Reviews

JBL Boombox 4: two-minute review

The JBL Boombox 4 is the latest high-end option in JBL’s popular consumer Bluetooth speaker lineup, and so has some pretty big shoes to fill. Its predecessor, the JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi has become a mainstay recommendation for anyone searching for one of the best Bluetooth speakers on audio forums or social media thanks to its durable design, impressive sound, and decent level of portability.

All of these qualities remain true in this slightly more expensive follow-up, so the biggest question is whether the JBL Boombox 4 is actually an upgrade. For my money, the answer is yes.

Where the Boombox 3 offered a three-way system with a dedicated subwoofer, the Boombox 4 relies on a two-way system that replaces the subwoofer with a passive radiator. On paper this might seem like a bit of a downgrade, but in the real world the Boombox 4 sounds just as clear as the 3 Wi-Fi, though actually enhanced by noticeably richer bass.

It’s also significantly louder, capable of reaching up to an eardrum decimating 105dB – that’s about as loud as your average car horn and more than enough to ensure it can be heard across even large outdoor venues. Just be warned that the sound starts to hollow out the closer you get to these absurd volumes, though that’s to be expected in a speaker of this relatively modest 20 x 10 x 8inch / 51 x 26 x 21cm size.

(Image credit: Future)

I’m sure some audiophiles will argue the Boombox 4 reproduces sound less faithfully than the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi overall and that some of the mid-range is sacrificed for this loud and booming tuning. To that I would say go buy a Bose Soundlink Max, and steer clear of a product line that’s explicitly designed for party settings where loudness and bass are king.

Unlike the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi, there’s also no audible difference in performance when the Boombox 4 is unplugged (on paper you do lose about 5W of power in each of the two woofers, though I would challenge anyone to notice without a spectrogram) which makes it a more practical pick for events.

Adding to that practically is the fact that the JBL Boombox 4 is also more futureproof than any older model to date. It features a user replaceable battery (make sure you buy the JBL Battery 600, as there are a few similar looking models on the official website) so you don’t need to worry about your expensive speaker becoming e-waste after a few years thanks to battery degradation.

JBL even now sells battery charging cradles that allow you to keep a topped up cell on hand as a useful spare. You’re also getting Auracast support, letting you pair it up easily with any compatible models, such as the recently released JBL Grip or JBL Flip 7.

Are all these changes enough for existing Boombox 3 Wi-Fi owners to justify running out to drop $549.95 / £449.99 /AU$699.95 on a new speaker? I don’t think so given the lofty price tag, but if you’re buying for the first time, then this new version is a clear, and forward-thinking, choice.

JBL Boombox 4 review: price and release date

• Costs $549.95 / £449.99 /AU$699.95
• Launched in September 2025
• Has already dropped by almost $100 / £100

The JBL Boombox 4 launched in September 2025 and retails for $549.95 / £449.99 /AU$699.95 officially. That’s about $100 / £100 more than you can find the older JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi right now, though you should note that the Boombox 4 has already received some significant discounts at times.

Indeed, at the time of writing it can be yours for $449.95 / £355.99 via the official JBL website, with the potential for even better deals at retailers like Amazon – this goes great way towards close the gap between the two models.

At similar prices, the JBL Boombox 4 is the best bet as it boasts newer features like the Auracast support, plus louder sound, richer bass, and that user replaceable battery for longevity.

The JBL Boombox 4 is available in three colorways: the green camo inspired Squad, a cheerful Blue, and rather basic Black

JBL Boombox 4 review: specs

Weight

13lbs / 5.89kg

Dimensions

20 x 10 x 8inch / 51 x 26 x 21cm

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C (lossless)

Battery life

Up to 28 hours

Speaker drivers

2 x 65W RMS Woofer, 2 x 40W RMS Tweeter (on battery power) / 2 x 60W RMS Woofer, 2 x 40W RMS Tweeter (on AC power)

Waterproofing

IP68

(Image credit: Future)JBL Boombox 4 review: features

• Two bass boost modes with basic lighting
• Playtime boost for extended battery life
• Auracast support and robust companion app

The JBL Boombox 4 is loaded with all the bells and whistles that you would expect from a modern JBL speaker. There’s Bluetooth 5.4 support, plus the option to use a USB-C cable for lossless audio playback (or even charge your phone in a pinch).

It’s got Auracast with a pairing button to activate the feature, which allows you to easily pair (nearly) countless compatible speakers together. There are also two optional bass boost modes, Deep and Punch, toggled via a dedicated button or in the JBL Portable app.

Although Punchy is definitely my preference of the two, I tended to stay away from either, because while they do increase bass noticeably, they tend to overpower the sound leading to a much less pleasant listening experience.

With Deep bass activated, the JBL logos on the two massive passive radiators on each end of the speaker illuminate in a bright pulsing orange which then turns white when Deep is enabled. It’s a lovely effect, but I do wish there was a way to turn it on independently of these bass modes, or even just the option to customize the colors of either. You can at least disable it entirely if you wish.

Aside from your usual power, Bluetooth pairing, play, pause, and volume controls, the rest of the major features are accessible via the excellent JBL Portable app. This includes a range of equalizer settings plus a screen to create your own using a seven-band EQ.

If battery life is a concern, you can turn on Playtime Boost – a feature also found in other JBL speakers, and that my colleague Harry Padoan strongly recommends in other models. It enables you to squeeze out an extra few hours of playtime, but in this case it leaves the Boombox 4 sounding incredibly hollow, with little bass and a totally obliterated mid and high range. It's good to have just in case, but you’re probably not going to want to use this unless you’re really desperate.

This is especially true given the already superb battery performance of the speaker. JBL quotes a battery life of up to 28 hours, though I was able to push it above the 35 hour mark on lower (but still very listenable) volume,s which is impressive.

If you slap the volume up on max and enable a bass boost mode, you can expect a figure around the five to 10-hour range depending on your choice of music – enough to last for the bulk of a party and trigger a few noise complaints.

• Features score: 5/5

(Image credit: Future)JBL Boombox 4 review: sound quality

• Clear sound with booming bass
• Sweet spot below 70% volume
• Prone to distortion in certain instances

For the most part, the JBL Boombox 4 delivers sublime sound – especially if you keep it below around 70% volume (that’s still plenty loud enough for a party unless you particularly loathe your neighbors, mind you).

The energetic percussion of Readymade by Ado packs a serious punch without diminishing the quality of the dramatic vocals, which come clearly with an impressive amount of detail, or the treble. The hectic Mirror Tune by Zutomayo demonstrates strong instrument separation in spite of the bold bass, with a rich and full sound that is a delight to listen to on repeat. Japanese hip-hop anthem Harenchi by Chanmina produced a delightfully rich sub-bass while simultaneously maintaining plenty of low-end detail.

I initially feared that more gentle tracks like Cö Shu Nie’s undress me and Artificial Vampire would be spoiled by overemphasized bass, but thankfully found them to be delightfully bouncy and detailed throughout.

As you start taking it louder, the sound does begin to strain, as the drivers reach their limits. It’s most noticeable above the 70% mark, where the mid-range becomes thin in the mix, and the treble relatively tinny, but this is a reasonable compromise when you’re pushing a speaker of this size this loud.

Importantly, the bass remains strong regardless of your chosen volume level, meaning that this is going to be a crowd-pleaser if you need to crank it up to fill a large space.

Unfortunately, the experience is not completely perfect. One track I tested, the recently released Butterfly by Wednesday Campanella, was noticeably distorted in the lower treble, leading to an unpleasant sibilant sound that grated on the ears.

There is some sibilance present in the original track, but the JBL Boombox 4 definitely brings it to the fore more than any other audio device that I’ve tested – even other Bluetooth speaker models by JBL.

The cause of this is unclear and, hopping online, I soon was able to find a few users complaining of a similar effect in a handful of other songs by a range of artists. To be clear, this is not a widespread issue across my music, and I only noticed it occurring in one song out of the hundreds that I tested, so I’m not docking too many points for it, but it is unfortunate that the listening experience falls just short of flawless across the board.

Hopefully it’s the result of some kind of software issue, and will be remedied in a future update.

• Sound quality score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future)JBL Boombox 4 review: design

• Hefty look and feel
• Classic rugged JBL design
• Easy to use controls

It’s impossible to fault the JBL Boombox 4 on an aesthetic front if, like me, you’re already a big fan of the brand’s now iconic rugged designs.

This speaker is a behemoth, with an overall shape reminiscent of a handheld battering ram. It’s clad in a thick fabric that’s remarkably resistant to cuts and grazes, with a massive handle on top. Despite being constructed primarily from plastic, with just a small strip of metal on top, the handle feels very solid with some pleasant textures that make the speaker a little easier to haul around.

Although lighter than the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi, which weighed a hefty 14.7lbs / 6.7kg, the Boombox 4 is still quite heavy at 13lbs / 5.89kg, so it’s not one that you’re going to want to carry around too frequently even resting on your shoulder in classic boombox fashion. Still, it’s portable enough to bring to a party or out to the park.

Each end of the Boombox 4 features a massive passive radiator surrounded by inches of thick rubber. I haven’t consciously dropped my review model from a great height, but this seems like it would be enough to provide some decent protection if the worst was to happen. Each radiator features a JBL exclamation mark logo, which illuminates with LED lighting when the speaker’s bass boost modes are enabled.

On the bottom there’s a flat rubber base flanked by two grippy strips. Look closely and you’ll see the screws necessary for removing the battery – a slightly fiddly affair, though this shouldn’t be too surprising given the speaker’s IP68 waterproof and dustproof rating, meaning it can take a full dunking in a pool.

On the rear of the speaker is a small rubber flap that hides the charging port to use with the included power adapter and a USB-C port for lossless audio. You can’t charge the speaker via USB-C, though you can use it as a power bank for your other devices if you need to.

In terms of controls, you get the usual JBL affair of play/pause, volume up and down, plus power, Bluetooth pairing, and Auracast. This is in addition to a button with a ‘B’ icon that toggles the bass boost modes. It’s all very intuitive and easy to use, and the most important buttons are illuminated to help you see them at night.

• Design score: 5/5

(Image credit: Future)JBL Boombox 4 review: value

• A high-end party speaker
• You’re paying for the design
• Still, good value if you have the budget

There’s no getting around the fact that the JBL Boombox 4 is expensive. At $549.95 / £449.99 / AU$699.95, it’s significantly pricier than more budget-oriented competitors such as the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 and even JBL’s own previous generation model, the JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi.

Of course, you are paying a premium for the quality of the design and construction, not to mention the excellent software, so those on a strict budget are better saving their cash and settling for something else.

If you are willing to splash out that much, or manage to find the speaker at one of its many attractive discounts, you’re going to be very happy with what you’re getting for your cash.

• Value score: 4/5

Should you buy the JBL Boombox 4?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Everything you could want in a modern party speaker, with smart additions like a removable battery and Auracast.

5/5

Sound quality

Almost perfect party sound with booming bass and excellent clarity. It’s a shame a small number of songs suffer from distortion, though.

4.5/5

Design

Rugged, durable, and good looking. It’s impossible to fault the JBL Boombox 4 here.

5/5

Value

This is a premium speaker for those with a big budget. There are cheaper alternatives out there, but the build quality is worth it.

4/5

Buy it if...

You crave a high-end party speaker
The JBL Boombox 4 is a brilliant party speaker, with booming bass and loud sound that’s going to be more than enough to fill even large outdoor venues.

You want a future proof buy
While the JBL Boombox 3 Wi-Fi is often cheaper, the Boombox 4 benefits from forward thinking features like the addition of Auracast and a user replaceable battery.

Don't buy it if...

You’re on a tight budget
This is a premium product aimed at those with a hefty budget. You can still find great sounding party speakers for much less, so if you want to save some cash you could be better served with alternatives like those below.

JBL Boombox 4 review: also consider

JBL Boombox 4

Tribit Stormbox Blast

JBL Xtreme 4

Price

$549.95 / £449.99 / AU$699.95

$199.99 / £162 (about AU$300)

$379.95 / £329.99 / AU$499.95

Weight

13lbs / 5.89kg

11.6lbs / 5.3kg

4.63 lbs / 2.1kg

Dimensions

20 x 10 x 8inch / 51 x 26 x 21cm

14.4 x 4.1 x 3.1 inches (366 x 104 x 79 mm)

11.69 x 5.87 x 5.55 inches / 297 x 149 x 141mm

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C (lossless)

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C

Battery life

Up to 28 hours

30 hours

24 hours

Speaker drivers

2 x 65W RMS Woofer, 2 x 40W RMS Tweeter (on battery power) / 2 x 60W RMS Woofer, 2 x 40W RMS Tweeter (on AC power)

2x 30W woofer, 2 x 15W tweeters

2 x 30W woofers, 2 x 20W tweeters

Waterproofing

IP68

IPX7

IP67

Tribit Stormbox Blast
The Tribit Stormbox Blast doesn’t look anywhere near as nice as the Boombox 4, but it still delivers meaty, room-filling sound at a fraction of the price. It’s the party speaker to go for if you want the most possible bang for your buck.

Read our full Tribit Stormbox Blast review

JBL Xtreme 4
The Boombox 4’s little sibling could also be a good pick if you want something a bit more portable. It offers talented sound, strong battery life, and a useful shoulder strap for hauling it around.

Read our full JBL Xtreme 4 review

JBL Boombox 4 review: how I tested

• Tested for over three months
• Used at home and outside
• Tried in group settings

I spent more than three months with the JBL Boombox 4, much to my neighbors' chagrin. During that time I endeavoured to put it through its paces by testing its audio capabilities with a wide range of music. I mostly relied on my personal Apple Music library, but also tried tracks from YouTube Music and Tidal.

I used the speaker at home, outside, and brought it with me to a variety of social events over the Christmas period. I tested its battery life by setting the volume level to roughly a fifth and playing a looping playlist over multiple days, recording the hours taken for it to gradually trickle down to zero.

I compared it against my hands-on use of not only the Boombox 3 Wi-Fi, but also other JBL speakers that I own including the JBL Flip 7, JBL Grip, JBL Go 4, and more.

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

Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A: two-minute review

Several camera brands are riding the wave of sudden popularity in compact digital models that we’ve seen over the past couple of years. I suppose we should have seen an uptick in interest coming, once photographers started using smartphone cameras for ‘serious’ work, and while the format has never truly vanished completely, the humble compact seems to be returning to the mainstream.

The Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A (known as the Ixus 285 HS A outside the US) is indistinguishable from its predecessor, the ‘A’ in the name being the only external feature that can be used to tell them apart. The biggest internal differences are the replacement of a full SD card slot with a microSD type, which is either an advantage or a nuisance, depending on how you look at it. Apart from some minor changes to Wifi security, that’s about it when looking for ‘new’ features. So, in short, if you didn’t like the 2016 version, which went viral because of TikTok and that fact Kendall Jenner has one, the 2025 edition is unlikely to be for you.

Image quality is perfectly acceptable for point-and-shoot uses which, let’s face it, is the main reason you’d buy a compact camera in the first place. It isn’t going to win awards for critical sharpness or low light performance like it’s big brother the Canon EOS R6 Mark III, nor is it going to become a Netflix filmmakers tool, like the Nikon ZR, but it provides maximum portability and a practical solution for casual travel photography.

The Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A/ Ixus 285 HS A compact camera is incredibly small and fits into a pocket (Image credit: Peter Fenech)

Its 20.2MP 1/2.3-inch sensor is back-illuminated, which goes some way to improving signal-noise ratio in reasonable lighting, but it falls short once the ambient lighting levels drop. Images are fairly mushy under interior lights, where the ISO must be raised above 400.

I’m glad Canon didn’t feel tempted to squeeze on more pixels, which is something many smartphone manufacturers do to grab the headlines, as any more would have been a step too far in my opinion. The flash doesn’t help much as it’s small and not very powerful, plus it tends to bleach detail, creating an ugly exposure fall-off inherent to direct flash photography in darker environments.

However, you’ll probably find this flash effect is one of the reasons for people to buy the camera. It’s an incomprehensible reversal of consumer aspirations for image quality, but the ‘disposable camera look’ of the 80s, 90s and 2000s is to Gen-Z what honey is to ants. Images from cameras such as this are edgy and original to this age group, while to mine (millennials and others with more grey hairs than they’d like generally known) they bring a wash of nostalgia.

The zoom is very handy, supported by a surprisingly effective image stabilization (IS) system that keeps shots steady as low as 1/25sec at the long end of the focal range in my tests. The screen, meanwhile, isn’t super-detailed but matches the baseline quality of the files the sensor is capable of turning out.

All-in-all, the Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A / Ixus 285 HS A is a fun, trendy, and highly usable compact camera that, as long as you buy it with realistic expectations, is sure to bring you joy and great memories.

Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A specsCanon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A specs:

Type:

Digital compact

Sensor:

1/2.3 type back-illuminated CMOS

Sensitivity:

ISO 80-3200

Shutter speeds:

5 – 1/2000sec

LCD:

7.5 cm (3.0”) LCD (TFT), Approx. 461,000 dots

Memory:

MicroSD

Lens:

4.5 – 54.0 mm (25 – 300 mm Efl) f/3.6 – f/7.0

Video:

Full HD (1080p)

Photo:

20.2MP

Burst rate

2.5fps / 7.2fps (5MP)

Dimensions:

99.6 x 58.0 x 22.8 mm

Weight:

5.15oz / 146g

(Image credit: Peter Fenech)Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A: Price and availability

• Released September 9 2025
• Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A costs $379.99 / £369.99 / AU$549
• The camera is currently sold out in most markets due to high demand

The Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A is available for $379.99 in the USA. The camera is sold as the Canon Ixus 285 HS A in the UK and Australian markets and can be found for £369.99 / AU$549 depending on the retailer.

Due to the incredible demand for the camera, many resellers are currently out of stock in most markets, with back-ordering often available.

• Price score: 4/5

Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A: Design

• Small and compact body which is easy to carry in a coat pocket
• There is no touchscreen LCD, which seems and odd omission
• Telescopic 12x zoom lens closes to a flat profile when the camera is off

On picking up the Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A you realise you’d forgotten how impressively small compact cameras could be, despite their sometimes exceptional zoom ranges. Compared to an interchangeable lens camera, or even the average smartphone, this Powershot camera is positively tiny. It comfortably fits in a coat or trouser pocket and, unlike a smartphone, the lens is conveniently folded away behind a protective shutter, reducing the possibility of scratches.

Despite its diminutive proportions, the camera is easy to handle. All of the buttons are within easy reach of the thumb and can be pressed comfortably. Most of these are recessed into the camera body, making it less likely to press them by accident - always a potential issue on a device that lives in your pocket, but without the protection of a locked touchscreen.

For someone with larger hands such as myself, it can be a challenge to hit the right button on the first attempt without knocking its neighbours, since they are all so close together. I didn’t encounter too many occasions where I was required to work quickly with the PowerShot though, so it didn’t prove too inconvenient.

(Image credit: Peter Fenech)

The mode switch on the top right of the body, next to the shutter button, makes it simple to flick between Automatic and custom shooting modes, although there aren’t too many of those. The Auto mode is the basic point-and-shoot mode for stills and video, but by navigating through the menu system, it’s possible to switch the camera into Program mode for more manual control.

Just as on higher-end cameras, Program mode looks after the shutter speed and f-stop, but enables the user to select the ISO along with color profiles and other more custom settings. There is no Tv or Av modes like you might find on the main dial of a Canon EOS R8, or even the entry level mirrorless Canon EOS R100, however, so you are reliant on the internal light meter to do its job well.

The middle position is the Creative Shot mode, which curiously shoots five additional frames each time you fire the shutter, each one having a different effect applied. I guess this is a quick way to capture unique shots for social media, but the effects themselves are questionable.

Finally, Hybrid Auto captures a short video ahead of the final still photo, creating a sort of behind-the-scenes style clip that could be used to accompany an image in an Instagram Reel or on TikTok. You can tell it’s this user demographic the Elph 360 HS A is aimed squarely towards.

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The main LCD isn’t especially mind-blowing, not least because it isn’t touch-sensitive. I understand this keeps the cost down, but in the smartphone age it seems a strange omission. I guess it really leans into the ‘blast from the past’ theme and while I was unhappy at first, I quickly grew accustomed to going without. In fact, I ended up enjoying the neo-vintage effect this created and suddenly, I was back in High School again. Technology-wise, the 2000s were literally simpler times.

The resolution can’t keep up with many of the most recent smartphones and tablets, at approximately 461,000 dots, and images do look a little washed out. Even magnifying the preview image doesn’t reveal much about the sharpness and contrast of the saved file. However, shots from this camera aren’t meant to be seen up close or in-print, so the screen is good enough for checking the basics of composition and exposure, in anticipation of sending your images to the web.

The new microSD memory card format might bug some users, especially if you have a collection of full-size SD cards in your collection. However, since many potential buyers will be coming from a smartphone anyway, it shouldn’t be too unfamiliar. If you buy a microSD card with an SD adaptor, you can enjoy the best of both worlds should you need to re-use it in a larger format camera.

• Design score:4.5/5

Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A: Performance

• Relatively limited 180-shot battery life
• Integrated optical IS system is very effective in low light
• Rapid autofocus with subject tracking
• No RAW file shooting capability

Despite having a smaller sensor and often lower resolution than interchangeable lens cameras, compacts also regularly suffer from reduced processing power, caused by the use of a derated version of a processing engine found in higher-end models. This keeps costs and size down, but negatively impacts performance, including startup times. Thankfully, the Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A doesn’t lag too much, and takes only a couple of seconds to be shot-ready from pressing the power button. There weren’t any instances where I felt I had missed a shot because the camera wasn’t ready. It’s impressive for a model in this price bracket.

Similarly, there isn’t excessive buffering after each shot, perhaps helped by the fact you can only shoot JPEGs, with no RAW mode available. This limits maximum file size, but the result is still a sporty camera with respectable reflexes. There’s more of a delay after a burst of images, namely in the Creative Shot mode where a sequence of six shots is created in one go, putting the DIGIC 4+ processor under more strain.

The iSAPS (Intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) technology is said to improve the performance of the white balance, autofocus, and auto exposure systems – the camera put in a reasonable performance on all fronts.

The AF system isn’t up to the standards of the Dual Pixel CMOS AF system seen in cameras like the Canon EOS R5 Mark II or EOS R10 or even the PowerShot V1. These models not only provide full phase-detection AF capability, but also have far more latitude for customization of subject sensitivity and tracking behavior. That said, the PowerShot Elph 360 HS A isn’t slow to focus, especially in good light.

It was able to pick out details in the landscape, at both wide and long focal lengths with minimal hunting, and rarely did I find it had back or front-focused. It struggled more at close focusing distances, using the Macro shooting mode. I couldn’t get the camera to find the area of the subject I wanted it focus on, and so it took several attempts to guide it in the right direction. I didn’t expect much else since even dedicated macro lenses can show their AF weaknesses at minimum focus distance. Moreover, the 1cm working distance is praiseworthy.

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(Image credit: Peter Fenech)

The Creative Shot mode captures a sequence of five additional images, each with creative effects applied. Some are more attractive than others

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The zoom range is a reason alone to buy the camera over using a phone. It offers a full-frame equivalent of a 25-300mm lens – a 12x optical zoom. This covers both standard-wide and telephoto lengths. The zoom travel is rapid and smooth, making in-clip zooming possible during video shooting, although the internal mic does pick up the noise of moving components. Within about five seconds from hitting the power button, I was racked out at the longest focal length and focused on my subject.

AF tracking isn’t the camera’s strong point, especially at these telephoto settings. But once again, it’s good enough for the types of scenarios you’d be using such a camera. The AF points aren’t as thoughtfully spaced and positioned as on an enthusiast-level camera, and they rely on a contrast detection-based system, which is always going to be slower and more prone to hunting. This is particularly noticeable in low light, and on a couple of occasions the camera failed to focus entirely.

• Performance score: 4/5

Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A: image quality

• The sensor is smaller than on smartphones such as the iPhone 17 Pro
• Low-light images feature quite heavy detail loss through noise reduction
• The lens is sharp and can reveal good detail at lower ISO settings

That 1/2.3-inch sensor is significantly smaller than the unit found on the latest iPhone, which is of the 1/1.28-inch format. It’s hard to imagine that phones have overtaken compact cameras in this way, but it’s also important to remember that the iPhone starts at around $1,100 while the Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A retails for about $379. That’s a pretty big price gap. Yes, the iPhone isn’t a dedicated photographic tool, but it’s a technology powerhouse and one of Apple’s flagship products. The PowerShot is a proverbial drop in the ocean in the percentage it contributes to Canon’s yearly turnover.

Even with a 20-megapixel resolution, the pixels are fairly small, with an approximate pixel pitch of 1.19 micrometers. This limits their light-gathering capacity, which you can see in the signal-noise ratio from ISO400 and above. At the lowest sensitivities the situation is much better, and outdoors the resolution is rather good. It’s under these conditions that you get to see what the lens is capable of, and it impresses in its sharpness. I was especially enamored by its micro contrast, which lends a great deal of texture to stone walls, tree bark and other granular materials.

In flatter tones like the sky, or smooth areas of berries and other glossy surfaces like car paintwork, noise is far more noticeable – it isn’t as effectively hidden amongst subject texture. By ISO800 the mushiness starts being hard to ignore, and at around ISO1600 colors take on a washed-out, insipid character.

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Auto White Balance is fairly accurate, although it is readily confused by saturated color in the frame. Under mixed lighting it will tend to favor one end of the kelvin scale or the other. However, it will then cope unexpectedly well under interior lighting. Exploring the corridors of a 14th-Century castle-turned-hotel, there wasn’t a lot of external light penetrating the small windows in the three foot thick stone walls, so the low illumination and warm artificial light posed a great challenge – true for any camera.

The PowerShot Elph 360 HS A managed to figure out the fluorescent lamps and warm-toned walls, preventing over saturation without unpleasantly neutralizing everything by adding too much blue. A fantastic result for a point-and-shoot camera with limited color control.

Dynamic range, meanwhile, suffers quite a lot from the pixel size, and it doesn’t take much before the photosites are saturated and clipping of the highlights starts to occur. This is even more of a problem in the absence of RAW capture although, while you can actually retrieve a decent amount of shadow detail, once the highlights are blown there’s nothing to bring back.

Video is limited to FHD, although I was surprised once again by the quality in difficult lighting. Grain is definitely visible, but footage can look fantastic. For the TikTok generation, whose buying habits are responsible for bringing the camera back in the first place, it could be genuinely useful.

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The wide end of the zoom (Image credit: Peter Fenech)

The 12x optical zoom is far more powerful than what is available on most smartphones

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And the telephoto end (Image credit: Peter Fenech)

I must also give a special shoutout to the IS system, which demonstrated it could be remarkably effective at reducing camera shake. There were multiple cases where I tapped the shutter release, audibly heard the length of the exposure duration and instinctively went to delete the resulting shot, confident it would be unusably blurry. But to my surprise, there was very little.

In summary, the Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A is a fun little camera to use, that keeps the compact camera flame burning. It’s limited in its capabilities, but it does what it is designed to do very well: taking the joy of an ultra-portable camera and de-coupling it from your phone’s myriad other functions.

• Image quality score: 3.5/5

Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A: testing scorecard Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A:

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Price

If you want a separate camera that isn't buried amongst the other features of your phone, getting it for up to $700 less than the latest top-line handsets is good value

4/5

Design

The button layout is logical and makes good use of the body real estate. It's not that robust, but is fine for everyday usage

4.5/5

Performance

The fast start up and processing times are impressive, while the autofocus puts in a respectable performance for the camera type

4/5

Image quality

It wouldn't be fair to give the camera top marks for image quality. It struggles in all but the best light. However, auto WB is great and the sensor turn in images with a nostalgic feel

3.5/5

Should I buy the Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A?Buy it if...

You want a simple point and shoot

If you don't want too many bells and whistles, which even smartphones can overdo these days, this compact will make shooting images easy and fuss-free.View Deal

You're travelling light

Where absolute portability is your priority, the Elph 360 HS A won't take up much space in your bag or pocket. It is also discreet, so won't draw too much attention on the street or in the bar.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You want the best images

The quality of the files from the camera are fine, but the small sensor and lack of RAW mode are always going to limit what can be achieved in terms of detail and color capture.View Deal

You want to take creative control

This isn't a camera for professional use. There is no manual, aperture or shutter priority modes, so high-end or experienced shooters may feel cut off from taking control over their images. Once again, there is no RAW mode so this lack of input extends to the digital darkroom.View Deal

Also consider

Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VII

It's a bit long in the tooth in digital terms, plus it is far more expensive, but if you want a camera with professional features that still minimizes size and weight, this is a great choice. The sensor is a little bigger, too, so expect better image quality, while you can also enjoy 4K video recording and a burst rate of 20fps.

Read our in-depth Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VII review

Panasonic Lumix TZ99

Offering a 30x zoom, this compact is genuinely useful for telephoto imagery, such as wildlife and sports. It certainly makes it a great travel companion. You also benefit from a touchscreen and full PASM modes, accessed from a dial on the top plate. The low light performance isn't the best, considering the price, but it will be an upgrade from the Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A 

Read our in-depth Panasonic Lumix TZ99 review

How I tested the Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A

• I tested a full production model over the course of a week
• I tried the camera in a range of lighting conditions, including low light
• Images were viewed at 100% on-screen and processing applied to assess detail extraction possibilities.

I ensured the camera was tested in some of the harshest lighting conditions it could be presented with, to see how it coped at the extremes of its design. I took it into the dark interior of a castle, which relied heavily on fluorescent lights, creating pools of contrast. I used the camera at every ISO setting and, although I could not alter the aperture, I used every focus length to test the sharpness continuity.

I shot in Auto Mode, Creative Shot Mode, and Program Mode to explore how these impacted the user experience. I used the Low light Mode and compared the images to those where I had applied more manual control over the exposure settings.

I then processed some sample images to see how much detail could be recovered from the shadows, although the shots that appear here are unedited out-of-camera Jpeg.

• First reviewed January 2026

I'm not just a Muppet Show fan; I've idolized Jim Henson for most of my life. Few shared his creative gifts. He was prolific and smart and used puppetry to tell stories in new and novel ways that we'd never seen before, and have scarcely seen since his untimely death in 1990.

Henson's Muppets helped make Sesame Street possible, a show I grew up watching in the 1960s and early 1970s. The original The Muppets Show, which aired from 1976 to 1981, expanded the Muppets' world and reach, introducing a new cast of characters to work with the original leader and (adult in the room) Kermit the Frog (voiced by Jim Henson).

Aimed at a more mixed audience consisting of families, The Muppet Show, set in the vaudevillian-style Muppet Theatre, offered a blend of cornball jokes and winks at the more adult audience. From the start, the mayhem revolved around a line of starry celebrity guests. Half the fun was seeing how these sometimes button-downed stars would act among the all-puppet cast.

The Muppet Show special event will stream on Disney+ soon. (Image credit: Disney/Mitch Haaseth)

Their apparent acceptance of these fabric creations as real helped the audience accept them and their antics as well. There were few shows I looked forward to more each week than The Muppet Show. It was appointment viewing for my family. I know I laughed and watched with fascination at all of Henson's incredible creations and how they extended the state of puppet art and artistry.

By the time the show went off the air, I was in high school and perhaps a little less interested in the Muppets (or perhaps I was just feeling the natural peer pressure to be less interested). Also, the Muppets had graduated to films, first with the incredible The Muppet Movie, the 1979 breakthrough film, which finally merged the Muppet Show and Sesame Street puppet casts, and it's just about perfect.

No other subsequent Muppet film quite reached those heights, though The Muppets Take Manhattan was at least memorable and I have a fondness for 2011's Muppet Movie revival.

The Muppets returned to television briefly in 2015 with the poorly received The Muppets. which tried, without success, to do for the Muppets what The Office did for corporate life. It failed.

By contrast, the new The Muppet Show is a largely faithful recreation of the original show. It is, at times, a charming and nostalgic trip back. Seeing each character, like Scooter, Fozzie the Bear, Gonzo, Beeker, and others, feels like reuniting with old friends.

Kermit remains a strong central presence, and his interplay with the self-involved Miss Piggy is as dysfunctional as ever.

For devoted Henson fans, it's not always easy to listen to the slightly different voice characterizations of Kermit over the years. Steve Whitmire did it for decades after Henson unexpectedly died. In recent years, it's been Matt Vogel. Like Whitmire before him, Vogel does his best to sound like Henson. It's close, but also distracting if you know the original. New fans will not have this problem.

Don't call it a reboot

Kermit the Frog was originally voiced by Jim Henson. (Image credit: Disney/Mitch Haaseth)

While the structure of this 'Special Event' largely follows a format set up during the second season of the original show, there is a nod here that this is, on some level, a sentimental return after a long hiatus.

As the camera pans over Muppet Theatre's backstage lighting, The Rainbow Connection plays gently on a piano in the background. We see Kermit walking past black and white photos of the original show's iconic celebrity guests. The scene shifts to a close-up of Kermits' coffee cup, and then the camera pulls back to reveal Rowlf playing the piano beside him.

"Rowlf, have you been playing this whole time?" Kermit asks before Rowlf responds: "Well, what did you think it was, some kind of sentimental montage in your head?" That forth-wall-breaking and quick shift of tone from sentiment to humor is classic Muppet Show.

The Muppets Show special event is almost the same as the original series. (Image credit: Disney/Mitch Haaseth)

The rest of the format is a virtual duplicate of the original show. There's a short bit between the celebrity guest – in this case, Sabrina Carpenter – and one or more of the Muppets, this time Miss Piggy. It, like most of the bits, is more likely to elicit a groan than outright laughs. After the iconic, giant yellow The Muppet Show curtain drops down, Kermit pops out of "O" in "Show" and enthusiastically announces: "It's the Muppet Show!"

While the show is mostly bits and musical performances, there is a storyline running through the episode in which Kermit, in an effort to please everyone, has wildly overbooked the show. Everyone is so excited to be back that they all want to participate. That returns later to inspire the show's most inspired bit.

The Studio star Seth Rogen executive produces the show, and while his brand of sharp adult humor is in short supply here, Kermit's opening monologue does sound like it might have Rogen's fingerprints on it: "We are so excited to be back on the very stage where it all started, and then ended, and then is maybe starting again, depending on how tonight goes."

The old Peanut Gallery

Waldorf and Statler are back in the peanut gallery. (Image credit: Disney/Mitch Haaseth)

Statler and Waldorf sit in their usual box and make cranky commentary that sounds right at home in a vaudeville show. The joke about the Muppets being broke might be funnier if we didn't know that Disney now owns the Muppets franchise.

Carpenter's performance of Manchild in an old-west saloon populated by Muppets is affecting mainly because of Carpenter's talents and considerable charm. The physical humor is vintage Muppets, though some parents might wonder at the violence (she hits one puppet over the head with a bottle).

There's a live audience populated with humans and Muppets who provide live applause. However, I can't tell whether the laughter is also real, a laugh track, or being prompted by the audience handlers, compelling people to laugh.

Rogen makes a brief appearance in The Muppet Show. (Image credit: Disney/Mitch Haaseth)

Rogen does appear, though he's cut from the show and is ultimately relegated to the audience.

Gonzo also appears but feels underused in his daredevil bits.

There's a Bridgerton-inspired "Pigs in Wigs" segment that falls flat. Piggy's cutting comments just sound mean, and the banter falls somewhere between confusing and uncomfortable. The recasting of Pepe the Prawn as Missy Piggy's lover is a funny sight gag, but as is often the case, the writers seem unsure what to do with Pepe beyond the initial gag.

At one point, Miss Piggy asks, "What is happening here?" and I kind of had the same question.

The less said about the all-rat performance of The Weekend's Blinding Lights, the better. it reminding me a bit of one of those Kids' Bop renditions of popular songs and not in a good way.

Saved in the end

Pepe the Prawn and Miss Piggy during the Bridgerton-inspired "Pigs in Wigs" act. (Image credit: Disney/Mitch Haaseth)

As the show starts to come apart at the seams, Kermit apologetically tells Carpenter that they're "still working out a few kinks," to which Carpenter replies: "That's alright, I love a kink." It's one of a handful of nods to the adult audience that I think it's safe to assume will sail over most kids' heads.

Maya Rudolph also appears as an audience member who falls in love with a large blue Muppet. She's also at one point declared dead. Don't worry, it's all played for laughs, though I do wonder if kids watching will be momentarily concerned as their parents are horrified.

Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker during the Muppet Labs segment. (Image credit: Disney/Mitch Haaseth)

I enjoyed the Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker Muppet Labs segment, but again, Beaker's eyes popping out might frighten younger children.

The Kemit-Sabrina Carpenter Islands in the Stream duet is particularly affecting, until Miss Piggy shows up, sabotages it, but ultimately completes the performance. This is in keeping with a show where everything goes wrong.

Scooter and Gonzo (Image credit: Disney/Mitch Haaseth)

By and large, this Muppets special event felt like a show trying desperately to find its footing, that is, until the finale, which I found surprisingly touching.

Kermit can't put on every promised act and leaves the Muppet crew feeling frustrated. Then he stands on stage and says, "I can't say the show has gone exactly as we planned....maybe we're a little rusty...I hope you at least enjoyed some of it." It sounds almost too honest, too real.

Kermit doesn't announce another act. Instead, he starts singing acapella Queen's Don't Stop Me Now. Rawlf joins in on piano and then the entire Muppets cast joins in. It becomes the most joyous number of the entire show, and, if I'm being honest, it was the first thing in the new The Muppets show that left me wanting more.

Verdict

Miss Piggy, Lew Zealand, Kermit (Image credit: Disney/Mitch Haaseth)

The Muppets Show revival is not the best version of the show that's ever existed. It's far from the worst, either. The cornball vaudeville vibe was part of its original charm, but I just don't know if it's smoothly translated into 2026.

I think the writing might need to be updated a bit as Rogen and company figure out where the show and its audience live. This is an audience raised on social video and with humor that's much smarter than what was presented in 1976, or this show 50 years later.

As Carpenter proved, celebrity star power will still help carry the day, but the core of the show remains the puppets. If jokes and performances aren't as sharp and knowing, or just as charismatic as Carpenter's, we may not see future episodes.

Disney+'s The Muppet Show special event streams to subscribers globally on February 4, 2026.

Having a solid online presence has become essential for businesses to succeed. One effective way to achieve that is using search engine optimization (SEO) tools that help your website appear higher in search engine results, particularly on Google. 

SurferSEO is a cloud-based tool designed to assist digital marketers, SEO experts, and content creators in optimizing their content and improve their search engine rankings. It uses data-driven analysis to provide valuable insights and recommendations that align content strategies with SEO best practices. In this article, you will learn more about SurferSEO and determine whether it could be the right solution for your business.

• Interested in SurferSEO? Check out the SurferSEO website.

How does SurferSEO use AI?

SurferSEO recently launched Surfer AI to compete with tools like Copy.ai. You can generate full articles with a single click and the AI analyzes your target keyword to produce SEO-optimized content based on what's currently ranking.

What's more, Surfer AI can generate content outlines instead of entire articles. This way , it creates structured outlines in minutes by analyzing top-ranking content and identifying key topics to cover. It uses NLP (Natural Language Processing) to suggest related terms and questions your content should address. Their partnership with Jasper AI helps strengthen the outline generation functionality.

SurferSEO has also introduced the AI Content Humanizer tool, which converts AI-generated text into more natural, human-like writing that bypasses AI content detectors. This is supposed to address growing concerns about AI content penalties from search engines, although, Google has repeatedly said that it doesn't penalize content purely for being AI-generated.

There's an AI Tracker that helps you monitor how your content performs in AI search tools like ChatGPT, Google AI, and Perplexity AI. This feature is included across all paid plans, though credit limits restrict how many prompts you can keep track of at a time. Apart from this, there are AI-powered content auditing and topic ideation tools to guide your overall content strategy.

Features

(Image credit: SurferSEO)

SurferSEO enables you to analyze your content and make necessary tweaks to ensure it ranks well in search results, increasing visibility among your desired audience. 

As mentioned previously, SurferSEO's Content Editor tool offers an analysis of your content and recommends optimal keyword usage, content length, and article structure by examining top-performing pages within your industry. This tool guarantees that your content stands out in search results and becomes more noticeable to your target audience. 

Moreover, a key element in SEO success is understanding how your competitors rank across search engine results pages (SERPs). SurferSEO's SERP analyzer tool provides insights into the pages currently ranking for your target keywords, outlining their content strategies, backlink profiles, and other essential SEO metrics. With this information, you can compare your content against competitors' strategies. Adjust tactics accordingly to enhance the likelihood of achieving rankings in search results.

(Image credit: SurferSEO)

Besides these functions, SurferSEO offers a keyword research tool that identifies keywords and assesses their relevance, potential traffic, and competitiveness. This assists you in selecting the keywords to concentrate on and enhances your chances of SEO success.

Moreover, the audit tool provided by SurferSEO thoroughly evaluates your webpage against factors to pinpoint any issues hindering your page from achieving higher rankings in search results. This tool provides recommendations for on-page optimization, including speed improvements, structural modifications, and more. 

In addition to the premium tools mentioned above, SurferSEO presents two absolutely free and equally beneficial tools. The first is the keyword surfer Chrome web extension that enables you to conduct searches within your browser and view search volume data along with a comprehensive list of keyword suggestions paired with their scores and search volume. The second free tool is an AI-powered article outline generator designed to help you create SEO content based on your needs. This tool can streamline brainstorming sessions, research activities, and writing tasks and save time.

Installation, setup, and compatibility

SurferSEO can be accessed through any web browser on any device. You must create a SurferSEO account and log in to use the tool. In addition to the keyword Chrome extension, SurferSEO offers a paid plugin for WordPress. This plugin provides comprehensive SEO features, including content planning, on-page optimization, and content audit tools. 

To install the SurferSEO plugin on your WordPress website, log in to your WordPress admin panel, go to the plugins section, and search for "Surfer." Then, follow the instructions on the screen to install and activate the plugin. 

There are also integrations for Jasper, Google Docs, and Contentful. 

(Image credit: SurferSEO)

Whether you're a beginner or an advanced user, the company offers a variety of tools to help you and your team maximize SurferSEO's capabilities.

Firstly, the company provides an extensive knowledge base that covers all aspects of SurferSEO's features and functions. This resource is an excellent starting point for beginners, as it explains how to use the tool. Additionally, it's an excellent resource for advanced users, as it will enable them to find answers to specific questions they may have quickly.

Secondly, the company has a rapidly growing community group, which is a fantastic resource for users to connect. It's a place to ask questions, share tips, and learn from others' experiences. The community group is an excellent place to network with other professionals in your industry and get insights into how they're using SurferSEO.

Thirdly, the company's blog offers a wealth of information on SEO, keyword research, and content optimization. The blog is regularly updated with new articles and tips, making it an excellent resource for staying up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices.

Lastly, the best tool for learning how to use SurferSEO is Surfer Academy. This resource offers both onboarding training tools and continuing education programs. The onboarding training tools provide a step-by-step guide on how to use SurferSEO, while the continuing education programs help users stay up-to-date with the latest features and functions.

As you can see, the company offers a range of comprehensive resources to help you and your team make the most of SurferSEO. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced user, these resources will provide you with the knowledge and support you need to succeed.

Plans and pricing

(Image credit: SurferSEO)

Plan

Starting Rate (Paid Annually)

Starting Rate (Paid Monthly)

Discovery

$49/month

$59/month

Standard

$99/month

$119/month

Pro

$182/month

$219/month

Peace of Mind

$299/month

$359/month

Enterprise

$999/month

$999/month

Unlike some SEO optimization tools we’ve reviewed, SurferSEO is very open about what it charges for its services. All prices are prominently displayed on the SurferSEO website across their Pricing page.

The entry-level Standard package is priced at $99 per month for small business owners and freelancers. This package allows you to optimize 30 documents a month using the Content Editor and track 25 prompts in ChatGPT to assess your AI visibility.

For $182 per month, Surfer Pro lets you track 50 AI prompts at a time across AI search engines like Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI Mode, and of course, ChatGPT. Beyond that, Surfer's Peace of Mind plan lets you track 100 AI prompts, optimize unlimited documents with the Content Editor, perform advanced SERP analysis, and build custom integrations with API access. There's also a Discovery plan for $59/month that lets you analyze 10 documents a month, but it limits access to other features and isn't promoted heavily by Surfer.

Setting up a free SurferSEO account takes about one minute. You can get started immediately once you pay. But, Surfer no longer offers a 7-day free trial, which was swapped in 2024 for a 7-day money-back guarantee instead. Some users claim that you can get Surfer to extend the money-back guarantee to 30 days by contacting their support team.

SurferSEO often offers special promotions for new customers. You also get the usual annual discount if you sign up for the yearly plans.

Final verdict

When searching for SEO optimization tools, you'll notice they are similar. They all come equipped with keyword research tools and content editors, and many are now incorporating AI technology. However, a few, like SurferSEO, go above and beyond by offering additional features such as audio tools and a SERF analyzer. 

If you're searching for a comprehensive SEO optimization tool, SurferSEO is a reassuring choice. It offers a seamless setup process, is available at various price points, and is enriched with a growing list of AI-based features, which are increasingly vital in the industry. It also provides a comforting array of training tools, including a blog, knowledge base, private SurferSEO community, and live training from the Surfer Academy. 

By providing detailed insights and clear guidance, SurferSEO empowers marketers to optimize their content effectively and compete successfully in search engine rankings. Whether you're a seasoned SEO professional or just starting, integrating SurferSEO into your SEO strategy could significantly enhance your online presence and drive more organic traffic to your site.

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Yamaha True X Surround 90A review: two minute review

The Yamaha True X Surround 90A is a 5.1.2-channel soundbar system enters into a competitive world of soundbar surround solutions that’s been dominated by the likes of Samsung, JBL and Sonos for the past few years. While it’s an impressive system, its price and a few little setbacks hold it back from beating the best soundbars.

The Surround 90A has a good number of features, such as Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Auro-3D support, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for music streaming, and a good number of sound modes. While it has a strong number of connections too, it’s a shame that its HDMI passthrough doesn’t support 4K at 120Hz, a feature I’ve come to expect at this price level.

Sound performance of the Surround 90A is excellent overall. It delivers exceptional power and detail, rendering surround effects with real clarity and mapping sound with pinpoint accuracy. And for music, it delivers a wide soundstage with plenty of clarity and balance. It’s a shame though that while speech is mostly good, it can get lost at times, and the Surround 90A’s compact rear speakers can struggle in the overall mix against the other powerful soundbar and sub. Still, it’s mostly impressive.

The Surround 90A is a premium-looking soundbar, with a metal finish and fabric grille giving it a premium feel. It’s on the weighty side, but feels well-built as a result. While its subwoofer performs well, it’s a shame Yamaha couldn’t take cues from Samsung’s impressive small but mighty subwoofer on the Samsung HW-Q990F to keep the size down. The rear speakers feel premium enough, but a bigger, better-performing pair of speakers would have been more desirable.

Initial setup of the Surround 90A can be confusing at first, with the pairing of the rear speakers and HDMI settings feeling a bit cumbersome in comparison to seamless setup from Samsung or JBL. Once you're set up, however, controlling the Surround 90A and adjusting settings is simple and intuitive, and inputting commands feels smooth.

The Surround 90A’s biggest setback however is its price. At $3,499 for the full system, or $2,799 for just the soundbar and subwoofer, the Surround 90A is significantly pricier than rival soundbars such as the Samsung HW-Q990F, JBL 1300Mk2 or even a full Sonos system consisting of a Sonos Arc Ultra, Sonos Sub 4 and two Sonos Era 100 speakers – and while it does outshine some of these soundbars in performance, it doesn’t do so enough to justify the large price gap.

Yamaha True X Surround 90A review: Prices & release date

(Image credit: Future)

• Released in November 2025
• US price: $3,499 (full system), $2,700 (soundbar & sub only)
• UK price: £2,199, but very limited availability

The Yamaha True X Surround 90A is the brand’s 2025 flagship soundbar surround system, sitting above the In the US, it is available as the full system with the optional rear speakers, priced at $3,499, or as just the soundbar and sub, priced at $2,799.

It's also available in the UK for £2,199, but I've been told it's only available through retailer Sevenoaks, and only in its physical retail store. (That's singular – there's one store.)

Since its release in late 2025, prices have remained the same. This does put it at the premium end of the soundbar system market.

Yamaha True X Surround 90A review: Specs

Dimensions

Soundbar: 1180 x 85 x 143mm (46.4 x 3.3 x 5.6in), Subwoofer: 241 x 378 x 414 mm (9.4 x 14.8 x 16.2in), Rear speakers: 88 x 220 x 88 (3.4 x 8.6 x 3.4in)

Speaker channels

5.1.2

Connections

1x HDMI eARC, 1x HDMI in, 1x digital optical output, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, Auro-3D

Dolby Atmos / DTS:X

Yes / Yes

Sub included

Yes

Rears included

Yes (standard in UK, optional is US)

Yamaha True X Surround 90A review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Auro 3D support
• Control via MusicCast app
• 4K HDMI passthrough, but no 120Hz support

The Yamaha True X Surround 90A offers 5.1.2 channels, a step-down compared to similarly priced rivals such as the Samsung HW-Q990F, which delivers 9.1.4 channels. The soundbar unit itself consists of 19 drivers, however, with seven making up the front left and right and center channels and the remaining 12(!) making up the height channels. Yes, that's six speakers per height channel.

The rear speakers come with two front facing drivers each (note no up-firing drivers on these) backed by two passive radiators and finally, the subwoofer uses a 17cm main driver.

In terms of connections, the True X Surround 90A has an HDMI eARC port and HDMI In that supports 4K and both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ passthrough but unfortunately not 120Hz for gaming (again something the HW-Q990F has), optical out and USB which is used for updates only.

The Surround 90A supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X for movies and music and is the first soundbar to support Audo-3D, an Atmos alternative. Auro-3D actually gets its own button on the supplied remote, listed as “3D Music”, a sound mode which uses Auro-3D as an upmixer for stereo content.

Other sound modes include Straight, Surround:AI and All. There is also a Stereo sound mode option for those looking for a more traditional sound profile for stereo tracks.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are both supported for music streaming, including direct support for streaming services including Spotify, Amazon Music HD, Deezer and QuBoz. Other streaming services such as Tidal can be linked and controlled via the MusicCast app. There’s also AirPlay 2 support, but no Google Cast.

Speaking of the MusicCast app, this is where EQ and volume adjustments for each speaker can be made, as well as features such as Clear Voice and Bass Extension can be activated.

One thing that is missing is a room calibration feature, something I’d have expected on a soundbar of this price. Again, it’s something the Samsung HW-Q990F and Sonos setups offer, and would have been a nice addition to a premium soundbar.

• Features score: 4 / 5

Yamaha True X Surround 90A review: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Exceptional accuracy and detail
• Impressive power and control
• Rear speakers can struggle in the mix

While the Surround 90A may not have the features of its rivals, it certainly has the performance. The Surround 90A makes full use of every one of its 5.1.2 channels to deliver a brilliant overall sonic experience.

The Surround 90A’s real strength first comes in its positional accuracy. Watching The Mask, as the titular character tears around in the form of a tornado, the sound is accurately mapped to each channel, moving around the soundbar in-sync with the movie. Other sound effects such as ricocheting bullets and a runaway cartoon clock are delivered with accurate directionality by the Surround 90A’s units.

Watching The Batman, the screeching of tyres and blaring car horns of passing traffic during the Batmobile chase again follow across the front and rear channels with real precision. While the ‘Straight’ sound mode delivers a solid overall experience, the AI skeptic in me was surprised to find that I liked using the Surround:AI mode, which created an even more specific positional feel, with a greater soundstage.

Power is another one of the Surround 90A’s strengths. The bass response from the subwoofer is impactful and powerful, accurately delivering the rumble of the Batmobile’s engine in The Batman. Bass also feels very tightly controlled, as each tone change of the Batmobile’s thunderous engine was crystal clear and tightly rendered by the Surround 90A subwoofer.

(Image credit: Future)

The Surround 90A’s soundstage is wide and immersive. Watching the Darkstar flight test sequence in Top Gun: Maverick, the sound of the wind whipping past the cockpit and the creaking of the metal plates made me feel like I was inside the cockpit myself.

Dolby Atmos effects are well presented, as the sound of jets flying overhead is authentically delivered. Height channels can actually be adjusted in the MusicCast app, which allows you to find the sweet spot for your room, despite the lack of auto room calibration.

I found speech to be delivered well overall, especially when it came to vocals in music. Watching The Sound of Music, Julie Andrew’s vocals in songs like Do Re Mi or My Favorite Things are crystal clear, powerful and beautifully rendered.

I found in some scenes that voices could get a bit lost, though. The Batmobile chase from The Batman has limited speech, but I found with soundbars such as the Samsung HW-Q990F, it was still clear. With the Surround 90A, this dialogue was harder to pick up in the mix.

Another setback was the rear speakers. While they delivered solid detail throughout my testing, not having an up-firing speaker on each speaker felt like a missed opportunity. It meant Atmos height effects weren’t as clear as I’d found on HW-Q990F or Sonos setups with Era 300 rear speakers. I also found the rear speakers needed a volume boost in the MusicCast app and even then, they sometimes got lost in the mix.

Moving onto music, the Surround 90A is excellent. First playing Bad Bunny’s Baile INoLVIDABLE in Dolby Atmos, the Surround 90A delivers a wide soundstage with precise detail. The percussion, horns and vocals are all delivered with real clarity and plenty of room-filling power.

Switching to stereo tracks such as Dir en Grey’s Un Deux, the crashing drums, powerful guitars and bass and Kyo’s soaring vocals all have plenty of punch. Activating the 3D Music sound setting adds another layer to the track, widening the soundstage and creating a dome-like effect and making everything feel bigger.

The Surround 90A is great with more delicate genres too such as jazz. All throughout the bass from the subwoofer is delivered with excellent, precise timing.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Yamaha True X Surround 90A review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Premium materials and finish
• Solidly built
• Bulky subwoofer

The Surround 90A’s main soundbar unit measures in at 1180 x 85 x 143mm (46.4 x 3.3 x 5.6in) making it an average size for a large soundbar nowadays. The subwoofer itself is on the bulkier side at 241 x 378 x 414 mm (9.4 x 14.8 x 16.2in) and despite the power and control it delivers, the HW-Q990F proves that a smaller sub can still deliver equally impressive performance.

Finally, the rear speakers, called the WS-X30A, which can be used as individual Bluetooth speakers, measure in at 88 x 220 x 88 (3.4 x 8.6 x 3.4in).

The main soundbar itself is made with a burnished, black metal that is weighty, clocking in at 11kg (24.3lbs). It has a clear front LED display where current sources can be easily read and a fabric grille. All these combine to make for a premium looking soundbar that feels its price tag.

The subwoofer is made of a more traditional plastic finish and clocking it at 12.7kg (28lbs) plus its bulky dimensions, it’s not the easiest to store out of sight.

The rear speakers themselves have a nice fabric material that again feels premium, and are of a portable size if you're inclined to use them as Bluetooth speakers elsewhere.

• Design & build score 4 / 5

Yamaha True X Surround 90A review: Setup & usability Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Future)

• MusicCast app for control
• Initial setup can be fiddly
• HDMI settings needed to be adjusted

I found the initial setup of the Surround 90A to be a mixed bag. While turning on the soundbar and connecting it to the subwoofer was simple enough, connecting and setting the rear speakers was a bit trickier.

They have to be put into pairing mode after holding the connect button for three seconds, this button is then pressed again to select whether said speaker is the left or right rear, and then it needs to be registered in a menu which is accessed on the TV itself.

Once this was done, I also found the TV source (HDMI eARC) wasn’t working. Diving into the same settings menu, I discovered I had to turn on HDMI Control and Pass-through in the HDMI settings menu.

The LG G5 I used for testing and the connected Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player then worked through the soundbar. This was not the same plug-in-and-play approach I found with the Samsung HW-Q990F.

Once everything is connected, you can either use the supplied remote control for basic operation – changing sound mode, volume, source – or the partner MusicCast app.

Once the soundbar was paired, control through the MusicCast app was intuitive, where EQ and volume levels including height channels could be easily changed. Even streaming music and connecting an associated streaming app was easy.

• Setup & usability score: 3.5 / 5

Yamaha True X Surround 90A review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

• Pricey compared to competition
• Missing some features expected at this price
• Good overall performance

The Surround 90A’s biggest downfall is its price tag. At $3,499 for the full system, it’s a premium priced soundbar system and much pricier than rival soundbars such as the Samsung HW-Q990F ($1,699), JBL Bar 1300Mk2 ($1,699) and even a Sonos setup of the Sonos Arc Ultra, Sonos Sub 4 and two Sonos Era 100 speakers, totaling $1,976.

While the Surround 90A’s overall performance is impressive, with great power, control and accuracy for both movies and music, it doesn’t justify the performance gap with bars like the Samsung HW-Q990F, which I found had better height channels thanks to its more robust rear speakers.

While it is brilliant for music, it’ll be tough to justify the price gap between it and a full Sonos system, especially if said Sonos system features Sonos Era 300s as rears.

• Value score: 3 / 5

Should I buy the Yamaha True X Surround 90A?

(Image credit: Future)

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Wi-Fi streaming and Auro-3D support, but 4K HDMI passthrough is limited to 60Hz

4 / 5

Performance

Impressive power, accuracy and detail but voices are occasionally quiet and rear speakers can struggle for scale.

4.5 / 5

Design

Very premium, solidly built and sleek design but subwoofer is rather bulky.

4 / 5

Setup & usability

Intuitive control app but initial setup can be fiddly and HDMI settings need to be adjusted.

3.5 / 5

Value

Much pricier than rivals and despite impressive performance, not strong enough to justify price gap.

3 / 5

Buy it if

You want a powerful, detailed soundbar
The Surround 90A delivers serious power with hefty bass and impressive detail with a wide soundstage and pinpoint precision.View Deal

You want a premium looking soundbar
The Surround 90A is made of a burnished metal that is reassuringly solid and sleek. Its rear speakers (Bluetooth units in their own right) also look great. View Deal

You want a soundbar for music
Whether its stereo or Atmos music streaming, the Surround 90A delivers. Its wide soundstage helps to create an expansive listening experience that gives music room to breathe. View Deal

Don't buy it if

You want the best value flagship soundbar
The Surround 90A is significantly pricier than other flagship soundbar systems such as the Samsung HW-Q990F and JBL 1300MK2: and it doesn't have the superior performance to justify the price gap. View Deal

You want the best soundbar for gaming
The Surround 90A has one HDMI input and although it supports 4K passthrough, it doesn't support 4K 120Hz. Look to the Samsung HW-Q990F for this. View Deal

You want the most complete surround sound experience
The Surround 90A delivers very good overall sound that's powerful and accurate. Its rear speakers however can get drowned out and voices can sometimes be quiet. View Deal

Also consider

Yamaha True X Surround 90A

JBL Bar 1300MK2

Samsung HW-Q990F

LG S95AR

Price

$3,499 (full system), $2,700 (soundbar + sub) / £2,199

$1,699.95 / £1,299.99 / AU$2,299.95

$1,999 / £1,699 / AU$2,099

$1,699.99 (about £1,260 / AU$2,610)

Dimensions

Soundbar: 1180 x 85 x 143mm (46.4 x 3.3 x 5.6in), Subwoofer: 241 x 378 x 414 mm (9.4 x 14.8 x 16.2in), Rear speakers: 88 x 220 x 88 (3.4 x 8.6 x 3.4in)

Soundbar: 40.6 x 2.3 x 5.4 inches / 1030 x 58 x 136mm; subwoofer: 12.4 x 10.9 x 10.8 inches / 315 x 277 x 275mm; surround speakers: 8 x 2.3 x 5.4 inches / 202 x 58 x 136mm

Soundbar: 48.5 x 2.8 x 5.4 inches / 1232 x 70.8 x 138 mm; subwoofer: 9.8 x 10.0 x 9.8 inches / 249 x 251.8 x 249 mm; surround speakers: 5.1 x 8.0 x 5.5 inches / 129.5 x 201.3 x 140.4mm

Soundbar: 49.2 x 2.5 x 5.3 inches / 1250 x 63.5 x 134.6mm; subwoofer: 7.9 x 16 x 15.9 inches / 200 x 406 x 404mm; surround speakers: 6.3 x 8.8 x 5.6 inches / 160 x 223.5 x 142mm

Speaker channels

5.1.2

11.1.4

11.1.4

9.1.5

Connections

1x HDMI eARC, 1x HDMI in, 1x digital optical output, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, Auro-3D

1x HDMI eARC, 3x HDMI in, digital optical, USB (playback US-only), Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3 (surround speakers use 5.4)

1x HDMI eARC, 2x HDMI 2.1 in, digital optical, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3

1x HDMI eARC, 1x HDMI in, digital optical, USB

Dolby Atmos / DTS:X

Yes / Yes

Yes / Yes

Yes / Yes

Yes / Yes

Sub included

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Rear speakers included

Yes (UK as standard, optional version in the US

Yes

Yes

Yes

JBL Bar 1300MK2
The JBL Bar 1300MK2's has detachable rear speakers, plenty of power and accuracy and three HDMI inputs for devices. While actual performance between the JBL and the Yamaha Surround 90A is close, the 1300MK2 is significantly cheaper and has more features on offer.

Read our full JBL 1300MK2 reviewView Deal

Samsung HW-Q990F
One of the best value soundbar systems on the market, the HW-Q990F delivers an immersive, powerful home cinema experience and has tons of great features including 4K 120Hz passthrough. While the Yamaha may have better musical performance, it's again much pricier than the HW-Q990F and doesn't have the performance or features to justify the price gap.

Read our full Samsung HW-Q990F review View Deal

How I tested the Yamaha True X Surround 90A?

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested in TechRadar's TV testing lab
• Tested with movies, including 4K Blu-ray, and music streamed over Wi-Fi
• Tested over a week

The Yamaha True X Surround 90A was connect to the LG G5 OLED TV and Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player for the duration of my testing.

I first started with some casual listening to establish the best sound modes for critical viewing. For movies, I landed on Standard and Surround: AI and for music, I used 3D Music.

Once I began my critical testing, I used reference scenes from movies I use to test sound on the best TVs and other soundbars. These include The Batman, Top Gun: Maverick and The Sound of Music, among a few other discs.

For music testing, I used Tidal for both Stereo and Atmos music. I listened to q wide variety of genres including Metal, Jazz, R'n'B and Pop.

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

If you could condense every RPG ever made down to its core components, stir them into a hearty stew, and then feast on the resulting concoction you’d get Dragon Quest VII – the most RPG to ever RPG.

Its grand plot takes our heroes – a plucky band of budding upstarts hungry to explore the wider world – on an adventure across not only the globe, but through time too as they seek to defeat a great evil that has brought terror to their land. They’ll develop their skills in their chosen class (or Vocation as the DQ series prefers to call them), and use their abilities to battle a wide variety of monsters in turn-based combat.

As trope-fuelled as it gets, I nevertheless found I simply couldn’t put Dragon Quest VII Reimagined down – to that point that several times during this review process my TV had to check if I was still there as it had been on for so long.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release date: February 5, 2026

It helps that the story and characters are utterly engaging, but that was true for the original. Reimagined knocks things up a few pegs by boasting a litany of excellent quality of life updates that would make anyone forget the original released over 25 years ago.

While still turn-based, the combat has had a major tune up. With powerful ‘Let Loose’ effects, auto-battle options, the ability to speed up animations, or even take out enemies in the overworld before a fight can break out, the combat of Dragon Quest VII Reimagined feels faster while accessible.

You can still experience the meatiness of grinding through turn-based bout after turn-based bout, but in those moments when you’re tired of weaker foes you can much more easily power through to the next objective than you could in similar RPGs.

(Image credit: ARMOR PROJECT / BIRD STUDIO / SQUARE ENIX)

There’s also a tweak to the Vocation system. Moonlighting, when unlocked, lets you choose two jobs at once. This not only creates opportunities for more creative builds, but also makes it less of a slog to unlock the higher-tier vocations which ask you to first master lower-tier ones.

Of course I can’t ignore Dragon Quest VII Reimagined’s most noticeable glow up: the aesthetics. Many a 2D game has lost its charm in the transition to 3D, but with its toyish diorama-like look Reimagined bucks this trend by heaping the charm on by the shovel load. To call it beautiful is an understatement, and yet – as is so true for every way this title has been ‘reimagined’ – the graphical changes feel true to the original's stylings, which were of course provided by the late great Akira Toriyama.

If you love classic RPGs, or if you’ve never quite gelled with them: play Dragon Quest VII Reimagined. You won’t regret it, I promise you.

In with the old, in with the new

I touched on several of Dragon Quest VII Reimagined’s reworks in my intro, but let’s go into some of them in a little more depth – starting with one I didn’t mention yet: custom difficulty options.

You can, of course, choose the basic Easy, Normal, and Hard difficulties when you boot up this game, but you could instead tweak different settings to suit your challenge preferences.

For me that’s making enemies stronger, my characters’ attacks weaker, but keeping progression at a normal pace – landing my difficulty as a sort-of Hard-lite. Though, I have now slowed down my progression to make the game a little more challenging – with the settings menu letting you make tweaks anytime during your playthrough.

(Image credit: ARMOR PROJECT / BIRD STUDIO / SQUARE ENIX)

Then let's talk combat. I thought I’d feel auto-battling is a cheat, but it only serves to make those easier mob fights feel like less of a slog than I’ve found they can be in other turn-based RPGs. We’ve all been there – wishing an enemy wouldn’t spawn because we’re tired of the same-old fights we’ve mastered – and with auto-battle, I can just use these moments to quickly grab a drink or snack while still progressing my adventure.

Just a word of advice: tougher fights will always warrant full player control.

Precise controls will let you prepare your synergies, and let you choose when to activate your Let Loose ability – rather than the auto-battler just firing off as soon as possible. When characters are sufficiently ‘worked up’ – I’m not 100% sure what causes this (it was probably explained in some text I skipped through) – they can let off a powerful effect and still take an action on their turn.

Best bit

(Image credit: ARMOR PROJECT / BIRD STUDIO / SQUARE ENIX)

I adore the monster designs in the Dragon Quest series. Despite being undeniably monstrous, I love the quirkiness every enemy is imbued with through its animations, name, and stylings. It plays very well into the child-like wonder of this game, and every new encounter made me chuckle.

This gimmick, especially when combined with moonlighting – which gives you two options when letting loose for greater versatility – can turn the tide of a battle, and has saved me from a pinch or two without making bouts feel trivial (an ideal sweet-spot).

What these improvements do mean is Dragon Quest VII Reimagined feels a lot more accessible than other titles in this genre.

Given its slower pace, turn-based gameplay is generally quite accessible as players can take five seconds to five hours to decide and input a move (and there’s no Expedition 33-esque parry mechanic to fuss over between your turns). At the same time this slower pace can transform into a grind that not everyone enjoys, which is why some classic remakes have turned to something different like with Final Fantasy VII Remake.

(Image credit: ARMOR PROJECT / BIRD STUDIO / SQUARE ENIX)

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined finds its sweet spot by instead offering these tools like battle speed-up, auto battle, instant victories and moonlighting to keep everything that makes turn-based excellent, while eliminating as many of its deficiencies as possible.

A critical hit!

To make matters better, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined only has one major fault and that’s I wish finding tablet fragments felt more special in the early game.

Things do pick up eventually, but at first too many pieces are simply found on the floor of people’s homes. I wish more of these supposedly rare artifacts would be treated with respect – locked behind a mini boss fight, or puzzle, or side mission.

As it stands, the loop of Reimagined’s first 10-or-so-hours can become repetitive when you reexplore lands in the present day after saving them in the past – as you simply wander around, searching every home and talking to strangers until someone gives you the broken stone you’re seeking.

(Image credit: ARMOR PROJECT / BIRD STUDIO / SQUARE ENIX)

I’d also say the game can feel a bit too easy at times – especially after unlocking moonlighting and extra party members. This was even after I slowed myself down by going to full-on Hard mode. I did still find bouts that posed a challenge, but I had to be careful to not over-level with auto-battle and make fights easier than I wanted.

Otherwise I’d say Dragon Quest VII Reimagined hits the mark in so many ways. The combat is well-tuned, the music is a delight, and I’ve already gushed about the visuals but know that I could say I love them a hundred times more.

This is the quintessential RPG experience, and one everyone should experience – I’d especially recommend it to my fellow Nintendo Switch 2 players, this was the console I reviewed it on, and it shone in both handheld and docked mode.

Should you play Dragon Quest VII Reimagined?Play it if…

You’re an RPG purist
Even with its reimagined elements this title feels true to the original version and its genre in a way that purists will adore.

You’re not an RPG purist
This title threads the needle of genuinely appealing to both newcomers and genre fanatics. If you hate RPGs, I genuinely think Reimagined could be what converts you.

You have a Switch 2
I’m sure this title is excellent on its other platforms, but I felt it really shone on the Nintendo Switch 2, and might have cemented itself as one of the system’s must-play games.

(Image credit: ARMOR PROJECT / BIRD STUDIO / SQUARE ENIX)Don’t play it if…

You hate cuteness and cliché
I found the style, monsters and story of Reimagined to be undeniably charming with a healthy dollop of silliness, though I did speak to some who didn’t vibe with this game to quite the same level as me.

You want something short
As with many others in the RPG genre, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined will keep you hooked for a long while. Things are a tad speedier than the original thanks to elements like auto-battle, but if you’re a fan of shorter experiences this ain’t it.

Accessibility

The pace of turn-based action already allows for more accessible gameplay than more action-packed titles, but Dragon Quest VII Reimagined does boast a few specific accessibility tools such as all of its dialogue being written out on screen, and there being a handful of colorblind modes that should help with the odd puzzle section.

(Image credit: ARMOR PROJECT / BIRD STUDIO / SQUARE ENIX)How I tested Dragon Quest VII Reimagined

I played Dragon Quest VII Reimagined on my Nintendo Switch 2, predominantly in docked mode but I did still spend plenty of time with this title in handheld mode while I travelled. Otherwise I used mostly standard hardware, except for relying on my 8bitdo Ultimate 2 controller for a lot of my docked experience.

On my Amazon QLED TV the visuals looked absolutely gorgeous, and he iconic Dragon Quest soundtrack came through my Sonos Beam Gen 2 soundbar and Sub Mini setup nicely too. Though both elements they still shone through on the Switch 2’s LCD and in-built speakers.

Throughout my whole testing process I didn’t experience any noticeable performance issues – everything ran as smoothly as I could want.

First reviewed February 2026

Oukitel Industry RT10: 30-second review

The Oukitel Industry RT10 is the latest in the company's line of rugged tablets, and with a large 11" FHD screen, tough design, 5G connectivity and a barcode scanner built in, it instantly looks set to impress.

Sure enough, getting started with the tablet is straightforward, and once Android 15 has run through the final stages of setup, you can delve straight into the usual Google Workspace applications.

The large screen is instantly pleasing with a relatively decent brightness that makes it clear to see in bright conditions. The resolution for this size of screen is, however, limited to FHD. So, while the screen is pleasing to look at, the resolution is relatively low, resulting in workflow applications such as Google Docs and Sheets feeling a little more cramped on screen than you might expect for the size of the screen.

The touchscreen is good and responsive, and while that responsiveness is affected by moisture, through the test, it proved to be solid in performance. The only other slight quirk with the screen is that the surface is quite reflective, so while the display is clear, those reflections can be troublesome out in the field.

In use, the Google apps all work smoothly, as does browsing the internet both through the WiFi signal and when connected to a 5G network using a Vodafone SIM.

While general performance is good, as soon as the mid-range MTK Dimensity 7300 processor is pushed, the performance starts to drop off. Adobe Lightroom runs fine and is generally fast, but as you start to push the system with complex video edits in CapCut or playing graphically intensive games, you will start to see the limits of this tablet. Straight CapCut edits with footage shot on the phone, however, are fluid enough.

Where this tablet really excels is with its rugged credentials. It survived some time underwater, being dropped, and left out in the rain with no adverse effects on performance or functionality.

The battery life was also exceptionally good, with the 15,000mAh battery keeping the tablet powered for several days between charges with mid to heavy use. There's also a dedicated barcode scanner on the side unit. This has been designed to work with dedicated industry apps and isn't an out-of-the-box solution. Essentially, Oukitel has supplied the industry hardware; you need to provide the software solution for your business.

If you need a robust tablet for work and don't need cameras or huge amounts of processing power for anything more than evaluating documents, getting online, and sending back site images, the Oukitel Industry RT10 is one of the best rugged tablets in its price range.

Oukitel Industry RT10: Price and availability

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

• How much does it cost? $699 RRP
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? You can get it directly from the Oukitel website

The Oukitel RT10 Industry is currently available directly from the manufacturer's website here - with a discount price of $999 / £733 until February 16.

• Value: 4 / 5

Oukitel Industry RT10: Specifications

CPU: MediaTek Dimensity 7300
Graphics: Likely Mali-G-series (not officially confirmed)
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB
Left Ports: USB-A, RJ45
Right Ports: USB-C, SIM tray
Connectivity: 5G, WiFi 6, NFC, Fingerprint reader
Audio: Unspecified (likely mono or stereo)
Camera: Rear: 64MP + 20MP + 5MP / Front: 32MP
Size: Approx. 11-inch screen; weight TBC
OS Installed: Android 15

Oukitel Industry RT10: Design

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

• Robust
• Touch Screen
• Bar Code Scanner built in

As you'd expect from a rugged tablet, the design and build all support this device being used in situations that would ordinarily see any other tablet break. The outer edges are reinforced with rubberised plastic, and the overall design mixes metal panelling and tough plastic to ensure a robust build designed to be ready for any environment.

While most tablets are slimline and feature a stylish, minimalistic look, the Oukitel Industry RT10 is somewhat more bulky. The mix of rubber, metal, and plastic enables a far easier grip on the exterior and ensures that, whatever the weather, you'll always have a good purchase on the casing. When it comes to size, it measures 266.5 × 178 × 22.5 mm and weighs 1.28 kg, substantially more than most.

While my review sample arrived as just the tablet, as with previous iterations of the Industry RT range, there will be cases and other accessories available. A row of Pogo Pin contacts along the base makes it likely that a keyboard will also be an optional accessory.

The front of the RT10 is dominated by the large 11" screen with FHD resolution. Whilst this is lower than most modern tablets, it's around average for this style of tablet.

Taking a look around the tablet body, on the first of the longer edges, there's a USB-C port for data and charging alongside a 3.5mm audio jack for headphones; both of these ports are covered by a rubber flap to stop water ingress. Next to these are the TF/MicroSD and SIM card slot.

On the other side is the barcode scanner, microphone, two multifunctional buttons that you can assign your own apps or functions to, volume up and down, and the power/biometric fingerprint button.

On top, there's a LAN port, which is unusual for a tablet but reinforces the industrial use, and a USB Type-A port. Finally, on the side is the POGO pin contact interface for connection to accessories such as a keyboard.

On the back of the tablet are two large speakers, an industrial fingerprint scanner, again, as with the barcode scanner, dedicated software is required, a main camera, a macro camera, and a night vision camera.

There's also an NFC contact point for wireless communication between devices.

While the tablet is large and bulky, it is comfortable to hold, and in the box, along with the tablet, is a metal handle that can be easily attached.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

• Design: 3.5 / 5

Oukitel Industry RT10: Features

This is a tablet that has a focus on industrial use, with barcode and finger print scanners, cameras, a battery, LAN ports, and SIM card compatibility, fulfilling a feature set that will be required by anyone working on site. The tablet is also IP68/IP69K certified, so if you get caught in the rain or even drop this tablet into a puddle, it's fully waterproof.

Taking a look at the hardware, inside the heart of this RT10 is a Dimensity 7300 SoC CPU, coupled with a Mali-G615 MC2 GPU. This combo is decidedly mid-range, so while it should provide the power required for work-based apps, for anything that requires more graphics or processing power, it is likely to struggle.

The CPU and GPU combo is backed by 16GB of 3200 MHz RAM and 512GB of internal storage, and you can boost this with a 1TB MicroSD card.

One of the big features of this tablet is the battery capacity at 25,000mAh, which will keep this tablet running without issue for a full day's work and performed impressively throughout the test. This battery also supports up to 33W fast charging.

Connectivity is a major factor in this tablet. As well as WiFi 6, it also supports 5G with a SIM inserted. Through this test, I utilised a data SIM with unlimited data and no cap to maximise the full potential of the tablet.

As well as the more standard features of a tablet computer, the RT10 includes a few additions that tailor it to industry. These include the fingerprint scanner on the back, the barcode scanner on the side, and the RJ45 Ethernet port at the top. This means that if you're gathering on-site data or running industrial software, this tablet is designed to easily integrate into your workflow and bespoke software.

Supporting the hardware is an array of three cameras, main, macro, and night vision, which again have been designed for data capture, on-site images, and recording, rather than for content creation.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

• Features: 4 / 5

Oukitel Industry RT10: Performance

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Disk Speed Read: 2032 MB/s
Disk Speed Write: 449 MB/s
Geekbench CPU Multi: 3161
Geekbench CPU Single: 1021
Geekbench GPU: 2504
Solar Bay: N/A
Slingshot: 7165
Slingshot Extreme: 5361
Wild Life Extreme Overall: 3296
Wild Life Overall: 3303
Steel Nomad Overall: 359

While other rugged tablets are a blend of consumer and industrial, with simply the rugged outer shell differentiating them from standard devices, the RT10 is very different when it comes to some of those added extras such as the scanners and ethernet port.

The design and aesthetics are, however, very stereotypical of the genre, with large rubberised corners and a mix of metal and plastic that make it heavier and bulkier than its consumer equivalents.

It feels solid, and throughout the test I dropped, submerged, and left it in the rain, all of which had little effect on the actual working of the device. It is simply designed to withstand a lot more than most. However, as so often with the design of these rugged tablets and phones, there's just a bit too much styling. The metal grids that protect the speakers on the back are a catch-all for mud and grit, and even after a good clean, it was nearly impossible to fully rid them of dirt.

While the mud encrusted on the back doesn't affect performance, it just feels like a bit of an oversight for something that's designed to be used outdoors.

The exterior has a few additional features that make it very handy, including a large camping-style light on the back. This kicks out plenty of illumination and is great for ambient lighting. It's similar to the lights that have been appearing on the backs of rugged smartphones over the past few years and is a welcome addition.

The array of cameras is also useful and very functional. It's worth noting that there's a professional edge to these, while they're good, they're designed for documentation rather than creative endeavour. Essentially, they're fine for taking images on site, and quickly enhancing those images using Lightroom was all smooth, with the CPU and GPU handling the image data without issue.

Likewise, the video quality is OK, with definition and clarity looking good in bright conditions, but struggling under lower light. The footage can appear grainy and lack detail. Again, in bright conditions, the quality is good enough for site visits and recording rather than content creation.

While shooting video, I was interested to see how the tablet would handle light video editing using CapCut. As the application is highly optimised, editing footage shot on the tablet was smooth, and effects could be applied with ease. This footage was all HD, so far from taxing the mid-level processor.

Moving to more everyday use, the tablet handled Google Docs and Sheets with ease. It's a bit of a shame that the screen is limited to FHD resolution, as while that does make everything nice and easy to read, it doesn't offer much screen real estate for navigating documents.

Through daily use, the battery life stood out. As I shot video and images, edited, browsed the internet, and answered emails, the battery slowly depleted. But used over an average working day, it should be more than enough to last several days between charges under intensive use.

Some of the more industry-focused features, such as the barcode scanner on the side and finger print scanner on the back, will need compatible software in order to function. Unfortunately, there's nothing installed on the tablet by default that enables this feature and most off the shelf apps tried wouldn't recognise the scanners as a more bespoke solution is required.

Overall, for a rugged tablet, the focus here is very much on industry, with solid all-round performance when it comes to computing power and additional specialist features that will appeal in certain sectors.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

• Performance: 3.5 / 5

Oukitel Industry RT10: Final verdict

There are plenty of rugged tablets on the market, many offering individual features that stand out to very specific market sectors. The RT10 is a great example of a rugged tablet with a very defined audience, with the barcode scanner on the side and finger print scaner for security on the base, which, with the correct app installed, enables fast scanning and data collection.

The fact that it has a decent array of cameras, mid-range processing power, and a LAN port, as well as the ability to utilise both WiFi and cellular networks, makes it an extremely versatile option for a multitude of industries.

While throughout the week of use, there were plenty of features I liked about this tablet, I was disappointed by the lack of screen resolution. While the screen is bright and crisp, at this size, it makes the contents appear overly large, resulting in Google Docs and Sheets feeling bigger on screen than they need to be. That said, it does have the side effect of making everything very easy to read and edit.

The barcode scanner is a major feature of the tablet, but with no app installed or option to activate it in available apps, it looks to be a feature that needs to be integrated into custom applications or enterprise-level software. During the review, I tried several standard solutions but was unable to get the scanner to activate.

Likewise, the computing performance is mid-range, but for a tablet aimed at the commercial sector, the fact that it handles workflow apps smoothly while struggling a bit with higher-end graphic processing isn't an issue.

For more intensive apps, such as Lightroom and CapCut, that use images and video shot on the tablet, it handles the data with ease. Essentially, if you're recording on-site imagery, this is a great solution if you're wanting a rugged tablet for content creation then it's not.

If you need a rugged tablet that can be used in the field, withstands more than most, has a dedicated barcode reader, LAN port, and a battery life that far exceeds the longevity of most tablets, then this is a great option.

Should you buy an Oukitel Industry RT10?

Value

Relatively expensive for the processing power, but has features that few other tablets offer

4 / 5

Design

Standard tough design that's a little overstated with the rear metal panels

3.5 / 5

Features

Excellent range of features with the battery and dedicated scanner, although software integration is needed

4 / 5

Performance

Average tablet performance and a platform that's primed for business-tuned software solutions

3.5 / 5

Overall

Niche tablet designed to integrate with your company's dedicated software platforms

4 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Buy it if...

You work outdoors and on job-sites
As a rugged tablet fully focused on professional use, the Oukitel Industry RT10 delivered long battery life, robust reliability, and full connectivity when working in remote or changeable environments.

You rely on data capture
One of the most interesting features of the Industry RT10 is the built-in barcode scanner - and it also capably handles file transfers, while the hardware ports mean you don't need to carry extra gear.

Don't buy it if...

You're working on pro-grade photos and videos
Unfortunately, this tablet lacks a high-resolution, color accurate display and powerful image processing for professional work.

You're looking for simple inventory solution
The barcode scanner instantly makes you think this could be an out-of-the-box solution for inventory. However, custom software is required to utilize the feature.

We reviewed the best rugged laptops and the best rugged phones - see what passed the drop-test

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch: Two-minute review

The HP OmniBook 7 14-inch AI Laptop, to give it its full name, is an everyday workhorse with an elegant and upmarket design, setting it apart from much of the competition.

Its minimalist appearance is certainly fetching. The absence of any superfluous details makes it better-looking than your average workaday laptop, as does the light gray body, which contrasts well with the darker keycaps.

Not only does the OmniBook 7 look good, but it also feels good. The finish of both the entire unit and the keys is super smooth, and contributes to the laptop rivalling some of the best laptops out there.

Build quality is also impressive: both the base and the lid are sturdier than those on many other laptops I’ve tested. This feat is all the more impressive given just how light and thin the OmniBook 7 is — although it's a little thicker underneath than its slender sides might lead you to believe.

Most of the essential ports are present and correct. There are two USB-A and two USB-C ports. The latter are used for charging the OmniBook 7, and they also support external monitor connections. An HDMI port is also available for this purpose, and is an increasingly rare sight on modern laptops. However, I wasn’t thrilled with the ordering of many of the OmniBook 7’s ports, with the locations of the USB and HDMI ports being particularly inconvenient.

(Image credit: Future)

The general performance of the OmniBook 7 is impressive. It can handle light productivity and multi-tab browsing with ease, and can stream ultra-HD content without stuttering or buffering. I did notice a few minor slowdowns when performing certain media actions, but these were negligible.

For a laptop with no dedicated GPU, the OmniBook 7 surprised me with just how competent it is at gaming. You certainly won’t be getting high frame rates in AAA titles, even at modest settings, but Cyberpunk 2077 ran in a passable state that allowed for some casual playtime. I’ve certainly experienced my fair share laptops with similar integrated graphics that fail to reach even this low bar.

Some fan noise was apparent at times, even when moderate loads were undertaken. However, I didn’t find it loud to the point of distraction, and temperatures never exceeded lukewarm.

The display is also excellent. Its 1920 x 1200 resolution complements the 14-inch canvas very well, with the interface being clear and sharp. Colors are vibrantly rendered, too, and the deep contrast was very welcoming. I noticed some reflections on screen, but they didn’t obscure content prohibitively.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the OmniBook 7, though, is its battery life. It lasted an incredible 26 hours during our movie playback test, a time that ranks among the very best in the sector. It was also quick to fully recharge, taking just over two hours.

The starting price of the OmniBook 7 is high, in some territories more than others, but we’ve seen it on sale for significantly less (in UK markets, at least). And considering how it just about gets everything right, even exceeding expectations in some areas, the OmniBook 7 is one the best mid-range laptops around right now.

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch review: Price & Availability

(Image credit: Future)

• Starts from $949 / £699 / AU$2,499
• Prices vary according to region
• Expensive compared to some rivals

The HP OmniBook 7 14-inch starts from $949 / £699 / AU$2,499 and is available now. Configurability varies across regions, with the US seemingly only getting one model, which features an Intel Core Ultra 5, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage.

This certainly isn’t cheap; however, we’ve seen sizable reductions on variants in the UK and Australia which make them much better value. It’s more expensive than the HP OmniBook 5, but that model is significantly down on power compared to the 7.

It’s also cheaper, at least in some regions, than the Dell 16 Plus. This is another fine laptop, featuring a similarly lightweight yet sturdy design, as well as great performance and a high-quality display. It’s a larger device with a full-size keyboard, so it might be a better choice for those looking for more productivity pedigree. Like the OmniBook 7, though, it has integrated graphics, which means weak gaming and creative performance compared to laptops with dedicated GPUs.

• Value: 4 / 5

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025) review: SpecsHP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025) Specs

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025)

US

UK

Australia

Price:

$949

£699

AU$2,499

CPU:

Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (up to 4.8GHz, 12 cores)

Intel Core 5 220H (up to 4.9GHz, 12 cores)

Intel Core Ultra 5 225H (up to 4.9GHz, 14 cores)

GPU:

Intel Graphics (integrated)

Intel Graphics (integrated)

Intel Arc 130T (integrated)

Memory:

16GB LPDDR5

24GB LPDDR5

32GB LPDDR5

Storage:

512 GB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD

1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD

512 GB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD

Display:

14-inch 2K (1920 x 1200), IPS, anti-glare

14-inch 2K (1920 x 1200), IPS, anti-glare

14-inch 3K (2880 x 1800), UWVA

Ports:

2x USB-C (1x Thunderbolt 4, 40Gbps, Power Delivery 3.1, DisplayPort 2.1; 1x 10Gbps, USB Power Delivery 3.1, DisplayPort 1.4a), 2x 1 USB-A (1x 10Gbps, 1x 5Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x combo audio

2x USB-C (1x Thunderbolt 4, 40Gbps, Power Delivery 3.1, DisplayPort 2.1; 1x 10Gbps, USB Power Delivery 3.1, DisplayPort 1.4a), 2x 1 USB-A (1x 10Gbps, 1x 5Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x combo audio

2x USB-C (1x Thunderbolt 4, 40Gbps, Power Delivery 3.1, DisplayPort 2.1; 1x 10Gbps, USB Power Delivery 3.1, DisplayPort 1.4a), 2x 1 USB-A (1x 10Gbps, 1x 5Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x combo audio

Battery (WHr):

68Wh

68Wh

68Wh

Wireless:

Intel Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3

Intel Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3

Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

Camera:

5MP IR with privacy shutter

5MP IR with privacy shutter

5MP IR with privacy shutter

Weight:

3.12lbs (1.42kg)

3.12lbs (1.42kg)

3.12lbs (1.42kg)

Dimensions:

12.36 x 8.92 x 0.59in (314 x 226.6 x 15mm)

12.36 x 8.92 x 0.59in (314 x 226.6 x 15mm)

12.36 x 8.92 x 0.59in (314 x 226.6 x 15mm)

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Premium, elegant design
• Strong build quality
• Impractical port locations

In line with many of HP’s modern laptops, the design of the OmniBook 7 is best described as minimalist. The light silver colorway is sensible but less austere than other monochromatic rivals, while the darker keyboard shade provides a pleasing contrast. And like a great deal of Windows laptops in general, the OmniBook 7 emulates the pristine appeal of the best Macbooks — and I have to say, it’s largely successful on this front.

Complimenting its light colorway are its thin dimensions. This is especially evident on the sides of the unit, which help to disguise the somewhat thicker underside. Ultimately, though, the OmniBook 7 is still thinner and lighter than many other 14-inch laptops.

Strange as it is to say, I also admired the corners of the OmniBook 7, which are rounder than most. The same is true of the keycaps, and together these elements help to soften the OmniBook 7’s appearance even further.

Build quality is commendable, too. Despite the lightweight construction, both the body and the lid are remarkably sturdy. The hinge of the latter operates smoothly, and I experienced next to no wobbling when open. However, I wish it reclined a little further; the somewhat limited angle might be a problem for those wishing to place the OmniBook 7 on a stand.

(Image credit: Future)

While the materials used in the OmniBook 7 aren’t as premium as those employed in high-end laptops, they don’t feel cheap; the body has a silky smooth finish, while the keycaps have a slightly grainy texture that enhances their tactility. They’re also backlit, which I pretty much consider an essential feature in a laptop keyboard.

You’ll find the usual connectivity options on the OmniBook 7. There’s a USB-A port on each side and two USB-C ports on the right. Also on the right is an HDMI port, while on the left you’ll find a 3.5mm combo audio jack as well.

The ordering of these ports is somewhat inconvenient. The USB-C ports are close to the middle of the unit — not an ideal place for the power cable to extend from. Also, the HDMI port is placed ahead of the USB-A port, which could result in crossing cables if both are occupied simultaneously.

It’s also a shame that the OmniBook 7 misses out on extra ports, such as an SD card reader, but given the compact nature of the unit, this is somewhat forgivable.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch review: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Excellent general performance
• Surprisingly capable for light gaming
• Vivid, high-contrast display

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025) benchmarks:

3DMark Night Raid: 16,266; Fire Strike: 3,692; Steel Nomad: 345; Solar Bay 6,232; Solar Bay Unlimited: 6,281; Solar Bay Extreme: 748; Solar Bay Extreme Unlimited: 753;
GeekBench 6.5 Single-core: 2,324; Multi-core: 10,247
CrossMark Overall: 1,604; Productivity: 1,536; Creativity: 1,779; Responsiveness: 1,341;
HandBrake - 4K to 1080p average FPS: 47.72

The OmniBook 7 is a very capable all-round performer. It can handle the kinds of tasks you’d typically demand from a mid-range laptop. Light productivity is dispatched with aplomb, while the 16GB of RAM helps to facilitate browsing with multiple tabs open.

It streamed video at high resolutions with little buffering, although I did experience a small amount of lag when performing common actions, such as playing and pausing content, or when toggling full screen mode. However, such instances were too minor to cause frustration.

What surprised me most of all about the OmniBook 7 was its gaming performance. Despite lacking a dedicated GPU, it managed to run demanding titles, such as Cyberpunk 2077. Granted, it was far from the smoothest experience, hitting less than 30fps on average at the High preset with Ray Tracing disabled. But it sufficed for a quick and casual session. What’s more, it remained admirably cool and quiet throughout.

(Image credit: Future)

More impressive was the WUXGA display. It might fall short of many other laptops with sharper resolutions, but given the 14 inches of real estate on offer, is beautifully crisp and clear. Brightness and color reproduction are also excellent, as is the deep contrast. I did notice some reflections, but these were never prominent enough to disrupt the viewing experience.

The keyboard in the OmniBook 7 is mostly competent. The spacing between the keys is generous, while the short travel and light actuation allow for quick, snappy typing. However, while I found them satisfying to hit, they lack the dampening of some of the best keyboards around. Also, the lack of extra keys, such as a navigation cluster and a number pad, might hamper those looking for serious productivity pedigree.

I found no such drawbacks with the touchpad in the OmniBook 7. It feels superb and translates inputs precisely. I also found it to be the perfect size: small enough to avoid encroaching on wrist space when typing, yet large enough to make navigation and gesturing easy.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch review: Battery Life

(Image credit: Future)

• Best-in-class battery life
• Quick to charge

The battery life of the OmniBook 7 is remarkable. When I ran a movie on a continuous loop unplugged, it lasted just shy of 26 hours. This is one of the best scores we’ve seen, and eclipses other laptops known for their longevity.

The charging time is also impressive, taking just over two hours to go from empty to full.

• Battery Life: 5 / 5

Should I buy the HP OmniBook 7 14-inch?HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025) Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

Starting prices are high, especially in some regions. We have, however, seen some huge discounts.

4 / 5

Design

Super light and thin, with sleek looks and a premium feel. Port locations are a little impractical, though.

4.5 / 5

Performance

Brilliant general and multitasking performance, and the excellent display makes content pop. It's even capable of some light gaming.

4.5 / 5

Battery Life

Simply unbeatable; it can playback a video for over a full day. It's also quite quick to charge.

5 / 5

Total

The HP OmniBook 7 does everything you could want from a mid-range laptop, and more. If you find it on sale (as we have), it's hard to beat for value.

4.5 / 5

Buy the HP OmniBook 7 14-inch if...

You want great everyday performance
The OmniBook 7 is quick enough for all your general tasking and entertainment needs. It’s even capable of some light gaming, despite not having a dedicated GPU.

You want a great battery life
The OmniBook 7 can last for hours and hours before it runs out of juice. It’s among the most enduring laptops on the market.

Don't buy it if...

You want serious gaming performance
Although I was impressed by how well it ran AAA titles, its lack of dedicated graphics inevitably puts it leagues behind what the best gaming laptops can achieve.

You’re particular about cable management
The ordering of the ports along both sides of the OmniBook 7 is somewhat impractical, especially when the power adapter is connected to one of the USB-C ports.

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025) review: Also Consider

HP OmniBook 5 14-inch (2025)
It might be a step down from the OmniBook 7, but we were very impressed with the OmniBook 5 when we reviewed it. In particular, we were enthralled by its display and battery life — two areas where the OmniBook 7 shines even brighter. Its overall performance was somewhat disappointing, but considering its very competitive pricing, these flaws are somewhat forgiven.

Read our full HP OmniBook 5 14-inch (2025) review.

Dell 16 Plus
The Dell 16 Plus shares many of the same traits with the OmniBook 7, including a lightweight yet solid design, great performance, and a pleasing display. However, since it's larger, it has the advantage of a full-size keyboard which includes a number pad, handy for those with productivity in mind. Again, like the OmniBook 7, it lacks graphical prowess due to the integrated graphics it’s saddled with, so avid gamers and creators should look elsewhere.

Read our full Dell 16 Plus review.

How I tested the HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025)

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested for several days
• Used for productivity, entertainment, browsing
• Plentiful laptop reviewing experience

I tested the HP OmniBook 7 for several days, during which time I used it for light productivity tasks, streaming content, gaming, and general browsing.

I ran our suite of benchmarks, which test every facet of a laptop's performance. I also ran a movie on a continuous loop to test battery life.

I have reviewed countless laptops in my time, ranging from budget and mid-range efforts to top-tier machines designed for high-end gaming and other intensive workloads. I've also reviewed a plethora of other computing devices, including desktops and tablets.

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

Hootsuite has been building its reputation as one of the best social media management tools since 2008. If you need social media management or analytics, it's one of the oldest options available in the market. However, it's worth noting that recent concerns about its contracts with the US Department of Homeland Security and ICE, which include its social listening features, have caused a stir in the industry.

Hootsuite's current incarnation lets you manage multiple social media accounts, all from within one interface that allows quick and easy administration. On top of that, Hootsuite can schedule content for later publishing on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, and X.

• Sign up for a Hootsuite plan

There’s a limited free trial that’ll help you get started and explore its potential, but paid-for plans are the only way to keep using the platform long-term, which you'll find outlined in detail throughout this review.

We've spent hours testing social media management platforms like Circleboom, Buffer, and HubSpot. Each of them is promising, but offers something different in terms of core usability.

Let's dive into our Hootsuite social media manager review now.

• Best small business software of 2024

Hootsuite: Plans and pricing

Plan

Starting Rate (Paid Annually)

Renewal Rate (Paid Annually)

Standard

$199/month

$249/month

Advanced

$399/month

$499/month

Enterprise

Contact sales

Contact sales

Hootsuite has something to offer all sorts of social media managers and in any kind of business environment. There’s even a 30-day trial available for those who want to dip their toes into social media management tools.

But if you’re looking to use it long-term, Hootsuite's paid plans start at $199/month per user for teams that require up to 10 accounts.

(Image credit: Hootsuite)

Going deeper, the Advanced plan costs $399 per month per user, while the beefy Enterprise package requires contacting sales for a quote but delivers hefty performance and high-end customization.

Interestingly, Hootsuite is currently running a promotion that gives you 10% off if you skip the trial completely. But compared to its rivals, Hootsuite's plans are more on the moderate-to-expensive side, suitable for growing organizations and enterprises only.

• Best business intelligence platform of 2024

(Image credit: Future)Hoosuite: Basic features

As is the case with any software program, the Standard edition of Hootsuite will offer much less in the way of features and functions compared to the Advanced or Enterprise plans.

The Starter plan offers unlimited post scheduling, timing recommendations, Canva integrations, and a hashtag generator, plus a variety of other features. The limitations are that you can only work with 10 social accounts. If you want to add more, you'll need to upgrade to the $399/month plan for unlimited social accounts.

While many people enthuse about Hootsuite, a frequent bone of contention for some is the way the Hootsuite interface looks, feels, and behaves. It’s been improved over the years and the latest edition is perhaps the best to date, but it can be an acquired taste, especially compared to upstart rivals that focus on UI.

Nevertheless, setting up a Hootsuite account is easy using an email and password combination to get going. Once you're into the interface, adding social networks is a slick procedure and these can be managed via a central dashboard.

Hootsuite also offers up a full range of tools for monitoring and managing each social network. A real benefit is the ability to integrate any one of over 150 apps into your workspace, which further boosts the appeal.

(Image credit: Future)Hoosuite: Professional features and AI

Hootsuite's entry-level Standard plan lets you plug into 10 social media accounts, with the ability to schedule unlimited posts and to access all communications in one inbox.

Those with more muscular social media requirements will prefer the Advanced edition, which comes with the ability to integrate with unlimited social accounts, plus extended functionality like custom reporting and approval workflows.

Hoosuite also adds on extra "social listening" analytics, employee advocacy, an advanced inbox, and review management. Take a look at Hootsuite's website to check which plans it has available now.

• Best of the best: TechRadar's definitive buying guides

Hootsuite has significantly enhanced its platform with AI through OwlyWriter and the newly launched OwlyGPT in 2025. You'll find these tools integrated throughout the platform, designed to speed up content creation and eliminate writer's block.

OwlyWriter AI helps you generate social media captions in seconds. You can create posts from scratch by providing a simple prompt, or paste a URL and let it summarize articles into engaging social content. The "Get Inspired" feature generates endless post ideas based on keywords you provide, perfect for filling your content calendar. OwlyWriter can also identify your top-performing posts and suggest fresh ways to repurpose them.

OwlyGPT takes things further with new capabilities introduced in 2025. It can now generate original images to accompany your posts (currently in beta). Just describe what you need and it creates graphics automatically. The tool also personalizes output by analyzing your past posts and mimicking your brand voice, ensuring consistency even when multiple team members create content. OwlyGPT uses Talkwalker's social listening technology to incorporate real-time insights from live social feeds, making your content more relevant and timely.

The platform provides various copywriting formulas like HOOK, AMP, WIIFM, and AIDA to boost engagement and conversions. You get 300 AI tokens that renew monthly on paid plans, with each caption creation using one token. This gives you plenty of capacity for regular content generation without running out.

All Hootsuite plans include OwlyWriter AI at no extra cost. The AI integrates seamlessly with Hootsuite's scheduling, approval workflows, and compliance tools, so you maintain control over what gets published.

(Image credit: Hootsuite)Hootsuite: Analytics and reporting

There’s a whole area within Hootsuite that will let you tackle analytics, especially if you’ve gone for a beefier package. Depending on your tier, Hootsuite offers options for taking a deep dive into your social media stats, all of which can subsequently be compiled and readied for detailed reporting.

Hootsuite helps "prove" your social media ROI, useful in e-commerce or with cash-strapped startups and scale-ups. The service also offers ways to boost your engagement by tracking engagement across time.

If you’re looking for visual data to take back to your bosses, Hootsuite is great with graphic reporting. Advanced plan users will really appreciate the quality and power of the reporting potential in the higher-end editions. You’ll struggle to get that same impressive reporting in cheaper editions, though.

On top of these features, Hootsuite offers specific tools for monitoring social media, including getting customer feedback and protecting a brand from negative publicity. By putting all social media data in one place, keeping track becomes much easier.

(Image credit: Hootsuite)Hootsuite: User interface

Having that central dashboard at your disposal makes Hootsuite a breeze to the administrator, even when working with multiple accounts. There are some quirks, which may not suite everyone’s taste, but the platform feels stable on the whole.

The Enterprise plan is a good one to chose if you have staff members who might feel the benefit of the 24/7 priority support that comes as part of the package. (Hootsuite also publishes online documentation and guides for many of its features.)

There's a lot more to the interface than initially meets the eye, too, including some great integrations with Dropbox, Google Drive, and others, which offer a more seamless experience for busy social media executives. The software can also be used in conjunction with many of the Microsoft business apps, adding additional appeal especially to corporate users.

While the UI might not be as flashy as some of its rivals, Hootsuite gets the job done and we had very few problems finding our way around the online website or apps.

• Best online marketing service of 2024

(Image credit: Hootsuite )Hoosuite: Support

You'll really want to invest in the Enterprise plans if you think your staff will need the benefit of 24/7 support. That may mean more of an outlay, but to keep staff going if they get stuck along the way is often worth a little more expense.

Hootsuite also has a dedicated help center that makes a good place to start if you’re looking for assistance with the package. Yet unsurprisingly, some of the best ways to contact support involve using social media companies like Facebook and Twitter.

(Image credit: Hootsuite)

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

• Best content marketing tool of 2024

Hootsuite: The competition

Not everyone will want all of the extra functionality provided by a business-focused edition of Hootsuite. There are plenty of alternatives in the social media arena however, with the likes of Sprout Social, Buffer, Sendible, Loomly, and Zoho Social all being perfectly decent competitors worth considering.

There's not enough space to go into loads of detail about all of these offerings, so we recommend checking out Hootsuite's feature list, seeing if what you need is there, and then checking out its rivals should that feature be absent.

One thing we would say is that lots of Hootsuite's rivals don't offer the full range of services, especially in the Enterprise plan, and so it can be seen as something of a Swiss army knife.

(Image credit: Hootsuite)Hootsuite: Final verdict

Hootsuite continues to have plenty of appeal to all levels of social media managers, though anyone at the lower end of the business spectrum will find it a bit on the costlier side.

You’ll get more done with the beefier plans too ($399+) and the Enterprise edition packs in everything needed to handle social media for a global organization. We appreciate the depth of features on offer here, but feel conflicted about the removal of the free and more budget-friendly plans that were available before.

• Sign up to Hootsuite

Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene: two-minute review

The Clean+Wash Hygiene is the second in Dyson's hard floor cleaner line. Like its range-mate, the Dyson WashG1, it stands out for not using suction at all, but instead harnessing a mixture of 'agitation, hydration and separation' to get your hard floors squeaky clean.

The absence of suction means this cleaner is significantly lighter than most true wet-dry vacuums, and it also means it can operate relatively quietly. On test, I couldn't see a compromise in performance, either: I was very impressed with how effectively the Clean+Wash Hygiene picked up all kinds of messes, including chunky particles like oats, using just its cleverly designed roller.

Liquid waste is separated from solid, and one USP here is that all the waste is stored in the floorhead itself. Dyson says this is good news for longevity, because there are no pipes to get grimy or blocked up. I did find the emptying process a little fiddly, and the floorhead was drippier than other hard floor cleaners I've used.

There's a self-clean cycle that runs fresh water through the system. It will likely require you to empty the dirty water tank and refill the clean one mid-cycle, but otherwise it's effective at removing dirt from the roller. Dyson has also an added hot air drying here – it's noisy but again, effective. Even after the muckiest of cleaning task, my roller looked good-as-new afterwards.

Bar some minor quibbles, I was impressed with this cleaner. Whether it's worth the asking price is another thing – I've tested some of the best wet-and-dry vacuums on the market, and there's little that stands out as truly exceptional here, unfortunately.

That's the short version; read on for my full Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene review.

(Image credit: Future)Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene review: price & availability

• List price: £429.99
• Available: Now in the UK, US and AU to follow
• Launched: December 2025

The Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene went on sale in the UK in December 2025, at a list price of £429.99. It's due to become available in the US and in Australia in 2026, but I don't have any specifics or pricing yet – based on UK pricing, it might be around $600 / AU$850.

That's in the premium band for a hard floor cleaner, and although the build quality is excellent and plenty of thought has clearly gone into the design, I don't think it does quite enough to justify the price tag. For that kind of money I'd expect to see the option of suction, and special features like dirt detection, automatic adjustment, and even foam / steam functions.

• Value for money score: 3 out of 5

Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene specs

Cleaner size (H x L x W):

43.1 x 9.6 x 11 inches / 109.6 x 24.4 x 28cm

Dock size (H x L x W):

9.4 x 11 x 10.1 inches / 24 x 28 x 25.7cm

Weight (empty):

8.4lbs / 3.8kg

Clean water tank volume:

0.75L

Dirty water tank volume:

0.52L

Max runtime:

45 mins

Dock cable length:

5.9ft / 1.8m

Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene review: design

• Streamlined and relatively lightweight, and can lie flat
• Waste is stored in the floorhead, and separated into solids and liquids
• Self-clean function and hot air drying on the dock

The Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene is a lightweight hard floor cleaner with a handful of interesting design features. Rather surprisingly given this brand's heritage, there's no suction here – instead, it uses hydration and agitation to remove dirt from hard flooring.

The roller spins at speed, and is continually fed with fresh water, as the dirty stuff is scraped off. It can handle mixed solid-and-liquid spills, and to a certain extent also dust and other dry debris (although it won't be as effective as a regular stick vacuum here).

(Image credit: Future)

The roller is densely packed with fibers to make it as absorbent as possible, and Dyson has added wiry bristles that stick out a bit, for extra scrubbing power. There's also an anti-tangle comb behind the roller to prevent hair wrap. On one side the roller goes right up close to the edge of the floorhead, but on the other there's a decent chunk of casing. The roller can be removed for rinsing as required.

One of the areas where Dyson tends to shine in its floorcare range is maneuverability, but I didn't find the Clean+Wash Hygiene quite as nimble as I expected. Don't get me wrong, it's far from cumbersome – it's streamlined in design and pivots smoothly, but it felt a little less agile than something like the Dyson WashG1. I was impressed that it could lie completely flat to the ground, until the whole thing is just 4.44 inches / 11.3cm tall. A small wheel on the back of the handle helps it maneuver smoothly in this mode.

(Image credit: Future)

The dirty water compartment is integrated into the floorhead itself – similar to the mopping floorhead on the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine. The thinking is that because the dirt has nowhere to really travel, there's no tubing to get clogged up. Liquid ends up in a dirty water tank, and solid waste is filtered out into a separate tray. The two compartments are removed as one, but getting them apart and then back together again is a little fiddly compared to other wet-dry vacuums I've tested... not to mention messier.

(Image credit: Future)

There are three hydration modes to choose from, and a Boost mode to add extra water for tackling dried-on dirt. Dyson proudly claims the 750ml clean water tank will cover an area of 350 sqm, leaving such a fine sheen of moisture that your floors will be dry within 60 seconds. There are no other special modes, such as automated setting adjustment.

(Image credit: Future)

One major upgrade on the Clean+Wash Hygiene compared to the WashG1 is that Dyson has introduced hot air drying on the dock. So after mopping, you run a self-clean cycle which runs fresh water over the roller. Then it's dried using wafts of warm (185F / 85C) air, saving you from having to remove it and put it out somewhere to dry.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene review: performance

• Efficient, relatively quiet cleaning of liquid and solid spills
• Floorhead a little drippy, and self-clean cycle uses a lot of water
• Mop drying rather noisy but effective

I started by filling up the clean water and embarking on a whole-floor clean. The roller saturated fairly quickly without any pre-wetting, and left an very light, even sheen of water on my vinyl flooring. It's easy to toggle modes, and the screen spells out remaining cleaning time so you'll never unexpectedly run out of battery.

Because there's no suction, it's relatively quiet in operation, and the runtimes are long too. The Clean+Wash Hygiene can last up to 45 minutes per charge.

Cleaning

To assess its capabilities more closely, I tested how the Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene handled a range of tricky cleaning challenges. I started with soy sauce mixed with oats. It gobbled up all the oats in one forward and backward pass in Med mode – impressive, given there's no suction here.

(Image credit: Future)

Then I decided it was time to bring out the big guns. I smeared maple syrup, crunchy peanut butter and Marmite (a super-sticky, viscous spread) on a vinyl floor. This time it struggled a bit. I unleashed Boost mode, and it took about 20 seconds of back-and-forth to clear the mess. That's a decent result – this test is purposefully very tricky. Plus, there was no sticky residue left behind.

Like every wet-and-dry cleaner I'm aware of, this machine is only suitable for perfectly flat floors. It can't deal with uneven surfaces such as flagstones, and it won't get into the cracks between tiles either – although it does do a better job of this than some, thanks to those bristles in the roller.

Maintenance

After my mopping session, it was time to clean out the waste. Although I see the logic in separating liquid from solid waste, and I acknowledge the potential long-term maintenance benefits, the emptying process does feel fiddlier than usual.

Unlike on the WashG1, you can't get your hand inside the dirty water tank to clean it out. The design of the tank also makes it very difficult to see when it's filling up, although it will inform you on screen.

I also found the floorhead had a tendency to drip or leak dirty water when handled. No wet-dry vacuum is perfect in this respect, but this Dyson machine seems especially bad for it, perhaps because the waste compartments are relatively complicated in design, with lots of separate elements.

(Image credit: Future)

Next, I embarked on a self-clean cycle. This starts by flushing the system with fresh water to get rid of lingering dirt. Almost immediately, the machine paused and asked me to refill the clean water tank. After relaunching, it paused again and asked me to empty the dirty water.

I'd recommend doing both these things before launching a self-clean cycle, and again afterwards, to avoid annoying disruptions. The process uses more than half a tank of fresh water, so it'll almost certainly be required.

(Image credit: Future)

Flushing complete, the dock then begins to dry the roller with hot air. This part is surprisingly noisy too, although it only lasts around half an hour. (On other machines I've used, the drying lasts longer but is much quieter, and on some advanced models you have the option of short-and-noisy or long-and-quiet.) Afterwards, I inspected the roller and it was almost completely dry, with no dirt to speak of.

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene: Scorecard

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Value

Well-built and solid quality, but little in terms of features to justify the premium price.

3 / 5

Design

Streamlined, lightweight and can lie flat. Slightly fiddly and messy waste disposal setup.

3.5 / 5

Performance

Effective at cleaning solid and liquid spills, even without suction. Self-clean works well too.

4 / 5

How I tested the Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene

I used the Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene for a couple of weeks on my hard floors. Aside from day-to-day use, I ran a series of dedicated cleaning tests to see how it coped with different kinds of messes, including liquid-solid spills, sticky and viscous substances. I compared my findings with other hard floor cleaners, and assessed if this model offered strong value for money.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed January 2026

Dyson PencilVac: two-minute review

The Dyson PencilVac looks nothing like any vacuum I've seen before. All the mechanisms – the motor, filters, battery, and even the dust cup – are hidden within the handle, which measures just 1.5 inches / 3.8cm in diameter. That isn't the only unique thing about the PencilVac: the floorhead is also very quirky, with its four, fluffy, conical rollers rotating in opposite directions to lift dirt and buff your floors clean.

In use, it's the most nimble vacuum I've tested. The head appears to hover across the floor; it can be used forwards or backwards, and lie completely flat to the ground. With a bit of practice, you can make the floorhead do figure eights.

Those fluffy rollers are specifically meant for use on hard flooring – there's nothing to agitate carpet fibers to release trapped dirt. The suction power is in line with what I'd expect for a hard floor-specific vacuum, too: a relatively low 55AW of power, when most of the best Dyson vacuums have at least double that.

That power proved plenty to whisk away dog hair and dust from my hard floors, however. I could see it was doing a good job, because lasers installed in the front and back of the floorhead do a stellar job of illuminating any lingering dirt.

There are a couple more compromises for that ultra-streamlined, super-light build. The battery life is rather limited, topping out at 30 minutes per charge. The dust bin is small, too, although air compression helps maximize the amount you can fit into the physical space.

The only issue I think is a genuine mistake on Dyson's part is that the floorhead comes to a slight point, which means it can't sit flush to a wall. This makes it really tricky to get a thorough edge clean. It's extra-annoying here given the emphasis on maneuverability and thoroughness of coverage. This shape is dictated by the tapering rollers, which are designed to prevent hair wrap, but I've found Dyson's Motorbar and Fluffy floorheads do this perfectly well without the need for a tapering roller.

It's a relatively minor complaint in what is a genuinely impressive feat of engineering – and a useful one at that. If you have mostly hard floors and want a nimble, lightweight vacuum that will and highlight hidden dust as you clean, you'll struggle to find something better than this. Read on for my full Dyson PencilVac review.

(Image credit: Future)Dyson PencilVac review: price & availability

• List price: US TBC / £429.99 / AU$949
• Available: US TBC / UK 10 Dec / Australia August 2025
• Launched: Summer 2025

The PencilVac was announced in June 2025 and went on sale in Australia in August. A UK launch followed in December 2025. At time of writing, it isn't yet available in the US. At the list price it costs £429.99 / AU$949 (discounted to AU$798 at time of writing). That's equivalent to around $590 in the US, although actual pricing is unknown.

That puts the PencilVac in the premium price bracket for vacuums. You're paying extra for the unique design here (and a little bit for the Dyson name). In terms of specs such as suction power, runtime, and even special features and accessories, it doesn't compare favorably to other models on the market. However, if you want something ultra-light and maneuverable, there's nothing else like it (for now, at least...). The build quality is excellent, as I'd expect from Dyson.

• Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5

Dyson PencilVac specs

Weight (no attachments):

2.1lbs / 0.94kg

Weight (with wand and main floorhead):

4lbs / 1.8kg

Bin size:

0.08L

Max runtime:

30 mins

Charge time:

2hrs

Size (H x W x L):

46.5 x 6.3 x 8.9in / 118 x 15.9 x 22.6cm

Max suction:

55AW

Modes:

Eco, Med, Boost

Dock size (H x W x L):

10 x 10 x 11.5in / 25.5 x 25.4 x 29.3cm

Dock cable length:

5.4ft / 1.6m

Dyson PencilVac review: design

• Lightweight, compact build, with all mechanisms hidden in handle
• Extremely maneuverable, can be used either way around
• Small dust cup, but uses air compression to maximize space

The design here is unique. There's no visible battery, motor, filter, or dust cup section. Instead, all that is packed within the wand, which measures 1.5 inches / 3.8cm in diameter. To achieve that, Dyson has had to re-engineer its motor to one that's incredibly compact – the Hyperdymium 140k motor is just 1.1 inches / 2.8cm wide, and hidden entirely within the handle.

The PencilVac in general is very lightweight, at 4lbs / 1.8kg (by comparison, the V8 is 5.5 lbs / 2.5kg with wand and floorhead attached), and extremely nimble.

(Image credit: Future)

The battery forms the top section of the wand, and can be removed and swapped. Moving down you'll find the controls – there are just two buttons: an On/Off, and a second button to switch modes (Eco, Med and Boost; there's no auto-adjustment here). A small screen displays the mode you're using and how much time you have left on the clock.

(Image credit: Future)

Move down further and you'll find the dust cup behind a transparent casing; this allows you a view as it fills up. Rather unusually, the dust collects at the top of the bin section. Not surprisingly, the capacity is rather limited, at 0.08L (most of Dyson's stick vacuums have a 0.8L bin). However, the PencilVac apparently uses air to squish down the particles, so that they take up as little room as possible. As such, Dyson says that this cup will hold up to five times its physical volume.

To empty the bin, you remove the floorhead and slide the whole casing down. The dust and dirt then shoots out of the bottom. This process is straightforward and works well, although I did find particles got stuck in and around the bin casing.

(Image credit: Future)

At the end of the wand you'll find the new Fluffycones floorhead – another unique part of the PencilVac. This a kind of hybrid between the All Floors Cones Sense floorhead introduced with the Dyson V16 Piston Animal, and the Fluffy cleaner head that made its debut with the Dyson V15 Detect.

Instead of having one or two tube-shaped rollers, the Fluffycones head has four conical ones. The tapering shape is designed specifically as a way to deal with long hair: rather than becoming tangled around the brush roll, the strands should make their way down to the small end of the cone where they drop off in a clump, and can be vacuumed up in a single pass. It's an idea that Dyson first used in its Hair screw tool.

(Image credit: Future)

However, unlike the All Floors Cones Sense head, the rollers here are entirely covered with soft, fluffy fabric. This is perfect for use on hard floors, where it can get right up close to the flat surface without risking scratches. It isn't well-suited to carpet, though, because there's nothing to agitate the fibers and release embedded dirt.

Dyson has also added a green laser to both the front and back of the Fluffycones floorhead. This is designed to highlight specks of dirt that might otherwise be missed.

The cones extend a little way past the hard plastic casing, and rotate in opposite directions, which means the PencilVac can pick up debris when pushed forwards and when pulled backwards. In fact, because it's basically symmetrical, you can use it either way around.

(Image credit: Future)

Since the "wand" contains all the inner mechanisms, the PencilVac isn't quite as versatile as a traditional stick vacuum. You can't remove the wand part and use it like a hand vacuum. However, you can swap out the floorhead for a detail tool. There was one included with my review model: a "Rotating combi-crevice tool" that can be used like a traditional Crevice tool, or with the brush section engaged to sweep up dirt (NB: it doesn't actually rotate).

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Dyson PencilVac review: performance

• Excellent and very efficient pickup on hard floor, even in Eco mode
• Not designed for use on carpet, and not sucky enough for ingrained dirt
• Laser light is effective and useful

So how does the Dyson PencilVac perform in practice? The first thing to emphasize is how comfortable it is to use. Although it takes a moment to get used to the different grip – you hold this cleaner like a broom, rather than like a traditional stick vacuum – it's very light in the hand and maneuvers incredibly well. You can use it forwards or backwards, and the floorhead pivots with ease. With the detail tool attached, it's also super easy to clean up high or in tight spaces.

Unfortunately, the design of the floorhead isn't quite as impressive. Since it comes to a slight point at the front, it can't sit flush to a wall. This was one of my main complaints with the similarly shaped All Floors Cones Sense floorhead, and it's no less annoying here. If you can't approach an edge side-on, it's tricky to achieve a thorough clean. This kind of vacuum should be perfect for the stairs, say... except the reality is that using the PencilVac to clean along all those straight edges is a nightmare.

(Image credit: Future)

This isn't the most powerful Dyson vacuum – you're getting a maximum 55AW of suction, where most Dyson stick vacs have double that. Also, the design of the floorhead doesn't lend itself to being ultra-sucky, either. Usually, the casing around the edges would descend to the floor around all four edges, creating a "vacuum" (in the original sense of the word) underneath. That isn't the case here. And because the rollers are soft all over, there's nothing to agitate embedded dust.

None of that is an issue if you're just using the PencilVac on hard flooring, which is its intended use. You don't need a ton of suction to clean hard floors, because all the dust and dirt is sat right there on the surface. But if you're seeking something for carpet, or even a vacuum that will pull the dirt from the cracks and crevices in your floorboards, this isn't it.

(Image credit: Future)

To get a more objective view of how well the PencilVac cleans, I ran a series of tests using dry, loose tea (to represent fine particles) and a dry couscous/oat mix (to represent chunky debris) on the large tiles of my kitchen floor. The results were very impressive: the vacuum picked up everything in a single pass, even on the lowest Eco mode. There was minimal pinging of large particles, and the fact that the head cleans from both sides meant I could clear the spillage in half the time.

In general use, the PencilVac was a dream to use in my kitchen. The Fluffycones head seemed to hover across floors, moving smoothly and with minimal effort on my part, whisking away dirt and pet hair as it went. The lasers did a great job of illuminating dust in dingy areas, and I could easily direct the vacuum into tight corners – down the side of a sofa, for example. The only annoyance was that awkwardly angled floorhead.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Future)

Although this vacuum isn't really built for carpets, I still ran my standard carpet tests to see how it would cope. It pulled up a decent amount of chunky debris in a single forward pass in Medium mode, although it did flick other bits about.

Medium mode wasn't enough to pull many of the flecks of fine dry tea from my mid-pile carpet, and even after several passes I could still see a shadow where the tea had been sprinkled.

I also decided to try the PencilVac on the canvas-style mat in my kitchen. It pulled up a good amount of debris, and there was less pinging than there had been on the carpet. It's certainly capable of pulling surface dirt from this kind of flooring, and perfectly fine for everyday cleaning.

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Dyson PencilVac review: battery life

• Promises 30 mins in Eco, 20 in Medium, and 5 in Boost
• 2 hours recharge time
• Battery removable and swappable

The main compromise you're making for the lightweight, compact build is a smaller battery. Larger, heavier Dyson vacuums last over an hour in their lowest-powered mode, but the runtimes on the PencilVac are much shorter. Dyson promises 30 minutes in Eco mode, 20 in Medium and 5 in the most powerful Boost mode. The battery recharges in a relatively speedy 2 hours.

Medium mode is the one I'd typically default to, and it lasted for 18 minutes at the power (less than Dyson's listed specs). That's really quite short for a middle mode, although it did give me enough time to clean three bathrooms, a large kitchen and utility room, so maybe it isn't too much of an issue. I'd also say that for hard flooring, Eco mode will actually usually be sucky enough for most situations.

I've been testing vacuums for a while now, and with the PencilVac I missed having a dirt-detecting Auto mode, although I can see why it wasn't included here. I'm pleased to see that despite the battery taking a different format, it's still removable and replaceable, which should help with the longevity of the PencilVac overall.

• Battery life score: 3.5 out of 5

Should you buy the Dyson PencilVac?

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Value

Premium bracket – mainly because of the innovative, unique design.

3.5 / 5

Design

Almost impossibly streamlined and nimble – the only real annoyance is the angled floorhead.

4.5 / 5

Performance

Not designed for carpet, but excellent pickup on hard flooring. Dirt-illuminating lasers are useful and effective.

4 / 5

Battery life

Relatively short (as required by the streamlined design). Recharge is fairly speedy.

3.5 / 5

How I tested the Dyson PencilVac

I used the Dyson PencilVac regularly for a couple of months, to get a general feel for its performance and usefulness. I also ran specific cleaning tests including chunky particles (dry couscous/oat mix) and fine particles (dry, loose tea) on my hard floor, thin mats and carpet. I compared my findings with other vacuums I've tested, and assessed if it offered strong value for money.

Read more about how we test vacuum cleaners

• First reviewed November 2025

Razer BlackShark V3: One-minute review

The Razer BlackShark V3 wireless gaming headset is a truly fantastic piece of kit, which has finally convinced me to move on from the same headset I've been using for years. The sleek black design strays from the tacky-looking appearance of a lot of gaming headsets without losing the iconic branding of Razer products, but it never feels garish.

Controls on both earcups are straightforward and easy to use, too, giving you all the power you need in one convenient place rather than having to mess around with additional software. Plus, with 70 hours of battery life when fully charged, you're able to sink into all your favourite games with no threat of interruption.

Its crystal clear audio when gaming, paired with the outstanding microphone quality, makes it the only headset you need for your gaming setup too rather than needing platform-specific products.

The detachable microphone also makes it adaptable to suit your style, whether you're playing with friends over Discord or roaming around in-game while listening to some tunes. It's hard to want to use another headset once you've spent time with the BlackShark V3, which is high praise coming from a creature of comfort who doesn't like to change their peripherals often.

(Image credit: Future)Razer BlackShark V3: Price and availability

• List price: $149.99 / £149.99 / AU$350
• Not exactly a budget-friendly headset, but quality makes it worth investing
• Has almost identical features to the (more expensive) BlackShark V3 Pro

The Razer BlackShark V3 wireless headset launched in July 2025, so a reasonable two years after the previous version: the BlackShark V2 HyperSpeed. Having also used the V2 HyperSpeed in the past, I can safely say those two years of extra baking time definitely paid off, and there are some noticeable differences to make the additional $20/£20 cost worthwhile. Such as a new set of Razer Triforce Titanium 50mm Drivers, a lightweight ergonomic design which really feels as if it's putting comfort first, and a shiny new HyperClear Super Wideband 9.9mm Mic to make sure none of your audio gets missed.

Compared to other premium wireless gaming headsets on the market, like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro 7P Gen 2 or Astro A20 X, the BlackShark V3 isn't an extortionately priced product. In fact, the $149.99 price tag is a reasonable ask for what you're getting, considering how many premium wireless gaming headsets fall closer to the $200 mark.

It's not an eyewatering asking price compared to something like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite, yet it still feels like a worthy upgrade if you're used to rocking budget-friendly gaming headsets. Having launched alongside the Razer BlackShark V3 X Hyperspeed, a tempting $99/£99/AU$179.95 headset, you may be convinced to cut costs and go for something that sounds almost identical in name. But you'd be doing yourself a complete disservice in doing so, which I need you to trust me on.

Razer BlackShark V3: Specs

Razer BlackShark V3

Price

$149.99 / £149.99 / AU$350

Weight

9.5oz / 270g

Compatibility

Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mobile

Connection type

2.4 GHz Wireless / USB Wired / Bluetooth

Battery life

Up to 70 hours

Features

THX Spatial Audio, detachable Razer HyperClear Super Wideband 9.9mm mic,

Software

Razer Audio

Razer BlackShark V3: Design and features

• Black design is more elegant than RGB-intense gaming headsets
• Super lightweight design for long-term comfort
• Despite its middle-ground price tag, it definitely feels like a high-end product

The Razer BlackShark V3 wireless gaming headset looks practically identical to the other Razer BlackShark V3 sets: the V3 Pro and the V3 X HyperSpeed. It's got a sleek black design with subtle Razer branding on the earcups and headband, which I appreciate since so many gaming headsets would take any opportunity to shove colours and logos in your face, which is somewhere I found the Astro A20 X fell short, since its design verged on slightly too in-your-face. But it doesn't need an interesting or quirky design to be a good product. In fact, it's a perfect example of something being so simple yet so incredibly satisfying.

(Image credit: Future)

Both the headband and the earcups have firm cushioning and padding, and aren't made of that horrible glossy material a lot of cheaper headsets use, similar to a headset like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5, which boasts a similar build quality and black design. The headband used a breathable, almost netted fabric, and each earcup is made from breathable Sportsweave memory foam. Since the headset almost prides itself on being for esports, these elements have clearly been carefully designed to cater to being comfortable for competitive players. But for more casual gamers like me, they just feel like a nice treat.

Despite the firmness of the cushioning on both the headband and earcups, I was surprised at how comfortable they were in use. Usually, firmer earcups make wearing glasses when gaming uncomfortable as they push the arms into the side of your head, so I was shocked when I never experienced this discomfort.

All the controls you need are located on the ear cups too, which reduces the need for external software if you don't fancy downloading, with the left featuring all the important buttons like a textured power button alongside a smooth mic mute, so there's no chance of pressing the wrong thing when wearing the set.

(Image credit: Future)

In addition, a dial on the front of the ear cup is where you control your audio level, which is far easier to use than a scroll wheel on the bottom - something that most of the headsets I've used in the past specialise in. Now that I've had the convenience of a larger dial, I never want to go back to relying on these wheels, which are so easily knocked and altered.

The left cup is specifically for optimising your audio setup to suit what you're playing. Here, you've got a configurable roller which you can use for footsteps scaling in games like Battlefield 6 or Arc Raiders, game-chat balancing so you can sort out your game audio and Discord audio without having to open your audio mixer, and mic monitoring. This convenient wheel is accompanied by a smart switch button, too, in case you need to change your connection in an instant. Basically, the entire headset has been designed to make your life a lot easier and give you more game time rather than wasting precious minutes on sorting your peripherals.

(Image credit: Future)

The mic plugs into the right ear cup, too, which in itself boasts a sturdy build quality and matches the same sleek black design of the rest of the headset. If I had one complaint, it would be that the size of the foam cover is quite large, and it does feel pretty invasive given the short length of the mic as a whole.

That, and you can't conveniently store the microphone on or around the headset if you don't want to use the mic - you're at the mercy of your own ability to keep it safe when unplugged. Again, if you're used to the convenience of a compact headset like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5, then this may be a frustration. But these are such minor inconveniences that were almost instantly outweighed by the joy of using the headset.

Razer BlackShark V3: Performance

• Seamless setup, which means you can jump straight into use
• Might as well be noise-cancelling
• Customisable to suit whatever sort of gamer you are, competitive or not

Given I'd been using the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro headset until now, which I really praised as my holy grail, I thought the audio quality of a cheaper headset wouldn't be as impressive, and I couldn't be more mistaken. In fact, it's hard to express how impressive the sound quality of this mid-range headset really is without you hearing it for yourself.

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro headset is by no means of bad quality. In fact, I was amazed by it when I first tested it and kept using it long after. However, I often found myself frustrated by all the wires that accompany it. After meeting the BlackShark V3, I feel as though I've got all the same sound quality as the Arctis Nova Pro with the satisfaction of a wireless headset.

(Image credit: Future)

From the second you set it up and start using the BlackShark V3, you're met with rich, deep audio, whether that's in-game or if you're just listening to some tunes while you do something else. For music-oriented games like Sword of the Sea and Herdling, two games I played during my testing of the BlackShark V3, the clear audio and almost noise-cancelling capabilities (though not actually part of the design) helped me to really sink into the game and experience each and every note in their soundtracks.

Even just watching YouTube videos or listening to in-game dialogue feels more intense, especially given the headset's ability to block out external audio without being completely noise-cancelling. The memory foam earcups really help in this regard, and they really help you from getting distracted by any noise around you.

This is also helped by the almost 70-hour battery life when fully charged, since you're rarely interrupted by those tedious beeps that remind you to plug it in. Battery life is a huge selling point with wireless headsets, which is another place the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5, or any SteelSeries headset for that matter, becomes a close competitor with the BlackShark V3. If you do find yourself listening to these obnoxious reminders, what makes the Razer BlackShark V3 wireless headset worth investing in alone is the fact that a 15-minute charge provides you with an additional 6 hours of battery life.

(Image credit: Future)

You don't need to do any sort of additional setup to get an incredibly solid performance from the headset, though the option is there if you want it, courtesy of the additional Razer Audio software you can download. I don't usually bother with messing around with many settings, especially since I don't often find myself needing to enhance my audio to hear things like footsteps or distant gunshots, but it felt rude not to at least try it out in a game of Arc Raiders.

So, I downloaded the Razer Audio app and started playing around, and was once again pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to take your audio customisation that one step further. Paired with the configurable wheel, it feels as if the Razer BlackShark V3 headset really has been designed to enhance your gaming. Even though the packaging blatantly says it's an esports headset, all these details and ways to make your gaming experience that little bit easier by utilising all the audio cues of other players certainly reinforce that factor.

Although you can use Razer Synapse to customise things like your EQ settings and play around with THX Spatial Audio, the dedicated audio app definitely feels easier to use. Plus, having it conveniently on your phone rather than a desktop means you can more seamlessly customise your settings across platforms rather than having one setup on PC, and then others programmed in the app for console.

(Image credit: Future)

The buttons are incredibly well-positioned on both earcups, too. Unless you're a frequent connection switcher or a competitive gamer, you rarely need to use the left cup. And, the added texture on the power button makes using the buttons a breeze rather than having to go through that awkward fiddly phase of hitting the wrong thing when you change your headset, and you're not quite used to where everything is. Yes, I'm definitely projecting, but it's one of those little things that you don't really appreciate until you experience it.

Its impressive performance doesn't stop at its stellar button placement and crystal clear audio either. The 9.9mm HyperClear Super Wideband detachable mic offers astounding quality given its mid-range price tag, so much so that I actually received compliments on the "noticeable upgrade" compared to my old headset when jumping into a Discord call with my friends.

Should I buy the Razer BlackShark V3?Buy it if...

You find that comfort is key to a good session
The BlackShark V3 wireless gaming headset has been designed to be just as comfortable as it is impressive. If you often find yourself tethered to your setup for hours on end, having a comfortable headset is a must, and not once did I find any part of the headset uncomfortable, even as someone who wears glasses when gaming.View Deal

You're looking for a way to really get the most out of your audio
If you've ever been intimidated by all the additional software that comes with gaming headsets these days, the Razer BlackShark V3 and Razer Audio app do everything they can to make it more accessible. It's got all the flourishes you need to really make the most of the headset without being inundated with options and not knowing where to start. View Deal

You feel like your current headset isn't offering you the richest sound quality
What separates a good headset from a great headset is its audio quality, so if you're underwhelmed with what you're currently receiving, the BlackShark V3 is bound to impress with its audio quality. Even without tampering with any of the sound settings, this headset is built to offer you crystal clear audio from the moment it is fresh out of the box and switched on. View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You constantly jump in and out of calls, but don't want a massive mic in your face
It's hard to advise against the BlackShark V3, but the fact that there isn't any way to keep the mic safe and sound on the headset could definitely put some players off. If you like the convenience of how a SteelSeries mic tucks into the earcup, or a Turtle Beach headset mic slides neatly up the side of the headband, this set might feel like more of an inconvenience.View Deal

Also consider...

Still not sold on the Razer BlackShark V3 wireless gaming headset? Here's how it compares to two similar sets.

Razer BlackShark V3 wireless

Astro A20 X

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5

Price

$149.99 / £149.99 / AU$350

$179.99 / £169.99 / AU$349.99

$129.99 / £129.99 / AU$139.95

Weight

9.5oz / 270g

10.23oz / 290g

9.5oz / 266g

Compatibility

PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mobile

PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, Android, iOS

PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, Mobile

Connection type

2.4 GHz Wireless / USB Wired / Bluetooth

Bluetooth / Lightspeed Wireless / Wired USB-C

Wireless (2.4GHz via dongle), Wired (USB-C), Bluetooth 5.3

Battery life

Up to 70 hours

40 hrs (default lighting), 90hrs (RGB off)

Up to 60 hours

Features

THX Spatial Audio, detachable Razer HyperClear Super Wideband 9.9mm mic,

Detachable 48kHz / 16 bit omni microphone, Lightsync RGB, Playsync Base

360-degree spatial audio, retractable ClearCast 2.X mic

Software

Razer Audio

Logitech G Hub (PC) / Logitech G app (mobile)

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Companion App (mobile), SteelSeries GG

Astro A20 X
The Astro A20 X is a similarly priced product to the BlackShark V3, but it packs a bit more personality in its design through its RGB. If you don't fancy its flashy appearance, turning the RGB off ensures a battery life of up to 90 hours, beating the BlackShark, and this headset also boasts impressive audio quality alongside a fantastic detachable microphone.

For more information, check out our full Astro A20 X review.View Deal

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5
The quality of gaming audio that the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 offers is what makes it a suitable competitor against the BlackShark. With this SteelSeries headset, you're also getting a crystal clear mic, alongside a plethora of customisation options to ensure you're getting the very best out of your audio.

For more information, check out our full SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 review.View Deal

How I tested the Razer BlackShark V3

• Compared with my beloved SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro headset
• Used every day for gaming and other media
• Mic tested in Discord calls and Google meets

As soon as I realised just how quality the BlackShark V3 was, I ditched my old SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro headset. So, for two weeks, I've relied on this bit of kit to carry me through all sorts of adventures in games like Sword of the Sea, Once Upon a Katamari, and even made the most of its customization in a couple of rounds in Arc Raiders. Outside of gaming, it's also accompanied me for hours upon hours of Spotify sessions and the odd evening watching Netflix. If anything, these almost all-nighters definitely put the battery life to the test, too.

I also spent around 10 hours testing the BlackShark V3 with the PS5 in a decent session of Red Dead Redemption 2. I will admit, I wasn't jumping in for the fast, gunslinging combat, so I can't comment on how immersive that is. But, I must say the BlackShark V3 is phenomenal when it comes to showing off the natural sound design. Birdsong is clear as day with this headset, and I could've quite happily spent a lot longer riding around on my horse and tracking down every bird I could hear - something that I'd missed out on entirely when just relying on my TV's default speakers.

To test the microphone, I used the BlackShark V3 for meetings, voice calls, and multiplayer games like Peak, R.E.P.O., Outlast Trials, and shouting at my friends over Discord. Although I'd already put my old SteelSeries headset to one side, I did dust it off for a quick comparison, alongside my wireless Razer Kraken Hello Kitty and Friends edition Bluetooth headset, and they just don't compare.

First reviewed December 2025-January 2026.

Read more about how we test

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro: Two minute review

Usually, when I review a product with a brand-new feature, I use that function for about a week before the novelty wears off. The Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro may not be the best earbuds I’ve ever tested, but I’ve been using its key selling point constantly over the testing period, and that at least says something.

Are they a pair of open earbuds? Or are they a pair of standard workout headphones? Yes and yes – these new hearables from Anker’s audio-visual sub-brand Soundcore do both. The bud’s body is adjustable in relation to its loop: you can have them as standard sports buds, or raise the bud somewhat so it’s further out of your ear. Ta-da, you have open earbuds.

In theory, you get the best of both worlds. Put them in open-ear mode and you enjoy your listening while still hearing what’s going on around you. Flick them into standard mode and you can hear your music with no distractions from outside, thanks in part to ANC turning on.

When I first reported on the buds, I guessed that they could be the best fitness earbuds of the year – it’s safe to say I was cautiously optimistic about them. The function is useful: I’d run along a busy road in open mode and close it when I reached a quieter park, or keep it open when cycling to the gym and close it when I got there.

A home-run, then? Not quite – these are the first earbuds I’ve ever seen trying out a form factor like this, and myriad teething problems plague the buds. I don’t think they are the best fitness headphones of the year any more, but it’s still a valiant effort.

Take, for example, the design. The buds aren’t that far from your ear when in open mode, so don’t let in nearly as much sound as rivals. But due to having AirPods-style tip-less ends, the Aerofits aren’t fully in your ear when in ANC mode, and so don’t actually cancel that much sound.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Future)

The loop material is also quite flimsy, so the buds wobble a lot, and the buttons are hard to press when in ANC mode (but, admittedly, very easy in open mode).

You need to play around in the settings to get the best of the Aerofit 2 Pro too. The default EQ preset, Soundcore Signature, goes for a misshapen V-shaped sound profile which sounds pretty wonky; go into the equalization menu straight away. The Intelligent Noise Cancellation feature also gets in the way, by messing with your sound constantly; turn this off too.

You probably wouldn’t be buying adjustable buds like this if you weren’t okay with some tweaking, though; just know that you’ll have to be doing it quite a bit.

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Specifications

Component

Value

Water resistant

IP55

Battery life

7 hours (earbuds), 34 hours (total)

Bluetooth type

Bluetooth 6.1

Weight

11g / Charging case: 109g

Driver

11.8mm

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future)

• Released on January 6, 2026
• Priced at $179.99 / £179.99 (roughly AU$350)
• Paying a premium for the novelty

Anker unveiled the Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro at CES 2026 in the first week of the year, and put them on sale immediately after. Perfect for your new year’s fitness resolution.

The earbuds cost $179.99 / £179.99 (roughly AU$350, but they don’t seem to have joined Soundcore’s line-up in Australia). That’s the official price, but mere weeks after release, I’ve seen them discounted by $30 in the US and £10 in the UK.

As open earbuds go, that price is on the higher side of things, but you’re paying to be the first to test this novel kind of tech.

It’s a little higher than the launch price of the first Aerofit Pro, but that device plummeted in price over two years, and we could see the new model drop to similar lows over time.

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: DesignImage 1 of 2

(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Future)

• Easy to switch between open- and closed-ear fit
• Weak loop and heavy earpiece affect wear
• IP55 protection, comes in black, white or purple

I’ve already described the Aerofit 2 Pro’s transforming gimmick; but how does it work? Basically, the sports loop connects to the driver housing via a connector that can be moved around five different settings; each one results in a different angle for the earpiece to sit at, relative to your ear. At the furthest extent, said headshell sits right in your ear, and at the opposite extent it’s hovering high above it. The first two are ANC (in-ear) mode, the latter two open mode, and the middle one is something in between.

I was skeptical about this, but functionally it works really well. Quickly I became adept at opening or closing the buds while they were in my ear, and in no time I was doing so without breaking my stride while on a run. Unfortunately, basically everything about this design (other than the ease of switching) poses problems.

The key one problem is the loop, made out of a thin silicone which just isn’t rigid enough to hold the earbuds in place. When I was running or working out with the buds, I often found that the battery-bearing counterweights would wobble. It was especially noticeable when in ANC mode. They never fell out, but it was an annoying sensation.

This is exacerbated by the buds’ weight. At 11g each, they’re the heaviest than any other open earbuds I remember testing.

(Image credit: Future)

The tip-less design brings with it another problem: the sound leakage on these things, especially in open mode, is significant. Your gym peers will definitely hear what you’re listening to.

Each bud has a button. No, not a sensor or an area you tap and pray something happened: an honest-to-God area that you press in and hear a satisfying ‘click’. Lovely. It’s really easy and simple to use when the bud is in open mode, however when in ANC mode, I found that the pressure needed to press the button instead just pushed it into my ear.

Now that I’m complaining about things: the material used for the end of the bud is a dirt magnet. When it’s in the case or ear it’s fine, but when I put the buds in my pocket or dropped them on the floor, they quickly picked up fluff and particles that were quite hard to clean off. That’s all to say: excuse the review images, I tried my best.

This section is already far too long, but let’s briefly touch on the case. It’s certainly on the big side, even for sports-hook earbuds, and it weighs 109g (including the buds). It has some neat touches: an LED bar gives you an indication of how much charge you have left, and the case also facilitates wireless charging.

• Design score: 3.5/5

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• Little noise is cancelled due to design and the ANC algorithm
• Battery life is 7 / 34 hours with ANC on
• Several app features including handy EQ presets

Why have I been calling one form of the Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro ‘ANC mode’? That’ll be because when you’re at these extensions, noise cancellation will turn on, ostensibly stopping as much surrounding sound as possible from entering your ears. An anti-open-ear mode, so to speak.

However, the Aerofit run into the same problem as the Apple AirPods 4 with ANC: there’s no rubbery ear tip to create a natural sound-blocking seal, and so the noise cancellation is fighting an impossibly steep uphill battle from the outset. It doesn’t win the battle, and it’s very easy to hear surrounding sounds in this mode – I can hear myself typing this sentence over fairly loud music. It’s not a totally lost cause, and sounds are made quieter, but there’s little meaningful difference between open mode and ANC mode.

ANC mode may do more harm than it’s worth, though, because of Soundcore’s adjustable ANC. This is designed to automatically adjust noise cancellation and many earbuds have similar modes, but on the Soundcore, it had too dramatic an effect on the sound. Frequently, I’d hear dramatic shifts in listening volume or sound profile, and sometimes the volume wouldn’t be able to go very high to compensate for the ANC. On my first run with the buds, I was frustrated with how quiet the max volume was – until I realized it was the noise cancellation running amok. Thankfully this mode can be turned off.

(Image credit: Future)

Soundcore puts the battery life of the buds at 7 hours in open-ear mode and 5 hours with ANC turned on. My testing suggests these figures could be a little conservative, so I’m not going to knock the buds like I normally would with 5-hour listening time buds.

The Soundcore app brings a few extra features to the earbuds. These include the ability to customize what the touch controls do, a low-latency and a Spatial Audio mode, an equalizer and the ability to make ANC toggling manual instead of automatic.

The equalizer has a healthy selection of presets, most of which make meaningful adjustments to the sound, and there’s also an eight-band custom option too. I particularly like the Volume Booster preset, which doesn’t exactly sound fantastic, but it gives the buds that extra ‘oomph’ that you need with open buds when venturing somewhere noisy.

Pairing the buds to my phone was quick and easy, however I did have the occasional stuttering and connection dropping problems during testing.

• Features score: 3/5

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Sound performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Single 10.8mm driver
• Music sounds lifeless
• Lovely, high max volume

There’s a custom-built 11.8mm driver in each of the Aerofits. Their most impressive feature, though, may be the support for Bluetooth 6.1, which is more advanced than most smartphones you’d be pairing the buds with. That pairs with Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification and a support for LDAC.

When I first started listening to the Aerofit 2 Pro, I was in a quiet home and listening on ANC mode, and I was impressed by a few aspects. There’s decent spacing between instruments, and enough detail to hear the timbre of instruments. Lovely, and unexpected for fitness earbuds like these. However I made the critical mistake of listening to the Soundcore Signature EQ preset for much of my testing period.

This doesn’t sound great: it elevates treble, mutes bass and drops mids almost entirely, like V-shaped sound profile with a lop-sided ‘V’. Uncle Kracker’s In A Little While had distorted guitar that sounded like a fan with a scrap of paper stuck in it, while the chorus of Five More Minutes by The War and Treaty sounded like a duet between vocals and a lawnmower. And treble was far too prominent: Don McCloskey’s First In Flight was constantly jump-scaring me with brass stings.

However, jumping into the EQ preset menu let me salvage my listening experience; I’d recommend buyers to switch straight to ‘Balanced’, or one of the genre-based EQs if you only listen to one kind of music. Balanced levels out that ‘V’ into much more of a flat line, so you can enjoy the high-quality audio without any line or instrument being overwritten.

Max volume for the buds is pretty loud, especially on Volume Booster, but the auto-ANC mode can put a pretty significant upper limit; turn this off.

• Sound performance score: 4/5

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

Novelty form factor aside, the Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro go for quite a high price, compared to other open earbuds you’d be considering. These aren’t a budget option by any stretch of the imagination – I’d go so far as to call them premium, given that relatively few options exist above the $/£200 threshold.

All considered, it feels a little hard to recommend them for the price – you’re paying for the privilege of testing a new form factor of headphone, not for an especially competitive feature set or sound quality. You're not being ripped off exactly, but it's not a competitive price.

If you can find the Aerofit 2 Pro discounted, though, they’d be well worth considering. They don’t even need an especially meaty price cut; the minor discount already available is a good start.

• Value score: 3.5/5

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

The Aerofit's price matches some premium alternatives.

3.5/5

Design

The two-in-one design and switching works well; some other elements don't.

3.5/5

Features

The ANC doesn't work too well and the battery life isn't fantastic, although the app brings some nice additions.

3/5

Sound

Play around with the settings enough, and you can get detailed, expansive audio that'll surprise you compared to other fitness buds.

4/5

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro: Should I buy?

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

The 2-in-1 gimmick appeals
Think you want buds that switch between open and standard sports earbuds? You won't be disappointed by how Anker does it.

You want treble-first sound
The Aerofit aren't bassy buds, and they'll appeal to people who prefer hearing lyrics, spoken words or guitar solos.

You appreciate wireless charging
We don't see wireless charging available on many earbuds cases, especially sports-specific ones. If you like the feature, the Aerofit have you covered.

Don't buy them if...

You have noise that needs cancelling
Even in ANC mode, the noise cancellation of the Aerofit isn't competitive.

You won't use the 2-in-1 design
You're paying a premium for the novel form factor of the Aerofit. If you don't think you'll use it enough, other options will give you more value for money.

Also consider

Component

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro

Shokz OpenFit 2+

Huawei FreeArc

Water resistant

IP55

IP55

IP57

Battery life

7 hours (earbuds), 34 hours (total)

11 hours (earbuds), 48 hours (total)

7 hours (earbuds), 23 hours (total)

Bluetooth type

Bluetooth 6.1

Bluetooth 5.4

Bluetooth 5.2

Weight

11g / Charging case: 109g

9.4g / Charging case: 56g

8.9g / Charging case: 67g

Driver

11.8mm

17.3mm

17mm x 12mm

Shokz OpenFit 2+

Our favorite open earbuds right now come from Shokz, and they offer the full package: a stable fit, great sound quality and a solid feature set. Best of all, they either match or undercut the Soundcore depending on where you live.

Read our full Shokz OpenFit 2+ review

Huawei FreeArc

Want an affordable alternative? The Huawei FreeArc cost half the price of the Soundcore, and have fantastic sound. The case is small and the buds fit well.

Read our full Huawei FreeArc review

How I tested

I tested the Anker Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro for just over two weeks in order to write this review. During this time, they were paired with my Android smartphone.

In that time, I used the Soundcore on runs, at the gym and on cylces. But because of their dual-purpose design, also treated them as my everyday headphones in that time, so I listened at home, on public transport, and on walks around my neighborhood. Most of the testing was done on Spotify, YouTube and Prime Video's apps.

I've tested plenty of open earbuds for TechRadar over the last few years, as the audio segment has emerged, as well as countless other earbuds and headphones.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: February 2026

Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5: one-minute review

I mean, the pictures don't do justice as to how impossibly small the Viltrox AF 28mm f4.5 lens is. It's a true body cap lens – meaning that you can have it on your Sony, Nikon or Fujifilm mirrorless camera at all times with no real footprint, ready to go for quick wide-angle snaps.

On several occasions throughout my couple of months with what is the tiniest lens I've ever tested, I thought I had lost it, quite literally mistaking it for a body cap in my gear bag (I was testing multiple lenses at the time).

Yet despite the Viltrox AF 28mm f4.5's minuscule proportions – it measures just 15.3mm in length and is a featherweight 60g – it features autofocus and has a respectable f/4.5 fixed aperture. That's way faster than other body cap / pancake-style lenses I've tried, such as the Panasonic 26mm f/8.

Oh, and did I mention that center detail is surprisingly sharp? That'll be the 6 lens elements in 6 groups crammed inside, two of which are ED and another two being aspherical optics.

Quality falls off somewhat at the corners and lens flare is notable. So if you're looking for technical perfection and supreme versatility, then the fixed focal length, fixed aperture Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 is not for you. What it is, though, is a memorable lens that I'm confident you will grow fond of, and by heck is it cheap.

Just 15mm in length – Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 is a true body cap lens, with a much faster f/4.5 aperture than other such optics, icncuding the Panasonic 26mm f/8. If you don't mind something a little larger and pricier, then there are f/2.8 alternatives. (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5: price and availability

• Available in Sony E, Nikon Z and Fujifilm X-mounts
• It costs $99 / £90 / AU$169, but Viltrox regular discounts its lenses by 15%
• There's currently no indication of Canon RF or L-mount versions

The Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 first hit the scene for Sony E-mount in September 2024, and has since been launched in Nikon Z and Fujifilm X-mount versions. I wouldn't expect a Canon version since the camera giant sued Viltrox and those bridges feel burned (Nikon is next). Viltrox has joined the L-mount alliance, however, so there could be an L-mount version for Panasonic, Leica, and Sigma cameras – this could be a great pairing with the Lumix S9, for example.

The list price at the Viltrox store and trusted retailers is $99 / £90 / AU$169 (see links to the best prices, below). The 28mm f/4.5 is great value at full price, although I regularly see Viltrox doing site-wide discounts of its lenses, typically around 15% off. I've seen the lens for even less at cheap Chinese import online stores.

I usually include an Also Consider section in my reviews, but being available in three mounts there are too many alternatives to sensibly feature individually. For Nikon cameras, the Z 26mm f/2.8 is one possible, but it's 5x the price, while the 24mm f/1.7 DX (for APS-C) is around 2.5x the price – both are bigger than the Viltrox lens.

Fujifilm has its own XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR, which again costs much more than the Viltrox, plus the wider XF 23mm f/2.8 which was announced alongside the X-E5.

Sony makes a wider-angle 20mm f/2.8, while other third parties include TT Artisans with its AF 27mm f/2.8, which is much like Fujifilm's aforementioned 27mm lens for a much lower price.

For more options, check out my best Sony lenses and best Nikon lenses guides. Let me know in the comments below if a best Fujifilm lenses guide would interest you.

Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5: specsViltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 specs

Type:

Wide-angle prime

Mount:

Sony E, Nikon Z, Fujifilm X

Sensor:

Full-frame

Focal length:

28mm (or 42mm effective on Sony, Nikon and Fujifilm APS-C cameras)

Max aperture:

f/4.5

Minimum focus:

0.32m, 0.11x magnification

Filter size:

N/A

Dimensions:

60.3 x 15.3mm

Weight:

From 2.1oz / 60g

Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5: designImage 1 of 3

Yes, there's autofocus! (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 3

But at just 15mm, there's no space for a manual focus ring – this is an autofocus-only lens (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 3 of 3

There's a charming slider to employ / hide the lens cap which protects the front lens element (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

This is a playful lens, with plenty of quirks that won me over - one being the slide lens cap, which protects the otherwise non weather-sealed lens from damage. It's just as well the lens cap is built-in, really, because a removable lens cap would be the tiniest of them all, no bigger than a dime. I would give myself less than a week before losing such a thing.

And there's nowhere to click a lens cap on in any case – there's no thread for lens filters, which is normally where a clip-on lens cap sits. Nope, it's the neat slide lens cap only, which I heart.

I was honestly surprised that Viltrox was able to fit such a small, but more so, low-cost lens with autofocus. Sat alongside those electronic contacts (which provide full communication between camera and lens for autofocus, plus metadata) is a USB-C port, which makes future firmware updates possible.

Image 1 of 3

There's the lens protector in place (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 3

And the lens protector hidden (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 3 of 3

The aperture is fixed to f/4.5, which is a decent all-purpose aperture for portraits and landscapes, but not so helpful in low light (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

On the note of focusing, there's another surprise on the flip side – there's no manual focus option whatsoever. No, this is an autofocus lens only – so you're reliant on your camera's autofocus skills.

Thankfully, I found autofocus performance with my mid-range Nikon full-frame camera to be snappy with the lens – but that's hardly a surprise given how lightweight the 6 tiny lens elements are.

I suppose adding a focus ring for manual focus would increase the bulk of the lens and water down its charm, but it was the feature I missed the most as autofocus can miss the mark occasionally. It's helpful to take control at such times.

Minimum focus is 1.05ft/0.32m, which makes for a 0.11x maximum magnification. In short, the lens's close focusing skills are fairly limiting for such a wide-angle lens. The ability to focus closer is a close second on my wishlist for this lens.

I don't mind the fixed f/4.5 aperture, though – that's right, you can't stop down to increase depth of field. For me, f/4.5 is a decent all-purpose aperture with a full-frame camera – it's shallow enough to blur backgrounds (when your subject / focus distance is close), and deep enough for sharp detail when your focus distance is further. What it's less ideal for, however, is low-light photography.

Image 1 of 2

And here's the lens attached to a Nikon Z6 II mirrorless camera. The camera's grip is longer than the lens! (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 2

Despite being a mid-range camera, my Z6 II felt a little big for the lens. I reckon a vlogging/rangefinder-style APS-C camera like the Nikon Z30, Sony ZV-E10 II and Fujifilm X-E5 could be an ideal pairing (the lens is currently available in Sony E, Nikon Z and Fujifilm X-mounts, not Canon RF or L-mount). (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

As you can see in the product photo above, the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 lens tucks in neatly on a full-frame camera. In fact, the grip on the Z6 II camera I was using for this test is deeper than the lens.

For me, Viltrox's body cap-style lens makes more sense being paired with a smaller camera than the mid-range model, above, and even more sense with an APS-C model rather than full-frame. I'll explain why in a moment.

It's currently made for Sony E, Nikon Z, and Fujifilm X-mount versions, so the kinds of slimline cameras that would suit the lens include the Sony ZV-E10 II / A6700, Fujifilm X-E series / X-M5 and the Nikon Z30 / Zf series. Lumix users will surely hope that an L-mount version is forthcoming, especially since Viltrox joined the L-mount alliance last year.

Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5: PerformanceImage 1 of 5

With a 0.32m minimum focus distance, selfies are possible (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 3 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 4 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 5 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

As for image quality, I have been pleasantly surprised. Detail is nice and sharp in the center. You'll find plenty other even sharper premium primes, but with a little additional sharpness applied in Adobe Camera Raw, I'm not complaining here at all. On the contrary, I'm impressed.

Sharpness falls off at the corners somewhat, and there's heavy vignetting in the corners, which again benefit from corrections in post. That said, those two notable lens distortions direct the gaze in the center of images and can add character, and as such I've avoided heavy-handed lens corrections and leaned into that style with my sample pictures.

It's these corner lens distortions that also make a strong case for using the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 lens with an APS-C camera, as most of its image quality foibles (technically-speaking) fall outside the 42mm effective frame.

I've not used the lens with an APS-C camera, but if that were all I had done, I'd be even more impressed by the optical quality as those heavier distortions would be outside the frame. And, that tighter perspective with APS-C makes it a compelling everyday lens – you'd never need to take it off the camera.

Image 1 of 6

Sunstars are pronounced (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 6

Strong light above this scene is leaking into the top left of frame, reducing contrast (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 3 of 6

An accidental lens leak. I like it! (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 4 of 6

Vignetting (light fall-off) is heavy. It's a good idea to dial in ±1EV exposure compensation to avoid images appearing too dark (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 5 of 6

When the conditions are easy – outside in bright daylight but in the shade, image quality is perfectly serviceable (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 6 of 6

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

The same sentiment for corner quality can be said for lens flare. Viltrox itself bills the starburst effect as a draw to this lens – it's a pronounced and a little over the top at times, but again, I'm filing this under characterful rather than ugly.

I've been able to get a couple of light leak affects to when shooting towards the sun, too. These are the kind of effects that could do well in 2026 and beyond, where authentic and lo-fi images are trending over technically perfect ones.

The 'flaws' I've drawn out in this review are worth noting, but take them within context; this is a tiny, sub $100 lens. Design drawbacks and optical quirks only add to the charm of a lens that I'm very fond of.

Should I buy the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5?

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Buy it if...

You want a tiny lens that lives on your camera
Never has the term 'body cap lens' felt so more apt.

You're bored of 'perfect' lenses
It's design is quirky and its images even more so, but not in a gimmicky way – center sharpness is complimented by corner and lens flare distortion.

Don't buy it if...

You're a low light photographer
The fixed f/4.5 aperture is a little limiting in low light.

You're short of lenses
I'd class the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 as a fun backup for pricier, bulkier optics that are more able to deliver in more situations.

How I tested the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

• Viltrox sent me the Z-mount version of the lens
• I paired it with a full-frame Nikon Z6 II
• I've tested the lens over a couple of months, in a wide range of scenarios

I had plenty of time to use the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 lens – at least two months. I paired it with a full-frame Nikon camera, but haven't used it with an APS-C model.

Being a fixed focal length, fixed aperture lens, my testing didn't get bogged down in aperture comparisons and distortion at various focal lengths – I was freed up to use this lens in a very real way.

I've shot everything from portraits to landscapes and everyday observations. I've used the lens in good light and bad, and shot towards and around the sun / strong light sources to check for lens flare characteristics.

First reviewed February 2026

FiiO M27: Two-minute review

If there’s a stone FiiO has left unturned in the way it’s specified and built the M27 digital audio player, it’s invisible.

This is a portable(ish) music player for which the word ‘uncompromised’ is almost an understatement. Specification is thorough to the point of exhaustion. Twin ESS Sabre DACS with 32bit/768kHz and DSD512 compatibility, aptX Lossless and LDAC for Bluetooth, balanced and unbalanced analogue outputs, a super-slick Android 13 operating experience, a whole host of modes that allow the M27 to work as a USB DAC, a digital transport, a desktop system host and more besides… the list goes on.

So if you want a player (a big and heavy player, let’s be honest) with enough power to drive even the trickiest of headphones, with battery life that’s approaching ‘epic’, and that arrives with its own little desktop charging stand with integrated cooling fan, you’ve come to the right place.

All of this would count for very little, though, if the FiiO M27 didn’t have it where it really counts. Happily, this is a great-sounding machine – or, at least, it is if you treat it respectfully. Hi-res stuff enjoys amazing detail resolution, expansive soundstaging, sky-high dynamic response and the sort of singularity of presentation that makes every listen an event. Lower-resolution stuff, though, is basically exposed to ridicule. So don’t imagine the M27 is about to flatter your choices if your choices are incorrect…

Among the best MP3 players on the market then? Oh, without a doubt.

(Image credit: Simon Lucas / Future) FiiO M27 review: Price and release date

• Released November 2025
• Priced $1,799 / £1,499 / AU$2,699

The FiiO M27 launched in the middle of November 2025, and in the United Kingdom it’s priced at £1,499. In the United States it sells for $1,799, while in Australia you’re looking at AU$2,699.

And just because it’s possible to pay plenty more than this for a premium digital audio player, that doesn’t mean the M27 hangs out anywhere near the ‘affordable’ category…

(Image credit: Simon Lucas / Future)FiiO M27 review: Features

• Twin ESS Sabre ES9039S PRO DAC chipsets
• Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Lossless, Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast support
• 9200mAh battery

FiiO never knowingly underspecifies its products – so when it’s going all-out to create a class-leading, market-defining digital audio player, it follows that the feature-count here is significant.

For the M27, FiiO has leaned heavily on Qualcomm’s expertise. The machine features the company’s QCS6490 chipset with Snapdragon 770G architecture. Along with eight (count ‘em!) Kryo 670 cores and an Adrena 642L GPU, this arrangement promises lightning-fast response times, effortless multitasking and a solid foundation for streaming and playback no matter the size or type of the digital audio file the player is dealing with.

Qualcomm’s QCC5181 chipset makes an appearance too. It facilitates Bluetooth 5.4 wireless connectivity when the M27 is acting as a receiver, and allows for aptX Lossless and LDAC codec compatibility as well as Auracast and Bluetooth LE Audio. The FiiO will also function as a Bluetooth transmitter – in this direction it’s running Bluetooth 5.2 with support for aptX Adaptive and LDAC.

There’s more. Qualcomm’s Dragonwing AI platform, allows the M27 to offer a 31-band PEQ at resolutions up to 32bit/384kHz (among other things), global ‘All to DSD’ functionality for bitrates from DSD64 to DSD256, and fully controllable end-to-end audio processing.

The crucial business of digital-to-analogue conversion is taken care of by a couple of ESS Sabre ES9039 PRO chipsets that are good to go with resolutions of up to 32bit/768kHz PCM and DSD512. They’re supported by sixth (and latest) generation of FiiO’s ‘Digital Audio Purification System’, which deploys a new FPGA and dual RIVER femtosecond crystal oscillators in a drive for vanishingly low jitter and optimal timing accuracy.

The M27 features a replaceable 9200mAh battery, which is a) good news where product longevity is concerned, and b) a massive amount of power. It translates to eight hours of playback via a balanced output or a touch over nine from an unbalanced alternative – and it also allows for power outputs big enough to drive even the most truculent headphones. And on the subject of big power outputs, if you connect the M27 to mains power via a fast charger and select ‘Ultra High Gain’ mode, a giddy 10,000mW of power is available.

Naturally the list goes on (and on). The M27 features a six-stage fully differential audio circuit – it doubles up on the high-quality components like signal relays, volume control chips and TI op-amps in order to independently process each channel of audio information, and then drives them via discrete power supplies. It has a high-current, low-loss, MOSFET-managed power path with big energy storage capacitors; it has copper heatsinks; it has a graphite vapour chamber and graphene thermal conduction pads integrated into the chassis to enable effective cooling.

And it has more besides. But for the sake of brevity, it’s probably enough to know that FiiO has left nothing – by which I mean nothing – to chance where the specification of the M27 is concerned.

Features score: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Simon Lucas / Future)FiiO M27 review: Sound quality

• Remarkably complete and articulate rendition of hi-res audio files
• Deeply impressive powers of resolution and organisation
• Almost comically intolerant of lower resolution stuff

I’m guessing that anyone who’s thinking of dropping this sort of money on a digital audio player is well served for properly high-resolution digital audio content. I certainly hope so – because while the way the M27 handles hi-res stuff is thoroughly enjoyable and deeply impressive, it’s got next-to-no time for stuff that dips below the magic 16bit/44.1kHz point.

So while a 24bit/192kHz file of David Bowie’s Low (which has somehow just had its 50th birthday) is delivered in the most eloquent, revealing and utterly engaging manner, the same content streamed as a 320kbps file via Spotify sounds almost as if the M27 is taking it personally.

Big files are lavishly detailed, arranged on a large and convincingly defined soundstage, and are laid out with considerable ‘left/right’ distance available and quite a lot of ‘front/back’ too. The spaces between elements of the recording are carefully observed, and even if the music involves few participants on this very big stage there’s a tangible sense of ‘togetherness’ about the way the FiiO presents it. The unity of its delivery makes for a confident and believable overall performance.

(Image credit: Simon Lucas / Future)

It’s possible to fiddle with the sonic characteristics of the M27 quite extensively, of course - but leave well enough alone and the player has a neutral, uncoloured tonality that makes for a naturalistic presentation. The attention to detail it exhibits means texture and timbre of instruments and of voices are made apparent, and the low-level dynamic variations or harmonic under- and overtones are made apparent every time.

Frequency response, too, is convincing – from the deep, hard-hitting and endless varied bottom end to the bright, attacking top, the FiiO gives every area fair weighting and representation. And in the midrange, it communicates in the most direct and unequivocal manner – if there’s even a transient, minor detail concerning tone, technique, attitude or character in a voice, you can be sure the M27 is handing it over.

Those low frequencies are beautifully shaped and their attack and decay is observed in the hawk-like manner. As a result, rhythmic expression is almost casually correct and momentum levels are always appropriate to the material. Add in apparently limitless dynamic headroom and the full account of big shifts in volume or intensity that results, and the M27 goes quite a distance towards the accolade of ‘best pound-for-pound digital audio player on the market’ it craves.

Lower the tone, though, and cue up some lower-resolution content and the FiiO can’t really disguise its disdain. It’s a bit like watching Lewis Hamilton drive a bog-standard hatchback around a racing track: he’ll wring the maximum out of it, but at the same time he’s got one hand on the wheel, he’s checking his look in the rear-view mirror… it’s too easy.

Give the M27 a stream from Spotify’s free tier and it quite ruthlessly exposes the compression and its knock-on effects where dynamics, detail levels, harmonic accuracy and all the rest of it are concerned. You might be thinking 'Well, it would, no?' but honestly some players try to make the best of this sort of content. The FiiO M27 is simply not one of those players.

Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Simon Lucas / Future)FiiO M27 review: Design

• Titanium or aluminium alloy chassis
• 157 x 85 x 28mm (HxWxD)
• 6in 1080p touchscreen

Until you see and hold it, the fact the M27 measures 157 x 85 x 28mm (HxWxD) and weighs somewhere between 550g and 630g (depending on your choice of chassis material – aluminium alloy or titanium are available) might seem a little abstract.

And then you see it and hold it, and you realise the FiiO is not ‘portable’ in the way lots of less expensive digital audio players are ‘portable’. This is a hefty unit, and the shirt pocket that’s strong enough to accommodate it has yet to be invented. Think of it in terms of ‘small desktop device’ rather than ‘pocket-friendly go-anywhere player’ and you won’t be far wrong.

Mind you, FiiO has gone to considerable lengths to make sure the look and feel also says ‘premium’ as much as it says ‘chunky’. The industrial design is interesting – angular and pointy but not threateningly so – and the choice of metals for the chassis (titanium or aluminium alloy) is a nice touch too. The front of the M27 is basically all Gorilla Glass-covered 6in 1080p touchscreen display, and the rear panel is a marble-effect slice of glass fibre. FiiO supplies a snug-fitting real leather case to help keep your M27 in tip-top condition. No mention is made of a vegetarian option.

Build quality is unarguable – the FiiO feels solid and made to last. The asking price insists on a certain standard of finish, of course, and it’s a standard the M27 comfortably surpasses.

Design score: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Simon Lucas / Future)FiiO M27 review: Usability and setup

• Android 13 OS
• Six functionality modes
• Fan-assisted charging stand

Accessing the full and exhaustive list of functions and options available to the M27 user can be done via the touchscreen. The FiiO is running an almost complete version of Android 13 as on operating system, and it’s just as swift and responsive to use as the prodigious processing power promises.

There are also a selection of physical controls, though, along with a comprehensive suite of inputs and outputs. On the upper edge of the chassis there’s a big turn/press dial dealing with power on/off and volume control. There are three analogue outputs/headphone sockets up here, too: 3.5mm and 6.3mm balanced connections with a 4.4mm balanced alternative inbetween. On the bottom there’s space for a full-size Toslink digital optical output, a coaxial on an RCA socket (it can function as either an in- or an output), two microSD card slots (each of which can accept cards of up to 2TB capacity), a ’hold’ switch to disable all physical and touch-controls, a switch to turn ‘desktop mode’ on or off, and three USB-C slots. One is for either charging the battery, or powering the M27 from the mains. One is for charging and also for data transfer. The third, which is designated ‘USB HOST’, allows connection to an external DAC if you wish to use your player as a digital transport.

‘Desktop mode’, by the way, bypasses the battery entirely when the M27 is connected to mains power, which obviously has benefits for the life of the battery. The other functionality modes are ‘Android’ (which allows access to third-party streaming apps), ‘Pure Music’ (only the FiiO Music app is available), ‘USB DAC’ (so the player can act as a soundcard for external devices), ‘AirPlay’ (no explanation necessary) ,‘Bluetooth Receiving’ (which turns the M27 into a Bluetooth amplifier), and ‘Coaxial Decoding’ (which allows digital information incoming via the coaxial socket to access the FiiO’s D-to-A circuitry). Something for everyone, I think we can agree.

On the left side of the player you’ll find a few physical control buttons: skip forwards, skip backwards, play/pause and a user-definable ‘multifunction’ control. On the right there’s a fairly large patch behind which the FiiO stores its wireless antennae. And on both sides there’s an area for some completely gratuitous lighting effects.

The M27 is supplied with a neat desktop charging stand with its own line-up of USB-C connections as well as an integrated fan to keep the M27 cool. The protective leather case features a stainless steel hollow-cut panel on its rear, backed by a gel pack, in a further effort to make sure the player runs cool.

Usability and setup score: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Simon Lucas / Future)FiiO M27 review: Value

Fundamentally, the M27 doesn’t do anything that a less affordable digital audio player (not least from the FiiO catalogue) can’t do. But that’s slightly besides the point: the M27 is not only a fine-sounding player with a stack of wider functionality where desktop and full-system use are concerned, but it’s a quite luxurious accessory in the manner of some nice jewellery or a handmade pair of shoes.

If you’re a hard-nosed, clear-eyed consumer than you’ll struggle to make a case for the M27 – but if you value the intangibles as much as, well, the tangibles, there’s an awful lot to like (and to covet, quite frankly) about this FiiO machine.

Value score: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Simon Lucas / Future)Should I buy the FiiO M27? Buy it if... 

You’re after an uncompromised hi-res audio experience
The M27 can handle dizzily high resolutions and deliver them either digitally or via a selection of analogue outputs

You own a lot of digital audio content
The ability to up the storage here by as much as 4TB means you should never find yourself short of memory

You like nice things
It’s hard to quantify ‘pride of ownership’ but you know it when you feel it

Don't buy it if... 

You think ‘value for money’ is a live consideration
FiiO itself can offer a huge proportion of the M27’s talents from devices costing considerably less than this

You have a strong idea of what ‘portable’ means
Yes, you can carry the M27 from one place to another easily enough - but don’t imagine it’s going to slip into the back pocket of your jeans

You’re vegetarian
There’s no alternative to the real leather case FiiO supplies – the M27 arrives with it pre-fitted, just to really drive home the point…View Deal

(Image credit: Simon Lucas / Future)FiiO M27 review: Also consider

Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000T
You’ve come this far, so you may as well go the whole hog; I reviewed the Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000 for the website a couple of years ago, and it remains an extraordinarily capable device that’s a match for the FiiO M27 in every way. Well, in every way in sonic terms, anyway – FiiO has, not for the first time, managed to undercut its most obvious rival where price is concerned, and as a result your choice of ‘extraordinary digital audio player’ is not as cut-and-dried as it once was.
See my Astell & Kern A&ultima SP3000T review

(Image credit: Simon Lucas / Future)How I tested the FiiO M27

I downloaded Qobuz and Tidal streaming service apps from the Google Play store, and slotted a 512GB SanDisk microSD card (filled with hi-res audio content) into one of the two microSD card slots.

I connected the player to wired and wireless headphones of appropriate quality (the Sennheiser IE900 on a 4.4mm balanced connection proved particularly sympathetic), and I also used it as a desktop DAC. And then I listened to lots of different types of music, stored in many different formats and at a variety of resolutions.

• First reviewed in January 2026

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

KYY X90E Portable Monitor: 30-second review

KYY is a Chinese hardware maker specialising in portable displays, and the X90E is one of its latest releases.

Described by the makers as a ‘triple laptop screen extender’, more accurately, this is two monitors in a single package, designed to provide three times the normal screen space when used in conjunction with the monitor that the laptop already has.

Its hinged structure places a 15.6-inch 1080p display to the left and the right of the laptop, and connects via a single USB cable.

It can be configured to mirror the contents, so others can see your laptop display from different viewpoints, or provide an extended desktop.

Power can be sourced directly from the laptop, or for extended use, a small USB-C power supply is included.

The obvious limitation of this platform is that it assumes the laptop has USB-C with an ALT-DP capability or Thunderbolt 3 or 4. And, according to KYY, its designed exclusively for Windows PCs, and doesn’t work with Apple MacBook hardware.

At a little over $300 from the makers, and weighing 2.2kg, any purchaser needs to be convinced that the price and the additional carry are worth it for their productivity.

Despite a few limitations at this price point, it’s an obvious candidate for one of the best portable monitors on a budget that we’ve reviewed.

KYY X90E Portable Monitor: Price and availability

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• How much does it cost? $240/£230
• When is it out? It available now
• Where can you get it? Direct from KYY or via online retailers like Amazon

As with previous KYY products, buying directly from the maker isn’t the cheapest way to get the K3 portable monitor. It's selling for $309.99 direct from KYY.

On Amazon.com, it can be found for a standard price of $239.99 - a 20% discount on its official $299.99 list price.

However, on Amazon.co.uk, the same hardware is £229.99, making it slightly more costly to those in the UK. KYY doesn’t sell on the French or German versions of Amazon, but it should be possible to find it in Europe from another online reseller.

Those looking for this hardware should be aware that KYY also makes the X90A and X90D models with different specifications, so make sure you have the X90E variant before clicking the 'buy' button.

Moving away from the KYY brand, there is a collection of remarkably similar products from other Chinese display makers, and some are more expensive, and others slightly cheaper.

Those willing to use 14-inch displays instead of the 15.6-inch displays the X90E offers can be under $200, and ones with three extra displays (making four in total) can be nearer $450.

At the Amazon.com price, this is not a major investment, even if it’s only used sparingly, placing the KYY X90E in the affordable category.

• Value: 4 / 5

KYY X90E Portable Monitor: Specs

Model:

Z90E

Screen Size:

2x 15.6-inch corner to corner

Resolution:

1920 x 1080

Compatibility:

TB4, TB3, USB 4.0, USB-C

Number of Ports:

2

Ports:

2x USB-C (data and power)

Quoted colour spec:

85% NTSC

Quoted contrast:

1200:1

Panel depth:

6 (Hi FRC)

Display Technology:

IPS

Brightness:

300 nits

Size:

388 x 227 x 30mm

Weight:

‎2200g

Accessories included

1x USB-C to USB-A Cable, 1x USB-C to USB-C Cable, 5V 3A 15W Power Adapter

Touch capable

No

Maximum refresh

60Hz

KYY X90E Portable Monitor: Design

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• Structural integrity
• Various display arrangements
• Single cable connectivity

Out of the box, my first impressions of the X90E were positive. It’s constructed like Soviet-era infrastructure, with a metal skin on all non-display surfaces and two remarkably robust hinges linking the two monitors to a central support plate and foot.

The only downside of the rugged construction is that at 2.2kg, this isn’t a minor item to include in a laptop bag, and you will need one made for a 17-inch laptop to fit it.

When it’s unfolded, the width of the whole unit is a whopping 115cm, although you can make it slightly narrower by adjusting the hinges.

The standard orientation is to place the laptop in the middle and have an extra display on either side, but there are various other options, including rotating them back to provide left and right presentation screens, and also folding one screen away.

You can also use that one screen mode in portrait mode, if you like to mix your orientations.

One curiosity about this solution is that instead of there being one OSD and menu controls, each monitor has its own. I can’t seriously think of a scenario where you would configure one screen to have different brightness, contrast or colour temperature than the other, but this system has that capability.

On the subject of OSD menus, these ones don’t have a large amount of features, and the way they are navigated with buttons is painful. What I fail to understand is that these menus look unchanged from the first ones that appeared on tube monitors twenty-five years ago, same horrible fonts, same insipid colours. The maker's logic appears to be that people will only use it once, so there is little point in making it any better.

In this instance, a menu option to ‘copy to other screen’ might have been a smart choice, but clearly, the menu is something that comes with the display panels, and they’re gloriously unaware of each other.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

A feature that I liked much more was that both these displays can be connected using a single USB-C cable to the laptop. That one cable supports ALT-DP to send data to both screens, and also power. The downside of having the one-cable solution is that the screen on a laptop is one of the biggest power consumers, and having three could whittle the battery capacity down rather rapidly.

If you have multiple USB-C ports, you could power the laptop, which might have enough power to drive the external monitors and recharge the battery, or you can use the included 15W PSU to power the monitors directly.

There are only two USB-C inputs on the X90E, one is for connecting and the other is for power, so it’s not possible to give one screen each to two laptops, sadly.

It’s also not on the menu for any laptop that hasn’t got USB-C (or Thunderbolt) or USB-C that supports video output, because there is no HDMI input. While this solution using USB-C is plug and play, requiring no drivers to function, to achieve those standards its exclusively for Windows PCs (7,8.1,10 and 11), and won’t work with Apple MacBook systems.

Overall, the design of the X90E is focused on a specific customer profile who uses a modern Windows laptop with a display between 14-inch and 17-inch. And, while that might seem a little niche, from a percentage viewpoint, it’s a reasonable price for those who might want more screens added to their mobile systems.

• Design: 3.5 / 5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)KYY X90E Portable Monitor: Performance

• Better than 300 nits
• 82% sRGB

Colour Gamut

Percentage

sRGB

82%

AdobeRGB

64%

P3

63%

NTSC

61%

Rec2020

46%

Gamma

2.2

Brightness/Contrast

Maximum Brightness

312.7

Maximum Contrast

900:1

When comparing these displays, we need to be mindful that these are inexpensive IPS technology panels, and therefore, they can’t hold a candle to OLED or MicroLED technology in terms of contrast and colour representation.

That said, the panels on the X90E were significantly better than those on the KYY K3 I previously tested, suggesting that this maker has developed improved designs.

I’m going to assume that the makers quoted 85% NTSC colour gamut is a misunderstanding, because in my tests, that number was closer to 61%. I suspect it got mixed up with the sRGB, as that’s much closer to 85%.

I say that because while the contrast isn’t the 1200:1 that KYY predicts, the brightness of these panels is almost exactly what they claim.

What information isn’t presented here is the uniformity of luminosity, which isn’t wonderful. The rear illumination of this panel is in the middle, with each of the corners being around 15% less illuminated at 100% brightness.

One curiosity I noticed was that the default White Point on these displays is 7600, not the typical 6500. The OSD doesn’t offer specific temperatures, only ‘cool’, ‘warm’ and ‘user’ definable via R, G and B settings.

Looking at this panel overall, it has decent contrast, gamut and tone response, excellent colour accuracy and uniformity, but suffers from the aforementioned luminance uniformity.

Had the backlighting been more diffuse, this might have been a great result.

I’d summarise the X90E as better than anticipated, but hardly something that those working professionally with colour might gravitate to. But for office work and presentation, in an office with blinds, it's definitely a workable option.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• Performance: 4 / 5

KYY X90E Portable Monitor: Final verdict

I recall being shocked by how usable the KYY K3 was, but the X90E is an even better solution and an implausibly low price. Yes, it’s on the heavy side, and it won’t work with anything other than a Windows laptop with USB-C or Thunderbolt, but it's hard to argue with its value proposition.

An HDMI input to allow another system to share the screens would have been a nice option, or to allow both the USB-C ports to act as inputs. But that these aren’t included, along with speakers at this price point, isn’t a huge surprise.

If you need to triple your screen space and don’t mind another 2.2kg of luggage, then the KYY X90E might be the right choice for you.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)KYY X90E Portable Monitor: Report card

Value

Cheap from online retailers

4 / 5

Design

Hinges allow for numerous screen layouts

3.5 / 5

Performance

Other than brightness uniformity, these are decent monitors

4 / 5

Total

Excellent value for money if you don’t mind some connection limitations

4 / 5

Should you buy a KYY X90E Portable Monitor?

(Image credit: KYY)Buy it if...

You need extra screens
Attach one cable and you have three screens not one, it's that simple, mostly. These 15.6-inch panels can be used in many ways and can be powered separately.

Don’t buy if...

You need color accuracy
This monitor has a limited colour gamut for a portable display, although the colours it does include are mostly represented well. If you are promoting a product where colour is essential, then this probably isn't the best choice.

You have a laptop without USB-C
This hardware doesn't need a driver to work, but it does require a Windows PC with a USB-C port or Thunderbolt that supports ALT-DP mode. Apple MacBook owners aren't included.

For more options, we've reviewed the best monitors for a dual-screen set-up.

Hori Puff Pouch for Nintendo Switch 2: review

Looking to protect your precious new Nintendo system? Then the Hori Puff Pouch for Nintendo Switch 2 could be worth checking out. This soft case is licensed by Nintendo itself, and has a range of compartments to help you organize your gaming gear – so is it worth picking up?

Well, if you’re not a massive fan of hard cases, it may tempt you. Yes, this is a pretty soft model, although it does still have a solid amount of padding to keep your console safe. You’ll find said padding on either side of the console compartment, which will soak up any impact in the event that you drop the case.

However, there are two other compartments – one in the center of the case, and a net in the front. These aren’t protected by much padding at all. So if you’re housing accessories in there, they may not be as well protected as they’d be in tougher models like the official Nintendo Switch 2 All-In-One Carrying Case, which is in our guide to the best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories.

Still, there’s plenty of room to house the power cable and adapter and a couple of other gadgets, like the official Nintendo Switch 2 Camera and a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, for example. As a mid-sized case, this one’s not really big enough for your dock – I was able to cram it in, but it was a bit of a tight fit. Other than the three main compartments, there are also six slots for Nintendo Switch 2 or original Switch games, which isn't the most I’ve ever seen, but plenty if you’re going on a short trip.

(Image credit: Future)

When it comes to this case’s design, I have fairly mixed feelings. One thing I do like is the handle, which adapts in length when you lift it up – as seen on the Hori Adventure Pack for Nintendo Switch 2. The handle also flows around the edge of the case, meaning you can pick the case up by its side if you'd prefer. On top of that, the zip is secure, and a hook and loop fastener inside the case keeps your console in place effectively.

However, I’m not a huge fan of how this thing looks. It reminds me of a purse – and not a particularly stylish one. The square-patterned design, the soft feel, the puffed-out appearance… it just doesn’t do it for me. Another thing worth noting is that the fabric exterior is very prone to picking up dust and fibers, which isn’t an issue I face with the official Nintendo Switch 2 Carrying Case & Screen Protector.

In spite of that, this is still a pretty well-priced case overall. The Puff Pouch comes in with a list price of $29.99 / £24.99 / AU$49.95, but I’ve seen it going for less in some territories – it’s going for as little as £17.50 with some retailers in the UK. Is it the most durable or stylish case I’ve tested? No. But the Hori Puff Pouch should still keep your console nice and safe, and provides a very decent amount of storage – soft case lovers should at least consider it at this price.

(Image credit: Future)Hori Puff Pouch for Nintendo Switch 2 review: price & specs

Price

$29.99 / £24.99 / AU$49.95

Dimensions

12.3 x 7 x 3.9in / 313 x 178 x 100mm

Weight

0.4lbs / 186g

Number of game card slots

6

Compartments

3

Handle

Yes

Color

Black

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Hori Puff Pouch for Nintendo Switch 2?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

Not the sleekest or sturdiest, prone to picking up dust, but decent padding and handle.

3/5

Storage

Well-sized compartments with six game slots, not really large enough for dock.

4/5

Value

Not the most secure or stylish, but moderately priced.

3.5/5

Buy it if…

You want a cost-efficient option
The Puff Pouch has a list price of $29.99 / £24.99 / AU$49.95, but I’ve already seen it going on sale for less. It offers a good deal of quality for the price you pay, so it’s worth checking out if you’re on a budget.

You’re not a lover of the hard cases
If you’re not a huge fan of hard cases, then the Puff Pouch is a nice option. It’s soft, but well-padded, meaning that it’ll still protect your console effectively.

Don’t buy it if…

You need a case that will house your dock
Although you could potentially cram your dock into the Hori Puff Pouch, it would be a real tight fit, and not particularly secure. If you need a true all-in-one option, I’d suggest checking out the Nacon Protection Case XL for Nintendo Switch 2, or Nintendo’s official alternative – I’ve listed the latter in the ‘Also consider’ section if you want more details.

You’re looking for something super stylish
I’m not a huge lover of the Puff Pouch’s design. It looks a little like a purse to me, and not a particularly beautiful one. If you want something a little sleeker, my top recommendation would be the official Nintendo Switch 2 Carrying Case & Screen Protector.

Hori Puff Pouch for Nintendo Switch 2: also consider

Nintendo Switch 2 All-In-One Carrying Case
This is the case I use for my Nintendo Switch 2 day in, day out, and it should definitely be on your radar if you need some protection for your console. Nintendo’s official all-in-one case has individual compartments for your system, your dock, Joy-Con 2, a Pro Controller, cables… you name it. It’s spacious, highly protective, and offers top build quality. It’s expensive, and I wish the handle were wider, but for an all-in-one storage solution, it’s about as good as it gets. Read our full Nintendo Switch 2 All-In-One Carrying Case review.

Hori Adventure Pack for Nintendo Switch 2
If you’re after a similarly sized option to the Puff Pouch, then I’d recommend checking out the Hori Adventure Pack for Nintendo Switch 2. You can carry this case traditionally with a handle, or switch things up a bit and use it as a cross-body bag. It’s pretty sturdy, has enough room for a handful of accessories, and doesn’t cost all too much either. Read our full Hori Adventure Pack for Nintendo Switch 2 review.

How I tested the Hori Puff Pouch for Nintendo Switch 2

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested over the course of multiple days
• Took with me to the office and on walks
• Trialed by a Nintendo Switch 2 owner and life-long gamer

I tested the Hori Puff Pouch for Nintendo Switch 2 over the course of a couple of days, using it as the primary mode of transport for my system. I also tried slotting a couple of accessories into the case, including the Hori Piranha Plant Camera for Nintendo Switch 2 and a couple of third-party controllers.

To test the case’s durability, I made sure to drop it from a variety of distances and give the exterior a good scratching. Following this, I had a look for any wear and tear, to check if the model was as sturdy as advertised on Nintendo’s online store. I also compared this case to rivals on aspects like storage space and looks.

More generally, I’m a day-one Nintendo Switch 2 owner, a lifelong gamer, and an experienced tech reviewer. I’ve reviewed a whole lot of Switch 2 accessories too – I’m talking everything from cases through to screen protectors like the DBrand Prism 2.0 and cameras like the Hori USB Camera.

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

Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Art: One-minute review

The Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A (2025) builds on the now nine year old Sigma Art 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM. So with nearly a decade of technicological and optical advancements, how does Sigma’s latest cutting-edge 135mm prime up the ante?

For starters, the mount options have vastly changed since last time. The original Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM | Art supported Canon EF and Nikon F DSLR mounts, plus Sony E and L-mount, and eventually Sony’s newer mirrorless FE mount, too. By contrast, the new Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A only supports Sony FE and L-mount for mirrorless cameras at present. While it could come to other mounts at some point in the future, it shows the shift in certain camera manufacturers being a little more restrictive (* cough, looking at you, Canon).

(Image credit: Dan Mold)

The price has also changed – 2017’s Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM | A hit the shelves at $1399 / £1399, whereas the new Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A is $1899 / £1649 / AU$3,499, making it between 18-35% more expensive this time around. This isn’t just down to a decade of inflation and tariffs though, some of this cost will be down to its more premium build and redesign, being the world’s fastest 135mm with an f/1.4 maximum aperture.

But what's the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A actually like to use? Well, it's a phenomenal achievement, from the legendary Japanese lens manufacturer – delivering supremely sharp detail and dreamy bokeh, even if this is a particularly hefty optic.

Bottom line – if you need a short telephoto focal length with a super fast f/1.4 aperture, then this will be the one to go for, provided you shoot on the two mounts it’s currently available for and have deep enough pockets to buy one.

Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Art: Price and availability

• Priced at $1,899 / £1,649 / AU$3,499
• Lens hood, tripod foot collar and soft pouch included
• Announced in September 2025

When it comes to value, the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Art is one of the most expensive 135mm primes on the market, though it’s not quite as expensive as the Canon RF 135mm f/1.8L IS USM which costs $2399 / £2399, or the Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena which retails for $2597 / £2179. That being said, sadly the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 isn’t currently available for either Canon RF or Nikon Z mounts presently so it doesn’t offer a more affordable third-party option for Canon or Nikon users.

However, for the Sony FE and L-mount cameras that it is currently available for, it’s one of the more expensive lenses you can go for, but then it is the only 135mm lens on the market with that super wide f/1.4 aperture. If you're willing to pay the premium over a f/1.8 alternative, this lens is a must-have as you’ll be faced with no other options; it is an excellent portrait lens and one that delivers superb image quality.

For photographers looking for something more portable and svelte, the Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 GM, Samyang AF 135mm f/1.8 or Viltrox AF 135mm f/1.8 lenses will be better options and one of the best third-party Sony lenses.

Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Art: SpecsSigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Art specs

Type:

Short telephoto lens

Mount:

L-Mount, Sony FE

Sensor:

Full-frame

Focal length:

135mm

Max aperture:

f/1.4

Minimum focus:

1.1m

Filter size:

105mm

Dimensions:

111.7x135.5mm

Weight:

50.4oz / 1430g

Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Art: Design

• Big and hefty, weighing 50.4oz/1430g
• Houses 17 elements arranged in 13 groups
• Has a removable Arca-Swiss tripod foot and collar
• No optical image stabilization

The new Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Art is chunky and that’s perhaps none-too-surprising to achieve its momentous f/1.4 maximum aperture. Its diameter of 111.7mm is larger than its competition and its length of 135.5mm makes it about 18% longer than its predecessor. In fact, it's only the Viltrox AF 135mm f/1.8 and Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena lenses that are longer, at 147.6mm and 139.5mm respectively.

The Sigma 135mm is heavier than its peers too – tipping the scales at 50.4oz/1,430g it’s significantly heavier than other mirrorless full-frame 135mm primes. Many 135mm primes from the likes of Sony, Samyang, Canon and Nikon all come in around 35% lighter or less, though none achieve the coveted f/1.4 aperture of the Sigma, so this is the price you pay for having a faster lens.

(Image credit: Dan Mold)

The barrel houses 17 elements arranged in 13 groups, four of which are large FLD glass elements along with strategically placed high dispersion glass which Sigma claims can suppress axial chromatic aberration. There’s also not one but two HLA (High response Linear Actuator) motors which drive the autofocus – the floating focus system allows two lens groups to be moved independently – I'll touch more on how it performs in the next section.

The original Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM | Art lacked image stabilization when it came out nine years ago and unfortunately the new Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A omits this once again. However, while the original launched for predominantly for DSLRs, this new Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A is built with modern mirrorless bodies in-mind, many of which have very good in-body image stabilization (IBIS) which is more effective than optical stabilization (OIS) anyway, so it’s less of an issue that it would have been back then. We also have to remember that adding stabilization to the lens would likely result in the lens being even bigger – something I’m sure Sigma would be keen to avoid with its already very tank-like build.

I got hold of the Sony FE version, though the lens can also be picked up for L-mount alliance cameras, which includes Sigma, Panasonic and Leica bodies. It has a nice brass metal mount with a weather seal around it, showing that the lens has some sealing and protection from the elements, which is to be expected from Sigma’s premium 'Art' range (and this price point).

The front element of the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A is huge and takes 105mm screw-in filters (Image credit: Dan Mold)

Taking the front lens cap off reveals the huge front element, which has an oil and water repellent coating and also takes enormous 105mm screw-in filters. The front element is so large that the lens barrel protrudes at the front to make space for it (and presumably to protect it). This upshot is that the lens feels secure in the hand, with your supporting hand naturally resting on the focus ring.

The focus ring is a bit smaller than its predecessor but it offers plenty of grip and feels secure in the hand. It's smooth to turn, too. (Image credit: Dan Mold)

Speaking of the focus ring, it’s significantly thinner than the old version at just 2cm wide, perhaps showing the shift away from manual focus, especially with how good modern face and eye detection autofocus systems have become in the past decade.

Looking at the new and old Sigma 135mm lenses side by side, the difference in real estate given to the focus ring is quite stark and has to be around half as wide this time around. That being said, its knurled rubber design offers plenty to hold on to and is smooth to turn. With the move to mirrorless, focusing manually is electronic rather than mechanical, which means we also miss out on a focus distance window.

The lens now comes with a tripod foot collar, you'll get a better balance on a monopod/tripod and reduce strain versus handheld shooting. I actually preferred attaching to a monopod while shooting outdoors to give me a more stable platform, especially when nailing such a delicately thin slice of focus shooting wide open at f/1.4.

The collar is removable, and while it can be screwed into a tripod or monopod, the foot has also been machined to work in Arca-Swiss mounts without the need to attach a plate.

One nice feature of the Sigma 135mm f1.4 DG Art lens is that it sports a tripod foot and collar. The foot accepts monopods and tripods, though it's also shaped to fit directly into Arca-Swiss mounts without the need for a quick release plate or adapter (Image credit: Dan Mold)

Also on the lens barrel is a switch to flick between AF/MF and there’s an iris ring which can be used to control the lens aperture, complimented by another switch to engage or disable the aperture ring from clicking – a handy feature for videographers who like the smoother un-clicked operation. It can also be locked into the ‘A’ position if you’d prefer not to use it at all and instead set the aperture via the camera body.

The lens barrel sports an iris ring for changing the aperture value if you prefer. It can also be locked off at the A position if you prefer to set the aperture in the camera body and it can also be clicked or declicked, the latter is more suitable for video. (Image credit: Dan Mold)

To wrap up, you’ll also find two AFL buttons on the lens, spaced 90-degrees apart from each other, with one on the left and the other on the top of the barrel for easy access when shooting in landscape or portrait orientation. These buttons can be assigned to a range of functions.

Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Art: Performance

• Stunning shallow depth of field effects with f/1.4 aperture
• Good face detection and eye tracking with my Sony test body
• Some vignetting when shooting wide open at f/1.4

As previoously mentioned, the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DC | Art is a big and chunky lens that's almost twice as heavy as some of its rivals. This does make it a little unwieldy to use and I'd recommend a camera body with in-body image stabilization (IBIS) to reduce camera-shake – I paired it with the Sony A7R V.

If using a smaller body which lacks a vertical grip, I would also recommend adding a battery grip improve balance with the lens – it helps to keep the camera and lens more stable when taking photos in the portrait orientation.

Image 1 of 3

Test shot with Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A: f/1.4, 1/3200 sec, ISO1600 (Image credit: Dan Mold)Image 2 of 3

Test shot with Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A: f/1.8, 1/2000 sec, ISO1600 (Image credit: Dan Mold)Image 3 of 3

Test shot with Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A: f/2.8, 1/1000 sec, ISO1600 (Image credit: Dan Mold)

The addition of the tripod foot and collar is clearly a welcome addition and will come in use for those shooting on a tripod in a studio or on a monopod for scenarios such as shooting models at an outdoor location, or cars at a racetrack, for example.

Image 1 of 5

Test shot with Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A: f/1.4, 1/1250 sec, ISO800 (Image credit: Dan Mold)Image 2 of 5

Test shot with Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A: f/1.8, 1/800 sec, ISO800 (Image credit: Dan Mold)Image 3 of 5

Test shot with Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A: f/1.4, 1/2500 sec, ISO800 (Image credit: Dan Mold)Image 4 of 5

Test shot with Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A: f/1.8, 1/1600 sec, ISO800 (Image credit: Dan Mold)Image 5 of 5

Test shot with Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A: f/2.8, 1/640 sec, ISO800 (Image credit: Dan Mold)

Focusing with the compressed 135mm focal length and with the aperture wide open at f/1.4 is a challenge because you’re playing with such a small focus area and very limited depth of field. Luckily, the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DC | Art has quick and accurate focusing through its Dual HLA motors, and nailing focus on the eyes becomes easier when shooting on a tripod or monopod, to eliminate camera-shake.

Your subject will also need to be very steady to avoid subject blur and the focus slipping onto the eyelashes – which is all very well with an accommodating adult, but more of a challenge with animals! You are also somewhat at the mercy of how good the eye detection and subject tracking is on the camera body, but the Sony A7R IV I paired the lens to performed very well.

Image 1 of 7

Test shot with Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A: f/1.4, 1/4000 sec, ISO100 (Image credit: Dan Mold)Image 2 of 7

Test shot with Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A: f/1.4, 1/5000 sec, ISO100 (Image credit: Dan Mold)Image 3 of 7

Test shot with Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A: f/2.8, 1/2000 sec, ISO100 (Image credit: Dan Mold)Image 4 of 7

Test shot with Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A: f/1.4, 1/8000 sec, ISO100 (Image credit: Dan Mold)Image 5 of 7

Test shot with Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A: f/1.4, 1/6400 sec, ISO100 (Image credit: Dan Mold)Image 6 of 7

Test shot with Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A: f/1.4, 1/8000 sec, ISO100 (Image credit: Dan Mold)Image 7 of 7

Test shot with Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A: f/4, 1/800 sec, ISO100 (Image credit: Dan Mold)

Optically, the lens is razor sharp when you are able to land the focus exactly where you need it on your subject, while the background bokeh blur is stunningly beautiful, with enormous bokeh circles when shooting wide open. The bokeh is huge, smooth and circular due its 13 bladed aperture, and showed no signs of ugly onion ring defects you can get with cheaper optics.

Vignetting is a minor issue when shooting wide open, although this clears up by f/1.8. There is also a very subtle amount of chromatic aberration on edges of contrast, though both of these issues are very easy to fix in post, and for the most part can be dealt with using the profile corrections in editing software with a single click, so for me they're not a big deal.

Should you buy the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Art?Buy it if...

You want the world's only 135mm f/1.4 lens

The Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A is the only 135mm lens to boast a wide f/1.4 maximum aperture, so if you need such a tool in your arsenal – this is the one to get

You're looking for a bokeh monster

The 135mm f/1.4 lens is a beast when it comes to producing incredible background blur and beautiful large, smooth and circular bokeh

You shoot with Sony or L-mount bodies

Sadly, the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 is, at the time of review, only available for Sony E and L-mount bodies. If you're a portrait professional shooting on either of these systems, this is a lens to consider if your budget can stretch

Don't buy it if...

You're on a budget

This is one of the most expensive 135mm portrait lenses on the market – costing $1899 / £1649 / AU$3,499, you'll need deep pockets!

You prefer small and lightweight lenses

The Sigma 135mm f/1.4 is a chunky and heavy lens and its unwieldy handling makes it difficult to shoot with handheld – a monopod or tripod is often preferred to steady the frame

You don't need the f/1.4 aperture

If you don't shoot in super dim conditions or require the extra shallow depth of field that this lens will give you, there are numerous other options from Sony and third-partiesView Deal

How I tested the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Art

• I used the lens for a month, capturing everything from controlled still-life setups at home to outdoor portraits
• I paired it with the 61MP Sony A7R V full-frame body, zooming in on images to assess resolution and clarity
• I took shots throughout the aperture range, focusing up close and further away to judge image sharpness

I used the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Art lens for a month, paired with a Sony A7R V to produce incredibly detailed 61MP files so I could zoom in and thoroughly inspect the image quality.

I shot a range of subjects from indoor still life setups to portrait shoots outdoors with the lens and shot at all of the available apertures to see how image quality and vignetting were handled throughout the aperture range.

I took a range of pictures with in-camera lens corrections both enabled and disabled to see the difference. I also shot in raw and JPEG formats, and gauged how things like corner sharpness and vignetting changed at different aperture values.

• First reviewed January 2026

Personal data is constantly at risk, and bought, sold, and traded by data brokers faster than most people realize. As privacy concerns reach new heights, data removal services have become essential tools for managing one’s digital identity.

Incogni, developed by Surfshark (a major name in VPN and cybersecurity solutions), and now operates as a standalone product. Incogni automates the process of removing your personal information from hundreds of data broker sites. Instead of sending deletion requests manually, a task that could take hundreds of hours, Incogni does it for you, tracking progress and maintaining removals over time.

If you’re serious about data privacy and want a stress-free way to minimize your online footprint, Incogni is one of the best data removal services of 2026.

Incogni: Plans and pricing

(Image credit: Future)

Incogni’s pricing is structured around individual and family plans, with clear differences between Standard and Unlimited tiers. For individual users, the Standard plan can be billed monthly at about $15.98, or annually at $95.88, which works out to roughly $7.99 per month and offers the best value if you plan to commit long term. This plan includes automated data removal from a large network of data brokers, regular progress tracking, and access to the main dashboard features.

For users who want more control over specific sites, the Individual Unlimited plan is available as an annual subscription at approximately $179.88 per year, or about $14.99 per month at effective pricing. The main advantage of this tier is the inclusion of custom removal requests, which lets Incogni pursue takedowns from sites that are not already in its standard broker database, making it better suited for people with a larger or more complicated online footprint.

Families can opt for the Family Standard plan, which covers up to five people under a single subscription and is billed annually at around $191.88, or about $15.99 per month when averaged over the year. This plan essentially extends the benefits of the individual Standard tier to multiple household members at a lower per-person cost. For the most comprehensive option, the Family Unlimited plan costs about $275.88 per year (roughly $22.99 per month effective) and adds custom removal capabilities for every account member, along with priority support for more complex removal needs.

Across all tiers, Incogni typically includes a 30-day money-back guarantee, giving new users a risk-free window to test how effective the service is for their situation. The service can also be purchased as part of the Surfshark One+ bundle, which combines Incogni with Surfshark’s VPN and other cybersecurity tools; this bundle can sometimes reduce your overall spend compared to buying each product separately, making it appealing if you are building a broader privacy and security stack.

Incogni: Features

(Image credit: Future)

Incogni centers its service on automated, law-backed data removal from a large and growing network of data brokers. It leverages major privacy regulations, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and similar frameworks in supported regions, to compel brokers to delete your personal information rather than merely suppress it.

Once you subscribe and authorize Incogni to act on your behalf, the platform immediately begins sending opt-out and deletion requests to over 420 broker sites, covering both public people-search finder sites and non-public marketing, recruitment, and risk-assessment databases.

The service is designed to be as hands-off as possible. After the initial wave of requests goes out, Incogni tracks responses, flags which brokers have confirmed removals, and keeps resending requests where necessary so your data does not quietly reappear months later.

Users receive weekly progress updates that summarize how many requests were sent, how many are still pending, and how many have been completed, which makes it easy to see tangible results without digging into technical details.

The dashboard also shows which types of information each broker is likely to hold—such as contact details, demographic data, or behavioral profiles—so you have a clearer picture of exactly what is being removed.

On higher-tier Unlimited plans, Incogni adds custom data removal, allowing you to submit specific URLs or sites that fall outside the standard broker list and have Incogni’s privacy team pursue those removals on your behalf. This is particularly useful for obscure people-search sites, marketing lists, or niche industry databases that are not widely covered by competing tools.

Taken together, the combination of extensive broker coverage, recurring automated removals, weekly reporting, and custom requests makes Incogni a robust, low-effort way to continuously chip away at your digital footprint.

Incogni: Setup

Getting started with Incogni takes just minutes. After signing up:

• You authorize Incogni to act on your behalf under applicable privacy laws.
• The system automatically begins sending removal requests.
• You’ll start seeing activity updates within a week.

During the first month, most initial removals are completed, while older or unresponsive brokers are automatically followed up on. Weekly progress reports make it easy to stay informed without micromanaging.

Incogni: Ease of use

Incogni’s web-based dashboard keeps things simple. The clean interface highlights:

• Total removal requests sent
• Brokers contacted
• Status updates (pending, confirmed, or completed)

Even non-technical users can easily navigate the platform. Incogni’s automation eliminates the need for manual contact with brokers—making it one of the most user-friendly privacy tools in its class.

One limitation, however, is that Incogni doesn’t yet offer a mobile app, unlike competitors like Optery, which recently introduced one. Still, for desktop users, it offers one of the most intuitive setups available.

Incogni: Security and privacy

Incogni adheres to strict privacy standards. It collects only minimal personal data (such as your name and email) required to submit opt-out requests.

Communication between you, Incogni, and data brokers is encrypted. The company is headquartered in the Netherlands—an EU nation with strong GDPR protections—which ensures compliance with international privacy law.

Incogni also emphasizes transparency: users can see when and where requests are made and which brokers comply. There’s no data sharing or resale of customer information.

Incogni: Support

Incogni provides a mix of direct and self-service support options and has made noticeable improvements over time. For users on the Unlimited and Family Unlimited plans, live phone support is available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., particularly helpful for real-time assistance with specific data removal issues or account questions.

All users can reach the team via email, with Incogni typically indicating a response time of around 24 hours. There is also a dedicated support portal where you can submit and track requests online, rather than relying solely on inbox communications.

On the self-help side, Incogni maintains a searchable Knowledge Base that covers common questions, troubleshooting topics, and explanations of how the service works, along with a blog that publishes broader privacy tips and product updates.

There are also detailed opt-out guides that explain how to manually remove your data from various people-search and data broker sites, and these guides can be accessed without an active subscription, adding value even for users still deciding whether to sign up.

However, Incogni does not yet offer live chat support, and while email and phone coverage are generally sufficient, some users may find the lack of instant messaging or extended-hours phone lines slightly limiting compared to competitors that have invested heavily in real-time, multi-channel support.

Incogni: The competition

Incogni competes with several leading data removal services:

(Image credit: Future / Incogni / DeleteMe)

• DeleteMe – Offers deeper manual intervention and reports but costs more (around $129/year per user). Excellent for users who prefer human-handled removals.
• OneRep – Strong focus on U.S. people-search sites with visual proof of removals, but less global coverage. Offers a limited free trial.
• Optery – Very transparent, showing screenshots of exposed data. Has a free scan tier, though many removals require manual steps. Better visibility, less automation.
• Privacy Bee – Adds dark web and Google Maps house-blurring tools but costs more and requires user input.
• Aura – Combines identity theft protection with broader cybersecurity tools, but its data removal tracking isn’t as detailed as Incogni’s.

Incogni stands out for global reach, affordability, and hands-free automation, although some competitors offer more visual feedback or bundled extras.

Incogni: The verdict

Incogni delivers one of the most efficient and accessible data removal services available in 2026. It automates a complex process while keeping users updated at every step. For those who want stronger digital privacy without manual oversight, Incogni offers exceptional value — especially on annual plans.

While improvements could include a free trial or a mobile app - its automation, breadth of coverage, and consistent success in data removal make it a top pick for anyone serious about protecting their personal information online.

Sign up to Incogni

Asus V16: Two-minute review

The V16 is a large gaming laptop with a strong spec at an appealing price point. It looks understated yet elegant, thanks to the smooth finish and lack of gaming-related embellishments. The rounded edges and smooth planes further add to its minimalist appeal.

What’s more, the V16 is remarkably sleek by the standards of its class. Despite the large 16-inch size display, its body is very thin and light, making it a contender for the best gaming laptop you can realistically carry around with you.

The build quality of the V16 is also commendable, featuring materials that feel premium and well put-together. It’s more solid than some of its rivals, although it’s perhaps not the sturdiest gaming laptop in existence.

There are enough connectivity options to satisfy most gamers, although the lack of an RJ-45 port might disappoint keen online players. The fact that all but one of the V16’s interfaces are located on the left – and none on the rear – might also be a pain point for some.

(Image credit: Future)

MyAsus is the utility software bundled with the V16, used to view system information and make performance tweaks. It gets the job done, although the interface and odd loading times make it less polished than rival software.

Thanks to the RTX 4050 in my review unit, the V16 managed to hold its own when contending with today’s AAA titles. I didn’t manage to achieve 60fps at full resolution when playing Cyberpunk 2077, but I still had a smooth and enjoyable experience at around 50fps with Ray Tracing enabled.

Heat made its way onto the keyboard while playing, with the space bar experiencing the most intense temperatures. It was still comfortable to use, though, and more impressively, the fans were relatively hushed.

The 16-inch display on the V16 provides a large vista for showcasing blockbuster titles at their best. The 1920 x 1200 resolution is just about sharp enough for its size too. However, while colors are vibrant enough, they lack the intensity of the best gaming monitors, and reflections can reveal themselves all too readily.

The starting price of the V16 makes it a tempting proposition, although there are others with similar costs that offer a better spec, such as the Acer Nitro V 15, which features an RTX 5050 in its base model instead of a 4050. However, the portable design, large display, and excellent keyboard are all points in the V16’s favor, resulting in a strong contender in the mid-range gaming laptop market.

Asus V16 review: Price & Availability

(Image credit: Future)

• Starting from $949.99 / £849.99 / AU$1,399
• Available now
• Some rivals are better value

The Asus V16 starts from $949.99 / £849.99 / AU$1,399 and is available now. The base models in each region differ: the US gets an Intel Core 7 and an RTX 3050, the UK a Core 5 and an RTX 4050, and the Australian a Core 5 and RTX 3050. In the UK, we’ve also seen the RTX 5050 variant on sale for less than the 4050 counterpart.

This is a reasonable starting price for an RTX 40 series-equipped laptop. However, there are some rivals that represent better value, such as the Acer Nitro V 15, which has a significantly lower starting price (in the US, at least) but features an RTX 5050 rather than a 4050. Its display is an inch smaller, though, and it's decidedly bulkier and therefore less portable.

If you want to spend even less money, the MSI Cyborg 15 is a strong budget pick. You’ll have to settle for an RTX 30 series GPU to keep the costs down, but this still offers passable performance, and the overall design and brilliant keyboard of the Cyborg certainly haven’t fallen victim to cost-cutting.

• Value: 3.5 / 5

Asus V16 review: SpecsAsus V16 review configuration

CPU

Intel Core 5 210H (8 cores) 2.2GHz

GPU

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 6GB

RAM

16GB DDR5-5600 SO-DIMM

Storage

512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD

Display

16.0-inch, WUXGA (1920 x 1200) 16:10, 144Hz, Anti-glare

Ports and Connectivity

1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.1 FRL, 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack; Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3

Battery

63Wh

Dimensions

14.06 x 9.87 x 0.71 ~ 0.87in (357 x 251 x 18 ~ 22mm)

Weight

4.30lbs / 1.95kg

Asus V16 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Impressively light and thin
• Decent build quality
• Sufficient utility software

To look at, the V16 cuts a very un-gamerish figure. Only a small and discreet Asus logo adorns the lid, while the perfectly flat contours, unsullied by any of the protrusions or sharp angles typical for this class of device, further belie its gaming prowess.

Setting the V16 apart even more from its equally large rivals are its weight and dimensions: even the best laptops would envy just how light and thin it is. This makes it much easier to carry around than you might imagine – although you’ll still need plenty of space in your bag to accommodate its 16-inch diagonal.

Materials are impressively premium, too. The chassis has a super smooth finish, while the keys have a very subtle texture that enhances their tactility. What’s more, the whole construction feels quite solid, with minimal – but still noticeable – flexing to the panels.

Port selection on the V16 is adequate. There’s no ethernet port, which online gamers might lament, but you still get an HDMI port and a headset jack. There are also two USB-A ports and one USB-C port, the latter of which supports both power delivery and external displays.

(Image credit: Future)

All ports are loaded on the left-hand side, except for one of the USB-A ports, which is on the right. This lack of balance might prove inconvenient depending on your setup, especially for those who like some on the rear.

The utility software for the V16, MyAsus, doesn’t exactly have the most enticing interface, and the fact it shows loading bars every time you open it is a little disconcerting, even if they don't take long. The app contains some useful system information and various settings you can adjust. Along with the usual fan profile selections, you can also adjust the GPU operation, with modes ranging from Standard to Optimized, that control when and where the GPU and integrated graphics are employed.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

Asus V16 review: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Smooth but unspectacular performance
• Surprisingly quiet
• Excellent keyboard

Asus V16 benchmarks

Geekbench 6 (Single Core): 2,400; (Multi Core): 9,093
Cinebench R23 (Multi Core): 11,766
Cinebench R24 (Single Core): 104 (Multi Core): 684
Crossmark Overall: 1,598
3DMark Night Raid: 45,660; Fire Strike: 17,587; Steel Nomad: 1,543; Solar Bay: 30,689; Solar Bay Unlimited: 32,976; Solar Bay Extreme: 6,387; Solar Bay Extreme Unlimited: 3,515
BlackMagicDisk Read: 1,689MB/s; Write: 204MB/s
Civilization VII (1200p, AMD FSR, High): 77fps; (1080p, High): 105fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1200p, Highest, Balanced upscaling): 120fps; (1080p, Highest, SMAA x4, no upscaling): 69fps
Total War: Warhammer III: Mirrors of Madness (1200p, Ultra): 35fps; (1080p, Ultra): 37fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1200p, Ultra, Balanced upscaling): 60fps; (1080p, Ray Tracing: Ultra, Balanced upscaling): 36fps; (1080p, Ultra, no upscaling): 50fps
Marvel Rivals (1200p, Ultra, Balanced upscaling): 35fps; (1200p, no upscaling, Low): 58fps

The combination of the Intel Core 5 and RTX 4050 in my review unit resulted in respectable, if not outstanding, gaming performance. I got around 50fps when I played Cyberpunk 2077 at the Ray Tracing: Low preset. More importantly, I experienced virtually no slowdown or stuttering, even during busy scenes, which is always something to prize.

A small amount of heat was generated on the keyboard during my play time, but this was never uncomfortable. Oddly enough, the space bar experienced the highest temperatures, rather than the rear, as is the case with many other gaming laptops. Also unusual was the fact that the sides and underneath stayed remarkably cool as well.

As expected, the fans in the V16 whirred continuously while playing demanding titles, but the noise was suppressed quite well. Also, the tone and pitch was far less grating than in other gaming laptops I’ve tried.

The large 16-inch display of the V16 is certainly great for gaming, with the thin bezels around the screen enhancing the visual experience further. The 1200p resolution also offers sufficient sharpness for the size of the screen.

(Image credit: Future)

Colors are vibrant enough, although they do seem a little washed-out compared to those rendered on the best gaming laptop displays. What’s more, the display can be quite reflective, although minor positional adjustments were enough to remedy this.

I had no qualms with the keyboard, though. The keys are generously spaced (which is impressive given a number pad is present), so they’re comfortable to use, and the WASD keys are easy to locate thanks to their translucent design and subtly different texture.

While they feel clicky and snappy, the keys also have plenty of dampening, so they never feel harsh when you hammer down on them. They also have a pleasing amount of travel, which further enhances their feedback and tactile nature. The above qualities make the keyboard great for typing as well.

The touchpad on the V16 is probably the biggest I’ve seen on a laptop, which is useful for navigation purposes. Yet despite its size, it didn’t get in the way when using the keyboard for either gaming or typing.

• Performance: 4 / 5

Asus V16 review: Battery Life

(Image credit: Future)

• Decent battery life
• Outlasts rivals

For a gaming laptop, the V16 has a respectable battery life. It managed to last over 12 hours during our movie playback tests, which is several hours better than many others in the sector, and almost double that of the Acer Nitro V 15.

It also posted a commendable result in the PCMark Gaming battery test, lasting just shy of two hours. The Nitro V 15, by contrast, managed a little over 90 minutes.

• Battery Life: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Asus V16?Asus V16 Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

The three-figure starting price is always good to see in a gaming laptop, but there are a few rivals that offer even better value.

3.5 / 5

Design

For a large gaming laptop, the V16 is phenomenally light and thin. The quality materials and sturdy construction are further plus points.

4.5 / 5

Performance

AAA performance is pretty good, while the keyboard is enjoyably tactile. The large display is also pleasing, although it’s a bit too reflective.

4 / 5

Battery Life

An enduring lifespan for this class of device. It beats many rivals, although it still flags behind more general laptops.

4 / 5

Total

The V16 might not have cutting-edge AAA performance, but it acquits itself well in other areas. It has some strong rivals at this price point, though.

4 / 5

Buy the Asus V16 if...

You want something portable
The thin, lightweight body of the V16 is quite the feat for a gaming laptop, making it much easier to travel with than other similarly-sized rivals.

You want a great keyboard
The deep travel, satisfying clickiness, and generous dampening of the keys make them a joy to use, whether you’re gaming or typing.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best performance
The RTX 4050 in my review unit was good, but no match for the later 50 series GPUs.

You're on a tighter budget
Although the V16 is well-priced, there are cheaper alternatives with less powerful GPUs, if you can settle for them.

Asus V16 review: also consider

Acer Nitro V 15 Intel
The base model of the Nitro V 15 is arguably better value than the V16, since its starting price (in the US at least) is less, yet it boasts the more recent RTX 5050 GPU. It’s an inch smaller than the V16, though, yet is nowhere near as portable. Read our full Acer Nitro V 15 Intel review.

MSI Cyborg 15
If you’re on a really tight gaming laptop budget, the Cyborg 15 could be a great prick. It’s currently one of the best budget gaming laptops around, thanks to its low price point. You’ll have to settle for an older RTX 30 series GPU to keep the costs down, though, which is a significant downgrade on the 40 series options in the V16. Read our full MSI Cyborg 15 review.

How I tested the Asus V16

• Tested for several days
• Ran games and benchmarks
• Extensive gaming laptop experience

I tested the V16 for several days, during which time I used it for gaming and general browsing.

I played Cyberpunk 2077 at various settings, and ran TechRadar's series of benchmarks tests, designed to comprehensively assess all facets of performance. I also tested battery life by running a movie on a continuous loop until the V16 shut down.

I have been PC gaming for over a decade, and have used a number of systems and components during that time. I've also plenty of experience reviewing gaming laptops of all kinds, from budget offerings to state-of-the-art machines.

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