Reviews

beehiiv launched in 2021, founded by former Morning Brew engineers who built the platform around what actually drives newsletter growth: cross-promotion, referrals, and monetization without fees. That origin story shows up clearly in the product. If you've been looking for a beehiiv review, you might also want to weigh it against Substack or Kit — two platforms with very different philosophies on how (and how much) to charge creators.

We've been reviewing email marketing software at TechRadar since 2012, covering platforms like Mailchimp, Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign, and more. What distinguishes beehiiv in that group is the combination of a newsletter publishing environment, a web presence builder, and a monetization layer that most ESPs simply don't offer.

My experience with beehiiv

(Image credit: beehiiv)

Getting started on beehiiv is fast. You can be publishing within minutes of signing up, with no credit card required on the free plan. The onboarding flow asks you about your newsletter topic and helps you configure a basic website, which is a nice touch that sets expectations early: beehiiv treats your newsletter as a publication, not just an email blast.

For solo creators, especially, the value is hard to argue with at the free tier. You get a custom domain, unlimited email sends, campaign analytics, and a podcast channel, all before paying anything. The caveat is that key monetization features, including the ad network and paid subscriptions, require upgrading to Scale.

beehiiv review: Features

(Image credit: beehiiv)

beehiiv's feature set is clearly built around newsletter publishers rather than email marketers. You get subscriber segmentation, an audience referral program, Boosts (a cross-promotion network where you earn per new subscriber from recommendations), and an in-platform ad network that starts matching you with advertisers once you hit around 1,000 subscribers. These features work together as a growth engine rather than a checklist of add-ons.

The platform added AI writing assistance, a website builder with custom webpages, polls, and surveys. The Max plan goes further with dynamic content and audio newsletters. One area where beehiiv trails traditional ESPs is automation: triggers are fairly basic, and complex behavioral sequences are harder to build here than in something like ActiveCampaign or Klaviyo. Third-party integrations also rely heavily on Zapier rather than native connectors, which adds friction and cost for anyone running a more complex tech stack.

The 0% take rate on paid subscriptions is the headline differentiator. Substack takes 10% of every subscription; beehiiv takes nothing beyond Stripe's standard 2.9% + $0.30 processing fee. For a newsletter with 500 paying subscribers at $10 a month, that works out to $600/month more in the creator's pocket.

beehiiv review: User experience

beehiiv's writing environment is built more like a blog CMS than a typical email builder. There's no conventional drag-and-drop layout editor, so if you're accustomed to Mailchimp's block-based design tools, the experience will feel stripped down. What you do get is a clean, distraction-free writing interface that makes publishing fast, though not visually flexible.

Navigation across the dashboard is logical, and the analytics surface is more detailed than most: you can track opens, clicks, subscriber growth, revenue, and verified click rates (which filter out bot activity) from one place. The 3D analytics feature, available on Scale and above, adds a useful multi-dimensional view of audience engagement. New users from a content background tend to adapt quickly; those migrating from traditional marketing platforms may need a short adjustment period.

beehiiv review: Customer support

Support quality depends on your plan. Free (Launch) users get access to an AI assistant and documentation, but no direct human support. Scale users unlock human support via email, along with access to a Slack community. Max subscribers receive priority support with faster response times, and Enterprise customers get a dedicated account manager.

Several user reviews note that when support is available, the team responds with real platform knowledge rather than generic troubleshooting scripts, which is worth noting. The absence of live chat or phone support across all paid tiers is a limitation if you run a time-sensitive publication and hit a sending issue before a big send.

beehiiv pricing and plans

Plan

Monthly price (billed monthly)

Monthly price (billed annually)

Subscribers

Free

$0

$0

2500

Scale

From $49

From $43

1000 to 100,000

Max

From $109

From $96

1000 to 100,000

The free plan covers real ground for early-stage newsletters, offering custom domains, campaign analytics, and the recommendation network. Upgrading to Scale unlocks the ad network, Boosts, paid subscriptions, automations, and human support. The jump from $0 to $49 is the sticking point: there's no intermediate tier for creators who've outgrown 2,500 free subscribers but aren't yet ready to monetize seriously.

Max adds white-labeling (removing beehiiv branding), audio newsletters, a sponsorship storefront, up to 10 publications, and unlimited team seats. Both Scale and Max use subscriber-based pricing, so your monthly cost rises as your list grows toward the 100,000-subscriber cap. All plans include unlimited email sends, which compares favorably to volume-based pricing at competing platforms.

beehiiv review: Specs

Spec

Details

Free plan subscriber limit

Up to 2,500 subscribers

Paid plan pricing model

Subscriber-based; scales from ~1,000 to 100,000

Platform take rate on subscriptions

0% (Stripe fees apply)

Email sends

Unlimited on all plans

Ad network access

Scale plan and above

Branding removal

Max plan only

Should I buy beehiiv?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

Strong growth and monetization tools; automations are basic

4/5

Performance

Reliable delivery, verified click tracking, detailed analytics

4.5/5

Design

Clean interface, but email editor lacks layout flexibility

3.5/5

Value

0% take rate and unlimited sends make the price defensible

4.5/5

Buy it if…

• You want to monetize without fees. beehiiv takes 0% of paid subscription revenue, compared to Substack's 10%. At even modest subscriber counts, that difference adds up quickly.
• Newsletter growth is your primary goal. The Boosts network, referral program, and cross-promotion tools are purpose-built for audience building in ways that generic email platforms aren't.
• You need a publication hub, not just an ESP. beehiiv combines email delivery, a hosted website, archive pages, and podcast support, giving creators one place for everything.

Don't buy it if…

• You need sophisticated automation. Behavioral email sequences, advanced segmentation triggers, and CRM-style flows are better served by platforms like ActiveCampaign or Klaviyo.
• You rely on deep third-party integrations. Native connectors are limited; you'll need Zapier for most external tools, which adds cost and complexity.
• You're on a tight budget below $49/month. There's no mid-tier plan between free and Scale, so creators who've outgrown 2,500 subscribers but aren't yet earning from their list will feel the jump.

Also consider

• Substack: A simpler entry point for writers who want built-in discovery and don't mind the 10% revenue cut. It's worth considering if you prefer a reading-app-style ecosystem over a standalone publication.
• Kit (formerly ConvertKit): Offers more mature automation and landing page tools, making it a better fit for creators who sell digital products through complex email funnels.
• Ghost: An open-source alternative with no platform fees and strong CMS features, though it requires more technical setup and self-hosting or a paid Ghost Pro subscription.

How I tested beehiiv

• Signed up for a free account and walked through onboarding, newsletter creation, website setup, and the analytics dashboard hands-on.
• Reviewed the full feature comparison across Launch, Scale, Max, and Enterprise plans using beehiiv's official pricing page.
• Assessed third-party reviews and user reports from G2, EmailToolTester, and creator case studies to evaluate real-world performance.

I tested beehiiv by setting up a publication from scratch, publishing test sends, and walking through the monetization features available at each tier. Pricing and feature details were verified directly against beehiiv's official pricing page at beehiiv.com/pricing. I also cross-referenced competitor pricing to evaluate the platform's relative value, particularly around Substack's 10% take rate versus beehiiv's 0%.

Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2): two-minute review

Between the boom in generative AI technology and the ability of manufacturers to produce smaller-than-ever hardware components, accessories as light as glasses frames can house impressive computing power these days, and leading that particular charge has been Meta, with its stylish and capable Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.

Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, made in collaboration with EssilorLuxottica (the parent company of Ray-Ban and Oakley), set the current standard for the many lesser-known brands competing for space in the burgeoning market.

That being said, the competition may well catch up before long — the changes between the first- and second-gen glasses are only iterative, and Meta’s focus is more than likely on the Meta Ray-Ban Displays rather than on these comparatively ‘dumb’ smart glasses.

So, what better way to test them than by taking them on the road? I took my pair of second-gen Ray-Ban Metas on vacation to Rome, Italy and used them as both my main camera and my tour guide to find out how useful they are in real-life environments.

Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) review: price and availability

• Starts at $379 / £379 / AU$689

The Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) start at $379 / £379 / AU$599 in all their various styles — that’s $80 / £80 / AU$150 more than the first-generation glasses. That’s a relatively small price increase (especially given current market conditions) for a decent upgrade to battery life and camera specs — and you can easily swap out your existing lenses into the Gen 2 if you already own the first generation and really want those benefits.

You'll also pay $30 / £30 / AU$40 or $80 / £80 / AU$90 extra for Polarized or Transitions lenses, respectively. I went for standard shaded lenses, and I wished for transitions countless times during my testing; they’re a must-have if you plan to use these indoors at any point without looking like you’re nursing a hangover.

Ray-Ban Meta 1st gen vs. 2nd gen specs

Specs

Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 1)

Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2)

Camera

12MP ultra-wide

12MP ultra-wide

Photo Resolution

3024 x 4032 pixels

3024 x 4032 pixels

Video Resolution

1080p at 30fps

1200p at 60fps

1440p at 30fps

3K at 30fps

Microphones

5-microphone array

5-microphone array

Storage

32GB

32GB

Audio

Two open-ear speakers

Two open-ear speakers

Weight

49.2g

52g

Processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1

Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1

Compatibility

iOS; Android

iOS; Android

Battery (Glasses)

Up to 4 hours of moderate use

Up to 8 hours of moderate use

Battery (Charging case)

Up to 32 additional hours of charge

Up to 48 additional hours of charge

Water Resistance

IPX4 (splash resistant)

IPX4 (splash resistant)

Designs

Wayfarer, Skyler and Headliner

Wayfarer, Skyler and Headliner

Lenses

Prescription (-6.0 to +4.0), Transition and Polarized

Prescription (-6.0 to +4.0), Transition and Polarized

While these are still surprisingly affordable, the price is beginning to creep up towards “wait, do I really need these?” territory; in a world where we can now purchase a $599 / £599 / AU$899 MacBook Neo, the ‘cool’ factor can only go so far to inspire new customers to invest in an otherwise niche category.

All frame designs are priced the same, and you can choose from six color options across the Wayfarer and Headliner frames, or seven in Skyler. Plus, two new designs have also recently been released for prescription wearers: Blayzer and Scriber. There are two model sizes too, although exclusively for the Wayfarer style; one for larger and one for smaller heads. Certain frames also offer the option of a low nose-bridge model.

• Value: 4/5

(Image credit: Future)Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) review: design

• Broadly the same as first-gen glasses
• Slightly heavier
• Still IPX4 splash-resistant

Little has changed outwardlythat the eye can see between the first and second-generation Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. The case is the same, they’re available in the same styles with the same lenses (Prescription (-6.0 to +4.0), Transition and Polarized) – in fact, all that’s noticeably changed here is the weight, which goes up 2.8g, from the 49.2g of the first-generation to 52g, likely on account of the larger battery and improved camera hardware.

There’s some disappointment in this sameness. For example, these still only have an IPX4 rating, so they’re splash-resistant but not splash-proof — and something that’s worn on your head, which is the first place to get wet in a sudden downpour, should have the best possible protection here.

I don’t love how the Wayfarers look on me, which did kind of ruin my holiday shots. I went for the Wayfarers as they’re a more unisex design, and I could share them around with my colleagues, but the boxy shape and thick frames make me look like Carl Fredricksen from Up. Broadly speaking, I think at least one of the three styles will suit most people (I’m more of a Skylar girl, myself), but even Meta can’t entirely escape the fact that these glasses need to be decently boxy in order to squeeze in all that tech.

(Image credit: Future)

The fit is still super-comfortable, though, and that 2.8g weight increase hasn’t made the glasses unwearable — though first-timers may find them a little heavy on the nose bridge. On the upper-left corner when you’re wearing the glasses / looking at the glasses from the front, as on the first-gen, is the 12MP camera lens, and on the upper-right is the indicator light that lets passers-by know you’re filming or taking a photo. The placement here bothers me — most smart glasses clearly weren’t made with women in mind, because if you have bangs as I do, you’ll find a great many shots get interrupted by your hair.

Also as on the first-gen specs, the shutter button is on the top of the right arm, and the invisible touchpad is on the outer side of the arm, which lets you control things like music and Meta AI. On the left arm is the power switch.

From afar, these features are discreet enough to be almost invisible, and that continues right the way through to the embedded mics and speakers. In fact, the only way you can tell these are smart glasses at all is from the camera lens and the light — I’ll let you decide whether that’s a good thing, or a menace to society.

• Design: 5/5

Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) review: Performance

• AI is broadly reliable
• 12MP camera is still limiting, but decent
• Battery boost is much appreciated

I took the Ray-Ban Meta (2nd generation) smart glasses on vacation with me to Rome, Italy, hoping the beautiful and historic city would offer lots of opportunities for that neat little 12MP camera to capture some great first-person perspectives as I explored the landmarks.

I didn’t necessarily want to like the process — I’m deeply concerned by the privacy implications of guerrilla video and photo capture — but I can’t think of a better way to really capture a moment than to record pretty much the exact perspective you had when you experienced it. Plus, with news in late 2025 about new targeted ads using Meta AI conversations and alarming reports about footage captured on the glasses, including intimate moments, being viewed by contractors, the privacy-conscious may well want to keep all Meta products at arm’s length.

That aside, the quality of photos and videos captured by the Ray-Ban Meta (2nd generation) will naturally pale in comparison to the main camera on any flagship smartphone from the past few years. It’s only a 12MP camera, after all. Still, I think there’s something quite rustic and charming about the photos and videos taken by the Ray-Ban Meta, especially if you work around its limitations.

As you can see, framing a shot was harder than anticipatedFutureFuture

You’re limited to vertical shots, and framing your shots is tough, given there’s no display or preview. Shooting at night will garner middling results, and colors can also often be a little diluted, but broadly speaking the results are great for capturing the moment.

You’ll need to put some thought into what video settings suit the action, too: 1080p at 30fps is a little better stabilized, but naturally less detailed and well-balanced, than 3K HDR videos. You can see examples of this in our Ray-Ban Meta (gen 2) video review.

The most noteworthy upgrade for me is to the battery. With double the on-device battery and a solid 16-hour boost to the case charge compared to the first-gen, these can comfortably last you through a whole weekend away, or you could get by with a few quick charges if you’re travelling for a week or two. That’s a huge win while only adding a few grams to the weight.

Inside the glasses’ arms are two open-ear speakers, through which you can hear Meta AI’s responses and music; these are louder, bassier, and have less sound leakage compared to the first model, according to Meta. I’d say that all tracks — the quality here is pretty great, though there’s still a good amount of leakage. I still wouldn’t personally wear these while sitting next to a stranger and listening to tunes full blast, but if you’re lying on a beach or on a walk, they’ll work a treat.

Shot taken on the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2FutureSame shot on iPhone 15 ProFuture

Speaking of Meta AI, the assistant is pretty handy to have around, and has seen some improvements since we reviewed those original specs back in 2024. Broadly, the AI suite works as expected, including newer features; I tried using Live Translation to quickly unpack what someone was saying, and while it’s not super-accurate or snappy, it gets you by when you’re abroad and you’ve been neglecting your Duolingo sessions.

When I visited the Colosseum, Meta AI served as my stand-in tour guide, telling me about the different landmarks I was looking at, and chatting up a storm about Ancient Rome. However, I did experience some hallucination; I asked if the massive structure had ever been used for anything beyond entertainment, and Meta AI told me all about its past as a housing complex.

I pressed for more information – including when this happened, and all of a sudden it said that had never been the case. Such issues were infrequent, but it does show why you should generally take AI-generated information with a pinch of salt.

The worst part of the AI suite is, unfortunately, the app you have to use to pair your Ray-Ban Meta. The Meta AI app is brimming with AI slop, and I hate that there’s no one-touch button to get straight to your media if you’re a Ray-Ban user. Every time I accidentally open the Vibes feed, I shudder.

• Performance: 4/5

Should I buy the Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2)?

Attribute

Comment

Score

Design

Comfortable and stylish thanks to Ray-Ban's ocular know-how, though camera placement can still be bothersome.

5/5

Performance

A boost to audio and battery makes for a well-rounded set of smart specs, though there's still room for improvement.

4/5

Value

Still sit comfortably within the value range for smart glasses at this calibre, but a $/£80 price increase might spell trouble for future lenses.

4/5

Buy them if…

You’ve never owned a pair of smart glasses

These are the industry-standard smart glasses; while imperfect, they offer a really well-balanced range of features, great design and reliable software. That’s far from the case with most smart glasses we’ve tested.

You’ve got ambitions in content creation

Being linked to Meta’s suite of social platforms has its benefits, with some great content-creation tools on offer here.

You want a good-looking pair of smart specs

Benefitting from Ray-Ban’s design know-how, these are far and away some of the best-looking and ergonomic glasses available today.

Don’t buy them if…

You’ve got a pair of first-gen Ray-Ban Meta glasses

Unless you’re really desperate for more battery life, there’s not enough innovation between the first- and second-gen glasses to justify the expense. Unless you’ve got money to burn, I’d wait for a more distinctive upgrade, or hold out for the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses instead.

You’re privacy-conscious

Meta isn't known as a paragon of privacy, and smart glasses are a bit of a minefield in that department. You’re wearing a camera on your face everywhere you go, after all.

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) review

I used the Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) for a month, including during a trip to Rome, Italy, wearing them on any day where it was bright enough to use sunglasses. I filmed and shot photos indoors and outdoors, day and night to see how well the 12MP camera could capture the action.

I made sure to try all of their AI features, testing their battery and performance over longer periods to assess comfort, usability and battery life.

I ran the Meta AI app from my iPhone 15 Pro.

• First reviewed: April 2026

Founded in Athens in 2012, Moosend has grown into a platform used by over 100,000 businesses worldwide.

A few things make it stand out: contact-based pricing (rather than per-send billing), 32 automation triggers available on every paid plan, and consistent praise for live chat support that actually responds quickly. Importantly, it's one of the few platforms where automation and reporting are included from the base tier, rather than held back for higher plans.

We've been reviewing business software at TechRadar Pro since 2012, with new email marketing tools evaluated every year. This Moosend review draws on hands-on testing, platform walkthroughs, and analysis of several hundred verified user reviews to give you an honest picture of what the platform gets right and where it falls short.

My experience with Moosend

Getting started takes less time than most comparable tools. An onboarding checklist walks you through importing contacts, setting up your sending domain, and creating your first campaign, with live chat accessible throughout. For a platform at this price, the initial setup is notably friction-free.

That said, the editor has some rough edges. A few interface elements appear greyed out until you hover over them, and the campaign editor works slightly differently from the automation email editor, so habits from one don't always carry over to the other. Neither issue slows you down significantly, but they're worth knowing upfront.

Moosend review: Features

(Image credit: Moosend)

At this price point, Moosend's feature set is hard to fault for small business use. All paid plans include unlimited email sends, a drag-and-drop editor with 130+ templates, an AI writer for copy and subject lines, landing pages, subscription forms, and an SMTP server. Nothing is locked behind a higher tier just to drive upgrades.

The automation builder is where Moosend earns its reputation. It offers 32 triggers, 30+ filter criteria, and 11 action types, which is more than most platforms at similar pricing. Eighteen pre-built "recipes" cover common journeys, including welcome sequences, cart abandonment, birthday campaigns, and re-engagement flows, so you don't need to build from scratch. There's also a Perfect Timing feature that uses subscriber behavior to estimate the best send time per contact.

Reporting covers click maps, geolocation, device breakdowns, and revenue attribution. You can share reports with teammates via a no-login link. One gap worth noting: you can't filter out bot clicks or Apple Mail Privacy Protection opens, which matters if you need clean engagement data for deliverability analysis or compliance.

Moosend claims a 98% deliverability rate and supports SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configuration with clear documentation. The integration catalog runs to around 80 native connections, covering WooCommerce, Shopify, Salesforce, and Zapier, among others, though you'll need Zapier for anything outside the mainstream stack.

Moosend review: User experience

(Image credit: Moosend)

The interface is clean and sensibly organized. Campaigns, Automation, Audience, and Growth tools sit clearly in the left-hand navigation, and most everyday tasks are reachable in two or three clicks. The platform is available in seven languages, and the drag-and-drop editor responds quickly without the lag you sometimes get from browser-based builders.

There are a few quirks that surface over time. The "More" tab in the navigation functions as a catch-all for miscellaneous settings, which can make finding less-used features a guessing game. The editor occasionally behaves unpredictably when rearranging content blocks. These are minor annoyances rather than fundamental problems, but they do add up in a busy workflow.

Moosend review: Customer support

Live chat is Moosend's most consistent strength in support. Users report typical response times of five to thirty minutes, with agents working through issues rather than redirecting to help articles. Chat transcripts get sent to your inbox automatically, which is a useful touch for keeping records.

The knowledge base is organized across 13 categories — covering campaigns, automation, integrations, deliverability, and billing — with video tutorials alongside written articles. The main limitation is availability: support runs Monday to Friday only, and there's no phone option on any plan. If you run into an urgent issue over a weekend, you're working from documentation alone. Dedicated account managers are reserved for Moosend+ and Enterprise customers.

Moosend pricing and plans

Plan

Contacts

Monthly price (paid monthly)

Monthly price (paid annually)

Pro

500

$9

$7

Moosend+

Custom

Custom

Custom

Enterprise

Custom

Custom

Custom

Moosend+ and Enterprise are custom-priced plans that add optional add-ons, including transactional emails, dedicated IPs, SSO & SAML, and an account manager.

Moosend charges by subscriber count, which works in your favor if you send frequently. At 5,000 contacts, you're looking at $48/month on monthly billing or $38/month on annual. The full Pro feature set (automation, landing pages, forms, analytics, AI writer) is available from the starting price without needing to upgrade. There's a 30-day free trial with no credit card required.

The important caveat is transactional email. Order confirmations, password resets, and shipping notifications aren't included on the Pro plan and require either the Moosend+ custom plan with the transactional email add-on or an Enterprise package. If your business depends on transactional messaging, this affects your total cost significantly and should be confirmed before signing up.

Moosend review: Specs

Spec

Details

Email templates

130+ pre-built, fully customizable

Automation triggers

32 available on all paid plans

Deliverability rate

98% (as claimed by Moosend)

Native integrations

~80 connections

Security

GDPR and ISO-27001 compliant

Should I buy Moosend?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

Strong automation and reporting for the price

4.5/5

Performance

98% deliverability; real-time analytics

4/5

Design

Clean interface with some editor inconsistencies

3.5/5

Value

Among the most affordable at this feature level

4.5/5

Buy it if…

• You need automation on a tight budget. Moosend's Pro plan includes 32 triggers, pre-built recipes, and unlimited sends from $7/month on annual billing. You're not gated from automation features until a higher tier.
• You're launching standard email journeys fast. The 18 pre-built recipes cover welcome series, cart abandonment, and re-engagement without requiring you to map out logic from scratch. You can have a functional automation live within an hour of signing up.
• Responsive support matters to your team. Live chat agents typically respond within thirty minutes during business hours, and the quality of help is consistently rated above average across user review platforms.

Don't buy it if…

• Your business relies on transactional email. Order confirmations, account alerts, and similar triggered messages aren't included on the Pro plan. Adding them requires a custom Moosend+ or Enterprise package, which changes the cost calculation meaningfully.
• You need a wide integration catalog out of the box. ~80 native connections, which cover the major tools but leave gaps for anything outside the mainstream stack. If you rely on niche CRMs or platforms, expect to build bridges through Zapier.
• You need support outside business hours. Moosend's chat and email support runs Monday to Friday. Weekend outages or time-sensitive campaigns that hit problems after hours will leave you relying on documentation rather than live help.

Also consider

• Brevo: Worth a look if you need transactional email, SMS, or WhatsApp included without a custom plan. It also offers a free tier and supports multi-channel campaigns that Moosend doesn't cover.
• MailerLite: Occupies a similar price range but includes a free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers. It's a better fit for newsletter publishers and content creators who don't need advanced automation depth.
• Mailchimp: Leads on integrations and name recognition, though its free tier was scaled back to 250 contacts in late 2025. It makes sense if integration breadth is a higher priority than low pricing.

How I tested Moosend

• Created a fresh trial account and completed the full onboarding process, including contact import, domain authentication setup, and first campaign creation.
• Built and tested automation workflows using both pre-built recipes and custom trigger logic, and reviewed the reporting dashboard using a live test send.
• Analyzed verified user reviews from a range of sources to cross-reference my testing observations with real-world user experience at scale.

Our testing process focused on the tasks a typical SMB marketing team would handle week to week: building campaigns, setting up automations, managing a contact list, and checking deliverability configuration. I also contacted the live chat support team directly during standard business hours and reviewed the knowledge base for coverage depth and ease of navigation.

DJI Mic Mini 2: one-minute review

The DJI Mic Mini 2 is DJI's second-generation entry-level wireless microphone system, replacing the late 2024-released Mic Mini, which we previously rated as the best small wireless mic.

The headline new feature is a set of interchangeable magnetic front covers for the transmitter units, available in colors ranging from white and black to a vivid magenta. Beyond the colorways, the other notable addition over the original Mic Mini is a trio of voice tone presets — Standard, Rich, and Bright — designed to let users subtly shape their vocal recordings.

Everything else will be instantly familiar to anyone who owns the original Mic Mini: the same compact and lightweight transmitter and receiver form factor, the same 24-bit 48kHz audio quality, the same maximum range of 400m with the standard receiver (or 300m with the mobile receiver), and the same claimed battery life of 11.5 hours for the transmitter and 10.5 hours for the receiver, extendable to 48 hours total using the charging case. Two-level active noise canceling is included, and the system is compatible with DJI's OsmoAudio ecosystem, meaning it connects wirelessly without a receiver to devices like the Osmo Action 6 and Osmo 360.

In my testing, audio quality proved crisp and clear, and the active noise canceling did a solid job of taming ambient noise. The voice tone presets, however, were a different story: the differences between Standard, Rich and Bright were so subtle in practice as to be barely worth mentioning, let alone factoring into a buying decision.

That verdict could stand in for the Mic Mini 2 as a whole, really. For buyers new to the world of wireless mics, it's an excellent option: lightweight, affordable, versatile, and easy to use. But for anyone coming from the original Mic Mini, the interchangeable covers and voice presets aren't a compelling reason to upgrade.

Also worth noting: DJI has confirmed that a Mic Mini 2S is coming this summer, bringing with it internal storage for solo recording and support for up to four transmitters simultaneously. If those features matter to you, it's worth sitting tight for now.

The Mic Mini 2 is a fine product sold at a great price. It just happens to be a product that DJI has already announced it will meaningfully improve in a matter of months – which makes it a harder sell than it might otherwise be.

The Mic Mini 2's front panels can be easily removed and replaced, with some beautifully colorful options available. (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)DJI Mic Mini 2: price and release date

• Priced from £49 / AU$89
• Sold in two bundles – but transmitters not available separately
• Available now (except in the USA)

The DJI Mic Mini 2 was released worldwide on April 28 2026 – although, as with all recent DJI products, it will not officially launch in the USA. Not yet, anyway.

DJI offers the Mic Mini 2 in two bundles: the DJI Mic Mini 2 (2 TX + 1 RX + Charging Case) package costs £89 / AU$149 and includes two transmitters, a receiver, a charging case, two windscreens, two white magnetic front covers, two black magnetic front covers, two magnetic clips, two magnets, a carrying pouch, a USB-C mobile phone adapter, a 3.5mm audio cable, a USB-C charging cable and a box of multi-color magnetic front covers (see below).

The pricier of the two kits includes all of the above, plus a soft zip-up carrying pouch. (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

Also available is the DJI Mic Mini 2 (1 TX + 1 Mobile RX + Charging Case) bundle, which includes a single transmitter, a mobile receiver, a small charging case, one windscreen, one black magnetic cover, one white magnetic cover, one magnetic clip, one magnet, one USB-C charging cable and a carrying pouch. It's priced at just £49 / AU$89.

Unlike the original Mic Mini, DJI doesn't appear to be selling Mic Mini 2 transmitters (mics) solo – at least not at launch. That's a shame – for some buyers using the Osmo Audio system or linking the transmitter directly to their phone via Bluetooth, a receiver and charging case may not be necessary.

However, the overall pricing seems much cheaper than the original Mini, which at launch cost £145 / AU$245 for the complete kit and £49 / AU$69 for individual TX units. So in terms of value, I think the Mic Mini 2 has a lot going for it.

DJI Mic Mini: specs

Dimensions

TX: 28.6 x 28 x 13.5mm / RX: 46.5 x 29.6 x 19.3mm / Mobile RX: 39.3 x 27.3 x 9mm

Weight

TX: 11g (without clip or magnet) / RX: 17.8g / Mobile RX: 6.5g

Range

With standard RX: up to 400m / with mobile RX: up to 300m

Connectivity

RX: USB-C / Lightning, 3.5mm jack

Bluetooth

Yes

Battery

11.5 hours (transmitter), 10.5 hours (receiver), up to 48 hours with fully charged case

Noise cancelling

Two-level

The standard receiver, or RX, looks quite awkward when attached to a smartphone. Thankfully, a sleeker made-for-mobile version is also available. (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)DJI Mic Mini 2: Design

• Transmitters support swappable front panels
• Clip or magnetic attachment
• Receiver offers manual audio gain, but no monitoring

If we're talking transmitters (also known as the TX units), the Mic Mini 2 looks a lot more like the full-size Mic 3 than it does the original Mic Mini. There's one key difference though: the Mini 2 supports swappable magnetic front covers, which can be prised off with a fingernail and replaced with another of a different color.

The DJI Mic Mini 2 (2 TX + 1 RX + Charging Case) bundle I was sent to review features a whole range of covers, from staid white and black to eye-popping magenta. These might come across a little gimmicky on paper, but they're harmless and fun – even if I can't really think of too many practical reasons why you'd need them (DJI markets them for outfit matching).

The main Mic Mini 2 bundle includes a wide selection of front covers. (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

Besides the covers, the TX can be fitted with a clip-on furry windshield for outdoor use, as well as two other magnetic accessories for mounting: a small clip for attaching it to collars, caps and lapels, and a single (but sufficiently strong) magnet for clipping it directly to thinner fabrics. The clip's direction can be selected when attaching it, which is handy.

There's also an indicator light and a couple of buttons for powering on/off and pairing the TX with different devices, but other than that, the TX is pretty simple. It doesn't feature on-board storage and, with no USB-C port, can only be recharged in the charging case.

The standard receiver (or RX) looks identical to the original Mic Mini's to my eyes. It suffers from the same drawback, too: with no on-board LCD display, there's no way to monitor levels on the hardware. Still, I suppose that's what the more pro-friendly Mic 3 is for – the Mic Mini 2 is the affordable option, and cuts must be made somewhere. The receiver does have a clip for attaching to clothing, which can also slide onto a camera cold shoe, plus a USB-C adapter for plugging into smartphones (there's a Lightning adapter too, which I used with my iPhone 13, but it's an optional extra rather than included in the box). There's also a 3.5mm jack, dial for adjusting audio levels and power and pairing buttons.

Future | Sam KieldsenTransmitters include just two buttons: one for pairing and another for power.Future | Sam KieldsenThe receiver (RX) unit appears to be exactly the same as the original Mic Mini's.Future | Sam KieldsenThe receiver fits on the cold/hot shoes of most cameras.Future | Sam KieldsenA soft carrying pouch is included in both bundles.Future | Sam Kieldsen

Additionally, the new DJI Mic Mini 2 (1 TX + 1 Mobile RX + Charging Case) bundle comes with a mini receiver unit designed only for attaching to a mobile phone (as with the standard RX, this appears to be the same mobile RX that was available as an accessory for the original Mic Mini). I didn't test this myself (check out our experience with the receiver via the link above) but it's much lighter, smaller and more streamlined than the standard RX, and won't look as awkward when plugged into your handset.

DJI Mic Mini 2: Performance

• 11.5 hours battery life (transmitter), 10.5 hours battery life (receiver)
• Up to 400m range
• Two-level noise reduction and three voice tone presets

The Mic Mini 2 offers 24-bit 48kHz quality audio, just like the original Mic Mini. It's similar in other ways, too: there's a maximum range of 400m between TX and RX; the claimed battery life is the same (11.5 hours for a TX, 10.5 hours for the receiver and a total of 48 hours with the charging case); and there are two levels of active noise cancelling included. Both generations also feature automatic volume limiting to avoid clipping.

And, like the first Mic Mini, it also works seamlessly with OsmoAudio ecosystem products like the DJI Osmo Action 6 and Osmo 360 cameras and Osmo Mobile 8 smartphone stabilizer.

In fact, aside from the changeable covers, the only major difference I could find between this second-gen Mini and the first is the addition of three voice tone presets – Standard, Rich and Bright – which are designed to slightly tweak how vocal recordings sound. In practice, I found the differences between the three settings to be negligible, so I would say that owners of the original Mic Mini have no compelling reason to update to the new model.

The charging case has room for two transmitters, a receiver and clips, magnets, windshields and a 3.5mm audio cable. (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

Newcomers looking for a cheap wireless microphone option that performs well will be very happy with what's on offer here, though. I found the Mic Mini 2's quality to be crisp and clear, and a noticeable step up from the built-in mics found in smartphones, vlogging cameras and mirrorless cameras, and the mounting and connectivity options and general ease of use make it a joy to live with. The two-level active noise cancelling works well enough too – I tested it with a fan running in my office and, while it could still be heard whirring away even on the strongest noise cancelling setting, it was reduced enough to prevent it becoming an issue.

Interestingly, DJI tells me that a Mic Mini 2S is coming later in 2026, offering some real upgrades over the original Mic Mini. The Mini 2S's TX units will have internal storage space to support solo recording, and users will be able to connect up to four transmitters to a single receiver. It's launching this summer.

Should I buy the DJI Mic Mini 2?Buy it if…

You want a cheap mic for multiple devices
Compatible with mirrorless cameras, smartphones and DJI's whole OsmoAudio ecosystem, the Mic Mini 2 is wonderfully versatile for such an affordable microphone.

You want something lightweight and discreet
The DJI Mic 3 isn't large or heavy by any means, but the Mic Mini 2 is even more compact and lightweight – so if size matters, it's worth considering.

Don’t buy it if…

You already own the original Mic Mini
The lack of major upgrades between the first- and second-gen Mic Mini models mean owners of the original Mic Mini should stick with what they've got.

You want 32-bit float or on-board recording
With no internal storage, the Mic Mini 2 doesn't support internal recording or higher quality 32-bit float format audio. However, the upcoming Mini 2S will allow for the former.

DJI Mic Mini 2: also consider

DJI Mic 3

The current gold standard for small wireless mics, DJI's flagship is barely bigger than the Mic Mini 2 but offers better audio quality, more adaptable noise cancelling and pro-friendly features like timecode, built-in storage and support for up to four transmitters.

Read our DJI Mic 3 review

Boya Mini

It's limited to 16-bit and lacks a 3.5mm connection for mirrorless cameras, but if you just need a useable, reliable wireless mic for boosting your smartphone videos, the Boya Mini fits the bill perfectly – and costs next to nothing.

Read our Boya Mini review

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)How I tested the DJI Mic Mini 2

• Several days of testing indoors and outdoors
• Connected to iPhone 13, DJI Osmo Action 6 and Panasonic Lumix GH6
• Tested with Bluetooth, OsmoAudio and RX

I've not had a huge amount of time to spend with the Mic Mini 2, but in the several days since my sample arrived I've managed to test it both indoors in quiet conditions and outside amongst traffic and wind noise. I've also paired with my iPhone 13, a DJI Osmo Action 6 action camera and my Panasonic Lumix GH6 mirrorless camera, testing it with and without the receiver unit involved.

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

Benchmark Email has carved out a clear niche: email marketing for people who don't want to spend an afternoon figuring out their email marketing platform.

Built by St. Louis-based Polaris Software, the platform recently launched a redesigned interface that trims away complexity in favor of a cleaner workflow. The free plan stands out in particular, offering the full drag-and-drop builder, AI writing tools, and real-time reporting without any feature restrictions, which is rare at this price point.

Our Benchmark Email review draws on hands-on testing of the 2026 platform across signup, campaign building, list management, and support.

My experience with Benchmark Email

Signing up took me about two minutes. The dashboard felt uncluttered, with the campaign creation flow turning out to be one of the more pleasant we've tested. You just pick a template, customize it in the drag-and-drop editor, set your audience, and schedule. There's no hidden complexity once you click past the first screen.

The AI tools save real time. Smart Text can rephrase, expand, or tighten your copy on command, and Smart Images generates visuals from a text prompt. Free accounts get 25 AI credits to start. That said, the platform runs out of road quickly for advanced users. Behavioral triggers, automated sequences, and A/B testing aren't available on any plan at the time of my review.

Benchmark Email review: Features

(Image credit: Benchmark)

Benchmark Email keeps its feature set tight. The email editor comes with over 120 pre-designed templates and supports custom fields, merge tags, and flexible grid layouts. Contact management covers tags, custom fields, and segmentation by engagement or interest, which is enough to send reasonably targeted campaigns without needing a dedicated CRM. The reporting dashboard tracks opens, clicks, and bounces per campaign, with 30, 60, and 90-day trend views.

There are a few caveats worth knowing before you commit. There's no marketing automation on any plan: no welcome sequences, no drip campaigns, no behavioral triggers. There's also no A/B testing, no landing pages, and no native integrations on the free tier. Competing platforms like Mailchimp and Brevo offer at least basic automation even at lower price points, so this is a meaningful gap across the whole product, not just the free tier.

Every plan, including the free one, gets the same full feature set within its limits. There's no stripped-down editor or pay-walled reporting. For a small business owner sending a monthly newsletter to a few hundred subscribers, the platform delivers what it promises.

Benchmark Email review: User experience

(Image credit: Benchmark)

The new interface is clean and intuitive. Contacts, campaigns, reports, and support all sit within one or two clicks from the main dashboard. The Contact Activity section is particularly useful, showing each subscriber's recent engagement with your campaigns at a glance. New users should be able to send their first campaign within 30 minutes of signing up.

A few UX issues persist. Adding contacts manually is more cumbersome than it needs to be, especially compared to tools like Constant Contact that make list building feel effortless. Template customization has limits too; if you want a design that diverges significantly from the included layouts, you'll need HTML knowledge. The platform's mobile experience has also drawn criticism from users, with some reporting that certain screens require awkward device rotation to navigate.

Benchmark Email review: Customer support

Benchmark Email's support is one of its strongest selling points. The platform offers live chat, email, and phone support across all plans. Based on my experience and other user reviews, the team is responsive and helpful. Live agents are available during normal business hours on the new platform, with email and help docs covering after hours.

Benchmark Email also doesn't put paid users ahead of free users in the support queue. Both tiers reach the same team and help resources, which is less common than you'd expect among platforms with a free plan. There's a detailed knowledge base with step-by-step guides, video walkthroughs, and animated how-tos. User feedback is broadly positive, though a handful of reviews flag language barriers and difficulty reaching agents during off-peak hours.

Benchmark Email pricing and plans

Plan

Monthly cost

Contacts

Emails per month

Users

Free

$0

Up to 500

2500

1

Pro

From $19 to $499

1000 to 100,000

From 10,000

10

Enterprise

Custom

100,000+

Custom

Custom

The free plan is actually useful rather than a limited preview. You get the full editor, AI tools, reporting, and real support without paying anything — the only real limits are the 500-contact cap and 2,500 monthly sends. When your list grows past 500, the Pro plan starts at $19/month for 1,000 contacts, which is a reasonable jump and makes upgrading less disruptive than it might seem.

Additional users on paid plans cost $15 per month each, with a maximum of 10 users per account. Benchmark Email doesn't use opaque credit systems or hide features behind tier upgrades, so pricing stays predictable as your contact count grows. Annual billing discounts are available but not prominently advertised on the pricing page.

Benchmark Email review: Specs

Spec

Details

Free plan

Yes; up to 500 contacts and 2,500 email sends per month max

Additional users

More seats at $15/month per user

Automation features

None available

A/B testing

Not supported

AI features

Smart Text and Smart Images

Should I buy Benchmark Email?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

Covers the basics well; no automation or A/B testing

3/5

Performance

Clean editor, reliable deliverability, no major complaints

4/5

Design

Polished, approachable interface with recent redesign

4/5

Value

Free plan is unusually strong; paid tiers scale quickly

3.5/5

Buy it if…

• You want a no-fuss email marketing tool. Benchmark Email is built around simplicity, and the interface makes it easy to go from signup to first campaign without a manual.
• You're on a tight budget. The free plan covers 500 contacts and 2,500 sends per month with the full editor and AI tools, which is more than most free tiers offer.
• Good support matters to you. Unlike many platforms, Benchmark Email doesn't reserve better support for higher-paying users. Free and paid accounts reach the same team.

Don't buy it if…

• You need automation. Benchmark Email has no triggered sequences or automated workflows on any plan. Platforms like Mailchimp or Brevo offer this even on their entry tiers.
• You run A/B tests. There's no split testing available, which limits how much you can optimize subject lines, send times, or content over time.
• Your list sits between 500 and 1,000 contacts. There's no paid tier between the free plan and the 1,000-contact Pro plan, so you'll need to upgrade to $19/month even if your list is only slightly over the free limit.

Also consider...

• Mailchimp: includes basic automation and A/B testing even on the free plan, though its interface is more complex and paid tiers are pricier.
• Brevo: offers email and SMS marketing with automation and transactional email on lower-cost plans, making it a stronger option for scaling teams.
• Constant Contact: a solid alternative for small businesses that want more list-building tools and event marketing features beyond basic newsletters.

How I tested Benchmark Email

• Signed up for a free account and built a campaign from scratch using the drag-and-drop editor and an existing template.
• Tested contact management by importing a sample list, applying tags, and creating a segment based on engagement data.
• Contacted support via live chat to evaluate response time, agent knowledge, and the quality of the help documentation.

Testing covered the full signup-to-send workflow on the free plan, including email design, contact segmentation, and reporting. I also reviewed user feedback across three top review platforms to cross-check my hands-on observations against a broader range of use cases. Pricing was verified against Benchmark Email's official pricing page and their published blog documentation.

Global warming and climate change are issues that won’t go away any time soon. While the topic has been explored plenty of times through the lens of video games, Aphelion separates itself by intertwining humanity’s search for a new home into a personal, heart-wrenching love story.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Xbox Series S
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release date: April 28, 2026

While some of its gameplay mechanics feel like an afterthought, the deep relationship between its two protagonists kept me invested until the end.

Aphelion takes place in the 2060s, when climate change has completely decimated Earth, forcing humanity to find a new home amongst the stars. Two astronauts, Ariane and Thomas, are sent on the first manned mission to the frozen planet of Persephone to make sure that it’s suitable for life.

Their ship malfunctions, causing a crash and separating them. Along the way they hope to reunite with each other while uncovering Persephone’s secrets, but soon learn that they may not be alone after all.

Planet of ice

(Image credit: Don't Nod)

The mysteries surrounding Persephone and its environments are intriguing enough to make me want to understand more about the icy planet. I enjoyed scouring every corner to see which collectibles I could find to absorb the lore. Aphelion’s story has a personal touch as we get to see glimpses of Ariane and Thomas’s relationship. Ariane trained her whole life for this mission, often neglecting Thomas and focusing on her work.

However, as the elements start wearing her down, she becomes more vulnerable, pining for him and won’t give up until she sees them reunited. On the other hand, Thomas is ultimately supportive of Ariane’s life choices, and underneath that beneath her icy exterior is someone who just wants to be understood and loved. Getting to grips with this emotional core through each dialogue sequence is what makes Aphelion compelling.

Despite the unrelenting cold, Persephone is a gorgeous planet to traverse. The light reflecting off ice sheets provides a sense of hope that juxtaposes the perilous situation that Ariane and Thomas find themselves in. There are a few areas on the planet where the ice has melted, giving way to earthy tones and rocky terrain that help diversify the environments.

Persephone’s electromagnetic waves are particularly prevalent and really help the atmosphere. They also work as clever in-game objective markers to guide players on where to go. The waves themselves are colorful, reminiscent of the real-life Northern Lights, and add a splash of visual variety in a game otherwise filled with crisp white ice.

Aphelion’s performance on console is stellar too. Playing on Xbox Series S, I didn’t experience any crashes or any debilitating setbacks that could’ve hindered this journey.

Surviving the unknown

(Image credit: Don't Nod)

Throughout Aphelion, you play as both Ariane and Thomas, both with distinctly different playstyles and mechanics. Ariane’s gameplay consists of climbing across the environment, incredibly similar to how it feels in Uncharted.

That aside, Ariane’s segments have a surprising amount of variety, like scanning electromagnetic waves to open up new platforms. The game has chase sequences, sliding down mountains, and at one point, dodging lightning strikes amidst a snowstorm. For a game without any combat at all, these moments are just as tense and engaging.

With all the climbing Ariane does, Aphelion’s collision physics can get a bit wonky. Sometimes, when she makes contact with a ledge, she might just miss even though it feels like she definitely shouldn’t have, leading to a ragdoll-style death. It's funny at first, but it can become frustrating over time.

Best bit

(Image credit: Don't Nod)

Given its similarities to Uncharted, I went into Aphelion expecting some combat. In the end, though, I'm glad it's not there, as it keeps the focus on the central pair's brilliantly written relationship.

When Thomas was separated from Ariane, his suit and body were punctured by a pole. His injuries prevent him from traversing and climbing freely as Ariane can, so Thomas’s main gameplay gimmick involves traveling between different tanks to refill his suit’s dropping oxygen levels.

His segments also feature their own investigative segments, but those just boil down to reading a few documents to figure out a passcode or two. Unfortunately, Thomas’s gameplay mechanics aren’t nearly as fleshed out as Ariane’s, and this results in his chapters being rather boring compared to hers.

As Ariane and Thomas try to survive on Persephone, they’re both hunted down by a hostile entity called the Nemesis. Its inclusion not only makes the story more interesting, but it also gives them both a proper villain to face in an otherwise desolate world.

Its inclusion not only makes the story more interesting, but it also gives them both a proper villain to face in an otherwise desolate world.

When Thomas was separated from Ariane, separated from Ariane, his suit and body were punctured by a pole. His injuries prevent him from traversing and climbing freely as Ariane can, so Thomas’s main gameplay gimmick involves traveling between different tanks to refill his suit’s dropping oxygen levels.

His segments also feature their own investigative segments, but those just boil down to reading a few documents to figure out a passcode or two. Unfortunately, Thomas’s gameplay mechanics aren’t nearly as fleshed out as Ariane’s, and this results in his chapters being rather boring compared to hers.

As Ariane and Thomas try to survive on Persephone, they’re both hunted down by a hostile entity called the Nemesis. Its inclusion not only makes the story more interesting, but it also gives them both a proper villain to face in an otherwise desolate world.

(Image credit: Don't Nod)

With no weapons to defend herself, Ariane has to outmaneuver the foe in stealth sequences to reach her next objective.

Disappointingly, these sequences are almost exclusively tied to Ariane, and Thomas mainly interacts with the Nemesis in cutscenes, further reducing the gameplay variety between the two characters. Plus, the stealth sequences themselves aren’t very challenging, lessening their tension and impact.

Still, Aphelion is simultaneously riveting and isolating outside of these weak spots. The pacing is sublime; the game only takes about eight to 10 hours to complete, and each chapter doesn’t overstay its welcome. Ariane and Thomas demonstrate that even when people are physically apart, absence only makes the heart grow fonder.

Should I play Aphelion?Play it if...

You like themes of romance, sci-fi, and humanity’s hubris
Aphelion’s story is an emotional roller coaster that touches on personal topics that are also wrapped up in an exciting adventure about finding humanity’s next home.

You like exploration and stealth
The frozen planet Persephone is an intriguing place filled with interesting lore. The stealth gameplay and climbing mechanics fit well within the context of the story.

Don't play it if...

You’re looking for combat
Aphelion doesn’t have any combat, so those who are expecting that coming in should look elsewhere.

Accessibility features

,Aphelion has accessibility features such as subtitles and the ability to adjust their size, add backgrounds to them, and display the names of those speaking. There’s also closed captioning, color blindness mode for the three major dichromacy types (protanopia, deuteranopia, and tritanopia). You can also reduce camera shake.

There are gameplay adjustment options too. You can toggle on automatic catch so that Ariane doesn’t miss ledges when she climbs. You can highlight ledges too, making the ones that are climbable more distinct against the environment.

On Thomas’s side, you can toggle infinite oxygen, ensuring that he won’t die if his tank runs out.

How I reviewed Aphelion

I played Aphelion for 9 hours on Xbox Series S using the standard Xbox Wireless Controller. In that time I completed the game and searched for as many collectibles as I could before heading back into Chapter Select to find the ones I was missing.

Chapter Select provides useful info about the number of ice sculptures, audio files, and text logs you’ve yet to find. There are no alternate difficulty levels to try.

First reviewed April 2026

Acer has a track record for doing things a bit differently. The new Acer ProCreator PE320QXT PC monitor is no exception. This 32-inch beast has something no other 6K panel we've yet seen can match, namely full touchscreen functionality.

Of course, the 6K native resolution is pretty special all on its own, even if in this case 6K means 6,016 by 3,384 pixels and thus slightly fewer than the likes of the LG UltraFine 6K Evo 32U990A, which clocks in at 6,144 by 3,456 pixels. Nevertheless, you still get an epic pixel density of 219 DPI. That's far higher than the circa 140 DPI typical of the best 4K monitors in the 32-inch form, and even the 163 DPI of 27-inch 4K models.

6K resolution and touchscreen support aside, the specifications are largely in line with expectations for the IPS panel technology used here by Acer. Long story short, the pros and cons of IPS are all present and accounted for, including good viewing angles and colour accuracy, but limited contrast and HDR capability compared to OLED technology and likewise mediocre pixel response.

Given there are no currently available 6K OLED displays, this monitor therefore poses mostly the same conundrum as competing 6K LCD monitors. If you want the pixel density of 6K, you can only currently have that courtesy of IPS rather than OLED panel tech. The exception is that touchscreen twist.

Acer ProCreator PE320QXT: Design and featuresAcer // FutureAcer // FutureAcer // Future

• Sturdy hinge for touch input
• Big, ugly bezels
• Good connectivity

Specs

Panel size: 32-inch

Panel type: IPS

Resolution: 6,016 x 3,384

Brightness: 400 nits SDR, 600 nits HDR

Contrast: 1,500:1

Pixel response: 4ms GtG

Refresh rate: 60Hz

Color coverage: 99% DCI-P3

HDR: VESA DisplayHDR 600

Vesa: 100mm x 100mm

Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.4 x1, HDMI 2.1 x1, 1x USB-C with 90W PD, 2, USB-A

The touchscreen functionality of Acer ProCreatorPE320QXT has fairly extensive implications for ergonomics, and it's not all good news. For starters, the bezels are fairly chunky, giving it a slightly dated appearance.

Then there's the stand and hinge. One the one hand, it's engineered to support tilting the display across a wide range from vertical to nearly flat to accommodate the touch functionality and, in that regard, it provides good stability. On the other, the hinge only allows for minimal height adjustment when viewing the display normally, and no swivel or pivot into portrait mode.

Then there's the plastic screen cover which lends the panel a glossy finish. That could be problematic in terms of reflectivity for any creative pros who prefer matte anti-glare coatings.

As for connectivity, the Acer ProCreator PE320QXT has you pretty well covered. Along with the usual DisplayPort and HDMI interfaces, there's USB-C with 90W of power delivery, plus a two-port USB-A hub.

It's worth noting that the preferred method of connectivity is USB-C, as that streamlines support for the touchscreen capabilities via a single cable. That said, it is possible to use the supplied USB-A to USB-B cable to connect the display to devices that lack USB-C in order to enable the touch interface.

Speaking of which, the Acer ProCreator PE320QXT comes bundled with an input stylus, though the panel's capacitive touch interface can also be used with old fashioned finger prods and swipes. Finally, on the features front, is the 8MP webcam with an integrated mic array.

Acer ProCreator PE320QXT: PerformanceAcer // FutureAcer // FutureAcer // Future

• Strong color coverage in DCI-P3
• Punchy 6K visuals but lots of light bleed
• Integrated webcam

Ostensibly, touch input is this monitor's defining feature. But the 6K resolution is also pretty special. Notably, most other 6K monitors currently available use an LG-sourced IPS Black panel. However, as the Acer ProCreator PE320QXT's very slightly lower resolution implies, there's something slightly different going on here.

In fact, Acer has opted for the competing AU Optronics panel. It's essentially the same type technology as the LG IPS Black item found in the LG UltraFine 6K Evo 32U990A. But because AU Optronics tends to price its products more aggressively, monitor models with this panel as opposed to the LG alternative are typically a fair bit cheaper.

Other than the resolution, the main difference is slightly lower static contrast, coming in at 1,500:1 versus the LG's 2,000:1. In practice, you'd be hard pushed to notice the difference. In neither case is contrast a strong point, especially compared with an OLED panel. Thanks to the HDR 600 certification, there is plenty of punch on offer, but also plenty of light bleed.

In part, that's thanks to the fact that this monitor lacks proper full-array local dimming. But if light bleed is something all displays of this type suffer from, there's one flaw that's very specific to the Acer ProCreator PE320QXT. As a consequence of the touch input layer in the panel, there's a very slight degradation of the image quality.

It's most noticeable on close inspection of fonts and texts, lending them a very slightly jagged appearance. How much of a problem this is — and, indeed, if you even notice it — is ultimately a subjective matter. However, given high pixel density and the crisp visuals that implies are core to the Acer ProCreator PE320QXT's appeal, this flaw is definitely worth noting.

As for the touch functionality itself, well, it's accurate and responsive enough, albeit the 60Hz refresh rate means that there's more latency than touch displays with 120Hz and higher refresh rates. That said, driving a 6K monitor at very high refresh rates poses bandwidth issues and likely explains the 60Hz spec. We also had issues with USB-C connectivity with our review unit which made using the touch interface with a Mac impossible. Hopefully, Acer will release a firmware to iron out USB-C connectivity issues.

All that said, color accuracy is definitely a strong point with the Acer ProCreator PE320QXT particularly well calibrated in DCI-P3 mode when connected to Apple Mac computers. For what it's worth, the HDR mode is well calibrated, too, though without full-array local dimming, this monitor's HDR capabilities are ultimately pretty notional.

As for the integrated webcam, it has good basic image quality that's superior to most laptop webcams and also offers a physical shutter for reliable security. However, its optics result in a very wide field of view. It does offer an autoframing feature which crops in pretty effectively. However, that comes at quite a loss of image quality.

Acer ProCreator PE320QXT: Final verdictAcer // FutureAcer // FutureAcer // Future

We've seen displays based on LG's 6K technology before. But Acer has opted for an alternative panel from AU Optronics that allows a lower price point. That's particularly impressive given that the Acer ProCreator PE320QXT includes full touchscreen functionality.

The snag is that the touch interface comes with some compromises. Firstly, the ergonomics aren't great for normal use, thanks to limited height adjustability and added panel reflectivity. The big bezels make the display look a little clunky and dated, too.

The touch layer in the panel also very slightly impacts image quality, which is a pity given that one of the key attractions here is ultra-crisp image quality from the 6K resolution and ultra-high pixel density.

We also had issues with the monitor's USB-C interface which we'd like to see addressed before this monitor can be recommended without a major caveat. In other regards, this is an impressive display with good connectivity and factory calibration.

Moreover, if you want the combination of 6K and touch support, this Acer represents one heck of a deal. But, ultimately, we'd probably rather see Acer offer this panel without touch support and with a conventional chassis and stand but at an even lower price. Now that would really be something.

Acer // FutureAcer // FutureAcer // FutureAcer // FutureAcer // FutureAcer // FutureAcer // Future

For more displays, we've reviewed the best business monitors and the best 5K and 8K monitors.

Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra: 2-minute review

I’ve reviewed several Ulefone Armor Pads over the years, and they often seem to be repackaged rugged phones with big batteries but poor cameras.

However, the Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra is a rugged tablet that defies an easy categorisation. It is not trying to be a slimline productivity device or a premium consumer slate. It is something far more specific: a field-ready workhorse for professionals who need serious capability in seriously hostile conditions.

Start with the headline feature. The Armor Pad 5 Ultra includes an integrated DLP projector delivering 200 lumens, with smart autofocus and auto distance detection. The projector supports a throw distance of 106 to 213 centimetres and can display content at up to 80 inches. That is a genuinely useful tool for engineers projecting blueprints on site, or field teams running presentations without dragging additional equipment into the field.

The rest of the hardware is equally serious. A 24,200 mAh battery supports 120W fast charging and is rated for up to 1,662 hours of standby time. The Dimensity 7400X drives 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage, expandable to 2TB via a microSD. The camera array includes a 64MP Sony IMX682 primary shooter and a 64MP OmniVision night vision sensor, plus a 32MP front camera. Dual camping lights with 754 LEDs deliver 1,000 lumens, alongside dual red-blue warning lights. The IP68, IP69K, and MIL-STD-810H certifications round out an impressive durability story.

The weight, however, demands an honest conversation. As with any of the best rugged tablets I've tried, it's heavy. The Armor Pad 5 Ultra is 27.8mm thick and weighs 3.5lb / 1.6 kg. That is roughly three times the weight of a standard iPad. Carrying it for extended periods in the field will be fatiguing for most users, and one-handed use is largely out of the question. The built-in handle stand helps somewhat, but it cannot disguise the sheer mass.

The device targets outdoor professionals and field workers who need equipment that can handle extreme conditions and double as a portable workstation. Construction site managers, emergency responders, utility engineers, and night-survey teams will find genuine utility here. For anyone else, the weight alone makes this a hard sell. This is not a general-purpose tablet. It is a specialist tool that happens to run Android.

If this hardware has the features you want, and there aren’t any others that have this exact mix, then you might well consider it to be one of the best tablet choices.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra: price and availability

• How much does it cost? $800/£592/€683
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? You can get it directly from Ulefone or via many online retailers such as Amazon.

Often, hardware like this tablet is cheaper from Amazon or other online retailers, but in this case, the best price for it is directly from the makers.

UK readers can get the Armour Pad 5 Ultra direct from Ulefone for £591.22, where the next-day delivery price from Amazon.co.uk is £719.89, or £128.67 more.

What’s slightly curious is that the price on the site isn’t any different for US customers, so you might as well order it from Amazon.com.

For those in the EU, the price is €682.55 from Ulefone, and €799.99 via Amazon.fr, which is probably replicated in Germany and other EU nations.

The Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Pro is the natural comparison point: it shares the same chipset, RAM, storage, battery, and camera system but omits the projector and reduces the lighting complement, coming in at $499.

If the projector is not required, the Pro offers all the core functionality at a lower cost. The Oukitel WP30 Pro and Doogee T30 Ultra sit in adjacent territory for rugged tablets with large batteries, though neither matches the Armor Pad 5 Ultra's projector or lighting specification. Enterprise alternatives from Panasonic or Getac with similar MIL-STD credentials start at significantly higher prices.

At this time, the Ulefone Armour Pad 5 Ultra has created a unique tier to itself, making it an exceptional value for money.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• Value score: 4.5/5

Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra: Specs

Item

Spec

CPU:

MediaTek Dimensity 7400X (4nm), octa-core up to 2.6GHz

GPU:

ARM Mali-G615 MC2

NPU:

MediaTek NPU 655

RAM:

12GB LPDDR5

Storage:

512GB UFS 3.1 + dedicated microSD slot (up to 2TB)

Screen:

11.0-inch IPS LCD, 90Hz, 10-bit colour, 600 nits peak brightness

Resolution:

1200 x 1920 (FHD+) pixels

SIM:

2x Nano SIM + TF

Weight:

1600 grams

Dimensions:

269.7 x 179.5 x 27.8mm

Rugged Spec:

IP68, IP69K, MIL-STD-810H (1.5m drop rated)

Rear cameras:

64MP Sony IMX682 (primary) + 64MP OmniVision OV64B (night vision, 4x IR LEDs)

Front camera:

32MP Samsung ISOCELL GD1

Networking:

5G, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, FM radio, USB-C (OTG), 3.5mm headphone jack

Projector:

DLP, 200 lumens, 960 x 540, autofocus, 100% offset, 26° upward throw, up to 80-inch image

Torch/Lamp:

Dual 1000-lumen LED floodlights (377 LEDs per side, warm/white); dual warning lights with sound simulation

OS:

Android 15

Biometrics:

Side-mounted fingerprint sensor

Battery:

17600 mAh (120W wired, 5W reverse charge)

Colours:

Black

Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra: design

• Two-handed game
• Elegant kickstand
• Built to take abuse

Rugged tablets tend to be large and heavy, and the Armor Pad 5 Ultra makes no pretence otherwise. Measuring 269.7 x 179.5 x 27.8mm and weighing a substantial 3.5lb, makes it roughly triple the mass of a standard consumer tablet.

That is the unavoidable consequence of fitting a 24,200mAh battery, a projector module, dual floodlight arrays, a cooling fan, and a reinforced chassis into a single device.

The construction follows Ulefone's established rugged formula: polycarbonate and aluminium combined with rubberised impact zones at the corners and edges. The chassis carries both IP68 and IP69K certification, meaning it can handle submersion to 1.5 metres for 30 minutes and withstand high-pressure water jets.

The MIL-STD-810H rating covers 1.5-metre drop resistance onto hard surfaces. Both the USB-C port and the 3.5mm headphone jack are sealed with waterproof plugs, which must be properly fitted before any exposure to water.

I wish it didn't have a big rubber plug over the USB-C port, but it does cover a 3.5mm audio jack alongside the USB.

The attachable carry handle is a practical addition that sets this apart from most rugged tablets. It folds flat against the rear when not in use and doubles as a kickstand, propping the tablet at a useful angle for video playback or to position the projector correctly when the device is laid flat. The uSmart accessory port is present on the chassis, maintaining compatibility with Ulefone's range of endoscopes and microscopes.

The back side houses the two rear cameras alongside the IR LED array for night vision, the projector lens at the top edge, and the dual LED light panels on each side. The warning lights, which can simulate fire, ambulance, and police car audio alongside their visual output, sit alongside these.

The overall layout is purposeful and dense rather than elegant, which is entirely appropriate for what this device is trying to be.

If anything, there are too many buttons, which isn't something I normally say about rugged devices.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The 11-inch IPS panel runs at FHD+ resolution of 1200 x 1920 pixels with a 90Hz refresh rate. The 10-bit color depth is a specification more commonly associated with premium consumer tablets, and it allows the display to render a significantly wider range of tones than the 8-bit panels found on most budget-tier rugged hardware.

Peak brightness of 600 nits is moderate rather than exceptional by 2026 standards, and outdoor legibility in bright direct sunlight will depend on where that peak is achievable in practice.

The 90Hz refresh rate keeps scrolling and navigation feeling fluid, which matters more than it might seem on a working device used to read documents, navigate maps, or monitor data streams throughout a shift.

Corning Gorilla Glass 3 provides screen protection. As noted in my RugKing 5 Pro review, it is not the latest generation, but it is well-proven against incidental tool and key contact in the field.

Overall, the main vibe of this device is that it would take some serious abuse to put it out of action. The quality of construction seems at odds with the single year of warranty that Ulefone offers on this hardware, which seems implausibly short.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Design score: 3.5/5

Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra: hardware

• MediaTek Dimensity 7400X
• 200 Lumen Projector
• 24,200mAh battery

The MediaTek Dimensity 7400X is a genuine step up from the Unisoc chips found in Ulefone's more affordable devices, and it changes the tablet's character into something much more suitable for local data processing.

Built on a 4nm process and capable of clocking up to 2.6GHz, it is a current-generation mid-range chip that can handle video editing, heavier applications, and more demanding multitasking without the hesitation that defines budget silicon.

The 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM is generous, and Ulefone's dynamic RAM expansion feature can add up to a further 32GB of virtual RAM from the storage pool if needed, though the practical benefit of this is dependent on each use case. The 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage is fast for this class of device, and the microSD slot is dedicated, so there is no compromise between expansion and dual-SIM operation.

The built-in active cooling fan is an unusual inclusion in a tablet. Ulefone's stated rationale is sustained performance under load, which is relevant for a device expected to run demanding field applications continuously over a working day. Whether it meaningfully extends sustained performance or simply provides peace of mind is worth checking under extended load testing.

The DLP projector is the specification that distinguishes the Armor Pad 5 Ultra from the Armor Pad 5 Pro and from virtually every other rugged tablet currently available. It produces 200 lumens of output at a resolution of 960 x 540 pixels.

The throw design uses 100% offset with a 26-degree upward angle, which means the device can sit flat on a surface and project upwards onto a wall or screen without the image being obscured by the tablet itself.

At 200 lumens, this will work well in controlled indoor environments with reduced ambient light and adequately in shaded outdoor settings, but it will struggle against bright daylight. The autofocus and automatic distance detection are welcome practical features that remove the fiddly manual adjustment that made earlier portable projectors frustrating to use quickly in the field. Ulefone states a maximum image size of 80 inches at appropriate throw distances, but I’d strongly suggest that’s only a possibility in complete darkness.

The throw distance range of 1,063mm to 2,134mm gives a workable bracket for most indoor use cases. The 1.2:1 throw ratio is relatively tight, meaning the device does not need to be positioned very far from the surface to produce a useful image size. This makes it practical in confined spaces such as service vans, site offices, and meeting rooms without projection screens.

The one issue with the DLP projector is that it requires proper cooling to operate, and the fan noise can be easily distracting in a quiet location at night. Given the amount of heat that DLP projectors generate and the power they consume, there isn’t any easy fix for that.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The dual LED floodlights are rated at 1,000 lumens per side, with each panel containing 377 LED beads. Both warm and white colour temperatures are available, which is a thoughtful detail for environments where colour rendering matters, such as inspection work or even a photography setup.

At a combined 2,000 lumens when both sides are active, this is a genuinely powerful lighting tool that could replace a dedicated work light in many field situations. However, if you attach the stand, which most people will do, these panels are partly obscured, something that clearly the designer regretted when they realised this mistake.

The 24,200mAh battery could be the largest fitted to any Ulefone product so far and is more than double the capacity of a mainstream consumer tablet. The practical consequence is multi-day use without charging for most workloads, with Ulefone quoting 1662 hours standby (69.25 days), 109 hours take time and the same in video playback.

Big batteries are wonderful, but often they can take an inordinate amount of time to recharge. Therefore, the 120W wired fast charging is the most significant battery specification after capacity. At this rate, topping up even a cell this size becomes a manageable overnight or rest-period task rather than an all-day affair.

The 10W reverse charging allows the tablet to act as a power bank for other devices, but as each transfer costs efficiency, this isn’t as useful as it might seem.

Overall, the hardware in this tablet is great, and while a few things might have been better, like a projector that could handle 1080p video natively, it's mostly well chosen from a technical standpoint.

• Hardware score: 4.5/5

Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra: cameras

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

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra has three cameras:

Rear camera: 50MP Sony IMX682, 64MP Omnivision OV64B1B Sensor (Night Vision)
Front camera: 32MP Samsung ISOCELL GD1

The camera specification on the Armor Pad 5 Ultra is unusually strong for a rugged tablet making it equally ideal for adventure photography or site surveys.

The primary rear sensor is a 64MP Sony IMX682, a proven performer in mid-range smartphones that delivers sharp, well-resolved images in good light. The secondary rear camera is a 64MP OmniVision OV64B configured for infrared night vision, paired with four IR LEDs rather than the two found on the RugKing 5 Pro phone. The front camera is a 32MP Samsung ISOCELL GD1, a stalwart of mobile phone use that is perfectly suitable for selfie images and video.

Video recording reaches 4K at 30fps with gyro-EIS stabilisation, which puts it ahead of the RugKing 5 Pro phone and is a credible option for site documentation, inspection recording, and field reporting at resolutions that can be edited and used professionally.

The infrared night vision camera is most usefully thought of as an inspection tool rather than a photography feature. Four IR LEDs provide greater illumination at a distance, which should reduce the hotspot problem that sometimes affects two-LED implementations.

The example images give an accurate impression of how sharp these sensors can be, and the dependable colour balance they offer.

Also, and I rarely forget to mention this point, this is one of the few tablets I’ve ever seen with Widevine L1 encryption, enabling streaming services to be seen on the screen in at least 1080p, connection allowing. Well done, Ulefone.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra Camera samplesMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark Pickavance

• Camera score: 4/5

Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra: Performance

• Modern and efficient SoC
• Great battery life

Tablet

UleFone Armor Pad 5 Ultra

SoC

MediaTek Dimensity 7400X

Mem

12GB/512GB

Geekbench

Single

1047

Multi

2900

OpenCL

3022

Vulkan

3046

PCMark

3.0 Score

12199

Battery

28h 27 min (39% left)

Charge 30

%

5%

Passmark

Score

13661

CPU

6788

3DMark

Slingshot OGL

6578

Slingshot Ex. OGL

5477

Slingshot Ex. Vulkan

5156

Wildlife

3555

Normally, I’d present the numbers of the review machine against a prior tablet in this instance, but I chose not to here.

That’s because no other tablet I’ve tested could get anywhere near these numbers, including some of the previous Ulefone Pad series. For example, the Ulefone Armor Pad 3 Pro scored only 296 and 1358 on the Geekbench single and multithreaded tests, which is a fraction of what this tablet offers.

Equally, GPU power is a magnitude better with the Pad 3 Pro, managing only 647 points on WildLife, or 18%. I’m sure there are Android tablets available that could go toe-to-toe with the Pad 5 Ultra, but I’ve yet to see them.

Another area this design excels in is battery life, even if I had some issues with getting PCMark to completely exhaust the battery without crashing. That’s not a problem specific to this tablet; it seems to happen with many tablets and phones, where something happens in the background that trips up the PCMark tool.

After running it a number of times, the best result I got was that it ran for 28 hours and 27 minutes, but there was still 39% of the battery capacity left. That result indicates that the total running time of the test using all the battery would be around 46 hours or more, which is substantial.

Using the provided 120W charger, it can recover about 27% of capacity in 30 minutes. That puts the total recovery from empty at between two and three hours. There is no wireless option, and given the battery's size, that’s probably not a bad thing.

Overall, the performance of the UleFone Armor Pad 5 Ultra is top-notch, and dramatically better than most rugged Android tablets.

• Performance score: 4/5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra: Final verdict

The Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra is the kind of product that takes a while to get your head around. On one level, it is a rugged tablet with IP68 and IP69K certification, MIL-STD-810H drop resistance, a 24,200mAh battery, and a chassis that has been built to take punishment in environments where consumer electronics would simply not survive.

Yet there is another side to it, something stranger and more interesting, because it also contains a DLP projector, dual 1000-lumen LED floodlights, dual warning lights with sound simulation, a built-in cooling fan, an infrared night vision camera, and a handle stand.

Throw all that in, minus the kitchen sink, and it is, in short, a field workstation in a single device.

The hardware underneath is more competitive than that of previous Ulefone tablets. The MediaTek Dimensity 7400X is a genuine mid-range 5G chip built on a 4nm process, and paired with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The 11-inch display runs at 90Hz with 10-bit colour depth. The better cameras are from Sony and Samsung rather than the house-brand sensors found on cheaper rugged devices.

While it is not cheap for a rugged tablet, the combination of features has no obvious direct equivalent at anywhere near this price. It’s good to see Ulefone pushing the boundaries of the technologies we are used to seeing in this sector, and I can only hope it encourages other brands to be less reticent about SoC and feature choices.

Should I buy a Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra?Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra Score Card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

Unique feature set demands premium price

4.5/5

Design

Heavy and thick, with an odd button layout

3.5/5

Hardware

Modern 4nm SoC, plenty of RAM and storage, and a projector

4/5

Camera

Good sensor selection and L1 Encryption

4/5

Performance

Powerful, power efficient and excellent battery life

4.5/5

Overall

No cheap or light, but good for most things

4.5/5

Buy it if...

You need this feature set
If you need a field device that combines a rugged tablet with a projector and professional-grade lighting, then there is nothing else at this price doing all three. Just don’t pick this if you have a pre-existing wrist problem.

You work in low light or complete darkness.
Four IR LEDs and a 64MP night vision sensor give this genuine utility as an inspection and documentation tool after dark.

Don't buy it if...

Weight and portability are priorities
At 1,600g with a 27.8mm profile, this is field equipment rather than a portable tablet. Ideally, it should be mounted on a vehicle, because nobody would want to add this to their pack.

Long-term software support is a priority
Ulefone's update commitments are not formally stated, which is a risk over a multi-year device lifecycle. Will it get Android 16? Given Ulefone's past history in this respect, it seems unlikely.View Deal

Also Consider

Oukitel Industry RT10

Another design using the same Dimensity 7400X SoC, with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. What it lacks is the projector, but it is lighter and therefore easier to carry.

The downside of this design is that it only supports 33W charging, so recharging the 25000 mAh battery takes a long time. And, the cameras aren’t as good as those on the Pad 5 Ultra.

At about $680 direct from Oukitel, the cost is also similar.

Read our Oukitel Industry RT10 review

For more ruggedized devices, we've reviewed the the best rugged laptops and the best rugged hard drives

Valve Steam Controller (2026) one-minute review

Valve’s back in the hardware game, but no, this is not the much-hoped-for Steam Deck 2, but instead a new version of the Steam Controller that’s been refreshed and refined for modern gamers.

The original Steam Controller, was a unique gamepad when it launched back in 2015, but while it was an ambitious departure from standard dual-stick controllers (instead having a single thumb stick, and two large touchpads), it never really shook off the novelty factor (the novelty being that Valve, primarily a games and software company, was now making hardware), and its unique design seemed to put off a lot of people. Low sales resulted in Valve pulling the plug in 2019.

That wasn’t the end of Valve’s hardware ambitions, however, and since then it’s had some big hits, including the Valve Index VR headset and the brilliant Steam Deck, which essentially kicked off a new category of devices: the handheld gaming PC.

(Image credit: Future)

So, when Valve announced a new and improved Steam Controller, alongside a revamped Steam Machine console-like device (the original was another worthy failure) and VR headset, my hype was high, as I hoped that Valve’s more recent hardware successes would positively influence the new Steam Controller. Now that the gamepad is in my hands, I’m pleased to say that’s exactly what’s happened.

The most noticeable difference between the Valve Steam Controller (2026) and its predecessor is that the design is more conventional, with it now coming with two analog thumbsticks, which are located below the face buttons. This makes it much easier to get to grips with if you’re used to other gamepads (especially the PlayStation 5’s DualSense, as, like the Valve Steam Controller (2026), the thumbsticks are horizontally aligned, unlike the Xbox controller.

Valve hasn’t completely dropped its innovative ambitions, however, with the Valve Steam Controller (2026) still coming with two touchpads, though smaller, square, and located beneath the thumbsticks. If you’ve used the Steam Deck, then the look and feel of these touchpads will seem familiar, though on the new Steam Controller, they are angled inwards slightly, which does make them more comfortable to use with your thumbs.

The Valve Steam Controller (2026) comes with four additional buttons on the back, and these can all be easily configured via the Steam software. Connecting the controller to a PC is easy, with the Steam Controller Puck – a plug-and-play dongle with a pre-paired low-latency connection.

(Image credit: Future)

Place the Valve Steam Controller (2026) on top of the Puck (which connects via magnets), and the Steam Controller will charge, as well as pair with the PC (and you can use more than one Steam Controller with the same Puck).

You can also unplug the Puck and use the cable to directly connect the Steam Controller to the PC via USB-C, and you can also use Bluetooth, though for anyone who has used Bluetooth on a Windows 11 PC to connect a controller, you’ll understand that that’s probably a method you’ll want to avoid at all costs.

Valve Steam Controller (2026) review: Price & release date

• How much is it? $99 / £85
• When is it out? Goes on sale May 4, 2026

The Valve Steam Controller (2026) goes on sale on May 4, 2026, for $99 / £85 (around AU$140), and you won’t be able to buy it from a bricks and mortar store – as with other Valve products, you’ll need to buy it through Steam, Valve’s online storefront. The good news is that if you’re a PC gamer, you’ll already likely have Steam installed for buying and playing games.

Despite this, the Valve Steam Controller (2026) can be used with games you’ve purchased outside of Steam, and while Valve recommends you add the non-Steam games to Steam for the best experience, I found it worked fine when playing games from the rival Epic Games Store without adding them to Steam first, though the Steam Controller acted more like a generic gamepad.

Price-wise, the Valve Steam Controller (2026) is one of the more expensive gamepads out there. It’s almost twice the price of the 8BitDo Ultimate 2, which is currently our top pick as the best PC controller, and the Sony DualSense Wireless Controller, which I currently use on my gaming PC, both of which cost around $60/£50.

However, it’s a fair bit cheaper than many other gamepads aimed at pro gamers, such as the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, which sells for $199.99 / £199.99, and the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, which costs $179.99 / £159.99.

So, this is a mid-range price for the Valve Steam Controller (2026), and while it is pricey, it does feel about right, as it offers more features than budget gamepads, but not the extreme customization that more expensive gamepads offer. One thing to note is that I didn’t have a chance to try the Valve Steam Controller (2026) with a console. Valve claims it’s not compatible, though you might be able to get basic functionality if you connect via Bluetooth. However, if you’re looking for a gamepad that you can use on both a PC and a console, then you’d be better off looking elsewhere.

• Price: 3.5/5

Valve Steam Controller (2026) review: Specs

Compatibility

PC, Mac, iOS / Android

Connectivity

Steam Controller Puck, USB, Bluetooth

Battery life

35+ hours

Inputs

TMR magnetic thumbsticks, grip sense, ABXY buttons, D-pad, L/R triggers, L/R bumpers, View button, Menu button, Steam button, QAM buttons, four remappable grip buttons, 2x haptic trackpads

Haptics

HD haptics

Additional features

Steam Controller Puck charging

Valve Steam Controller (2026) review: Design and features

• Much more conventional design than original
• Two TMR thumbsticks
• Gyroscope and touchpads also included

Valve has overhauled the design of its new Steam Controller, and to be brutally honest, that’s a very good thing. While I admired Valve trying to do something different with the original Steam Controller, it wasn’t a design I was particularly keen on. It had two large trackpads where thumbsticks usually are placed, which were supposed to make playing games in genres such as RTS (Real Time Strategy), which work best with a mouse and keyboard, easier on a gamepad.

This desire to appeal to PC gamers at the expense of a more conventional console-like gamepad ended up pleasing practically no one, and the original Steam Controller was discontinued a few years later.

The Valve Steam Controller (2026), on the other hand, has a much more conventional design, and while it doesn’t feel like a bold reinvention of the gamepad, there are still some unique features and innovations to be found.

(Image credit: Future)

Unlike the original, the Valve Steam Controller (2026) features two thumbsticks, horizontally aligned and placed beneath the D-Pad and face buttons. The placement of these thumbsticks feels comfortable and natural, and anyone used to gamepads with aligned thumbsticks, such as the DualSense, should be able to get to grips with the Valve Steam Controller (2026) pretty easily.

The new thumbsticks are no slouches, either, thanks to tunnelling magneto-resistance (TMR) technology, which is the tech of choice for most premium gamepads. This uses small magnets to measure even the smallest of movements, which improves precision, and excels in genres such as shooters and racing games, where even the smallest of movements need to be accurately recorded and reflected in-game.

Because the TMR thumbsticks of the Valve Steam Controller (2026) don’t depend on physical contact within the gamepad, unlike traditional thumbsticks, there’s less risk of damage or performance degradation over time, and it should mean the Valve Steam Controller (2026) isn’t at risk of the dreaded stick drift issues that have plagued many a gamepad.

The inclusion of the D-Pad is also noteworthy. Despite being found on pretty much every gamepad ever made, the original Steam Controller did not include one (the idea was that the left-hand touchpad would work). This was another design decision that made the original model unpopular, so the return of a physical D-Pad is very welcome.

(Image credit: Future)

The Valve Steam Controller (2026) doesn’t completely ditch the innovations, however, as it still comes with two touch pads. This time, however, they are smaller and square, and placed at the bottom of the controller’s face. The touchpads are visually similar to the ones found on the Steam Deck, though they are angled to make using them with your thumbs more comfortable.

The touchpads offer haptic feedback, which makes using them feel responsive and natural, with subtle vibrations that let you know when they are touched.

The rest of the face of the Valve Steam Controller (2026) is home to four face buttons (in ABXY layout, which the original Steam Controller, Steam Deck, and Xbox controllers all use. There’s also a Steam Button in the middle, identifiable by the Steam logo. Pressing this turns the controller on, and pressing it again launches Steam in Big Picture Mode, which is a full-screen interface that makes finding and booting up games via a gamepad much easier (and looks good if you’ve got your PC hooked up to a TV, as I do).

(Image credit: Future)

On the left, there’s also a Back button, while on the left a Menu/Start button. Between the two touchpads is a Quick Settings button as well. You also get the regular bumpers and triggers on each side of the top of the Valve Steam Controller (2026), and on the back, there are four additional buttons (two on each of the grips) that can be assigned to in-game functions. The placement of these buttons makes it easy to reach them while holding the Valve Steam Controller (2026) – maybe a bit too easy, as I tapped them a few times by mistake while playing some games (especially during hectic moments).

The back is also home to a magnetic port that lets you quickly connect the Valve Steam Controller (2026) to the Puck, which connects to a PC and is used to both charge the controller and act as a low-latency wireless dongle. It’s small and unobtrusive, and it’s a nice way of incorporating charging and connecting the controller, and with the lengthy included USB cable, you can position it to ensure a reliable wireless connection.

The Valve Steam Controller (2026) also has gyroscopes, so physically moving the controller around can control the onscreen action. While it’s a bit of a niche feature, there are plenty of games, especially from Sony, which, like Valve, see the value in including gyroscopes in their game controllers. I’m currently playing through The Last of Us Part 2 on PC (taking my time as I am a massive wimp), and swapped out the DualSense for the Valve Steam Controller (2026), and was still able to use immersive gestures such as shaking the controller when my flashlight’s battery begins to die. On that note, the touchpads of the Valve Steam Controller (2026) are an excellent alternative to the DualSense’s touchpad, which means the Valve Steam Controller (2026) is an excellent controller for people, like me, who play a lot of PlayStation games on PC (which makes the rumors that Sony is cutting back on porting its games to PC particularly disappointing).

(Image credit: Future)

One thing that’s missing, however, is an audio jack on the controller. Rival controllers often include one, allowing you to plug wired headphones and hear game audio without having to trail a long cable to your PC or console. I, like many PC gamers, have a wireless headset for when I want to keep the noise down when gaming, so this isn’t a massive issue for me, but it might be disappointing for some, especially due to the price.

Overall, the design of the Valve Steam Controller (2026) is a big improvement over the original, with a more conventional feel that’s widely used for a reason: it’s comfortable. That doesn’t mean it’s completely without innovative flourishes, with the dual touch pads and additional buttons on the back. However, it does lack the customization of more expensive professional gamepads.

It feels light and comfortable to hold, and it seems Valve has taken a lot of what it learnt from the original controller, as well as the Steam Deck (which can feel big and bulky in-hand), and applied it to the Steam Controller (2026).

• Design: 4/5

(Image credit: Future)Valve Steam Controller (2026) review: Performance

As you’d expect from a product made by Valve, the Steam Controller (2026) works brilliantly when playing games on Steam. The company had clearly been prepping for the launch of the Valve Steam Controller (2026) for a while, as most major games I played already had controller profiles set up for it. This means that most games can be played with the Valve Steam Controller (2026) and make use of its additional features, such as the gyroscope, out of the box without needing to tweak any settings.

It also means that on-screen prompts will display the correct button – this is particularly important for QTE (Quick Time Events), where you need to hit the right button at the right time. When playing The Last Of Us Part 2, for example, the button prompts that were for my PlayStation controller were replaced with the corresponding buttons on the Valve Steam Controller (2026), such as replacing the triangle symbol with Y for interacting with objects.

These profiles are also highly customizable, so you can tweak the plentiful buttons, trackpads, and gyroscopic controls to your liking, and you can share these profiles with other users. For games that don’t have a Valve Steam Controller (2026) controller, I am sure that will soon change once it’s in more people's hands, and many games have a Steam Deck profile, which maps very well onto the Valve Steam Controller (2026).

Playing Portal 2, which is a Valve game, has excellent integration with the new Steam Controller (2026); the controller felt fast and responsive. Turning on gyroscopic controls allowed me to control the camera by tilting the controller, and the default settings were very accurate, to the point where I needed to turn it down a notch, as it was picking up the slightest movement or tremor of my hands. This was easy to do thanks to Valve’s robust customization options for the Steam Controller. The haptic rumble within the controller lets you know when the gyroscope is being used, and you can toggle it on and off with a press of the touchpad or button, or holding down a button – all of which can be easily customized.

(Image credit: Future)

While I’m more interested in gyroscopic controls for immersive interactions (such as the aforementioned shaking the controller to fix a flickering flashlight in The Last of Us Part 2), it’s a great feature to have and works well. For people who mainly use a mouse and keyboard to control games, the Valve Steam Controller (2026) offers a way to play games on a gamepad with a level of precision that you often only get when using a mouse to control aiming.

The touchpads can also be used to mimic mouse/touchpad controls, and their placement on the Valve Steam Controller (2026) is easy and comfortable to use. I’d never play a first-person shooter (FPS) game using a keyboard and laptop touchpad, but the touchpads on the Valve Steam Controller (2026) are within easy reach of my thumbs, so I can choose to use either the thumbstick or touchpad, depending on the game. With the original Steam Controller, you didn’t have this choice.

The touchpads also feel responsive, and the haptic feedback on each pad gives you a clear idea of what you’re controlling and the actions you’re performing. One thing I like is that when either touchpad is not needed in a game, the touchpad locks in place, so you know it can’t be used (and also means if you brush or touch it while gaming, it won’t mess up your game).

The touchpads, as with the gyroscopic controls, are designed to allow you to play games in genres that don’t usually work well with gamepads, and while I would probably still use a mouse and keyboard for playing RTS (real-time strategy) games, I found the Valve Steam Controller (2026) and its touchpads worked well with management sims like Planet Coaster 2. The touchpads also work well when on the Windows 11 desktop, with the left-hand touchpad controlling scrolling up and down, while the right-hand touchpad moves the mouse cursor.

For anyone who has tried playing PC games on a non-traditional setup, such as from the couch and playing on a TV, you’ll know that even with console-like interfaces such as Steam Big Picture Mode, Windows 11 has an annoying habit of throwing up a dialogue box or menu that can’t be selected with a standard gamepad, meaning you have to switch to a mouse and keyboard, just to get rid of the pop-up. With the Valve Steam Controller (2026), you don’t need to do that.

(Image credit: Future)

The TMR thumbsticks feel great, and with the Puck keeping wireless latency down, the Valve Steam Controller (2026) offers a brilliant gaming experience that’s responsive and accurate, even if you’re using it as a generic gamepad without the additional features. For PC gamers looking to enjoy a more console-like experience, it’s a fantastic peripheral that bridges the gaps between keyboard and mouse and a gamepad. Using it for games like Crimson Desert worked brilliantly, with the touchpads giving me a mouse-like control when aiming, along with no perceptible lag when getting into frantic fights. While the rumble never blew me away as it does with compatible games and the DualSense (which needs to connect to a PC via a cable for the full experience), it still worked well and added another level of immersion.

Valve also promises a battery life of over 35 hours, and during my time playing with the Valve Steam Controller (2026) with a whole manner of games and using the gyroscopic controls, touchpads, and with rumble turned on, I didn’t experience the gamepad running out of battery. To be fair, the magnetic charging Puck is so convenient that I ended up placing the controller on it after most play sessions, which helped keep the battery topped up.

• Performance: 4.5/5

Should I buy Valve Steam Controller (2026)?Valve Steam Controller (2026) scorecard

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

This controller comes with loads of additional features that will especially appeal to PC gamers.

4/5

Performance

Solid and dependable, with minimal latency, long battery life and responsive and reliable TMR thumbsticks.

4.5/5

Design

A big improvement over the original, with the new touchpads placed in convenient locations, and plenty of additional buttons. You can’t swap out switches or thumbsticks like you can with some pro gamepads.

4/5

Value

At $99 / £85, this is a pricey controller, but the price feels justified thanks to the features it includes.

3.5/5

Buy it if…

You have a PC hooked up to your TV
The Valve Steam Controller (2026) is perfect for playing PC games from your couch on a big screen – even genres like RTS and management sims.

You buy most of your games on Steam
The Steam integration is excellent, which means you’ll get the most out of this controller if your library of PC games is mainly on Steam.

You play a lot of PlayStation games on PC
I was pleasantly surprised how well the Valve Steam Controller (2026) works with PC PlayStation games, as the gyroscopic controls and touchpads offer immersive ways to control the games that you’d usually need a DualSense controller for.

Don’t buy it if…

You only play on consoles
Unlike a lot of other gamepads, the Valve Steam Controller (2026) is PC-only, so you’re better off buying a fully-supported controller for your consoles.

You want a basic, budget controller
The Valve Steam Controller (2026) is not a budget controller, and while it’s not ridiculously expensive, if you’re not going to be using the additional features, you can save your money by getting a more basic gamepad.

Also consider

Valve Steam Controller (2026)

8BitDo Ultimate 2

GameSir Tarantula Pro

Price

$99 / £85

$59.99 / £49.99

$69.99 / £69.99

Compatibility

PC, Mac, iOS / Android

PC, Android

PC, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS

Connectivity

Steam Controller Puck, USB, Bluetooth

Wireless (2.4GHz, Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C)

Wireless (2.4GHz, Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C)

Battery life

35+ hours

10-15 hours

Around 12 hours

8BitDo Ultimate 2
This brilliant wireless controller comes with TMR thumbsticks, RGB lighting, and a convenient charging dock. Like the Valve Steam Controller (2026), it’s not compatible with consoles (a Switch 2-compatible model is available however), and its lifespan is a lot lower.

Read our full 8BitDo Ultimate 2 review

hasGameSir Tarantula Pro
This is a fantastic alternative that had an excellent build quality, as well as offering the ability to switch the face button layout between Xbox and Switch buttons.

Read our full GameSir Tarantula Pro reviewView Deal

How I tested the Valve Steam Controller (2026)

• Played several games over multiple gaming sessions
• Tested over the course of several days
• Games include The Last of Us 2, Crimson Desert, Planet Coaster 2

During my time testing the Valve Steam Controller (2026), I played numerous games from different genres to get an idea of how the gamepad performs, including games that I would usually only use a mouse and keyboard for.

While most of the games I tested were on Steam, I also tested out Hitman: World of Assassination on Epic Games Store to see how it would work with non-Steam games. I’ve been reviewing PC gaming peripherals for almost two decades, and have been an avid gamer for over 30 years on both consoles and PCs.

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

EarFun Clip 2: Two minute review

The Earfun Clip 2 buds are the latest entry in the wave of clip-style options among the best open earbuds. They're Earfun's second go at this form factor after the original Earfun Clip, following the brand's OpenJump ear hook design.

And the big pitch of the Earfun Clip 2 is price, because they cost $79 / £69 / AU$120 at launch. With early discounts already appearing on the Earfun website, they undercut much of the competition.

Now, that budget positioning does come through in places. The plastic build feels a little cheap in the hand. The sound profile, though energetic and punchy for workouts, has some limitations at volume that I'll get to, which means you’ll want to tweak the EQ.

There are some notable features here that I really rated, including an impressive 11 hours of battery life, Hi-Res Audio and LDAC support, multipoint connectivity, and a smart AI translation tool, which could just be a nice-to-have for some or genuinely useful for others. For cheap open-ears, there’s a lot here.

(Image credit: Future)

Open-ear designs are a bit of a gamble when it comes to comfort. Do you go with a neckband, ear hooks, or clip-on? Well, I’m firmly in the clip-on camp, and I found the Clip 2 buds mostly secure, light, comfortable and easy to forget about once they're in. I did notice some slight slippage, but only on sweaty runs when I pushed their grip to the limit.

However, after a lot of time testing audio gear, I've learned that ears are subjective little things. Some people love the clip-on feel and others find it irritating. That subjectivity runs through the whole experience here, from fit to sound to whether you mind the build quality at this price.

Overall, the Earfun Clip 2 aren't trying to compete with similarly style buds, like the Bose Ultra Open or the Shokz OpenDots One, on refinement. Instead, they’re asking: hey, do you want a decent pair of open earbuds without spending very much?

If the fit works for you and you're willing to play with the settings, the answer could well be yes — I've tested a load of clip-style buds, and these are the cheapest option I'd happily tell people to buy.

EarFun Clip 2 review: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future)

• Price at launch: $79.99 / £69.99 (about AU$120)
• Launched April 2026
• Already discounted at launch

The Earfun Clip 2 buds launched at $79.99 / £69.99 (about AU$120), but there's already an early bird discount on the Earfun website bringing them down to $55.99 / £49.99, which probably tells you what price you can expect to see them fall to in any sales events.

The headline here is they significantly undercut much of the competition. The two clip-on open earbuds we'd most readily recommend right now are the Shokz OpenDots One at $199 / £179 / AU$339 and the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds at $299 / £299 / AU$449.95.

The Earfun Clip 2 cost less than half of the Shokz and roughly a quarter of the Bose. Even the Edifier LolliClip, which does pack in extras such as noise cancellation, heart rate and blood oxygen tracking, come in at $129.99.

Which means that if you've been curious about the clip-on design but reluctant to spend big on an experiment, the Earfun Clip 2 make a very compelling entry point on price alone.

That said, they're not the only budget option in this increasingly crowded space. For example, the Soundpeats Clip1 are currently our top pick for open buds in a clip-on design for under $100 costing only $69.99 / £74.99 / AU$79.99 and we gave them a solid 4 out of 5 star rating.

What’s more, the JLab Flex Open earbuds come in at $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$129.95. We haven't reviewed those, so can't speak to quality, but it's worth knowing that cheap clip-on open earbuds exist beyond the Earfun. Granted, not all of them will be worth your time and money, and as we'll get to, the Clip 2 do pack in some great features to back up that low price.

EarFun Clip 2 review: Specifications

Driver

12mm dual-magnetic titanium composite driver

Water resistance

IP55

Battery life

11 hours (buds), 40 hours (total)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0

Weight

5.5g (buds)

EarFun Clip 2 review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• 11 hours battery life (40 hours with the case)
• AI translation across 100+ languages
• Solid app to tweak settings

The Earfun Clip 2 buds were easy to set up: just open the case and they connect, with Google Fast Pair support speeding things along if you’ve got an Android phone. Multipoint connectivity worked reliably throughout testing too. I spent a full working day moving between my laptop and phone across cafes and a coworking space, and the switch took under five seconds each time.

Battery life is a strong point. With LDAC off, you get up to 11 hours from the buds and 40 hours total with the charging case, and during testing I got close to 10 hours, which tracks enough for me. Switch LDAC on and that drops to six hours (22 hours in total), which is still reasonable. The case supports wireless charging, and the buds fully recharge inside it in about an hour.

For context, the Bose Ultra Open manage 7.5 hours (27 total), the Shokz OpenDots One offer 10 hours (40 hours in total), and the similarly-priced Soundpeats Clip1, offer eight hours from the buds (32 hours in total). so the Clip 2 hold their own against pricier rivals.

The standout feature here is AI translation, covering more than 100 languages. There are two modes: face to face, which translates in chunks after each person speaks, and real-time, which handles continuous one-way speech with a slight delay. Both worked well in my testing.

AI translation is appearing in other earbuds too, but finding it in a pair this affordable and in an open design feels like genuine added value.

(Image credit: Future)

There's Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification and LDAC support too, which is rare at this price, though the drivers and open design don't fully capitalize on that extra bandwidth.

The Earfun app is clean and easy to navigate. The 10-band custom EQ works well, alongside presets like bass boost, treble boost, vocal enhancement and genre options like rock, pop and classical. As we'll get to, I needed to tweak the EQ to get the most from the Clip 2, so this was welcome.

You'll also find a game mode for reduced latency, a theater mode that widens the soundstage, and a privacy mode that drops volume and reduces sound leakage.

Other extras include hearing health settings with volume limits and left/right balance, auto-shutdown timers, and a 'find my earbuds' function that worked reliably every time for me.

Connectivity was solid around the house, though I noticed occasional brief drops in the left earbud when I was walking through the city, where there could be more interference. They reconnected within a second or two, but it’s worth noting, since not all earbuds have this issue in the city when I use them.

There's no active noise cancellation here, and you're not getting heart-rate sensors or a personalized hearing test, or anything like that — and that's absolutely fine, given the price.

• Features score: 4/5

EarFun Clip 2 review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future)

• Punchy bass for open earbuds
• Treble turns a little harsh and fatiguing at high volumes
• Mid-range can get buried

As you'd expect from the open design, you can still hear your surroundings with the Clip 2, whether that’s conversations, alarm or traffic. Not as much as buds that sit further from your ear, such as a bone conduction pair, but enough for situational awareness.

That said, don't mistake open-ear for transparent. You're still listening to something, and I found myself distracted enough by the audio that I wasn't hearing everything around me, even with my ear canal relatively free.

As with any open earbuds, you're trading fidelity for that awareness of your surroundings here. The question isn't whether the Earfun Clip 2 sound as good as in-ears (they don't). It's whether they make the most of the form factor at this price.

At lower volumes, the answer is yes. There's separation, a sense of space, and a brightness that keeps things lively without feeling thin. Listening to Tame Impala's Dracula at a comfortable level, the bass came through with some presence, which is not always the case in open earbuds.

Budget open options like the Huawei FreeArc, our current top pick at this end of the market, have never really satisfied fully on the low end. The Clip 2 have noticeably more punch.

However, push the volume and things can start to unravel depending on what you’re listening to. Treble takes over, cymbals and hi-hats become sharp, vocals and guitars turn brittle, and the midrange almost gets buried underneath.

I put on Death From Above 1979's Turn It Out, a track I've listened to hundreds of times, and at first the crashing drums and heavy low end landed brilliantly. But the moment guitars and vocals came in, it became harsh enough that I didn't want to keep listening. That's a problem when it's one of your favorite tracks.

So there’s a bit of tension with the Clip 2. These are earbuds mostly designed for outdoor use, like running, walking and commuting — ie, environments where you might really need to push the volume to hear them. But they sound their best when kept a little lower.

Now, I’m happy to report that the custom EQ helps a little. A treble reduction preset warmed things up, and pulling back the highs further with the 10-band EQ created a smoother, flatter listen. But even with adjustments, that midrange muddiness didn't fully clear up.

Podcasts sounded decent, with enough vocal clarity to follow speech comfortably. That same treble harshness crept in at higher volumes here, though in noisier environments the extra edge actually helped voices cut through in busy environments.

As you’d expect from open buds, there was some detectable sound leakage, but not that much. Unless you're listening at volume in a very quiet office or train carriage, I'd say you'll be fine.

They're not a great-sounding pair of earbuds in the grand scheme of things. But for the form factor and the price, they are more capable than much of the competition, as long as you don’t need to pump up the volume too often.

• Sound quality score: 3.5/5

EarFun Clip 2 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Clip-on design that's surprisingly secure
• Comfortable for long sessions, though fit is subjective
• Plastic build feels budget compared to rivals

The Earfun Clip 2 use a clip-on design that hooks over the cartilage at the side of your ear. The chunkier rectangular section housing the controls and battery then rests behind the ear and the spherical driver unit sits in your concha. Each bud weighs just 5.5g, and a Ni-Ti (nickel-titanium) alloy frame helps the clip hold its shape over time.

After reviewing plenty of open earbuds, I've come to accept that fit preferences are deeply personal. Some people swear by hooks behind the ears, others prefer neckband-style fits.

For me, the clip-on is actually my favorite form factor, partly because I have thick hair and sometimes wear glasses, both of which can make hooks and neckbands less comfortable and secure. But your experience may really differ, all of our ears are unique after all!

That said, the first day or two I spent convinced they were about to fall off. They didn't, and once I'd stopped second-guessing them, I found the Clip 2 surprisingly secure and comfortable for long listening sessions.

The only time they shifted around to the point I wanted to take them off was during sprint intervals in a sweaty HIIT session, and I'd expect that from most earbuds.

(Image credit: Future)

There's IP55 dust and water resistance, so they'll handle sweat, rain and the odd splash without any trouble, just don't submerge them. Combined with the (mostly) secure fit and light weight, they make a solid workout companion.

Looks-wise, I've always found the clip-on design quite cool, like something out of Star Trek. But the Clip 2 are simple, black and plastic, and some might find them a little cheap-looking compared to shinier rivals with more colour options, like the Bose Ultra Open or the Shokz OpenDots One.

Controls are handled by a physical button on the back of each bud rather than touch surfaces, which I preferred. It's easy to find by feel when you're moving, responsive enough that I never had to fumble, and you can customize single, double-, triple- and long-press actions in the app.

The charging case tells a similar story to the buds themselves. It’s pill-shaped, black, plastic, but with a solid hinge and matte finish that make it look plain and purposeful if I’m being polite, a bit cheap if I’m not.

• Design score: 4/5

EarFun Clip 2 review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

For the price, the Earfun Clip 2 deliver, and they’re the clip-on open earbuds I'll be recommending if anyone needs a budget pick.

The value here is strongest when you look up the price ladder. The Shokz OpenDots One offer a similar experience for more than double the price. The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds do justify their premium with noticeably better sound, but they cost almost five times as much.

This means that if you're curious about the clip-on design and don't want to gamble serious money on finding out whether it suits your ears, the Earfun make that experiment much easier to stomach.

Yes, the price shows at times. The plastic build feels budget, and the sound has limitations at higher volumes that the pricier rivals handle better. But you're not buying these expecting premium. You're buying them because you want open earbuds with a clip-on fit, decent bass and a whole shopping list of useful features without spending much. On all of those terms, they deliver.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Should I buy the Earfun Clip 2?Earfun Clip 2 scorecard

Features

Lots here for the price, multipoint, very good battery life and, of course, AI translation.

4/5

Sound

For open ears, they are good, with volume, energy and some bass. But the mix can feel a little muddy, and they get worse as you go loud.

3.5/5

Design

Comfortable, light and secure open-ear design. Won't suit everyone, though, and can feel a bit cheap.

4/5

Value

Cheaper than rivals. Great features, decent sound, good fit. Good value, especially in this form factor.

4/5

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

You’re on a budget
Open earbuds have always asked you to take a gamble on an unfamiliar design, sometimes at a high price. The Clip 2 made that gamble seem less risky, they’re seriously good value for money.

You wear glasses or have thick hair
I’ve tested a fair few open earbuds at this point and the clip-on design is hands-down the best fit for me. These win for wearability.

You want good features
Translation, multi-point connectivity and LDAC high-res audio at this price point is a strong hand. You're not being asked to compromise much to save money here.

Don't buy them if...

You want the last word in audio
They punch above their weight, and for open buds at this price their audio is good. But there are issues, which means if you’re chasing excellent sound, you won’t find it here.

You’re not sure about the clip-on fit
With so few opportunities to try earbuds before buying, it's a leap of faith. For me, comfort here was excellent, but fit is subjective and the design is distinctive enough that it won't suit everyone.

You don’t really need open
Open buds are a solid option these days, but if you don’t need ambient awareness then a conventional pair will still win on sound, and often comfort and features too.

Earfun Clip 2 review: Also consider

Earfun Clip 2

Shokz OpenFit 2+

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds

Soundcore Aeroclip

Water resistant

IP55

IP55

IPX4

IPX4

Battery life

11 hours (earbuds), 40 hours (total)

11 hours (earbuds), 48 hours (total)

7.5 hours (earbuds), 48 hours (total)

8 hours (earbuds), 24 hours (total)

Bluetooth type

Bluetooth 6.0

Bluetooth 5.4

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.4

Weight

11g / Charging case: 49.6g

9.4g / Charging case: 56g

6g / Charging case: 43g

6g / Charging case: 42g

Driver

12mm

17.3mm

12mm

12mm

Shokz OpenFit 2+

Worth considering if you want an open fit, but like the idea of an ear hook design rather than a clip-on one. Sound quality is good, but they’re more expensive and it really does come down to personal preference on the fit. Worth flagging here that the ear hook design has never worked well for me, which I chalk up to having thick hair and wearing glasses sometimes.

Read our full Shokz OpenFit 2+ review

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds

If you want better sound in the same clip-on design and can very comfortably stretch your budget, these are the ones to go for. They’re Bose so, as you might expect, they offer a step up in terms of sound and build. But they’re only really worth paying considerably more for if you genuinely need an upgrade, because the Earfun Clip 2 get the job done.

Read our full Bose Ultra Open Earbuds review

Soundcore AeroClip

A solid alternative if something about the Clip 2 just doesn’t appeal. They are more expensive, though deals are common. The fit is equally secure and comfortable and a choice of colors, especially the gold, might sway some. Worth noting though they’re not rated as highly for water and dust resistance, so less ideal if workouts are your priority.

Read our full Anker Soundcore AeroClip review

How I tested the Earfun Clip 2

(Image credit: Future)

I tested the Earfun Clip 2 for two weeks to write this review. I mostly had them paired with my iPhone 16 Pro, but also used them with my MacBook to test the multipoint connectivity.

I used them mostly to listen to music and podcasts while I was working out of the house or exercising. But I also tried listening to TV shows and movies with them to see how the different modes sounded.

I’ve been testing and writing about tech for nearly 15 years. I’ve reviewed wearables, health tech and smart home products. But I’ve recently been focusing on fitness audio and open earbuds, especially headphones and buds on the more affordable end of the spectrum.

I’m especially interested in how tech actually feels to use day to day, rather than how it performs against a spec sheet.

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

Campaigner has been in the email marketing business since 1999, slowly building up to a platform that goes well beyond basic broadcast sending.

The platform covers email automation, SMS marketing, advanced segmentation, and ecommerce integrations for Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce. Two things consistently set it apart from simpler tools: multi-channel automation that combines email and text in the same sequences, and advanced add-ons that offer enhanced security and analytics.

TechRadar Pro has been reviewing business software since 2012, with our contributors covering email marketing platforms from Mailchimp to ActiveCampaign year after year. This Campaigner review draws on hands-on testing alongside analysis of its 2026 pricing, features, and support structure to help you decide whether it fits your needs.

My experience with Campaigner

(Image credit: Campaigner)

Signing up is quick, though you'll need to provide credit card details to start the 30-day free trial. That's a slight friction point, especially when many competitors let you explore without payment details upfront. Once inside, the drag-and-drop email editor is approachable, with a wide range of templates to start from and a full HTML editor for those who want more control over the code.

The platform performs well on core tasks, but where we'd push back is on the add-on model. Features you might expect to be included, like Reputation Defender for list health monitoring, cost extra on top of your base subscription. For teams budgeting carefully, those additions can push the effective monthly cost well beyond the advertised price.

Campaigner review: Features

Campaigner's feature set splits clearly between its two self-serve plans.The Essentials plan covers the basics: drag-and-drop editor, pre-built templates, one-time and recurring campaigns, A/B testing, autoresponders, and standard reporting. It's a workable setup for teams running straightforward campaigns without complex automation needs.

On the Advanced plan, the feature set gets much more interesting. You get automation workflows covering simple straight-line sequences and complex multi-path journeys, alongside advanced segmentation, dynamic content, conditional triggers, and purchase behavior tracking for ecommerce stores.

The segmentation tools let you build dynamic segments that update automatically based on subscriber activity, and you can layer in custom fields and purchase history for more targeted sends. SMS can run within the same workflows as email on bundle plans, keeping multi-channel campaigns manageable in one place.

Reputation Defender, the platform's proprietary list health tool, is not included in either plan by default. It's an optional add-on priced at 20% of your monthly plan cost. For high-volume senders where deliverability is critical, that's a feature you'll likely want — but it's not free, and the pricing scales up as your contact list grows.

Campaigner review: User experience

The interface has a clear structure and good design. A visual, drag-and-drop workflow builder makes it accessible for marketers who haven't built automation sequences before. The email editor is solid, gives you enough control over layout without overwhelming you, and the template library covers most standard use cases.

The overall design does feel a little dated, though. Some admin screens don't scale cleanly on modern displays, while day-to-day navigation can feel slower than more modern platforms. There's no dedicated mobile app either, so campaign monitoring on the go is limited to what your mobile browser can manage, a noticeable gap for teams that work across devices.

Campaigner review: Customer support

Support is available via email and live chat on all plans, with phone access also available during operational hours. For routine queries, response quality is reasonable, though some users report slower turnaround on technical issues, particularly where it has to do with deliverability and integration setup.

The Custom plan adds a dedicated account manager and deliverability consulting, which is worth knowing about if you're running at a serious scale. For Essentials and Advanced users, email and chat should cover most day-to-day needs, but you won't get proactive account support unless you negotiate that separately.

Campaigner pricing and plans

Plan

Cost (starting at)

Contacts

Cost (top end)

Contacts

Essentials

$14/mo

1000

$409/mo

100,000

Advanced

$35/mo

1000

$649/mo

100,000

Custom

Contact sales

Contact sales

Contact sales

Contact sales

Both plans are priced by contact count, with a slider on the pricing page letting you see the exact cost at your list size. Automation workflows, advanced segmentation, and ecommerce integrations are exclusive to the Advanced plan, which stays competitive at smaller list sizes. At larger volumes of 50,000 contacts to 100,000, the Advanced plan starts to overlap in cost with more feature-complete platforms.

Reputation Defender is an optional add-on available on all plans, priced at an additional 20% of your monthly subscription. A 30-day free trial is available, though it requires a credit card to start. There's no permanent free plan.

Campaigner review: Specs

Spec

Details

Free plan

No; 30-day trial only

Number of contacts

1,000 - 100,000

Automation workflows

Advanced plan only

SMS marketing

Requires separate subscription

Ecommerce integrations

Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce

Optional add-ons

Reputation Defender, AI Insight Builder

Should I buy Campaigner?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

Advanced plan is strong, but key tools cost extra

3.5/5

Performance

Good deliverability options, UI can feel sluggish

3.5/5

Design

Functional but dated, no mobile app

2.5/5

Value

Competitive base pricing, add-ons inflate real cost

3.5/5

Buy it if…

• You want automation without a high entry price. The Advanced plan starts at $35/mo for 1,000 contacts, which makes multi-step workflow automation accessible to smaller teams that don't need to manage huge lists.
• You run an ecommerce store on Shopify, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce. The native integrations pull in purchase behavior, abandoned cart triggers, and back-in-stock data without requiring third-party connectors.
• You're running email and SMS together. Bundle plans let you manage both channels in the same automation sequences, which can simplify your stack if you're currently using separate tools.

Don't buy it if…

• You expect deliverability tools to be included. Reputation Defender, Campaigner's list health feature, costs an extra 20% on top of your plan. That's a meaningful addition if deliverability is a priority for your campaigns.
• You want a modern, polished interface. The UI has a legacy feel that slows down day-to-day work, and the absence of a mobile app adds friction for teams managing campaigns outside the office.
• You're growing a large list quickly. At 50,000 contacts and above, the Advanced plan runs $398/mo or more, at which point you're in the same pricing territory as platforms with more modern tooling.

Also consider

ActiveCampaign. If automation depth is your priority, ActiveCampaign includes sophisticated workflow building with a more modern interface at a similar price point for mid-size lists.

Klaviyo. For ecommerce businesses on Shopify, Klaviyo's native integrations and predictive analytics go deeper than Campaigner's, with automation accessible early in the pricing ladder.

Mailchimp. A more accessible starting point for smaller teams, Mailchimp includes basic automation across most paid plans and offers a cleaner interface — though its pricing also climbs at scale.

How I tested Campaigner

(Image credit: Campaigner)

• Signed up for the 30-day free trial and built test campaigns using the drag-and-drop editor and template library, covering standard broadcasts and autoresponder sequences.
• Reviewed the workflow builder, segmentation tools, and ecommerce integration options hands-on, and cross-referenced feature availability across all pricing tiers against official Campaigner documentation.
• Assessed support quality, tested the reporting dashboard, and compared feature depth and pricing against competing platforms at equivalent contact tiers.

Testing involved setting up representative campaigns, including a recurring email sequence and a segmented broadcast, to evaluate the editor experience, preview rendering across devices, and the analytics interface. Pricing details were verified directly against Campaigner's official pricing page, including contact-tier pricing from the interactive slider.

Adobe Illustrator began development in 1985, with its initial release coming out in 1987. 39 years in an eternity in computing terms, and it’s amazing this venerable piece of software is still the ruling king when it comes to design, illustrations and vector-based work.

We've long championed it as one of the best graphic design software apps around - but now I'm taking a look at some of the new features that are being introduced with the latest version, Adobe Illustrator 2026 (I explored version 30.3).

Adobe Illustrator: Pricing & plans

• Subscription-only but the price befits its status as the king of the hill
• Cheaper alternatives available like Canva’s Affinity
• But they lack all the features and integration with other Adobe software

Adobe Illustrator is a professional app, and as such, is part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud Pro subscription. As has been the case for years now, you can’t purchase the software, you can only rent it.

Creative Cloud Pro includes over twenty high end software packages, including Photoshop, InDesign, and of course, Illustrator, and will cost you $35 a month for the first three months on an annual subscription (after that deal, the price reverts to $70 a month for the remainder of your agreement).

If that’s too much for you, you can subscribe to Illustrator on its own for $23 a month. Students and educational institutions can also get it or the entire suite at a steep discount.

Be aware though that every time you use generative AI, you’ll be spending credits. You get a set number every month with your plan, but also have the option of purchasing more separately, either as a one-off, or as part of another subscription.

OK, time to take a look at some of the new features that caught my eye in Adobe Illustrator’s new release.

Adobe Illustrator: Features

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

• Loads of new features added
• I especially like those focused on interface improvements like color artboards
• Great tools for refining your designs including snapping to tangents

Let’s start with some simple improvements to do with Artboards. Up to now, if you needed them to have colored backgrounds, you’d have to create a rectangle, apply a color to it and use that as your backdrop, which, although doable, was cumbersome.

Now, finally, you can apply different colors to each of your Artboards, right from the Properties panel, through its Fill dropdown menu. By default, it’s set to transparent, but you can also choose either black or white, and if that’s not enough, selecting ‘Custom’ gains you access to a virtually unlimited gamut of colors.

Right-clicking on the canvas offers some handy options to manage your document’s artboards. You’re able to rename, duplicate, or delete them, or even create new ones with ease. There’s also the option to lock a selected artboard, but sadly no option to unlock it - to do that you need to go to Window > Artboards, and click on its lock icon from the popup window. So, I guess 'cumbersome' hasn’t completely gone away.

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

But it’s still an improvement. And speaking of improvements, the classic Eyedropper tool has been enhanced, and I found it works more reliably than before. A single click, for instance, will now properly copy the color and stroke of a selected object (you can extract more of course, but that depends on what you selected in the Eyedropper options).

There’s also shift-clicking. Press and hold the shift key, and you’ll get a large circle around the eyedropper cursor. The bottom half represents the current color, while the top half is the color it’ll change to once you click.

A color picker that works as advertised and has added functionality, I can work with that.

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

This leads us to some subtle additions you probably never knew you needed, like how the end of a straight line now snaps to a circle’s tangent, or how one line snaps perpendicularly to another. Those are on by default and will make precise designs much easier.

And speaking of much easier, how about gradients with fewer banding - or no banding at all, even? Depending on how close you get to a gradient, you’ll start to notice lines along it as the one color changes to another. This latest version of Illustrator introduces two options to dissipate those lines, creating a much smoother gradient.

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

The first one is via a new menu in the gradient Properties called “Method”. By default, it’s set to ‘Classic’, but change it to ‘Perceptual’, and it should look more like it would in real life - at least that’s the intention. The change can be quite subtle depending on the complexity of your gradient, and in my experience, it ranged from no discernible change, to a pleasing improvement.

The second option is a ‘Dither’ tick box. This one works in either ‘Method’, and when toggled, it adds a mesh of subtle imperfections to the gradient to conceal any banding, and I found the results to be very effective.

Adobe Illustrator: AI tools

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

• Introduces impressive AI-based tools to expand your creation’s horizons

But why do all the hard work when you can let a complex algorithm do it all for you, right? Right? Well… not quite, but Adobe Illustrator now comes with some interesting “AI” tools to broaden your digital creations, like Generative Expand.

Triggering the tool will give you handles which you then drag beyond the confines of your original creation. This will create pink borders, making it clear where Illustrator needs to apply itself. When you’re ready (and you have enough credits), click on ‘Generate’ and the machine will get to work.

It should only take a few seconds but I found the end results, like Generative Expand on Photoshop, to be impressive - and I don’t particularly like AI! The results weren’t perfect, mind, but it should be much easier to manually refine the output as opposed to creating all that expanded area yourself.

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

Another complex algorithm feature I was impressed by is Turntable. It’s designed to turn a 2D vector graphic into a 3D one. Your results may vary, and the tool itself warns you if it thinks the image you’ve selected might not yield good results. That warning may, or may not be correct - sometimes the only way to know for sure is to spend your credits and try it out.

The objects I experimented with, varied in their success. The globe was… interesting, but then again Illustrator did warn me it might not work as expected, so kudos for the warning. The butterfly was mostly flawless, and the horse’s head (a sketch of a head, not a Godfather triggering nightmare) was perfect.

So yes, your mileage may vary, but when it works great, it’s eye opening (but not in A Clockwork Orange way). Once done, you’re able to rotate your now-3D object 360 degrees using a slider. To the right of it are Up and Down arrows; these allow you to see your design from above or below by a maximum of 30 degrees either way.

All in all, Illustrator keeps getting refined with each update. The improvements are most welcome, and the new features will certainly please a lot of artists. There’s something here for everyone which is always a positive thing.

Should I buy?

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

Buy it if...
You need a powerful vector-based illustration system with a steady stream of improvements and new features to make the expensive subscription worthwhile

Don't buy it if...
You’re not a fan of the increasing incursion of AI into the software, or despite all its features, the asking price is just too much for you.

We've also tested out the best Adobe InDesign alternatives and the best alternatives to Adobe Photoshop

Garmin Tactix 8: One minute review

The Garmin Tactix 8 sits at the summit of the rugged wearable market and will compete strongly for a place as one of the best Garmin watches. Functioning as a high-end tactical tool rather than a standard consumer gadget. It is specifically engineered for professional tactical operators and serious rucking enthusiasts who require specialized hardware, such as an Applied Ballistics solver and night-vision compatibility.

While it includes modern lifestyle features like an AMOLED display, speaker, and microphone, its massive 51mm frame and premium price tag intentionally distance it from the average fitness tracker user.

In terms of performance, the watch is a powerhouse, offering nearly 50 days of battery life in standard mode and class-leading multi-band GPS accuracy that maintains a signal even indoors. The inclusion of a dedicated rucking profile and voice-activated commands makes it a formidable companion for mission-critical tasks.

However, this power comes with physical trade-offs. The 94g weight can be fatiguing for daily wear, and the interface can occasionally stutter when rendering complex maps under load.

Within the 2026 landscape, the Tactix 8 remains the best option for those who need a watch that can survive a combat zone. It faces competition from the Garmin Instinct 3, which offers similar tactical software at a much lower price point, and the Suunto Vertical 2, which provides cleaner mapping for traditional hikers.

Ultimately, if you don't need a kill switch or ballistics data, the Tactix 8 is expensive overkill; if you do, there is simply no other device on the market that offers this specific blend of tactical tech and premium craftsmanship.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Garmin Tactix 8: Specifications

Component

Garmin Tactix 8

Price

$1,599.99 USD / £1379.99 UK / $2,799 AUS

Dimensions

51 x 51 x 14.7 mm

Weight

94g (Case only 66g)

Case/bezel

Fiber-reinforced polymer with titanium rear cover. Bezel is titanium with Cerakote coating

Display

1.4-inch AMOLED (454 x 454 px)

GPS

Multi-band GNSS with SatIQ technology

Battery life

Up to 29 days, 13 days always-on, 84 hours GPS

Connection

Bluetooth, ANT+, and Wi-Fi

Water resistance

10 ATM

Garmin Tactix 8 Price and availability

• $1,599.99 USD / £1379.99 UK / $2,799 AUS
• Expensive but excellent value for money
• Less premium alternatives are available

The Tactix 8 is a professional tool, hence the premium price tag. It’s for serious tactical users who need access to the very best tech and a bank balance that allows for it. General consumers who only want to track activities, monitor health and reply to messages will have a heart attack when they see the price, but Garmin hasn’t made this watch for them.

The Garmin Instinct 3 Tactical edition is a much more affordable alternative with some overlap in features. You’ll find Stealth Mode, a kill switch, night vision compatibility, and a specialized tool designed for skydivers to plan and navigate jumps called Jumpmaster.

The build is also far less premium. If the Tactix 8 is overkill for you, and you’re not keen on Garmin, then the Suunto Vertical 2 provides great GPS accuracy and offline mapping. Its high-detail global topo maps are also arguably cleaner than Garmin’s stock maps.

• Value score 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Garmin Tactix 8: Design

• High-resistance materials and coating
• Bright 1.4-inch AMOLED display
• The 51mm model is bulky and heavy

The Tactix 8 is available in four different models: AMOLED, AMOLED: Cerakote, Solar, and Solar: AB Elite. The standard AMOLED offering is available in 47mm and 51mm sizes and a black finish, but it was the more premium 2026 Cerakote edition (olive color, 51mm) that I was sent to review.

This particular watch is coated in a ceramic 'Ceratoke' finish that enhances a number of the watch's physical performance properties, including abrasion/wear resistance, corrosion resistance, chemical resistance, impact strength, and hardness. I didn't have a standard Tactix 8 model to compare it to, but the step up in resistance was obvious compared to smartwatches from the likes of Huawei, Amazfit, and Suunto.

This incredible level of resistance continues with the robust titanium bezel and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal lens. It's also tested to a MIL-STD-810G standard for thermal, shock, and water resistance. The buttons are leakproof and maintain a tactile feel even when used underwater or with gloves. Garmin has worked hard to make sure the user-experience is not hampered by the environment you put it in.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)

The AMOLED display is bright enough to be fully readable even when exposed to direct sunlight. The 454 x 454 pixel resolution is sufficient for navigating a map or reading a notification, and even though I never wanted for more clarity, it does sit a little behind the 480 x 480 pixel resolution of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 or the Galaxy Watch Ultra.

At 51mm size and 94g weight, there's no getting away from its heft. I was seriously glad to take it off at the end of a day, and if you have any sort of wrist problems, then it could cause even greater issues. I love the Ceratoke finish and would opt for it every time; it's just a shame it doesn't ship in the smaller 47mm size.

From a hardware point of view, there's a multi-LED flashlight that can emit white or green light instead of Garmin’s usual red light option. This is important for compatibility with night vision gear and helps preserve natural night vision. There's also a reasonably performing speaker, and for the first time in the Tactix line, there's a built-in microphone, allowing for phone calls and voice commands when paired with a smartphone.

• Design Score: 4.5/5

Garmin Tactix 8: Features

• Advanced tactical features including applied ballistics solver
• Perfect for rucking and compatible with night-vision goggles
• Everyday wearable features such as wallet, music, and 24/7 health monitoring

The Tactix 8 is first and foremost a tactical smartwatch, and the feature set reflects that. With some of the most advanced tactical tools on a smartwatch outside of the military, the Tactix 8 is a formidable offering. Take the Applied Ballistics Ultralight, for example. The preloaded solver enables long-range shooting with solutions for windage and elevation.

Then there's Stealth Mode for off-the-grid activities, which immediately disables all wireless connectivity and stops the watch from saving or sharing GPS location data. Another security-focused feature is the kill switch, which performs an instant data wipe if security is compromised. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw James Bond wearing it in his next film.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)

Rucking enthusiasts will love the specific rucking profile that allows users to input their pack weight to calculate more accurate exertion and health metrics. Parachuters are treated to a military-grade parachuting tool which helps calculate high-altitude release points according to military guidelines.

Alongside this impressive set of tactical features, the Tactix 8 is also a very capable everyday wearable. The built-in speaker and microphone mean users can make calls, listen to music, and take advantage of voice controls. 24/7 health monitoring covers heart rate, HRV, and ECG as well as delivering metrics such as your Training Readiness score, Body Battery, and recovery time. It even has a jet lag advisor!

• Features Score: 4.5/5

Garmin Tactix 8: Performance

• Accurate GPS and reliable voice commands
• Good map coverage but the rucking interface is slow
• Long battery life, even with GPS always-on

The Tactix 8 boasts top-level GPS performance. With multi-band GNSS and SatIQ technology, the watch finds a GPS signal quickly and maintains a strong connection at all times. I used it in various types of environments, including urban, rural, and forests, and never had a problem picking up a signal. It even managed to lock on when I was inside my house, a location that most other smartwatches I've tested have struggled with. Impressive results continue with the accuracy of the GPS. I tested it alongside the Huawei Watch Ultimate 2 and found the distance-traveled metrics to be bang on, even down to the meter.

One of the core features is the dedicated rucking activity profile, which allows you to input your specific pack weight before setting off. This ensures the watch’s algorithm factors in the extra load for more accurate calorie burn and exertion metrics.

Launching a rucking activity is quick and simple thanks to the intuitive interface, and once launched, navigating using the built-in map is easy enough. My only gripe with the rucking interface is that its responsiveness is a little slow. That means moving around a map can be a little jittery, but it's only a small issue in what is a very well-implemented tool.

The health tracking suite on the Tactix 8 is more comprehensive than ever, powered by Garmin’s latest optical heart rate sensor. It provides 24/7 monitoring of body battery, stress levels, and advanced sleep coaching, alongside a Pulse Ox sensor for blood oxygen saturation. The core metrics of these performed similarly to the Watch Ultimate 2, which impressed us during testing against our gold standard, the Apple Watch Ultra series.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)

There are a lot of menus and features contained within the watch, but navigation around these is intuitive and straightforward. I especially liked the ability to 'pin' three activities for a quick-access experience. Setting these requires the Garmin Connect app, although I’m not sure why Garmin doesn't allow the setting of these inside the watch menus.

Speaking of navigation, I found myself making a lot of use of the built-in voice commands, with my most used being 'start a run', 'start a timer', and 'begin navigation'. Voice controls are not powered by AI, so you have to be specific with the instructions, but once you get used to the required vocabulary, it's a quick and fun way to interact with the watch.

With this level of performance and rich feature set, you'd imagine the battery life would take a pounding. That is absolutely not the case. With occasional GPS use, regular health tracking, and daily interaction with notifications, the watch lasted almost 50 days. That's significantly longer than the advertised length of 29 days. More intense use, including always-on GPS and daily activity tracking, reduced the battery life to around three days.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Garmin Tactix 8: Scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

It’s very expensive, but the level of tech you get for the money is impressive.

4.5/5

Design

Built-to-last and with some incredibly useful hardware.

4.5/5

Features

The most comprehensive set of tactical features on any smartwatch ever.

4.5/5

Performance

Accurate tracking of activities and health metrics as well as spot-on GPS performance.

4.5/5

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Garmin Tactix 8: Should I buy?Buy it if...

You want military-level tactical tools

With features such as Applied Ballistics and night vision goggle compatibility, the Tactix 8 is a cut above the rest.

You’re planning trips where you need extra support

With accurate GPS, turn-by-turn navigation, and an expedition mode, you’ll be able to go harder and further.

Don't buy it if...

You’re a casual adventurer

The Tactix 8 is overkill for the person who only plans on the odd mountain climb or rucking trip.

You have a small wrist

At 51mm diameter, the smartwatch is not only heavy but also bulky. You need to have the wrist to support it.

Also consider

Garmin Instinct 3

A reasonably priced adventure watch with all the usual health and fitness smarts, improved SatIQ GPS tracking, and a version of the Fenix and Epix series’ LED flashlight. No full-color maps, though.

Read our full Garmin Instinct 3 reviewView Deal

Suunto Vertical 2

A smartwatch that boasts ultra-crisp visuals, a premium build quality, a monster battery life, and a built-in flashlight. A much more affordable alternative to the Garmin Tactix 8 but obviously nowhere near as rich in features.

Read our full Suunto Vertical 2 reviewView Deal

Apple Watch Ultra 3

A powerhouse of a wearable with 5G, satellite connectivity and new screen technology is an already-winning formula. Definitely a more popular outdoorsy watch but without the dedicated tactical features.

Read our full Apple Watch Ultra 3 reviewView Deal

How I tested

I wore the Tactix 8 for eight straight weeks and took part in a wide range of activities, including rucking, running, walking, cycling, and workouts. During this time I was able to test the battery capabilities for heavy, medium, and light use. I also tracked my health metrics while exercising and compared its GPS accuracy to the Huawei Watch Ultimate 2. In addition, I used the watch to keep me connected to app notifications and text messages.

First reviewed: April 2026

Adobe After Effects is the juggernaut of motion design and visual effects software. You’d think a tool that’s been around for 33 years couldn’t possibly bring new and exciting features to the table, right?

Well version 26 certainly proves you can teach an old dog some impressive new tricks.

What does After Effects do, I hear you ask? Well, as our pick for best VFX software around, any visual effects you can apply to video, such as animated text, graphics and illustrations, fancy overlays, and so much more, you can create inside After Effects and apply to your film project.

Your creative options are staggeringly vast, and I found go even further with this latest version.

Adobe After Effects: Pricing & plans

• Professional software at a professional price
• Subscriptions aren't cheap but there are two options here
• Free 14-day trial

If you know Adobe, you’ll know you can’t purchase their pro apps: you can only rent them, although you do have a few subscription options available to you.

First off, you could just subscribe to After Effects on its own. This would cost you, as an individual, $38 per month, or $456 for the year (other companies give you a discount when paying for the year upfront, but there’s no such benefit here).

Alternatively, you could invest in the Creative Cloud Pro plan, which includes over 20 of Adobe’s professional software, including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, and a host of others, and of course, After Effects.

This bundle of powerful tools will set you back $100 a month per user, or $1,200 for the year in advance. Again, no advantage to giving them all your money in one go.

This isn’t cheap, but then again, this is advanced software you’ll be using (students can get it for much less).

If you like the idea of trying before buying, you can get yourself a free 14-day trial, which will automatically enrol you into the monthly or yearly subscription upon completion (your choice), so make sure you cancel before that happens should you decide this isn’t for you.

Now that’s out of the way, let’s take a look at what I feel are some of the most important new features in After Effects 26.

Adobe After Effects: Features

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

• Seamless VFX creations
• Steep learning curve
• New, useful and long requested featured added, including variable fonts support and native SVG import

By default, After Effects 26 greatly improves playback performance thanks to support for ‘lossless compressed frames’. Behind the scenes, it compresses your clips without losing quality so they take up less space in your disk cache. This means your previews can be longer or you can have more of them before your cache runs full.

Of course, you have complete control over this. Should you wish to disable that feature, you’ll find the relevant tick box in the Disk Settings (look for ‘Enable Compressed Frames (Lossless)’)

After Effects (finally!) fully supports Illustrator files, enabling you to animate your graphic designs. This includes support for Illustrator gradients.

One feature I found particularly useful is the ability to crop your composition based on a selected asset. Associated with that is a feature I really liked: being able to work with SVG files natively, and even have access to, and being able to, manipulate every vector path that make up the selected illustration. The only downside is the mess that is the naming of the various paths and groups. Still, being able to modify each path over time is a fantastic feature for After Effects to have.

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

Another cool addition is support for variable fonts. These are fantastic for creating complex animations with ease, as they allow you to make changes to the font’s weight, width, and more, all keyframeable, and you can transform individual letters that way too. These parameters are accessed through an icon to the right of the font’s name in the Text panel.

Variable fonts are a special type of font with various modifiable ‘axes’ - the more a font has the more parameters you’re able to alter. If you don’t have any such fonts in your collection, don’t worry: Adobe has a large collection of them here, and do does Google here.

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

If you’ve ever needed to work with a flame effect, but have struggled to key out the white or black backdrop, you’ll love the new ‘Unmult’ effect. Just drag it onto the clip’s layer in your composition, and as if by magic, the background’s gone, and the fire has a perfect blend of vibrancy and transparency. You do have some parameters you can control (the most notable one being able to choose between keying out a black or white backdrop) but I found the default options worked fantastically well as is.

There are also additional audio controls with 26, such as gate, compressor, and distortion effects, and you’ll notice the Preferences window has been completely reorganised. OCD people might not like that, but the new layout should make it easier to find what you’re after quicker - once you’ve got used to it.

All this is good, really good in fact, but the biggest tentpole feature has got to be the native inclusion of 3D shape creation…

Adobe After Effects: 3D Shape Creation

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

• Create, control, alter, and manipulate 3D shapes natively
• All happens within After Effects
• A fantastic and most welcome addition

This is a big one: there’s a 3D shape creation tool (conveniently located to the right of the shape creation icon in the top toolbar). With it, you gain access to 6 basic shapes: cube, sphere, plain, doughnut, cone, and cylinder, but that’s far from the end of it; you also have parameters that allow you to change many aspects of those shapes, the most versatile one seems to be the cone in my experience.

I found the bevel tool to be quite useful - it rounds the edges of your cube for instance, and it affects the cone in interesting ways. Slices is another good parameter - you could use it to add ridges to the donut shape for instance, or turn the cone into a multi-wedged cylinder. The variety and options are generous. You can of course animate these shapes over time, and even light them all natively inside After Effects.

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

But that’s not all: since Adobe owns Substance3D, you can use that service straight from After Effects. Well.. kind of: it’s certainly not as seamless as it could be, but it’s a fantastic way to apply different and interesting skins to your shapes. Scroll down the properties sidebar until you find the Material section. You’ll find a drop down menu there with the ‘Get Substance Community Assets’ command.

You’ll then be taken out of After Effects for the next part, which is far from user friendly, to a webpage from which you can browse all available materials - and there’s thousands of them - although not all are compatible with After Effects.

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

Do a search for ‘.sbsar’ and it should filter out those that aren’t. You then download the skins you’re interested in, and drag those into your project. Only then will they appear in the sidebar’s Material drop down menu.

The whole acquiring process feels clunky, but once they’re in your project, all you need to do is select a shape, then choose the right material from that menu, and you’re done. I mean, not quite: you have parameters you can alter to help you get the look you’re after, but at the end of the day, clunkiness aside, it’s a simple enough process to add a skin to a 3D shape.

All in all, it’s an amazing and very welcome addition to an already incredibly powerful application.

Should I buy?

Buy it if...
You need to design and animate graphic design assets - let’s face it, After Effect is the go-to app for such work, and the new features will make this software even more useful.

Don't buy it if...
You don't want another expensive subscription model, and your needs are much simpler than the gargantuan options available with After Effects.

We tested the best video editing apps- and here are our top picks

Asus Zenbook A14: Two-minute review

The Asus Zenbook A14 is a light and compact laptop that promises to be the ideal travel companion.

Its soft, minimalist appearance is appealing. There are no unnecessary contours or protrusions on any surface, and the rounded corners make it look less austere than many other laptops, especially in its light beige finish.

That aesthetic is complimented by the extremely light and slender frame, which helps to make the Zenbook A14 one of the best laptops around in terms of portability.

Not only that, but the build quality of the Zenbook A14 is also commendable. The base feels solid, while the materials used feel premium to the touch. The lid has considerably more flex, but this is excused somewhat by its sheer thinness and ease of use. What’s more, it’s as stable as you could wish for once open.

(Image credit: Future)

It’s pleasing to see this many ports on such a thin device. There are two USB-C ports, both of which support external monitors and charging. However, they’re both on the left-hand side of the unit, along with all the other ports (barring a single USB-A). This may hamper convenience, depending on your particular setup and preferences.

I have fewer gripes with the performance of the Zenbook A14. It remained composed during every task I threw at it, even handling light gaming well, which is doubly impressive given it has no dedicated GPU. Heat and fan noise are noticeable when such workloads are undertaken, but I didn’t find either of these aspects too disruptive.

The 1200p OLED display is sharp and vibrant, although it’s not quite as impressive as some of the best monitors around. And while it’s bright enough to lay pesky reflections to rest, it’s still wanting in this department.

The keyboard is excellent, facilitating quick typing thanks to the generous spacing and snappy nature of the keys. They also have more travel and dampening than I was expecting, which only adds to the satisfaction of using them. The touchpad feels equally tactile, thanks to its smooth-as-silk surface, although its small size can hamper navigation.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Zenbook A14, though, is its battery life. It lasted over 28 hours in our movie playback test, which is longer than its larger sibling, the A16, managed to achieve. Many other 14-inch laptops failed to beat this time as well.

The Zenbook A14 isn’t exactly a cheap laptop, but it hardly puts a foot wrong. If you want a 14-inch laptop that’s easy to travel, performs well in most areas, and lasts all day, it should be at the top of your list.

Asus Zenbook A14 review: Specs

Base

Review

Price

$1,599.99 / £769.99/ AU$1,999

$1,799.99 / AU$3,699 (about £1,300)

CPU

Snapdragon X (X1-26-100) (2.97GHz, 8 Cores)

Aus: Snapdragon X Plus (X1P-42-100) (3.2GHz, 8 Cores)

Snapdragon X2 Elite (X2E-88-100) (4.0GHz, 18 Cores)

GPU

Qualcomm Adreno (integrated)

Qualcomm Adreno (integrated)

RAM

16GB LPDDR5X

32GB LPDDR5X

Storage

1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD

Aus: 512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD

1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD

Display

14-inch WUXGA 3K (1920 x 1200) OLED, 16:10, 60Hz

14-inch WUXGA 3K (1920 x 1200) OLED, 16:10, 60Hz

Ports and Connectivity

2x USB-C (4.0 Gen 3, display / power delivery support, 40Gbps) 1x USB-A (3.2 Gen 2, 10Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack; Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3

2x USB-C (4.0 Gen 3, display / power delivery support, 40Gbps) 1x USB-A (3.2 Gen 2, 10Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack; Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

Battery

70Wh

70Wh

Dimensions

311 x 214 x 16mm (12.2 x 8.4 x 0.6in)

311 x 214 x 16mm (12.2 x 8.4 x 0.6in)

Weight

2.16lbs (0.98kg)

2.16lbs (0.98kg)

Asus Zenbook A14 review: Price & availability

(Image credit: Future)

• Starting from $1,599.99 / £769.99 / AU$1,999
• Available now
• Higher end of the market

The Asus Zenbook A14 starts from $1,599.99 / £769.99/ AU$1,999 and is available now in two colorways: grey and beige.

This is undeniably an expensive laptop, and many rivals undercut it. The HP Omnibook 7 14-inch is one such example. It’s similarly high-end and handles most tasks well, as well as featuring an excellent battery life, although it’s not quite as enduring as the Zenbook A14, nor is it as light.

For about the same price as the Zenbook A14, you could also get the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14. As the name suggests, this is a convertible laptop, featuring a 360-degree rotating lid and touchscreen display for tablet style use. It even includes a stylus.

Asus Zenbook A14 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Very light and thin
• Unique finish and materials
• Sufficient port selection

There are several aspects of the Zenbook A14’s design that set it apart from the crowd. First, its finishes are more interesting, with the grey model featuring a slightly marbled texture and the beige a slightly mottled one, both of which run counter to the sterile nature of many modern laptops.

Its form is minimal in every sense. All sides are flat with no unsightly bulges, and the whole unit is impressively thin and ultra light, making it great for those who need a portable machine.

Despite the lithe construction, build quality doesn’t appear to have been compromised. The Ceraluminium chassis material feels smooth and premium, and there’s little flex to the base.

The Zenbook A14’s display enclosure is a more flimsy affair, but given how incredibly thin it is, this is hardly surprising. The lid is also incredibly easy to open yet still offers plenty of stability, preventing the screen from wobbling during use.

(Image credit: Future)

Its keyboard also feels premium, and features bright backlighting. This is always a positive aspect, and one I feel should be mandatory on pretty much any laptop.

There are enough ports on the Zenbook A14 to make it practical. The selection includes two USB-C ports, both of which are capable of supporting external monitor connections and charging.

It’s a shame, however, that both are located on the same side (left), as I typically prefer such ports to be split across both sides, to allow for greater versatility when connecting to power sources and displays.

In fact, every port save for the single USB-A port is located here, which could further impede practicality. At least they’re in a sensible order: the headset jack is the foremost interface, while the HDMI port — an increasingly rare sight on today’s laptops — is at the far end.

Asus Zenbook A14 review: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Capable all-round performance
• Some heat and noise generated
• Not the brightest display

Asus Zenbook A14 benchmarks

3DMark: Night Raid: 44,546; Fire Strike: 9,579; Steel Nomad: 1,071; Solar Bay: 20,836; Solar Bay Unlimited: 22,429; Solar Bay Extreme: 2,157; Solar Bay Extreme Unlimited: 2,450
Geekbench 6.5: Multicore: 20,134; Single-core: 3,798
Cinebench R23: Multi Core: 14,476; Cinebench R24: Single Core: 90; Multi Core: 820
Crossmark: Overall: 1,920; Productivity: 1,731; Creativity: 2,157; Responsiveness: 1,848
Passmark Overall: 7,591; CPU: 30,623.6; 2D Graphics: 464.2; 3D Graphics: 6,547.8; Memory: 3,473.7; Disk: 44,120
BlackMagicDisk: Read: 4154MB/s; Write: 4698MB/s
HandBrake 4K to 1080p: 70.09fps
Total War: Warhammer III: 1080p, Medium: 44fps
Total War: Warhammer III: 1200p, Ultra: 23fps
Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 28 hours and 25 minutes

The overall performance of the Zenbook A14 is admirable indeed for such a compact device. Browsing and light productivity are processed smoothly, as is streaming in resolutions above 1080p. Since my review unit was packed with 32GB of RAM, it handled multitasking very well, too.

What’s more, I was pleasantly surprised by the gaming chops of the Zenbook A14, considering it has no dedicated GPU. It managed to run Cyberpunk 2077 at the Ray Tracing: Low preset in a playable state. Granted, visuals were rough around the edges, and I experienced the occasional stutter and momentary lockups, but it was still smooth enough for a casual session.

However, such workloads do elicit a fair amount of fan noise from the Zenbook A14 which, while not disruptive, is certainly noticeable. Heat is also generated, but temperatures are modest and localized to the back of the unit, far from where your fingers might stray.

(Image credit: Future)

The display in the Zenbook A14 is quite good. The 1920 x 1200 resolution offers enough clarity for the screen’s dimensions, and colors are rendered well enough to enjoy all kinds of content. However, this isn’t the most vibrant OLED display I’ve encountered, nor is it the most radiant; there’s enough brightness to combat reflections effectively, but it doesn’t quite match the sheer luminosity of the best OLED displays I’ve experienced.

I have less gripes with the keyboard in the Zenbook A14, though. The keys are light, snappy, and well-spaced, all of which allows for quick typing. They’re also incredibly satisfying to press, owing to their dampening and long travel relative to their low profile.

However, the layout is compromised somewhat, lacking as it does a number pad and all navigation keys, save for a delete/ insert one. At least there are a number of useful shortcuts on the F row, such as those for screenshotting, opening various utility apps, and disabling the touchpad, microphone, and camera.

The touchpad is gloriously smooth, which makes swipes and gestures easy and enjoyable to perform. The added slider functions on the edges for controlling various parameters, such as volume and brightness, also work well; I never triggered them accidentally during my time with the Zenbook A14, as I have done with other implementations of this feature. However, the surface area of the pad is a little too small for efficient navigation; I often found myself running out of space when dragging and dropping items around the screen, for instance.

Asus Zenbook A14 review: Battery life

(Image credit: Future)

• Best in class
• Outlasts larger model

The battery life of the Zenbook A14 is very impressive. When I ran a movie on a continuous loop, the laptop lasted over 28 hours, which puts it at the top of its class.

The larger Zenbook A16 lasted just over 24 hours in the same test. The Zenbook A14 also outlasts other premium 14-inch laptops, such as the HP OmniBook 7, which managed about 26 hours.

Should I buy the Asus Zenbook A14?Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

The Zenbook A14 is expensive in absolute terms, and there are laptops that perform almost as well for significantly less.

3.5 / 5

Design

Incredibly light, thin, and good looking, with a unique and premium construction.

4.5 / 5

Performance

Handles most tasks well, and is even capable of some light gaming. The OLED display is good, but not the best I’ve seen in a laptop.

4 / 5

Battery Life

Among the best in its class; it can outlast most of its rivals.

5 / 5

Final Score

The Zenbook A14 gets most things right. There are only a few drawbacks, chief among which is its high price tag. Certainly one to consider if you need a portable machine, though.

4 / 5

Buy it if…

You want ultimate portability
No 14-inch laptop is more portable than this, thanks to its seriously light and thin design.

You want a capable all-round performer
The Zenbook A14 handles most tasks well, and it’s a surprisingly good gamer for a GPU-less device. Battery life is excellent, too.

Don't buy it if…

You want the brightest display
While the OLED display is certainly sufficient, it’s not quite as vibrant or as bright as others.

The want the quietest machine
Under stress, the Zenbook A14 does produce a fair amount of fan noise, although I didn’t find this too distracting.

Asus Zenbook A14 review: Also consider

HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14
When comparing like-for-like models, the Ultra Flip is about the same price as the Zenbook A14, but has that added convertible functionality, with its touchscreen and included stylus performing very well. Its OLED display is better than the Zenbook’s as well, contributing to the Ultra Flip’s ranking as one of the best 2-in-1 laptops out there. Read our full HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 review.

HP Omnibook 7 14-inch
For significantly less than the Zenbook A14, there’s the Omnibook 7. This is an excellent all-rounder, featuring great performance, a premium design, and a dazzling OLED display that eclipses that in the Zenbook A14. Its keyboard isn’t as satisfying, but that’s about the only drawback. Read our full HP Omnibook 7 14-inch review.

How I tested the Asus Zenbook A14

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested for several days
• Used for various tasks
• Experienced laptop reviewer

I spent several days with the Asus Zenbook A14 and used it for various tasks, from web browsing and light productivity to streaming video and gaming.

I also ran our series of benchmark tests, to comprehensively assess every facet of its performance. This included running a movie on a continuous loop unplugged to test the battery life.

I’ve reviewed a whole host of laptops before, across a broad range of price points, form factors, and use cases, from budget devices to gaming machines. I’ve also used laptops and all kinds of similar computing devices in my personal life for decades.

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

Polaroid Hi-Print 3x3: review

I’m an instant photography fan, and a firm believer that one photographic print is worth a thousand forgotten files mouldering away in a cloud-storage account – so new products from Polaroid always grab my attention. Since its revival in 2017 – following the acquisition of the brand name by a group of analog evangelists named ‘The Impossible Project’ – Polaroid has gone from strength to strength, building up an impressive range of instant cameras and printers (my personal favorite is the Polaroid Flip).

The Polaroid Hi-Print 3x3 is the brand’s newest Bluetooth printer, designed to quickly turn images from your phone’s camera roll into real, tangible prints measuring 3x3 inches. It doesn’t take classic Polaroid instant film, instead using a heat-based dye-sublimation to quickly transfer images to paper. Very quickly, in fact – the Hi-Print 3x3 can spit out a print in comfortably under a minute.

Polaroid offers two other similar printers – the smaller Hi·Print 2x3 and the larger Hi-Print 4x6. However, the Hi-Print 3x3 offers two key USPs that make it more than just a gap-filler in the lineup.

The Polaroid Hi-Print is able to free-stand vertically, making it a versatile display frame.Jon StapleyJon StapleyJon StapleyJon Stapley

The first, and most significant, is that the Hi-Print 3x3 has a built-in slot for a square photo on one side, with a transparent protective cover that can be placed over the top. Thanks to its boxy rectangular shape, it can be stood vertically on a flat surface and used to display the inserted image – meaning it functions as printer and frame all in one. Nifty!

The second is the fact that it prints images in square format, rather than the rectangular 2x3” or 4x6” formats of the other printers. Your mileage may vary on this one, but for me, a Polaroid isn’t a Polaroid if it doesn't have that distinctive square shape, and even though the prints from the Hi-Print 3x3 are made using an identical process to the other two printers, they just feel much more like Polaroids than the rectangular prints do.

Printing is done via your phone, using the Polaroid Hi-Print app available for iOS or Android. Be warned that the printer can only connect through the app – at first I tried connecting via Bluetooth directly, and was confused as to why it wasn’t working. Once I booted up the app, the pairing was instant.

Prints happen in four key stages: yellow, magenta, cyan, and protective layer.Jon StapleyJon StapleyJon StapleyJon Stapley

Once you’ve selected an image to print from your phone’s camera roll, you are presented with a fairly comprehensive selection of editing tools, including sliders for brightness, contrast, shadows, highlights, saturation, etc, as well as cropping and straightening.

It’s the latter two compositional tools that will likely get the most use. As far as color, dynamic range and exposure are concerned, the majority of modern smartphones have automatic photo-processing that probably beats anything you’re going to achieve with a set of fairly imprecise sliders. However, since you’re printing in square format and your phone will shoot wider than that, your images are always going to be cropped, so it’s worth getting into the habit of ensuring the crop is where you want it, and the composition is to your taste.

There are also options to add stickers and text to your images, and the box contains a set of physical stickers for use on the finished print, if so desired. I did not desire, but you do you. The battery lasts well, and can quickly and easily be topped up via USB-C when needed.

The print quality itself, I would call pretty good. You’ll likely be pleased the first time a print comes out – the colors are big, bold and vivid. There’s none of the washed-out look that can plague some instant digital printers, especially those that use zero-ink (ZINK) printing like Kodak’s Printomatic camera or Canon’s Canon Ivy Cliq+2. In terms of visual impact, Polaroid has them both beat. It doesn’t quite have the lo-fi magic of Polaroid’s I-Type film utilized by cameras such as the premium I-2, but that’s what makes it much cheaper to run.

You have to remember to tear off the perforated white strip at the bottom for your prints to fit correctly – once this is done, they slot in very easily. Jon StapleyJon StapleyJon StapleyJon Stapley

In my time with the Hi-Print I did run into one mis-print, caused apparently by paper misalignment. This necessitated a restart of the printer and a redo of the print, cutting my pack of ten down to nine. Not ruinous, but a shame, and since it was my first print, it wasn’t the best first impression!

The prints don’t hold up to super-close scrutiny, not that I’d expect them to. When inspected closely, fine detail can appear rather smudgy. Landscape-style images with distant detail tend to fare the worst – in general, the best subject for a print is one with a nice big subject, front and centre. The tonal range isn’t bad though – I fed through some images featuring sunset skies, and the printer did a better job than I expected of reproducing the subtle interplays of blues and oranges. Not amazing, but not bad.

(Image credit: Jon Stapley)

The frame functionality may sound like a gimmick, but I found it rather charming, and I think it extends the fun factor of the printer. Being able to slot in different images whenever you want, according to your mood or the time of year or whatever else – it’s fun! I could especially see it appealing to a younger person who wants some changeable decoration for their room. The small dimensions and freestanding design of the Hi-Print allow it to easily be displayed on a shelf, windowsill or bedside table.

It’s nothing groundbreaking, but it’s a fun way to get photos off your phone and into the real world. I’ve enjoyed my time with it, and while digital instant printing doesn’t capture the alchemical magic of instant film, this for me is as close as it has ever come.

Polaroid Hi-Print 3x3: price & release date

Polaroid took the wraps off the Hi-Print 3x3 in April 2026. It’s available for a starting price of $119.99 / £99.99 / AU$ 194.00, and that’s with a set of ten sheets included. Once you’ve blown through those, a re-up cartridge of 30 sheets can be picked up for $24.99 / £22.99 / AU$44 (there are also bulk-buy packages that work out a little cheaper per sheet). True Polaroid I-type instant film is much pricier per print.

This starting price puts it in the middle of Polaroid’s printer range – the smaller Polaroid Hi·Print 2x3 Generation 2 is available for $109.99 / £89.99 / AU$176, while the larger-format Polaroid Hi-Print 4x6 starts at $149.99 / £129.99 / AU$264.

(Image credit: Jon Stapley)Polaroid Hi-Print 3x3: specs

Dimensions

103 x 131 x 30 mm

Print size

76.2mm x 76.2mm (3" x 3")

Printing process

Dye diffusion thermal transfer

Connectivity

Bluetooth

Battery

Lithium-ion rechargeable

Charging port

USB-C

Print time

< 50 sec

Weight

390g

App compatibility

iOS / Android

(Image credit: Jon Stapley)Should I buy the Polaroid Hi-Print 3x3?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Quick, easy photo printing, augmented by fast charging and an intuitive app.

4/5

Design

Clever free-standing box design gives the printer additional function as a display frame.

4.5/5

Performance

Prints deliver punchy color and decent tonal range, though fine details can get smudgy.

4/5

Value

It’s cheaper than a Polaroid camera, though still not exactly cheap (and paper’s an ongoing cost).

3.5/5

Buy it if…

You want a fun, changeable way to display your images
The ease of printing and swapping out your photos makes the Hi-Print 3x3 an at-home photo display that can change with your mood.

You want to print your smartphone images
If you’ve got a lot of images languishing in your phone’s camera roll, the Hi-Print 3x3 is a great way to do something with them.

Don’t buy it if…

You want prints that feel like Polaroid photos
While the square format is a step in the right direction, dye-sub printing isn’t the same as instant film.

You'd rather not rely on an app
You're limited to just the Polaroid Hi-Print app for this one.

Polaroid Hi-Print 3x3: also consider

Polaroid Hi-Print 3x3

Kodak Mini 2 Retro

Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 3

Type

Digital instant printer

Digital instant printer

Instant film printer

Print size

3” x 3”

2.1” x 3.4"

1.8” x 2.4”

Connectivity

Bluetooth

Bluetooth

Bluetooth

Charging port

USB-C

Micro USB

USB-C

Printing time

Approx. 50 sec

Approx. 70 sec

Approx. 15 sec (approx. 90 sec developing time)

Weight

390g

245g

210g

Dimensions

131 x 103 x 30mm

134 x 80 x 26mm

125 x 90 x 37.3mm

Kodak Mini 2 Retro
A smaller, cheaper alternative to the Hi-Print, the Kodak Mini 2 Retro is also a dye-sub printer – meaning it’s much better than the ultra-cheap ZINK printers. However, its prints are smaller and slower to make, and it doesn’t match the vivid colors of Polaroid.

Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 3
If you’ll accept no substitute for printing on actual film, then Fujifilm’s Instax Mini Link 3 is what you’re looking for – it’ll take your phone photos and transfer them to Instax Mini film. The quality is lovely and long-lasting, but it does make the printer more expensive to run.

Read our in-depth Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 3 review

How I tested the Polaroid Hi-Print 3x3

• I tested the Polaroid Hi-Print 3x3 using two full cartridges of paper
• I transferred and edited photographs from my phone using the Android version of the app
• I mounted the photos into the frame and displayed them at various points around my home

Polaroid sent me the Hi-Print 3x3 to try, along with several cartridges of paper. I downloaded the app to my phone and used it to connect to the printer, testing out the editing functions before sending images to the printer.

I selected a variety of different images, including landscapes, selfies, pet images, food shots and more, with a range of colour tones and compositions.

Once images were printed, I displayed them in the slot as specified, and placed them in various spots around my home to see how they looked.

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

Anker Soundcore Space 2: Two-minute review

Everyone I’ve spoken to who’s used them has spoken glowingly about Soundcore’s over-ear headphones, and the latest cans from the Anker sub-brand hark very closely to their predecessors. So, are the Anker Soundcore Space 2 contenders for the best budget headphone market?

Well, not much has changed compared to the Soundcore Space One – pedants may be wringing their hands at the jump from integer to lexical name, and I concur – and these headphones will look and feel very familiar to owners of the Space One Pro too. Meet the new boss, very similar to the old boss.

That’s no shame, though, because it means the previous cans’ strongest point is back in force. The active noise cancellation (ANC) here is absolutely fantastic — I don’t think I’ve used a pair of headphones at this price point that comes close. It’s zealous in wiping out any noise, near or far, around you.

Though barely changed from previous generations, the distinct look and comfortable fit of the Space 2 help them stand out from other alike headphones. These might be the first pair of cans I’ve tested that my girlfriend actually recognized with any kind of familiarity.

What has changed, though, is the price: there’s been a significant step up in cost from the Space One. I know, I know, it’s 2026 and every review talks about price hikes. But it’s big enough to lift the Soundcore out of the aforementioned best-in-class competition, and higher expectations aren’t matched by a greatly improved package.

Take, for example, the sound. Treble is fantastic and sparkly, but there’s a distinct drop-off when you get towards the mids, and bass is indistinct and unbalanced. They’re far from the worst over-ears I’ve tested, even at this price, with the high quality going some way to retaining the excitement at listening to music. But audiophiles won’t be impressed.

Anker Soundcore Space 2 review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

• Released in April 2026
• Debuted for $130 / £130 (about AU$250)
• Price hike over predecessors

After being unveiled at MWC 2026 in early March, the Anker Soundcore Space 2 were put on sale nearly two months later on April 21.

You can pick up these headphones for the retail price of $130 / £130 / about AU$250. That price pushes them into mid-range waters, meaning that, unlike their predecessors, they’re not quite budget cans any more.

For some context, the Soundcore Space One cost $99 / £99 / about AU$200, while the Space One Pro went for $199 / £149 (about AU$300). So the new headphones offer a fairly significant price increase.

Anker Soundcore Space 2 review: Specs

Drivers

40mm

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life (ANC off)

50 hours

Weight

264g

Connectivity

Not specified

Frequency response

Not specified

Waterproofing

Not specified

Anker Soundcore Space 2 review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• Fantastic ANC
• 50-hour battery life with ANC off
• Decent range of features including listening test

I’m not sure if the ‘Space’ in the Anker Soundcore Space 2 name refers to the silent vacuum of the cosmos, but it certainly could do, because the noise cancellation on these things is incredible for the price. I was constantly surprised by how adept the Space 2 were at cutting away noisy background sounds: the overground train running behind my house was impossible to hear, even when I was on it, and busy roads became quiet country lanes.

The quoted battery life is 50 hours with ANC on, or 70 hours with it turned off. Neither of those are lengths to write home about — hundred-hour-plus headphones come out pretty frequently now, usually at this price point — but they’re still solid listening times.

The Space 2 offer a selection of extra tools via the Soundcore app. There’s toggle-able wear detection, multipoint pairing, the ability to change what the noise cancellation and play/pause buttons on the ear cups do, and volume limits to stop you harming your hearing. Of the bunch, that latter stands out as one you don’t often see, so props to Anker for including it.

A listening test called HearID combines a hearing check, to pick out which tones you can hear, with a preference barrage to cater for your chosen type of music. I’ve not seen this latter factor considered before, and it solves a big problem with these listening tests — even if repeating the same song six times to check out different sound mixes is a gruelling experience.

There’s enough to recommend downloading the Soundcore app, even if I didn’t use it too much outside of testing.

I’ve previously heard complaints about the wear detection on Soundcore’s headphones. Here it reliably paused a song if I removed the cans, but wasn’t too hot on resuming it when I put the Space 2 back on my head.

• Features score: 4/5

Anker Soundcore Space 2 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Funky blue color and distinctive look
• Light, comfortable to wear
• No IP rating

I test plenty of cheap and mid-range headphones that are personality-less black semicircles, so have to give praise to Soundcore. The Space 2 look unique among peers with a funky color, curvy edges, abundance of soft padding and tapered connectors between the headband and cups. Sure, they look basically the same as their predecessors, but if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

They’re nice and light, at 264g, and felt supremely comfortable to wear. That’s partly the weight but also the aforementioned padding overload on your ears and head. They fit securely, not wobbling when I was walking or turning my head quickly.

On the right cup there’s a play/pause button and volume rocker, while the left one has a noise cancelling toggle, power button, USB-C port and 3.5mm audio jack. That latter’s a nice addition you don’t always see at this price point.

You can fold the Space 2 down to make them more portable, with a cloth bag coming in the box, but I couldn’t find any information about an IP rating. So you may want to be careful when wearing them in the rain.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Anker Soundcore Space 2 review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future)

• Uses 40mm driver
• Bright treble, bass and mids suffer
• Supports hi-res standards, LDAC and SBC

The Soundcore Space 2 have a 40mm driver, the same size as in the vast majority of over-ear headphones, enhanced with a double diaphragm for clearer audio. I’ll admit, this end goal has been achieved; you can appreciate the lilt of a vocalist’s voice, the squeal of a guitar solo or the timbre and tremolo of a violin.

You’ll notice that these examples are all ones which sit right in the treble and high-mid space, and that’s because this is where the Space 2 shine. They're energetic, bright and fun; I was initially won over by the cans’ sharp, clear higher-pitched sounds, but the more I listened, the more I realized something was missing.

That something missing is… well, anything lower. Distorted guitar riffs, punchy bass licks and acoustic instruments all lack sparkle, prominence and clarity – it really feels like there’s a hole in some songs where a kick should be. The acoustic guitar of Niko Moon’s King of the Island felt far too far back in the medley, and the hook of My Number by Foals or Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) by Big & Rich sounded akin to a moving company removing furniture from your upstairs neighbors.

The audio graph suddenly resurges towards the bass and sub-bass side of things, giving some oomph to songs, but it’s often ill-defined or muddy, and sometimes overblown. In Tame Impala’s The Less I Know the Better it sounds insecure, popping up now and then without distinction, while in Troye Sivan’s Rush it’s not well-defined enough to stop it overpowering everything else.

Many music fans forget that there’s more than treble and sub-bass, and the sparkling former might distract many listeners from the Space 2’s shortcomings. I was in that camp for a while, and I still have a good time when I listen to the cans. But if you want a nuanced or natural sound, you’ll find this V-shaped audio pretty severe.

Back to some technicals: the high-quality sound the Space 2 provide is helped by support for LDAC and SBC, as well as Hi-Res Audio and its Wireless counterpart.

• Sound quality: 3.5/5

Anker Soundcore Space 2 review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

• Decent value for money
• Matches price hike

The price hike of the Soundcore Space 2 is a shame, because at the Space One’s MSRP, they’d be fantastic value.

They’d be best-in-class budget cans if they came out below $100 / £100 / AU$200, but for a little more, there’s a lot more competition, and much higher expectations. They’re still good, but not instant-must-buy value for money like they would be.

• Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Anker Soundcore Space 2?Soundcore Space 2 score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The ANC here is fantastic, while the battery life is fine and the feature set has some stand-outs.

4/5

Design

The Space 2 are comfortable to wear, and look distinct in the busy ocean of over-ears.

4.5/5

Sound quality

The energetic treble goes some way to papering over the lacking mids.

3.5/5

Value

These are decent-value headphones, even if the price hike means they're no longer must-buys.

3.5/5

Buy them if…

You need fantastic ANC
For this price, you’d be hard-pressed to find headphones that cancel sound better than the Space 2.

You want a good listening test
If you like letting apps offer you EQ mixes, the Space 2 is one of the best you can get, combining a standard listening test with a preference poll that gives you something really useful.

You like comfortable cans
Often, wear comfort is an overlooked aspect of headphones, but I found the Space 2s lovely to wear for long periods of time.

Don’t buy them if…

You can’t charge often
The Soundcore Space 2 battery life is decent, but it doesn’t take much searching to find options that’ll last for over twice as long.

You want a natural sound profile
I’m not opposed to the way the Space 2 sound, but I’d understand people who ask for more (or any really meaningful) mids, and some more controlled bass.

Anker Soundcore Space 2 review: Also consider

Anker Soundcore Space 2

Anker Soundcore Space One Pro

Nothing Headphone (a)

Drivers

40mm

40mm

40mm

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery life (ANC on)

50 hours

40 hours

75 hours

Weight

264g

286.2g

310g

Connectivity

TBC

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.4

Waterproofing

NA

NA

IP52

Soundcore Space One Pro
While this premium predecessor debuted for a higher price, it’s now available for just a hair more than the Space 2. The battery life’s not as good but it has a huge number of handy features which may win you over — even if it’s generally a pretty similar headphone.
Read our full Soundcore Space One Pro review

Nothing Headphone (a)
For only a small amount more, you can pick up these great-sounding and long-lasting headphones, with the only downside being the absolutely ridiculous look that you might be embarrassed to be seen donning.
Read our full Nothing Headphone (a) review

How I tested the Anker Soundcore Space 2

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested for 3 weeks
• Tested at home, on walks and on public transport

I used the Soundcore Space 2 for roughly three weeks ahead of their release date, in which time they were paired with my Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. I listened on a range of music and video streaming services, as well as in calls and playing games.

Testing was done in a pretty wide range of environments including on public transport, on walks around various neighborhoods, and at home.

I’ve been testing audio products for TechRadar for years, including some past Anker devices like the Aerofit Pro 2.

• First reviewed in April 2026

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Huawei Watch GT Runner 2: One minute review

The Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 is full of innovative tweaks, making it ideal for running accuracy, and from a design perspective, it’s the best running watch I’ve tried so far in 2026. Because US customers can’t actually buy them, Huawei devices often go under the radar in many lists, which is a shame, as their hardware is stellar.

The GT Runner 2 is another smash hit. It’s light, at 10.7mm thick and just 34.5g in weight, packing a smallish 1.32-inch screen with a 3,000 nit brightness AMOLED display. That’s as bright as the Apple Watch Ultra 3. It fits nicely on my average-sized male wrist and doesn’t move about during runs. It comes in a selection of pretty cool colors and bands. I was partial to the Dawn Orange colorway, but my review unit arrived in Dusk Blue, which also looks nice.

The GPS credentials are where things get interesting. Huawei claims the GT Runner 2 outperforms the Garmin Forerunner 970 (by name) in GPS accuracy for runners, using a new dual-floating GPS antenna structure to improve accuracy. I didn’t have a Garmin Forerunner 970 to hand, but I did have something even better: the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro, perhaps Garmin’s best-ever smartwatch from a hardware perspective, and one that costs three times as much as the GT Runner 2.

On a 10.5 kilometer out-and-back run, the Fenix 8 Pro recorded 10.51km, with 797 calories burned, an average heart rate of 157 bpm, 5.39km average pace. The Huawei GT Runner 2 recorded 10.48km, a difference of 0.03km (or 30 meters) overall, with 785 calories burned, an average heart rate of 167 bpm, and 5.39km average pace. Those are very close results.

Even advanced running metrics were similar, with stride length being recorded as 1.10 meters by both watches. With very little in the way of statistically significant differences, I’m happy that the GT Runner 2 is as accurate as the very top-tier watches in the category. I’d expect nothing less from a watch used by record-breaking marathoner Eliud Kipchoge. You can see the results on the screens below.

On the left is Garmin Connect. On the right are two screenshots from Huawei Health, showing the differences in recording the same workout. (Image credit: Future)

Other wellness metrics are good, too: I’ve hyped up Huawei’s TruSense and TruSleep algorithms before as being scarily accurate, and it’s good to see the watch making use of both here. The accuracy of its sleep tracking and the watch's reduced weight made it easy to wear overnight. Marathon Mode, a little like Garmin’s Event Planner with an intelligent coach, and training plans abound on-watch, allowing you to follow programs imported from the Huawei Health app. Battery life is impressive, while features like Emotional Wellbeing that rely on self-reporting, I consider less useful.

A resounding success for design, performance, and health and fitness features, but smart stuff is more of a mixed bag, albeit through no fault of the watch’s designers. Huawei’s inability to work with either Google or Android’s ecosystem left my watch as a self-contained wellness tool rather than an integrated smart gadget in the same way the best Android watches, or best Apple Watches, are.

Huawei says the watch “runs seamlessly with iOS and Android,” but that’s not entirely true. I could see WhatsApp notifications as part of Huawei’s Message Tool, but everything has to be side-loaded from Huawei’s online AppGallery, so I couldn’t get a native WhatsApp watch app, only notifications. There’s no first-party app for Spotify either, so I had to download Petal Maps on my phone to use instead of Google or Apple Maps. As an extension of my phone, this experience is still frustrating and far from reflective of its excellent wellness credentials.

Huawei Watch GT Runner 2: Specifications

Component

Huawei Watch GT Runner 2

Price

£349.99 (around $470 / AU$650)

Dimensions

10.7mm x 43.5mm x 43.5mm

Weight

34g

Caze/Bezel

Titanium Alloy

Display

AMOLED, 3,000 nits

GPS

Dual-band GPS, QZSS, GLONASS, Galileo

Battery life

Up to 14 days

Connection

Bluetooth

Water resistance

IP69, 5ATM

Huawei Watch GT Runner 2: Price and availability

(Image credit: Amanda Westberg)

• £349.99 in the UK / Europe
• Not available in US / AU
• Cheaper than most modern Forerunner watches

Huawei’s availability is a far greater issue than its price. Huawei telecomms devices continue to suffer from the ongoing 5G ban, which is a shame for US runners as they’re missing out on some very good hardware. For UK users, the price is pretty reasonable at £349.99, around the same price as the Apple Watch Series 11.

• Value score: 4/5

Huawei Watch GT Runner 2: Scorecard

(Image credit: Amanda Westberg)

Category

Comment

Score

Value

Well-priced, but not available everywhere.

4/5

Design

Comfortable, light and easy to use.

4.5/5

Features

Outstanding health and fitness features, but compatibility issues cause frustrations.

4/5

Performance

As good as it gets, closely matching a watch costing thrice as much.

5/5

Huawei Watch GT Runner 2: Should I buy?Buy it if...

You’re a keen runner

The GT Runner 2 is tailor-made for people who care about their fitness.

You care about pinpoint GPS accuracy

The GT Runner 2’s dual-antenna architecture allows it to closely match the best in the game.

Don't buy it if...

You live outside of Europe and Asia

Huawei’s limitations means that the GT Runner 2 isn’t available everywhere.

You like true smartphone integration

If you live in your seamless Google and Apple suite, you’re better off getting an Android or Apple Watch.

Also consider

Coros Pace 4

Another similarly-priced wearable that's a running watch first, smartwatch distant second.

Read our full Coros Pace 4 review

Coros Pace 4

Another similarly-priced wearable that's a running watch first, smartwatch distant second.

Read our full Coros Pace 4 review

Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro

A rugged, powerful smartwatch with stellar tracking and battery life, that's half the price of the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

Read our full Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro review

How I tested

I wore the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 for a week, taking it on several runs as well as gym sessions, sleeping with it, and draining the battery down. I tested it on a 10.5 km run against the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro to determine accuracy in its metrics.

First reviewed: April 2026

Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro: one-minute review

The Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro has one big advantage over most drip coffee makers: a built-in grinder. This means one less appliance on your kitchen counter, but also that you’ll wake to fresher, better-tasting coffee on using the machine’s timer to begin brewing automatically first thing in the morning. At least, that’s the theory.

In practice, however, I found the coffee maker’s ceramic grinder ground coffee unevenly. Drip coffee is much more forgiving than espresso when it comes to the consistency of the grind, but the irregularity surprised me.

The Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro can brew up to eight cups of coffeeFutureFutureFuture

It’s unfortunate, because the AromaFresh Therm Pro is otherwise a very good drip coffee maker. Its thermal carafe keeps even a small quantity of coffee hot for hours. In addition, it has an excellent drip-stop function that prevents leaks after you remove the carafe, and it’s remarkably quiet during both grinding and brewing.

I like the idea of the AromaFresh Therm Pro, and if it had a better grinder it would be easy to recommend. As it is, however, I think you’d be better off using a standalone grinder and a simpler, cheaper machine in which to brew it. Take a look at our roundup of the best drip coffee makers for some great options.

Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro: price and availability

• List price: £289.95 (about $390 / AU$550)
• Available in Europe, but not the US or Australia

The Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro is available direct from Melitta and from a handful of third-party retailers, with a list price of £289.95 (about $390 / AU$550). There are several similar-looking coffee makers in the AromaFresh series, but this is the one with the model number 1030-11, so make sure to check before buying.

At the time of writing (April 2026), the AromaFresh Therm Pro is available in Europe, but not the US or Australia.

That price is about standard for a home drip coffee maker. For comparison, the Sage/Breville Luxe Brewer Thermal (which is a similar drip coffee maker that has a cold brew mode, but no grinder) costs $349.95 / £249.95 / AU$579.

• Value score: 4/5

Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro: design

• Built-in grinder
• Smart-looking design for a modern kitchen
• Too tall to fit underneath wall cabinets

The Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro is a smart-looking drip coffee maker, with a matte black finish and a brushed stainless steel pitcher. It has a small footprint (10.6 x 10 inches / 26.8 x 25.2cm), which makes it handy for kitchens where countertop space is at a premium; however, the grinder on top of the brew basket means the whole machine stands a towering 18.23 inches / 46.3cm tall.

That’s much too high to fit under my standard-height kitchen cabinets, and even if I could just about slide it underneath, I wouldn’t be able to open the bean hopper. This coffee maker will only really work on counters with nothing above them (like a kitchen island).

The hopper is made from tinted plastic, with a large dial for adjusting the grind size (Image credit: Future)

The hopper has a tinted plastic lid, which allows you to see how many beans remain without allowing in too much light (which will degrade the quality of your beans), and a dial on the top allows you to set the grind size.

The hopper matches the water tank, which can hold enough water for up to eight small cups. The tank is removable, which is always a welcome feature because it means you don’t have to pour water with the machine in situ and risk spillages. The AromaFresh Therm Pro’s tank doesn’t have a handle, unlike those of some other machines I’ve tested, but its oval shape is easy to grip, and it has a detachable lid to keep your water fresh.

The water tank is removable and ergonomically shaped to be easy to carry (Image credit: Future)

The AromaFresh Therm Prod doesn’t have a hot plate to keep your coffee warm after brewing; instead, it has a double-walled insulated carafe with a smart brushed stainless steel finish – which I personally prefer, since it doesn’t alter the taste of your drink by allowing water to evaporate, or overheating it.

The machine is controlled using a set of simple buttons on the right-hand side, underneath the water tank, which allow you to set a timer, adjust the aroma (settings 1-5), and program the number of cups (1-8). It’s important to ensure this number matches the amount of water in the tank. The machine will use all the water it has, regardless of which setting you choose, so you need to use the correct amount to get the right ratio of coffee to water.

• Design score: 3.5/5

Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro: performance

• Grind size is uneven
• Very quiet in operation
• Carafe is well-insulated

The biggest selling point of the AromaFresh Therm Pro is its integrated grinder. Usually, when you’re setting up a drip coffee machine before bed and setting a timer to start brewing in the morning, you have to add scoops of ground coffee to the filter basket and leave it overnight. This means the coffee’s flavor compounds start to degrade, and it won’t taste quite as good when the machine begins brewing the following day.

Instead, the AromaFresh Therm Pro takes whole beans, and grinds them only when it’s ready to brew. This should mean better flavor first thing in the morning; however, in my tests, this didn’t quite work as I’d hoped.

Coffee was unevenly ground (Image credit: Future)

I started out using the middle grind setting, and brew intensity three out of five, but found that my brewed coffee didn’t taste as full-bodied as I'd have liked. Upon examining the brew basket, I found that the coffee grounds were surprisingly irregular, and very dry, suggesting that the water had passed through them very quickly, despite me folding over the seamed edge of the Melitta filter paper as instructed in the manual.

I opened the ceramic grinder and cleaned its burrs with a small brush to ensure there was no debris getting in the way, and reduced the grind size to ensure the next dose of coffee was finer, so would take longer for hot water to pass through. This yielded a better flavor (as did turning the brew intensity option all the way up to five), but the coffee was still unevenly ground. Drip coffee is a lot more forgiving than espresso if the grind isn’t ideal, but I was still surprised at how chunky it was.

The carafe insulates well, although it can be hard to pour out the last cup of coffee (Image credit: Future)

The machine was very quiet when both grinding and brewing coffee, which is a real bonus if it’s going to start working by itself while you’re still waking up. During my tests it briefly reached a maximum of 75dB during grinding, but averaged 65dB, which is similar to a normal conversation. It was around 45dB while brewing, which is quieter than an ordinary refrigerator.

The drip-stop feature worked extremely well, with not a single drop of coffee escaping the machine after I had removed the insulated carafe. The carafe retains heat very well; after two hours, half a pot of coffee still measured 158ºF / 70ºC, which is ideal for drinking. A full pot stays hot even longer, so you can prepare a brew at the start of the day and savor it throughout the morning. However, I did find that the shape of the jug meant I had to turn it almost upside down to pour out the last half a cup.

Even after two hours, a carafe half-full of coffee was still at the perfect drinking temperature (Image credit: Future)

The Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro is an excellent idea, and extremely easy to use, but it’s really let down by the quality of its built-in grinder. Given the choice, I’d opt for the Sage Luxe Brewer Thermal with a standalone coffee grinder instead, which would be available for a similar price during a sales event.

• Performance score: 3.5/5

Should you buy the Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro?Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

Reasonably priced for a mid-range drip coffee maker, and comparable with similar rivals.

4/5

Design

Relatively small footprint, but grinder on top means it’s too tall to fit in many kitchens

3.5/5

Performance

Coffee is ground inconsistently, and the aroma setting had to be dialled all the way up for good flavor, but very simple to use, quiet, and can produce a pretty good brew when you’re used to its quirks.

3.5/5

Buy it if

You want convenience in the morning

The AromaFresh Therm Pro’s built-in grinder means there’s minimal prep necessary if you want to wake to freshly brewed coffee.

You want to savor your coffee

The Therm Pro’s well-insulated carafe means your coffee will still be at an ideal temperature for drinking hours after it's brewed.

Don't buy it if

You’re very particular about flavor

This machine doesn’t grind your coffee perfectly evenly, so flavor might not be identical each time you brew, even if all other factors are the same.

You have limited headroom over your counter

This coffee maker is extremely tall, and you’ll need plenty of free space to access the hopper on top.

Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro: also consider

If you're not sure whether the Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro is the right drip coffee maker for you, here are two other well-rated options to consider:

Brevilla/Sage Luxe Brewer Thermal

The Luxe Brewer Thermal does the fundamentals extremely well, and can brew a huge pot of great-tasting coffee with ease. It gives you control over brew settings without overwhelming you with options, and its insulated carafe keeps your coffee hot for hours and hours.

Read our full Breville/Sage Luxe Brewer Thermal review

Cuisinart Grind & Brew

Another drip machine that can grind fresh beans on demand, the Cuisinart Grind & Brew is available in two sizes: one for batch brewing and one for single servings.

Read our full Cuisinart Grind & Brew review

How I tested the Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro

I used the Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro instead of my usual drip coffee maker for two weeks. I used Melitta’s own conical filter papers (folded according to the instructions in the manual), and my regular decaf coffee beans. I used fresh, cold tap water (again, as instructed in the manual), and made sure that the amount in the tank matched my chosen brew quantity.

I measured the noise emitted by the machine in operation with a decibel meter app on my phone, and used a thermometer to check the temperature of brewed coffee in the insulated carafe.

I washed the carafe and brew basket by hand using warm water and dish detergent, and ran a rinse cycle to clean out the coffee maker at the end of each day.

First reviewed April 2026

Beelink EX Mate Pro: 30-second review

While I’ve covered many Beelink mini PCs, this is the first dock I’ve encountered from this brand. And, unsurprisingly, it's constructed in what appears to be a typical small NUC case.

The small white cube connects to a desktop or laptop via USB4 with the provided cable, and once connected, you can use the USB, HDMI, LAN ports, and built-in speaker on the Beelink EX Mate Pro.

Most docks are rated for connection speed and the number of downstream ports, and while USB4 is a fast technology, the Beelink EX Mate Pro doesn’t offer many additional connections beyond the uplink. There are just three USB, one HDMI and one 2.5GbE LAN port. However, if you are comfortable with disassembly, there are also four M.2 slots inside that support 2280 NVMe modules up to 8 TB. Therefore, connecting provides not only access to the downstream devices but also inserted storage.

Almost as an aside, the top of the dock has touch controls for audio sent through the internal speaker, and the dock can connect to phones via Bluetooth and stream music from them.

At around $200, the Beelink EX Mate Pro All-In-One Docking Station, to use its full title, seems inexpensive for the functionality it offers, and many laptop owners would find it incredibly useful.

Probably not enough features to make it to the best laptop docking stations but still an interesting option.

Beelink EX Mate Pro: Price & availability

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• How much does it cost? $199
• When is it out? On ‘Pre-Sale’, orders to ship within 35 days
• Where can you get it? Direct from Beelink

Those looking for USB docking stations that support 80Gbps have a remarkably small selection currently.

There is the Beelink EX Mate Pro All-In-One Docking Station, reviewed here, that costs $199 directly from the makers. There is also the Mate SE, also from Beelink, priced at $119.

Beyond those choices, the only way to get an 80Gbps dock is by using Thunderbolt 5, and on some of those docks, you can even access 120Gbps. However, if you have a laptop with TB5, then you wouldn’t be interested in the Beelink EX Mate Pro, and presumably, you will have a much larger budget to get a TB5 dock.

The bottom line is that USB4 v2 as a marketing category barely exists yet. If the 80Gbps bandwidth is what you are after, a Thunderbolt 5 dock will get you there today with far more choice and better-established driver support. The Beelink EX Mate Pro is genuinely interesting, but it is very new and essentially untested at this point.

• Value: 4 / 5

Beelink EX Mate Pro: Specs

Compatibility

USB-C, USB4, USB4v2

Number of Ports

6

Ports

1x USB4v2 upstream

1x USB4v2 downstream

1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A

1x USB 2.0 Type-A

1x 2.5GbE RJ45 Ethernet port

1x HDMI 2.0

Downstream power

1x 15W USB4v2, 1x 7.5W USB-A, 1x 2.5W USB 2.0

Upstream power

96W USB4v2

Size

99 x 99.2 x 98.3 mm (W x D x H)

Weight

‎1051g with case and cables

Accessories

Soft carry case, power cable, HDMI cable, USB4v2 (80Gbps) cable, User Guide

Beelink EX Mate Pro: Design

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• NUC case
• Limited port selection
• No external PSU
• Requires tools to go inside

My first reaction to the Beelink EX Mate Pro was that I’d seen this enclosure previously. And, indeed, a quick look through the Beelink catalogue turned up the Beelink ME mini, which from the outside is practically identical.

On the front are the power button and two USB ports, one each of USB 4 v2 and USB 3.2 Type-A. Where on the back are the power connection, an HDMI 2.0 port, a single USB 2.0 port, a 2.5GbE LAN port, and the USB4v2 uplink port to the computer?

There is also a visible driver cone for a speaker, and the top surface of the machine has buttons to control volume, switch between PC and Bluetooth modes, and mute the built-in microphone.

Considering that this is only a roughly 10cm cube, I was reasonably surprised to discover that it didn’t come with an external laptop-style PSU, but that the 140W PSU is internal.

This compact design allows the unit and the three cables it comes with to fit neatly inside the provided soft carry case, so someone travelling for business can take it with them. As most docks are designed to live on a desk and ideally never get moved, the portability of this solution is a significant difference.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Another aspect of this dock that’s not typical is that it has M.2 slots inside, four in total. However, getting to these isn’t straightforward, and it's not something you would want to be doing repeatedly.

The four screws that hold the top section of the EX Mate Pro on are hidden under rubber plugs in the corners of the underside. Once these are removed, the outside of the case slides up and reveals the four M.2 slots, two on the left and right.

These have thermal pads already attached, so installation involves removing the SSD retaining screw and then pushing the modules in before replacing the screw. These slots are only designed for 2280 NVMe modules, and the orientations assume that the chips are on the upper surface, which makes them upside down when compared to a normal motherboard install. If you accidentally put them with the chips facing out, the polarizing slot on the M.2 edge connector won’t allow the SSD to be inserted, making it almost impossible to get this wrong.

Once you’ve installed whatever storage you want to use, you can drop the top back on, put the screws in, and even the rubber plugs, if you haven’t already lost them.

Overall, I wish getting to the M.2 slots were a little easier, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s a minor inconvenience.

• Design: 4 / 5

Beelink EX Mate Pro: Features

• Bandwidth management
• Gen 3 x 2 M.2
• Power management

When I review USB or Thunderbolt docks, I’m always struck by how the makers will add more connections than can reasonably be supported by the bandwidth of the host connection.

But in the context of the Beelink EX Mate Pro, there are such a limited number of ports that this is much less of an issue.

The host connection is USB4v2, the 80Gbps implementation of the original USB4 standard, a technology that AMD has supported with their AI 300 series processors.

USB4 v2 can theoretically reach 80Gbps bidirectionally, but that full speed is optional rather than mandatory. The minimum requirement for USB4 certification is just 20Gbps. That creates a genuine problem for buyers. A port labelled USB4v2 on a laptop could be running at a quarter of the headline speed, which would affect how quickly devices attached to the dock can operate, including internal M.2 modules.

For my testing, I used an AI 300 system with USB4 40 Gbps ports, but the availability of machines with 80 Gbps implementations isn’t good at this time. But equally, Thunderbolt 5 isn’t common either. I suspect that USB4v2 is likely to be more popular in the long run since it’s not explicitly welded to Intel chips.

However, on the Beelink EX Mate Pro, unless you want to use every single port on it, 40Gbps USB4 is a generally good experience.

One interesting detail about this hardware is how the M.2 sub-system is implemented, since these drives have the potential to consume large amounts of the potential bandwidth available.

All four are treated as PCIe Gen 3 with 2 lanes. Therefore, putting Gen 4 drives in here wouldn’t improve performance, and Gen 3 drives would be limited to half their normal four-lane bandwidth.

In some ways, I wish Beelink had used a PCIe switch that could allocate bandwidth dynamically on the M.2 slots. If they had done that, the eight lanes of Gen 3 connectivity could have been traded to two G3 ports with all four lanes, or even a single port of Gen 4 with four lanes. But instead, each gets two Gen 3 lanes fixed.

If you want better speed from the M.2 slots, you could ask Windows to use software RAID 0, striping two or more drives for greater bandwidth. However, I’m not sure I’d want to do this, since any drive failure would be catastrophic for the whole array. As a whole, I don’t think software RAID is a wonderful idea, but some people might be keen to either use it to merge multiple drives, enhance performance or resilience (mirrors).

But these are all options, and having choices is good.

That’s also true of the USB4v2 downlink that could take all the bandwidth and leave nothing for the other ports.

The upside of this decision is that you can run dual monitors from this dock, using the HDMI 2.0 port and the USB4v2, or you could also attach a USB4 external DAS or SSD.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

As docks go, other than the M.2 slots, this system has limited ports and, therefore, features.

One area I didn’t especially love was the speaker solution, as it didn’t enhance my audio experience beyond what I already experience from my monitors. But having something that can play music over Bluetooth from a phone, or direct from the PC, might be useful to some. Having an inherent microphone also avoids the need to carry it along if the audio quality is acceptable to you.

As much as docks are about bandwidth management, they are also about the distribution of power. The internal PSU on the Beelink EX Mate Pro has 140W to play with, enabling it to offer 96W on the USB4v2 uplink. That’s plenty for most laptops, unless you have a mobile workstation that wants 140W.

But the USB ports on the dock can also draw power: 15W on the USB4v2 and USB 3.2 ports, and 2.5W on the USB 2.0 port. Therefore, if you plug devices into these, you might find that it comes out of the 96W laptop's recharging budget, since the remaining 44W is probably needed for other things.

With relatively few ports and a somewhat idiosyncratic port selection, the Beelink EX Mate Pro focuses on laptop users who need these particular functions. I can’t see desktop or Mini PC users wanting some of these capabilities, but it depends on how they use their systems, I guess.

• Features: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Beelink EX Mate Pro: Performance

• 80Gbps upstream bandwidth
• M.2 and USB4v2

It should be obvious that the performance of any external dock depends on the bandwidth available to connect to it and how that bandwidth is divided among the ports in use.

Because of the huge number of possibilities, I decided that what was most relevant is how fast NVMe drives are when placed in the M.2 slots. And what sort of speed can you expect from external SSDs using the USB4v2 downlink port?

For my M.2 testing, I used a single Kioxia Exceria Plus G3 that’s rated for a sequential read speed of around 5000 MB/s. That speed level is only possible when this NVMe drive is run on a Gen 4 slot with 4 lanes. On a Gen 3 slot with two lanes (a quarter of the bandwidth), it managed only 1655 MB/s reads and 1556 MB/s writes using CrystalDiskMark as the benchmark. This underlines that investing in Gen 4 over Gen 3 is largely pointless if you intend to put them inside this hardware.

But where I saw much better performance was with the USB4v2 port, attaching a Corsair EX400 2TB USB4 SSD. That delivered an impressive. 3912MB/s reads and 3703MB/s writes, which is close to the fastest that I’ve ever achieved with this external drive.

For the sake of completeness, I also tested it with an OWC Envoy Pro FX, a 4TB external drive that was made for Thunderbolt 4. It achieved 3029MB/s reads but only 1290MB/s writes, curiously.

Overall, the performance of this dock with its external USB4 v2 port was more impressive than that of the M.2 internal drives. Although it's important to realise that the speeds I achieved with the external drives would have been largely similar if they had been directly connected to the host system.

The Corsair EX400 achieved 4059MB/s reads and 3748MB/s writes when connected directly to the host, as an example.

• Performance: 4 / 5

Beelink EX Mate Pro: Final verdict

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The Beelink EX Mate Pro is an interesting option, especially for those who stay out of the office but need the additional ports and storage options that a device like this can add.

It’s not a replacement for a dedicated desktop dock with ten or more ports, but then it's not priced like one either.

To get the most from this equipment, you need a minimum of a USB4 port with 40Gbps (not 20Gbps) and ideally a full USB4v2 implementation with 80Gbps. That last option isn’t common yet, but hopefully, more laptops will appear with those in the near future.

At under $200, this isn’t an expensive choice if you have the right ports on your laptop and want to add some extra ones that the maker of that device left off.

However, it isn’t clear yet if the future of external connections lies with Thunderbolt or USB, since the latest technologies from both camps have yet to see widespread use.

Beelink EX Mate Pro: Report card

Value

Inexpensive for a USB4v2 dock

4 / 5

Design

A repurposed NUC case with no external PSU

4 / 5

Features

Limited ports outside, but four M.2 slots inside

4 / 5

Performance

Works well enough for USB4 hosts and devices

4 / 5

Overall

Inexpensive option if you have USB4v2

4 / 5

Should I buy a Beelink EX Mate Pro?

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Buy it if...

You have USB4v2
Like Thunderbolt 5, almost nobody has USB4v2 currently, though this device will work well enough with USB4 if it has 40Gbps available.

You need 96W charging
While 96W isn’t enough for some mobile workstation-class machines, it's plenty for the majority of laptops, enabling you to work and charge simultaneously. View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You don’t have USB4
If you only have USB-C (USB 3.2), or a USB4 port with only 20Gbps bandwidth, I’d avoid this dock, since the performance of the M.2 storage and the through ports won’t be ideal.

You need many ports
As docks go, this one doesn’t have many ports, limiting what you can reasonably connect to it. If you need a USB4 external drive and two monitors connected, then this dock doesn’t support that at the same time.