TechRadar Reviews

Nothing Ear (3a): Two-minute review

Sometimes, reviews are written with a heavy heart, and this is exactly that. I've championed Nothing's affordable "(a)" earbuds for well over two years — with the updated pink set for 2026 appearing to be right up my strasse. But all is not as it first appears.

The issues don't concern their cost. Like before, they come in at just under $100 and are therefore a candidate for our best budget earbuds guide.

Bizarrely, for the review star rating, I also have very few bones to pick with audio quality, which is still best pals with LDAC and now with Bluetooth 6.0 for a stronger connection. I recommend you tweak the sound profile from the box, mind — it's overly bassy by default — but that's hardly unheard of for earbuds at this level, and it can be rectified with a little effort.

It would have been lovely if Nothing had allowed its special sonic tests (for personalised EQ profile curation done by Nothing's software, rather than you tweaking sliders or blobs yourself) to be made available here, but the company has clearly decided that its three-minute hearing test is flagship only — although there is a new "Advanced" 8-band EQ tab with "Q factor" (more on this later).

What of the comfort levels and overall build quality? Here you get everything you'd expect of Nothing: rock-solid, colorful, and with just a couple of new flourishes to enjoy. Battery life has taken a knock, but that might possibly be down to having to work a bigger driver.

So what's the main problem? Actually there are two: Call Recording and Audio Snapshot (sometimes referred to as Audio Capture in Nothing's extensive marketing). Nobody asked for these features and, honestly, they're not the USP I wanted — even as a journalist who interviews people regularly.

None of the best noise-cancelling earbuds we recommend come with these features, but that's hardly a problem in itself. Such tech exists in the world, obviously; I point you to the Viaim RecDot, for example. But the Viaim's buds publicise their raison d'etre; there's a visible "record" button on the case, a light for in-person meetings, and a business-class $249.99 / £185 price tag. That's not the case with Nothing's version, where a surreptitious squeeze of the stem kicks off audio capture of your current call (or whatsapp voice note) in a set of buds that otherwise seem to scream "I'm a bit of fun!"

As with the RecDot, Nothing offers tech to transcribe your recordings (and not just on its own phones, either) — to a point. You get three months of its Pro Transcription service for free, with 120 minutes to use each month. And after the trial? Nothing tells me official pricing hasn't yet been finalised, but will be decided in August. If it was hard to recommend such a package before, it's even harder now when one doesn't know how much it will cost.

I can't help but feel that Nothing has taken a wrong turn here. I'd much rather have seen fan-favorite features such as personalised sound profiles and/or wireless charging rather than in-call recording. Some TechRadar team members have suggested I make like Elsa and just Let It Go, but in a year when consumer tech already feels uncomfortably intrusive (Meta, I'm looking at you with those smart glasses), adding call and voice note recording feels like a step too far. It's important to question where these features are taking us.

At $99 / £99, the price is definitely right. I'm just not sure the feature set is…

FutureFutureFutureNothing Ear (3a) review: Price & release date

• Released on July 7, 2026
• Priced $99 / £99 / around AU$192, same as the 2024 Ear (a)

The Nothing Ear (3a) cost the same as their predecessor, priced at $99 / £99.

Although the name might suggest otherwise, these are the direct successors to the excellent, five-star Nothing Ear (a) from 2024 – there was never a Nothing Ear (1a) or Nothing Ear (2a). They also slot nicely alongside the still-current but more expensive Nothing Ear (3), with the shared 3 denoting that they're part of the same generation.

The Ear (a) are some of the best budget earbuds I've ever had the pleasure of testing, and I'd looked forward to their update ever since word was out that it was coming.

Key rivals to the Nothing Ear (3a) include the Apple AirPods 4, which offer gesture control alongside a few other iPhone-exclusive features, or, for a little less, the five-star Cambridge Audio Melomania A100. If you're tempted by open earbuds instead, the Huawei FreeArc or even clip-style SoundPEATS Clip1 can both be picked up for less than the Nothing Ear (3a) right now, making them excellent-value alternatives.

Nothing Ear (a) on the left, Ear (2) on the right. Yes, there are key differences (Image credit: Future)Nothing Ear (3a) review: Specs

Drivers

12mm custom driver

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life

Up to 6 hours (ANC off); up to 4.5 hours (ANC on); up to 25 hours with case (ANC off) or up to 18 hours (ANC on)

Weight

4.53g per earbud

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0 with LDAC, USB-C

Frequency range

20Hz – 40kHz

Waterproofing

IP54

Other features

Wideband Active Noise Cancellation up to 45dB, 3 MEMs mics per earbuds with AI ENC, Nothing X App support, Custom 8-band EQ, Find My Earbuds, Low Lag mode, auto-off, Dual Connection, extra ear-tip, Audio Snapshot and in-call recording

Hello, yellow! (Image credit: Future)Nothing Ear (3a) review: Features

• Bluetooth 6.0 (15m range) with LDAC support
• Improved ANC (cancellation up to 45 dB, effective to 5 kHz)
• Pinch stems for Call Recording/Audio Snapshot, no Nothing phone required

It would be easy to say, "Look, you don't like the cutesy branding of Nothing's new 'Audio Snapshot' offering? Don't use it — there's still plenty to like for $99!" but let's dig in to see why the take is not so simple.

Firstly, we should get granular on what Audio Snapshot and Call Recording do, and what they cannot do. I mentioned above that as a journalist, I regularly record interviews, often over Zoom, Google Meet or even Microsoft Teams. When set up as an interview, my subjects usually take it as a given that I will be recording — and where I reside in the UK, it is legal to record calls, even without consent from the other party. I still always ask.

In the US, however, the laws on recording phone calls are different, varying from state to state. For calls crossing state lines, the stricter 'two party consent' law (as per the Federal Wiretap Act) applies, where both parties on a call must consent to a recording.

So what is Nothing doing about it? In its reviewers' guide, the company says it "aligns with internationally recognised privacy standards ISO 27001, ISO 27701 and EN 18031". To this end, during setup, the Nothing X app also displays a short tutorial reminding users to obtain permission before recording calls — as shown below.

Interestingly, on a traditional phone call made in the UK, the "prompt" Nothing promises will be played to everyone on the call is a simple beep. On Google Meet, a female voice announces "This call will be recorded in 3, 2, 1", presumably so anyone not OK with that can scream "Oh no you don't!". From smartphone to smartphone, there's no vocal.

Thanks to the Nothing Ear (3a)'s 32MB of onboard storage, you can start recording with just a pinch of the stems, storing up to two hours of audio on the earbuds themselves. You can also record and transcribe voice notes from apps such as Instagram or WhatsApp — and from August, Nothing says it will add summaries of call recordings, speaker identification and the ability to create calendar reminders based on what was discussed.

Nothing (app screen grabs by Future) Nothing (app screen grabs by Future)

What these earbuds can't do is record conversations that take place around you, or indeed your own voice. So, thankfully, there's no scope for eavesdropping around the water cooler.

However, my thoughts on this are clear— I'm not wholly OK with it. It puts the onus on buyers to adhere to laws, and opens the door for flouting rules of consent. I tried muting my mics to see whether the beep could be silenced, but it still plays for the person on the other end of the call to signal that recording has begun. Nevertheless, I think I've made my concerns around this feature clear.

Elsewhere, you get Bluetooth v6.0 and LDAC support for hi-res audio (the Sony-developed codec that lets you stream high-resolution audio up to 32-bit/96kHz over Bluetooth at up to 990kbps, if your device supports it and the file is up to scratch). While the predecessor did also include the latter, it remains a valuable inclusion here.

There's also onboard spatial audio, albeit of the "static" variety rather than head-tracked spatial audio that keeps the sound anchored to your source device as you move your head. It adds a little extra depth and height to the presentation, but for me, the effect is decidedly light-touch compared to what you get from pricier earbuds.

Note that you don't get the Ear (3)'s splendid personalized hearing tests, or the useful "walkie-talkie" Super Mic. That said, there's in-ear detection (to pause music when you remove the buds and resume it when they're in), a low-lag toggle for gaming, seamless pairing, multipoint to two devices, an ear-tip fit test and a Find My Earbuds feature, which emits a rattlesnake-style sound from whichever bud you're trying to locate, to help you find it.

Nothing's Transparency mode is decent. It's a little warm, but it still delivers a more three-dimensional presentation than many buds at this level. I could hear the placement of the TV, voices in my home and a dog outside, rather than all of these sounds appearing tinny, omnipresent and seemingly on top of one another.

When deploying ANC (rather than "Transparency" or "Off"), you can once again select from High, Mid, Low, and Adaptive noise-nixing profiles. High is decent: Nothing tells me performance is up to 45dB (effective to 5 kHz), which equates to a 17.1% improvement compared to the Ear (a), thanks to a software upgrade and improved architecture regarding where the mic sits.

The issue in 2026 is the existence of the AirPods Pro 3 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2). Although it would be unfair to compare like for like, owing to the chasm in pricing, you can get better if you're willing to pay for it. That said, the ANC here is no slouch, giving a fairly clean, largely uninterrupted and issue-free neutral background for my music.

If you have a Nothing Phone, the Nothing X app and the ChatGPT app, then you can once again you can also access ChatGPT access via the Ear (3a)'s stem; simply squeeze and talk.

The new EQ tab is now an eight-band offering (up from three in the older buds), as well as the more basic audio splodge Nothing made its own — and which I rather like since it reminds me of Nura True Pro's visual depictions, rather than a mixing desk. You also get five presets in the Advanced tab, and four in the Simple tab — but you can create your custom EQ using whichever system you prefer.

And I think you'll need to get familiar with these, as I'm about to explain…

• Features score: 4 / 5

Voice AI using ChatGPT is coming using Nothing Ear (a) using your Nothing smartphone… (Image credit: Future)Nothing Ear (3a) review: Sound quality

• LDAC support represents value
• Fun, V-shaped sound — if a little quiet
• A little bass-heavy from the box, but you can fix it

As was the case with their siblings, it would be wrong of me to knock Nothing Ear (3a) in the sonic department for this money. The sound quality is easily worthy of the outlay.

That said, there are a few points to bring to your attention.

Those with a Sony or Samsung smartphone (I used a Sony Xperia) will find much to celebrate in LDAC music streaming. In My Chemical Romance's The Ghost of You, guitars snake from my left to right ear in a cohesive mix — with Gerard Way's vocal central, petulant and every bit as emotive as I remember it in the mid-noughties.

Even when I stream Apple Music songs from my iPhone, the Nothing Ear (3a) offer ample width as my playlist continues to Thank You For the Venom and the intro guitars find a spacious home in my left ear. There's room around every stem in the mix to shine, but they're all held properly in check, even in this fast-paced and challenging song.

It's a little bass-heavy at times, though. Fleetwood Mac's The Chain is a good test of a regimented low-end, and alongside the kick-drums, I did lose just a little of Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, and Lindsey Buckingham in that glorious upper harmony through the chorus. It seems to be Nothing's modus operandi to offer a bassy listen generally, and while I did find that the new Advanced EQ tab helped, I think the enhanced low-end went a little far here.

Nothing offers a "Q Factor" in addition to what you've just tweaked in the 8-band tab, to control the width or sharpness of your adjustment. So, imagine it as a "quality factor" (because that is what it stands for), where the number you select between 0.1 and 10 determines how wide or narrow of a frequency range is boosted or cut — all of this specific to your chosen frequency. Selecting a low Q Factor will generate a wider, more gentle curve to your adjustment, where a high Q Factor will make the change narrower, steeper and more effective around that specific frequency augmentation (or reduction).

I eased off the bass and selected a Q Factor of 3.2, but you must of course play with these things yourself — and sadly, Nothing hasn't included its hearing tests here, to check how perceptive your ears are within this particular tuning.

For dynamics and nuance, the Nothing Ear (3a) are perhaps a shade less engaging and arresting than I'm used to, owing to their volume. Once criticism often levelled at Nothing's budget earbuds is they don't go especially loud, and I frequently found myself listening above 50% volume. Also, since battery life is measured at that volume, it did mean the quoted "4.5-hour battery life with ANC deployed" claims although bang on, were still disappointing.

• Sound quality score: 4 / 5

See how Ear (a) is just slightly bigger than Ear (2), across the board? (Image credit: Future)Nothing Ear (3a) review: Design

• Curvier case
• That 1mm bigger driver is sucks up power
• And the battery life isn't great

Hold the Nothing Ear (3a) earpieces and case next to their older Nothing Ear (a) and you'll certainly struggle in a game of spot the difference. There's the color, obviously — also available in black, white and a slightly different yellow to the hue I love in this older set — and the 50% curvier case. There's also a trio of LEDs on the case that deliver a total of six status indications for battery status, pairing status, charging levels and so on.

For further tweaks, we have to look deeper.

The driver is now 12mm rather than 11mm and features an "aerospace-grade diaphragm". You also get an extra set of ear-tips in the box, four in total, and although the XS will appeal to owners of small ears, the actual earpieces here aren't tiny, despite being lighter in weight than Ear (a), at 4.53g versus 4.8g. The actual design of the tips has been finessed, too: they're a little thicker and more flared across the outer wall. I found the buds very secure, if a little big to accommodate comfortably over my small-ish ears over the course of long listening sessions.

I've said it before now and I'll say it again: I think we've reached a point of diminishing — perhaps even negative — returns when it comes to ever-larger earbud drivers. Every new release seems to tout a bigger driver without adding weight, as if bigger automatically means better. But where does it end? 13mm drivers? 15mm drivers? To my ears, the Ear (3a)'s 1mm larger driver hasn't negatively impacted the sound, but I don wonder if it's contributed to sthe shorter battery life. In my briefing, I was told the buds themselves would last 10 hours — but that turned out not to be the case.

While the battery in each earpiece — along with the larger driver and onboard 16MB flash drive — works hard to power the buds, it's only good for up to 6 hours without ANC, or 4.5 hours with ANC turned on. And remember, I had to pump the volume up higher than 50%, which the level at which those measurements are typically taken. With the case, you'll get up to 25 hours with ANC off, or up to 18 hours with it on.

None of these stats is much to write home about. Take Nothing's own Ear (a), which offered up to 9.5 hours of playback on a single charge with ANC off, and about 5.5 hours with ANC on. Now, consider the very inexpensive Cambridge Melomania A100, which offer 11 hours per charge or up to 39 hours with the case, along with aptX Lossless. I know which I'd rather take on long road-trips…

Again, Nothing's pinch-to-control stems return here, and while volume controls aren't enabled by default, you can assign them in the Nothing X app — provided you're happy to sacrifice another shortcut in the process.

While I'm here, a quick note on call-handling. It's absolutely clear and clean as a whistle, thanks to the 3 MEMS mics per bud.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Rarely have I had so many colleagues strike up a conversation with me over a set of earbuds (Image credit: Future)Nothing Ear (3a) review: Value

• Still very good-looking earbuds
• Decent ANC; not so great for stamina
• LDAC adds value, but call-recording (for me, at least) is a no

Before now, I've always championed Nothing's "(a)" buds — and while the basics in the (3a) are fine, there are a few issues that are hard to ignore.

The Call Recording feature is top of the list here. More than any technical limitation, it's the privacy implications that concern me. Much as seeing someone wearing smart glasses now makes me wonder whether I'm being recorded, these earbuds leave me asking why someone might want to capture our conversations. I appreciate that some readers may see this as an overreaction, but it's a genuine concern for me, informed by my own experiences as a woman and former dancer who had to deal with overly familiar fans.

I think the audio quality here is perfectly acceptable for $99 / £99, but the stamina and feature set can be bettered. Even in the open earbuds market, I'd happily direct you to the cheaper Huawei FreeArc or SoundPEATS Clip1 over these earbuds.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Nothing Ear (3a)?

Section

Notes

Score

Features

I can't get behind Call Recording — although the ANC is good enough

4/5

Sound quality

An fun listen that's easy to tweak if the bass proves a bit much. Just a tad quiet overall

4/5

Design

Good-looking buds let down by disappointing stamina

4/5

Value

It's hard for me to write it, but the smart money isn't always with Nothing

4/5

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width: var(--target-width); transition: width 0.8s ease-out; animation: fv-grow-max-width 0.8s ease-out forwards; display: flex; align-items: center; overflow: hidden; color: #ffffff; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-versus-bar-left { border-radius: 4px 0 0 4px; justify-content: flex-end; padding: 0 8px; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-versus-bar-right { border-radius: 0 4px 4px 0; justify-content: flex-start; padding: 0 8px; }@keyframes fv-grow-max-width {from { max-width: 0; }to { max-width: 100%; }}#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-versus-center-line { position: absolute; left: 50%; top: 0; bottom: 0; width: 4px; background-color: #ffffff; transform: translateX(-50%); z-index: 1; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-inside-left { white-space: nowrap; flex-shrink: 0; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-inside-right { white-space: nowrap; flex-shrink: 0; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-versus-val-text { font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; font-weight: 700; font-size: 14px; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-versus-pct-diff { font-size: 12px; font-weight: 600; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-versus-label { position: absolute; left: 50%; transform: translateX(-50%); top: 0; background-color: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: none; padding: 0; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-weight: 700; font-size: 14px; color: #374151; white-space: nowrap; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .sr-only { position: absolute !important; width: 1px !important; height: 1px !important; padding: 0 !important; margin: -1px !important; overflow: hidden !important; clip: rect(0,0,0,0) !important; white-space: nowrap !important; border: 0 !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-bottom-bar { display: flex !important; flex-direction: column !important; align-items: center !important; margin-top: 0.5rem !important; gap: 1rem !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-footer-content { text-align: center !important; width: 100% !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-logo {display: block !important;margin: 0 auto !important;width: 120px !important;min-width: 120px !important;max-width: 120px !important;height: auto !important;object-fit: contain !important;flex-shrink: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-dropdown-wrapper { text-align: center !important; margin-bottom: 16px !important; margin-top: 0 !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-dropdown-title-container { position: relative !important; display: inline-block !important; max-width: 100% !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-dropdown-title {appearance: none !important;-webkit-appearance: none !important;-moz-appearance: none !important;background: transparent !important;border: none !important;font-size: 18px !important;font-weight: 600 !important;color: var(--riv-primary) !important;padding-right: 28px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;cursor: pointer !important;text-align: center !important;text-align-last: center !important;width: auto !important;max-width: 100% !important;font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif !important;line-height: 1.3 !important;margin: 0 !important;text-overflow: ellipsis !important;overflow: hidden !important;white-space: nowrap !important;}#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-dropdown-title:focus { outline: none !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-dropdown-title::-ms-expand { display: none !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-dropdown-chevron {position: absolute !important;right: 0 !important;top: 50% !important;transform: translateY(-50%) !important;pointer-events: none !important;color: var(--riv-primary) !important;display: flex !important;align-items: center !important;}#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-carousel-title-controls { display: flex !important; justify-content: space-between !important; align-items: center !important; margin-bottom: 16px !important; width: 100% !important; gap: 12px !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-carousel-nav-btn {background: transparent !important; border: 1px solid #d1d5db !important; border-radius: 6px !important; padding: 6px 10px !important;cursor: pointer !important; font-size: 14px !important; color: #374151 !important; display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; gap: 4px !important; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif !important;}#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-carousel-nav-btn:hover { border-color: #9ca3af !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-carousel-counter { font-size: 14px !important; color: #374151 !important; text-align: center !important; margin-top: 1rem !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-legend { display: flex !important; justify-content: center !important; flex-wrap: wrap !important; gap: 8px 16px !important; margin: 0 !important; padding: 0 !important; margin-top: 1rem !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-legend-item { display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; gap: 6px !important; font-size: 14px !important; color: #374151 !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-legend-color { width: 12px !important; height: 12px !important; border-radius: 3px !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-multi-value-legend {display: flex !important;justify-content: center !important;flex-wrap: wrap !important;gap: 12px 24px !important;margin-bottom: 1.5rem !important;padding: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-multi-legend-item { display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; gap: 8px !important; font-size: 14px !important; color: #374151 !important; font-weight: 500 !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-multi-legend-swatch { width: 16px !important; height: 16px !important; border-radius: 3px !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-benchmark-group { margin-bottom: 1rem !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-benchmark-title {font-size: 18px !important; font-weight: 600 !important; margin-bottom: 16px !important; margin-top: 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;text-align: center !important; color: var(--riv-primary) !important; flex: 1 !important; min-width: 0 !important;font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.3 !important;text-transform: none !important;white-space: normal !important;overflow-wrap: break-word !important;word-wrap: break-word !important;max-width: 100% !important;}#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-bar-row, #fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-stacked-product { display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; width: 100% !important; margin-bottom: 0.75rem !important; position: relative !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-bar-label { width: 150px !important; flex-shrink: 0 !important; font-size: 14px !important; color: #374151 !important; padding-right: 10px !important; text-align: right !important; font-weight: 500 !important; display: block !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-bar-container { flex-grow: 1 !important; background-color: #E5E7EB !important; border-radius: 4px !important; min-height: 25px !important; border: 1px solid #D1D5DB !important; position: relative !important; display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-bar-commentary-inline { display: none !important; position: absolute !important; left: 150px !important; top: 0 !important; bottom: 0 !important; right: 0 !important; width: calc(100% - 150px) !important; margin: 0 !important; padding: 0 8px !important; font-size: 13px !important; color: #fff !important; background: rgba(0,0,0,0.8) !important; border-radius: 4px !important; line-height: 1.4 !important; font-weight: normal !important; text-transform: none !important; word-wrap: break-word !important; z-index: 10 !important; align-items: center !important; overflow-y: auto !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.preview-wrapper .fv-bar-row:hover .fv-bar-commentary-inline, #fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.preview-wrapper .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus, #fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.preview-wrapper .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus-within, #fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-bar-row:hover .fv-bar-commentary-inline, #fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus, #fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus-within { display: flex !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-bar { height: 100% !important; border-radius: 3px !important; display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; transition: opacity 0.2s ease, width 0.8s ease-out !important; min-height: 23px !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-bar:hover { opacity: 0.8 !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-bar-inner-content { display: flex !important; justify-content: space-between !important; align-items: center !important; width: 100% !important; height: 100% !important; padding: 0 8px !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: bold !important; overflow: hidden !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-bar-inner-label { white-space: nowrap !important; overflow: hidden !important; text-overflow: ellipsis !important; padding-right: 8px !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-bar-inner-value { flex-shrink: 0 !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-bar-value-outside { padding-left: 8px !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: bold !important; color: #374151 !important; white-space: nowrap !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-bar-label.fv-primary-product { font-weight: bold !important; color: var(--riv-primary) !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-multi-bar-container { flex-direction: column !important; padding: 4px !important; align-items: stretch !important; gap: 4px !important; height: auto !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-multi-bar-item { display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; height: 25px !important; width: 100% !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-stacked-bar { display: flex !important; overflow: hidden !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-stacked-segment { height: 100% !important; display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; justify-content: flex-end !important; padding-right: 8px !important; border-right: 1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.3) !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-stacked-segment:last-child { border-right: none !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-segment-value { font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: bold !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-grouped-bar-product { display: flex !important; flex-direction: column !important; width: 100% !important; margin-bottom: 1.25rem !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-grouped-product-title-wrapper { padding-left: 150px !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-grouped-product-title { width: 100% !important; text-align: left !important; padding-right: 0 !important; margin-bottom: 0.5rem !important; font-weight: 700 !important; font-size: 14px !important; color: #374151 !important; text-transform: none !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-bar-cluster { width: 100% !important; flex-grow: 1 !important; display: flex !important; flex-direction: column !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-bar-cluster .fv-bar-row { margin-bottom: 3px !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-bar-cluster .fv-bar-container { height: 20px !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .riv-grid line {stroke: #D1D5DB !important;stroke-dasharray: 3 3 !important;}#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-x-axis-wrapper { display: flex !important; width: 100% !important; margin-top: 0.5rem !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-x-axis-label-space { width: 150px !important; padding-right: 10px !important; flex-shrink: 0 !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-x-axis-chart-space { flex-grow: 1 !important; padding-right: 8px !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-x-axis-wrapper.fv-grouped-x-axis { margin-left: 0 !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-x-axis-line { border-top: 1px solid #D1D5DB !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-x-axis-ticks { display: flex !important; justify-content: space-between !important; padding-top: 4px !important; font-size: 13px !important; color: #374151 !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-x-axis-ticks span { position: relative !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-x-axis-ticks span::before { content: '' !important; position: absolute !important; top: -6px !important; left: 50% !important; transform: translateX(-50%) !important; width: 2px !important; height: 4px !important; background-color: #D1D5DB !important; border-radius: 1px !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-x-axis-unit { text-align: center !important; font-size: 14px !important; color: #374151 !important; margin-top: 8px !important; display: block !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-x-axis-title { text-align: center !important; font-size: 15px !important; color: #374151 !important; margin-top: 8px !important; margin-bottom: 16px !important; line-height: 1.5 !important; padding: 0 1rem !important; display: block !important; font-weight: bold !important; }#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc .fv-y-axis-title {font-size: 15px !important;color: #374151 !important;line-height: 1.5 !important;text-align: left !important;padding-left: 5.83% !important;margin-bottom: 4px !important;display: block !important;font-weight: bold !important;}#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-pie-container,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.labels-on-top .fv-pie-container {flex-direction: column !important; gap: 1rem !important;}#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-grouped-product-title-wrapper,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.labels-on-top .fv-grouped-product-title-wrapper {padding-left: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-bar-row,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-stacked-product,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-grouped-bar-product,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.labels-on-top .fv-bar-row,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.labels-on-top .fv-stacked-product,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.labels-on-top .fv-grouped-bar-product {flex-direction: column !important; align-items: flex-start !important; margin-bottom: 1.25rem !important;}#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-bar-label:not(.fv-grouped-product-title),#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.labels-on-top .fv-bar-label:not(.fv-grouped-product-title) {width: 100% !important; text-align: left !important; padding-right: 0 !important; margin-bottom: 0.25rem !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: 700 !important;}#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-bar-label,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-grouped-product-title,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.labels-on-top .fv-bar-label,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.labels-on-top .fv-grouped-product-title {width: 100% !important; text-align: left !important; padding-right: 0 !important; margin-bottom: 0.25rem !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: 700 !important;}#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-bar-container,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-bar-cluster,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.labels-on-top .fv-bar-container,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.labels-on-top .fv-bar-cluster {width: 100% !important;}#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-bar-row:hover .fv-bar-commentary-inline,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus-within,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.labels-on-top .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.labels-on-top .fv-bar-row:hover .fv-bar-commentary-inline,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.labels-on-top .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.labels-on-top .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus-within {position: static !important; display: block !important; width: 100% !important; margin: 4px 0 0 0 !important; padding: 0 !important; background: transparent !important; color: #6B7280 !important; font-size: 12px !important;}#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-x-axis-wrapper,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.labels-on-top .fv-x-axis-wrapper {margin-left: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-x-axis-label-space,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.labels-on-top .fv-x-axis-label-space {display: none !important;}#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-x-axis-chart-space,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.labels-on-top .fv-x-axis-chart-space {padding-right: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-benchmark-title,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.labels-on-top .fv-benchmark-title {font-size: 16px !important;}#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-dropdown-title,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.labels-on-top .fv-dropdown-title {font-size: 16px !important;}#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.mobile-view .fv-carousel-nav-btn,#fv-chart-1784740420126-ma76xl7lc.labels-on-top .fv-carousel-nav-btn {padding: 8px 12px !important; 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Solid generally, but with battery concerns and a potentially problematic call recording 'feature'

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You want buds that say "look at me"
The pink colorway is super-striking and fun, especially against their black/transparent stems.

You have a Sony or Samsung phone
LDAC support for $99 / £99? That's good stuff.

You want to record your phone calls
These buds do offer the option to record and transcribe up to 2 hours of audio from calls, songs or voice notes — and you don't need a Nothing source device to do it.

Don't buy them if...

You want extra-special spatial audio
Nothing adds its "static" spatial audio profile here, for a slightly more immersive sound profile to your music. For me, though, it's a little bit lightweight.

You have bijou ears
This design just about works for my smaller ears with the small ear-tips (there's even an XS option included now), but if your concha or ear-well is particularly diminutive, then you may still find these earpieces a little big.

The idea of covert surveillance bothers you
As a journalist, I have no issue with recording when everyone has consented. My concern is Nothing's playful marketing if in-call recording as a lifestyle feature, despite the obvious privacy implications.View Deal

Nothing Ear (3a) review: Also consider

Nothing Ear (3a)

Cambridge Audio Melomania A100

Huawei FreeArc

Price

$99 / £99 / Approx. AU$192

$149 / £119 / AU$TBC (but around AU$249) at launch, discounted now

£99 (roughly $130, AU$200) but discounted now

Drivers

12m custom

10mm Neodymium dynamic

17mm x 12mm (open earbuds)

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

No

Quoted battery life

Buds: 6 hrs (without ANC) or 4.5 hrs with ANC; Total with case: 18 hrs with ANC (or 25 hrs without ANC)

11 hours per charge; up to 39 hours with the case

7 hours (earbuds), 23 hours (total)

Weight

4.53g

4.7g

8.9g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0, LDAC, USB-C (no wireless charging)

Bluetooth 5.4 with LDAC and aptX Lossless

Bluetooth 5.2

Frequency range

20 Hz – 40 kHz

Not stated

Not stated

Waterproofing

Yes, IP54

Yes, IPX5

Yes, IP57

Other features

Audio Snapshot and Call Recording; auto-off, static spatial audio, ChatGPT with a Nothing Phone

7-band EQ, ANC, DynamEQ for optimised tuning, wireless charging, 3 mics per bud

Huawei AI Life app, 10-band EQ, audio presets, find your earbuds

Huawei FreeArc
Up for taking a punt on affordable and great-sounding open earbuds? The FreeArc are available at a generous discount right now — but in all honesty, we loved them even at full price.
Read more on this in our full Huawei FreeArc review

Cambridge Audio Melomania A100
These June 2025-release earbuds didn't get the fanfare they deserved, unless you count our glowing five-star review, of course. They don't look as flamboyant — but oh, do they sound good, and the ANC is great too. Did I mention they've been discounted recently? Highly recommended for their current price.
Learn more in our in-depth Cambridge Melomania A100 review

How I tested the Nothing Ear (3a)

USB-C for juicing up, but there's no wireless charging (Image credit: Future)

• Tested for two weeks, listened against the Ear (a), Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2), Technics EAH-AZ100 and AirPods 4
• Listened in the office, walking along a beach, on a train into London, into Central London and at home
• Listened to Tidal Masters, Apple Music Lossless tracks and Spotify on an iPhone 15 Pro, MacBook Pro and Sony Xperia smartphone

The Nothing Ear (3a) became my primary musical companions for well over two weeks — after a 48-hour run-in period.

They accompanied me to work (walking brusquely to our Paddington office and on the London Underground to various press events) and even walking on a beach at sunset.

To assess comfort levels, ANC and battery life claims, I followed TechRadar's meticulous methodology testing and found much of note — including slightly disappointing stamina.

To check the audio quality across the frequencies, I listened for several hours to my own reference playlists on Apple Music and Tidal, alongside TechRadar's reference tracks, plus podcasts and movies. Additionally, I wore them to watch YouTube tutorials from my MacBook Pro.

I’ve been testing audio products for well over seven years, full-time. As a dancer, aerialist and musical theater performer in another life, sound quality, fit, and user experience have always been a priority for me, but having heard how wonderful ANC can be when done well, I know what I'm listening to here, too.

Read more about how we test earbuds at TechRadar

• First reviewed: July 2026

Shokz OpenDots Air: Two-minute review

I've long pointed to the flagship Shokz OpenDots One as the best open earbuds in the clip-style category, so I'll admit that I watched the release of the brand's budget-grade option with trepidation.

All too often, a brand's wallet-friendly earbuds tend to fit poorly, cut too many features, completely miss the mark sonically, or launch at a price point that doesn't make sense. But I'm happy to report that the Shokz OpenDots Air side-step those issues.

In fact, for most buyers, this pair just makes so much more sense than its sibling, the Shokz OpenDots 2. That's despite the set you're here to read about being an inferior model, on paper.

Like the numbered OpenDots, the Air uses dual 11.8mm drivers; you're only going to be able to hear a difference in sound quality if you really need Dolby Atmos or some of the unique Shokz features (which, I'm guessing, most people don't).

The OpenDots Air take a largely similar design too, which means they're just as reliable in your ear on long runs or gym sessions. Now and then, I did find them to pinch a little, which I take to be the fault of a few design tweaks, but it was nothing that stopped me using them.

There's more: the battery life is great, the carry case is nice and small and the connection was reliable. But some carry-overs are a little less desirable: like other OpenDots, the touch controls are finicky to use. And while Shokz offered some of the best-sounding open earbuds last year, the Air (and 2) launch to a much more competitive market.

What sets the OpenDots Air apart from the 2-suffixed set, making them a better buy, is the price; you can get them for roughly 25% less. For most buyers, I'd say that you should save your money and buy the Air... unless any of the other fantastic cuff-style buds (which typically do undercut any of Shokz' options) pique your interest.

After all, the Shokz premium is still in play, even with its more affordable buds.

Shokz OpenDots Air review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

• Launched on June 4, 2026
• Sells for $129.95 / £129.99 / AU$219
• Cheaper alternative to OpenDots 2

The Shokz OpenDots Air were released on June 4, 2026, alongside the OpenDots 2. That was about 10 months after the original OpenDots One became available.

You can buy the earbuds for $129.95 / £129.99 / AU$219, so they're markedly cheaper than the $199.95 / £179.99 / AU$339 OpenDots 2. The original OpenDots One also went for that price, though a year on they're easy to find at around $150 / £150 / AU$239 (and even less during sales).

Note also the flagship Shokz OpenFit Pro, (more 'traditional' shell-like open earbuds) which include noise reduction and launched in January 2026, at the significant cost of $249.95 / £219 / AU$399.

I'll continue to refer to the OpenDots Air as affordable cuff-style buds, but that's only in comparison to the OpenDots 2 and the other Shokz options listed above. Remember, Shokz is a class-leader in this category, and you pay for that. You can easily find great alternatives for even cheaper (we've even listed a few at the bottom of this review).

Shokz OpenDots Air review: Specs

Drivers

2x 11.8mm

Active noise cancellation

No

Battery life

9 hours (buds), 36 hours (case)

Weight

6.3g (buds), 37.3g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.1

Frequency response

100Hz-40kHz

Waterproofing

IP55

Shokz OpenDots Air review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• You'll get 9 hours of listening; 36 with case
• EQ has four presets, 5-band custom mode
• App is pretty light on features

You're getting 9 hours of battery life with the Shokz OpenDots Air; at least, that's the cited listening time, and from my testing, I have no cause to doubt it. That's a hair below the OpenDots One / 2's 10 hours, but the difference is negligible, and it's still a solid battery life.

The case rounds that figure up to 36 hours of listening, including recharges. That's more in line with industry standards.

As with most open earbuds, there's no noise cancellation here. It's a shame, because Shokz is one of the few companies to offer ANC-adjacent tech in open-ears (the OpenFit Pro have 'noise reduction', but we tested it and it's the same thing), and I find it's even more useful in earbuds of the like.

(Image credit: Future)

While the OpenDots Air aren't as featured-packed as many other earbuds, downloading the Shokz app lets you play around with what there is.

Possibly the best reason to download the app is the equalizer; there are four presets (standard, vocal enhancement, bass enhancement and an audio leakage reduction mode), as well as a simplistic five-band custom EQ which lets you create your own mix.

The app also lets you turn on Multipoint Pairing, change what the touch controls do, turn on (or off) microphone noise cancellation in calls, and turn on (or off) wear detection.

Admittedly, the list is a little svelte. Beyond review purposes, I only opened the app a single time, and that was to double-check I hadn't accidentally turned gesture controls off (I hadn't, more on that later).

• Features score: 3.5/5

Shokz OpenDots Air review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Svelte carry case
• Attractive blue marbled design
• Not designed to stick in the ear

They ain’t called clip-on buds for nothing – the OpenDots Air are clip-shaped earbuds with a C-shaped band joining a rounded earbud with an ovoid counterweight. The 'dot' goes in your ear-well, the 'egg' sits just behind it, looping around the lower part of the helix.

The earbuds weigh 6.3g each, with silicone and plastic making up the casework of the earpiece. I tested them at the gym, on cycles and on runs (and in other, less-intensive settings) and never had a fit issue; that’s a benefit of this form factor, and I’ve never had a wobbly clipper.

However I did find that the Air could pinch a little during longer wear sessions, and I was surprised by the relief I felt at removing them after an hour-plus run. On the topic of criticisms, the buds technically have touch controls, but I could barely get them to pick up my touch. You have to be incredibly precise to find the right spot, and I quickly gave up on using them. At this level, it's not a deal-breaker in this type of design (at least not yet), but it's my job to notice.

(Image credit: Future)

You can buy the earbuds in black or purple, a choice which carries over to the charging case. They’re IP55 protected, which means they’re safe from dust and jets of water, but you shouldn’t take them swimming.

The charging case is lighter than most I’ve seen, tipping the scales to the tune of 37.3g — that’s without the buds, and you’re looking at a total package that’s under 50g. It’s nice and small too, and I really appreciate case like this that’s lightweight and portable like this: it disappeared in my pockets with no problem.

The simplicity extends to the ports and buttons; you’re getting a USB-C port but no wireless charging, unlike the OpenDots 2, and intriguingly no Bluetooth pairing override. I don’t recall the last time I saw an earbud case without this ‘hope-you-don’t-need-it’ feature, but Shokz apparently thinks you don’t need it at all.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Shokz OpenDots Air: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future)

• Dual 11.8mm drivers
• Well-defined treble and bass
• Some premium features missing

Shokz has found an audio set-up it likes and has stuck with it. As with the OpenDots One and OpenDots 2, the OpenDots Air have two custom 11.8mm drivers providing the music. The company is coy on what each of these drivers are actually handling, but I’m guessing at least one is tuned towards low-end, given how much "Bassphere" is mentioned in marketing.

(What’s Bassphere? Um, a marketing word, by the sounds of it, and Shokz is quite light on specifics. I've done my due journalistic diligence in trying to dig through the fluff to get granular on Bassphere, but have been unsuccessful. It seems to be what the company refers to as its two-driver system.)

The OpenDots Air do miss some features of their pricier stablemates. There’s no Dolby Atmos tuning, for one, and it lacks a few other Shokz-designed features, including MirrorPitch (which aims the sound into your ear) and Bassphere 2.0 (like 1.0, but designed to reduce distortion which could arise from the two-driver system).

Okay, I’ve been dancing around the topic; how do the Shokz OpenDots Air actually sound? They’re rather good, for open-ears — they’re not quite on par with the higher-end OpenDots, or some varied rivals, but I enjoyed listening to music with them.

(Image credit: Future)

It’s clear to my ear that one of the drivers is dialled into the low end, giving bass a clear scooping distinction that’s often missing in open-ears. Songs like Brian Kelley’s Beach Cowboy or Kasabian’s Superpowers offer clean low-end that sit comfortably below higher-frequency sounds, without blowing it out.

The lack of support for better-than-vanilla codecs such as LDAC, or seemingly any higher-quality streaming, means audiophiles might not find these an enjoyable listen. I can’t pretend they’re on par with ‘standard’ in-ear earbuds costing this much, including ones which are geared towards sports users. But for fitness-first listeners who need their ear canals free to hear traffic, they’re all you need.

Naturally, when you’re out and about, the bass will struggle a little bit — it has a harder time cutting through surrounding noise than treble does. That’s par for the course for this kind of earbud, but it bears repeating for those not familiar with the form factor.

• Sound quality: 4/5

Shokz OpenDots Air review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

• Great value for money compared to Shokz roster
• Other cufflinks undercut these

If you’re comparing the OpenDots Air solely to the OpenDots 2, they're great value: you’re basically getting the same earbuds for a sizeable discount. I see the Air being the better buy for most people, out of the two.

But when you look at the wider earbuds market, my recommendation gets a bit more muted. I’ve tested plenty of pairs of clip-style earbuds that hover at, or below, the £/$100 mark, which perform basically the same as the OpenDots Air do. If you’re not married to buying Shokz buds, then you’ll find a few different money-saving alternatives below.

• Value: 4/5

Should I buy the Shokz OpenDots Air?Shokz OpenDots Air score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The battery life is great, but beyond it, there aren't many features.

3.5/5

Design

Both the buds and the case are lightweight and reliable to use.

4.5/5

Sound quality

Despite some missing features, the audio quality will tick exercisers' boxes.

4/5

Value

They're the best OpenDots for your money, though some rivals will draw your gaze.

4/5

Buy them if…

You need workout buds
Between the reliable build, the simple and pleasing sound mix and the lightweight chassis, these are great running, cycling or gym companions.

You're tempted by the other OpenDots
I don't mean to downplay the strengths of Shokz' other buds, but these are the best cuff-style options it sells.

You need a case that disappears
I kept losing the OpenDots Air's case in my bag pockets, that's how small it was.View Deal

Don’t buy them if…

You have sensitive ears
While these fit well 99% of the time, now and then my ears grew achy, and people with sensitive ears may have a bad time with them.

You're on a budget
If you've been drawn to the Air as a budget pair of open-ears, I'm sorry that you had to discover that they're only budget by Shokz standards.

Shokz OpenDots Air review: Also consider

The open earbuds market is incredibly competitive. Here are some others that I've tested and would recommend.

Shokz OpenDots Air

Apple AirPods Pro 3

Soundpeats Clip1

Drivers

2x 11.8mm

2x 11.8mm

12mm

Active noise cancellation

No

No

No

Battery life (ANC on)

9 hours (buds), 36 hours (case)

10 hours (buds), 40 hours (case)

8 hours (buds), 32 hours (case)

Weight

6.3g (buds), 37.3g (case)

5.6g (buds), 52g (case)

5g (buds), 55.5g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.1

Bluetooth 5.4

Bluetooth 5.4

Waterproofing

IP55

IP54

IPX5

Shokz OpenDots One
This older pair matches the Air in most departments, and beat them in one or two. You can find them for only a hair more than the Air now, and sometimes for even less.
Read our full Shokz OpenDots One review

Soundpeats Clip1
For a much more affordable alternative, the Soundpeats Clip1 offer a solid build, some great audio features and great value for your money. If you're not committed to Shokz, it's well worth checking them out.
Read our full Soundpeats Clip1 review

How I tested the Shokz OpenDots Air

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested for one month
• Paired with Android phone for Spotify, streaming and games
• Used during multiple kinds of activities

I used the Shokz OpenDots Air for roughly a month to write this review. This ensured they underwent some extensive testing.

This testing included countless runs, several cycles, many gym sessions, loads of walks around my neighborhood, plays on various kinds of public transport, a house move, and a trip to a surf town during a holiday.

During this time, the buds were paired to my Android smartphone. They got most of their use through Spotify, but I also used them for calls, watching some YouTube videos and playing games.

I've tested gadgets for TechRadar since early 2019. Since that time I've reviewed countless earbuds, including loads of open-style ones and the Shokz OpenDots One.

• First reviewed in July 2026

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Razer Kiyo V2 webcam: Two-minute review

Razer is a household name in the webcam space, with its Kiyo brand being one of the most popular choices for streamers and PC gamers. The latest Kiyo V2 is another sterling example of Razer's commitment to premium build quality and high-end components, and for the most part, it's a great product.

Delivering either 4K recording at 30 frames per second or 1080p at 60, the Kiyo V2 captures quality video with a high degree of customization via the Razer Synapse software. It's fairly pricey (don't expect to see it on our list of the best cheap webcams), but for a 4K webcam with this sort of build quality and feature set, it's actually quite competitively priced.

(Image credit: Future)

Coming in black, white, and pink colorways (mine is the pink 'Quartz' model), the Razer Kiyo V2 is an extremely well-constructed product. It's durable and pleasingly tactile. The base can be extended and rotated to capture the perfect angle, and it easily clasps onto any monitor; I tested it both with the two monitors in my home desktop setup and my laptop, and it snapped into place with no issues. It's a little heavy, however, so laptops with flimsier display hinges might struggle.

The design is a departure from previous Razer webcams, which typically opted for a singular large casing surrounding the lens construction. Instead, it's a smaller lens housing with an oblong body, immediately reminiscent of the Logitech MX Brio 705.

Not everything has been abandoned with this new design, however. The lens housing, like previous Kiyo models, includes a pleasingly tactile rim that can be twisted to close the built-in physical privacy shutter. I'm always a fan of privacy solutions like this, though given the large size of the glass lens face, it would've been nice to see a lens cap included to keep it dust- and scratch-free.

(Image credit: Future)

It would potentially be nice if the webcam could be detached from the attached mount in order to fit it to a different mount; many content creators will have their own video setups and may want to use their own camera stands. However, the mount does have a threaded screw connector on the base, letting you fit it atop most industry-standard camera mounts.

In terms of video quality, it's great. 4K video is sharp and colorful, and even zoomed in, I found I looked perfectly detailed in the footage I recorded. Color reproduction is great, and the camera performed well in a range of light conditions. Low-light performance resulted in some mild oversaturation, but I've seen worse performance in more expensive cameras. It also supports HDR, though only at 30fps even at lower resolutions.

The autofocus works well, but I found it was a little slow to adjust if I quickly moved closer or further from the camera. Having tested quite a few webcams in my time, I feel that a webcam in this price range should be a bit snappier to focus.

That big lens means that the default field of view is huge. A 93-degree FOV means that the Kiyo V2 is liable to capture not just yourself but the entire room you're in, but thankfully it's easy enough to tweak this via the zoom and crop tools in Razer's Synapse software.

(Image credit: Future)

On the topic of Synapse, it's still a frankly rather clunky piece of software, but for webcam users who want granular control over their hardware, it does a solid job. In addition to zoom and crop tools, you can also manually tweak the autofocus, auto exposure, and color balance.

The Kiyo V2's software-side feature set also includes a selection of AI-powered tools, which are covered prominently in the marketing material for the webcam. These include dynamic light correction and noise reduction, but these features already existed in Synapse, and to be honest, I'm not entirely clear on what AI brings to the table here.

(Image credit: Future)

Look, Razer: I get it. I'm sure there's tremendous pressure from your shareholders to make everything AI-powered, because it's the buzzword du jour. But anyone who actually wants AI in their webcam (for whatever inane reason) likely isn't going to be better served by the Kiyo V2 than any other cutting-edge 'AI' webcam, like the Obsbot Tiny SE.

One element that does actually benefit from the involvement of machine learning is the auto-framing feature, which uses AI-powered head-tracking to keep you in the center of the frame even if you move around. However, since the Kiyo V2 lacks a mechanized gimbal, it can't alter the frame while fully zoomed out and can only track you so far; it can keep you in center frame if you move by a foot or two, but it won't follow you around a room.

On the bright side, you don't actually have to use Synapse and the AI features at all. The Kiyo V2 works great straight out of the box; just plug in the bundled cable, and you're off to the races, assuming you're happy with the default wide-angle FOV.

(Image credit: Future)

Now, for the only real problem I have with the Razer Kiyo V2. It comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable in the box (the one with my review unit is pink, like the webcam itself), and as far as I can tell, you have to use this cable to access the full 4K functionality of the camera.

Considering that the cable is USB-C-exclusive, you'll need a free USB-C 3.0 port to make full use of the Kiyo V2. I tested it out with a USB-C to USB-A adapter, as well as using one of my own USB-C cables; no dice. It's frustrating, because USB-C ports can be in short supply for users connecting multiple peripherals, and the bundled cable is a bit short and inflexible.

(Image credit: Future)

Lastly, the built-in microphone is... fine, I guess. It's good enough for video calls, but anyone aiming to produce professional-level video content should definitely use a proper standalone microphone.

It's fair to say that the Razer Kiyo V2 deserves a spot among the best webcams on the market. There are a few niggling issues, but nothing that should ruin the experience for a gamer who wants a high-end webcam. For hardcore content creators, it remains a sound choice, but you should be aware of the downsides.

Razer Kiyo V2 webcam: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? $149.99 / £149.99 / AU$279.95
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? The US, UK, and Australia

At $149.99 / £149.99 / AU$279.95, the Razer Kiyo V2 is significantly cheaper than the brand's own older Kiyo Pro webcam. If you're looking for a high-quality 4K cam, it's not an unreasonable price.

Sure, you could easily get a cheaper 4K webcam, but you'll need to risk it on a less established brand, and you almost certainly won't be getting the same rich feature set seen in the Kiyo V2. Similarly effective models from other premium brands like Logitech and Elgato will cost a comparable amount, so I'm pleased to say that despite its reputation for pricey hardware, Razer got the price right this time around.

Razer Kiyo V2 webcam: Specs

Razer Kiyo V2

Price:

$149.99 / £149.99 / AU$279.95

Supported resolutions:

4Kp at 30fps, 1440p at 60fps, 1080p at 60fps

Sensor:

8.3 MP Sony STARVIS

Field of view:

93 degrees

Connection:

USB-C

Features:

Digital zoom, AI auto-framing, AI autofocus, dynamic color correction, HDR, mechanical privacy shutter

Software Integration:

Razer Synapse

Should you buy the Razer Kiyo V2 webcam?

(Image credit: Future)Razer Kiyo V2 webcam report card

Value

The Razer Kiyo V2 is still fairly expensive, but it's reasonably priced for a high-end 4K webcam and much better value than the previous Kiyo Pro.

4 / 5

Design

A fresh chassis design that retains the excellent physical privacy shutter of older Kiyos, but the forced USB-C is annoying.

4 / 5

Performance

Audio is merely decent, but the picture quality and color balance are fantastic and Razer Synapse packs a ton of extra features.

4 / 5

Avarage rating

A high-quality webcam with a broad feature set and more competitive pricing, the Razer Kiyo V2 is a great product with only a few small flaws.

4 / 5

Buy it if...

You want 4K
At this price point, the Kiyo V2 is competitive within the 4K webcam space - you could find cheaper ones, but only if you're willing to accept a drop in quality.

You need wide-angled recording
If you're aiming to capture a larger space (or multiple video participants), the 93-degree FOV of the Kiyo V2 is perfect.

Don't buy it if...

You're short on ports
Since it needs to use the bundled USB-C cable to access full 4K recording, the Kiyo V2 is a poor choice for anyone who already has lots of ports in use on their PC.

You're on a budget
At $149.99 / £149.99 / AU$279.95, the Kiyo V2 is still pretty darn expensive, even if it's far better value for money than the older Kiyo Pro.

Razer Kiyo V2 webcam: Also consider

Insta360 Link 2C
Our current top pick of the 4K webcams available on the market right now, the Link 2C offers superior low-light performance and autofocus while also offering the same high-quality video and AI features as the Kiyo V2.

Read our full Insta360 Link 2C review

Obsbot Tiny 2
The Tiny 2 from Obsbot delivers 4K video along with AI-powered tracking via its mechanical gimbal mount. For those who want a high-end video experience, this is a great pick.

Read our full Obsbot Tiny 2 review

How I tested the Razer Kiyo V2 webcam

• Tested the webcam in video calls and recording
• Compared image quality to other webcams
• 8+ years of experience reviewing computer hardware

I replaced my usual webcam (the Insta360 Link 2 4K) with the Razer Kiyo V2 for two weeks, using it for all my normal video calls during the workday. I also tested it in various different lighting conditions by recording video separately and comparing the clips side by side. Naturally, I installed (well, reinstalled) Razer Synapse to properly test out all the software-side features as well.

I've been testing and reviewing PC hardware for more than eight years, starting at the PC-building hobbyist magazine Maximum PC before making the leap to TechRadar's computing team. I put all of my knowledge and experience behind each and every one of my product reviews, so you can be assured that you're getting an informed and bias-free judgement.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed July 2026

Filament absorbs moisture as soon as you break the seal of the packaging, and that moisture will affect the quality of your prints, and it’s a problem that until recently no one talked about.

The effect of damp filament, even if it feels dry to the touch, shows up as stringing, popping, weak layer adhesion, and prints that just look slightly worse than they should. Because it creeps in gradually, you usually blame the printer, whereas it’s often the material.

The H1 HT is Elegoo's first dryer. It arrives to tackle one of the major quibbles with the otherwise excellent Centauri Carbon 2 (see my review here). Essentially, the fact that the machine features an open-air spool design, leaving filament exposed to whatever humidity the room happens to have.

In the case of my workshop at some points of the year, that can be high. This drybox is the company's answer. It's designed to take a single 1kg spool, heats to a maximum of 85°C, rotates the spool for even exposure and vents humid air automatically before sealing itself shut again.

The clever part is that you don't have to stop printing to use it and it’s not confined to use with just Elegoo machines. The design features two filament outlets that let you run the dryer as a heated dry box, feeding the printer while it keeps your filaments in prime condition.

ELEGOO H1 HT: Price and availability

The H1 HT is available for $70 from Elegoo's US site, and for £62 from the UK site.

For a single dryer, that's extremely well priced and undercuts most established names while offering a higher maximum temperature and, frankly, better design.

If you’re thinking about this for your Centauri Carbon 2, then you’ll need/want four, so that will set you back $280 / £248.

• Value: 5 / 5

ELEGOO H1 HT: Design

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

I’ve been looking at Elegoo's machines for a few years - most recently the Centauri Carbon 2 - and they have always been well made. Still, there have usually been a few rough edges, and it was only with the Centauri Carbon and Centauri Carbon 2 that I started to see that change, although the sci-fi or quirky graphic remained.

The H1 HT goes further again, and the build quality is one of the best of any dryer box I've seen and used. Elegoo has dropped the sci-fi industrial styling and finally offers something more professional.

In the background, there have been changes in the company, and you get the impression this is the first result of that new influence. There are small design details, such as the lid having a proper latch that closes and seals securely, which sounds trivial until you've used dryers where the lid simply rests in place.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

At 1.53kg empty and 280 x 126 x 257mm, these are weights and measurements that I have measured and not from an official listing; it sits alongside a printer without taking up too much space on the work surface.

However, if you're using it with a multifilament, then you are looking at four of these. Each requires an AC (mains) socket, so while it’s a solution, the power and space requirements do need to be taken into account.

Another point is that units can't be stacked but sit side by side neatly. With the filament inside, it exits the dryer through one of two outlets. The rear outlet is horizontal to the work surface and takes PLA, PETG, ABS, and ASA through a tube into the printer's filament block.

In contrast, the second lid outlet handles TPU and fibre-reinforced materials, where the more direct upward route applies noticeably less friction.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

• Design: 4 / 5

ELEGOO H1 HT: FeaturesSpecs

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Maximum temperature: 85°C
Presets: 11 (PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS, ASA, PET, PP, PC, PA, PAHT-CF, PVA) plus Custom
Capacity: one 1kg spool
Display: 3.5in colour touchscreen, temperature and %RH readout
Outlets: rear horizontal, plus lid outlet for TPU and fibre-reinforced
Drying: rotating spool (switchable), dual automatic vents
Safety: overheat protection, flame-resistant inner shell, lid-open detection, fan fault detection
Connectivity: none - no app, no printer communication
Power: 170-180W average drying PLA (measured)
Dimensions: 280 x 126 x 257mm / 1.53kg without filament (measured)
Noise: 57.2dB running against 32.9dB ambient (measured)
Price: £62 / $70 / €70 / $90 CAD / $149 AUD / ¥10,399

Opening up the box when the dryer arrived, it’s obvious that Elegoo has invested in the development of this machine. Details such as the front-facing touchscreen stand out for their responsiveness and design, but more importantly, it's well thought out, with no multi-layer menu depth and everything exactly where you'd expect it.

The home screen shows chamber temperature and relative humidity alongside set temperature, remaining time and current material. The eleven presets run from PLA up to PC, PA and PAHT-CF, with Custom alongside; the inclusion of PAHT-CF highlights that Elegoo is thinking about the engineering materials that actually need that 85°C drying temperature.

I also like the fact that there’s plenty of customisation, accessed by a setup that lets you adjust almost any setting, and then you can adjust it. For printing from the dryer, I routed the filament into the block on the Centauri Carbon 2 printer, switched off the auto-rotation and set 40°C for PLA, matching the drying time to the length of the print. Unfortunately, there’s no direct communication between the box and the printer.

Rotating Drying and Lid Open Detection have their own triggers; venting simply happens with nothing to hear, and the only safety feature check activates as soon as I leave the lid open, beeping and pausing drying until secured.

It’s also worth noting that there is no app, no connectivity, and no communication with the printer, which, with a Centauri alongside, is a shame. However, this also means that it works with any FDM printer you own.

• Features: 4.5 / 5

ELEGOO H1 HT: Performance

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

To start the test with the H1 HT, I first wanted to check to see if the dryer was actually able to reach the temperature highlight. Setting up is straightforward with the packaging removed, power plugged in, filament tube inserted into the back and then the box boots up, which takes a few seconds, and you’re ready to start. I then set the temperature to 85C and pressed start. What instantly struck me was how easy this was to navigate.

The initial reading from the box was for an ambient temperature of 36°C, and watching that screen show the increase in internal temperature with the H1 HT reaching that 85°C in 8 minutes 25 seconds without a spool inside, then settled back to 77°C and fluctuated between 75 and 85°C.

I then watched it for a while, and it held that variance in temperature over a 15-minute period without issue.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

I then popped in a spool of PLA that had been in the workshop for a while and ran that through the dryer for the suggested eight hours from the present. Despite the hot weather, humidity out there is higher than you'd expect. I then popped in filaments from Elegoo, Prusa and Fillamentum with no sign of spool deformation.

What was apparent with each as I printed the test models was the uplift in quality, surface smoothness and stringing all improving dramatically once dried. Running the filament, especially PLA from the box, really made a difference and enabled printing that was closer matched to a new spool of material than one that had been sat around for a while.

Printing directly from the dryer worked on the Centauri Carbon 2 with PLA, ASA and PETG, all fed smoothly through the rear outlet with the internal temperature fluctuating slightly as expected but ensuring that 40ºC was kept at the holding point.

Over the test, the quality of the prints really increased and just became part of the printing process, although there is only one, which is a shame. Ideally, I would have four, one for each feed; however, aside from the additional space you need, you also have to consider powering each of the boxes, with each requiring its own AC power in addition to the printer.

I was also interested in the power draw, and checking this showed it utilised between 170 and 180 W drying PLA at40ºC and when it came to noise, it runs at 57.2dB against 32.9dB ambient, audible but not intrusive. Still, again that noise will increase with additional units.

Again, the touchscreen really stands out through the test, with the humidity readout giving a good sense of what's happening in the chamber. When just drying filament, the rotating spool is hard to assess in isolation; prior experience tells me even heat exposure from the rotating spool helps, although you need to switch this off when used in combination with the printer, at which point the strength of the filament feed will rotate the spool.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

ELEGOO H1 HT: Final verdict

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Elegoo is positioning the H1 HT as the answer to some of the feedback about the Centauri Carbon 2's open-air spool design. And having run one, I can see the potential. Considering what that machine costs, an additional $70 / £62 isn't excessive, although that price elevates as soon as more boxes are added.

While this is a great solution, it isn't as neat as a fully enclosed printer. Still, it offers flexibility and a scalable system, and the difference in print quality does make it worth the cost, especially if you’re an occasional printer and leave filament around for weeks or even months between use.

One issue worth knowing is that while drying rescues filament that's damp, not filament that's already gone brittle, so if spools have sat for months, check them before spending eight hours on a lost cause. You also have the issue of space and power outlets, but again the benefits that these dryers bring kind of outweigh that argument, at least for me.

At the end of the test, what stands out is just how good this thing is: the build, the interface, that latching lid. Something is shifting at Elegoo, and on this evidence it's one to watch.

Should I buy the Elegoo H1 HT?

Value:

$70 / £62 buys 85°C drying and a build that outperforms pricier rivals

4.5

Design:

The best-built dryer I've used, with an excellent touchscreen that’s easy to navigate

4.5

Features:

Eleven easy-to-access presets, dual outlets and print-through, but no connectivity, which is a shame

4

Performance:

Quick to reach temperature and a marked difference to print quality with open filaments

4.5

Total:

A superb first dryer that fixes the Centauri's open filament storage design.

4.5

You own a Centauri Carbon 2 or any open-spool printer.

This is the fix for filament exposed to room humidity, and you can print directly from it. The difference in print quality makes me at least feel I need more.

You print with engineering materials.

The 85°C maximum temperature and presets for PC, PA and PAHT-CF cover materials cheaper dryers can't reach, and the lid outlet gives TPU and fibre-reinforced filaments a low-friction route.

You need several spools dried at once

Each unit holds one 1kg spool, and they can't be stacked, so a four-colour setup means four dryers, and you’ll need an AC socket to power each.

You want an integrated setup.

No app, no connectivity, no communication with the printer. Everything is set manually on the unit itself.

For more top-performing models, see my guide to the best 3D printers I've tested and reviewed

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE: two-minute review

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE is a 10.9-inch tablet that sits between premium flagship slates and more modest mid-rangers. Launched in April 2025, it offers a rich, vibrant display, a robust build, and smart productivity tools. So, a year after its release, is it still worth your money?

Honestly, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE holds up pretty well. Not only is it relatively svelte at 6mm, it feels premium in the hands thanks to the sheer edges and satin finish. It also has a sturdy build, with its IP68 rating meaning it should happily shrug off both dust and dunkings in over 1m of water. The only part of its design I’m a little cooler on is the colorways it arrives in — some primary shades would add some interest in this parade of blues and grays.

Fortunately, the Tab S10 FE’s display doesn’t fall into this trap. While it might not quite knock the best tablets off their podium, its screen delivers sumptuous color — reds and blues, in particular, look super vibrant when sitting side by side. Whites aren’t quite as warm as I’d like, and it isn't the brightest display I’ve ever tested, but blacks feel surprisingly deep for an LED display and overall it achieves solid contrast.

The Tab S10 FE’s charms aren’t all surface level, though — it’s also capable of superb performance, given its Exynos 1580 chipset is less powerful than even some of its rival mid-rangers’. For productivity tasks, I experienced zero noticeable slowdown, even with a heap of apps open and video streaming in one half of multi-window mode. Gaming strained it a little:eh device became pretty warm during play, although mostly at higher graphics settings.

Having since been upgraded from the One UI 7 it was released with to 8.5, the Tab S10 FE’s OS feels light and versatile. Bloat is relatively minimal compared to some tablets, although I did find it a little irritating that a few of the apps that are preinstalled aren’t usable without paying money. But this aside, One UI is definitely one of the smoother Android skins I’ve used, offering effective gesture controls and easy-to-use multitasking functionality.

(Image credit: Future)

The Tab S10 also comes crammed with productivity tools and fun features. "Circle to Search" is an impressive feature that allows you to search images and text on-screen by circling it with the stylus. The "Handwriting Help" feature corrects the alignment and shape of your letters — a massive help if you suffer clumsy penmanship like I do — while the "Solve Math" function is accurate, albeit a little finicky. "Face Effects", like jawline correction and skin-tone tweaking, in photos feel a little bit borderline to me, though.

And you’ll keep getting the most out of all of these productivity tools for a long time, thanks to the Tab S10 FE’s extensive battery life. Even with a capacity of 8,000Ah, my battery test revealed the device should comfortably see you through 20 hours, which is likely to cover you for several days of real-world use. It’s none too shabby when charging, either: thanks to its 45W charging, fully topping up the battery took just 1 hour and 44 minutes, which is pretty speedy.

All told, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE is an impressive tablet for the price. It may not have the most powerful chipset on the market but it’s a fantastic slate for taking notes, sketching, and other productivity tasks; the display is bold and beautiful, and its battery will comfortably last twice as long as that of the similarly priced iPad Air. As long as you’re not looking for something to game on, you’re unlikely to be disappointed.

(Image credit: Future)Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: price & availability

• Launched on April 10, 2025
• List price from $549.99 / £539 / AU$849
• Available with 8GB / 12GB RAM and 128GB / 256GB storage

Launched on April 10, 2025, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE is available now. The list price for the Wi-Fi-only version sits at $549.99 / £539 / AU$849, or it costs $649.99 / £639 / AU$1,049 for the 5G version.

The Tab S10 FE’s base spec offers 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, but you can also pick it up with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It comes in three colorways: Silver, Blue or the Gray version I tested here. Regardless of which version you opt for, you’ll get Samsung’s S Pen as part of the package — which is a great bonus, given how much functionality it unlocks.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: specs

Dimensions

254.3 x 165.8 x 6.0 mm (10.01 x 6.53 x 0.24 inches)

Operating system

Android 15 (One UI 7), upgradable

Chipset

Samsung Exynos 1580

Weight

497g (Wi-Fi) / 500g (5G)

RAM

8GB / 128GB model, 12GB / 256GB model

Storage

128GB / 256GB (up to 2TB expandable via microSDXC)

Display

10.9-inch IPS LCD, 2304 x 1440 pixels, 90Hz, 16:10 aspect ratio

Cameras

13MP rear camera, 12MP ultrawide front camera

Battery

8,000mAh (45W wired charging support)

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, USB Type-C 2.0, 5G (cellular model only)

(Image credit: Future)Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: design

• Thin and light
• Solid build with IP68 rating
• Unadventurous colorways

First off, there’s something about the Galaxy Tab S10 FE's flat, unbevelled design that feels pleasingly tactile in my hands. Those chiseled edges make it feel more sturdy and substantial, while the satin finish to its metal feels wonderfully tactile beneath your fingertips. Despite its mid-market price, it definitely has a premium feel to it.

Having said that, Samsung is hardly lighting the world on fire with the range of colors the Tab S10 FE comes in. As I’ve mentioned above, your options are Gray, Silver and Blue — with the latter definitely the most standout of the three, and the Gray I tested here a little too safe. I do think it’s a shame Samsung didn’t offer the device in some more adventurous hues, especially given the Apple iPad 11-inch (2025) includes vibrant shades like yellow and pink in its lineup.

The Tab S10 FE isn’t the most expansive slate I’ve ever used, with an area of just 6.53 x 10 inches / 165.8 x 254.3mm — for reference, that’s just a little shy of the iPad 11-inch at 9.79 x 7.07 inches / 248.6 x 179.5mm. But, on the plus side, the S10 FE is pretty slight, measuring in at just 17.64 oz / 500g and 0.24 inches / 6mm thick. That’s not quite as slim as the 0.2 inch / 5.1mm Apple iPad Pro 13-inch or the 0.22-inch / 5.6mm Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, but it’s still trimmer than a lot of tablets out there.

Despite this dainty build, though, the Tab S10 FE is no delicate flower. In fact, it offers an IP68 rating, which means it should happily shrug off dust and grit, as well as survive an accidental dunking in at least a meter of water — something that is far from a given with many tablets. Keen to put this to the test, I gave it a dunking in 6 inches / 15cm of water in TechRadar’s testing tank for several minutes, and it emerged thoroughly soaked yet fully functional.

• Design score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future)Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: display

• Vibrant colors
• Strong contrast
• Could be brighter

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE doesn’t necessarily offer IMAX-scale viewing. Its display measures 10.9 inches and you lose a tiny bit of that to its rounded corners, so if you’re after something more expansive, the 13.1-inch Tab S10 FE+ might suit you better. However, its screen still performs impressively, with only a few small caveats.

To test what the display could do, I streamed some Blue Planet II in 4K. I was immediately impressed by the level of detail it was capable of: for example, the black-and-white lines flashing across a scintillating cuttlefish felt super sharp and well defined. While the Tab S10 FE’s 249.26ppi pixel density isn’t quite as detailed as the Apple iPad 11-inch (2025)’s 264ppi, the majority are unlikely to spot a huge difference in most scenarios.

Contrast also feels impressive, especially for an LCD panel. Even when side-by-side with the dappled sunlight, the depths of the ocean appeared inky black and well defined. Whites are also strong, although they run a little cooler than I’d expect — for example, the plumage of a wandering albatross and its fledgling chick looked a touch too blue for my tastes.

Fortunately, the Tab S10 FE’s hues are incredibly true to life elsewhere. Against the cobalt blue of the water, the bright red innards of a Lion’s mane jellyfish looked breathtaking, with the image not looking all that different to the Super Retina XDR OLED display in my flagship iPhone 16 Pro. For a mid-range tablet, Samsung’s Tab S10 FE sure offers some vibrant color performance.

Aside from those slightly cool whites, the only other area where the Tab S10 FE’s performance is less impressive is in terms of brightness. It offers 800-nit peak brightness outdoors in High Brightness mode, but its usual peak is 600 nits, meaning it isn't blazingly bright. That would be less of an issue if the S10 FE’s display wasn’t so reflective, but I did find it occasionally struggled to compete with the shine of the fluorescent lights overhead in TechRadar’s testing labs.

Despite this, the Tab S10 FE’s display is undeniably solid for its price, offering tantalizing viewing for a mid-market slate.

• Display score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future)Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: software

• Clean, agile OS
• Great Circle to Search and Handwriting Help tools
• Some slightly questionable Face Effects

Running One UI 8.5 built upon Android 16, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE feels light and easy to navigate. And compared to some tablets I’ve tested in recent months, it’s not crammed with bloat — I’m glad not to see Temu preloaded onto my device for the umpteenth time.

Which is what makes it all the more frustrating that some of the handful of apps that are preinstalled on the Tab S10 FE — such as LumaFusion and Clip Studio Paint — you have to pay for before using. Pre-loading my device with apps that are essentially just adverts for services you want me to sign up for just feels a bit grimey.

That’s a shame, because elsewhere Samsung’s OS feels light and offers decent productivity tools. Loading two apps in multi-window view is as simple as dragging two fingers from the side of the screen and loading the second app you’d like to use. Meanwhile, you can create multiple desktops to keep discrete workflows separate, making it a solid tool for working on the go.

Some of Samsung’s native apps are also pretty powerful. Using the drawing app Penup and the S Pen, I whipped up a sketch of my cat in an ukiyo-e style. Not only did the app make downloading and customising multiple watercolor and ink brushes straightforward, it quickly allowed me to add layers and a reference photograph to use. It even offers built-in functionality for exporting live drawing videos, which is a neat function for digital artists.

Baked into One UI 8.5 are multiple image manipulation tools. Removing irksome objects from your photographs is a pretty common feature these days, but Samsung’s Circle to Erase tool largely works well. It quickly removed an errant seagull and a hot-air balloon from a sunny evening selfie I'd snapped — although for reasons I can’t quite understand, it also half-mangled the corner of our blanket for no reason that I could fathom.

Some of Samsung’s built-in Face Effects are a little bit more dicey in my book. though. While I understand why you might want to fix blemishes or slightly smooth out complexions, tools for "fixing" people’s jawlines and lightening / darkening people’s skin tone honestly feels borderline for me in an era when looksmaxxing and colorism are very real trends. Meanwhile, the Reshape tool for tweaking facial and body features is horrifying in pretty much every sense — ethics aside, all I could really achieve with this feature was transforming myself into a Cronenbergian monster, which I’m not sure people are clamoring for on social media.

Fortunately, Samsung offers some other tools that are less contentious. Circle to Search stumped me at first, as I couldn’t seem to trigger it using the stylus or any context menus. Eventually, I worked out that you have to hold down the Home button to trigger the context-aware AI — and the results were then genuinely impressive, allowing me to quickly identify a weedy seadragon from a video or a bumblebee crawling across a rhododendron.

Samsung’s Handwriting Help tools are also pretty impressive. They deftly aligned my drifting script to the horizontal, although I found the claims that they'd "correct my letter shapes" to be a little overblown. Although, given that my handwriting looks like it was produced by a five-legged spider after too many espressos, I’ll admit this was a pretty boss-level challenge. And, more impressively, Samsung’s handwriting recognition almost invariably translated my jittering chicken scratch perfectly, something my own family can’t even do.

One of the more unique features the Tab S10 FE offers is its ability to solve calculations and equations for you. Write out a problem you’re struggling with, stick an equals sign after it and ping: an answer appears like magic. Or doesn’t. About half the time, the rabbit resolutely refused to pop out of the hat, leaving me to erase and rewrite functions over and over until it recognized them. And some sums proved more unreliable than others — root functions, in particular, seemed to throw up a lot of incorrect answers, although there’s a chance either my heinous handwriting or 25-year-old math knowledge is letting me down here.

For the most part, using the Galaxy Tab S10 FE’s software feels smooth and practical. I could just do without the paid bloat and the creepier of the photo-editing features.

• Software score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future)Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: performance

• Great productivity performance
• Games run well, for the most part
• Gets warm under heavy loads

Underneath the hood, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE runs the Exynos 1580 chipset and comes with either 8GB of RAM (on test here) or 12GB. That chipset will net you similar performance to, say, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, but it won’t really rival any of the Snapdragon 8 series or the current generation of Apple silicon chips.

When handling everyday productivity tasks, this still translated to pretty credible performance. While browsing the Internet with multiple tabs open, I never noticed any substantial slowdown or unusual behaviour. Typing this section of this review, the Tab S10 FE didn't show any noticeable lag or hanging, even with multiple apps open in the background. Always one to push things to their most absurd extreme, I even tried streaming Louis Theroux’s My Scientology Movie in multi-window mode as I typed, and — blow me down — both Google Docs and iPlayer continued to run as smooth as a frog slathered in peptide face cream.

This stable performance extends to gaming as well. Loading up Call of Duty: Mobile, I was generally impressed with how stably it ran, even with the hi-res graphics packs downloaded. Even if there was the tiniest hint of jitter on the odd occasion, I never found it impacted my gameplay all that much — I was still able to click heads consistently enough to pick up multiple MVP awards in a row.

Unfortunately, playing Genshin Impact proved a bumpier ride, though. Defaulting to the lowest graphics setting, the game looked pretty awful on the Tab S10 FE, rendering everything with blocky, jagged visuals. Yet switching the graphics settings even to Low threw up a warning I was overclocking the tablet’s CPU. I was expecting this would make the game unplayable on Medium settings, but actually it still ran pretty slickly.

Which leads me to suspect that the issue lies more with the Tab S10 FE’s cooling than that medium-range chipset. Even while playing Call of Duty: Mobile, I found the device warmed up considerably after about three matches back-to-back, while playing Genshin Impact the device started to get a touch toasty after just 10 minutes. This means that you’ll probably be fine if you nerf the graphics settings, but you might not want to red-line it quite as much as I did if you’ll be playing for extended periods.

• Performance score: 3.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future)Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: battery

• Lengthy 20-hour battery life
• Fast 45W charging

According to Samsung, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE’s battery should last you around 20 hours, which was pretty much spot on according to my tests. After continuously streaming a video in 2K for five hours, its battery had dropped to 74%. Even allowing a little wiggle room for how uneven battery discharge curves are, Samsung’s estimates seem pretty on the money, so you should happily be able to use this tablet for several days running without it dying on you.

Even when it does run out of juice, it shouldn’t take long to top up using that 45W charging. During my testing, I found it took 1 hour and 44 minutes to go from 0% to 100% — given its 8,000mAh battery capacity, that’s really very decent.

Taking all of this into account, the Tab S10 FE’s battery life is pretty competitive. While 8,000mAh is far from the largest capacity you’ll find out there, its diminutive display and efficient chipset means it can outlast more premium tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus. It might not quite be able to rival the Honor MagicPad 4, our pick for the best tablet for battery life, but it’s still seriously long-lived.

• Battery score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

Good price for a gorgeous tablet that’s great for work, studies and streaming content. Perhaps not the best pick for gamers, though — especially given its specs are more modest than some similarly priced Android tablets.

4 / 5

Design

Slim and light, yet feels seriously well built. The IP68 rating means it will shrug off dust and accidental dunkings in water with ease. But a few more playful colorways would be welcome.

4 / 5

Display

Wonderfully vibrant colors, bold contrast and decent resolution. Whites are a little cool, though, and more brightness would help it overcome its shiny screen.

4 / 5

Software

Smooth, easy-to-use OS not too troubled by bloat and packed with productivity features. Some very smart tools such as Handwriting Help and Circle to Search. Not a fan of the preloaded apps you’d have to pay to use or the slightly creepy Face Effects.

4 / 5

Performance

Exynos 1580 chipset isn't top-of-the-range but enjoys excellent power for productivity, and decent if unexceptional gaming performance. Warms up quickly when playing demanding titles, though.

3.5 / 5

Battery

Lasts for 20 hours, despite its modest 8,000mAh capacity. And can be charged from empty to full in just over 100 minutes, thanks to 45W charging.

4.5 / 5

Buy it if…

You want a great slate for work and study
Whether it’s multitasking tools, drawing apps, handwriting polishing and recognition or automatic math formula solving, the Tab S10 FE is absolutely crammed with features for making your work easier.

You want a battery that lasts and lasts
Although its 8,000mAh battery doesn’t sound like much, it’ll comfortably last 20 hours before you have to charge it. That means it’ll happily outlast a lot of tablets on the market.

Don’t buy it if…

Gaming is your number one priority
The Tab S10 FE will comfortably run most games you throw at it. But you won’t be able to max out the graphics settings, and it can get pretty warm during intense sessions.

You’d be using it in bright sunlight
While the Tab S10 FE’s display is far from dull, its 800-nit peak brightness isn’t quite enough to overcome the reflective screen. If you want to watch shows in the garden, the iPad Pro’s 1600-nit peak brightness will serve you better.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review: also consider

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE

Honor MagicPad 4

OnePlus Pad 3

Dimensions

10.01 x 6.53 x 0.24 inches / 254.3 x 165.8 x 6.0mm

10.76 x 7.04 x 0.19 inches / 273.4 x 178.8 x 4.8mm

11.40 x 8.25 x 0.24 inches / 289.61 x 209.66 x 5.97mm

Operating system

Android 15 (One UI 7)

Android 16 (MagicOS 10)

Android 15 (OxygenOS 15)

Chipset

Samsung Exynos 1580

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite

Weight

497g (Wi-Fi) / 500g (5G)

450g

675g

RAM

8GB / 12GB

12GB / 16GB

12GB / 16GB

Storage

128GB / 256GB

256GB / 512GB

256GB / 512GB

Display

10.9-inch IPS LCD, 2304 x 1440 pixels, 90Hz, 16:10 aspect ratio

12.3-inch OLED, 3000 x 1920 pixels, 165Hz, 15.6:10 aspect ratio

13.2-inch IPS LCD, 3392 x 2400 pixels, 144Hz, 7:5 aspect ratio

Cameras

13MP rear camera, 12MP ultrawide front camera

13MP rear camera, 9MP front camera

13MP rear camera, 8MP front camera

Battery

8,000mAh (45W wired charging)

10,100mAh (66W wired charging)

12,140mAh (80W wired charging)

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, USB Type-C 2.0, 5G (Cellular model only)

Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, USB Type-C 3.2

Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, USB Type-C 3.2

Honor MagicPad 4
The Honor MagicPad 4 has a more powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset, a larger, higher-res OLED display, an even longer-lasting battery, and faster charging than the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE. It’s also slimmer and lighter, while costing a similar price. So what’s the catch? It isn't available in the US or Australia, meaning this tablet is strictly for British eyes only.

Read our full Honor MagicPad 4 review

OnePlus Pad 3
There’s a reason the OnePlus Pad 3 is our pick for the best Android tablet for most people. It rocks the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset — the most powerful included in any of the tablets mentioned here — that makes it great for productivity and gaming. Meanwhile, its display has a higher resolution than its rivals here, and a 7:5 aspect ratio that makes it great for watching movies.

Read our full OnePlus Pad 3 review

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE

• Tested it over a week
• Tried out a wide variety of tasks, from work to games
• Used specific tests to assess screen, performance and battery life

I tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE over the course of a week. During that time, I used it for a range of purposes, whether that was productivity tasks such as writing this review, playing games, or watching TV and movies. I also tried out a range of the tablet’s pre-loaded software —for example, using the Notes app for taking notes or Penup for drawing.

When it comes to specific tests, I assessed the Tab S10 FE’s display by streaming Blue Planet II to see how its display delivered brightness, color, contrast and resolution. I tested performance by playing multiple games and using various apps in multitasking mode. Finally, I tested the battery by streaming 2K video at medium brightness for 5 hours to see how much it was depleted during that time.

In terms of personal experience, I’ve been reviewing phones and tablets for TechRadar for several years now and writing about tech for far longer. I’ve also tested a wide range of drawing tablets, giving me a lot of experience in commenting on color fidelity and stylus performance.

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

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