TechRadar Reviews

This review first appeared in issue 345 of PC Pro.

TP-Link’s EAP655-Wall is designed to offer discrete Wi-Fi 6 services to a wide range of environments, such as meeting rooms, apartments and home offices. This affordable palm-sized package will also appeal to hotels looking to provide in-room network services as it has three gigabit ports in its base and can deliver PoE on the third one – ideal for adding extra room devices such as IP phones.

The EAP655-Wall offers plenty of features for the price. This AX3000 dual-band access point (AP) delivers speeds of up to 2,402Mbits/sec on its 5GHz radio and 574Mbits/sec on the 2.4GHz radio. It also supports the high-speed Wi-Fi 6 160MHz channels, although the AP’s main uplink port is only the gigabit variety so you won’t see their full potential.

Even so, the EAP655-Wall delivered good overall results in our real-world performance tests. We started with its 80MHz channels enabled. Closerange copies of a large file between a Dell Windows 11 Pro workstation equipped with a TP-Link Archer TXE75E Wi-Fi 6E PCI-E card and a server on our 10GbE LAN averaged 94MB/sec, dropping to 77MB/sec with the AP moved ten meters away and into an adjoining room.

With the AP’s 160MHz channels activated, the workstation reported a 2.4Gbits/sec wireless connection. Unsurprisingly, our file copies maxed out the AP’s gigabit port and only increased to 111MB/sec at close range and 91MB/sec at ten meters, although these speeds will easily be good enough for all but the most demanding of users.

The EAP655-Wall offers lots of features for the price (Image credit: Future)

The AP can be managed in standalone mode, but most businesses will prefer TP-Link’s Omada cloud service as they can manage all their APs from one central web portal. Previously, each site required a hardware or software controller installed locally, but TP-Link now also offers cloud-based controllers with yearly prices starting at £12 per device.

From our main Omada cloud portal account, we viewed all our hardware, software and cloud-based controllers, and selecting the latter took us to its dedicated management console. Before adding the AP to our site, we made sure we’d enabled the cloud-based controller management option from its local web console. We could then import the AP by entering its serial number, naming it and assigning a license. After adoption, access to its local console was disabled and it started broadcasting our site-managed SSIDs.

The site portal presents a detailed dashboard that can be customized with widgets; we added ones to show details such as AP traffic and client distributions, the most active APs, a Wi-Fi summary and 24-hour graphs of client associations and overall wireless traffic. The AP was connected to the lab’s TP-Link TL-SG3210XHP-M2 PoE+ multi-gigabit switch, and we added more widgets to show its active ports, PoE usage and the available power budget.

The AP can be remotely managed from TP-Link’s Omada platform (Image credit: Future)

Wireless features are extensive, with up to eight SSIDs per radio supported and options to apply mixed WPA2/WPA3 encryption. You can set global or per client and SSID upload and download rate limits, and use guest networks to block users from private networks. Captive portal features are equally good, with profiles used to apply a global password, local user, voucher, Radius or Facebook authentication and add logos, greeting messages and acceptable use policies.

The three gigabit pass-through ports are enabled by default, and PoE services on the third port can be activated by checking this option in the portal’s AP configuration page, although make sure the main LAN port is connected to a PoE+ source. During testing, they worked fine and after connecting a Yealink IP phone to the third port, it duly received power and internet access.

It would have been good to see a 2.5GbE port, but the EAP655-Wall remains a reasonably fast Wi-Fi 6 AP with a good range. It offers a wealth of wireless features for a modest price, cloud management is excellent and its three gigabit downlink ports with extra power delivery make it even more versatile.

We've also ranked the best Wi-Fi extenders.

This review first appeared in issue 345 of PC Pro.

Although one of Qnap’s home devices, the Qnap TS-262 is surprisingly well specified for a two-bay device. It has just the one Ethernet port, so no redundancy, but as it’s a 2.5GbE port rather than gigabit you avoid one potential bottleneck. Given that this standard is becoming more and more popular on consumer switches and routers, it’s nice to see this fast connection.

If you do need more speed, there’s a 10GbE port upgrade available via the PCI-E slot, which is accessible when the case is unscrewed. That’s the only time you’ll need a screwdriver, as everything else is accessible via screw-free entry.

For example, pop out both of the hard disk caddies and you’ll see that dual M.2 2280 NVMe PCI-E Gen3 slots are available. These use a simple clip to hold the SSDs in place, so are easy to deal with. Hard disks simply slide into the slot.

As with all Qnap NAS devices, the TS-262 runs its QTS operating system so is compatible with the full range of services that this provides, including the ability to create your own personal storage cloud. There’s an Intel Celeron N4505 processor and 4GB of RAM (non-upgradable), which should prove enough for even heavy use.

There are some extra features you don’t often find on rival NAS devices, including an HDMI 2.0 output. When paired with the compatible remote control, this NAS can be turned into a media streamer, playing video directly from its hard disk. If you have a large collection of films, this might be your best option, but a sleeker option is to install a media server and stream directly from the NAS.

Running over a standard gigabit Ethernet connection, the Qnap TS-262 fell behind the Synology DS723+, when we benchmarked using 22TB hard disks and dual 1TB NVMe drives. However, upgrade that connection to 2.5GbE and things get better, particularly with larger file sizes: running the ATTO benchmark with 2MB files, the TS-262 jumped from 100MB/sec read speeds to 210MB/sec.

There was little difference in the PCMark 10 Storage test, which uses different file transfers and is less dependent on connection speeds.

Synology’s systems are arguably easier to use, but if you want more straightforward file and media sharing, locally and via the cloud, then this NAS is excellent value and fast, particularly when its 2.5GbE port is used.

We've also rated the best Wi-Fi routers.

Nikon Z5 II: two-minute review

The Nikon Z5 II may be the ‘entry-level’ model in the brand’s most recent lineup of mirrorless bodies, but it’s by no means the stripped-down back-to-basics affair that its predecessor was. Nikon has conspicuously taken the body up a notch in terms of performance and features – and, for that matter, price.

It inherits the lion’s share of specs from the outstanding Nikon Zf, and subsequently it’s a fully-fledged hybrid shooter that excels in all but the most extreme of use cases. Notwithstanding its position in the Nikon range, don’t think of this as an entry-level camera – it’s anything but.

The Nikon Z5 II with the Nikkor 24-50mm f/4-6.3 kit lens (Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)

At the heart of the Nikon Z5 II is the same Expeed 7 processor that's in the recent higher-end Z-series bodies. Subject detection? Check. Super-sticky 3D tracking? Check. In terms of autofocus, video, and meaningful quality of life changes, this camera blows away the original Z5 in every area.

If I had to nitpick, I would say that the almost 25% price increase over the Z5 is a glaring sore point for this camera. I do, however, think the massive jump in performance makes this camera worth every penny; you pay more, but you also get substantially more camera. If you've been eying up the Zf, but were put off by its hipster charms and questionable ergonomics, then the Z5 II is the clear choice here.

It's also, arguably, the top choice in the entry-level to mid-range full-frame mirrorless market right now. It's carefully placed just below the Z6 III in terms of burst rates and video specs, but compares favorably to the likes of the Canon EOS R8, Panasonic S5 II, and Sony Alpha A7 III. All have their merits, but the Nikon Z5 II offers a compelling blend of price and performance without any glaring compromises. In short, it beats its competitors on either price or specs – it really is well positioned.

The Z5 II forgoes the top LCD panel of the Z6 series (Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)

As a stills camera in particular, it's hard to fault the Z5 II. You get a tried-and-tested 24.5MP back-side-illuminated sensor that's capable of excellent results, and 12fps raw capture. I'd also argue that this is one of Nikon's best cameras for JPEG shooters yet, thanks to the inclusion of the handy Picture Control button and support for sharing custom JPEG recipes via Nikon Imaging Cloud.

The video specs are a little weaker considering that 4K 60fps video is cropped, but the Z5 II is still capable of full-width 4K video up to 30fps – that's significantly better than the previous model.

In the rare cases where you need 6K video capture or quicker readout speeds, the Z6 III is likely a worthwhile upgrade. Otherwise, however, the Z5 II is going to be an absolute winner for most users. Sure, it's not a resolution beast like the Z8, nor is it particularly quick like the Z6 III; but the Z5 II is a superb camera in its own right, and one that's going to have mass appeal, even outside the Z-Mount ecosystem.

Nikon Z5 II: price and release date

• The Nikon Z5 II body-only costs $1,699 / £1,599 / AU$2,699
• Zoom kit bundles starting at $1,999 / £1,899 / AU$3,249
• Roughly 25% more expensive than first Z5

At $1,699 / £1,599 / AU$2,699 the Z5 II arrives with a significant price jump over the first-gen model. At launch it’s roughly 25% more expensive than the first iteration, and the price difference is even more glaring considering that the Z5 has hit as low as $999 in the US in recent months.

Judged in terms of specs, however, the Nikon Z5 II is an aggressively priced body. I’ll elaborate more later, but the Z5 II is simply in a different league to its predecessor when it comes to both performance and features, and in my book this quantum leap softens the blow of the price hike significantly.

You could easily compare it to the most recent offerings from Canon R8 or Panasonic S5 II, but I’d argue that the Nikon is the more fully featured camera for the price. The R8, for example, is cheaper at $1,499 / £1,629 / AU$2,489, but forgoes IBIS and a second card slot. The S5 II is more comparable in term of specs, but it’s pricier in the US and UK at $1,999 / £1,699, and the Z5 II inherits the outstandingly refined subject-detect autofocus of the higher-end Z-Mount bodies.

The Z5 II is also well placed to compete with older mid-range models like the Sony Alpha A7 III. Sony’s former hybrid king is still available for new for around $1,799 / £1,679 / AU$2,000, and features a compelling mix of excellent autofocus, extensive lens choices, and specs that still hold up for enthusiast users.

It’s a testament to the A7 III that even in 2025 it remains a competitive choice, but the Z5 II finally gives customers a better option than Sony's seven-year-old camera in this price bracket. Sony’s traditionally killer USPs of autofocus and lens choice are less deadly to rivals now – and the Z5 II also features meaningful quality of life upgrades like a fantastic EVF, flip screen, and excellent IBIS. The Z5 II is so well featured that it’s hard not to recommend it, despite the unfortunate price bump.

• Price score: 4.5/5

Nikon Z5 II: specs Nikon Z5 II: design and handling

• Similar design to the Nikon Z6 III
• Fully articulating display
• Picture Control button for JPEGs

Despite the Z5 II’s internal similarities to the Zf, outwardly the two cameras couldn’t be any more different. Nikon has returned to its modern design language with the Z5 II, and like its predecessor it essentially shares the same body as the most recent higher-end Z6 model, aside from that camera’s top LCD panel.

The Z5 II’s design is typically Nikon. It’s function over form, although the brand has made subtle tweaks compared to its previous generation of cameras. For one, the body is slightly thicker, and Nikon has also made a few changes to the EVF housing, which now sweeps around to the generously sized Z mount on the front. It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it change, but the camera looks more modern for it.

The button layout is essentially the same as on the previous model, but there are some changes. The playback button and sequential shooting menu have been switched, for example, and there’s now a handy ‘Picture Control’ button to quickly access JPEG settings. Either way, everything is in the right place, and if you’re already a Nikon shooter you’ll feel right at home. Notably the grip remains the same; chunky, with plenty of purchase for when you're using larger Z-mount lenses.

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The new Picture Control dial is situated next to the PASM dial (Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)Image 2 of 4

The Nikon Z5 II features mic, headphone, USB, and micro HDMI ports (Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)Image 3 of 4

The new fully articulating screen on the Z5 II (Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)Image 4 of 4

(Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)

As on the Z6 III, the top and back plates are made of a sturdy magnesium alloy, and you also get the large and bright EVF that’s typical for Nikon cameras. The EVF is the same 3.69k dot OLED panel as on the previous model, although Nikon says it can now reach up to 3,000 nits of brightness.

Perhaps the most meaningful design change for the Z5 II is the inclusion of a fully articulating display. Previously, the Z5 only featured a tilting display, so it’s nice to see the inclusion of a flip screen that’s particularly useful for talking-head scenarios. There’s some debate around whether a tilting screen is still superior, but I much prefer the fully articulating option personally in terms of versatility. Not only do you get that selfie and talking-head option, but the flip-out screen is great for getting low-angle shots in portrait orientation, plus it isn't partially obstructed by the viewfinder for waist-level shooting like the previous screen.

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The Nikon Z5 II's EVF housing is chunkier than the previous model (Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)

Ports-wise, the Z5 II features micro a HDMI port, plus headphone and microphone jacks, and USB-C with charging support. Unlike some budget models from the competition, notably the Canon R8, the Z5 II also features two card slots. You get support for two UHS-II cards here rather than the CFExpress Type-B combination that’s common on Nikon’s higher-end bodies, but it's still a fantastic inclusion for an entry-level camera. It’s also a nod to the Z5 II’s intended enthusiast target market, since the supported cards here are much cheaper than the CFExpress cards.

I'm grasping at straws to find a valid criticism of the Z5 II's design, but there are a few minor quibbles. The PASM dial, for example, doesn't feature the usual locking mechanism you find on higher-end bodies. It's a minor thing, yes, but it's easy to knock the dial out of your mode of choice, and it seems like an easy thing to rectify. Otherwise, the Z5 II is almost perfect in terms of function for a modern body.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Nikon Z5 II: features and performance

• Inherits subject-detection autofocus from high-end bodies
• Now shoots 4K 30fps footage uncropped
• 12fps burst for raw / 30fps JPEG with pre-capture

The previous Z5 was an entry-level camera through and through. It was capable of capturing lovely images, sure, but pedestrian autofocus performance and lesser specs meant it was best consigned to rather sedentary subjects.

The Z5 II, however, is a significant leap in terms of performance. With an almost identical specs sheet to the mid-range retro-bodied Nikon Zf, the Z5 II is in a completely different class to its predecessor.

There’s really no other way to express it: the Nikon Z5 II is just a superb camera for the vast majority of applications. The 24.5MP back-side-illuminated sensor in combination with the Expeed 7 imaging processor means the Z5 II is an extremely capable body regardless of the price tag.

Readout speeds, while not up to the level of the Z6 III with its stacked sensor, are dramatically better now. The Z5 II supports raw burst rates up to 12fps versus its predecessor’s pedestrian 5fps. If you’re happy to go with JPEGs, then you can crank that up to 30fps, with additional support for pre-capture.

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The 24.5MP back-side-illuminated sensor at the heart of the Nikon Z5 II (Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)Image 2 of 2

The Nikon Z5 II now supports custom user JPEG profiles (Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)

Video specs have also been improved significantly. The Z5 II now features full-width 4K footage at 30fps instead of the 1.7x crop of the Z5, and you also now get support for advanced formats like 12-bit N-RAW and 10-bit N-Log. Technically, the Z5 II can capture 4K at 60fps, but its 1.5x crop means it's still far behind the higher-end Z6 III when it comes to hybrid capabilities.

The two cameras do, however, share a lot of DNA, particularly when it comes to autofocus. The Z5 II inherits the various person, animal, and vehicle subject-detection capabilities from the higher-end Z Mount cameras, and is all the better for it.

Especially when compared to the older Z5 and Z6 models, the subject-detection autofocus is multitudes more effective here in all scenarios. On previous Z-mount bodies I was accustomed to having to manually steering the camera via tracking points or defined AF areas, but that’s not the case with the Z5 II.

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The Nikon Z5 II has received a subtle redesign (Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)Image 2 of 2

The Z5 II is a little thicker than the first (Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)

In testing, I found myself shooting with full-area continuous autofocus in the vast majority of scenarios, simply letting the camera do its thing. The Z5 II has no issues picking out people, birds, eyes, and moving subjects in crowded or otherwise demanding scenes. 3D tracking is also significantly stickier now, which is handy for the rare occasions when subject-detection fails.

In terms of price relative to performance, it’s extremely hard to fault the Z5 II here. Sure, it’s not the quickest camera from Nikon, or the prettiest, but it’s an extremely capable body that’s perfect for a wide range of users. The Z5 II really is a versatile camera that’s going to be a fantastic tool for the vast majority of enthusiast shooters.

• Features and performance score: 4.5/5

Nikon Z5 II: image and video quality

• 24.5MP back-side-illuminated full-frame sensor
• Now supports custom JPEG recipes
• Internal 12-bit N-RAW and 10-bit N-Log video

The Z5 II’s sensor is a known quantity by now. It’s a sensor that’s been knocking around in Nikon cameras in some form or another since 2018. That’s by no means to its detriment, though, since this 24.5MP back-side-illuminated sensor is capable of providing incredible results across a wide range of subjects and scenarios. You could say it’s an old favorite, even.

I have a fair amount of experience with this particular sensor, having shot with the older Nikon Z6. So I was immediately at home with the Z5 II’s output, and I’m pleased to note that it’s more than capable of producing detailed images with pleasing color straight out of the camera. It’s hard to fault a sensor this good – there really aren’t any limitations aside from the relatively middling 24.5MP resolution limiting cropping potential in the most extreme circumstances.

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Images shot with the 24-50 and 24-200mm kit zoom lenses (Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)Image 2 of 5

All images straight out of camera JPEG using the auto profile (Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)Image 3 of 5

(Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)Image 4 of 5

(Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)Image 5 of 5

(Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)

If you can live with ‘just’ 24MP, then you’ll find the Z5 II’s output excellent – JPEGs in particular are fantastic. The image stabilization is rated at an impressive 7.5 stops – this sensor was already known as a low-light beast, but the image stabilization really adds to the camera’s night photography credentials.

Looping back to the Z5 II’s excellent JPEG output, it’s worth mentioning just how Nikon has significantly upped its game with the Z5 II. The camera now supports the new Nikon Imaging Cloud, which unlocks a much smoother image upload workflow and the seamless sharing of image recipes a la Fujifilm.

Given that my processing app of choice (Adobe Lightroom) didn’t support my pre-production Z5 II’s raw output, I quickly found myself tinkering with numerous JPEG presets. Switching between presets is extremely easy thanks to the dedicated Picture Control button on the top of the camera, and the interface also enables you to tweak various settings like sharpness, contrast, and clarity.

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The Nikon Z5 II tracks subjects perfectly even in low-light scenarios (Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)Image 2 of 6

Shot with the Viltrox 85mm f/1.8 prime lens (Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)Image 3 of 6

(Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)Image 4 of 6

(Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)Image 5 of 6

(Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)Image 6 of 6

(Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)

If I have a complaint, it’s that the various in-camera JPEG sliders are still rather basic, and the default profiles lack the polish of the likes of Fujifilm. The Nikon Z5 II, however, has a secret weapon in that it can store up to nine additional custom color profiles from the NX Studio app. This app fully supports color grading and other advanced options, so it’s perfect for really tailoring your JPEGs to match your raw workflow.

I imported a few presets onto my Z5 II, and was instantly able to get some superb results right out of the camera. The process is extremely smooth, and Nikon’s excellent in-camera retouch options easily allow you to test out your profiles on the various raw files already saved to your card.

Below are a few images showcasing what's possible with these in-camera presets.

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JPEG images shot using an Ektar film inspired recipe (Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)Image 2 of 3

More 'Ektar-esque' JPEG images (Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)Image 3 of 3

One of Nikon's own profiles called 'charcoal' (Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)

These presets can also be used for in-camera color grading, although advanced videographers will likely want to make use of the camera’s new internal N-Raw and N-Log formats for maximum flexibility and dynamic range. Generally speaking, video output is excellent here – especially with the oversampled 4K footage at 30fps.

If the Z5 II has any weaknesses when it comes to video, they're generally down to the sensor's middling readout speeds. Aside from the 1.5x crop at 4k 60fps you also get some rolling shutter when panning quickly, as with most bodies without a stacked sensor. If you want a more fully-featured and modern video platform, it could be worth investing in the higher-end Nikon Z6 III.

While we’re here, it’s worth mentioning the number of excellent lenses that are ready to pair up with the Z5 II. While the Z-Mount supports plenty of high-end glass, even modest choices like the Nikkor 24-50mm f/4-6.3 kit lens are capable of providing great results. My favorite lenses for the Nikon Z5 II in particular are the super-lightweight Nikkor 40mm f/2 and Viltrox 85mm f/1.8, both of which are great lower-cost lenses that pair perfectly with the Z5 II.

Most of the example images you can see here were shot with either those two lenses or the Nikkor 24-200mm f/4-6.3 zoom, which is another kit option for the Z5 II.

• Image and video quality score: 4.5/5

Nikon Z5 II: testing scorecard Should I buy the Nikon Z5 II? Buy it if...

You want a great-value all-rounder
The Nikon Z5 II is fantastic jack-of-all-trades camera for a competitive price. It's a great choice if you want something that nails both photo and video without breaking the bank.

You're looking to upgrade
If you're already shooting with an older Z-mount body or even a Nikon DLSR then there's a strong argument for upgrading to the Z5 II. The autofocus in particular provides a massive jump in performance over the older bodies, even the higher-end Z6 II.

Don't buy it if...

You want a retro design
The Nikon Z5 II is almost identical to the Nikon Zf when it comes to performance and specs, so the latter is the obvious choice if you prefer a more retro look.

You need advanced video features
The Z6 III provides more headroom in terms of high-resolution video with its support for 6K/60p N-RAW.

You need resolution
The Z5 II's 24.5MP sensor isn't a high-resolution beast like the higher-end cameras in Nikon's lineup. If you need massive cropping potential there's the older Nikon Z7 II, pricier flagships, or look elsewhere.

Nikon Z5 II: also consider Panasonic Lumix S5 II

The Lumix S5 II is another competitively priced full-frame body that offers a viable alternative to the Nikon Z5 II if you're looking for something more video-centric. The S5 II is capable of open-gate 6K / 30p recording at 10-bit, which gives it the edge for resolution and cropping video. That said, the Z5 II is cheaper at full list price, and inherits the outstanding autofocus from the higher-end Nikon Z-Mount bodies.

Read our in-depth Panasonic Lumix S5 II

Nikon Zf

On paper the Nikon Z5 II and Nikon Zf are extremely similar cameras in terms of performance. In form, however, the two couldn't be more different, with the Zf sporting a gorgeous retro design. If you'd prefer the same specs in a more classic, nostalgia-themed body, the Nikon Zf is the obvious choice. Expect to pay a little extra for the pleasure though.

Read our in-depth Nikon Zf

How I tested the Nikon Z5 II

(Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)

• Nikon loaned me the Z5 II and some lenses for two weeks
• I tested it with the 24-50mm and 24-200mm kit zooms
• I also used the Nikon 26mm and 40mm and Viltrox 85mm primes
• I carried the camera daily, testing its video and photo capabilities
• I shot over 1,000 images with the camera

I used the Nikon Z5 II as my everyday camera over a two-week period, which gave me the chance to shoot more than 1,000 images and videos. I was able to test the subject tracking, low-light performance, and image stabilization effectively thanks to using the camera in a diverse range of environments, both indoors and outdoors.

Nikon sent me the Nikkor 24-50mm and f/4-6.3 Nikkor 24-200mm f/4-6.3 zoom kit lenses to try, as well as the Nikkor 26mm f/2.8. I also made sure to use the camera with a third-party lens, in this case the Viltrox 85mm f1/.8.

First reviewed April 2025

This is a spoiler-free review of all 12 episodes of Andor season 2.

There's no question that Andor season 2 is one of my most anticipated shows of 2025. Ever since Disney announced the release date for Andor's second and final season last November, I've been counting down the days until the critically acclaimed show's return.

In the two and a half years since the Star Wars TV series' first season ended, my excitement levels have only grown. That could've presented a problem if, like many a crashed starship in the famous galaxy far, far away it inhabits, the political spy thriller didn't stick the landing with its second and final installment.

Join me in breathing a sigh of relief, then, that it does. Andor season 2 is a near-masterpiece that, a couple of faults aside, cements the show's position as the best piece of Star Wars live-action media since the original movie trilogy.

Rebel leaders, standing by

Andor season 2 takes a different storytelling approach to its predecessor (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney Plus)

Initially picking up events after its predecessor's finale, Andor season 2 takes a different storytelling approach to the Disney+ series' first outing.

Where season 1 followed its ensemble cast across a single year, this season's 12-episode run is divided into four trilogy-style events. Each three-episode block depicts a specific event within the four years leading into Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – the 2016 film that connects Andor to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

Andor season 2 is... the best piece of Star Wars live-action media since the original movie trilogy

Previously described as "very sexy" time jumps by showrunner Tony Gilroy, episodes 1 to 3 cover three days, four years before Rogue One happens. Then, chapters 4 to 6 depict a week-long event three years out from the aforementioned movie. Next, entries 7 to 9 tackle a 14-day period two years before the Gareth Edwards-directed flick. Finally, episodes 10 to 12 take place in the five days leading up to Rogue One.

With both seasons reportedly costing an eye-watering $645 million, it's clear Disney, which has tightened the purse strings during Bob Iger's second stint as CEO, wanted to wrap up this expensively-assembled program.

That's bad news for fans who loved Andor's first season and craved more of its thrilling, character-driven storytelling. It also presented a creative conundrum for Gilroy and company to overcome – how to cram four seasons' worth of character evolution and plot progression into a dozen episodes.

Mon Mothma is as integral to Andor's story as the titular character (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

Some teething problems in season 2's first act notwithstanding, it's a storytelling approach that, hesitant though I was over how well it'd work, I actually warmed to. Sure, season 2 is fast-paced at times (I'll get into this more later as part of my wider criticism of this season), but the beauty of its four-year cycle is its ability to show the ever-evolving nature of the show's key relationships at annual intervals.

Be it friendships, romances, uneasy alliances, or another type of interpersonal dynamic, season 2's multi-year plot approach – one largely devoid of filler material – highlights the rollercoaster ride that each one goes on.

Sure, character dynamics can change within TV show seasons whose events play out over weeks and months rather than years. It's a process that worked wonders for Andor's first season, but armed with its multi-year format, the series' sophomore outing not only demonstrates how its tentpole moments impact these relationships but also the in-flux nature of its core dynamics in all of their soul-stirring, melodramatic, and tear-jerking glory.

The beauty of this season's four-year cycle is how it showcases the ever-evolving nature of the show's key relationships

Predictably, a lot of the shifting dynamics revolve around Cassian Andor (Diego Luna). As the show's titular character, season 2 takes a purposeful approach to examining the ebb and flow of his personal associations.

Indeed, there's underlying tension, occasional levity, and soul-piercing drama to the bonds he shares with those he's closest to and works for, as well as clear affection and/or respect amid the oft-times messiness of these dynamics. Understandably, that includes ones he has real stakes in, with Bix (Adria Arjona), Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård), Wilmon (Muhanned Bhair), and, as confirmed by an appearance in Andor season 2's first trailer, his eventual android bestie K-2SO.

Bix and Cassian's relationship dramatically shifts as season 2 plays out (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney Plus)

That said, while the series bears his name, season 2 is as much, if not more so, an ensemble piece than its predecessor was. (By the way, it's worth watching the season 1 finale again, or streaming last season's 14-minute recap, to refamiliarize yourself with the sheer number of characters in the show. My head was spinning throughout season 2's opening salvo as I tried to remember who everyone was, what they were doing, and where they were!)

Fascinated though I was by Cassian's relationships with some of Andor season 2's cast, I found myself more hooked by the politically dicey dynamics involving Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly), who's arguably this season's stand-out. She's certainly the most interesting character in season 2's first act and, spoilers notwithstanding, episode 9 fully cements O'Reilly's place as one of the finest actors to grace the Star Wars universe.

The engrossingly uncomfortable dynamic between Galactic Empire officers Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) and Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) that slithers with reptilian delight, plus the compelling expansion of Luthen's fraught surrogate-style relationship with Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau), are equally worthy of praise. I never tired of seeing these particular dynamics play out and, given another season or three, I'm sure they would've been even more intoxicating to watch.

Heirs to the Empire

Denise Gough's Dedra Meero is captivatingly unlikeable once more in the show's second season (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney Plus)

Season 2 successfully navigates its expansion of, and call backs to, the wider Star Wars galaxy, too.

There is, despite what Gilroy previously suggested, some character and plot-based winks to the camera, but they're not as egregious as references in other Star Wars projects.

In fact, whether it's the return of Rogue One's main villain Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), who steals scenes with his terrifying unpredictability, or subtle nods to Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Rogue One itself, they're easily forgivable inclusions that actually enhanced my viewing experience.

Ben Mendelsohn reprises his role as Death Star overseer Orson Krennic in Andor's final season (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney Plus)

The addition of new worlds also expands on the grandeur of Lucasfilm's vast galaxy, which the Galactic Empire dominates during this time. The live-action debut of one planet is especially key as it allows for the exploration of an emotionally devastating event that should also clear up fan confusion over said incident's Star Wars canonicity.

I won't tease much else about it for those with little knowledge of wider Star Wars lore. Believe me when I say, though, that season 2 episode 8, which showcases this event in such soul-crushing fashion, might be the best – if that's the right word to use – chapter since the season 1 finale. If nothing else, it certainly rivals last season's 12th episode for sheer emotional impact, and I'm not afraid to admit that I shed a tear or two as its end credits rolled.

Season 2 episode 8... rivals last season's 12th episode for sheer emotional impact

If there was a problem with one of the best Disney+ shows' final season – and this might slightly contradict what I wrote earlier – it's the condensed and at times rushed feel of some of its four acts.

I appreciate it's been a costly endeavor for Disney. I also understand that showrunner Tony Gilroy had the unenviable task of compressing four seasons' worth of content into the show's last installment. So, the fact that he achieved this seemingly impossible task should be applauded.

The compelling character complexities of Kyle Soller's Syril Karn are on full show in season 2 (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

Still, the sheer number of narrative hoops that season 2 has to jump through, the quick-paced nature of some three-episode events, and the occasional sidelining of important supporting characters make this season feel a tad scattershot in its storytelling approach.

Act 1, for instance, feels largely untethered and tonally different from its fellow volumes. The severe cuts between scenes are often jarring, while the lack of narrative and character-based pay-off delivers an abrupt end to season 2's opening three-part chapter. It comes across as a standalone trilogy that feels out of place among its brethren.

It's not the only act marred by niggling issues. Act 4 is more closely connected to acts 2 and 3 than act 1 is, and plays the role of direct link to Rogue One. However, it's a little on the short side, and I'll admit I was expecting a bit more suspense or shock value in a three-parter where the Rebel Alliance finally learns about the Death Star.

Don't get me wrong, some moments are genuinely thrilling, dramatic, action-packed, and heart-wrenchingly sad, and I certainly wasn't unsatisfied with how season 2 ends. Indeed, its final scene will make you view Rogue One in a whole different light. I just think that, with a few extra minutes here and there, act 4 would've been even better than it was.

My verdict

Andor season 2 is a devastating and epic tour de force – one filled of potent political drama, weighty ethical dilemmas, and captivating character introspection – that rebels against the notion that Star Wars is a dead franchise walking.

In my view, nothing comes as close to matching the awe, shock value, and prestige nature of the original films – which turned Lucasfilm's iconic sci-fi universe into the powerhouse franchise it is today – as this epic and expertly crafted show.

Would it be even better as a three-season event (a Star Wars trilogy, you say?) comprising eight episodes apiece to fully explore its characters, their dynamics, the impact of their decisions, and help things feel less rushed? Yes, but this is the hand that Gilroy and company were dealt, and there's no debate that they've pulled off an almighty task in making one of 2025's new Star Wars shows as breathtakingly good as it is.

In my Andor season 1 review, I labeled it "a blood-pumping spy thriller that might be the best Star Wars shows yet". Now, I'd replace "might be" with "is". If Disney learns anything from Andor, it's that there's an entire galaxy's worth of more mature, creative, and original stories that deserve to be explored.

The question now is: will the House of Mouse be brave enough to pursue similar ideas? If it does and they're as good, if not better, than Andor, I'll be a Star Wars devotee for a long time yet.

Andor season 2 launches with a three-episode premiere on Tuesday, April 22 (US) and Wednesday, April 23 (UK and Australia). Three new episodes arrive each week until the show's finale in mid-May.

Happy Plugs Clip: two minute review

The Happy Plugs Clip are a pair of open ear headphones that really surprised me – but not in the way I'd hoped. These clip-on buds are bizarre in the sense that they don’t really nail anything in particular. They’re a jack of few trades and a master of absolutely none.

Usually I’d start by talking about sound quality, but I want to instead start with design – because these have a quirk I’ve not encountered before. After you open up the admittedly attractive charging case, you’re met with the two open earbuds which are… upside down? Yes, after picking these out of their charging vessel, I realized that the ‘L’ and ‘R’ symbols on the left and right bud were the wrong way up. That means that each time you go to put them on (or go to put them back), you need to mess around a fair bit to get them in your ear – not sure how that one got past the drawing board.

Anyway, the buds themselves look a little cheap – perhaps to be expected given their list price of $49 / £50. They’re also quite large compared to some other clip-style open earbuds I’ve tested, though they only weigh 5g each, which is lighter than even some of the best open ear headphones.

I found them to be fairly comfortable, though a tad loose-fitting, which made it a little challenging to find the perfect fit. On top of that, these things use touch controls, but they activate with a single touch, meaning I often accidentally paused music or adjusted volume by mistake when trying to get them to stay put. However, if your ear shape works with them, said touch controls do let you control a fair amount, including music playback, calls, power status and even your source device’s voice assistant.

And one final point on design – Happy Plugs call the Clip ‘sweat resistant’ but don’t specify their waterproof rating. I wouldn’t expect that it’s any higher than IPX4 with that description, which is a little disappointing when you consider that other budget models like the Huawei FreeArc, are IP57-rated.

But anyway, let’s get onto the main event: audio performance. Unfortunately, this is one of the worst areas for the Happy Plugs Clip. You’re going to get thin, unbalanced, sometimes harsh sound out of these, which is going to be a problem for almost anyone. For instance, when listening to Una canzone d’amore per te by Pino D’Angio, the 80s style percussion sounded tinny – unlistenable at high volumes – with the lead saxophone lacking separation from other instrumental elements.

How Much I Feel by Ambrosia also had an almost muffled tone throughout. The soundstage was cluttered and percussion through the treble frequencies again sounded grating. It’s safe to say I was excited to go back to my usual LG Tone Free T90S earbuds.

You won’t get good bass response out of the Happy Plugs Clip either – and I'm taking into account their open design, where bass clout is always a potential issue. When tuning into Black Eye by Allie X, the deep drum machine was hugely understated, stripping the track of its impact, rhythmic bounce and groove. The only time I really got a serviceable listen out of these open earbuds was when listening at low volumes, when the harsh, muddied nature of its sound was considerably tempered. But who wants to listen to music so quietly in a set of open ear headphones?

(Image credit: Future)

So, it’s safe to say that these lack star quality in the sound department, but there’s always an opportunity for a solid feature-set to redeem things, at least slightly. However, that is something that the Happy Plugs Clip don’t possess either.

Firstly, there’s no companion app, so you won’t get dedicated EQ settings, adjustable noise cancelling, customizable touch controls or… anything really. There are a couple of features available to you, though. First of all, these highlight ambient sounds if you’re on the go. For instance, it was easier for me to hear a child screaming in a supermarket, which some open ear fans may be looking for. I wasn't exactly loving that experience, though.

Secondly, these have two inbuilt mics, intended to facilitate “clear calls”. That was something I didn’t experience, however. When making a video call and a standard phone call, I was told that my voice sounded pretty muffled and less clear than when using my phone’s built-in microphone. I also recorded a voice note and heard a whole lot of sibilance, which was pretty unpleasant.

Unfortunately, even the battery life of the Happy Plugs Clip is sub-par. On the front of the box, you’re told you get 20 hours from these. And in a sense, that’s true. If you count the additional battery life supplied by the charging case, you’ll be able to get a total of 20 hours from these. But really, you’re getting 4.5 hours per charge, which is – to be blunt – simply bad. When we reviewed the Honor Earbuds Open, we described their six hour battery life as “limited”, so, yeah… nothing to shout about.

An additional issue worth considering, is that like most open ear headphones, these are pretty prone to sound leakage. So, if you're out in public and have your tunes cranked up a little too loud, expect a few glares to come your way – although you likely won't do that, because of that troublesome treble.

All in all, the Happy Plugs Clip fail to make a splash in the ever-expanding ocean of open ear headphones. They struggle to deliver across the board, with unsatisfying sound quality, a weak feature-set, unimpressive design and restricted playtime. The only real draw of these is, of course, their price. The bulk of the open earbuds market does sit closer to that $100 / £100 mark, it's true – but it’s well worth spending that bit extra, and I hope you'll trust me on this.

Take a step up to the sub £100 Huawei FreeArc, for example, and you’re getting great audio, superior waterproofing and more features – more on those later. Otherwise, I highly recommend checking out some cheaper options in our guide to the best wireless earbuds – if you activate Ambient Sound mode on the ultra-cheap Sony WF-C510, for example, you’ll hear surrounding noise and still get superb audio.

Happy Plugs Clip review: specs

(Image credit: Future) Happy Plugs Clip review: price and availability

• $49 / £50 (about AU$80)
• Launched in January 2025

The Happy Plugs Clip launched in January 2025 alongside a handful of other products, including the Happy Plugs Joy Speaker. They have a list price of $49 / £50 (about AU$80) which is comfortably in budget tech territory, but of course, you’re not getting great quality in return. It’s worth noting that these are available in either Black or White, but the color you pick should have no bearing on the price you pay.

(Image credit: Future) Should you buy the Happy Plugs Clip? Buy them if...

You want a more relaxed fit
There aren’t many reasons to recommend the Happy Plugs Clip, but one thing going for them is their open design, which is ideal if you’re the active type. That’s because they let in a lot of ambient noise, so if you want to have the measure of your surroundings, they’re more effective than ANC-enabled wireless earbuds.

You’re looking for a lightweight option
Each of the Happy Plugs Clip’s buds weigh only 5g – that’s pretty light compared to much of the competition. If you’re fed up with weighty wired earbuds or bulky over-ears, these might be a better fit.

Don't buy them if...

You care about audio quality
Even if you’re not an audiophile, I think you’ll pick up on the sonic shortcomings of the Happy Plugs Clip. You get thin, muffled audio that’s grating at high volumes. And you don’t have to settle for that, even for this money. If you’re not so set on the open design, you can check out our guide to the best cheap wireless earbuds for some ace alternatives.

You want plenty of playtime
The Happy Plugs Clip can only manage 4.5 hours of playtime per charge, which isn’t very good to be honest. You get 20 hours in total with the charging case, but if you’re a keen listener, you’re gonna be charging these quite often.

Happy Plugs Clip review: also consider

Anker Soundcore AeroClip
The Anker Soundcore AeroClip are a great pair of open ear headphones that nail the clip-on look. They supply impressive sound quality, a comfortable fit and excellent companion app compatibility. Sure, there’s no ANC on offer and their IPX4 waterproof rating could be better, but they’re still well worth checking out. Read our full Anker Soundcore AeroClip review.

Huawei FreeArc
If you’re a UK customer, we strongly recommend taking a look at the Huawei FreeArc. They serve up great audio, wonderful waterproofing and a neat design. Again – no ANC here and battery life could be a touch improved, but for less than £100, they’re an absolute steal. Read our full Huawei FreeArc review.

Happy Plugs Clip review: How I tested

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested for one week
• Used in the office and while out and about
• Predominantly tested using Tidal

I tested the Happy Plugs Clip for one week and spent hours listening to music, watching videos and making phone calls. Most of the time, I used these in the office at Future Labs, but I also used them while out and about in busy areas.

When listening to music, I used the Tidal app on my Samsung Galaxy S24 FE. I also ensured that I ran through the TechRadar testing playlist, which includes tracks from a range of genres and is optimized for judging sound quality across the frequencies. In addition, I played a ton of tunes from my personal library. Where appropriate, I compared these to the Soundcore AeroClip on aspects such as sound quality, battery life and design quirks.

• First reviewed: April 2025
• Read more about how we test

Amzchef Slow Juicer SJ-036: one-minute review

The Amzchef Slow Juicer SJ-036 is frankly a joy to use. Easy to assemble, use, and clean, this masticating slow-press juicer provides consistent, excellent results. If you want a juicer with a bunch of bells and whistles, you won't find it here. Instead, this appliance focuses on providing high-performance features, like its auto hopper, non-drip spout, and powerful auger, which reduces the need to pre-cut fruit and veg (though you may need to cut some) and allows for it to be largely automatic – with minimal mess.

You can add large chunks of food to this juicer, which makes prep easy, but the user manual advises removing seeds and peels from foods like oranges, lemons, and melons. After prepping, you simply add your food to the juicer, lock the lid, and turn the knob on the side, ensuring the pulp and juice cups are under their respective spouts. The juicer then uses its power auger to juice your items, pushing the solid fiber and pulp out the side, while its triple filter ensures the juice left is smooth. I found the auger left minimal residue in the feeding cup and it is incredibly satisfying watching the pulp ooze out the side.

(Image credit: Vic Hood)

While you can leave the appliance to automatically juice your food, you may need to utilize the pusher accessory to push down some foods – I only needed to do this once, however – or use the knob's Reverse function if any food gets stuck. You also need to watch for when the juicing is completed, as the appliance doesn't automatically turn off when finished and is surprisingly quick due to its 250W motor. In most cases, my juicing was complete in one to two minutes, though tougher foods took up to six.

(Image credit: Vic Hood)

The overall result every time was smooth juice with minimal pulp, enough to be healthy but not enough to make the juice unpleasant. That powerful auger utilized nearly every element of what it was fed, with the pulp spout churning out mostly solid remains that indicate it squeezed almost every ounce of juice from my foods. Clean-up was equally impressive, with the detachable parts easily hand-washed with only water.

If you're looking for a no-nonsense slow juicer that provides consistently high results, the Amzchef Slow Juicer SJ-036 is a worthy investment.

Amzchef Slow Juicer SJ-036: price and availability

• Price: $299.99 / £199.99
• Available in the UK and US, but not Australia
• Regular discounts available

The Amzchef Slow Juicer SJ-036 is a premium cold press juicer. Available in the US and UK at $300 / £199.99, respectively, this appliance is pricer than several others on our best juicers list. So, if this is a bit out of your price range, the Amzchef Slow Juicer ZM1501 is a more affordable alternative. However, we regularly see discounts (up to $100) on this product, so it's worth keeping your eyes peeled during sales periods.

While the Amzchef Slow Juicer SJ-036 is pricey, it's worth the investment if you regularly juice, as it offers a high-quality masticating juicer that's easy to use and maintain.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Amzchef Slow Juicer SJ-036: specifications Amzchef Slow Juicer SJ-036: design

• Stylish modern design
• Surprisingly tall, needs unobstructed counter space
• Powerful auger and auto hopper
• Triple filter for smooth juice
• Anti-drip spout

The Amzchef Slow Juicer SJ-036 has a stylish, minimalistic modern design and comes in black or silver. Assembly is straightforward thanks to the handy user manual. You attach the juicing bowl to the power base, followed by the auger, and then the feeding cup, which locks into the bowl with ease. You then add the juice cup under the juice spout on the front and the pulp cup under the pulp spout on the left-hand side. The feeding cup lid has a safety clock, which you can click open and close fairly easily. The juicer won't function if the lock isn't clicked in, as this indicates the top is open, a welcome safety inclusion that should prevent any kitchen disasters.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Vic Hood)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Vic Hood)

What I like most about this juicer is how seemingly simple its design is and how easy it is to operate. On the right-hand side is just one knob with three options: on, off, and reverse. There's no smart control here, simply turn it on to juice and off when it's done. You need to manually turn it off when the juicing is finished, so an automatic option would be helpful, but this method does give you more control over its operation.

Turning the appliance on is when you see how impressive the design is. The automatic hopper pulls food into the powerful squeezing auger, churning it to extract the juice before using the triple filter to separate the pulp from the juice, satisfyingly spewing the pulp out of its respective spout and holding the remaining juice. The no-drip juice spout means the juice stays put until you've turned the appliance off and you're ready to open it. The juice spews out pretty fast, so I advise opening it slowly to avoid splashback.

(Image credit: Vic Hood)

Cleaning, likewise, is easy. The user manual advises handwashing with (it seems) just water and a cleaning brush is provided for tougher residue. Largely, I only needed the brush for the filter and chutes, with remains in the detachable parts easily washing away under the tap.

It's worth noting, however, that this juicer stands pretty tall when assembled, at 17.2in. Plus, you need to account for opening the lid. So, I had difficulty opening it due to my upper kitchen cabinets and needed to move it to a counter space that wasn't vertically obstructed. This may not be ideal if you have a smaller kitchen.

• Design score: 5/5

Amzchef Slow Juicer SJ-036: performance

• Smooth juice with minimal pulp
• Discarded pulp is largely solid
• Only takes a few minutes to juice
• Consistently good results

The Amzchef Slow Juicer SJ-036 performs to a high standard and I found it near flawless during my testing. I first tested a green juice, consisting of broccoli florets, ginger, celery, an apple, pear, and parsley. While the apple and pear needed de-seeding as advised in the user manual, and the celery cut into smaller chunks to fit the chute, minimal prep was required and all the ingredients easily fit in the feeding cup.

(Image credit: Vic Hood)

Within about two minutes of turning the appliance on, 197g of fairly solid pulp had been extracted and I was left with around 375ml of clear juice with minimal foam. Only some small remnants of parsley snuck into the juice, but these weren't overly noticeable or unpleasant. Very little was left in the juicing bowl that wasn't pulped or juiced. I was impressed that – while fairly loud at a max volume of 85.5 decibels – this juicer wasn't

I was particularly impressed with how the appliance juiced 200g of unpeeled carrots. The result, again, was 100ml of crystal clear juice with no foam, which only took one minute. This one minute is fairly loud, with a max decibel reading of 85.5, but wasn't as ear-splitting as some juicers can be.

(Image credit: Vic Hood)

Orange juice, using five large oranges, took a slightly longer six minutes, however. Mainly because I tested whether adding each ingredient one by one results, as Amzchef says in its juicer tips, in a higher yield. I didn't see a noticeable difference, so it's really up to you whether you'd rather juice more efficiently or quickly.

I added the oranges (unadvisedly) with their peels on but cut into wedges. This resulted in a lot of pulp (411g) and roughly 375ml of delicious orange juice, which had some nutritious pulp in it but not enough for it to be an issue.

(Image credit: Vic Hood)

Much like with my carrots, my 100g kale test resulted in wonderfully pure kale juice, with just a little foam. Unfortunately, I didn't realize how disgusting kale juice is and this juicer couldn't fix that.

• Performance score: 5/5

Should you buy the Amzchef Slow Juicer SJ-036? Buy it if

You want to spend less time on food prep

While some foods need to be cut up for size or their seeds removed, this juicer can handle whole foods with ease, minimizing the need for pre-cutting and prep.

You want a non-nonsense juicer

This appliance may not have the bells and whistles of other juicers, but it does what it's meant to do to a high standard.

You want an easy to maintain and operate juicer

This slow juicer is a breeze to assembly, use, and clean. So, if you want an appliance that's easy to use out of the box, look no further.

Don't buy it if

You've less kitchen space

This is a surprisingly tall juicer and I had trouble opening it when it was placed on a counter under kitchen cabinets. The most optimal space for this is a counter that's unobstructed vertically, so if you're lacking that you may have some difficulty finding a place to use it conveniently.

You're on a budget

This is a premium product, but it also comes with a premium price tag. While regular discounts are available, you can get great slow juicers for less than this. So, if the $300 / £199.99 price tag is out of your budget, there are plenty more options available that provide solid performance.

First reviewed April 2025

AndaSeat Novis: One-minute review

This chair is good. No seriously, it might not look like much, but for the price it's exceptional. You're looking at $200-250 for the regular or XL variant, and for that, the Novis absolutely nails what a good gaming chair should be.

What makes this one of the best gaming chairs around then? Simply put, it's stupidly comfortable to sit in. The padding in the seat base and the bolsters is absolutely next level. It's covered in a faux leather-like PVC material, but overall comfort is top-tier.

The backrest has lumbar support built into it; it's non-adjustable but it's enough to keep you comfortable through long gaming sessions or during the work day, and the overall feel and style are up there. It's not too gamer-y, nor is it too corporate. It treads a fine line between the two, with the only issue being the potentially a little too intense branding.

It's not perfect, of course; AndaSeat has had to cut back on a number of features and build elements to bring the price down. The armrests, particularly on the XL model I tested, are a little too small, and you don't get any included lumbar or headrest pillows (they're optional extras instead), plus the overall frame has been slimmed down a bit to shave off some material cost, but for what you're paying, that's more than acceptable.

The Novis hits the mark, not because it has some fancy gimmicks or outlandish design, but because it nails the basics and does so with an incredible price point attached to it. It's that simple. This is unabashedly one of the most comfortable gaming chairs I've ever tested, and that's saying a lot.

(Image credit: Future) AndaSeat Novis: Price and Availability

• List Price: $250 (around £210)
• Only available direct from AndaSeat.com
• PVC leatherette and Cloth versions

If you're looking to actually grab one of the world's most affordable gaming chairs right now, I've got some bad news. Unfortunately, it's seemingly only available via AndaSeat directly, and right now the release is limited to the US.

I have no doubt it's coming to other regions at a later date (Europe, likely once various health and safety legislation has been met), but for the time being it's a web store exclusive.

That's likely been done again to shave a bit of cost off the overall price tag. I'd suspect the margins for AndaSeat are so low on these things that having to fork out extra cash to Amazon for the privilege of listing it might be a step too far.

But the thing is, though, it's that pricing that really cements the brilliance of this thing. There are effectively four models on offer. You've got the L-size for folk between 155-190 cm and up to 90 kg, and the XL size (featured in this test) for 165-210 cm up to 120 kg.

Within that, there's a choice of either a premium PVC leather option or alternatively, you can opt for a linen fabric instead that comes in a sleek "Ash Gray" finish, looking equally stellar. The standard L size comes in at $200 regardless of material, and the XL is $250.

Another nice addition to the whole affair is bizarrely something that AndaSeat's excluded from the overall package. In this case, that's the lumbar support and headrest pillow. You can actually buy these as optional extras, either as a package together for $59 or individually at $39 each.

To be honest, I would like to see those prices reduced somewhat (they're high for what they are); however, it's quite nice that they're optional extras and that additional manufacturing cost has been removed from the initial outlay.

AndaSeat Novis: Specs Andaseat Novis: Design and Aesthetics

• No drama
• Sleek PVC Leather
• Basic armrests

With that pricing in mind, you probably wouldn't expect too much from it. $250 for a gaming chair and a lot of cash these days, certainly with the likes of Noblechair's Legend and Secretlab's Titan Evo kicking around in the big leagues.

Yet the Novis actually delivers quite the package. In its PVC leather form, it's clean, slick, and simple. There's no drama outside of a few embroidered logos. It's a bucket seat design out of the gate, with some fairly simple clean stitching and comfortable bolsters running along the slides.

Unlike with the Kaiser line, there are no dramatic colorways to choose from, just black for the leather and grey for the cloth, and that's about it.

It's comfortable enough, and if you put this in a room with 30 other gaming chairs, you'd be hard-pressed to place it at that $200 mark, which honestly is high praise. It's only when you start to look under the hood that you begin to notice some of the features that have been cut back to really nail that budget entry cost.

(Image credit: Future) AndaSeat Novis: Comfort and adjustability

• Armrests need work
• Adjustment is incredibly limited
• Wildly comfortable, even compared to the Kaiser

Flip this thing over during the construction, and you'll spot immediately that there's just one lever. You don't have that lock-out lever for the tilt mechanism.

Instead, it's constantly unlocked. That said, it's very rigid, and although you can technically tilt back on it, it requires some serious force to shuffle it back by that 15 degrees.

Then there's the armrests (always a bit of a sticking point for AndaSeat). I will say these are more functional than the 5D armrests found on the Pro line with the Kaiser 3 series and the Kaiser 4, but that comes with some major caveats.

Unfortunately, you can only adjust them up and down. There's no rotation, no pivot, and no sliding forwards and backwards. That wouldn't be that big of an issue if it wasn't for the fact that they're remarkably small, measuring just 9.8" (25cm) long and 3.1" (8cm) wide. Even for a smaller human like myself at 5'8.5" (174cm) and 165lbs (75kg) actually resting my arms on them during use is a bit awkward at times. They're not awful though, and they do work relatively well. Perhaps better suited to the smaller "L" sizing.

Then there's the seat itself, and it is wildly comfortable; there's no denying it. AndaSeat's cold-cure foam is out of this world. Squishy, supportive—it's just luscious. The added 2.5" (5cm) raised bolsters on either edge and the subtle angling on those and the backrest bolsters just add to the overall luxurious feel and allow it to compete, certainly on a comfort level with those far costlier flagships out there.

One minor complaint: the PVC leather, although durable, does lack some breathability compared to alternatives out there. In part due to its synthetic nature. It could use some perforations or some form of patterning to relieve some of that glossy, sweaty feel.

I've been testing a lot of graphics cards and systems lately, my office has hit 95F (35C) on a few occasions, and it's made the Novis particularly sticky during those moments. Less than ideal. Still, it's an all-round epic chair, and for the cost, it's hard to beat.

(Image credit: Future) AndaSeat Novis: Assembly

• Quick and seamless
• Very standard process
• Minimal components, minimal fuss

So, easy to build? Yeah. If you've built a few gaming chairs over the last decade or so, you'll get along with this just fine. Unlike with the AndaSeat X-Air there's no complex hydraulic cambling to do or anything along those lines.

You chuck the castor wheels into the base, the piston into that, attach your armrests and seat base mount to the underside of the seat, pop that on the piston, then attach the backrest to that, and wrap-up with the side bolt covers.

AndaSeat reckons you're better off installing the backrest to the seat base first before mounting it on top of the gas piston, but honestly, I found it easier to do it the way listed above, as it reduces the overall weight and doesn't take any longer.

You'll notice there's no frills around it, though. Unlike some other options, there's no subtle chrome badging you need to plug in, or flappy paddles, or anything along those lines really. The only minor annoyance is attaching the armrests, but again, it's so cheap and affordable and takes such little time to attach them that it's really not worth complaining about.

Unlike with the Kaiser 3 Pro XL, it didn't have any trouble with the bolts or securing anything into position either on this sample, just happy sailing, and in less than 20 minutes I had a gaming chair up and built.

(Image credit: Future) Should You Buy The AndaSeat Novis? Buy it if...

You want to save a lot of cash
This is by far the best budget gaming chair I've ever seen. It nails what every gaming chair should; it's comfortable, easy to construct, supports you well, and is durable as all heck.

You're not interested in fancy gimmicks
5D armrests you'll tinker with once then ignore forever? Nah, not here. Tried and true methods make this a simple chair to use and cut down the price too.

Don't buy it if...

You're on the heavier side
XL in all but name, unlike with the Kaiser 3 XL, the XL version of the Novis lacks some of the top-tier support capability it had, and only supports folk up to 125 KG in weight 275 lbs.

You want more colorful picks
Black or grey, that's it; that's your lot here, and if you want pillows, that's extra too.

Also consider...

Not interested in an astoundingly good budget gaming chair? Fancy something with a bit more punch? Check these awesome options out instead.

Noblechairs Legend
With exceptional style, the Noblechairs Legend might be pricey, but it's the ultimate sophistication in gaming chairs, with a big bulky design combined with plenty of comfort, chrome details, and enough colorways to keep up with some of the big boys too.

For more information, check out our full Noblechairs Legend review

Secretlab Titan Evo 2022
It's the king for a reason, and yes, although it might be significantly more than the Novis, the Titan Evo 2022 delivers some exceptional quality for that price, with insanely high-quality materials and a ton of mod-cons that make it a surefire pick for anyone on the hunt for the ultimate gaming chair for their office.

For more information, check out our full Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 review

How I tested the AndaSeat Kaiser 3 Pro

• Sat in it for two weeks total
• Tested in all manner of working positions
• Hand built solo

I spent two weeks with the Novis XL getting to grips with it. Particularly challenging being slightly shorter than the recommended numbers. I also got friends and colleagues to sit in it too, to judge just how good it was, and then collated that information into my own review as well.

I've also had a ton of experience with the entirety of AndaSeat's range at this point, which has given me particularly good insight into how it operates and which features and models it has at its disposal.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed April 2025

It’s getting harder and harder to keep up with the number of apps AI isn’t namechecked in these days, but arguably no fitness app pushes the technology harder than Zing.

The app launched in 2021 and has found success putting a face and a name on your robo-trainer, pushing users further each time while using algorithmic data to calculate the best workouts and rest periods.

While that’s not out of the ordinary, the app even features chatbot-like conversations you can have with your trainer, making it feel as though you’re talking to a human.

The AI’s positivity is a little too much at times (please don’t make me do more squats…), but it adds a personal layer to a field that’s dominated by very good but very sterile alternatives.

Zing Coach: Price and availability

(Image credit: Zing / Future)

• Free trial for 1 week
• Subscription service costs £19.99/$19.99/AUS price per month

Zing is free to try for a week, but it’ll cost you around £20/$20 for a month thereafter. Thankfully, the annual plan is drastically cheaper, which comes in at £59.99/$59.99/AUS.

That actually makes it cheaper than Fitbit Premium (when paid annually).

Zing Coach: Design and UX

(Image credit: Zing / Future)

• A lot of elements
• AI is one tap away
• Personalization Level is handy

While most fitness apps have an easy-to-read dashboard with some key metrics, Zing’s huge array of features could make it more cluttered than its rivals.

Instead, the whole thing ends up feeling pretty intuitive, with a series of tabs along the bottom of the screen. Workout takes you to your next session, while Analytics shows your progress, muscle recovery, and a handy ‘Personalization Level’ to help you know when the app has got the hang of how you work out.

Then there’s a ‘Circles’ feature for competing or training with friends, and a section for your unique plan’s progress. In the middle of it all, the ‘Zing’ logo gives you access to the AI chatbot with a single tap.

That chatbot can handle pretty much anything you throw at it, like “what’s the difference between deadlifts and Romanian deadlifts?” or “what’s an easy meal plan to follow?” Not needing to jump between menus to ask those kinds of questions means you can get back to your day, or get an answer right when you need it mid-session.

Zing Coach: Features

(Image credit: Zing / Future)

• AI workout plans with chatbot-like advice on hand
• Body scan adds extra personalization

In many ways, Zing is a lot of tools in one. It offers AI-built personal workout routines where you can specify your fitness levels, equipment, and goals, but it can also help generate a meal plan, hydration targets, and much more.

It also ties nicely into other services, notably Apple HealthKit, which means it can read data that other apps have left there. That means that, even if you’re not using one of Zing’s own workouts and you’re tracking a run on Strava instead, it’ll credit you the activity towards your streak.

There’s an additional Body Scan purchase that can help you calculate your lean mass, body fat, and more. The app can then use this data to calculate your optimal fitness plan.

This feels a little like magic, using your phone’s camera to analyse the data from you standing in a certain position, or leaning on photos you’ve taken earlier.

It’s a snapshot that then feeds into the data Zing helps you work with, giving it more data points to help it hit your goals.

Unlike many of its rivals, Zing can actually watch you work out to help you adjust your form, too, as well as fitness and flexibility tests.

Zing: Performance

(Image credit: Zing / Future)

• Links into your existing workouts
• AI coaching is more personable than rivals

Zing Coach leans heavily on its AI tools, and while that may evoke a groan from those of us who have seen those letters thrown into everything, here it actually makes sense.

Each time you build a workout, the app kicks into gear with a full-screen animation showing what you should be doing, while always keeping that chatbot handy in the bottom corner if you have any questions.

Every animation feels so carefully designed that it honestly feels a little like it’s been built by the UI gurus at Apple. It’s clean, easy to tweak, and full of information.

It can even integrate with your calendar to set a new workout routine, adding an appointment schedule on the days you choose.

Perhaps my favorite feature, however, is the workout ‘Boosts’. When you finish an exercise in any other app, be that from tracking a walk to lifting weights, Zing will give a notification that it can help you eke out a little bit more from your session with a quick 15-minute workout.

The way it then dovetails into apps like Strava, Strong, Fitbod, and more makes it feel like a genuinely impressive all-encompassing app rather than one you train with and then forget about until you get to the gym next time.

Zing Coach: Should I buy?

(Image credit: Zing / Future) Buy it if...

You’re looking for a holistic view of your health

Zing surprised us with its deep toolset that includes just about anything you need, along with a cheerful AI companion.View Deal

You're curious about an AI trainer

AI is all the rage, but Zing actually leverages it in a way that helps you understand why you’re doing each exercise, rather than having it just be a box to check.View Deal

You want fantastic tools on a budget

The annual membership is the way to go, and it’s easily worth what it costs — which is less than some of its rivals.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You want something simple

As good as Zing is, you might not need all of its features. Just running? Strava’s free plan remains fantastic, for example, as does the built-in functionality on Apple Watch or Fitbit.View Deal

First reviewed: April 2025

This review first appeared in issue 345 of PC Pro.

The WAX220 is the latest member of Netgear’s Business Essentials range of Wi-Fi 6 access points (APs) and aims to fill the gap between consumer and enterprise use. Targeting small businesses and home offices that require only a single AP, the WAX220 has a speedy AX4200 rating made up of 600Mbits/sec on the 2.4GHz radio and 3,600Mbits/sec on its 5GHz radio.

Performance is a priority as the WAX220 supports the high-speed Wi-Fi 6 160MHz channels and adds the Wi-Fi 6 Release 2 uplink MU-MIMO feature for faster client upload speeds. Its 2.5GbE LAN port supports a PoE+ power source; you’re expected to provide this as Netgear doesn’t include a 12V DC power adapter, which costs an extra £13.

Build quality is good, with the WAX220 endowed with a finned metal back plate that acts as a heatsink. The kit includes a mounting plate and metal bracket so you can fit it to a wall, a normal ceiling or a suspended ceiling T-bar.

Designed for standalone use, the WAX220 only offers local web browser admin access and doesn’t support Netgear’s Insight cloud management, wireless meshing or captive portals. On the positive side, Netgear claims you can unpack the AP and be up and running in ten minutes.

Netgear’s standalone WAX200 is well built and offers good performance (Image credit: Future)

This is easily achievable. We connected the AP to the lab’s Zyxel XS1930-12HP 10GbE multi-gigabit PoE++ switch and followed the browser’s quick start wizard. In a single screen, you set a new admin password, add your first wireless network, provide an encryption key and wait two minutes while it reboots.

The WAX220 delivered good results in our Wi-Fi 6 real-world performance tests using a Dell Windows 11 Pro workstation with a TP-Link Archer TXE75E Wi-Fi 6/6E PCI-E adapter. Starting with the AP’s 80MHz channels enabled, large file copies between the workstation and a Windows server on our 10GbE LAN averaged 116MB/sec at close range, dropping to 88MB/sec with the AP ten meters away in an adjoining room.

With the 160MHz channels enabled, our test client showed a connection speed of 2.4Gbits/sec. Speed improved nicely with our close range copies averaging 180MB/sec and holding steady at 157MB/sec with the AP moved to the next room.

The AP’s web console isn’t as pretty as the standalone version offered by Netgear’s high-end Insight APs but it does provide easy access to all features. The separate management wireless network improves security and it can be set to close down after it’s been idle for 15 minutes, though the AP must be rebooted to enable it again.

The WAX220 presents a simple web administration console (Image credit: Future)

From the console’s management page you can modify the 2.4GHz and 5GHz channel modes and create up to four wireless SSIDs. For each SSID, you can choose personal WPA2, WPA2/WPA3 or WPA3 encryption and enable the guest network option so connected clients get internet access but can’t see other devices on the same network.

If you want to present a safe open public network, the WAX220 supports opportunistic wireless encryption (OWE), which secures endpoint traffic from eavesdropping without the need for an authentication password. We checked this out on our Windows 11 wireless client where it spotted our guest network had enhanced open security and connected using OWE without any problems.

A simple dashboard shows the AP’s status, a connection table reveals all active clients and you can pull up graphs of CPU usage plus inbound and outbound SSID and LAN traffic over the previous three minutes. There isn’t much else to see, although the AP can scan each radio for external wireless networks and list them.

For a basic standalone Wi-Fi 6 AP, the WAX220 isn’t great value; TP-Link’s faster EAP670 has an AX5400 rating, supports standalone and cloud management modes and can be had for under £150. On the plus side, the WAX220 can be swiftly deployed, delivers good performance, and OWE support makes it easy to provision secure public networks.

We've also rated the best all-in-one PCs.

This review first appeared in issue 346 of PC Pro.

Poly, now part of HP Inc, is rightly associated with headsets and meeting room systems. With the latest addition to its Voyager range, however, it’s broken free of its reputation to create a pair of wireless in-ear earbuds that users can pair simultaneously with their laptop and phone. You need a USB adapter for the former, Bluetooth for the latter.

The target audience is clear: anyone who attends meetings on the go. However, Poly evidently hopes to tempt businesses to buy them as well as individuals, as IT teams can manage the buds through its Poly Lens software.

The base model is the Voyager Free 60 for £230 inc VAT, but that doesn’t include Teams certification or a USB adapter. Adding both changes the name to the Voyager Free 60 UC and £50 to the price. That comes with a simple case, but the model I tested was the Voyager Free 60+ UC, with a touchscreen case. This gives an at-a-glance view of how much the buds and case are charged, but turns into a mini control system when you’re on a call. You can even mute calls by tapping the speaker icon, but a minor lag meant I kept on pressing it twice by mistake.

You can use the touchscreen case to mute calls (Image credit: Future)

Extra-long stems on the earbuds can also be used to mute or accept a call, or pause/play music, but the real purpose of that extra space is to house three microphones. This also helps with microphone noise cancellation, blocking out both extraneous noise and wind. There’s active noise cancellation on offer, too, but don’t get excited as it’s no match for the equivalent from Sony’s headphones.

Music sound quality also lags behind the best earphones – and there are no controls in the accompanying app to adjust the balance to your liking – but I don’t wish to be overly critical.

The earbuds are fine for listening to music while working, with a decent amount of detail. It’s just that I always got the sense that audio was tuned for voice rather than pumping tracks.

Still, that makes sense for a pair of professional earbuds, and with good battery life – eight hours with ANC on, plus an extra 16 hours from the case – they fulfil that brief extremely well. Are they worth the high asking price? For most people, probably not. But if you’re in meetings all day and need to jump between phone and laptop, they might just answer your call.

We've also ranked the best cloud storage for photos.

This review first appeared in issue 346 of PC Pro.

Sitting on the rung below Brother’s flagship ADS-4900W scanner, the ADS-4700W offers a more affordable alternative to SMBs on tight budgets. It may cost over £200 less than its bigger brother but still delivers an impressive package with a top scan speed of 40ppm, a hefty 6,000-page daily duty cycle and a slightly smaller 80-page ADF.

It’s well connected, too, offering USB 3, wired or wireless access, though for the latter it supports only 2.4GHz networks (not 802.11a/n 5GHz like the ADS-4900W). There are no compromises with the user interface, though: the same slick 10.9cm color LCD touchscreen offers a wealth of user-friendly scan features.

Installation takes around 30 minutes per PC, with Brother’s downloadable utility getting you started by loading the drivers, iPrint&Scan app and firmware update tool. It also adds Brother’s Utilities app, which you use to download and install Nuance’s PaperPort 14 SE digital file cabinet and Kofax’s Power PDF 3 OCR and document conversion tool.

The large LCD touchscreen offers a wealth of features (Image credit: Future)

The ADS-4700W can be remotely managed via its web browser console and you can monitor it and all other networked Brother devices with the free BRAdmin 4 SNMP-based software. Mobile users also get in on the scanning act; the free Mobile Connect iOS and Android apps remotely connect to the scanner, pull in scans and offer to save them locally or email them as JPEGs and PDFs.

Brother provides the best cloud support as the ADS-4700W can send documents directly to SharePoint Online, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, OneNote, Evernote and Box accounts. They’re simple to set up from Brother’s Web Connect portal, where we registered our Dropbox account, entered the unique 11-digit code at the scanner’s touchscreen and PIN-protected local access.

Walk-up scan features are outstanding. Documents can be sent directly to any networked PC that has Brother’s software installed just by selecting them from the touchscreen. The scanner’s web console can be used to create up to 25 profiles for scans to FTP and SharePoint sites, email servers and network shares, with each destination appearing in the touchscreen.

The touchscreen allows you to create up to 56 scan shortcuts grouped under six custom tabs. Enable the setting lock feature in the web console and shortcut access can then be restricted by requiring a username and PIN.

The scanner comes with the user-friendly iPrint&Scan app (Image credit: Future)

The iPrint&Scan app streamlines desktop scanning with one-touch workflows that define local, cloud, email or other apps as destinations. Add settings such as a resolution and searchable PDF (sPDF) output and you can register them with the scanner so they appear in its touchscreen workflow menu listed under the host’s name for easy selection.

Our tests showed the ADS-4700W was slightly faster than the quoted speeds, with duplex greyscale and color scans of 50 bank statements at 200 and 300dpi delivering between 44 and 46ppm. We chose sPDF for our output format and had to wait two minutes after each scan had finished for the iPrint&Scan OCR service to convert them.

Moving to 600dpi saw speeds drop to 11.6ppm, but you won’t need this for general document archiving as scans at 200dpi produce good-quality, accurate sPDFs. Paper handling is impeccable, too, with the scanner handling our stacks of statements, flimsy courier tear-offs and till receipts without any jams.

The ADS-4700W is a fine choice for small businesses, with an impressive range of scanning features at an affordable price. Performance is good, output quality can’t be faulted and the versatile LCD touchscreen menus provide great walk-up scan services.

We also rated the best virtual desktop services.

This review first appeared in issue 346 of PC Pro.

The first version of the ProArt Studiobook 16 OLED was one impressive beast. Not content with whacking in a cutting-edge AMD Ryzen processor and GeForce RTX 3070 graphics, it offered the novel combination of a built-in dial and glorious 16in OLED panel. This year’s update isn’t radical, but improvements all round make it even more appealing to the creative professionals that Asus is targeting.

I have only one disappointment: at the time that Asus announced this update, it also shared details of a 3D version of the laptop. Just like the Acer SpatialLabs View screens I reviewed two months ago, the ProArt Studiobook 16 3D OLED (note the “3D”) creates stereoscopic 3D images without the need for glasses. Such technology works fantastically, using eye-tracking software and micro lenses to beam slightly different images to each eye. When you want to switch back to 2D, it only takes one click.

Sadly, if that appeals then you must wait for a launch “later this year”. For now, you must make do with the non-3D version. And you will need to still wait until mid-June for that, at which point it will become available from Scan (code LN135615).

The 3,200 x 2,000 OLED screen is sharp, with rich colors and deep blacks (Image credit: Future)

Screening success

In terms of color accuracy and coverage, Asus throws everything it can at the screens in its ProArt range. Here, that includes Calman Verified and Pantone Validated certifications, with the guarantee that each panel’s average Delta E (a measure of color accuracy) will be under two. Our panel’s accuracy was even better: it averaged 0.51 and had a maximum Delta E of 1.12.

Color coverage is superb, too. You have a choice of color profiles, including DCI-P3, where it covered 99% of the gamut. Print designers who prefer to work in the Adobe RGB space should stick to the Native profile, with 98% coverage.

But what really matters about this OLED panel is that it’s gorgeous. You benefit from incredible sharpness thanks to a resolution of 3,200 x 2,000, and whether you’re watching a film or editing photos you’ll fall in love with the rich colors and deep blacks. While a peak brightness of 363cd/m2 may not sound noteworthy, support for DisplayHDR’s True Black 500 shows that it can go higher in localized areas in supported content.

The design is solid but understated, with just a subtle ProArt logo on the lid (Image credit: Future)

Gaming prowess

That includes games, and with a 120Hz refresh rate and 0.2ms response time there’s much here for gamers to love. The Studiobook ships with Nvidia’s Studio drivers rather than its Game Ready option, but it’s easy enough to switch if gaming is your preference.

Its results in our 1080p gaming benchmark suite were predictably high: 186fps in F1 22, 144fps in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, 101fps in Metro Exodus and 88fps in Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition. Those are all at High settings. Switching to the native resolution of 3,200 x 2,000 saw those figures drop to 105fps, 94fps, 56fps and 45fps.

All our results were with the Studio drivers and the laptop in “MSHybrid” mode, where it automatically switches between discrete and integrated graphics. You can choose to use only the discrete GPU, but that made no difference to our results so I suggest sticking with the default.

Not least because using integrated graphics will squeeze some extra life from the 90W battery. The Studiobook is a power-hungry beast, and the best result I saw was in PCMark’s idle test where it kept going for 6hrs 36mins. It lasted around five hours in both the video-rundown and light-use office tests, while switching to gaming reduced life to a mere 1hr 34mins. Those results are typical of a Windows workstation such as this, but the 16in MacBook Pro lasted for almost 20 hours in our video-rundown test.

(Image credit: Future)

Power on tap

Portability is hardly this product’s forte anyway. Quite aside from the 2.4kg weight of the laptop, you should allow for the 740g power supply. In return for the bulk, however, you’re buying an incredibly powerful system. Let’s start with a Core i9-13980HX processor, complete with eight P-cores that max out at 5.6GHz and 16 E-cores with a peak 4GHz frequency. That’s 32 threads ready to tackle any suitable task, which is why it reached 24,801 in Cinebench R23 and 21,043 in Geekbench 5. The MacBook Pro, by contrast, scored 14,700 and 15,061 in those tests.

Mind you, the Studiobook has the advantage of 64GB of DDR5-5200 RAM to the MacBook’s 32GB. And having two M.2 Gen4 SSDs in a RAID0 configuration is never going to hurt: these scorched through CrystalMark 8’s sequential tests with 7,015MB/sec reads and 6,431MB/sec writes. The only downside, especially compared to MacBooks powered by Apple’s M2 chips, is that the fans kick in as soon as tasks become demanding.

You can admire those fans for yourself by removing the ten Torx screws that secure the base. Doing so reveals how easy it will be to replace the memory and SSDs should the need ever arise; not something that’s possible to do on the latest MacBooks.

The Asus Dial below the keys could transform the way you work (Image credit: Future)

Touching interface

Asus also leans into another advantage of Windows laptops: support for touch. The screen is responsive to fingers, of course, but Asus includes one of its active styluses in the box. This works on the touchpad too, so it’s a shame that this isn’t even bigger. Still, a 6in diagonal provides room to play, and the haptic technology built in works brilliantly.

Then there’s the Asus Dial. Invest time to learn how it works and this could become an integral part of your daily workflow. Especially if you use Adobe’s Creative Cloud: the dial can scrub through timelines in Adobe Premiere Pro, adjust brush sizes in Photoshop and make minute adjustments in Lightroom. Anything where it’s useful to make granular or sweeping changes.

It’s also possible to put the Asus Dial to use in Windows and other apps, perhaps to adjust the volume, brightness and cycle through open tabs in your web browser. It’s hard to imagine these will make a great deal of difference to your daily life, though, so the dial is most useful if you’re using creative tools on a daily basis.

The included stylus offers another way of interacting with the laptop (Image credit: Future)

One minor annoyance is that you must load up two different Asus tools to tweak settings. There’s the ProArt Creator Hub, where you control the dial settings and access calibration tools for the screen. But you also have MyAsus, which offers a bunch more options – some of which, such as switching between performance modes, are duplicated in the ProArt Creator Hub. Both have different aesthetics, so they clearly haven’t been designed by the same teams.

When it comes to the hardware’s aesthetics, though, I have no criticisms. There’s none of the RGB bling found on many Asus gaming laptops, just a sleek and understated design. The metal lid is unadorned by fussy logos, with a subtle “ProArt” the only branding on show. It’s even covered with anti-fingerprint coating to keep the black finish looking swish.

This is one solidly built laptop, too, with Gorilla Glass to protect the screen and the promise of testing to military grade standards. These include shock, vibration and extreme temperatures. Nor can I complain about connectivity, with a generous helping of ports – including two Thunderbolt 4 and 2.5Gb Ethernet – and Wi-Fi 6E. And both the 1080p webcam and the speakers are from the top-quality drawer.

There’s no shortage of ports on offer, despite the slender chassis (Image credit: Future)

Final thoughts

This is a great update to the Studiobook and one that should particularly appeal to 3D designers – when that model becomes available. It will then be possible to rapidly iterate through prototypes: design, get feedback, tweak. If you can take advantage of the Asus Dial, the stylus and the sheer firepower within this laptop, then it could be a transformative purchase.

For everyone else, it’s probably overkill. Especially at this price. But if you like the idea of the integrated dial, then Google for “ProArt Studiobook 16 OLED” and you’ll find cheaper options based on last year’s silicon.

The ProArt Studiobook 16 OLED has a unique design, and if you need its skillset then you can be assured of top components and build quality throughout.

We also ranked the best free Adobe Illustrator alternatives.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is finally here, and as the first entry in developer SNK’s legendary fighting game franchise in over 25 years, it’s got a point to prove. Especially in the modern fighting game landscape, where things like Street Fighter 6’s complex Drive Gauge system or Tekken 8’s focus on overpowering aggression have become the norm.

Review information

Platform reviewed: PC
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release date: April 24, 2025

By comparison, City of the Wolves feels refreshingly old-school. Neutral and defensive play is incredibly important here, and thanks to the fun-but-strict REV meter system, lengthy high-damage combos can be very costly. Risk-versus-reward gameplay is a huge factor, and it’s rare you’ll get to brute force your way out of a disadvantageous position; you’ll have to work for it instead.

In terms of presentation, City of the Wolves is utterly gorgeous, with SNK clearly refining the cel-shaded style it’s implemented in recent titles like Samurai Shodown and The King of Fighters 15. Animation is fantastic, characters are highly expressive, stages are awash with color and detail, and it’s all backed up by a tremendously catchy soundtrack.

It’s unfortunately not quite a home run effort, though. Menus still feel incredibly sluggish, with noticeable input lag as you navigate them. And even on a solid-state drive, there are some worryingly long load times even between individual rounds. Furthermore, offline modes are basic at best and uninspired at worst, and the usual Arcade and Survival modes are joined by a tedious main single-player mode that gets old within the first hour.

But overall, if you’re looking for a largely no-nonsense fighting game to learn and improve at in the months to come, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is very easy to recommend. It’s not a full-priced game, and it even includes its first-year season pass absolutely free of charge.

As a side note, before we dive in, I unfortunately didn’t get to test online functionality in the review build of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, as the servers weren’t ready for prime time.

REV it up

(Image credit: SNK)

Let’s start with the basics. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is a four-button fighting game, with light and heavy punches and kicks forming the core of your neutral offence. On a per-character basis, some of these buttons can be strung together to form a simple target combo or pressed after directional inputs to perform a special move.

The core gimmick in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is the REV system, governed by a gauge for each fighter. It starts out empty at zero percent, but fills up as you perform enhanced special moves (done by pressing both punch or kick buttons after a directional input) or by performing moves that are only available to you in the S.P.G. state (more on that soon).

As these enhanced special moves - known as REV Arts - can be canceled into one another for big-damage combos, you’ll find that your REV meter can fill exceptionally fast. If it fills up, you’ll overheat, which means you’ll be susceptible to guard breaks and won’t be able to pull off any more REV Arts or abilities until it fully cools down.

(Image credit: SNK)

While Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves features a relatively small roster of 17 characters at launch, all feel incredibly unique and diverse. Better yet, player expression is wholeheartedly supported with systems like the REV meter, feinting, and braking, allowing for a range of offensive and defensive playstyles.

Complementing REV is the S.P.G. (Selective Potential Gear) system. This is visualized on your health bar as a yellow segment, and it can be placed at the start, center, or end of it before a match. While your health is within the S.P.G threshold, you’ll also have access to REV Blows - a powerful invincible tool that can turn the tide on aggressive opponents, thus allowing you to skip neutral or end combos with it. It is another costly resource, though, and will eat into your overall REV meter.

I get that on paper, all this might sound very complicated, potentially exacerbated by your ability to brake or feint your own attacks. These essentially cut your moves short, allowing you to combo into other attacks or specials, and I found it to be a crucial thing to learn in order to access longer and more damaging combo strings.

It’s certainly a lot to take in, but City of the Wolves does an elegant job of teaching you all its systems via an in-depth tutorial, as well as character combo trials that introduce the concept of brakes, feints, and canceling REV Arts into each other, all in a practical fashion. Once you’ve got a proper handle on it all, it feels incredibly satisfying to take your practice into matches.

Offline woes

(Image credit: SNK)

Speaking of matches, and based on my time with the previous open betas, you’ll probably want to jump online in City of the Wolves as your primary port of call. In comparison, the game’s offline offerings are greatly lacking.

Arcade mode is here as standard, and it’s a good way to get a feel for a character and their story through eight matches against AI-controlled opponents (though bizarrely, guest fighter Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t playable here). Survival and Time Attack modes are also decent endurance challenges.

But it’s the main Episodes of South Town (abbreviated in-game as EOST) that’s the real let-down. An incredibly simple story mode that has you choosing battles on a map, EOST feels extremely phoned in compared to Street Fighter 6’s World Tour or even Tekken 8’s spectacle-filled story mode. There are some fun distractions here, like a bottle smashing minigame and tidbits of trivia for longtime SNK fans, but for me, the tedium began setting in very quickly.

EOST also highlights two of City of the Wolves’ biggest issues: user interface and menu navigation. Menu layout in general is pretty cumbersome, and there is noticeable input delay as you use the D-pad to cycle through options. Worse still, there’s no support for mouse control in this review build, which I sincerely hope can get patched in at launch or at least close to it.

South Town sights

(Image credit: SNK)

On a stronger note, City of the Wolves’ presentation is simply stunning. SNK has really mastered this cel-shaded look now. Characters and stages have a comic book sheen to them, and subtle filters really help to add depth to any given scene. Particle effects caused by special moves or other abilities are also just the right amount of flashy, not coming across as too intrusive.

Things like this create a smart but eye-catching visual style, and when paired with exceptional animation quality, you have a game that I think is going to be a real spectacle at major tournaments like EVO and Combo Breaker.

If that wasn’t enough, City of the Wolves is backed up by a tremendous soundtrack, with artists like Afrojack, Steve Aoki, and Salvatore Ganacci (who, yes, is somehow also a playable character) contributing music to the game. Overall, the presentation is a moreish audio-visual feast and one of the best things about City of the Wolves.

Should you play Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves? Play it if...

You want a fighting game experience that dials back the nonsense
While the REV system does allow for some bonkers combo potential, City of the Wolves is far more readable than Tekken 8’s noisy aggression and simpler to get to grips with than Street Fighter 6’s complex Drive system.View Deal

You’re fairly new to fighting games and want a fresh-feeling roster
If you’re unfamiliar with SNK’s output, chances are you might not yet be acquainted with iconic characters like Tizoc, Billy Kane, Hotaru Futaba, or Rock Howard. Guest characters Cristiano Ronaldo and Salvatore Ganacci are a little unorthodox for sure, but also still offer plenty of fun gameplay styles in their own right.View Deal

Don't play it if...

You like offline casual content in fighting games
Soul Calibur, this isn’t. City of the Wolves has largely thrown its eggs into the online basket, leaving little for casual single-player content.View Deal

Accessibility

Outside of the ability to reduce screen shaking in the options menu, there isn’t anything in the way of meaningful accessibility settings in City of the Wolves. The main gameplay consideration is the ‘Smart’ control style, however, which simplifies inputs and combo routes which can prove beneficial for those less familiar with fighting games or who’re unable to pull off more complex directional inputs.

How I reviewed Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves

I played Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves over the course of a week and a half for this review, totaling approximately 15 hours of playtime. That included Arcade mode runs for several characters, a full playthrough of EOST mode, numerous combo trials, and no shortage of training mode sessions to get familiar with a number of characters.

I reviewed the game on a gaming PC (via Steam) powered by the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, and primarily played with a Razer Wolverine V3 Pro controller.

Acer PD3 Dual-Screen Portable Monitor: Two-minute review

(Image credit: Future / Jasmine Mannan)

While we already have a round up of the best portable monitors you can find, Acer aims to shake up the rankings with its Acer PD3 Dual-Screen Portable Monitor. This device, similar in fashion to other portable monitors, is small, lightweight and can be folded up to be taken with you on the go.

However what sets the Acer PD3 Dual-Screen Portable Monitor apart is the fact that it has two connected monitors, as the name suggests, for those who need the extra screen space.

One of the first things I noticed when unboxing the Acer PD3 Dual-Screen Portable Monitor is that the device is actually quite heavy, weighing in at over double that of my MacBook Air. Coming in at 2.33kg (5.14 lbs), it definitely isn’t too heavy to take on the go, but it’s by no means the lightest thing in your backpack and very well may make your bag quite hefty when combined with your current laptop.

(Image credit: Future / Jasmine Mannan)

The Acer PD3 Dual-Screen can be opened up like a laptop and used either horizontally or vertically. Initially I was worried the stand would be quite flimsy, but it's stable and holds up the device perfectly fine. In terms of design, the Acer PD3 dual-screen is very sleek and simple. Contained in a black, metal chassis, the device is simple and blends in seamlessly with any set up.

At 2.45cm (0.96in) thick, the device is quite chunky when compared to other laptops and portable monitors on the market. However, it’s worth noting that it's not this thick all the way around, with a large chunk of the monitor being quite thin, which makes it feel somewhat slimmer than it is.

The ports on the monitor are actually located underneath the stand, meaning the stand has to be pulled out in order to access them. While this isn’t the biggest deal in the world, it’s somewhat frustrating at times as you don’t always need to have the stand pulled out to have the monitor stood up.

(Image credit: Future / Jasmine Mannan)

Despite being an LCD panel, the Acer PD3 Dual-Screen Portable Monitor looks absolutely fantastic with a great range of colors and blacks. However one downside is the 250 nits screen, which isn’t the brightest, particularly when using the device on the go in different lighting environments. My laptop, which I used in conjunction with this monitor, has a screen brightness of 500 nits which makes the monitor appear even less bright in comparison.

With each screen coming in at 1920 x 1080p, it seems perfect as I didn’t have to worry about screen sizes and ratios changing when plugging my laptop in - which has the same resolution screen.

When using the Acer PD3 Dual-Screen Portable Monitor, it sufficed perfectly fine. It was easy to use, essentially just being plug and play with it syncing up to my laptop practically instantly.

It’s worth noting that the device can be VESA mounted - and while I didn’t mount it myself since I used it mainly on the go, it’s interesting that you can add it to a single monitor arm for a dual screened display, saving you even more space on your desk if needed.

(Image credit: Future / Jasmine Mannan)

It was easy enough to chuck the Acer PD3 Dual-Screen Portable Monitor in my bag and use it in different locations but I will say it wasn’t something I was comfortable pulling out while on a long train journey or in a coffee shop. The device itself is pretty large and looks quite elaborate so I didn’t find myself using it often when away from a desk. It was fine enough to take to my workspace, where it’s normal to use multiple screens.

However, considering the Acer PD3 Dual-Screen requires its own power outlet to work, it's not something which would be very easy to use on the go anyway. It comes with its own 45W power adaptor which plugs into the device via USB-C. This was frustrating as it meant I also needed to ensure I had the power supply with me when taking the device, which adds even more weight to my bag.

Acer PD3 Dual-Screen Portable Monitor: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future / Jasmine Mannan)

• How much does it cost? $449.99 / £469.99
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US and UK

While quite pricey, the Acer PD3 Dual-Screen Portable Monitor is definitely a more premium option when it comes to these devices. At just under $450 (£469.99), it’s much more expensive than alternative portable monitor options like the AOC 16T3EA portable monitor which costs $129 / £187. However, the AOC 16T3EA is a single screened monitor, whereas the Acer PD3 is dual-screened.

Alternative dual-screen options like the Uperfect Portable Monitor come in at a similar price point to the Acer PD3, at around $449.99 / £449.99. This places the Acer PD3 Dual-Screen Portable Monitor an average priced option for the functionality, but it’s currently hard to judge as there aren’t many alternatives on the market just yet.

Acer PD3 Dual-Screen Portable Monitor: Specs

Here are the specs for the Acer PD3 Dual-Screen Portable Monitor at a glance.

Should I buy the Acer PD3 Dual-Screen Portable Monitor? Buy it if...

You need multiple displays for the workplace or regular business trips.

If you are going between a home and place of work or need more displays for a trip, then this is a great option.

You want something very simple to set up

Being plug and play, you don’t have to spend time setting this device up each time you use it.

Don't buy it if... 

You want something ultra lightweight

The device is quite heavy and adding the weight of the power supply makes your bag even heavier.

You want a device to use while commuting or in public

Considering this monitor needs an extra plug, and is quite large and elaborate, it likely won’t be something you use on the go.

Acer PD3 Dual-Screen Portable Monitor: Also consider

AOC 16T3EA

The AOC 16T3EA portable monitor is only a single screened display, but is significantly cheaper at $129 / £187. It’s also much lighter at 830g, making it easier to take on the go with you and doesn’t require its own power connector which is even less weight in your bag and easier to use.

Read our full AOC 16T3EA review

Arzopa Z1RC

The Arzopa Z1RC is a cheap and cheerful portable monitor, rated our best portable monitor option. Coming in at $120 / £129, it wont set you back as much as Acer’s edition, but again is only single screened.

Read our full Arzopa Z1RC review

How I tested the Acer PD3 dual-screen monitor

I spent a few weeks using the Acer PD3 dual-screen monitor alongside my laptop as a secondary display. I attempted to use the device on the go and take it to different locations with me.

I primarily used the device for working and productivity purposes like editing photos, responding to emails and writing articles. I also used the monitor to watch videos and movies to see how well it displayed different colours.

I’ve tested a range of different displays, monitors and portable devices over the years.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed April 2025

Hori HOTAS flight control system: one-minute review

(Image credit: Future)

If you want to take your flight sim experience to the next level, a HOTAS – hands-on throttle and stick – setup will make aviation a hundred times easier and more immersive than using a controller or mouse and keyboard.

Developed in partnership with War Thunder developers Gaijin, Hori’s HOTAS flight control system endeavors to provide exactly that solution. It’s marketed for combat flight sim pilots, but also just as useful for virtual commercial aviators who log their flight time in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and the like.

There’s a vast array of switches, buttons, hat switches, paddles, and dials here to play with and map to your preferred commands, so no one’s going to feel short-changed in functionality terms here. The included desk mounts for the throttle and flight stick are also very welcome additions, well-constructed and satisfyingly weighty, allowing a nice ergonomic angle once you’ve mounted the peripherals to the left and right of your seating position.

But there’s a really uneven feel to the actuation of all those inputs. Some feel great, others don’t come anywhere close to the $499 / £449 pricing. When there are such legendarily good alternatives out there for similar pricing like Thrustmaster’s Warthog HOTAS, that’s a real problem.

Ultimately the sensation of the flimsy plastics used at the contact points where your hands interact with them and the wobbliness of some inputs makes this Hori offering difficult to rationalize next to the Warthog HOTAS, or even Logitech G’s cheaper, more limited, but sturdier X56.

Hori HOTAS flight control system: Price and availability

• $499 / £449
• Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS now sells for less
• Much more expensive than the Logitech G X56

The price is the Hori HOTAS’s major problem. It compares very unfavorably to Thrustmaster’s best-in-class Warthog HOTAS, nor does it blow cheaper models like Logitech G’s X56 out of the water. In all fairness, there are mounting brackets included in this model that aren’t in the others, and a huge number of inputs, but that doesn’t completely compensate for the flimsy construction feel.

For a more budget-friendly option, consider Turtle Beach’s $120 / £120 VelocityOne flight stick, which features two throttle inputson either side of the joystick itself.

Hori HOTAS flight control system: specs

(Image credit: Future) Hori HOTAS flight control system: design and features

• Looks convincingly pro at a glance
• Sensible ergonomic layout
• Let down by cheap materials

So, what does the virtual aviator want from their HOTAS? Two things. Firstly you’re looking for a control layout that makes flying a plane easier than it would be when using a pad or mouse and keyboard. That’s fundamental.

Flight sims are among the most mapping-heavy pieces of software in existence, and it’s always been a challenge to even memorize the inputs required to get a plane off the ground, talk to ATC, engage autopilot and navigation systems, and control your view, let alone map them to a comfortable and intuitive layout.

Sim racers have racing wheels that offer just about a 1:1 recreation of the inputs and displays they’d have on a real racing car, but for pilots that’s not feasible unless you drop many thousands on a room-sized rig.

Secondly, you want to feel immersed in the experience. You can control a plane’s throttle input using an analog stick on your Xbox controller, just like Flight Sim 2024 expects you to by default, and in truth, the difference in precision that this Hori’s twin throttle allows is unlikely to ever be the difference between crashing or staying aloft.

Instead, it’s about creating a sensory environment that feels like flying a plane. A matter of passion for the enthusiasts, and a crucial point for aspiring pilots supplementing their real air time with a flight sim.

(Image credit: Future)

It’s important to lay these two objectives out because Hori’s HOTAS is perfectly good at the first - making planes easier to fly by offering a sensible and numerous layout of inputs - but just can’t deliver what you’d expect for the price when it comes to immersion.

Let’s delve into those statements. You’ve got three modes on each peripheral, and a total of 61 different button functions. That’s… probably enough. In both War Thunder and Flight Sim 2024, I found I was able to map every input I’d conceivably need and have it within close reach.

In fact, the reality was that I’d mapped a bunch of inputs that I didn’t end up touching. There’s a surplus of functionality here, and it does indeed make flying planes much easier, in both a combat and commercial environment. We can put a giant tick in that box.

Immersion, though, is elusive when piloting with the Hori HOTAS. That’s because despite it looking the part from a distance, when you’re up close and interacting with the throttle and flight stick, it simply looks and feels closer to a toy than part of an aircraft. Certain inputs hold up their end of the bargain, specifically the metal toggle switches on the throttle’s base, the rudder paddles on the throttle and the one on the flight stick.

The two-stage trigger has a nice mechanical-feeling actuation to it too, which makes firing weapons very satisfying. Elsewhere though, the surfaces feel too light and flimsy to be believable and the buttons and hat switches have too much play to them. For over $400 / £400, it’s surprising and disappointing.

The throttle actuation also leaves a lot to be desired. I found that mine was prone to sticking at the 100% point, and along the plasticky track of its axis, there’s a juddering, notched feeling. It’s almost as though there’s a deliberate notch to help you find 50%, except there are two or three of these sticking points on my unit… and none of them are at 50%.

There’s a saving grace, though. The mounting brackets supplied with this HOTAS are top-notch and added a lot to the overall experience once I mounted the throttle and flightstick to them on my left and right. The clamps are adjustable, with four different heights on offer, and I must say once they were fitted to my ideal position and the green backlights of the inputs were gently glowing in my cockpit, the pricing started to make sense for a brief moment.

Then I put my hands on it and the moment went.

Hori HOTAS flight control system: performance

• Hall effect sensors for precise joystick input
• Useful backlit input controls
• Useable default schemes in most sims

I enjoy the precise feeling of this Hori flight stick. There’s just enough resistance and centering spring strength for my tastes, particularly in War Thunder where inputs tend to be of a more severe nature since you don’t have passengers and the contents of their stomach to consider.

It’s a little trickier to achieve those tiny, delicate bank angles in a commercial flight setting due to the strength of that spring, but after a couple of hours of acclimation, I found myself flying a bit more smoothly. There are Hall effect sensors to keep track of exactly where the flight stick is on its axis, theoretically making for more precise input recognition. I’ll level with you - I haven’t busted into the game code to verify exactly what’s happening there or how, but I will say that the sensation feels immediate and smooth to track.

Fortunately, in a performance setting, the issues I have with the grainy throttle don’t translate to in-game problems with thruster operation, and the previously mentioned loose feeling on some buttons doesn’t actually affect them being registered as inputs when you press them. So when you’re up in the air, the underwhelming build quality isn’t a de facto disadvantage. Just a shame.

I’ve sung the praises of those mounting brackets previously in this review, but they really do hold each peripheral firmly in place and in an ergonomic position when you’re sitting in your cockpit. Anyone who’s used a HOTAS or joystick whose base is too light knows how irritating it can be for your inputs to translate as peripheral wobble instead of flight control, and happily, that just doesn’t happen here.

It’s a strong performer then, but that doesn’t go all the way towards negating the problems this HOTAS has competing against similarly priced but better-constructed rivals like the Thrustmaster Warthog.

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Hori HOTAS flight control system? Buy it if...

You usually fly in combat flight sims
It’s perfectly good at commercial flight, but you’ll get the most out of the control layout in dogfights. Plus there are bundled in-game bonuses for War Thunder.

You’re tired of mapping inputs to your keyboard
There are enough buttons, dials, hat switches, and paddles to keep you from having to reach back towards your mouse and keyboard.

You don’t want to buy mounts separately
The sturdy, adjustable metal mounts are a big bonus of this package and add a lot to the sensation of being inside a cockpit.

Don't buy it if...

You’re on a budget
There are much cheaper options out there with comparable layouts and in some cases a better sensation, too.

You take flight on consoles too
This model’s a PC-only offering, so you’ll need to find a different peripheral for PS5 or Xbox piloting otherwise it’s back to the pad.

You want a compact setup
The HOTAS layout plus the mounts does take up space, so fairweather fliers might prefer a one-unit peripheral like Turtle Beach’s VelocityOne.

Hori HOTAS flight control system: Also consider

If the Hori HOTAS doesn’t make your heart soar, keep these cheaper alternatives on your radar.

Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS One
A time-honored budget option with far fewer inputs than the Hori HOTAS, but nonetheless a great overall package for the price.

For more information, read our full Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS One review

Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flightstick
The throttle-on-joystick design is unusual and means dual-thruster operation can be tricky, but the great build quality, numerous inputs, and cool digital display on the joystick itself make this another stellar budget option.

For more information read our full Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flightstick review

How I tested the Hori HOTAS flight control system

• Several weeks of regular use during testing
• Used on PC with and without mounts
• War Thunder, Flight Simulator 2024, and Elite Dangerous all tested

Since War Thunder’s all over the box due to that Gaijin partnership, this dogfighting sim felt like a sensible place to start.

I also logged plenty of flight time in commercial jets and prop planes in Flight Sim 2024, and sauntered around the Milky Way in Frontier’s infinitely impressive Elite: Dangerous. Functionality was great out of the box in all three titles and required just a few re-binds in the latter two.

• First reviewed April 2025
• Read more about how we test

Ninja 5-in-1 Grill and Air Fryer: one-minute review

Ninja is a trusted (and arguably the biggest) name in the air fryer market for a reason. Several of the brand's products feature in our best air fryers roundup, thanks to their top-tier performance, but that high quality comes with a premium (sometimes eye-watering) price tag. The Ninja 5-in-1 Grill & Air Fryer EG351UK, too, comes with a premium price tag, but one that's somewhat more affordable than its siblings while offering the same top-grade quality we've come to expect from Ninja. If your air fryer budget maxes out at £200 (roughly $250 / AU$450), this just sneaks in there.

It's still not cheap, but for that price you get a top-notch air fryer and indoor grill that offers pretty consistent results across its five cooking functions. The Ninja 5-in-1 Grill & Air Fryer makes baking, grilling (even from frozen), air frying, dehydrating, and roasting easy, though you may need to use some trial and error with certain foods and functions to get optimal results.

(Image credit: Vic Hood)

The included user manual and inspiration booklet are helpful, with notes on nearly any question you may have, but the food guidelines can be a bit optimistic at times. This isn't necessarily a deal-breaker but means you should keep a close eye on your food as you get to grips with it, as I had some issues with uneven cooking over overdone foods on the outside with the air fryer function. Thanks to the probe attachment, however, you have several avenues to check when your meat or fish is cooked, giving you some peace of mind.

The issues I had mostly arose with air frying foods and were exacerbated by the 5.7-liter cooking pot's lack of a handle, which made shaking foods like fries and vegetables for even cooking tricky. However, the other cooking functions offered impressive results, delivering perfectly baked muffins, delicious flatbreads and succulent chicken.

Perhaps my biggest issue with the Ninja 5-in-1 Grill and Air Fryer, however, is how much cleaning it requires for maintenance – and how tough it is to keep the appliance and its various attachments (particularly the splatter guard) clean, despite following the included instructions. That's something which could potentially cause further issues with performance over time.

Aside from this, the Ninja 5-in-1 Grill & Air Fryer is a solid air fryer for those who regularly grill and air fry their foods, combining the two in one appliance. If you haven't the space for a BBQ, it offers the same delicious results, with considerably less smoke, and is easy to use for seasoned air fryer users and newbies.

Ninja 5-in-1 Grill and Air Fryer: price and availability

• Price: £199.99 (roughly $262 / AU$419)
• This model is available in the UK, but not US or Australia
• Available from Ninja and third-party retailers

The Ninja 5-in-1 Grill & Air Fryer has a premium price tag of £199.99 (roughly $262 / AU$419), meaning it's one of the more affordable options if you have your heart set on a Ninja. It costs slightly less than the Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone Air Fryer and considerably less than the Ninja Double Oven and Ninja Combi Multi-Cooker, so if you're after Ninja quality under the £200 mark, it's a great choice.

While this air fryer is on the pricier side, considering it packs in five cooking functions, including the ability to grill, with solid results, it's worth the price tag for those who plan to utilize its various functions. There's also a two-year guarantee included for those who register with Ninja, giving you extra peace of mind.

You can buy this air fryer from Ninja or third-party retailers like Amazon and Argos, with the latter likely to offer discounts during sales periods like Black Friday. You'll find today's best prices below. Unfortunately, this model isn't currently available in the US or Australia.

• Value score: 4/5

Ninja 5-in-1 Grill and Air Fryer: specifications Ninja 5-in-1 Grill and Air Fryer: design

• Modern black and steel-brushed design
• Thermometer probe for meat
• High-maintenance cleaning
• No handle for shaking

The Ninja 5-in-1 Grill & Air Fryer comes in a black and steel-brushed finish, with its top opening upward (like most grills) to reveal its 5.7L cooking pot inside. In the box, you get two ceramic-coated plates that slot easily into the cooking pot, a grill plate for grilling foods, and a crisper plate for most other cooking functions. On the front is a digital display, with its cooking functions clearly shown below and sizable buttons to adjust its settings.

Despite its capacity, this air fryer isn't as physically intrusive in my kitchen as others I've reviewed. It still takes up a decent chunk of counter room, making it potentially less suited for smaller kitchens but much easier to home than the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Steam Air Fryer, for example.

This air fryer is about the right size for a household of four, depending on what you plan to cook, with plenty of room for veggies and smaller items on the crisper plate and the grill plate easily fitting four chicken breasts or burgers. However, when it comes to larger items, like a whole chicken, for example, you may have some difficulty. While the Ninja website claims the appliance can fit a 1.4kg whole chicken in the cooking pot, the crisping plate is recommended for roasting, but this means the chicken needs to be smaller, about 1kg.

(Image credit: Vic Hood)

Fortunately, I was able to use the included thermometer probe to check my chicken was definitely cooked. The probe jack connects to the appliance, with the other end inserted into the thickest part of your meat, and allows you to set the meat type you're cooking (and desired doneness for relevant meats).

The appliance then displays your food's internal temperature and desired temperature and tells you when it reaches that temperature. This is usually a few degrees off the actual temperature the meat should be, as the air fryer tells you to rest the meat and counts down the resting time, too. The guidance on this is pretty thorough in the user manual – and on pretty much everything, in fact – and meant my meat always (internally, at least) was cooked to perfection.

(Image credit: Vic Hood)

That thorough user manual also comes with instructions on how to clean the air fryer and its attachments – a pretty high-maintenance affair. Ninja recommends hand washing the plates and splatter guard, understandably, after each use. The company even provides you with a cleaning brush with a scraper to help. While handwashing the cooking pot and crisping plate is pretty painless, I found cleaning the ceramic-coated grill plate and splatter guard a challenge (even with the included brush). Tough residue eventually came off the grill plate's many crevices with some elbow grease and soaking, but despite following the instructions and cleaning the splatter guard after every cook, during my week of testing, more and more grease built up on it.

I thoroughly cleaned it after each cook and even followed the deep cleaning instructions, boiling it in a pot, but that tough grease did not come off, and some had even made its way behind the splatter guard. The instructions mostly focus on cleaning the detachable parts rather than the appliance itself, so I tried wiping it off with a cloth to no avail. The problem is that while the Ninja 5-in-1 Grill & Air Fryer is largely smokeless, the tough grease started to cause more smoke, and I could not get it off following the included instructions. Over time, this could become a larger issue. So, for optimal performance, you need to be very thorough in your cleaning of each nook and cranny.

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Cleaning the splatter guard is a challenge, and it proved impossible to remove during testing (Image credit: Vic Hood)Image 2 of 3

Despite cleaning after each use, the splatter guard had accumulated a considerable amount of grease after a week of testing (Image credit: Vic Hood)Image 3 of 3

Dirt easily builds up in small spaces (Image credit: Vic Hood)

This isn't the only design issue I had with this appliance. In addition to its high-level maintenance, the Ninja 5-in-1 Grill & Air Fryer lacks a handle for its cooking pot, making shaking foods more difficult. Many competitors offer a heat-proof handle to grab, so you can easily shake veggies, chips, and other food items, but the Ninja 5-in-1 only has slightly protruding edges on its cooking pot for this, meaning you need to pick up the whole pot and shake it. This is tricky because you need to lift the 5.7L pot and try and shake its contents evenly, but also because those contents are hot. It's an addition that could have made air-frying certain foods much more convenient.

• Design score: 4/5

Ninja 5-in-1 Grill and Air Fryer: performance

• Air frying results are inconsistent
• Baking, dehydrating, roasting, and grilling are excellent
• Great recipes in inspiration booklet
• Quality-of-life features like automatic preheat function

The Ninja 5-in-1 Grill and Air Fryer has five cooking functions: grilling, air frying, baking, dehydrating, and roasting.

The grill feature is by far the highlight, with the included inspiration booklet offering recipes to help you utilize the feature, alongside tips and recipes for marinades, seasonings, and more. To kick off my testing, I tried one of the booklet's kickstarter recipes: barbecue chicken breasts.

The recipe required frozen chicken breasts, with the cooking time set to take about 25 minutes, which I was a bit skeptical about. However, after 25 minutes and several bastings, I had perfectly cooked BBQ chicken fillets that were sticky and smoky on the outside but succulent inside. This doesn't account for the seven-minute preheat time, with the appliance automatically preheating on most functions. If you're in the no-preheat club, have no fear, as there's a button to skip this if you want to.

(Image credit: Vic Hood)

Burgers provided the same consistent results, but when the appliance chirped to let me know to flip the burgers halfway through cooking, it didn't give me much time to do so as the time continued to tick on. Frustratingly, this meant the cooking time ended, and the resting timer began, but the burgers weren't done, and I had to reprogram the grill to finish them off as I couldn't easily add on a few extra minutes. To ensure they were cooked, I inserted the probe and set the function to beef and 'medium well', which allowed me to save my food.

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(Image credit: Vic Hood)

While I usually have a control chicken wing rub I use for tests, I decided to use the Everyday Spice rub laid out in Ninja's booklet. After following the booklet's advice of waiting 30 minutes before grilling and checking the food guidelines, I added my wings to the grill. While I followed the recommended time and temperature Ninja gave for chicken wings, mine came out quite overdone on the outside but perfectly cooked and tasty inside.

Again, when cooking any meats in this appliance, I highly recommend utilizing the probe more than the food time guidelines, as it's a safety net if your food appears to be overdone on the outside, but you don't want to pull it out in case it's not cooked inside.

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It's not just meats this grill provides solid results for, either. Following another of Ninja's recipes, I made flatbreads for the first time and cooked them to perfection, each taking only two minutes on the preheated grill.

These high-quality results were pretty consistent across the appliance's functions, as I perfectly dehydrated my leftover flatbread parsley in four hours, baked tasty lemon and blueberry muffins, and roasted my aforementioned harissa chicken with (relative) ease, so it was juicy inside and slightly crispy outside.

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(Image credit: Vic Hood)

The only issue I had with the Ninja 5-in-1 Grill & Air Fryer's performance was its air fryer function. I will caveat this by saying a lot of air fryers require some experimentation for optimal results, and food guidelines are helpful but not always 100% accurate. Ninja acknowledges this in a way, noting in its air-frying food guidelines section that its times are a guide, and you need to adjust to your preference, check your food frequently, and shake or toss it. I kept this in mind when testing carrots, courgettes, frozen fries, and fresh fries, and regularly checked on and shook my with some overdone and some underdone. For example, many of my carrots had burnt edges and were almost roasted after roughly 15 minutes, while others were underdone.

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(Image credit: Vic Hood)

Considering this is a premium air fryer, these results were disappointing, especially after the brilliant results of the other functions. Like many air fryers, it may take some trial and error to get optimal results with this function, but if you want an appliance that air fries consistently well off the bat, this may not be the appliance for you.

• Performance score: 4/5

Should you buy the Ninja 5-in-1 Grill and Air Fryer? Buy it if

You want that BBQ flavor in your kitchen

If you haven't room for a BBQ or simply love indoor grilling, this is a solid option with minimal smoke.

You want an air fryer with various cooking functions

In addition to grilling and air frying, this appliance can bake, roast, and dehydrate to a high standard, allowing you to cook a variety of food types to your liking.

You cook meat and fish regularly

If you regularly cook meat and fish and want to do so in an air fryer, the probe function on this appliance allows you to do so with peace of mind. There's nothing worse than cutting into your food only to find it's underdone inside. The included probe means you can track your food's internal temperature alongside its overall look, ensuring your meat and fish are cooked to perfection inside and out.

You want a Ninja air fryer under £200

Ninja air fryers are premium products, with many of the best costing over £250. With this appliance coming in just shy of £200, you can get that same Ninja quality but for a bit less.

Don't buy it if

You won't keep up with cleaning

This air fryer grill can be tough to clean, but thoroughly cleaning it and its detachable parts after each use is critical. While the included brush makes this a bit easier, the splatter guard and grill plate can prove particularly challenging.

You don't grill (or plan to grill) much

The biggest selling point of this air fryer is its ability to grill, so if you don't plan to utilize that function much, then it's probably not the air fryer for you.

You want an air fryer that works with little hassle

Frustratingly, the air fryer function on this air fryer is where we've had the most issues with uneven cooking. Like most air fryers, the more time you spend cooking food in this appliance, the more you'll get to grips with how to get the most optimal results. However, if you want a simple, consistent air frying function out of the box, this may not be the best choice for you.

Ninja 5-in-1 Grill and Air Fryer: also consider

Not certain that the Ninja 5-in-1 Grill and Air Fryer is right for you? Here are two other options you might like to consider.

Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone

If you live outside the UK where the Ninja 5-in-1 Grill and Air Fryer isn't available, this is two-drawer air fryer is a great alternative. It looks smart, and produces consistently good results (though we'd appreciate a reminder to shake to food for even cooking).

Read our full Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone review

Ninja Double Stack

If you don't have space for a full-width two-drawer air fryer, the Double Stack is the appliance for you. It's deeper and taller, but much narrower than the Russell Hobbs Satisfry or the Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone, and in our tests it produced evenly browned, crispy fries every time.

Read our full Ninja Double Stack review

How I tested the Ninja 5-in-1 Grill and Air Fryer?

I used the Ninja 5-in-1 Grill and Air Fryer for a week, cooking a wide variety of foods including fries, chicken wings, fresh vegetables, and muffins. I tested all the air fryer's various modes and cleaned the air fryer in line with the instructions provided in the manual. For more details, see how we test.

First reviewed March 2025.

OpenRock S: One minute review

Audio brand OneOdio is back with its second-gen air conduction headphones – the OpenRock S are more affordable and longer-lasting than their predecessors the OpenRock Pro, but include quite a few extra features that unfortunately don’t work too well.

Air conduction is a tech intended to let you listen to music while exercising without impacting your awareness of your surroundings, and it features heavily in our guide to the best open earbuds (often called the best open ear headphones). While the AirPods Pro 2 have Transparency Mode to intentionally boost the sounds of your surroundings and Shokz has its bone conduction, OneOdio’s solution is to dangle a mini speaker over your ear, so it’s not blocking out all your surrounding noises but instead traversing a bit of open space and still getting the job done.

While air conduction hasn’t historically leant itself to fantastic audio fidelity, the feature works for its intended purpose, and you can enjoy music while also being aware of vehicles, people, aggressive dogs or other hazards. Too aware, perhaps, as one of the S’ big problems is that its max volume is just too low. Lots of the time during my testing, music was all but drowned out by noises such as cars, treadmills or, as my parkrun testing will attest, the sounds of other runners!

That’s doubly true if you’re riding a bike or somewhere windy, as the sounds of gusts of wind rushing past your ears will all but drown out your tunes.

If you can get around this volume issue (if perhaps you listen during a yoga class, say), then you may well be impressed by the OpenRock S. Like their predecessors, the OpenRock Pro, they have an incredibly comfortable fit that keeps them secure on your ear; they’re lightweight too, and it’s easy to forget you’re wearing them.

Plus, the battery life here is absolutely incredible. You can listen to music for 19 hours non-stop before you need to charge the earbuds, and when you factor in the charge of the carry case itself, that number goes up all the way to 60 hours. You’d be hard-pressed to find a rival sports earbud that comes even close to that figure.

These are some of the most affordable sports earbuds too, costing roughly half the price of some of the best-known rivals from the likes of Shokz. A great pick for people on a budget.

As you can tell from that description, these are some solid sports earbuds at heart. OneOdio has added quite a few features which don’t work too well – the touch controls perform poorly and the EQ modes seem to have little effect whatsoever – but if you can ignore these, the OpenRock S are decent buds for fitness fans.

OpenRock S review: Specifications OpenRock S review: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future)

• Announced and released in October 2023
• Cost $99 / £89 (roughly $150)
• Some of the most buds with this kind of tech

The OpenRock S was announced in mid-October 2023 as the newest entry to OneOdio’s line-up of over-ear sports headphones.

You’ll pay just $99 / £89 (roughly $150) for them, which is a competitive price compared to rivals within and without of the company. This is the price that OneOdio announced them for, and that they’re selling for, but Amazon US lists this as a discounted cost down from $129. As far as we can tell, they’ve never actually sold for this price.

At this price, the S undercuts OneOdio’s own previous entry into the running earbuds space, the OpenRock Pro, which cost $119/£119 (around AU$185). For the most part, those are more premium, though in some areas (like battery life) the S is the better buy.

Most rivals cost more, like the Shokz Openfit which sells for $179.95 / £179.99 / AU$289. So you could well consider these budget options if you’re looking for air conduction earbuds, though of course, you can buy fitness earbuds for much cheaper if you don’t need this tech.

• Value score: 4/5

OpenRock S review: Design

Yes, that's an earbuds case, not a reading glasses case…  (Image credit: Future)

• Solid and light earbuds build
• Temperamental touch controls
• Carry case is big, bulky and heavy

There are two aspects to the OpenRock S’ design: the earbuds themselves and the carry case.

I’ll touch briefly on the carry case because you can't miss it: it’s a big sturdy plastic shell that charges the buds and keeps them safe when you’re not using them. However, it’s pretty long and wide, so it may not slip into your backpack’s side pocket like most other buds' charging cases will.

Now the buds: these are very comfortable. They’re lightweight at just 12g each, and have the hooked design common in sports earbuds that means they stay lodged on your ears whether you’re on a mountain bike or running around on an uneven surface.

The best testament to the design is to point out that not once during testing did they fall out. I will say, though, that the OpenRock Pro did feel even more robust on the ear, thanks to a tighter grip.

Ostensibly there are touch controls on the buds, but in testing these rarely worked reliably. You’re meant to be able to tap the OpenRock logo on the buds to control your music or calls, but I found it often failed to pick up touches. That was doubly the case if my hands were damp from rain or sweat, and I would sometimes end up just hammering at my ears trying to stop a track. I found it much easier to just use the paired phone to change tracks or hang up a call.

The OpenRock buds are IPX5 water resistant, which in theory means they’re protected from water jets and low-pressure streams. They’re certainly sweat-proof, which is the most important thing, but I wouldn’t recommend using them in heavy rain if you’re hoping to use the touch controls.

• Design score: 4/5

OpenRock S review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• Air conduction makes sure you can hear your surroundings
• Possibly the best stamina on the market
• EQ modes have little impact

As was mentioned in the introduction, the OpenRock S are air-conduction earbuds. This means that a speaker on the bud hovers over your ear canal and ‘projects’ the music in – the whole point is that you can wear these and also hear surrounding sound, perfect for if you’re on a road or somewhere else where awareness is important.

For this purpose, the OpenRock S works really well – I could hear my music while also having situational awareness. The main issue would be that this is often too much the case – sometimes I couldn’t actually hear music, for reasons I’ll get into in the ‘Performance’ section.

There’s also fairly little audio spilling, so people around you aren’t going to hear you working out to an hour-long loop of Mambo No. 5 (unless you sing along, of course).

The best feature of the OpenRock Pro is back and even better for the S, and that’s the battery life. The Pro version of these sports headphones had incredible lasting power but OneOdio has turned that up to 11 for the OpenRock S.

(Image credit: Future)

The OpenRock S buds last for 19 hours straight of music or calls, but when you factor in the battery in the case, you can get a whopping 60 hours of use time before you need to power them back up. That’s an incomprehensibly long battery life when you consider that many sports headphones only last for 10 hours or less before needing a boost.

With this one feature, the OpenRock S make themselves invaluable for people doing long expeditions and trips, who want to listen to music but might not have reliable access to a charging point.

Not all the features of the headphones are this commendable though. One I’ll flag is OneOdio’s attempt to utilize adjustable EQ: pressing and holding both buds’ touch controls at once will toggle you between ‘Rock’ and ‘Relax’ modes. Sounds useful for whatever kind of exercise you’re doing, right?

Not quite right. Ignoring what I’ve already said about the messy touch controls, the difference between these two modes is incredibly minor. What’s worse, is that you can’t actually change the mode when you’re on a call or listening to music – you have to turn that off before you change the mode, making it harder to perceive the EQ changes. An app would work so much better for this function, but the OpenRock doesn’t have one.

• Features score: 3.5/5

OpenRock S review: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

• The design doesn't lend itself to great audio fidelity
• OneOdio's TubeBass only succeeds ensuring there's any bass
• Max volume is very low

Given the nature of air conduction technology, it’s understandable if you’d expect the OpenRock S to struggle in the audio performance department compared to other fitness bud rivals… and you’d be right.

The biggest issue I faced during the testing period is that the OpenRock S was just too quiet, even at max volume. The point of the tech is to let you hear surrounding sounds, but sometimes that’s all I could hear – for example at the gym, it was sometimes hard to hear parts of a song over the sound of surrounding treadmills, and when wearing the buds near a road, traffic could drown out a song. To be clear, this isn’t an issue I had with the OpenRock Pro to the same degree.

Of course, you don’t want to be deafened by earbuds, especially since air conduction tech could easily disturb people around you if it were too loud. But OneOdio would only have improved the buds by letting them crank out a few more decibels.

When you can hear them properly, the OpenRock S sound just fine – audiophiles won’t be impressed but with the drivers dangled close to your ears instead of directly in them you’re not getting the same treatment as you would for in-ear earbuds or headphones. Yes, the tech is improving a lot, but these earbuds aren't the best example of great sound in an open design.

OneOdio has a tech called TubeBass which offsets some of the issues of air conduction, as it’s designed to enhance bass. However its benefits can only go so far.

As I mentioned before, there are two sound profiles you can toggle between. Rock mode is the one I’d recommend – relaxed is just too tinny.

• Performance score: 3/5

OpenRock S review: scorecard OpenRock S: Should I buy them?

(Image credit: Future) Buy them if...

Battery life is important to you

The OpenRock S battery life is so good that it makes almost all other sports headphones feel rubbish in comparison. An easy recommendation here.

A lightweight bud is important

Depending on your sport, lightweight headphones might be much more valuable than good-sounding ones. The OpenRock S are easily the former, not so much the latter.

You need to hear your surroundings

The central feature of air conduction works well here (if anything, too well). Using these, you'll be able to hear traffic and people around you.

Don't buy them if...

You care about music quality

If loud, booming tunes are all you need for a good workout, you'll find that the OpenRock S doesn't really impress in that regard.

You need a svelte carry case

If you prefer to travel light at all times, you might find the OpenRock S' carry case is a little unwieldy. It won't fit in clothes or bag pockets very easily.

You rely on touch controls

If you want earbuds with stellar touch controls, so you can ignore your phone on a workout, avoid the OpenRock. The touch controls are too unreliable.

Also consider

(Image credit: Future)

OpenRock Pro

The OpenRock S' predecessor (and higher-end sibling) costs more and has a lesser battery life. However the audio sounds a little better, the fit is tighter (and therefore a little cosier) and the travel case is much smaller and lighter too.

Read our full OpenRock Pro review

Shokz OpenFit

These are perhaps the OpenRock Pro's closest rivals, as alternative air conduction headphones. They're smaller, lighter and better-sounding, but don't have as impressive battery lives and the fit isn't as customizable.

Read our full Shokz OpenFit review

How I tested

The full testing period for the OpenRock S ended up being well over a month, and while that was partly due to an illness which meant I couldn't test these buds for exercise purposes for the entire period, it does mean I got to use them a lot.

I tested the buds in the following ways: while cycling through a city along roads, while running in busy and quiet areas, while in gyms on various pieces of equipment, and also when at home in an otherwise-quiet area. I really put the OneRock S through their paces, with different activities and in different environments.

Mainly I streamed music through an Android smartphone, but I did test calling and video calls with them too. I also tested them side-by-side with the OpenRock Pro, to fully test out how they compare.

I've been writing for TechRadar for almost five years now, for several as a full member of team and several more as a freelance tester. I've tried various pieces of fitness equipment including earbuds, headphones, smartwatches, fitness trackers and sleep headphones and also tablets, smartphones, ereaders, speakers, scooters and a lot more.

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed: Two-minute review

The Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is a wireless gaming mouse in Razer’s asymmetrical range with pro-level play in mind. It adopts a small and sleek form, with an offset shape that slopes away to the right, giving it a more ergonomic feel. It’s relatively small too, especially across its width, although it’s the same length as a typical full-size pointer.

At a mere 55g, the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is very light – but it’s far from flimsy: Razer’s typically high standards are adhered to, and it feels robust.

The chassis material feels premium too, and although it’s not textured, the finish offers just enough grip on its own without requiring grip tape – which is convenient since none is included.

The buttons and scroll wheel also feel solid yet are as easy to operate as any of the best gaming mice, providing satisfying feedback. The texturing on the latter is a particular highlight, with its dotted design appealing to me more than the linear grooves you typically find on many other gaming mice.

Underneath the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed are two large PTFE skates (no spares are included), which cover a large surface area and offer very smooth glides. They aren’t thick enough to use on hard surfaces – but stick to using it on pads and you’ll be rewarded with effortless movements.

(Image credit: Future)

The USB-C cable included with the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is of a similarly high quality, although it isn’t braided like those included with some elite gaming mice. It’s also not long enough to be practical for wired play; and even if your setup allows for it, it’s not light enough to prevent drag, although admittedly the effect isn’t as severe as with other non-braided cables.

The DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed can be customized using Razer Synapse, the brand’s peripheral software. Here you’ll find many of the usual tweaks, with plenty of rebinding options for nearly every button, including the power and DPI selector underneath.

The left click isn’t rebindable unless you activate Razer’s Hypershift function, which allows you to designate one button as a modifier to give you access to a second layer of bindings.

Synapse also has some unique features for the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed, such as Dynamic Sensitivity, which lets you customize the curve for cursor acceleration based on the speed of your flicks. There’s also a setting for rotating the mouse’s angle to match the natural way you hold it, in order to help straighten horizontal movements.

Both of these will be useful to certain gamers I’m sure, but it’s a shame other advanced tweaks for the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed are missing, such as a slam click filter, lift-off distance adjustments, and an angle-snapping toggle.

Regardless of these omissions, however, the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is still a joy to play with. It feels sharp and responsive, which combined with its smooth-as-silk gliding ability, allow for accurate aiming and frantic swipes equally.

(Image credit: Future)

I found the ergonomic shape comfortable as well, which I was pleasantly surprised by – I haven’t always gelled with mice of this ilk in the past, but the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed proved a natural fit for my hand and fingers.

What’s more, the mouse buttons were light enough for rapid clicks, yet stable enough to prevent misclicks. The side buttons were easy to access and actuate, while the scroll wheel felt easy yet secure to operate; I could middle click confidently without worrying about accidental flicks.

However, I did have an issue with the middle click, which felt a little awkward to press, failing to provide as much feedback as I would’ve liked. This resulted in inconsistent actuation, especially in the heat of the moment.

Thankfully, connectivity was consistent, and true to the HyperSpeed name, I experienced no issues with lag. It’s a shame, however, that there’s no Bluetooth option in addition to the 2.4GHz USB dongle, which would’ve improved its versatility for multi-device setups.

Razer claims the battery of the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed can last up to 100 hours when set to the maximum 1K polling rate (although 8K is possible with the optional HyperPolling dongle). Based on my tests, I can well believe this figure, as after several days, the battery dipped by only a few percentage points.

There’s no question the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is an expensive gaming mouse, but its build quality and gaming prowess are excellent, and while the shape might not suit everyone, others will find it comfortable. A Pro version is available, which has a few upgraded specs, but the same basic form. Naturally, it’s more expensive.

If you want an even lighter gaming mouse, the Asus TUF Gaming M4 Air is about the best in this regard. It’s a great performer and considerably cheaper than the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed – although it lacks wireless connectivity.

(Image credit: Future) Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed review: Price & availability

• $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$179.95
• Available now in black only
• Competitively priced

The Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed costs $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$179.95 and is available now in one colorway: black. It comes with a 2.4GHz HyperSpeed USB dongle and a USB-C-to-A cable. Razer’s HyperPolling dongle can be purchased separately to boost the maximum polling rate all the way up to 8K.

For a wireless gaming mouse, the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed veers towards the top-end of the market, but considering the quality on offer, it remains competitive. A Pro version is also available, which we rate as the best wireless gaming mouse overall, thanks to its performance and ergonomics – the latter of which it shares with the V3 HyperSpeed. It’s more expensive, though, and slightly heavier.

If you’re looking for an even lighter pointer than the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed, the Asus TUF Gaming M4 Air is a great alternative, as it tips the scales at a mere 50g. It’s also much cheaper than, but lacks wireless connectivity. Still, you can’t do much better than the M4 Air if you want powerhouse performance in a featherweight package.

Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed review: Specs Should I buy the Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed? Buy it if...

You want something light
At 55g, the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is certainly light, yet still retains a full-size length. It’s a little narrower than other gaming mice, though.

You want a semi-ergonomic shape
The rightwards slope of the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is reminiscent of ergonomic mice, so some gamers might find it more comfortable to use.

Don't buy it if...

You want pro-level tweaking
Although Synapse is a capable piece of software, more advanced tweaks are missing for the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed, such as a slam click filter and LoD adjustments.

You’re left-handed
The DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is asymmetrical and only suitable for right-handers, so lefties will have to look elsewhere.

Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed review: Also consider

Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro
The Pro version of the HyperSpeed has an upgraded sensor capable of a 30K DPI – 4K more than the HyperSpeed can manage. It also has faster IPS speeds and acceleration, although it’s almost 10g heavier and more expensive. Still, it’s simply the best wireless gaming mouse we’ve experienced. Read our Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro review.

Asus TUF Gaming M4 Air
The TUF Gaming M4 Air only weighs 50g, so if lightness is a priority for you, there aren’t many better. What’s more, we found its form very comfortable and its switches nice and responsive, if a little on the heavy side. We also rate it as the best mouse for CS:GO and CS2 in the lightweight category. What’s more, it’s considerably cheaper than the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed, although it’s wired-only. Read our Asus TUF Gaming M4 Air review.

How I tested the Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed

• Tested for several days
• Played games and browsed
• Plentiful PC gaming experience

I tested the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed for several days, during which time I used it for gaming and general browsing.

I played Counter-Strike 2, which is a stern test for any mouse, given it requires incredibly fast movements yet pinpoint accuracy when aiming.

I have been PC gaming for over a decade, and during that time I have experienced a great deal of mice ranging in price, size, and features. I have reviewed numerous models as well, including other Razer products.

• Read more about how we test
• First reviewed: April 2025

Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1): One-minute review

Smart rings are having a moment, and the Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1) wants in. While it’s not technically the brand's first ring, this version is being positioned as its first official release. It’s entering a space packed with competition, from premium names like Oura to value picks like the Amazfit Helio. So, how does it hold up?

The Luna Ring gets quite a lot right. It’s comfortable to wear day and night, tracks sleep and health metrics well, and offers genuinely helpful insights in the app – I liked the explanations of why scores or stats were outside of my usual range and a little “Health Monitor” dashboard gives you a quick glance at your key vitals.

But it also feels like a work in progress. The app is packed with info, but the copy and UI still need refinement. The design isn’t as sleek as some rivals – my gold version looked a little chunky and plasticky – and the battery life is a little less than rivals. There are also some quirks, like a clunky AI chatbot and occasional syncing glitches.

That said, Noise seems to know this. A second-gen version is already on the way, with promised upgrades to charging, battery, stress tracking, and design. I’m already feeling pretty confident it’ll enter our best smart rings guide in a strong position.

However, that leaves the Gen 1 I’m reviewing here in a tricky spot. Because I liked it, but with Gen 2 on the horizon and stronger rivals already on shelves, it’s hard to recommend right now – unless you’re specifically avoiding subscriptions and are happy to support an evolving brand.

Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1) review: Price and availability

(Image credit: Noise Luna ring)

• Available now for $300 / around £234 / AU$500
• Pricier than a lot of the competition
• Comes in several colors

The Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1) is priced at $300 / around £234 / AU$500, and comes in silver, gold, matte black, rose gold, and shiny black.

It’s cheaper than the Oura Ring Gen 4, which starts at $349 / £349, though premium finishes cost more – and Oura requires a monthly subscription for full feature access. The Samsung Galaxy Ring is more expensive than both at $399 / £399 / AU$749.

However, it’s significantly more expensive than budget-friendly rivals, like the Amazfit Helio Ring (around $199.99 / £169 / AU$269), which I recently tested and rated highly as a more affordable choice.

While not as expensive as the more premium picks, it’s still bold pricing for a new player. And while the Luna Ring holds its own in some ways, it’s hard to justify that price when refinement and hardware polish fall just a little short.

• Value score: 3.5 / 5

Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1) review: Specifications Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1) review: Design

(Image credit: Noise Luna Ring review)

• 3-4g depending on the size you get
• A very comfortable fit
• Felt a tad less refined than rivals

The Luna Ring is lightweight and comfortable, even for sleep tracking – and that’s no small thing. I wore it 24/7 during testing and rarely noticed it was there.

That said, it’s a little chunkier than rivals like the Oura or Amazfit Helio rings, standing off my finger slightly more despite being the correct size. Only ever so slightly, but that’s still significant on a ring this size. I ended up wearing it on my index finger for this reason, where it felt the most balanced.

(Image credit: Noise Luna Ring)

I was sent the gold version, and personally, I wasn’t a fan. The shiny gold finish cheapened the look and made the ring feel plasticky. I think other colorways would be a better bet for most people and there are plenty to choose from here – though be warned that matte finishes do tend to scratch more easily in my experience.

As ever, design is subjective. I know a lot of people like the bold, gold and shiny look. But Luna’s overall build feels just a tad less premium than the top smart rings on the market, especially considering the price. It’s worth mentioning here that the Noise team tells us the Gen 2 version will be smaller and lighter.

• Design score: 3.5 / 5

Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1) review: Features

(Image credit: Noise Luna Ring)

• Loads of data tracked
• LunaAI assistant needs work
• Adequate workout tracking

The Luna Ring tracks a wide range of metrics from its tiny sensors, including sleep stages and sleep score, resting heart rate (RHR), respiratory rate, HRV (heart rate variability), blood oxygen (SpO2), temperature changes, stress, activity score, readiness score and more.

That’s everything you'd expect from a full-featured health tracker, and the Health Monitor dashboard is a particularly nice touch. It gives you a quick snapshot of how your core metrics are doing day to day, without needing to scroll through graphs. I found myself using it regularly, especially when I didn’t want to dive into the data.

The ring also includes basic workout tracking, with activity options like walking, running, cycling, football, and freestyle modes. It’s not built for serious training – no smart ring is yet – but the inclusion is still useful. You can also sync workouts from third-party apps via Google Fit and Apple Health.

Then there’s LunaAI, which is a chatbot-style assistant baked into the app. It’s clearly a flagship feature for the brand, but right now, it feels undercooked. It can provide explanations for sleep and recovery metrics, and even build basic workout plans. But when it told me I’d “exceeded my sleep by 27,690 seconds,” I wasn’t exactly blown away. Technically true, but not exactly meaningful, similar to the AI insights on Garmin Connect+. It’s more a glossary and content hub than a true AI assistant.

As for the app itself, I really liked it. The layout is intuitive, the calming colors are nice, and the home screen dashboard feels Oura-inspired in a good way. On the home screen you'll find everything you need to know about your day and how you’re doing. Then along the menu bar your data is divided into Sleep, Readiness and Activity, all of this is on the home page, but you can dig deeper in each of the dedicated sections.

My only bugbear with the app is the copy could use refinement. Some of the text sounds clunky and is oddly worded and also looks quite tiny, which takes the shine off what is otherwise a premium-feeling experience.

• Features score: 4 / 5

Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1) review: Performance

(Image credit: Noise Luna ring)

• Good sleep tracking
• Nice contextual insights
• Disappointing 3-4 days battery life

Overall, performance was solid, especially when it came to sleep tracking, which is clearly a key focus for the Luna Ring. It accurately picked up my sleep and wake times, even on restless nights (which many trackers have missed). You get detailed sleep stage breakdowns, insight into what’s affecting your score, and helpful trends over time. The sleep planner is also a great addition, letting you set sleep and wake targets to build a more consistent routine – perfect if you’re trying to reset your sleep habits.

Activity tracking is more of a mixed bag. There are several workout modes available, but none dedicated to strength training or yoga – my two go-to workouts. That said, the freestyle mode delivers decent data, including duration, calories burned, max and min heart rate, and a well-designed bar graph showing your time in heart rate zones. If more activity types were included, you'd likely get more accurate calorie data, but as a general log, it’s fine. Syncing with Apple Health or Google Fit helps fill in the gaps if you’re already using another fitness platform.

Accuracy overall was strong. I tested the Luna Ring alongside several other smart rings and wearables, and the data for heart rate and sleep consistently matched up. Step counts were slightly underreported at times, but never dramatically so.

Connectivity was decent once things were set up. I ran into a few syncing issues during setup and when the battery was running low, but after that it was mostly smooth sailing. Bluetooth pairing worked reliably, and the app refreshed with new data quickly.

One feature I genuinely appreciated was the contextual insights. When, for example, my temperature deviated from its usual range, the app didn’t just flash a warning – it explained what might cause the change and how to address it. This kind of guidance makes the Luna Ring feel smarter than many other wearables, which often highlight problems without offering any helpful next steps.

That said, the in-app advice's tone and wording could use some polishing to better match the premium feel Noise is aiming for. At times, the wording felt slightly robotic or abrupt. For example, when some of my data synced, the app flagged it with a red alert that simply said “Pay attention”, which felt vague and a bit cold, especially in that context.

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)

Another time I received a “Proceed as planned” message after a strong readiness score. Technically accurate, but it lacked warmth or context, making the experience feel slightly jarring. I don’t expect emotional support from a wearable, but I do expect the language to feel well-considered and aligned with the rest of the experience. Right now, the tone just doesn’t quite land. Other wearables strike a better balance here.

Battery life, however, is one of the Luna Ring's weak spots. Luna claims 5–6 days, but I consistently got just under 4. That’s significantly shorter than the Oura Ring 4 (6 days), Ultrahuman Ring Air (6–7 days), and even the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Ring (up to 7 days). Battery life is crucial in a smart ring – the whole appeal is wearing it 24/7, and frequent charging breaks that flow. This is one of the areas the brand says it will improve in Gen 2, and it absolutely needs to.

Charging is handled via a small base, which requires placing the ring in a very specific position to connect. It’s not intuitive at first, but becomes second nature with regular use – still, a snap-on charger would be much easier.

• Performance: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Noise Luna Ring) Scorecard Should I buy the Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1)? Buy it if…

You’re looking for an Oura alternative without a subscription
It’s a little cheaper than the Oura, and you don’t need to pay to subscribe, which is a plus.

You want a ring that goes beyond basic stats
I felt like the explanations and info presented here could genuinely help me make positive changes rather than bombard me with stats.

You’re comfortable supporting a product that’s still evolving
Let’s be clear, it’s good. It just has that Gen 1 feel because, well, it is and a newer version is on the way soon.

Don’t buy it if…

You’re on a budget: There are cheaper smart rings that offer many of the same metrics and will give you a similar experience.

You’re not in a rush: A Gen 2 version is already on the way imminently with some design and feature upgrades that could address many of my issues with the Gen 1.

You expect premium hardware at this price: It doesn’t quite match up to the best rings on offer, but it’s not too far off.

Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1): Also consider

Oura Ring 4

A more refined smart ring experience, with great app design, color options, and accurate tracking. But it’s pricier – and you’ll need a subscription to unlock all the features.

Read our full Oura Ring 4 review

Amazfit Helio Ring

A surprisingly capable smart ring at a lower price point. It lacks some of the health insights of premium rings, but it’s a great option for fitness fans on a budget.

Read our full Amazfit Helio review

How I tested the Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1)

(Image credit: Noise Luna Ring)

• Paired with an iPhone 14 Pro
• Wore the ring 24/7
• Tested loads of wearables over 12+ years

I tested the Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1) for several weeks, paired with an iPhone 14 Pro. I wore it 24/7 – through outdoor runs, gym sessions, long workdays in coffee shops, evenings at home, and while sleeping. The only time I took it off was for charging and showers (even though it’s waterproof, I didn’t want to risk soap and shampoo interfering with the sensors).

I’ve tested dozens of wearables over the past decade, including smart rings from Oura, Ultrahuman, RingConn, Motiv, and more. Having worn so many, I’ve got a strong sense of what makes a smart ring truly useful – from design and comfort to performance, app quality, and long-term wearability.

• First reviewed in April 2025

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Sony WF-C710N: Two-minute review

Sony's WF-C710N earbuds find themselves in a similar spot to The White Album in 1968: you want to better the absolute barn-stormer that was Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band a mere year later? Good luck. But of course, the Beatles managed it (was it transcendental meditation, or was it simply a clean mind?). So, has Sony done the same with its update on the WF-C700N? Yes and no, Dear Prudence. And given that Sony actually had two years to work on its follow-up, that may not feel enough initially.

The model the C710N are based on topped our pick of the best noise-cancelling earbuds in the budget space for over a year following their release, until Nothing's (a)-suffixed set of buds came in and did almost everything the Sony buds did just that little bit better – and looked slightly classier doing it. And although there are improvements here, a few in-app foibles and initial pairing issues left me struggling to find a reason to pick the Sony WF-C710N over the rivals… until I tested the ANC.

Here, Sony has truly upped its game. On a packed commuter train, I drifted off into my own happy bubble of music. I genuinely didn't expect the blissfully quiet backdrop they served up. The uptick in ANC efficacy is almost certainly aided by the extra mic in each earpiece, but however Sony achieved it, it's commendable.

Also, (because I'm still talking about those mics), call quality is very good for the money here, thanks to Sony's new AI-enhanced voice pickup technology. So, if you regularly take calls on your earbuds, there's an extra value add.

The overall sound profile and fit? It's still good despite the size increase – but it's not better than the outgoing model (Sony has essentially said that little about the driver and acoustic setup changed), so if you've picked up the older set for a discount, you may be tempted to stick with them unless you need that improved ANC.

In fact, other than the much-improved noise cancellation, it's a case of incremental upgrades rather than anything headline-grabbing or ground-breaking.

Yes, there's now a 'Find Your Equalizer' tab, but it works by asking you to pick from a selection of pre-made sound profiles rather than dishing out any otoacoustic tests or splodges to denote where your hearing might be lacking, unlike JBL's Personi-Fi or Nothing Ear's hearing tests (although it's true that you have to pay a little more to get those). The two basic 'Which do you prefer?' tests offered by the WF-C710N don't feel quite as comprehensive, detailed, or involved as those rivals.

See the wires in the case? (Image credit: Future)

Also back for 2025 is Sony's entry-level DSEE upscaler, so Spotify streams will sound better, plus there's that Sony-special 360 Reality Audio support. However, since Tidal parted ways with the format, your only source options for listening to this particular spatial-audio-adjacent offering now are Amazon Music Unlimited and Nugs.net.

Do I still like the new transparent blue colorway now that I've tested it? Not as much as I'd wanted to. The shiny plastic avidly collects fingerprint smudges, and at the risk of stating the bleedin' obvious (as these cases have almost always been plastic, dear reader), this one feels overly plastic. It's also a little bigger than the older model. That said, Sony's more traditional matte black, off-white and pink colorways are available too.

For sound, there's no addition of LDAC, but they're still a solid listen with good volume and energy levels, albeit sacrificing a modicum of dynamic nuance, detail and sonic placement to get there. They're still good for the level, but that's my point, good is simply no longer great in budget 2025 noise-cancelling earbuds.

To really hammer it home: in 2023, when the WF-C710N's predecessor made its grand entrance, earbuds bearing these kinds of features had never been seen at that level. But the competition really upped its game in the following 24 months, didn't it? One can even buy inexpensive open earbuds with excellent ANC now (see the Honor Earbuds Open), something unheard of, even considered impossible, until very recently. So, the fact that these Sony earbuds fit well, boast slightly better stamina and offer auto-off isn't quite enough to trounce the competition these days. But the ANC? If you prioritise noise-nixing, that'll make up the difference…

Sony WF-C710N review: Price & release date

• Released on March 25, 2025
• Priced $119 / £100 / AU$189

Yes, Sony has won this territory before (see the April 2023-issue Sony WF-C700N I keep going on about), but that was before the excellent Nothing Ear (a) arrived, a year later in 2024.

The fact that Sony released these follow-up earbuds at the same MSRP as their older counterparts is welcome but unsurprising news: we've seen it with everything from AirPods to Bluetooth speakers. Why? Because competition is rife, and once-flagship tech (comprehensive ANC, wearer detection, EQ tweaks, spatial audio tech, customisable on-ear functions, and so on) keeps trickling down to entry-level products.

If you've done even a little research into this end of the market, you'll know the current class leader is the Nothing Ear (a) mentioned above, with the insanely cheap $30 / £30 / AU$70 JLab Go Pop ANC or even the $69 / £59 / AU$110 (approx.) Earfun Air 2 NC not far behind.

So have the few extra perks offered by the new WF-C710N – slightly better battery, an auto-off feature, improved call quality, a rudimentary equalizer test and much better noise cancellation – trounced the Nothings? Depending on your priorities, yes, but it's all about that last point…

See the mesh over the mic? (Image credit: Future) Sony WF-C710N review: Specs

(Image credit: Future) Sony WF-C710N review: Features

• Dual noise sensor tech (feedback and feedforward mics) for ANC
• Auto-off is a welcome addition
• AI-enhanced voice pickup for clearer calls

Let's start with the above bullet points: call-handling? It was good before, but it's even better now. That's thanks to the implementation of AI-enhanced voice pickup technology, which works a treat even on crowded, windy and rainy London Soho streets during rush hour (trust me on this one).

Wearer detection for auto-off is perhaps the biggest usability perk added this time around, which means music pauses when you remove one bud (or both) and resumes once you put it back in. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but once you're used to it, you'll always be reaching for buds that can do it.

OK, so Sony's 360 Reality Audio – 24 object-based channels arranged in a 360-degree soundstage (launched back in 2019) – isn't the big ticket feature it used to be, since few streaming platforms support it and Tidal waved goodbye to its support in July 2024.

As noted, Sony's Headphones Connect app is gone, but it's been replaced by the Sony Sound Connect app. Adaptive Sound Control still takes the wheel as far as noise profiles go, optimized according to what you're doing – yes, they know when you're 'Staying'. And although you can't manually up the noise cancellation levels on the fly (although you can tailor the ambient awareness on a slider from 1-20), if you tap the cog under 'Optimize switching for you', you can tailor each sound profile according to your actions. So if you want Adaptive ANC to kick in on your commute, here's how you do it.

That extra mic has paid dividends because the WF-C710N's dual noise sensor tech (feedback and feedforward mics) provides much more robust noise-cancellation performance. On a packed train from London to Dorset, I was struck by how cocooned in my music I felt.

Any omissions worth mentioning? Although there's multi-point to two devices now (you can toggle it off if you want, but why would you?), there's still no LDAC support. Why mention this? Because the WF-C710N's main rival, the Nothing Ear (a) do boast it.

Also, while there's now a 'Find Your Equalizer' tab in the app, it's a little basic compared to any hearing tests to create splodge-type graphs of your hearing profile you might have tried. Essentially, playing your choice of music, there are five profiles to pick from, and then a further four based on your initial pick. It's more than the older model offered, but given the lengths the competition is going to these days (see JBL, Nothing and Denon to name a few, and, of course, the AirPods Pro 2, for a surcharge), it feels a little basic. Yes, the WF-C710N are budget earbuds, but the Nothing Ear with their lengthy hearing tests are roughly the same price now…

• Features score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future) Sony WF-C710N review: Sound quality

• Agile, fun, energetic listen
• Minor treble distortion if we're being picky
• LDAC would be a great addition

The sound, as with the older option, is good for the money, but there are incremental gains to be had here. The opening keys in Grian Chatten's All of the People are textured and three-dimensional. There's a human quality to the depressing of each key that most entry-level earbuds cannot convey through the upper midrange.

Out of the box, the older WF-C700N feel just a little congested and treble-centric in direct comparison – although it took me a while to set up this comparative test, since once paired to either set of buds, my phone flat-out refused to pair to its siblings, and I'm still unsure why. Anyway, the Beatles' Helter Skelter is a great test of the stereo imaging, and with the C710N, drums sit dutifully in my right ear (until the fill, when the kick drum darts between each ear) as the driving bass sits in my left concha with pinpoint precision.

In more layered, complex and groove-heavy tracks (Michael Jackson's Billie Jean, for instance), timing and musicality are bang on across the frequencies. I can detect a minor shortfall in dynamic nuance to get all of that exuberance and volume – these are loud and proud earbuds, and for the most part, that's great news. There's just a small compromise to be made in the leading edges of lower-mids and bass notes, and just a shred of distortion through the treble, very occasionally.

Look, I'm nitpicking – and I'm better able to do it because the noise cancellation here provides such a glorious backdrop. Of course, you can tweak the sonic curve to your liking in the Sound Connect app, but it's important to note that, by default, these are zealous, unafraid earbuds. Compare them to the excellent Technics EAH-AZ100 and you'll get a greater rise and fall through each pensive, building musical passage in Dom Sigales' The Ghost is Me, with exhalations of breath, jagged keys, and waves of strings given an extra ounce of due diligence to be impactful. It's hardly a fair test given the price difference (the EAH-AZ100 retail for $299 / £259 / AU$479), but it's important to note that the sound is very good here for the money, rather than just very good, period.

• Sound quality score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future) Sony WF-C710N review: Design

• Bigger but still ergonomic earpieces
• Case is a little bigger – and a little cheap?
• Capacitive touch controls aren't very customisable

These are still some of the most comfortable earbuds I've had the pleasure of wearing (besides the aforementioned Technics), even though the buds and case are bigger this time around. While 4.6g to 5.4g may not sound like much of a size increase, it is noticeable. Given that the WF-C700N really were small, that's perhaps not such a bad thing, depending on your ears.

I still found them easy to fit. That said, the shinier plastic of my glass blue colorway did affect the in-ear security, and the right one fell out on a train. I don't think the fit was an issue, as they feel beautifully weighted and slipped easily into my ears with very little work. I think I just need a more matte, brushed plastic finish – and that is available.

See the difference in case (and earpiece) size, against the WF-C700N (Image credit: Future)

One potential bone of contention is the case: it's bigger – well, deeper – than the older WF-C700N case, and it feels a shade off high-end. Do I love the transparent finish? I'm not sure. Seeing the little red, yellow and black cables under the casework is novel, but the overall aesthetic feels a bit (dare I say it) cheap and cheerful, compared to the way Nothing has implemented transparent sections within its earbuds design language.

And the physical button is gone. I liked it, but it seems I'm in the minority. And to be honest, the new touch capacitive sensor is aided by a slightly larger concave top plate to help your finger find it, and it works fairly reliably.

My main gripe with this? You can now control volume in addition to playback, sound modes, and access to a virtual assistant, but a little more scope for customisation on what each tap does would be a huge bonus. Right now, the only way to up the volume a little is a quadruple press on the right earbud, and a quadruple press on the left lowers it just a tad. As you can probably imagine, these constant quick presses are hit-and-miss. Ah, well – and it hurts your tragus and external auditory meatus (the bit right before your ear canal) a little, after a while.

• Design score: 4/5

The case is quite a bit deeper than the previous model (Image credit: Future) Sony WF-C710N review: Value

• For ANC, there's real value-for-money here
• 360 Reality Audio isn't the draw it once was – LDAC would be excellent
• Nothing's products look and feel more premium

Before the Nothing Ear (a) arrived, with their LDAC and great audio quality, I'd have no issue recommending the Sony WF-C710N above all else. But times have changed. Nothing's earbuds are here, and they are impossible to ignore.

The design of the Sony WF-C710N is fine rather than groundbreaking, and the feature set is good, although 360 Reality Audio support is not the big draw it once was.

Then again, here I sit at our shared table-slash-desk, my partner hitting the keys of his MacBook Pro keyboard heavily, because he's under a tight deadline and is stressed. Can I hear him? Not really. And there's the value, folks – because I've never heard ANC this good for this money…

• Value score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Sony WF-C710N? Buy them if...

You need great ANC for budget money
These earbuds are some of the most gifted at noise-nixing as I've tried for the money, thanks to that new mic array.

You have an Amazon Music Unlimited account
Link Amazon Music Play Now (after taking photos of your ears, all guided by the app) and you unlock Sony's proprietary 360 Reality Audio for Sony's own spatial audio solution.

You like earbuds that pause the music when you take one out
The WF-C710N now have wearer detection, and you love to see it.

Don't buy them if...

You prioritize on-ear volume control
You can do it, but you still need to press each bud four times quickly to get an incremental increase or decrease. It's a bit much.

You're expecting buds the same size as the C700N
There's a difference: the C710N are a little bigger and heavier owing to that extra mic and capacitive touch plate

You want LDAC
No dice, sadly. You'll need to look to Nothing's Ear (a)

Sony WF-C710N review: Also consider

Nothing Ear (a)
The battery life isn't as good, and the ANC is close but no cigar. But if you need a better level of dust- and waterproofing and want LDAC audio support, these buds are oh-so-stylish and just slightly cheaper than the Sony WF-C710N.
Read our Nothing Ear (a) review for more information

Sony WF-C510
What if you want quality Sony sound in Sony's smallest earbuds (smaller than the WF-C710N) and even better battery life, because you don't care about ANC? This is the model you need, and you'll save money. But just to be clear, the noise cancellation is the WF-C710N is very good… 
See our Sony WF-C510 review for the full scoop

How I tested the Sony WF-C710N

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested for two weeks, compared against the Sony WF-C700N and Technics EAH-AZ100
• Used in the office, walking through London, on a train, and at home
• Listened to Apple Music Lossless tracks, Qobuz, Deezer and Spotify on an iPhone 12 Pro and a MacBook Pro

As always when testing portable earbuds, the Sony WF-C710N became my musical companions for two weeks – after a thorough 48-hour run-in period.

They accompanied me to work (walking brusquely to Weymouth station at an ungodly hour; boarding a train to London Waterloo; and at the office – yes, I really do this) and throughout a long weekend at Seaham, collecting sea glass from the stunning County Durham shoreline.

To better test the comfort and battery life claims of the Sony WF-C710N, I wore them throughout the working day on numerous occasions – and as you can see from the above over-share, my working days can be long.

To get through it all, I listened to various playlists (spanning everything from Korn to Dom Sigalas) on Apple Music and Tidal, but also to podcasts and albums on Qobuz and Deezer – and YouTube tutorials (mostly about making music on Cubase and using Cakewalk, since you ask) from my MacBook Pro.

I’ve been testing audio products for well over five years now. As a dancer, aerialist and musical theater performer in another life, sound quality, fit and user experience have always taken priority for me personally – but having heard how wonderful ANC can be when done well, I know what to look for.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: April 2025