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IPRoyal Review: Pros & Cons, Features, Ratings, Pricing and more
After three weeks with the Kaleidescape Strato E movie player, I can’t go back to 4K streaming services to get my movie fix
Fortect Antivirus Review 2025: Expert Insights into Protection, Features, and Pricing
I tested OpenNMS and found it excels at handling large-scale networks
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Updated: 1 hour 18 min ago

Garmin Venu X1 review: The most innovative Garmin watch in years, and a genuine Apple Watch Ultra rival

Sat, 08/09/2025 - 03:00

Garmin Venu X1: One-minute review

(Image credit: Future)

When you think of the best Garmin watches, you think of thick, G-Shock-style rugged adventure watches, not a sleek full-screen bezelless smartwatch that sits slim on your wrist. The Garmin Venu X1 bucks the trend, offering a complete redesign, and it’s fun to get to grips with the Garmin experience in what feels like a whole new way.

Personally, I loved it. I’ll discuss the design and display, which of Garmin’s usual suite of metrics and features it gets, and how it performs, in detail below, but it’s an eminently usable watch that has very quickly become a fixture in my usual rotation. The slender nature of the watch and curved stainless-steel backing hugs the wrist and makes it comfortable, and that gorgeous full-color AMOLED display is perfect for viewing maps.

The battery life is a concern in comparison to more typical Garmins, however: if you’re used to a two-week battery, the always-on display will crush the Garmin Venu X1’s longevity down to just a few days. However, without the always-on display you’ll get a week (far more than even the best Apple Watch), even with multiple battery-sucking hour-long GPS workouts.

The other slight concern is the redesigned operating system. The list of widgets (or ‘glances’ in Garmin speak) are navigated via a combination of touchscreen and buttons, and have received a Liquid Glass-style facelift to make use of Garmin’s Apple Watch-style screen. However – and to keep the comparison going – sometimes the framerate can lag, and without Garmin’s five-button configuration or an Apple-style digital crown, swiping around can be cumbersome (especially mid-workout). It doesn’t spark joy, to quote Marie Kondo, in the same way that Apple’s form factor does.

Nevertheless, I’ve been wearing the watch for weeks, and I’ve finished my testing, and it’s still on my wrist – and once I’ve finished testing my next watch, I’ll probably strap it back on again. It’s light, it looks good, it’s comfortable, it lasts longer than an Apple Watch (with the latter two factors helping to make it practical to wear overnight for better sleep tracking), and it’s just a damn good watch. I still can’t get over how good full-color maps look on its enormous screen.

Garmin Venu X1: Price and availability

(Image credit: Garmin)

$799 / £799 / AU$1,399
One size
Around the same price as the Apple Watch Ultra 2

The Garmin Venu X1 is available in all regions, priced at $799.99 / £679.99 / AU$1,499. That’s around the same price as the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which is priced at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399.

Like the Apple Watch Ultra 2, the Garmin Venu X1 comes in just one size, as opposed to most other Garmin watches that are available in multiple sizes. However, the Ultra 2 does have one major feature the Venu X1 doesn’t: LTE support.

LTE support means you can add the Ultra 2 to your phone’s data plan (this usually costs extra), and allows you to make calls, send messages and even stream music directly without being connected to your phone. The Venu X1, despite being in the same premium price bracket as the Ultra 2, doesn’t have this functionality.

Then again, neither do other Garmin watches such as the Garmin Fenix 8, which actually costs more than the Venu X1. The difference between the two is that the Venu X1 is positioned as a smartwatch competitor, rather than an adventure watch.

Value score: 4/5

Garmin Venu X1: Design

(Image credit: Future)

Gorgeous, bright AMOLED display
Slim profile, highly unusual for Garmins
Stainless steel curved backing for comfort

The Garmin Venu X1 is slimmer than any other Garmin I’ve yet tried, and I’ve tried a lot. No chunky adventure watch here: Garmin has opted for a practically bezel-less slender watchwith just 7.9mm of thickness. The slim profile combines with the metal backing, which is curved to follow the wrist, for a fit that I found very comfortable, though people with smaller or larger wrists than mine might not find it quite as good a fit.

Most other smartwatches have straight backs, relying on straps to bind their boxy cases to your wrists, which can cause the sensor to dig into your wrist. I found the Garmin Venu X1 very comfortable indeed, more so than the Apple Watch Ultra series.

While the back is cambered, the wide display isn’t curved at all, unlike the Apple Watch Series 10. Instead, it’s completely flat, slightly reducing glanceability in theory, but the screen is big and bright enough that it doesn’t really matter. The display (a 51.2mm AMOLED Sapphire Glass display) is among the best I’ve ever seen on a smartwatch.

The velcro strap included with the watch isn’t particularly stylish, but it’s perfectly adequate performance-wise. It’ll need cleaning, as it’s fabric, and it got a bit dirty even during my first month of training.

The only real design flaw I’ve identified after using this watch for a month is Garmin’s operating system, which has had a bit of a facelift to better suit Garmin’s biggest, brightest display. It looks fine, but to navigate it you have to scroll through with two buttons and the touchscreen, as there’s no digital crown and only two buttons, unlike on most of Garmin’s other watches.

This is something that’s always been a problem with the Venu series for me; however, it’s by no means a dealbreaker. Occasionally you’ll need to swipe between screens during a workout, from heart rate and time to maps for example, with the touchscreen – and this can become smeared with sweat and dirt. However, it’s not enough to be a serious problem with the watch; it’s just a minor gripe.

Design score: 4.5/5

Garmin Venu X1: Features

(Image credit: Future)

Garmin’s top-tier training features
Full-color offline maps
LED torch

First up, all of Garmin’s best features, including Morning Report, Training Readiness score, Endurance and Hill scores, Garmin Coach, full-color maps, work brilliantly here, and the watch functions well as a workout companion that’s much lighter than the chunkier Forerunners and Fenixes, making it ideal for runners and swimmers as you’ll practically forget you’re wearing it.

The added comfort and reduced weight are especially beneficial for sleep tracking. The watch is so much more comfortable than watches with thicker profiles, which means it’s easier to wear in bed. You can get all your recovery metrics, such as sleeping heart rate variability and sleep quality, from the watch directly, rather than not wearing it (or even removing it in frustration during the middle of the night because it’s stopping you nodding off, as I’ve done with some chunky watches) and relying on Garmin’s estimations.

That massive display is transformative when viewing complex information such as multiple glances at once, or full-color maps. You can’t use the touchscreen for precision movements such as responsive pinches to zoom in and out, like you would on a phone, but the maps screen is still ideally suited for getting turn-by-turn directions on city walks, or long runs using the Create a Course functionality.

The Garmin Venu X1 offers a generous 32GB of onboard storage for music and GPX maps, and supports offline playback from apps such as Spotify. It’s also packing Garmin’s useful LED torch, with a red mode for wearing at night as a safety light, and three levels of white light. It can be used for anything from finding your way to the bathroom in the dark to signalling for help atop a mountain, perhaps when you’ve taken a wrong turn after a hike.

The torch uses a fair amount of battery, though, so if you’re going to be out overnight you might want to disable the always-on display to conserve power – more on that in a moment.

Features score: 5/5

Garmin Venu X1: Performance

(Image credit: Michael Sawh)

Good battery life without always-on display
Easy to wear
I enjoyed training in it

I wore the Garmin Venu X1 for around a month, draining the battery completely, charging it multiple times and doing lots of running and resistance training while wearing it. I also competed in a 12K trail-running event, using the Primary Race training tool to fine-tune my plans for the day. I slept with it, took it out on the roads, and wore it during gym and yoga sessions.

I’ve seen some criticisms stating the battery is very bad with always-on display enabled, and they’re right: with this functionality on, you’re only getting a few days of battery life. However, as someone who found the raise-to-wake functionality more than suitable and sensitive enough for my needs, I’m living with the watch just fine. During testing, the battery lasted around a week with multiple GPS workouts, which is pretty much as advertised.

Using it as a running watch, I found that it’s one of the best I’ve tried this year. It’s not as powerful or rugged, or quite as feature-rich, as the Fenix 8, but it’s a much better all-rounder watch. I used the voice command functionality to set kitchen timers and so on, and it’s certainly easier than swiping through the OS. However, it’s not quite as seamless as the Apple Watch’s nigh-on futuristic raise-and-speak functionality, as it still takes a swipe and tap to set up.

As Garmin’s attempt at an Apple Watch, the Venu X1 very nearly succeeds, and it’s a lovely watch to wear and train with in its own right. However, I think that in order to truly succeed both as a training watch and a smartwatch, it needs to leave more of its Garmin trappings behind – among other things, Garmin needs to completely redesign the interface, and enable users to access its voice command feature with one fewer swipe.

Performance score: 4/5

Scorecard

After testing the GL.iNet Slate 7 portable router, it earned a spot in my remote working bag - but it's not perfect

Sat, 08/09/2025 - 01:47

The GL.iNet Slate 7 is precisely what I wanted on paper for a travel router, and it still has the potential to be something great. This travel router beautifully blends speed, security, and compact simplicity all in one device. It has dual 2.5GbE ports, a built-in VPN, a touchscreen for ease of navigating the onboard UI, and it is all easily powered by USB-C while barely pulling any power.

Portable routers have gained popularity over the years due to increased cybersecurity awareness, the rise of remote work, and the growing number of devices people carry with them. Portable routers can be helpful for quickly connecting devices, sharing files between devices, providing a layer of security between a public network and your devices, and much more.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )GL.iNet Slate 7: Pricing and Availability

You can grab a GL.iNet Slate 7 for $134.91, currently on sale from $149 on Gl-inet.com. You can also find these via online retailers including Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Since this device does not have an internal battery, consider purchasing a portable charger to make this travel router even more mobile.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )GL.iNet Slate 7: Unboxing & first impressions

When I unboxed this portable travel router, I was surprised by its compact size. The solid, matte-black casing helped keep this light, weighing in at just under 300 grams altogether. The front panel features a touchscreen, which is excellent for changing settings, though I am concerned that it may be a tad too convenient and may share information that I want to keep private.

Regardless of your opinion on this shape, the functionality and performance of this unit are also quite impressive. It's easy to connect devices, with two 2.5 GbE ports, a USB-A port, and a USB-C port on the back, making physical connections a breeze. This is especially true since the device can power over USB-C, which is the single most popular cable in recent history. When connecting devices via Wi-Fi, they are snappy, have a decent range, especially for a small and portable unit, and are easy to use.

As mentioned previously, if you plan on traveling frequently with this unit, it's worth considering a portable power station or a long USB-C cable. This way, you can position it where you want it while still being able to plug into the nearest outlet.

GL.iNet Slate 7: Design & Build Quality

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Specs

Wi‑Fi: 2.4 GHz (up to 688 Mbps), 5 GHz
Ethernet: Dual 2.5 GbE (configurable WAN/LAN)
VPN: WireGuard ~540 Mbps, OpenVPN ~100 Mbps
CPU/RAM: Qualcomm quad-core 1.1 GHz, 1 GB DDR4, 512 MB NAND
Power: USB‑C PD support (5–12 V), ~6–8 W draw

The GL.iNet Slate 7 is very sleek. It looks like what Batman would carry if he were in IT and needed a travel pocket router. The industrial design is compact and well-finished, allowing for the antenna to be folded when not in use. The back houses all the ports, including the PD power input, dual 2.5GbE ports, and a USB-A 3.0 port. The front features a touchscreen that displays pages side by side, allowing you to view all the features and settings of the Slate 7. That's where a significant potential flaw arises with this unit. In theory, anyone could grab this, or view it from a distance, and know precisely what your SSID is, or worse.

Outside of that, though, the design on this unit is super sharp. I love that it can compactly collapse, and I appreciate the overall footprint. This is small enough that it can live in my backpack without taking up much space at all, helping me forget I even have it.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )GL.iNet Slate 7: In use

I've used this router for various purposes during my testing. I've taken it to a coffee shop to have all my devices connect (automatically. I've also taken it on a quick trip to a family cabin and into normal working areas.

In the coffee shop scenarios, I quickly and easily unpack the router and place it to the side, running it off my Anker Power Bank. Next, I pulled out my iPhone, and through the companion app, I was able to join the coffee shop's network with my Slate. Then, my Slate put out my personal Wi-Fi, which all of my devices are already connected to. Additionally, I enabled a VPN through OpenVPN using Primes Lab that allowed me to connect back through my secure home office network. Now, when I pulled out my laptop, iPad, and my iPhone, I was able to see everything on my home network, all while knowing I am secure and protected thanks to Primes and my GL.iNet portable router. Having this router also means that my devices automatically connect to a network they recognize, giving me even more reason to have a portable router like this.

On trips, I rely heavily on this portable router to make connecting all of my devices, my wife's devices, my kids' devices, and more a breeze. Stopping at a hotel is now a snap to reconnect any devices we may need, whether for work or play. Additionally, the ability to press one button and loop back to my home network, all from a tiny box, is invaluable.

As I mentioned briefly above, one potentially significant issue with this is that there are too many ways to accidentally reveal more information than I'd want anyone to know in a coffee shop or lobby through the touch screen. That could be fixed with a patch in the future, as it's a simple software ordeal, but I also understand what they were going for.

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

Minimalist and Sleek

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ease of use

Easy to use for what it is

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Practicality

Practical for the right user

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price

Fairly priced

⭐⭐⭐⭐

GL.iNet Slate 7: Final verdict

The GL.iNet Slate 7 has become an essential device whenever I work outside of a known network. It helps me stay safe while traveling and working, or traveling and staying connected, even if all I'm linking to is PLEX and Netflix.

I wish there were a slight software patch to hide network settings from the screen. For more power users, individuals will want to know that this device has true Wi-Fi 7 with a 6GHz channel. However, for my use cases, the 5GHz channel has been plenty.

Categories: Reviews

I watched Wednesday season 2, part 1 and the family drama makes it even better than its predecessor

Fri, 08/08/2025 - 22:00

Wednesday season 2 is back with a bang, and even though we have to wait until September for part 2, we're off to an excellent start.

Part one of season 2 is made up of four episodes, so it was crucial to keep audiences engaged and make sure they'd come back for the final installment. Considering Wednesday has been renewed for season 3, the pressure is on, but I personally can't wait for this show to keep going.

When we catch up with Wednesday after a two-year break, the gloomy teenager is returning to Nevermore as summer has come to an end. But while her peers were all partying and having fun, Wednesday spent her summer break pursuing a serial killer, very on brand for her.

Upon returning to Nevermore, a lot has changed. Following Gwendoline Christie's departure as Principal Weems, we've got a new head of school in the form of Steve Buscemi's Principal Dort, a dorky yet suspicious character who is keen to secure funding for the school.

He's not the only new addition to the cast, either. Joanna Lumley joins to play Morticia's estranged mother, Hester, expanding the beloved Addams Family and providing more family drama, something season one was seriously lacking.

I was thrilled that the family takes center stage this time, with Wednesday's brother, Pugsley, joining Nevermore, and her parents, Morticia and Gomez, sticking around to help with a gala. Having them around is a delight and you can expect laughs, macabre delights, and some cringeworthy moments because yes, Morticia and Gomez are sickeningly loved up this season.

The Nevermore students are back, too, of course, and we're reunited with familiar faces like Enid Sinclair, Bianca Barclay, Ajax Petropolus, and Eugene Ottinger.

It's not long before more drama ensues, of course, as Wednesday attempts to track down her stalker, deal with her psychic abilities, and figure out why a murder of crows is well, murdering people. There's never a quiet day for Wednesday.

While the main plot focuses on the crows and who (or what) is controlling them to kill people, we do have several subplots going on. Wednesday gets a vision of Enid's death, Enid is caught in a love triangle, Pugsley accidentally creates a zombie, and more.

I will admit, not all of these are attention-grabbing and do slow the pacing down in places, but the main plot is enough to keep you invested. I was also very enamored by the zombie character, named Slurp, who provided laughs and scares in abundance.

Steve Buscemi's new principal is a shady figure. (Image credit: Netflix)

We're only halfway through, but so far, I can confidently say this has been a good season and there's real potential to expand on things across the next four episodes.

I'm hoping we get to learn more about the family and their buried secrets, some of which have been referenced early in season 2. Without spoiling anything, there's plenty for fans to look forward to on that front, and Addams Family drama can rival any reality TV show.

Will Wednesday season 2 continue to impress when it returns on September 3? Until then, why not check out 4 more spooky Netflix shows with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes to watch next?

I reviewed this AI film production tool and I'm torn over how easily it let me storyboard and create professional video projects

Fri, 08/08/2025 - 13:02

LTX Studio is an online generative AI service that aims to provide many tool filmmakers needs from storyboarding, and even extending its scope to full-blown video creation. It’s a bold ambition, but does it cut it when it comes to production? I tested it out to see what's on offer.

LTX Studio: Pricing & plans

The free tier’s limitations really make it a trial service, but the paid levels aren’t that expensive when compared to other online services

You’d think such an ambitious goal would demand eye-watering prices, but LTX Studio’s subscription costs are surprisingly reasonable compared to other services.

For one thing, there’s a free tier, which is always welcome, although it does come with restrictions, the worst one being only granting you 800 Computing Seconds (CS). Not each month, or even each year, but for ever. So it’s best to think of this tier as a means to test the service, and put it through its paces.

The other tiers start at $15 a month, and go up to $125, with each offering more tools and options, including an increasing number of CS each month, from 8,640 (2.4 hours) for the cheapest to 90,000 (25 hours) for the top of the line (you can’t as of yet purchase additional ones should you run out in any given month). Paying yearly grants you a 20% discount (i.e., to the equivalent of between $12 to $100 per month).

‘Lite’ comes with a personal licence, while ‘Standard’ and ‘Pro’ have a commercial one. The latter two also include the ability to create ‘Trained Actors’ (digital facsimiles), have access to accelerated rendering, as well as the ability to collaborate with others on a single project.

You can check out LTX Studio by clicking here.

Score: 4/5

LTX Studio: Computing Seconds

(Image credit: Lightricks // Future)

Referring to Computing Seconds (CS) as an allotment of resources can make sense, but is currently quite opaque as we can’t know off hand how much time an action will take. LTX Studio is working on making this a more transparent transaction

It might be best to pause for a second and understand what Computing Seconds (CS) are: any requests you make, be it to generate an image, rendering videos, changing a character’s appearance, etc, costs computing time, and that comes out of your allotment.

As I was informed, if someone opened a free account, and “used all their tokens generating videos with LTXV, they'd be able to generate around 12-16 videos.” This should be enough to give you an good idea of what the service will offer you, but it is still somewhat opaque, as obviously the more complex the request, the more CS it will need to consume to deliver, and each amendment will cost you additional CS.

As an illustration, in my own exploration of the service, I ended up using around 8,000 CS, asking for a handful of images, videos, and storyboards. LTX Studio is aware of this and are currently working on a way to make it clear how many seconds you’ll be using up for each kind of request.

Score: 3/5

LTX Studio: Getting started

(Image credit: Lightricks // Future)

Login in without a password may sound like fun, but it gets tedious after a while if you’re always accessing the service from one computer. Aside from that, the home page is easy to understand and use

You have the option of login in via your Google account or your email address. There’s no password for either, although each and every time you log in with your email (or every day if you work in LTX a lot), you’ll be asked for type in a special login code which is sent to you on request.

OK, fine, there’s no need to remember yet another password, but considering our computers store our passwords for us these days, it can get frustrating.

There is an upside of course: it makes it super easy to log in from any computer, not just yours - as long as you’ve got access to your email on the go (most do, I know, but some don’t).

Once you’re in the interface proper, you’re offered various choices, depending on your subscription level. Creating AI characters, for instance, is not available for the Lite tier. In addition to those artificial actors, you can create images and videos, generate a storyboard using AI, or manually create one instead. All this is offered to you either in the form of giant thumbnails, or through a menu sidebar to the left, which includes your recent projects.

I’ve been told this will all change soon, and the interface will intuitively morph into the right tool, based on what you need to do. Another feature that’s coming soon.

Score: 3/5

LTX Studio: Generative AI

(Image credit: Lightricks // Future)

This genAI service acts and feels like any other, with the one major distinction being the in-house algorithm’s speed, which is most impressive

Whether you opt to ‘Generate Images’ or ‘Generate Motion’, you’re taken to the exact same ‘Gen Space’, a section of the service which remembers all the prompts you’ve given it, which you can scroll through at any time. It’s also possible to create multiple sessions so as not to clog your ‘Gen Space’ with too much media.

The concept works like any other generative AI tool you might’ve used in the past: there’s a prompt field where you type in what you’re after, hit ‘Return’, and you’re offered multiple results.

You can’t create a video without a still image to base the motion from. This is achieved either by uploading an image, or by selecting a generated one from your ‘Gen Space’ After that, the process is the same… aside from the choice of algorithm.

By default, you’re offered ‘LTX Turbo’, an extremely fast in-house algorithm. Google’s Veo 2 and 3 are also available, and so is ‘LTX’, a higher quality version of the default choice. Veo takes a lot longer to produce results and hence will cost you more CS. Also, the longest videos you can produce with Veo are 8 seconds, while LTX can make them up to 30 seconds (although 15 and up are still in beta - 9 seconds is the non-beta maximum).

The standard resolution for videos is 1080p, and I’ve been told they’re working on getting it up to 4K.

As is often the case with genAI, it’s not a magic bullet. It doesn’t always work as expected, so you can end up spending a lot of CS to get everything exactly right.

Score: 4/5

LTX Studio: Storyboarding

(Image credit: Lightricks // Future)

You have the option of manually imputing each shot you’re after, or let LTX’s AI do it all for you. Place your artificial actors in the scenes, and there’s even a rudimentary video editor to finish your project with (or export the generated shots to a proper video editing tool)

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of LTX Studio is its Storyboarding feature. You can create all the shots you need for the scenes you’re planning on shooting through their ‘Blank Storyboard’ tool. You get to choose the type of shot, its angle, type in a description, and LTX will generate an image for you based on that information.

Remember the digital actors you’re able to create? Well, this is where you can add them to your project. It’s also possible to change the style of your project, from cinematic, to grunge, film noir, anime, and a host of others.

I’m somewhat concerned about how easy it is to create an actor using the likeness of a celebrity or someone you know, but truth be told, that’s the case for pretty much every other genAI service.

Once you’ve built your storyboard, there’s also a Timeline where each shot will be displayed in sequence. You’re free to move them around, or even delete shots (this will be reflected in your storyboard), but it’s also possible to export each shot you’ve created in LTX, and use dedicated video editing software to fine tune your edit.

Story-boarders could use this service to speed up their creation process, no doubt. But it’s also very possible for anyone who knows about shots, angles, etc, to do away with a story-boarder altogether with this service, and even more so with the ‘Generate Storyboard’ tool. With that one, all you need to do is feed it your scene’s script, and AI will create shot after shot for you automatically.

It’s not hard to imagine, with a lot of CS, you could conceivably create an entire video project, from concept to final output, without ever leaving the comfort of your chair, scout for locations, cast actors, hire a crew… It’s certainly the most impressive… But is it a good thing? For the industry, for the professionals? For the individuals?

Score: 4/5

LTX Studio: Environmental concerns

(Image credit: Lightricks // Future)

Like any AI data centre, LTX Studio uses a lot of power, and a lot of water. The Google centre they’re hosted by, claim to “care deeply” about reaching net zero by 2030, and that it replenishes around two thirds of the water it uses

On top of that, there’s the growing concern of such data centre’s impact on the environment. LTX Studio is currently hosted in Council Buff, Iowa, and I’ve been told they “deeply care” about reaching net zero by 2030. I was also informed that LTX is the most energy efficient AI model out there (I guess having a really fast generative engine must help in that regard).

Freshwater usage is also known to be a massive problem, what with the huge number of processors these centres need to cool - Google’s Data Centres claim to replenish around 64% of the water they use. Despite that, they still use a heck of a lot of freshwater, mind. But then again, all massive AI centres have the same problem

Should I buy LTX Studio?

(Image credit: Lightricks // Future)

Buy it if...

You’re looking for a fast generative AI service that can help you build a project from scratch, creating actors, adding them to your storyboard, even turning images into short video clips, and edit it all in the included (yet rudimentary) video editing section.

Don't buy it if...

You’re not a fan of AI, don’t like the weird images and videos it generally produces, and prefer to deal with human beings to produce projects, and works of art.

For more creative tools, we've tested and reviewed the best video editing software and the best video editing apps for pro-grade results.

Categories: Reviews

The LG B5 is a brilliant, entry-level OLED TV with plenty to like, even though it doesn't hit the same picture quality heights as its pricier OLED siblings

Fri, 08/08/2025 - 12:00

LG B5 OLED TV review: Two minute review

The LG B5 is LG’s entry-level OLED TV for 2025. It doesn’t change a great deal from its predecessor, the LG B4, one of the best TVs of 2024, but still delivers the great performance and stacked feature set that you’d expect from an LG OLED TV. At $1,499.99 / £1,699 / AU$1,995 the main competition for the 55-inch model I reviewed is mid-to-premium price mini-LED TVs.

LG B5’s new features are primarily the AI ones associated with webOS 25, such as AI Search, AI Concierge and the improved AI Chatbot. Elsewhere, the B5 carries a lot of the same features as last year’s LG B4, although that is a well-stocked list.

The B5 delivers very good picture quality. Its main strength lies in its detailed textures and punchy, dynamic colors. Its rich contrast and deep black levels are what you’d expect from the best OLED TVs. Where the B5 falls short is brightness, as there has been no upgrade over the B4 in that respect. During testing, I also found its screen to be quite reflective, but its picture quality is still great overall.

With a two-channel, 20W speaker system, the B5’s built-in sound can only go so far. Using the AI Sound Pro preset results in clear sound for such a basic speaker array. Unfortunately, the bass is lacking, and its sound never really escapes beyond the screen. The B5 needs to be paired with one of the best soundbars to get a good cinematic experience.

Gaming is one area where the B5 shines. It has four HDMI 2.1 ports, which support 4K 120Hz, VRR (AMD FreeSync Premium, Nvidia G-Sync and HGiG), ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming. It also has a measured 9.1ms input lag time, which is up there with the best gaming TVs. There is an odd quirk you may need to navigate if you’re an Xbox Series X user, which you can check in the Gaming section of this review. But other than this, the B5 is a fantastic option for gaming.

LG’s webOS 25 is one of the best iterations of its smart TV platform to date, and although it carries over a lot of what made webOS 24 great, such as Quick Menu, Quick Cards, it adds in new AI features that many should find useful. This is one of the best smart interfaces you’ll find on a TV.

Value is a difficult proposition for the B5. While the B4 is available, it’s easily the better option as the B5 doesn’t provide any major upgrades. Still, for the money, the B5 delivers a very good package with responsive gaming performance, a full suite of features and strong picture quality.

LG B5 OLED TV review: Prices & release date

The LG B5 demonstrates strong contrast and refined detail (Image credit: Future)

Release date: July/August 2025 (UK/US)
48-inch: $899.99 / £1,299
55-inch: $1,499.99 / £1,699 / AU$1,995
65-inch: $1,999.99 / £2,499 / AU$2,695
77-inch: $2,999.99 / £3,499
83-inch: $4,499.99 / £4,499

The LG B5 is the entry-level model in LG’s 2025 OLED TV lineup, sitting below the mid-range LG C5 and the flagship LG G5 and LG M5 OLED models. The 55-inch model I tested launched at $1,499.99 / £1,699 / AU$1,995 compared to the LG C5’s 55-inch launch price of $1,999.99 / £1,899.99 / AU$3,295.

Since its release, prices for the LG B5 have fallen across the lineup in different regions. The 55-inch model is now priced at $1,499.99 / £1,399 / AU$1,995 and the 65-inch model is priced at $1,599.99 / £2,099 / AU$2,695.

LG B5 OLED TV review: Specs

Screen type:

OLED

Refresh rate:

120Hz

HDR support:

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

Audio support:

Dolby Atmos

Smart TV:

webOS 25

HDMI ports:

4x HDMI 2.1

Built-in tuner:

ATSC 1.0 (US)

LG B5 OLED TV review: Benchmark results LG B5 OLED TV review: Features

The LG B5's connections include four HDMI 2.1 ports (Image credit: Future)

Alpha 8 AI Processor Gen 2 and W-OLED panel
4K 120Hz, VRR, ALLM and four HDMI 2.1 ports
AI picture and sound tools

The LG B5 serves as the entry-level model in LG’s 2025 OLED TV lineup. It uses a standard W-OLED panel, and for that reason, it doesn’t offer the same brightness as the LG C5, which has an OLED Evo panel, or the LG G5, which has a new Primary Tandem RGB OLED panel.

The B5 comes equipped with LG’s Alpha 8 AI Processor Gen 2, which features 4K Super Upscaling and AI Picture Pro. It also has AI Sound Pro, which features 9.1.2 surround sound upscaling. The B5 supports Dolby Vision for both movies and gaming, but there is no HDR10+ support.

A built-in two-channel speaker system totaling 20W of power is provided on the B5. Alongside common sound preset modes such as Standard, Cinema, and Sports, there is an AI Sound Pro preset that analyzes the content onscreen and adjusts the sound accordingly. There is Dolby Atmos support, but unfortunately, no DTS support, which is the case for all 2025 LG TVs.

The B5 is well-equipped for gaming. It carries four HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K 120Hz, VRR (including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, Nvidia G-sync and HGiG), ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming. It also has a Game Optimizer mode where settings can be changed to improve picture and gaming performance, including an input delay boost.

The B5 uses LG’s webOS 25 as its smart TV platform. This supports all major streaming apps such as Netflix, Disney Plus and Prime Video, as well as UK-based streaming apps including BBC iPlayer and ITVX. The major new additions to webOS 25 include a number of AI-based tools such as AI Search, AI Concierge, which recommends content based on keyword searches you have used, and AI Voice ID, which recognises users and activates their saved profile with a customized home screen and content.

Features score: 5/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Picture quality

The LG B5's superb color is one of its highlights (Image credit: Future)

Detailed, contrast-rich picture
Accurate colors and textures
Middling brightness levels

Starting with some brightness measurements, the LG B5 clocked in at 668 nits in Cinema mode and 637 nits in Standard mode for HDR peak brightness measured on a 10% white window. Those numbers are almost identical to its predecessor, the LG B4. Such brightness figures are to be expected from a TV with a W-OLED display panel, but they are a significant step down from the mid-range LG C5, which hit 1,180 nits and 1,198 nits on the same tests in Filmmaker and Standard modes, respectively.

For fullscreen HDR brightness, the B5 hit 131 nits in Cinema mode and 172 nits in Standard mode, measured on a 100% white pattern. Again, these are low numbers, but typical ones for a TV with a W-OLED panel.

Throughout my viewing, I found myself switching between Cinema and Filmmaker Mode, as the former was better for brighter scenes, and the latter was more accurate for darker scenes.

Starting with some upscaling tests, the B5 did a good job of upscaling textures on an HD stream of Fight Club via Disney Plus, giving pictures a sharper look while also improving contrast. With a DVD of The Amazing Spider-Man, there was some visible upscaling in action, but it didn’t quite take the picture to 4K-like detail levels.

The B5 delivers accurate and rich colors. Watching Elemental on Disney Plus with Dolby Vision Filmmaker Mode active, a scene where Ember makes a glass vase produced shimmering oranges and purples with plenty of vivid punch. In Wicked, during the Wizard & I scene, the pink flowers were vibrant, and Elphaba’s green skin and the blue details on the walls looked true-to-life with plenty of depth.

When I measured the B5’s HDR color gamut coverage, it hit 99.5% for UHDA-P3 and 74.85% for BT.2020. These are excellent results and explain why the B5’s colors appear both accurate and vibrant.

The LG B5 delivers deep black levels as you'd expect from an OLED, but its reflective screen means darker scenes are best viewed in dim lighting conditions (Image credit: Future)

The B5’s black levels are as inky and rich as you could hope for from an OLED TV. In the opening crime scene investigation and subway fight in The Batman, the dark areas on screen looked deep and the shadow detail was superb. I did find there were minor instances of black crush in some particularly dark scenes in Filmmaker Mode, but dark scenes overall looked very good.

Contrast was also very good, with an even balance between light and dark tones. In both The Batman and Nosferatu, scenes with deep black backgrounds punctuated by bright light from torches or lamps had powerful depth. The B5’s average brightness meant the range between dark and light tones wasn’t as wide as you’d find on more premium OLEDs, but it was still impressive. And in black and white scenes from Oppenheimer, the B5 showcased a good range of gray tones between the deep shadows and bright highlights.

One thing that became obvious throughout my testing was how reflective the B5’s screen became in bright lighting conditions. Darker movies, such as The Batman and Nosferatu, were best viewed in dimmed or pitch black conditions, as they were difficult to watch with the overhead lights in our testing labs turned on.

Throughout testing, the B5 delivered realistic textures with a 3D-like level of crispness. Skin tones looked accurate, and the B5’s fine detail brought out features such as facial hair and pores.

The B5’s motion handling was accurate and smooth. In a scene from No Time To Die where James Bond walks across a hillside, the B5 handled the slow-panning camera shot with only minimal judder when Cinematic Movement was turned on in the Clarity settings. For sports, I chose Standard Mode with Natural motion turned on, as this produced the smoothest action when watching a soccer game on Prime Video while avoiding motion artefacts such as ghosting of the ball.

Picture quality score: 4.5/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Sound quality

The LG B5's sound is average, and although AI Sound Pro mode does a good job, movies such as Wicked (pictured) deserve better (Image credit: Universal Pictures / Future)

Two-channel speaker system
Clear, accurate sound
Limited bass and soundstage

The LG B5 has a two-channel, 20W speaker system, and while it supports Dolby Atmos, it lacks the DTS support found on 2024 LG OLED TVs. A useful AI Sound Pro mode upmixes audio to a 9.1.2-channel configuration that adds a more immersive layer to the B5’s sound.

Another new feature for webOS 25 is AI Sound Wizard, a tool that lets you listen to pre-recorded audio clips to determine a sound profile you like, similar to the AI Picture Wizard. Although I didn’t use this tool for my testing, it may be useful for some.

While I usually choose a Cinema/Movie sound preset for my testing, I found myself using LG’s AI Sound Pro preset most often. It added width and depth to the soundstage and produced a more accurate sound and greater volume levels compared to the Cinema preset.

Watching the Batmobile chase scene from The Batman with AI Sound Pro activated, swerving cars, screeching tyres and spraying bullets were all accurately mapped, with the sounds closely connected to the action on the screen. Sadly, the rumble of the Batmobile's engine was absent as AI Sound Pro sacrifices bass, creating a more thinned-out sound. Even so, when watching Wicked, AI Sound Pro did a good job of creating a wider soundstage for the score while also delivering clear vocals.

One tough thing to ignore is that the B5’s sound doesn’t match up to its picture. I’d recommend adding a soundbar, and thanks to the B5’s WOW Orchestra feature, compatible LG soundbars can work in tandem with the B5’s speakers to create a punchier, more impactful sound.

Sound quality score: 3.5/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Design

The LG B5 uses two metal feet instead of a central pedestal stand. (Image credit: Future)

Sturdy, lightweight design
Solid, metal feet
New AI smart remote

Even though it’s the entry-level OLED TV in LG’s lineup, the B5 has a premium design. It comes with two metal feet that feel reassuringly weighty, and when attached, the B5 is sturdy despite its light weight. It has a marble-effect on the rear panel that again gives it a premium feel.

The B5 is similar in depth to the LG C5, and although it doesn’t have the metal frame of the LG G5, it does have a visually appealing trim profile around most of the frame.

If you’re in the US, you’ll be getting a new streamlined, AI version of LG’s Magic Remote, which gets rid of some buttons in favor of a smaller, sleeker design. If you’re in the UK, the Magic Remote has a near-identical design to previous versions, but some buttons, such as source select, have been omitted in favor of the new AI button.

Design score: 4/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Smart TV & menus

webOS 25 is easily one of the best iterations of LG's smart TV platform to date (Image credit: Future)

LG webOS 25 interface
AI-based tools for content recommendation
Quick Cards and Quick Menu for easy navigation

The B5 uses LG’s webOS smart TV platform. This year’s iteration, webOS 25, adds several AI-centric features including AI Search, a tool that can be used to find specific content; AI Concierge, which uses keywords based on watch and search history to make content recommendations; and an improved version of AI Chatbot, an AI assistant that can help with any TV troubleshooting or queries.

The webOS 25 layout follows the same successful formula from webOS 24. It has Quick Cards on the home screen to house specific apps based on category, such as Game and Sports, and Quick Menu, a useful tool for making settings adjustments without having to move away from the content on screen. Navigation of menus and apps was smooth and responsive on the B5 throughout my testing.

Multiple viewers can create profiles that will have personalized layouts and even tailored comment recommendations. The new AI Voice ID feature can recognize a specific viewer, and the TV will automatically switch to the associated profile.

The B5 doesn’t have as many picture and sound settings as you’d find on some other smart TV platforms, but it now has AI Picture Wizard and AI Sound Wizards serving as useful tools to create your own personal picture and sound profiles.

Smart TV & menus score: 4.5/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Gaming

The LG B5 is a brilliant TV for gaming with responsive performance and handling with games such as Battlefield V (pictured) (Image credit: Future)

4K 120Hz, FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync
9.1ms input lag time
Four HDMI 2.1 ports

The B5 is an excellent TV for gaming and has a wide array of gaming features. It has four HDMI 2.1 ports that all support 4K 120Hz, FreeSync Premium, Nvidia G-Sync, HGiG, Dolby Vision gaming and ALLM. It also features a Game Optimizer mode where settings such as black level and input lag can be easily adjusted.

Gaming performance on the B5 is snappy and ultra-responsive. Playing Battlefield V on Xbox Series X, chaotic shootouts and battles with quick targeting were handled with ease, with the B5 delivering a judder-free experience throughout. With Boost mode activated in the Game Optimizer, I measured a low 9.1ms input lag time. With Dolby Vision picture activated, Battlefield V’s picture looked detailed with strong contrast and bold colors during a mission in an autumnal forest.

One quirk I did find during my testing was that with Dolby Vision picture, a feature that’s only relevant for certain Xbox Series X games, activated, I could not change the Input Delay in Game Optimizer. To get around this, I turned off Dolby Vision in the Xbox Series X settings, changed the Input Lag setting to Boost and then reactivated Dolby Vision. Not a dealbreaker, but something to note.

Gaming score: 5/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Value Image 1 of 2

The latest LG AI Magic Remote has a design change from previous generations. But it's only available in certain regions including the US. (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

UK users will have to settle for the original Magic Remote with a new AI button instead. (Image credit: Future)

Great features and performance for the price
Almost identical to its predecessor
Better value in the UK and Australia than in the US

The LG B5 is an odd TV to judge in terms of value. The 55-inch model I tested is available for $1,499.99 / £1,399 / AU$1,695, whereas the step-up 55-inch LG C5 is available for $1,399 / £1,599 / AU$3,295. This means if you’re in the US, it’s actually cheaper to buy the C5, though the reason the B5 is more expensive is that it was only recently released in the US and hasn’t yet seen discounts.

There is a significant price gap between the two in the UK and Australia, and while you may not get the C5’s brightness with the B5, you are getting a similar feature set.

The real elephant in the room is that the B5 is nearly identical to its B4 predecessor, with similar picture quality, including brightness levels, and similar features. While the B4 remains available, it is your best option as it’s now selling at a significantly reduced price. Once the B4 stock runs out, the B5 will be the cheapest 2025 OLED TV.

Still, the B5 carries a near-full suite of features and delivers great picture quality and gaming performance, for a competitive price. Once the B5 gets discounts, it will be a steal.

Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the LG C5 OLED TV?

(Image credit: Future)LG B5 OLED

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

A fantastic list of features for smart TV and gaming

5/5

Picture quality

Great picture quality with rich contrast and colors, but just average brightness

4.5/5

Sound quality

Direct, engaging sound with AI Sound Pro but feels too narrow and bass is underwhelming

3.5/5

Design

Solid build quality with somewhat premium feel for an entry-level OLED

4/5

Smart TV and menus

webOS 25 is packed with new AI features while carrying over everything that made webOS 24 great

4.5/5

Gaming

Full suite of gaming features including 4K 120Hz support and four HDMI 2.1 ports

5/5

Value

Nearly identical to its predecessor, the B4, but still a great overall package

4/5

Buy it if...

You want brilliant picture quality
The B5 has a contrast-rich picture that delivers vibrant colors and realistic textures. It looks more premium than its entry-level status would suggest.

You want a great TV for gaming
Stocked with a near-full suite of gaming features and delivering responsive performance and great picture quality, the B5 is a top-tier gaming TV.

You want the best smart TV platform
webOS 25 is easy to navigate, user-friendly, packed with convenient features and introduces AI tools that can make your life much easier.

Don't buy it if...

You own the LG B4
The B5 is a great TV, but it carries almost no upgrades over last year's B4 other than webOS 25. If you own the B4 or can get a good deal on it, there's no point in upgrading.

You want to watch in a bright room
Due to the LG B5's middling brightness and reflective screen, it can be quite difficult to watch in a bright room, especially with darker scenes. It's best viewed in dim conditions.

You want brilliant built-in sound
The B5 does an admirable job and has a useful AI Sound Pro mode, but there's no denying that the sound doesn't match the picture. A soundbar would make a good addition.

Also Consider

LG B5

LG B4

LG C5

Samsung QN80F

Price (55-inch)

$1,499.99 / £1,699 / AU$1,995

$1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,199

$1,999.99 / £1,899.99 / AU$3,299

$1,299.99 / £1,399 (roughly AU$1,991)

Screen type

OLED

Mini-LED

Refresh rate

120Hz

144Hz

HDR support

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

HDR10+, HDR10, HLG

Smart TV

webOS 25

webOS 24

webOS 25

Tizen

HDMI ports

4 x HDMI 2.1

LG B4
The LG B4 is the LG B5's predecessor and the two models are near-identical, with the main difference being the AI-based tools the B5 has received as part of webOS 25. While the B4 is still in stock, it's easily the better deal of the two. Read our full LG B4 review.

LG C5
The LG C5 is the mid-range OLED in LG's 2025 TV lineup. The main upgrades it has over the B5 include much higher peak brightness levels and an improved processor, as well as 4K 144Hz support for gaming. The C5 is arguably the best value OLED in LG's lineup and it's not much pricier than the B5. If you can't stretch your budget, the B5 is still a solid option. Read our full LG C5 review.

Samsung QN80F
The mid-range model in Samsung's 2025 mini-LED TV lineup, the Samsung QN80F is similarly priced to the B5. It carries a similar suite of features and delivers higher brightness, but its overall picture quality can't quite compete with the B5, as the latter offers richer contrast and more accurate colors. The QN80F may be a better option for bright rooms, however. Read our full Samsung QN80F review.

How I tested the LG B5 OLED TV

(Image credit: Future)

Tested over a couple of weeks
Tested using SDR and HDR sources
Measurements taken using Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software

I first began testing the LG B5 with some casual viewing to determine the best picture modes, eventually settling on both Cinema and Filmmaker Mode (depending on the content).

After this, I began my subjective testing, using both Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) sources such as DVD and broadcast TV and HD streaming, and High Dynamic Range (HDR) sources such as 4K Blu-ray and 4K streaming.

With these sources, I used reference scenes to test the B5's picture for color, contrast, textures, motion and upscaling. I also used reference scenes to test the B5's sound quality.

For 4K Blu-rays and other discs, I used a Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player. I also used an Xbox Series X to test the B5's gaming features and performance.

(Image credit: Future)

For objective testing of the B5, I used a colorimeter, test pattern generator and Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software to record measurements.

Brightness measurements were taken using both HDR and SDR white window patterns ranging in size from 1-100%, with a focus on 10% and 100% windows, for peak and fullscreen brightness, respectively. I also tested the B5's grayscale and color accuracy, taking an average of the Delta-E values (the margin of error between the test pattern source and what's shown on screen), looking for a result below 3.

I also tested the B5's coverage of the UHDA-P3 and BT.2020 color spaces. Finally, I used a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Input lag Tester to test the B5's input lag in milliseconds.

You can read an in-depth overview of how we test TVs at TechRadar at that link.

First reviewed: August, 2025
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Categories: Reviews

The Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro takes on the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro with comparable power, incredible battery life, and a much cheaper price tag

Fri, 08/08/2025 - 10:25

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro: Two-minute review

If the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro is too much of an investment for you, there are cheaper ways to get your mobile gaming kicks. The Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro offers a comparable gaming experience for literally half the price.

As the first phone to run on Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Leading Version chipset, paired with a bolstered cooling system, the Red Magic 10S Pro can technically outperform any other phone on the market, even if that fact doesn’t particularly manifest itself in general use.

The phone also features a fine 6.85-inch 144Hz AMOLED display offering a blissfully unimpeded view of the action – though you’ll pay for that with terrible selfie pictures.

Indeed, Nubia’s phone continues to be suboptimal for those who don’t prioritize gaming above all else. Its camera system is fine, but not competitive with the best midrange smartphones. Meanwhile, its design, while nice and flat, is big and heavy, with a gamer aesthetic that remains an acquired taste.

(Image credit: Future)

In a similar vein, Nubia’s UI remains a little on the clumsy side, with ugly icons and too much bloatware. With that said, its gamer-focused features are as potent as ever, and the company’s software update promise has taken a big step forward – especially in the EU.

The phone’s level of stamina is truly outstanding, thanks to the inclusion of a huge 7,050mAh battery. This thing could conceivably get you through two days or even more, at least when you’re not indulging in those epic gaming sessions. You’ll be able to get up to speed nice and quickly, too, with an 80W charger included in the box, though you’ll have to make do without wireless charging.

The Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro remains a very specific tool for a very specific job. As impressive a value proposition as it is, we wouldn’t dream of recommending it to anyone who isn’t intent on doing a serious amount of gaming on the go. Most flagship or even midrange phones will probably be a better pick for most people on balance.

For that narrow slice of mobile gamers, however, Nubia’s top gaming phone offers the best bang-to-buck ratio out there.

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: price and availability

Released on June 17
Priced from $699 / £579 / AU$649

The Red Magic 10S Pro hit shelves on June 18, 2025, with prices starting at $699 / £579 / AU$649 for the matte black Nightfall model, which comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The model tested here is the midrange option with 16GB/512GB, which will set you back $849 / £709 / AU$799

The range-topping 24GB/1TB model costs $999 / £879 / AU$999.

As always with Nubia’s gaming phone range, this represents excellent value for the level of raw performance you’re getting here. Our pick for the best gaming phone on the market, the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro, costs $1,199 / £1,099.99 / AU$1,999.

Value score: 5 / 5

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: specsNubia Red Magic 10S Pro specs

Dimensions:

163 x 76 x 9mm

Weight:

229g

Display:

6.85-inch Full HD+ (1216 x 2688) up to 144Hz BOE AMOLED

Chipset:

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Leading Version

RAM:

12GB / 16GB / 24GB (LPDDR5X)

Storage:

256GB / 512GB / 1TB (UFS 4.1)

OS:

Android 15

Primary camera:

50MP Samsung OV50E 1/1.55-inch sensor w/ OIS

Ultra-wide camera:

50MP Samsung OV50D 1/2.88-inch sensor

Macro camera

2MP

Front Camera:

16MP under-display

Battery:

7,050mAh

Charging:

80W wired

Colors:

Nightfall, Dusk, Moonlight

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: design

(Image credit: Future)

Toughened glass and aviation aluminum middle frame
Completely flat with no camera bump
520Hz capacitive shoulder trigger buttons
Dedicated gaming mode switch

Suggesting that the Red Magic 10S Pro sports a similar design to the Red Magic 10 Pro is underselling things somewhat.

They’re identical to look at and hold, barring a couple of very minor cosmetic touches: a subtle chevron finish rather than a dappled one; a Red Magic logo switching to a different side; a new ‘Leading Version’ decal reflecting the new chip type, and so on.

This is another large, flat, straight-sided phone measuring 163 x 76 x 9mm and weighing 229g. Once again, it features an “aviation aluminum” frame with toughened glass to the front and back. And, once again, perhaps the most pleasing element of this is the total lack of a sticky-outy camera module.

The aesthetic is the same, too, with a slightly cheap-looking semi-transparent effect that shows you elements of the phone’s internal workings – or at least, elements that broadly represent the internal components.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Future)

Nubia still hasn’t managed to bolster the water and dust resistance rating beyond IP54, likely thanks to the continued presence of whopping great vents on either side of the phone. These facilitate the phone’s physical cooling fan, which kicks in during gaming and charging, and which is highlighted by several RGB lighting elements.

The right edge of the Red Magic 10S Pro is particularly busy. Besides the aforementioned cooling vent, it also houses a volume rocker, a circular power button, and three extra gaming-oriented controls.

There’s a pair of capacitive 520Hz buttons that can be mapped to game controls – particularly handy in competitive shooters like Call of Duty: Mobile and Delta Force. You also get a physical Gamespace switch here, which instantly brings up Nubia’s gaming UI.

Another gaming-oriented inclusion is a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top edge. This negates the issue of audio lag, which even high-end wireless headphones will struggle with, to varying degrees.

The Red Magic 10S Pro, like its predecessors, sports a striking all-screen design with extremely small display bezels and an under-display selfie camera, producing a high 95.3% screen-to-body ratio. This doesn’t leave room for dual front-firing speakers, which means you can cover the speaker on the bottom edge with your hand.

In terms of sound output, you’re looking at speakers that get plenty loud and offer decent stereo separation, but which are somewhat piercing and lacking in low-end depth – certainly compared to many flagship phones.

Design score: 3.5 / 5

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: display

(Image credit: Future)

6.85-inch OLED
1216 x 2688 ‘1.5K’ resolution
144Hz refresh rate
2000 nits peak brightness

After changing things up with the Red Magic 10 Pro, Nubia has gone with the exact same display for the 10S Pro. This is a large 6.85-inch OLED with a nicely balanced ‘1.5K’ resolution, which works out to 2,688 x 1,216.

This also produces a 144Hz maximum refresh rate. The list of games that can actually support such fluidity is pretty slender, but it’s one of the few use case scenarios for such a spec. The Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro has it beat at 185Hz, but then, you’re paying double the money for such diminishing returns.

In peak HDR scenarios, this display is capable of hitting 2,000 nits, though in general use, you won’t get anywhere near that mark. It’s bright enough for clear outdoor usage, however.

As we’ve already discussed, the Red Magic 10S Pro Display is notable for being completely unhindered by a selfie notch. Experiencing video and gaming content in such an unobstructed way feels good, and you might question why more phones don’t take such an approach.

The answer to that question is very simple indeed, but we’ll leave off answering it until the camera section.

Display score: 4 / 5

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: cameras

(Image credit: Future)

50MP main with OIS
50MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro
16MP in-display selfie camera still terrible
Up to 8K/30fps video

It probably won’t surprise you to learn that the camera system here is identical to that of the Red Magic 10 Pro.

There’s the same 50MP 1/1.55" OmniVision OV50E main sensor with OIS and a 7P lens. This is accompanied by a 50MP 1/2.88" OV50D ultra-wide, and an all-but-pointless 2MP macro sensor. There is no dedicated telephoto camera.

You also get the same 16MP in-display front camera.

There’s an unspoken deal you strike with every gaming phone manufacturer: they will give you an extremely fast phone with a level of sustained performance and stamina well in excess of your average flagship phone. In return, you will give up any expectations of taking really good photographs.

That holds as true with the Red Magic 10S Pro as it did with its predecessors (for the record, the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro takes decent shots, though it’s well short of the very best camera phones). This is a competent mid-range performer, though you could spend about £100 less on the Google Pixel 9a and have a much better time if photography is your priority.

With that main sensor, shots look sharp and contrasty in good lighting, if a little over-processed and unnaturally vibrant. Night shots look nice and clear, though again, there’s a slightly false note to the level of brightness.

Ultra-wide shots take a notable hit to quality, with a drabber, flatter look compared to the main sensor. This can occasionally work in its favor, producing more natural-looking shots, but in general, the disparity is just distracting.

Zoomed shots all crop in on that main sensor, but they’re not worth using beyond 2x. Even at 4x, the drop-off in detail is stark.

It’s a familiar story by now, but the decision to go with an in-display front camera results in flat-out terrible selfies, lacking in detail and contrast. Nubia claims that the AI algorithm has been upgraded here, and I suppose if I were being charitable, I’d concede that the selfies I took were the best I’ve seen from a Red Magic phone.

But you have to understand that this is a very low bar indeed, and almost any affordable phone released in 2025 should be able to top it in the selfie stakes.

Nubia is one of those manufacturers that implements a couple of annoying settings straight out of the box. One is an inexplicable watermark (as you can see in some of my sample images), while another is an obnoxious beautifying mode for selfies. You can turn both off easily enough, but it should really be this way out of the box.

Video recording is very solid here, with Nubia putting that flagship chip to good use in supporting 8K recording at 30fps or – more practically – 4K at 60fps. Footage shot using the latter configuration was nice and smooth, courtesy of that OIS.

Camera score: 3 / 5

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(Image credit: Future)Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: performance

(Image credit: Future)

Souped-up Snapdragon 8 Elite Leading Version
12GB, 16GB, or 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM
256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage
Sustained performance takes a step back, though average performance is still better

The one component that explains and even justifies the Red Magic 10S Pro’s existence is the move to a new chip. Kind of.

In fact, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Leading Version found here is merely an overclocked version of the chip from the Red Magic 10 Pro – and most other 2025 flagship phones, for that matter.

Nubia claims that it supplies a 30% power boost, with the CPU clock speeds moving up from 4.32GHz to 4.47GHz and the GPU from 1,100MHz to 1,200MHz. The NPU, meanwhile, provides an AI performance boost of 40%.

This is supported by a bolstered Liquid Metal 2.0 cooling system, which rejigs things for a 5°C reduction in temperature compared to the 10 Pro.

None of this is noticeable in day-to-day performance, nor even when gaming. There’s a very simple reason for that: the Snapdragon 8 Elite was already more than enough to handle the very best games that the Google Play Store has to offer.

(Image credit: Future)

Graphically advanced games such as GRID Legends already run fabulously on the Red Magic 10 Pro, while you can blast opponents on Call of Duty: Mobile at high frame rates and graphical settings.

Indeed, even using our usual suite of benchmark tests, the Red Magic 10S Pro performed no better than its predecessor. That still positions it as one of the fastest phones on the market, of course, but know that the main advantage to buying this phone is performance headroom.

Sustained performance was unimpeachable on the Red Magic 10 Pro, and it seems Nubia hasn’t quite managed to maintain such a high level here. A score of 84.8% in 3D Mark's Solar Bay Stress Test falls 15% short of its predecessor, suggesting that it can’t quite maintain peak performance across an intensive 20-minute workout.

However, it’s worth digging deeper into the figures here. A peak loop score of 12568 is quite a bit higher than the Red Magic 10 Pro’s 10032. Indeed, the 10S Pro could beat that with its lowest loop score of 10654. In other words, the Red Magic 10S Pro can’t stay at its maximum level as long as the 10 Pro, but its output is still better at any given moment.

Needless to say, general navigation and day-to-day use don’t pose a problem for the Red Magic 10S Pro. Especially not with the 16 GB of RAM that my test model comes bundled with.

Performance score: 5 / 5

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: software

(Image credit: Future)

Red Magic OS 10.5 on Android 15
UI is ugly but solid enough
Dedicated Game Space gaming UI
Up to 5 years of OS and security updates

In keeping with the Red Magic 10S Pro’s half-step nature, it ships with Red Magic OS 10.5. It’s much the same as Red Magic OS 10 in the previous model, sitting atop the same Android 15 operating system.

That’s not necessarily a positive, as Nubia’s UI still needs a lot of work. It’s a fairly clunky experience, with ugly icons and wallpapers, and an unnecessarily huge fan widget. Nubia’s Google Feed replacement to the left of the Home Screen continues to be a tacky collection of random news stories and apps.

While it’s a lot less buggy and janky than it used to be, there are still some rough edges. On my test model, that manifested itself most obviously with a pair of app icons on the second Home Screen mysteriously labelled ‘Unknown’.

I’m not sure why, but I was required to dive into Gmail’s Settings just to make this default email app sync up.

Bloatware is still an issue, too. Even deselecting all the terrible games at the set-up phase doesn’t clean things up completely. Rather hilariously, there are two dedicated folders filled with download prompts for said unwanted apps.

TikTok, Facebook, MoboReader, MoboReals, WPS Office, and Booking.com are all there at set-up, whether you like it or not.

With all that said, Red Magic OS 10.5 runs snappily, and Nubia's Game Space game management UI remains a comprehensive way to organize and manage your gaming. Flip that switch, and you’ll enter a landscape interface that lets you tweak performance, screen sensitivity, screen ratios, and individual game plug-ins that verge on the cheat-y.

Google Gemini is pre-installed, alongside some now fairly standard AI tools for photo search, image editing, real-time translation, and the like. Circle to Search is also here.

Ongoing support continues to fall behind the best, but is now much improved over the Red Magic 10 Pro. There are now three years of OS and security updates in the global and US models, and five years in the UK and EU models.

Software score: 3.5 / 5

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: battery life

(Image credit: Future)

7,050mAh battery
Multi-day usage
80W wired charging

Nubia really stepped things up with the Red Magic 10 Pro, squeezing in a huge 7,050mAh battery. The 10S Pro has the same, and it remains one of the biggest cells on the market.

With this battery on board, I was able to blast through two days of moderate usage, and even well into a third before I felt compelled to plug it in.

When the phone finally did run out of juice entirely, the bundled 80W charger got me back up to 72% in just 30 minutes. A full charge took me 45 minutes, which isn’t too shabby at all given the battery’s capacity.

There’s no wireless charging here, which we’ve come to expect from Nubia’s gaming sub-brand. That’s not to say it should be let off the hook entirely – the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro includes a wireless charging provision – but it’s an understandable omission in the name of prioritizing gaming-friendly features on a strict budget.

Indeed, it’s probably a more apt criticism to note that there’s no secondary USB-C port on the long edge, which makes charging while gaming so much more viable in the ROG.

Battery score: 5 / 5

Should I buy the Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro?Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

It’s big and unwieldy, and the gamer aesthetic grows a little tiresome, but it’s also nice and flat.

3.5 / 5

Display

This screen is big, sharp, fluid, and it gets reasonably bright. It’s also unobstructed by a bothersome notch.

4 / 5

Performance

As the first phone to feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite Leading Version, this is one of the very fastest phones around.

4.5 / 5

Camera

It’ll take solid pictures in good lighting, but you don’t buy a gaming phone if you’re seriously interested in great photos.

3 / 5

Battery

This phone has one of the largest batteries around, and it’s good for multi-day use.

5 / 5

Software

Nubia's custom UI is reasonably fast and fluid these days, but it’s still ugly and cluttered.

3 / 5

Value

You simply won’t find this level of performance at this price anywhere else on the market.

5 / 5

Buy it if...

You're a gamer who doesn’t have cash to burn
The Red Magic 10S Pro offers top-level gaming performance, but it costs about half the price of our favorite gaming phone, the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro.

You’re anti-notch
Sick of display notches spoiling the view? The Red Magic 10S Pro doesn’t have one.

You want the biggest battery possible
At 7,050mAh, the Red Magic 10S Pro's battery is the biggest on the market.

Don't buy it if...

You like selfies
That in-display front camera might look cool, but it takes truly terrible selfies.

Subtlety and style matter to you
Nubia’s design language is big, brash, and slightly tacky.

You prefer a clean UI
Red Magic OS is ugly, cluttered, and a little glitchy.

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: also consider

The Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro is a great-value gaming phone, but there are some excellent alternatives if you want to spend more or less.

Nubia Red Magic 10 Pro
The previous model should be available at a lower price right now, despite being only six months older and broadly as capable.

Read our full Nubia Red Magic 10 Pro review

Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro
This step-up option gives you similar gaming performance, but a lot of quality-of-life features on top – albeit at a much higher price.

Read our full Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro review

How I tested the Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro

Review test period = 1 week
Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, gaming, streaming video, music playback
Tools used = Geekbench 6, GFXBench, 3DMark, native Android stats, bundled Nubia 80W power adapter

First reviewed: June 2025

Categories: Reviews

I've been reviewing Dell XPS laptops for half a decade, and the Dell 14 Premium is as close as they've ever come to dethroning the MacBook Pro

Fri, 08/08/2025 - 09:49

Dell 14 Premium: One-minute review

The Dell 14 Premium is finally here, and it is definitely worth the wait.

The 14 Premium is the latest Dell laptop to launch as part of its rebranding, replacing the fan-favorite Dell XPS lineup of laptops, which ranked among the best laptops year after year for as long as I've been reviewing laptops for TechRadar.

Like the Dell 16 Premium, the Dell 14 Premium essentially carries on the XPS formula with little changed beyond the branding, but that's not a bad thing at all. The Dell XPS 14 (2024) was one of the best Dell laptops I've ever reviewed, and the 14 Premium is even better still.

Starting at $1,499.99 / £1,499 / AU$2,798.40, the 14 Premium matches the starting price of the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4) that it is competing with, though the 14 Premium does max out a bit cheaper than the MacBook Pro 14.

Obviously, you won't get the same kind of performance from the base-spec 14 Premium as you do if you go the discrete graphics, non-OLED route, which starts at $1,999.99 / £1,999 / AU$$3,297.8. Content creators, or those who want one of the best displays you're going to find on a laptop right now, will want to check out the RTX 4050/OLED configurations, which start at $2,199.99 / £2,199 / AU$3,598.10.

The Dell 14 Premium is on sale right now, with configurations starting as low as $1,499.99 in the US, with higher-tier configurations marked down more than $250 at Dell's website.View Deal

If performance is what you're after, the Dell 14 Premium beats out the MacBook Pro 14-inch, overall, in my testing, but it's not a total knockout. Given the performance I've seen from the MacBook Pro 14-inch base-spec, the 14 Premium really can't keep up on the low-end, and those looking to keep things within a tighter budget will likely be better off with a MacBook Pro (as much as it pains me to say it as a diehard Windows user).

If you're looking for high-end performance, however, the MacBook Pro 14-inch's M4 just can't keep up with the 14 Premium's RTX 4050 discrete graphics. It makes a huge difference in some workloads, like 3D modeling, and especially when it comes to gaming.

One other thing the 14 Premium has over the MacBook Pro 14-inch is the option for an OLED display, which looks gorgeous. The rest of the laptop is solid and has a much more premium feel to it than the 14 Plus, but there are some design quirks that keep it from truly laying out its competition on the mat.

While the discrete graphics and OLED upgrades do push the price considerably higher, there's no question that the upgrade is worth it, especially the upgrade to the RTX 4050 GPU, which unlocks a lot of power necessary for high-end applications.

This, of course, considerably impacts the device's battery life, dragging it down below nine hours in my testing. But for a laptop this compact with a high-end display and discrete graphics, it's definitely a worthwhile compromise.

So, bottom line: does the Dell 14 Premium defeat the current MacBook Pro 14-inch with M4? Yes, but it's down to the judges rather than a KO, and so your mileage may vary depending on your needs and budget. If you're going with high-end specs, the Dell 14 Premium is probably the best Windows laptop going right now, but if you're not going to go with the RTX 4050 GPU, the MacBook Pro 14-inch is probably the better bet for those looking to stay on budget.

Dell 14 Premium: Price & availability

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

How much does it cost? Starts at $1,499.99 / £1,499 / AU$2,798.40
When is it available? It's available now
Where can you get it? You can buy it in the US, UK, and Australia through Dell’s website and other retailers.

The Dell 14 Premium is available now in the US, UK, and Australia, starting at $1,499.99 / £1,499 / AU$2,798.40, respectively.

This puts it in line with the starting price of the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4), and is roughly in line with where the XPS 14 (2024) launched last year, though the 14 Premium is cheaper to start in the UK and Australia than its predecessor.

Given its premium status, this isn't really that bad a price for a laptop like this, and its high-end configurations are cheaper than a comparable MacBook Pro 14-inch, which definitely can't be overlooked. Still, it's expensive, especially in an era where everyone is a bit less free with their spending than they were even a year ago.

Value: 4 / 5

Dell 14 Premium: Specs

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Up to RTX 4050 GPU
Wi-Fi 7
Only Thunderbolt 4

The specs for the Dell 14 Premium are pretty much identical to the Dell XPS 14 that preceded it, with some important differences.

This is not an Intel Lunar Lake laptop; it's an Arrow Lake H laptop, so while the processor model numbers might look very similar, they are two different architectures.

This allows the Intel Core Ultra 255H chip to be paired with an Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, something last year's model wasn't capable of due to the limitations of the Lunar Lake chip design.

The 14 Premium is also configured with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity, though it only has Thunderbolt 4 ports rather than the newer Thunderbolt 5 that the top-spec Dell 16 Premium has.

Dell 14 Premium Base Specs

Australia

Price

$1,499.99 at Dell.com

£1,499 at Dell.com

AU$2,798.40 at Dell.com

CPU

Intel Core Ultra 7 255H

GPU

Integrated Intel Arc 140T

Memory

16GB LPDDR5x - 7467MT/s

Storage

512GB PCIe NVMe

Display

14.5-inch non-touch 2K IPS 120Hz

Ports

1 x 3.5mm combo jack, 3 x Thunderbolt 4 Gen 2 (DP 2.1, Power Delivery), 1 x microSDXC 7.1

Battery

69.5WHr

Wireless

Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4

Camera

1080p IR camera

Weight

3.66 lbs | 1.66kg

Dimensions

12.6 x 8.5 x 0.71 ins | 320 x 215.97 x 18mm

The base specs are fairly modest, though you do start out with at least 16GB LPDDR5x RAM and a 512GB SSD, which is necessary if you're planning on using Windows 11's Copilot+ AI features. There's also no difference in starting configuration between the US, UK, and Australia.

Dell 14 Premium Top Specs

Australia

Price

$2,399.99 at Dell.com

£2,364.59 at Dell.com

AU$4,207.50 at Dell.com

CPU

Intel Core Ultra 7 255H

Intel Core Ultra 7 265H

Intel Core Ultra 7 255H

GPU

Nvidia RTX 4050

Memory

32GB LPDDR5x - 8400MT/s

Storage

2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe

Display

14.5-inch Touch 3.2K OLED, 400 nit, 120Hz

Ports

1 x 3.5mm combo jack, 3 x Thunderbolt 5, 1 x microSDXC 7.1

1 x 3.5mm combo jack, 3 x Thunderbolt 4 Gen 2 (DP 2.1, Power Delivery), 1 x microSDXC 7.1

Battery

69.5WHr

Wireless

Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4

Camera

1080p IR camera

Weight

3.79 lbs | 1.72kg

Dimensions

12.6 x 8.5 x 0.71 ins | 320 x 215.97 x 18mm

On the top-end, the Dell 14 Premium configurations are nearly identical, save that in the UK, you can opt for a slightly more powerful Core Ultra 7 265H chip rather than the Core Ultra 7 255H in every other configuration.

For this review, I tested out the top US configuration listed above.

Specs: 4.5 / 5

Dell 14 Premium: Design

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Gorgeous OLED display
Excellent port selection
Trackpad and function key row still controversial

From the outside, the Dell 14 Premium is identical to last year's XPS 14 (save for the new logo on the lid), and that's not a bad thing. The 14 Premium's construction and minimalist aesthetic definitely make it look like it's all business, something you'd expect from a company like Dell, renowned as it is for its business and enterprise market dominance.

That doesn't make it ugly, though. It's a good-looking laptop, somewhat undercut by its two colorways, Graphite and Platinum, which are honestly rather boring at this point.

With the new Surface Laptop 7 coming in a gorgeous Sapphire colorway and even Apple adding a Sky Blue option for this year's MacBook Air models (not to mention my beloved Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch having a Violet option), laptops are starting to finally have more personality than the design deadend that Apple pushed us all into with its MacBook Silver and Space Gray colorways in the 2010s.

In this regard, I hope Dell catches up next year, but one thing at a time, I guess. Dropping the XPS branding and introducing a splash of color in one release might have pushed some Dell fans over the edge, so steady as she goes, design-wise.

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(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

I've spilled enough ink over the past couple of years about my mixed feelings when it comes to the borderless trackpad (and loss of the delightful carbon-fibery palm rests), so I'll let that critique go. Finally.

I've yet to fully embrace the solid strip beneath the keyboard, as it does take some getting used to for finding out exactly how to right click on something, but it's easy enough to pick up and soon becomes second nature. It's still an accessibility nightmare, as is the lack of physical function keys along the top of the keydeck. On the plus side, there are top-firing speakers, which isn't always a sure thing on a 14-inch laptop.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The keyboard itself is decent enough, though these aren't my favorite keys to type on. I'm very used to mechanical keyboards, so the travel and tactile responsiveness of the 14 Premium's take getting used to, and I'm not sure I ever will. If this is going to be your only or even just your primary laptop, however, you'll get used to it just fine.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Some are going to complain about the lack of USB Type-A ports on the 14 Premium, but frankly, it's 2025. At some point, older, slower interfaces will be retired, and it's time, honestly. There are plenty of adapters out there to convert USB-A to USB-C, and you can even add the option for a mini-hub dongle with USB-A and HDMI ports that can plug into one of the three Thunderbolt 4 ports on the device. All three provide power delivery and DisplayPort out, with up to 4 monitors supported overall.

You also get a microSD slot, which is great for creative pros who work with SD cards alot, and a dedicated 3.5mm combo jack. All in all, a solid port selection for a device this small.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

One other knock I have to give the 14 Premium though is its webcam. The 1080p IR webcam itself is perfectly good, and gets up to 30 FPS 1080p video, which is great for video calls and meetings. My problem, though, is the lack of a privacy shutter. It's 2025, and this should be the default on a 'premium' laptop.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The overall aesthetics of the 14 Premium are as good as its XPS pedigree, but it could use some freshening up in the next couple of years, in my opinion. It's built solid and won't be embarrassing to whip out in the office in five year's time, but we are kind of coming up against this design's shelf life, and I hope we see something new next year.

Design: 4 / 5

Dell 14 Premium: Performance

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Powerful creative chops
Decent 1080p gaming
Falls a good bit behind Apple's MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4) on some benchmarks

So, when it comes down to it, performance really is the most important factor in a laptop like the Dell 14 Premium. It's competing against one of the best MacBooks ever made in the recent MacBook Pro 14-inch, and given its pricing, the 14 Premium has to deliver on something other than cost.

It's a bit of a mixed bag, ultimately. The CPU performance for the M4 chip outperforms the Intel Core Ultra 255H in all tests but Geekbench 6.4 multicore performance, where they are very close, with the Dell 14 Premium in the lead.

That said, the Intel Core Ultra 255H is mostly competitive with the M4 in CPU computing tasks, and the difference is such that you'd be very hard-pressed to notice the M4's faster performance in actual use. The 14 Premium falls behind quite a bit on single-core performance, which is important for running some high-impact creative apps like Adobe Photoshop or Pro Tools, but that's only part of the story.

The very strong single-core performance for the MacBook Pro 14-inch is offset quite a bit by the relatively slow SSD performance I saw in my Blackmagic Disk Speed Test benchmark. The Dell 14 Premium clocked in with an impressive 4,235 MB/s read speed to the MacBook Pro 14-inch's 2,900 MB/s. That's a nearly 50% faster read speed for the 14 Premium, and that translates directly into faster load times for programs and opening files.

The MacBook Pro 14-inch might beat the 14 Premium in single-core performance, but when it comes to system and app startup, downloads, and other file operations, that extra sluggishness on Apple's part will noticeably cut into its advantage here. That doesn't mean the 14 Premium will somehow eek out a win when it comes to video encoding or processing photos in Photoshop. What it does do, however, is help keep the 14 Premium in the hunt when its Intel chip is being outclassed by the M4's processing power (ironically, last year's Dell XPS 14 scored the highest in my storage benchmark tests).

Swing things around to GPU performance, though, and things fall apart for Apple pretty quick. There just isn't a way for an integrated GPU to compete with even a budget discrete Nvidia GPU like the RTX 4050.

There are only a few cross-platform GPU tests that I can use for both the Dell 14 Premium and the MacBook Pro 14-inch, but in all cases, the RTX 4050 just outclasses the M4 10-core GPU, especially in ray-tracing workloads like Solar Bay

Meanwhile, in areas like video and photo editing, the MacBook Pro 14-inch might have an advantage over the 14 Premium, but it's not earth-shattering.

The 14 Premium encoded a 4K video into 1080p about 22% slower than the MacBook Pro 14-inch, which is definitely something for video editors to consider (who are we kidding, we know y'all are just going to buy a MacBook Pro. Your entire industry is built around macOS). In my PugetBench for Creators-Adobe Photoshop tests, the Dell 14 Premium came in about 29% slower. For video and photography pros, this will absolutely be a dealbreaker and push you firmly back into the Apple camp, and that's understandable if that's what you're looking to use your next laptop for.

However, compare those results to the MacBook Pro 14-inch's Blender Benchmark 4.3.0 performance, which is about 60% slower, overall, than the 14 Premium's.

When it comes to machine learning workloads, the situation will be similar, since Pytorch, the software framework that drives pretty much all AI development right now, is deeply tied to Nvidia's tensor core hardware. We don't have any good cross-platform AI benchmarks right now to give quantitative numbers, so giving a percentage of which laptop is better isn't really possible yet (I'm working on it, I promise).

That said, I've spent the better part of a decade studying computer science to earn my Master's degree in the field, and I can tell you that not a single person I know uses anything other than Nvidia hardware for this kind of work, and the Dell 14 Premium will be able to run AI inference and GAN workloads far better than the MacBook Pro 14-inch.

Finally, when it comes to gaming, none of these laptops are making it onto our best gaming laptop list, but the RTX 4050 GPU in the 14 Premium I tested made it much easier to play modern AAA PC games, with reasonable adjustments made to settings.

At 1080p on the highest settings in those games where I can compare results across devices, the Dell 14 Premium averaged about 75% faster FPS on average overall compared to the MacBook Pro 14-inch.

Of course, there's also the issue with whether or not the game you want can run on a Mac, which isn't a guarantee, while Windows is the default for all PC games on major platforms like Steam or GOG. I wouldn't go out of your way to buy the 14 Premium to play games on, but it's nice to know that you can effectively game if you're on the road for work and you're tired of writing up reports or designing work presentations in your hotel room.

Performance: 4.5 / 5

Dell 14 Premium: Battery Life

How long does it last on a single charge? 8 hours, 16 minutes
How long does it take to charge from empty to full? It takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes to charge to full with a 100W AC adapter

For battery life, the Dell 14 Premium doesn't have spectacular longevity, especially compared to something like the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch, which run about 55% longer than the 14 Premium, but there are costs involved in using discrete graphics and more power hungry OLED displays.

Overall, I think the tradeoff is worth it, but if batter life is a major concern for you, sticking with an LCD display and integrated graphics are the way to go here, and should get you a good bit more juice on a single charge.

Battery Life: 3.5 / 5

Should you buy the Dell 14 Premium?

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)Dell 14 Premium Scorecard

FC2 free hosting review

Fri, 08/08/2025 - 09:13

Although not known as a global best web hosting provider FC2 is still a pretty popular blogging host from Japan (think of it as the Japanese version of GeoCities). The company is registered in the US but supposedly run by brothers (Rihiro and Takahashi Takahiro. While it is US based it's clear that this is made for Japanese (or people that can read Japanese) users as even when the language is set to English, Japanese characters still appear making usability somewhat difficult for users not proficient in Japanese.

In November 2024 Rihiro was arrested in Japan for allowing obscene content to be published on the site and together with user decline part of the blogging site was shut down. More information about the shutdown can be found on FC2's post. Websites and web pages without fc2web in the URL should still be operating as expected.

Controversy has followed FC2 through the years, primarily for allowing hosting without putting any restrictions on the content including pornography, piracy and defamation. Fortunately, from 2012 onwards stricter rules have been enforced and the changes in Japanese law regarding the foreign entities operating in Japan have helped the injured parties seek justice.

Interested in FC2? Check out the website here

For those growing up in the early 2000s, FC2’s main website may feel like a walk down the memory lane with its old-school style and somewhat puzzling user experience. Everything seems straightforward at the beginning, but soon enough you might feel like being lost in a maze, faced with dead ends and some pages popping up in Japanese just to confuse you even further.

FC2's blogging site is much more modern than its website page (Image credit: FC2)

Besides English and Japanese, FC2’s website is available in eleven additional languages, although the translation doesn’t appear to be total in some parts. If you click on “Blog” (next to a cute rubber duck), you’ll proceed to FC2 BLOG’s website which is more modern, easier to use and available in all the same languages.

The “About” section of FC2’s website provides a brief overview of FC2’s history that ends in 2013 and fails to mention anything about their servers or data center locations.

Also check out our roundup of the best blogging sites

Plans and pricing

Although there is truth in the words that you get what you pay for, since FC2 provides services that are completely free of charge, we’ll have to judge them by other means. With FC2 there aren't multiple web hosting plans to choose from, but rather one plan to rule them all for those looking for a way to create their dream blog without lightening their wallets.

As one would expect, this plan doesn’t provide much, but it does include up to 1GB of web space, one subdomain, unlimited bandwidth, a file manager and editor, support for Java and Flash file types as well for CGI, PHP and SSI. Besides shared hosting, FC2 provides its own website builder, which is (again) absolutely free.

Despite the fact that FC2’s services are free, you can make some pocket money by allowing ads on your blog, although (as of late) you can decide not to allow any advertisements on it.

You'll have to register with FC2 before you begin writing a blog or building a website (Image credit: FC2)Ease of use

FC2’s site may not be the most intuitive one we’ve seen, but with a little patience you’ll find everything you need to know before creating your website. To start this journey into the unknown, click on the “Free Website” key and proceed to “FC2ID registration” to create your account. Before this, you would probably want to check out the features, read terms of use, some of the beginner-friendly manuals or contact the team behind FC2. However, the latter can be done to make inquiries about three types of issues only: questions about payments, bug reports and special feature requests.

To sign up you’ll be required to enter your e-mail address, pass an image verification and agree to all terms of use. After this, to activate your FC2 account, you’ll have to do a verification via e-mail and (unless a part of your URL broke off, like ours did) you should have no trouble proceeding with the creation of your new account. The next step is to produce a password (by using letters and numbers only), pick out a gender (male or female), choose a security question to which you’ll provide an answer, add your birth date (or any birthday you’ll remember) and a zip code.

This is the FC2 dashboard where you'll manage all of your services (Image credit: FC2)

In a matter of minutes you’ll get another email form FC2 and proceed to their dashboard where you can add some of the free services they provide besides web hosting. These include FC2 Blog (where you’ll find a website builder), FC2 Video (video hosting), FC2 Live, FC2 Analyzer, FC2 Content Market and the list goes on. These and all other aspects of your website can be monitored and managed from your dashboard.

If you would rather use a website builder to create content for your new website, FC2 will provide you with one together with 5000 colorful templates, a photo album feature and an ability to create pay-to-view content. If you already have a blog, you can transfer it from a broad range of sites (WordPress included) to FC2.

If you are wondering about the ads, apart from “Powered by FC2”credited at the bottom end of each page, you won’t be seeing any, unless you chose to add them to make extra money along the way.

We used GTmetrix to measure the uptime and response time of our FC2 site (Image credit: GTmetrix)Speed and experience

Even though FC2 makes no promises when it comes to speed or performance, after testing their main website we were blown away by the results we received. The latest performance report by GTmetrix (which is our tool of choice) shows first-grade performance of an A (100%), with all of the vital metrics dramatically above the average values. The time it took to fully load the page amounted to 1.5 seconds which looks even better when compared with the average result of 8.2 seconds.

Since FC2 offers no uptime guarantee, we didn’t expect much when we decided to monitor the uptime of their main website via UptimeRobot. One month later we got a report indicating a spotless uptime of 100%. During this period we failed to record any downtime at all and response time, although not ideally fast, was fairly stable. All in all, it appears that neither speed nor uptime should be on your “worry list” when hosting with FC2.

You can find answers to some common questions in FC2's Website Manual (Image credit: FC2)Support

Having dedicated customer support is definitely not something FC2 can brag about which is understandable considering that their services come at no cost. Since direct channels of support (such as telephone number or live chat) are not an option, you’ll have to find your way using some of the self-help alternatives. The most obvious one is FC2’s “Website Manual” which contains several novice-friendly guides summarizing basic knowledge on how to create your first website. This section functions as the knowledgbase comprising of 26 articles at the time of writing.

A FAQ section is available as well and it features separate sections on various issues (such as registration, file manager, FTP, images, files and so forth) covering most of the essential questions and concerns. There is a comment section at the bottom of the page, however, since some comments have been pending an approval from 2017, we wouldn’t waste our time on that.

The competition

A good alternative to FC2 for those who are looking for free hosting is FreeHostingNoAds, an experienced host with a name that sums it all up. For a free service, FreeHostingNoAds earns a credit for providing a decent range of features (free domain registration, auto-installs for WordPress, Joomla and the CMS Grav, and a simple website builder). However, the bandwidth is limited to 5GB (while with FC2 it’s unlimited), disc space to 1GB (same as with FC2) and the upload file limit is a mere 15MB (it’s 250 KB with FC2), so if you want anything more than a very simple website, look elsewhere.

Infinity Free is considered to be one of the best providers of free hosting and for good reasons. It puts no restrictions on storage space and the number of monthly visits and subdomains. However, in terms of speed and uptime performance, FC2 wins the prize by a long shot. At any rate, since both services are entirely free, you have nothing to lose but your time.

Although HostGator doesn’t offer free hosting in itself, with their generous 45-days money-back guarantee you are free to try out what they have to offer without worrying about your budget. In addition to this, HostGator is very user-friendly (especially towards beginners), while FC2 users are primarily left to fend for themselves.

Another good beginner-friendly choice is Bluehost which (much like HostGator) doesn’t offer free hosting but still provides user-friendly experience with 24/7 customer support, a myriad of options and features, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. FC2, although quite suitable for those who are just learning how to build their online presence, won’t give your website much space to grow and prosper.

Final verdict

As a rule, even the best free web hosting comes with a certain number of limitations. Such is the case with FC2, although they can supply everything that is essential for a personal blog, and a website builder with which you can build your website without much hassle. It is even possible to earn a bit of cash on the side, that is, if you don’t have an aversion to ads.

With all that said, if you are a first-timer who wants a helping hand, or a veteran webmaster wanting more than an absolute minimum, you’ll be better off choosing HostGator or Bluehost as your hosting provider. Their services don’t come free-of-charge, but will provide you with much more.

Categories: Reviews

OLED is great, but the Mobile Pixels 34-inch ultrawide has taught me to respect mini-LED monitors – here is my take after two weeks

Fri, 08/08/2025 - 06:00

Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor: Three-minute review

(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

Having used an OLED ultrawide for years now, specifically the Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED (a mouthful, I know), I've been curious about a switch to mini-LED. The idea of higher brightness while gaming is intriguing, to say the least, and in came the Mobile Pixels 34-inch curved mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor.

This monitor left me impressed with its quality while gaming or watching content built for high brightness – so much so that I didn't miss using my main OLED monitor. For the first time ever, I've been able to push brightness very high in games and enjoy fascinating visuals, and most importantly, without too much exposure.

Images don't really do it much justice, as it will mostly seem too bright to view in images below. However, believe me when I say it's a treat to view in person – and it comes down to its HDR1000 VESA certification (allowing 1000 nits of peak brightness), and 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio producing incredible deep black levels.

With an 180Hz refresh rate, which is higher than what you might find on some of the best ultrawide gaming monitors, I was able to enjoy my favorite games easily.

(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

It's important to note, though, that it's not all great. Dark level smearing (especially when reading white text against dark backgrounds) and ghosting in games are noticeable, and while that's to be expected for a VA panel, it will be bothersome for those who are accustomed to faster displays.

While it didn't completely spoil my gaming or movie viewing experiences, it was a lot more evident for me when playing fast-paced games, especially when using Frame Generation against darker backgrounds in-game. It gets worse (as expected) when enabling any of the overdrive settings via the monitor OSD menu – which I must add, is very finicky, as it sometimes won't save settings or simply undo them randomly.

The biggest examples for me were using path tracing in Cyberpunk 2077, and notably path tracing mods in Capcom's Dragon's Dogma 2, which comes with a lot of ghosting already and lacks a denoiser (but served as an easier way for me to notice the difference). When in lighter backgrounds, ghosting was noticeable, but it wasn't too extreme. When stepping into darker areas, the ghosting and smearing were seriously bad.

Perhaps it's a bit unfair coming from using an OLED to a VA mini-LED, but its price is in the same region as other OLED monitors that don't have this issue. It would have worked in Mobile Pixels' favor to use an IPS panel instead of VA for better response times, but that would potentially be a drawback on the great contrast available here.

Notice the ghosting is worse on the darker background? (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

In terms of blooming, it's kept to a minimum when sitting directly in front of the monitor. Bear in mind, what you're seeing below isn't the best representation of how well the haloing effect is kept to a minimum, due to different lighting conditions.

There's a 'Halo Control' setting in the OSD menu, but I found that adjustments weren't very necessary. I was quite happy with how well this monitor handles bloom. Compared to my mini-LED TV (specifically the TCL 55QM8B), which has 300+ full-array local dimming zones, I'd say the results were fairly similar.

I must reiterate that this is a VA panel, so viewing angles are narrow. Essentially, blooming is significantly worse when viewing from either side, but I've never used my ultrawide monitors when sitting away from my desk (unless it's a 32:9 display).

HDR is enabled here... (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

Lining this up with an OLED display, again, is pretty unfair, since the AW3423DWF is night and day ahead, but it gave me a good impression of how good the deep black levels are on the Mobile Pixels 34-inch ultrawide. If you've been using a regular LED display, mini-LED will still blow you away – and in my eyes, it's the best alternative to OLED.

And the comparison below is proof of that. The OLED's deep black levels are genuinely phenomenal, and while the mini-LED strays far behind due to blooming, it was still great enough for me to enjoy content – and that's even better when you throw in the benefit of very high brightness.

It's also worth noting that there's no worry of burn-in, unlike OLED monitors. It's been a breath of fresh air not to baby my Alienware display with OLED care and pixel refreshes. In some ways, you can almost say that makes mini-LED the better choice, as you're getting the best of the 'brightness world', while still taking some benefits of great contrast – and with an OLED, you're mostly getting the best of the latter.

Yes, multiple OLED monitors like the AW3423DWF can utilize HDR1000, and OLEDs are about to get brighter with True Black HDR1000 VESA certifications. However, my display has a very aggressive Automatic Brightness Limiter (ABL), which kicks in when trying to use HDR1000, and I've not had to deal with that on the Mobile Pixels ultrawide.

It's taught me to respect mini-LED monitors, which I once saw as too low of a step down from OLED, and I'd very much consider using one in a multi-display setup.

Top monitor is OLED, bottom is mini-LED (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

I'm very pleased with Mobile Pixels' decision to place the ports of the monitor directly on its rear, instead of the underside like most monitors do. I get that this is done to avoid strain on cables standing upright and prevent any damage, but it's so easy and convenient to reach if you need to unplug or plug any of them – and it's super beneficial if you have a cramped desktop setup like me.

The 90W USB-C reverse charging port is a welcome addition, and I could use it to charge other devices – and I really saw the benefit of this since I have tons of devices occupying power sockets.

It features 4-array microphones with DNC noise reduction, but no matter what I tried, I couldn't my PC wouldn't recognize this, so I had no luck with testing there.

(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

The RGB lighting is decent enough, but not bright enough to appreciate. I won't knock the monitor down for this, though. Most monitors I've used don't have RGB lighting that stands out, except for the Philips Evnia displays that have a special Ambilight feature to sync content on the screen to its RGB lights.

Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor: Price & Availability

How much does it cost? $899.99 / around £660 / AU$1,370 without import costs
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia (shipping from the US)

The Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide monitor retails at $899.99 / around £660 / AU$1,730, and while this display's high brightness and contrast ratio have left me impressed, I think it should be much cheaper. Some OLED ultrawide monitors are currently cheaper and don't have issues like dark level smearing or ghosting.

It's not a bad monitor despite some of its issues, but I'd have been more fond of it if it didn't cost this much. Import fees will also bump up the cost if you're outside of the US, which makes its potential total price even more unappealing.

Fortunately, it gets a lot right, specifically within the region of HDR brightness and contrast; there's hardly any loss of detail when looking at bright scenery in movies or games when at maximum brightness, so it's something to consider if you're looking to get your hands on it.

(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor: Specs

Screen Size

34-inch

Aspect Ratio

21:9

Resolution

3440x1440

Brightness

450 nits (Min) 1000 nits (Max)

Contrast Ratio

1,000,000:1

Refresh Rate

180Hz

Color Accuracy

99% sRGB | 94% DCI-P3 | 99% Adobe RGB

Speakers

2x 5W Midrange, 1x 12W Bass

Microphone

4-array microphones with DSC noise reduction

Weight

18.51 lbs

Wall Mountable (VESA)

100 x 100 mm

FreeSync Premium technology

Yes

Power Consumption

Typ. 65W, Max. 270W

Panel Type

Connections

2 × USB-A 3.0

1 × USB-C 3.1

2 × HDMI 2.0

1 × DP 1.4

1 × 3.5mm Audio out

Should you buy the Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

Plenty of high brightness to enjoy across movies, TV shows, and games, but could benefit from a slightly cheaper price tag.

3 / 5

Design

Bogged down by the mediocre speakers on the bottom of monitor, but is adequate in other areas.

3.5 / 5

Performance

Besides dark level smearing and ghosting, the high brightness with HDR 1000, significantly enhances visual experiences, standing as a great alternative to OLED.

4 / 5

Features

OSD needs an improvement, but a 180Hz refresh rate and USB-C 90W reverse charging port are a very welcome addition.

4 / 5

Average rating

The Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide would be much better with a lower retail price, repositioning of the speakers, and an IPS panel for less ghosting and smearing, but excels at high brightness for immersion, making it a good option for PC gamers.

3.5 / 5

Buy it if...

You desire an ultrawide with high brightness

The Mobile Pixels mini-LED monitor is ideal for those who crave bright and lively gaming experiences, with HDR1000 blending well with the 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. It's best used in titles that are built for HDR.View Deal

You want to avoid burn-in care

While OLED is an easy choice at an affordable price, it's not for everyone, as there's always a risk of burn-in. OLED burn-in care has advanced, but not having to worry about the possibility at all with this mini-LED monitor is a big win.View Deal

You're upgrading from a regular LED monitor

The jump from a regular LED display to Mobile Pixels' mini-LED, is significant, and while it suffers a total loss to OLED deep black levels, it comes close enough while getting the best of brightness. View Deal

Don't buy if...

You're looking for a budget monitor

This monitor's biggest issue is its price, especially compared to OLEDs that are at the same price range or less expensive. It retails at $899.99, which is too high considering the issues it has with ghosting and smearing.View Deal

You prefer the best deep black levels

Like other mini-LED displays, the Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor does a great job with contrast, but it doesn't match up to OLED, which remains undefeated at producing the best contrast.View Deal

You find ghosting and smearing frustrating

If you're a competitive gamer or simply happen to notice dark level smearing and ghosting easily, you might want to reconsider purchasing this monitor. It's using a VA panel, so viewing angles and the response time aren't the best.View Deal

Also consider

Acer Predator X32QFS

If dark level smearing and ghosting are a big issue for you, and you don't mind a 4K mini-LED instead of an ultrawide, then the Acer Predator X32QFS should be on your radar. This features a mini-LED IPS panel, which handles ghosting much better, and compatibility for both PS5 and PC with HDMI 2.1.

Read our full Acer Predator X32QFS review

MSRP/RRP

£899.99 / AU$1,099 (No US availability)

Panel Size

31.5in

Panel type

Mini-LED IPS

Panel resolution

3840 x 2160p; 4K

Aspect ratio

16:9

Refresh rate

150Hz

Response time

0.5ms

Brightness

700 nits (native) / 1000 nits (peak HDR)

Contrast ratio

1000:1

HDR

VESA DisplayHDR 1000

Ports

1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x USB-C, 2 x USB-A, 1 x audio jack

Color gamut

99% Adobe RGB, 99% DCI-P3

Display colors

1.07 billion

Warranty

2-years

How I tested the Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide

Two weeks of usage on movies, TV shows, and games, notably titles that implement HDR well
Some examples are Assassin's Creed Shadows, Street Fighter 6, Dragon's Dogma 2, Resident Evil 4 remake, and Cyberpunk 2077
Multiple contrast tests and comparisons with Alienware AW3423DWF OLED ultrawide monitor

Throughout my two weeks of testing, especially when gaming, I had plenty of fun with the Mobile Pixels 34-inch monitor, and put my OLED monitor aside as a secondary display. Despite the drawbacks of blooming and ghosting, it was easy to enjoy bright content without losing much detail.

Testing Stellar Blade, Assassin's Creed Shadows, and Cyberpunk 2077 first left great initial impressions, specifically in Cyberpunk 2077, where neon lights and vivid streets provide exceptional visuals on any display, but it took things up a notch. The ghosting issues became far more noticeable when using Frame Generation in Cyberpunk 2077 and Dragon's Dogma 2, and even more so in fast-paced FPS games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

Placing this next to Dell's Alienware OLED monitor, allowed me to point out the mini-LED monitor's drawbacks more easily. However, in terms of deep black levels, I was impressed with the Mobile Pixels 34-inch display, with just how close it can get to OLED, albeit still quite far off.

I used it for work and multitasking, which proved to be beneficial, in comparison to OLED, which notoriously has readability issues – and the mini-LED was a breeze to use while deep into productivity.

Categories: Reviews

Want a super-simple photo book service to order as a gift? I’ve tested one that might be ideal for you

Thu, 08/07/2025 - 13:20

Papier photo book review: specs

Layouts

Cover options

Softback Die Cut | Hardback | Foiled Hardback | Fabric

Paper options

Gloss

Sizes

Landscape (2 options) | Square (3 options) | Portrait (1 option)

App

Sustainable practice

FSC-certified

Standard delivery

2 business days

(Image credit: Future)Papier photo book: review

Papier's photo books are an affordable way to bring together your favorite snaps, whether you’re looking for an affordable gift or want to log your latest holiday.

They’re available in a wide array of sizes, from a nifty 6.5 x 6.5 inches (16.5 x 16.5cm) to a whopping 12 x 9.4 inches (30.6 x 23.9cm). Papier also offers a good array of cover options, including those with gold foil or die-cut windows showing a photo inside. So what’s it like to use the service to design a photo book?

Well, when using Papier to try to recreate TechRadar’s predefined photo book template, I quickly ran into the platform’s limitations. First of all, Papier doesn’t let you make any alterations to its layouts: there’s no way to add new image or text frames, so I wasn't able to add all the images I wanted to a page.

You get just the basics here. For example, if you're looking for the customizable shapes that some platforms offer, you'll be disappointed – and, unlike many of the best photo book services, Papier doesn’t even offer drag-and-drop clip art to add flourishes such as script or illustrations to your photo book.

Customizability in any form is pretty limited, with all the elements on the page pretty much nailed down. There were times I wanted to shift an image frame from the right of a page to the left, or alter the alignment of text, only to discover this wasn't possible.

You can at least change the size of type, but this is limited to larger text fields only; conversely, captions are restricted to just font or style changes. All in all, as someone who likes to insert some originality into the things I create, I found this limiting.

(Image credit: Future)

Surely, for those who have neither the time, nor the desire, to make an endless series of tweaks to layouts, Papier's à la carte selection of templates is just the ticket? Well, I’m not sure it’s getting any Michelin stars there, either.

Yes, Papier offers a range of drag-and-drop templates; but there are only 22 options to choose from, compared to Printerpix's 163 layouts and Mixbook's super generous 891 templates. Want a photo covering half the page with text beneath? Tough. Looking for three images laid out horizontally? Hard luck. There are some creative options available – for example, the one that makes your snap look like it was taken with a Polaroid – but they’re few and far between.

The inclusion of different backgrounds is a nice touch – but, again, there are so few options available that you’re unlikely to get much mileage out of them. Your choices are white, a creamy linen color, almond and a dusty powder blue, or two thicknesses of vertical stripe. I rarely found they complemented individual photos or each other enough to make them worth using.

Image 1 of 4

A selection of the cover templates available. (Image credit: Future / Papier)Image 2 of 4

It also proves there's no dedication that isn't made more amusing when dedicated to a highland cow. (Image credit: Future / Papier)Image 3 of 4

It also proves there's no dedication that isn't made more amusing when dedicated to a highland cow. (Image credit: Future / Papier)Image 4 of 4

It also proves there's no dedication that isn't made more amusing when dedicated to a highland cow. (Image credit: Future / Papier)

By contrast, the cover options Papier offers have recently been extended. There are now 90 different cover templates, which is actually pretty impressive, and there are some really eye-catching designs – including fancy cover treatments such as golden foils and cut-out shapes. With fully editable text, they’re also easy to adapt to your theme, providing plenty of really good cover options.

Once you’ve selected your preferred layouts, you may still encounter some detours and dead-ends along your design journey, with Papier offering some odd and irritating quirks.

The most baffling is its insistence on changing layouts to match your image – even when I’d selected my preferred layout, adding an image would revert it back to the default, meaning you need to always select images first. Further aggravation was caused as a result of Papier's drag-and-drop function for adding photos, while layouts have to be clicked on instead. As a result, the design process proved one of frustration, and time-consuming, too: every time I mixed up which gesture I was supposed to use, I’d lose the rhythm entirely.

No, this isn't an optical illusion. The guinea pig on the left really is bigger than the one of the right. Not sure why. (Image credit: Future / Papier Photo Book)

And that isn't the only wrinkle I found when trying to replicate our sample photo book. For example, Papier doesn’t offer any way to run an image across a double-page spread. While you can usually tackle such a limitation by splitting a photo between two separate frames, Papier has turned this into a frustrating process of trial and error.

Bafflingly, its interface enlarges the off-hand page, making it a larger size to the one you’re currently working on. This makes it almost impossible to ensure the contents of two separate photo frames align. I can't see that there's any benefit to this, so you have to wonder why it was designed that way.

However, while some of Papier’s design choices might have left me baffled, it may not be a concern if the quality of the printed book is high. And here the news is broadly positive. All of our photos came out looking crisp and detailed, with relatively accurate color. There was the occasional suggestion of noise or posterization, with slight color banding perceptible. But this has been apparent with even our highest-rated photo books, so I’m not going to criticize Papier too harshly on this front.

Comparing our Papier photo book side by side with some of our previous samples, it mostly holds its own. Even sat next to the 4.5-star Blurb photo book, Papier's example doesn’t look worlds apart – personally, the slightly better contrast and deeper blacks of the Blurb win out in my eyes, but I don’t feel anyone would be disappointed by the image quality delivered by Papier.

This also extends to the tactile feel of Papier’s photo books. Comparing the quality of its paper stock and covers to its nearest rivals, there didn't seem to be much between them – pages in Papier's photo book feel smooth and substantial. While Papier doesn’t exceed what other services offer, neither does it fall short – which is especially important if you’re considering this for a gift.

Ultimately, if you’re happy to design a photo book within Papier's super-limited format, then you can at least rest assured that you'll get a super-polished product in return. However, if you're someone who likes a bit more creative flexibility, you'll find Papier's service limiting. And, fundamentally, there are other options out there among the best photo book services that offer similarly straightforward, stellar design while providing radically more off-the-rack solutions.

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Papier photo book?Scorecard

Attributes

Rating

Notes

Ease of use

Okay, it’s not riddled with bugs – but Papier’s platform displays some quirks, such as shifting page sizes and similar actions behaving in different ways.

3.5 / 5

Editing tools

Papier’s editing tools are limited. You can't add elements, nor make significant edits, plus the number of layouts offered is dwarfed by most other services.

2.5 / 5

Print quality

Images look crisp and high quality. There’s some color banding present, and a few other services manage better contrast. But overall, it manages vibrant, detailed photos.

4 / 5

Value

At £36.36 (around $48) for 30 pages, our test photo book was a bargain. It has since increased back to its £50 (around $67) list price, but this shows you can get some great deals on Papier’s books.

4 / 5

Buy it if...

You want an attractively printed photo book without spending much moolah
Papier’s printed products offer decent color reproduction, few errors and, while some rivals manage marginally better contrast, it’s good quality for the price.

You want straightforward, by-the-numbers design
If you want an effective, finished photo book without having to reinvent the wheel, Papier will absolutely get you there.

Don't buy it if...

You want to stamp your own mark on your photo book
Papier’s platform offers almost zero customization and its layouts are limited. So if you hate the idea of your photo book looking much the same as everyone else’s, maybe give it a miss.

You find software quirks frustrating
While Papier’s platform is simple to use, it’s not completely fault-free – odd design choices here and there can occasionally introduce frictions.

Front to back: Blurb vs Papier (Image credit: Future)Papier photo book review: also consider

Blurb
In my opinion, Blurb is the undisputed photo book champ. It offers staggering flexibility, allowing you to use professional design tools or its dedicated app – the latter of which offers you surgical control over every element of your book. And if you’re not confident starting from scratch, it also offers a decent 188 templates that you can use as they are, or tweak to your heart's content. Add to this very reasonable prices and its hard package to argue with. Read our full Blurb photo book review.

Mixbook
Like Papier, Mixbook offers super easy-to-use design tools that don’t require any specialist design expertise, and seriously cheap prices. Unlike Papier, it offers a truly absurd range of templates and layouts, totalling 891. It’s well worth checking out, especially if you don’t mind the fact its colors occasionally look slightly artificially boosted. Read our full Mixbook photo book review.

Front to back: Papier vs Blurb (Image credit: Future)How I tested the Papier photo book service

Tried to accurately reproduce the TechRadar photo book template
Explored all of its layout and cover options
Utilized over 10 years working in print and design

TechRadar’s process for testing photo book services requires us to try to reproduce a standardized template, so my first step was trying to recreate it as accurately as possible. This involved reproducing photo frames and text as closely as the photo book service’s templates allowed. I also spent several hours playing with Papier’s templates to explore the various options available.

Once I received our Papier photo book, I first checked it for damage and marks from the printing process. I then compared it side-by-side with some of the other photo books we’ve reviewed, to assess how Papier’s printed products fare in terms of resolution and color accuracy, as well as the quality of its paper stock and construction.

Not only did I establish the testing process for photo books on TechRadar, but I spent many years working as a print editor. As a result, I have gained a lot of direct experience working with images for print and carrying out quality control on printed products to ensure they accurately reflected the source imagery and designs on screen.

First tested: August 2025
Read more about how we test

Categories: Reviews

I tested out HP's hardworking laser printer - and the speed of prints left me seriously impressed

Thu, 08/07/2025 - 11:03

Specs

Type: mono laser printer

Functions: Print

Connectivity: Ethernet, USB

Data storage slots: None

Print speed: 42ppm

Max paper size: Letter/A4

Print quality: 1,200 x 1,200 dpi

Memory: 256MB

Apple AirPrint: yes

Consumables included: black toner (2,900 pages)

Dimensions/Weight: 381 x 357 x 216 mm (WxDxH)/19lb/8.6kg

Oftentimes, a simple mono laser printer is the best and most economical way to serve the print demands of a busy shared office and the HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn (known as the 4002dn outside the US) is designed for just that. It’s a compact desktop unit with two paper inputs, strong security features and a very fast auto-duplex print speed.

The HP LaserJet Pro 4000 series includes eight near-identical variants, which all lack a touchscreen, NFC and Bluetooth connectivity, while this model doesn’t even have Wi-Fi. It’s all about keeping the cost competitive. Instead of Wi-Fi, you have an Ethernet port to get online and network with up to ten users.

With their high speed and high capacity for paper and toner, the 4000 series promise to keep everyone printing efficiently. HP suggests a massive monthly duty cycle up to 80,000 pages, so let’s see if this little HP printer can really deliver.

HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn: Design and buildImage 1 of 2

(Image credit: HP // Future)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: HP // Future)

HP’s designers are the best at shrinking printers to desktop-friendly dimensions, and the HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn is a good example. Its footprint is only 14 by 15 inches, so when you load A4 paper, a rear flap opens up just enough to accommodate its length.

Despite the small size, it can hold 250 sheets of paper in the main drawer and 100 in the multipurpose tray. You can even add a paper cassette accessory for around $140 that’ll take another 550 sheets.

Being a monochrome printer, there’s only one cartridge on board, so there’s plenty of room for toner too. The supplied setup cart gives you up to 2,900 black and white pages, which isn’t bad, but high-yield carts are available that will print up to 9,500 pages.

There’s a backlit two-line display on top with basic button controls and ports at the rear for Ethernet, USB and power cables. I can also see a USB Host port, but it’s blanked off as that’s a feature reserved for more expensive variants of the 4000 series.

HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn: Features & specifications

The HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn has few features, but a strong specification sheet. There’s no touchscreen, no Bluetooth, no NFC, no working USB Host port and no Wi-Fi, for example. For wireless variants, you’ll need the HP LaserJet Pro 4001dw, or 4002dw, where that final ‘w’ stands for Wi-Fi.

The maximum print speed of 42ppm, however, makes this one of the fastest laser printers in its price category. The max toner and paper capacity is also impressive at 350 sheets and 9,500 sheets respectively. There’s an ample 256MB internal RAM and 1,200MHz processing speed.

Naturally, it can auto-duplex and the in-built Wolf Pro security is up to HP’s usual high standard. You can, for instance, protect print jobs by requiring a PIN to be entered.

HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn: Setup and operation

(Image credit: HP // Future)

With no Wi-Fi to set up and the toner cartridge already installed, there’s really not much to do in order to print your first page. Simply load your paper, turn on and wait for the printer to warm up.

The FPOT (first page out time) is a prompt 6.1 seconds although I found it can take a lot longer depending on the print job. I concur with the 42ppm print rate for consecutive simplex pages. By the way, if you’re wondering why the US specification says 42ppm, while the European manual says 40ppm it's because 8.5x11-inch letter paper is slightly shorter than A4 paper.

It also prints quickly in duplex mode, with the pages being turned smoothly and quite quietly each time. The LCD screen may be small, but it’s backlit and clearly readable, making the HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn an easy printer to operate.

HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn: Performance

(Image credit: HP // Future)

The HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn printed all of my test pages promptly and without a misprint or paper jams. The overall print quality is perfectly acceptable, although black text on plain paper doesn’t look quite as bold and crisp as the best laser printers. Switching from draft to best quality mode gives you darker lines that look more professional, but it’s a slightly slower and less economical way to print.

Black and white photos on plain paper are also acceptable, but too grainy and soft to impress. You can achieve slightly better results by using laser photo paper, but there’s no preset for photo paper within the printer’s settings, proving that it’s really not geared up for photos.

The front-loading multipurpose tray works just as well as the main tray, but it’s limited to 120g/m², whereas the drawer input can take thicker 200g/m² paper. It would not accept the 300 g/m² card that some printers are ok with.

For speed and consistency, the HP LaserJet Pro 4002dn is hard to fault. Churning out long double-sided text documents is its forte and every page will look good enough for most purposes. It’s only if you’re looking for that dark black professional finish that I’d recommend turning to a premium laser printer like the Xerox VersaLink B600DN.

HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn: Consumables

(Image credit: HP // Future)

The HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn comes with a pre-installed black toner cartridge capable of delivering up to 2,900 letter-sized pages, which is not bad for a start-up cart. And it can be replaced with a cartridge yielding a whopping 9,500 pages. With a big HP 149X cart costing around $300 (£183), that’s a slightly lower CCP (cost per page) than the Brother HL-L2865DW.

HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn: Maintenance

Even the best laser printers require less upkeep than inkjets and the only component you’ll need to replace here are the empty cartridges. HP has the imaging drum built into the cartridge so you’re replacing that at the same time.

When your prints look faded and you receive a low toner warning from the printer, I find that it’s worth extracting and gently shaking the cartridge to get more toner out of it. And when it comes to installing the new one, don’t open the box and leave it exposed to the light for too long as that can damage it.

HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn: Final verdictImage 1 of 2

(Image credit: HP // Future)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: HP // Future)

I found the HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn (or HP LaserJet Pro 4002dn) to be an easy printer to use, with the right features to meet a heavy print load and print quality that’s good enough for most purposes. It might not have the bold black and high detail you get with a more expensive monochrome printer, but it’s just right for general office duties.

I think the HP LaserJet Pro 4000 series, puts a strong case for buying a mid-price mono printer, as opposed to a cheaper laser or inkjet alternative, mainly because the duplex print rate is so much faster.

This is a hard-working office printer that can serve a workgroup of ten, while having the high toner and yield capacity to keep everyone printing without too much downtime. The compact design is expandable and its inbuilt security is sufficient for me to recommend it as a safe investment for any growing business.

For more, I've tested out the best home printers and the best small business printers.

Categories: Reviews

I usually find Dyson prices eye-watering, but this smart air purifying fan is clearly worth the investment

Thu, 08/07/2025 - 09:59

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09: two-minute review

The Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 is a tower fan and air purifier combo with smart capabilities, which allows for easy control and air data reviewing via the MyDyson companion app.

With a list price of $749.99 / £549.99 / AU$999.99, the white and gold Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 purifying fan is well-priced in the UK and Australia, but curiously costs much more for the nickel and gold colorway at Dyson US. Fortunately, I’ve spotted the white and gold model at a discounted rate from third-party retailers, with Walmart offering it for just $519 at the time of writing.

Replacement filters are on the pricey side at a list price of $79.99 / £75 / AU$99, and Dyson recommends changing them every 12 months, so it’s important to factor this cost into your budget.

(Image credit: Future)

I really like the aesthetics of the UK model I tested, the white and gold colorway is a little more exciting to look at than the standard white and nickel we see on other Dyson purifying fans – though I must say, I consider the color of the shroud to be more copper than gold.

There are 10 fan speeds on offer, plus an auto mode that rouses the TP09 into action whenever it detects contaminants. And it's able to detect these from an impressively wide range of sources, including PM2.5 and PM10, VOCs, formaldehyde, and nitrogen dioxide.

As well as having better detection skills than cheaper Dyson purifying fans, the TP09 also boasts Diffused mode, which diverts the airflow out of the back of the loop amplifier. This means you don’t have to worry about it blasting cold air toward you as it tackles contaminants in the winter months.

The MyDyson companion app proved insightful and responsive when communicating air quality changes and when I was using it to control the TP09. It offered insight into the air quality readings and also provided access to some great additional controls, such as selecting the point to begin oscillating from, saving me from needing to adjust the position of the TP09 manually.

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(Image credit: Future)

The TP09 reacted promptly to contaminants both in testing and day-to-day use. It was quick to notice whenever I sprayed myself with perfume on the other side of the room, and automatically increased the airflow to tackle the detected VOCs. Despite this though, it didn’t have any noticeable effect on the fragrance in the air.

The TP09 delivered an impressive performance overall. It proved easy to operate, the controls were responsive, and it was quick to react whenever contaminants were introduced. It didn’t appear to tackle odors well, but I’m yet to test an air purifier that performs particularly proficiently in this area.

Considering the range of contaminants the TP09 is capable of detecting and reacting to, plus the responsive controls, air quality breakdown and air quality history available on the MyDyson app, you get plenty of bang for your buck with the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09. I highly recommend shopping around for the best price if you’re in the US, though.

In fact, I’m such a fan of the purifying abilities of the TP09 that I could easily see it sneaking its way into our list of the best air purifiers. The fan’s very good too, but at this price point, you’re better off checking out our guide to the best fans if you’re not interested in the purifying element.

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: price & availability

List price: $749.99 / £549.99 / AU$999.99
Available now in the US, UK, and Australia

Available to buy from the Dyson website and other third-party retailers in the US, UK, and Australia, the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 purifying fan has a list price of $749.99 / £549.99 / AU$999.99. This is an attractive price in the UK and Australia, but a little high in the US.

If you’re in the US, then I’d highly recommend shopping around. While the nickel and gold model is pricey on the Dyson website, at the time of writing, I’ve spotted the white and gold Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 for much more reasonable prices at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart, with the latter offering the TP09 for just $519.

(Image credit: Future)

When shopping for an air purifier, it’s always a good idea to check out the prices of replacement filters, so you don’t get a nasty shock when it comes time to switch them out. Dyson recommends changing the HEPA H13 filter every twelve months, based on it running twelve hours a day. As a replacement filter for the TP09 has a list price of $79.99 / £75 / AU$99, it’s worth factoring this cost into your budget.

If you’ve got your heart set on a Dyson purifying fan, but don’t have the budget for this model, I’d recommend taking a look at the Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10 Purifying Fan instead. However, if you can afford the extra spend, it’s worth it for the benefits of the air quality data, app control, and the diffused mode.

Value score: 4 out of 5

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: specs

Type

Purifying tower fan

Fan speeds

Oscillation

45, 90, 180, 350 degrees

Timer

Yes

CADR (Clean air delivery rate)

Requested

Filter

HEPA H13 and activated carbon

Particle sizes detected

PM2.5, PM10, HCHO, VOCs, NO2

Dimensions

8.7 x 8.7 x 41 inches / 22 x 22 x 105cm

Weight

10.7 lb / 4.85kg

Control

Onboard power button, remote control, app, and voice control

Additional modes

Auto, Night mode, Diffused mode

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: design and features

Attractive design and colorway
Diffused mode for purifying when you don’t need cooling
Capable of detecting and reacting to a wide range of contaminants

With its large loop amplifier, it doesn’t take a second look to know that the TP09 purifying fan is a Dyson. The materials look and feel good quality, and the overall build feels satisfyingly sturdy. I’m also a big fan of the white and gold colorway, though I’d say it’s really more of a copper tone than gold, personally.

A clever combo of a bladeless tower fan and an air purifier, the TP09 offers a solution to a niggle I had with the cheaper Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10 model, which was that I couldn’t make use of the higher purifier settings without being blasted with air from the fan. This solution comes in the form of Diffused mode, which diverts the airflow out of the back of the loop amplifier, so I no longer feel like I’m making it face the corner in shame when I want to make the most of its purifying capabilities.

(Image credit: Future)

The setup process was fairly easy, though at a weight of 10.7 lb / 4.85kg and with no carry handles, I’d definitely recommend pulling the side of the box down before sliding the TP09 out, rather than trying to lift it out as stated in the online manual. Curiously, Dyson included a leaflet that’s only printed on one side to communicate that they’ve moved the setup process online to save paper.

I’d also really like to see brands like Dyson doing more product and transit testing to see whether they can cut back on their use of plastic wrap, as individually wrapping both halves of the air filter, the entire tower fan and the outer cardboard box in plastic feels somewhat excessive.

(Image credit: Future)

The TP09 uses the same H13 HEPA filter that’s used in most of their newer models, including the cheaper ones, but adds a permanent catalytic filter, which continuously traps and converts formaldehyde (HCHO) into water and CO2. Another big difference between the TP09 and cheaper models is its ability to detect and react to more than just PM2.5 and PM10 – which are particles up to ten microns in size, including smoke, bacteria, and dust – as it can also detect and react to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen dioxide, too.

The large and well-lit LCD screen on the front of the purifying unit made it easy to keep an eye on the overall air quality or the level of individual pollutants. I could cycle through the different readings using the satisfyingly color-matched remote, which also allowed me to enable diffused mode, auto mode, and night mode, as well as adjust oscillation angle, and airflow speed.

Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: app

Shows a week's worth of air quality data in 15-minute intervals
App remote control is responsive
Provides extra options for timer and oscillation

It’s quick and easy to get an insight into the air quality in the room on the MyDyson app, thanks to the helpful graph that shows the overall air quality in fifteen-minute intervals over the last week. It specifies the most dominant pollutant at the time, which is useful for working out exactly what’s causing any drops in air quality. There are also graphs available to show the level of each pollutant, as well as for ambient temperature and humidity.

The app offers lots of detail on what various terms mean; for example, it lists the different air quality ratings, explains what each one means, what action should be taken, and gives details on each contaminant type it detects. It also provides the ranges of the pollutant readings, such as a reading of 0-35 micrograms per cubic meter being considered Good, and 151-250 being Extremely Poor.

One thing that anyone purchasing the TP09 (or any of Dyson’s air purifiers, really) needs to do in the first instance is to make sure that continuous monitoring is turned on, as it is switched off by default. Without doing this, your air purifier won’t consistently collect data. It’s simple enough to enable, either in the machine settings within the MyDyson app, or by holding the Auto button on the remote for roughly five seconds, until the LCD screen on the device confirms the setting has changed.

(Image credit: Dyson / Future)

Along with providing plenty of data on the air quality inside my home, I was also able to keep up to date with what was going on outside. After entering my location into the MyDyson app, I had access to a simple-to-read dashboard detailing the external temperature, humidity, grass pollen level, plus PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 readings.

The level of controls on offer was fantastic. There are basic settings for power, auto mode, oscillation, and fan speed available on the main TP09 dashboard, but further controls became available after pressing the remote icon. This gave me access to all of the controls I had on the remote, but with far more flexibility. For instance, there's a timer that’s separate from Night mode and offers a wider duration variety. There's also an option to choose which position the TP09 begins its oscillation from – this is a fabulous feature to have, as it saves having to go and manhandle the fan if it’s not quite in the right position.

App score: 4.5 out of 5

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: performance

Easy and straightforward to operate
Detects and reacts to a wide range of contaminants
Fast detection and reaction speeds

The Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 purifying fan was satisfyingly easy to operate throughout my weeks of testing it. Controlling it was simple and stress-free, as both the remote control and the controls on the app were straightforward and very responsive.

I didn’t have much luck when setting up voice control, but I can’t say if this is a fault with the appliance or the third-party apps I was using. I could voice record Siri shortcuts, and they would appear in the Shortcuts app on my iPhone, but my voice commands failed to work.

I had a bit more success when using my Alexa Echo Dot (5th Gen); it was easy to add the Dyson skill on my Alexa app, and I could turn the purifier on and off, and ask to increase or decrease the fan speed. However, I couldn’t get it to switch to Auto mode or oscillate; instead, it would state the action request was not supported on the Dyson machine, which is disappointing at this price point.

(Image credit: Future)

From a fan perspective, the airflow was nice and smooth, and the strength was as I’d expect from one of Dyson’s bladeless tower fans. I found I could feel a noticeable breeze from around 3ft / 1m away on the lowest setting, 8ft / 2.4m on setting five, and 13ft / 4m on top setting ten.

The TP09 was speedy to react when I sprayed dry shampoo towards it from roughly 2 feet away, raising the PM2.5 reading to Severe almost instantly and upping the fan speed in response, swiftly returning the air quality reading within a minute of the contamination being detected.

The TP09 was quick to notice whenever I sprayed myself with perfume in the mornings, too, even though I was on the other side of the room. After promptly bumping the airflow up to setting five, it gradually lowered fan speed over the course of an hour. It didn’t have an impact on the fragrance in the air, which I was happy with in this instance, as my bedroom smelled pretty. But considering this alongside the performance of the TP10, which has the same filter, it looks likely that it’d struggle to make any noticeable effect on cooking smells without manually running it on a higher fan speed for a longer period of time.

(Image credit: Future)

I found it easy to sleep with the TP09 placed on the other side of my small nightstand, both in Night mode – which lowered the fan speed if I was running it higher and turned off the display – and when in standard Auto mode.

The decibel readings I got from the TP09 were, unsurprisingly, very similar to those of the TP10; with readings of 33dB on fan speed one, 43dB on speed five, and 52dB on speed ten. This means that its volume levels were similar to that of soft music at its quietest, and moderate rainfall at its loudest. The key difference between the two models is that the TP09 was not as quiet when in auto mode, as its superior detection skills meant that it didn’t relax and sit idling like the TP10.

Overall, I was very happy with the performance of the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 purifying fan, thanks to its prompt contamination detection and great level of detail and fine-tuning available in the fantastic companion app.

Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Should I buy the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09?

Section

Notes

Score

Value for money

This isn’t a bad price for a Dyson tower fan combined with a good spec and well-performing air purifier. It offers more value for money than some of the slightly cheaper models that don’t have the skills to detect more than just PM2.5 or PM10.

4/5

Design & Features

I love the premium-looking aesthetic and colorway of the TP09, and I’m pleased with its features, too. It can detect and react to a wide range of contaminants, and has a useful Diffused mode so it won’t blast me with cold air when purifying in the winter months.

4.5/5

App

The MyDyson app offers a good level of insight into ambient and local air quality readings, both inside and outside the home. It also worked well as a responsive remote control, which offered useful additional settings.

4.5/5

Performance

The TP09 delivered an impressive performance overall. It proved easy to operate, the controls were responsive, and it was quick to react whenever contaminants were introduced.

4.5/5

Buy it if...

You want a purifier that can react to a wider range of contaminants
If you can afford one, it’s always better to opt for an air purifier that can detect more than just PM2.5 and PM10, as reduced air quality is often caused by other contaminants like VOCs, so having a purifier that’s reactive to these changes makes it easier to improve the air quality in your home.

You want to keep an eye on your air quality levels
With an overall air quality graph and others dedicated to each contaminant, it’s easy to get an overview of your home's air quality throughout the day and pinpoint potential sources of contamination.

You want settings you can fine-tune
The MyDyson app gives you access to a wider range of timer durations, allows you to choose exactly where the TP09 starts oscillating from, and offers scheduling too, so you can set it this Dyson up just as you’d like it.

Don't buy it if...

You want something cheap and simple
This is a pricey purifying fan, and you could buy a cheaper tower fan and air purifier separately if you’re happy with a more basic air purifier that requires more manual intervention.

You want a desktop-sized air purifier
The TP09 is tall and heavy, and would likely be overkill if you just want to freshen the air in a small home office.

You don’t want a tower fan
If you’re only really interested in a high-tech air purifier, then you’d be better off looking at something like the Dyson Purifier Big+Quiet Formaldehyde instead.

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: Also consider

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09

Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10

Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i

Type

Purifying tower fan

Air purifier

Price

$749.99 / £549.99 / AU$999.99

$429.99 / £449.99 / AU$799

$169.99 / £169

Fan speeds

Additional modes

Auto, Night mode, Diffused mode

Auto, sleep mode

Auto, night mode

Oscillation

Up to 350 degrees

N/A

Filter

HEPA H13 and activated carbon

HEPASilent and activated carbon

App support

Yes

Dimensions

8.7 x 8.7 x 41 inches / 22 x 22 x 105cm

8.7 x 8.7 x 41.3 inches / 22 x 22 x 105cm

18.9 x 10.6 x 10.6 inches / 48 x 27 x 27cm

Weight

10.7 lbs / 4.85kg

10.4 lbs / 4.7kg

7.5 lbs / 3.4kg

Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10
If you’re looking for a cheaper Dyson model, the TP10 is a very similar size and weight to the TP09, and uses the same HEPA 13 filter, but is only able to detect and react to the presence of PM2.5 and PM10 contamination. While it isn’t compatible with the MyDyson app, the large integrated display makes it easy to check the status of the air quality in the room. For more details, head over to my full review of the Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10.

Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i
If you’re looking for a stand-alone air purifier that’s more cost-friendly, but still smart, then this lightweight air purifier from Blueair is worth your consideration. It’s ideal for smaller rooms like bedrooms or offices, and offers an insight into the ambient air quality and remote control via the companion app. If you’d like to learn more, take a look at my full Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review.

How I tested the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09

I used the Dyson TP09 purifying fan in my living room and bedroom
I observed its detection and purification skills
I evaluated the strength of the airflow and the sound levels

I used the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 purifying fan in our photo studio, my living room, and my bedroom over the course of a few weeks. I evaluated how easy it was to operate, along with the build quality and aesthetics, and explored the available functions and features.

I tested the strength of the airflow by determining at what distance I could still feel a cooling breeze. I also observed the TP09 Purifying Fan’s detection and purification skills during standardized testing, which included spraying dry shampoo towards it from around two feet away to test how quickly it would react and clear the contamination, and to see how it tackles odors. I also used it passively in my bedroom and my living room over a couple of weeks to see how it performed and how well it would report readings over time.

I used a decibel meter app on my iPhone to record the noise levels, taking readings from around two feet away and ensuring the fan wasn’t blowing directly into the microphone.

I checked the timer worked as expected, and tested out the sleep mode to see whether the TP09 was quiet enough for me to be able to sleep well with it running overnight.

First reviewed: August 2025
Read TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee

Categories: Reviews

I tested the Paessler PRTG Network Monitor - see what I thought of it

Thu, 08/07/2025 - 06:29

PRTG Network Monitor is a mature workhorse in our best network monitoring tools roundup.

Paessler's flagship product offers comprehensive visibility across networks, servers, and applications through its signature sensor-based approach. The platform monitors everything from bandwidth usage to hardware health metrics in real-time.

TechRadar reviewers spend several weeks researching each major IT platform in the market. We've found PRTG particularly appealing for mid-sized organizations seeking robust monitoring without enterprise complexity.

While LogicMonitor remains our pick for the best network monitoring tool of 2025, thanks to its AI-powered automation suite for IT workflows, PRTG offers compelling value for teams prioritizing quick deployment and comprehensive device support.

Paessler: Pricing

Plan

Starting price (paid annually)

What's included

PRTG 500

$179/month

500 sensors, monitor ~50 devices, basic support

PRTG 1000

$325/month

1,000 sensors, monitor ~100 devices, basic support

PRTG 2500

$675/month

2,500 sensors, monitor ~250 devices, basic support

PRTG 5000

£1,183/month

5,000 sensors, monitor ~500 devices, basic support

PRTG XL 1

$1,292/month

Unlimited sensors, single core server, basic support

PRTG Enterprise

Custom

Multiple core servers, unlimited sensors, enterprise support

Note: Prices converted from perpetual licenses to monthly equivalents based on 3-year depreciation

PRTG's sensor-based pricing offers flexibility but can become expensive as monitoring requirements grow. The licensing model counts individual metrics rather than devices, with most devices requiring 5-10 sensors for comprehensive monitoring.

While this allows precise control over monitoring scope, costs escalate quickly in large environments.

Support requires additional annual fees ranging from $360-680 after the first year, which adds to the total cost of ownership.

Paessler PRTG: Features

PRTG’s feature depth justifies its position among leading network monitoring platforms. It mostly targets IT professionals managing diverse network environments, with particular strength in multi-vendor networks.

For example, it’s remarkably good at infrastructure monitoring, with over 250 native sensor types covering everything from SNMP devices to SaaS.

However, PRTG lacks the advanced AI/ML capabilities of some competitors like LogicMonitor.

Its pricing remains reasonable for smaller deployments, but sensor-based licensing can become quite expensive as monitoring needs grow.

PRTG’s sensors deliver a vast amount of useful information (Image credit: Paessler)

Automatic network discovery

PRTG's automatic discovery feature simplifies initial setup by identifying all network devices and creating appropriate monitoring sensors automatically. The system recognizes servers, routers, switches, and printers without manual configuration. This significantly reduces deployment time and ongoing management overhead for IT teams.

Real-Time dashboards and visualization

The platform provides customizable dashboards with live status information and graphical data representation. You can create custom maps using the PRTG map designer to visualize network topology and performance metrics. These visual tools help administrators quickly identify issues and understand network health at a glance.

Multi-protocol monitoring

PRTG supports comprehensive monitoring through multiple protocols, including SNMP, WMI, NetFlow, and HTTP.

The platform can monitor physical network environments, virtual servers, cloud services, and applications from a single interface. This makes it suitable for hybrid infrastructure environments combining on-premises and cloud resources.

Alerting and notification system

The notification system delivers alerts via email, SMS, push notifications, and integrations with third-party tools. Administrators can customize alert thresholds and create escalation procedures to ensure critical issues receive appropriate attention. PRTG has achieved 91% satisfaction ratings for its alerting capabilities.

Reporting and analytics

PRTG generates customizable reports covering performance metrics, availability statistics, and trend analysis. Users can schedule automated reports and create executive summaries for stakeholder communication. The reporting functionality supports compliance requirements and capacity planning initiatives

Paessler PRTG: Ease of use

PRTG's interface strikes a balance between comprehensive functionality and user accessibility.

The web-based dashboard presents monitoring data through intuitive graphs and visual representations that help newcomers understand network status quickly.

Setup takes just minutes with the automatic discovery feature handling initial device identification.

However, the sensor-based licensing model can confuse new users who expect traditional per-device pricing.

And while the platform's learning curve remains manageable for IT professionals, customization requires a deeper understanding of both the infrastructure and the platform's capabilities.

Advanced features like custom sensors and complex alerting rules demand more technical expertise.

Most users praise the straightforward approach to adding devices and configuring basic monitoring, but note that fine-tuning alerts and managing large sensor deployments requires careful planning to avoid notification fatigue.

The PRTG web console keeps you in the loop on sensor usage (Image credit: Paessler)Paessler PRTG: Customer support

Paessler provides multiple support channels, including email, phone, and an integrated help desk accessible through the PRTG interface.

The company offers comprehensive documentation, video tutorials, and an active community forum for troubleshooting assistance. Premium support includes priority response times and direct access to technical specialists for complex issues.

Support quality varies by license tier, with basic plans receiving standard email support and enterprise customers getting dedicated account management. Response times typically range from 1-2 business days for standard inquiries, though critical issues receive faster attention.

The company charges additional fees for extended support beyond the first year, which some users find frustrating compared to competitors offering inclusive support packages.

Paessler PRTG: The competition

PRTG occupies a strong position in the network monitoring market as a feature-rich solution for mid-sized organizations.

The platform competes directly with SolarWinds NPM, ManageEngine OpManager, and Progress WhatsUp Gold in the traditional enterprise monitoring space.

PRTG's strength lies in its comprehensive device support and reasonable pricing for smaller deployments, making it particularly attractive for organizations managing diverse network environments.

For enterprises seeking advanced analytics and automation, LogicMonitor's AI-powered platform offers superior predictive capabilities and automated remediation.

Cloud-native organizations might prefer DataDog or New Relic for their modern architectures and developer-focused features.

PRTG remains the better choice for traditional IT teams managing on-premises infrastructure who value proven reliability over cutting-edge automation capabilities.

Paessler PRTG: Final verdict

PRTG Network Monitor delivers solid value for organizations seeking comprehensive network monitoring without excessive complexity.

The platform's extensive sensor library, intuitive interface, and quick deployment make it an excellent choice for IT teams managing traditional network infrastructures.

While the sensor-based licensing model may surprise newcomers, the flexibility to monitor specific metrics provides precise control over costs and monitoring scope.

However, PRTG falls behind newer competitors in AI-driven automation and predictive analytics capabilities. Organizations prioritizing modern features like intelligent alerting, automated remediation, or advanced machine learning should consider alternatives like LogicMonitor.

For traditional IT environments where proven reliability and comprehensive device support matter most, PRTG remains a compelling choice that balances functionality with accessibility.

Paessler PRTG: FAQsHow does PRTG's sensor-based licensing work?

PRTG licenses are based on the number of individual metrics (sensors) rather than devices. Each sensor monitors one specific aspect of a device, such as CPU usage or network traffic. Most devices require 5-10 sensors for comprehensive monitoring, so a 1000-sensor license typically covers about 100 devices.

Can PRTG monitor cloud environments?

Yes, PRTG supports cloud monitoring for major providers including AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. The platform can monitor cloud services, virtual machines, and hybrid environments through various protocols and APIs. However, cloud-native monitoring solutions may offer better integration with modern cloud services.

What's included in the free version of PRTG?

Paessler's free edition of PRTG includes monitoring for up to 100 sensors permanently, which typically covers 10-20 devices depending on monitoring requirements. It includes all core features like dashboards, alerting, and reporting — making it suitable for small networks and for evaluation purposes.

How difficult is PRTG to set up and configure?

PRTG offers quick deployment with automatic network discovery that identifies devices and creates appropriate sensors automatically. Basic setup takes minutes, though advanced customization and large-scale deployments require more planning and technical expertise to optimize sensor configurations and alert management.

Does PRTG integrate with other IT management tools?

PRTG provides various integration options, including REST APIs, webhooks, and support for ITSM platforms like ServiceNow and Jira. The platform can send alerts to ticketing systems and supports integration with security tools for comprehensive IT management workflows.

We've also ranked the best business computers.

Categories: Reviews

Network Solutions website builder review

Thu, 08/07/2025 - 03:51

Network Solutions website builder delivers a no-frills approach to creating business websites. While it may not compete with the best website builders of 2025, it works for small businesses looking for simplicity. The platform clearly prioritizes ease of use over advanced functionality.

Techradar reviewers have spent thousands of hours testing 140+ website builders. We've found that while Network Solutions meets basic needs, it falls short of modern expectations. For users who need more robust features, Wix remains our pick for the best website builder in 2025.

Still, Network Solutions' website building tool works well for straightforward business sites. You won't find cutting-edge design tools here. But you will get reliable hosting, AI tools, decent performance, and 150+ user-friendly templates.

Network Solutions: 2-minute review

Network Solutions website builder targets small businesses wanting quick online presence. The platform delivers on its core promise: simple website creation without coding knowledge. However, it lacks the sophisticated features found in competitors like Wix or Squarespace.

Founded in 1979 as a technology consulting company, Network Solutions was the world's first domain registrar. The company expanded into website building to serve its small business customer base. Today, it competes in a crowded market with feature-rich no-code platforms like Wix, Webflow, and Bubble. Network Solutions holds its ground through simplicity and reliability, but it struggles to match its competitors' innovation.

What is Network Solutions?

Network Solutions started as a tech consultancy in 1979. The company became famous for managing internet domain names before opening to competition. Today, they offer web hosting, domain registration, and website building services.

Web.com acquired Network Solutions in 2011. More recently, they've decided to combine both website building products into a single solution. Their new website builder targets beginners who need simple sites. You get basic tools without overwhelming options. The platform suits small businesses, personal sites, and anyone wanting quick results without technical complexity.

Features

(Image credit: Network Solutions)

Network Solutions provides essential website building features without unnecessary complexity. The platform includes over 150 templates, drag-and-drop editing, and mobile responsiveness. You'll find basic SEO tools, SSL certificates, and integrated hosting. These features target small businesses needing professional-looking sites quickly.

The feature set works best for straightforward business websites. Restaurant owners, consultants, and service providers will find adequate tools. However, advanced users seeking sophisticated design options or extensive e-commerce capabilities may feel limited. The platform lacks advanced animations, complex layouts, or detailed customization options.

Network Solutions now also includes AI-powered tools like content writing and logo creation. These features help beginners overcome common obstacles. The AI writer generates website copy, while the logo builder creates basic brand graphics. These additions make the platform more accessible to complete novices.

The pricing justifies the feature set for budget-conscious users. Starting at $1.99 for the first month, it offers good value for basic needs. However, competitors provide more features at similar price points. You're paying for simplicity rather than comprehensive functionality.

Tools

(Image credit: Network Solutions)

Network Solutions provides essential website building tools designed for simplicity. It focuses on core functionality rather than extensive options. Each tool serves specific business needs but does not overwhelm beginners.

Drag-and-drop editor

Their visual editor lets you place elements anywhere on your pages. You can add text, images, videos, and forms without coding. The interface uses a section-based approach rather than true drag-and-drop. This keeps things simple but restricts design flexibility.

Template library

150+ professionally designed templates cover various industries. They provide starting points for different business types. All templates include mobile responsiveness, so they can adapt to any screen size automatically. However, switching templates requires rebuilding your entire site from scratch.

AI content creation

There's an AI writer that creates website copy based on your business details. Meanwhile an AI logo builder produces basic graphics using your brand preferences. These tools help overcome creative block for beginners.

SEO and marketing tools

Built-in SEO features include title tags, meta descriptions, and XML sitemaps. The platform also offers social media integration and email marketing capabilities. Additional marketing tools include paid ads management and link-in-bio creation for driving traffic to key pages.

E-commerce features

Basic online store functionality allows product sales through your website. You get shopping cart features and secure payment processing. However, the e-commerce tools remain limited compared to specialized platforms. This works for simple product catalogs but not complex online stores.

Ease of use

(Image credit: Network Solutions)

Network Solutions excels in simplicity. The drag-and-drop interface welcomes beginners without overwhelming them. You get 150+ templates sorted by industry, making it easy to find relevant designs.

Their builder uses a section-based approach rather than true drag-and-drop. This keeps things simple but limits design flexibility. We also found the AI tools quite helpful for newcomers. The AI Content Writer creates website copy based on your business details. And the AI Domain Generator suggests relevant domain names using your keywords.

The platform takes an all-in-one approach. You get hosting, domain, SSL, and professional email bundled together. This eliminates the need to juggle multiple services. However, switching templates requires rebuilding your entire site from scratch.

Pricing

(Image credit: Network Solutions)

Plan

Starting rate (paid annually)

Renewal rate (paid annually)

Website

$1.99/month

$16.99/month

Website + Marketing

$3.99/month

$21.99/month

eCommerce

$9.99/month

$29.99/month

Network Solutions offers competitive introductory pricing. The basic Website plan starts at just $1.99 monthly for the first year. This includes hosting, a free domain, SSL certificate, and professional email for three months. The Website + Marketing plan adds appointment scheduling, social media tools, and AI copywriting for $3.99 monthly.

The pricing jumps significantly at renewal. Your $1.99 plan becomes $16.99 monthly in year two. This represents a substantial increase that may surprise budget-conscious users. However, even renewal rates remain competitive compared to premium builders like Wix, which starts at $17/month.

Security

(Image credit: Network Solutions)

Network Solutions provides basic security features but charges for advanced protection. All plans include free SSL certificates, which encrypt data between your site and visitors. You also get Perfect Privacy to hide your personal information from WHOIS databases.

The company offers SiteLock Premium as an additional security service. This includes daily malware scans, automatic malware removal, and basic web application firewall protection. It also provides blacklist monitoring and a Content Delivery Network to speed up your site. However, these security features cost extra, unlike competitors who include comprehensive security in their base plans.

Support

(Image credit: Network Solutions)

Network Solutions provides multiple support channels with mixed results. You get 24/7 phone support and live chat, plus a comprehensive knowledge base. Phone support runs from 7 AM to midnight ET, seven days a week. Live chat operates Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 11 PM.

The quality varies significantly between support agents. Some users report helpful, patient staff who explain solutions clearly. Others encounter abrupt agents who seem reluctant to assist. This inconsistency makes support a gamble. The knowledge base offers hundreds of well-written articles with helpful screenshots. You can usually find answers quickly without contacting support.

Network Solutions includes one hour of expert design support with the basic plan. This helps beginners get started without struggling alone. The company also offers professional design services separately if you prefer hands-off website creation.

Alternatives

Network Solutions targets small businesses seeking simplicity over sophistication. It competes in the budget-friendly segment alongside Hostinger ($2.99/month) and Weebly. The platform works best for basic business sites, restaurants, and service providers who need quick online presence.

The main competitors include Wix, Squarespace, and GoDaddy. Wix offers more design flexibility and advanced features starting at $17 monthly. Squarespace provides premium templates and better design tools for creatives at $16 monthly. Shopify dominates e-commerce with specialized tools starting at $29 monthly. Network Solutions fits between basic builders and feature-rich platforms, offering reliability without complexity.

Network Solutions website builder: Summary

Network Solutions website builder delivers on its core promise: simple website creation for small businesses. You get reliable hosting, decent templates, and helpful AI tools at competitive introductory prices. The all-in-one approach eliminates service juggling, while customer support provides mixed but generally adequate assistance.

However, significant renewal price increases, limited design flexibility, and basic security features may disappoint users seeking advanced functionality. It's ideal for beginners wanting straightforward business sites without technical complexity.

FAQsCan I switch to a different template after building my site?

Unfortunately, you cannot easily switch templates in Network Solutions. Changing templates requires rebuilding your entire site from scratch. This means you should choose your template carefully from the start. Consider browsing all available templates before making your selection to avoid later regrets.

How does Network Solutions compare for SEO and marketing?

Network Solutions includes basic SEO tools like title tags, meta descriptions, and XML sitemaps in all plans. The Website + Marketing plan adds appointment scheduling, social media integration, and email marketing tools. The platform focuses on simplicity rather than advanced SEO features. For comprehensive marketing, you may need their professional digital marketing services, which cost extra.

What happens to my website if I don't renew at the higher price?

Network Solutions requires renewal at standard rates after your promotional period ends. If you don't renew, your website will eventually go offline and become inaccessible to visitors. The company typically provides grace periods and renewal notices before deactivation. However, pricing jumps from $1.99 to $16.99 monthly for the basic plan, so budget accordingly for year two.

Does Network Solutions include e-commerce features in all plans?

Ecommerce functionality requires the dedicated eCommerce plan at $9.99 monthly. The basic Website and Website + Marketing plans don't include online store capabilities. The eCommerce plan allows unlimited products and selling on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and eBay. If you plan to sell products online, factor this higher cost into your budget.

Can I use my own domain name with Network Solutions?

You can absolutely use an existing domain name with Network Solutions website builder. All plans include a free domain for one year, but you can connect your existing domain instead. The setup process is straightforward through your account dashboard. If you prefer keeping your current domain registrar, Network Solutions supports domain connection from other providers.

Categories: Reviews

BigCommerce review

Thu, 08/07/2025 - 03:32

BigCommerce is a leading ecommerce platform designed to help you create, launch, and grow your online store—no coding needed. Our team at Techradar has spent thousands of hours testing over 140 website builders, so we know what makes a platform stand out. For anyone wanting to weigh their options, don’t miss our expert guides to the best website builders and the best ecommerce platforms.

We’ve seen BigCommerce land high on both lists, offering rich commerce features for ambitious stores. Still, if pure website building is your focus, our top pick for 2025 is Wix. See our latest Wix review to find out why it’s the best all-round builder for most people.

Put simply: BigCommerce excels at advanced store management. But, it’s not the most user-friendly if you crave simple design tweaks or unlimited styling options.

BigCommerce: 2-minute review

BigCommerce is a heavyweight in the ecommerce world. Its platform blends flexible store management with built-in tools for SEO, multi-currency selling, product variants, and sales analytics. Over the years, BigCommerce has become a favorite for fast-growing brands who want more power and customization than entry-level platforms.

BigCommerce’s standout feature is its ability to manage multiple storefronts under a single account. This, plus its deep native features and lack of hidden fees, mean you get a lot of bang for your buck. However, its website editor feels more basic than the drag-and-drop wizards you’ll find elsewhere. If your priority is deep commerce tools, though, BigCommerce delivers where it counts.

What is BigCommerce?

BigCommerce is an online store builder that lets anyone, even total beginners, launch a shop, list products, and sell to the world. As with most other tools in this category, you don’t need to know a line of code. The dashboard is straightforward: you add products, set up payments, and choose a design template. With guided setup and support at every step, you’re never lost.

But, BigCommerce isn’t only for beginners. As your business grows, you can add more advanced features: custom discounts, shipping rates, and even multiple stores, all managed from one place. If you want to focus on selling, BigCommerce handles the technical side for you. That means security, hosting, and updates happen automatically behind the scenes.

Features

(Image credit: BigCommerce)

With multiple storefronts, you can have different versions of your store for different customer segments or locations. For example, if you have an international presence, each country can have its own version of the store in its native language and currency. This makes it easier to target customers in specific countries and regions without them needing to search through multiple languages or convert currencies. It also allows you to keep track of customer data and sales more easily since everything is segmented by storefronts.

BigCommerce enables you to create unique, seamless customer experiences that span multiple channels with its Headless Commerce feature. During our test, we were able to leverage external content management systems (CMS) such as WordPress or Adobe Experience Manager, while still leveraging the powerful API-driven B2B and B2C commerce capabilities of BigCommerce. This allows for greater flexibility when creating custom digital experiences for customers across all devices and channels.

BigCommerce offers B2B and wholesale solutions that allow businesses to provide special pricing and discounts on large orders or special deals for select customers. This helps make it easier for you to expand your customer base and reach new markets without having to put extra effort or resources into managing different pricing models.

With omnichannel capabilities, you can create a seamless experience across all channels (online, in-store, mobile). This includes providing customers with the ability to make purchases from any device or location, as well as offering them access to unique experiences both online and offline. Additionally, this feature makes it easy for customers who are shopping online or in-store to convert their purchase into an online order if they need further assistance or information before completing a purchase.

International Commerce-as-a-Service (CaaS) feature allows you to easily expand your business into new markets with localized checkout flows and currencies. With this feature, you can accept payments from customers in different countries without having to manage multiple stores or currency conversions. This feature provides tools such as automated tax calculations and support for the localization of product listings across multiple markets.

The Emerging Brands feature makes it easy for startups and entrepreneurs to get their businesses off the ground quickly and affordably. With this feature, you can easily create a custom store design with pre-built templates that are optimized for mobile devices. Additionally, the Emerging Brands feature provides access to advanced marketing tools such as automatic discounts, coupons, abandoned cart reminders, Google shopping ads integration, and more.

For small businesses that need more control over their website and store design, BigCommerce offers a range of features tailored specifically for them. These include drag-and-drop page-building capabilities for creating custom layouts, access to third-party app integrations, powerful shipping tools, real-time analytics, customer segmentation capabilities, integrated email marketing solutions, and more.

If you’re running a large enterprise business with multiple stores or sites around the world, BigCommerce offers an enterprise solution that is tailored specifically to your needs. This includes customizable templated designs, built-in scalability options, full API access, unlimited order management capabilities, advanced merchandising tools, dedicated account managers, and much more.

Finally, if you already have an existing website or store on another platform like Shopify or Magento 2, BigCommerce offers its migration tool which allows you to easily transfer all of your existing data over quickly and painlessly so you can get up and running on BigCommerce right away.

Tools

(Image credit: BigCommerce)

BigCommerce uses Google Cloud Platform infrastructure, Google AMP, and Akamai Image Manager to give your store blazing-fast speed. Customers don’t have to wait around for pages to load, plus you get unlimited customizability. Here are some of its best tools:

Product management

List unlimited products, create options and variants (like sizes or colors), and organize your catalog. Batch editing and flexible custom fields make managing large inventories easy.

Multi-storefront business

Run several storefronts — each with its own design, products, and checkout, using just one account. Perfect if you’re selling in different regions or to different audiences.

SEO and marketing

Built-in SEO tools help your shop rank on Google. You can edit page titles, descriptions, and URLs, plus take advantage of automatic image optimization and product review features. Marketing tools include coupon codes, gift certificates, and abandoned cart recovery.

International & multi-currency stores

Sell globally with automatic currency conversion, translation options, and support for the world’s top payment gateways. Real-time shipping quotes and tax calculations keep things running smoothly.

Reporting & analytics

From high-level dashboards to granular sales reports, BigCommerce’s analytics help you track growth and spot trends. Export data for more detailed analysis, or connect to third-party tools.

App marketplace

Add functionality with a range of integrations — think shipping, accounting, CRM, and more, by browsing the BigCommerce app store.

Ease of use

(Image credit: BigCommerce)

BigCommerce offers a strong suite of features that make it easy to build a website from scratch. The drag-and-drop builder makes it easy for users to customize their site without needing any coding skills.

The platform also offers plenty of features to help you manage your store once it's up and running. You can easily add products, manage orders, process payments, track inventory levels, and more. It even makes it easy to create custom discounts, coupons, loyalty programs, and other promotions to attract customers. All of this requires little setup time, but you may have to spend some time with the documentation for advanced user flows.

Pricing

(Image credit: BigCommerce)

Plan

Starting rate (paid annually)

Renewal rate (paid annually)

Standard

$29/month

Plus

$79/month

Pro

$299/month

Enterprise

Custom/Quote

BigCommerce offers four main pricing tiers: Standard, Plus, Pro, and Enterprise. Each plan is billed annually and rates don’t jump on renewal, so what you start with is what you pay going forward. The Standard plan is tailored for new or smaller stores, while Plus and Pro unlock more advanced features and higher sales limits. The high-end Enterprise tier is custom-quoted for big brands needing extra support or customization.

There are no hidden fees, bandwidth charges, or transaction costs. Every plan includes unlimited products, staff accounts, and storage. As you move up tiers, you’ll get added features like advanced marketing tools, customer segmentation, product filtering, and custom SSL certificates. BigCommerce provides strong value for growth-focused stores, though its initial pricing is higher than freelance-friendly rivals.

Security

(Image credit: Epic Games)

BigCommerce puts security first with strong encryption, PCI DSS Level 1 compliance, and automatic SSL certificates for every store. All data exchanges (from credit card info to logins) are encrypted using the latest TLS standards, plus regular security audits help keep storefronts safe from evolving threats. Robust role-based access controls ensure staff only access what they need, while two-factor authentication protects your admin account from unauthorized changes.

The platform’s security credentials mean you’re protected from the biggest headaches. There are zero manual security patches or PCI checklists to worry about. If you need extra customer trust, you can add extended validation SSLs for more prominent browser indicators.

Support

(Image credit: BigCommerce)

Every BigCommerce customer gets 24/7 live support via chat, phone, or email. We’ve found the support team quick, knowledgeable, and proactive. There’s also an extensive self-help portal, packed with step-by-step articles, video tutorials, and troubleshooting guides.

Higher-tier plans unlock priority routing and access to ecommerce strategists, helpful for scaling businesses. But even Standard users can reach out at any hour to expect real solutions. If you prefer not to contact support directly, the searchable knowledge base often answers common questions in minutes.

A small caveat is the occasional wait times can occur during peak hours, though most users have positive experiences with both the expertise and the friendliness of the help team.

Alternatives

One of the most popular ecommerce website builders on the market is Shopify. It provides users with a comprehensive suite of tools designed to help them build their online stores quickly and easily. With Shopify, you can choose from hundreds of professionally designed themes, and customize your store's look.

WooCommerce is another popular choice for businesses looking for an e-commerce website builder. Unlike many other platforms, WooCommerce is free and open-source software that lets users customize their store however they want. You can add products from any source (including third-party sites like eBay), manage inventory levels, set up taxes and shipping costs, accept payments via PayPal or credit cards, and more, all without any coding knowledge needed!

Magento is another great option for businesses looking for an ecommerce website builder solution. The platform offers a wide range of features including customizable templates, product catalogs with advanced sorting options, multiple payment options including credit cards and PayPal integration, detailed analytics reports to track sales performance over time, SEO optimization tools to help increase visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs), customer loyalty programs, order management tools, and more.

Is BigCommerce right for you?

BigCommerce delivers serious ecommerce power and flexibility, especially for ambitious stores with an eye on global success. Some design limitations and higher entry costs keep it from being perfect, but it's easily one of the best options for growth-focused brands in 2025.

Also, BigCommerce offers an extensive range of features that can help you customize your website exactly how you want it. From drag-and-drop page builders to integrated ecommerce options, the possibilities are nearly endless. And, BigCommerce offers great customer service that is available 24/7.

But the one downside to using BigCommerce is its cost. If you are on a budget, consider options with cheaper starting plans.

FAQsIs BigCommerce suitable for beginners?

Yes, BigCommerce is user-friendly enough for beginners and provides guided setup, helpful tutorials, and 24/7 support. The dashboard is straightforward, so you can launch a store with no coding experience. As you grow, you’ll find more advanced tools available, but you aren’t forced to use them until you’re ready.

Does BigCommerce take a cut of my sales?

No, BigCommerce does not charge transaction fees on any plan, even if you use third-party payment gateways. You’ll only pay standard payment processor fees set by your chosen provider, like PayPal or Stripe.

How does BigCommerce compare to Shopify and Wix?

BigCommerce holds its own against Shopify and Wix. Generally, BigCommerce is stronger for multi-store or international selling and has more built-in features, while Shopify offers the biggest app marketplace and Wix wins for easy design. Each has strengths, so your best pick depends on your priorities.

Can I try BigCommerce before buying?

BigCommerce offers a risk-free trial with instant access, no credit card required. This lets you test core features, templates, and tools before committing to a paid plan.

What happens if my store grows too quickly?

BigCommerce’s plans scale automatically as your sales rise. Higher tiers unlock more advanced features and higher sales caps. If you hit those limits or need custom solutions, the Enterprise plan offers limitless scalability, priority support, and dedicated account management.

Also check out our complete list of the best small business website builders.

Categories: Reviews

I spent months with the Breville Oracle Jet and it delivered speedy, flavorful espresso with minimal effort every time – but you pay for its convenience

Wed, 08/06/2025 - 18:52

Breville Oracle Jet: two-minute review

The Breville Oracle Jet is a serious contender in the world of high-end espresso machines, offering an impressive mix of automation and precision. Designed to cater to both beginners and seasoned coffee enthusiasts, this high-tech machine helps simplify the often-fiddly process of making high-quality espresso, offering consistent results with minimal effort.

The key difference between the Jet and its immediate predecessor – the Oracle Touch – is that this newer model has adopted Breville’s fast-heating ThermoJet boiler technology. This means that the Jet’s ready to extract a coffee shot in around 30 seconds after being powered on, rather than the 3 or more minutes you’ll have to wait with the Oracle Touch and its older-style dual boilers.

One of the Oracle Jet’s standout features is its high-precision burr grinder. With 45 settings, it allows for ultra-fine adjustments to the grind size so that you can get the consistency you need from your coffee beans. This is a really valuable feature, especially since I’ve found many of the best espresso machines require a lot of trial and error to get this right, which wastes time (and coffee). The Oracle Jet really doubles down on this, providing real-time feedback on extraction, and guiding you in getting the perfect shot every time.

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

While the automatic tamping system serves up a uniform coffee puck time and time again, I found that the grinder could be a little messy, occasionally leaving stray grounds on the portafilter and even on the worktop around the machine, but it’s nothing a quick wipe won’t sort out.

The machine makes up for this minor inconvenience with its sizeable, intuitive touchscreen, which makes the entire brewing process not only feel super premium, but truly effortless. It walks you through drink selection, grinding, extraction and milk frothing in a really fluid and enjoyable way, making it almost impossible to get a bad coffee. And the Auto MilQ steam wand automatically textures milk to the right consistency for your drink of choice, even adjusting settings based on whether you're using dairy or plant-based alternatives – a rare but certainly welcome feature in the world of home espresso makers.

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Despite its many conveniences, Breville’s impressive machine does have some drawbacks. It’s quite bulky and heavy, so you’ll need ample kitchen worktop space. And the lack of simultaneous brewing and milk steaming means that if you’re making multiple drinks, the Oracle Jet can be a little slower than its dual-boiler predecessors, such as the Oracle Touch. And, of course, the $1,999.95 / AU$3,399 price tag makes it a considerable investment.

Still, for those who want top-tier espresso without the hassle, the Breville Oracle Jet delivers. It offers barista-level quality at the touch of a button, making it what I believe to be one of the most advanced and user-friendly coffee machines on the market today.

Breville Oracle Jet: price and availability

Available to buy now, priced at $1,999.95 / AU$3,399
Sold under the Sage brand in the UK
More expensive than most competitors

Arriving in Breville’s home territory of Australia first – where it's currently priced at $3,399 – the Oracle Jet launched in July 2024, and then made its way to the US a few months later, where it carries an MSRP of $1,999.95. Available from the brand's official web store as well as many major retailers, it comes in Truffle Black, Stainless Steel and Sea Salt White in Australia, while buyers in the US get additional Damson Blue and Olive Tapenade (aka green) options.

Compared to Breville’s other high-end models, the Oracle Jet sits between the Barista Touch Impress ($1,499 / AU$1,999) and the flagship Oracle Touch ($2,799.95 / AU$3,699), making it quite definitively a high-range option.

While there are few other espresso machines on the market that offer the Oracle Jet’s exact mix of features, the Oracle Jet holds its ground well when stacked up against other semi-automatic rivals. There’s the Ninja Luxe Café ($499 / around AU$750), which offers a semi-automatic espresso setup with some smart features at a fraction of the price in select markets (currently unavailable in Australia), but lacks the same precision and customization.

Meanwhile, the De'Longhi La Specialista Touch ($1,000 / AU$1,299) is another alternative featuring a touchscreen and automated milk frothing in a smaller footprint and at a much lower cost, but it doesn’t feature the same level of automation around grinding and tamping, or the cold brew functionality of the Oracle Jet.

Value score: 4/5

Breville Oracle Jet: specs

Dimensions

19.2 x 15 x 14.5 inches / 48.8 x 38.1 x 36.8cm

Weight

26.9lbs / 12.2kg

Grinder

45-setting burr grinder

Drink options

11, including espresso, latte, cappuccino, cold brew, and hot chocolate

Milk frothing

Automatic, with presets for dairy and plant-based milks

Water tank

2qt / 2.3l (front-fillable)

Smart features

Auto grind adjustment, Wi-Fi updates

Breville The Oracle Jet: design

High-end build with sleek finish
Intuitive touchscreen for easy navigation
Clever built-in features like hidden wheels

The Breville Oracle Jet is a serious piece of kit. Right out of the box, everything about it screams premium, and given the lofty price tag you’d be right to have high expectations, too. With a brushed stainless steel finish on the variant sent to me for this review, it has a sleek, pro feel that will certainly look the part in any kitchen, provided you’ve got the space for it.

That’s the thing – this isn’t some compact coffee maker you can tuck away in the corner of your kitchen. It’s around 20 inches wide and 15 inches deep (or 50cm x 40cm), so you’ll need a fair amount of free worktop space to fit this beast in comfortably. It's also pretty weighty, weighing in at over 26lbs / 12kg, so you might even need someone to help you lift it out of the box.

Once you've got it set up in the desired spot, it’ll be hard not to immediately fall in love with the 5-inch touchscreen, which dominates the front of the machine for good reason – it’s your guide through the entire coffee-making process. Whether you’re brewing a classic espresso shot or frothing milk for a cappuccino, the Oracle Jet provides clear, easy-to-follow instructions through text and images. There's even a preset for espresso martini!

There's light and dark modes for the interface, which is a nice customization touch to suit your kitchen lighting. The interface is smooth and responsive, which is a relief since the screen on Breville’s last machine, the Barista Touch Impress, could be frustratingly sluggish at times. It now works as expected, making swiping between different drink options a dream.

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

One of the Oracle Jet’s most thoughtful features is the front-fillable 2qt / 2.3L water tank. If you’ve ever had to awkwardly shuffle a big ol’ espresso machine around just to access and refill the water tank, you’ll definitely appreciate this design feature, as it means you just need to lift up a front flap and pour from a jug straight from the tap. There’s also a window just above the drip tray so you can clearly see the water level, but you’ll also receive alerts on the touchscreen when the tank needs refilling.

Another handy feature is the addition of hidden wheels on the machine’s underside. Given its size and weight, you might expect the Oracle Jet to be a hassle to move, but a simple swipe of the lever under the drip tray lifts the machine onto its 360º wheels, making it incredibly easy to slide around and reposition. It’s a small detail, but one that shows Breville has really considered usability for its customers.

The grinder and portafilter system also boast brilliant build quality, with automatic grinding and tamping, which takes much of the guesswork (and the effort) out of making espresso, but I’ll talk more about that in the performance section. The 58mm portafilter is barista-standard for even extraction, but it also feels well built and weighty in the hand, like it should.

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(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

The Auto MilQ steam wand is another standout. It automatically textures milk to the consistency required for whichever type of drink you’re making – and the neat thing here is that you can input the type of milk you’re frothing, whether that’s your standard dairy or plant-based alternatives like soy, oat or almond. Coffee-brewing control freaks will be pleased to hear they still have the option to steam manually, too.

However, the machine’s one main drawback is that unlike previous Oracles, you can’t brew and steam at the same time. If you’re making multiple milk-based coffee drinks, you’ll have to wait for one process to finish before starting the other, which can slow things down compared to its predecessors. This is due to the machine’s single ThermoJet heating system. Unlike dual-boiler machines, which have separate boilers for brewing and steaming, the Oracle Jet uses one heating element for both tasks.

If it’s a dealbreaker for you, Breville’s slightly pricier (but not quite as smart) Oracle and Oracle Touch machines do feature a dual-heating system, so these might be worth considering if you frequently make a large number of coffees.

Design score: 4.5/5

Breville The Oracle Jet: performance

Automatic grind and tamping give top results time and time again
Fast heating and smooth espresso extraction
Cold brew and iced coffee options

The Breville Oracle Jet is built to take the hassle out of home espresso, and after using it for a few months in TechRadar's Sydney office – incidentally replacing the Breville Oracle Touch, I can confidently say it delivers on that promise. From grinding to milk frothing, almost everything is automated, making it ideal for anyone who wants great coffee without the hassle.

Let’s start with the grinder. It has 45 settings, which means you can seriously fine-tune your grind size to suit whatever beans you're using. The smart thing about this is that the machine even tells you if your shot is under- or over-extracted, so you know whether to adjust the grind next time. This is a game changer if you’ve ever struggled with dialling in a manual espresso machine and haven’t been able to nail the extraction.

The automatic tamping system also works really well here, as it means you don’t have to worry about pressing too hard or too softly – you just let the machine do the work. That said, it does have a habit of leaving a few stray coffee grounds behind, which isn’t a huge deal but means a bit of extra clean-up.

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When it comes to pulling a shot, the dual ThermoJet system heats up almost instantly, so there’s no waiting around like with cheaper machines. I found espresso extraction to be smooth and consistent, with rich, balanced flavors – whether you’re using high-end beans or just grabbing something from the supermarket. I used the standard Woolworth's espresso beans easily available in Australia where this machine was tested (costing AU$18 per kilo) and these proved equally satisfying in my morning coffee, offering a lovely full-bodied and smooth taste. I suspect this was down to the machine making the most of how they were brewed.

The real-time shot timer on the touchscreen is also worth a mention. It’s probably one of my favorite features on this machine – turning green if your shot is timed well or red if something’s off, giving you immediate feedback. Impressive!

The Auto MilQ steam wand also adds to the top performance experience of the Oracle Jet. The milk textures it produces are always silky smooth, and ideal for making latte art if you’re into that (not that I could produce anything worth looking at, but that’s down to my lack of skills). While manual milk frothing is an option, most people will probably prefer the automatic setting and it produces great results.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

One of the more unique features on the Oracle Jet is its cold brew and cold espresso modes. Cold espresso is perfect for iced lattes, keeping the flavors bold without melting the ice too quickly. The cold-brew function isn’t quite the same as traditional overnight steeping, in that it uses room-temperature water to perform a slow multi-minute extraction, but it still produces a smoother, less acidic coffee in a fraction of the time (and effort) that it takes to make the real thing.

Cleaning is another area where the Oracle Jet makes life easy. Despite the mess the grinder can sometimes make, it has automatic cleaning cycles for the steam wand and internal components, so there’s not much hands-on maintenance. You’ll still need to rinse the portafilter and wipe down and empty the drip tray, but overall, it’s much lower effort than most espresso machines that I've tested.

Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Breville Oracle Jet?Buy it if

You want barista-quality coffee without the effort

The Oracle Jet automates most of the process, ensuring consistent results every time.

You’re happy to pay extra for a top quality appliance

If you’re one for appreciating the finer things in life and don’t mind paying extra for the privilege of a well-built and stylish machine, then you’ll be right at home with the Oracle Jet.

You love cold coffee

The cold brew and cold espresso functions are rare on machines of this type.

You want smart guidance

The real-time extraction feedback and grind adjustment tips help you master espresso-making and makes you feel like a pro with very minimal effort.

Don't buy it if

You’re on a budget

At nearly $2,000 / AU$3,500, the Oracle Jet is certainly not a casual purchase. It’s an investment that will last you years to come, so it's definitely more aimed at those who are serious about creating barista-quality coffee at home.

You need a compact machine

It’s large and it’s pretty heavy, so not ideal for smaller kitchens or those tight on space.

You want to brew and steam at the same time

The single ThermoJet system used for brewing and milk steaming means they can't be used simultaneously, so not ideal for those who want to make a swift cup of coffee before dashing off to work.

Breville Oracle Jet: also consider

Ninja Luxe Café

Price: $499 (around AU$750)

A more affordable bean-to-cup option that still offers some automation, including guided espresso pulls and an automatic frother. However, it lacks the fine-tuned grind settings and high-end build of the Oracle Jet, and it’s not currently available in Australia.

Read our full Ninja Luxe Café review

Breville Barista Touch Impress

Price: $1,499 / AU$2,299

A slightly less expensive alternative from Breville with many of the same automation features, including Auto MilQ milk frothing and guided espresso adjustments. However, it lacks the cold brew and cold espresso options and the digital display just isn’t quite as swift as that on the Oracle Jet.

Read our full Breville Barista Touch Impress review

De’Longhi Eletta Explore

Price: $1,899.99 / AU$1,799

An accomplished bean-to-cup coffee machine that’s perfect for coffee lovers who don’t have the time to maintain an espresso machine. Plus, it can make both hot and cold beverages and comes with everything you might need for a fully operational caffeination station.

Read our full De’Longhi Eletta Explore review

How I tested the Breville Oracle Jet

I used the Breville Oracle Jet for just over a month at home, making two coffee drinks per day using a mixture of high quality Lavazza decaf and fully caffeinated coffee beans. During testing, I noted flavors, consistency, temperature, time to brew, and noise levels. Beyond drinking the espresso and coffee black, I tried the different milk frother presets with both dairy and plant-based milk, observing the foam levels and differences between settings. In the end, I tested almost every setting on the machine and observed how it performed during every step.

The Philips Hue Play Wall Washer transformed my home cinema setup, and it makes a perfect wake-up light, too

Wed, 08/06/2025 - 08:00

Philips Hue Play Wall Washer: two-minute review

When I first set eyes on the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer, I saw it as a more advanced alternative to the Philips Hue Play Light Bars, which are designed to sit on either side of your TV and add ambience to your home entertainment setup. The Wall Washer can certainly do that – and with more atmospheric results thanks to its wider projection area – but it can do a lot more, too.

Like the Light Bar, the Wall Washer is a discreet-looking device that's designed to be positioned with its light source shining against a wall, rather than into the room, producing a diffuse glow that (as the name suggests) washes your room with color. However, unlike the Play Light Bar, which can only show one color at a time, each Wall Washer contains three lights, stacked vertically, which overlap to form a smooth gradient.

As the video below shows, the three lights can also dim and brighten independently to create shimmering effects, which is a nice feature if you choose to use a single Wall Washer as a table lamp to set the mood as part of a larger Philips Hue lighting setup.

You can use the Wall Washer via Bluetooth, but to unlock all its features (and to justify its price), you'll also need a Philips Hue Bridge. This small hub device plugs into your router and uses the Zigbee wireless protocol to create a mesh network that connects all of your Hue lights, switches, and cameras to one another, and to the internet.

Provided you have that, setting up your Wall Washer is straightforward. Just select the "Add" option within the Hue mobile app, scan the QR code on the base of your Wall Washer when prompted and then choose a room or zone for it (you'll be prompted to create an area if none already exist). If you have more than one Wall Washer, you'll need to add each one separately, but that takes only a few seconds.

You can add Wall Washers to any room or zone in the Philips Hue app, sync them with other lights, and apply scenes across them all (Image credit: Future)

Once that's done, you can change the color of each Wall Washer by choosing a shade from the app's color wheel. You can also apply a preset color scheme (known as a "scene") from the Hue library; create your own scene by picking colors or importing a picture; or apply an animated dynamic scene such as the shimmering purple effect above.

You can customize your Wall Washer by itself, or apply a scene to all the lights in a room or zone.

Despite its small size, the Wall Washer projects light a long way, and when it was positioned on a table, I found the color reached all the way to the ceiling. If you like the idea of a Philips Hue Signe Floor Lamp, but don't have the space, the Wall Washer would be a good alternative for around the same price. Although there are only three lights in each Wall Washer, the color gradient is totally seamless, as you can see in the image at the top of this review.

As mentioned earlier, the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer can also sync with your TV, extending the colors from the screen in the same way as a Philips Ambilight TV to create a more immersive viewing experience by effectively blurring the edges of the picture.

To do this, you'll need at least one Wall Washer, plus either a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, or a smart TV that's compatible with the Philips Hue Play Sync app. The app was initially only available for selected Samsung TVs, but in February 2025, Signify (Philips Hue's parent company) launched a version for LG sets as well.

The advantage of using the app is that there's less to setup, and you can use it to sync your Hue lights with content from your TV's native apps. If you use a Sync Box, you can only sync with content from HDMI sources.

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Colors are natural, and the gradient effect looks seamless when used with an HDMI Sync Box (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 3

There was very little lag when I used the Wall Washers with an HDMI Sync Box connected to a set-top box (Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 3

Even in daylight, the Wall Washer lights were effective (Image credit: Future)

As you can see in the video and images above, there's very little latency when using the Wall Washer lights with a Philips Hue HDMI Sync Box connected to a set-top box, and colors look natural rather than distracting. The lighting is effective, even in daylight, and the gradient means the Wall Washers create a more seamless look than the Philips Hue Play Light Bars, which can only average out the color on each side of your screen.

The main disadvantage of the Wall Washer compared to the Philips Hue Play Light Bar is that it only stands upright, and it isn't designed to be mounted horizontally. As such, it isn't well suited for use underneath your TV. You'll probably want at least two for a home entertainment setup (and possibly another for elsewhere in the room), which will be considerably more expensive.

If you have just one Wall Washer, it also works well as a wake-up light on your nightstand. The Hue app contains automations that are designed to wake you with a simulated sunrise, with the lamp gradually becoming brighter and the light becoming cooler, reaching full brightness by a set time. I'm very sensitive to light at night, and the Wall Washer is the first lamp I've found that doesn't shock me awake by increasing brightness abruptly. It's more like waking gradually as the sun comes through your tent on a camping trip.

At the end of the day, you can wind down with a sunset automation, which runs the same sequence in reverse. The video above shows the last 20 seconds of a five-minute sleep automation, during which the light color shifts from warm white to orange to red, while gradually decreasing in brightness.

Overall, it's the most versatile smart light I've tested to date, and although it certainly isn't cheap, there's no denying its performance, whichever room you're using it in.

Performance: 5/5

Philips Hue Play Wall Washer: price and availability

Costs $219.99 / £169.99 for one, or $384.99 / £299.99 for two
Not yet available in Australia
Works best with Philips Hue Bridge

At the time of writing, the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer is available direct from the Philips Hue website in the US and UK, and from Amazon in the US. It isn't yet on sale in Australia, but FAQ pages on the Australian Philips Hue site indicate that its launch there is imminent.

A single Philips Hue Play Wall Washer has a list price of $219.99 / £169.99 (about AU$340), and if you're planning to use the lights on either side of your TV (as shown in some of the photos here), you can pick up a two-pack for $384.99 / £299.99 (about AU$600).

That makes it one of the most expensive Philips Hue lights around, but it's also the most versatile, serving as a filler light to add ambience, a backlight for your home entertainment system, and a wake-up light. Most Hue lights only fill one niche, so the Wall Washer's adaptability makes its price tag more palatable.

For comparison, the Philips Hue Play Light Bar has a list price of $89.99 / £64.99 / AU$129.95 each. If you're considering the Wall Washer as a wake-up lamp, the Philips Hue Twilight (which also has a front-facing LED for reading) costs $279 / £249 (about AU$430).

If you want to use the Wall Washers with your TV, you'll also need a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box and Philips Hue Bridge, so factor these into your budget calculations if you don't already own them.

Value score: 4/5

Philips Hue Play Wall Washer: specifications

Wattage

60W

Maximum brightness

1,035 lumens

Colors

2,000-6,500K Hue White Colour Ambiance

Control options

Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant (via Philips Hue app)

Max lights per power supply

Connectivity

Zigbee/Bluetooth

Size (H x W)

6.2 x 3.6 inches / 15.7 x 9.1cm

Philips Hue Play Wall Washer: design

Each Philips Hue Play Wall Washer is nearly cylindrical, and measures 6.2 inches / 15.7cm tall and 3.6 inches / 9.1cm in diameter. This is considerably shorter than the Philips Hue Play Light Bars, which stand at 11.5 inches / 29.2cm high; but the design of the Wall Washer and its improved LEDs means that it can throw light over a larger area.

The Wall Washer has an aluminum case (rather than plastic for the Play Light Bars), and has a smart-looking matte finish. It's available in black (shown here) or white, so you can pick an option that will blend well with your décor.

The back of the Wall Washer has a flat surface, and contains three Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance lights arranged vertically. That might not sound like much, but the lights overlap in such a way that they shine a super-smooth gradient onto your wall, with no banding whatsoever.

The Wall Washer contains three lights that overlap to create a smooth gradient (Image credit: Future)

This technology, called ColorCast, is the same used by the Philips Hue Twilight wake-up lamp – and like the Twilight, the Wall Washer can be dimmed to an extremely low level for use at night.

You can connect up to three Philips Hue Play Wall Washer lights to a single power supply, although they're only sold in packs of one or two.

Design score: 5/5

Should you buy the Philips Hue Play Wall WasherPhilips Hue Play Wall Washer: score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

One of the most expensive Philips Hue lights around, but also one of the most versatile.

4/5

Design

Small and discreet, with cleverly positioned overlapping LEDs that produce a super-smooth color gradient.

5/5

Performance

Easy to use, and works brilliantly whether adding ambience to your home cinema, serving as a fill light, or waking you up with a natural sunrise effect.

5/5

Buy it if

You already have some (or are planning to buy) other Philips Hue products

To get the most out of the Wall Washer you'll need a Philips Hue Bridge and possibly an HDMI Sync Box, so if you're not planning to build a whole Philips Hue setup then it's hard to justify the price of this lamp plus all the accessories.

You want a versatile smart light

Unlike some Philips Hue Play lights, the Wall Washer isn't just for use with your TV.

Don't buy it if

You want task lighting

This is a light for creating a mood, not for boosting visibility. If you want something similar for task lighting, take a look at the Philips Hue Twilight, which has the same ColorCast tech, but also has a front-facing reading light.

You want a statement piece

The Wall Washer can create a dramatic effect, but the device itself is designed to be discreet. If you want something that makes a statement, something like the Govee Table Light 2 might work better.

Philips Hue Play Wall Washer: also consider

If you're not sure whether the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer is right for you, here are two other options to consider.

Philips Hue Play Light Bars

If you only want a light to add ambience to games and movies, the Play Light Bar is a much more affordable alternative. It doesn't project a gradient and it doesn't throw light as far, but if you catch it in a sale then you can pick up a pair for almost half the price of two Wall Washers.

Read our full Philips Hue Play Light Bar review

Philips Hue Signe Gradient Table Lamp

If you want an attractive light gradient for your walls but aren't interested in syncing it with your TV, this minimalist lamp is a more affordable option.

Read our full Philips Hue Signe Gradient Table Lamp review

How I tested the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer:

I connected the Philips Hue Play Wall Washer to my Philips Hue Bridge, and used it in various rooms in my house (alone, and as a pair). First I connected it to a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, which was linked to a digital set-top box, and experimented with viewing different films and TV shows to assess color-matching and latency. The screengrabs above show content from TechRadar's YouTube channel for copyright reasons, but I tested the lights with a wide variety of media.

I also used a single Wall Washer as a fill light together with a pair of Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance bulbs in ceiling fixtures. I experimented with applying different scenes to all the lights in the room, and creating new ones.

Finally, I tested a single Wall Washer on my nightstand, using the Wake Up and Sleep automations to assess how smoothly the color and brightness of the light can change, and how dim it can become before switching off. I compared its performance to a purpose-made wake-up light.

For more details, see how we test, rate, and review products at TechRadar.

First reviewed July 2025.

Categories: Reviews

I tested BitComet, an excellent torrenting platform with a user-friendly interface and swift download speeds

Wed, 08/06/2025 - 05:37

BitComet is a free torrenting client for PCs and mobile devices. It allows you to download videos, music, photos, and other files from across the web. BitComet is unique because it doesn’t support only the BitTorrent protocol. It can also download files using the HTTP and FTP protocols.

With a glut of torrenting platforms available, many people struggle to choose the best one for their needs. We’re reviewing BitComet to help you decide whether it’s an ideal choice. Our review centers on crucial factors, including its features, user-friendliness, and security.

BitComet: Versions and platforms

BitComet is available as a desktop or mobile app. The desktop app is compatible with the Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems. The mobile app is compatible only with the Android operating system. Like most torrenting apps, it is incompatible with iOS.

Apple's iOS App Store has stringent requirements and is generally unfriendly to torrenting apps. Hence, most torrenting apps are incompatible with iOS.

You can download BitComet by heading to the website, clicking the “downloads” section, and choosing your relevant operating system. Downloading and installing the app takes little time and effort.

(Image credit: Future)BitComet: Features

BitComet is unique because it supports multiple file-sharing protocols (BitTorrent, HTTP, and FTP). You can download content indirectly via torrents or directly from an online source.

This platform supports long-term seeding, whereby any torrent file a user downloads is kept for an extended period. This makes it easy for other users on the network to access the file, ensuring faster download speeds across the torrenting network.

BitComet has a “torrent exchange” feature that allows users to obtain torrents directly from other BitComet users. This feature increases the availability of content on its torrenting network.

To download content via BitComet, you’ll first search for the relevant torrent from your favorite torrent site. For instance, if you want a specific audio track, you can search for the track and download the .torrent file on your PC. Then, you’ll upload this torrent to BitComet to begin the download. Alternatively, you can download a file by providing its torrent hash or Magnet URI.

BitComet supports the HTTP and FTP file transfer protocols, so you can also download a file by providing its HTTP URL. Unlike most rivals exclusively used for torrenting, we like that BitComet supports multiple download protocols.

To illustrate, we downloaded a (public domain) music .torrent file. The next step is clicking on BitComet’s torrent upload button, highlighted with a red arrow in the below image.

(Image credit: Future)

Click on this button, upload the file, and you’ll automatically create a new download task. Choose the file destination and click “Download Now” to begin downloading. Alternatively, you can click “Download Later” and schedule the download at a specific time.

BitComet shows your real-time download progress and speed. You can monitor all your pending or completed downloads from a single page. You’re free to pause or stop a pending download.

When testing BitComet, we observed swift download speeds, but yours can vary depending on how many seeders (for your specific torrent file) are present on the network. Seeders are users like you who have downloaded and shared a file with other BitComet users.

The more seeders available, the more bandwidth and the faster your download speed. The fewer the seeders on the network, the slower your download speed. Your network speed also contributes to how fast BitComet will download your torrent file.

If you download content via HTTP or FTP, you don't need to worry about seeders. In this case, your download speed primarily depends on your internet service provider (ISP).

Torrenting can consume significant bandwidth, especially when acting as a seeder for other BitComet users. To save bandwidth, BitComet lets users set maximum file upload speeds. You’ll never surpass this limit when uploading files for other users.

BitComet lets users set IP filters for security purposes. You can do that via denylists or allowlists. Denylists block specific IP addresses from sharing files with your device, usually the IPs known for spreading malware. With allowlists, you’ll permit only a specific set of IP addresses to share files with your device, and the others are automatically blocked.

BitComet: Interface and in-use

Intuitiveness is one of the main advantages we observed when testing BitComet. It has a simple interface that users can easily understand. All the functions are neatly arranged on the dashboard’s upper side. The upper-left corner hosts an array of buttons, including the torrent upload, start, stop, and delete buttons.

Every button has a fitting icon as opposed to plain text, making it easy to discover what you want. BitComet has a white background and bright colors to make icons noticeable. The navigation menu is easily accessible on a desktop or Android phone.

BitComet is compatible with the most popular desktop operating systems—macOS, Windows, and Linux—and the most popular mobile operating system (Android). It is highly accessible, though it lacks an iOS app for broader reasons.

BitComet: Security and privacy

Torrenting can expose you to security threats like malware. Hence, BitComet has sophisticated features to prevent users from falling victim to cyber threats. It automatically scans all files for viruses before downloading them. You'll be warned and prompted to cancel the download if a virus is detected.

This platform uses advanced encryption algorithms to prevent unauthorized parties from snooping on your torrenting activities. For heightened security, you can set BitComet always to encrypt outgoing connections and only accept encrypted incoming connections.

Though very secure, BitComet isn’t perfectly airtight. There’s always a risk of your torrenting activities getting leaked, so don’t use BitComet for illegal activities. TechRadar explicitly doesn’t endorse piracy.

BitComet: Final Verdict

BitComet is one of the best free torrenting solutions. It makes discovering and downloading content a cakewalk, thanks to its support of other protocols aside from BitTorrent. We recommend BitComet to anyone looking for a suitable torrenting solution.

We list the best free torrent client.

Categories: Reviews

I tested Agfaphoto's low-cost DJI Pocket 3 rival – here's how it stacks up for vlogging

Wed, 08/06/2025 - 04:00

Agfaphoto Realimove MC3X review: two-minute review

The Agfaphoto Realimove MC3X is a handheld gimbal camera that can shoot both video and stills. (Image credit: Rod Lawton)

DJI practically invented the idea of the gimbal camera but other makers including FeiyuTech, Benro (for a while) and now Agfaphoto have joined in with their own designs. They are all based on a small camera unit mounted permanently on a compact 3-axis gimbal with the screen, controls, battery and other electronics built into the handle.

Gimbal cameras provide both stabilization for handheld video and the kind of smoothed-out camera movements that you see in movies. It’s the same principle as gimbal stabilizers for regular cameras, but a fraction of the size and weight. I’ve used a DJI Pocket 2 for a long time, and love the way you can create professional-looking camera movements without a lot of heavy and expensive gear.

The latest DJI Pocket 3 leads the field in the gimbal camera market, but it’s pretty expensive, coming in at around the same price as an entry-level mirrorless camera, and the Agfaphoto Realimove MC3X undercuts it considerably. It does sacrifice a few features compared to the more expensive Pocket 3, but not everyone will need DJI’s fancy features and would rather spend a good deal less on a more basic camera.

The Realimove's most striking feature is its excellent 3.5-inch r rotating screen. (Image credit: Rod Lawton)

For vertical video you use an on-screen joystick to adjust the camera direction. (Image credit: Rod Lawton)

When you turn the screen sideways for horizontal filming, it reveals physical gimbal control buttons underneath. (Image credit: Rod Lawton)

The main compromise with the Realimove MC3X is the sensor size. The 1/2.5-inch 8MP sensor is pretty small, and while its 4K video looks very good when you’re filming outdoors in good light, I did find it got noticeably softer in low light at higher ISO settings.

The MC3X also has a fairly limiting 0.3m-infinity focus range. That sounds like it should be fine, but it’s equipped with a wide-angle lens, so sometimes I had to move in really close to fill the frame with an object, and then found it went out of focus.

The menus are clear and easy to navigate. You can use them to choose different 'follow' modes. (Image credit: Rod Lawton)

The Realimove MC3X can’t match the DJI Pocket 3’s frame rates, either. Its maximum frame rate for 4K video is 30p, which effectively means you can’t shoot slow motion 4K and have to drop the resolution to 2.7K for 60p recording and full HD for 120p slow motion. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s how costs have been cut. It did mean that if I planned to combine regular and slow motion video in a project, I’d probably have to film the whole thing at a lower resolution to avoid upscaling compromises when splicing together different resolutions later in my video editor.

You can shoot 4K at 30fps, but if you want faster frame rates you have to switch to a lower resolution. (Image credit: Rod Lawton)

I also found the MC3X’s face tracking a little unreliable, and while the digital zoom is easy to operate with a rocker lever on the side, zooming in looked a bit jerky, so I think I’d probably set the zoom before filming rather than while I was recording.

It’s good to get all the criticisms out of the way, though, because the Realimove MC3X has some really good features. The biggest is the rotating 3.5-inch display, which is WAY bigger than the thumbnail-sized screen on my Pocket 2 and bigger even than the screen on the Pocket 3.

What this means is that you can still see clearly what you’re filming, even with the camera at arm’s length, and also if you’re filming yourself with the camera reversed. It’s hard to overstate how useful this is.

You leave the screen in its vertical position for vertical video, or rotate it 90° for horizontal video. It switches orientation automatically and I found this really intuitive. Rotating the screen horizontally reveals physical buttons for adjusting the gimbal direction, and this is much better than the virtual on-screen controls, which I found a bit unresponsive.

The other thing I really like is that you can set all the important controls directly on the camera, so that while there is a free companion app, I never felt the need to use it. You can swap between pan-follow, pan-tilt-follow and free-follow modes in the menus with just a few taps.

Here's a sample movie I shot with the Realimove MC3X to show its video quality, panning smoothness and audio.

I found the gimbal movement smooth and progressive – and you can change the speed in the menus if you need to. Occasionally the gimbal did get confused if I dropped my hand between bits of filming and the gimbal ran out of movement, but it only takes a moment to recenter when you’re ready to start filming again.

Perhaps the biggest issue for me was everyday practicality. The large screen is very welcome, but it does mean the body is quite wide and, while you can put the MC3X in a pocket, it does leave the gimbal head feeling quite exposed while the unit is powered off – I’d be happier if the gimbal axes were locked when the camera is off, but then it’s the same for my Pocket 2, so I can’t say much.

But the Pocket 2 and Pocket 3 do come with protective slimline hard cases which don’t add much to the size and do protect them in your pocket or bag. The Realimove MC3X doesn’t have this. It does come with a fitted hard case that also accommodates the cables, but it’s pretty big and there’s no way this is going to fit in a trouser pocket.

So I do think this Agfaphoto gimbal comes with compromises. It’s a lot cheaper than the DJI Pocket 3 but it’s not hard to see what you’ve had to sacrifice. I’d say it’s a great buy for anyone who would like to try out a gimbal camera without splashing too much cash – and the results can be very good. So good, in fact, that you might be glad you didn’t spend more.

But if you are a little more serious about filmmaking and need a wider choice of framerates, better video quality (especially in low light) and a little more design finesse and practicality, you might end up upgrading to the DJI Pocket 3 after all.

Agfaphoto Realimove MC3X review: price

The Agfaphoto Realimove MC3X is on sale in the UK for £299 but with US availability and pricing yet to be confirmed. It’s a decent enough camera, but while it’s a lot cheaper than the DJI Pocket 3, you might find the older DJI Pocket 2 even cheaper. The screen is smaller, but the Pocket 2 is a better camera. This puts the Realimove MC3X in awkward territory. Yes, it’s cheaper than its main rival but it’s also a good deal less sophisticated. It’s quite good for the money but it is quite basic.

Agfaphoto Realimove MC3X review: specs

Gimbal

3-axis

Screen

3.5-inch rotating

Sensor

8MP 1/1.25-in

Lens

3.0mm f/2.2, 120° field of view

Focus

0.3m-infinity

Video

4K 30p, 2.7K 60p, 1080p 120p

Stills

20MP (8MP native)

Storage

MicroSD

Interface

USB 2.0, HDMI, WiFi

Battery life

170min, charge time 2.5hr

Should I buy the Agfaphoto Realimove MC3X?

(Image credit: Rod Lawton)Buy it if...

You want a gimbal camera on a budget
The Realimove MC3X is a great introduction to this kind of camera, and while it is quite basic it may do everything you need.

You like the big screen
This really does make a difference. It makes the on-screen camera control much easier and you can actually see what you’re filming.

You don’t like using an app
It is a nuisance to be holding a gimbal camera in one hand and your smartphone in the other, so the Realimove’s comprehensive on-camera control is welcome.

Don’t buy it if…

You need top-quality footage
The Realimove’s 4K video is fine in good light, but the limitations of the small 1/2.5-inch sensor are obvious indoors or after dark.

You need to shoot slow motion
If you need faster frame rates on the MC3X you have to drop the resolution, and that’s a limitation that will be deal-breaker for many action/adventure filmmakers.

You want pocket-sized portability
The larger body and lack of any hard ‘shell’ stop the Realimove from feeling like a genuine pocket camera – the camera/gimbal head just feels too exposed.

How I tested the Agfaphoto Realimove MC3X

I had the Realimove MC3X for several weeks and tested it in many different scenarios. I checked its ability to maintain a level pan-follow orientation with height changes and following a fast-moving pet dog through long grass (very fast-moving!), and also the smoothness of its panning movements, what I’d call a ‘sideways pan’ while walking, and its stability when filming and walking in typical vlogging style, and it did all these things pretty well.

I also wanted to find out what the video quality was like both in bright daylight and dimmer indoor conditions, which is where I would expect a smaller sensor to start to struggle – and sure enough, it did.

I didn’t set out to test the battery life, but I did come away impressed, as I spent a couple of hours at a time filming sequences to stitch together into a move, and the battery indicator hardly budged. I think I got it down to about half during my longest session.

Categories: Reviews

The Asus Zenbook S 16 is built from a mysterious new material - but does this space-age laptop live up to the hype?

Wed, 08/06/2025 - 03:00

Asus Zenbook S 16: Two-minute review

(Image credit: Future)

The Asus Zenbook laptop line has long been one of my favorites, sitting among the best ultrabooks alongside rivals like Dell's XPS series and the LG Gram collection. Now, Asus has given its premium laptop lineup a fresh lease on life, thanks to AMD's mighty new Ryzen AI chips and the magic of something called 'ceraluminum'.

I'll get further into that mysterious new material further down in this review, but here's the short version: the lid of the new Asus Zenbook S 16 is made from a futuristic composite of aluminum and ceramic, giving it a soft matte feel while also being more durable, lighter, and fingerprint-resistant than the traditional aluminum and plastic used in the construction of most modern laptops.

Of course, a fancy outer casing doesn't guarantee you're getting a high-quality product. But the Zenbook S 16 delivers a premium experience in other areas too, with great performance across a variety of workloads and a generally very comfortable user experience.

(Image credit: Future)

Although I always spend at least a full workweek using any laptop I review in lieu of my regular daily driver (the ever-faithful HP Spectre x360), I was actually forced to use this laptop for a few days. See, my boiler needed replacing, and unfortunately, it's situated in my home office - meaning that for two days, I was jettisoned from my desktop setup to the breakfast bar downstairs while the installation engineer resolved my lack of hot water.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a creature of habit, and was initially unhappy to be displaced from my usual workstation. But honestly, I'm beginning to wonder if I shouldn't drop Asus a line politely asking (read: begging) to keep this Zenbook. The 16-inch OLED touchscreen is gorgeous, and the large touchpad and keyboard make for a very comfortable user experience. It's perhaps the closest I've felt to using a MacBook Pro while actually on a Windows laptop - and while I'm a known macOS hater, I've always maintained that Apple's Mac products are very well-designed devices.

Starting at $1,599 / £1,499 / AU$2,999, the Zenbook S 16 isn't exactly cheap, but for that price tag, you're getting some pretty impressive performance and a really, really nice piece of physical hardware. I'll dig into the details more in the Price and Availability section, but the key takeaway here is that the value proposition is solid.

There's only one real drawback here, in my opinion: the battery life. It's perfectly serviceable, don't get me wrong, but it's nothing spectacular within the current market space. Still, it'll last you through a full day's work and then some - so as long as you don't mind putting it on charge overnight.

Asus Zenbook S 16: Price and availability

How much does it cost? Starts at $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,999
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

With a price tag starting at $1,599 / £1,499 / AU$2,999, the Asus Zenbook S 16 certainly leans towards the premium end of the market, but you're getting plenty of bang for your buck here.

There are a few different configurations, with the main difference being the Ryzen processor model and the amount of RAM. Every model comes with the same 3K OLED display and 1TB of storage - a 2TB model would've been nice, but at least the SSD is user-upgradable. The base configuration, priced as above, comes with a Ryzen AI 7 350 chip and 24GB of RAM (an unusual amount, but still better than the more commonplace 16GB industry standard).

(Image credit: Future)

My review unit is a higher-end model, featuring a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor and 32GB of RAM, and it will cost you $1,799 / £1,599 - and at the time of writing, this model unfortunately isn't available in Australia. I say 'unfortunately' here because for my money, that extra $200 / £100 is well worth it for the internal hardware upgrade.

For comparison, a 16-inch MacBook Pro will cost you $2,499 / £2,499 / AU$3,999 - and that's just for the base M4 Pro model. Granted, there's no denying that Apple's pro-grade laptop can offer better performance in many areas than this Zenbook, but the point stands that the Zenbook S 16 is very good value for money.

Price score: 4.5/5

Asus Zenbook S 16: Specs

Asus Zenbook S 16

CPU

Up to AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370

GPU

Up to AMD Radeon 890M

RAM

Up to 32GB LPDDR5X

Display

16-inch 3K (2880 x 1800) OLED, 120Hz

Storage

Up to 1TB SSD

Ports

2x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, 1x USB 3.2 Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x SD card reader, 1x 3,5mm combi audio jack

Wireless

Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

Weight

1.5kg / 3.31lbs

Dimension

35.4 x 24.3 x 1.29cm / 13.9 x 9.6 x 0.51 inches

Asus Zenbook S 16: Design

(Image credit: Future)

Super comfortable keyboard and trackpad
Ceraluminum casing is impressive
Surprisingly lightweight

Aesthetically speaking, this is undeniably one gorgeous laptop. With the 'Scandinavian White' colorway, it feels as clean and striking as any of the best laptops. The back of the screen is not only made from Asus's fancy ceraluminum material, but it also has a kintsugi-inspired pattern of sharp lines inlaid in silver, which strikes the perfect balance between eye-catching and minimalist.

A little more about that revolutionary new material, though: you can read about my first time encountering ceraluminum right here, but I'll give you a quick breakdown in case you don't feel like reading a whole different article. It's created by electrochemically bonding aluminum with a ceramic component, producing a strong plated material with a matte surface that feels like unglazed pottery to the touch.

The best thing about this is that it brings the lightweight, durable nature of aluminum - a popular choice among manufacturers when it comes to laptop construction - while also providing a grippier surface that is more resilient against both damage and smudging from fingerprints. I've criticized more than a few laptops over the years for being 'fingerprint magnets', and happily that doesn't apply here. The whole thing feels impressively sturdy despite being very thin and light for a 16-inch laptop.

(Image credit: Future)

Opening up the lid, you're met with a more conventionally constructed aluminum keyboard housing, with a large glass touchpad and nicely spaced keys that make it very comfortable to type on. I also found the touchpad to be sensitive and responsive, with a firm click, although I typically prefer to connect a wireless mouse when using laptops.

Above the keyboard, a wide cooling grille sits with a subtle Asus logo in the corner. The keys are backlit with white LEDs, which can be set to three different brightness levels; it's not often I take much time to comment on keyboard backlighting, but the Zenbook S 16's is particularly vibrant.

Speaking of vibrancy, the display on this laptop is fantastic, offering rich color and sharp contrast thanks to its 3K OLED panel. While the maximum brightness isn't quite as high as I've seen on some other OLED laptops, it's certainly bright enough to use in well-lit environments, and it's also a touchscreen. Somewhat surprisingly, this display has a 120Hz refresh rate, a pleasing upgrade from the 60Hz panels you see on most non-gaming laptops.

In terms of physical connectivity, we've got a good selection of ports here, including USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, and even an SD card reader - the latter of which may be a boon for photographers when combined with the excellent display. Lastly, the speakers are quite good, providing detailed audio for both music and dialogue - it's perhaps lacking a tiny bit of kick in the bass department compared to some laptops I've seen, but overall I really can't complain about the speaker quality.

Design score: 5/5

Asus Zenbook S 16: Performance

Solid all-rounder performance
NPU provides support for AI features in Windows
Playing games is certainly an option, though it's no gaming laptop

The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is a powerful chip backed with 32GB of RAM in my review unit, and I'm pleased to say it performs admirably. General responsiveness is great and everyday tasks run smoothly, to the point where anyone who just wants a laptop for office work could probably consider downgrading to a Ryzen AI 7 model.

When it comes to more demanding workloads, the Zenbook S 16 offers good performance across a variety of areas, including 3D rendering, AI functionality, and gaming. Sure, it's not going to beat out an actual gaming laptop with a dedicated GPU, but the AMD Radeon 890M integrated graphics are surprisingly competent even in more demanding games, provided you're willing to dial back the graphical settings a bit and turn on AMD's FSR 3.0 resolution upscaling mode.

Asus Zenbook S 16 review: Benchmarks

Here's how the Asus Zenbook S 16 (AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark: Night Raid: 34,618; Fire Strike: 8,516; Time Spy: 4,407; Steel Nomad: 889
Cinebench R23: Multi-core: 13,441; Single-core: 1,953
Geekbench 6.4: Multicore: 14,102; Single-core: 2,845
Geekbench AI: Single Precision Score: 2,359; Half Precision Score: 1,217; Quantized Score: 4,811
PCMark 10: 6,827
Crossmark: Overall: 1,744; Productivity: 1,637; Creativity: 1,940; Responsiveness: 1,537
Sid Meier's Civilization VII: (1080p, Medium, No Upscaling): 45fps; (1800p, High, No Upscaling): 16fps; (1800p, High, Balanced FSR 3 Upscaling): 22fps
Cyberpunk 2077: (1080p, Medium, No Upscaling): 22fps; (1800p, Ultra, No Upscaling): 6fps; (1800p, Ultra, Balanced FSR 3 Upscaling): 10fps
Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 14 hours, 55 minutes

In real-world testing, I had no issues whatsoever with the performance of the Zenbook S 16. Running Spotify in the background while working across 20+ open Chrome tabs didn't cause the slightest bit of slowdown, and image editing in GIMP 3.0 was smooth and effective - a far cry from the rather sluggish experience I get when trying to edit images on my usual laptop.

AI performance is also reasonably good; again, you're ideally going to want to spring for a laptop with a dedicated Nvidia GPU if you want to be running serious AI workloads locally, like producing your own language models, but for running the local aspects of something like Microsoft's Copilot+ AI assistant, the average user will have no problems.

(Image credit: Future)

To dig into that gaming performance a little more (there's overlap here with other 3D rendering and modeling software), I needed to drop the resolution to FHD+ rather than the native 3K and enable AMD's FSR 3 upscaling to make most games playable - this machine isn't coming close to any of the best gaming laptops - but for anyone who just wants to play casual titles or indie games on their off-time, the Zenbook S 16 is more capable than I had expected. I used it for a spot of Stardew Valley after work on multiple occasions, which unsurprisingly ran great.

In Civilization VII, I was easily able to get a decent framerate at 1200p, while the infamously hardware-demanding Cyberpunk 2077 was completely unplayable at native 1800p but produced an fps of 35 at 1200p with Low settings and FSR 3's Performance mode enabled (and frankly, even with those settings, this game still looks bloody fantastic). It's a true testament to the power of AMD's resolution upscaling tech for integrated GPUs; I'm quietly awed by the fact that a game like Cyberpunk is playable at all on an ultrabook like this.

I will note that the fans on the Zenbook S 16 get a tad noisy when you're running more intensive software - it's nothing too onerous, and I found it ran quietly during regular tasks like web browsing, but be aware that you might want headphones to play games on it. It's worth adding that the laptop didn't get uncomfortably hot at any point (aside from directly on the vent above the keyboard), even during stress testing.

(Image credit: Future)

Performance score: 4.5/5

Asus Zenbook S 16: Battery

The battery life on the Zenbook S 16 is pretty good. That's almost all I can really say about it; it's not mind-blowing, beaten out by several competitors, but it's still sufficient for a full day's work (or two) without needing to plug in provided you turn off the keyboard backlight and don't work at maximum brightness.

In our battery life test, which involves running a looped video file at 50% brightness, the Zenbook S 16 ran out of juice just shy of the 15-hour mark, which for a 16-inch OLED laptop is respectable, if unspectacular. In real-world use situations, I was getting between 10 and 12 hours out of it at a time on average, and it holds its charge remarkably well when not in use.

Since it charges via USB-C, you can easily make use of other charging cables, though the supplied 65W adapter provides fast-charging capabilities that provide 50% battery charge in a little over half an hour.

Battery score: 4/5

Should you buy the Asus Zenbook S 16?

Notes

Rating

Value

It's no budget machine, but the price-to-performance ratio here is great.

4.5/5

Design

A stylish and robust design combined with a comfortable user experience makes for a truly premium-feeling laptop.

5/5

Performance

Performance is solid across productivity, creative, and gaming workloads, with good responsiveness and fans that only kick in when you're running demanding programs.

4.5/5

Battery

The battery can comfortably run for more than an 8-hour workday, though it is beaten out by some competing laptops.

4/5

Total

While the pre-installed Asus software is a bit annoying, this is a fantastic laptop that delivers a great aesthetic and strong performance at a sensible price point.

4.5/5

Buy it if...

You want a laptop that looks great
Between its sleek shell, excellent display, and pleasantly understated keyboard backlighting, the Zenbook S 16 is certainly an aesthetically pleasing laptop.

You want something thin but powerful
Despite its relatively light overall weight (for a 16-inch laptop) and thin chassis, the next-gen Ryzen chip inside this Zenbook is fantastic for productivity workloads and can even handle some light gaming.

You want to use Windows 11's AI features
Since this is a 'Copilot+ PC' with a built-in NPU and a dedicated button for summoning Microsoft's AI assistant, it's a solid pick for anyone who wants an AI laptop.

Don't buy it if...

You’re on a tight budget
The price tag on the Zenbook S 16 is actually very reasonable for the specs, but it's certainly not a cheap laptop.

You want the best in battery life
While this Zenbook's battery is alright, there are competitors that do a better job - and if you really want ridiculously good battery life, a smaller laptop is usually the way to go.

Also Consider

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro)
Beating the Zenbook S 16 in both performance and battery life, Apple's latest MacBook Pro 16-inch is a staunch competitor - though bear in mind that it'll cost you more, and macOS isn't for everyone.

Read our full Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch review

Dell XPS 17
If you're looking for a similar premium-feeling laptop but with an even larger screen, the Dell XPS 17 is arguably the best 17-inch laptop out there right now.

Read our full Dell XPS 17 review

How I tested the Asus Zenbook S 16

Replaced my regular laptop with the Zenbook S 16 for several weeks
Used the laptop both for day-to-day work and personal projects
Ran it through our full suite of benchmarks, plus some extra tests

As is typical for my laptop review process, I swapped out my daily driver for the Asus Zenbook S 16 - and actually ended up liking it so much that I kept using it after my usual week or two of real-world testing. Asus, if I could keep this one, that would be great...

This involved all my day-to-day work, which is mostly emailing, word processing, web research, and image editing, plus some work on personal projects and a bit of gaming in my off hours. I also ran our suite of benchmarking and battery tests to provide a clearer image of the Zenbook S 16's overall performance.

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The Asus Zenbook S 16 is built from a mysterious new material - but does this space-age laptop live up to the hype?

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