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The Razer Pro Type Ergo proves the company can do non-gaming keyboards well – but it’s not perfect

TechRadar Reviews - Mon, 06/29/2026 - 06:22
Razer Pro Type Ergo review: two-minute review

Ergonomic keyboards have long been Logitech's territory, but the Pro Type Ergo is Razer's most convincing argument yet that it belongs in the productivity conversation, and not dismissed as just a gaming brand.

It's the brand's first split ergonomic keyboard, and it arrives with a full-size layout, clever software and a mild enough learning curve to make ergo peripherals feel genuinely accessible. There's a lot to like here — the software depth is impressive, the wireless connectivity is versatile, and the adjustment period is shorter than you might fear. But at its higher price tag, the lack of mechanical switches is hard to ignore, and that one compromise colors the whole package.

In practice, the Pro Type Ergo impresses in several key areas. The adjustment period is impressively short — I was largely up to speed within a couple of days, even with some stubborn old typing habits to shake. The fixed vegan leather wristrest is plush, the sculpted keycaps keep your fingers where they should be, and the duplicated 'B' key is a small but smart touch.

Software is a genuine highlight too, with Razer Synapse 4 offering up to 100 mappable functions for the twin command dials, deep macro key customisation, and an AI Prompt Builder that pipes queries into ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot if you want it to. Connectivity is equally versatile, covering three-channel Bluetooth, a 2.4GHz USB-A receiver and USB-C wired, with a claimed three months of battery life per charge and an ideal set of outputs for power users.

(Image credit: Future)

However, there are limits that stop the Pro Type Ergo from being an easy recommendation at this price. The most glaring is the switch choice — scissor-actuated membrane keys on a £179.99 keyboard feel like a bit of a compromise, however comfortable and snappy they might be in use.

The Keychron Q13 Max lands at a similar price and is properly mechanical, while the Logitech Ergo K860 covers the core ergonomic brief for roughly half the cost. The Pro Type Ergo's full-size layout and non-removable wristrest also means it takes up a significant amount of desk space, which rules it out for anyone working in tighter quarters – it even made my 120cm desk seem tiny.

At $189.99 / £179.99 / AU$299.95, Razer is asking you to pay a premium for style, software depth and ergonomic approachability — and on the whole, it delivers with a product that's comfortable, likeable, and especially versatile.

Just bear in mind the trade-off by going for a non-mechanical choice at this price. The Pro Type Ergo justifies much of its premium price tag with its versatility, clever software and a learning curve that won't upend your entire working week. If you want to take the plunge into ergo peripherals without sacrificing style or features, this is a very good place to start.

Razer Pro Type Ergo review: Price & release date
  • $189.99 / £179.99 / AU$299.95
  • Released April 1, 2026
  • Towards the top end of the market

Razer launched the Pro Type Ergo in April 2026, and it's available for $189.99 / £179.99 / AU$299.95, which puts it towards the top end of this non-mechanical market, not least for a more niche product such as an ergonomic keyboard. It's available from Razer's own website and secondary retailers such as Amazon.

For reference, it's possible to get more office-oriented ergo keyboards with a similar split layout for more affordable prices, such as the Logitech Ergo K860. It's about half the cost of the Pro Type Ergo with similar fundamentals, although it misses out on Razer's clever software trickery and the oodles of customisation it comes with.

For a more affordable choice, there's also the Logitech Wave Keys, which isn't quite as drastic with some of its ergo sensibilities, although it lacks the snappiness of scissor-actuated keys with more standard rubber domes.

(Image credit: Future)

Outside of the usual mainstream brands, the Keychron Q13 Max is a similar price to the Pro Type Ergo and comes with a full-size layout, a machined aluminium chassis, a command dial and macro keys, plus QMK software powers, and it is also properly mechanical. For a different take on ergonomics, the HHKB Studio is a fellow premium choice, but instead of offering split keys and such, it moves some keys around for a more comfortable layout and is fully mechanical.

  • Value score: 3.5/5
Razer Pro Type Ergo review: Specs

Layout

Full-size - optimised

Switches

Scissor-actuated membrane

Programmable keys

Yes

Dimensions

18.3 x 9.6 x 1.6 inches / 464 x 243 x 40mm (LxWxH)

RGB or backlighting

Yes - RGB (customisable)

Razer Pro Type Ergo review: Design
  • Large profile on desk
  • Lots of convenient creature comforts
  • Mild ergonomic layout optimisations

The Pro Type Ultra is Razer's first split ergonomic keyboard, and it blends several of the brand's key design hallmarks into a brand new form factor. For instance, it comes with its usual modern and understated design language that has characterised a lot of its more recent releases.

The fact that it's a full-size layout keyboard with a number pad, nav cluster and function row alongside a big wristrest and function dials means it takes up an awful lot of desk space. That vegan leather wristrest is a large part of the bulkiness of this keyboard, and it isn't removable.

Nonetheless, Razer has designed this keyboard to be functional and comfortable with that full-size layout in mind, and the fact that this is a milder form of ergonomic keyboard than some of the weirder options from Kinesis and ZSA that can take even more getting used to.

(Image credit: Future)

What I mean by this is that this keyboard has a mild split down the middle that's designed to align your hands directly with your shoulders to help reduce the risk of getting RSI or carpal tunnel syndrome.

To Razer's credit, even though the angle of the split is fixed, the keyboard has a natural rise and fall across its chassis to help reduce pronation, or forearm strain. The fixed wristrest is also decently plush in the middle, and you get some excellent two-stage feet in all four corners on the underside of the keyboard to raise the angle up or down as you'd prefer.

This split layout forces you to learn how to touch-type properly, which can take some getting used to if you have an odd technique, as I do, where I rarely use my ring and pinky fingers to type, and usually use my fore and middle fingers to do most of the work, sometimes on either side of the keyboard.

(Image credit: Future)

Razer has made some small, but noticeable, changes to a standard full-size layout, making some keys slightly elongated, with the 7, T, G, H and B keys. Weirdly, the B key has been duplicated to improve speed and comfort, and the space between the two Space Bars on the bottom row. The keycaps are also slightly sculpted, similarly to the Logitech MX Keys range of products to help keep your fingers where they should be.

Outside of the ergonomic benefits of the Pro Type Ergo, Razer has also made sure to give this keyboard other accoutrements, such as programmable macro keys down the left side and a couple of command dials in each corner. There are also three silver shortcut keys in the top right corner for opening Razer's own AI Prompt Master software, checking battery status and a custom button, plus there are dedicated buttons for wireless pairing over Bluetooth and the bundled 2.4GHz receiver.

(Image credit: Future)

The front interface is quite simple, with a convenient toggle switch for wired or wireless use and a USB-C port for charging and wired use.

  • Design score: 4/5
Razer Pro Type Ergo review: Performance
  • Less of a learning curve than expected
  • Comfortable feel, although not mechanical
  • Extensive software and connectivity options

Usually I take a couple of weeks to review a keyboard to best understand its quirks and features, but took a little longer with the Pro Type Ergo, owing to its ergonomic credentials. In my experience, it can take a good week or so to get fully used to using an ergonomic keyboard or mouse, so I thought it best to take my time to give Razer's keyboard a fair shot.

To be truthful, the adjustment period of moving to this ergo keyboard wasn't as long as I was expecting it to be, and I found myself mostly up to speed within a couple of days. It took longer to try to get out of some of the habits I've picked up over decades of typing in a funny way. For instance, I found myself usually reaching over to press the Y key with my left forefinger out of habit, which I had to train myself not to do during the review period. It might be useful if Razer put two Y keys to help out with this habit, especially as they've already done it for the B key on the bottom row, but your mileage may vary, of course.

Nonetheless, I found the Pro Type Ergo to be a comfortable device to use, especially after the smaller adjustment period. It makes a product like this a more compelling purchase against ones that force you to make more wholesale changes to your routine, which can be quite upending in some instances.

(Image credit: Future)

Under finger, this Razer product isn't mechanical, which surprised me considering its high price tag. Instead, it's using a scissor-actuated mechanism that's similar to what you'll find on the smaller Razer Joro or any of the brand's Blade laptops. This means it's a short and snappy keypress, but one that lacks the precision or tactility of a mechanical option.

There are ergonomic keyboards that are also mechanical, but owing to the bigger size of full-height mechanical switches, they are likely to be bulkier than the Razer Pro Type Ergo – I can understand why this isn't a mechanical product, but it's still a shame it isn't.

Connectivity is versatile, with three-channel Bluetooth and 2.4GHz with the bundled USB-A receiver on the menu, and pairing is simple, too. Simply hold the button down on the keyboard until the button flashes blue and the Pro Type Ergo shows up in the pairing menu of your device. You can also use the bundled USB-C cable for wired connectivity.

(Image credit: Future)

As for battery life, Razer also promises three months of use from a single charge, though I imagine you'll have to cut RGB lighting to reach that. You can check the keyboard's battery level with the dedicated button in the top-right corner, which is neat. The Pro Type Ergo takes five and a half hours to recharge, but if the charge lasts up to three months, that's a small price to pay in my book.

Software duties are handled by Razer Synapse 4, and the Pro Type Ergo, unfortunately, isn't compatible with the new web-based variant of Synapse. It's an improvement on the older and clunkier forms of Synapse that came before it, and provides a lot of customisation opportunities for the keyboard, with up to 100 different functions available for the keyboard's command dials, custom key bindings for the macro keys (or you can use built-in ones for apps such as Photoshop or MS Word), and even remapping every other key on the keyboard.

The dedicated AI Prompt button on the keyboard works in a similar way to Logitech's Logi Prompt Builder, allowing you to build a prompt in software, which is then answered by your choice of either ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot in a browser window.

  • Performance score: 4/5

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Razer Pro Type Ergo?Razer Pro Type Ergo Scorecard

Attribute

Notes

Score

Design

The Pro Type Ergo is a big keyboard, but it packs in a lot of optimisation to make it comfortable to use with little adjustment period.

4/5

Performance

The scissor-actuated keys make this a comfortable keyboard to use for extended periods, plus there is good battery life, clever software and versatile connectivity choices. I would have preferred it to be mechanical, though.

4/5

Value

The Pro Type Ergo is towards the top end of the market for an ergonomic keyboard for office use, but it helps to justify its price tag with its versatility. You can spend less and get the core experience, though.

3.5/5

Average Rating

The Razer Pro Type Ergo is a clever ergonomic keyboard with a comfortable typing feel, some very versatile software and convenient wireless connectivity that's a good choice if you want to take the plunge into ergo peripherals with a good dose of style. It's a shame it isn't mechanical, though, and the price is quite high.

4/5

Buy it if…

You want a comfortable typing feel:
The Pro Type Ergo impresses with its low-profile scissor-actuated keys that provide a comfortable and snappy feel similar to a good laptop keyboard. If you're used to this kind of thing, it's lovely to use.View Deal

You want versatile wireless connectivity:
This Razer keyboard also has some excellent connectivity choices, supporting three-channel Bluetooth, a USB-A receiver and USB-C wired, making it especially versatile for power users.View Deal

You want clever software:
The Pro Type Ergo's use of Razer Synapse 4 for software makes it one of the cleverest keyboards I've tested for office use, especially with its macro keys and even the AI Prompt Builder if it's something you'd use.View Deal

Don’t buy it if…

You'd prefer something mechanical:
Personally, though, I'd prefer something mechanical for a more precise feel and better feedback under finger than any membrane keyboard can give you.View Deal

You want something more affordable:
The big thing with the Pro Type Ergo is a higher price tag against some of its more office-oriented rivals that provide a similar core experience, just without some of the frills.View Deal

You want something smaller:
This Razer keyboard also takes up a lot of space on a desk with its hefty wrist rest and full-size layout, and you can get ergo keyboards that are a smaller form factor.View Deal

Also consider

Logitech Ergo K860
The Logitech Ergo K860 provides a lot of the same fundamentals as the Pro Type Ergo with a split layout, raised profile, bundled wristrest and scissor-actuated keys, but it lacks some of the more advanced powers of software, RGB and more besides – it is half the price, though. Read our full Logitech Ergo K860 review.View Deal

HHKB Studio
It might seem like an odd choice, but the HHKB Studio offers a different take on an ergonomic keyboard as it chops and changes the location of some keys for a more ergonomic position, such as eschewing the Caps Lock in favour of the Control key. It is mechanical, wireless, and also has a Lenovo-style Trackpoint for added convenience. You will pay for it, though. Read our full HHKB Studio review.View Deal

How I tested the Razer Pro Type Ergo
  • Tested for around three weeks
  • Used for gaming and productivity across Windows and macOS
  • A decade of experience as a journalist and mechanical keyboard hobbyist

I tested the Pro Type Ergo for around three weeks, using it as my main keyboard for work and play during this time with both Windows and macOS.

I used it for typing up thousands of words a day with my PC and hooked up to my MacBook Pro over Bluetooth as my primary keyboard for work, too, to judge its performance. I also used the Razer Synapse 4 software on Windows to remap keys, program the macros and see what else it had to offer.

I've been a tech journalist for the best part of a decade, and have reviewed plenty of keyboards in that time from brands big and small. I'm also a mechanical keyboard enthusiast, so I have a keen eye for peripherals and have been involved with the hobby before it hit the mainstream.

Categories: Reviews

‘Swept up in its own braggadocio’: this Final gaming headset I tested sounds good for its price, and its battery should last you up to a week — but on features, it overpromises and underdelivers

TechRadar Reviews - Sat, 06/27/2026 - 11:00

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming: two-minute review

The Final VR3000 EX for Gaming is a multi-platform gaming headset aimed at the more affordable end of the gaming market. It offers a low-latency connection, a fold-to-mute mic, and spatial audio for a much more manageable price than many of the premium pads on the market. But does it deliver on everything it promises?

The Final VR3000 EX for Gaming’s build isn’t bad, all things considered. I’m not a huge fan of the plastic on its earcups or how rattly it can be — both make it feel a bit cheap and flimsy — while the adjustable headband doesn’t really go tight enough for people with smaller heads. But the fabric section of the headband and the faux leather cups are really comfortable: despite a tiny bit of sweatiness, I found them comfortable enough to wear for the best part of a day.

Sound quality on the VR3000 EX is really solid: trebles feel crisp enough to give everything real immediacy, while the mids have sufficient clarity that I could easily differentiate the different roars of demons I gunned my way through in Doom. The only area where I’d say the headset doesn’t quite match pace with the best wireless gaming headsets out there is bass. It would be nice if guns had a little more boom — unless I’ve really misunderstood, the F in BFG9000 does not stand for ‘feeble’.

On paper, the VR3000 EX has some pretty great features for its price point, but I found this was the point it really struggled to deliver. Although Final talks a good game about the headset’s spatial audio, in practice the only dimension I really found had strong differentiation was left / right, with noises behind me being harder to pinpoint and there seemingly being no height effect that I could detect at all.

(Image credit: Future)

The headset’s Footstep Clarity Mode is a similar story. While creeping around the Dust II map on Counter-Strike 2, I found detecting the footfalls of rivals to be pretty easy, which is great. However, I couldn’t really appreciate a significant difference in this, whether the mode was enabled or not. It seems churlish to complain about this, given footsteps were still easy to hear, but I’m just not sure how much this feature actually adds.

I will give Final less faint praise over the headset’s foldaway mic though. Testing it out, I found it did a pretty creditable job of picking up my voice and its fold-to-mute functionality worked well to stifle the recording, even though there was a slight lag of a little under a second for it to kick in. However, it doesn’t seem to have a near-field mic or significant noise gating, as when it was recording it absolutely picked up the background music I was playing and the clack of my keyboard.

And whatever quibbles I may have about the VR3000 EX’s other features, I was pretty blown away by its battery life. During my battery tests, I found that Final was pretty on the money with its 55-hour estimate for this headset. That blows even many more premium headsets out of the water for longevity and means you’re unlikely to need to charge it more than once a week, even if you’re gaming for a significant proportion of each day.

Everything is relative. Given its price, I’d usually be pretty generous with the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming. And it doesn’t get everything wrong: it has decent enough mids and trebles and a good stereo field. But bass is pretty lacking and many of the features it professes to have are almost imperceptible. In light of that, I’d argue another budget option like the Corsair HS55 Wireless might serve you better instead.

(Image credit: Future)Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: price & release date
  • Launched on December 12, 2025
  • List price of $149.99 / £99.99 / $259
  • But it’s already on sale for £69.99 in the UK

Released on December 12, 2025, Final VR3000 EX for Gaming is available now. While it originally went on sale at a list price of $149.99 / £99.99 / $259, it’s already showing up for a fair amount less in some regions. You can currently pick it up for as little as £69.99 in the UK, which is a pretty low price for a gaming headset.

As for your options at that price, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that there’s not a whole load of customizability and it only comes in one colorway, black. On the plus side, there aren’t loads of different versions for different platforms: the one version of the VR3000 EX is compatible with PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC, although unfortunately there’s no Xbox Series X / S compatibility.

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: specs

Drivers

3D Extra Wide Sound Stage Over-Ear Dynamic Drivers

Weight

389g

Compatibility

PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, mobile

Connection type

2.4GHz Wireless (via ultra-low latency USB Transceiver), Bluetooth 5.3

Battery life

Up to 55 hours (800mAh capacity)

Features

25ms ultra-low latency mode, Footstep Clarity Modes, fold-to-mute microphone

Software

Dedicated final VR3000 EX mobile app (10-band EQ customization, Footstep Clarity Mode toggle)

(Image credit: Future)Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: design / features
  • Comfortable to wear
  • Not all materials feel that premium
  • Epic battery life
  • Quite loose fitting

Given its price, it’s not surprising that the Final VR3000 EX’s build quality seems a little on the cheap side. Not only does the textured plastic on their cups feel pretty low quality, but they are incredibly rattly when you handle them, which doesn’t speak to a tremendously robust construction. On the plus side, they didn’t seem to rattle at all when they were on my head.

Additionally, the fabric headband and faux leather earcups are delightfully soft, meaning I actually found the VR3000 EX to be surprisingly comfortable. I wore them on and off for much of a day, and they didn’t start to squish my ears, a problem I’ve always found with cheaper headphones and headsets. However, I will say the faux leather gets decidedly sweaty during longer use, particularly during tense first-person shooters.

I’m less convinced by the VR3000 EX’s fit, unfortunately. While the clamping force feels just about right, it’s not all that easy to adjust the stiff adjustable headband while the headset is on your dome. And Final seems to have modeled this headset around Mr Mackey from South Park — I have a pretty big head and yet the VR3000 EX only just about felt stable on the shortest setting, while one of my smaller-skulled colleagues definitely found he couldn’t get it small enough for it to feel comfortable.

(Image credit: Future)

All of its controls are on the left earcup. There’s an on switch, the volume dial, a Mode button that lets you switch between Bluetooth and USB mode — as well as play/pause media and answer/end calls — and the Control button, which allows you to trigger Footstep Clarity Mode. Each button has a clicky enough action to provide decent tactile feedback, while the volume dial is lightly notched to make increasing the volume feel nicely precise. However, I will say that they’re positioned close enough that it’s not always easy to know right away which button is which by feel alone.

The app for the Final VR3000 EX is pretty limited. It has three features: it enables you to update the headset’s firmware, switch on Footstep Clarity Mode, and provides access to Final’s EQ settings. While it’s hard to justify using the app just for the Footstep Clarity Mode, the 10-band EQ that’s included is pretty decent, even if I’m not all that convinced that the impact of the lowest 31Hz is really that appreciable. So while it’s not like you need to rush to download this, it’s still useful so I’ll count this one as a bonus.

A far more unequivocal win for the VR3000 EX though is its battery life. Final quotes its total life as being up to 55 hours, and this was borne out by my testing. I set it streaming music constantly for six hours, and during that time the battery only dropped to 90% — a back-of-the-envelope calculation would put its total life at 60 hours. So even factoring in that battery discharge curves aren’t necessarily regular, I’d say 55 hours is a perfectly reasonable expectation for how long this headset should last you.

(Image credit: Future)Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: performance
  • Good sound performance, even if bass is weaker
  • Spatial audio claims totally overblown
  • Not sure Footstep Clarity mode adds much

Design and features are all well and good. But where the rubber meets the road for a gaming headset is whether those things translate into a good sonic performance in-game. And, sadly, when you actually take the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming for a test drive, it doesn’t quite deliver on the expectations it’s set for itself.

The VR3000 EX sounds very decent, but it is a little uneven in how it handles the balance of frequencies. On the plus side, it has a good level of bite in the high-end. The screams of the possessed when I was playing Doom were immediate enough to be rattling, while the whine of my chainsaw as I carved up imps felt sufficiently realistic.

But it’s when it comes to bass that the VR3000 EX is a little more lacking. When I tested the Turtle Beach Atlas 200, I heaped praise on it for the almighty boom that issued when I was clicking heads with the sniper rifle in Counter-Strike 2. With the VR3000 EX, it almost felt like I was playing a different game, with the game’s rifles having scarcely any more impact than my dual Berettas. While that has a very limited impact on your kill ratio in-game, it does make the whole thing feel a lot less immersive.

(Image credit: Future)

Speaking of, Final spends a lot of time hyping up the VR3000 EX’s spatial audio skills in its product description. And yet I’d say rumors of its immersiveness have been greatly exaggerated.

On the one hand, the VR3000 EX has a pretty creditable stereo field, with action occurring on either side of me always feeling pretty easy to pinpoint. Whether I was trying to spot where an inbound explosive engineer was charging from or fleeing from hell knights in Doom, the VR3000 EX generally made it easy to tell which side their howls and roars came from.

Unfortunately, I can’t say Final’s headset fares as well in other dimensions. There’s just enough variation in footsteps in front and behind you that I could tell which was which when giving it my full attention — but in the heat of battle, I’m not sure how useful I actually found these subtle cues. And while Final explicitly mentions height effects on its site, I could not spot any significant difference at all between action happening above me and gunfights happening right under my nose.

Honestly, that’s fine: I do not expect accomplished Dolby Atmos-style effects from hardware that costs roughly the same dough as a couple of AAA computer games. But I do wish brands would stop denuding the term spatial audio of its meaning by using it as a marketing gimmick.

(Image credit: Future)

Sadly, the VR3000 EX also treads a pretty similar path with its Footstep mode. While engaged in a free-for-all deathmatch in Counter-Strike 2, the headset did a perfectly adequate job of allowing me to pick out my rivals’ footfall and react accordingly. So far, so good, right? Except during this match I switched Footstep mode on and off many times, and I genuinely couldn’t spot whether I was actually getting an enhanced sense of steps or whether it was largely just a placebo.

One area I’ll happily give the VR3000 EX its due, though, is its connectivity. Using its USB dongle, I honestly couldn’t detect any latency between kills onscreen and the crack of gunfire. While an effective low-latency mode is pretty common with gaming headsets, it’s still a welcome feature on a headset this affordably priced. Even when connected via Bluetooth, the audio wasn’t remotely laggy and enabled me to respond pretty quickly to what was going on around me. So it definitely gets some points there.

And as long as you don’t have particularly high expectations, the VR3000 EX’s foldaway mic works well enough as well. Its action is smooth, and the fold-to-mute function absolutely works, meaning you can be sure no one is overhearing you when you want a bit of privacy — although there is a lag of around a second before it mutes, so bear that in mind. Unfortunately, though, sound quality isn’t great, with my voice sounding a little bit on the tinnier side, and there’s no noise-gating that I can tell, meaning friends and foes online will be able to hear any background chatter or music in your room.

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming?Buy it if…

You want decent game sound without spending a fortune
Despite not having quite as much low-end heft as some headsets, the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming has clear enough mids and treble to bring your games to life.

You want an epic battery life
Even compared to much more expensive headsets, the VR3000 EX has an impressive battery life, clocking in at roughly 55 hours. That should keep you gaming for days and days.

Don't buy it if...

You want a premium-feeling experience
The VR3000 EX feels comfortable enough on your head. But it’s not made of the most luxe-feeling materials, and the adjustable headband doesn’t run tight enough for smaller heads.

You want a premium-feeling experience
The VR3000 EX feels comfortable enough on your head. But it’s not made of the most luxe-feeling materials, and the adjustable headband doesn’t run tight enough for smaller heads.

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: also consider

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming

Corsair HS55 Wireless

Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023)

Drivers

3D Extra Wide Sound Stage Over-Ear Dynamic Drivers

50mm Neodymium

Customized Dynamic 50mm Driver (Razer TriForce Titanium)

Weight

389g

266g

320g

Compatibility

PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, mobile

PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, mobile

PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, mobile

Connection type

2.4GHz Wireless (via USB Adapter), Bluetooth 5.3

2.4GHz Wireless (via USB Adapter), Bluetooth

2.4GHz Wireless (via USB Adapter), Bluetooth 5.2

Battery life

Up to 55 hours

Up to 24 hours (2.4GHz) / Up to 37 hours (Bluetooth)

Up to 70 hours

Features

25ms ultra-low latency mode, Footstep Clarity Modes, fold-to-mute microphone

Dolby Audio 7.1 surround sound (PC/Mac), Flip-to-mute boom mic

Detachable HyperClear Super Wideband 9.9mm Mic, THX Spatial Audio, Razer SmartSwitch toggle, FPS audio profiles

Software

Dedicated final VR3000 EX mobile app (10-band EQ customization, Footstep Clarity Mode toggle)

Corsair iCUE (10-band EQ, mic settings, EQ presets)

Razer Synapse (10-band graphic EQ, THX Spatial layout)

Corsair HS55 Wireless
There’s a reason that the Corsair HS55 Wireless is our current budget pick for the best PC gaming headsets. Its 50mm Neodymium audio drivers serve up crystal-clear sound with generous bass, while its build is super comfortable to wear. Most importantly, it offers true 7.1 Surround Sound, meaning it’s capable of much more impressive spatialized sound.

Read our full Corsair HS55 Wireless review.

Razer BlackShark V2 Pro
Despite having been released in 2022, the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is still one of our favorite gaming headsets, thanks to its lush sound quality, epic battery life and THX spatial audio. And while its original list price of $179.99 / £179 / AU$299 is a fair bit higher than the VR3000 EX, in the years since its release its price has come way down: I’ve seen offers placing it more in the region of $107.99 / £99.98 / AU$176.55.

Read our full Razer BlackShark V2 Pro review.

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming
  • Tested over a week
  • Tried out on a range of titles including Counter-Strike 2 and Doom
  • Have 10 years experience writing about audio and 35 of gaming

I tested the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming over the course of a week. I paired it with my desktop PC at home, my MacBook Pro M4 and TechRadar’s Acer Predator Helios 300 gaming laptop. I then tested it out with multiple titles including Counter-Strike 2 and Doom, as well as listening to some playlists on Apple Music.

In terms of specifics, I tested out the spatial audio in multiple Counter-Strike 2 deathmatches and tried switching the Footstep Clarity Mode on and off to see how much difference that made to how perceptible opponents’ positions were. I recorded myself while talking, typing, and playing music to test the VR3000 EX’s foldaway mic, as well as folding it away to test how effectively it muted incoming audio.

When it comes to my personal experience, I’ve been writing about and testing audio gadgets for over ten years now, as well as using audio gear to produce and listen to music. I’ve been playing games on a daily basis since they were all 8-bit, sharing my time pretty evenly between console, handheld and PC gaming. And yet, it turns out, I still get thoroughly mogged when playing Counter-Strike 2, which I blame on my middle-aged reflexes.

Categories: Reviews

A touch-screen case, Dolby Atmos and a posture test: I spent a month with Cleer's open earbuds that have it all (except top-tier audio)

TechRadar Reviews - Fri, 06/26/2026 - 23:30
Cleer Arc 5: Two-minute review

Almost every one of the best open earbuds I’ve tested, has been designed for sports users. They let you hear your surroundings at the gym, remain aware when running in a busy area, and keep alert when cycling on a road. I don’t think Cleer missed this memo – the brand’s intentionally going for something completely different.

The Cleer Arc 5 are open earbuds designed not for sports, but for the rest of us. I was skeptical when I first saw them, but they’ve surprised me — in both good and bad ways.

The presence of Dolby Atmos and THX Spatial Audio means these are suited for watching a TV show or movie on your commute, and their support for a range of better Bluetooth codecs, including LDAC and aptX Adaptive, shows Cleer is aiming for audiophile-quality earbuds here. Those are some exceptional features for a form factor that naturally competes with loads of extraneous background sounds.

Cleer’s app hides loads of other features too, including a posture test which uses the buds’ positional tools, and the ability to set sedentary reminders if you’re too often stuck in one spot.

The design department makes it clear that these aren’t sports buds. Though surprisingly sturdy during a run, the buds are much bulkier than your average svelte runners’ wear. And the presence of an on-case display, full of controls and settings, clearly signposts this as not for active users. When I go to the gym or for a run, the case is always left at home.

Unfortunately, despite the impressive specs and clear focus on listening quality, the Achilles’ Heel of these earbuds is the sound quality. There’s a real lack of expansie through the soundstage, and both treble and bass feel poorly defined. The open-ear form factor doesn’t help here, especially with a max volume that’s simple not loud enough, but many similar earbuds I’ve tested sound a lot better.

It’s a shame that these don’t sound fantastic, and is surprising too when you see the price tag. For some users, I see the feature set trumping the sound quality. The fantastic battery life, health features and spatial audio might trump below-average sound. But it begs the question who these are designed for, if not audiophiles or fitness fans.

Cleer Arc 5 review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)
  • Released in March 2026
  • Made their debut at $219 (about £170 / AU$340)
  • Some of the priciest within their category

The Cleer Arc 5 were announced on March 16, 2026, only four months after their predecessors. That was a quick turnaround!

You can buy the Arc 5 for $219.99 (about £170, AU$340 — no word on a release outside the US, as with the Arc 4). So these are some of the most expensive open earbuds out there.

To my mind only the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds and Shokz OpenFit Pro cost more, but they’re both explicitly designed for sports, while the Cleer is aimed at an audiophile market.

Cleer Arc 5 review: Specs

Drivers

16.2mm

Active noise cancellation

No

Battery life

12 hours (bud), 60 hours (case)

Weight

11.5g (bud), 145g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0

Frequency response

65Hz to 40kHz

Waterproofing

IPX7

Cleer Arc 5 review: Features

(Image credit: Future)
  • 12-hour battery life, 60 with case
  • 8-band EQ, plus presets
  • Loads of features including posture test

If there’s an area where the Cleer Arc 5 stand out, it’s in the feature set — it seems that this is what the buds were designed to do.

It starts with the basics: the battery life here is great for open earbuds. You’re getting 12 hours of listening per charge, with 60 hours once you factor in the charging case itself. Beyond a few endurance-focused earbuds, those figures are at the top of their class.

Boot up the Cleer+ app on your phone, and you’re getting a smorgasbord of tools — admittedly in a pretty confusing lay-out. You can use the app to toggle spatial audio, change between EQ modes and create custom ones, change what the touch and gesture controls do, change the case wallpaper, edit what tools are available via the case, and more.

The equalizer is an 8-band one, giving you some control over your sound, though in this day and age I’d say that 10-bands were more common. I preferred using this over the presets, which didn’t have a noticeable impact on a song’s sound.

(Image credit: Future)

The “and more” features I alluded to earlier are pretty out-there, hence needing a whole extra paragraph. They’re health ones: you can set up sedentary reminders to get you to move about, add volume limits to protect your hearing, and do a posture test which uses the gesture controls of the buds to evaluate whether you’re sitting straight.

For office workers, this latter is a genuinely useful feature, and I used it to ensure my seat and chair were level when working at my desk. However, for it to work properly, your phone needs to be at eye level too — I messed it up by leaving my mobile o,n my desk, and when I bent over to look at it, the test was ruined.

One feature you’re not getting in the Arc 5 is any kind of noise cancellation. It’s admittedly very rare in the open-ear space, but not unheard of (if you’ll pardon the pun).

  • Features score: 4.5/5
Cleer Arc 5 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)
  • Giant case has a touch screen
  • Earbuds are on the large side, but fit solidly
  • Only IPX7 protected

Let’s start with the Cleer Arc 5’s big new feature: its charging case. Big literally: it weighs 97g all on its own, and measures 8.3 x 6 x 2cm, making it one of the biggest earbud cases I’ve seen in years.

This size isn’t just to house some pretty big earbuds, but it does that with a few extra twists. It has built-in UV charging for the buds, and a mirror inside the case for some reason. For some reason, the left earbud is housed on the right, and vice versa, which was confusing for a while until I learnt to switch.

But no, the big selling point here is a screen build into the charging case. You can use it to flick between a few menus: battery, music controls, spatial audio settings, general settings, equalizer and remote camera shutter. The interface feels akin to a smartwatches’: very basic.

For changing quick settings like EQ or skipping songs, the case was quite handy: I didn’t need to dig my phone out of my pocket and get distracted by the 120 notifications from that group chat I forgot to mute. But you can’t use the case to change playlists, create an EQ or dig deep into settings, so it won’t replace your phone completely.

(Image credit: Future)

The earbuds also have touch controls too, which were quite easy to trigger with a tap anywhere on their body, yet never accidentally picked up an unintentional touch.

I suppose that brings us onto the earbuds. These are pretty huge, and heavy too, weighing roughly 24g each. I haven’t seen an open earbud quite this big, and was expecting them to fit pretty awfully; thankfully, I was totally wrong. I went on many runs with the Arc 5, and not once did they threaten to dislodge, or wobble more than the average open-ear does.

I’d put this down to some smart balancing of the bud and counterweight. They were always comfortable to wear, even if the weight didn’t exactly make them easy to forget.

The Cleer Arc 5 comes in black or white, and I tested the latter. They have an IPX7 rating, which makes them sweatproof but not suited to swimming. I would avoid taking them out in heavier rainfall too, just to be safe.

  • Design score: 4/5
Cleer Arc 5 review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future)
  • Large 16.2mm driver
  • Blunt and indistinct sound
  • Max volume is too low for open format

I was expecting the Cleer Arc 5’s sound to be its outstanding feature. Between its 16.2mm drivers, support for LDAC, aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless, and high price, it seems like these could be some of the best open earbuds yet.

I’m quite surprised to report that I was wrong, and I didn’t really love listening to tunes on the Arc. The quality isn't terrible, but it's not on par with the expectations you'd have from those aforementioned specs.

Music sounds compressed, with neither the high-end nor low-end differentiated in a way that gives any sense of sound stage or distinction. Snare drums lack bite, distorted-guitar walls turn into crunchy puddles, bass wobbles over plenty of other low- or mid- instruments. The buds would perhaps sound better if they were in-ears, but hovering a few mm over your ears, it doesn't fly.

(Image credit: Future)

Low-end is poorly defined yet too prominent in the mix: The Human Race by BYRNE starts with a harmony that sounded more like a glitching speaker than a bass singer. This line’s meant to repeat in the chorus with a bass guitar, and it completely overrides the harmony. In 311’s Good Feeling, the bass trips over all the other instruments, replacing the usually-energetic, fun chorus with the sonic equivalent of a stubbed toe.

Also affected is the treble, as vocals and higher lines lose prominence and energy. Take, for example, Morningsider’s Thinking it Over: a string motif is dropped in the mix in the introduction, and completely lost in the pre-chorus.

I’ll concede that if you listen to acoustic or folky music, you may not notice this issue as much. In songs like Caamp’s 26, the reduced instrumentation meant I could still basically hear everything.

Well, I could hear it until I stepped outside. The Arc 5 falls into a common trap with open earbuds: their maximum volume isn’t high enough to compete with noisy surroundings. When I was running near a main road, I could barely hear my songs.

  • Sound quality: 3/5
Cleer Arc 5 review: Value

(Image credit: Future)
  • Features may go some way to justify price...
  • ... but audio quality doesn't

The Cleer has quite a few neat features. I really like what the case display achieves, and the fit is solid. Plus, the movie listening features offer tools that many other earbuds don’t.

However that’s a really high price for any earbuds, let alone open-style ones — and especially not for ones that, frankly, don’t sound amazing.

There’s no way that these buds offer you value for money; you can get better audio quality for a lot less, especially if you’re happy to buy non-open-style buds.

  • Value: 3/5
Should I buy the Cleer Arc 5?Cleer Arc 5 score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

There are loads of features available here, and most of them work flawlessly.

4.5/5

Design

They're bulky, as is the case, but it all somehow manages to work together well.

4/5

Sound quality

These don't have the quality, sound stage or vibrancy you'd expect for the price.

3/5

Value

Elsewhere, you can easily get more for your money.

3/5

Buy them if…

You need office earbuds
The open-ear form factor, easy case controls and health features might make these buds suitable for office workers who need to be attentive to their surroundings, but still want to listen to music.

You love case controls
Earbuds charging case controls seem to be surging in popularity – if you’re sold on this kind of tool, the Cleer are a fine example of the art.

You watch movies on your phone
The presence of Dolby Atmos and THX Spatial Audio are almost unheard of in open earbuds, possibly because it’s a weird marriage, but still some might appreciate it.

Don’t buy them if…

You’re an audiophile
I didn’t love the music quality here, and if you want great-sounding open earbuds, you’ll find plenty of better-sounding options.

You’re on a budget
Most open earbuds I’ve seen cost a good $100 / £100 / AU$200 less than the Cleer Arc 5. They’re a premium options, and you can easily find cheaper.

Cleer Arc 5review: Also consider

Cleer Arc 5

Huawei FreeArc

Shokz OpenDots

Drivers

16.2mm

17mm x 12mm

2x11.8mm

Active noise cancellation

No

No

No

Battery life (ANC on)

12 hours (earbuds), 60 hours (total)

7 hours (earbuds), 23 hours (total)

10 hours (earbuds), 40 hours (total)

Weight

11.5g (each bud), 145g (case)

8.9g (each bud), 67g (case)

5.6g (each bud), 52g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0

Bluetooth 5.2

Bluetooth 5.4

Waterproofing

IPX7

IP57

IP54

Huawei FreeArc
If you want comfortable, understated earbuds that sound fantastic, the Huawei FreeArc remain some of my favorites. They’re also much cheaper than the Cleer, especially because they’re a little older.
Read our full Huawei FreeArc review

Shokz OpenDots One
If you want any open earbuds, and don’t mind jumping to the slightly-different clip-on style, these Shokz will appeal to you. They cost slightly less than the Cleer, and feel much lighter. The clip-style format also lets you hear your songs a lot better.
Read our full Shokz OpenDots One review

How I tested the Cleer Arc 5
  • Tested for one month
  • Tested in a range of indoor and outdoor settings
  • Used for music, gaming, calls movies and TV

I used the Cleer Arc 5 for roughly a month before writing this review of them. In that time, they were paired to a succession of Android smartphones, mostly the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and Moto Edge 70 Fusion.

I listened to the Arc 5 on runs, walks around my neighborhood, office sessions, long trips on public transport and at home. I mostly streamed music via Spotify Lossless, and Apple Music, but also watched movies on a variety of streaming services, played games, and tested a few other music streamers.

I’ve been reviewing gadgets for TechRadar for over seven years now, including testing audio kit for nearly as long. In that time I’ve handled other Cleer gadgets as well as many, many other open-ear buds.

  • First reviewed in May 2026
Categories: Reviews

I tested the Leica SL3-P, and it's a masterclass in restrained design

TechRadar Reviews - Thu, 06/25/2026 - 13:00
Leica SL3-P: One-minute review

The Leica SL3-P is not a camera for everyone, and it knows it. There's no red dot logo on the front — that easy-to-spot symbol of prestige has been deliberately omitted in favor of a clean, all-black anonymity. Only the word 'LEICA' in white block capitals above the lens mount gives the game away. This is a camera built for photographers who'd rather be invisible than show off, and that philosophy runs all the way through it, with minimal controls, a stripped-back UI, and a design language that says a lot through everything it leaves out.

The SL3-P is built around the same full-frame sensor as the Panasonic Lumix S1R II. (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

Getting to grips with it takes some patience if you're arriving from a more conventional mirrorless system. With only four labelled buttons on the body, a lot of control is handed off to the touchscreen, which is polished and logically organized once you learn its rhythms. The rear LCD tilts but doesn't swivel, which is an unusual limitation for a camera at this price — and with a serious L-mount lens fitted, the combined weight is considerable. But pick it up, hold it to your eye, and look through that large, crisp EVF, and something clicks. This is a camera that feels like it was made to be used, not admired.

Image quality is exceptional — unsurprising given the 44.7MP BSI sensor, which is of the same type used by the superb Panasonic Lumix S1R II — and battery life is impressive. The autofocus is competent and handles moving subjects well enough, though it won't trouble Sony or Canon on raw speed. At around £5,150 (US pricing TBC), it's an expensive proposition. But as a pure expression of what a modern Leica should be, the SL3-P makes a very strong case for itself.

Leica SL3-P: Price and availability
  • Priced at $6,690 / £5,150 body-only
  • Also available in three zoom lens kits

It's unlikely to come as a shock to you that the Leica SL3-P is a very expensive camera. Its launch price, for the body only, is $6,690 / £5,150 (Australia pricing is still TBC at the time of writing).

Leica is also releasing the camera in three kit bundles, each of which includes at least one Vario zoom lens. The SL3-P with a Leica 28-70mm lens is $7,790 / £6,100; with a Leica 24-70mm it's $8,390 / £6,480; and with both the 24-70mm and a 70-200mm it's $10,995 / £8,560.

Leica SL3-P: specsLeica SL3-P specs

Type:

Mirrorless camera

Mount:

L Mount

Sensor:

44.9MP (effective) BSI full-frame CMOS

Autofocus:

Hybrid AF: 315 contrast / 819 phase detection points; Human and Animal subject detection

Continuous shooting:

Up to 40fps (electronic shutter)

Video:

Up to 8K Open Gate; ProRes to 5.8K; 4K at 120fps; L-Log, 12-bit RAW, 4:2:2 10-bit

Viewfinder:

5.76M-dot LCD EVF, 0.76x magnification

Screen:

3.2-inch tilt-only touchscreen, 2,332,800 dots

Storage:

SD/SDHC/SDXC + CFexpress Type B

Connectivity:

USB-C (USB 3.1 Gen 2), HDMI 2.1 Type A, 3.5mm mic/headphone, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0

Weather sealing:

IP54

Dimensions:

151.45 x 80.32 x 38.09mm

Weight:

Approx. 768g (body only, without battery)

Leica SL3-P: design
  • All-black, badge-free design with minimalist controls
  • Premium full-metal construction with IP54 weather sealing
  • Large, comfortable EVF with twist-barrel diopter adjustment

The absence of Leica's red dot is the first thing you notice, and it sets the tone for everything that follows. The SL3-P is clad entirely in black, with only 'LEICA' in white block capitals on the EVF housing to identify it. Four buttons across the whole body are labelled (one of which is the power button). It's a stealthy, understated thing — clearly designed for people who want to use a Leica but aren't fussed about being seen with one.

The German-made full-metal body felt exactly as solid and premium as I'd expect from the brand, and comes with IP54 weather sealing for extra outdoors reassurance. There's a large grip covered with a textured material that provides a secure hold even when conditions aren't ideal, and the supplied neck strap is thick and well-padded, which I appreciated given how much weight a serious L-mount lens adds to the equation.

Future | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam Kieldsen

With so few physical controls, much of the camera's operation is routed through the touchscreen. The UI is stylish and well organized, with photo and video modes color coded distinctly in red and yellow respectively. And while the layout takes some adjusting too if you're used to a more button-heavy system, the logic is coherent, and settings are never difficult to locate. Touch-to-focus on the screen works exactly as expected, and custom button assignments help flatten the learning curve further.

The EVF is large, crisp and comfortable thanks to its 5.76-million dot resolution and 0.76x magnification, and as a glasses wearer I really liked the satisfying diopter mechanism that simply requires twisting the EVF barrel rather than hunting for a small dial.

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

The top-plate display is a genuinely useful feature, giving you a quick rundown of current settings without you having to lift the camera to your eye. The rear LCD, however, only tilts: up to 90 degrees upward and around 45 downward. That covers most tripod and arm's-length scenarios, but there's no forward-facing position for self-shooting, and no side-to-side articulation, which feels like an unusual limitation at this price.

On a practical note, I will say that the SL3-P is not a lightweight system, especially when teamed with some high-quality glass. The Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 lens I used with it added over a kilogram to the body, and while the grip is secure and comfortable, a long day of handheld shooting (covering a child's birthday party, in my case) does become fatiguing. That's less a criticism — after all, there are plenty of heavy cameras around — and more of a warning about how and when it can be used.

Leica SL3-P: Performance
  • Exceptional image quality from a 44.7MP BSI full-frame sensor
  • Competent hybrid autofocus with broad subject detection, including birds
  • Impressive battery life and extensive video options including 8K and ProRes
Future | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam Kieldsen

The SL3-P shares its 44.7MP BSI full-frame CMOS sensor with the Panasonic Lumix S1R II — a camera I've tested and rate very highly — and the image quality is, predictably, exceptional.

Raw files processed in Lightroom offer tremendous latitude, with smooth tonal gradation, wide dynamic range and excellent high-ISO performance. JPEGs are very good straight from camera too, and five film-look presets — three color, two monochrome — add some welcome creative options. The high-contrast black-and-white preset is particularly striking, and feels authentically Leica in character.

Video capabilities are more extensive than the camera's photographer-first positioning might suggest: 8K Open Gate, ProRes to 5.8K, 4K at 120fps, L-Log, 12-bit RAW and 4:2:2 10-bit are all available. It's a serious toolkit, even if the handling feels more naturally attuned to stills.

Future | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam Kieldsen

The hybrid autofocus combines 315 contrast AF points with 819 phase detection points, with human, animal (including birds) and car detection. Tracking held up well in practice; testing on an active cat, the camera maintained focus through erratic movement without significant trouble.

Outright acquisition speed with the Summilux 50mm f/1.4 in AF-C is where it falls short of class leaders; it's capable rather than decisive, and anyone shooting fast action should look elsewhere. For portrait, street or documentary work, though, it certainly gets the job done.

Five-axis IBIS rated at up to five stops works quietly and effectively, and battery life is a genuine highlight. After a full charge I shot well over 100 frames across a lengthy session, and the indicator remained full. That seems in line with Leica's claimed 383 shots per CIPA standard cycle.

Should you buy the Leica SL3-P?Buy it if...

You value craft and image quality above speed
The build, finish and sensor are among the best in class. For considered, unhurried shooting, this is a very rewarding camera to use.

You want a discreet full-frame system
The badge-free design and understated profile make the SL3-P ideal for work where a conspicuous camera would be a liability.

Don't buy it if...

You need fast and precise autofocus
Sony, Canon and Nikon all offer more decisive AF systems at comparable or lower prices. The SL3-P's AF is capable rather than class-leading .

Solo video is central to your work
The tilt-only screen and stills-focused handling mean this isn't the best choice for self-shooting video creators.

How I tested the Leica SL3-P

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
  • Leica loaned me a sample for over a week, along with a 50mm prime lens
  • I used it indoors and outdoors for several days, shooting photos and video
  • All sample photos were shot in raw and processed in Adobe Lightroom

Leica loaned me a review sample of the SL3-P camera to test out in real-world use, a few weeks ahead of the official release.

I reviewed the Leica SL3-P over the course of a week, using it exclusively with the Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. prime lens. My shooting covered a wide range of scenarios: street photography and candids outdoors, landscape work, and indoor shooting in both natural daytime light and normal interior lighting at night — the latter without flash or studio lighting assistance of any kind.

All sample images were captured in raw format and processed in Adobe Lightroom.

First reviewed June 2026

Categories: Reviews

Salesmate CRM review 2026

TechRadar Reviews - Thu, 06/25/2026 - 10:01

Salesmate is an increasingly popular CRM platform that aims to streamline and automate the sales process for businesses of all sizes. It offers an impressive array of features, with a particular focus on advanced sales automation capabilities.

A few standout features include a 360-degree contact management system to easily capture, enrich, and track leads, customizable sales pipelines and workflows, and robust email marketing tools. The automation journeys are especially powerful, allowing you to personalize customer experiences and almost completely automate the journey from lead to sale.

That said, Salesmate does have some drawbacks. It's not the most affordable CRM out there, with pricing that increases based on the number of contacts. The advanced features, while very capable, can also mean a steeper learning curve for new users. And customer support is limited on most plans. But overall, Salesmate is a compelling modern CRM for sales teams that want to leverage automation.

Salesmate core capabilties

(Image credit: Salesmate)

Salesmate packs a punch when it comes to must-have CRM capabilities. At its core, it offers robust contact management that allows you to track all interactions and activities with leads and customers in one centralized database. You can easily import contacts from various sources, enrich the data, and segment them using smart views and filters for targeted outreach.

The visual sales pipeline builder is intuitive and flexible, letting you create multiple pipelines with customized stages to match your unique sales process. As deals progress through the stages, you gain visibility into the health of your pipeline.

Sales forecasting is especially good. Reps can predict their numbers based on the likelihood of deals closing, giving management more accurate revenue projections. The built-in performance analytics are also impressive, with the ability to slice and dice data using different filters to generate insightful reports and dashboards.

Salesmate doesn't skimp on productivity boosters either. You can automate routine tasks like sending follow-up emails, setting reminders, and updating fields. Plus, the mobile app with offline access keeps road warriors in the loop at all times.

Where Salesmate really shines is its AI assistant called Sandy. You can delegate admin work to Sandy via voice or chat commands - from scheduling meetings to logging notes and follow-ups. This frees up significant time for reps to focus on selling.

The platform also ventures beyond typical CRM functionality with its marketing automation tools. You can build email campaigns, design landing pages, and create multi-step journeys to nurture leads.

Other thoughtful features include website live chat, chatbots for 24/7 lead capture and support, and a drag-and-drop newsletter builder. All these allow businesses to engage customers across channels without relying on separate point solutions.

Salesmate is an extremely well-rounded CRM that can streamline sales operations for small and midsize companies. By bringing sales, marketing, and service into a single platform, it eliminates data silos and fosters seamless collaboration. While not as complex as enterprise systems, Salesmate offers just the right mix of core and innovative features to drive productivity and revenue growth.

How easy is Salesmate CRM to use?

(Image credit: Salesmate)

Salesmate's clean and modern design makes navigating the platform a breeze, even for those new to CRMs. The customizable pipelines allow users to tailor their sales processes to their specific needs, ensuring efficient lead management and minimizing the learning curve.

Salesmate also offers robust accessibility features, such as built-in email tracking, which provides valuable insights into email interactions and enables prompt follow-up actions. The integration options are another highlight, allowing seamless connection with various third-party tools and applications, streamlining workflows, and enhancing productivity.

In my experience, Salesmate's onboarding process is smooth and straightforward, with a variety of helpful resources available, including video tutorials, webinars, and a comprehensive knowledge base. The company also provides excellent customer support, with responsive and knowledgeable representatives ready to assist users at any stage of their journey.

One particularly impressive aspect of Salesmate is the ease with which users can set up web forms to capture lead information. The process is simple and intuitive, requiring no technical expertise. This feature alone can save businesses countless hours and help them focus on what matters most – engaging with prospects and closing deals.

While the platform offers a wide range of customization options, some users might find the level of granularity a bit overwhelming at first. However, the platform's well-organized settings and clear documentation make it easy to navigate these options and tailor the CRM to specific business requirements.

Overall, Salesmate's commitment to user experience shines through in its thoughtfully designed interface, accessible features, and comprehensive support resources. With a relatively short learning curve and powerful tools at their fingertips, users can quickly become proficient in leveraging Salesmate to streamline their sales processes and drive business growth.

Salesmate integrations

Salesmate CRM offers an impressive array of pre-built integrations and connectors that allow it to seamlessly integrate with many popular business applications. The platform has native integrations with Gmail, Google Drive, Google Meet, Microsoft 365, Slack, ActiveCampaign, AWeber, BigCommerce, DocuSign, Dialpad, QuickBooks, and over 700 other apps through Zapier.

I was pleased to see that Salesmate provides a clean and well-documented API that enables developers to build custom integrations. The API allows access to core CRM data and functions like accounts, contacts, deals, activities, and more. This opens up a lot of possibilities for businesses to connect Salesmate with their existing tech stack.

For non-developers, Salesmate's integration with Zapier is a big plus. Zapier acts as a bridge, letting you connect Salesmate with thousands of the most popular apps without writing any code. You can set up automated workflows to sync data, trigger notifications, and more. Having tested a couple of Zaps myself, I can say the process is quite intuitive.

Another standout integration is with Integrately, a no-code integration platform. Integrately provides a visual interface to create complex automated processes spanning multiple apps. So you can use it to deeply embed Salesmate into your workflows without relying on developers.

In my experience, the pre-built integrations work smoothly and reliably. I didn't encounter any issues with data syncing or app connectivity. Salesmate's UI for configuring integrations is also clean and user-friendly.

One minor drawback is that compared to some other CRMs, Salesmate has a smaller number of pre-built integrations. However, the critical ones for sales and marketing are well covered. And you can always build a custom integration using the API when needed.

How good is Salesmate customer support?

In terms of customer support, I found that Salesmate provides a few key channels for users to get help. They offer 24/5 email support for all plans, with live chat also available for those who prefer the written medium.

A ticketing system allows customers to track the real-time status and progress of their support issues via both live chat and email. This gives users more visibility into how their problems are being handled.

Salesmate also provides some self-service support options. They have a knowledge base with guides and tutorials. An official user community is also available, but with most posts over a year old, the forum sees little activity.

As for the quality and responsiveness of their support, user reviews are generally positive. Several reviewers praised the helpfulness of the support team. That said, the lack of twenty-four-hour availability on weekends, even on higher plans, is a bit disappointing.

Salesmate pricing and plans

Plan

Basic

Pro

Business

Price

$23/user/month

$39/user/month

$63/user/month

Best For

Small teams with basic CRM needs

Growing businesses requiring sales automation

Established teams looking for advanced features

Features

Unlimited contacts/deals

Email marketing tools

Workflow automation

Sales automation

Custom dashboard

Team inbox

Power dialer

Team management

Increased customization

Limitations

No sales automation or team management

Limited customization options

May be costly for smaller teams

When it comes to CRM pricing, Salesmate takes a straightforward approach with four tiers to choose from. The Basic plan at $23/user/month provides essential contact and deal management features. For more advanced functionality like automation and bulk emails, the Pro plan at $39/user/month is a good bet.

The Pro plan ($39/user/month billed annually) introduces Salesmate's true sales automation engines. This tier is optimized for expanding mid-sized sales operations, unlocking complex automated goal tracking, email scheduling, centralized team email inboxes, and highly customizable reporting dashboards to track individual sales representative metrics. Growing teams that need custom dashboards and reports can opt for the Business plan at $63/user/month. Enterprise-level pricing is also available for those needing a tailored solution.

One aspect of Salesmate's pricing that caught my attention is the built-in phone and SMS rates. You can get local or toll-free numbers starting at just $1.10 per month and purchase credits as needed for calls and texts. Having these communication tools integrated into the CRM at a reasonable cost is definitely a plus.

Before committing to a plan, Salesmate offers a 15-day free trial with full access to all features and no credit card required. I appreciate that they allow you to really put the system through its paces without limitations during the trial period. And if 15 days isn't quite enough, you can request an extension to keep evaluating.

While the pricing is generally competitive, it's worth noting a couple of things. Upgrading to a higher-tier plan will apply any unused prepaid fees to the new plan, but there are no refunds for unused accounts, partial use, or early termination. And only annual subscriptions over $500 are eligible for bank transfer payments; otherwise, it's credit card only.

But I feel Salesmate's pricing model is mostly fair and flexible enough to accommodate a variety of business needs. The monthly and annual billing options, affordable communication add-ons, and commitment-free trial are all points in its favor from a value perspective. Just be sure to carefully review the terms around upgrades and refunds to avoid any billing surprises down the line.

How we tested Salesmate

At TechRadar Pro, our CRM testing is driven by objective, real-world evaluation rather than potentially biased vendor viewpoints. To evaluate Salesmate CRM’s core promise of delivering an automated, communication-heavy workstation for outbound sales teams, our testing analysts subjected the platform to a rigorous testing methodology replicating high-volume inside sales environments.

We stress-tested Salesmate’s visual workflow builder. We set up behavioral automation trees based on real customer intent. And we monitored execution delivery rates to ensure background triggers fired smoothly without server-side lag or stuck logic queues. We monitor the metrics that matter so you don't have to before you commit to a CRM.

Salesmate CRM review: Summary

After testing SalesMate, reading its user reviews, and analyzing its pricing and documentation, I've found it to be a very capable and well-rounded CRM solution, particularly for small to midsize sales teams.

SalesMate really shines when it comes to sales automation. You can automate lead assignment, task creation, follow-up emails, and more based on triggers. The system also ventures beyond pure CRM with basic marketing tools like email campaigns and web forms. This can help small teams streamline their tech stack. Even considering a lack of more advanced marketing automation features, if your organization wants a modern, highly automated sales pipeline that avoids a steep technical learning curve, Salesmate represents fantastic value.

Categories: Reviews

Live Proxies Review

TechRadar Reviews - Thu, 06/25/2026 - 09:43

Live Proxies has been in the proxy business since 2020, providing its services to both users and businesses around the world. The company evolved over the years, constantly adding more types of services and features.

For instance, in 2022, Live Servers were a new addition, and a year after that, static residential and rotation mobile IPs were added to the list. These days, the company now offers more than 10 million IPs in 55 locations, and is still going strong.

Plans and Pricing

(Image credit: Live Proxies)

Live Proxies has two different types of proxies for individual users: rotating residential and rotating mobile. On top of that, there is a B2B option for enterprises.

The vendor offers custom pricing, but you can also pick from numerous predetermined metered plans that supply you with fixed IPs, bandwidth, and duration. To give you an example, the cheapest rotating residential plan starts at $70, which gets you 200 IPs and 4GB for 30 days. From there on, the plans increase in duration, IPs, and bandwidth. So, for instance, 350 IPs, 4GB, and 45 days will cost you $95.

You can select the location as well, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Israel, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, and Türkiye. For custom pricing in the US, you can filter down to a state, although it seems most (if not all) state-based rotating residential proxies are currently sold out.

Similarly, rotating mobile proxies (which are only available in the US, Canada, and the UK) are also listed as “sold out” at the moment.

We do want to point out that Live Proxies doesn’t offer static residential proxies anymore. These proxies are listed as ‘permanently unavailable’ and we have confirmation from the company’s support team that there are no plans to launch static proxies again.

That being said, Live Proxies also has unmetered rotating residential plans that are obviously costlier. The cheapest plan starts at $130, giving you 25 IPs for 30 days.

Businesses have the option of going with enterprise proxies and choosing one of the six available choices. The first one starts at $2,000 monthly and provides 2TB, which translates to $2 per GB. Higher-tier plans increase the bandwidth, bumping up the cost of 25 TB to $25,000 monthly ($0.80 per GB).

Generally speaking, the entire pricing structure is simple for both users and businesses. Everybody gets the same features (which we’ll cover next), though the pricing is a bit more on the expensive side compared to the competition.

Features

(Image credit: Live Proxies)

Regardless of the plan choice, all non-enterprise customers get the same bag of goodies, including over 10 million IPs across 55 countries, an average response time of 1.15 seconds, 24/7 support, unused data rollover, unlimited requests, and more.

With such a package, Live Proxies has several use cases: web scraping, unrestricted eCommerce, brand protection, SEO and SERP, sneaker proxies, ad verification, social media performance, gaming, and travel aggregation, to name a few.

Rotating residential IPs

As their name suggests, rotating residential IPs regularly change. They automatically switch your connection to a different proxy IP address at specific times, which can be once an hour or every time you start a new browsing session.

Because of the persistent IP changing, rotating proxies make it much harder for websites to track what you’re doing online. If you are trying to gather data from a travel site that blocks scrapers, using these proxies helps you stay under the radar. Since the IP keeps switching, the website sees what very much looks like a stream of different users instead of one person trying to access too much information.

That being said, Live Proxies stands out in this regard because the company uses real residential IP addresses obtained from legitimate sources. People around the world agree to share their connections with the network in exchange for rewards. This allows customers to use those real-world IP addresses to get past website blocks and collect the data they need.

It’s worth noting that rotating proxies are slower and more pricier than static ones. Constant IP switching is more costly, in addition to increasing the chances of connection lag.

Rotating mobile IPs

Similar to standard rotating proxies, rotating mobile proxies use real IP addresses from phones and tablets instead of computers. This means you can easily handle several social media accounts at once without worrying about getting blocked.

Rotating mobile proxies have a unique advantage over their residential counterparts. Due to mobile IPs being shared by many users, websites and social media platforms are hesitant to ban a mobile IP. If they were to ban one, they might end up accidentally cutting off hundreds of real people in that area from using their accounts. Because of this, mobile proxies are much less likely to be blocked, making them a better choice for accessing websites with higher levels of security and restrictions.

Naturally, this superpower-like ability also makes rotating mobile proxies more expensive, compared to rotating residential ones.

However, Live Proxies’ rotating mobile proxies are currently unavailable, or rather, they have sold out at the time of writing.

B2B

For businesses, Live Proxies offers an all-in-one plan designed for enterprises. Besides access to a network of more than 10 million IP addresses spanning 55 countries, companies get team collaboration, advanced targeting, full API access, dedicated support, 98% uptime for consistent performance, and more for a single monthly fee.

This plan is perfect for businesses with heavy data needs, like price comparison websites that frequently scrape data from many different places online.

Ease of Use

We didn’t run into any problems while testing Live Proxies. The design is rather user-friendly, with the menus clearly listed on the left, and your main information on the right. The site uses a clean white background with blue highlights to make information easy to find, so even if you are a tech newbie, you will figure it out quickly.

(Image credit: Live Proxies)Customer Support

You can find helpful information on the Live Proxies website in their knowledge base, which covers the most common questions. If you need extra help, you can send in a support ticket or join their official Discord channel to ask for assistance. Unfortunately, there’s no phone support or live chat feature on their site.

After our inquiry about static residential proxies via support ticket, we got a speedy response in under 4 hours, which was short but right to the point.

(Image credit: Live Proxies)The Competition

Live Proxies works just as well as most other proxies we've tested, offering great speed and solid performance. The main downside is that the provider’s network is smaller than some of the top-tier competition. While the company offers 10 million IPs in 55 countries, big names like Oxylabs and Bright Data provide much larger networks, with the former offering over 175 million IPs and the latter over 400 million IPs. Both competitors cover 195 countries.

Final Verdict

Going from our previous review to today, Live Proxies remains one of the better options in the industry when fast and reliable performance is paramount. Its speed makes it a great choice for businesses that need to handle large-scale data scraping and improve search rankings. That same level of performance puts Live Proxies into worthy consideration as an option for ad verification, where timing is critical. Individual users also have plenty to look forward to, as the service is highly suitable if you need a quick connection to download a geo-locked file, play video games, access websites from other countries, or just browse your social media accounts.

Categories: Reviews

Nimble CRM review 2026

TechRadar Reviews - Thu, 06/25/2026 - 08:40

NimbleCRM is an affordable contact management platform laser-focused on helping small businesses and solo entrepreneurs generate leads and nurture client relationships. While it lacks some of the advanced reporting and customization of enterprise CRM platforms, Nimble compensates with an array of unique prospecting tools I haven't seen in competing products at this price point.

Some highlights include a mobile app that scans and captures contact details from business cards, a browser plugin to find social media profiles and professional info for contacts, email signature parsing to automatically update CRM records, and a "prospector" feature to extract contact information from company websites.

The modern and intuitive interface centers around a customizable dashboard displaying deal pipelines, messages, events, and social network updates. A unified inbox provides two-way sync with Office 365/Outlook or Google Workspace to manage all client communications.

Nimble CRM core capabilities

(Image credit: Nimble CRM)

Nimble CRM offers a comprehensive set of core functionalities that address the essential needs of businesses for efficient contact management, sales pipeline tracking, task and activity management, and workflow automation.

Its intelligent contact manager automatically gathers and consolidates contact information from various sources, such as email, social media profiles, and business apps, into unified contact records. This enables users to easily access and manage extensive information about their contacts in one place.

I also found Nimble's task and activity management capabilities to be quite robust. Users can create, categorize, and sort tasks, and associate them with specific contacts for added context. The visual Kanban-style interface of the Workflows feature is great for project and process management, allowing teams to map out processes, identify bottlenecks, and optimize workflows.

For sales teams, Nimble Deals provides an effective way to manage opportunities through the sales pipeline. Deal stages can be customized to align with the business's unique sales processes. Nimble also delivers powerful sales analytics and reporting, with multiple custom dashboards, in-depth reports, and the ability to track individual and team performance. This enables sales forecasting and data-driven decision-making.

Another strength of Nimble is its mobile app for iOS and Android. It provides core CRM functionalities on the go, allowing users to access contact details, track deals, and stay on top of tasks while out of the office. Recent enhancements have further improved the mobile experience.

While Nimble checks the boxes for essential CRM capabilities, it could improve certain areas to be even more compelling. For example, the platform would benefit from deeper customization options for its reporting and stronger native integrations with a wider range of third-party business apps. But overall, Nimble provides a solid and affordable CRM solution, especially for small businesses and sales teams.

How easy is Nimble CRM to use?

(Image credit: Nimble CRM)

When I first logged into Nimble CRM, I was immediately struck by its modern, clean, and intuitive interface. For a feature-rich CRM with multiple modules, the layout felt accessible and easy to navigate from the get-go.

Nimble provides helpful new user onboarding that walks you through every step of the setup process. This made learning the ropes a painless experience, as the onboarding helps familiarize you with the key features and layout in a guided way. I felt I was able to start using the core functionality confidently in a short amount of time.

Customization is another area where Nimble shines in the user experience department. You can create multiple sales pipelines tailored for different needs, audiences or teams. Kanban-style pipeline views enable dragging and dropping deals visually through stages. Dashboards are able to surface the data and insights most relevant to your role.

Nimble offers mobile apps for iOS and Android, making it convenient to access contact records, communication history, deals, and tasks while on the go. Based on the easy learning curve I encountered, it seems realistic that a new user could get comfortable with the key features and workflows within a few hours to a couple of days max.

All in all, I'd say ease of use is one of Nimble's greatest strengths. The clean UI, helpful onboarding, and customization options make it an accessible yet powerful solution for users of varying technical comfort levels. The ability to get up and running quickly is a huge asset for busy sales and marketing teams.

Nimble CRM integrations

Nimble CRM offers a wide range of integrations and connectors to make it easy to sync data with other apps and services. The Nimble Marketplace lists over 120 pre-built integrations with popular business tools like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Slack, Mailchimp, Zapier, HubSpot, QuickBooks, and others.

I was also pleased to find that Nimble has direct integrations with iPaaS providers Zapier and Make. This opens up the possibility to connect Nimble with thousands of other apps not available natively. Setting up integrations via Zapier or Make is straightforward, only requiring your login credentials.

For custom integrations, Nimble provides a well-documented REST API. The API lets developers access most of the core Nimble data and functionality. However, it appears API access is not enabled by default, and admins need to explicitly allow it for each user account, which could be a hassle for larger teams.

In my experience testing some of the key integrations, like Google Contacts and Microsoft 365 calendar sync, the data syncing has been reliable with no noticeable lags or errors. Performance seems solid, even with a large number of records.

One area I think Nimble could improve is providing more fine-grained controls and filters for syncing. Currently, it's largely all-or-nothing. The ability to limit which fields get synced or filter records based on criteria would add flexibility.

How good is Nimble CRM's customer support?

While it provides some helpful support options, NimbleCRM's user reviews indicate that the overall quality and effectiveness of their customer support is mixed.

According to Nimble's website and third-party reviews, email is the main support channel, available Monday through Friday from 9 am-5 pm PT. They also offer phone support during those same hours. A chatbot is available for submitting requests, but it is not a true live chat.

Self-service resources include a knowledge base and support community. However, the depth and usefulness of these resources are unclear based on the information I could find.

One point of frustration for some users is the lack of 24/7 support or live chat, which many consider essential for a paid CRM. Support hours are limited to standard business hours in the Pacific time zone.

That said, a few reviewers reported positive experiences with support responsiveness. One reviewer noted that they received an email response and resolution within an hour of submitting a ticket after hours. They also got immediate responses via Twitter.

Other users praised the support as "solid and high quality" and noted "responsive customer support with less wait time." However, the average first response and resolution times are not published anywhere that I could find.

On the flip side, some reviewers were less impressed, with one saying that "customer support could be better." Another described it as just "fine," noting it sometimes took a full day to get a response.

So while Nimble does offer a few different support channels and has some fans of their service, support hours are limited, 24/7 live channels are lacking, and quality seems hit-or-miss based on user sentiment. There's definitely room for improvement in Nimble's customer care.

Nimble CRM plans and pricing

Plan

Business

Price

$24.90/user/month

Best For

Small to medium businesses prioritizing relationship management and social selling

Features

25,000 contact records

Customizable pipelines

Automated workflows

Limitations

2GB storage per user, no 24/7 support

Nimble keeps its pricing structure simple and straightforward, offering a single plan at a flat per-user rate. The Business plan is priced at $24.90 per user per month when billed annually, or $29.90 per user per month if you opt for month-to-month billing. That represents a savings of over 15% if you commit to a yearly subscription upfront.

For the price, each user gets access to Nimble's full set of CRM features, along with a generous 25,000 contact record limit and 2GB of storage per user. Should you hit the storage ceiling, additional space can be tacked on in 10GB increments at $10 per month, prorated for the remainder of the current billing period.

I appreciate that Nimble doesn't nickel and dime customers with complex pricing tiers or hidden fees. The only variables impacting your monthly cost are the number of user licenses and any extra storage you might need. Nimble simply charges a prorated amount for additional licenses or upgrades made mid-cycle.

It's also worth noting that Nimble doesn't require an annual contract or commitment. You can go the monthly route and cancel anytime if the platform doesn't meet your needs or your team size changes. Although the annual discount is attractive if you're confident Nimble is the right long-term CRM solution for your business.

For anyone on the fence, Nimble does provide a 14-day free trial to test drive the software risk-free. No credit card information is required. It's not as generous as the 30-day trials offered by some competitors, but two weeks is ample time to assess if the feature set justifies the expense.

All in all, while Nimble's entry point isn't the cheapest compared to some barebones entry-level CRM plans on the market, the pricing is reasonable considering its robust capabilities. Growing businesses that want to streamline sales and marketing on a single platform without breaking the bank will find Nimble's predictable, all-inclusive pricing appealing. Just be mindful of potential storage costs if you anticipate maintaining a large database of detailed customer records.

How we tested Nimble

At TechRadar Pro, our CRM reviews go beyond simply reading press releases and vendor promotions. To properly evaluate Nimble CRM’s claims of providing an automated, relationally enriched workspace for agile sales teams, our testing analysts subjected the software to a comprehensive testing regime mimicking an active multi-channel outreach strategy.

Our CRM testing methodology for Nimble focuses on various factors, including its unified communications offering, its social data enrichment functionality, and its web extraction logging. We also stress-tested their automation capabilities by designing a sequence of behavioral marketing triggers. We aim to leave no stone unturned in our evaluation.

Nimble CRM review: Final verdict

After spending time testing and evaluating Nimble CRM, my overall impression is that it provides a solid set of core features at an affordable price point. It particularly excels at contact management, with helpful tools to aggregate contact data from various sources into unified records.

While it delivers essential capabilities, certain areas could still be enhanced. Reporting customization options are somewhat limited compared to higher-end CRM solutions. Some users might also wish for a wider breadth of out-of-the-box integrations. Even so, for small teams and growing businesses wanting a modern, highly intuitive, and mobile-friendly workspace without the enterprise price tag or setup friction, Nimble is a compelling option.

Categories: Reviews

Capsule CRM review 2026

TechRadar Reviews - Thu, 06/25/2026 - 08:07

Capsule CRM is an intuitive and affordable customer relationship management (CRM) solution designed for small to medium-sized businesses. Its user-friendly interface and gentle learning curve make it approachable even for non-technical users.

Despite its competitive pricing, Capsule provides a robust set of core features for managing contacts, identifying opportunities, tracking communications, and overseeing sales pipelines. Standout capabilities include the ability to store up to 30,000 contacts for just $18/month, a simple "projects" feature that can function as a basic helpdesk, and useful integrations with popular apps like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Mailchimp, and Xero.

In my experience, Capsule excels at delivering the best CRM platform performance in a streamlined package. The well-designed layouts and intuitive workflows can help small teams quickly get up to speed. However, some advanced features like marketing automation are limited compared to pricier competitors. But for small businesses seeking an affordable and capable CRM without unnecessary complexity, Capsule is well worth considering.

Capsule CRM core capabilities

(Image credit: Capsule CRM)

Capsule CRM is a streamlined solution designed to help small businesses efficiently manage their customer interactions and sales processes. Its core capabilities revolve around simplifying the most essential aspects of CRM.

It allows users to easily store, organize, and access customer data in one centralized location. Beyond basic info, it enables linking contacts to relevant opportunities, cases, and notes, providing a complete view of each customer relationship.

Sales teams can take advantage of visual pipeline tracking to monitor the progress of deals. Drag-and-drop functionality makes it simple to move opportunities from one stage to the next. Customizable sales pipelines ensure they fit the unique sales processes of each business.

Opportunity records give a snapshot of key data like value, win probability, and expected close date. This rolls up into sales forecasting reports and analytics to predict revenue and identify trends. The reporting features are a bit basic compared to higher-end CRMs, but they cover the essential needs of small businesses.

Where it really shines is in its ease of use and mobility. The interface is clean and intuitive, with a minimal learning curve to get a team up and running. And it gets full marks for its mobile-friendliness — a fully featured mobile CRM that makes it a breeze for sales reps and account managers to work on the go - something that's particularly important in the era of hybrid work.

Integration options ensure the CRM isn't isolated but connected to the other systems businesses rely on. It hooks into popular small business tools for email, ecommerce, marketing automation, customer support, and productivity.

With a robust feature set yet simple interface, Capsule CRM checks all the boxes small businesses need in a tool at a very affordable price point. The core capabilities are there, without a lot of extra bells and whistles that tend to bog down other systems. If complex and fine-grained customization isn't a requirement, Capsule CRM is an excellent option.

How easy is Capsule CRM to use?

(Image credit: Capsule CRM)

Capsule CRM is widely praised for its user-friendly interface and intuitive design that makes it easy for new users to navigate and quickly become proficient with the platform. The simple layout focuses on the core CRM features small businesses need most, without unnecessary complexity.

I found the straightforward dashboard a breeze to use from the get-go. Key functions like contact management, opportunity tracking, task scheduling, and reporting are easily accessible. The visual sales pipeline is also simple to understand at a glance.

Capsule offers a good degree of customization to tailor the tool to your specific needs and processes. You can create custom fields, tags, filters, and views to track the exact information you need for contacts, opportunities, cases, and more. It's quick to set up dropdown menus, checkboxes, and date fields. You can also customize your sales pipeline stages and milestones.

The platform makes onboarding painless with a wide array of self-service training resources. These include tutorial videos, step-by-step guides, webinars, and an extensive knowledge base. The intuitive UI and wealth of educational content make it realistic for most users to get up and running in a couple of hours.

Capsule CRM also has an active user community for Q&A, best practices, and feature suggestions. For more hands-on help, email support is responsive and thorough in my experience. All plans include customer support at no extra charge.

If your small business needs an affordable CRM without a steep learning curve, Capsule is well worth considering. Its thoughtfully designed interface, customization options, and strong support make it one of the most user-friendly CRMs that I've tried. Most teams should be able to deploy it quickly and see rapid user adoption.

Integrations

When it comes to integrations, Capsule CRM really shines. The system offers an impressive array of pre-built integrations and connectors that make it easy to sync data with other business apps. There are official integrations for popular tools like Mailchimp, Xero, FreshBooks, and Google Workspace. So if you're already using those in your workflow, getting them connected is a breeze.

But the integration options don't stop there. Capsule also supports leading iPaaS vendors like Zapier and Make. This opens up a world of possibilities, allowing you to connect Capsule with thousands of other web apps without needing any coding skills. You can automate data syncing, trigger workflows based on events, and much more. Zapier integration, in particular, is very well done.

For those with more technical needs, Capsule provides a robust API. This allows developers to integrate the system more deeply with custom or third-party applications. In my experience, the API is well-documented and reliable.

I've found the data syncing to be fast and seamless. Once you have an integration set up, you can count on your data always being up-to-date across all tools. The system also handles data conflicts gracefully.

Little touches, like being able to easily map custom fields when setting up an integration, make the whole process very user-friendly. And if you ever run into issues, Capsule CRM’s support team is very knowledgeable about integrations and quick to help.

How good is Capsule CRM customer support?

(Image credit: Capsule CRM)

Capsule offers some customer support options, though it may not be as comprehensive as larger competitors. Users can access live support via email, with the friendly customer service team typically responding within one business day, Monday through Friday. However, phone and live chat support do not appear to be offered at this time.

Where the CRM really shines is in its self-service support resources. The company provides an extensive knowledge base filled with helpful articles and step-by-step guides covering everything from getting started to more advanced features and use cases. The Capsuleblog and YouTube channel are also fantastic resources, offering insightful tips, video tutorials, and customer success stories to help users make the most of the platform.

While researching CapsuleCRM's support, I was impressed by the largely positive customer reviews and high ratings the company has earned on third-party sites like G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius. Many users praise the responsiveness and helpfulness of the support team, noting that they received prompt and effective assistance despite the lack of live support options. However, a few reviewers did mention that the lack of phone support could be an issue for some customers.

It's worth noting that Capsule doesn't have a dedicated user forum or community at this time. While the knowledge base and tutorials are undoubtedly valuable, having a space for customers to connect, share ideas, and help one another could further enhance the support experience.

Capsule CRM plans and pricing

Plan

Free

Starter

Growth

Advanced

Ultimate

Price

$0/user/month

$18/user/month

$36/user/month

$54/user/month

$72/user/month

Best For

Individuals testing CRM functionality

Small businesses needing basic CRM tools

Growing businesses requiring more contacts and automation

Larger teams needing extensive features

Large teams needing premium support and advanced CRM features

Features

2 users and 250 contacts

Single sales pipeline

Email sending

30,000 contacts

AI email assistant

Shared mailbox

60,000 contacts

Workflow automations

Multiple pipelines

120,000 contacts

Contact enrichment

Multiple project boards

Everything in Advanced

Premium onboarding

Dedicated account manager

Limitations

Limited contacts and users

No advanced reporting or automations

Limited project boards and contact enrichment

Higher cost, requires setup

Higher cost, best suited for larger organizations

Capsule CRM employs a per-user per-month pricing model with five tiers ranging from a limited free plan up to $72 per user monthly. The free version supports up to 2 users, 250 contacts, and 10 AI content assists, but lacks workflow automations, project management features, and advanced customizations.

In my view, Capsule's pricing is fairly standard for a CRM, with the per-user monthly cost increasing as more robust features and higher usage limits are unlocked. The Starter plan, at $18 per user per month, should suffice for small teams just needing core CRM functionality. However, growing businesses will likely need at least the Growth plan at $36/user/month to access workflow automation capabilities that can significantly boost productivity.

For full corporate deployments, the Ultimate tier ($72/user/month) tops out the ecosystem by unlocking a 240,000-contact ceiling, custom roles/permissions, premium system onboarding, and a dedicated account manager.

One downside is that many features SMBs would want, like sales pipeline management, email templates, and custom fields, are limited or unavailable on the free and lower-tier plans. Capsule does offer a free plan and trial to test out the software, but the free version is quite limited compared to some competitors.

Capsule's data storage caps should be another important consideration. Capsule limits file storage strictly by tier, which is a major factor for teams uploading sales decks or client PDFs. The Free plan is capped at a tiny 50MB total, Starter gives you 10GB per user, Growth bumps this up to 30GB per user, Advanced provides 50GB per user, and Ultimate tops out at 100GB per user.

On the plus side, Capsule's pricing is transparent and straightforward, without any hidden fees or required add-ons. Discounts are provided for annual billing and new customers. The monthly price maxes out at $72 per user for the Ultimate plan, which is reasonable compared to enterprise tiers of many other CRMs.

How we tested Capsule CRM

At TechRadar Pro, our software reviews are driven by objective, real-world testing rather than fluffy vendor demonstrations. To evaluate Capsule CRM’s promise of a minimalist, zero-bloat sales environment, our testing analysts subjected the platform to a rigorous evaluation process that simulated the daily operational workflows of a lean, rapidly growing service team.

From storage thresholds to pipeline customization and AI functionality, every aspect of Capsule CRM forms part of our CRM testing methodology. We took the platform's searchable knowledge base and step-by-step video setup guides into account when making our assessment, but ultimately, our hands-on appraisal determined our final score.

Capsule CRM review: Final verdict

Capsule CRM effectively achieves exactly what it sets out to do: provide a beautifully uncluttered, zero-learning-curve workspace for small teams, independent agencies, and relationship-based service businesses. Its greatest asset is its sheer simplicity - it avoids the overwhelming technical bloat of major market competitors, slotting seamlessly into small tech stacks without requiring a dedicated software administrator.

However, its simplicity is a double-edged sword. While the entry-level pricing is highly competitive on paper, the severe limits placed on lower tiers mean that teams looking for a true set-and-forget CRM will outgrow them fast.

Categories: Reviews

HoneyBook CRM review 2026

TechRadar Reviews - Thu, 06/25/2026 - 05:57

HoneyBook is a comprehensive client management platform that helps small businesses streamline their operations. It combines the functionality of a CRM with invoicing, contract management, scheduling, and more into one easy-to-use package.

The CRM platform is designed to handle the full client lifecycle, from initial contact through project completion and payment. You can manage all client communication, share files and proposals, get contracts signed, send invoices, and collect payments without leaving HoneyBook.

Where this CRM really shines is its powerful automation features. You can set up customized workflows to automatically move projects forward, send reminders, and follow up with clients. This allows small teams to operate efficiently and stay on top of all their client relationships.

HoneyBook CRM core capabilities

(Image credit: HoneyBook)

HoneyBook is an accounting tool with a basic CRM, designed to enhance business operations for small businesses and solo entrepreneurs. It offers essential CRM functions like contact management, an intuitive sales pipeline, and automated workflows to reduce manual tasks.

HoneyBook also offers user-friendly contact forms, which effortlessly capture lead information and create new contacts and projects in your pipeline. Plus, it provides tools for important administrative tasks such as invoicing, contracts, and scheduling.

Its interactive smart files let you combine actions like service selection, contracts, and invoicing for a smooth client experience. Automated payment reminders help ensure timely payments. You can create professional invoices, set custom payment plans, and collect payments online through credit card or bank transfer - all within HoneyBook.

Legally vetted contract templates are customizable with project details, pricing, and e-signature options. Scheduling is managed through a personalized client portal that syncs with your Google or iCloud calendar, preventing double-bookings. All client communications are organized within the relevant project for easy reference.

While not as advanced as specialized solutions, HoneyBook offers basic tools for tracking performance insights. You can monitor key metrics like conversion rates, project value, and payment status. However, I hope that future updates will enhance the reporting functionality with more CRM-specific KPIs.

But, HoneyBook focuses primarily on client projects. It lacks traditional CRM features such as lead scoring, opportunity tracking, territory management, or sales forecasting. However, for service-based businesses, HoneyBook's workflow is ideal for managing client engagements from start to finish.

I’m also impressed by HoneyBook's mobile apps for iOS and Android, which provide full functionality for working on the go. You can send invoices, receive payments, and manage projects from anywhere. Desktop users will benefit from Gmail and Calendly integrations.

How easy is HoneyBook CRM to use?

(Image credit: HoneyBook)

HoneyBook provides an intuitive and user-friendly interface that makes it easy to get up and running quickly, even for those without prior experience using a CRM. The clean, modern design is simple to navigate, with features logically organized in the left sidebar and settings accessible from the top menu.

To help new users get started, HoneyBook offers a helpful 30-minute Quick Start onboarding session that covers the key areas to focus on for setting up your account. There are also on-demand video courses available with over 50 step-by-step lessons.

I really like how the drag-and-drop pipeline tool makes it a breeze to customize your sales stages and client flow. You can easily create custom contact fields, email templates, questionnaires and contracts to streamline your processes. The visual pipeline view provides a great snapshot of where each lead/client is at.

HoneyBook also provides strong accessibility options, including a high contrast mode and the ability to navigate most of the interface using just a keyboard. The forms and client portal are mobile-responsive and look great on smaller screens.

While the breadth of features may seem overwhelming at first, most users report feeling comfortable with the core functionality after just a few hours of exploring and watching tutorials. The average time to get fully up and running seems to be around 2-4 weeks, factoring in time to thoughtfully configure your account, import data, and test your workflows.

Overall, HoneyBook is one of the most user-friendly CRM options I've come across for small businesses and freelancers. The modern design, strong customization options, and well-produced help resources make it accessible to a wide range of tech comfort levels. While it may take a few weeks to fully optimize your account, the core features can be learned in a matter of days, enabling you to start seeing the benefits quickly.

HoneyBook CRM integrations

When it comes to integrations, HoneyBook offers a solid set of capabilities that allow it to connect with the other tools small businesses rely on.

The CRM provides several pre-built integrations out of the box, including ones for QuickBooks accounting, Gmail for email, Calendly for scheduling, Facebook, and the popular automation platform Zapier. These native integrations make it easy to sync data and automate workflows between HoneyBook and these key external systems.

For custom integrations, HoneyBook also provides a full-fledged API. Developers can use the API to build integrations that allow reading and writing data between HoneyBook and virtually any other application. The company provides comprehensive API documentation and code samples to help with the integration process.

In testing out some of HoneyBook's built-in integrations, I found the data syncing between apps to be fast and reliable overall. Connecting a new app is also a straightforward process from the integrations settings page.

One potential downside is that, while HoneyBook offers a Zapier integration, it does not appear to directly integrate with some other popular iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service) vendors like Make. However, Zapier alone enables support for thousands of integrations.

HoneyBook also provides some nice features to make managing integrations easier for non-technical users. The ability to retrieve your API key and manage 3rd-party app connections from the integrations dashboard is convenient.

Overall, HoneyBook covers the bases well in terms of supporting integrations. The combination of key direct app integrations, Zapier support, and a full API provides ample options for connecting data and workflows with external tools. While a few more iPaaS integrations would be nice to see, HoneyBook still offers solid capabilities for most small business integration needs.

How good is HoneyBook CRM support?

When it comes to customer support, HoneyBook has received mixed reviews.

The company offers live chat and email support channels, but does not provide phone support, which some customers find frustrating. Response times can vary, with some users reporting prompt and helpful replies while others have experienced delays of hours or even days to hear back, especially on weekends.

On the plus side, many users praise the friendliness and attentiveness of HoneyBook's support team when they are able to connect. The live chat tends to be the quickest way to get answers. I also found out that HoneyBook provides a fairly robust library of self-service resources, including a searchable knowledge base, tutorials, and webinars to help users troubleshoot issues on their own.

However, the quality and consistency of live support seem to be hit or miss. In my research, I came across a number of complaints about "pass-the-buck" responses and difficulty getting timely help with urgent problems. One reviewer even called it the "worst customer experience ever." Yet others rave about how HoneyBook's excellent support has made their lives easier.

Overall, HoneyBook appears to be working to provide solid customer service, with a capable and caring support staff. But the lack of live phone support and inconsistent response times are definite drawbacks compared to some other CRMs. The company could improve by expanding real-time support options and ensuring more reliable follow-up.

For many satisfied HoneyBook users, the support is good enough, and the product's benefits outweigh any frustrations. But if reliable and always-available customer service is a top priority for your business, it's worth carefully evaluating the support limitations before committing to the platform.

HoneyBook CRM pricing and plans

Plan

Starter

Essentials

Premium

Price

$29/user/month

$49/user/month

$109/user/month

Best For

New businesses, low client volume

Growing businesses, increased efficiency

Established businesses, advanced needs

Features

Unlimited clients/projects

Invoicing and payments

Basic reporting

All features from Starter plan

Automations

Scheduling tool

All features from Essentials plan

Priority support

Advanced reporting

Limitations

No automations or scheduling tool

Limited reporting capabilities

May be costly for very small businesses

HoneyBook offers three main pricing plans to fit the needs and budget of different types of businesses. The Starter plan at $29 per month, billed annually, provides the core CRM features like unlimited clients and projects, invoicing, contracts, and a client portal. This is a great entry-level option for solopreneurs just getting started with a CRM system. However, it's worth noting that HoneyBook heavily restricts the backend on this tier: it limits the system to a single user profile and completely disables native automated workflows and interactive scheduling widgets.

For growing businesses that need more advanced features, the Essentials plan at $49 per month (billed annually) adds a lot of valuable capabilities. Automated workflows, scheduling, QuickBooks integration, and support for up to 2 team members can really streamline operations. Plus you can remove HoneyBook branding and access more robust reporting.

Larger teams will appreciate the Premium plan at $109 per month annually. It supports unlimited team members for collaboration and introduces priority technical support, advanced profit-and-loss reporting frameworks, and multi-company account toggles, letting you run entirely distinct brands out of a single centralized administrative dashboard.

You can start with a 7-day free trial to test out if the platform is a good fit before committing. While this is still less than the industry standard, having a free trial at all is a welcome feature that new users will appreciate.

Across all plans, you'll pay less on a monthly basis by choosing annual billing, which effectively gets you two months free compared to the month-to-month prices. Keep in mind the listed prices don't include applicable sales tax. But overall, HoneyBook's pricing is very competitive and transparent, without a lot of confusing add-ons or upcharges that some other vendors tack on.

My take is that HoneyBook provides a lot of value for the cost, especially for small businesses and self-employed professionals looking for an intuitive all-in-one system to manage their clients and business. While it may lack some of the deeper customization of pricier CRMs, the thoughtful feature set and interface you get for the price make it a compelling option in my book.

How we tested HoneyBook

At TechRadar Pro, our business software assessments go significantly deeper than simply summarizing marketing spiel. To truly evaluate HoneyBook's capabilities as a unified client relationship and cash-flow engine, our analysts put the platform through a practical testing process designed to replicate the day-to-day operations of an independent, service-based business.

Our CRM testing methodology looks at the platform's end-to-end client lifecycle tracking, smart file architecture and document stitching, workflow automation, AI efficiency loops, and the mobile ecosystem. Altogether, we try to assess more than just the core capabilities - but niche features and new developments too.

HoneyBook CRM review: Final verdict

After thoroughly evaluating HoneyBook, I've found it to be an excellent all-in-one CRM solution for small service-based businesses, freelancers, and independent professionals. The platform shines in its ability to streamline the entire client lifecycle, from initial contact to invoicing and payment.

HoneyBook's intuitive interface and robust feature set make it accessible to entrepreneurs and small teams without extensive technical expertise. And while larger enterprises with complex sales cycles may require more advanced CRM capabilities, HoneyBook is perfectly suited for small service providers looking for an affordable, user-friendly system to nurture leads and manage client engagements from start to finish.

Categories: Reviews

Agile CRM review 2026

TechRadar Reviews - Thu, 06/25/2026 - 03:22

Launched in 2013, Agile CRM is a comprehensive platform built for small and medium-sized businesses. By combining sales, marketing, and customer service into one integrated system, it aims to simplify operations and boost efficiency across various business processes.

When I first looked at Agile CRM, I was struck by its affordability and the range of features it offers. The CRM platform provides a free plan that supports up to 10 users, which is more generous than many of its competitors in the small business space.

However, as I dug deeper into Agile CRM's capabilities, I found that its user interface and overall user experience could be seriously improved. While the platform offers a lot of features, it's not always easy to find what you need, and the experience can feel a bit clunky compared to established CRMs.

Agile CRM core capabilities

(Image credit: Agile CRM )

Agile CRM offers a complete set of core capabilities that cover the essential functions of customer relationship management. I found the contact profiles to be quite detailed, allowing me to store and organize a wealth of information about customers and prospects. 360-degree contact views provide a holistic picture of each relationship, including communication history, deals, tasks, and more.

When you're managing leads, Agile CRM includes a lead scoring feature that automatically rates contacts based on their interactions and attributes, helping prioritize follow-ups. I appreciate the ability to create custom deal milestones and stages to match my specific sales process. The visual pipeline view makes it easy to drag and drop deals between stages and get a quick overview of the sales funnel.

I can easily see the value and probability of deals in each stage, which aids in forecasting. The system also allows for multiple pipelines to be created, which is useful for managing different products or sales processes.

Sales forecasting is adequate but not exceptional. Agile CRM's system provides basic revenue projections based on deal values and probabilities. However, I found the forecasting tools to be somewhat limited in the way they handle recurring revenue and deal probability. For small businesses with straightforward forecasting needs, it should suffice, but larger organizations may find it lacking.

Reporting in Agile CRM shows both strengths and weaknesses. The platform offers a good selection of pre-built reports covering sales, marketing, and service metrics. I also appreciate the ability to create custom reports and dashboards to track specific KPIs. However, the depth of data analysis and visualization options falls short of what some competitors offer.

Agile CRM's mobile app, available for both iOS and Android, provides a seamless experience for managing contacts, deals, and tasks on the go. I found the app to be responsive and well-designed, offering most of the core functionality of the desktop version. The ability to access and update CRM data from anywhere is very useful for field sales and remote work.

Unlike some CRM systems that treat marketing as an afterthought, Agile CRM offers robust tools for email marketing, landing page creation, and campaign management. I was impressed by the drag-and-drop campaign builder, which allows for the creation of multi-step marketing workflows. The system includes ticketing, knowledge base, and customer feedback tools, allowing businesses to manage customer support directly within the CRM.

But perhaps most interestingly, Agile CRM offers gamification features to motivate sales teams. While not a core CRM function, I found this to be an interesting addition that can help drive engagement and performance among sales reps. The system allows for the creation of contests and leaderboards based on various sales metrics.

How easy is Agile CRM to use?

(Image credit: Agile CRM)

Agile CRM balances functionality and simplicity, mainly targeting small businesses. I found the dashboard clean, intuitive, and minimalistic — which avoids overwhelming new users. There's a prominent left-side menu for quick access to contacts, deals, and marketing, pretty standard for a CRM.

A drag-and-drop interface makes navigation even easier. It's particularly impactful when using the marketing automation module, where creating multi-step workflows is made significantly easier through visual campaign builders.

But the learning curve for Agile CRM can vary depending on your familiarity with CRMs. There are lots of customization options, so you can tailor the interface to your specific needs. This includes the ability to create custom fields, modify layouts, and set up personalized dashboards with custom KPIs. But while these options enhance flexibility, they can also add complexity for users who are less technically inclined.

For accessibility, Agile CRM supports keyboard navigation and has readable font sizes. But, I didn't find any mentions of screen reader compatibility or advanced accessibility options in the documentation.

Onboarding and training resources are available, though they may not be as comprehensive as those offered by some larger providers. Agile CRM provides a knowledge base, video tutorials, and webinars to help users get started. However, I also found that the depth of these learning resources varies from one topic to another.

I like how Agile CRM aids in the learning process with context-sensitive help. As users navigate through different sections of the software, relevant help articles and tips are often displayed, providing guidance at the point of need. This can reduce the time spent searching for information, accelerating adoption.

Despite the positives, however, many users have reported that certain aspects of the software feel clunky or dated compared to more modern CRMs. Agile's attempt to pack a wide range of features into a single platform sometimes results in a less polished user experience.

Agile CRM integrations

Agile CRM offers solid integration capabilities, allowing users to connect the platform with a wide array of third-party applications and services. There are three ways you can do this: using pre-built connectors for various applications, through an iPaaS vendor like Zapier or Make, or by building custom integrations using the API.

Agile offers direct connections to popular business tools across various categories, including email services like Gmail and Microsoft 365, social media platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn, and ecommerce solutions like Shopify and WooCommerce. These are quick to set up and easy to modify.

Agile CRM integrates with web tracking and form integration tools, which is great for improving customer engagement. You can also plug into various telephony services, including Twilio and RingCentral.

For users requiring connections beyond the native integrations, Agile CRM provides support for multiple iPaaS vendors. Through Zapier, users can connect Agile CRM to over 1,000 more SaaS applications, enabling complex automation workflows across multiple platforms. Support is also available for Make (Integromat) and Webhooks.

Agile CRM also offers an open API, which provides developers the ability to create custom integrations to extend the platform's functionality. API documentation appears comprehensive, allowing for deep integration with external systems and powerful custom widgets within the interface.

During my testing, I found that data syncing with third-party platforms was mostly reliable. Agile CRM supports real-time and scheduled syncing options for most integrations, allowing users to choose the most appropriate method for their needs.

But while Agile CRM's integration features are generally strong, I did notice some limitations. The depth of integration can vary significantly between different connected apps. Some integrations offer solid two-way synchronization, while others may be more limited in scope.

How good is Agile CRM support?

Agile CRM provides a varied approach to customer support, combining live assistance with self-service options. Email support is clearly the main live support channel. Plus, there's a strong self-service resource ecosystem to help new users get acclimated to the CRM.

Email support system is fairly responsive, although response times can differ. In my research, I found that most users claim to receive initial replies within 24 hours, which is acceptable but not outstanding in the industry. More complex issues often take longer to resolve, sometimes requiring several days of communication.

Phone support is also available, even if not easily accessible. Usual support hours are 09:00 am to 05:00 pm EST, with additional scheduling options also available. But the real problem is the availability of agents, which can make it difficult to get urgent assistance.

Agile CRM makes up for limited live support options with a strong self-service ecosystem. The knowledge base is comprehensive and well-organized, covering topics from basic setup to advanced features. Articles are generally clear, often enhanced with screenshots or step-by-step guides.

In addition to the knowledge base, Agile CRM provides video tutorials and webinars. These resources are especially helpful for users who prefer interactive learning. The tutorials cover various platform aspects, from initial setup to advanced features, offering a solid foundation for new users and a reference for experienced ones.

A community forum enables users to engage with each other, share experiences, and offer solutions to common problems. While evaluating Agile CRM, I observed active participation from both users and staff on the forum, which seems to serve as a feedback channel and a support resource.

User testimonials about support quality are mixed. Some users commend the helpfulness and patience of support staff, especially for complex issues. However, other testimonials indicate inconsistencies in support quality, with some users frustrated by response times or the depth of assistance.

Agile CRM pricing and plans

Plan

Free

Starter

Regular

Enterprise

Price

$0/user/month

$8.99/user/month

$39.99/user/month

$64.99/user/month

Best For

Individuals or very small teams just getting started with a CRM.

Small businesses looking for an affordable all-in-one CRM solution.

Growing businesses that need advanced marketing automation and customer support features.

Large enterprises requiring unlimited contacts, custom reporting, and dedicated support.

Features

Basic contact management

Deal tracking

Email campaigns

2-way email integration

Marketing automation

Helpdesk

Custom deal tracks

Advanced automation workflows

Social media monitoring

Unlimited contacts

Custom reporting

Dedicated account rep

Limitations

Limited to 1,000 contacts and 1 campaign workflow.

Caps at 10,000 contacts and 5 campaign workflows.

Supports up to 50,000 contacts and 10 campaign workflows.

Higher price point may not be suitable for smaller businesses.

Agile CRM employs a tiered subscription-based pricing model, offering four distinct plans to cater to businesses of varying sizes and needs. The pricing structure is designed to scale with the growth of a company, starting with a free plan and progressing through increasingly feature-rich paid tiers. Even so, navigating their pricing sheet requires drawing a sharp line between long-term annual contracts and standard month-to-month agreements, as skipping the annual commitment forces a steep price hike of up to 40% across all paid tiers.

At the base level, Agile CRM provides a remarkably robust Free tier that accommodates up to 10 users and 1,000 contacts. While it provides core utilities like contact databases, deal pipelines, lead scoring, and appointment scheduling link structures, it is heavily restricted behind the scenes. Free users are locked down to exactly one plugin integration and are barred from building automated, multi-step marketing campaign workflows.

The Starter plan, priced at $8.99 a user per month, marks the beginning of the paid offerings. It increases the contact limit to 10,000 and introduces additional features like two-way email integration, custom deal milestones, and social monitoring. This plan provides good value for small businesses looking to expand their CRM capabilities beyond basic contact management.

Moving up the ladder, the Regular plan is priced at $39.99 per user per month with annual billing. This tier supports up to 50,000 contacts and includes more advanced features such as marketing automation, custom deal tracks, and mobile marketing. The plan seems to strike a balance between functionality and cost, making it suitable for growing small to medium-sized businesses.

At the top end, the Enterprise plan is offered at $64.99 per user per month with annual billing. This plan provides unlimited contacts and access to the full suite of Agile CRM features, including call recording, custom reporting, and role-based access control. While the Enterprise plan is the most expensive, it offers the most comprehensive set of tools for businesses with complex CRM needs.

There’s a significant discount offered for annual billing across all paid plans. The savings range from 33% to 40% compared to monthly billing, which could be a substantial incentive for businesses to commit to longer-term subscriptions. Agile CRM also offers volume discounts for businesses requiring a large number of user licenses, though the exact terms of these discounts are not publicly disclosed.

As for trials, Agile CRM provides a 14-day free trial of their paid plans, allowing users to test the full feature set before making a purchase decision. This trial period, combined with the free plan, gives potential customers ample opportunity to evaluate the system's fit for their business needs.

How we tested Agile CRM

At TechRadar Pro, our business software evaluations are built on extensive, hands-on stress testing rather than just vendor feature lists. To truly understand Agile CRM’s balance of advanced automation and legacy interface design, our analysts subjected the platform to rigorous testing criteria that mirrored a real-world multi-channel marketing and sales drive.

Our CRM testing methodology is built on evaluating Agile’s advanced automation engine, auditing the platform’s connectivity options and integration functionality. We assessed the platform's UI layout across daily workflows and looked at Agile's support channels. And for every factor, we looked at how they performed across different pricing tiers - and whether we think users get value for money.

Agile CRM review: Final verdict

Agile CRM remains a highly compelling option for budget-conscious small to medium-sized businesses looking for heavy-duty functionality without a premium price tag. Its primary strengths lie in its exceptional affordability and strong scalability, offering a highly capable free tier for up to 10 users alongside intensely competitive paid plans. For a lower-tier CRM, it packs a surprisingly robust punch, featuring advanced tools like multi-step marketing automation and sales gamification that you normally have to pay a premium for elsewhere.

However, the platform's biggest bottleneck is its user experience. The interface is undeniably dated, sluggish, and clunky, which robs those powerful automation features of some of their appeal. Additionally, live support is notoriously limited, leaving you heavily reliant on their self-service knowledge base to navigate the UX hurdles.

Categories: Reviews

I've watched all of Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 on Netflix, and it's hugely improved from the dreadful first season — yet it still gives off The Witcher vibes in the worst possible way

TechRadar Reviews - Thu, 06/25/2026 - 02:01

Two years ago, Netflix dramatically let me down. As a massive anime fan, I tuned into the first season of their live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender remake and was horrifically disappointed within minutes. In fact, the most positive critique you could give it is that it was better than the live-action movies, which are widely considered to be garbage.

Why? The action was all there, but the heart of Aang's story wasn't. Spectacular VFX tried to cover up the hollow, mundane narrative underneath. In fact, to quote a fantastic jaw-dropping writer called Jasmine Valentine: "There’s little room to learn, with life-changing realizations made in a ridiculously short amount of time. If a tale can’t be paid its due diligence in a certain remit, should we even bother at all?"

In 2026, my excitement for Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 is non-existent. I've approached its seven-episode run with complete trepidation, honestly wondering if there is anything better that I could be covering this week. However — while a long way from being a masterpiece — the hit Netflix show has clearly been listening.

Now that all of the exhausting worldbuilding is out of the way (for the most part), fans can finally focus on the character relationships that they want to invest in. There's a lot of tenderness and vulnerability on display, which is the most fulfilling part of our cast having grown up so much between seasons.

But there's still something obvious that's really bothering me... and it comes back to Netflix's "cookie-cutter" mold that none of its programs can escape.

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 has finally learned its lesson about the importance of heart

Read it and weep (for joy), kids — Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 actually has heart. If we're being honest, nobody had to put any effort into achieving this, with the mere fact that the lore of the Four Nations is fully established meaning there's now room for bigger, better things.

A mature Aang (Gordon Cormier) now straddles his inner struggles of legacy and constant imposter syndrome even more effectively, with the likes of Katara (Kiawentiio), Sokka (Ian Ousley), and Suki (Maria Zhang) now all settled into their selves, wants and needs.

If anything, Zuko (Dallas Liu) is going through it the most. After deserting his family and retreating into hiding at the end of season 1, we've got a lot more sympathy with him this time around as he grapples with his supposed destiny of capturing Aang for the Fire Nation's glory. Unlike Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim), he's no longer a villain, but a victim.

The standout character of season 2 is easily Toph (Miya Cech), who has finally been introduced after not appearing in season 2. Coming from a complicated family background that routinely dismisses her Earthbending, she comes into her own sassy self after teaming up with Aang to teach him the next element.

Collectively, the team is now firing on all cylinders, and it's nothing short of a joy to watch. Now we understand who they are and what the bigger picture looks like; intimacy, fun, and genuinely satisfying friendships are now flourishing. The jokes land, the serious moments stab you in the heart, and whimsy is flying around like Appa the sky bison.

Netflix makes season 2 look exactly like The Witcher — just with different lore

(Image credit: Netflix)

Everything else in Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 feels like more of the same — and that's a huge problem when it comes to the visuals. Broadly speaking, the Four Nations are jaw-droppingly gorgeous, and the detail that the creative team has packed into the landscapes is nothing short of impressive.

The immediate VFX, such as the bending that our characters use, leave a lot to be desired. It's obviously not a usual thing for people to have fire and water shooting out of their hands, so we're suspending a great deal of belief anyway... but being in the moment doesn't help when seeing it happen looks so fake.

This lumps season 2 into the same visually poor category as The Witcher, which is another comparison I made during season 1's debut. Cover the faces of the actors, stick them in the woods for a combat scene, and you'd be hard-pressed to tell the shows apart. Netflix is determined to make all of its genre programs look exactly like one another, and I'm baffled as to why.

Then there's the ultimate ending, which we already know without including spoilers. Much like other long-running anime series like One Piece (with its Netflix adaptation also guilty of this), we've known about the final endgame from its first five minutes. Here, it's for Aang to learn his bending skills, become all-powerful, and defeat Lord Ozai and the Fire Nation.

With a third series already confirmed, this is being drawn out for as long as humanly possible. It was obvious that none of the above was going to be achieved by the time season 2 wrapped up, so we've made little substantial progress from when Aang's goal was first introduced.

For me, the constant theme of "Oh no! Danger is on the horizon, and the Fire Nation must be stopped" is going to wear thin quickly. I'd really like to see season 3 mix things up, but I'm guessing that it won't.

Did I enjoy seeing Aang and the gang in 2026 more than in 2024? Absolutely. Has it renewed my interest in seeing them again at the end of 2027 (season 3's assumed release window)? Far from it.

Categories: Reviews

I watched Supergirl starring Milly Alcock and Jason Momoa — and the DC comic-book movie isn't the terrific Woman of Tomorrow adaptation I'd hoped for

TechRadar Reviews - Wed, 06/24/2026 - 11:00

Light spoilers follow for Supergirl.

Supergirl marks the eponymous character's return to the limelight after 42 years. Okay, the DC superhero has starred and/or appeared in numerous TV shows and small-screen movies in the decades since; however, her only previous big-screen outing came in the form of the much-maligned 1984 Supergirl film featuring Helen Slater, so another cinematic adventure is long overdue.

Unfortunately, as incredibly excited as I've been for the second DC Universe (DCU) flick's arrival, it gives me no satisfaction to say that Kara Zor-El's latest silver-screen project is DC Studios' first misfire. It's not terrible by any means, but I left my screening with a tangible pang of what could have been if the movie had actually done right by its source material.

Kara, Krypto, Krypton, and Krem

Supergirl's latest film is based on a very specific comic-book story (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

Following her scene-stealing cameo in 2025's David Corenswet-led Superman movie, Supergirl reunites us with Kara (Milly Alcock) and her superpowered pup Krypto as they embark on an interstellar bar crawl to celebrate Kara's 23rd birthday, which Kara simultaneously uses to try and forget the destruction of her and Supes' home world Krypton by getting blackout drunk.

However, it isn't long before last orders are called. Indeed, when the sadistic Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts) and his criminal gang — aka The Brigands — murder the family of a young woman named Ruthye (Eve Ridley) on her home planet, the latter tracks down Kara to help Ruthye get her revenge.

Supergirl doesn't soar to the heady heights that its main character can reach with ease

Initially reluctant to help, Kara changes her mind when Krem not only steals her spaceship, but also critically injures Krypto with a poisoned dart. With only 72 hours to find Krem and retrieve the antidote that'll save her dog's life, Kara and Ruthye set off on a character-defining journey that's as much a sci-fi adventure and space western as it is a superhero movie.

Kara and Krem only occasionally clash throughout Supergirl's 108-minute runtime (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Studios)

Tonally, Supergirl takes as much inspiration from genre films like True Grit, Mad Max, and Guardians of the Galaxy as it does from Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, aka the 2021 graphic novel that this movie is based on.

The occasionally egregious editing of some set-pieces doesn't do justice to Supergirl's fight choreography

Those comparisons aren't a negative but, while Supergirl's grimy, washed-out aesthetic might seem like a good fit for its modern pulp plot, I yearned for the vibrant, eye-popping color palette and visual flair of its comic-book inspiration, which last year's Superman film had in spades.

On the action front, Supergirl expands on the set-pieces spread across Woman of Tomorrow's pages, while adding a couple of new ones to the mix.

Some Supergirl flight sequences look better than others (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Studios)

And, honestly, I had no problem with the inclusion of these new sequences, nor the creative liberties taken with pre-existing ones. The Woman of Tomorrow comic book is a slow-burning, pensive read that's lightly seasoned with thrilling, high-stakes action, so I fully understand why its film adaptation dials up the spectacle.

That said, the occasionally egregious editing of some set-pieces doesn't do justice to Supergirl's fight choreography.

Spoilers notwithstanding, at the start of the film's climactic battle, I counted at least 20 quick-fire cuts across what must have been a 40-second period. That's far, far too many and, while it isn't the only example I could give where jump-cuts make it difficult to follow the action, I wouldn't be shocked if, once Supergirl has fully launched worldwide by June 26, fans have plenty of negative things to say about this specific sequence.

Woman of Tomorrow, problems for today

Supergirl isn't a 1:1 translation of Tom King and Bilquis Eveley's Woman of Tomorrow comic book series (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

That's far from my only issue with Supergirl — and a lot of my grievances stem from the crucial fact that it dismisses aspects of what makes Woman of Tomorrow such a great read.

When its second trailer arrived in April, I expressed concern that Supergirl wouldn't be the comic book movie adaptation I was hoping for. Two months later, Supergirl's final trailer did little to assuage those fears. Nevertheless, I clung to the hope that my worries would be unfounded once I saw the full film.

Supergirl reinterprets its source material for the worse

Color me disappointed, then, that the DCU Chapter One flick reinterprets its source material for the worse.

For starters — and this might sound baffling to some — Supergirl tells its story from Kara's perspective. I know, how blasphemous of it to focus on its titular protagonist.

But hear me out. One of the comic book's biggest strengths is that Ruthye is our point-of-view character, so we witness Kara's heroic actions through the eyes of her young ally. To re-use True Grit to illustrate my point: in the 2010 western, we see events through teenager Mattie's eyes, not her world-weary and flawed albeit honorable chaperone Rooster Cogburn. To me, there's no reason why Supergirl couldn't have done likewise, especially when there's already a precedent for it in Woman of Tomorrow.

Kara and Ruthye's relationship isn't fully explored in Supergirl (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Studios)

Supergirl similarly squanders another of its best elements by regularly neglecting Kara and Ruthye's complex dynamic

Supergirl similarly squanders another of its best elements by regularly neglecting Kara and Ruthye's complex dynamic.

Again, I appreciate that this is a movie about the eponymous Kryptonian, but the original Woman of Tomorrow story works so well because it's a two-hander. Apart from giving Ridley's Ruthye a belated chance to shine as the film's third act begins, Supergirl relegates her to the sidelines; and, in what I consider to be a huge misstep, doesn't examine the full extent of the complicated yet sincere relationship that exists between her and Kara in Tom King and Bilquis Eveley's comic-book series.

Considering that Supergirl clocks in at a breezy one hour and 48 minutes, there's really no excuse why this team-up wasn't explored more acutely. To me, a few more scenes based around more intimate character moments from Woman of Tomorrow would have gone a long way to fixing this without impacting the film's flow.

Supergirl satisfyingly expands on the titular hero's backstory that's outlined in Woman of Tomorrow (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Studios)

To give credit where it's due, Supergirl is at times as emotionally engaging, if not more so, than its literary influence — and that's mainly down to Alcock's poignantly potent performance.

Last September, in comments that could have been viewed as being exceedingly biased, DC Studios co-chief James Gunn said Alcock's take on Kara was "absolutely stunning" — and he's absolutely right.

Alcock captures the morally complex, sassy, and traumatized metahuman with the right amount of poise, petulance, and emotional precision

Whether it's her juggling of Kara's conflicting emotions in the present, or scenes depicting Kara's tragic backstory that act as well-placed storytelling touchstones peppered throughout, Alcock captures the morally complex, sassy, and traumatized metahuman with the right amount of poise, petulance, and emotional precision. Suffice it to say, I can't wait to see how her fellow superpowered beings deal with her punk rock attitude in 2027 Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow.

Jason Momoa has the time of his life playing Lobo in this DCU project (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

As for the film's supporting cast, Jason Momoa is arguably the standout as the immortal, interstellar mercenary Lobo.

Ridley does well with the screen time she's afforded, while Corenswet repays Alcock for her cameo in last year's DCU big-screen curtain-raiser with a couple of memorable appearances of his own. However, it's Momoa — a self-confessed Lobo superfan — who shines brightest in a role that's an integral part of Supergirl's story, and which allows him to play to his obvious acting strengths.

Unfortunately, the same can't be said of Krem. Schoenaerts is fine as the movie's central antagonist, but I'm simply not a fan of the changes — physical or otherwise — made to turn him into a disappointing, one-note villain. A bit more substance and — you know, giving us the Krem portrayed in Woman of Tomorrow — would have gone a long way to keeping me onside.

My verdict

Taken at face value, Supergirl is a pretty good film. Its heartfelt story, good-to-great cast performances, occasionally funny moments, applause-worthy practical effects, and tentpole action sequences will appeal to anyone who simply wants to be entertained by a traditional superhero flick.

However, those hoping for a more accurate adaptation of its literary works, and/or looking for a different kind of comic book movie, will likely deem it a somewhat underwhelming watch — especially if their expectations were sky-high like mine. I really wanted to like this film more than I did; but, ultimately, it doesn't soar to the heady heights that its main character can reach with ease.

Categories: Reviews

Oura Ring 5 review: a luxury smart ring for discreet everyday wellness tracking that’s (almost) easy to forget you’re wearing

TechRadar Reviews - Wed, 06/24/2026 - 09:54
Oura Ring 5: Two minute review

I've been going around in circles writing this Oura Ring 5 review. On the one hand, I find the health insights equally fascinating and motivating just like the best smart rings, and its discreet design is without a doubt comfortable to wear all day long.

But it's worth noting that Oura has been facing increasing backlash after deepening its partnership with the Department of Defense in the US last year, which is something ethically-conscious buyers may want to look into before purchasing.

That said, its ability to track more than 50 health and wellness metrics, such as sleep quality and stress levels, is undeniably enticing for anyone wanting to be more aware of their body — and the launch of this newest model brought a whole host of new insights.

What I will say is that the Oura app does try to include a lot of context about how these measurements can be interpreted and how they contribute to‚ for example, determining how prepared your body is for the day ahead based on a range of metrics, which Oura calls your 'Resilience Score'. But, again, this only scratches the surface of understanding how your body actually functions.

The best example of these assessments triggering misguided concern was when I got warnings from a feature called 'Symptom Radar', which tracks your respiratory rate and body temperature to flag signs of strain. What it didn't take into account was that a woman's body temperature naturally rises after ovulation, making its assessment unnecessarily worrying for anyone who didn't know that.

I can't deny that its claim to be the world's smallest smart ring at launch really does hold up — its lightness makes it disappear on your finger, making it ideal for everyday wear. With six stylish finishes and an even more scratch-resistant titanium surface, it's no wonder it's made headlines in the wearable tech space, with plenty of influencer reviewers fawning over the all-new Oura Ring 5.

By now you've definitely noticed my to-ing and fro-ing as I work through every side of the Oura Ring 5 to reach an honest and fair review. I won't say it's the most perfect smart ring on the market — that would be ignoring too much — but I will say it comes close. I can't argue with its premium build and the level of tech packed into those tiny sensors, which manage to achieve high levels of accuracy. That's impressive in itself, and

Oura has been facing increasing backlash after deepening its partnership with the Department of Defense in the US last year, although it doesn't use data from any of its users other than specific military personnel as part of this arrangement. It's also worth keeping in mind that there have been studies raising concerns about 'health data anxiety', and Oura's attempt to bring new biomarkers into play have given us a whole new category to worry about. But at the end of the day, I'm a sucker for brilliant tech — which the Oura Ring 5 definitely is.

Oura Ring 5: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future)
  • $399 / £399 / AU$649 (each) for two base finishes
  • $499 / £499 / AU$799 (each) for four premium styles
  • $5.99 monthly subscription (priced in USD across all regions)
  • $99 / £99 / AU$159 for the Oura Ring 5 travel case

The Oura Ring 5 costs an extra $50 / £50 / AU$80 — or $100 / £100 for a premium finish — compared with the Oura Ring 4, which launched in 2024. (Australian pricing doesn't appear to carry the same premium finish gap.)

Beyond the high-gloss gold and silver finishes, you're paying an extra $100 / £100 / AU$150 for any of the four premium styles: a softer gold, brushed silver, matte black, and — the color I tried — deep copper rose.

Add the $5.99 monthly subscription, and you're looking at up to $670 / £670 / AU$1,029.88 to own an Oura Ring 5 for a year, if you go for the most expensive finish plus the travel case.

That's no small sum when most smart rings on the market cost less and many don't require a recurring subscription. There are also plenty of wearable alternatives that track the same health vitals, which makes this very much a luxury purchase.

  • Value score: 2/5
Oura Ring 5: Design

(Image credit: Future)
  • The closest a smart ring has come to looking like luxury jewellery
  • Extremely low-profile and light, making it comfortable to wear all day
  • An easy-to-use companion app with a clean UI

By far the best justification for the Oura Ring 5's high price tag is that it could easily pass for a piece of jewellery. That's largely down to a 40% decrease in size from the previous model, the result of Oura redesigning the entire core.

That freed up space to drop multiple sensors, but it hasn't made the Ring 5 any less accurate — Oura has increased the efficiency of the remaining sensors to offset the loss. The titanium surface is also more scratch-resistant; I can't compare it directly to a previous model, but it hasn't picked up a nick yet.

What I can say is that the Oura Ring 5 is significantly smaller than the Ring 4. Holding it up against a previous-generation ring (admittedly the bulkier ceramic finish), I was shocked at how noticeable the size difference is. It's lighter and far more comfortable to wear, since it doesn't protrude — and therefore doesn't rub against — my finger as much.

That same design ethos carries through to the Oura app, which has a minimalist interface that isn't cluttered with numbers and graphs. Instead, data is presented as scores with percentages and ratings for each health vital. It's easy to use, though it's worth noting that the app needs a certain amount of data to establish your health baseline, so you won't have access to every feature right away.

  • Design score: 5/5
Oura Ring 5: Features

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tracks vitals including body temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate
  • AI wellness assessments for sleep, stress, resilience, and more
  • Activity tracking lags behind more dedicated fitness wearables

After two weeks of wearing the Oura Ring 5, I've unlocked most features — sleep, resilience, and activity scores — which now populate what was once a fairly bare home screen.

The Oura app works best with more data, so it's constantly prompting you to add new "tags" to your day's timeline. Some are automatic, like detecting exercise, while others — what you ate, or what kind of activity you did — require manual logging.

The app's other three main sections cover your vitals, a health assessment area, and an LLM chatbot you can talk to about your data. That last part matters, because as I mentioned above, there's plenty of room for misleading interpretations if you don't understand the many factors behind your body's vitals.

I got a lot out of learning more about my sleep quality and general heart health (the app has a neat feature that lets you feel your heartbeat throughout the day via your phone's haptic feedback), but what I'm most interested in unlocking next are the new women's health features, such as Hormonal Birth Control, which builds on the existing Cycle Insights dashboard with what Oura calls a "first-of-its-kind" view into how biometrics shift across hormonal and hormone-free days.

While I find the wellness insights genuinely useful, the ring is nowhere near as practical as a dedicated fitness tracker. Without GPS — it relies on a paired device for location — and limited to activities compatible with wearing jewellery on your hand (so no weightlifting without a third-party silicone band over the top), it falls short, even with the addition of real-time tracking — which, again, you can only view through a paired device).

  • Features score: 4/5
Oura Ring 5: Performance

(Image credit: Future)
  • Battery life has increased to seven days
  • Automatic activity tracking has been accurate
  • Sleep and heart rate tracking data is in line with our benchmark device

One of the biggest improvements that the Oura Ring 5 brings over the Ring 4 is that has managed to squeeze out a whole extra day of battery life, despite the ring itself being redesigned to be 40% smaller.

During my testing, I found it lasted a whole seven days on one full charge. But I was more impressed with was how quickly you can charge the smart ring. From a fully drained battery, it took less than an hour until it was all way back up to 100%, which means it's very easy to top it up throughout the week whenever you're, say, washing dishes or having a shower.

For the most part, I kept the Oura Ring 5 on throughout the day, allowing it to track my vitals as I moved from home to work to seeing friends, exercising and cooking, which it does very well. Most of the automated tracking suggestions were accurate, allowing me to quickly confirm all of the day's activities when I next checked into the app.

This same accuracy extends to the sleep data, which is the absolute highlight of the Oura Ring 5's feature set. I found the insights both enlightening and motivating, especially after getting my first sleep score as (like any gamification effect) I began trying to reach a new higher level. My testing also confirmed this when my readouts for my average heart rate managed to be within 3 BPM of the Polar H10 chest strap, which is the gold standard for consumer heart rate and workout accuracy as it uses actual ECG (electrocardiogram) technology.

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}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-carousel-counter { font-size: 14px !important; color: #374151 !important; text-align: center !important; margin-top: 1rem !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-legend { display: flex !important; justify-content: center !important; flex-wrap: wrap !important; gap: 8px 16px !important; margin: 0 !important; padding: 0 !important; margin-top: 1rem !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-legend-item { display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; gap: 6px !important; font-size: 14px !important; color: #374151 !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-legend-color { width: 12px !important; height: 12px !important; border-radius: 3px !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-multi-value-legend {display: flex !important;justify-content: center !important;flex-wrap: wrap !important;gap: 12px 24px !important;margin-bottom: 1.5rem !important;padding: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-multi-legend-item { display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; gap: 8px !important; font-size: 14px !important; color: #374151 !important; font-weight: 500 !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-multi-legend-swatch { width: 16px !important; height: 16px !important; border-radius: 3px !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-benchmark-group { margin-bottom: 1rem !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-benchmark-title {font-size: 18px !important; font-weight: 600 !important; margin-bottom: 16px !important; margin-top: 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;text-align: center !important; color: var(--riv-primary) !important; flex: 1 !important; min-width: 0 !important;font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.3 !important;text-transform: none !important;white-space: normal !important;overflow-wrap: break-word !important;word-wrap: break-word !important;max-width: 100% !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar-row, #fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-stacked-product { display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; width: 100% !important; margin-bottom: 0.75rem !important; position: relative !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar-label { width: 150px !important; flex-shrink: 0 !important; font-size: 14px !important; color: #374151 !important; padding-right: 10px !important; text-align: right !important; font-weight: 500 !important; display: block !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar-container { flex-grow: 1 !important; background-color: #E5E7EB !important; border-radius: 4px !important; min-height: 25px !important; border: 1px solid #D1D5DB !important; position: relative !important; display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar-commentary-inline { display: none !important; position: absolute !important; left: 150px !important; top: 0 !important; bottom: 0 !important; right: 0 !important; width: calc(100% - 150px) !important; margin: 0 !important; padding: 0 8px !important; font-size: 13px !important; color: #fff !important; background: rgba(0,0,0,0.8) !important; border-radius: 4px !important; line-height: 1.4 !important; font-weight: normal !important; text-transform: none !important; word-wrap: break-word !important; z-index: 10 !important; align-items: center !important; overflow-y: auto !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.preview-wrapper .fv-bar-row:hover .fv-bar-commentary-inline, #fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.preview-wrapper .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus, #fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.preview-wrapper .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus-within, #fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-bar-row:hover .fv-bar-commentary-inline, #fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus, #fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus-within { display: flex !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar { height: 100% !important; border-radius: 3px !important; display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; transition: opacity 0.2s ease, width 0.8s ease-out !important; min-height: 23px !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar:hover { opacity: 0.8 !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar-inner-content { display: flex !important; justify-content: space-between !important; align-items: center !important; width: 100% !important; height: 100% !important; padding: 0 8px !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: bold !important; overflow: hidden !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar-inner-label { white-space: nowrap !important; overflow: hidden !important; text-overflow: ellipsis !important; padding-right: 8px !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar-inner-value { flex-shrink: 0 !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar-value-outside { padding-left: 8px !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: bold !important; color: #374151 !important; white-space: nowrap !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar-label.fv-primary-product { font-weight: bold !important; color: var(--riv-primary) !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-multi-bar-container { flex-direction: column !important; padding: 4px !important; align-items: stretch !important; gap: 4px !important; height: auto !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-multi-bar-item { display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; height: 25px !important; width: 100% !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-stacked-bar { display: flex !important; overflow: hidden !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-stacked-segment { height: 100% !important; display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; justify-content: flex-end !important; padding-right: 8px !important; border-right: 1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.3) !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-stacked-segment:last-child { border-right: none !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-segment-value { font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: bold !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-grouped-bar-product { display: flex !important; flex-direction: column !important; width: 100% !important; margin-bottom: 1.25rem !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-grouped-product-title-wrapper { padding-left: 150px !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-grouped-product-title { width: 100% !important; text-align: left !important; padding-right: 0 !important; margin-bottom: 0.5rem !important; font-weight: 700 !important; font-size: 14px !important; color: #374151 !important; text-transform: none !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar-cluster { width: 100% !important; flex-grow: 1 !important; display: flex !important; flex-direction: column !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar-cluster .fv-bar-row { margin-bottom: 3px !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar-cluster .fv-bar-container { height: 20px !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .riv-grid line {stroke: #D1D5DB !important;stroke-dasharray: 3 3 !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-x-axis-wrapper { display: flex !important; width: 100% !important; margin-top: 0.5rem !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-x-axis-label-space { width: 150px !important; padding-right: 10px !important; flex-shrink: 0 !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-x-axis-chart-space { flex-grow: 1 !important; padding-right: 8px !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-x-axis-wrapper.fv-grouped-x-axis { margin-left: 0 !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-x-axis-line { border-top: 1px solid #D1D5DB !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-x-axis-ticks { display: flex !important; justify-content: space-between !important; padding-top: 4px !important; font-size: 13px !important; color: #374151 !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-x-axis-ticks span { position: relative !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-x-axis-ticks span::before { content: '' !important; position: absolute !important; top: -6px !important; left: 50% !important; transform: translateX(-50%) !important; width: 2px !important; height: 4px !important; background-color: #D1D5DB !important; border-radius: 1px !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-x-axis-unit { text-align: center !important; font-size: 14px !important; color: #374151 !important; margin-top: 8px !important; display: block !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-x-axis-title { text-align: center !important; font-size: 15px !important; color: #374151 !important; margin-top: 8px !important; margin-bottom: 16px !important; line-height: 1.5 !important; padding: 0 1rem !important; display: block !important; font-weight: bold !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-y-axis-title {font-size: 15px !important;color: #374151 !important;line-height: 1.5 !important;text-align: left !important;padding-left: 5.83% !important;margin-bottom: 4px !important;display: block !important;font-weight: bold !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-pie-container,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-pie-container {flex-direction: column !important; gap: 1rem !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-grouped-product-title-wrapper,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-grouped-product-title-wrapper {padding-left: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-bar-row,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-stacked-product,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-grouped-bar-product,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-bar-row,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-stacked-product,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-grouped-bar-product {flex-direction: column !important; align-items: flex-start !important; margin-bottom: 1.25rem !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-bar-label:not(.fv-grouped-product-title),#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-bar-label:not(.fv-grouped-product-title) {width: 100% !important; text-align: left !important; padding-right: 0 !important; margin-bottom: 0.25rem !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: 700 !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-bar-label,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-grouped-product-title,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-bar-label,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-grouped-product-title {width: 100% !important; text-align: left !important; padding-right: 0 !important; margin-bottom: 0.25rem !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: 700 !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-bar-container,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-bar-cluster,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-bar-container,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-bar-cluster {width: 100% !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-bar-row:hover .fv-bar-commentary-inline,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus-within,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-bar-row:hover .fv-bar-commentary-inline,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus-within {position: static !important; display: block !important; width: 100% !important; margin: 4px 0 0 0 !important; padding: 0 !important; background: transparent !important; color: #6B7280 !important; font-size: 12px !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-x-axis-wrapper,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-x-axis-wrapper {margin-left: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-x-axis-label-space,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-x-axis-label-space {display: none !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-x-axis-chart-space,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-x-axis-chart-space {padding-right: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-benchmark-title,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-benchmark-title {font-size: 16px !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-dropdown-title,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-dropdown-title {font-size: 16px !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-carousel-nav-btn,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-carousel-nav-btn {padding: 8px 12px !important; font-size: 14px !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-chart-title,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-chart-title {padding: 0 8px !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-chart-subhead,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-chart-subhead {padding: 0 8px !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-versus-header,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-versus-header {flex-direction: column !important; align-items: center !important; padding: 0 !important; gap: 0.5rem !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-versus-select-wrapper,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-versus-select-wrapper {flex: 1 !important; min-width: 0 !important; width: 100% !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-versus-select-wrapper.fv-left,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-versus-select-wrapper.fv-left {text-align: center !important; padding-right: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-versus-select-wrapper.fv-right,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-versus-select-wrapper.fv-right {text-align: center !important; padding-left: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-versus-select.fv-select-left,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-versus-select.fv-select-left {text-align: center !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-versus-select.fv-select-right,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-versus-select.fv-select-right {text-align: center !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-versus-vs,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-versus-vs {text-align: center !important; padding: 0.25rem 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-versus-select-container,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-versus-select-container {max-width: 100% !important; width: 100% !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-versus-select,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-versus-select {font-size: 14px !important; width: 100% !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-stl-shop-all-btn,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-stl-shop-all-btn {bottom: 0.5rem !important; right: 0.5rem !important; height: 2rem !important; font-size: 0.75rem !important; padding: 0 0.75rem 0 2.5rem !important; max-width: calc(100% - 1rem) !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-stl-shop-all-logo,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-stl-shop-all-icon,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-stl-shop-all-logo,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-stl-shop-all-icon {width: 2rem !important; height: 2rem !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-stl-shop-all-icon svg,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-stl-shop-all-icon svg {width: 14px !important; height: 14px !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-bar-commentary-inline,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.labels-on-top .fv-bar-commentary-inline {display: block !important; margin-left: 0 !important; width: 100% !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view .fv-y-axis-title { padding-left: 5% !important; }#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y.mobile-view.fv-contains-line-chart .fv-footer-content {margin-left: -1rem !important;margin-right: -1rem !important;}@media (max-width: 599px) {#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-pie-container {flex-direction: column !important; gap: 1rem !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-grouped-product-title-wrapper {padding-left: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar-row,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-stacked-product,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-grouped-bar-product {flex-direction: column !important; align-items: flex-start !important; margin-bottom: 1.25rem !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar-label:not(.fv-grouped-product-title) {width: 100% !important; text-align: left !important; padding-right: 0 !important; margin-bottom: 0.25rem !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: 700 !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar-label,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-grouped-product-title {width: 100% !important; text-align: left !important; padding-right: 0 !important; margin-bottom: 0.25rem !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: 700 !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar-container,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar-cluster {width: 100% !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar-row:hover .fv-bar-commentary-inline,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus,#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus-within {position: static !important; display: block !important; width: 100% !important; margin: 4px 0 0 0 !important; padding: 0 !important; background: transparent !important; color: #6B7280 !important; font-size: 12px !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-x-axis-wrapper {margin-left: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-x-axis-label-space {display: none !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-x-axis-chart-space {padding-right: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-benchmark-title {font-size: 16px !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-dropdown-title {font-size: 16px !important;}#fv-chart-1782232373550-lbuegnd1y .fv-carousel-nav-btn {padding: 8px 12px !important; 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  • Performance score: 5/5
Oura Ring 5: Scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

An extremely luxury smart ring compared to others on the market.

2/5

Design

The most discreet and comfortable smart ring to wear all day.

5/5

Features

Stacked on the wellness front, but not when it comes to fitness.

4/5

Performance

A whole week's worth of battery, with accurate sleep tracking.

5/5

Oura Ring 5: Should I buy?

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

You want wellness tracking
From stress to sleep, you can turn your health vital's raw data into useful insights.

You want a smart ring that looks like jewellery
The smart ring manages to be stylish, small and light, and comfortable.

Don't buy it if...

You don't want to spend more than you need to
You can find smart ring alternatives that deliver the same benefits for a lot less.

You want a fitness tracking wearable
There are far more feature-rich fitness trackers available at a more affordable price.

Also consider

Component

Oura Ring 5

Samsung Galaxy Ring

Price

From $399 / £399 / AU$649

$399 / £399 / AU$699

Colors

Gold, Silver, Brushed Silver, Premium Gold, Stealth Black, Rose Gold

Black, Titanium Gold, Titanium Silver

Material

Titanium

Titanium

Weight

Between 2 (size 6) and 2.6g (size 13)

2.3g (size 5) 3.0g (size 13)

Battery life

Up to 7 days

Up to 7 days (ring), up to 6 charges (cradle)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0

Bluetooth 5.4

Sensor array

Updated Smart Sensing array

PPG, accelerometer, skin temperature

Water resistance

IP68

IP68

GPS?

No

No

How I tested

I wore the Oura Ring 5 for two weeks, draining the battery completely (despite the app advising against letting it go below 30%). I have some gaps in my data from forgetting to put it back on, but I mostly didn't take it off. I tested the ring's heart rate monitoring accuracy against the Polar H10 chest strap, and compared its design to a ceramic Oura Ring 4.

Categories: Reviews

Star Fox isn’t the most exciting remake, but it’s still a fun time

TechRadar Reviews - Wed, 06/24/2026 - 07:00

With protagonist Fox McCloud appearing in a surprise cameo in the recent Super Mario Galaxy Movie, it’s clear that Nintendo wants to bring its niche on-rail space shooter series to a wider audience. To that end, this new Star Fox makes a lot of sense. It’s a remake of the 1997 title Star Fox 64, which is beloved by fans and a good starting point if you’ve never played one of the games before.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: June 25, 2026

The problem for me is that this is far from the first time that Nintendo has brought Star Fox 64 back. I grew up with the Nintendo 3DS, and experienced it as Star Fox 64 3D. This was followed by some hands-on time with the Wii U reimagining Star Fox Zero, and then finally a playthrough of the original release when it came to Nintendo Switch via Nintendo Switch Online.

Every single mainline Star Fox game that’s come out since I was about eight years old has been a version of Star Fox 64, and now, as an adult, I’m getting yet another one in Star Fox for Nintendo Switch 2.

I really wish the gaming giant had been a little bolder with this release, adding even just a smidge of new gameplay to freshen up the old campaign. Still, Star Fox 64 is a cult classic for a reason, and thanks to its strong base, this remake is still plenty of fun to play through for what is, hopefully, one last time

Into the Lylat Wars

(Image credit: Nintendo)

The premise is simple, if a little unconventional. You’re a dashing fox in a universe populated by anthropomorphic animals where civilization has managed to crack space colonization despite an apparent lack of opposable thumbs.

Rather than rooting through sci-fi bins, you’re the leader of a mercenary squad (staffed by you, the bird-like Falco, the lagomorphic Peppy, and slimy Slippy toad) that lends its services to the highest bidder — in this case an intergalactic army that’s waging war against the evil scientist dictator Andross.

Fully voiced and animated cutscenes to convey all this information are one of this remake’s biggest new additions, and they feel like a natural inclusion. They’re not super long or expansive by any means, but all flow well and are decently acted throughout even if there are a few moments where the animation can look a bit cheap.

They provide some much-needed downtime in between each of the levels, which are hectic, high-score challenges that see you steering your ship, the Arwing, through intense battles. The action unfurls in a largely on-rails format, but that doesn't mean that this isn’t a degree of strategy to it.

(Image credit: Nintendo)

You can swerve all across the screen, hitting barrel rolls to deflect incoming fire and blasting your laser canons. Your craft very much exists in a 3D space, so enemies often come up behind you, requiring evasive maneuvers like somersaults or hitting the brakes.

There's a boost too, which, deployed at the right time, can see you zooming under falling debris or through closing gaps — often picking up a power-up or two in the process. It’s all remarkably smooth to control, and sections where you pilot other vehicles keep the stages feeling fresh.

Each campaign is extremely short, taking just over an hour to complete, and has you working your way through a map of the galaxy littered with 16 unique planets.

Best bit

(Image credit: Nintendo)

The challenge mode lets you replay all of the levels from the campaign but with some new tricky objectives. These reward you with unlocks like profile badges and lore to read, and I can already see it being a huge hit with completionists.

You can’t visit all of them in one playthrough, which, alongside the two main story paths, gives you plenty of reasons to replay it at least a couple of times. That said even when you bear that in mind, the experience is still pretty fleeting and doesn’t feel befitting of the $49.99 / £41.99 / AU$84.95 digital (or $59.99 / £44.99 / AU$99.95 physical) asking price.

This is especially true if you’ve played all the other versions of Star Fox 64, as you’re basically just paying for a new, admittedly quite pretty, coat of paint.

There is thankfully a new battle mode to try out, and it’s pretty good on the whole. It’s in an online 4v4 player versus player (PvP) format, with one team playing as the Star Fox squad and the other cast as their rivals Star Wolf. Each of the three maps has its own associated game mode, ranging from simple control point capture to fighting to drag limited space cargo back to base.

I’ve had a great time with it so far, though I can imagine that online populations will quickly dwindle given the small map pool. Hopefully a post-launch update will add some more.

Should I play Star Fox?Play it if...

You’ve never tried Star Fox 64
If you’ve never experienced Star Fox 64 before, then Star Fox is the best version that’s readily available right now. The updated graphics are pleasant, and it feels fantastic to control.

You find it on sale
My main issue with Star Fox is its high asking price. If you can find it heavily discounted, then it’s well worth picking up.

Don't play it if...

You’re sick of the Nintendo 64 game
If you’ve played the previous Star Fox 64 remakes, then I would recommend skipping Star Fox. It looks pleasant, sure, but it really doesn't add much new beyond its cutscenes.

Accessibility features

As with most first-party Nintendo releases, the accessibility features here are thin. Subtitles are used throughout the game, though their appearance cannot be customized. You can invert the axis of the control scheme and disable features like controller rumble, but that’s basically it.

How I reviewed Star Fox

I played Star Fox on Nintendo Switch 2 for roughly eight hours, experiencing all of its major campaign routes, unlocking every planet, and trying out challenge mode.

I also dived into its multiplayer offering, using my earlier hands-on experience with other players when trying it at Nintendo HQ and testing matches against bots. I mainly played the game in handheld mode using the Joy-Con 2 controllers, though I did briefly test it in docked mode on a 4K Samsung TV to ensure the performance and Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller support is up to scratch.

First reviewed June 2026

Categories: Reviews

Shark’s PowerDetect UV Reveal has a lot of potential, but right now it’s the equivalent of a power washer in the hands of a caveman

TechRadar Reviews - Tue, 06/23/2026 - 10:21
Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Price & release date
  • List price: $1,299.99 / £999.99
  • Released March 2026

The Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal comes in at $1,299.99 / £999.99 — while it’s far from cheap, it’s pretty good value for what it offers. That being said, there are other robot vacuum cleaners with equally impressive features and better software at a similar price point.

Plus, you’ll need to maintain some parts of the vacuum; in particular, refills for the multi-floor cleaner ($13.99 / £14.99) and the odor-neutralizing puck ($9.99 – $14.99 / £7.99 – £15.99), as well as the usual replacement for things like side brushes and mop pads. Over time, these can add up, but you’ll scarcely find a robovac that doesn’t come with added costs at similar prices these days.

  • Value: 4/5
Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

Out of the box, you’ll find the vacuum, base, power chord, an anti-odor puck, one refill bottle of Shark’s multi-floor cleaner, two side brushes, plus the usual array of instructions and warranty documents.

The base stands at 17 x 18 x 14 inches / 43.2 x 45.7 x 35.6 cm, and comes in either black or white — mine was the latter, and I think it looks a lot more premium than the tackier black colorway. Enclosed in the lid of the base are the 2.74-litre / 96.65oz clean and 1.18-litre / 41.62oz waste water tanks, which lift out easily thanks to the retractable handles, as well as the bagless dirt compartment — I really appreciate that Shark opted for this so there’s one less thing to routinely replace.

(Image credit: Future)

You can remove the container with the press of a button situated on the side of the dock, and it’s also HEPA-filtered. There’s also a set of two filters you’ll need to clean every 1-2 months, depending on how often you use your robot vacuum, and a slot for one of Shark’s anti-odor pucks should dusty smells be an issue for you.

(Image credit: Future)

The vacuum itself is a fairly standard, rounded 2-in-1 robot vacuum, but a little tall and hefty at 5.35 inches / 13.6cm tall. The top houses its raised puck for LiDAR sensing, which works in tandem with the front of the device, where the cameras and other sensors, including a camera as well as LED and UV lights, to navigate your home and spot messes ripe for cleaning.

If you’d rather not use the app, you can use the four touch-sensitive buttons to activate mop and vacuum modes, send the vacuum home and connect to the Wi-Fi. A soft bumper surrounds the edges of the vacuum to prevent damage from any collisions, which are remarkably rare thanks to its top-tier obstacle avoidance, and you can remove its dust bin and mop plate from the rear of the device.

(Image credit: Future)

On the underside, you’ll find the wheels, brush bar, side brush, and a singular, flat mop pad. These aren’t my favorite type — a rondel will typically offer a deeper clean, better post-clean drying and less water waste. However, Shark has designed the robot vacuum to wiggle this mop pad to agitate dirt, which goes some of the ways to make up the difference.

Of note is that the vacuum seems to be a total dust magnet. I have mine placed beneath a desk, where I wouldn’t expect excessive levels of dust — however it’s constantly lined with a thick layer of the stuff.

  • Design: 4/5
Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Performance

Setup for the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal is pretty simple; using the app, you’ll connect the vacuum to your Wi-Fi, give it a name (I loved some of the suggestions like Clean Latifah), and after that, the robot vacuum will run its first mapping pass. Broadly, mine was accurate; my apartment has a slightly tricky layout for robot vacuums, including a half-tiled, half-carpeted kitchen-living room, and lots of doors to dodge.

After this first pass, the app will offer you a second mapping run, this time to detect flooring types. If you plan to regularly mop hard floors and have carpets or rugs to avoid, make sure to get this out of the way during setup; I couldn’t find any way to update this map after the fact.

FutureFutureFutureCleaning tests

I performed my standard pickup tests using oats, cornflour and brown rice to compare performance to other robot vacuums I’ve tested, and the results were a mixed bag. When setting the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal off for a standard, vacuum-only clean, I was immediately impressed as it zig-zagged across my floors, leaving them visibly refreshed — plus, it’s pretty quiet in action.

On hard floors, it excels thanks to a combination of its side brush, solid suction and the jet of air it blasts at hard-to-reach debris, ensuring floors are spick and span post-clean. On carpet, it’s slightly less impressive, especially in the edge cleaning department, but it still does a decent enough job. Its pickup of larger debris was very impressive on carpet, leaving little to nothing behind, but there was a small amount of powdery debris left behind on my medium-pile rugs — hair, however, is no problem, be it human or pet.

(Image credit: Future)

Next up, I tried a regular combination clean with vacuum and mopping, and that’s where my experience with the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal became a bit more mixed. The robot vacuum first fills its water tank at the base, proceeding to concurrently vacuum and mop your floors rather than splitting out the tasks. This helps to save time and battery; however, it does increase the risk of soggy carpets.

To avoid this, the robovac will lift its hind to keep the mop pad from drenching carpets — this reduces its effectiveness on carpets, though, as it crushes the side brush, and sometimes, while navigating, it will spin round and spit water across the floor, too. However, once it reaches hard floors, the results are pretty impressive; the mop pad agitates spills and stains with a back-and-forth scrubbing motion, and will reach into corners to make sure every spot is well-cleaned.

Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal lifting its mop padFutureShark PowerDetect UV Reveal lifting its mop padFuture

It does use a lot of water, though, and especially if you’re cleaning up larger spills, that means the PowerDetect UV Reveal can leave a streaky mess in its wake. I noticed this even more so when there was lots of debris to vacuum up during the clean; the PowerDetect UV Reveal left a clump of soggy oats behind like an owl pellet as well as white streaky marks across the floor, but I wouldn’t typically recommend regularly using your robot vacuum to collect large volume spills anyway. I have especially reflective kitchen tiles, so I noticed this a lot; on my less shiny bathroom tiles, it wasn’t as much of a problem.

Powering up to a higher suction or mopping setting does result in a more thorough cleaning job, especially on carpets, but it’s worth noting that this seems to make the excess water usage more noticeable.

Some smeared oats, milady? I wouldn't advise using the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal, or indeed most robot vacuums that mop and vacuum concurrently, to clear up high volumes of debris. (Image credit: Future)Object detection and navigation

When the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal works, it really works, but I encountered a fair few bugs and limitations that do impact its overall effectiveness — for example, when doing a combination clean, it sometimes skips cleaning certain areas and rooms, or neglects to clean areas I’ve specifically asked it to.

Its LiDAR scanner makes accurate room maps, though they’ll be a bit odd-looking if you have lots of furniture at floor level. That’s unavoidable, to a degree, but I wish it had investigated those areas more closely to find the real edges of the walls; that way if furniture moves around your home, you wouldn’t need to remap.

Its object detection is incredible — perhaps too good, as the robot vacuum avoided my low-hanging (but not floor-length) curtains like the plague, giving wide berth to even the most inconsequential of obstacles. Generally, it’s not too much of a problem, but improved smarts would mean there’s slightly less preparation required pre-clean to ensure your entire floor gets cleaned properly. I was also massively impressed by the ease with which it lifted itself over and cleared thresholds, chair legs, and the like, leading to quicker cleans.

UV detection in action, as well as some rugs the vacuum fought (and defeated)FutureUV detection in action. FutureUV detection

After its standard cleaning cycles, the robovac will return to its base, but the cleaning isn’t over quite yet. It’ll issue an ominous warning once it’s refreshed itself: "I detected stains. I'm heading back out to aggressively attack them."

Here’s where the magic of the PowerDetect UV Reveal is really on show; as it cleans, it flares a blue UV light, with which you can see for yourself the stubborn and sometimes invisible stains on your floor, which it will then return to after a standard cleaning run. It was pretty cringe-inducing to watch it navigate areas I hadn’t cleaned recently and see just how much grime was there.

(Image credit: Future)Dock

After the job’s complete, it’ll return for a final time to the base and begin the mop pad maintenance process quietly in the background with just a low humming noise, washing it with hot water before drying it to reduce contamination. In my testing, the robovac lived up to its estimated 3-hour battery life; a 45-minute clean on standard settings dropped the battery by 25%. A full recharge takes roughly 4 hours, and the vacuum won’t perform new tasks when at less than 20%.

  • Performance: 4/5

The first of these three screenshots shows my completed floor map; as you can see from the very odd shapes, the LiDAR scanner can be quite assumptive with obstacles and won't investigate around the sides to find where the wall truly starts and ends. The second and third screenshots show two seperate occasions where I asked the robot vacuum to clean specific rooms and it elected to clean a completely different one. (Image credit: Future)Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Software and app

The app is quite restrictive when it comes to home and schedule customization; you can only have one map, so multi-floor cleaning isn’t possible, no-go zones are always rectangular and you can only create two schedules per day.

I also noticed that the robot vacuum would often get confused when it initiated a clean, forging straight to the corner of my living room and spinning there for a good few minutes before figuring out its path to the hallway. On closer inspection, this happened most frequently when I sent it to clean somewhere other than its home room; for some reason, it wanted to head straight through my wall instead of around and through the doorway.

I couldn’t find a quiet mode, either, meaning if you ever wanted to use the vacuum at night or when little ones are sleeping, they might awaken to an ominous threat from your robovac.

These issues, among other software quirks, make for the primary complaint I have surrounding the Shark PowerDetect UV reveal; its app and on-board smarts hold back an otherwise high-performance robot vacuum.

  • Software: 2.5/5
Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: SpecsSpecs

Wattage (robot):

65W

Robot diameter:

13.2 inches / 34cm

Robot height:

4 inches / 10.2cm

Cleaning path width:

Not specified

Dock dimensions (H x W x D):

17 x 18 x 14 inches / 43.2 x 45.7 x 35.6 cm

Dock cord:

3.9ft / 1.2m

Weight (robot + dock):

26.9 lbs / 12.21 kg

Should I buy Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal?

Section

Notes

Score

Software and app

There are lots of features I’d expect as standard in a robot vacuum, especially at this list price, that Shark just hasn’t added. That and the litany of odd bugs drop the overall score significantly.

2.5/5

Performance

Great for vacuuming carpets, and while the mop pad is a bit of a hazard, with UV sensing in tow it offers a truly deep clean.

4/5

Design

Neutral, bag-less and easy to maintain, the only thing I could ask for would be a slightly more premium feel in its black colorway. Plus, it’s a dust-magnet.

4.5/5

Value

Given its innovative features and thorough cleaning, it’s sitting pretty at its list price compared to the competition, but loses points for the in-app experience.

4/5

Buy it if…

You value well sanitized floors
With its UV detection, the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal offers peace of mind and broadly great results, especially in the mopping department… if you can handle slow-drying floors.

You have pets
Again, the UV detection comes in clutch here for invisible pet messes, but it’s also a deft hand at hair collection.

You have a large home
With its great battery life and efficiency, the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal is unlikely to run out of juice before finishing the job even in larger homes.

Don’t buy it if…

You have lots of wooden floors or shiny tiles

While it’ll clean these floor types within an inch of their life, the residual water and cleaning solution could warp or damage wooden floors and leave streaky marks on particularly reflective ones.

You have lots of carpet
Don’t get me wrong, this is an accomplished vacuum for carpets, but if you want to do combination cleans, you might end up with a few soggy spots left in its wake.

You want to vacuum multiple floors — or other smart features

I liken the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal to a power washer in the hands of a caveman; it’s only as good as the software allows it to be, and with frustrations like single-floor mapping, ignored instructions and

Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal review: Also consider

Eufy X10 Pro Omni

Another two-in-one robovac with excellent cleaning on all floor types, plus strong mapping and navigation.

Read our full Eufy X10 Pro Omni review

Roborock Qrevo Curv

A robot vacuum and mop that delivers superb suction and great wet floor cleaning. It's the best robovac we've tested to date.

See our full Roborock Qrevo Curv review

How I tested the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal

I tested the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal for two weeks in my home, completing my standardised pickup, edge cleaning and mopping tests in addition to simulating tests for features like UV detection. I used the app, making a map of my home and testing various features like scheduling and room-by-room cleaning tasks, closely observing the vacuum when in use to note any navigation or performance issues during testing.

Categories: Reviews

I tested the Insta360 Luna Ultra for a month — now I can’t go back to single-lens vlogging cameras

TechRadar Reviews - Tue, 06/23/2026 - 10:00
Insta360 Luna Ultra: One-minute review

Despite being Insta360’s first vlogging camera with multiple Insta360 firsts, the Luna Ultra, overall, feels like a polished and bold product. Its triple chipset ably supports powerful features — especially the gimbal-stabilized 8K 30p video with 10-bit color depth and 4K 120p slow motion video recording, Log color profile, autonomous subject tracking autofocus and 32-bit float audio.

With dual 20mm f/1.8 and 60mm f/2.0 lenses, each with its own sensor, you truly are getting two cameras in one. And having enjoyed the Luna's ultra-wide and impressive 3x telephoto versatility for a month, it will be hard for me to go back to a single-lens compact vlogging camera.

The detachable remote module — which features the two-inch OLED touchscreen, main camera controls and built-in microphone — has, understandably, won many admirers. It's such a clever and well-implemented design feature that truly enhances the user experience, especially for solo vlogging.

Here the module has been removed. It has a 20m transmission range and when removed it functions just as if it's attached to the camera (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

Initially I had a few minor niggles navigating various camera settings, and it certainly paid dividends to spend time customizing the Luna Ultra to the way I like to shoot. It's also notably bulkier than DJI's Pocket 4 vlogging cameras, and pricier than single-lens alternatives.

Despite its infancy in this space, Insta360 has to its credit already produced crucial supporting accessories — including tripod and battery grips, plus the Insta360 Mic Pro wireless mic for top quality audio — meaning you can stick within the Insta360 ecosystem and enjoying the best possible user experience and compatibility, including full Bluetooth support.

Yes, DJI has been in the compact vlogging camera space for much longer and has refined its Pocket series with every iteration, but the Luna Ultra enters with a bang and is an impressive alternative.

Two lenses in one device, with an additional zoom — an approach familiar to smartphone users (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Insta360 Luna Ultra: price and release date
  • Full release on June 12 2026
  • Available in black or white with prices starting at $769.99 / £649 / AU$1,229.99
  • Multiple bundles to choose from, including the Creator Bundle

The Titanium Gold version comes with a matching auto lens cap (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

"We're not going to compete on price" is what Insta360's co-founder Max Richter told me at a pre-launch event for the Luna Ultra, the company's first vlogging camera and DJI Osmo Pocket series rival.

And the Luna Ultra is much pricier than previous Pocket cameras. However, those were single-lens models and, like DJI's most recent Pockets, the single-lens Pocket 4 and dual-lens Pocket 4P, the Luna comes in two varieties: the single-lens Pro and the dual-lens Ultra.

Prices for the Ultra start at $769.99 / £649 / AU$1,229.99. That’s a fair whack more than the latest single-lens models, but you are truly getting two cameras in one device.

Insta360 sent me the Creator Bundle to review, which includes multiple extras such as the Mic Pro transmitter and battery grip and costs $969.99 / £829 / AU$1,549.99. I expect the dual-lens Osmo Pocket 4P to cost less than the Luna Ultra, but it won't be available in the US because of the DJI ban.

Both Luna models are available in black or white versions, and in a further variety of bundles that cater for various use cases; Standard, Essential, Endurance, VLOG, POV and Creator.

  • Price score: 4/5
Insta360 Luna Ultra specsInsta360 Luna Ultra Specs:

Type:

Compact video camera

Lenses

20mm f/1.8 and 60mm f/2.0

Sensors:

1-inch and 1/1.3-inch

Video:

8K up to 30p / 4K up to 120p / FHD up to 240p

Photo:

9MP JPEG & RAW / 37MP UltraPhoto mode / panorama

LCD:

2-inch OLED, detachable

Memory:

47GB internal, 1x micro SD (up to 1TB)

Battery

1,550mAh, rated up to 4 hours of 1080p

Dimensions

2.1×6.7×1.5in / 52.4×169.9×38.5mm

Weight:

8.2 oz / 233g (black)
8.3oz / 235g (white)

Insta360 Luna Ultra: design
  • First compact vlogging camera to land with dual lenses, ahead of the Pocket 4P
  • Similar design cues to the DJI Pocket series (but a little larger), with stick-like form factor and camera supported by a three-axis gimbal
  • Unique detachable controller which includes a two-inch OLED screen and built-in mic
The chunky protective caseFuture / Tim ColemanThe wind guard attached to camera's mic pickupsFuture / Tim ColemanThe dual-lenses tuck away vertically when the camera is turned off.Future / Tim ColemanOne way to power up the camera is rotating the screen, but there's also a power buttonFuture / Tim ColemanHorizontal video is available in 8K, 4K and 1080pFuture / Tim ColemanThe profile of the camera — the lowest part is pronounced to accommodate the detachable moduleFuture / Tim ColemanOn the right side is a micro SD card slot, behind a fiddly rubber coverFuture / Tim Coleman

The Luna Ultra’s form factor is familiar — it's a bit like the compact, stick-like design of DJI’s Pocket series. DJI isn’t happy about it, by the way; it has filed a lawsuit accusing Insta360 of patent violations (which Insta360 has responded to with a countersuit).

However, there are some key design differences. Lunas are slightly larger than Pocket models. Not majorly so, but the difference is clear when you hold them side by side as I did (albeit the dual-lens Ultra alongside the single-lens Pocket 4).

In practice, I didn’t really feel that the Luna’s extra weight and size negatively affected its handling — it’s easy in the hand for on-the-go vlogging. If you want the absolute smallest option, however, DJI is your best best. Even the dual-lens Pocket 4P is smaller.

There’s a good reason why the Luna cameras are bigger, and that’s for a super clever and unique feature: a detachable remote control, which is a module that packs the camera's main controls and rotatable two-inch OLED screen. Simply squeeze the red buttons on either side of the Luna, and the module pulls away from the body.

Future / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim Coleman

The module has a 20m transmission range and operates exactly the same way as if it’s on the camera, with the touch display offering a remote view, and the main camera controls on hand, including gimbal, zoom and record. Transmission range is impacted by the surroundings — I found the feed froze inside 15 meters when other people passed in front of me in a busy urban space — but I could see it happening on the screen in my hand and could rectify the situation.

What’s really neat is that the module has a built-in microphone, so you can easily check your frame and present to the camera. It’s certainly better than using the on-camera mic, though a wireless mic such as Insta360’s own Mic Pro with its customizable E Ink display is an even better pick for audiophiles. The camera has direct Bluetooth support for this mic and Insta360’s Mic Air. The video below gives an idea of what the module is like to use remotely.

I really appreciated how much easier it was to frame my shots with the controller module in hand. There’s also smart subject tracking and autofocus (more on this in the performance section), meaning the camera can track you as you move around, within the gimbal’s range, keeping you or your subject centered in the frame. Controlling the Luna using the module and tracking is like having your own cameraperson filming you, provided you can find a secure surface to rest the camera on or a support to fix it to.

On that note, the Luna Ultra can stand freely on flat surfaces, while the battery grip, which extends battery life plus the physical height of the camera, features tiny flip-out tripod feet for extra stability.

The battery grip is larger than the regular tripod grip and extends the battery life of the camera, which was already impressive being rated at up to four hours of 1080p filming. Not bad for a 1,550mAh unit that can be recharged to 80% in just 23 minutes.

At first I had a few niggles with the handling of the Luna Ultra from how it comes straight from the box. Beyond finding it physically clunkier than the Pocket 4, I needed to change various settings to taste, such as its behavior when rotating the two-inch touchscreen.

Overall, however, I can't find much fault with the Luna Ultra's design, which is seriously impressive for a first generation product.

  • Design score: 4.5/5
Insta360 Luna Ultra: Performance
  • Triple chipset, with 4nm and AI chips ensures smooth operation
  • Smart subject tracking and autofocus, but it's not perfect
  • Can get a little warm when using the most powerful features

The Luna Ultra is equipped with a triple chipset, comprising powerful 4nm and AI chips. As such, I never really experienced any performance issues, even shooting a lot of 8K video (though never for more than 10 minutes at a time).

The camera does get a little warm when using power-hungry features such as 8K video, and I did see a lag when switching from the 12x zoom back to 1x using the stepped zoom control on the touchscreen. However, those were my only issues.

In addition to regular 8K video, the Luna Ultra has a range of shooting modes, including; Slow Motion up to 240fps (in Full HD), Timelapse, TimeShift and Barrel Roll. I've included some slow motion clips in a sample video below.

Both Luna cameras accept a micro SD card up to 1TB, and include 47GB internal storage — less than DJI’s Osmo Pocket 4 / 4P, which have more than double the capacity. I shot plenty of video clips and photos directly onto the internal memory, and still had plenty of space left over — the maximum 120Mbps bitrates of video files are fairly low and don't take up too much memory.

And there’s plenty more for audiophiles, namely a decent wind guard for the camera’s internal four-mic array, plus 32-bit float audio. This pro-level setting avoids clipping, and is ideal for unpredictable and noisy environments, but for simpler audio edits, the 24-bit setting is probably your best bet.

The quality of the detachable module's built-in mic impressed me, though for the clearest pickup it's pretty fussy about how close you hold it and the angle it's pointed in.

Subject tracking is impressively sticky, though I did find that it switches to a new subject a little more easily than the DJI Pocket 4. In one situation, I was walking with the camera tracking me when other people came between me and the camera and tracking stopped.

In another scenario as I held a product up to the camera for it to focus on, the camera focused back on my face in the background all too keenly when I came back into view. In such a scenario, I think DJI's tracking performs better.

  • Performance score: 4.5/5
Insta360 Luna Ultra: Image and video quality
  • Dual 20mm f/1.8 (1-inch sensor) and 60mm f/2.0 (1/1.3-inch sensor) cameras are effectively like having a decent zoom
  • 8K 30p and 4K 120p video with color grading-friendly I-Log profile — a first for Insta360
  • 9MP photos are decent enough, especially in RAW format, and can be upped to 37MP in UltraPhoto mode

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

The Luna Ultra ups the ante in this camera category with 8K video — double the resolution of the Osmo Pocket 4, which shoots in 4K. It’ll shoot 8K up to 30fps, complete with Dolby Vision (aka HDR) and I-Log color profile.

This is the first Insta360 camera with Log, a flat color profile that pros like to use to maximize the color grading potential and for the most dynamic range possible from their camera, which in this case is up to 14 stops.

DJI has billed the Pocket 4P as having 17 stops dynamic range with its new D-Log2 profile — I look forward to comparing the footage of both cameras to see which is better once I have my hands on the Pocket. 4P.

Insta360 thinks its night mode is superior to DJI, with its PureVideo mode boosting dynamic range in 4K 60p videos. That’s another comparison test I’m looking forward to conducting. From the shots I've taken at night in this mode, detail looks impressively sharp, though of course no match for the quality of daytime footage.

Insta360’s Leica partnership goes beyond the Luna’s Leica-branded lenses and into various Leica color profiles. If you like the simplicity of attractive color profiles with no need for color correction, then the Luna has some great alternatives to Log.

I was impressed with the 3x telephoto camera — provided the subject isn't too far away, it's possible to throw depth of field for punchy portraits. I'm talking upper body shots with notable shallow depth of field.

The zoom of that lens can be further extended with a 6x 'lossless' zoom, a term that suggests you shouldn't notice a drop in image quality — I certainly didn't. I can't say the same for the 12x digital zoom setting, which looks a little more pixelated on close inspection. Still, that 12x zoom is a handy addition should you really need to zoom closer.

Honestly, having enjoyed the variety of two lenses in such a small camera, and how impressive the quality of the telephoto camera is (the sensor is bigger than the main sensor in most smartphones), I know I'll struggle if I have to go back to a single-lens compact vlogging camera.

Video is, of course, the primary use for the Luna Ultra, but it shoots decent-quality 9MP photos too, in JPEG and RAW format, albeit with just eight-bit color depth. I've included a couple of scenarios below, taking JPEG and RAW (DNG format) photos simultaneously at night and in daylight, with the 1x and 3x lenses.

I haven't edited the RAWs so you can see the kind of processing that takes place for JPEGs. All the photos are 9MP, but there is also an UltraPhoto mode which quadruples resolution to 37MP.

Insta360 Luna Ultra photo galleryAn unedited RAW DNG file. Note the vignetting (dark corners) and muted colorsFuture / Tim ColemanThe standard color profile, JPEG format. This gives an idea of the kind of camera corrections that take place during JPEG processingFuture / Tim ColemanAnother example. Interestingly, the RAW files use a lower ISO value than JPEGs when shooting. in RAW+JPEG simultaneously. Future / Tim ColemanThe previous RAW image was ISO 180, this JPEG is ISO 360. All of the four dragon photo were taken with the 1x ultra-wide camera.Future / Tim ColemanAgain, a RAW file. There's more detail in this photo than the corresponding JPEG, and I haven't even played with exposure corrections or shadow / highlight recoveryFuture / Tim ColemanI tried the 'Fresh' color profile here, which is bright and airy. The intensity for any color profile can be adjustedFuture / Tim ColemanThe RAW DNG format again and, like the previous portraits, taken with the 3x telephoto camera.Future / Tim ColemanThe corresponding JPEG to the previous imageFuture / Tim Coleman
  • Image and video quality score: 5/5
Insta360 Luna Ultra: testing scorecardInsta360 Luna Ultra

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Price

Considering you get two cameras in one, a detachable touchscreen module and high-end video features, the Luna Ultra is decent value, but it does cost a lot more than single-lens alternatives and DJI almost always costs less

4/5

Design

Slightly clunkier than the rival Osmo Pocket 4 / 4P, but the detachable control is well implemented and seriously useful

4.5/5

Performance

Triple chipset ably supports high-end features, subject tracking works well and gimbal performance is decent

4.5/5

Image and video quality

Twin camera versatility for different shots, sharp 8K footage, I Log and Leica color profiles. You'll struggle to find better image quality in this camera format, though I haven't directly compared footage with the Osmo Pocket 4P yet

5/5

Should I buy the Insta360 Luna Ultra?Buy it if...

You want a versatile compact vlogging camera
Dual lenses are a revelation for this camera format. You're no longer restricted to ultra-wide shots, but dynamic portraiture and b-roll details are entirely possible.

You're a solo vlogger
The detachable remote with two-inch touchscreen, camera controls and built-in mic aid solo vlogging, in terms of the range of shots you can easily get, especially with subject tracking on board.

Don't buy it if...

You want the smallest possible vlogging camera
The Luna Ultra is clunkier than the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 / 4P. Not hugely so, but DJI's cameras are even more pocketable.

You don't need two lenses
For me, having used the Luna Ultra, it's now hard to go back to a single-lens compact vlogging camera, but if you don't need that second telephoto camera, the single-lens Pocket 4 / Luna Pro alternatives cost much less.

Insta360 Luna Ultra: also consider

DJI Osmo Pocket 4 / 4P

At the time of writing, I've only reviewed the single-lens DJI Osmo Pocket 4 which isn't a fair comparison especially with the dual-lens Pocket 4P on the horizon and the direct rival to the Luna Ultra. However, if you'd like to know how the cameras compare, check out my Luna Ultra vs Pocket 4 article.

Read our in-depth DJI Osmo Pocket 4 review

Fujifilm X-M5

If we're going on price, there beginner mirrorless cameras enter the picture, and for me the Fujifilm X-M5 is the best-equipped hybrid for the money. It has a bigger APS-C sensor, shoots 6K video recording (with Full HD vertical vlogging mode) and 26MP photos and it's a stunning camera. The drawback is that there's no in-body stabilization, so you'll probably want an additional gimbal to smooth out on-the-go clips.

Read our in-depth Fujifilm X-M5 review

How I tested the Insta360 Luna UltraFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim Coleman
  • Insta360 supplied me with the Luna Ultra Creator Bundle, which includes 2x grips, Mic Pro transmitter, soft carry case and more
  • I tested the camera regularly for a month shooting day and night, mainly focusing on video content. I've tried the monitor in various configurations
  • I was testing the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 simultaneously, and could draw comparisons

I had early access to the Luna Ultra Creator Bundle ahead of its launch, and tested the kit out over the following weeks before writing this review. During this review period, I also had the single-lens DJI Osmo Pocket 4, meaning I was able to make comparisons.

The camera shoots decent still photos with RAW format editing flexibility, but my main focus video performance. I've shot horizontal and vertical vlogging-style videos in the various resolutions and frame rates available in each format, and experimented with various color profiles.

I've made sure to try out all of the accessories supplied to me and the various configurations of the detachable monitor. I've checked the camera and detachable monitor's audio quality, and how easily and reliable it pairs with an Insta360 Mic Pro wireless mic.

Categories: Reviews

Cloudzy review 2026

TechRadar Reviews - Tue, 06/23/2026 - 05:25

Cloudzy isn’t your run-of-the-mill web hosting provider. It specializes in cloud infrastructure and fairly bare-bones Virtual Private Server (VPS) plans. That means you get reasonably priced access to excellent hardware and resources, provided you have the technical skills to handle them.

The good news is that many things can be pre-configured, and you have a broad choice of options in everything from the choice of operating system (OS) to web apps. We’re not just talking about WordPress, but also advanced options like Forex platforms.

You also have an excellent range of server location options, though perhaps not as comprehensive as Google Cloud or AWS, which are on a different pricing tier altogether. What we didn’t like, though, was the discounts Cloudzy offers based on your location choice, which we felt was a bit unfair to customers who might require specific regions for efficiency and localization.

Be warned, though - Cloudzy is not really aimed at casual users building their first website. While you can technically host anything here, the core audience appears to be users who need virtual servers for web apps, trading bots, VPN setups, and the like.

Plans and pricing

(Image credit: Cloudzy)

Cloudzy primarily focuses on VPS hosting rather than traditional shared hosting packages. At the bottom of its offerings are Cloud VPS plans similar to those offered by hosts like DigitalOcean, Linode, and VULTR.

(Image credit: Cloudzy)

At Cloudzy, though, you get a broader range of pre-deployment options. For example, you can decide to go with a pure OS-only deployment, or get your server started with a full LAMP-stack supported web app, or almost anything else.

Cloud VPS plans start at 1 vCPU with 512MB RAM, 20GB of NVMe storage, and 1TB bandwidth/mo. This scales up to a whopping 16 vCPU, 64GB RAM, 1.5TB NVMe storage, and 16TB of bandwidth for $199.97/mo.

While there is no additional charge for pre-deployment options, your final price may be adjusted depending on server location. It’s likely that Cloudzy does this to help balance their location loads, but it’s unfortunate for customers who may be penalized because of their requirements for where their servers are located.

Aside from Cloud VPS, Cloudzy also offers more specialized solutions like high-performance GPUs, GPU-optimized servers, AI servers, and dedicated servers. Again, all of these options are fairly technical, especially their dedicated bare-metal servers.

Ease of use

(Image credit: Cloudzy)

The Cloudzy dashboard is a straightforward way to manage your servers. However, it’s more practical than informational. You can use it to deploy, rebuild, or configure instances. Server monitoring isn’t in the cards, though, and you’ll have to deploy any of those solutions on your individual servers if you need them.

When we initially discussed the pre-deployment option, it might have been misconstrued as saying Cloudzy is easy to use. That isn’t really the case. Once the deployment is made, you’ll still have to manage the stack on your own. For example, you have to keep your server OS and applications up to date and security-hardened, not just manage your web app.

This is typically done via SSH into the server (root access is provided). If you know what you’re doing, it’s easy-peasy. If not, you’re probably going to face an oncoming disaster.

Again, we don’t recommend Cloudzy as a first hosting provider for someone completely unfamiliar with VPS environments. If you’re looking for a first entry to the Cloud, try something with more management features like Cloudways. That, however, will cost a bit more, so be mentally prepared.

Speed and reliability

Cloud providers are always thought to be all-powerful, but keep in mind that much of it still depends on the hardware and configuration. For example, on the surface, Cloudzy offers some pretty good standard cloud VPS plans. However, the processing power on these compared to their high-performance options is very different. For example, the 2GB standard cloud VPS plan we tested includes a 2.25GHz AMD processor, while a comparable high-performance plan includes 4.2GHz processors.

The biggest surprise, though, is that Cloudzy is using AMD Ryzen 9 processors for their Cloud VPS plans. Servers typically run AMD EPYC chips, which are the dedicated server versions commonly used in web hosting. The Ryzen family is intended more for regular consumers or enthusiasts.

It’s possible that this led to the slightly disappointing test results below.

WordPress benchmark test

The standard WordPress benchmark test was run on our prebuilt WordPress site to maintain consistency. Results at Cloudzy were a letdown, with initial results showing worse performance than some budget shared hosting alternatives we’ve seen.

Siege test

On our load test, Cloudzy performed like a champ, acing results with increasing loads of 5, 9, and 15 concurrent users. It ran rock-solid and completed all transactions quickly. If we were to use this as a comparative factor against the easier benchmark test, Siege results should take priority as a more realistic indicator.

Customer support

Cloudzy offers customer support via tickets (for existing customers), a knowledge base, and, more interestingly, WhatsApp. Don’t be fooled by the WhatsApp chat support option, though. You don’t get an instant response.

Their knowledge base is also quite Spartan, with only 73 guides available. These articles are very straightforward and relatively technical, so you may have to know what you’re doing just to follow the language. It can be a challenge, but those are the preconditions for this type of hosting anyway.

Overall, the vibe you get from customer support is very corporate. We felt a notable disappointment here, especially coming off our recent Freehostia review. That was a free hosting plan, yet it came with near-instant customer support that was both polite and effective.

The competition

DigitalOcean is one of the most popular cloud infrastructure providers for developers and startups, and is similar in product offerings to Cloudzy. Compared to Cloudzy, DigitalOcean has a more mature ecosystem and a more professional customer dashboard. However, Cloudzy may appeal more to users looking for simpler pricing and lower-cost VPS deployments.

Linode has built a strong reputation among developers for reliability and straightforward cloud hosting services. Compared to Cloudzy, Linode offers more enterprise-level polish and documentation, though pricing can sometimes be higher for equivalent resources.

For those who want a fully hands-off approach, Hostinger is a beginner-friendly choice. Although primarily cheap for shared hosting, you can also get VPS hosting and other plans. Hosting is priced aggressively and offers strong localization expertise for ideal customer support.

Final verdict

To be honest, Cloudzy is a fairly run-of-the-mill cloud hosting provider. We don’t feel that it excels in any particular area, even though the host itself seems professional enough. What really turned us off was their slow customer support, even for sales queries.

Performance-wise, Cloudzy runs fine, even with Ryzen chips instead of enterprise-grade EPYC chips. It’s just that the choice left us feeling disappointed that they would cut corners in that way. We recommend considering one of the many cloud alternatives if you’re in the market for a budget, hands-on hosting plan.

Categories: Reviews

Gigabyte is back with a bang with this 32-inch QD-OLED monitor

TechRadar Reviews - Tue, 06/23/2026 - 00:02
Gigabyte MO32U24: Two-Minute Review

Gigabyte’s gaming monitors have been hit and miss lately, but I had high hopes for the 32-inch, 4K, 240Hz MO32U24, which uses a 4th-generation QD-OLED panel and has a new, HDR-boosting feature called HyperNits.

Is this the one?

Like Gigabyte’s other non-Aorus-branded gaming monitors, the MO32U24 has a sober design that eschews RGB and geometric flourishes for a basic-looking stem and stand. That’s no bad thing, as many buyers will want a monitor that suits gaming, multimedia and work.

It’s easy to assemble (one clip and a thumbscrew), there’s a generous amount of adjustment in every direction and the small-footprint stand will suit competitive gamers who sit right up close to the screen.

(Image credit: Future)

QD-OLED screens banished spidery text a generation ago and this fourth-gen version is no different. Even fine fonts look sharp and the UHD resolution means you can comfortably work with four windows or large spreadsheets all day without straining your eyes.

The screen also uses Gigabyte’s ObsidianShield coating, which ‘boosts true-black performance’ and improves scratch resistance. It has a semi-gloss finish and does an impressive job of reducing reflections.

However, I was particularly interested to see how the HyperNits brightness enhancement affected the 1,000-nit HDR performance. Gigabyte says it “intelligently enhances overall brightness… while preserving highlight details.” In reality, it makes the MO32U24’s excellent HDR a bit better.

While some details still get lost in large, bright areas, an impressive amount of detail simultaneously remains visible in highlights and shadows: bright lights (fire, lightning, candles, windows and torches) shine piercingly out of true-black backgrounds without blowing out.

This noticeably improves multimedia immersion (especially in open-world games). I also liked that I could leave it activated when working without going blind.

Meanwhile, colors are bright and saturated and transitions are smooth and noise-free. The 240Hz refresh rate and the rapid 0.03ms pixel response banish blurriness around rapidly moving objects and only god-tier pro-FPS players might complain. G-Sync prevents image tearing.

(Image credit: Future)

Gigabyte’s OSD is intuitive, responsive and all the usual presets and gaming features are easily accessed via a joystick button. Gigabyte’s Game Assist features include an on-screen timer and refresh rate display, on-screen crosshairs, a sniper-zoom box, green-screen night vision and flash dimming. Some are useful, but others feel gimmicky.

Potentially of more interest to FPS players is the customizable Tactical Switch button, which drops the display area to 24 or 27 inches, sets the resolution to 1440p, Full HD or HD and/or changes the aspect ratio to 4:3 or 5:4.

Beyond that, there are considerable automated OLED care options that don’t get in your way, a full set of ports (including a two-port USB hub) and two 5-watt speakers, which provide useful audio for day-to-day multimedia use (but have very little bass).

In more recent years, Asus has dominated in this space, but no longer. It has a few quirks, but the Gigabyte MO32U24 has the chops where it matters.

Gigabyte MO32U24: Price & availability
  • How much does it cost? $1,000 / £800 / AU$1,499
  • When is it available? The Gigabyte MO32U24 is out now
  • Where can you get it? It’s available in the US, UK, Australia and other regions

The Gigabyte MO32U24 is available now in most regions. It’s a premium model, so it’s not cheap. Furthermore, the global price spread is quite wide and it sits in a crowded segment where prices for rivals and previous-gen models are changing frequently (and significantly) in sales.

This means the value proposition is hard to pin down. Nonetheless, you do get a lot of gaming monitor for your money and it’s currently one of the very best on the market.

  • Value: 4 / 5
Gigabyte MO32U24: SpecsGigabyte MO32U24 specifications

Screen size

31.5-inch

Aspect ratio

16:9

Resolution

3840 x 2160 (UHD)

Brightness

300 cd/m² typical SDR at 100% APL; 1000 cd/m² typical HDR at 3% APL

Refresh rate

240Hz

Response time

0.03ms GTG

Viewing angle

178°(H)/178°(V)

Contrast ratio

1.5M:1

Color coverage

99% DCI-P3

Inputs

2x full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB-C with DisplayPort Alt Mode, upstream and up to 18W power delivery, 2x USB 3.2 downstream, 1x USB 3.2 upstream, 1x earphone jack

Dimensions

71.9 x 61.0 x 24.0cm with stand (28.3 x 24.0 x 9.4in); 71.8 x 41.8 x 6.5cm without stand (28.3 x 16.5 x 2.6in)

Weight

7.95kg with stand (17.5lb); 6.00kg without stand (13.2lb)

Gigabyte MO32U24: Design
  • Utilitarian design with small base footprint
  • Responsive and intuitive OSD controls
  • Generous amount of tilt, swivel, pivot and height adjustment

Some gaming monitors have over-designed, spiky stands that take up more space than is necessary on your desk in order to make a statement — often with RGB lighting to hammer home the point.

The Gigabyte MO32U24 is more sober (unlike siblings from its Aorus sub-brand) in that its no-nonsense stem, base and bezel are relatively plain-Jane in their appearance, but are arguably better for it.

The stem easily clips onto the screen and the small-footprint base attaches to it via a single thumbscrew. You’re left with a solid stand that doesn’t wobble unless you shake the whole desk.

The whole monitor doesn’t look flashy, which will suit those who want to use it for office work in an office environment. However, esports players can still sit right up close to it with their keyboards.

(Image credit: Future)

I’m not quite sure what happened to the Gigabyte Control Center app. It used to be very good at adjusting all your monitor settings from the Windows desktop.

The latest version is barely functional, so you need to access settings using the joystick button at the base. Mercifully, it's intuitive and responsive and you can set up multiple (one- or two-click) shortcuts to your most commonly used features.

To its left is the off switch. To the right is the ‘Tactical Switch’ which can instantly change the display size, resolution and aspect ratio to suit esports players or activate one of the monitor’s other Game Assist features.

Those Game Assist features include multiple styles of on-screen crosshair that can be moved around the screen. These are particularly useful for games like Hardcore CoD (even though it feels like it’s close to cheating).

There’s an Eagle Eye zoom ‘sniper’ box which can magnify an area of the screen (it’s adjustable but sits in the middle by default). I’d say this really was cheating if I found it usable in any way whatsoever, but my testing found it to be little more than annoying.

There’s also Night Vision mode which changes the whole display to ‘night vision green’ for people who want to pretend they’re in real-life special forces, or something.

Flash dimming is provided to stop virtual flash-bangs combining with the high, peak brightness and burning your retinas. Not everything is available when HDR is selected, though.

You can also use Game Assist to simply show a Timer, Counter or Refresh Rate (and move this information around the screen).

(Image credit: Future)

The Resolution Settings can drop the screen to 27 or 24 inches to suit FPS players who sit right up close. The available resolutions range from 1440p to 1024 x 768, with aspect ratios ranging from 16:9 through 5:4 to 4:3.

Other gaming adjustments include numerous image presets that are all adjustable. There's also AI Black Equalizer, which flattens contrast to stop enemies hiding in shadows and highlights. There are also VRR and Anti-Flicker modes to smooth out motion for console players. The monitor also supports G-Sync and FreeSync Premium Pro to prevent image tearing.

Other features include Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture, which can make use of all four inputs (2x HDMI, DP and USB-C) plus KVM settings that let you use the same peripherals on multiple connected devices.

Also included is an extensive collection of OLED Care options that are mostly automatic and unobtrusive. You can easily check on the screen’s status, manually activate pixel cleaning cycles and select settings that automatically dim logos and static images.

Ultimately, there’s nothing notable missing and even the most demanding tinkerers should be able to easily find display settings to suit their needs.

  • Design: 5 / 5
Gigabyte MO32U24: Performance
  • Outstanding HDR performance
  • Fine text and low-reflection coating make it great for work
  • Bright, vibrant colors and contrast boost game immersion
  • Fast refresh rate and pixel response time suit FPS players

The Gigabyte MO32U24 has so many settings that every type of user should be able to quickly find a combination (by choosing a single preset or manually adjusting multiple settings) that suits their needs, whether they’re gaming or working.

Office workers will warm to sharply rendered fine fonts, a low-reflection, semi-gloss coating and a resolution that affords comfortable work with four windows at once.

(Image credit: Future)

When it comes to multimedia, the semi-gloss screen reduces reflections without dulling the impact of the panel’s bright colors, true blacks and outstanding contrast like a matte screen would.

Its HDR performance, which is augmented with Gigabyte’s ObsidianShield coating and HyperNits brightness enhancement, is outstanding as it can simultaneously display details in very bright and very dark scenes at once. While some details can get lost in particularly large, bright areas, it's rarely a problem.

Top tip — I recommend using the Windows HDR Calibration tool (in the Microsoft Store) to set it up, but I also recommend not following its instructions entirely — don’t make the black and white boxes disappear into each other — you’ll get a much better image if you leave the two reference images visible.

The 240Hz refresh rate and fast QD-OLED pixel response time ensure that rapidly moving objects are rendered nearly pin-sharp. I’ve seen even better performance on even faster screens, but those rarely offer the all-around graphical attributes that are also available on the MO32U24.

I never expect much from built-in monitor speakers and the two 5-watt speakers didn’t challenge this view. It’s handy to have them for casual social-media video watching but don’t expect great musical fidelity or punchy bass.

  • Performance: 5 / 5
Should you buy the Gigabyte MO32U24?Gigabyte MO32U24 scorecard

Value

Expensive but worth it.

4 / 5

Design

Utilitarian, intuitive, useful but not flashy.

5 / 5

Performance

Sublime HDR image quality. Fast for FPS players. Great for office work too.

5 / 5

Final score

One of the very best all-around monitors on the market.

5 / 5

Buy the Gigabyte MO32U24 if...

You want a monitor for work and play

The Gigabyte MO32U24’s fine resolution and low-reflection coating can make you more productive when working. Its HDR graphical capabilities improve game immersion and its speed can satisfy competitive FPS gamers.

You want a premium gaming monitor that doesn’t cost the earth

It’s not cheap, but the Gigabyte MO32U24 costs less than many flashier S-tier rivals while matching (and even beating) them for performance.

Don't buy it if...

You don’t have much money

The Gigabyte MO32U24 offers the best of everything, but you can buy functional monitors that suit specific needs for far less money.

You want a flashy gaming monitor that makes a statement

If you want a spiky gaming monitor that’s dripping in RGB and looks great in Instagram pictures of your battle station, this isn’t the gaming monitor for you.

Also consider

LG UltraGear GX9

LG’s UltraGear GX9 has a larger, curved panel that offers potentially greater gaming and productivity benefits. But it costs much, much more.

Read our LG UltraGear GX9 review

MSI MPG 322UR QD-OLED X24

MSI’s rival uses the same panel and offers similar performance and features. It costs a bit more on paper, but it could be significantly cheaper when on sale.

Read our MSI MPG 322UR QD-OLED X24 review

Are you after something else? Check out our guide to the best monitors.

Categories: Reviews

The BenQ MA270S breaks Apple’s monitor monopoly

TechRadar Reviews - Mon, 06/22/2026 - 23:45
BenQ MA270S: Two-Minute Review

With Microsoft seemingly intent on turning Windows into malware, Macs are increasingly appealing. But while the Apple tax is increasingly diminishing in the consumer laptop space, it’s rife when it comes to compatible monitors.

PC-focused alternatives have different colors, pixel densities and features that rarely play well with Macs, meaning users frequently fight losing battles matching what they see on their MacBook screen with a third-party monitor. But BenQ has taken note.

There are several models in BenQ’s new specialist Mac range. Most have 4K resolutions, are 27 or 32 inches in size, have 60Hz refresh rates and offer glossy or matte finishes.

There are two outliers: the 120Hz MA320UG and this, the glossy, 5K-resolution MA270S.

(Image credit: Future)

Setup is simple, with the clip-on stem affixing to the base with a single thumbscrew. There’s a generous amount of adjustment (including 150mm (5.9in) height and 90° bi-directional pivot) which, unlike Apple, BenQ doesn’t charge extra for.

There’s also an unApple-like plethora of ports including two HDMI, two Thunderbolt 4 and four USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (two USB-C and two USB-A), with up to 96 watts of USB-C power delivery — so one cable can connect and charge a laptop.

The USB-A ports also offer 7.5W charging. They also facilitate KVM functionality to connect multiple devices. Apple’s monitors don’t.

Once connected, BenQ’s factory-calibrated screen instantly resembled the display of the MacBook sitting next to it. Like Apple’s own monitors, the MA270S has a native 5K resolution of 5120 x 2880, giving it a much higher pixel density (218 PPI) than 27-inch, 1440p PC equivalents (~109 PPI).

By default, macOS scales the interface to look like 2560 x 1440, which keeps text crisp without making everything tiny.

(Image credit: Future)

The IPS screen is very impressive with near-OLED levels of color saturation and LED-backlight-derived (almost completely) true blacks. Multimedia looks good at default settings (vibrant colors, respectable contrast and minimal noise in gradients), but turning on HDR significantly improves everything: more details simultaneously show up in shadows and highlights and all transitions become smooth.

The brightest highlights can blow out (with no easy fix), though, and note that the glossy coating can turn into a black mirror when displaying dark content.

A common curse of Retina displays is their sluggish speeds and the MA270S is no different. The slow, 5ms response time marries with a 60Hz refresh rate (it actually goes up to a Spinal Tap-esque 70Hz) to smear fast-moving objects across the screen, so forget about eye-friendly, fast-and-frantic gaming.

There’s no integrated webcam, but the two 3-watt speakers (surprisingly for a monitor) have well-rounded fidelity and sound good, despite not getting loud.

Despite having a joystick button, most advanced image settings are controlled by BenQ’s impressive DisplayPilot 2 app. The customizable options can easily swap between color modes and toggle settings like Low Blue Light.

Its FocuSync settings match Mac Focus adjustments and enable you to change core monitor settings using Mac settings. You can also auto-sync different color modes with different applications.

(Image credit: Future)BenQ MA270S: Price & availability
  • How much does it cost? $900 / £1,000 / AU$1,699
  • When is it available? It’s out now
  • Where can you get it? It’s available in the US, UK, Australia and other regions

While it’s not a cheap monitor, the BenQ MA270S is significantly cheaper than Apple’s own Studio displays and, therefore, serves as a much-needed, more affordable, third-party alternative in a monopoly market.

  • Value: 4 / 5
BenQ MA270S: SpecsBenQ MA270S specifications

Screen size

27-inch

Aspect ratio

16:9

Resolution

5120 x 2880 (5K)

Brightness

450 cd/m² typical

Refresh rate

70Hz

Response time

5ms GTG

Viewing angle

178°(H)/178°(V)

Contrast ratio

2,000:1

Color coverage

99% sRGB, 99% P3

Inputs

2x HDMI 2.1, 1x Thunderbolt 4 (96W PD), 1x Thunderbolt 4 out (15W PD), 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (35W PD), 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (15W PD), 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 (7.5W charging), headphone jack

Dimensions

43.0-58.0 x 61.4 x 22.0cm with stand (16.9-22.8 x 24.2 x 8.7in); 36.8 x 61.4 x 7.6cm without stand (14.5 x 24.2 x 3.0in)

Weight

8.64kg with stand (19.1lb); 5.7kg without stand (12.6lb)

BenQ MA270S: Design
  • Simple, adjustable, three-part stand
  • Impressive number of ports
  • No built-in webcam

Apple users have always been an aesthetically appreciative bunch, and so they’ll warm to the color scheme of the BenQ MA270S, which apes that of a standard silver MacBook.

The stand is simple to assemble and offers a generous amount of movement in every direction. It's remarkable that Apple charges more for a feature like this — it’s standard on many PC displays.

The multiple ports (which offer different degrees of charging power) mean multiple devices can be simultaneously connected. Furthermore, a single keyboard and mouse can be shared across them using KVM functionality — unholy magic in the eyes of some Apple users.

FutureFutureFuture

The joystick button at the base of the screen only provides access to brightness, volume and input selections. To access more comprehensive settings, you’ll need the BenQ DisplayPilot 2 app and the OSD handily provides a QR code to locate it on BenQ’s own website (it’s not in the App Store).

It provides access to basic brightness settings, eye comfort and HDR, but also FocuSync settings on your Mac.

Another feature is the rubberized pad on the base of the stand. It provides slightly superior softness and friction compared to the plastic stand, so you may be more tempted to rest your phone on it.

(Image credit: Future)

The only element that some users might miss is a built-in webcam. Apple’s own monitors have them, but purchasers of the BenQ MA270S will have to buy a separate unit or use the one in their MacBook.

  • Design: 4 / 5
BenQ MA270S: Performance
  • Bright, sharp, Retina display
  • Glossy finish that can become reflective
  • Slow response time and refresh rate

The best thing you can say about the BenQ MA270S is that it just works. Just connecting it to your MacBook provides you with a matching image of your MacBook’s screen without having to fiddle with countless settings.

The screen displays very sharp text, colors are very bright and vibrant, and contrast is generally impressive. However, bright areas and highlights can blow out rather easily when HDR is engaged.

The big drawback is that the 70Hz refresh rate is nowhere near enough to stop the sluggish 5ms pixel response time from smearing most moving objects across the screen. As such, it’s not good for gaming.

(Image credit: Future)

Unusually for a monitor, the two 3-watt speakers offer well-rounded fidelity with a modicum of bass. They don’t get particularly loud, though.

  • Performance: 4 / 5
Should you buy the BenQ MA270S?BenQ MA270S scorecard

Value

In terms of monitors, it’s not cheap. In terms of Apple monitors, it represents extraordinary value.

4 / 5

Design

The MA270S looks and feels like it belongs in Apple’s world — and that’s hard to achieve for third parties.

4 / 5

Performance

The colors, brightness, sharpness and contrast are everything we’d expect from an Apple monitor. Unfortunately, the sluggish speed is too.

4 / 5

Final score

At last, MacBook users can afford a compatible external monitor without breaking the bank.

4 / 5

Buy the BenQ MA270S if...

Apple’s homegrown alternatives are unaffordable

While the Apple tax isn’t what it once was, it still exists in monitor land. BenQ has provided some much-needed third-party competition.

You want multiple ports

Apple loves the simplicity of USB-C ports, but the real world often requires more, and BenQ provides them.

Don't buy it if...

You need a built-in webcam

It’s the one glaring omission. It’s worth highlighting its absence, as some long-time Apple buyers would simply expect it to be there.

You want it to play games

The 5ms pixel response time and 70Hz refresh rate make it one of the slowest monitors on the market.

(Image credit: Future)Also Consider

Philips 27E3U7903
This expensive, third-party alternative can even beat Apple at its own game.

Read our Philips 27E3U7903 review

BenQ GW2486TC
BenQ’s smaller, older alternative can save you even more money.

Read our BenQ GW2486TC review

Want more options? Check out our guide to the best monitors for MacBook Pro.

Categories: Reviews

The Ninja AutoBarista Pro Fully Automatic Espresso Machine lets you make just about any coffee creation you can imagine

TechRadar Reviews - Mon, 06/22/2026 - 03:23
Ninja AutoBarista Pro: two-minute review

The Ninja AutoBarista Pro makes crafting coffee and espresso drinks easy. The espresso is the real deal, a true 9-bar espresso brew with crema. It also brews regular drip coffee and a kind of rapid cold brew for iced drinks. From there you can froth your milk of choice, dairy or non-dairy, hot or cold, to create the beverage you get out of bed for.

A dozen pre-sets give you one-touch simplicity. Grind iQ chooses the grind size and dose based your beans. But if you prefer to tweak your settings to your personal taste (strength, grind, temperature, size, froth type,) you can save up to two separate user profiles. The Ninja AutoBarista Pro comes with two bean hoppers so you can easily swap out two different kinds of beans in seconds. Plus there is a chute just for pre-ground coffee, so you always have that option.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

I tested out all 12 of the espresso and coffee drinks on the pre-set menu: Espresso, Lungo, Americano, Latte, Cortado, Cappuccino, Flat White, Drip Coffee, Over Ice (coffee), Iced Latte, Cold-Brew (coffee) and Cold-Pressed (espresso). They all came out great, though I noticed that the hot coffee drinks aren't super hot. I'd say they are immediate drinking temperature, not blow-on-it-and-sip temperature.

There is some simple cleaning and maintenance involved, but the machine does perform automatic rinses and has an interior fan to keep things as clean as possible before you have to do anything.

Wake up and have an incredible barista-style coffee drink with just the touch of a button or two. I don't know about you, but this is all I can manage before having coffee in the morning!

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)Ninja AutoBarista Pro: price and availability
  • Available at Ninja's website and Best Buy
  • Retails for $949.99 (£718 / AU$1,354)
  • Will come in several color options

As of this writing, you can buy the Ninja AutoBarista Pro on Ninja's own website and third-party stores for $949.99/ £899.99. That works out at about AU$1,350, but at the time of writing it's not yet available in Australia. The color shown in my photos, stainless steel, is the only color currently available, but three other colors are coming: Midnight Blue, Oat Milk, and Bronze.

Ninja AutoBarista Pro: specs

Name

Ninja AutoBarista Pro

Type

Automatic

Dimensions (L x W x H)

17.8 x 10.7 x 15.82 inches / 45.3 x 7.1 x 40.2cm

Weight

39.44 lbs / 17.9kg

Water reservoir capacity

80 fl oz / 2.37 liters

Milk frother

Yes

Bars of pressure

9

Ninja AutoBarista Pro: design
  • Professional barista look
  • All-inclusive machine
  • Touch screen

The Ninja AutoBarista Pro looks like what its name would suggest: an automatic professional barista. Which is pretty much exactly what it is. It's designed to be simple to use and the most efficient way to get the coffee or espresso drink you crave.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman Future)

The coffee hopper clicks into place on top of the machine. The Ninja AutoBarista Pro comes with two hoppers, so you can keep two different kinds of coffee on hand and easily swap out the hoppers as needed. Each time you put new beans in the hopper, you can run a "Grind iQ" cycle, which allows the machine to automatically dial in the perfect grind size for your beans. There is also a pre-ground coffee chute.

From the top, you can access the water reservoir if you prefer to add water that way as opposed to removing the whole tank and bringing it to your water source.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

A large 80-ounce water reservoir sits on the right side of the machine. Inside the reservoir is a water filtration tablet, which should be changed out every two months. The tablet holder has a dial you can set, visible from the outside of the tank, as a reminder of when to change out the filtration tablet.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

The left side of the machine has a removable door; inside the door is the brew unit. About once a month, you'll need to pull out the brew unit and give that a thorough rinse and the machine interior a wipe-down.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

On the front of the machine is a large touch screen where you make your selections. Underneath that are the dual dispensing spouts, adjustable coffee cup platform, milk wand, and milk jug. The machine does rinse itself regularly, and the milk wand purges itself after use, but you'll need to empty out the drip tray once every few brews. Of course you need to clean the milk jug, steam wand, puck bin, and bean hoppers as needed. Periodically, you'll also need to run a cleaning cycle and descale cycle.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

Before using the machine for the first time, you'll need to test your water's hardness with the included test strip. You'll have the opportunity to enter your water's hardness level during setup.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
  • Design score: 4.5/5
Ninja AutoBarista Pro: performance
  • Create just about any hot or cold coffee or espresso drink
  • Froth your hot or cold dairy or non-dairy milk
  • Very easy to create custom beverages

When I wake up in the morning, what gets me out of bed is the thought of that first cup of coffee. The last thing I want to do is have to go through a multi-step process to get that caffeine kick. The Ninja AutoBarista Pro makes it so easy to get an excellent cup of joe quickly. There are 12 preset coffee and espresso drinks, but each one can be customized to your preferred bean strength, brewing temperature, and drink size. I tried all 12 of the drinks at least once and they were all very good. I used a dark roast coffee for my testing and started with the default settings on everything.

The temperature on the hot drinks was not what I'd call super hot. I found it immediately drinkable, but if you like your coffee to come out hotter than that, you might be disappointed.

I started with just a standard espresso using the default settings, which is a 2.5:1 water to grounds ratio. This was very strong, as expected. The Ninja AutoBarista Pro does produce a crema on its espresso drinks. I made a cold-pressed espresso, which you brew over ice. It brews at a lower temperature and does take longer than brewing a standard espresso, which makes it taste a bit smoother and less bitter. It's still a very strong espresso drink. I tried a lungo, which is a longer pull than the standard espresso, but still a very strong drink with the default settings. I made an americano, which is an espresso with extra water added. This was still strong but good.

Cold-Pressed espresso brewingKaren Freeman / FutureCold-Pressed espressoKaren Freeman / FutureLungo brewingKaren Freeman / FutureLungoKaren Freeman / FutureAmericanoKaren Freeman / Future

When you make milky drinks, you pour your milk of choice into the jug, choose dairy or non-dairy, and the Ninja AutoBarista Pro properly steams and/or froths your milk for your selected beverage. Then it's up to you to actually pour the milk into your espresso.

I made a cortado, which is espresso plus enough steamed milk to cut the bitterness. It does indeed do that, it's very good even with the almond milk I used. I made a flat white, which is an espresso plus steamed milk, more milk than a cortado but less than a latte. I also made this with almond milk and it was good. Then I made a latte, which has a bit more steamed milk plus a bit of froth. I used skim dairy milk this time with great results.

The cappuccino, which is espresso plus equal parts steamed milk and froth, was foamy and amazing. I used the default settings and skim dairy milk. This might have been my favorite hot beverage. I also made an iced latte, which is cold-pressed espresso plus lightly frothed milk. This turned out slightly foamier than I expected for an iced drink, but it was delicious.

Milk frothingKaren Freeman / FutureLatteKaren Freeman / FutureCappuccinoKaren Freeman / FutureFlat White brewingKaren Freeman / FuturePouring steamed milk for Flat WhiteKaren Freeman / FutureBrewing LatteKaren Freeman / FuturePouring milk into LatteKaren Freeman / FutureBrewing a CappuccinoKaren Freeman / FutureBrewing a CortadoKaren Freeman / FutureBrewing an Iced LatteKaren Freeman / FutureIced Latte - more foam than I expected!Karen Freeman / FuturePouring milk into a CortadoKaren Freeman / FuturePouring milk into a Iced LatteKaren Freeman / Future

In addition to the espresso-based drinks above, the Ninja AutoBarista Pro also makes drip coffee. The standard size cup is eight ounces, but you can make it larger or smaller as you like.

The default drip coffee setting was a little weak to my tastes, but that was easily adjusted and I made a stronger brew the next time.

The Ninja's AutoBarista Pro's cold-brew setting isn't a true cold brew. That would take hours. It does, however, brew at a lower temperature for a smoother, sweeter taste and a still-warm-but-cooler brew. The first time I tried this, I thought I selected 4 ounces but it seems to have been 40 ounces. I just stopped it before my mug overflowed. The taste was very nice and smooth. I did it again and brewed six ounces, which came out great.

I made an Over Ice coffee and it wasn't bad, but kind of weak compared to the Cold-Brew.

Coffee Over IceKaren Freeman / FutureDrip CoffeeKaren Freeman / FutureCold BrewKaren Freeman / FutureBrewing Coffee Over IceKaren Freeman / FutureBrewing Drip CoffeeKaren Freeman / FutureBrewing Cold BrewKaren Freeman / Future
  • Performance score: 5/5
Should you buy the Ninja AutoBarista Pro?Ninja AutoBarista Pro score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

While not a cheap machine, if it replaces a daily coffee run it's worthwhile.

4/5

Design

Well-designed to make so many different beverages with ease.

4.5/5

Performance

Everything I made was great; you can tweak the default settings to your taste.

5/5

Buy it if

You want coffee-shop quality coffee and espresso drinks

If you've had it at a coffee shop, you can make it at home with this machine. What else can I say?

You don't want to make that daily coffee shop run

While a thousand-dollar machine may not sound like a bargain, it might save you money in the long run if you eliminate that daily coffee run and brew your coffee at home.

You want coffee quick and easy

You literally just press a button to get your coffee made in the morning. Sure, you'll need to pour in some milk if you want a latte, but seriously, it's so easy.

Don't buy it if

It's not in your budget

Yes, it may save you money in the long run, but it is indeed a large up-front cost.

You don't have much counter space

This is a big machine that takes up a lot of counter space. Plus, it's too heavy to take on and off your counter to store away each day.

Ninja AutoBarista Pro: also consider

De'Longhi La Specialista Touch

Less automated but smaller and less expensive, this one might be just right for you. Like the Ninja, the frothing wand and coffee bean grinder are built in. And it has a touch screen so you can easily make nine different drinks.

Read our De'Longhi La Specialista Touch review

Terra Kaffe TK-02

Want even more automation? Hook up your milk of choice and this machine steams, froths, and pours just the right amount into your beverage. Plus, you can control it from your phone or via Alexa.

Check out my Terra Kaffe TK-02 review.View Deal

How I tested the Ninja AutoBarista Pro

I spent a couple of weeks in a very caffeinated state. I brewed and drank every beverage on the touch-screen menu at least once: espresso, lungo, americano, latte, cortado, cappuccino, flat white, drip coffee, cver ice (coffee), iced latte, cold-brew (coffee) and cold-pressed (espresso). I performed standard maintenance on the machine, such as emptying the drip tray every few brews, cleaning the milk wand and frothing jug after every use, and removing and rinsing the brew unit.

First reviewed June 2026

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