The Brother MFC-L8970CDW and MFC-L8930CDW are high-spec laser all-in-ones aimed at enterprise and they’re a subtle but significant step up from the outgoing MFC-L8395CDW, despite being 25% smaller.

The top model in the updated L8000 series comes with a blistering print rate of 33ppm (pages per minute) and an equally impressive duplex scan speed.

With high capacity cartridges in the box, features aplenty, and a compact, but expandable design, it looks to me like the ideal office printer for a growing business. I tested it with the extra paper cassette option to find out.

Brother MFC-L8970CDW: Design and build

The Brother MFC-L8970CDW pictured here comes in two-tone gray, while the otherwise identical MFC-L8930CDW variant is gray and black. It’s the same machine targeting different territories and shipping with different amounts of inbox toner.

The MFC-L8970CDW is available with Brother’s MPS (managed print service) and it’s a multifunction device with a large ADF (automatic document feeder) and A4 scanner on top of a color laser printer with a large 7-inch touchscreen interface. It looks a bit top heavy, but Brother’s designers have done well to shrink the model it replaces by 25%, while increasing it’s capacity and display size. The 7-inch touchscreen is now twice as big.

This desktop printer’s footprint is relatively compact, especially when you start to add paper cassettes like the LT350CL as I did. It’s as simple as stacking the printer on top and letting the two units couple automatically. This US$226 upgrade doubles the 250-sheet paper capacity and allows you to load different paper stock in the second drawer. A 500-sheet cassette is available for $229, which makes a maximum paper capacity of 1,340 possible. There’s also a wheeled cabinet stand for $294.

Another design improvement is the increased use of user replaceable parts. Components such as drum unit, belt drive, paper feed kit etc can all be swapped out to prolong the printer’s life. Much of the material used in this printer's production is recycled and its packaging is cardboard rather than polystyrene. Office printers are never things of beauty, but I think it’s an aesthetic improvement on the old L8000 series and the whole thing feels like it’s built to last from pretty rugged plastic.

Brother MFC-L8970CDW: Features & specifications

As the flagship of Brother’s L8000 line-up, the Brother MFC-L8970CDW comes with all the features. There’s duplex printing and single pass duplex scanning, an 80-page ADF, USB Host ports front and rear and the biggest touchscreen you’ll find on any printer. Dual-band Wi-Fi is built in, as is a gigabit Ethernet port and NFC for private printing using an NFC-enable staff card.

The print speed is very fast at 33ppm for letter-size pages, or 31ppm for fractionally larger A4 pages, and the copy speed is the fastest I’ve clocked so far at up to 20 sides per minute. It can print on envelopes, labels or any kind of uncoated paper up to Letter or A4 in size and up to 163gsm in weight. In other words, it cannot print on thick paper stock, card or inkjet photo paper. That’s a little disappointing, but it proved competent with all other kinds of media, including labels and envelopes during the test.

The ADF can hold more pages than most rivals at 80 sheets and the scan rate is 100ipm for two-sided mono pages is the fastest I’ve tested. This makes it a great photocopier in a shared office. It also comes with plenty of toner in the box, enough for 5,500 black, or 4,500 color pages, and compatibility with even higher yield cartridges that make this a very economical printer to run. The only thing missing is Bluetooth, which HP uses in its to make setup even easier.

Brother MFC-L8970CDW: Setup and operation

The setup procedure is simplified by the expansive 7-inch touchscreen display. The GUI is logical, if a little long-winded, so you probably won’t need the printed quick start guide, which fits on a single sheet of paper. With the four toner cartridges already installed, you simply need to remove the transport packaging, load some paper and follow the on-screen prompts until you’re ready to print.

The large display is intended to reduce congestion at the machine because you can see the printer’s status and menu at a glance. Brother’s free companion app called Mobile Connect makes it just as convenient to print and scan from your smartphone. Other factors that increase this printer’s ease-of-use are the not one, but two available USB Host ports for walk-up printing from a USB device.

And the choice of paper inputs between the multi-purpose and main trays allows you to load different various stock, so there’s no need to reload when switching from plain to headed paper for example. In short, I found this a very easy printer to set up and operate.

Brother MFC-L8970CDW: Performance

The Brother MFC-L8970CDW printed promptly and without any jams or misprints throughout the tests and yielding consistently crisp and colourful documents. It can pump out professional-looking pages of black and white text in duplex mode with characters that are always clearly legible right down to the smallest point sizes. You’ll need a magnifying glass to fully appreciate the neat delineation.

And it can turn out color documents that are just as crisp at the same rate. Brother’s toner looks slightly less vivid than that of the HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw for example, but it’s also more natural, which makes the overall effect closer to the original source document.

This strong color balance works well when printing photos too. The test photos I printed on laser photo paper look sharp and colourful enough, although, as with most lasers, you can still see the dots that make up the 600dpi image.

Scanning and copying is a strong point for this multifunction device, thanks to its single-pass duplex scanner and fast scan speed. You can load 80 double-sided sheets into the ADF and have them duplicated in minutes and the duplicates are often hard to tell apart from the originals.

Brother MFC-L8970CDW: Consumables

Brother is generous with the toner in the bundled setup cartridges. The MFC-L8970CDW ships with enough to print 5,500 black, or 4,500 color pages, while the otherwise identical MFC-L8930CDW ships with enough for 3,000 black and 1,800 color pages.

Ultra high yield cartridges are also available that will give you up to 10,000 black and color pages and these expensive but economical carts bring the cost per page down to a highly competitive level.

Brother MFC-L8970CDW: Maintenance

With more user-serviceable parts readily available for this model, than for the previous one and most rivals, it should have a longer lifespan. And if you purchase the MFC-L8970CDW through Brother’s MPS (managed print service), your machine will be serviced for you as well as being topped up with discounted toner.

Brother MFC-L8970CDW: Final verdict

The Brother MFC-L8970CDW proved a pleasure to print with and performed very well in all of my tests.

It’s a pretty high-spec multifunction device with all of the features I would want to see in a premium office printer aimed at a large or growing business. With such speedy duplex printing and duplex scanning, a huge touchscreen and scope to expand the already generous paper and toner capacity, this hardworking machine could serve a busy workgroup very well.

I found it easy to set up and operate and I appreciated the seven-inch touchscreen and prompt first time out speeds. The print quality proved crisp and consistent with both monochrome and color documents, while my test photographs looked surprisingly realistic for a laser printer.

Brother’s reasonably priced cartridges don’t contain the brightest toner around, and I’ve made slightly sharper prints with the Xerox C325, but overall, this well-equipped and future-proofed all-rounder will be hard to beat.

For more top-performing models, I've tested out the best home printers and the best laser printers.

EcoFlow Stream Ultra X: 30-second review

The EcoFlow Stream Ultra X sits at the premium end of a rapidly growing product category. It is sold as a balcony power plant storage system. That means it combines a large lithium iron phosphate battery with a built-in hybrid inverter, four solar MPPT inputs, and a standard wall plug connection. You attach solar panels to it, plug it into a socket, and let it get to work – or that’s the theory.

It charges from the sun or from cheap grid power during the day, then it powers your home at night. Simple. What makes the Ultra X stand out from the crowd is its capacity. At 3.84 kWh, it doubles the storage of EcoFlow’s own Stream Ultra. That is a meaningful difference. A typical fridge uses about 1-2 kWh per day. An Ultra X, fully charged, can cover that and much more besides.

The system delivers up to 2,300W of continuous on-grid AC power with two AC outlets that handle simultaneous loads, and 800W back into the property's mains system. Solar input tops out at 2,000W across four MPPT trackers, each rated at 500W.

This technology first became popular with apartment dwellers and renters across Europe who want to cut their electricity bills without undertaking any structural work. But it can be a simple first step for any homeowner or small business that wants to use variable-rate electricity or get into solar without committing to a full rooftop system.

The Ultra X scales too. Connect multiple units and additional Stream batteries to reach up to 23 kWh of total storage. That is no longer a starter system, as it exceeds the total power consumption of a typical UK home.

The EcoFlow app ties it all together. It uses AI to track pricing, weather forecasts, and usage patterns, adjusting charge and discharge behaviour accordingly. For anyone who wants energy independence without the complexity, the Stream Ultra X makes a very strong case.

Due to the way this technology works, it's superior to even the best portable power stations we've tested, although I wouldn't want to try to take this device camping.

EcoFlow Stream Ultra X: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? £1,499/€1,499
• When is it out? Available now across most of Europe
• Where can you get it? EcoFlow official website and selected European retailers

The current asking price for the Ultra X is £1,499 in the UK direct from EcoFlow. In Europe, it's priced at €1,427 on EcoFlow's site, although EcoFlow regularly has discount deals, so it might be possible to get it a little cheaper.

It's not currently available in the US, as far as I can see, with the closest alternative being the EcoFlow Stream Ultra (not the X variant), for $1279 at the time of review. It's essentially the same type of system, with a lower capacity than the Stream Ultra X.

That price makes it the most expensive option in the Stream series, and for those wanting a lower up-front cost, the Ultra model, with half the battery capacity, but the same microinverter technology, can be got for £999.

The best-known competitor to EcoFlow in the balcony solar space is Anker with its Solix Solarbank 2 E1600 Pro, which sells for only €799 in Europe. However, that’s only for a 1600 Wh battery, though it does have 4 MPPT solar inputs and the same 10-year warranty as the Ultra X. This system can be expanded to 9.6 kWh by adding up to six modules that stack vertically.

On paper, the Ultra X and the Stream series in general might seem on the pricey side, especially when compared to some of the deals available on portable power stations.

However, this equipment isn’t comparable to power stations, since it's meant to feed power directly into the property's electrical system, rather than directly power an appliance. Therefore, it has a significant number of safety protections that power stations lack.

Based on its build quality, attention to detail, and the sophistication of its software, the EcoFlow Ultra X is undoubtedly worth the asking price.

• Value: 4 / 5

EcoFlow Stream Ultra X: Specs

EcoFlow Stream Ultra X: Design

• Built for indoors and outdoors
• Battery and microinverter in one
• Application controlled

A short disclaimer before we go any further: I’m not an electrician, and therefore any information I provide about plugging things in should be considered as being my understanding, and not an irrefutable fact.

The EcoFlow Stream Ultra X is part of what is being termed ‘plug-in solar’, meaning you can install it without an electrician's intervention. Can you do that, and what are the implications? I’ll talk about that later on when I cover the user experience, but for now, what did EcoFlow build?

The Stream Ultra X is an IP65 weatherproof design made for genuine outdoor use. Clean, minimalist white enclosure designed to blend into residential settings. Wall-mount bracket included for balcony installation. And it’s impressively compact, given the 3.84 kWh capacity it contains.

While this is not a product designed for a garage or a utility room, it can be put in these if the heat it generates isn’t an issue and you’re not creating a potential fire hazard.

The unit measures 420 x 294 x 460mm, and weighs 38.8 kg. The previous Stream Ultra at 1.92 kWh was a much lighter 23.1 kg. The Ultra X, at double the capacity, is almost twice the weight.

Installation requires at least two people and some forward planning about how to get a 39 kg box onto a balcony or, in my case, close to my consumer unit in my garage. EcoFlow ships a dedicated bracket for wall mounting, but I think this is more about theft prevention than additional stability.

The IP65 rating is not a token gesture. It means genuine dust-tight protection and resistance to water jets from any direction. The Stream Ultra X should be able to sit outside through a European winter without complaint. The integrated battery heater ensures performance at temperatures down to -20 degrees Celsius. That matters in northern European markets where the appeal of balcony solar is perhaps greatest.

In terms of the layout, there is a clean user-facing side with an on/off button and an LED strip that shows the charge level and whether the battery is charging. On the other side is a huge heatsink, dual AC outputs (UK 3-pin in mine) and four MPPT inputs for solar panels. Each of these is rated for 500W 15-60V DC, enabling up to 2000W of solar energy to be injected into the battery.

Along with the AC outputs that can deliver 2300W, an additional cable is provided for charging the battery from the grid or for sending up to 800W to the property's mains system.

In Germany, this cable comes terminated with a plug designed to go into a EU power socket directly, whereas in the UK, the wires end with three ferruled wires.

The connector for the power interface has a corresponding connection for chaining to another Stream battery. At this time, EcoFlow makes the Stream Ultra X, Stream Ultra, Stream Pro and Stream Max.

Here’s the breakdown of what each offers.

The two AC outlets sit on the unit’s face. They are clearly labelled and sensibly positioned. The PV input ports are grouped together. Cable management is tidy out of the box. EcoFlow has done well here. The only minor gripe is that 38.8 kg makes periodic repositioning or maintenance awkward. A wheeled trolley would be a great addition to this equipment if EcoFlow added one.

In conclusion, this is mostly a scaled-up version of the Stream Ultra with twice the battery capacity, but exactly the same solar inputs and 2000W input cap. Based on the price of this unit compared with a Stream Ultra and a Stream AC Pro combined, there are some cost savings in using the Stream Ultra X to achieve the same capacity.

Other than the two buttons, one to power and the other to activate the AC ports, all control of the unit is via a terrific phone application. This tool allows you to monitor every aspect of the battery, decide when it discharges and recharges, and it can handle multiple pieces of equipment as a single system.

• Design: 4 / 5

EcoFlow Stream Ultra X: Features

• Ten-year warranty
• Extensible
• Up to 23 kWh

The hardware inside the Stream Ultra X is where EcoFlow has made its boldest statements. Start with the battery itself. The 3.84 kWh lithium iron phosphate cell is rated for 6,000 charge cycles to 70% capacity and backed by a ten-year warranty. LFP chemistry is the right choice here. It is thermally stable, long-lived, and less prone to degradation than the lithium cobalt oxide chemistry found in cheaper alternatives.

For a product that will live outside on a balcony, potentially, for the best part of a decade, that matters enormously. The four MPPT trackers are a standout feature. Each handles up to 500W of solar input at between 15 and 60 volts DC, for a total of 2000W.

With these independent trackers, you can connect panels facing different directions, at different angles, or partially shaded, and each string is optimised independently. A single tracker managing four panels would drag performance down to the weakest link. Four separate trackers do not. EcoFlow says the system performs reliably even in low solar irradiation conditions, and the multi-MPPT architecture is a large part of why.

The integrated hybrid inverter handles both on-grid and off-grid modes. On-grid, it delivers up to 2,300W of continuous AC output across two standard sockets. Off-grid capacity is more modest, but the unit keeps essential loads running during outages. The AC charging input allows up to 1,200W from the grid, meaning you can top up the battery overnight on cheap tariff rates and discharge it during expensive peak periods.

That is where the AI Time-of-Use feature earns its keep. EcoFlow’s Home Energy Management System integrates with third-party smart energy monitors, including Shelly and Tibber. The app connects to local electricity price data and weather forecasts, running over 100 million data operations per hour according to EcoFlow, to deliver forecasts with up to 94% accuracy over a three-day horizon.

The system automatically adjusts when to charge, when to discharge, and when to feed solar power into the home. In practice, this means the Ultra X is not just a passive battery. It is an active participant in your household energy economy. Some of the more advanced AI features require a premium app subscription, which is a minor but worth noting caveat.

Connectivity runs over 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. The app is polished and informative, giving real-time visibility of generation, consumption, and savings. Matter and Shelly compatibility means the Ultra X fits into a broader smart home setup without friction.

The expandability story is also compelling. A single Ultra X delivers 3.84 kWh. Connect up to five more Stream series units to reach 23 kWh. That is a home energy solution, not a starter product. The Stream series uses a parallel cable connection and automatically shares intelligence across units. The system distributes energy between units in a smart, usage-based way rather than draining one unit at a time. This architecture reduces the impact of charging and discharging, so that even after ten years of use, these modules should still retain a good proportion of their original capacity.

• Features: 4.5 / 5

EcoFlow Stream Ultra X: User Experience

• Simple in theory
• Get an electrician
• Genuine cost savings
• Add Solar later

According to EcoFlow - and I’m not qualified to disagree with them - in the UK, local regulations require the EcoFlow STREAM DIY Cable to be wired into the distribution board, which must be done by a certified installer or electrician.

The snag here that I ran into is that electricians typically won’t attach this to any ancient distribution board. It requires a modern design that can accommodate the dual-direction RCD and provide the per-circuit RCD protection currently mandated in the UK.

That elevates what would be a relatively inexpensive exercise into one, for me, which cost almost as much as the Stream Ultra X, as I had my entire consumer unit replaced.

However, this was probably long overdue, and it's critical if I ever expand the system further or want to use separate microinverters.

Does it work if you simply find a good-quality UK plug, attach it to the provided cable, and plug it into your ring main? Yes, it does, but electricians wouldn’t recommend it, and therefore, I won’t suggest you do that either.

Ideally, it should be connected on a fused spur from the consumer unit with a bi-directional RCD, I believe.

Another dimension to these requirements, and it has to do with exporting power back to the grid. When the Ultra X is injecting power into the wiring of the house, it's trying to balance what the battery discharges and the power drawn from the grid. If it adds too much power that will end up going out to the grid, and you are effectively powering your neighbours' homes for free.

It’s worth noting that if you have an MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme)- rated electrician come and sign off on your installation, you can get a certificate that allows you to sell power back to your supplier at a pre-agreed price.

This could be a good option if you have enough solar panels to generate the 2000W of power that the Ultra Stream X can ingest, the battery is full, and you only need 400W to run the house. But you can go further, charge the battery up when electricity is cheap and then dump it to the grid when it's expensive to make money and offset costs.

To make this model work more effectively, you need a special RCD that EcoFlow sells that can accurately monitor the flow of power in and out of the house, and I had one of those installed, adding another £99 to my costs. The step I’ve not yet taken is to add solar panels, but that’s my next phase.

When I first got this unit, I’d made various assumptions about how it might work based on also owning an EcoFlow Delta 2 power station. The Ultra X isn’t like a Delta series unit at all, in one critical way.

With the Delta 2, you plug that into a wall socket, and anything you wish to power into one of its power inlets. If the power coming from the mains is interrupted because you switch the wall socket off, or use a smart socket, then the Delta 2 will immediately take over, much like a UPS, and power the device until it's exhausted, at which time the device it's plugged into will be turned off. This is pretty much the same in the majority of power station products, though some won’t automatically trigger battery power with a UPS mode.

The Ultra X is totally different in that it can do the direct-powering trick like the Delta, but it can also power things via its connection to the electrical system. That means when the battery power is all used up, it can sit and wait until the optimal time to recharge. With the Delta 2, once the power connection is restored, it will immediately start charging, and there are limited things you can do to stop it while still having power flow through to connected devices.

Being able to insert power into the system, then step aside and let the mains do the work, is the most useful aspect of this design, as it lets you fully control when you recharge and discharge.

The flip side of this coin is that, should the mains power be cut, the Ultra X won’t just take over and power the house. In fact, if it detects a mains failure, it will immediately stop delivering power to that connection as a safety precaution. This is called anti-islanding.

If the battery still outputs power during a power cut, then that might leak out onto the grid, making things dangerous for those working to restore the service, and it would also mean that if I pulled the plug out of the wall that connects it to the house, those pins would be live.

On this product, the anti-islanding technology is sophisticated, and can sense within a very small amount of time if the mains has been disrupted, and then cut output.

You can still run things on the AC outputs, but those appliances must be physically connected to the Ultra X. Some expensive home battery systems can power the whole house in an emergency, but with only 800W of mains output, this isn’t one of them.

Where EcoFlow excels is with their software, which ties all the products you have into a unified logic that allows you to control what’s happening at any point. And you can build your own automations that can recharge and discharge, and interface with smart devices, like plugs.

A power management strategy

How you would configure the EcoFlow Stream Ultra X would be colored by your particular use model, and the level of efficiency you want. Overnight charging is straightforward but less efficient, and AI control is the most efficient, with manual adjustments being somewhere in the middle.

In my instance, I’m an Octopus Energy customer, and I use their Octopus Agile tariff that breaks down the day into 30-minute slices with a different cost depending on the demand at that time of day. On a typical day, there is a slight bump in prices around breakfast, followed by a cheaper period until 4 pm, when it becomes expensive until 7 pm, when it starts to get cheaper again.

Therefore, I have the battery recharge between 12 am and 4 pm, and discharge from 4 pm until it's exhausted. Each day, I can see the cost profile for the next day, published at 4 pm each day, and act accordingly.

But if you pay EcoFlow £3.40 a month, the company will entirely automate the charge low and discharge high system using AI, so you never need to think about it.

Alternatively, many providers run an Economy 7 tariff where you are given five hours every night to recharge at 7p a kWh. And, using that time window, you can build a simple automation to recharge then and discharge after 4 pm. When you consider that at peak times, power might be from 35p to over 50p a kWh, considerable savings can be made.

According to people who have tested these things, the loss of power recharging and discharging is about 10% in each trip, so if you buy power at 10p, it costs 12p to use it.

By adding solar to this mix, you can recharge for free and then use that power when the sun has gone down, if it's sufficiently sunny.

Having used this for a number of months, I’m seeing real benefits in my power consumption costs, and it's something that all homes and businesses should seriously consider.

The first question any business owner is likely to ask is if these tariffs are available for businesses, and often they are. I could be mistaken, but I think all UK power companies offer an equivalent to the old Economy 7 tariff, where you are allocated a block of time at low cost per kWh (like 7p) in the night, allowing that power to be delivered back to the property when the price is much higher.

The EcoFlow app enables you to define when the battery recharges and discharges, and how much wattage, up to the 800W limit, it can push back into the system.

As an Ocopus Agile customer, the prices in each 30-minute block do alter each day, both in price and in terms of when the cheapest point of the day is. If you want a fire-and-forget solution I could switch to a cheap nighttime recharge, or EcoFlow has an AI service that will look at the prices for the coming day and decide when it the best times to recharge and discharge. They charge an additional £3.90 a month for that service, and you don’t get any free time with the hardware. Intelligent Mode, as its called, promises to create the most cost effective power schedule based on solar, load, electricity rate and system status.

I’ve not yet signed up for this, but if it could save me more than another £3.90 a month, it might well be worth it.

Solar economics

But, if you always intend to have plenty of capacity to begin with, then it might be worth looking at the EcoFlow Ocean product line, or other modular home battery installations from the outset.

Solar harvest depends on panel setup and local conditions, but the four MPPT design gives the Ultra X a genuine edge over single-MPPT competitors. Where a cheaper system with one tracker might lose 15 to 20 per cent of potential harvest due to panel mismatch or partial shade, the Ultra X keeps each string performing at its individual peak. The 2,000W total solar input ceiling is generous. On a sunny day with an appropriate panel setup, you can expect to fill the 3.84 kWh battery from empty in roughly two hours.

The AI Time-of-Use system works elegantly since EcoFlow integrates with Tibber and other dynamic tariff providers. The system reads electricity prices, reads weather data, and makes genuinely intelligent decisions about when to top up from the grid and when to discharge into the home. EcoFlow’s own modelling suggests that a six-unit Ultra X setup with ten 500W solar panels could generate over 5,300 kWh annually in a central European location. For a single unit paired with two to four typical balcony panels, expect something closer to 800 to 1,500 kWh per year, depending on location and orientation.

That is sufficient to meaningfully offset a household electricity bill. At European rates of around £0.35 per kWh, a single Ultra X setup could save between £350 and £550 annually. With the units costing roughly £1500 without solar panels, payback sits in the three to four-year range. That is competitive, though the Anker Solix Solarbank 2 E1600 Pro and Jackery Explorer alternatives come in cheaper and are worth comparing if budget is the primary driver. The Ultra X commands a premium for its capacity, four-MPPT design, and the quality of its AI integration. For most buyers, that premium is justified.

While not the cheapest option, EcoFlow will sell you two 450W panels for £399, and four 250W panels for £699. Therefore, with the Stream Ultra X, it is possible to have 3.84 kWh, a 900W solar input, which on a sunny day could recharge that battery for less than £2000.

If you use one of the lower-end options, like the Stream Ultra, Stream Pro, or Stream Max, the outlay could be much lower if you accept a smaller initial battery capacity.

There is nothing stopping you from buying more batteries and connecting them, though some of the range, like the Stream Max, aren’t empowered to chain to other Streams.

What’s nice is that you can add just a battery or a battery and more MPT ports for extra solar, and expand the system however you want.

• User Experience: 4 / 5

EcoFlow Stream Ultra X: Final verdict

To understand the Stream Ultra X, you need to understand the movement it belongs to. Balcony solar is no longer a niche hobbyist pursuit. It is a genuine mass-market revolution reshaping how ordinary people across Europe think about electricity.

Germany led the way. By mid-2025, over one million balcony solar systems had been registered with the German Federal Network Agency. Industry insiders believe the true installed number is two to three times higher, since many units go unregistered. In the first half of 2025 alone, more than 220,000 new systems were added. The Germans have a word for them: Balkonkraftwerke. Balcony power plants.

In the UK, the phrase plug-in solar has been coined, though to my mind this entirely misses the point of these systems. You don’t need solar panels to make this work for you, and therefore, it could be used by those renting a flat or home to reduce energy costs once the device is plugged in. And, should you move to a new location, the battery can come with you. It is the first rung on a ladder that could take you to solar, but it doesn’t need panels to be useful.

The balcony solar market is projected to grow from $500 million in 2025 to $1.8 billion by 2033, at a 15% annual growth rate. EcoFlow recognised this trajectory early. The Stream series is its answer to the question of what a premium, storage-forward balcony solar product looks like. The Ultra X, with its 3.84 kWh capacity, four-MPPT design, and AI energy management, is the most complete answer yet.

However, £1,499 is a serious investment. Some AI features need a subscription. And in the UK, there is some confusion about the plug-and-play nature of this technology based on the standards. Despite those caveats, this is the product to beat in its category, and if you wish to reduce your energy costs now, this is a highly flexible approach that doesn’t require solar panels to impact your electricity bills.

In many reviews I write for Tech Radar, the products are provided by the makers for the purpose of coverage, but in the case of EcoFlow Stream Ultra X, it's something I bought and paid for. And watching it hack chunks out of my electricity bill within weeks of arrival makes me think this purchase might not have been the worst plan I've ever had.

My advice, for what it's worth, is that anything involving electricity in the home still requires an electrician's input before you start plugging in equipment like this. But if you have a modern consumer unit, getting the battery wired correctly should be straightforward.

If you don’t have the additional expense of a new consumer unit, a piece of kit like the EcoFlow Stream Ultra X could easily pay for itself in under three years, and that’s without attaching a single solar panel to it. And that’s based on today's energy prices, which are unlikely to go down in the foreseeable future.

EcoFlow Stream Ultra X: Report card

Should I buy a EcoFlow Stream Ultra X?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lepow 16" Quad Monitor for Laptop: Price and availability

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

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

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

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

• Value: 4 / 5

Lepow 16" Quad Monitor for Laptop: Specs

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

Lepow 16" Quad Monitor for Laptop: Design

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Design: 4 / 5

Lepow 16" Quad Monitor for Laptop: Features

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Features: 4 / 5

Lepow 16" Quad Monitor for Laptop: Performance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Performance: 4 / 5

Lepow 16" Quad Monitor for Laptop: Final verdict

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

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

UGREEN NASync DXP4800 GT: 30-second review

The DXP4800 GT is Ugreen's latest NAS and the first in the DXP line-up to use an AMD processor and dual 10GbE networking ports; these run alongside the usual personal cloud and AI features. To mark it out as something a little more special than the other DXP4800 units, it also adds gold accents to the otherwise familiar look and excellent build quality.

In this test, I installed four 4TB Seagate IronWolf drives and two 1TB SSDs and, during setup, configured them in RAID 5, initially over a 2.5GbE network. This network connection, while fast, limited the DXP4800 GT's full potential; still, it delivered 272.96MB/s read and 268.35MB/s write, so even if you stick with an older network system, it’s still going to offer impressive performance with potential for the future.

To see the drive in full flow, a $200-300 additional investment may be needed if you don’t already run on a 10GbE switch, as I found mine severely lacking and in need of an upgrade to the TP-LINK TL-SX105 10G Multi-Gigabit Desktop Switch.

You’ll also need to check your desktop or laptop specifications, as most will only offer 2.5 GbE networking. If you want that 10GbE speed, you'll need not only the Switch but also a USB4-to-10GbE adapter. In this test, I’ve gone for the Sabrent USB4-to-10 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter at around $80.

While network editing on the 2.5GbE setup had been possible, the 10GbE upgrade made a huge difference to the speed and smoothness of the edit; it was, in effect, like running the files from a direct-attached storage device. With all footage on the DXP4800 GT and an M.2 SSD handling cache files, 500GB of two hours of rushes was edited down in Final Cut Pro X to a 7-minute production and ran over the 10GbE SMB connection without dropped frames or slowdown.

Aside from the connection speed, the other features that really stood out were the personal cloud capabilities. Enabling the setup and control of other users' access to files you have given permission to, either on the same network or remotely, is a major feature, especially if you’re dealing with large video files.

The integrated AI also shows potential, but at present it’s limited to the Photos app and doesn’t offer the same flexibility as the flagship iDX6011 Pro. Still, it’s impressive once all components have been installed.

The UGOS interface continues to improve, and the selection of available apps is growing. For anything that’s not yet there, such as Plex, you’ll need to look at Docker and run through the installation and setup process. This isn’t so straightforward, but the documentation is developing.

That aside, this is a significant NAS with plenty of features and, importantly, upgrade potential. It's easily the best NAS device on a budget right now, especially if you work in the creative sector and need large-capacity network-attached storage, as this is the cheapest option I’ve seen. Just take into account that you may need a Switch upgrade and possibly a USB4-10GbE adapter.

UGREEN NASync DXP4800 GT: Price & availability

The UGREEN NASync DXP4800 GT is available in the US at an MSRP of $659.99, with a $70 launch discount bringing the price to $589.99. The drive is available from the Ugreen official store here and Amazon.com.

In the UK, it's priced at £529.99 with the launch discount from Ugreen, and £531.99 at Amazon.co.uk when you tick the voucher code box.

It’s also worth factoring in drive costs; the four Seagate IronWolf 4TB drives I’ve used in this review add approximately $150 per drive, and a 10GbE switch at around $250. Even with both additions, the total remains competitive against Synology and QNAP alternatives that don’t include dual 10GbE at this price point.

• Score: 4.5/5

UGREEN NASync DXP4800 GT: Design & build

The DXP4800 GT shares the Ugreen NASync design language with the previous DXP4800 NAS boxes, just here in a more premium black-and-gold finish. The build quality is once again excellent, and the aesthetic is more professional than many NAS devices at this price.

Drive installation with four Seagate IronWolf 4TB drives is tool-free; pop out the caddy, insert the drive, and slide it back. All four drives install in minutes. Once connected to the network, the Ugreen app on a Mac or PC searches for the device and guides users through RAID configuration and user account creation. The process of unboxing and setting up a working RAID 5 array is easy enough, even for a first-time NAS user.

The built-in SD 3.0 card slot is useful for photographers and videographers shooting with the latest mirrorless cameras, and direct card-to-NAS offload is faster than network transfer. Taking my Canon EOS R5 C with CFexpress Type B cards that can hold up to 2TB as an example, after a full day of shooting, transferring that data over any network is usually slow. When using a USB CFexpress reader in the front USB port, or directly via SD, file offload is considerably faster.

The front panel LED indicators are simple and show drive access, health and usage for each bay at a glance. There’s no screen, but UGOS Pro provides full drive health and status information through the software. The USB connectivity, two USB 3.2 Gen2, two USB 2.0, USB-C 3.2 Gen2, and HDMI 4K 60Hz, gives the DXP4800 GT media server and direct storage capabilities which again adds to the usage, from home to the office.

• Design & build: 4.5/5

UGREEN NASync DXP4800 GT: Features

Ugreen has been careful to keep the UGOS Pro consistent across the DXP lineup, which certainly makes it easier to review as much of the interface and options remain familiar to previous models, with a few notable additions added as the OS develops.

The DXP4800 GT sits below the iDX6011 Pro, Ugreen's flagship NAS, and while AI is present on this new machine, unlike the iDX6011 Pro, which supports downloading and running local language models and has a deeper AI integration, the DXP4800 GT is limited to Photos. The functionality reflects what we see from other AI-enhanced photo management apps, and those features, such as subject recognition, are helpful but nowhere near the advanced capabilities of the iDX6011 Pro, but then this is a machine aimed at a more traditional approach to NAS with some AI enhancement.

As with other Ugreen NAS, getting started is easy with the Initial RAID 5 setup for the review sample using four Seagate IronWolf 4TB drives. Once connected, the UGREEN desktop app is able to connect to the device automatically, and then guides you through RAID configuration and account creation; it’s all about as easy as it gets. Compared with NAS setups from even a few years ago, and compared with Synology DSM or QNAP QTS today, the UGOS Pro process is notably easier to use for first-timers to NAS.

One of the features that really appeals to me is the dual 10GbE networking. This is also the defining feature of the GT line-up and what separates the DXP4800 GT from other NAS in this price range. In this review, the network infrastructure was initially limited to 2.5GbE, still with impressive speeds, but speeds that only hinted at what was actually possible.

It was only when the network was upgraded with a 10GbE switch, the TP-Link TL-SX105, that the full potential could be seen. This upgrade is worth considering if you are looking at this 10GbE NAS, as most home and small office speeds are usually limited to 1 - 2.5GbE.

In this review, I’ve gone for the 10GbE TP-Link TL-SX105, a compatible switch that costs £249 in the UK. If your network is limited in speed, I would definitely consider the cost of the switch upgrade an integral part of the total investment in this system.

Once the switch was in place and a few checks run, it was time to set up the NAS ready for editing. Ugreen recommends the SMB protocol for video editing over the network,and once again, accessing the settings through UGOS proved easy enough.

In addition to the four 3.5-inch HDD bays, there are two M.2 Gen3 x2 NVMe slots under the machine, in the same bay as the RAM modules, designed to support SSD caching. These additional SSD modules came into use when I redirected Final Cut Pro X cache files to the M.2 SSD during the Final Cut Pro Library setup, freeing up network bandwidth for footage transfer and improving overall responsiveness.

At the heart of the machine is the AMD Ryzen Embedded R2514, and throughout the test, it proved capable of handling multiple applications running simultaneously without issue. Docker support is standard, so third-party apps, including Plex, that are not pre-installed can be installed via Docker as long as you have basic NAS knowledge. Inside, there’s also a 64GB eMMC system drive where UGOS Pro resides and operates independently of the installed drives; this essentially prevents OS updates from interrupting storage access.

The UGREEN AI App is at present limited compared with the iDX range and at launch covers six Photo features: People recognition, Text recognition, Similar and Duplicate recognition, Pet recognition, Sensitive content recognition, and Model training. I tested this feature with over 1,000 images, and all six options worked well, picking out subjects with ease and making it much easier to locate images. I also tested the Model training, which, as I found in the past, is especially useful if you have items or subjects in images that are out of the norm.

For this test, I uploaded a range of product review images, then labelled each one so they could be easily located in the future. Not just the name of the product, but also what it was and any other relevant details.

Another feature of interest is the Surveillance Centre for IP camera management, which is included in UGOS Pro and supports ONVIF-compatible cameras from manufacturers such as TP-Link. Unfortunately, I was unable to test this review due to camera compatibility limitations.

Finally, there are the shared folder and cloud features, which have again been enhanced and developed, making it far easier to create a share and invite others to access it from a remote location, either on the same network or elsewhere. This is the one feature, above all, that is of greatest interest to me, especially as the cost of inline storage options rapidly increases.

• Features: 4/5

UGREEN NASync DXP4800 GT: Performance

The initial setup for the DXP4800 GT is similar to that of the other NASes in the Ugreen range. The four Seagate IronWolf 4TB drives are installed in the toolless bays at the front of the machine, and then two M.2 SSDs are installed in the base. It’s then connected to the network, which, for the first part of the review, was directly to a 2.5GbE switch, and later to a 10GbE switch. It’s also worth highlighting that none of the machines I have in the studio, desktop or laptop, feature 10GbE as standard, so on top of the Switch, a USB4 to 10GbE adapter was used.

Once everything is powered on, the Ugreen desktop app (Ugreen NAS) is installed and started, and it runs through the setup process, including initialising the drives in the machine. As an example, RAID 0 can be used for maximum speed, which is ideal if you’re using it for video editing, while RAID 5 or 6 can be used for backup and archiving.

While I like the idea of RAID 0 and its absolute speed, for most of the review, I’ve settled on RAID 5, as it provides some safety in case a drive fails and allows it to be swapped out. Whereas if using RAID 0 and a drive fails, then that’s essentially it; all data is lost.

Once the RAID 5 configuration is complete, you can access all the apps and settings through the Ugreen Desktop or mobile app, with the usual array of Photo, Media, and storage options. There's also Docker, so if you want access to Plex and other apps that haven’t been installed, then this is possible, just not as direct as the Apps available in the App library.

A few of the Apps of note include the Photos app, a photo management application that integrates machine learning. Essentially, think of it as working along much the same lines as Google or Apple Photos. At present, this is the only App on board that integrates AI capabilities, but I’m sure this will develop over time.

The area that really interests me is the personal cloud, essentially a way to share files on internal or external networks and set restrictions. This works as simply as copying files to the drive's shared area, then right-clicking and selecting Share. You then get a selection of options: external or internal user; whether access is Custom or permanent; whether downloads are permitted; and whether a password is needed.

You then click confirm, copy the URL and send it to whoever needs access. It isn’t, however, a free-for-all, and to actually see the files as the recipient, you have to register as a user and wait to be authorised before gaining full access. During the test, this was instantly put into practice and worked extremely well. The only issue was the HTTPS certificate for the link, but I’ll investigate and update the review soon.

Internally, this NAS is an ideal option for a wired SMB connection ready for video editing, especially with four Seagate IronWolf 4TB drives in RAID 0 or RAID 5 in my case. In the initial tests on my older 2.5GbE network, the DXP4800 GT delivered 272.96 MB/s read and 268.35 MB/s write. I also decided to test this on a 1GbE network, speeds dropped to 115MB/s read and 97MB/s write, consistent with 1GbE bandwidth and showing the system scales well with available network speed. Finally, once the 10GbE switch arrived, I ran the test again and this time achieved speeds of 1034 MB/s and 585 MB/s, using AJA System Test Lite, more than enough for video editing.

I will point out that my wired network is part of a wireless network and is designed for data storage and transfer rather than for browsing the internet. This means that a wireless router connects to the switch along with the NAS and Printer, but doesn’t connect directly to the main connection. This is solely a logistical point, with my studio being too far from the main connection point and the wireless network providing ample speed for browsing the internet and watching back media.

As I got started on the video editing test, it really highlighted the difference in potential speed between 2.5GbE and 10GbE. I started the test with a 500GB 4K editing project with all files stored entirely on the DXP4800 GT and an M.2 SSD handling Final Cut Pro X cache files. I tried editing over the 2.5GbE SMB connection first, and while there were stalls and some wait time, I was actually impressed with the performance, especially as the switch cost around £50 some time ago. However, the speed, as you’ll see in the benchmark tests, was limited.

One of the points of this NAS is that it offers dual 10GbE, so upgrading the Switch to the 10GbE version and using a USB4-to-10GbE Adapter was required, and the difference was immediate. Once set up, the speed was pretty much identical to having a desktop hard drive attached to the machine, just with a whole lot more storage capacity. After testing the speed and capacity, there’s no doubt this will now be my preferred method of editing, especially since I can give clients direct access to the output files without paying for a cloud storage solution.

This system and the Seagate IronWolf 4TB drives I have installed are all new, so the likelihood of failure is low; however, I always err on the side of caution, so I have been testing in RAID 5 rather than RAID 0. To test the drive, I decided to swap it out to simulate a failed drive. I powered down the NAS, removed a drive, formatted it, popped it back in, and restarted the NAS to rebuild the drive.

The rebuild took approximately 10-15 hours, and during that time, manual intervention was minimal: it was essentially as easy as inserting the replacement drive, rebooting, and letting UGOS Pro handle the rebuild automatically. For a four-drive 8TB configuration, this rebuild time is expected, though it means you’re down to three drives, which can leave you vulnerable to a second drive failure that could cause data loss. I could have gone for RAID 6, which provides two-drive redundancy, but this does hammer the potential storage space.

Through all operations and uses, the AMD R2514 handled network transfers, Docker application management, and background UGOS Pro tasks without issue. Although with just 8GB of RAM in a single channel, I would be tempted to upgrade this to the full 64GB.

Media playback through the media player worked for most file formats, although those created on the Sony A7 IV with certain codecs did falter. Start time between selecting the video, clicking play, and the video actually playing, is around 5 seconds.

In normal situations, I tuck NAS boxes out of the way as they can be noisy as the discs spin up and are accessed. Here, the DXP4800 GT once again has all those usual noises, but they seem to be dampened compared with many systems of this type I’ve used in the past. Once again, the cooling is exceptional, and it’s great to see a magnetic dust cover at the back that can be quickly removed and cleaned when needed.

• Performance: 4.5/5

Should you buy the UGREEN NASync DXP4800 GT?

After two weeks of testing, the Ugreen NASync DXP4800 GT is, without doubt, a superb NAS option for those in the creative sector. It’s fast and easy to set up, and many of the intricacies of NAS are handled by the UGOS software's setup and management, which just makes everything that much easier.

The two major features here are the personal cloud, which, unlike some other NAS I have looked at recently, is easy to use and straightforward. There’s a little complexity: users need to register once the link is sent, and then you need to authorise them, but otherwise it’s exactly what many creators have been asking for, and here it’s just simple.

The other major feature is the 10GbE network connection, which is just about as fast as you can get. In this test, I had to upgrade my network to see the full potential with a 10GbE switch replacing the old 2.5GbE, and then adding a Sabrent USB4 to 10GbE dongle to enable the connection, as the RJ45 on my desktop is also 2.5GbE, and none of the laptops used had a network port as standard.

However, if you are looking for maximum speed on your network for creative use such as network renders, video editing, or just fast file archiving, these network upgrade steps are essential to maximise the potential.

The DXP4800 GT is an excellent choice for smaller studios, offices and homes, really anyone who wants dual 10GbE without the huge cost that has until now been associated with this network speed.

There are a few issues, but most of these can be overcome with upgrades. For me, the single-channel RAM as the default would be the first upgrade after the initial setup. Then there are the AI features currently limited to Photos, and the cost of the HDDs, SSDs, 10GbE switch and dongle for USB/Thunderbolt, all of which add to the cost.

However, when I sat down and worked through the costs of my Google Drive storage, WeTransfer, Wipster, and Backblaze subscriptions, it didn’t take long for those subscriptions' yearly costs to far surpass the cost of the DXP4800 GT. I’ve been sold on this new wave of NAS for a while, and the advancements with each new release just make them more impressive and usable, especially when you need to store large quantities of files and access them quickly.

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

For more storage options, we've tested the best NAS hard drives.

8849 TANK Pad Ultra: 2-minute review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8849 TANK Pad Ultra: price and availability

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Value score: 4/5

8849 TANK Pad Ultra: Specs

8849 TANK Pad Ultra: design

• Heavy duty
• Kickstand issues
• Idiosyncratic layout

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Design score: 3.5/5

8849 TANK Pad Ultra: hardware

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Hardware score: 4.5/5

8849 TANK Pad Ultra: cameras

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

The 8849 Tank Pad Ultra has three cameras:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8849 TANK Pad Ultra Camera samples

• Camera score: 4/5

8849 TANK Pad Ultra: Performance

• Modern SoC
• Good battery life

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Performance score: 4.5/5

8849 TANK Pad Ultra: Final verdict

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

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

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

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

Should I buy a 8849 TANK Pad Ultra?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

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LaCie 8big Pro5: 30-second review

When I first plugged in the LaCie 8big Pro5 256TB, I realised that my workstation suddenly had access to 256TB of local storage, so the impact of this was immediate. I have tested a great deal of storage hardware, and the sense of scale when that volume of capacity mounts as a single directly-attached drive is genuinely striking and somewhat scary, especially the thought of it crashing or a drive going down when it has all that data held with. However, the point of the LaCie 8big Pro is the eight-drive RAID configuration.

The review unit I was sent houses eight Seagate IronWolf Pro 32TB drives in a full aluminium enclosure with Neil Poulton's characteristic minimalistic design. In looks and style, it’s closer in aesthetics to a NAS than the older LaCie Big drives with their bright blue power buttons and silver drawers. A feature that gives you some idea of the intended use is the large carry handle at the top: this handle shows that this is not just for the studio/edit suite, but also ready for use on-site as long as there’s AC power.

Like most desktop hard drives, the connection to my MacBook Pro M1 Max, or ASUS PZ14, is made through a single cable, in this case, a Thunderbolt 5. This cable, with its 140W power delivery, was also enough to power the MacBook Pro M1 Max, removing the need to carry a separate charger and helping to keep my work area relatively clean and tidy.

Both the MacBook Pro M1 Max (Thunderbolt 4) and the Asus ProArt PZ14 (USB4) were used through the test, and while neither has Thunderbolt 5, the 40Gbps limit of both connections didn’t dull down the performance with the RAID 0 array delivering 3,811MB/s in CrystalDiskMark, exceeding LaCie's stated 2,800MB/s specification.

While RAID 0 is great to see the full speed potential, I reformatted the system to a more secure RAID 5 for production work, giving 224TB of usable capacity with single-drive fault tolerance and hot-swap capability. When it came to using the 8big Pro5, it handled 4K and 8K video editing from the Canon EOS R5 C in Final Cut Pro X and Premiere Pro without a dropped frame or the spinning beach ball, across multiple days, essentially keeping up with the pace of editing without causing any data slowdown through the edit process.

With a high price-tag for the 256TB configuration that I’ve looked at, this is without doubt a professional piece of production equipment. But for that money, the LaCie 8big Pro5 delivers exactly what it promises, and in the intended environment, it’s actually cheaper than some rack-mounted systems or site storage hire.

LaCie 8big Pro5: Price & availability

The LaCie 8big Pro5 starts at $5,979 for the 32TB configuration from Seagate's US official site, while in the UK, prices begin at £5,419 for the 32TB model. The highest configuration is the 256TB configuration reviewed here, which is currently out of stock in North America, but £14,711.99 in the UK.

I did spy the 64TB version on Amazon.com for $7249, and there's also a 192TB variant for $11,269. But as far as I can see, it's not available on Amazon.co.uk.

However, WEX and other major photo and video retailers are listing the 256TB version of the drive for considerably less than the official prices set by Seagate.

• Score: 4.5/5

LaCie 8big Pro5: Design & build

To most people, the LaCie 8big Pro5 will look like a standard NAS, but it is instead a DAS (Direct Attached Storage), essentially the same as most portable and Desktop drives, just on a far larger and more professional level. The main box is simple by design with a full aluminium enclosure styled by the designer Neil Poulton, who has led LaCie's professional range for years. The build quality is immediately impressive and reflects both the use and the high price point. The main use is substantial in both size - 11.693in × 9.134in × 8.465in (297.00mm × 232.00mm × 215.00mm) and weight 31.592lb (14330g).

This enclosure houses an eight-bay RAID array with 32TB drives, but unlike most drives of this size and price, it features a large top carry handle that makes the unit easy to move between locations rather than just sit as a permanent fixture in the studio. The reason for this is the creative industry, where large 4 and 8K video files need to be stored, and large format devices such as this are a valuable addition. While it is designed to be movable, it still requires an AC power source.

During the test, I moved it from my home to the office and studio, and even took it out in the van on a shoot, plugging it into a Bluetti Elite 300 on site. I also used it between a MacBook Pro setup and a Windows editing station, and as it only needs the single-cable Thunderbolt connection, it meant that the transition between each machine was as simple as unplugging from one and re-plugging into the next.

Another of the features that I liked, although aside from removing and installing a drive while on, to see what would happen, is that the eight drive bays are hot-swappable. What this means with a RAID 5 or RAID 6 configuration is that if a drive is highlighted as failing during an editing task, it can be pulled and replaced while the unit remains powered and the array continues operating. During the test, all drives worked fine, so this procedure was tried for testing rather than necessity.

When the drive arrives, there are a few setup procedures that need to be run through, and this is all guided by the excellent LaCie RAID Manager that handles the monitoring and rebuild process. Through the test, this software was used to switch the RAID from 0 to 6 and then to 5. On each swap, the drives were wiped clean. While you can hot swap drives, you can’t change the RAID type without losing data.

The front of the unit is left very simple with LED status indicators for each drive, and the power button, which is notably dimmer than on previous-generation LaCie Bigs. I used to cover the old generation's bright blue power button with insulating tape when working late on a deadline; the current version seems far more balanced.

The front panel is minimal, and it would have been nice to have a small screen on a machine at this price that showed drive activity, system status, and health, but instead it’s kept simple. For anything beyond a quick glance, LaCie RAID Manager software on the host machine is required.

Compared with the older LaCie 8big generation, the styling is a huge improvement and far more practical in and out of the studio. The new design visually reflects a high-end NAS rather than a traditional DAS tower, which actually sits well in a professional studio.

• Design & build: 4.5/5

LaCie 8big Pro5: Features

Thunderbolt 5 is the latest in connection technology and is rated in the specifications as up to 120Gbps and also offering 140W of power delivery to a connected machine, in my case, the MacBook Pro. The host port (Highlighted with a small laptop icon next to the Thunderbolt) delivers 140W to a laptop via the same cable that transfers data.

When I’m working on location work where cable management and power points are limited, essentially, I have a Bluetti Elite 300. The ability to power a laptop and run the full storage array over a single cable is definitely advantageous.

It’s worth noting that the MacBook Pro M1 Max and Asus ProArt PZ14 top out at Thunderbolt 4 and USB4, respectively, each rated at 40Gbps. Neither machine has Thunderbolt 5. The top transfer speeds for both connections are 4,000–4,500 MB/s. Since the 8big Pro5's RAID 0 array peaks at 2,800 MB/s under the listed specifications, it should mean that the two machines I’ve used in this test shouldn’t restrict the speed. The only real restriction will be in the ability to daisy chain devices using the connection.

On enabled machines, the two Daisy-Chained Thunderbolt 5 ports enable 30W of power delivery each, and the USB 20Gbps port offers 15W. Through the test, I connected portable drives and a CFexpress Type B card reader so that footage and files could be quickly offloaded to the system.

Through the initial set, the formatting of the drive can be selected, with a range of RAID configurations possible. This formatting is handled through LaCie RAID Manager, which essentially guides you through the initial setup and makes everything extremely easy, even for users new to RAID.

The DAS offers several different RAID configuration options, and for the start of the review to test the speed, it was set up as RAID 0 for benchmarking and then for the majority of the test it was reformatted and set up in RAID 5 for production video editing.

Essentially, RAID 0 delivers the full 256TB of usable capacity with no redundancy. The issue with this is that a single drive failure destroys the entire array. RAID 5 reduces usable capacity to 224TB but provides single-drive fault tolerance and hot-swap support. RAID 6 further reduces usable capacity to 192 TB but protects against two simultaneous drive failures, making it the best choice for a portable array that is likely to be moved, but will reduce the overall speed.

The ability to swap out a drive through the front-loading caddy system is similar to a NAS, and with the Hot-swapping abilities in RAID 5 or RAID 6, that means that a failed drive can be pulled and replaced while the unit remains powered on, with the array continues operating, and a full rebuild of the data begins automatically once the new drive is inserted. For a production storage unit of this scale, the ability to replace a failed drive without needing to down tools until another drive arrives is absolutely essential. I will highlight that, over the few weeks I had,, all drives functioned without fault, so the hotswapping test needed to be carried out on drives that were working perfectly.

Along with the drive comes the LaCie Toolkit, which is included for backup on Windows and general management across Mac and PC, as well as the RAID Manager, which is needed when you first set up the drive. Both bits of software are well designed and simple to use, enabling you to get up and running quickly and check on the drive's health.

Included with the drive is a two-month Adobe Creative Cloud Pro membership. This is a standard addition with professional LaCie hardware and many other hardware units, including the ProArt PZ14 (2026) that I’m also reviewing at present. To be honest, at this price point, most users will already own the Creative Cloud suite or another professional alternative, such as the excellent DaVinci Resolve for video and DXO PhotoLab for photography.

As ever, there's a 5-year warranty and Rescue Data Recovery Services as useful additions for peace of mind.

• Features: 4.5/5

LaCie 8big Pro5: Performance

LaCie quotes up to 2,800 MB/s as the maximum transfer rate for RAID 0, but through the benchmarking tests that I ran after initially setting up the drive, CrystalDiskMark returned values of 3,811 MB/s, while ATTO returned 3,550 MB/s, both far higher than the specified speed.

When it comes to video production, the AJA System Test is the industry-standard, and this returned 2,645 MB/s read and 2,582 MB/s write in RAID 0, again showing consistent sustained performance at the speeds that matter for video and Final Cut Pro X, Premiere Pro and Da Vinci Resolve.

The MacBook Pro M1 Max was connected via Thunderbolt 4 and the ProArt PZ14 via USB4; both top out at 40 Gbps, which gives each the ability to transfer data at between 4,000–4,500 MB/s with compatible software.

The 3,811 MB/s from CrystalDiskMark is close to that maximum speed, showing just how fast that HDD array can be, challenging the speeds of SSDs.

When it came to editing 4 and 8K video, the 8big Pro5 was able to handle Canon EOS R5 C footage recorded in 4K UHD 3840 × 2160, 50fps, Canon XF-AVC Long GOP, YCC422 10-bit, MXF format, across both Final Cut Pro X on the MacBook Pro M1 Max and Premiere Pro on the ProArt PZ14 without dropping frames or any annoying timeline stutter.

In use due to this speed, using the drive was essentially much like editing from a fast external SSD; I just had access to almost 200TB of storage rather than 2.

After arriving back at the studio after a day's shoot, I usually download the footage before heading home. This can be a slightly time-consuming process; however, footage offload from directly attached CFexpress Type B cards was incredibly fast. Transferring 1.5TB of Canon EOS R5 C footage to the 8big Pro5 took roughly 10 minutes, compared with approximately 2 hours to the FireCuda X Vault at 207 MB/s, which in itself is faster than my usual Desktipo drive.

At RAID 0 speeds, the 8big Pro5 is fast enough that the CFexpress card reader, rather than the storage array, is where the data transfer is limited.

When editing video, due to the nature of constantly accessing the drive, heat builds up, and thermal throttling can be an issue, especially with small portable hard drives. Here, with the enclosure and space around the drives, both the heat and noise were well managed.

As all eight drives distribute the read and write load across the RAID array rather than hammering a single drive, heat build-up is vastly reduced. Through the test, the unit ran cool and was exceptionally quiet throughout, sitting beside the monitor without being a distraction.

Through the test, the performance was consistent across both the Mac and Windows platforms, with the difference between the Thunderbolt 4 connection on the MacBook Pro M1 Max and the USB4 connection on the ProArt PZ14 making little to no real-world difference in use.

• Performance: 5/5

Should you buy the LaCie 8big Pro5?

The LaCie 8big Pro5 256TB is the fastest storage device of its type that I have connected to either a Mac or a PC by a long way; in fact, no other HDD drive of any type that I have ever tested comes even remotely close.

The Real-world read speeds of 3,811 MB/s in CrystalDiskMark and 2,645 MB/s in AJA System Test just reflect the speed at which data was delivered and saved when editing 4 and 8K video directly from the array on both macOS and Windows.

The single Thunderbolt 5 cable that both powers the MacBook Pro M1 Max at 140W while providing the main data connection is essentially like many other modern devices, from drives to hubs, and all help to keep the work surface clear. This is especially relevant on location or in a shared studio space where space can be extremely limited.

The hot-swappable drive bays are a handy feature in both RAID 5 and RAID 6 that enables valuable redundancy. If the worst does happen, it means you can keep working while a new drive is sourced.

Through the test, I utilised RAID 5 at 224TB, this is the option that I would usually opt for, giving me the reassurance of safety, capacity and speed. If I were to use this drive in video production, even though there would be a further reduction in capacity and speed, I would definitely opt for RAID 6.

RAID 6 reduces that capacity to 192TB; in effect, you’re losing 64TB of storage space, which for a normal HDD would be huge. However, here, the importance of safety outweighs capacity when you have so much. In RAID 6, there are two simultaneous failures, which, with the portable nature of the 8big Pro5, heightens the risk.

At £3,999 for the 32TB entry configuration and £14,711.99 for the 256TB review unit, the 8big Pro5 should be seen as professional broadcast and production equipment. For production companies, post-production facilities, and professionals who manage large volumes of high-resolution footage and need both capacity and speed in a portable form, the LaCie 8big Pro5 is an exceptional off-the-shelf desktop DAS.

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

For more high-capacity storage for professionals, we've tested the best NAS devices and the best NAS hard drives.

Denon Home 400: two-minute review

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

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

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

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

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

Denon Home 400 review: price and availability

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

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

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

Denon Home 400 review: specs

Denon Home 400 review: features

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Features score: 4.5 / 5

Denon Home 400 review: sound quality

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5

Denon Home 400 review: design

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

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

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

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

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

• Design score: 5 / 5

Denon Home 400 review: Usability & setup

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Usability & setup score: 4.5 / 5

Denon Home 400 review: value

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

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

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

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

• Value score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Denon Home 400?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Denon Home 400 review: also consider

How I tested the Denon Home 400

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can download the free app by clicking here.

DaVinci Resolve 21: Pricing & plans

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

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

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

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

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

• Score: 5/5

DaVinci Resolve 21: Interface

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Score: 5/5

DaVinci Resolve 21: Photo Page

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Score: 4.5/5

DaVinci Resolve 21: AI tools

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

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

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

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

Should I try DaVinci Resolve?

Try it if...

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

Don't try it if...

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

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

Seagate FireCuda X Vault: 30-second review

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

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

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

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

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

Seagate FireCuda X Vault: Price & availability

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

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

• Score: 5/5

Seagate FireCuda X Vault: Design & build

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Design & build: 4/5

Seagate FireCuda X Vault: Features

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Features: 4/5

Seagate FireCuda X Vault: Performance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Performance: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Seagate FireCuda X Vault?

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

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

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

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

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

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

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

US Fleet Tracking: Overview

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

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

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

US Fleet Tracking: At a glance

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

US Fleet Tracking: Features

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

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

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

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

US Fleet Tracking: Ease of Use

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

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

US Fleet Tracking: Pricing

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

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

US Fleet Tracking: Customer support

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

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

US Fleet Tracking: Alternatives

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

US Fleet Tracking: Final verdict

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

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

US Fleet Tracking: How we tested

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

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

US Fleet Tracking: FAQs

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

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

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

Plans and pricing

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

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

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

Features

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Security and Privacy

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

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

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

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

Interface and in use

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

Support

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

The competition

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

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

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

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

Final verdict

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

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

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

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

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

Onfleet: At a glance

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

Onfleet: Features

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

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

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

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

Onfleet: Ease of Use

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

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

Onfleet: Pricing

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

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

Onfleet: Customer support

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

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

Onfleet: Alternatives

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

Onfleet: Final verdict

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

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

Onfleet: How we tested

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

Onfleet: FAQs

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

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

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

Lytx: At a glance

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

Lytx: Features

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

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

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

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

Lytx: Ease of Use

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

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

Lytx: Pricing

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

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

Lytx: Customer support

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

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

Lytx: Alternatives

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

Lytx: Final verdict

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

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

Lytx: How we tested

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

Lytx: FAQs

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

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

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

Geotab: At a glance

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

Geotab: Features

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

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

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

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

Geotab: Ease of Use

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

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

Geotab: Pricing

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

This model cuts both ways.

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

Geotab: Customer support

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

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

Geotab: Alternatives

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

Geotab: Final verdict

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

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

Geotab: How we tested

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

Geotab: FAQs

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

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

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

GPSWOX GPS: At a glance

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

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

GPSWOX GPS: Features

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

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

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

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

GPSWOX GPS: Ease of Use

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

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

GPSWOX GPS: Pricing

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

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

GPSWOX GPS: Customer support

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

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

GPSWOX GPS: Alternatives

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

GPSWOX GPS: Final verdict

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

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

GPSWOX GPS: How we tested

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

GPSWOX GPS: FAQs

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

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

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

Verizon: At a glance

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

Verizon: Features

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

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

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

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

Verizon: Ease of Use

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

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

Verizon: Pricing

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

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

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

Verizon: Customer support

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

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

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

Verizon: Alternatives

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

Verizon: Final verdict

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

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

Verizon: How we tested

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

Verizon: FAQs

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

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

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

Fleetio: At a glance

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

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

Fleetio: Features

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

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

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

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

Fleetio: Ease of Use

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

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

Fleetio: Pricing

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

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

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

Fleetio: Customer support

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

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

Fleetio: Alternatives

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

Fleetio: Final verdict

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

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

Fleetio: How we tested

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

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

Fleetio: FAQs

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

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

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

Teletrac Navman TN360: At a glance

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

Teletrac Navman TN360: Features

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

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

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

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

Teletrac Navman TN360: Ease of Use

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

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

Teletrac Navman TN360: Pricing

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

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

Teletrac Navman TN360: Customer support

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

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

Teletrac Navman TN360: Alternatives

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

Teletrac Navman TN360: Final verdict

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

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

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

Teletrac Navman TN360: How we tested

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

Teletrac Navman TN360: FAQs

FleetGO is a Netherlands-based fleet management software provider that has been operating since 2010. It now serves over 5,000 clients across Europe and helps manage more than 50,000 vehicles, with offices in the UK, Germany, and Istanbul in addition to its Dutch headquarters. If you manage a transport or logistics operation in Europe and spend meaningful time on tachograph compliance, FleetGO deserves a close look, though it is not the only option worth considering. You can find a broader comparison in our roundup of the best fleet management software.

TechRadar reviewers spend hundreds of hours each month researching B2B software, and fleet management is a category where the detail really matters. Our top pick for 2026 is Samsara, which leads on AI-powered safety features and enterprise-scale integrations. FleetGO occupies a different position: it targets small-to-large European fleets that need strong telematics and compliance monitoring without necessarily needing a feature set as broad as Samsara's. The question worth asking is whether that narrower focus works for your operation.

The platform covers GPS tracking, tachograph download and analysis, driver behavior monitoring, fuel tracking, tire pressure monitoring, and temperature tracking for refrigerated vehicles. Its CubiQ hardware device is plug-and-play, connects via the OBD port, and comes with a lifetime warranty. For operators who dread setting up telematics hardware, that is a welcome starting point.

FleetGO: At a glance

FleetGO scores well where it has focused its development: GPS tracking, compliance, and analytics. The pricing transparency issue drags the overall picture down more than it should, particularly when competitors like Quartix and Fleetio make it easier to evaluate costs before committing.

FleetGO: Features

• Real-time GPS tracking via an interactive live map with historical route replay
• Remote tachograph download and automated infringement analysis for EU compliance
• Wireless 24/7 tire pressure monitoring with predictive alerts and slow-leak detection
• Driver behavior reporting covering speed, braking, and acceleration patterns
• Temperature monitoring for refrigerated vehicles across multiple cargo zones
• Vehicle inspection app designed for DVSA compliance with photo and comment support

FleetGO's feature set is built around the practical needs of road transport operations in Europe. The GPS tracking system records driving times, trip counts, visit duration, downtime, and idle time automatically, feeding into detailed reports that fleet managers can pull at any time. Tachograph integration stands out as a genuine differentiator — operators can download and analyze tachograph data remotely, check for infringements, and verify EU regulatory compliance through the same platform, rather than using a separate tool.

Beyond tracking, the platform includes tire pressure monitoring that sends alerts when pressure falls outside safe limits and can predict tire deterioration over time by analyzing pressure trends. Temperature tracking covers refrigerated cargo across multiple zones, and driver behavior monitoring flags patterns like harsh braking and excessive speed. For logistics companies managing mixed fleets of trucks, trailers, and cars, these add-ons can be configured to match what each vehicle type actually needs.

Where FleetGO falls shorter is in areas that competitors have developed further. There is no built-in vehicle depreciation tracking, which matters for fleet cost accounting and asset replacement planning. Fuel card integration also has limitations, particularly with providers like WEX, which can create discrepancies in mileage and fuel reporting. Platforms like Fleetio and Samsara handle these workflows more completely, which is worth factoring in if cost visibility is a primary concern.

FleetGO: Ease of Use

The FleetGO interface is clean and functional, organized around a central map view that shows live vehicle locations alongside status indicators. Navigation between tracking, reports, and driver management is straightforward enough that a new fleet manager can find their bearings without significant training. The CubiQ hardware device connects via the OBD port with no special tools required, which keeps the setup process simple for operators without a dedicated IT resource.

The mobile app, available on both Android and iOS, gives drivers and managers access to key functions on the go. Drivers can receive messages from dispatch directly through the app, while managers can monitor locations and check trip data remotely.

The knowledge base, however, needs development: it covers the basics but consists mostly of articles on tachographs and telematics, with no video tutorials or webinars. For new users trying to configure advanced features, that gap takes some time to work around.

FleetGO: Pricing

FleetGO does not publish pricing for its main telematics plan. To get a quote, you need to fill out a contact form or call the sales team directly — a process that takes longer than it should when you are comparing multiple platforms. Contracts are monthly terminable, which is a practical advantage for businesses that want flexibility, but the minimum fleet size of five vehicles rules out sole traders and very small operations.

Previously, some FleetGO add-on services were priced in the range of $10–20 per vehicle per month, which is reasonable for European telematics. The current absence of any listed pricing for services like Trailer Tracking, Mileage Tracking, and Temperature Tracking makes it harder to build a cost estimate before engaging with sales. By comparison, Quartix and Verizon Connect both offer pricing information online, making initial budget planning significantly faster.

FleetGO: Customer support

FleetGO offers support through phone and online channels, with a knowledge base that focuses primarily on digital tachographs and telematics topics. The phone option is useful for urgent issues, and users in community reviews note that the support team is generally responsive. That said, the knowledge base needs development: it covers the basics, but lacks the depth and variety of formats that would help users troubleshoot independently.

There are no published support hours, which makes it harder to know when help is actually available. Based on standard business practices for a European company, weekday coverage during CET hours is a reasonable assumption, but that is not confirmed anywhere on the platform. Competing services like Samsara and Motive both offer more structured 24/7 support with dedicated account managers, which is a meaningful difference for operations running outside standard hours.

FleetGO: Alternatives

• Samsara: Our top pick for 2026, with AI-powered safety cameras, extensive integrations, and enterprise-grade analytics that go well beyond FleetGO's scope.
• Quartix: A strong alternative for smaller European fleets that want transparent pricing, straightforward GPS tracking, and a simpler feature footprint.
• Fleetio: A better fit if cost visibility is a priority, with detailed maintenance cost tracking, VIN decoding, and broader integration support for fuel cards.

FleetGO: Final verdict

FleetGO is a capable fleet management platform for European operators who prioritize tachograph compliance and real-time GPS tracking. Its hardware is genuinely easy to set up, the compliance tools are among the better-developed in its class, and the customizable reporting gives fleet managers real control over how they view their data. For logistics companies operating under EU regulations, those strengths are not minor.

The main friction points are practical rather than technical. The lack of transparent pricing slows down the evaluation process unnecessarily, and the knowledge base is too thin to serve as a reliable self-service resource. If you are managing a mid-sized European transport fleet and compliance is a daily concern, FleetGO is worth a trial. If you need broader asset cost management, richer integrations, or enterprise-level support, Samsara or Fleetio will likely serve you better.

GreenRoad: How we tested

I evaluated FleetGO by reviewing its official product documentation, feature pages, and knowledge base, alongside user feedback from G2, Capterra, and SelectHub. I assessed each attribute against the standards we apply across our fleet management software coverage, including GPS accuracy, compliance tooling, pricing transparency, and support quality. Where feature specifics were unclear, I cross-referenced claims against FleetGO's own published materials and third-party reviews.

GreenRoad: FAQs

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft: Two-minute review

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

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

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

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

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

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: price and availability

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

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

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

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

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

• Value score: 3 / 5

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: Specs

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: design

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Design score: 4 / 5

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: display

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

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

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

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

• Display score: 4 / 5

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: performance

• Relatively smooth
• The response times you expect

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

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

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

• User experience score: 4 / 5

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: software

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review: battery

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

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

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

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

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

• Battery score: 5 / 5

Should I buy the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft

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

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

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

First reviewed: May 2026