Reviews

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025): Two-minute review

I've used the 2024 release of the Kindle Scribe (2nd generation) for two years and I've loved every minute of it. I didn't think there was a better E Ink display to write on (and read on for that matter) and I definitely didn't think it could be improved. Yet that's exactly what Amazon has done with the 2025 (3rd generation) Kindle Scribe with frontlight.

The epaper display is still one of the best to read and write on, but it looks even brighter and, indeed, it is bigger, with 11 inches of screen real estate to use. That's fantastic for note-taking and drawing, but unnecessary for a device that also doubles up as an ereader.

Despite the additional height, the 3rd generation Kindle Scribe is both marginally thinner and lighter than its predecessor, but it is hard to hold in the hand for long periods of use — I constantly felt the need to place it on my lap or a table even when reading, but more so when jotting notes. Moreover, the lack of a broad bezel means it's very easy to trigger a page turn as the thumb rests so close to the edge of the display.

The thinner chassis is solidly built, although there's still no waterproofing (as is the case on most digital notebooks), so be careful if you decide to use it by the pool, the bath or the kitchen sink. And definitely keep it away from the sea's salty water to avoid corrosion.

The new stylus is also redesigned and, while it might feel too smooth for some users, I adore it! It never slipped once, even with sweaty palms, and, personally, gave me one of the best writing experiences I've had on a digital notebook (with the exception of the ViWoods C1 ceramic stylus possibly). Additionally, the magnetic hold to the side of the device is the strongest I've seen to date on any such device.

The homescreen interface has been refreshed and is quite practical in my opinion, and renaming the previous Notebooks tab to Workspace kinda makes sense to me. There are a few new features here: a handful of fresh templates in Workspace, a Smart Shapes feature that some users might find useful and, importantly, Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive connectivity for seamless cloud transfer of files. There's even AI-enable search that can trawl through handwritten notes to give you a concise summary to answer your query.

What I'm struggling with is justifying its high price tag. While everything is now a lot more expensive, the extra screen real estate and handful of new features don't go a long way in explaining the significant price increase over its predecessor but, then again, the base model now has double the storage at 32GB and it sure is a very fast performer.

As someone who's extensively used reMarkables and Boox alternatives, I think the 3rd generation Kindle Scribe definitely gives its competitors a run for their money. I'd still only consider picking it up when discounted and only if you don't already have a previous Scribe and are embedded in the Amazon ecosystem.

Book credits: Anirudh Kanisetti and Juggernaut Books (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) review: price and availability

• First announced October 2025 in the US; available to buy since December 2025
• Released in the UK and other select markets in early 2026, available in Australia since mid 2026
• List price: from $499.99 / £449.99 / AU$849

The 3rd-generation Kindle Scribe is expensive — at a starting price of $499.99 / £449.99 / AU$849, it's $100 / £70 / AU$200 more than its predecessor's entry cost, but it does go some way in justifying the increase.

Firstly, as I've already mentioned, the entry model now has 32GB of storage compared to 16GB, plus the display is 11 inches (previously 10.2 inches). There are a few new software features that make it a better digital notepad compared to the 2nd-gen Kindle Scribe from 2024, but it's still hard to justify paying full price when color E Ink devices don't cost much more.

That said, color E Ink isn't where it should be in 2026 and I wouldn't recommend the $629 / £569 / AU$999 Kindle Scribe Colorsoft over this monochrome sibling.

On the other hand, the reMarkable Paper Pure, which also offers 32GB of storage, but a 10.3-inch screen and a minimal interface that's not conducive to reading is a lot cheaper with a starting price of $399 / £359 / AU$629. Even the 64GB Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) Lumi is cheaper at $449.99 / £429.99 / AU$729.

I would still recommend the 3rd-gen Kindle Scribe if you want both a reading and note-taking device in one, but perhaps consider picking it up when it's discounted, which it invariably will be during a major sale, more so once Amazon discontinues the 2024 edition (which it invariably will).

However, if you already own the 2024 version, I wouldn't recommend the 3rd-gen as an upgrade as you won't miss much. And as long as it's available to buy, the 2nd-gen is definitely better value even at full price.

• Value score: 3.5 / 5

The little Kindle logo on the bottom corner of the 2025 Scribes is a new addition (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) review: specs

Display type:

E Ink Carta 1300

Screen size:

11 inches

Resolution:

300ppi

Processor:

Undisclosed quad-core chipset

Frontlight:

Yes (warm and cold) with ambient light sensor

Storage:

32GB / 64GB (non-expandable)

Battery:

Undisclosed capacity rated for up to 12 weeks

Speaker:

No

Water protection:

None

Software:

Linux-based

Connectivity:

Wi-Fi (2.4GHz + 5GHz); Bluetooth 5.1 USB-C

File support:

13 document, 4 image, 1 audio

Dimensions:

189 x 245 x 5.4 mm (7.4 x 9.6 x 0.21 inches)

Weight:

400g (without case and stylus)

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) review: design and display

• 11 inches of beautiful, bright E Ink Carta 1300 screen real estate
• Sturdy, premium build, but slim bezels can be an issue
• Thinner and lighter than previous generation, with newly designed Premium Pen

It might not seem all that different from the previous two Kindle Scribes, but the 3rd-gen model with frontlight is a different beast, at least physically. As already mentioned, it's now a little taller thanks to an 11-inch display, but it's ever-so-slightly thinner (5.4mm vs 5.7mm) and lighter than the second-generation Scribe (400g vs 433g).

How Amazon has managed that is beyond my understanding, but it's a welcome change as it helps negates a little bit of the hand and wrist fatigue the extra height adds during handheld use over longer periods of time.

That, sadly, is exacerbated by the fact that the broader bezel from the previous generations is no longer there beside the screen where your thumb could rest. Now, all four sides are surrounded by even yet narrow bezels that can trigger a page turn if your finger or palm even remotely touches the edge of the screen. It's something you can get used to but, even then, I think all the new 2025 Kindle Scribes are best used while on a table or desk, or your lap.

Other than that, the Kindle Scribe still looks like a premium device with a very sturdy build, despite being thin and light, with minimal embellishments for a clean look. Unlike the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, though, the 3rd-gen model only comes in the usual Graphite (previously called Tungsten) variant, and I do wish another chassis color was available. You're also not going to get any waterproofing here like with the other Kindles.

The 3rd-gen Kindle Scribe (right) is a bigger screen than the 2024 release (left) (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

What I'm thrilled about, though, is the new stylus. Amazon has redesigned the Premium Pen, which is now a white, smooth-bodied styls with a slightly sharper nib that adds better control to marking on the screen. The smoothness of the pen's body might make it harder to hold for some users, but I didn't have any issues with slipping, even if my palms ended up being sweaty for whatever reason.

Better yet is the magnet that attaches the pen to the side of the tablet, which is arguably the strongest I've come across on any such device. Even without a case, the Pen has never come off inside my bag when taking it in or out of a pocket. And I do mean never — it has shifted in angle, sure, but not completely fallen off. That's just my experience, though.

You still get an eraser on the top and the customizable shortcut button, as well as five spare tips in the box. What you don't get is the aforementioned sleep case, which you will need to purchase separately, but there are options galore directly from Amazon and third parties.

The white Premium Pen may not suit everyone, but I love it more than the 2024 Kindle Scribe stylus (in black) (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

As much as I would love to wax lyrical about the stylus, it's the 11-inch E Ink Carta 1300 display that's the star of the show here. It was already fantastic on the 10.2-inch 2024 Scribe, but now it just seems a touch better.

I'd like to say it's because of the 100nit peak brightness that makes it look nicer, but even with the LEDs dimmed, it's the cleanest, almost-white display I've used on an epaper tablet that still manages to seem like paper. In fact, I much prefer it over the duller-looking E Ink Kaleido 3 display on the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.

The flush screen is protected by a top layer of glass that also has an anti-glare coating. You also get the standard 300ppi resolution which, despite being spread over a larger area, still renders text and writing in sharp clarity, and it's arguably one of the most responsive screens on an epaper device to date.

• Design & display score: 4.5 / 5

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) review: Software

• Refreshed homescreen setup which is cluttered with Kindle Store recommendations
• Cloud service access is very welcome
• More writing tools but not necessarily of note (pun not intended), but new a AI feature could prove useful

It's not a complete makeover, but the homescreen setup on the top of the 2025 Kindle Scribes is different to what was previously on the older models. There's easy access to what Amazon is calling a Quick Note — just tap on it and it opens up an empty notebook for you to start writing on — beside which is a single column of your recently opened items (now called Jump Back In) that were previously arranged horizontally.

By default, the Quick Note takes up more than half the left side of the screen, but it can be shrunk by tapping double arrows, which then separates your recently opened items list into two columns, thus adding more, whether that be notes or ebooks.

I like this setup better as it's a quick glance at a fair few recently opened items, rather than you needing to scroll horizontally, plus you can see what you wrote in the Quick Note without needing to open it.

The new homescreen design is better than before, but it's still cluttered once you scroll down (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Below this section is a whole lot of what I think is clutter but some users who are embedded in the Amazon ecosystem would appreciate. These include the Recently Added items list, followed by new-feature intros and several Kindle Store recommendations based on your reading habits, which is what I really detest — it just feels like overkill and I much prefer Kobo's homepage which looks neater to me.

While the bottom navigation menu still has four items, the previous Notebooks tab is now called Workspace and it has a few extra templates that I personally couldn't find much use for. I would have loved a dedicated journal template but... oh well. Otherwise, everything else is carried over from before, with limited pen and brush options that artists perhaps won't be very happy with.

Active Canvas works even on sideloaded books...Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar..as does the side marginSharmishta Sarkar / TechRadarI do wish the library would allow subfoldersSharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar

The biggest improvement here (across all three 2025 Scribes in fact) is the addition of Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive support. As someone who uses the former, it's made file transfer a lot easier than using the email sharing option that has previously been the clunkier norm.

There is, however, a caveat when it comes to PDFs: you can't actually mark them up after exporting them if you need to do so. The only way to reflect changes is to export the file and open in Google Docs to edit. Despite that, I still think access to cloud services is a huge improvement and I hope Amazon rolls it out to the older Scribes as well.

Also new is a feature called Smart Shapes that you can access from the stylus menu in a note — if you need to create, say, flowcharts, you can roughly draw a circle or triangle and it will automatically get converted into a proper (or neat) shape. It's not something I personally found useful, but I think it could be for students, teachers and scientists.

Smart Shapes could prove useful for some users (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

The AI-powered handwriting conversion and summary creation tools from the previous generation is available here, as are the ebook annotations (Active Canvas) and side-margin notes from before, but AI search in your notes is new. It allows you to enter a keyword or phrase and all your notes, including handwritten ones (uh-huh, that's different, innit?) will be scanned to give you an AI-generated summary. It's another feature that I don't see everyone needing, but if you have a copious amount of notes on the same subject (like I occasionally do), it can be handy.

I should note that all this software improvement takes up a heck of a lot of storage. For example, when I looked into the Device Options on my 3rd-gen Scribe and Colorsoft units, I only had about 22GB and 21GB of usable storage respectively out of 32GB. This is still a good amount, but 11GB is still a heck of a lot of space to give up for power users who might want to store a lot of ebooks, audiobooks and documents on the device. To put it into context in another way: there was a time when 8GB storage was the norm in an ereader, meaning the Scribe software wouldn't even fit into an older ereader!

Software score: 4 / 5

Amazon might offer 32GB of storage, but you can't use all of it (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) review: User experience

• Despite its size, it's one of the best screens to read on
• New stylus writes wonderfully, although writing and drawing features are still comparatively limited
• Handful of new templates added for note taking

I have a few Kindle devices at home, including three of the 2024 releases, and yet I'm not really a Kindle fan because of how much the user interface forces you into the Amazon ecosystem.

However, the 3rd-generation Kindle Scribe with frontlight has come very close to changing my mind — I am willing to put up with the homescreen clutter because of how good reading and writing is on that glorious E Ink display. It's hands down the best epaper tablet I've tested in 2026 (it's a delayed review as it wasn't released in Australia, where I'm based, until June this year).

Amazon has made it easier to transfer files, although file support is still lagging behind the competition (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Reading

As I've already said, the 300ppi resolution looks a little better on this Scribe than it did on the previous generation because Amazon has optimized the display very well to render text in sharp clarity.

I've seen some users complain that the Scribes don't look as good as the Paperwhite, but it's important to keep in mind that the 7-inch Kindle has less surface area with the same amount of pixels as the 11-inch version, so the pixel size on the larger device will be slightly bigger. And that makes a difference, but not so much that it stands out. You have to look really carefully to see that kind of difference.

I am a big fan of the ambient light sensor on the display, which means the screen automatically dims or brightens up depending on whether I'm indoors or outdoors, or how bright or dark it might be around me. In other words, it automatically gives me a pleasing brightness for nighttime reading.

I may not need large fonts, but no matter the light setting, text is crystal clear (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

The larger screen makes it an ideal choice for comic book fans but, then again, color makes them more enjoyable while you'll be reading them in grayscale. The bigger screen, however, is fantastic for those who prefer larger fonts, so you aren't turning pages after a few sentences and, thus, conserving a little battery.

The Kindle font support is still not as good as flexible as on a Kobo or a Boox device. For example, sideloaded EPUBs added to the device via the Send To Kindle platform render well, but I found a few MOBI files that didn't open as expected but work perfectly fine on my Kobo Libra Colour.

I am, however, very grateful for Amazon's cloud storage where anything in your library previously added to older devices are accessible on any new Kindle.

Writing & drawing

I didn't think Amazon could better the writing experience from the previous-generation Scribe, but lo and behold, a redesigned stylus has achieved just that. As I've previously stated, the pen is the real hero when it comes to epaper writing tablets and the white Premium Pen with a slightly sharper nib glides very well over the glass and yet has just the right friction.

Then again, a pen choice is very personal and some users might prefer more friction, which is understandable. Personally, my experience was perfect, allowing me very good control over the marks I made in a note.

Some writing templates are useful, but not all (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

What I'm not necessarily too enthused by are the limited writing tools. I think Kobo's Advanced Notebooks are still a better option compared to what Amazon offers on the Scribe, although Android devices give you even more features and tools if you think you'd need them.

While there are some new templates for notes, I think their use would be very limited to select users, and I would have much preferred if Amazon had, instead, added more pen options. I may not be able to draw to save my life, but I can see how this limitation might affect artists. For everyday doodling, my colleague Lance Ulanoff finds the Kindle Scribe better than his iPad for drawing, especially when outdoors.

Writing and drawing limitations aside, the physical experience of putting words down on the 2025 Scribe is par excellence and, for that, I can't deduct too many marks.

User experience score: 4.5 / 5

Renaming Notebooks on the 2024 Scribe (bottom) to Workspace on the 3rd-generation model (top) is neither here nor there (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) review: Performance

• The fastest Kindle yet, with page turns barely visible (unless animated)
• Absolutely no ghosting, even with image-heavy ebooks
• Battery life takes a small hit compared to previous generation

Amazon doesn't reveal what hardware components it uses under the hood of its devices — all we know is that there's a quad-core chip with an indeterminate amount of RAM — to keep things ticking along, but whatever there is sure makes the 3rd-generation Scribe the fastest Kindle yet.

In fact, I think I might go so far as to say it's arguably the fastest ereader and epaper writing tablet I've tested to date. I make that claim based on my recent Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) Lumi review that I was testing at the same time the Amazon device and, despite being a 2026 release, was so significantly slower than the 2025 Scribe, specifically in terms of page turns.

On the Scribe, you can barely discern a page turn, unless you have the animation turned on of course. Several times during my two-week test period with the Scribe I didn't even think a tap registered until I saw the words on the new page. The time I did notice a blip was when the device was doing a full refresh.

Like its predecessor, there's absolutely no ghosting here, whether you've got image-heavy or word-heavy books. Not even a faded mark appears overlaid on notes, and I do wish Boox would learn how to achieve that.

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Battery capacity is another spec that Amazon doesn't reveal, but it does say that it can last up to 12 weeks on a single charge when used for about 30 minutes a day. It's definitely doable, but I think battery life on the previous 2024 edition was slightly better. Potentially more LEDs (another spec that Amazon doesn't reveal) to power a larger display could be the main culprit here, but it doesn't take too much of a hit in comparison.

In my use case, with up to four hours of reading and about 30 minutes of writing each day saw the battery nearly empty in five days. That's with the ambient light sensor on, so no manual brightness adjustments were made and that does put pressure on the battery. Sleep timer was set to 30 minutes and Bluetooth was off, although Wi-Fi was always on. Similar use with the 2024 Kindle Scribe saw the battery drain in approximately seven days for me with the same settings.

Recharging, however, seems to be remarkably quick on the 2025 version of the Scribe with frontlight, with my unit taking just about 20 minutes to top up from 21% down when plugged into a 60W wall charger. That's with the screen switched off, though. If I charged it while the device was in use, it took close to two hours via the same adaptor and USB-C cable.

On the other hand, my Kindle Scribe Colorsoft drains even quicker and takes a heck of a lot longer to recharge.

• Performance score: 5 / 5

With limited settings options, the Kindle UI is easy to wrap your head around (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Should I buy the Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025) with frontlight?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

It's frightfully expensive and, despite, being larger with a few new features, it's still hard to recommend at full price.

3.5 / 5

Design & display

The 11-inch E Ink Carta 1300 display is bright and full of contrast — it's the headline act here. But the larger build makes it hard to use handheld for too long, especially without a broader bezel.

4.5 / 5

Software

The refreshed homepage setup is nice, and cloud services are a welcome addition. But not all new features will have as much value to the average user.

4 / 5

User experience

The new Premium Pen may not be to everyone's liking but I can't fault it, although I still think Amazon should have added more writing tools. As an ereader, though, it's fantastic, albeit too large if that were its sole purpose.

4.5 / 5

Performance

It's the fastest E Ink writing tablet I've tested to date, although its battery life has taken a small hit compared to previous generations.

5 / 5

Buy it if...

Money is no object and you want the best Kindle Amazon has made to date

Whether that's the screen for reading or writing, or just how impressive its overall performance is, the 3rd-generation Kindle Scribe is worth auditioning if you need a digital notebook.

You want to read and write on the same device with an easy-to-use interface

I might personally find the homescreen on the Scribe cluttered, but that doesn't detract from the fact that Kindles are easy to use. And if you want large fonts while reading or you're a habitual margin scribbler and note taker, there's enough here to take care of your digital reading and writing needs.

You want to access your files easily on any device

Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive support aren't new — Boox has been offering that long before even Kobo decided to, but it sure is new for a Kindle. So for fans of the Amazon ecosystem, access to cloud services is a welcome addition, although there is a small caveat with editing PDFs on any device.

Don't buy it if...

You want better bang for your hard-earned buck

As good as it is, the 3rd-gen Scribe isn't worth buying at full price. As long as the 2nd-gen edition is still available, that offers better value (despite the missing new features) or you can opt for an alternative from another brand, many of which are slightly cheaper.

You read a lot of comics and graphic novels

I wouldn't recommend the even-pricier Kindle Scribe Colorsoft for comics, manga and graphic novels because color E Ink still has a way to go to be worthwhile, but you'd find buying an iPad or an Android tablet for colorful pages much cheaper and more enjoyable.

You want a dedicated writing or drawing tablet

For the average note taker, the Scribe is fine, but you need more writing or drawing tools, you're better off considering a reMarkable or a Boox device instead. Professional artists should definitely looks elsewhere.

Also consider

The 3rd-generation Kindle Scribe with frontlight is easy to recommend and, for some users, it might even justify its high price tag. For anyone else, know that there are alternatives to consider, and they'll actually save you a little cash even at full price.

reMarkable Paper Pure

While a reMarkable doesn't exactly double up as an ereader, it's perfect as a dedicated digital notebook. Its minimal interface is fantastic, it now offers more storage than the reMarkable 2 is replaces and it's slightly cheaper than its Amazon counterpart.
Read our in-depth reMarkable Paper Pure review to learn more

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2nd gen)

I'm fairly certain this older Scribe will be discontinued soon (as Amazon is wont to do with previous-generation Kindles), but as long as it's available, it's better value. You won't miss the additional screen real estate, and I'm hoping Amazon will roll out some of the new software features available on its successor to make it even better than it already is.
Read our full Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) review for more details

How I tested the Amazon Kindle Scribe (2025)

The 3rd generation Kindle Scribe (left) might be better, but the 2024 edition (right) is better value (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

I sadly had the 3rd-generation Kindle Scribe for just two weeks for this review, but I ensured I spent as much time as I could with it. As I've previously mentioned, I spent an average of 4-5 hours with it each day during that time, sometimes more, both reading and writing.

I was able to access my existing library as soon as I signed into my Amazon account, but I also uploaded some new EPUBs using the Send To Kindle web platform. I also connected the Scribe to my Google Drive account to transfer a couple of PDFs to the device, but I also saved select notes to the cloud, which automatically upload as PDFs with handwriting (no automatic text conversion takes place, but you can manually trigger that on the Scribe if you wish).

I tried the Smart Shapes feature and used the new AI search to test if it would be able to summarize my own review notes for me, which is successfully did. Handwriting conversion was also tested, albeit using a colleague's scrawl (I hate to admit but I can't scribble chicken scratchings no matter how hard I try).

Kindle Unlimited and Audible were also accessed on the device, and I was able to pair a JBL Bluetooth speaker for listening.

Learn more about how we test devices here at TechRadar

[First published July 2026]

Keychron K2 Ultra 8K: One-minute review

The K2 Ultra 8K is a wireless mechanical keyboard that aims to compete with the big names in the space.

It adopts a fairly basic design, harking back to keyboards of yore with its chunky chassis and tall keycaps. This substantial form is complimented by a reassuring weight that keeps the unit in place, without being too heavy to move around when needed.

The aluminum frame is also welcome thanks to its pleasingly solidity, although its texture isn’t the most alluring. The keycaps are of a better quality, though, since they’re Double Shot PBT, which often adorns the best gaming keyboards. Their opaque lettering means the backlighting fails to shine through them, which is an oversight committed by many Keychron keyboards.

(Image credit: Future)

To customize the inputs of the K2 Ultra 8K, you can use Keychron’s Web App. There are plenty of remapping options here, with numerous system and media commands available. There’s also a SOCD feature with a few different modes to choose from. You can also adjust the bounce time of both down and up strokes.

My review unit came with Red switches, which performed quite well. They were slightly lubed and well-damped, while still retaining a certain snappiness. However, I found their actuation a little too deep, which did result in some of my presses failing to register. Also, the sheer thickness of the keyboard did cause my wrists to ache after a while.

Using the WASD position when gaming was a little more comfortable than a typing position, and the generous spacing of the keys made navigating them quite easy. The quick rebound of the keys was also something I appreciated, and helped to make up somewhat for that aforementioned deep actuation point. Both wireless connectivity options worked well, and hot-swapping between devices was easy, thanks to the switch on the side of the unit.

The K2 Ultra 8K is competitively priced for a wireless mechanical keyboard with hot-swappable hardware. It can’t match the sheer performance and premium designs of its more notable rivals, such as the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% and the HyperX Origins 2 1800, but considering all that it offers, the K2 Ultra 8K is good value.

Keychron K2 Ultra 8K review: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future)

• $119.99 (about £90 / AU$170)
• Available now with various switch types
• Reasonable for a wireless gaming keyboard

The K2 Ultra 8K costs $119.99 (about £90 / AU$170) and is available now. Three stock switches are available to choose from: Red, Brown, or Banana.

This is a reasonable price for a hot-swappable, wireless mechanical keyboard with premium materials and numerous customizations available. Equivalent models from bigger brands are generally more expensive. Take the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%, which is an eyewatering $299 / £299 / AU$499. However, this is one of the best mechanical gaming keyboards I’ve ever tested, and it offers a wealth of customizations that put many others, including the K2 Ultra 8K, to shame.

Then there’s the HyperX Origins 2 1800, another superb mechanical keyboard, but one that’s only marginally more expensive than the K2 Ultra 8K. Again, I thought this performed better than the K2 Ultra 8K when I tested it, although its customizations aren’t as extensive. It’s also wired only, which diminishes its value somewhat relative to the K2 Ultra 8K.

• Value: 4.5 / 5

Keychron K2 Ultra 8K review: Specs

Layout

TKL

Switch

Keychron Apex Switch (mechanical)

Programmable keys

Yes

Dimensions

12.3 x 4.8 x 1.2 inches / 311.5 x 121.5 x 31.2mm

RGB or backlighting

Yes (customizable)

Keychron K2 Ultra 8K review: Design and features

(Image credit: Future)

• Very thick
• Solid aluminum frame
• Numerous customizations via web app

The K2 Ultra 8K has a somewhat retro design with some modern touches. The chunky chassis and squared off frame are certainly throwbacks to simpler time, but the keycaps are more contemporary affairs, thanks to their soft, rounded form.

With that thick body comes a considerable weight. This helps keep the K2 Ultra 8K planted, yet it’s not too heavy to make moving it around a chore when needed. It also contributes to the unit’s durability, as does the aluminum construction of the frame. This doesn’t feel quite as premium as others, owing to its slightly rough texture, but it’s welcome all the same. Better are the keycaps, since they’re Double Shot PBT, which is the gold standard in the keyboard world.

Somewhat unusually, the USB-C port is located on the left side of the K2 Ultra 8K rather than the rear. This may prove inconvenient for certain setups, but thankfully it’s positioned quite far back, so the difference isn’t that huge. Also, the provided USB cable has an L-shaped jack, so it doesn’t protrude outwards all that much, with the cable naturally running towards the likely location of your device.

(Image credit: Future)

There is some RGB backlighting on the K2 Ultra 8K, but like other Keychron keyboards, this is quite lackluster. It barely shines through the spaces between each keycap and since the keycap symbols are opaque, you still can’t make them out in a dark environment, which rather defeats the point of backlighting in the first place. Keychron does sell transparent keycaps, but this is an add-on you have to purchase separately rather than being a configurable substitute.

At least this lighting can be customized, either by using the dedicated key in the top-right corner or Keychron’s Web App. This app contains a lot of options for patterns and colors. It also features input customizations, with a wealth of rebinding options that includes various media and system shortcuts.

There aren’t any advanced performance-based features here, save for bounce time settings and an SOCD function. The former lets you set the press and reset times independently for keys. There are two sliders for this purpose with a range of 10-50ms, with millisecond increments. The latter lets you adjust key priority when two are pressed at the same time — you can set the first pressed key to take priority, a chosen key to always take priority, or both to cancel.

As web apps go, Keychron’s is fast and easy to use. I didn’t encounter any frustrating loading times and or major bugs. Still, I would’ve preferred a standalone app for the sake of convenience, saving you from having to load your browser every time.

• Design and features: 4 / 5

Keychron K2 Ultra 8K review: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Actuation too deep for effective typing
• Good key spacing and response for gaming
• Unit thickness can cause discomfort

My review unit came with Keychron’s Red switches, which felt a little heavier than I’m used to. They’re damped and lubed to a reasonable degree, though, which made their operation smooth, and I found the clicky impact at the end of a key’s travel quite satisfying.

I was less enamored with the actuation point. It felt like I had to press down quite far for inputs to register, which caused me issues when typing fast, as characters were often missed. Typing isn’t helped by the tall keycaps, either: as someone who usually prefers a low profile, my ability to glide around the board was limited.

(Image credit: Future)

What’s more, that aforementioned thickness of the chassis caused me some discomfort after a while, even with the feet folded out, as I had to angle my wrists a fair amount. The K2 Ultra 8K is crying out for a wrist rest, but alas it doesn’t come with one.

Thankfully, I found gaming in the WASD position less problematic. Despite the compact nature of the layout, the keys are still generously separated, while the ergonomic shape makes navigating them quite easy. They also rebound quickly, too, which somewhat makes up for that deep actuation point.

I didn’t have any issues when connecting the K2 Ultra 8K to my PCs wirelessly via the 2.4GHz USB dongle or via Bluetooth. Hot-switching between two devices was also easy and effective, thanks to the slider on the side of the unit.

• Performance: 3.5 / 5

Should I buy the Keychron K2 Ultra 8K?Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

Not many mechanical keyboards offer better value than this.

4.5 / 5

Design and features

Very solid and quite heavy. The keycaps are high quality, too, although the backlighting is poor. It sorely needs a wrist rest, too.

4 / 5

Performance

Presses are satisfying and quite quick, although it requires a heavier touch than I would’ve preferred.

3.5 / 5

Overall rating

Considering its spec, the K2 Ultra 8K is good value for money, but its key registering issues and uncomfortable thickness dent its appeal somewhat.

3.5 / 5

Buy it if…

You want a tough unit
The aluminum frame and substantial weight make the K2 Ultra 8K a durable board.

You want to save money
There aren’t many keyboards offering this kind of spec at such a low price point.

Don't buy it if…

You have a light touch
With the Red switches at least, the K2 Ultra 8K doesn’t always respond to light presses, especially when typing quickly.

You don’t have a wrist rest
The K2 Ultra 8K is a very thick unit, and using it can get uncomfortable after a while if you have no wrist support.

Keychron K2 Ultra 8K review: Also consider

HyperX Origins 2 1800
The Origins 2 1800 isn’t much more expensive than the K2 Ultra 8K, but it feels slightly more upmarket. It also performed better in my testing. It doesn’t quite have the same level of input customization, and this model isn’t wireless, but it’s still a great mechanical experience. Read our full HyperX Origins 2 1800 review.

Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%
I don’t think I’ve tried a better mechanical keyboard than this. The feedback and satisfaction from key presses is second to none, and the amount of customization is fantastic. However, it’s vastly more expensive than the K2 Ultra 8K — and many other gaming keyboards. Read our full Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% review.

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the Keychron K2 Ultra 8K

• Tested for a few days
• Used for a variety of tasks
• Plenty keyboard reviewing experience

I used the Keychron K2 Ultra 8K for a couple of days, during which time I used it for working, gaming, and general browsing. I connected to two different Windows 11 PCs, one via the 2.4GHz dongle and the other via Bluetooth. I also used it in wired mode with the supplied cable.

I played games such as 007 First Light and Counter-Strike 2, both of which are good tests for the responsiveness of key presses and the comfort of using the all-important WASD position.

I’ve been using keyboards for decades for all sorts of purposes, from working to gaming. I’ve also reviewed a large number of them, from budget offerings to high-performing, feature-filled extravagances.

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

The Halo series is in an awkward spot right now. With 2021’s Halo Infinite being the last major release, the franchise’s status as a system seller isn’t as strong as it was two decades ago. Halo: Campaign Evolved is a safe yet surprisingly competent remake of Halo: Combat Evolved that attempts to bring back the glory days.

Review info

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

My earliest memory of Combat Evolved on the original Xbox was when I could barely read. My dad was visiting his university friends from back in the day, and he left me with their college-aged children. I remember getting absolutely cooked in PvP, as the only video game I had ever played before that point was Pokémon.

25 years later, I’ve played every major Halo release, and even revisited 2011’s Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary remaster to see how it fared before diving into Campaign Evolved. When playing these two back-to-back, they really put into perspective how much small changes could yield substantially different experiences.

The same old story

(Image credit: Xbox)

Like the original game, Halo: Campaign Evolved follows the space marine Master Chief after his starship, the Pillar of Autumn, crash-lands on a large ring world. The Covenant alien race wants to destroy Earth, and it's up to Master Chief, along with his AI companion Cortana, to fight back against them. It’s the same exact story told in the original. Although it’s not particularly deep, it sets up an enticing universe that makes you eager to discover more about the Covenant, as well as the secrets of this new ring world.

Campaign Evolved offers three new bonus missions that, together, act as a prequel to the events of the main story. Here, Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson join up, and the duo infiltrates an enemy ship to steal some data that could point them towards the Covenant’s home world. In these missions, Master Chief doesn’t have Cortana yet and is surprisingly more of a chatterbox than his usual stoic self. He and Sergeant Johnson constantly exchange quips — Johnson’s sarcasm juxtaposes well with the Chief’s more nonchalant attitude.

However, it’s tonally inconsistent. Without going into spoilers, the ending doesn’t explain Master Chief’s stoicism in the following events of Campaign Evolved. Chief’s demeanor here would fit better in a post-Bungie universe, where the series became more character-driven beginning with Halo 4. But as a prequel to the original trilogy, his frequent yapping feels out of character.

Additionally, the three missions trade the original’s streamlined level design in favor of the more modern Halo combat arena approach. Large-scale firefights across long structures and domes are everywhere. Halo is no stranger to enemy skirmishes, but they were kept at close to medium range encounters. I won’t lie and say I didn’t have fun playing these, but I just wish Halo Studios kept the new levels more uniform with the original’s design philosophy.

The prequel missions also reintroduce the Jiralhanae brutes, which were first introduced in Halo 2. These furry monstrosities are a nice change of pace when considering that enemy variety was limited in the original.

Back to basics

(Image credit: Xbox)

The first-person-shooter gameplay isn’t as revolutionary as it was back in 2001, but I enjoyed going back to the more boots-on-the-ground experience compared to flying around everywhere with Chief’s grappling hook in Infinite. There are so many small adjustments and additions to the gameplay that actually made me take modern Halo gameplay mechanics for granted.

For starters, you can now hijack enemy vehicles, something you couldn’t do in the original or even the Anniversary remaster. You instead had to either shoot the enemy piloting the vehicle first, or blow it up, hoping that it was still operable afterwards. When I replayed Anniversary ahead of Campaign Evolved, years of muscle memory conditioned me to hijack a vehicle, only to remember that Chief can’t do that and subsequently get run over and die!

Along with the typical weapons like the pistols, assault rifles, and rocket launchers, Campaign Evolved includes new weapons found in later Halo games like the Needle Rifle and the Brute Spiker.

Best bit

(Image credit: Xbox)

Campaign Remix unlocks after completing the game once. This takes all of your discovered Skulls and randomly chooses at the start which ones to activate, providing a fun and unpredictable experience. It’s a zany approach to spice up subsequent playthroughs and increase replayability.

These new weapons actually feel more of a fit for the bonus missions. The Needle Rifle almost felt like a cheat code when I used it during the main campaign. Energy Swords were also in the original game, but Chief couldn’t pick those up. Now he can, and I never got tired of hearing the satisfying sizzling plasma every time I pulled it out. Effectively doubling the total weapon count, the minute-to-minute gunplay is more varied and fun than ever.

The radar now also shows an arrow up or down on red dots to indicate whether an enemy is above or below you. Verticality was always a personal issue for me in these games, so this is much appreciated. Power-ups can be held like in Infinite, letting you activate them when you want rather than in older Halo games where they activated upon pickup. This had a tangible impact on how I approached certain levels compared to the original, like Truth and Reconciliation, where I could choose the optimal time to turn invisible and sneak past enemies.

On the surface, these changes may seem minuscule. But when actually playing Campaign Evolved, I came to appreciate the gameplay iterations that came with later Halo games.

The human connection

(Image credit: Xbox)

Whereas the original only supported two-player co-op, Campaign Evolved can support up to four. This increase makes shootouts even more hectic and exciting, especially during the bonus missions where having a full team fits the combat design ethos. Online co-op is an easy process, as all you need to do is invite other players to your fireteam. Crossplay between PC, PlayStation, and Xbox players is a big plus too.

Performance is solid, even with bullets and explosions going off every second, although cutscenes can lag sometimes.

You can also find skull collectibles scattered throughout the campaign, which are gameplay modifiers that make your runs easier or harder, like enabling infinite ammo or disabling your sprint function. There’s a whopping 42 skulls to find, so not only do finding the skulls add more replayability to the campaign, but also turning them on does too.

The biggest letdown of Campaign Evolved is the lack of any PvP multiplayer. It’s a staple of the Halo series that makes this remake feel a bit lesser.

Even with the lack of PvP multiplayer, Halo: Campaign Evolved is comfortably the best way to play the first Halo adventure with all the bells and whistles that come with the modernized features of later games. The new bonus missions are fun if not a bit uneven. Campaign Evolved feels good to play, whether solo or with friends.

Should I play Halo: Campaign Evolved?Play it if...

You love the series
This goes without saying, but if you’re a fan of Halo, it’s well worth checking out Campaign Evolved for its updated gameplay mechanics and revisiting a classic.

You like first-person shooters
Halo is the console-defining first-person shooter game that set the bar for many other modern franchises. The gunplay feels as slick and precise as ever in this remake.

You like a more streamlined experience
Compared to more recent Halo games like Halo Infinite, Campaign Evolved harkens back to more old-school level design rather than an open world.

Don't play it if...

You’re looking for PvP multiplayer
Unfortunately, as the game’s title suggests, this remake only includes the campaign. If you want to experience multiplayer, go play Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary via the Master Chief Collection.

Accessibility features

Halo: Campaign Evolved has an extensive suite of accessibility features. This includes text options like subtitles, HUD text, and voice chat text size. You can also adjust font, line spacing, and dialogue color for friends and foes.

There’s screen narration with volume and speed sliders, as well as color filters. You can adjust color correction strength, brightness, and contrast. Furthermore, you can turn on and off screen shake, flashing effects, and motion blur. For crosshairs, you can change the size, color, opacity, and thickness to see what works best for you.

There are also options to change directional damage indicators, navigation points, and even teammate markers to make finding things easier. Things like voice chat volume, widget opacity, and fade-out timer can be adjusted too.

How I reviewed Halo: Campaign Evolved

I played about 15 hours of Halo: Campaign Evolved (and counting) on Xbox Series X with a SANSUI 34-Inch Curved Gaming Monitor UWQHD. I finished the campaign, finding as many collectibles as I could along the way. I also played through the three prequel missions, as well as participated in a few missions with other reviewers in co-op.

First reviewed July 2026

AngryMiao AM Infinity.97: two-minute review

It seems everyone and their dog is betting on where the high end gaming mouse market is going next, and the AngryMiao AM Infinity.97 is betting big on super light and powerful mice that nail the basics.

Okay, we've already seen this with the Razer Viper V4 Pro, but AngryMiao takes a different approach, with a heavily perforated chassis that looks like it's escaped from a sci-fi film rather than the gaming section of a branch of Currys or Best Buy.

Look past the aesthetics, though, and there's a genuinely accomplished mouse underneath. A sub-50g weight with or without a battery, a zippy 30,000 DPI PixArt PAW3950 sensor and true 8000Hz wireless polling put it right up there with the best ultralight mice I've tested this year, and its swappable battery system is a genuinely clever solution to the age-old wireless mouse problem of battery anxiety, with spares stashed inside the wireless receiver box for whenever you need them.

(Image credit: Future)

It's not a mouse without its flaws, though. The companion software is basic and has an annoying habit of running in the background, there's no dedicated DPI button or clutch anywhere on the chassis, and at $189 it's more expensive than its direct rivals. Whether that's a dealbreaker depends on how much you value standing out from the crowd.

That's ultimately what I feel you're paying for here. The AM Infinity.97 looks and feels like nothing else on the market, and backs that up with performance that goes toe-to-toe with mice from far bigger names. If you want a boutique ultralight mouse that doesn't sacrifice substance for style, this is one of the most compelling options I've tested all year.

AngryMiao AM Infinity.97 review: Price & release date

• $189 (approx £141/AU$270)
• Released in January 2026
• Towards the top end of the market

The AM Infinity.97 costs $189, and that puts it right at the top of the ultralight gaming mouse market against some genuinely excellent competition. The Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike costs $179.99, and the Razer Viper V4 Pro is $159.99 — meaning AngryMiao's boutique option is comfortably the priciest of the three.

It launched in January 2026 as the slightly smaller brother to the brand's original AM Infinity mouse, offering a different take on the highly competitive ultralight mouse sector from a brand better known for its keyboards than such potent mice.

For the price, it's competitive in features, too, with a flagship wireless sensor and polling rate specs, clever swappable batteries and a magnesium alloy chassis that's lighter than both Razer and Logitech's choices. In terms of features. It's perhaps closer to the Viper V4 Pro in that it seeeks to nail the basics of being a competitive ultralight mouse, rather than introducing new features such as rapid trigger, as the G Pro X2 Superstrike does.

AngryMiao AM Infinity.97 review: Specs

Sensor

PixArt PAW3950

DPI

100 - 30,000

Polling Rate

125 - 8,000Hz

Connectivity

Wired, Bluetooth, 2.4GHz Wireless

Switches

TTC Orange Dot Optical V2

Weight

39g (without battery), 47g (with battery)

Battery

340mAh swappable (up to 165 hours at 1KHz)

AngryMiao AM Infinity.97 review: Design

• Sci-fi-inspired looks
• Magnesium alloy chassis keeps things sturdy
• Software has very little frills

AngryMiao is a brand I associate more for its wacky keyboards than mice, but its house style is unmistakeable. As with the likes of Gravastar, it leans into a sci-fi aesthetic with a perforated chassis in keeping with the older guard of what ultralight gaming mice used to look like.

Intriguingly, it's slightly smaller than rivals, too, being only 97% of the size of a standard gaming mouse. That's because of AngryMiao's own market research that demonstrated this kind of size was what players preferred, not least for a mouse designed more for claw grippers than palm or fingertip users. Saying that, I had no issues using this high-power rodent with my usual palm grip, and the little orange piece on the rear of the chassis acts as a useful grip that does more of the heavy lifting than you might initially expect.

The AM Infinity.97 is available in three colors: black, white, and pink. I asked for my sample in the vivid pink, but ended up with a white one – no harm done, though, as it's a nice white that's almost got a creamy, off-white hue in some lighting environments.

(Image credit: Future)

At 47g with the battery in, it's one of the lightest mice I've used this year, and pulling out the battery for wired use drops that to a genuinely absurd 39g. That's a fair bit lighter than both Logitech and Razer's choices, although not quite as light as the Corsair Sabre V2 Pro, which weighs 36g with its internal battery.

That lightness doesn't feel flimsy, either. The AM Infinity.97's chassis is magnesium-aluminium alloy, and it's properly sturdy under the fingers, with gentle contouring to to sit well in the hand and a cool metallic touch that's oddly pleasant during longer sessions.

The button layout here is sensible, with two main clickers and a scroll wheel on top, side buttons within easy reach on the left, and a Bluetooth/2.4GHz toggle tucked underneath. What you don't get is a dedicated DPI button – an odd omission at this price, and the first real crack in an otherwise polished package. The main clicks use custom TTC Orange Dot Optical V2 switches, and I've become a big fan of these in my two weeks with this mouse. They're snappy and positive under finger, and because they're optical rather than mechanical, they're also noticeably quicker to register than more traditional gaming mice.

(Image credit: Future)

Okay, there isn't the rapid trigger or haptic feedback you'll get from the Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike, but the short, sharp travel with ample tactility still feels pleasantly brisk and solid under finger.

If there's one area where things get less impressive for this AngryMiao mouse, it's th software. Being a web-based UI means things should be lightweight, although it's paired with a a downloadable executable that has an annoying habit of nibbling away at system resources you'd rather it left alone when running in the background.

(Image credit: Future)

When you do open it, it's easy enough to navigate, but there isn't much to it — DPI and polling rate, remapping, macros, profiles, lift-off distance and acceleration is about where the feature list ends. The bigger brand rivals offer much more complete software customisation.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

AngryMiao AM Infinity.97 review: Performance

• Flagship 30,000 DPI sensor
• 8000Hz wireless polling
• Innovative swappable batteries

AngryMiao has fitted the AM Infinity.97 with a 30,000 DPI PixArt PAW3950 sensor, one I've put through its paces in plenty of other mice as a top-end flagship sensor, and it's every bit as sharp and responsive here either for general navigation or for getting stuck into Counter Strike 2 – my usual test for peripherals.

You won't get away for using the full 30,000 DPI all the time, as it turns this rodent into a jittery nightmare, hence why it can be moved down to a number of preset levels between 100 and 30,000 DPI in the mouse's software. Somewhere between 1600 DPI and 3200 DPI is where I ended up, preferring the former for more precise aiming in CS2, and the latter for navigating Windows and productivity workloads.

Alongside the beefy sensor, the AM Infinity.97 benefits from true 8000Hz polling across both wired and 2.4GHz connectivity, plus you get Bluetooth as an added bonus. In my testing, both wireless connectivity methods felt rock solid throughout testing, whether I was on Bluetooth with a MacBook Pro or the 2.4GHz receiver box on my Windows gaming PC.

(Image credit: Future)

As much as 8000Hz wireless polling isn't the standout feature it was a couple of years ago, and its efficacy for normal folks is debatable, it's still very nice to see for a competitive oriented rodent such as this AngryMiao choice. It's something competitive players will feel more than us normal folks, but is still handy for peace of mind your mouse is performing at its best.

The fact is that the high DPI sensor, fast wireless polling, superlight chassis and snappy optical switches combine to make the AM Infinity.97 one of the best gaming mice I've tested this year, and I've given both the G Pro X2 Superstrike and Viper V4 Pro a run for their money, too. I'd wager it's closer in philosophy to Razer, nailing the fundamentals rather than throwing haptics and rapid trigger into a light chassis the way Logitech does — but as a first impression, it's a knockout.

I found its low mass makes wrist flicks and sweeping CS2 movements almost effortless, while those optical switches give you brisk, satisfying clicks and its sensor felt dead accurate to boot.This is a mouse that nails the basics and turns that into something genuinely excellent.

The AM Infinity.97 also has one further trick up its sleeve with a feature I've only seen on a couple of other gaming mice – the Glorious Model O3 and D3 Wireless – with swappable batteries. In this instance, the batteries clip on magnetically to the underside of the mouse, and can be swapped out for a spare kept inside the 2.4GHz wireless receiver box that connects to your PC with the bundled USB-C to USB-A cable.

(Image credit: Future)

The mouse also works wired, so a dead battery is never really a crisis. What you don't get is an internal backup cell, meaning if both external batteries die, you're out of luck until you plug in – Glorious has a 'Guardian battery' inside the mouse chassis itself, which is the one area where I think they win.

This swappable battery system leads AngryMiao to claim 'infinite' battery life in its marketing bumf, although a little further down the product page, it's more reasonable. With 1,000Hz polling, you'll see up to 165 hours, while at the full 8,000Hz, this drops to up to 30 hours. For reference, I was getting between 25 or so hours on a charge on one battery with 8,000Hz enabled, demonstrating just how thirsty a higher polling rate continues to be.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the AngryMiao AM Infinity.97?AngryMiao AM Infinity.97 scorecard

Attribute

Notes

Score

Design

The AM Infinity.97 features adistinctive sci-fi-inspired magnesium alloy chassis that's remarkably light without sacrificing rigidity, plus sensible button placement and snappy optical switches. Basic software and the lack of a dedicated DPI button are the only real drawbacks in my book.

4.5/5

Performance

We've got flagship-grade sensor performance, true 8,000Hz wireless polling and excellent optical switches that combine to deliver one of the fastest, most responsive ultralight gaming mice I've tested, with clever swappable batteries adding genuine practicality. Just watch out for the drop-off if using 8,000Hz polling all the time.

4.5/5

Value

It's the most expensive of the other two rivals I've put the AM Infinity.97 against, but you can get it more affordably on sales, and it's still very competitive given the feature set.

4/5

Average Rating

The AM Infinity.97 is a striking mouse from a brand better known for its keyboards, and it backs up the looks with genuine substance. It's one of the most responsive, comfortable ultralight mice I've used all year, with a genuinely clever swappable battery system to boot. Basic software and a steeper price than its rivals stop it from being such an easy recommendation, but as a statement piece that also performs, it's a very compelling option.

4.5/5

Buy it if…

You want flagship-level performance:
The AM Infinity.97 delivers some of the most responsive, accurate performance of any mouse I've tested this year, backed by a genuinely clever swappable battery system.View Deal

You want a mouse that looks like nothing else:
Its perforated alloy chassis and sci-fi styling make it stand out instantly against a sea of similarly shaped ultralight rivals.View Deal

You want virtually infinite battery life:
AngryMiao's magnetically swappable batteries is a genuine innovation in this highly competitive sector, and can unlock virtually endless battery life if you play your cards right.View Deal

Don’t buy it if…

You want something more affordable:
The big thing with this AngryMiao mouse is a higher price tag against its rivals, although they trade on innovative features and overall mass.View Deal

You want a subtler-looking mouse:
The heavily perforated chassis is a statement piece rather than something built to blend in, and if you'd prefer an understated rodent, then key rivals will serve you better.View Deal

You want more polished software:
The AM Infinity.97's web-based companion app is basic, prone to running in the background, and offers far less depth than rivals when it comes to customisation.View Deal

Also consider

Razer Viper V4 Pro:

If you want the basics nailed brilliantly without the boutique price tag, the Viper V4 Pro is $30 cheaper and matches the AM Infinity.97 for pure responsiveness while also being especially light. It skips the swappable battery gimmick, but has much stronger software and remains an excellent pick for competitive play.

Read our full Razer Viper V4 Pro review.View Deal

Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike:

The G Pro X2 Superstrike goes further than either AngryMiao or Razer on features with its clever HITS system that enables haptic feedback and rapid trigger and packs it into a familiar chassis to anyone who's used a G Pro X Superlight 2, albeit it is heavier than either Razer or AngryMiao's option. That being said, it undercuts the AM Infinity.97 on price.

Read our full Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike review.View Deal

How I tested the AngryMiao AM Infinity.97

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested over two weeks of use
• Used across both Windows and macOS
• Extensive gaming mouse review experience

I used the AM Infinity.97 for a couple of weeks across both a Windows gaming PC and a MacBook Pro, testing it over Bluetooth, the bundled 2.4GHz receiver, and wired via USB-C.

Counter-Strike 2 formed the backbone of my performance testing, given how heavily it leans on quick, accurate mouse movement, alongside general everyday use for browsing and productivity to assess comfort and grip over longer sessions. I also used the web-based software extensively to test each of its functions.

I've been a tech journalist for the best part of a decade, and have reviewed plenty of gaming and productivity mice in that time from brands big and small from up and down the price ladder.

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

In life, you often have to meet something at what it is, not what you want it to be. This is the logic that I need you to apply to Ransom Canyon season 2 when you watch it, as all eight episodes drop on Netflix on July 23.

This Western drama soap opera hybrid serves to entertain, but it doesn't ever aim to cross a boundary. It's not striving to be the best TV show of 2026, or do anything remotely challenging or ambitious. Ransom Canyon is a show that stays in its subtly cringe and often stereotypical lane... and for that, I'm thankful.

I don't need all of my television to be profound, life-changing or even that meaningful. Sometimes, I just want to switch my brain off and pretend I live in a picturesque, rural town on the other side of the world where everyone has unrelenting drama except for me. Enter Double K ranch owner Staten (Josh Duhamel), local bar owner Quinn (Minka Kelly) and an eclectic ensemble of characters.

When Netflix commits to the soap opera bit, it ticks the genre boxes incredibly well. Season 1 of Ransom Canyon was already a strong outing, but now that the show knows itself a little more, season 2 is easily on par with the strongest seasons of Virgin River, the streamer's most iconic "cozy drama" IP.

The catch? Season 2 is releasing just weeks after the epic Yellowstone spinoff Dutton Ranch released on Paramount+, which was widely praised by fans and critics (including me) alike. With both shows in such close proximity of each other, it's easy to see how weak the cowboy drama in Ransom Canyon actually is.

Ransom Canyon season 2 is a love story with cowboying on the side — that's an important distinction

Here's where the two shows differ dramatically: Dutton Ranch is a Western drama that sprinkles complex love stories in between. Ransom Canyon is a love story that sprinkles Western drama in between.

Once we've understood this, we know that we can't directly compare them... as much as we want to. The two have completely different functions and goals, and it's highly likely that the fanbases won't fully cross over. That being said, I think following straight after the return of Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) in the Yellowstone spinoff will undoubtedly hurt Staten and Quinn's second outing.

On the surface, season 2 puts a lot of emphasis on the ongoing land feud between the Double K ranch owned by Staten and the Fuller ranch next door, now owned by dubious newcomer Yancy (Jack Schumacher). But by the time we've reached the season 2 finale, it feels completely inconsequential.

This is because we're really being driven by the romantic drama that intertwines the Ransom Canyon residents rather than the mechanics of the town itself. Nobody really cares who owns what or who works where, as long as the right people settle into the relationships that are clearly destined for them.

If Netflix hadn't have hyped the feud up in its marketing, I don't think I'd have noticed that the cowboying actually lets Ransom Canyon down so easily. Taylor Sheridan ain't in these parts, and I think it will always show.

But it's a sensational soap opera — as is cast newcomer Patricia Clarkson

(Image credit: Netflix)

As a flat-out soap opera, Ransom Canyon season 2 is delicious. The indecisively infuriating will-they-won't-they dynamics run wild, the dramatic breakups are deployed at the perfect time, but when it comes down to it, things draw to a close in exactly the way you think they will.

It's almost a comfort to know what you're going to get at an end result, to have something that's often more stable than your actual life (well, if you remove all of the fictional chaos ). Even though tensions between Staten and Quinn remain front and centre, not a single supporting character feels underused.

With each connection feeling like a fulfilling one, we're really getting a lot of bang for our buck when it comes to narrative sustenance. An extra shoutout must go to newcomer Patricia Clarkson, who joins the series as Quinn's firecracker mother, Claire. I've honestly got no clue how the show scored such a uniquely legendary talent, but they've certainly not been complacent about it.

Is Ransom Canyon season 2 more of the same? Essentially, yes. Is that a bad thing? No, that's exactly what we want. If you overlook the cowboying, you'll probably fall in love with each and every character as much as I did... and soap opera historically aren't my thing. If you can't trust the opinion of a reformer hater, who can you?

Fliki is a popular AI video generator, trusted by more than 12 million users worldwide and 50,000 companies, including brands like Meta, ByteDance, Oracle, and PayPal. You can create and edit AI videos with natural-language prompts using its AI Copilot.

In this article, we’ve put Fliki to the test, evaluating its features, pricing, and real-world in-app experience to help you find out whether this AI video editor lives up to its claims and whether it’s the right tool for you.

Fliki: Plans and pricing

Fliki is a fairly limited free video editing software, which gives you three credits per month, or 36 credits for the entire year. You can export videos with a maximum length of one minute in 720p resolution, along with access to 300 standard voices. All other video and audio generation features are limited on the free plan and restricted by the number of credits you receive.

We found the provision of just three credits per month quite stingy. For instance, generating a one-minute AI video costs around 0.8 credits. If it includes an AI avatar, it can cost around 5.3 credits alone. This means you can't do much with the free plan besides testing out the platform.

To get the most out of Fliki, you'll have to subscribe to one of its paid plans. Its Standard plan starts at $28 per month. Right now, you can get 50% off the subscription, bringing the effective price down to $14 per month. With this plan, you get 2,160 credits for the entire year, along with an expanded export length of 15 minutes in 1080p resolution, which disappointed us a bit. Kapwing, for instance, allows you to export videos in 4K quality at around the same price.

You can check out Fliki by clicking here.

(Image credit: Fliki)

That said, you get unlimited access to various video and audio tools, along with features like voice cloning, custom voices, and Brand Kits. You also get access to various templates, which help you create content using pre-built video layouts. This plan also includes several collaboration features, such as the ability to bulk-create videos from a single CSV file, an AI assistant, and Zapier integrations. However, it still does not include team collaboration, which is again a letdown.

Then there's the Premium plan, costing $88 per month, or $44 per month with the current discount. Here, the maximum export length increases to 40 minutes, but the resolution remains capped at 1080p. Some additional features include unlimited AI avatars, custom fonts, faster exports, and team collaboration.

If you've exhausted your credits, you can purchase top-up credits if you have an active subscription plan. These additional credits are valid for up to 180 days and remain active even if your subscription is canceled during this period. You can get 60 credits for $10, 130 credits for $25, and so on, all the way up to $2,500 worth of credits.

Fliki: Features

Fliki houses as many as 54 tools to create and edit videos and images, supporting various use cases. For instance, you can create social media reels, TikTok videos, or a faceless YouTube channel with Fliki.

There’s also the popular AI Avatar feature, which helps you build avatars of your own and reuse them in your videos. Besides this, you also get an AI Script Writer, voice cloning, a subtitle generator, and a pretty fun Talking Photo feature.

That said, we found Fliki’s AI avatars to be based largely on real people, rather than offering the wide range of outlandish and fictional characters we get with a site like Kapwing.

(Image credit: Fliki)

These are better viewed as use cases rather than standalone features. The core feature remains the same: generating videos and images through prompts. These prompts can be in the form of scripts, reference images, videos, or even audio. Editing tools include background removers, translators, and screen recorders.

Fliki has made a lot of recent additions to its available tools, making it a more complete video generation and editing platform. For instance, it has introduced new models such as Flux Klein 2, Nano Banana 2 for images, Kling 3.0, Seedance 2.0 for video, native audio, multi-shot, and P-Video for video and lip-syncing needs.

You can also use your own media in video workflows, along with 130 new character-driven voices in 20+ languages. As recently as February 2026, Fliki rebuilt its voices to include a wider range of emotions, such as laughing, sarcasm, and deadpan, all of which can be fine-tuned using natural language descriptions.

Fliki now also supports YouTube-licensed music protected by copyright. It has also expanded its character library, allowing you to create and reuse AI characters across multiple projects.

(Image credit: Fliki)

One of its most exciting additions has been the ability to create stop-motion story videos with needle-felted wool puppet looks. Another addition is TikTok auto-publishing, which allows you to post videos created through Fliki directly to TikTok by linking your account in Workspace Settings. You can either publish them immediately or set up a drip schedule to release episodes on TikTok.

Fliki: Interface and in use

Getting started with Fliki is very easy. We used a Google account to sign up for the platform, which took less than a minute. Once you’re in, you’re greeted with a dashboard featuring a black background, along with various features highlighted in small red rectangular tabs below a prompt box.

On the left-hand panel, you’ll find all the settings you need for your video creation, including Media, Subtitles, Audio, AI Copilot, and various templates. However, note that not all of these will be accessible if you’re on the free plan, as several features are locked behind Fliki’s paid tiers.

(Image credit: Future)

The best part about editing with Fliki is its AI-powered editing assistant, where you can type in plain English what you want. For instance, you can ask it to make the intro slower or add a text overlay at any point in the video.

Besides this, you get two ways to build a video. The first is an at-a-glance scene reel laid out horizontally with a full timeline, while the second is a traditional timeline with functions like zooming and snapping, giving you more control.

Fliki has also overhauled its dashboard, giving it a more intuitive layout with a fresher look and easy-to-access tools.

Fliki: How we tested

We used the free version of Fliki to check out its AI video generation capabilities. We entered the following prompt: A woman in a red coat walks across a rain-soaked city street at night, neon signs reflecting in the puddles, camera slowly tracking alongside her (the same prompt we use for all our AI video testing).

We were impressed by the sheer number of customization options that Fliki offers. Once you enter the prompt, you have to select the video duration you want, with the minimum being 30 seconds. This was a bit disappointing, as we’d have liked to see shorter video generation options as well.

(Image credit: Future)

However, Fliki gets to work once you make the selection and generates a detailed script for you. You can edit this script before moving ahead with video generation. Besides this, you get a lot of options to customize your video right before the generation process starts.

(Image credit: Future)

For instance, you can choose the format and template, selecting between portrait, square, and landscape modes, along with the type of character you want. You can also select the AI model you want to use for generation, although most of them are Pro features. Besides this, you also have the option to select a voiceover, add captions, or choose an AI avatar.

(Image credit: Future)

We found this to be pretty convenient since you can make all the required selections in one place and don’t have to go back and forth through the platform making edits afterward. Once we were done with all the selections, we clicked on Generate Video. The actual video rendering process took less than a minute.

(Image credit: Future)

However, since the free tier does not allow you to create AI videos on its own, we were a bit disappointed by the output. The final video consisted of still images with voiceovers instead of a full-fledged video, like we got with Kapwing.

Fliki: Alternatives

While Fliki is a pretty good AI video generator and editor, it does have a few strong competitors. The first one would be Adobe Firefly, which costs around $8.49 per month, around 40% cheaper than Fliki during the discount period.

The biggest advantage of Firefly is its robust workflow features, which allow teams to build virtual storyboards and collaborate in real time, something that Fliki restricts to its highest-tier plan. You also get access to Adobe Express Premium and Photoshop with all its paid plans. That said, its video editing capabilities are still in development and are not as good as Fliki’s.

Another competitor is Kapwing, which comes with better AI avatar generation capabilities. While Fliki depends heavily on real-life characters, Kapwing gives you a lot of fictional character generation options, such as Dracula, vampires, and everything else you can imagine.

Kapwing also supports 4K video exports of up to 120 minutes, whereas Fliki restricts exports to just 1080p, which is certainly not enough in the modern content creation landscape. That said, Kapwing is a bit more expensive than Fliki, costing $16 per month. However, its free plan is more robust, allowing you to create AI videos instead of videos with still images and voiceovers.

Fliki: Final verdict

We used the free version of Fliki to check out its AI video generation capabilities. We entered the following prompt: A woman in a red coat walks across a rain-soaked city street at night, neon signs reflecting in the puddles, camera slowly tracking alongside her (the same prompt we use for all our AI video testing).

We were impressed by the sheer number of customization options that Fliki offers. Once you enter the prompt, you have to select the video duration you want, with the minimum being 30 seconds. This was a bit disappointing, as we’d have liked to see shorter video generation options as well.

However, Fliki gets to work once you make the selection and generates a detailed script for you. You can edit this script before moving ahead with video generation. Besides this, you get a lot of options to customize your video right before the generation process starts.

We've tested a range of video makers and editors, including the best video editing software, the best video editing apps and the best free video editing software.

8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition: One-minute review

The 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition takes the brand’s existing wireless mobile controller grip and makes a couple of surface-level changes.

The overall shape, style, and functions remain, but official Xbox licensing sees the Turbo button swapped for a dedicated Xbox button. It retains the $49.99 / £43.99 / AU$89 price tag of the original, meaning it's significantly cheaper than alternatives like the Backbone One or GameSir G8.

The Hall effect joysticks and triggers from the original are still here too, with clicky bumpers and what 8BitDo describes as a refined D-pad, though it felt pretty standard to me. For Xbox Cloud Gaming specifically, which is what I imagine most gamers would turn to this option for, it’s excellent on the whole. Cruising the streets of Japan in Forza Horizon 6 across iOS, Android, and Mac was smooth and responsive, with no perceptible latency over its wireless Bluetooth connection. The telescopic grip is the most secure I've seen in this category, confidently holding an iPhone 17 Pro with a case without any flex or creaking, and it’s comfortable enough for longer sessions.

The problems start when you step outside cloud gaming and into native mobile titles. Call of Duty Mobile refused to recognize the controller on both iOS and Android, and games that do work natively, like Fortnite, display PlayStation button prompts on screen despite the controller's physical ABXY layout and Xbox branding. The two back paddle buttons, a feature prominently listed on the spec sheet, also weren't recognized in any game or cloud gaming scenario I tested.

The core experience, however, is a pleasant one. If Xbox Cloud Gaming is your primary use case, the 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition is close to a bargain. For native mobile gaming, the experience is a harder sell, and you’d be better off exploring other options on our list of the best mobile controllers.

(Image credit: Future)8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition: Price and availability

• List price: $49.99 / ~£43.99 / AU$89
• Retains the same price as the original and undercuts similar competitors
• Available in white or black from 8BitDo and retailers

The 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition launched in July 2025, half a year after the non-branded version, keeping the same $49.99 / £43.99 / AU$89 price. You’ll find it at a range of retailers, though 8BitDo is keen to push you towards Amazon, as well as from its own online store.

It’s worth checking out different options because at the time of writing, 8BitDo's store has it on sale for $38.99 in the US, making an already competitive price even more attractive.

For context, the Backbone One 2nd Gen runs $99.99, and the GameSir G8 Wireless sits at $79.99, so even at full price, the 8BitDo undercuts its closest competitors by a comfortable margin.

If you’re not too fussed about that Xbox tie-in, it’s worth noting that the original version of this controller now shares the same iOS and Android compatibility and has been spotted as low as $25 on sale. The day-to-day differences are extremely minor, so if budget is a concern, it’s worth keeping an eye on both.

(Image credit: Future)8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition: Specs

8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller Xbox Edition

Price

$49.99 / £43.99 / AU$89

Dimensions

7.8 x 4.1 x 2.1in / 198 x 103 x 53.5mm

Weight

8.32oz / 236g

Connection

Bluetooth LE 5.0, USB-C (Windows only)

Compatibility

iOS, Android, PC, macOS

Software

8BitDo Ultimate Software V2 (iOS, Android)

8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition: Design and features

• The most secure phone grip I've tested in a mobile controller
• Hall effect sticks and triggers are impressive at this price
• Quite a small overall profile

The 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition carries that familiar 8BitDo styling with rounded edges everywhere that almost look like they’re gently melting. It’s not, thankfully, and build quality is good across the board.

The textured rubber surface on the back of the phone deck is a highlight with a fun input-themed pattern, and the small amount of texture on the back of the main grips feels nice under your fingers. It’s available in your choice of black or white. I’ve been testing the former, and it’s a magnet for greasy marks, and I can see it getting shiny over time. Keep a microfibre cloth handy.

I don’t have massive hands, but the 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition feels slightly small to hold, and it’s the length of the main grips that is the culprit. The left stick falls in a natural position, but the right one ends up nearly at the base of my thumb, and I essentially had to claw-grip the right side to reach it. It's not a dealbreaker, though coming from the stock Xbox Wireless Controller or even another mobile grip like the GameSir G8, it’s certainly a downgrade in comfort.

Where this controller definitely impresses is the phone deck. The telescopic action extends smoothly, and in testing, it held both my phones in a reassuringly sturdy way. This is the first mobile controller grip I've tested that confidently holds both a super slim POCO X5 Pro 5G and a chunky iPhone 17 Pro with a case still on without any sense that the phone might pop loose. There are no replaceable pads or removable elements to fiddle with; it’s just a good base design that’s wonderfully fit for purpose.

Feedback from the bumpers is sharp and clicky, with a responsiveness that feels better than you'd expect at this price point. The face buttons are a more standard fare, neither exceptional nor disappointing, though they are a little rattly. The D-pad has a noticeable wobble before the input registers, though the actual click is short and responsive once it fires.

There are Hall effect sticks and triggers on offer here, which is impressive for the price, and the sticks feel great with just the right amount of resistance. The triggers have a good level of detail but have a quirk: both left and right complete their full input range before the trigger is physically all the way down, leaving roughly 5% of dead travel at the bottom of the press. They don’t have the longest travel to begin with, so it’s a shame not to be using all of it.

(Image credit: Future)8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition: Performance

• Xbox Cloud Gaming works excellently across iOS, Android, and Mac
• Native mobile game compatibility is highly inconsistent
• Back buttons weren't recognized in any scenario I tested

Given its name, it should be no surprise that the 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition is at its best when playing games via Xbox Cloud Gaming. I’d even go so far as to say that if you’re not a Game Pass subscriber, you can probably stop reading now and look to another mobile grip instead.

Initial pairing to devices is straightforward, and thankfully, there are no multiple connectivity modes to fumble with like on the GameSir G8 Bluetooth. The whole experience works smoothly out of the box, and I didn’t even need to consult the user guide for pairing mode instructions. I took a punt on holding a button until a light flashed, and I was right.

Switching the controller between devices wasn’t quite so simple, though admittedly my testing environment is a real stress test for this kind of thing. I attempted to jump around between my iPhone, MacBook Air, and Android phone, and things got rather temperamental.

The controller seemed to want to cling on to a previously paired device, even if Bluetooth was now switched off on it, so moving between a phone and a laptop usually required repairing from scratch rather than reconnecting to a previously paired device. If you’re not hopping back and forth as I have been, this won’t be an issue, though after a few days of testing I’ve ended up with four separate "Ultimate MGX" entries in my Android Bluetooth list.

No matter which of those devices I was connected to, the Xbox Cloud Gaming experience was excellent. I drove around Japan in Forza Horizon 6 without a hitch; the controls were responsive, and there was no noticeable Bluetooth latency.

The triggers offer plenty of granular control for working the throttle, though that dead zone at the end I mentioned earlier took some getting used to when it came to small throttle lifts around high-speed corners. There's no rumble or vibration support, but I’ll happily admit I didn't miss it. Cloud gaming and mobile titles rarely lean heavily on haptic feedback anyway.

FutureFuture

Steam had a love-hate relationship with the controller, depending on the platform. Connecting to my MacBook Air over Bluetooth had Steam recognizing it as a different, previously paired controller, which then failed to work in-game. Plugging it in via USB-C looked promising at first with macOS referencing it by name, but it was never seen by Steam or Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Windows fared much better across both Steam and cloud; over USB-C, it was instantly set up as a general XInput device, fully mapped and compatible with both.

8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition gains a dedicated Xbox home button on the front, replacing the turbo button from the standard version. When in the cloud gaming app, this button opens the guide just like it would on console; outside cloud gaming, it’ll open either the Apple Gaming app or act as a home button on Android. It’s a nice-to-have sort of feature rather than a game-changing one, but I’ll admit I did use it a few times in testing and wouldn’t have looked twice at a turbo button.

The moment you step into native mobile games, however, things start to get messier, and you’re at the mercy of individual developers. Fortnite recognized the controller immediately on both iOS and Android, and the gameplay experience was responsive and reliable. But the on-screen button labels display PlayStation symbols (Circle, Cross, Square, Triangle) despite the controller's physical ABXY layout and Xbox branding.

That’s a little awkward. This usually happens because the controller identifies itself as a generic gamepad rather than as an actual Xbox controller, which means the Xbox licensing doesn't extend to how games see it. Call of Duty Mobile, one of the biggest mobile shooters on the planet, simply doesn't recognize the controller at all. Not on iOS, not on Android, and there’s no hardware mapping workaround either.

Depending on your play style, the back paddle buttons are perhaps the most frustrating limitation. They're physically well-designed, nicely positioned, and require just the right amount of force to trigger, but they weren't recognized in any scenario I tested. Not in Fortnite, not in cloud gaming, not anywhere. Even after binding them to specific inputs through the 8BitDo Ultimate Software V2 app, games simply didn't see them.

Speaking of the app, it’s incredibly basic and falls far behind competitors in this space. Firstly, there are confusingly two versions on the App Store; V1 doesn't recognize the controller at all, and V2 requires you to manually select and pair your controller model during setup despite the device already being Bluetooth-paired to your phone.

Once you're in, the customization options are barebones: button remapping, dead zone adjustments, and trigger tuning. It worked on both iOS and Android, though anything you configure is device-specific and doesn’t save on the controller itself.

Shoudl you buy the 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition?Buy it if...

You’re an Xbox Game Pass subscriber who plays on mobile
This is the controller's strongest use case by a wide, wide margin. Cloud gaming works flawlessly on iOS, Android, and Mac; the build quality is excellent for the price, and the phone grip is the most secure I've tested.

You value portability or have smaller hands
While it doesn’t fold down completely, the 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller Xbox Edition is more compact than competitors, with shorter grips that are well suited to smaller hands.

Don't buy it if...

You play a lot of native mobile games
The Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller is inconsistent when it comes to native game recognition. Some titles play fine but with the wrong labels, while others simply don’t work at all. If onboard titles are your main focus, look elsewhere.

You use rear buttons a lot
The two rear paddle buttons are physically well-placed but functionally useless in every scenario I tested. Even cloud gaming, which works so well in general, fails to recognize them or allow their use in games.

Also consider...

Here are two strong alternatives to weigh up.

8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller Xbox Edition

GameSir G8+ Bluetooth

Backbone One 2nd Gen

Price

$49.99 / £43.99 / AU$89

$79.99 / £79.99 / AU$129.99

$99.99 / £99.99 / AU$179.99

Dimensions

7.8 x 4.1 x 2.1in / 198 x 103 x 53.5mm

9.06 x 4.21 x 2.17in / 230 x 107 x 55mm

6.93 x 3.70 x 1.34in / 176 x 93.98 x 34.03mm

Weight

8.32oz / 236g

10.72oz / 314g

4.86oz / 138g

Connection

Bluetooth LE 5.0, USB-C (Windows only)

Bluetooth 5.3, Wired (USB-C), Dongle (sold separately)

Wired (USB-C / Lightning)

Compatibility

iOS, Android, PC, macOS

Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, macOS

Android, iOS

Software

8BitDo Ultimate Software V2 (iOS, Android)

GameSir App (Android only)

Backbone App

GameSir G8+ Galileo Wireless
This is your closest direct competitor, offering Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, Hall effect sticks and triggers, back buttons, and broader platform support including Nintendo Switch. It costs more at $79.99, but the larger grips, additional connectivity options, and stronger local game compatibility make it a more versatile wireless mobile controller.

For more information, check out our full GameSir G8+ Galileo Wireless review

Backbone One (2nd Gen)
The Backbone One remains our top pick for portable mobile controllers thanks to its compact form factor, reliable USB-C passthrough connection, and broad game compatibility. It's basically double the price and lacks Hall effect sticks, but if native game support and portability matter more than cloud gaming value, it's the safer bet.

For more information, check out our full Backbone One 2nd Gen review

How I tested the 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition

• Spent several days testing across multiple devices and platforms
• I tested native mobile games, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Steam on Mac and Windows
• Tried the companion app on both iOS and Android

I tested the 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller Xbox Edition with an iPhone 17 Pro and a POCO X5 Pro 5G for mobile gaming, as well as a Mac and Windows PC for cloud gaming and Steam. I tested native mobile games, including Fortnite (on both iOS and Android), and attempted Call of Duty Mobile on both platforms. Cloud gaming testing focused on Forza Horizon 6 via Xbox Cloud Gaming on all devices.

I evaluated the companion app experience on both iOS and Android, including firmware checking, profile setup, and button remapping. I tested the back paddle buttons across multiple scenarios, including native games, cloud gaming, and through the 8BitDo Ultimate Software V2 app. I also tested the controller's behavior on Steam, including calibration and in-game recognition.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2026

Long hours at a screen is the reality for many professionals and gamers, and the Swedish company Arozzi's mission is to make items that enhance the experience, especially ergonomic chairs.

I've already reviewed an electric standing desk by Arozzi — the minimal, reliable and outright impressive Arena Nordico. In this review I focus on one of the company's best office chairs — the Vernazza Supersoft.

If we're going off price and materials used, the Vernazza Supersoft is a premium pick, and following 4-5 months of daily office use, I couldn't be happier. This is the comfiest and most durable office and gaming chair I've regularly parked myself in, and it's an easy recommendation.

Arozzi Vernazza Supersoft: Unboxing and First Impressions

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

Shipped from Sweden, the Arozzi Vernazza Supersoft came securely packaged in a large box and included the chair backrest, chair base, wheel base, wheels, gas lift column and sleeve and two arm components, plus adjustable lumbar and neck supports, hex screws and a premium dual length hex key tool with rubber handle.

Assembling the chair was a breeze and took me less than 15 minutes in all. Each wheel can be pushed and clicked into place on the wheel base, then flip it around and add the center column and protective plastic casing — gravity does the work.

You then move onto the chair, fixing the back rest and base together through the sturdy steel bracket with hex screws, two on each side. Plastic casing then covers those steel brackets. The seat mechanism attaches to the chair base with four hex screws — it's clearly labeled which way around it goes — while each arm has four hex screws, that's a total of 16.

Once those are all securely fastened to the chair's underside, you're ready to slide it onto the gas lift column and lock it off. The finishing touches are positioning the two memory foam pillows. The instructional video on Arozzi's site walks through the entire assembly.

I was supplied with the premium 'Supersoft' version of the Vernazza and have not tried the standard Soft Fabric version or the PU leather versions. The finish is as described, velvety-soft to the touch, though the padding is decently firm for long stints at a screen. And despite not being a mesh chair, the Supersoft is surprisingly breathable.

Tim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanArozzi Vernazza Supersoft: Price and Availability

The Arozzi Vernazza Supersoft is available directly from the Arozzi store for £379 / €449 (or £419 / €499 for the XL version) and ships Europe-wide directly from Sweden, with shipping costs calculated at checkout. The site says shipping is free for orders over €100 and products come with a 'hassle-free' two year warranty. At the time of writing, UK shoppers can get the Vernazza Supersoft for £299 from Currys.

I tested the 'Supersoft' version, which is priciest of the Vernazza range which also includes 'Soft Fabric' and 'PU finishes, at lower price points. Each of the three finishes are available in regular or 'XL' versions. The main difference between the two versions is the suitable user height and maximum weight capacity (check website for details).

Available colors depends on which version of the Vernazza you opt for. The Vernazza Supersoft, for example, comes in nine varieties including the Black - Grey that I opted for, whereas the XL version comes in just three. Other colors include pink, brown, white and pure black, each with their own matching memory foam lumbar cushion.

Optional memory foam arm rests can be purchased for £25 / €30.

Arozzi Vernazza Supersoft: Design & Build QualityTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim Coleman

There's nothing particularly exciting about the Vernazza Supersoft's design — it's a typical looking gaming / office chair. However, it's certainly a step up in quality over entry-level models, and the generous choice of colors caters for various tastes.

I've already touched on the firm, supportive and comfortable cushioning and soft-to-the-touch velvet-like fabric — combined, they ooze quality, and the fabric is surprisingly breathable. In fact, Supersoft is a trademarked microfiber fabric which Arozzi says is made up of dust-repellant dense synthetic fibers.

The look and feel of the arms and protective plastic casings which cover the chairs mechanisms, on the other hand, are a little more rudimentary. That said, after months of use, every component still behaves as it did one day one. The plastic casing, and especially the chair's fabric, feel built to last.

Tim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim Coleman

The arms can be adjusted four ways (Arozzi calls it 4D); height, width, forwards / backwards and angled in / out — the latter is the only button-less adjustment, but has the right level of resistance to avoid accidental adjustments. In general, the button controls are smooth enough, though I'd like to see a greater range of motion for the angled in / out setting.

Class 4 gas lift suspension in the chair softens heavy landings, height adjustments are smooth, while a rocking control on the underside can be employed to lock the chair in an upright position or loosened for it to tilt freely.

The backrest recline function securely extends to a whopping 165-degrees — that's almost horizontal — being lockable in 4-degree increments. Thankfully, the aluminum wheel base is wide and sturdy, so I felt secure laying back even in the maximum reclined position. The wheels are large and glided smoothly over surfaces, even carpet.

Arozzi Vernazza Supersoft: In useTim ColemanTim ColemanTim Coleman

I have used the Arozzi Vernazza Supersoft as my primary office chair and a spot of gaming for four months and counting, with regular full working days at a screen. Put simply, it's the most comfortable chair I've worked in.

Two color-matching memory foam pillows are supplied with the Vernazza Supersoft — one for the lumbar and the other the neck. My lower back can feel stiff after long sessions being seated, but I can attest that the pillows further improve the chair's comfort levels.

Yes, it has the familiar look of many an office / gaming chair, but the premium materials are built to last. Every mechanism has worked perfectly, and the seat is wider than most others that I have previously used, able to fit users of all shapes and sizes.

The regular Supersoft I had is listed as supporting up to 145kg, so it's a truly sturdy chair! It is best suited for users approximately 165-190cm in height. The XL version for larger users can support up to 17pkg and is designed for 180-205cm tall users.

It's probably the Supersoft material that impressed me the most; velvety soft, durable and dust repellant.

Arozzi Vernazza Supersoft: Final verdict

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

At first glance, the Arozzi Vernazza Supersoft looks like any other gaming / office chair, but once you're seated and using it, the premium quality is immediately evident. The velvet-soft material is highly durable and dust repellant, the memory foam lumbar and neck pillows enhance comfort levels, and every mechanism to adjust the chair's settings work smoothly and reliably. A range of colors further enhances the Vernazza Supersoft's appeal.

First tested: July 2026

For more top office furniture, see our guide to the best standing desks to complete your setup.

Microsoft's range of tools, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams, are very popular. However, not as many people know that Microsoft also offers a very capable AI video editor called Clipchamp, which comes bundled with its Personal and Business plans.

In this article, we put Clipchamp to the test. We'll examine the various features it offers, its plans, ease of use, and how it compares to its competitors to find out whether it delivers value for the money it charges and whether it's the right tool for your needs.

Clipchamp: Plans and pricing

Clipchamp offers one of the most generous free video editor plans we've seen among AI editing tools. You can edit videos using AI, trim, crop, resize, and rotate assets, as well as add animated text and titles. The free plan supports up to 1080p HD video resolution, along with limited access to royalty-free stock assets such as stickers, images, videos, GIFs, sound effects, and music.

The premium plan, on the other hand, supports up to 4K UHD video resolution and includes unlimited access to premium stock assets, premium filters and effects, and a single brand kit. However, Microsoft doesn't offer a standalone subscription to Clipchamp. Instead, it comes bundled with Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, and Business plans.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

The Microsoft 365 Personal plan is priced at around $99.99 per year and comes with a host of other Microsoft apps, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, along with Microsoft Copilot.

The Family plan costs $129.99 per year, while the Microsoft 365 Business Premium plan costs $22 per user per month and the Microsoft 365 Business Standard plan costs $14 per user per month. Both Business plans include Clipchamp.

That said, the tool can turn out to be expensive if you're purchasing a Microsoft 365 subscription solely to use Clipchamp. However, if you're already a Microsoft user or have a Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, or Business plan, Clipchamp is an obvious pick.

Clipchamp: Features

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Clipchamp is primarily a video editing tool that incorporates a wide range of AI features to make the editing process much easier.

For instance, there's AI text-to-speech, which helps you generate AI voiceovers for your videos in over 80 languages. You can choose from 400 voices and even adjust the pitch or emotion to suit your videos.

Then there's AI silence removal, which can remove unwanted pauses from your videos, as well as an AI noise suppression feature that gets rid of background noise, mic static, and echoes in your audio and video tracks to improve clarity.

Additionally, there's a very handy AI background removal feature that lets you replace the background of any image with stock images, videos, or even solid colors.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

You can also enable auto-captions for your videos, where Clipchamp's AI accurately transcribes your audio in the language of your choice. You can even download your subtitle transcript in just a few clicks.

Now, besides helping you edit videos with AI, Clipchamp also uses AI to generate videos, but not from prompts. You can upload your files using its Create a video with AI feature, which auto-composes a video using user-supplied media. You simply have to choose a style and the length of the video, then wait for Clipchamp's AI to get to work.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

One of the best things about Clipchamp is its rich collection of stock assets and templates. You'll find hundreds of elements, such as backgrounds, overlays, frames, shapes, stickers, emojis, audio, music, and text styles, within the editor itself.

There's also a vast collection of templates for various platforms and use cases, whether it's Instagram or YouTube, or videos for corporate presentations, celebrations, social media ads, or even memes.

You also get four built-in recording options with Clipchamp: Camera, Screen, Camera and Screen, and Text-to-Speech. Simply grant the app access to your webcam and microphone, select the window, tab, or desktop you want to record, and click Share. This comes in particularly handy if you regularly use a free screen recorder to create or edit your videos.

Clipchamp: Interface and in use

You'll need your Microsoft login details to use Clipchamp. Once you're logged in, you'll see a very clean interface that feels beginner-friendly. You'll get two options at the top: Create a new video or Create a video with AI. If you simply want to edit a video, click on the first option.

(Image credit: Future)

The editing interface is divided into three panels. The central pane is where you can preview your videos, along with a horizontal timeline at the bottom. On the left-hand side, you'll find all the editing options and elements, such as the content library, templates, text, and transitions. You can select any element you want to add to your video.

Individual settings for every element you add appear on the right-hand side when selected. For instance, if you add an audio track and click on it in the timeline, all the audio-related settings appear in the right-hand panel.

Editing in Clipchamp is as simple as dragging and dropping. Simply drag a clip from your library onto the timeline to start a new project. Then choose any element you want and drag and drop it onto the timeline. Repeat the process until you've added and edited all the elements you need.

Clipchamp: How we tested

We used Clipchamp's free version to test its editing capabilities. We first clicked on Create a New Video, which opened a blank dashboard. We started by importing media and adding a small five-second clip to test it out. Once imported, we simply dragged it to the timeline at the bottom to begin editing.

First up, we found basic video settings on the right-hand side, such as filters and effects. We played around with the free filters, including Golden Hour and Vibrant Blogger. Each filter comes with an intensity slider, allowing you to choose how strongly you want it to be applied. The same goes for the effects.

Once we had edited the video, we started testing the elements in the left-hand panel. We first recorded a short voiceover and added it to our video. We then browsed through Clipchamp's audio selection and chose a soft rain background track.

(Image credit: Future)

Note that much of the music and audio selection is only available on the premium plan. That said, there's still a fair collection included in the free plan.

A nice touch is that you can search its vast content library using keywords in the search bar, which saves you from scrolling through its extensive collection of assets. Overall, the editing experience was pretty smooth, and we didn't encounter a significant learning curve.

Clipchamp: Alternatives

While Clipchamp uses AI to help you edit videos, it cannot generate AI images or videos from prompts. If that's what you're looking for, you'll need to consider tools like Veed or Kapwing.

Veed, for instance, allows you to generate AI videos using various models such as Seedance, Luma Ray, PixVerse 4.5, and more. You can also generate AI avatars with over 60 character options. One of Veed's biggest strengths is its wide selection of subtitle options, including dynamic and auto-generated subtitles. Starting at $12 per user per month, Veed is a good pick if you're looking for a mix of AI generation and editing.

If you're looking for something more professional, InVideo is a great choice. Along with its proprietary Agent One, it lets you create professional short videos, films, and cinematic content using conversational prompts. Built for filmmakers and other creative professionals, it can create promotional videos, animated videos, advertisements, and explainers. That said, InVideo is on the expensive side, with plans starting at $17 per month.

If you're looking for something more affordable, we'd recommend Filmora, which starts at just $4.17 per month. Although it can also help you create AI videos and images, Filmora is a more advanced video editing platform that lets you edit videos using simple AI prompts instead of doing everything manually on the editing dashboard. Along with this, it has also introduced features such as animated charts and AI video extenders to help you achieve better editing results.

Clipchamp: Final verdict

Microsoft Clipchamp is a very handy video editing tool that's surprisingly beginner-friendly while offering several advanced features at the same time. For instance, you get an AI auto-compose feature that lets you upload media and generate AI videos by simply selecting the style and length of your video.

Moreover, it comes with AI text-to-speech in over 80 languages, along with AI silence removal and background removal features, which come in particularly handy. There are also plenty of stock assets, including templates, effects, filters, stock audio, and music, that you can choose from, even on the free plan.

Editing is incredibly straightforward, too. All you have to do is drag and drop your videos and the elements you want to add to your final output. However, one downside is that you cannot generate AI videos or images from prompts.

Also, Clipchamp doesn't offer standalone pricing or plans and is only available as part of Microsoft 365 subscriptions, which start at $99.99 per year for Personal plans and $14 per user per month for Business plans. This can be quite expensive compared to dedicated AI video generators and editors such as Filmora or Adobe Firefly.

We've tested a range of video makers and editors, including the best video editing software, the best video editing apps and the best free video editing software.

I'll level with you: I was never the biggest fan of The Big Bang Theory. I held a torch for Young Sheldon like my life depended on it and was even happy to give Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, but something has always felt off with TBBT in my eyes.

Maybe it was the bright lights and constant laugh track, or maybe it was the fact that I always felt too dumb to understand the nerdy science at its core. But there's good news — new HBO Max spinoff Stuart Fails to Save the Universe has made me feel like a born-again sitcom fan.

Logically, a TBBT spinoff should have followed Sheldon (Jim Parsons), Leonard (Johnny Galecki) or Howard (Simon Helberg) in their days after Caltech. That was what the fans wanted, right? Some even outright lobbied for Young Leonard, which would have been worthwhile for Christine Baranski screentime alone.

What we weren't expecting was a reality where awkward coming book owner Stuart (Kevin Sussman) accidentally triggered a multiverse Armageddon after breaking a device supposedly built by Sheldon and Leonard.

Together with on-off girlfriend Denise (Lauren Lapkus), as well as friends Kripke (John Ross Bowie) and Bert (Brian Posehn), they land in a different universe in each episode. It's something that should seem like a wildly complicated framework that runs away from us, but it's actually a solid foundation for some really silly fun.

Creators Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady and Zak Penn have thrown everything and everyone's kitchen sinks into Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, and objectively, it's whip smart. Does it always fall on its feet? No. But you've got to have a huge amount of respect for something that swings so big and boldly.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is a breath of fresh air amongst TV that takes itself too seriously

The problem with something that's so dependent on its relatively complex premise is that you have to wade through a bit of metaphorical treacle in order for the TV show to feel effortless. Annoyingly, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe suffers from this, but I think the payoff is more than worth it.

Like a baby being taught to walk for the first time, we're handheld through explanations of Sheldon's device, how universe transportation works, how we ended up here in the first place, and what this means for what we might see across the season's remaining nine episodes (no spoilers here, don't worry).

I've never studied at Caltech and never plan to, but this is essentially a 25-minute crash course in things beyond most of our understanding. But once that's all out of the way, we relax into the laughs, stupidity and self-poking fun... and boy is the creative team coming in hot with self-awareness.

If the core storyline isn't doing it for you, there's an abundance of other intricately shrewd details to keep you occupied. Each of the episodes 10 title sequences are subtly different from each other, ensuring that we're engaged rather than committing the mortal sin of skipping through the credits.

On top of that, there's an extra layer of fun wrapped up in guessing what's going to be wrong with the next universe. Will its population have caterpillar bodies? Will they eat food with lizard tongues like that Treehouse of Horror episode of The Simpsons? The guessing never ends!

Ultimately, it's this sense of endlessness that is Stuart Fails to Save the Universe's biggest strength. The comedy could hypothetically run for 30 seasons and never lose its sense of freshness and wonder. What is continuity when you're constantly leaping through different universes?

This is an incredibly rare chance to be bold in the landscape of TV storytelling, and not only do I think HBO Max will continue to take it, but fan demand will be high — investing in something feels more worthwhile when there's (literal) infinite potential.

It's both a blessing and a curse for Big Bang Theory fans

(Image credit: HBO Max)

For existing TBBT fans, however, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe signifies a different kind of importance. There's existing lore hanging over the concept of the spinoff itself, with fans theorizing that ideas like The Council of Sheldons, seen in TBBT season 11 episode 3, could return here.

The beauty of this spinoff is that you don't really need to know the first thing about TBBT to understand it, but Easter eggs are still effectively woven into its fabric. Aside from the mechanics of Sheldon and Leonard's device, the overall lore isn't too dense or meta. However, as the original synopsis suggested, TBBT cameos will appear at different points throughout the season.

Who? I will not say. But it's important to note that not everyone has returned — this isn't a reunion special. This is bound to cause some friction among the existing fanbase, but packaging Stuart Fails to Save the Universe as a flat-out TBBT 2.0 would almost have been belittling.

The threads that have been taken forward are smart choices, and we certainly get bang for our buck when it comes to screentime and plot inclusion. Plus, this is a 'never say never' situation... in infinite universes, anything can happen, and anyone can appear.

Has 'King of Sitcoms' Chuck Lorre done it again? You bet. Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is a TV triumph that I never expected, and with episodes ranging from 18-25 minutes in length, you'll be left longing for more.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe drops on HBO Max weekly from July 23.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: One minute review

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 might look much the same as last year’s Galaxy Watch Ultra, but it feels very different to wear thanks to Samsung’s efficiency savings. A 12% slimmer titanium body and a lighter band (that remains the same size) mean the watch weighs less as an overall package and has better lockdown onto your wrist, so it doesn’t move around as much during strenuous exercise.

It’s got a new chipset under the hood: the AI-capable Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite, which, Samsung says, offers 32% faster CPU and 19% faster GPU performance compared to last year’s model. It’s launching with three new bands, new wellness features like Vital and Heart Health, and all the usual smartwatch goodies like notifications, call accept/reject, digital wallet and third-party app support. The Ultra comes with LTE capabilities as standard to add the watch to your phone’s data plan, and new fitness tools tailor-made for adventurers, including trail running features with GPX routes, a Daily Cardio Load metric, mid-activity hydration alerts, professional-level diving certifications and — soon — a dedicated diving app.

Fortunately for them (but perhaps unfortunately for Samsung) adventurers find themselves spoiled for choice these days between the Apple Watch Ultra 3, the best Garmin watches, and challengers from brands such as Coros, Polar and Amazfit. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 may be good in a vacuum, with excellent health and fitness features, but it’s fighting for space amid a crowd of exceptional wearables. Ultimately, it’s the best Galaxy Watch ever from a specs perspective, and does everything you expect a smartwatch to do (and several things you might not expect); but it’s also expensive, big and bulky. I do wonder how many Samsung users will opt for this over either the much cheaper Galaxy Watch9 or, at the other end of the scale, a chunky specialist tool such as the Garmin Fenix 8 if they’re really interested in wilderness exploration.

It’s fast, it’s accurate (albeit with some niggles — see the Performance section below for more details), it’s got the brightest screen of any smartwatch, on-device Gemini capabilities, and is packed with enough features to make any smartwatch aficionado happy. It’s a terrific gadget, and if you’re a Samsung user who wants the best native watch for your phone’s ecosystem, this is it. But if you’re buying it for trails and routes, Garmin does this better, and with far better battery endurance, albeit with a less robust AI-powered interface for all your communication features.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Specifications

(Image credit: Future)

Component

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2

Price

$699.99 / $649

Dimensions

47mm: 47.4 x 47.1 x 10.7mm

Weight

61g

Caze/bezel

Titanium

Display

498 x 498 Super AMOLED

Operating System

One UI Watch 9 (Wear OS 7)

Processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite

Memory

2GB of RAM

Storage

64GB storage

GPS

(L1+L5 Dual Frequency GPS)

Battery life

Up to 60 hours with always-on display

Connection

Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, LTE

Water resistance

WR100 (diveproof)

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Price and availability

• $699.99 in the US
• £649 in the UK
• AU TBC

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is priced at $699.99 / £649, with AU pricing TBC. This is actually a small increase of $50 / £50 in the UK over the launch price of the original Watch Ultra, likely due to the escalating price of electronics components.

While it’s still relatively competitively priced compared to the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and premium Garmins such as the Garmin Forerunner 970, it’s certainly on the higher end of the smartwatch price scale; but then again, this is a higher-end smartwatch.

• Value score: 4/5

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• 12% slimmer, but still quite bulky
• Titanium squircle cushion
• Strap is 25% lighter

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 iterates on the titanium squircle case design we first saw on the original Ultra, which Samsung calls a ‘cushion’, and which has since become a staple of the entire Galaxy Watch range. Housed within this body is the circular display, which is, according to Samsung…

The cushion incorporates new innards, including a larger 800mAh battery and a new Snapdragon Wear Elite processor. Despite the upgrades, the chassis is actually 12% slimmer than the original Watch Ultra’s, which is really a blessing, as that watch was a real beast. The cushion shape looks bulbous, but while it’s still a big watch that’s unsuitable for small wrists, it’s now better suited to a slightly wider variety of wrists than 2024’s enormous cuboid.

Couple this with the bands being 25% lighter this year, and the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 has had a serious size and weight reduction, which makes it much better for staying locked on your wrist during strenuous exercise, where the previous model was prone to moving around.

The Ultra 2 has the Samsung Galaxy Watch series’ standard pair of side buttons, plus the programmable ‘Quick Button’ that only the premium watches get. This is set to opening ‘my exercises’ as standard, while a long press can activate the watch’s emergency siren, but you can assign a different function to this button to suit your needs. If you’ve used a Samsung watch before, the UI (One Watch UI, to be exact, based on Google’s Wear OS) is virtually unchanged, and for beginners it’s easy and intuitive to use.

The redesigned, AI-forward Samsung Health app is simple to use too, and even though much was made of its big makeover, it’s a far cry from Google Health’s chatbot-focused premium tier.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• All the smartwatch features you’d expect
• Parcel of new health metrics: Vitals, Vascular Load & more
• Diving and trail-running features

The Ultra 2 offers all the usual smartwatch features you’d expect from an LTE-enabled watch, so I won’t list them all here, but suffice to say you can use virtual wallets, accept calls, message, control or store music, use the screen as a viewfinder for a Samsung phone’s camera, and even use Google Gemini via the new, easier Raise-to-Talk feature. Gemini works across devices, so you can make a quick voice note in the moment, and have it transcribed and saved to Samsung Notes or Google Keep, to be viewed later on your phone, tablet or laptop.

Samsung watches have always had strong health credentials, and the Ultra 2 is no different. It retains more esoteric features like blood-pressure monitoring (which requires an inflatable cuff for regular calibration, then uses your biometrics to predict fluctuations) and body composition (which uses electrical signals to estimate your fat and muscle mass) alongside the usual heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, ECG scan functionality (which is medically certified, according to Samsung) and more. Running Coach, introduced last year, also makes a welcome return, along with its advanced analytics for runners.

New health features include Vitals, which looks at readings of five different heart-related metrics while you sleep and lets you know of any baseline deviations, a Daily Cardio Load score that estimates how much stress your exercise routine is putting your heart under, and Vascular Load, which measures stress and arterial stiffness.

Finally, new features have been added in the shape of two adventure-themed activity profiles. The watch is now a working dive computer — or will be when its companion app is released later this year in partnership with diving company Mares. The Apple Watch Ultra has a similar app, so I’m sure Samsung has been working overtime to catch up.

The Trail Running profile now includes the ability to save GPX routes into the workout activity itself, so you can follow turn-by-turn directions and see maps on your watch with a swipe of your finger. You can download routes yourself, or you have the option to save previous outdoor runs as a route to test yourself against later on, if you want to try to beat your own personal best. What you can’t do is create your own routes in-app, as you can in Garmin Connect for example.

• Features score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Heart rate had some drift compared to Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Polar H10, but tightened up after 10-15 minutes of wear
• Watch is more comfortable to wear than its predecessor
• Accurate sleep tracking

I wore the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 for five days and four nights before writing this review, and I'll update it when I’ve logged enough nights sleep for features like Vitals to calibrate with seven-day averages. I was dreading wearing the Ultra 2 to bed given its bulkiness and size, but the slimmer, lighter Watch Ultra 2 was surprisingly comfortable for all-day wear — although I’m a man of fairly average build, and those with slimmer wrists may still find it uncomfortable.

Battery life was as described, with the Ultra 2 lasting the as-described 60 hours with always-on display enabled before needing a charge. Sleep was estimated accurately, with the watch and app correctly identifying my wake-up times during the night, and generating numbers corresponding with my energy levels.

To test GPS and heart rate accuracy, I went on a 30-minute run with the Watch Ultra 2 on one wrist, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 on the other, and a Polar H10 electrical heart-rate monitor (the gold standard for wearable heart-rate accuracy) strapped to my chest.

I was initially quite surprised at the difference in heart-rate readings the Watch Ultra 2 recorded at the start of the workout compared to the other two devices, with the Samsung watch sometimes reading 20 beats per minute lower than the Apple and Polar devices. However, after 15 minutes of exercise, I found that the Ultra 2’s readings were closely matching those of the other devices, as you can see from the corresponding graphs and readings below / above.

Initial heart rate ‘drift’ is a known problem with many optical heart-rate sensors (used by all smartwatches) in comparison to electrical ones, although Apple seems to have ironed out much of the problem with its Ultra 3. Still, even if the Samsung Ultra 2 does show some deviation at the beginning of a workout, if you’re exercising for any length of time your results are likely to be broadly accurate. I repeated this test during an indoor HIIT workout, and the results were the same: accurate after a brief warm-up period.

I also tested Body Composition, which uses the same method as the best smart scales — an electrical pulse moving through fat, muscle and water at a variety of speeds. I tested this against an industrial scale at my local gym after my run, and the ticket the scale produced showed that I was at 19% body fat. The smartwatch estimated 9%, a huge difference. It wasn’t until I did the test again later that day, after hydrating and adjusting my technique by raising my arms, that the watch showed 16% — a much closer result, and within the range of deviation I’d expect from two different devices.

I also tested the Ultra 2’s water lock feature by dunking it in a glass of water — after all, I’ve been burned before by so-say dive-ready watches — and it worked just fine afterwards.

(Image credit: Future)

• Performance score: 4/5

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

On a par with similar devices in its category.

4/5

Design

Bulky, but much improved over its predecessor, with an intuitive UI.

4.5/5

Features

Absolutely stacked.

4.5/5

Performance

Some health feature are fiddly to use, but generally very accurate.

4/5

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Should I buy?

(Image credit: Future)Buy it if…

You’re a runner

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is awash with terrific running features, and now trail runners are well catered for too.

You’re a Samsung phone user

Unsurprisingly, the Watch Ultra 2 works perfectly within the wider Samsung ecosystem.

You’re a Gemini user

Use AI for everything? Samsung’s Raise-to-Talk functionality and true on-watch Gemini makes using the smart assistant a doddle.

Don’t buy it if…

You need ultimate battery life

If you prioritize battery life and fitness features over connectivity, consider a Garmin or Coros watch.

You’re a casual exerciser and gym-goer

The Samsung Galaxy Watch9 is a much better-value fitness tracker for those who won’t use all the extra adventuring, diving, and safety features.

You’re an Apple user

The Watch Ultra 2 doesn’t work with Apple phones.

Also Consider…

Garmin Forerunner 970

A similarly-priced, adventure-ready Garmin watch with lots of running features.

Read our full Garmin Forerunner 970 review

Google Pixel Watch 4

Not as rugged, but a solid alternative for Wear OS users.

Read our full Google Pixel watch 4 review

How I tested

I wore the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 for the better part of a week, running the battery down and using it as my daily driver to accept and reject calls, check notifications and messages, use Gemini and control music. I tested it against devices such as the Apple Watch Ultra 3, the Polar H10 electrical heart rate monitor, and an industrial smart scale, and I dropped it into a glass of water to test its water lock feature.

First reviewed: July 2026

Filmora is one of the most well-known video editing software in the industry. The company has also done well to embrace AI, adding a whole new range of advanced AI functions that have only made the platform better and more capable over time.

In this review, we've put Filmora to the test, trying out its top features hands-on to see if they live up to expectations. We also dive deeper into its other offerings, value for money, and in-use experience, as well as compare it to the best AI video editors to help you find out if it's the right choice for you.

Filmora: Plans and pricing

Much like other AI editing and content generation tools, Filmora also offers a free-forever plan, allowing you to edit videos along with access to a limited amount of creative assets such as effects, filters, transitions, music, and sound effects.

However, unlike Kapwing, Adobe Firefly, or Fliki, Filmora's free plan does not include any AI credits. This means you won't be able to generate AI videos or images for free with Filmora, which is a bit of a letdown considering the competitive landscape.

Filmora's paid plans start at $4.17 per month. The Basic plan is not much different from the free plan, except that you get 500 uses of its proprietary AI Mate, along with 1GB of cloud storage. Besides this, everything else remains pretty similar to the free plan.

You also have the option to add the Filmora Creative Assets add-on to the Basic plan for $19.99 per month. However, you do get a 14-day trial of the Creative Assets package.

There's also an option to purchase the Basic plan with a one-time perpetual license for $79.99. However, you will not receive future updates and will need to pay an additional upgrade fee to access newer versions.

You can check out Filmora by clicking here.

(Image credit: Filmora)

Next up is the Advanced plan at $5 per month, which comes with 1,000 AI credits. This is the first plan where you can create AI videos and short clips, and use AI tools like Text to Object, Text to Speech, AI Music, AI Images, AI Copywriting, and more. You also get 10GB of cloud storage, along with limited access to Creative Assets.

Compared to the likes of Veed, which costs $12 per user per month, or Kapwing, which costs $16 per user per month, Filmora's Advanced plan is one of the most affordable options available for AI content generation. Just like the Basic plan, you can also add the Filmora Creative Assets pack for $19.99 per month.

However, the Premium plan, which costs $8.33 per month, already includes the Creative Assets package and is, in our opinion, one of the best value-for-money plans you can get. You receive 2,000 AI credits per month, along with 100GB of cloud storage. The Creative Assets package also includes over 12,000 effects and filters, more than 7,000 transitions, and access to 1.5 million stock media assets.

Also, all the prices mentioned above are for the Windows version, with Mac pricing being slightly higher. For instance, the Basic plan on Mac costs $5.83 per month, with a perpetual license priced at $99.99, whereas the Advanced plan costs $6.67 per month and the Premium plan costs $10 per month.

Even though they are a tad pricier than the Windows version, they're still pretty affordable compared to other similar video editing and AI generation tools.

Filmora: Features

The best thing about Filmora is that it keeps adding new features. With the release of version 15, the platform has added a new repertoire of both AI and video editing features. For instance, there's the new AI Video Extender, which helps you expand your footage forward or backward with the help of a prompt.

This may come in handy when your footage is too short and you need a bit more footage for smooth intros and outros. Using it is also pretty simple. You just need to drag its Smart Pen onto the editing dashboard and add a prompt describing how the video should continue.

(Image credit: Filmora)

In the same vein, Filmora has also introduced Prompt Video Editing, which allows you to add, replace, or remove objects in your videos using simple text prompts instead of having to do it manually on the editing dashboard.

Another impressive new feature is Animated Charts, which lets you import CSV or Excel files and generate chart and graph animations to build dynamic line, area, and pie charts. This comes in handy for commercial teams that want to prepare engaging presentations with animated visualizations.

(Image credit: Filmora)

The platform has also recently introduced advanced pixel tracking and motion compensation algorithms for its built-in video stabilization. This helps repair shaky video footage, making it more stable.

Similarly, there's also a Lens Correction option, which helps you remove optical distortions caused by camera lenses. This includes barrel or fisheye distortion, pincushion distortion, vignetting, and perspective or keystone distortion.

(Image credit: Filmora)

This comes in handy while editing wide-angle or action camera footage, where the fisheye bulge is distracting, or architecture and interior shots, where you want walls and buildings to look straight instead of curved.

Furthermore, Filmora now has advanced planar tracking, which can follow an entire flat surface across a moving video and lets you add images, videos, text, logos, mosaics, or anything else you want to that flat surface, much like inserting an image into a video. For instance, you can attach a logo to a moving truck, billboard, or storefront sign.

(Image credit: Filmora)

Filmora also has one of the largest libraries of creative assets we have seen across similar applications. Although it's a paid add-on, the Creative Assets package unlocks a large pool of premium effects and media.

This includes stock media and original video effects, over 100,000 royalty-free audio tracks, professionally designed title templates, a wide range of basic and professional transitions, aesthetic and cinematic effects and filters, stickers, more than 10,000 ready-made templates, and over 500 AI-powered effects.

Here are some other features you get with Filmora:

• AI text-to-video, audio-to-video, and image-to-video.
• AI Storyboard Generator, allowing you to generate ready-to-use storyboards with editable characters, scenes, and styles.
• An all-new Pen Tool, which lets you draw custom vector paths and shapes directly onto the video frame.
• AI Color Palette for cinematic color editing.
• Text animation with immersive and dynamic effects.
• An automated AI-powered subtitle generator, along with more than 100 animated subtitle templates.
• AI voice cloning in 16 languages.

Filmora: Interface and in use

The Filmora dashboard can seem a bit overwhelming at first, especially if you are a beginner. The editing panel is divided into three panes: one for adding edits and elements such as audio, titles, transitions, and effects; one for viewing your image or video as you edit it; and a horizontal editing bar at the bottom, which lets you drag and drop various editing elements into your project.

(Image credit: Future)

At the top of your dashboard, you'll see various options such as Media, Filters, Transitions, Effects, and Templates. Simply click on any of them to open all the available options and drag and drop the ones you want onto the horizontal bar at the bottom.

(Image credit: Future)

Once you click on the panel where your video is being previewed, a host of other options opens on the right-hand toolbar, where you can adjust various video settings such as width, height, rotation, and flip.

As you scroll down, you'll find various AI functions such as motion tracking, planar tracking, motion blur, and stabilization. What we liked most is that you simply have to toggle the buttons to activate the features and drag elements onto your video to apply the edits. There are no complex steps involved.

In addition to video, you'll also find other advanced editing options such as speed, animation, color grading, and AI palettes on the same right-hand panel.

(Image credit: Future)

To be fair, it can take a bit of time for new users to get the hang of the platform. That said, Filmora is one of the most rewarding platforms once you get past that learning curve thanks to the sheer number of editing options available.

Filmora: How we tested

Since Filmora doesn't allow you to create AI content on its free plan, we couldn't test the platform's AI capabilities. However, we did put Filmora's editing functions through a thorough test.

We first downloaded the application on our Windows 11 PC, which took around a minute or two. Once set up, we imported stock media to edit. We clicked on Effects and added an RGB Stroke effect to our video of a man skateboarding. Filmora was able to identify and track the person in the video and apply the RGB Stroke effect pretty accurately.

Adding the effect was also pretty easy. We only had to select and drag the effect onto the horizontal bar. We then added a dissolving transition to the beginning of our video. Again, a simple drag-and-drop did the trick.

We then played around with various video and audio editing settings, and all of them were applied to our video almost instantaneously. There was no lag or buffering while editing even the most complex or longest videos.

Filmora: Alternatives

Filmora focuses heavily on video editing features, offering several advanced options for professional editors. But there are a few alternatives you can consider.

If you're looking for free AI video and image generation, you can consider tools like Kapwing or Fliki. Both allow you to create AI videos and images for free.

Kapwing does a good job when it comes to generating AI characters, from simple everyday characters like a baby or a cheerleader to fantasy characters like a dragon or a cyborg. There are plenty of options.

Fliki, meanwhile, gives you many pre-video generation options to choose from. For instance, you can customize your video format, template, AI avatar, voiceover, and captions before generating a video, which saves a lot of editing work afterward.

However, Kapwing's highest-tier plan can be pretty expensive, costing $50 per user per month, whereas Fliki can go up to $44 per month. Even Filmora's most advanced plan costs only $8.33 per month, making it far more affordable. Plus, both platforms lack advanced editing options such as planar tracking and video stabilization.

Filmora: Final verdict

Filmora is one of the most feature-packed AI content generation and editing tools on the market. Apart from basic features like image-to-video, script-to-video, and audio generation, you get advanced editing options such as planar tracking, storyboard generators, video stabilization, AI video and audio extenders, dual-monitor editing, animated charts, and lens correction.

Additionally, Filmora houses one of the most extensive libraries of stock assets, including licensed music, effects, transitions, stickers, and more than 10,000 templates.

That said, its interface is not among the simplest we have seen and requires a bit of a learning curve. Also, its free plan does not allow you to create any AI content, which was a bit of a disappointment. If this is a deal-breaker for you, you can consider other options like Adobe Firefly or Kapwing.

We've tested a range of video makers and editors, including the best video editing software, the best video editing apps and the best free video editing software.

HEDD HEDDphone D1: Two-minute review

The HEDDphone D1 are a quite frankly astonishing pair of over-ear headphones, trucking in a new line of innovative thought from the Berlin brand that also brought AMT technology to the wearable market. They’re open-back and passive, with eyes locked both on the world of pro audio and at-home audiophile listening.

While most brands struggle to occupy both spaces in any meaningful way, it’s my view that the HEDDphone D1 are a rare and commendable success. They are full in heart and full in throat, with an expansive frequency range and a hugely expressive soundstage. Their Thin-Ply Carbon Diaphragm (TPCD) drivers make good on their claims of tonal balance and transient excellence, making these just as adept at clinical representation as they are at gratifying, fulsome home listening.

The specs are friendly to both camps too, starting with the works-with-anything 32-ohm impedance. Traditionally, I’m less fond of this in other devices, but here and with the D1’s rich sonic capacity across devices, it’s a boon. They’re comfortable to wear, innately and over long periods of time, and they never get fatiguing to listen through either.

I don’t like giving full marks to things. It makes me feel like I’ve failed; like I’ve missed something, somewhere, or that I’ve even dared to be a bit lazy. More’s my disappointment, then, that I can’t fault the HEDDphone D1 in any meaningful way.

Sure, the build quality might stoop a tad beneath the price in places, but then the pristine presence afforded by those unique dynamic drivers shoots well above. Likewise, a slight low-end boost might disincentivise some pro-audio folk from trusting them in their line of work, but that same lift allows these headphones to provide weight and context unlike any other set of open-backed headphones at this (or perhaps any) price. Every question an answer.

So, then, I resolve to put away my thoughts of laziness or journalistic inadequacy, instead settling with the thrilling and essential truth that must be my own final answer: these are the best headphones I’ve tried in my career thus far. And they get full marks. Among the best wired headphones on the market? Emphatically yes.

(Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)HEDD HEDDphone D1: Price and release date

• $799.99 / £599 / AU$999
• Launched on 6th November, 2025

When a pioneering set of headphones hails from a German brand literally called HEDD, it’s one’s duty to take notice. HEDD stands for Heinz ElectroDynamic Designs, and is the another in a series of major audio-tech gifts from Heinz Klaus — founder of ADAM audio, and key contributor to the development and improvement of AMT (Air Motion Transformer) transducers.

HEDD is a continuation of Klaus’ inventorial pursuits, first with a new suite of professional monitor speakers, then with bringing AMT and some clever material design to new territory: the world of head-fi. All lovingly designed and manufactured in Berlin.

The subjects of today’s scrutiny are the HEDDphone D1, the fourth set of over-ears to come from HEDD, following HEDDphones ONE, TWO and TWO GT respectively. Where prior cans focused on combining AMT drivers with over-ear headphones, the D1 are an exploration of dynamic drivers through the lens of Thin-Ply Carbon Diaphragm (TPCD).

The HEDDphone D1, then, purport to be every bit as stereotypically precise as one might expect from a pioneering German audio brand — with emphasis on the ‘stereo’, and with pun very much smugly intended. If Heinz can do it, so can I.

At £599 / $799.99 / AU$999, the HEDDphone D1 certainly aren’t cheap; they tickle the upper reaches of what might be considered ‘mid-range’ in a broad market, increasingly filled with audiophile-grade cans that ask for four-figure sums (including HEDD’s own flagship HEDDphone).

But the D1 pitches itself, sonically, as a pair of ‘phones that’ll go toe-to-toe with most when it comes to detail, tone and depth — to the point that they’re marketed quite keenly towards professional audio-folk and audiophiles alike. And, not to spoil you too soon, I think they more-than stick the landing.

(Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)HEDD HEDDphone D1 review: SpecsHEDD HEDDphone D1 specs

Type

Open-back

Drivers

Driver: 50mm dynamic, thin-ply carbon diaphragm (TPCD)

Impedance

32 ohms

Weight

350g

Connectivity

2 x 3.5mm TS

Frequency range

Frequency range: 5 Hz - 40 kHz

Extras

Moulded EVA case, dual-TS to 3.5mm TRS cable, screw-on 3.5mm-6.35mm TRS adapter, drawstring velour cable bag

HEDD HEDDphone D1 review: Features

• 50mm Thin-Ply Carbon Diaphragm (TPCD) dynamic drivers
• 5Hz-40kHz frequency range
• 32-ohm impedance

The HEDDphone D1 are a pair of open-back over-ear headphones, designed as a mid-weight contender for pristine professional audiophile listening. They’re a passive, wired affair, and about as operationally simple as headphones get.

The big sell here is HEDD’s Thin-Ply Carbon Diaphragm (TPCD): a diaphragm constructed with an advanced carbon fibre composite that maintains rigidity in spite of its thin, low-mass design. The result is a responsive dynamic driver that doesn’t need to trade its proverbial lightness-of-foot for distortion or tonal imbalance, and doesn’t need conventional diaphragm-level dampening to maintain clarity either.

The HEDDphone D1 is outfitted with two 50mm TPCD-constructed dynamic drivers, which extend up to 40kHz and down to 5Hz — a remarkable range, with a remarkably steady response curve where it counts.

These drivers field an impedance of 32 ohms, making the HEDDphone D1 a suitable candidate for practically any sound source. I usually prefer my monitor headphones to have a little more fight in them than this, but on this occasion, I certainly don’t mind the results.

• Features score: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)HEDD HEDDphone D1 review: Sound quality

• Incredible clarity across frequency spectrum
• Deep, full and spacious low-end
• Expansive soundstage

Being someone who encounters and experiences new audio tech as a matter of course, I’m rarely in a position to be surprised by something. I usually have some vague idea of what to expect, and my expectations are usually somewhat in line with what I ultimately hear. Here, though: wow.

Having had plentiful experience with professional monitor headphones before, I thought I knew what I was in for with the HEDDphone D1. I didn’t. These ground-up Berlin-designed drivers are a marvel — and, perhaps, a rare instance of experimental reality actually informing PR copy. The D1’s got everything: depth, width, height; microscopic detail and macroscopic grandeur; pro-grade clinical clarity and gratifying, grin-worthy weight. They are full-range and balanced enough to work well as monitor headphones, but not clinically transparent to the point of flatness. It’s a delicate balancing act that pays off.

There’s a lot to get into here, but let’s start with the bass. Though impressively even with respect to frequency response, there is a slightly pronounced push in the low end — the quality of which is, quite simply, astonishing. There is a bulging fullness, of the same heft that makes closed-back headphones so gratifying, but also a depth-of-field that only open-backs can achieve. It’s the platonic ideal for low-end presence; the best of both worlds.

First impressions of this were achieved through digital streaming, listening to hi-res audio streamed from Qobuz. Pile’s All Fiction is a maximalist flood of roomy orchestrations, reverb-drowned voices breaking like waves, and huge blooms of messy low-end energy. It should not be an easy-to-parse record, but the D1 handle the heft of Loops and Poisons handily.

That deeply-impressive low-end control isn’t all that’s happening here. It serves to support an incredibly detailed upper register, too; things sail above it with ease. Mitskis’ Cats, from early-2026 heartbreaker Nothing’s About To Happen To Me, is a supremely balanced slug of sad-folky Americana, carried on a wave of deep bassy richness and carrying a full, clear, near-sailing Mitski vocal. In fact, those vocals are a revelation of their own, every fathom and every miniscule wave rendered in the same amazing definition.

Definition, ultimately, is the word. The transients are, to my immense gratitude, tight and immediate without overextension or insistence. Mitski’s I’ll Change For You demonstrates this capably, through dead-on kick-drums, rich clatter-y rim shots and the most tactile shakers you’ve ever heard hidden in a ballad. The light plosives in Mitski’s voice are discernable, to great humanising effect.

To figure out some more of that definitional excellence, I turned to PJ Harvey’s Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea. Harvey’s vocals are an immediate, forthright affair, and pop into being with a refreshing urgency. Again, there’s some excellent separation between voice and instruments, even as things spiral away beneath as in Big Exit, Kamikaze and This Wicked Tongue. Across the album, dry drums, harsh leads and percussive acoustic guitars build a clear and crisp picture of the D1’s composure.

(Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)

Over on vinyl, things are just as impressive. Queens Of The Stone Age’s …Like Clockwork demonstrates the D1’s soundstage admirably, as well as their gutsy, gratifying treatment of distorted guitars. I Sat By The Ocean is cleverly rendered in space; My God Is The Sun is addictively propulsive, from its growling plinth of glistening bass to its tight trio of ever-climbing riffy guitars. Homme’s voice is, as ever, a mile-long track of croon-y honey.

Between PJ Harvey, Mitski and QOTSA, the D1’s aptitude for rock instrumentation — much like my personal proclivities for the same — have been summarily proven. To change tack, and to make a small case for my actually-quite-eclectic-I-promise taste, I threw on my vinyl copy of jazz drummer Roy Haynes’ 1963 album Cymbalism.

It’s a rich and free-wheeling collection of quartet-arranged brilliance, opened up with fast-paced flute-led swinger Modette. Haynes’ ‘snap-crackle’ drums shine immediately, and Frank Strozier’s flute, that threatens to be unlistenably harsh, comes in bright, beautiful and searingly insistent. The double-bass is a subtle, hollow, plucky affair, held up well somewhere between kick and snare; the piano is unobtrusively clear, even sharp.

In Lonnie Liston Smith And The Cosmic Echoes’ sprawling 1973 spiritual-jazz missive Astral Traveling, I found the D1’s tonal strengths on full display. In Search Of Truth’s a slow, sure-footed hike, its footsteps a consistent bass riff over which a spaced-out, upward-spiralling piano, disparate, immaculately-preserved percussive elements and a steady harmonium drone reach towards a mountain’s peak — a full-throated, ensemble-derived answer to the call, and a truly expansive experience in these headphones.

It’s clear to me how the HEDDphone D1 can be marketed simultaneously as a powerful home-listening audiophile product and a pro-grade monitoring headphone. The soundstage is broad and deep across the frequency spectrum; instruments and elements have their space, to be appreciated or scrutinised accordingly. That broad low-end lift could be argued as a platform by which to better examine low-end information, but really, it’s a little gift for you and me.

• Sound quality score: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)HEDD HEDDphone D1 review: Design

• Unusual — yet welcome — grip on head
• Incomparably comfortable for long
• Slightly underwhelming material choices in places

The HEDDphone D1 are some seriously comfortable headphones — and not in the conventional way, either. Most headphones aiming for comfort have a light touch; they’re trying to be light, airy, and leave little evidence of presence on your head. The HEDDphone D1 are gloriously opposed to this approach.

Instead of a feather-light balancing act, the D1 goes hard, gripping your head with a deep and encouraging firmness. Some super-soft ear cup cushions eat up a lot of that inward force, and a firm foam cushion beneath the headband provides supple support from above. It’s a tight hug in headphone form, and all the better for it. They melt into your head, and, thanks to their open-back breathability, never get old.

Materials-wise, the HEDDphone D1 doesn’t quite have the same quality of build as other headphones at this price point — with a firm and reverential gaze levelled at the likes of Meze Audio. Besides the metal grilles protecting the diaphragm, and the spine of the headband, everything visible is plastic, foam and variably-breathable fabrics.

This is to say that the money’s been spent elsewhere; within. And given the incredible quality displayed within, I’m actually not all that fussed by the less-rarefied material design here. Besides, things work where it counts. The headband adjustment feels firm and reassuring, and the foam used for the cushions couldn’t be better-suited.

There is some semi-significant sound leakage out into the world, as is to be expected from anything open-back; that said, the same can’t quite be said for the inverse — at least, when music’s playing. It’s hard to be distracted when wearing these things.

• Design score: 5 / 5

HEDD HEDDphone D1 review: Value

• An undeniably upper mid-range price point
• Sonic performance that outstrips pricier cans
• Unignorably high bang-for-buck

Value’s always the hardest thing for me to pin down in a piece of tech. Circumstances differ, but MSRPs above a certain point are almost always a big ask. And I think it’s fair to call $799.99 / £599 / AU$999 a big ask. But in comparing that to the value of other headphones on the market, something emerges. At least, to me. The HEDDphone D1 pretty much clears them all for sonic characteristics.

Reservations may rightly be held for the plasticky nature of the chassis in places, but I think the D1’s built well enough to see off any assertions of poor value for money, particularly when they sound as good as they do. As far as fidelity is concerned, this could well be the absolute best bang-per-buck on the market.

Let me couch that in something a little more tangible. I’ve reviewed audiophile-grade over-ear headphones worth upwards of $2,000 / £1,899 / AU$3,550; I’ve even loved them. But not as much as these. And that’s irrespective of price. If the HEDDphone D1 can outperform something three times their price (and something I’ve deemed more-or-less worthy of that price, too), then they are stunningly under-valued.

Yes, $799.99 / £599 / AU$999 is a big ask for a lot of things, headphones included. But if you care about sonic fidelity personally or professionally, and when you’re getting four-figure sound quality at a mid-budget price point, it’s hard to call this anything but a steal.

• Value score: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)HEDD HEDDphone D1: Should you buy them?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Passive, open-backed over-ear headphones furnished with some top-flight 50mm TPCD dynamic drivers. They boast a 5Hz-40kHz frequency range — and a 32-ohm impedance guarantees they play well with pretty much any source.

5 / 5

Sound quality

An absolute delight to listen through, from a well-constructed and surprisingly robust low end to crystal clear highs, bywhy of excellent tonal control and some uniquely tactile transients.

5 / 5

Design

They look great, but they feel even better when worn. HEDD D1 aren’t fatiguing in the slightest, whether sonically or physically. A small shame that some parts feel cheaper than others.

5 / 5

Value

In spite of a slightly disappointing chassis, the HEDDphone D1 is incredible value for money. Its transient and tonal clarity reach far above its price point, giving many other more expensive audiophile- grade cans a run for their money.

5 / 5

(Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)Buy them if...

You want to buy your last set of mid-range headphones
In my view, the HEDDphone D1 achieve something marvellous for their price bracket. They sound easily three times their price, and, even with a slightly cheaper build quality, feel exceedingly comfortable while delivering that underpriced sound. They’re the be-all and end-all for mid-budget listening headphones, and could be the last you buy before something four- (or five-) figures entices you.

You’re an audio professional that wants some daily-drivers
The HEDDphone D1 are unique in how readily they straddle personal and professional use cases. These are begging to be used in the studio all day, and at home on your hi-fi all night.

Don't buy them if...

You want some headphones to commute with
Though the HEDDphone D1 ship with a robust-enough carry case, they are not the most commute-friendly of devices; they’re open-back, which means your travel companions will hear what you’re hearing. Also, while surprisingly good at blocking out external noises, they’re not great at it. These headphones are for home! (Or work.)

You’re stretching your budget
The sound performance on display here is nothing short of magical, but the price point stretches beyond what most casual or mid-range budgets allow. If you’re looking for some pro monitoring headphones, you’ll find a suite of flat, clear and pristine (if slightly less thrilling) headphones in the £2-400 range; if you want some crystal-clear listening headphones for home, other brands like Meze are excelling in that same space.

HEDD HEDDphone D1: Also consider

HEDDphone D1

Meze Audio 105 Silva

Grado Signature

Open-back or closed-

Open-back

Open-back

Open-back

Driver

50mm dynamic, thin-ply carbon diaphragm (TPCD)

50mm dynamic; bio-cellulose, titanium-coated semicrystalline polymer

50mm dynamic

Frequency range

5 Hz - 40 kHz

5 Hz - 30 kHz

6 Hz - 46 kHz

Impedance

32 ohms

42 ohms

38 ohms

Connector

2 x 3.5mm TS

2 x 3.5mm TS

4pin Mini XLR

Weight

350g

354g

460g

Extras

Moulded EVA case, dual-TS to 3.5mm TRS cable, screw-on 3.5mm-6.35mm TRS adapter, drawstring velour cable bag

Carry case, soft pouch for cables, 3.5mm TRS to dual 3.5mm TS cable, 3.5mm TRS to USB-C adapter w/ integrated DAC, 3.5mm TRS to 6.35mm TRS adapter

Source connection 6.3mm; Signature Gold 12-conductor 6ft detachable cable; new B Cushion ear pads supplied

Meze Audio 105 Silva
The Meze Audio 105 Silva are another stunning pair of mid-weight headphones, though much more geared to comfortable home listening than anything else. They’re a little cheaper, and they fall short against the D1 on a few sonic fronts, but they’re hugely comfortable, and slightly more remarkable on the material-design front.
Read our Meze Audio 105 Silva review for more

Grado Signature
The Grado Signature S750 are open-backed on-ears, and significantly pricier than the HEDDphone D1. These are the choice for luxuriant, up-close at-home listening, but also an illustration of just how high the D1 are punching. 
See our in-depth Grado Signature S750 review for more

HEDD HEDDphone D1 review: How I tested

• Tested for 5 weeks
• Used as primary home listening headphones, for streaming and vinyl
• Predominantly tested using Qobuz on a Windows laptop, connected to a UAD Volt 4 audio interface
• Also tested on a Vestax turntable setup with an Audio-Technica VM-95EN cart

I spent a month with the HEDDphone D1 headphones, wherein they were used as my primary home listening headphones. They split their time between my attic office space and my living room hi-fi stack.

In the attic, the HEDDphone D1 were used to listen to hi-res audio on the streaming service Qobuz, as well as lossless audio in my digital music library, through the headphone output of my trusty Universal Audio Volt 4 audio interface.

In the living room, they were used to listen to vinyl records played on a Vestax PDX-D3 turntable, outfitted with an Audio-Technica VM-95EN cartridge, via the headphone output of my Vestax PCV-275 mixer.

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

Arozzi's Arena Nordico hails from Sweden and is a premium contender for our best standing desks guide, being suitably minimalist, sturdy and reliable. And end price aside (once key accessories are factored in), it's an easy recommendation.

This has been my daily work station for four months and its electric motor has proved completely reliable, with its four customizable height settings. The smart cable tidy setup and generous cable trays ensure a clean look once all is in place, and the host of accessories I had for this review, which included a 'desk riser', monitor arm, headphone hanger and more, have all proved to be top quality too.

If you like the look of the Arena Nordico and its one-size dimensions suit your needs, then you won't be disappointed.

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Arena Nordico Electric Standing Desk: Unboxing

Like most standing desks, the Arena Nordico arrives flat-packed in two boxes, the heavier of which contains the steel legs and frame, the larger and lighter of which includes the particle board tabletop. It is shipped directly from Sweden.

Price and availability

The Arena Nordico is available directly from the Arozzi site for £291 / €349 and ships across Europe from Sweden. Shipping costs are calculated at checkout. I also picked up the Desk Riser (£50 / €60), single gas spring Monitor Arm (£50 / €60) and Headphone Hanger (£17 / €20) for this review. It has wide availability in the UK and Europe direct and from retailers like Currys for £285 (see here). However, it's not yet on sale in the US and Australia.

Given the simplicity and dimensions of the desk, I also requested accessories to complete my home setup, which came in separate boxes; a desk riser (raised worktop section), gas spring monitor arm (for my large and weighty 32:9 curved monitor), plus a headphone hanger.

The contents in each box were securely packaged by protective foam and cardboard. Unfortunately there was scuffing on the curved supporting bracket of one of the main steel legs — I'm pretty sure that would have occurred prior to packing. Once the desk was assembled, it was damage that you'd hardly notice at all.

The contents of the Arozzi Arena Nordico, plus some of the extras I picked upTim ColemanTim ColemanThe scratches on one of the legsTim ColemanThe premium hex key tool was much appreciated by meTim Coleman

All assembling accessories and instructions were neatly packaged together and every component easily identifiable; the two worktop pieces, legs, control box, screws and so on.

A premium hex key tool with rubber handle and dual length hex keys was supplied with desk, which I greatly appreciated because it made the task of tightening the screws that much more comfortable and straightforward, even for awkwardly placed screw holes.

There was even white gloves supplied presumably to avoid fingerprint smudge marks, which felt a little overkill — this wasn't developing photo prints in a lab!

I chose the walnut version of the Arena Nordico with black steel legs of the four versions available. There are also pine, white or black finishes available (with white or black steel legs). The worktop measures 70 x 140cm, and there are no alternative sizes to choose from.

Arena Nordico Electric Standing Desk: Assembly

I've assembled a complex L-shaped standing desk before, and by comparison the build of the Arena Nordico proved particularly straightforward, and much quicker — with the help of my teenage son, I clocked 47 minutes exactly from unboxing to the desk being in situ with optional accessories attached.

The instruction manual couldn't be clearer, with the only potential point of confusion being which side to attach the desk's control box, given the desk is best constructed upside down and you need to think about it potentially reversing as the desk is turned over. Not once did I have to backtrack on the assembly.

There are two worktop panels; the main panel and a slimmer panel which is positioned to the desk's far side. They are lined up with underside brackets which form part of the generous cable tidy baskets frame, and the gap between the two worktop sections can be closed and opened to neatly feed cables through — that's a neat bit of design rather than a hole in one of the worktops.

Tim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim Coleman

The cable tidy brackets go on first, followed by the legs which slot in and then a final bracket to fix the legs in place. You'll need to decide which side of the desk you want to fix the electric motor and control panel, but the consequent steps remain the same.

On the same side of the motor goes the control panel. Thankfully the shorter screws design for the control panel fixed it into place perfectly (and months later the panel hasn't so much as budged, which is more than I can say for other standing desks that I have built).

I also added the (optional) headphone hanger before flipping the desk over off of its back and into position, with the help of my son. This is the one part of the whole process that you ideally need two people for.

After that, I attached another accessory, the raised worktop which Arozzi calls the 'Desk Riser', which is fixed in place with screw clamps. I would treat this additional worktop as if its max payload was pretty limited. Then went on the two cable tidy baskets, which easily slot into the bracket holes.

Tim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim Coleman

Installing the monitor arm was probably the fiddliest part of the entire build. To reiterate, this is an optional accessory that I went for because my monitor is massive, and I wanted to minimize its footprint on the desk set up.

It works best to screw in the monitor to the monitor arm before sliding the arm's base into place between the two worktop sections, and I found this process much easier with the help of my son.

Throughout the whole process, I thanked Arozzi for supplying the versatile dual length hex key tool — it made the historically fiddliest parts of this type of build a comparative breeze.

Arena Nordico Electric Standing Desk: In use

I've had an electric standing desk fail on me before after extended use, so I was sure to give the Nordico a long-term review. At the time of writing, I've used the desk every working day for 4-5 months, and it works perfectly the same as it did on day one.

The Nordico is able to support up to 60kg according to Arena, which is modest by comparison to other standing desks that I've seen quoting double that payload.

However, I'm not in the habit of sitting on my desk and raising myself up and down, as fun as that sounds. No, I have loaded it with a weighty 32:9 monitor (supported by the heavy duty gas spring version of Arena's monitor arm accessory), my laptop and various other items, and the desk has never struggled or slowed under that weight.

Tim ColemanThe maximum height of the desk. Particularly tall users might wish for an even higher max settingTim Coleman

The control box offers four customizable single-push height presets, or you can simply press and hold the up or down buttons to adjust the height in centimeter increments. I was the main user of the desk and 2-3 presets would have been plenty enough, but I can see four presets being useful for desks shared by two users of different heights.

My only gripe about the standing function is that the maximum height of 115cm didn't feel quite high enough for me, and I'm 6ft 1 inches. Taller users might find the maximum standing setting not quote high enough. The minimum 71cm setting was plenty low enough, mind you.

71cm — the minimum height of the desk. Tim ColemanHere's the exposed rotor which drives the height adjustments. Tim ColemanThe clean surface of the desk, which if you're like me won't stay that way for long with no desk storage accessoriesTim Coleman

Sadly, the desk doesn't include accessories — those are optional extras, and the cost quickly adds up. And with the limited one-size, I felt like I really needed a monitor arm to free up desk space. Even the headphone hanger is an optional extra.

There's also no option for on-desk storage, for example drawers to slot underneath the desk riser accessory, and so I found the desk quickly filled up with my daily mess.

Thankfully, there's a smart cable tidy setup, with that additional worktop panel that slides open from the far side of the main worktop, and generous cable trays underneath. Sorting and hiding messy cables, therefore, proved pretty easy.

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

The feet were large and stable, and with their low profile I have so far avoided any stubbed toes.

I didn't necessarily appreciate the motor's rotor being exposed rather than concealed on the desk's underside at first, but it felt like should I run into any issues, that a fix would be simpler to issue.

Overall, every part of the desk, besides the scuffed leg, arrived and has remained entirely presentable and operational.

Arena Nordico Electric Standing Desk: Final verdict

If you like your standing desk with a clean, minimal look, then the Arena Nordico is worth considering. You'll likely need to factor in additional accessories which add to the already sizeable cost, but otherwise and following many month of reliable service, I have few complaints. I can see the Arena Nordico being my primary standing desk for many years to come.

First reviewed: July 2026

For more top office furniture, we've tested out all the best office chairs.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11: Two-minute review

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 is the brand’s answer to the iPad Air, with its premium design and compact form factor.

It certainly looks the part, taking cues from Apple with its sleek and minimalist aesthetic. It only comes in two colors — or rather shades, since it’s merely a choice between Grey and Silver. My review unit was the former, and I have to say that I enjoyed its classy appearance.

Beyond this, Samsung has also nailed the S11’s build quality. The one-piece metal chassis feels as expensive as they come, thanks to its incredibly smooth texture (so be careful when holding it) and supreme solidity. It easily ranks among the best tablets in terms of sheer construction.

The display, however, is less impressive. At 11 inches, content already feels squeezed, but the thick inner bezel only exacerbates the issue. What’s more, it's a magnet for dust and debris, while the grabby touchscreen is far from class-leading.

Thankfully, the included S Pen fairs better than fingers. There’s no dragging with the stylus, as it glides effortlessly across the screen. It’s also perfectly responsive and comfortable to grip, thanks to its ergonomic hexagonal form that provides extra security.

(Image credit: Future)

As with Samsung’s smartphones, the S11 features numerous first-party apps, which vary in their usefulness. Many fail to offer anything over and above Google’s suite of apps (which also come preinstalled), although I have to concede that some of the AI features, such as those for editing images, impressed me with their effectiveness. The One UI operating system is as clear and as stable as you could hope an Android fork to be, too.

The overall performance of the S11 is also impressive. Whether you're working, browsing, streaming content or even gaming, it can seemingly handle it all. What’s more, it does so while staying relatively cool; only parts of the rear heat up, and never to an uncomfortable degree.

The battery life of the S11 measures up well against its rivals. Samsung claims it can survive 18 hours of continuous streaming, whereas the iPad Air can only manage 10. Charging is quick, too, thanks to its 45W wired charging support.

There are certainly things to like about the S11, such as its premium design and excellent all-round performance. However, the touchscreen is somewhat disappointing. On balance it’s a little hard to recommend over the iPad Air given it it's slightly dearer, but if you want an Apple-inspired design while remaining in the Android realm, the S11 is far from a terrible choice.

(Image credit: Future)Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Price & availability

• Starts from $899.99 / £869 / AU$1,399
• Available now in two colors
• Very expensive for a small tablet

The S11 starts from $899.99 / £869 / AU$1,399 and is available now in two colorways: Grey and Silver. The base model features 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. All models come with Samsung’s S Pen. If you want cellular capability, you’ll need to part with an additional £50 / AU$250. US customers only get the Wi-Fi-only model.

This is undeniably expensive for an 11-inch tablet, even one as premium as the S11. An equivalent iPad Air model bundled with the Apple Pencil currently costs slightly less. What’s more, it’s one of the best tablets we’ve reviewed, thanks to its excellent performance and display.

If you want to stick with Android, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 is a great budget alternative to the S11. It comes in at a mere $399.99 / £319 (around AU$570), yet still has a respectable spec and impressive performance. It may have less RAM (8GB), but we still found it capable enough for everyday use.

• Value score: 3/5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Specs

Weight

484g

Display

11-inch, Dynamic AMOLED 2X (1600 x 2560), 120Hz

Operating system

One UI 8.5

Chipset

MediaTek Dimensity 9400+

Memory (RAM)

12GB

Storage

128GB / 256GB / 512GB

Battery

8,400mAh

Charging

45W wired

Cameras

13MP rear, 12MP front

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5, USB-C

Colors

Grey, Silver

(Image credit: Future)Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Display

• Slight lack of fidelity
• Thick bezel
• Grabby touchscreen

Despite the high 1600 x 2560 resolution of the S11, there’s a slight but noticeable softness and fuzziness to some elements of the UI, as if the resolution is stretched a little too thin for this size of display. This also means that Ultra HD content isn’t quite as pinpoint sharp as you might expect. Thankfully, there’s plenty of brightness and colors are vibrant, so it still makes for a pleasurable viewing experience.

The thickness of the bezel is also disappointing. At 11 inches the display is already small, so you’d think Samsung would want to maximize its real estate to its fullest potential, but instead a thick black border constricts the frame even more.

Perhaps the worst aspect of the display, though, is its touchscreen functionality. I found there was too much friction to perform gestures and swipes easily. What’s more, it’s also prone to attracting debris, more so than other tablets I’ve used. This is not only a visual impediment but no doubt affects the performance of the touchscreen, too.

• Display score: 3.5/5

(Image credit: Future)Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Design

• Fabulously premium design
• Compact and relatively light
• Slippery back panel

To say that the S11 takes inspiration from the iPad Air is an understatement. It’s virtually indistinguishable from Apple’s compact tablet, but this isn’t exactly a bad thing, given its stylish looks. However, the S11 lacks the same vibrant color options, with only grey and silver to choose from. My unit was the former and it still looked smart and sleek though.

But the resemblance is more than skin deep. The metal chassis feels just as high-grade as the iPad’s; in fact, it might actually be a cut above the best iPad constructions. The back panel folds around to form the edges, rather than being created from two separate pieces, which is very impressive. On the front, the join to the screen is also close to seamless.

It’s also reassuringly solid and durable, as well as being incredibly smooth. This latter aspect is a slight issue, though, since it can feel quite slippery, so you'll need to take care when holding it upright. At least it’s comfortable to hold, owing to its compact dimensions, minimal weight, and generously rounded corners.

The included S Pen is a fairly basic affair but I found its hexagonal design comfortable and secure. It features a well-placed and easy-to-use button, which is used like a ‘right-click’ to bring up context menus in apps and in the OS itself.

Both of the tablet’s long sides are magnetic, so can be used to attach the S Pen, which is convenient. It’s a shame that the top edge isn’t, though, since it can be awkward to hold the tablet in portrait mode when the stylus is attached to the side. The magnetic hold is strong without making it difficult to remove the stylus when needed.

• Design score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future)Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Software

• Numerous first-party apps
• Their usefulness varies
• OS is clear and fast

Plenty of Samsung apps are preinstalled on the S11. You’ll have to create a Samsung account to use them, which is a frustrating barrier for using any app. At least it’s easy to set one up if you already have a Google account, as you can use these credentials instead.

Although there’s a lot of them, the first-party apps are mercifully unintrusive. And since this is the year 2026, there are plenty of AI features, too. The most interesting of these is the photo assist mode, which allows you to effortlessly edit images to remove certain elements — such as photobombers and unwanted objects — and add others in based on text prompts.

I have to say I was impressed by this mode when I tested it on photos I shot. As with all things AI, its results aren’t perfect every time, but for rescuing images from unwanted aspects and adding all kinds of extra content, it’s a capable and easy-to-use tool. You can also stylize images by selecting presets, of which there are several, from Anime to Pop Art. Again, this is effective a lot of the time, but not always.

(Image credit: Future)

There’s also a drawing app with enough basic illustration features to please budding artists. It’s intuitive to use and it was fast and stable during my time with it, without any glaring bugs or slowdowns occurring.

More basic productivity apps are included as well, such as a note taker and a calendar. The main issue with these — and indeed any first-party Android apps that aren’t owned by Google — is that they fail to outperform Google’s counterparts. And given Google’s cloud platform is similarly superior, you’re much better off using its apps if you plan on working across multiple devices.

(Image credit: Future)

One UI 8.5 is an intuitive and amenable operating system. As you might expect, it’s very similar to its smartphone counterpart, which is part of the reason why the Galaxy models are some of the best phones around. The UI is clear and uncluttered, and it's quite easy to navigate and adjust settings.

It’s also easy to resize app windows and move them around on screen, since the options to toggle between fullscreen and pop-out windows, as well as minimize them altogether, are ever-present in the top-right corner of every app, just like a desktop app.

However, I found switching between windows in gesture mode too awkward and slow. After dragging from the bottom of the screen, you have to hold your finger in place for a long time until all your app windows are displayed for selecting. What’s more, that aforementioned grabbiness of the touchscreen makes the action even more difficult. I much preferred using the navigation bar, with its three buttons at the bottom much simpler and quicker to use.

• Software score: 3.5/5

(Image credit: Future)Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Performance

• Capable all-round performance
• Fluid and responsive S Pen
• Low-fidelity cameras

The S11 performs well at the kinds of tasks you’d expect from a tablet. It can handle web browsing, light productivity, and 4K streaming without any frustrating slowdowns and stutters.

I was pleasantly surprised with its gaming prowess, too. I managed to play Hitman: Blood Money — Reprisal, a fairly demanding mobile game, without issue. It looked great and ran very smoothly, while my controller worked flawlessly over Bluetooth.

What’s more impressive is that the S11 stays relatively cool during such intensive tasks. A few hotspots appear on the back, but these are far from alarming in my experience, with the tablet remaining comfortable to hold.

Despite the aforementioned touchscreen issues, I’m pleased to report that the S Pen fairs a lot better on the screen. Glides and gestures are frictionless and responsive, making it great for all kinds of scenarios, from basic navigation to drawing and note taking. The palm block feature works as intended, too.

Using the S Pen also gives you access to a handy shortcut menu with selectable functions such as screen drawing and AI search. You can also add your own app shortcuts to this menu, which is convenient.

Despite the impressive image editing capabilities, the cameras in the S11 are disappointing. The low megapixel count means photos lack fidelity, and the basic enhancements available in the camera app can’t fix the lackluster quality of the camera hardware.

• Performance score: 4/5

(Image credit: Future)Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Battery

The battery life of the S11 is impressive. While its 8,400mAh battery has a lower capacity than the the 11,600mAh one in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, the smaller tablet is less power-hungry.

After a couple of days, it drained to 30%. My use during this time wasn’t constant, but I did use it for a variety of tasks, from productivity and browsing to streaming and gaming. Samsung claims it can stream continuously for 18 hours, and the brand is usually accurate on such matters. This makes it significantly more enduring than the iPad Air, which can last about 10 hours under similar conditions.

Charging the S11 is a quick affair, too, thanks to its 45W wired charging capability, the same as the Ultra’s. It took about a couple of hours to fully replenish in my experience.

• Battery score: 4.5

Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11?Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

It’s about the same price as its main rival, the iPad Air, which is a hard act to follow.

3 / 5

Display

Fidelity isn’t as great as you might expect given its resolution, while the touchscreen functionality is a little too grabby.

3.5 / 5

Design

Exquisitely built, and it’s light and small enough to hold comfortably.

4.5 / 5

Software

Some apps are useful, while others are less so. The OS is slick and easy to use.

4 / 5

Performance

Very impressive on all fronts, although the cameras are poor.

4 / 5

Battery

Much more enduring than the iPad Air.

4.5 / 5

Buy it if…

You want a sleek design
This tablet is as premium as they come, while the small form factor makes it easy to hold.

You want good all-round performance
Whether you’re watching content, getting work done, drawing, or gaming, the S11 handles it all.

Don't buy it if…

You want the best display
Despite its high resolution, the display isn’t quite as sharp as you might expect. The touchscreen is too grabby, too, and best used with the included S Pen.

You’re on a budget
There are much cheaper Android tablets than this that still perform very well.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: Also consider

iPad Air 11-inch
The iPad Air is slightly cheaper than the S11 when comparing like-for-like models. However, it’s a hugely capable tablet with a slick design typical of Apple. We were impressed with its powerful M4 chip and vivid display. It’s also lighter than the S11.

Read our full iPad Air review

OnePlus Pad Go 2
For those looking to save, the OnePlus is a budget offering that still provides enough performance for everyday use. We were also very impressed with its Open Canvas software, which is a real boon for multitaskers. And to cap it all off, it even has a bigger battery than the S11.

Read our full OnePlus Pad Go 2 review

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11

• Tested for several days
• Used for a variety of task
• Tablet reviewing experience

I tested the S11 for several days. I used it for a variety of tasks, from general browsing and light productivity to streaming and gaming.

I also used the included S Pen for drawing, writing, and navigation. I tried its various first-party apps and AI features, and tested the cameras by taking photos and holding video calls. I wasn’t able to use the S11 with the optional Book Cover Keyboard, though.

I have experience reviewing tablets and other mobile devices, such as smartphones and laptops. I’ve also used such devices personally for decades.

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

If you’ve always loved the world of the Splatoon series but have been — understandably — put off by the prospect of its sweaty competitive multiplayer modes, then this latest Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive third-person shooter is for you.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: July 23, 2026

Splatoon Raiders offers an incredibly compelling, single-player take on the series’ trademark ink-spewing action. It’s all underpinned by the same excellent shooting mechanics that make online matches of Splatoon 3 such a blast, now smartly recontextualized in a wholly player versus environment (PvE) format and enhanced with a plethora of satisfying progression systems that allow you to experiment with countless impactful character builds.

The sheer volume of content here is formidable: there are a vast number of highly replayable missions that can be tackled in multiple difficulty levels, more than a hundred weapons to wield, and even lend others a hand in online co-op for more unlockable rewards. This is comfortably one of the best Nintendo Switch 2 games and I know I’ll be coming back to it, even now I’ve seen the credits roll.

Fishy business

(Image credit: Nintendo)

While the main Splatoon games are known for their clean urban aesthetics, Splatoon Raiders sets itself apart with a much grimier, more salvaged look. Set on the distant Spirhalite Islands, it follows an unnamed mechanic working for the Deep Cut trio — the iconic TV show hosts from Splatoon 3 who apparently moonlight as treasure hunters. With the group stranded on a raft after their latest treasure hunting expedition goes awry, they’re forced to improvise gear and track down the resources necessary to escape.

Fashioned from wooden crates and metal grates, the raft functions as your hub world in between missions and can be outfitted with a range of useful features like a customizable firing range and a range of upgrade stations, in addition to more whimsical options like an arcade cabinet that offers some cute pixel-art minigames. You always feel like there’s a meaningful upgrade that you’re working towards, and watching your craft develop from a ramshackle structure into a fully-fledged mobile base as you progress through the story is immensely satisfying.

That’s not to say that you need much encouragement to complete missions, however, as they’re a load of fun. There are three main types: quickfire dens that have you beating a few waves of foes in a short time limit, longer raids where you drop into large semi-open environments to secure nearby treasure chests, and dungeons that challenge you to get to a goal with a set loadout.

Best bit

(Image credit: Nintendo)

I love the character creator in Splatoon Raiders. It lets you choose between an Inkling or Octoling protagonist, with customizable facial features and a range of cute hairstyles that are perfect for expressing yourself in co-op. The generous selection of unlockable outfits is lovely too.

It seems pretty basic at first, but there are an incredible number of unique twists that keep each new mission feeling fresh. A den, for example, might throw hundreds of the same area-denial enemies at you — coating the small arena with noxious slime that chips away at your health and forces you to stay on your feet — while a raid could surprise you with tricky platforming sections and a strict time limit.

The dungeons, meanwhile, are more focused around puzzles and cleverly serve to tutorialize many of the weapons and abilities that you can unlock.

In the tank

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Your character can carry one of three ink tanks (which basically determine your chosen ‘class’), designed for raw power, speed, or more careful ranged tactics. They all play completely differently, with their own roster of powerful gadgets to unlock and an overall power level that gradually ticks up with use.

I mainly relied on the Power Tank, which, true to its name, is all about big, bombastic attacks that deal massive damage. My favorite gadgets include the inky hatchet with its huge slashing strike that is invaluable for taking out tankier foes and a charging rocket launcher that wonderfully shreds through groups of smaller ones.

It might be tempting to rely on one favorite, but there are plenty of good reasons to try the others. Fully upgrading one tank requires you to spend time with the others, and some dungeons even have specific rewards depending on which you use to complete them. I initially thought that this might prove a frustrating barrier to progression, but soon came to appreciate being made to step out of my comfort zone because all three tanks are equally enjoyable to use with a huge variety of gadgets to discover.

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Every gadget is highly customizable as well, with a plethora of collectible parts that do everything from minor stat upgrades to fundamentally change how they work. You can only add a certain number of parts at a time, so you’ll need to think carefully in order to craft a new build to successfully overcome a particularly tricky challenge.

There’s just as much depth to the wide selection of weapons. The 11 types on offer will all be familiar if you’ve played Splatoon 3, with a good mix of long-range shooters, nimble pistols, sloshing buckets, and so on, all with their own mechanics to master. Tackling more difficult missions rewards more powerful weapons at a strong pace, which, alongside the steady introduction of new rarities with their own unique qualities, further stops everything from becoming stale.

The same is true of the many enemy types. It’s the same malevolent Salmonids from the Salmon Run side modes of Splatoon 2 and 3, but with a healthy number of new varieties to surprise even the most seasoned fish hunters.

It all comes together for an experience that, even when some of the more difficult challenges force you to grind up your power level, remains fresh and exciting like a delicious piece of sashimi throughout.

Should I play Splatoon Raiders?Play it if...

You’ve always wanted a single-player Splatoon
Splatoon Raiders finally delivers the single-player Splatoon experience that many have been waiting for, giving you a new way to discover the franchise without the pressure of PvP.

You want something to play for the long haul
With its wealth of meaty progression systems, Splatoon Raiders gives you loads of goals to work towards. Pick this up if you want a game that you can dip into over and over again.

You’re after a meaty co-op experience
Although primarily a single-player experience, Splatoon Raiders supports online co-op that lets you tackle the majority of its missions with up to three friends.

Don't play it if...

You’re not interested in Splatoon
Splatoon Raiders is a superb game, but it’s not going to win you over if you already disliked the series’ third-person, ink-based combat.

Accessibility features

Like most modern Nintendo releases, Splatoon Raiders is lacking when it comes to accessibility features. It offers the ability to invert both thumbsticks, or use motion controls to aim.

The color of ink is usually random, but you can lock it to either blue or purple in order to be easier to see. In addition to offering harder versions of most missions, the game features three overall difficulty modes which decreases or increases the power of enemies.

How I reviewed Splatoon Raiders

(Image credit: Nintendo)

I played nearly 20 hours of Splatoon Raiders on Nintendo Switch 2 using the Joy-Con 2 controllers in handheld mode. For audio, I used the system’s built-in speaker setup.

I experienced the whole of the game’s story, hitting the credits having tackled all of the major missions on the standard difficulty mode, in addition to some online co-op play.

First reviewed June 2026

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11: Two-minute review

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 is an ultra-thin laptop with a strong spec that makes it more than capable for workday use.

It looks smart, thanks to its minimalist form. All sides are flat, and the Cosmic Blue colorway is subtle yet helps to distinguish it in this largely monochromatic sector.

The build quality is excellent. The body is as premium as it comes, feeling very solid but also light and smooth to the touch. In fact, it could probably lay claim to having one of the best laptop constructions around right now. Allied to that lightness is its thinness, which is quite remarkable, although the thick rear foot underneath somewhat negates this aspect, which is a shame. What’s more, these truncated dimensions mean that you get three ports, all of which are USB-C.

(Image credit: Future)

With the new Snapdragon X2 Elite chip equipped, the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 is a capable all-round performer. It handles multiple browser tabs and 4K streaming with ease, as well as basic productivity. While it's not necessarily aimed at gamers and lacks a dedicated GPU, it's even capable of some light gaming; it managed to run Cyberpunk 2077 in a playable state, although don't expect top-tier performance. Heat and fan noise are generated when such workloads are conducted, but neither is too disruptive.

Another advantage of the X2 Elite chip is the improved efficiency. This is evident in the battery life of the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11, which is one of its most impressive aspects. It lasted close to a full day when I ran a movie on a continuous loop, which ranks among the best in class. It’s also quick to charge, taking about two hours to do so.

The 2.8K display in my review unit was sharp, bright, and vivid, although it was prone to showing reflections at times. For the most part, though, these were only apparent in the most unfavorable of lighting conditions.

The keyboard is fairly easy to use, thanks to the ergonomic keycaps and their spacing. However, presses are a little heavier than you might expect, so this can take some getting used to if you’ve come from a board that requires a light touch. The touchpad is large and smooth, which makes for easy navigation, while taps and clicks are responsive and provide good feedback.

The Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 commands a reasonably high price tag, but considering its spec and quality, it makes for good value compared to some of its less premium-feeling rivals. It might lack the ports and graphical performance of other laptops, but it’s a fine choice if portability and build quality are among your top priorities.

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 review: Price & availability

(Image credit: Future)

• Starts from $999.99 / £945 / AU$1,999
• Available now in one colorway
• Reasonably expensive for the spec

The Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 starts from $999.99 / £945 / AU$1,999 and is available now in one color: Cosmic Blue. This base spec features a Snapdragon X2 Plus X2P-42-100, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and WUXGA display. This isn't exactly cheap, and costs escalate quickly as you move up the model range. The top-spec unit, which features 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and a 2.8K display, costs $2,299.99 (about £1,700 / AU$3,300).

If you’re looking for another thin and light laptop, then the HP OmniBook 7 is a very strong alternative. I was very impressed with its performance when I reviewed it, and its only missteps are the port placements and slightly harsh keyboard. It's base model is slightly cheaper than the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11's in the US, and significantly so in the UK.

There’s also the Asus Zenbook A14, which is incredibly thin and light, and has one of the best battery lifespans around. However, it lacks the build quality and display brightness of the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11, yet it’s significantly more expensive when comparing like-for-like models.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 review: Specs

Base spec

Max spec

Price

$999.99 / £945 / AU$1,999

$2,299.99 (about £1,700 / AU$3,300)

CPU

Snapdragon X2 Plus X2P-42-100 Processor (4.04 GHz)

Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-80-100 Processor (4.70 GHz)

Graphics

Integrated

Integrated

RAM

16GB LPDDR5X

32GB LPDDR5X

Display

14-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200), OLED, Glare, HDR 500 True Black, 100% DCI-P3, 400 nits, 60Hz

14-inch 2.8K WQXGA+ (2880 x 1800), OLED, Glare, HDR 1000 True Black, 100% DCI-P3, 500 nits, PureSight Pro, 120Hz

Storage

512GB SSD M.2 PCIe Gen4

1TB SSD M.2 PCIe Gen4

Ports and Connectivity

3x USB-C (USB4 40Gbps); Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

3x USB-C (USB4 40Gbps); Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

Battery

70Wh

70Wh

Weight

2.6lbs (1.2kg)

2.6lbs (1.2kg)

Dimensions

12.3 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches / 312 x 221 x 14mm

12.3 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches / 312 x 221 x 14mm

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Extremely thin
• Premium materials
• Lacks ports

The minimalist design of the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 is appealing, while the dark Cosmic Blue colorway rescues the unit from looking dull. The rounded sides and corners help to soften its appearance. Most sides are flat, with no extraneous bulges, save for the central camera bezel that extends beyond the rest of the lid. However, the overhang this creates actually helps you to open the lid, which is a thoughtful touch.

The body is one of the best I’ve seen in a laptop. It looks and feels premium, rivaling what the best MacBooks have to offer. It’s incredibly smooth and seems very durable. There’s some flex to the base and the lid, but they’re remarkably solid when you consider just how light the whole unit is. The lid is also very stable when open, and adjustments are smooth and easy to make.

(Image credit: Future)

Just as impressive is the thinness of the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11. It’s certainly one of the thinnest 14-inch laptops I’ve seen, although it’s a shame the bulky bar underneath, which acts as the rear foot, somewhat undermines this aspect. This is no doubt to improve airflow from the underside vent, which is more exposed than many others.

To achieve this thinness, port selection has been compromised. There are only three ports, all of which are USB-C, which means you’ll need plenty of adapters (or a hub) if you’re going to be connecting lots of peripherals. The saving grace is that all ports have 40Gbps transfer rates, support the Power Delivery standard, and can be used to charge the laptop itself. They’re also split across both sides of the unit, which improves practicality.

On the right you’ll also find the power button and a button for disabling the webcam, which might disappoint those hoping for a physical privacy shutter.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 review: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Capable everyday performance
• Light gaming possible
• Keys are a little heavy

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 benchmarks

3DMark: Night Raid: 40,637; Fire Strike: 7,911; Steel Nomad: 1,051; Solar Bay: 21,754; Solar Bay Unlimited: 22,518; Solar Bay Extreme: 2,491; Solar Bay Extreme Unlimited: 2,526
Geekbench 6.5: Multicore: 20,362; Single-core: 3,815
Cinebench R23: Multi Core: 13,071; Cinebench R24: Single Core: 90; Multi Core: 723
Crossmark: Overall: 1,896; Productivity: 1,703; Creativity: 2,171; Responsiveness: 1,742
Passmark Overall: 7,821.2; CPU: 30,341.4; 2D Graphics: 594.2; 3D Graphics: 6,632.9; Memory: 3,429.5; Disk: 51,620.7
BlackMagicDisk: Read: 5,214MB/s; Write: 4,947MB/s
HandBrake 4K to 1080p: 63.68fps
Total War: Warhammer III: 1080p, Medium: 43fps
Total War: Warhammer III: 1800p, Ultra: 11fps
Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 23 hours and 30 minutes

For everyday use, the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 is certainly fast enough. It handled many of the tasks I threw at it with aplomb, from basic productivity to 4K streaming. With the 32GB of RAM in my unit, it also handled multi-tab web browsing with ease.

No doubt a lot of this performance comes from the new Snapdragon X2 Elite chip inside the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11. Qualcomm claims this chip is a stronger performer than Intel equivalents, and based on our testing this appears to be true. For instance, it beat the Geekbench Single Core benchmark score of the HP OmniBook 7, with its Intel Core 5 220H, by over a thousand points, and doubled its Multi Core score.

When it comes to gaming, the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 was less competent, but that's hardly a surprise — it's not really aimed at wooing gamers, given it doesn’t have a dedicated GPU. However, I still managed to run Cyberpunk 2077 in a playable state, albeit with ray tracing disabled and resolution scaling set to Balanced. It wasn’t exactly a smooth experience, so it's not likely to be for you if you're in the market for a dedicated gaming laptop, but if you want a productivity powerhouse with just a little casual gaming on the side, it should suffice.

As expected, the fans can be heard whirring away in such cases, but the noise isn’t too disruptive. Heat is also generated, and temperatures can get quite high in places, although thankfully these hotspots are confined to the top and underside of the base.

(Image credit: Future)

The display in my review unit was crisp, thanks to its 2880 x 1800 resolution, and the high levels of brightness ensure content is viewable in most conditions. There were times when reflections showed on screen, but only when the lighting in my environment was particularly unsuitable.

The keys in the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 adopt Lenovo’s trademark shape, which are very ergonomic. The generous spacing between them also makes for a forgiving typing experience. However, they’re a little heavier and travel further than you might expect, which might throw off those who prefer a light and snappy response. The touchpad is suitably large and incredibly smooth, making it conducive to cursor navigation. Taps are responsive without being overly sensitive, and clicks are easy to perform and provide plenty of feedback.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 review: Battery life

(Image credit: Future)

The battery life of the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 is very impressive. No doubt that aforementioned new Snapdragon chip plays a major part here, due to its improved efficiency. It managed to last just under 24 hours in our movie playback test, putting it ahead of many other laptops in this sector. This may be partly due to that aforementioned chipset, which Snapdragon claims brings improved efficiency. Charging is a quick affair, too, as it took about two hours to fully replenish.

However, there are those that can match and even outlast it, such as the HP OmniBook 7, which managed 26 hours in the same test. And then there’s the Asus Zenbook A14, which managed a staggering 28 hours and 25 minutes.

• Battery life score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11?Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

It seems expensive, but when you consider its design and spec, it’s reasonable.

4 / 5

Design

I couldn’t help but marvel at its thin and premium design. The port selection is disappointing, though.

4 / 5

Performance

Great for everyday tasks, and it can even handle light gaming. The display is vivid if a little reflective, and it can get hot under load.

4 / 5

Battery life

Among the best in class, it really can last a full day. It’s quick to charge, too.

4.5 / 5

Total Score

The Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 is great if you need a thin yet powerful Windows machine that lasts all day unplugged. A few areas are less impressive, but it’s still a good value proposition.

4 / 5

Buy it if…

You want one of the thinnest laptops around
That bulky foot underneath might spoil things a little, but the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 is still incredibly thin.

You want a premium design
It looks premium, and the body feels exquisite and hardwearing. It’s also quite light.

Don't buy it if…

You want lots of ports
There are only three ports on board, and all are USB-C, so you'll need a hub if you have lots of connections to make.

You want light keys
Although they’re comfortable to use, the keys on the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 are a little heavier than on many other laptops, which might take some getting used to.

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 review: Also consider

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025)
Like the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11, the OmniBook 7 is an incredibly thin and light laptop. Not only that, I was very impressed with how well it handled all kinds of workloads, and it has a superb battery life to boot. Read our full HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025) review.

Asus Zenbook A14
Another portable hero, the A14 is even lighter than the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11. However, its battery life is even better; in fact, it’s the most enduring laptop I’ve ever tested, lasting a staggering 28 hours in our movie playback test. Its build isn’t as premium as the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11’s, and its display isn’t as bright, but it’s still a capable machine. Read our full Asus Zenbook A14 review.

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11

• Tested for several days
• Used for a variety of tasks
• Plentiful laptop experience

I tested the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 for several days, during which time I used it for a variety of tasks, from productivity and browsing to streaming and gaming.

I also ran our series of benchmark tests, designed to assess every aspect of a laptop's performance. I also ran a movie on a continuous loop to test the battery life.

I've been using laptops for decades, and have reviewed a large number of them, from small budget models to large gaming machines.

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

Adobe is a popular brand when it comes to all things creative, including AI content generation and editing. With its newly improved Firefly tool, Adobe has taken AI content generation a step further with realistic, real-time outputs.

In addition to being highly accurate, Firefly is also one of the most affordable tools on the market today. But is it the best AI video editor for your needs? Read on to find out. In this article, we've put Firefly to the test, examining its features, pricing, ease of use, and overall value for money.

Adobe Firefly: Plans and pricing

Adobe Firefly is available online by clicking here, as well as part of the Creative Cloud suite of apps.

It offers one of the most generous free video editing software we've seen. Instead of capping your monthly or one-time usage, Adobe allows you to generate a limited number of images and videos each day. This means you can continue using Firefly for a longer period, provided you stay within the daily limits.

What we like about the free plan is that Firefly does not lock its image or video editing features behind paywalls. Even on the free plan, you get access to features such as Generative Fill, Background Removal, AI Markup, video upscaling, text-based editing, as well as audio features such as generating soundtracks, speech, text-to-avatar, and more. Unlike other platforms, Firefly's free plan can actually come in handy for limited individual use.

(Image credit: Adobe Firefly)

Its paid plans are also among the most inexpensive we've seen in the category, with the Standard plan starting at $8.49 per month when billed annually, which comes with 2,000 credits.

With this plan, you get access to all the AI models Firefly has to offer, with hard upper limits on the number of images and videos you can generate with each model. Videos, however, are capped at a maximum duration of five seconds, which might not be enough for users looking to generate long-form content. Besides this, you get access to unlimited Firefly Boards, while the remaining features stay the same as those in the free plan.

Next is the Pro plan at $16.99 per month (4,000 credits), billed annually, where you get unlimited access to several AI models such as Gemini 2.5 Flash, FLUX.1 Kontext, and others. The maximum number of images and videos you can generate is also higher than in the Standard plan.

Then there's the Pro Plus plan, priced at $29.38 per month, where you get up to 10,000 credits and higher limits on image and video generation. In this plan, a wider range of models comes with unlimited access, including Gemini 3.0, ChatGPT Image, Runway Gen-4.5, and Gemini 3 Nano Banana Pro 2K.

Finally, there's the Premium plan at $118.93 per month, offering 50,000 credits and unlimited access to almost all AI models except a few. This plan is ideal for large content creation and creative teams.

Adobe Firefly: Features

Right off the bat, what impressed us most about Firefly is its brainstorming and early-stage concepting feature called Firefly Boards. It is essentially an infinite-canvas mood board and ideation workspace that lets you upload your own images, sketches, or stock images, or generate new ones.

You can select multiple assets and combine elements while brainstorming ideas with your creative team. This is similar to Midjourney- or Discord-style iteration, giving remote creative teams a space to flesh out new ideas.

(Image credit: Adobe Firefly)

Moreover, Firefly offers access to more than 10 popular video, audio, and image models, each with its own limits on the amount of content you can generate. Some notable features are Generative Expand and Generative Fill, which let you expand the canvas of an image or video after it has been generated using Adobe's AI engine. Similarly, there's also Generative Remove, which helps you remove elements from a piece of content.

Firefly also throws in a range of audio features, such as the ability to generate speech, translate videos from one language to another, or add text-to-sound effects to your content. However, we were a bit disappointed with its video editing features, such as trimming, arranging, and refining content, all of which are still in beta. Its AI assistant is also at a very early stage and currently supports only one conversation at a time.

You also have the option to upload an image to provide Firefly with a style or structure reference and create a consistent look across a batch of images. Unlike many other AI tools, Firefly allows you to use your own images to train its AI models and create custom models. This is still an early-stage feature, and we expect it to improve over the next year or so.

Firefly has also expanded its multilingual reach and now supports prompts in more than 100 languages, along with translations in more than 20 languages. There's also an option for bulk actions such as background removal, color grading, and cropping.

Its mobile apps have also improved a lot over the past year and now offer native iOS and Android apps with an experience that's very close to the web interface. And of course, Firefly is part of Adobe's broader AI-powered content generation and editing ecosystem, integrating directly with apps like Photoshop and Illustrator.

Adobe Firefly: Interface and in use

Adobe Firefly is by far one of the most improved image and video editing software we have seen in a long time. One of the biggest criticisms of Firefly was that it did not offer any option to edit the images it generated. However, all that has changed with its revamped user interface.

Not only did it generate a pretty high-quality image for us, but it also provided several editing options. We especially liked its Tune feature, which is currently in beta and allows you to change the look of an image by selecting from a list of preconfigured options.

There is also a prompt option, which lets you keep fine-tuning your generated image with follow-up prompts.

(Image credit: Future)

However, if that is too much work, there are several fine-grained controls available. For instance, there is a Fill feature that lets you fill any blank spaces in the image with an element of your choice. Similarly, there's the Remove feature, which lets you remove any element you do not want in the final result.

What we liked the most is its Select feature, where you can select a particular element in an image or video and then type a prompt to edit only that selected portion. This helps avoid unwanted changes in other parts of the image or video and ensures that the edit is applied only to the section you selected.

(Image credit: Future)

The generation interface itself is pretty simple. You'll see a prompt box at the bottom of your screen, along with a panel on the left-hand side where you can control the generation settings.

For instance, you can select the model you want to use, the resolution, the aspect ratio (16:9 or 9:16), and the duration of the video. There is also an advanced setting where you can enter a random seed value to experiment with the AI engine settings.

What we found particularly eye-catching is the prompt enhancement feature, which lets you improve your prompts before generating an image or video. This helps you create more detailed prompts, which in turn result in more accurate outputs.

Adobe Firefly: How we tested

We tried the free version of Adobe Firefly over several days and were quite impressed with the results. We first tried to create an AI image with the following prompt:

"A tired line cook in a stained white apron, frowning with exhaustion, wiping sweat off his forehead while chopping six carrots on a wooden cutting board. Behind him, a dim, cluttered restaurant kitchen with steam rising from a pot. Photorealistic, dramatic low lighting, shot on 35mm film."

As soon as we hit Generate, Firefly got to work and produced a pretty impressive image that closely matched our prompt.

(Image credit: Future)

However, it's worth noting that Firefly is a tad slower compared to the likes of Fliki or Kapwing. That said, the accuracy of the results is worth the wait.

Once the image was generated, we clicked on it to open the editing panel and played around with the settings. For instance, we selected the burning steel pot behind the cook and prompted Firefly to change it to a wooden pot instead.

Rather than simply making the change, Adobe gave us an Edit Strength slider, allowing us to control how strongly the wooden effect was applied to the pot.

(Image credit: Future)

We then tried the Remove feature by selecting a bunch of carrots and asking Firefly to remove them. Adobe once again impressed us, as it accurately removed the carrots without distorting the chopping board around them.

(Image credit: Future)

Lastly, we used the Upscale feature to improve the quality of the image. This took the longest, more time than it took to generate the image in the first place. However, we were once again very satisfied with the final result.

We also generated an AI video using the following prompt:

"A woman in a red coat walks across a rain-soaked city street at night, neon signs reflecting in the puddles, camera slowly tracking alongside her."

(Image credit: Future)

The results were again highly accurate, the colors were vibrant, and we were impressed by how closely Firefly followed the prompt without significantly diverging from the intended output.

Adobe Firefly: Alternatives

Although Adobe Firefly is a much-improved product, it does have a few shortcomings, which is why you may want to consider some alternatives. For instance, Adobe isn't the best choice if you want to generate AI avatars. Although it offers the feature in a limited capacity, the results are not what you'd expect from a dedicated AI avatar generation tool.

In that case, you can try Kapwing, which offers one of the most extensive collections of AI avatars. You can choose from a wide range of characters, including traditional human-inspired faces and more outlandish options such as aliens, Cupid, demons, cyborgs, Dracula, and more.

Kapwing produces some of the best photorealistic AI avatars we have seen in the industry. It is also one of the few tools that can render videos in 4K quality. That said, it is a bit on the expensive side, with plans starting at $16 per month.

If you need a dedicated AI assistant to help with content generation and editing, you can try Fliki, which offers an AI Copilot that understands natural language inputs and helps you achieve your desired results more effortlessly. It also includes licensed YouTube music and advanced video generation options such as stop-motion videos.

Fliki also offers a wider range of customization options compared to Adobe Firefly, such as choosing the format and template, customizing the type of character, selecting the AI model you want to use, and adding voiceovers, captions, and AI avatars.

Adobe Firefly: Final verdict

Adobe Firefly is one of the best-known names in the content creation industry, and its recent improvements put it right at the top of our list of the best AI video editors. Firefly offers more than 10 AI models for image, video, and audio generation, helping you create photorealistic images, videos, and audio with simple prompts.

We were particularly impressed by Firefly Boards, which helps you brainstorm ideas on an endless online canvas in real time while collaborating with your content team. Firefly has also improved its editing interface and tools and now supports follow-up prompt editing, along with features like Generative Fill and Generative Remove.

That said, it has a few drawbacks, such as the lack of mature video editing tools, which are still in beta, and rather limited AI avatar generation capabilities. That said, if you already use Adobe tools like Illustrator or Photoshop, adding Firefly to your repertoire is a no-brainer.

We've tested a range of video makers and editors, including the best video editing software, the best video editing apps and the best free video editing software.

Turtle Beach Command Series KB7: one-minute review

Want a high-performing gaming keyboard with an integrated touchscreen for streaming and seamless customization? Then the Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 could be exactly what you’re looking for.

I replaced my usual mechanical keyboard with this TKL model for a few days, and instantly found it to be a joy to use. The low-profile Hall effect switches supply precise, responsive, and buttery smooth typing, with a muted sound that’s great for focusing in-game or for general day-to-day productivity. It's less ‘clicky’ and snappy than some may like, but the lowkey sound and feel was ideal for me.

Like a lot of the best gaming keyboards, there’s also 8K polling, alongside 0.125 latency for instant response typing. On top of this, you get important features like Rapid Trigger, adjustable actuation and remappable keys.

The true highlight, though, is the integrated 4.3-inch touchscreen. This has built-in controls for streamers, providing quick access to OBS and StreamLabs, but also has shortcuts for apps like Spotify and Steam among others. I appreciated how you could use the screen to view PC performance, in-game stats, or set web page bookmarks. You can also use the touchscreen as a numpad, and it feels highly responsive in use.

I also really like the design of the KB7. Its slim aluminum chassis, tactical media control knob, customizable RGB lighting, and generally high standard of build help it to feel worth its relatively high asking price.

There’s no battery option if you want to use the keyboard wirelessly, largely due to the power required to keep the touchscreen going, but those focused on optimized performance will want to go for a wired option anyway. And all things considered, I think the Turtle Beach KB7 is a fantastic gaming keyboard, and one I just might have to continue using for all my PC gaming needs.

(Image credit: Future)Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 review: price & availability

• $199.99 / £189.99 / AU$349
• Released in May 2026
• Arrived alongside Turtle Beach’s KB5 keyboard

The Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 was released in May 2026 alongside the Command Series KB5 — a full-sized keyboard with a smaller touchscreen and mechanical switches.

Unsurprisingly, then the KB7 is pricier than its sibling, and has a list price of $199.99 / £189.99 / AU$349. It goes without saying that it’s undoubtedly a pricey keyboard, but for a TKL with this much tech, it’s not too far from the competition. For instance, the Corsair K70 Pro TKL, which comes without a touchscreen, will typically set you back about $179.99 / £169.99 / AU$239.

Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 review: specs

Layout

TKL

Switch

Titan Low-Profile Hall Effect

Programmable keys

Yes

Dimensions

15.7 x 10.1 x 1.2 inches / 399 x 256 x 31mm (with palm rest)

RGB or backlighting

Yes (customizable)

(Image credit: Future)Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 review: design & features

• Great standard of build
• Touchscreen with streaming controls
• Customizable lighting

First things first, I have to say that the build and quality of the KB7 impressed me. It has a slim aluminum chassis, stylish and sleek look, and premium-feeling keycaps. The keyboard also has a modular design, meaning you can add on the Turtle Beach KP7 keypad as well as the included wrist rest.

And I found said wrist rest to be a great addition — it’s comfortable, well-made, and ensured that using the keyboard for extended periods still felt comfortable. The only real downside is that it increases the keyboard’s footprint a fair bit, so you’ll need a decent-sized desk if you’ve also got a PC / laptop hooked up to a couple of monitors like I do. It’s also worth noting that the KB7 has a double kickstand, and this also helped to reduce fatigue after furiously typing for multiple work days in a row.

The keyboard also features customizable per-key RGB lighting with Turtle Beach’s Swarm II software, accessible via the built-in touchscreen. In my view, the lighting looks great, especially in low-lit conditions. I also really like how there’s an option to create dynamic effects and sync your lighting setup across multiple devices.

(Image credit: Future)

I touched on it a moment ago, but the stand-out feature of the KB7 is the built-in touchscreen. The real highlight here is that the touchscreen features streaming controls. You can easily access OBS and StreamLabs with a single button touch. It’s a useful inclusion, but if you’re not a streamer, there are options for you too. For instance, you can use the touchscreen to set shortcuts for apps like Steam and Spotify, or for websites you frequently visit — you know, like TechRadar.

What’s more, the Swarm II software enables you to personalize aspects like Rapid Trigger and actuation settings or remap keys. You can actually alter the actuation of every key individually, and while I don’t expect most users will need that level of granular control, the sheer degree of customization is undoubtedly impressive.

Finally, there are a few useful buttons, for things like skipping and rewinding media and muting your mic. I also love the tactile control wheel for adjusting volume, although there’s also a dedicated volume mixer available on the touchscreen.

(Image credit: Future)Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 review: performance

• Fantastic typing experience
• Although lighter, more muted feel won’t suit all
• Great for gaming or general productivity

I typically use a mechanical Keychron mini keyboard, and so moving over to the KB7 felt like quite the jump.

Why? Well, it comes down to how typing feels on this TKL keyboard. The low-profiled Hall effect keys feel phenomenally smooth and buttery to press down on, and they produce very little noise. The more muted sound and feel was very different from my usual mechanical keyboard — which has more of a clicky, snappy profile. I much preferred the KB7 to my usual keyboard, though, and although the more lowkey sound and feel won’t suit all, I think it’s ideal for focusing while gaming or working.

Speaking of, I found the KB7 to be a great performer, whether I was playing games or just carrying out typical tasks at work. It’s an extremely responsive model too, carrying an 8K polling rate and 0.125ms latency. Those kind of numbers are certainly good enough for competitive gamers, and I found the KB7 offered pin[point precision at all times.

The touchscreen is also well-sized, and using commands feels highly reactive and reliable. The touchscreen can also display PC performance info and show in-game stats (such as ammo and games won, for instance).

One thing that’s definitely worth flagging, though, is that this keyboard is wired only. The 4.3-inch touchscreen requires quite a bit too much power to run off a battery, so you do lose some of the flexibility that some rivals supply. Having said that, you’ll want to be using your keyboard wired for the best performance and lowest latency anyway, and as a gaming keyboard first and foremost, I don’t consider its wired-only setup to be a major issue.

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Turtle Beach Command Series KB7?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design & features

Slim, modular design with handy touch-screen and lots of customizability.

4.5/5

Performance

Smooth, reactive typing, 8K polling rate, wired only, but understandably so.

4/5

Value

Undoubtedly expensive, but stacks up well against rivals.

4/5

Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 review: also consider

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless Gen 3
There’s a reason why the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless Gen 3 is one of our favorite gaming keyboards here at TechRadar. It boasts a premium build, supplies excellent performance, and its analog switches function very well. It’s pretty pricey, but it’s still a top pick for us. Read our full SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless Gen 3 review.

Corsair Galleon 100 SD
If you’re looking for a different touchscreen-equipped keyboard, then the Corsair Galleon 100 SD could be a great pick. With strong build quality, built-in streaming controls, and slick hot-swappable MLX linear switches, the 100 SD is a highly capable gaming keyboard. It is very pricey, however. Read our full Corsair Galleon 100 SD review.

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the Turtle Beach Command Series KB7

• Tested across multiple days
• Used for gaming and general productivity
• Tested by an experienced tech reviewer

I spent days testing the Turtle Beach Command Series KB7. I replaced my typical Keychron keyboard with this one, using it every day at work for general productivity. But I also used the keyboard when dipping into a few games here and there.

On top of this, I made sure to exhaust the keyboard’s various features and settings and compared it directly against rivals.

More generally, I’ve spent years testing gadgets here at TechRadar, where I serve as a Senior Reviews Writer. I’ve tested all sorts of gear, from premium wireless headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM6 to TVs like the Sky Glass Gen 2.

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

Sony PS-LX3BT: Two-minute review

The Sony PS-LX3BT is one of the first new turntables to leave Sony’s R&D department in years. It comes some time after the launch of the Sony PS-LX310BT, one of what TechRadar rightfully deems to be the best turntables for beginners — and has big shoes to fill, accordingly.

And fill them it sort-of does, at least in the most literal of senses. It shares a lot of physical attributes, aims for the same sleek aesthetic, and seeks to corner the same, well, corner of the market with user-friendly interfaces and a no-nonsense approach to playing records. It’s a shame it doesn’t quite stick the landing.

Price is the major sticking point for me — its launch price far overshot similarly specced, and better-featured, turntables in the same market. This was the backdrop against which certain bugbears became serious missteps — from a stylus that Sony insists you need to replace through them, to a cheap-feeling body that feels like it’s come from a device a third of the price.

These things overshadow the PS-LX3BT’s capable performance with audio, via its decent on-board preamp and its star-of-the-show press-and-play Bluetooth connectivity. It could be good — it is good, by some metrics — but not for where it’s asking to sit.

(Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)Sony PS-LX3BT review: Price & release date

• Unveiled February 2, 2026
• Priced $399.99 / £299 / AU$469

The Sony PS-LX3BT is a fully automatic, Bluetooth-enabled plug-and-play turntable, with an eye cocked squarely at the upper limits of the entry level. At its launch price of $399 / £299 / AU$469, it’s not what I would call cheap; in fact, it’s undercut by a fair few near-equivalent competitors — most compelling of which is the Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT.

Then, there's this turntable's own sibling (they actually launched together), the Sony PS-LX5BT which is pricier but adds a more delicate stylus pressure of 2.0g ± 0.5g, a thicker and more premium rubber mat, a tweaked circuit design engineered to suppress unwanted vibration, a dedicated gold-plated audio jack out port (something not present here) with a cable in the box, plus a slightly more high-end, all-black finish.

Most other competitors in the market, though, do not have ‘Sony’ tastefully emblazoned on the chassis. Sony is a tried-and-tested household brand for AV tech, be it TVs, games consoles, CD players or integrated hi-fi systems.

Hence, the brand is likely better-trusted by new or returning vinyl enthusiasts to deliver something intuitive, fuss-free and of a minimum quality. Is this trust well-founded? The 2019 Sony PS-LX310BT was a huge success, but it was also a lot cheaper (depending on where you lived), having launched at $199 / £200 / AU$399. So, you can see the issue…

(Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)Sony PS-LX3BT review: Specs

Dimensions

430 mm x 117 mm x 366 mm

Motor

Belt drive

Platter

Die-cast aluminum

Phono preamp

Yes

USB

No

Bluetooth

4.2

Speeds

33 1/3, 45 RPM

Stylus

Moving magnet

Extras

USB-C power adapter, 45 adapter

(Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)Sony PS-LX3BT review: Features

• Fully automatic operation
• AptX Adaptive Bluetooth output
• Built-in phono preamp and gain control

The Sony PS-LX3BT is an automatic turntable; this means it can be operated entirely by the array of buttons and switches adorning its anthracite-hued surface. Simply select the size and speed of your record, then use the buttons at the front to control the placement or removal of the tonearm. The platter’s rotation is triggered by moving the tonearm past a certain point, so even if you want to use the PS-LX3BT manually (by virtue of the silver finger-rest protruding from where the headshell would be) you literally only have to lift a finger to play a record.

Automatic turntable mechanisms are not so new, and this mechanical design doesn’t sound especially new either, with some familiar clunks and whirrs I know from my old Rotel system. What is, at least slightly newer, though, is Bluetooth connectivity, which the PS-LX3BT quite proudly has. More specifically, there’s aptX Adaptive Bluetooth transmission, for low-latency, high-resolution streaming from the turntable to your Bluetooth receiver of choice and accessed via a suavely flush button in the front-left corner of the chassis face.

On top of this Bluetooth connectivity, the LX3BT has connections the old-fashioned way, via a hard-wired stereo RCA cable out from the back. It’s an odd choice to use a permanently attached cable instead of a port – and at that, given the audience for this thing, I’m surprised there isn’t a 3.5mm Aux out either.

Still, that RCA cable feeds a built-in and switchable phono preamp, which means you can plug your turntable in most any amplifier without needing an extra gain stage. On top of that, there’s a gain switch that lets you boost or attenuate your turntable’s output by 4dB. Surprising in a different way; thoughtful, even.

The LX3BT has, like many other entry-level turntables of its ilk, a completely built-in cartridge arrangement with a replaceable stylus element. The stylus part here looks strikingly like one of Audio-Technica’s AT-3600 series, but is “designed specifically for this turntable”, according to Sony’s website FAQ. With a bit of sleuthing, the stylus does appear to be Audio-Technica’s AT3600LAX, a conical stylus with a carbon-fiber cantilever – though Sony’s specs point to a slightly heftier 3.5g tracking force. (Incidentally, my own tracking-force measurements of the tonearm put its exertion at a, for me, troublingly high 3.7g.)

Crucially, this thin layer of proprietariness creates an uneasy route to self-replacement, or indeed upgrade. Sony would prefer you go through its dealers or customer service department for a like-for-like stylus replacement, indicating that “other styluses are not supported”. Built-in cartridges and replaceable styli can be clever entry-level phenomena, and can be executed transparently well, but here, in this manner, it trends a little too close to being anti-consumer for my liking. Minus thoughtfulness points.

• Features score: 3 / 5

(Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)Sony PS-LX3BT review: Sound quality

• Warm, clear sound from stylus
• Faultless Bluetooth transmission
• Clean, clear built-in preamp

For all the grumblings I’ve leveled at the Sony PS-LX3BT thus far, I will contend that it actually does sound good. That definitely-not-an-AT-3600L-in-a-moustache cartridge presents a perfectly reasonable quality of sound — great, even, for its place in the market.

True to the marketing copy, the LX3BT sounds warm, the general color of its cartridge being a little on the soft side with some noticeable roll-off towards the upper reaches. Future Islands’ As Long As You Are sounds no less rich for this character, all big, warbly synths and croon-adjacent missives throughout. It's an enjoyable listen.

Testing the 7-inch functionality of the automatic mechanism, I chucked on early-80s groover Emergency (Dial 999) by Loose Ends (a DJ-set staple, and an undeniable bop besides — fight me). It ended up being a great conduit by which to recognize the strengths of the PS-LX3BT’s built-in phono preamp. Often in budget turntables, these can be brittle or a little saturating; this one is clear and full, rendering those snappy standout snares and breakout vocal refrains in gratifying detail.

The whole outfit seems to benefit guitars and vocals over anything, though everything sounds, to some extent, present and fulsome; Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Risky, featuring Iggy Pop, is a sparse arrangement benefited by Iggy’s game attempt at a Let’s Dance-era Bowie impression — his voice is a raspy little joy all the time, but rendered to some good effect here.

Unobtrusively good sound quality notwithstanding, the aptX Adaptive Bluetooth connectivity is arguably the star of the show. It’s fast to connect to, and, with regards to fidelity, sounds indistinguishable from its analog alternative. I had a whale of a time in the kitchen listening to Mitski’s Nothing’s About To Happen To Me, in all its full and heartbreaking glory, fuss-free.

• Sound quality score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)Sony PS-LX3BT review: Design

• Cheap-feeling construction
• Easy to set up
• One-touch Bluetooth

Pulling the PS-LX3BT out of the box, I found the chassis to be quite light. Surprisingly light, even. Putting it together, it became clear that almost every element was some form of plastic — besides occasional aspects, and the die-cast aluminum platter. It’s not a reassuring weight, though the turntable is undeniably stable on its feet.

I’m more disappointed by the perceivable cheapness of the construction on display here. A series of design decisions were made that preferred cost to user experience, leading to a pretty nasty-feeling finish on the chassis shell, a flimsy tonearm rest clasp that doesn’t actually clasp, and a spring-assisted tonearm that inspires little confidence.

At least the LX3BT is an easy thing to set up — as easy as seating the platter belt, plugging in a power adapter and delivering the hardwired stereo RCA cable to your amp or speaker of choice. It couldn’t be more plug-and-play, nor more foolproof to use via its clearly labeled buttons and knobs.

Again, the best bit of the Sony PS-LX3BT seems to be its Bluetooth. Where many other devices struggle unduly with one-touch connectivity, connecting this turntable to my portable speaker was the easiest time of my life; a single button press, a modicum of patient waiting with speaker held (camply) in-hand, and it was paired.

This aptX Adaptive connectivity can be utilized simultaneously to the PS-LX3BT’s analog outputs, too. This means dual-zone listening; I got to enjoy hi-res Mitski in the kitchen while my wife bopped along in the living room, too. And, again, it sounded great! A positive side-effect design decision, that pitches the Sony LX3BT well for casual home listening.

• Design score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)Sony PS-LX3BT review: Value

• Great-sounding entry-level turntable…
• …that’s fundamentally overpriced
• And doesn’t allow self-replacement of stylus

To be completely frank, I find it difficult to square the price of this against its own quality, let alone the standards set by other turntable brands. It’s the top end of the entry level, and yet it has the same unfriendly design principles as the cheap-and-cheerful, ten-a-penny budget turntables it’s meant to outclass.

The caveat is that it does, ultimately, deliver on its core purposes. It’s an automatic turntable, and it does indeed automate much of the turntable-playing process — for the most part successfully, too. It’s a Bluetooth-enabled turntable, and its Bluetooth just works, which is something you can’t say for some other devices. And through it all, it sounds pretty darn decent.

But these are all things that turntables a third cheaper can offer. You deserve so much more for $400 / £300 than a brand logo; if you let it, that same amount of investment could buy you a solid turntable that delivers better quality sound, and gives you the keys to the kingdom vis-a-vis calibration and repairs too.

Here, it is worth my acknowledging that, in the intervening weeks since the LX3BT’s launch, there seems to have been a post-launch price-adjustment of sorts; many outlets are offering it at $348 / £250, or even slightly less. This makes the turntable a much more palatable prospect investment-wise, but I do think my criticisms stand — and that other turntables have met the moment a little better.

• Value score: 2.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future / James Grimshaw)Should I buy the Sony PS-LX3BT?Sony PS-LX3BT scorecard

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

AptX Adaptive Bluetooth and a fully automatic mechanism let down by an opaque approach to stylus and stylus replacement

3 / 5

Sound quality

Warm, full sound; a clear preamp and unobtrusive Bluetooth connection make for clear and easy listening

4 / 5

Design

A quintessential Sony design, sleek and minimal — but cheap in-hand, in a number of places

3 / 5

Value

A hard turntable to recommend at its launch price — cheaper and better-specced competitors exist

2.5 / 5

Buy it if…

You want simple, and your needs are simple
As far as turntables go, this is as foolproof as it gets. It has a hardwired RCA output for connection to conventional hi-fis, aptX Adaptive for Bluetooth connectivity to anywhere in your home, and automatic mechanisms for play at the press of a button.

You want an austere-looking turntable
The executive colour scheme is a good friend to minimalist living-room aesthetics — if you want something that blends in, this is it.

Don’t buy it if…

You’re buying for the long term
The Sony PS-LX3BT is a closed device, with a proprietary built-in cartridge and no adjustability or upgradeability whatsoever. If and when your hi-fi needs exceed the entry-level capabilities of this turntable, you’ll have to buy something else anyway.

You’re looking for the best bang-for-buck
It’s an unfortunate truth, but there are better turntables out there that cost less than the Sony PS-LX3BT, while possessing almost exactly the same features — and a little more repairability, too.

Sony PS-LX3BT review: Also consider

Sony PS-LX3BT

Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT

FiiO TT13

Dimensions

430 x 117 x 366 mm

110 x 400 x 330mm

114 x 450 x 350mm

Motor

Belt drive

Belt drive

Belt drive

Platter

Die-cast aluminum

Die-cast aluminum

Die-cast aluminum

Phono preamp

Yes, switchable

Yes, switchable

Yes

USB

No

No

No

Bluetooth

SBC / aptX / aptX Adaptive

SBC / aptX / aptX Adaptive

SBC / aptX / aptX LL / aptX HD

Speeds

33 1/3, 45 RPM

33 1/3, 45 RPM

33 1/3, 45 RPM

Stylus

Moving magnet

Audio-Technica AT-VM95C

Audio-Technica AT3600LA

Extras

Dust cover, 45 adapter

Dust cover, felt mat, 45 adapter, 1m RCA cable

Dust cover, remote control, RCA cable

Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT
For my money, the question that the Sony PS-LX3BT is trying to answer has already been asked and answered by the Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT. It's another automatic, aptX Adaptive Bluetooth-connectible turntable aimed at the entry level, but which comes in much cheaper and at a much higher quality of design and build. Get this one!
Read our Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT review here.

FiiO TT13
If sleekness is the name of your game, the FiiO TT13 has it in spades. This is another decent fully automatic turntable, with a replaceable AT-3600LA stylus and a phono preamp (though, unlike with the Sony or Audio-Technica, you can’t toggle this one off). It’s also got pretty lights!
Read our FiiO TT13 review here.

How I tested the Sony PS-LX3BT

• Tested for 4 weeks
• Used as a part of a living-room hi-fi system
• Tested with a Cambridge hi-fi amplifier and Dali Sonik 1 bookshelf speakers

The Sony PS-LX3BT spent a month or so atop my living-room hi-fi stack, as my primary means of listening to records. As such, its output was treated by a Cambridge Audio A2 integrated amplifier, which itself fed a pair of Dali Sonik 1 bookshelf speakers.

Bluetooth connectivity was tested with my trusty kitchen speaker, a Soundcore Motion 300. For testing, I listened to a wide variety of favored records across genres, to get a comprehensive feel for the LX3BT’s performance.

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• First reviewed: July 2026