / £879 / AU$1,349 (which represents a $100 / £80 increase and AU$50 decrease versus the S25). However, Samsung frequently offers discounts, and at the time of writing, the S26 is going for $799 in the US.

Regardless of where you're buying the phone, you'll get double the starting storage versus previous entry-level S-series models (256GB vs 128GB).

Buying directly from Samsung means you'll have two additional color options in Silver Shadow and Pink Gold. Picking it up from third-party retailers like Best Buy and Amazon, or a wireless carrier such as Google Fi or Verizon, limits you to Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, White, or Black.

• Value score: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S26 review: Specs

Here's a breakdown of the Samsung Galaxy S26's key specs:

Samsung Galaxy S26 review: Design

• Same core design as the S25
• New camera array on the back

At first glance, it'd be easy to mistake the S26 for last year's S25. The design differences are small. The biggest visual change is the triple camera array on the back of the phone. Instead of each lens protruding out of the phone's housing, there's a single pill-shaped camera bump. Otherwise, the display is only slightly bigger at 6.3 inches compared to the S25's 6.2 inches. That increase also means the overall size of the phone grew a bit, too. The S26 measures 149.6 x 71.7 x 7.2 mm and weighs 167g.

As previously mentioned, there are a total of six color options available: Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, White, Black, Silver Shadow, and Pink Gold — the latter two of which are exclusive to Samsung.

My daily drivers are an iPhone 15 Pro Max and a Pixel 10 Pro XL, both of which are much larger devices than the S26. Yet, I rather enjoyed the smaller form factor of the S26, and I didn't feel like the smaller display was too small at any time during my testing.

I've often debated whether I should stop using the biggest phone every phone maker offers, and after using the S26 for a couple of weeks, that internal debate is stronger than ever.

The only area I struggled with regarding the design of the Galaxy S26 was the orientation of the sleep/wake button and the volume up/down buttons on the right edge. I found myself instinctively reaching for the volume down button while scrolling through Reels on Instagram, only to press the sleep/wake button and lock the phone. My muscle memory just couldn't adjust to the S26's arrangement, which is the exact opposite of the Pixel 10 Pro XL's, which has volume buttons below the sleep/wake on the same side of its housing.

On the bottom, you'll find a nano-SIM card slot (I thought we were done with physical SIMs?!) and a USB-C port. The left side and top edge of the phone are completely clean.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S26 review: Display

• Easy to use in direct sunlight
• Smooth refresh rate

The Galaxy S26 features a 6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 2340 x 1080 resolution and an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate. All these technical specs mean one simple thing: it looks fantastic.

Everything from standard text messages to high-res YouTube clips appears incredibly sharp. Gaming is equally impressive; the display delivers fluid, stutter-free graphics in fast-paced titles like Asphalt Legends, which can take full advantage of the S26's 120Hz refresh rate.

The AMOLED panel truly shines — literally — when you take it outdoors, thanks to a rated peak brightness of 2,600 nits. Even under direct midday sun, I had absolutely no trouble reading the screen or navigating through apps.

There's really not much more to say about the Galaxy S26's screen other than it looks great. No issues. 10/10, would recommend.

• Display score: 5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S26 review: Software

• 7 years of software updates
• Multitasking features are nice-to-haves

The Galaxy S26 runs Android 16 with Samsung's One UI 8.5 adding customizations and features to the overall experience. If you've ever used a Samsung phone or tablet, you'll feel right at home with the S26's interface.

One UI used to feel duplicative of the base Android experience, particularly when it came to the apps preinstalled on a phone. For instance, Samsung Messages and Google Messages were both available. However, Samsung recently retired Messages in favor of Google's offering.

Samsung hasn't fully given up on its own apps. The Samsung Browser and Gallery are still available, for example. It's still confusing and a cluttered user experience, but it is getting better.

Default apps aside, One UI is mostly interface tweaks and customizations you don't see on, say, a Pixel phone. For instance, the new gestures to view your notifications or the quick settings panel in One UI 8.5 have taken me some getting used to.

Swiping down from the left three-quarters of the screen opens your notification panel, while swiping down from the top-right quarter reveals your quick settings.

I've been using a Galaxy Z Fold 7 running One UI 8.5 for a few months and adjusted to the new interaction with little effort, but for some reason, the smaller screen of the Galaxy S26 keeps tripping me up.

But I digress.

Galaxy AI is a big part of Samsung's AI initiative. You can use Galaxy AI to do things like let AI screen an incoming call, use writing and editing tools, photo editing, summarize and prioritize notifications, and even get personalized health insights using your Samsung Health data.

The feature list reads like a standard AI suite on any 2026 phone. That's not a bad thing, by any means.

I used the editing tool (Object Eraser) in the Gallery app to remove objects from photos a few times, and each time it nailed it. I'm not a huge fan of converting photos into pop art or retro anime, but in my brief experimentation with that feature, it mostly worked.

Having said all this, the redundancy of every phone maker and major tech company offering its own version of the same AI features can get overwhelming and confusing for users. Hopefully, after the AI boom goes bust, the mass spamming of AI features for the sake of AI features will stop.

Beyond Galaxy AI, one of my favorite features of the S26's software experience is the ability to touch and drag down on a notification to instantly create a small window for that app. It's super helpful when you want to reply to a message or continue a conversation without switching apps. The first time I triggered it was by accident, but once I figured out how it works, I'd routinely swipe down on the pop-up for an alert, do what I needed to do, and then close out the app — all without leaving whatever app I was in at the time. All phones should offer similar multitasking features.

• Software score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S26 review: Cameras

• 50MP main camera
• 12MP ultra-wide
• 10MP telephoto

The camera housing on the S26 might be new, but the actual hardware is unchanged from the S25. You still get a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, and a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom.

I had fun taking photos with the S26. Samsung phones have historically taken photos that are slightly over-saturated, and sometimes overexposed, but that look pretty darn good at the end of the day, and the S26 is no different.

The phone performed beautifully in brightly lit environments, like when I snapped pics of the new Rivian R2 after a test drive. It also did a solid job of preserving detail and color late in the afternoon as the sun went down during my evening walks.

The telephoto lens works well up to its 3x optical limit, but its digital zoom past that point is hit or miss, especially once you get near the 30x limit. I had hoped I'd be able to read a 'no trespassing' sign posted down the street from me at 30x zoom, and while some of the text is legible, it's difficult to read.

The phone's 12MP front-facing hole-punch camera is centered along the top of its display. It takes good selfies, although it makes me look old. Or maybe I'm getting old. It's probably the latter. Sigh.

• Camera score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S26 review: Camera samples

Samsung Galaxy S26 review: Performance

• Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset
• 12GB memory
• 256GB starting storage

The Galaxy S26 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, with 12GB of memory and 256GB or 512GB of storage.

All of that combines to provide a smooth overall experience, with no obvious slowdowns in daily use. I spent my time testing the S26 using it as I would my daily phone.

I made random calls, talked in group chats and with my wife and kids, took pics of random stuff, played a game once in a while, streamed music, and watched some videos. The phone handled everything I put it through without any hiccups. Apps launched fast, and multitasking didn't trigger any lag or unresponsiveness.

One thing I noticed while gaming and running benchmarks is that the S26 gets hot. While it never becomes too hot to hold, it can become uncomfortable during extended gaming sessions. After noticing the temperature rise during a benchmark test, I grabbed my infrared thermometer and measured it at 113 degrees Fahrenheit.

Although I didn't have a case to test with, I imagine a case will likely cause the phone to heat up faster and potentially throttle its performance. This isn't a dealbreaker, but it's something to keep in mind.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S26 review: Battery

• 4,300mAh battery
• 25W wired charging
• 15W wireless charging

Inside the Galaxy S26 is a 4,300mAh battery that's big enough to power through 30 hours of continuous video playback, according to Samsung's claims. In practice, that claim held up. I was easily able to get through a full day of heavy use — starting at 6am and ending around 10pm — and still have enough juice left to make it into the lunch hour the following day.

I felt spoiled while testing the S26, especially since my aging iPhone 15 Pro Max now needs to be recharged multiple times a day.

I normally don't leave my phone overnight without plugging it in, letting it drain precious battery in the process. But I wanted to see just how far I could push the S26's battery, and it delivered. I routinely saw a drop in charge of 4-5% overnight.

When it came time to charge the S26, using a 25W power adapter nets you an 18% charge from empty in 15 minutes. A full charge with the same adapter took 1 hour and 35 minutes. That's slightly slower than the Motorola Razr Plus 2026 I recently tested, but to be expected considering the Razr charges at up to 45W.

Wireless charging is an option at 15W with support for the Qi2 standard. However, there are no magnets in the phone to hold any compatible wireless charger or accessory in place. Instead, you'll need to buy a Qi2-compatible case that includes a ring of magnets to take full advantage of the feature.

I'm sure this is a design and cost-saving decision, but it's an odd one. As someone who uses a MagSafe wallet and has MagSafe chargers all over my home, office, and even in my truck, I've noticed the lack of magnets in the Galaxy S26 daily. At least fixing the problem is just a simple case purchase away.

The S26 also supports reverse wireless charging at up to 4.5W, which isn't a whole lot of power, but it's perfect for those situations when you need to recharge your smartwatch or wireless earbuds while on the go.

• Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy S26?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Samsung Galaxy S26 review: Also consider

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy S26

I spent two weeks testing the Galaxy S26, using it as I would my everyday smartphone. I sent countless BlueBubble messages, played games, streamed music, and watched far more TheBurntPeanut streams and clips than I care to admit. I took pics of my food, my pets, and other daily randomness, as one does.

Read more about how we test

First tested July 2026

Beast of Reincarnation is a fantastic and immersive action-adventure role-playing game (RPG) with an emotional narrative that keeps you guessing at the end of every chapter. Game Freak, the developer responsible for the beloved Pokémon games, has taken a step into a completely new direction and done so in fine fashion.

Throughout the journey, you'll encounter formidable foes, from basic enemies to mini and major bosses, in combat encounters with an excellent feel of ebb and flow. Game Freak has nailed the concept of traversing a rundown yet beautiful post-apocalyptic Japan, with abilities that let players explore multiple regions and uncover a plethora of secrets.

I didn't expect Beast of Reincarnation to deliver an immersive and engaging experience to this degree; certainly not within the story, combat, and atmospheric aspects of the experience.

While it's far from perfect, due to some quality-of-life issues, a slightly overstayed welcome, and effectively little to no cosmetic customization, it's still a game I expect to keep playing long after rolling the credits.

What it means to be human

In Beast of Reincarnation, a post-apocalyptic Japan set in the year 4026 is center stage. The parasitic entity or force known as the blight has taken over the world, corrupting animals, humans, and just about every living creature there is.

You play as Emma, a blight-stained young girl alongside her blighted wolf-dog companion, Koo. As a purifier, Emma is humanity's last hope to defeat the beast of reincarnation and restore the world from blight. She will need to absorb Nushi, the corrupt (or blight-stained) monsters that come in all different shapes, species, and sizes.

During the journey, Emma will discover what it's like to be human and consider a very specific aspect of her nature — avoiding spoilers, you'll slowly unravel what that means for Emma, those closest to her, and, frankly, humanity's fate.

While Beast of Reincarnation is focused on the restoration of the world, one of its central themes is love and what one will do to embrace it. It's very much an emotional rollercoaster, full of surprises that I genuinely couldn't see coming, and by the time the credits rolled, I was clapping and tearing up just a little.

Beast of Reincarnation also features a rapport system, specifically with Koo and other supporting characters like Kagura. Essentially, the more interactions you have with these characters, such as feeding Koo when hungry, can increase the rapport, resulting in benefits such as extra skill or equipment slots.

The rapport with these characters directly ties into the story, specifically with how they respond to Emma or help. Fortunately, it doesn't take too much effort to increase rapport, and with the emotional weight of Emma's story arc, you'll want to interact with other characters as much as possible.

Aside from being incredibly adorable, Koo is easily one of the best companions in gaming, providing support in and out of intense combat sequences. (Video Credit: Game Freak)

Game Freak's inspirations for Beast of Reincarnation are clear as day. It almost certainly draws from PlatinumGames' Nier: Automata and Shift Up's Stellar Blade, and Square Enix's Final Fantasy 16.

Again, without spoiling story details, Emma will often encounter human non-player characters (NPCs) or even Golems (who were once human) that will label her 'stained' and act disgusted. It's very reminiscent of how Final Fantasy 16's Clive Rosfield was treated early on in the story, often labelled 'branded'.

That alone creates an interesting predicament; Emma is humanity's only hope, yet humans essentially despise her due to her blight-stained nature. It dives into some of the story's darker and more lonely aspects, especially when acknowledging Emma's emotional vulnerability.

While the narrative kept me invested, wanting to find out what happens next, I feel the game's runtime could've been shorter. There are constant cliffhangers at the end of each chapter, where answers to questions about Emma, the post-apocalyptic world, and the beast of reincarnation itself are unnecessarily withheld.

Ultimately, many of the cliffhangers and small-scale cutscenes feel like padding, rather than ones to help progress the story. I appreciated some of those 'padded' dialogue moments, giving Emma and other characters a little more depth — so it's not all bad, but it's worth noting if you hate long-winded cutscenes.

Outside of the story, Beast of Reincarnation's soundtrack is undoubtedly one of its strongest assets, and I couldn't stop thinking about Nier Automata's orchestral, melancholic, yet magnificent soundtrack. While traversing many of Game Freak's incredible in-game regions, I was accompanied by amazing vocals, which manage to fit each scenario perfectly.

The only frustration I had with Beast of Reincarnation's original soundtrack is that it can get repetitive as you progress. Sometimes, the same soundtrack from a previous chapter would play again in a new environment, and unless you're in combat or watching a cutscene, the music never stops — and it's one of the only complaints I had for Stellar Blade too.

Nonetheless, it's still a fantastic listen, especially in the final chapters, where I was particularly blown away by the soundtrack playing during the final boss battle — and I'm already itching to start my second playthrough just to experience it again.

Spectacular Sekiro-like combat

Just imagine those satisfying sword-clashing sounds from Sekiro, but then dial it up to 11. That's exactly what you get in Beast of Reincarnation during combat. (Video Credit: Game Freak)

Simply put, Game Freak absolutely nailed the combat. Much like traditional Final Fantasy games (i.e., Final Fantasy 7 Remake), Beast of Reincarnation features a blend of real-time action and turn-based combat, where players control Emma engaging in fierce sword battles while also turning to Koo for blight attacks.

The more you pull off successful parries, the more Florescence Points (FP) you gain for Koo to select and pull off special attacks. At the same time, the more you parry, the more an enemy's stun gauge increases, causing a stagger and an opening for a finishing blow.

In this manner, Beast of Reincarnation's combat is what I would describe as Sekiro-like, with From Software's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice featuring some of the best sword combat in games.

Parrying is key for Emma in almost all combat encounters. Players do have the option to dodge attacks, and need to for unbloackables. However, parrying will allow you to overcome all foes once they're stunned, and will also help you maximize the efficacy of Koo.

Also, if you thought Sekiro's sword clashing sound effects were great, Beast of Reincarnation gives it a run for its money. Game Freak's sound design for combat encounters single-handedly elevates enemy and boss encounters to another level; one duo boss encounter in particular left me hyped on the edge of my seat, in what was a challenging but extremely immersive back-and-forth clash.

One annoying issue, though, is one supporting character with Emma, who constantly says, "Remember to use Koo's skills too." This happens in every single combat encounter whenever Koo's FP meter is full, and it drove me wild on more than a few occasions.

Emma herself does the same when finding a new campsite or spotting an enemy, and it's one of those minor quality-of-life aspects that can very quickly become a major one, since it's bothersome after playing for hours.

There were many times I could choose to be stealthy, but decided against it. Why? The back-and-forth sword clashes are incredible! (Video Credit: Game Freak)

Throughout the game, you'll find different armor and swords to use, each with unique properties like elemental effects for the latter that will come in handy against enemies with different weaknesses.

There are two skill trees, one dedicated to Emma and another for Koo, and there are plenty of abilities to unlock. I finished the game at the 20-hour mark, and I only had around half the skills in both trees unlocked, which should give you an idea of just how much there is to add to Emma and Koo's skill set.

Fortunately, that will aid a second playthrough perfectly; and yes, Beast of Reincarnation has a New Game Plus run ready to go as soon as you finish the game, with a new difficulty (which I won't name... it's a potential spoiler). There's a fair amount of replay value, since almost all regions are explorable, with side content like mini bosses waiting to be found.

The latter makes traversal very important, and fortunately, it's a very strong highlight. Emma's hair allows her to reach high terrain and find loot that is pivotal to weapon progression, and finding new ingredients for Kagura to use for cooking.

I was quite disappointed to see that the new armor found for Emma has absolutely no cosmetic changes. It feels like a massive missed opportunity for Game Freak to give players a deeper layer of customization, besides equipping gear simply for better stat boosts.

But how does it perform?

4026 post-apocalyptic Japan is really a beautiful place to explore, but does Game Freak's ambitious action-adventure RPG run well enough to enjoy the landscape? (Video Credit: Game Freak)

I played Beast of Reincarnation on my main rig, using an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super, at 4K and 1440p. Instead of the 3440x1440 ultrawide display resolution, I was limited to 2560x1440, as the game doesn't have any 21:9 aspect ratio support — in 2026, this is unacceptable and, frankly, a massive disappointment for PC players.

At 4K, using DLSS (unclear which model it's using) quality, I was able to stay above 60 frames per second (fps), often between the 75 to 90fps range. I did have occasional frame rate dips, typically when there were numerous enemies on screen, but for Unreal Engine standards, it's not horrible performance.

At 1440p, it consistently stayed above the 90fps mark, and again, aside from odd moments of frame rate dips, performance wasn't a major concern for me.

Performance on the Lenovo Legion Go S Z1 Extreme was a little rougher than I expected. I could barely reach a stable 60fps even with the lowest graphics preset and FSR 3 performance enabled. What's worse is that the upscaler is constantly reset every time you restart the game.

Hopefully, Game Freak will include ultrawide support and FSR 4 in a future update, as only FSR 3.1 games can use FSR 4 via AMD's Adrenalin software.

Should you play Beast of Reincarnation?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility features

Beast of Reincarnation allows players to adjust controller button configurations and key bindings. Only English and Japanese are available as voice-over languages — I tested both throughout my playthrough.

There are no field-of-view options, which it desperately needs. The camera angle during some boss fights can easily be the cause of defeat, as sometimes enemies are too big, and you can't see Emma while they're still attacking you.

There are options to show speaker names via subtitles, but there isn't an option to make subtitles bigger. It's a little problematic as subtitles are small, and sometimes bright scenery in games can make it difficult to read.

Menu navigation with a mouse also isn't very good, as it requires the right mouse button to exit each section, instead of simply selecting another on the fly.

How I reviewed Beast of Reincarnation

I tested Beast of Reincarnation on my main RTX 4080 Super rig, my second SteamOS AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB powered PC, and the Lenovo Legion Go S Z1 Extreme. With the RX 9060 XT 16GB, it was a struggle to hit 60fps at 4K without using FSR 3 and lowering some graphics settings.

I used my TCL QM8 55-inch mini-LED 4K TV and my LG UltraGear 45GS95QE ultrawide OLED, despite the lack of ultrawide support from Game Freak.

Game Freak notes that while Beast of Reincarnation is on Steam, it's working on optimizing the game for the Steam Deck, so expect potential performance improvements at launch or in the future.

First reviewed July 2026.

Liene PixCut S1 : 30-second review

The Liene PixCut S1 is a 4x6 photo printer and sticker creator in one, at a size that will sit perfectly on your desk or shelf. The printer itself works solely through an app connection from your mobile device, so there’s no need to plug it into a machine, with all files transferring via Bluetooth.

What marks the S1 out is that it utilises a dye sublimation print process, laying a yellow, Magenta and cyan layer with a protective laminate over the top that gives a professional clarity. The printer is designed as a dual-use machine, enabling photo prints but also producing stickers, again with that dye-sub process and lamination that gives the stickers a look and quality that matches those that have been professionally produced.

Unlike most printers, there's a built-in cutter that then cuts out the stickers once printed, ready for use. Depending on the complexity of the sticker shape, it takes around 2-3 minutes per 4x7 sheet.

Different paper stocks are used for the two different processes, but aside from the material, the same hardware and carrier are used. The system has also been designed to be easily packable, so if this is an occasional-use item, it will pack away easily, while if you’re using it every day for your business, the design and quality are simple, stylish, and incredibly well made. It's not the best photo printer we've tested, but for a compact, easy-to-use option, it ticks a lot of boxes.

The only real issue is the software and the free templates that ship with it. Everything runs through the Liene app on iOS or Android, and there's no desktop option at all, which, if you’re used to designing on a computer, does feel like a real sticking point.

While there is plenty you can do within the app, it does feel a little limited; however, you can work around this by laying out stickers at the correct print size in Photoshop or InDesign, especially to ensure it cuts a straight edge on some designs. The app also ships with what feels like hundreds of sticker templates, but those templates are craft-themed rather than more business-focused, although there are a few.

The materials are all proprietary; however, packs of paper and the ink cartridges are well priced with 4 x 7in sticker and 4 x 6in photo sizes. If you’re looking to create short runs of stickers, especially for gifts, labels, and event stock or postage, this is a genuinely excellent machine. For volume production or larger formats, you’ll need to take a step up to something bigger.

Liene PixCut S1 : Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From $299.99 / £349.99
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Directly from Liene, Amazon, and other online retailers

The PixCut S1 starter kit is $299.99 and is available directly from Liene and Amazon.com, with a larger Inspire Kit including 36 photo and 144 sticker sheets available for $346.99 on Amazon US. UK pricing is £350 from Amazon.co.uk. I'm also seeing available from other online retailers including Best Buy.

Paper, Ink and occasionally cutting blades are another cost to factor in, with 72 sticker sheets and two cartridges at $42.99. The Photo paper is also reasonable at $24.99 for 40 sheets with an ink cartridge and $36.99 for 80 sheets and two ink cartridges. Each cartridge enables around 36 prints.

• Value: 4 / 5

Liene PixCut S1: Specs

Printing: four-layer D2T2 thermal dye sublimation with laminate pass
Resolution: 300 x 300dpi, 256 shades per colour
Sticker media: 4 x 7in (printable 3.9 x 6.7in)
Photo media: 4 x 6in (printable 3.94 x 5.83in)
Supported files: JPEG, PNG, HEIC
Print speed: 59 seconds quoted; approx. 2 minutes print, laminate and cut
Cutting: kiss cut, up to 2in/sec single axis, 45-degree carbide blade
Blade life: approx. 800 sticker sheets (Liene figure)
Capacity: 36 sheets
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, up to three paired devices
Control: Liene app (iOS and Android only; no desktop support)
Power: up to 60W printing, 1.2W sleep
Size / weight: 281 x 196 x 104.5mm / 2.9kg

Liene PixCut S1: Design

The PixCut S1 is a relatively compact white rectangular box with a black printing and cutting bay across the front, and measures 281 x 196 x 104.5 mm. Hence, it's smaller than a normal photo printer or craft cutter, which is the usual approach. The small footprint of the machine means that it can essentially sit on your desk or anywhere it will fit, and there’s a power point to it.

Unlike most printer and cutter machines, the PixCut S1 only operates through the iOS or Android app, which also means that if you want to take it out on site, then you can, as long as you have AC power to plug it into.

When it comes to the weight, at 6.4lb / 2.9kg, it doesn’t weigh much, so carrying it between rooms or out to an event, as long as there's mains power, or you have a small power station, isn’t an issue. In this review, I matched it with the DJI Power 1000 V2, which worked perfectly when no mains power was available.

When the printer arrives, there is a small setup procedure with the loading of the ink cartridge on the side and paper into the loadable carrier. What I liked here was that the paper tray, which takes either the sticker paper or the photo paper, can be stored neatly in the machine. Then when it’s needed, you pull it out from its storage slot at the back top, and load it into the back lower slot.

When the printer arrives, the cutting head is already pre-installed at the front of the machine with a neat magnetic cover that covers the mechanism. When the print or print and cut process is started, the paper is drawn through the system with each colour layer applied, then laminated before the cutter is put into action; it’s a relatively fast process.

Through the process, the prints tended to go through the system in around a minute and a half, while stickers would take anything from 2 minutes to 3.5 minutes depending on the complexity.

• Design: 4 / 5

Liene PixCut S1: Features

Unlike many inkjet or laser colour printers, the S1 utilises another technology that uses a four-pass dye-sublimation process that gives the output its photo processing lab quality.

Essentially, three colour layers are laid down onto the paper, one after the other, followed by a protective laminate pass. This lamination protects the photos, but also highlights why the finished stickers feel commercial rather than homemade, as they do if you use specialist paper in an inkjet.

Alongside the printing ability is the cutter, which, after the printing process, goes into action with what is known as a kiss cut, going through the sticker material but leaving the backing sheet intact. This means that the sheet stays flat and the stickers peel off individually, just as you would expect from a set of commercial stickers. The only difference between the two uses is the paper you put into the caddy and insert into the machine. With the slightly different size of the photo compared with the sticker paper, the machine automatically switches modes based on the paper installed.

Printing photos of stickers is all handled by the Liene Photo App, which is available for iOS and Android devices; however, unusually, there is no desktop version for Mac or PC.

In the app you can use the free sticker templates, most of which are gimmicks and more aimed at the craft market than business, although if you spend some time going through there are a few that are worth a look. In this test, I generally opted to use designs that I already owned, or downloaded additional sticker or logo examples from a stock website.

Once those images are downloaded and laid out onto the correct document size, they can then be loaded into the App, as this is all through the mobile device; you need to make sure these are uploaded to your photo app. Once in place, there are quick edit features such as automatic image recognition and background removal, and the cutting path around the subjects is automatically assigned; the process of getting the stickers correctly sized and positioned is actually extremely easy and once you note a few quirks which I’ll highlight in the performance section, everything from there on in is easy enough.

Once the print is complete, the border the cutter runs around each of the stickers and the size of that border is adjustable; by default, this is 1.4mm, and you can reduce that down to zero or below for a borderless cut, which also has a direct bearing on how tightly you can lay designs out on a sheet.

The app then does the rest, and if you want to add more to the designs, then there are additional templates, text tools, shape cutting, puzzles, labels and passport-photo layouts.

The connection method to the machine is through Bluetooth 5.0, and this enables you to connect up to three devices, which is something else that should appeal if you’re using this at events.

The paper cartridge will take up to 36 sheets, the ink cartridges last for 36, and Liene rates the blade at around 800 sticker sheets depending on how complex your cuts are.

• Features: 4 / 5

Liene PixCut S1: Performance

Getting started with the printer and cutter is fast enough, and once the ink cartridge is slotted into the side, the paper of choice, either sticker or photo, is loaded into the cartridge and slotted into the base of the machine; you’re set to connect to the app.

The power button on the side needs to be held down for a few seconds to start up, then you can run through the connection option in the App interface. The in-app connection didn’t work; however, there's a direct link button to your Bluetooth settings from within the app that takes you through to the phone's settings, where the printer appears so you can connect. Once connected, pop back to the app and you can get started.

The app interface is quite busy with AI generative options for photos and craft stickers, and trying these out, they're frankly a bit run of the mill and gimmicky. Really, this machine is a superb piece of hardware that is equally suited to craft and business, but the craft side seems to win out with tacky template images and AI photos.

As ever, an issue with the interactive, as with so many others, is the fact that it’s busy; however, at the bottom of the screen there are the Sticker, Label, Photo, Project and Me options. The Sticker section enables you to choose from all sorts of sticker templates, or click the Canvas button at the top, and you can import your own, which for the most part is what I chose to do through this review.

The next option along ‘Labels’ is a little more useful and may appeal to the artisan business owner, but again the designs are a little simplistic and childlike without the refined style you’d want for a serious business. Likewise, the photo option gives you the generative AI options, but again loading your own is definitely the best approach.

When you create your own sticker, for example, you can import your designs or use the generative AI options, including AI Image or Text to Image, which is actually quite useful, although again the AI model does appear to have been trained on the light cartoony rather than serious business.

That aside and falling back to your designs and images that you have created, the workflow once you’ve run through it a few times is straightforward, and the resulting prints for both Photo and stickers are excellent.

It is worth highlighting that the papers used for the two different types are different, and there is only a single caddy, and it doesn’t look like you can buy an additional caddy, which is a shame. This essentially means that you have to remove the photo paper and then install the sticker paper. I would have loved the design to have featured two caddies so that you only ever have to switch the caddies. It would also mean that the paper of either type would stay protected.

The print quality for both stickers and photos is excellent, with the colours looking great, being rich and well saturated, although a little over-sharpened, and I couldn’t work out a way to reduce the option. The other point about the photos is the laminate finish, which just gives a high-quality look. Likewise for the stickers, these are essentially commercial quality and ones that you could put on a product and charge for. Against shop-bought stickers, I genuinely couldn't tell which was which, and I ran some of the template sticker images through the machine, and these would be great for small production runs to attach to product.

In the app, there are a few processing quirks that are worth knowing about. As mentioned somewhere in the software, there's a little over-sharpening applied, which you notice on images with fine detail or soft edges. It isn't too bad, and for graphic artwork and logos it's invisible or even flattering, but for photographic stickers it's worth softening your source image slightly before importing to compensate.

This software is where I found myself experimenting with settings at first, but ultimately I found it easy to navigate. While the app does a lot, its logic isn't always where you'd expect. My working method went as follows: lay the whole design out in Photoshop, export it, then import into the app and let the machine handle print, laminate and cut. That skips most of the app's editing tools.

The most useful thing I learned in this test was about labels with white in the design. When making warning labels, I wanted clean, straight edges. Still, the cutter follows the colour rather than the sheet, so wherever white met the outer edge, the white background wandered, weaving in and out around the coloured areas instead of cutting the straight border I'd designed.

The app lets you set the border distance the cutter leaves around a sticker. Still, not the shape of the path itself, and the shape is the problem. What worked instead was adding a background colour behind the design, giving the software a defined edge to detect, at which point it cut the straight border perfectly. It's a simple workaround once you know it, but it's the difference between usable labels and wasted sheets.

Layout spacing is the other thing to get right before you print. By default, the cutter leaves a 1.4mm border around each sticker, so when you're laying several out on a sheet, they need room; otherwise they'll connect through the cut. I found 4mm between stickers is the minimum that works reliably, and 5mm is more comfortable. Any closer and the borders start to interfere with each other.

That border distance, however, is adjustable, though, and it's worth knowing you can take it all the way down to zero, which cuts right up against the edge of the sticker itself. Set it that tight, and you can pack the designs much closer together on the sheet, maximising the value you get from each sheet, especially when you're trying to get as many stickers out of it as possible.

Through the test, photos generally took a minute and a half to print with 36 prints per ink cartridge and a 100% success rate. When it came to stickers, again it’s 36 sheets per cartridge, but print times take between one and a half minutes to three and a half minutes depending on the complexity.

• Performance: 4 / 5

Liene PixCut S1: Final verdict

The Liene PixCut S1 is a surprising piece of kit and over the last month has been especially useful in the studio. At first, the photo printing that was reminiscent of the process sizes that we used to get with 35mm film really appealed, and once I worked out that a little softening was required for the image, the results of the pictures were outstanding.

The colours are bright and vibrant, and this is a crowd-pleasing photo printer that’s perfect for the home and workplace. It’s also smaller and cheaper than dedicated photo printers, which are hugely expensive to keep running.

But then the stickers started, and this is where this machine really comes into its own. It started with TechRadar Pro stickers and quickly progressed. Due to the laminate quality, I was able to start labelling all my kit, something I’ve been meaning to do for a long time, with my logo and QR details.

I then showed a friend who runs a local 3D print business, and a week later they have one running at shows and events creating custom stickers, and all postage product now gets a set of stickers in the box.

The stocker quality is excellent, and for small businesses this is a superb short run option and a great way to personalise your products or to give out freebies.

Initially I was a little disappointed that this was a mobile app-only product, but once I worked out a few workarounds the workflow was fine, the only real issue being the time it takes for Apple Photos to update so I could pull down the next design.

If you want to make stickers or print out high-quality 4 x 6 prints, then the Liene PixCut S1 is a superb option.

Should I buy the Liene PixCut S1?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

For more printing picks, we've tested the best home printers you can get.

Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock: 30-second review

The Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock is one of a new wave of high-performance docks that offer ultra-fast connectivity and the option to add internal storage. The design is reminiscent of the Mac Mini range with its cubed compact aluminium design that sees a single Thunderbolt 5 cable running from the dock to your computer, and once done, adds three more Thunderbolt 5 ports, alongside a spread of USB, UHS-II card readers, 2.5GbE Ethernet, audio, and up to 140W of charging.

The big features here are the Thunderbolt 5 connection and the option to add an M.2 NVMe SSD, changing this from a high-performance hub into an SSD enclosure. The SSD must be purchased separately; it comes in a model with up to 8TB of capacity and takes less than a minute to screw into place. Satechi has included everything you need, including a screwdriver and thermal pads.

Once the SSD is installed and all desktop cables are connected, it's a neat solution that enables you to connect monitors, control boards, speakers, network connections, and additional drives in a matter of seconds.

This makes it a great solution if you’re a photographer or video editor and need to offload files quickly after a day's shoot, though it's disappointing that the network is limited to 2.5GbE, whereas many other premium docks have already adopted 10GbE. Despite that, for creators, I found it to be the best docking station I've tested.

At the price, however, this doc is well balanced; you do need a Thunderbolt 5 to get the most out of it. On anything slower, Thunderbolt 4, USB4 and so on, it still works, but the speeds drop dramatically.

In this test, I utilised an Asus Prime-based machine fitted with a Thunderbolt 5 card to check the speeds. It’s also worth noting that in an editing environment where you want everything to be as quiet as possible, there is an active fan that helps keep the SSD cool, but unfortunately, it adds a little noise under load.

If you use the CubeDock with the right machine and have an SSD installed, it’s one of the neatest ways I've come across to turn a laptop into a full creative workstation, storage included, from a single cable.

Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From $399
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Directly from Satechi or Amazon

The Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock with SSD enclosure is priced at $399.99 in the US, available direct from Satechi and Amazon.com. In the UK, it's up for £399.99 at Amazon.co.uk.

The price is for the dock alone, and if you want to install an M.2 NVMe SSD, then this is a separate purchase, so budget for the drive on top of that.

• Value: 3.5 / 5

Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock: Specs

Upstream: 1 x Thunderbolt 5 (80/120Gbps), up to 140W host charging
Downstream: 3 x Thunderbolt 5 (80Gbps data each, 15W each)
SSD enclosure: M.2 NVMe, 2230/2242/2260/2280, up to 8TB, PCIe 4x4, up to 6000MB/s
USB-C: 1 x 10Gbps (30W), 1 x 10Gbps (7.5W)
USB-A: 1 x front 10Gbps (7.5W), 1 x rear 10Gbps (4.5W)
Card readers: SD + microSD, UHS-II,
Ethernet: 2.5GbE
Audio: 3.5mm in/out
Displays: up to 8K 144Hz single / triple 8K 60Hz (Windows); up to dual 6K 60Hz (macOS, chip-dependent)
Cooling: active fan, smart curve, 20-40 dB(A)
Power: 180W smart power supply
Dimensions: 12.7 x 12.7 x 5.2cm
Weight: 588.9g

Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock: Design

The CubeDock is a compact cube in industry-grade aluminium, measuring 12.7cm square and 5.2cm tall, and weighing a substantial 588.9g, far heavier than you would initially expect and highlighting that this is a permanent office fixture rather than portable.

The weight is reassuring, especially when it’s sat on your desk, having various accessories and peripherals plugged in. The aluminium build and natural finish look great and have the dual function of durability and passive heatsinking. There’s also an internal fan that's vented to keep everything at a stable temperature.

On the front and back, there are plenty of ports, and the layout is well thought out, with the connections I most frequently need, such as USB-C, USB-A, and the two card readers, positioned on the front. The permanent connections, such as the Thunderbolt 5 ports, Ethernet, audio, power, and a second USB-A port, are all on the back.

As ever, there's a Kensington lock slot, too, which is good to see if you do work in a shared office, especially if you install an expensive 8TB SSD.

That SSD is installed at the base of the dock and requires a screwdriver to access it. Satechi has included everything needed in the box: a small screwdriver, the mounting screws and two thermal pads, so there's no hunting for bits.

Checking out the cavity where the SSDs slot in, and it’s good to see that the space has been designed to take any M.2 NVMe drive from 2230 up to 2280, so whatever size you have, the installation process is easy enough. Installing a Crucial T710 took a couple of minutes.

One surprise is that there are no HDMI or DisplayPort connections for a monitor. Instead, all video runs through the Thunderbolt 5 ports, so if your monitors use either of these connector types, you'll need adapters or cables to connect them.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock: Features

The design of the dock instantly highlights its close affinity with the Mac Mini in style and colour, although it is only available in silver. It’s also compatible with both Mac and PC systems, as long as they have a Thunderbolt 5 port; if not, it's fully backwards compatible with previous Thunderbolt and USB-C ports.

The feature that sets this apart from the vast majority of other hubs, even those with a Thunderbolt 5 port, is an integrated SSD enclosure. This means that rather than having the dock and then plugging in a separate external SSD, you can have one integrated internally, freeing up a port and also enabling maximum connection speeds.

If you deal with large files of any type, then having access to fast, readily available storage is essential, especially if you work with video. With an 8TB SSD inside, you'll be able to work off that fast internal storage for editing, offloading cards, and keeping an active project library for recent projects without constantly needing to archive.

Through the test, I popped in a Crucial T710 1TB, a PCIe Gen5 NVMe M.2 2280, and it’s highlighting that while the enclosure is compatible with the latest Gen5 modules, it runs at PCIe 4x4, which is rated at a maximum of 6000MB/s, so even if the drive is faster, you’ll be limited by that technology.

The storage is a feature that draws me to this dock, but there’s also the fact that a single-cable connection to your computer is all that’s needed, letting you connect all your devices. This not only helps with the time it takes to connect up in the mornings when you arrive at the office, but also at the end of the day. That one cable to my laptop, and then the Desktop PC enabled me to connect displays, data, networking, and charging.

On the feature side, there were a couple of points that surprised me, and the first was the display options: there are no HDMI or DisplayPort ports, so adapters will be needed if that’s all your monitors support. However, if you can connect via Thunderbolt 5 to Windows or macOS machines, you have plenty of flexibility and choice.

On Windows machines you can drive up to three 8K displays; on Mac, it's chip-dependent, with up to dual 6K on capable Apple Silicon and triple-display support reserved for the very newest Pro and Max chips, on my M1 Max, I was limited to two monitors and the speed of the Thunderbolt 4 connection, whereas the desktop equipped with the correct TB5 showed a huge uplift in speed.

The rest of the feature set is almost what you’d expect from a premium; up to 140W charging back to the host, ideal for my 16-inch MacBook Pro, plus 30W from a front USB-C for a phone or tablet; UHS-II SD and microSD readers great for the GoPro Mission 1 and the Sony A7 IV that I often use and a 3.5mm audio jack.

The one issue for me is that there's only 2.5GbE Ethernet; at this price, I would have expected at least 5GbE, with the more premium docks now all sporting 10GbE. Thankfully for the now-ageing MacBook Pro M1 Max and me, the dock is fully backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, USB4, and USB-C.

Another feature worth highlighting is the active cooling, which features a smart fan that only starts up when the dock needs it, keeping the SSD and controllers cooler under load. When working with video in the doc and with an SSD enclosed, the fan did kick in, but the office volume wasn’t overly loud or distracting.

• Features: 4 / 5

Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock: Performance

I tested the CubeDock with my MacBook Pro M1 Max, with a CrucialT710 1TB installed in the enclosure. I also tested on an M1 Max-equipped machine with Thunderbolt 4, so I was unable to reach the full potential of a Thunderbolt 5-equipped machine. The T710 is a PCIe 5.0 drive. To measure the CubeDock at its full Thunderbolt 5 potential, I've connected it to the Thunderbolt 5-equipped Asus ProArt.

Setting the CubeDock up is easy enough, and I opted to install the Crucial T710 from the outset. This took a few minutes, and it was good to see that a screwdriver had been supplied along with thermal pads to help with the heat dissipation. Once installed and all cables were connected to the dock, I connected my MacBook Pro M1 Max via the Thunderbolt cable included in the box.

After a couple of seconds, the Crucial drive appeared on the desktop, as it had already been formatted. The monitor also sprang to life, and I had a direct connection to the network, albeit limited to 2.5GbE. That single-cable connection is something I use extensively in the office, with two permanently fixed docks: one for the MacBook Pro and the other for the Asus desktop. They just make everything so much cleaner, cut down on cables and increase the speed at which I can connect, especially with the laptop.

On the M1 Max, while the docking is handy, I’m used to that feature with the other docks, but here, having the internal storage was definitely a great addition. However, as the MacBook Pro M1 Max runs Thunderbolt 4, the T710 was never going to reach its full potential, and combined with the enclosure's PCIe 4x4 ceiling, the test results using this setup reflect the connection rather than the drive's or, for that matter, the enclosure's full capability.

What I will say is that in a real world environment for everyday offloading of memory cards and drives as well working directly from that larger internal SSD drive that I installed, it was a great solution and did highlight that soon it will be time to upgrade to a Thunderbolt 5 machine, although whether that will be a Mac or something else is at the moment very much up for debate.

While the benchmarks are impressive, they're far from the potential of the Dock, so for the real TB5 test I’ve connected to the ProArt desktop, here the speeds take a massive increase in speed and for any creative environment this dock not only works as a handy dock adding in ports that are easily accessible, but also takes the place of a fast working drive in a small desktop box.

What impressed me was the Benchmark tests that showed transfer speeds from the internal SSD that I had installed, of 4622.50 MB/s Read, 3721.54 MB/s Write.

Connecting a Thunderbolt 5 external SSD through the dock showed speeds of 4332.44 MB/s Read, 2748.33 MB/s Write.

On the MacBook Pro M1 Max with Thunderbolt 4 this reduced to 3441.50 MB/s Read, 1752.96 MB/s Write.

Connecting a Thunderbolt 5 external SSD through the dock showed speeds of 3445.34 MB/s Read, 1659.22 MB/s Write.

All very impressive. Alongside the SSD speeds and connectivity to connected and internal drives, there are also SD card slots, both of which are UHS-II and rated to 312 MB/s.

In the test, I offloaded a USH-II Lexar Professional Silver Pro 512GB card containing images captured on the Sony A7 IV, with transfer speeds of 243.76MB/s read and 104.68MB/s write. After recently coming across a premium hub that dropped to UHS-I, it's good to see proper UHS-II readers here.

Some of the other connections are also worth noting, and for use with laptops, 140W charging and networking are both handy, although, as stated before, I wish that the networking had been rated at the 5GbE, but still 2.5GbE still enables quick transfers to achieve NAS, just not quite the speeds I’d like for network video editing.

During the test, with transfers to and from the dock to the SSD I had installed, the internal temperatures did rise due to the load; however, the active fan kicked in quietly and kept the temperatures in check. The noise from the dock really wasn’t an issue.

• Performance: 4 / 5

Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock: Final verdict

The Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock is a great bit of kit, both in function and style and what stood out to me was the integrated SSD enclosure that enables direct fast storage that’s essential for most laptop users, especially those working on MacBooks.

Having that storage option in the dock itself, albeit you need to supply your own SSD, helps keep things neat, so there’s never a need to plug in an external SSD, since the storage is already contained within the hub, ready to go as soon as you connect. It just makes it all a little more permanent.

The remaining connection ports, including the two UHS-II readers and the 2.5GbE networking, combine to offer a well-rounded package and a perfect option for any professional environment, especially for those in the creative sector.

However, as a dock, it’s expensive at $399.99. This is a combined dock and enclosure, and, of course, you also need to consider the price of the SSD you pop in. You also need a Thunderbolt 5 machine, although it is backwards compatible, to take full advantage of the speeds on offer.

My Thunderbolt 4 MacBook Pro M1 Max, while limited in speed, did benefit from additional storage capacity and connection options. I’d also highlight that it’s worth checking your monitors to ensure they have a USB-C display connection, as there is no HDMI or DisplayPort; however, I found Ugreen cables for less than £10 each.

If you're running a Thunderbolt 5 machine and want a single, compact dock that handles your displays, data, networking, charging, and storage at once, then the CubeDock is a great option, especially when you look at the price compared with some of the other Thunderbolt 5 docks on the market.

Should I buy the Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

For more professional-grade desktops, we've tested the best business computers.

Samsung Galaxy Fold 8: Two-minute review

It’s high praise that one of my biggest problems with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is that I wish it had a different name.

The fact that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has taken up the mantle of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and all previous Galaxy Z Fold models is a little confusing. But titles aside, what Samsung has actually done here with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 — that is, build a new kind of foldable for a new kind of audience — deserves recognition, and I'm glad the South Korean giant has once again moved the category forward in a meaningful way.

Ideal Galaxy Z Fold 8 users are those focused on mobile entertainment and exploring new ideas with a pair of screens that Samsung has shaped specifically for watching video and reading, respectively.

While the phone is still technically capable, with an excellent chipset, plenty of memory, and strong battery and charging specs, it’s being sold more on its everyday use cases — and convincingly so.

In one way, it’s going to be hard to judge how good the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is until we get the long-rumored foldable iPhone, which is going to be the second (and perhaps more important) passport-style foldable to hit Western markets. But what I can say right now, looking at the Galaxy Z Fold 8 itself and the wider foldable phone and Android phone markets, is that this mid-sized foldable may herald a new generation of folding phones. I just wish it wasn’t so expensive.

Samsung Galaxy Fold 8 review: Price and availability

• From $1,899 in the US
• From £1,699 in the UK
• From $2,699 in Australia

Starting at $1,899 /£1,699 / AU$2,699, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is currently in its pre-order phase; it'll hit shelves on August 7.

These prices put the phone in between the Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra in terms of cost, and it's cheaper than the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which retailed for $1,999.99 / £1,799 / AU$2,899 at launch.

Samsung releasing a cheaper book-style foldable is absolutely a good thing, but the small price difference between the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra makes the former seem a little too keenly-priced.

That said, excluding the Huawei Pura X — which is hard to get in the West and requires some fiddling to get working with familiar Google services — and the as-yet-unnannounced iPhone Ultra, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the only representative of this size of foldable you can easily buy right now.

Hopefully future discounts will make this phone more affordable, but right now, it seems like Samsung’s charging a little uniqueness tax on top of what the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is truly worth.

• Value score: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Fold 8 review: Specs

These are the key specs of the Galaxy Z Fold 8:

Samsung Galaxy Fold 8 review: Design

• Compact and light for a “big” folding phone
• Outer and inner screens equally useful

When open, the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s 7.6-inch screen resembles a typical foldable phone, with a few exceptions.

It’s easier to handle, with its 201g weight making it lighter than any other book-style foldable, while the phone's 4.5mm thickness also contributes to it feeling like a small tablet. The minimal crease, while not as invisible as the Z Fold 8 Ultra’s, is barely a distraction unless you happen to catch the light in a particular way, and it's only noticeable to the touch when you’re trying to look for it.

With its slightly rectangular open shape, the Z Fold 8 is much more similar in size and form to an iPad (specifically, the iPad mini) or ereader than most foldables, which tend towards a square shape. And while being square can have its advantages, I have really fallen for the Z Fold 8’s design during my testing time.

While working on this review, I often turned the Z Fold 8 vertically for a physical document-style view of my work. You get almost double the number of lines in Google Docs with the keyboard open as you do with the Fold 8 in its regular orientation, while the keyboard remains split for easier typing. As a result, the Z Fold 8 is now my favorite device without a physical keyboard to write on, even though Samsung considers the Z Fold 8 Ultra to be the top choice for anyone wanting to get serious work done.

However, I also found myself less inclined to open the Z Fold 8 than I have been with other book-style foldables. The phone's outer 5.5-inch screen is perfect for one-handed use of fully-sized apps, which isn't a given even on standard bar-shaped phones today.

To alleviate any (understandable) durability concerns about folding phones, Samsung has rated the Galaxy Z Fold 8 as IP48 for dust and water resistance, which means it's as well-protected against water as any other flagship phone.

The '4' in that designation means no foreign objects above 1mm in size will worm their way into the Galaxy Z Fold 8's inner components, though other foldables — namely the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold and the Honor Magic V6 — offer superior IP68 dust protection.

There’s also Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 on the display and Victus 2 on the back to avoid scratches or serious cracks, plus a Flex Titanium layer under the main display, which makes the most vulnerable part of the Z Fold 8 tougher.

Rounding off these impressive design credentials is a quartet of appealing color options: the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is available in Lavender (pictured in this review), Graphite, Cream, and the Samsung Store-exclusive Pistachio.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Fold 8 review: Displays

• High-quality screens inside and out
• Display brightness could still be higher

The Galaxy Z Fold 8's 7.6-inch main display and 5.5-inch cover display have been crafted by Samsung to help you enjoy whatever kind of content you’re into.

The phone's outer screen has a video-friendly 16:10 aspect ratio, while its inner panel uses a more spacious, practical 4:3 ratio that's best suited to reading (though this inner panel is also better suited to widescreen video than the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's square-shaped equivalent). We've compared the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's screen sizes elsewhere on TechRadar so you can visualize the difference between the two.

Both screens are detailed and colorful, which is no great surprise — Samsung is one of the best, if not the best, mobile display manufacturers in the world.

That said, despite a high brightness rating of 3,000 nits, the Galaxy Z Fold 8's screen readability can be a problem when using the phone in direct sunlight, even with the Extra brightness setting enabled.

Still, the low-reflection coating on the phone's inside screen makes some difference. It’s not as effective as the one you get on the Galaxy S26 Ultra or Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, but the Galaxy Z Fold 8 definitely softens reflections better than most standard phones, making it easier to see what's on screen.

• Display score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Fold 8 review: Software

• The latest Galaxy AI features with foldable-specific upgrades
• A mix of fun features, like My FanCam, and practical ones, like Multi-Window

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 runs on One UI 9, which is based on Android 17. It’s quite different from other Android skins, which hew closer to Google’s original design, but it’s still one of the best options around in terms of adaptation to foldable phones.

Several of Samsung’s software features have been adapted for the Z Fold 8 series, specifically, including Now Nudge. These small, discreet but helpful prompts suggest what app or action you might want to use next depending on what’s on screen, and offer to open a split-screen view on your behalf.

For AI fans, Samsung has expanded task automation for select apps, assuming you’re in the US, UK, or South Korea, where this feature is currently enabled. These automations don’t work all that fast, but assuming your prompt is understood correctly, the Z Fold 8’s AI will work through your request until you decide to take back control, or when it alerts you when it’s time to intervene to finalize a booking or order.

My FanCam, meanwhile, lets you create a motion-tracked video of a particular subject from any video (from your photo gallery, YouTube, or anywhere else). I have not made a fancam before, so I don’t know how well this sort of software — which is popular among K-pop fans — works elsewhere, but Samsung’s version is relatively effective, albeit with some major limitations.

Making a My FanCam clip is easy: just open the AI tools menu with the video you want to use in the Gallery app, tap the relevant icon, then tap your subject. After some processing time, depending on the size of the original clip, you have your tracked footage. But after trying the feature with a number of videos, two problems appeared.

First, the subject needs to be large enough in the frame. Even if you have high-resolution 4K footage, you need to crop in before My FanCam will detect them. Similarly, they need to be well-lit — I tried to use a clip of a dance troupe moving around in dramatic stage lighting, and My FanCam simply would not work.

Since there is no manual tracking option you can use, you are at the mercy of Samsung’s algorithms as to whether your footage is compatible.

As for multitasking, although it’s not as much of a focus on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 as it is on the Z Fold 8 Ultra, I still appreciate Samsung’s updates to its Multi-Window system, which lets you use two or more apps at once. The Z Fold 8 and its sibling now let you use three apps side-by-side vertically or horizontally, as well as via the older splitting method, which sees one app taking up half the screen and the other two taking a quarter each.

Multi-Window is still not as versatile as the windowed system you now find on many tablets and rival foldables, but if you’re cross-referencing without wanting to make too many edits to what you’re looking at, it certainly avoids the need to open your laptop from time to time, which makes the Galaxy Z Fold 8 a valuable productivity companion.

• Software score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Fold 8 review: Cameras

• No telephoto camera at this price feels unfair
• But cameras that *are* present perform well

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 has the undistinguished position of having the highest relative price per camera of any Samsung phone. Unlike the Z Fold 8 Ultra, there’s no telephoto camera to speak of here, although at least the cameras you do get are of good quality. Specifically, there are 50MP main and ultra-wide lenses on the back, plus 10MP selfie cameras embedded in the phone's cover and inner displays.

Samsung’s camera processing has made an important step forward in recent years, going from exaggerated colors to more natural ones, matching the vibe of other flagship smartphone cameras. That’s why, even in the intense sunlight that was slowly melting me during my photo trip to Beckenham Place Park, we still get attractive-looking trees, grass, sky and brickwork.

Samsung’s 50MP main camera offers 2x in-sensor zoom for a little extra reach when you need it without compromising on image quality. The Camera app also offers presets for 4x and 10x (the latter is the maximum available digital zoom), although the image quality deteriorates, as you’d expect.

For selfies, the 10MP cameras on the inside and outside of the phone are identical, and therefore equally competent. You’re also free to open the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and switch the preview to the outer screen for hi-res or ultra-wide selfies — perhaps one of the most underrated abilities of foldable phones.

Portrait mode on Samsung phones is a particular strength, as it can cut accurately around glasses where other phones struggle. These examples show that the Z Fold 8 hasn’t missed out on this ability.

Video maxes out at 8K/30fps, or 4K/60fps if you need your extra frames. Samsung’s videography party trick from the Galaxy S26 series — Super Steady video with Horizontal Lock — has also made it to the Z Fold 8 series.

This feature levels out shaky footage at the expense of some resolution. It does a fantastic job, though, as you can see in these samples of me running along a path (the first is the original footage, the second is the edited footage).

Overall, while it would be nice if Samsung had given the Z Fold 8 a telephoto camera, what’s here works well. And since this phone is designed to appeal to a more casual user, there’s a reasonable chance that anyone interested in the Z Fold 8 won’t mind the compromise.

• Camera score: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Fold 8 review: Performance

• Top-performing chipset with plenty of memory, even by default
• Great for games, even with below-par benchmark scores

The Z Fold 8 contains the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset, which is the best version of the best silicon currently available in an Android phone. The scores I got in my own benchmarking tests are a little lower than I would have anticipated, but they're impressive nonetheless, and prove that the Z Fold 8 is absolutely a performance powerhouse.

Indeed, this top-end chipset proved its worth while I tested several games on the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Destiny Rising, set to its highest graphical setting and 60fps, ran perfectly smoothly. Similarly, Asphalt Legends at its full high quality/120fps settings proved no challenge for the Z Fold 8.

Under the hood, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 features 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage by default, but you can spec the device up to 512GB if you wish. There’s also a 1TB model, which gets a RAM bump to 16GB, though whether this upgrade is worth the money will depend entirely on how intensively you use your phone.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 benchmark scores

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Fold 8 review: Battery

• The phone can last a surprisingly long time if you use the inner screen sparingly
• Charging isn’t the fastest, but it's definitely quick enough when you need it

Despite being smaller than last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 7, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 packs a larger-capacity battery — specifically 4,800mAh versus 4,400mAh. That’s thanks to Samsung finally adopting industry-leading silicon-carbon battery technology, which boasts higher energy density than the lithium-ion technology used by Samsung (and indeed most other Western phone manufacturers) in its previous batteries.

Samsung’s battery estimate claims you can get 26 hours of video playback from a single charge of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 — and I’m inclined to believe that, if you stick to the cover screen. In my light to moderate mixed usage of the phone during testing, switching between screens, enabling the always-on display and leaving the phone off charge overnight, I would get between a day and a day and a half between plug-ins.

Samsung is using its best 45W wired and 20W wireless charging options on the Z Fold 8 series, which, while slower than some rival devices, is still an upgrade on previous Z Folds. Using a compatible third-party charger, I was able to fill the Z Fold 8 to 43% in 15 minutes, and to 100% in 1 hour and 5 minutes.

In other words, you wouldn’t want to forget to charge this phone overnight, given the sub-two-day battery life, but if you do, it won’t take long to get a usable amount of charge in an emergency.

• Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Fold 8?

Samsung Galaxy Fold 8 scorecard

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 review: Also consider

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

I used the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 for approximately a week and a half as my work phone, transferring my apps, messages, and SIM card from the Oppo Find N6 I was using beforehand.

As my work device, I used the Z Fold 8 for writing stories, answering emails, scrolling social media and watching tech YouTube videos.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July/August 2026

The idea behind the Falcon T1 is inspired but not unique: essentially, one machine that can replace five, with swappable modules that enable it to engrave and cut wood, mark metal, and engrave crystal, all via a set of interchangeable laser modules sold separately.

Swap the module, and the machine becomes a different tool, much like many other workshop tools, so from that point of view the concept is far from unique.

This means that if you’re a business short on space, or even if it’s not, then a machine like this will be appealing. There are, of course, a few catches: the first is that the machine ships with one module, the 20W fibre laser, which I’m looking at in this review.

However, the key to this machine is that it’s a 5-in-1, so as a first look I’ll be using this module and then covering the others later. It's worth noting that each of those additional modules costs anything from £859 upwards, so the more you buy, the more cost effective this machine becomes, when compared with dedicated machines.

There is another slight issue, which Creality has addressed to a point: this machine is designed for small products. In this review, the fibre laser is used on a small metal object, which is fine with the fibre laser and the 175 x 175mm work area.

However, as you switch to the diode modules, you may want a larger workspace, which is where the additional lenses and the conveyor for batch production come into play.

In this first-look review, I have based my use and findings on the 20W Fibre Laser module, and I’ll update with the additional modules when they arrive.

Creality Falcon T1: Price & availability

The Falcon T1 is listed on the official Creality website for $2249, and on the UK site for £1999.

That buys the machine with the 20W Fibre Laser module. Additional modules start from $809 / £859 each, so a full five-laser system quickly escalates the price.

Accessories add more again: the Rotary Kit Pro, a conveyor, smoke purifier, flexible fixture, knife bed, and UV riser all available separately, creating a comprehensive ecosystem for businesses.

Creality Falcon T1: Design

Getting started with the T1 is a relatively quick process once the machine is unboxed. The machine is almost fully assembled, with only the build plate, screen, power, and module needing to be fitted.

Most of the few parts that need attention before you start just need to be plugged in, with the large laser module essentially slotting into the back of the machine. To access the slot, you need to rotate the machine's body. The T1 itself weighs in at 20 kg. I couldn’t find official figures, so this is the result from me putting the machine on the scales. The 20W module weighs 3.2kg, and you do need to leave yourself a little room for manoeuvre to access the module slot.

The module is a box of electronics with the laser lens, and each module is essentially of the same design, just utilising different technology for the beam. As this is a space-saving exercise, the module measures in at 22 x 95 x 175mm. The installation process to a working state takes a couple of minutes, with the actual tool swap, which is usually the time-consuming part, taking no more than a suggested 15 seconds.

To swap modules, you first need to switch on the machine. This should raise the centre section. If not, when the screen has finished the boot sequence, tap the tool change button; you’ll need to do this if you’ve been working with one of the modules and need to swap.

Then switch the machine off; there’s no hot swapping. Push the lock button on top, withdraw the installed module, then insert the next module, rotate the machine back into position, and power on. This is the simplest tool change I think I’ve come across for any machine, and while it may not take 15 seconds for the entire process, that takes closer to two minutes, I managed 5 seconds for the actual module change; it’s that simple.

Once everything is set up and in position, the T1, as a machine, is relatively tall and fully enclosed with a large tinted viewing panel, measuring 464 x 312 x 509mm. Compared with similar machines, the footprint is pretty standard, as is the height. The height, however, increases as the entire protective cover rises when you load and unload materials, and again when you change modules.

On the side of the machine is the detachable 4.3-inch touchscreen, which I liked more than I expected. It uses a magnet to attach to the right-hand side on an extendable cable, so it stores away neatly out of the way and pulls round to the front when you want it. The screen itself is extremely responsive and gives access to most of what you need without a computer, though the excellent desktop software gives you full control.

Before using the machine, the inserted module needs to be calibrated. The box includes a calibration chart and a few other items of material that can be used to do this. The process is relatively straightforward, and Creality has created several tutorial videos to guide you through the process.

As the lid is lifted, you can place it on the removable work bed, which offers height, and the design enables various positioning options, especially for awkward objects. With the setup that I was sent, I was only able to work with metal due to the fibre module, and as I went through the test materials, there was almost nothing to clean up afterwards.

From experience, I know that using a diode head generates far more dust and particles that need to be cleaned away. It’s also worth noting that the exhaust fan and dust guard both detach for cleaning.

I’ll also note that no air purifier was supplied with my machine, so I connected an existing filter from another manufacturer using a little ducting, and it worked perfectly, although with full manual control. If you already own a purifier, that is worth knowing; you will lose the integrated feedback and control, but you’ll save some cash.

Creality Falcon T1: Features

The module swap is the headline feature here, and although I only had a single module to work with, it seemed easy enough. However, swapping heads and recalibration are features that would set this apart from competitors. I was unable to check this, so it could be as simple as a quick swap or require far more time; again, I’ll update when further modules arrive.

An area that I am interested in seeing work is the calibration handling; it looks to be the clever part. Once you have calibrated each module with the supplied cards, swapping between modules doesn’t require recalibration, allowing you to move quickly between materials and processes.

If, however, you do move the machine around the workshop, as I did, a quick recalibration is sensible before starting again. Compared with the usual business of changing laser heads, the whole process seems quick.

Inside the machine is an HD camera that works through the desktop software and enables you to place designs onto material accurately; this is essential when you are engraving something where you only get one go, such as a phone, lens or laptop.

Everything is calibrated so positioning is precise rather than approximate, and the software will map designs onto curved surfaces such as bottles.

The AI tools are more useful than they sound and far better than the usual gimmicky template images you see. Instead, they can be used to generate relief images to create coins from images sourced from Salisbury Museum, engraving them into blank metal coins, and it worked remarkably well.

There is also automatic layout, batch filling, and colour-engraving assistance for metals, and the multicolour engraving produced by the fibre module through the software is impressive.

Creality Falcon T1: Performance

Setup took around 10 minutes, as the machine arrived pre-assembled and factory-calibrated. I just needed to attach the cables and install the 20W fibre module before running through the calibration process, following the online videos, and then started with the test files from the supplied USB stick.

Later, when connected to a MacBook Pro, the Falcon Design Space was equally easy to use, and from there I could lay out my own designs, access the live camera feed, and position artwork precisely over the material, eliminating the guesswork.

The software really deserves a big mention, and I’ve used it before on previous Falcon machines. It’s just well thought out and lets you get straight to work rather than faffing around with settings. Unlike fibre lasers that hand you off to third-party software, this is fully integrated with the hardware, and that integration pays off constantly in workflow.

Everything worked seamlessly and felt stable from the outset, one of the issues I often find with fibre lasers intended for the professional market. Being able to set a job running from another room or to position a design against a live camera feed, rather than by guesswork, turns what is often a fiddly process into something straightforward.

At the time of review, I’m only testing the one module, but will update on the ease of swapping and the software's recognition of each new option once installed. Using the Fibre laser gave me quite a bit of flexibility with materials, including engraving on metal. It was incredibly fast and accurate, with fine, crisp edges and detail.

Most designs engraved onto various types of metal were completed in a few seconds, with most complex designs completed within 30 seconds.

This is also one of the first machines that makes working in colour with metal engraving relatively easy, and it is a prime example of where AI comes into play. Essentially, load the image, and the AI converts it into what is needed.

Although the hit rate on this isn’t 100%, it does make things easier than almost all other solutions I’ve tried, with only the XTool option being on a par. You can then go in and adjust the colours, as needed. As ever, a little experimentation is needed, but it’s just about as smooth a process as I’ve yet come across in this type of work.

On average, these designs, at the maximum size I tried (160 x 160), took around an hour. There were a few glitches along the way, but I was pleased to see that the software lets you generate test charts to test the material before you start.

Using the module with metals and the engraving quality with the 20W fibre module is exceptional. Speed and resolution are among the best I have seen, on a par with the strongest dedicated fibre machines, although the weaker power does mean more passes when embossing.

To test this, I had a high-resolution image from Salisbury Museum of a coin, and once it was processed through the software, it was embossed onto one of the coin blanks. The effect of this coin, due to its age and relief, was subtle, but when a few other designs were transformed, and the results were pronounced.

This is an amazing process, although, whereas the other uses are relatively quick, the process of creating an embossed coin took 13 hours, so roughly 26 hours for the two sides if you want to go down that route. A 40W or the MOPA will make a big difference to this speed and will be one of the most exciting aspects of this engraver.

With that modular design, the 20w will hopefully see an upgrade in the future. One thing worth knowing is that, with this machine, and for that matter, higher-quality fibre material is important: cheap metal items engrave, but they do not look great afterwards. In contrast, a quality stainless steel piece under the same laser looks superb. If you are producing items to sell, buy decent blanks.

The 175 x 175mm working area proved decent enough for the small metal objects, which is exactly what the fibre machines tend to suit: keyrings, coins, tags, and similar personalised items. For anything larger, it will feel restrictive.

Through the review, I also tested the conveyor, one of the few accessories supplied, and setting it up requires considerably more room; it also requires you to disengage the lid's safety feature, so protective glasses are required. I was surprised to see that none have been provided.

However, again, this is quite common for this level of machine, and the results and speed increase for batch production are impressive. What really stands out is how it can automatically recognise the objects placed on the surface and engrave without you needing to align each individually.

If you do a lot of batch work, the conveyor makes sense, and again it shows the potential for the machine, which I only feel like through the review I am touching on.

Creality Falcon T1: Final verdict

In this test, I gave the 20 fibre module a good run, and it instantly gives a good idea of its potential, once those other modules are purchased.

Add in the 20W and 40W diode modules, which handle wood and acrylic cutting; the 60W MOPA, which most professionals will be interested in for deep and colored metal work; and the 5W UV module for glass, ceramics and internal crystal engraving, this machine really makes sense.

Couple all that with the rotary kit and the smoke purifier, and you have a professional eco-system that starts to look extremely appealing.

If you regularly work with wood, leather, metal, and glass, the modular concept makes sense, and buying the modules you need rather than five separate machines will save both money and a great deal of space in the long run.

On reviewing the fibre module, the engineering and software quality do show potential, but if you’re only going to be using one module then this is an expensive option. However, add in at least one or two additional modules and it makes sense in both cost and size.

Should you buy the Creality Falcon T1 laser engraver

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

For more crafting tech, I've tested and reviewed all the best 3D printers.

Geekom IT13 Max: 30-second review

The Geekom IT13 Max is an interesting machine, built in the style of the usual Mini PC, yet with a quality that is slightly more solid and industrial than I’d usually expect. The design also lacks anything inspirational; it’s purely functional even down to the metal pressed backplate.

The specifications are also interesting, with a high-powered Ultra 9 185H and Arc GPU and NPU all integrated, providing impressive computing power. However, it all feels slightly limited with just 24GB of RAM that's soldered and non upgradable, then there’s the storage at just 500GB meaning that if you’re looking to store files onboard then you’ll quickly run out of space. Exactly as I discovered with the 4K video edit test in Premiere Pro and the gaming test, where it was a strict one game installed at a time.

However, as I started to look deeper at the system, you see that there’s something else going on with the RS232 and RS485 headers that means this can be integrated with a larger industry systems, well beyond anything that I have access to.

This is a mini PC that has a market in industry or as a solid machine for office use; if you work in the creative industry or fancy a bit of gaming, then while it’s powerful enough to handle quite demanding tasks, it's not the best mini PC we've tested for that, and there are better options out there.

As a standalone mini PC, it’s understated and powerful, great as a solid machine for the office that will plough through Microsoft Office applications with ease, but in reality this is a machine with a focus as part of larger industry applications.

Geekom IT13 Max: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? £749 / $749
• When is it out? Now
• Where can you get it? Directly from Geekom

The IT13 Max is available direct from Geekom US for $799 and Geekom UK for £749.

It's also on sale for the same price at both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

This buys you the 24GB RAM and 500GB SSD version that I have looked at in this review. There are, however, two present versions of this machine available. The other is what seems to be the lower-specified 16GB DDR5 with a 1TB SSD option; however, this machine offers two SO-DIMM slots accepting up to 96GB, which would be better suited for creatives, especially if used with an eGPU.

From now until August 15, TechRadar Pro readers can score an 8% discount when buying from either Geekom or Amazon when using the code TRT13MAX.

• Value: 4/5

Geekom IT13 Max: Specs

CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, 16 cores / 22 threads
Cache: 1.6MB L1, 18MB L2, 24MB L3
Graphics: Intel Arc (integrated).
NPU: Intel AI Boost
Memory: 24GB LPDDR5, 6,400 MTS
Storage: 500GB PCIe Gen4 SSD. Two slots: M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe Gen4 (to 4TB) and M.2 2242 SATA III (to 2TB), 6TB total
Display: 2 x USB4 40Gbps, 2 x HDMI 2.0, four 4K displays or 8K output
Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, 2 x 2.5GbE
Other: dTPM 2.0, Kensington lock, VESA mount, RS232/RS485 headers
OS: Windows 11
Dimensions: 132 x 132 x 50mm (Measured)
Weight: 840g (Weighed)

Geekom IT13 Max: Design

Lifting the machine from the packaging, the size and weight are in line with what I’ve come to expect from a standard Mini PC, coming in at 132 x 132 x 50mm and weighing in at 836g. One point about the build quality that instantly stands out is how solid this is, with its full metal build including the base plate, which is usually plastic.

The other point is that the design is about as understated as you can get; this is by no means a design piece, and it is clearly not trying to be. It feels industrial, solid and functional: something you would be happy to see bolted into a workshop or sitting as part of a production line, although that simplicity also helps it to blend into the scenery in most offices.

The port layout across the machine is also relatively well thought out, if a little dated in the approach with the four USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports across the front and the faster USB4 at the back. The front also sees a 3.5mm audio jack and the power button. On the back, alongside the two USB 4 are two HDMI 2.0, two 2.5GbE LAN RJ45, USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, USB-A 2.0 and DC in. On the side is an SD 4.0 card reader.

One of the feature that will be of real interest to some users are the RS232/RS485 headers; these are really features that will only appeal to those looking for a machine to use in an industrial situation, and there’s no direct accessibility to them from the exterior of the machine.

Opening the machine up by removing the metal baseplate, secured in place with four crosshead screws, you can see the two connectors along the back plate of the machine. These two internal four-pin RS‑232 and RS‑485 headers are positioned beside the rear HDMI ports, although breakout cables are not supplied.

Checking the baseplate, however, there is an extra plate that would enable you to slip the cables neatly into it, and then you’d probably need to machine an opening for the cables to exit the system.

Have never used this type of connector; I was unable to test this with the top-level 3D printers, Laser engravers and CNC machines that I look at, obviously under the threshold or where this connector type comes into play.

These are essentially industrial-grade connections, beyond what I can test here. Still, if your CNC equipment or production machinery uses serial control, this could be an interesting solution, and there is very little else at this price offering it.

These industrial options may well be the reasoning for much of the port choices and layout, which I did find frustrating with modern kit and connectors in my office and workshop.

The two USB4 connections are great to see even if they’re hidden round the back, but there is a row of USB-A ports across the front, and these days I don’t have a single machine, device or accessory running on this type of connector.

The display support also seems like a feature to hit a headline; four 4K monitors sounds impressive, but most businesses have two or, at the most, three screens that will suffice, and rarely if ever do I see four in play.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

Geekom IT13 Max: Features

The Ultra 9 185H CPU is a headline feature, and with its 16 cores, 18MB L2 and 24MB L3 cache in a hybrid layout, and 22 logical processors, with a 2.50GHz base that boosts it to 4.64GHz and a 45W TDP, it all looks very impressive on paper.

That CPU is partnered with the Intel Arc graphics and an NPU Intel AI Boost that has impressed in past reviews and now has a proven track record for on-device AI work that the likes of Windows 11 and the Adobe Suite increasingly pull on.

The CPU is at the heart of the machine and is joined by 24GB of LPDDR5 memory in the review sample that I have taken a look at. As this memory is soldered to the motherboard, there’s no upgrade route.

However, there is another version of the same machine available with removable RAM and this ships with just 16GB but is upgradable to 96GB.

It’s worth noting that the hardware for this machine will all utilise that 24gb of RAM, which for many high-intensity applications does instantly look like a limitation in the hardware configuration for some uses.

While the RAM may be limited, the internal storage does offer a little more flexibility despite only arriving with 500GB. There are two slots: an M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe Gen4 taking up to 4TB, and an M.2 2242 SATA III, so you do have the option of upgrading to a 6TB total.

Networking is well balanced considering the level of the hardware with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and two 2.5GbE ports.

• Features: 4.5 / 5 (Will change once features are available)

Geekom IT13 Max: Performance

Getting started with the Geekom IT13 Max required the usual run-through of the Windows 11 Pro set-up, which takes between 10 and 20 minutes depending on integrations and your internet connection. Aside from the normal, there’s nothing too tricky about the process, so setting up one or multiple machines in a workplace should be quite straightforward.

The one thing to note is that this does feel like a good, robust machine, so if you are attaching this to a rig, van or other piece of equipment, the design and quality here do show that this is an ideal solution as part of larger systems and not just as something to sit on a desktop.

Once everything had loaded, I was interested to see just how fast this Ultra 9 185H machine would be, having been impressed with similar mini PCs in the past. What was apparent almost immediately was that while that CPU power was there, when it came to applications that put demand on the system, it felt as though something was holding it back.

Checking the R23 multi-core score and the 14,934 showed that the CPU was in line with other machines, and even with the slightly elevated ambient temperatures, the machine's cooling was doing its job.

Checking through the rest of the machines' settings and again Geekbench score of 13,150 for the multi-core and 2,402 single-core, PCMark7,526 overall, and a Time Spy CPU score of 10,613 against 3,508 for graphics showed once again just how good this processor is even with the integrated graphics.

However, as I started to run through the real-world tests, the performance was mixed, with Microsoft Office applications running as well as with any machine; likewise, Photoshop and Lightroom Classic ran well, with some slowing down when rendering thumbnails in libraries and in Adobe Bridge but otherwise handling images and adjustments with ease.

Opening Premiere Pro started to show the limitations, and while lite edits were fine, as soon as higher-bitrate 4K footage was loaded, the machine started to slow down. Firstly, the storage was limited, so an external drive needed to be connected and then as the timeline filled, render speeds quickly extended and the smoothness of the application faltered.

Switching over to gaming and similar traits started to show as I loaded up Hogwarts Legacy, and while the initial gameplay was fine, the graphic quality needed to be lowered, and even then the smoothness of playback was affected.

As I checked through the tests, I noted that the scores for CrystalDiskMark highlighted a decent 5,466MB/s read, but only 3,289MB/s write. This was far less than I expected for a Gen4 drive and was most likely caused by the 500GB capacity getting close to capacity.

Through the test, I was also at that point of needing to uninstall applications before installing the next, which was frustrating, so a new SSD for me would be an instant upgrade.

This lack of capacity of the SSD would also help explain the Windows Experience Index of 8.2, which for an Ultra 9 machine is low.

Looking back at the real-world tests and for office work, including writing this review and other standard light to midweight tasks using Microsoft Office and the Adobe Creative Suite, the machine performed well. It was only when more was demanded from the machine, such as Premiere Pro 4K edits, that it started to struggle, although it could still manage light editing without too much issue.

When I switched to gaming, those struggles followed a similar pattern. Hogwarts Legacy is playable, but a little less smooth than I would have expected for a CPU of this power, and again the memory and storage were an issue.

At present, it is hot generally inside and out, and the noise generated by the machine when working under load is worth highlighting. What I liked was that the fans respond quickly as the intensity of the workload increased; during testing, the ambient temperatures were higher than usual at around 25°C in the office and 20°C in the workshop.

Regarding that noise fan, I measured ambient noise of 32.4 dB; then, with normal running, browsing the internet and using Word, the noise sits at 46.8dB, rising to 59.5dB under load.

This increase in noise essentially meant that when editing in Premiere Pro, the fan noise becomes audible, while Lightroom, Photoshop and Office work stay relatively quiet. Then when it comes to gaming, the system pushes the fans to the max as soon as the graphics load increases.

As a final note, the dual 2.5GbE networking is great to see for creative users, although I do like to see 5GbE or 10-GbE to make the most of my network. Still, 2.5GbE enables surprising transfer speeds and is a good balance between speed and cost. Two ports mean one can run to the network while the other connects directly to a NAS; this helps to speed up backups and just about makes network editing possible.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

Geekom IT13 Max: Final verdict

The Geekom IT13 Max is an interesting machine; it is, as you’d expect from a Mini PC, compact, with plenty of connection options and perfectly suited to office work, browsing and light to medium creative tasks. It then takes the pace up a level with dual 2.5GbE networking, the ability to connect to four monitors and those two USB4 ports, but then it also has the build quality and slightly odd RAM and storage configurations.

The processor is powerful and AI-ready, which was shown in the benchmark tests; however, while 24Gb of soldered memory is fine for Office tasks and light multimedia editing, it struggles as soon as anything more graphically demanding is required. Then the 500GB drive means that you run out of space surprisingly quickly, and in the test I was only able to install one large game at any one time, although I do take into account that the storage is upgradable; still, these days 1TB is generally the minimal I would recommend.

Then there’s the build quality and those two RS232/RS485 headers which really highlight that while you can use this in the office and it will be a productive work machine, in reality its use is a little more niche and it would be better suited to demanding workflows and systems, which again explains the build and those two very focused internal connectors.

In this review I’ve looked at the fixed RAM model, and there is also the 16GB model with its SO-DIMM slots and 1TB drive which, if you do need a machine that’s robust and better for creative use, would seem like a far better buy, especially upgraded to 96GB if you need it.

Should I buy the Geekom IT13 Max?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

For more productivity machines, we've tested the best business computers.

I still consider Lies of P to be the very best of the best soulslike games you can play today. Others have come close, like the tremendously underrated Wuchang: Fallen Feathers (I also have a soft spot for 2023's flawed-but-interesting Lords of the Fallen), but none have been able to match this macabre take on the tale of Pinocchio. And I'm happy to report the game really shines on Nintendo Switch 2 with the arrival of Lies of P: Complete Edition.

It's very much the same game that fans have loved since its 2023 release. However, Lies of P: Complete Edition also bundles in the phenomenal Overture expansion and all previously released cosmetic downloadable content (DLC).

As a result, this review will broadly focus on the game's performance on Nintendo Switch 2 and its overall value for money of Lies of P: Complete Edition. Be sure to read our original Lies of P review for a more complete rundown of the game itself, as well as our Lies of P: Overture review if you're curious about the unmissable massive expansion that released last year.

If you own a Nintendo Switch 2 and you've been waiting for a chance to play Lies of P, then you'll be well-served with Lies of P: Complete Edition. Not only does it bundle the base game and the expansion at a reasonable asking price, but it's also a winner in the performance department with robust graphics options and speedy load times. I really can't recommend it enough, especially after completing my third playthrough of the game via this Complete Edition.

It's not a perfect package; the more quality-centric graphics options are perhaps a tad too ambitious, leading to a very noticeable performance compromise. Plus, the inability to disable motion blur means you'll probably get sick of the smeary image created whenever you adjust the in-game camera.

But if you stick to the performance- or balance-oriented graphics modes in either docked or handheld play, you'll find that Lies of P mostly plays like a dream on Nintendo Switch 2.

Arms' length

As a quick catch-up (though once again I'll direct you to the review links above if you want to really learn more about the game before making a purchasing decision), Lies of P is a soulslike action game in the vein of FromSoftware-developed titles like Elden Ring and the Dark Souls trilogy.

That means you can expect a high level of difficulty, with tough boss encounters and tricky enemies. You can also expect intricate level design with plenty to explore off the beaten path, and robust build variety that lets you craft a playstyle that suits your preferences.

Where Lies of P sets itself apart is in its gameplay particulars. The player character, as a puppet, can equip a variety of Legion Arms, which offer effects like applying harmful status elements, pulling enemies toward you, or laying down proximity mines for crowd control.

You can also mix and match the blade and hilt of most of the game's weapons, with different combinations changing how you swing the weapon, as well as the special moves it has access to. Finally, exploring is greatly incentivized by Quartz - a rare item that lets you unlock strong passive abilities via your P-Organ setup at the homebase of Hotel Krat. Such passives include more healing item uses, more amulet slots for applying strong combat effects, and greater effectiveness of your dodge roll.

Lies of P can be an extremely tough game, but there are two easier difficulty options if you'd prefer a more casual experience. These can be changed at any time, so feel free to switch them around if you find you're having too hard (or too easy) of a time; the game does not punish you or lock away any content on those easier difficulties.

P for Performance

So let's break down how Lies of P: Complete Edition runs on Nintendo Switch 2, specifically. In docked mode, on TV, you have three settings. The performance-centered option lets you play at a full 60fps, and it's tremendously smooth with little in the way of hiccups. The downside here is you lose quite a bit of graphical detail, with greatly simplified environmental detail and particle effects.

The quality-centered option swings a bit too far in the opposite direction, and while it does offer some nice-looking ray-tracing, the Switch 2 isn't quite able to keep up the pace and performance really suffers as a result. This setting also makes the camera-based motion blur very apparent, creating a Vaseline-like smear whenever you shift the camera in-game. There's no option to turn off the motion blur, either, so I would recommend avoiding this setting in both docked and handheld modes.

I personally found that the 'Balanced' setting offered the best results. This had the best balance between frame rate (a stable 30fps) and graphical detail. If you're going to play on TV, this is the graphics option I would strongly recommend.

There are still some caveats that are apparent across all graphics modes, though. There's very noticeable object pop-in for distant objects, especially in the game's denser areas like the Lorenzini Arcade or Overture's Krat Zoo. It's not game-breaking by any means, but it shows that some compromises had to be made for more stable performance on Switch 2.

Another annoying thing about this Switch 2 version is that you can only change graphics options from the title screen menu. That means you'll have to back out from the game to the menu every single time you want to change things up. This is another reason why I recommend just setting the game to Balanced mode from the jump. It offers the best visual quality to performance balance, and I would only suggest swapping to the performance-centered mode if you're desperate for 60fps gameplay.

On that note, a 60fps graphics option is coming to handheld mode via a day-one patch, so I was unable to test that during the review period.

Should I play Lies of P: Complete Edition?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility features

Lies of P: Complete Edition has a basic set of accessibility options. There are three colorblind modes (protanopia, deuteranopia, and tritanopia), as well as the option to adjust subtitle display and size. Full button rebinding is also supported, and as mentioned in the review, there are two easier difficulty options if the going gets a bit too tough.

How I reviewed Lies of P: Complete Edition

I played Lies of P: Complete Edition for 20 hours for this review. That playtime included most of the base game and the first handful of areas within the Overture DLC. I tested all graphics modes available during the review period, including quality, performance, and balanced options.

I played Lies of P: Complete Edition primarily in docked mode on an LG CX OLED TV with a Switch 2 Pro Controller, swapping over to handheld mode every so often to get a feel for overall performance there, too. I also hooked up my RIG R5 Spear Pro HS gaming headset for more immersive audio while playing in handheld mode.

First reviewed July-August 2026

Dreo TurboCool Misting Fan 765S review

The Dreo TurboCool Misting Fan 765S has an advantage over traditional fans. While traditional fans provide what feels like a cooling breeze in the sweltering heat, they don’t in fact actually cool the air around you. That’s where the Dreo's clever misting technology comes in, reducing the temperature inside your home.

The brand claims the 765S can drop the temperature in a room by up to 6 degrees Celsius (roughly 11F), which makes all the difference when the mercury is rising.

It’s not the only misting fan on the market — for example the Shark FlexBreeze sits proudly atop our best fans list as I write this — but with super-quiet operation and bold room-cooling claims, can Dreo topple it from its top spot? I’ve put the 765S through its paces to find out.

Setup is pretty simple, but do take a moment before you remove the fan from its packaging. You need to remove the weighted base plate first, then prop the fan tower up on the edge of the box so you can fix the base to the bottom. It clips onto the bottom of the tower and is secured with a screw, included in the box.

There's a variety of protective packaging around the fan that needs to be removed before operation, including cardboard and plastic in the water tank. It’s worth taking your time to check you’ve removed all the various stickers, plastic film and cardboard protection — I did miss a couple of things initially.

Stand it up, plug it in and then setup is ready to be completed via the free Dreo app. App setup is as easy as the physical. Create an account, pair the app with the fan, enter your Wi-Fi password, and you’re good to go.

And the app is pretty good: it's clearly laid out, although it only offers basic controls (on/off and timer) on the main screen. For any deeper controls, you have to tap the picture of the fan. It’s not difficult, but I’d like to see a few more options without having to tap into another menu.

Fortunately, you're not solely reliant on the app, as there are touch controls on the top of the fan, plus you get a remote (and the two AAA batteries required to power it) included in the box.

With the remote, you can control the power, fan speed, fan mode, oscillation, misting and timer. It feels a little cheap in the hard with a basic plastic shell — Dyson’s remotes are far more premium, plus they magnetically cling to the top of the firm’s fans — but it’s functional and feels sturdy.

It’s annoying that there’s just one fan speed button on the remote though, forcing you to cycle through all speeds levels to get your desired one. I’d rather have up and down buttons for faster control.

When filling the water tank, it slides out from the front of the fan, and comes with a fold up carry handle to make transportation easier. You might think you don’t need it as you carry it empty to the sink, but once filled to the max level line you’ll find it surprisingly heavy. If you have a shallow sink, you might find filling a little cumbersome due to the size and shape of the tank.

The 765S's design is sleek and modern, with a pillar shape that tapers towards the top. The circular display on the front is bright and easy to read, even from across a room.

And at the bottom of the tower the water tank itself hides a fun feature. Power the fan on and you’ll notice a funky ambient light. It’s not just decorative, as the color can indicate the current humidity in the room. Blue signals humidity of 70%, while orange means the air is dry, at 30% or less. Green signals a comfortable humidity between 30% and 70%.

However, you can just have it illuminated in a color of your choice instead, with no link to the fan's performance or the room’s humidity.

There are three other lighting modes to choose from: constant, breath, and cycle. Constant allows you to pick a color of your choice for the light to be, while breath will see your color selection slowly pulsate. Cycle, as the name suggests, will cycle through a range of different colors, fading from one to the next. I found this to be a handy party mode when I had guests over and we were listening to music.

But what’s it like as a fan, I hear you scream? The good news is: pretty darn good.

At fan speed two, you can comfortably feel a breeze from four meters away, and it’s very quiet at this level, making it perfect for chatting with others, working, or watching TV. Even at its highest speed (12), I got a peak reading of 65dB directly in front of the machine, which is equivalent to normal conversation. It’s quieter than that when you’re sitting away, allowing you to speak to others without the fan being a distraction.

When it’s warm and you are looking for a breeze to take the edge off, this is all you really need. Higher fan speeds are useful when the fan is placed in larger, open-plan spaces, while the misting function is only really required when the mercury starts to soar.

But when the temperature does rise, the misting function is excellent. There are four misting vents — two on each side of the main airflow vent that runs down the middle — and they’re angled slightly up so moisture is directed into the air, rather than at the floor / furniture.

And it surprised me in two ways. Firstly, there’s hardly any increase in noise when the misting function is on, which means you could leave it on overnight in your bedroom and not be disturbed. Second, I was impressed with how fine the mist produced was. The ultrasonic atomizers used in the 765S produce a 17um ultra-fine mist — this means it evaporates quicker, preventing damp building up on objects nearby.

I could sit comfortably just a meter away from the fan, enjoying the cooling breeze without a sensation that it’s lightly raining. What’s even better is the misting function actually delivers on the claim that it reduces the temperature in your room.

During my tests, I saw a degree knocked off the room temperature after just 10 minutes of misting. It instantly makes a difference, and I was able to set a target humidity so the fan wouldn’t just keep pumping out water unnecessarily.

Keeping the fan running continuously for several hours, room temperature dipped by another degree, but I never saw more than a 2C drop during my weeks of testing. That’s some way off Dreo’s “up to 6 degrees” temperature reduction claim, and I’m not sure what sort of ideal scenario is needed to achieve this in the real world.

Still, a reduction in temperature is always a win, and the misting adds an additional layer of cooling, keeping me comfortable in what otherwise would have been a stuffy home office.

Dreo says the 6L water tank will last for 24 hours (or more) of run time when the misting mode is enabled, and I’m inclined to agree. I ran the 765S with misting turned on for a variety of different durations, and even during longer four to five hour sessions the water level reduced only marginally.

One slight frustration though was the limited oscillation angle. The 765S can only rotate 90 degrees. For many that’ll likely be enough, but having recently tested the Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool that has 350 degrees of movement, the Dreo feels a touch restrictive.

If you live somewhere hot and dry, the TurboCool Misting Fan 765S will provide all-day misting without breaking a sweat. Dreo claims the TurboCool Misting Fan 765S can reduce temperatures by up to 6C and although I didn’t get this level of cooling, it did make a significant difference in the rooms I tested it in, making them far more comfortable to work, relax, and sleep in.

It’s not going to deliver the same cooling as air conditioning, but the 765S offers an excellent middle ground between AC and traditional fans. It can genuinely reduce the heat in the room, keep humidity at a comfortable level, and does it all so quietly you might even forget it’s there.

Dreo TurboCool Misting Fan 765S review: Price and release date

• The TurboCool Misting Fan 765S costs £199.99 / $199.99
• It’s available now via Amazon in the US and UK
• A cheaper, table-top version is also available

The Dreo TurboCool Misting Fan 765S is available for a list price of £199.99 / $199.99, having gone on sale in April 2026. That’s the same price as its core rival, the Shark FlexBreeze, giving it a fighting chance in the market.

If you’re after a more compact offering, Dreo also has the table-top TurboCool Misting Fan 516S for £99.99 / $99.99. Meanwhile the TurboCool Outdoor Misting Fan 711AS — also £199.99 / $199.99 at Amazon — is, as the name suggests, designed for use both indoors and out. So if you’re looking to keep things cooler whether you’re in the garden or in bed, this is the one to go for.

Dreo TurboCool Misting Fan 765S review: Specs

Should I buy the Dreo TurboCool Misting Fan 765S?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Dreo TurboCool Misting Fan 765S review: Also consider

How I tested the Dreo TurboCool Misting Fan 765S

• Used the TurboCool Misting Fan 765S for several weeks
• Tested in rooms of varying size and temperature
• Tried out the various modes, including misting

I used the Dreo TurboCool Misting Fan 765S for several weeks in my home, testing it in rooms of varying size and temperature. I used it in my lounge to see how effectively it could cool a modest room, had it running overnight in the bedroom to experience how loud it is when sleeping, and in my open-plan kitchen/diner for large space use.

I used the included remote, the free smartphone app, and the on-device buttons to find out how easy it was to control. I also used the misting function in the day and at night to test its cooling credentials.

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

Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Max review: one-minute review

The Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Max seems like a slam dunk in the robot vacuum space. Positioned right in between the budget and upper mid range sections of the market, it delivers strong vacuum and mopping performance that make it capable of tackling a wide variety of messes in your home.

With LiDAR technology, its mapping is excellent and the robot vacuum does a great job of navigating unexpected obstacles that it might encounter during a clean. The design isn't the most exciting, though it still has a good range of features like an extendable mop arm and automatic carpet detection.

The dock is large, which might make it tricky to fit into smaller homes, but it's pretty capable as well, with hot water washing and air drying capabilities to keep the mop pads clean between uses.

It's all underpinned by a competent app that's easy to use and offers key functions such as being able to schedule cleans, restricting the robot vacuum to certain rooms, and allowing you to customize the vacuuming power and amount of water used by the mop.

The elephant in the room is that my unit developed a fault after a year of testing, occasionally spilling water during a mop pad clean. It's unfortunate and, even though it doesn't seem widespread, makes this model difficult to recommend unreservedly.

Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Max review: price, range & availability

• List price $999.99 / £499.99 / AU$1,199
• Launched late 2024
• No longer available in Australia
• Limited stock in the US

The Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Max has a list price of $999.99 / £499.99 / AU$1,199, and is readily available via the brand’s website in the UK. It often receives discounts too, taking the price down by £100 or so around major sales events. At this price it sits neatly between the budget and upper mid range price brackets, coming in much more expensive than under $300 / £300 / AU$500 favorites like the Roborock Q7 M5 but cheaper than the likes of the Eufy X10 Pro Omni, which goes for $799.99 / £799 / AU$1,699.95.

That latter model is a good point of comparison here, as it also features mop and similar LiDAR sensor setup. With this in mind, the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Max is very solid value - especially if you get it at that reduced price point. Accessories like replacement brushes, dust bags, and mop pads are all available via the Xiaomi website at pretty reasonable prices too.

Unfortunately, this model seems a lot harder to come by in the US. You can find it on Amazon, but it goes for an eye-watering $999.99 and stock appears limited. At this price it’s significantly worse value and you would be better off spending less on an alternative. Its list price is AU$1,199 in Australia, but it appears to no longer be available either through Xiaomi's own store, or Amazon.

• Value for money score: 3/5

Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Max specs

Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Max: design

• Raised LiDAR puck
• Extendable mop arm

The Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Max isn’t pushing any boundaries when it comes to its overall design, but honestly that’s not such a bad thing.

It looks like your average robot vacuum, which is to say a big plastic disc with a chunky bumper at the front and a whole host of sensors. The most prominent of these is a big LiDAR sensor that sits in a little raised puck on the top, though there are others designed to spot obstacles or prevent the vacuum from falling off ledges.

Despite the basic look, the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Max has a bunch of useful features including two mop pads, one of which can be extended on a little arm for edge cleaning. The Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Max is also capable of detecting which kind of surface it’s on, raising the mop pads when it goes over carpet to prevent any accidental stains.

Coming in at13.39 x 16.54 x 22.17 inches / 340 x 420 x 563mm, the docking station that it comes with is absolutely ginormous which could make it awkward to fit in smaller homes, but there are some good reasons for this size. Firstly, you’re getting a large 135.3oz / 4l clean water tank (removed for filling by simply popping up the lid on top of the dock) and a slightly smaller but still sizable 128.5oz / 3.8l tank for dirty water storage.

Xiaomi says that this is more than enough water to clean 2,152.8 square feet / 200 square meters on a single fill, and while my testing area was considerably smaller, I can say that it didn’t need refilling across multiple cleans.

The dock also has a hot water system to help wash both mop pads at 131F / 55C - a temperature that Xiaomi claims reduces odours more effectively. It dries the mop pads using hot air, a process that takes a few hours and produces a small level of sound akin to a desk fan.

There’s also a generous 84.5oz / 2.5l dust bag, which Xiaomi says only needs emptying once every 75 days in a three-person household with one pet. This seems like a very generous estimate to me, and your mileage will vary depending on your specific level of household mess. This bag size is on par with much of the competition, such as the aforementioned Eufy X10 Pro Omni, so you can expect similar performance to those models.

One feature that I particularly appreciate is the ability to remove parts of the dock for cleaning, including the little tray where the vacuum sits while charging. This isn't something that you will need to do regularly, but my previous robot vacuum tracked a decent layer of grime in its dock over the years and was comparatively pretty tricky to clean.

My only real complaint from a design standpoint is the vacuum’s incessant need to narrate what it's doing. By default it frequently declares 'start to dry the mop pad' and similar phrases in a loud, annoying voice. It's disruptive, though mercifully can be turned off in the app.

• Design score: 4/5

Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Max review: performance

• Good navigation
• Deals with multiple surfaces well
• Base station pump developed issues

I've been using the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Max for a year now, and can say that it handles most daily cleaning tasks well. Its navigation capabilities are excellent and map that it generated of my cleaning area was spot on. I have the base station in the corner of an L-shape hallway and the robot never struggles to find it, even when it's been cleaning the handful of adjoining rooms.

Setting room boundaries works excellently too — if you want to restrict cleaning to a specific defined area, the vacuum won't stray beyond it. It also deals with unexpected obstacles like closed doors or moved furniture well, bumping into them once or twice and then adapting its path smartly. You don't need to worry about multiple surfaces, either. Every time I spot the vacuum going over the rug in the middle of a mop cycle, the pads are automatically raised as it detects the soft surface to prevent damage.

The vacuum picks up small debris and cleans up small spills with no sweat, and for a more intensive task I doused my kitchen floor with oats, cereal crumbs, flour, ketchup, and pretty much anything else that I could find in the cupboard.

How did the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Max fare? I sent it out on the most intensive possible cleaning mode and it made a commendable dent in the mess. The oats, crumbs, and flour were masterfully hoovered up with the exception of a few survivors in the hardest to reach corners of the room.

The ketchup was more of a challenge, and at first I was pretty worried that it wouldn't be able to overcome it: the mop pads smeared it in a thin layer over the middle of the floor at first but, sure enough, after multiple visits to the base station in order to clean itself and to refill its water tanks, it was all gone after a few runs. I did spot some red residue in the grouting between tiles, but this took just a few seconds for me to wipe up.

It's the kind of performance you would want from a mid-range robot vacuum. It's not a total replacement for doing the cleaning, but it does decrease the need for big cleans.

That said, my unit has developed a major issue over long-term testing. Sometimes when the vacuum cleans its own mop pads (either at the start or during a cleaning task) the motor that's meant to suck away all the dirty water doesn't kick in. This means that dirty water starts to accumulate in the base station, eventually overflowing and spilling out onto the floor.

It's frustrating (and pretty gross), and I'm struggling to resolve the issue by cleaning the water sensors, fiddling with the base station, and so on. Anecdotally, a family member bought Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Max a few weeks after seeing my one, and it developed a similar fault within just a couple of months. It was, after some back and forth, repaired by Xiaomi.

Looking online, it doesn't seem to be a widespread problem, though I've still been able to find at least a few others who report the same thing. Users on Facebook and Reddit also seem to have had luck getting their vacuums replaced via Xiaomi's support service, though I suspect I can't go through this route with a review sample.

For this reason, I would recommend buying from Xiaomi directly rather than through reseller if you do chose to pick one up, as you otherwise will likely have more trouble getting support if issues do arise.

• Performance score: 2.5/5

Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Max review: app

• Easy to use
• Scheduling features
• Different suction levels

The Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 is compatible with the Xiaomi Home app. It's easy to use and has plenty of features, including the ability to view the map generated by the robot, and its location real time. This is on top of the option to start cleans in specific rooms, schedule cleans, or clean the mop pads.

You can view the battery level, and change cleaning modes. These include basic vacuuming, mopping, vacuuming and mopping, or vacuuming before mopping. You can increase the water output too, with three levels to choose between, but bear in mind that this will increase how quickly you will need to refill everything.

I didn't encounter any bugs within the app, and it remained quick and responsive during my year of testing. The fact that you have to set up a Mi account is a bit annoying, but otherwise it offers everything you could from robot vacuum companion software.

• App score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Max?

Buy it if… 

Don’t buy it if… 

Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Max review: alternatives to consider

How I tested the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Max

I tested the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X20 Max in my home for over a year, using it to clean a hallway and two large rooms on a weekly basis. It cleaned a wide variety of messes in that time on a number of different surfaces, namely carpet and tiled flooring. I fully utilized the companion app in order to evaluate its performance and compared the overall experience to other robot vacuums that I own.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed August 2026