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I've tested more than a hundred laptops in my career, and the Dell 16 Premium is the only MacBook Pro rival worth considering

Sat, 08/02/2025 - 09:00

Dell 16 Premium: One-minute review

The Dell 16 Premium is Dell’s newest flagship machine for professionals, creatives, and developers who demand a blend of portability, performance, and polish, and it has a pretty high bar to clear.

Its predecessor, the Dell XPS 16, was consistently one of the best laptops produced in every year it was available, and a lot of XPS fans were disappointed to hear about its rebranding. But, at the end of the day, that’s really all it is, as the 16 Premium is everything people loved about the XPS 16 in recent years along with some fancy new tricks.

Starting at $1,799.99 / £1,699 / AU$4,379.10, the Dell 16 Premium isn’t necessarily cheap, but it is fairly in line with similar creative-focused laptops like the MacBook Pro, and given how often Dell has sales on its laptops, you can often find it for much cheaper than the competition.

There are a few configuration options available, but you do start off with an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H CPU with Intel Arc 140V graphics, 16GB LPDDR5x RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 16.3-inch non-touch 2K display. From there, you can add in RTX 5050, RTX 5060, and RTX 5070 GPUs, depending on the region, and configure it up to 64GB memory and 4TB SSD storage (though these options will limit which GPU you can pick).

Right now, the Dell 16 Premium is on sale starting at $1,549.99 in the US, while the review configuration is available for $2,799.99, a $400 discount.View Deal

What truly sets it apart, though, is the outstanding 16.3-inch 4K OLED touchscreen with 120Hz refresh rate, perfect for high-res content creation, editing, and media consumption, though the OLED display will substantially cut into the device’s battery life.

With premium build quality, great speakers, and modern I/O, this laptop nails almost everything it sets out to do, though its borderless touchpad and keyless function bar design remain controversial.

All that said, chances are you’re really looking for performance with this laptop, and here, the unit I reviewed often ran circles around the competing MacBook Pro 16-inch with M4 Pro, especially in creative workloads where the MacBook Pro’s strong industry reputation does a lot of heavy lifting. In this regard, the Dell 16 Premium is easily the best laptop for creative pros who want MacBook Pro performance on a Windows 11 device.

Dell 16 Premium: Price & availability

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

How much does it cost? Starts at $1,799.99 / £1,699 / AU$4,379.10
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 16 Premium is available now in the US, UK, and Australia through Dell’s official website and major retailers. Prices start at $1,799 in the US, £1,699 in the UK, and AU$4,379.10 in Australia.

Upgrading the configuration can significantly increase the price, but even when the price is maxed out, the highest level configuration is still substantially less than a competing MacBook Pro 16-inch with M4 Pro, much less one with an M4 Max chip.

Value: 4 / 5

Dell 16 Premium: Specs

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Up to RTX 5070 GPU
Up to Thunderbolt 5
Wi-Fi 7

Dell offers multiple configurations of the Dell 16 Premium laptop across different regions. The starting models include a Core Ultra 7 processor, 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, 512GB SSD, and integrated Intel Arc graphics (Australia starts with an RTX 5050 GPU), as well as a 2K IPS non-touch display.

Dell 16 Premium Base Specs

Australia

Price

$1,799.99 at Dell.com

£1,699 at Dell.com

AU$5,353.60 at Dell.com

CPU

Intel Core Ultra 7 255H

GPU

Integrated Intel Arc 140T

Nvidia RTX 5050

Memory

16GB LPDDR5x - 7467MT/s

Storage

512GB PCIe NVMe

Display

16.3-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

99.5WHr

Wireless

Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4

Camera

1080p IR camera

Weight

4.56 lbs | 2.06kg

Dimensions

14.1 x 9.4 x 0.75 ins | 358.1 x 240 x 19mm

The max spec on the 16 Premium vary by region, with the US topping out at an RTX 5070 GPU, which also comes with three Thunderbolt 5 ports rather than the three Thunderbolt 4 ports on RTX 5060 models and lower. In the UK and Australia, there are no RTX 5070 configurations available yet, but they do max out with a 4TB PCIe SSD. All models max out at a UHD+ (2400p) OLED panel with 100% DCI-P3 color coverage.

Dell 16 Premium Max Specs

Australia

Price

$3,199.99 at Dell.com

£2,899 at Dell.com

AU$7,089.50 at Dell.com

CPU

Intel Core Ultra 7 255H

GPU

Nvidia RTX 5070

Nvidia RTX 5060

Memory

32GB LPDDR5x - 8400MT/s

32GB LPDDR5x - 7467MT/s

Storage

1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe

4TB M.2 PCIe NVMe

Display

16.3-inch Touch 4K OLED 120Hz

Ports

1 x 3.5mm combo jack, 3 x Thunderbolt 5 (DP 2.1, Power Delivery), 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

99.5WHr

Wireless

Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4

Camera

1080p IR camera

Weight

4.65 lbs | 2.11kg

Dimensions

14.1 x 9.4 x 0.75 ins | 358.1 x 240 x 19mm

All configurations come with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, a substantial boost over the rival MacBook Pro 16-inch, as well as a microSDXC 7.1 slot.

The configuration I tested for review is the maximum configuration available in the US.

Specs: 5 / 5

Dell 16 Premium: Design

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

Design-wise, there is little difference between the Dell 16 Premium and the Dell XPS 16 it replaces. The same borderless trackpad and keyless function bar remain from the XPS, and for the most part, the form factor is essentially unchanged.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The touchbar is definitely one of the more controversial design choices of the Dell 16 Premium, held over from the earlier XPS redesign from 2023. It's a bit of an accessibility challenge for those who struggle with low vision, as the only thing that indicates where a given function key is is a backlit label on a completely smooth and flat glossy surface.

Even if you don't have limited vision though, if there's an especially bright light (say, a sunny day outside), finding any given F-key might be challenging.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Likewise, the borderless trackpad isn't great either, and for similar reasons. It takes some time to learn and figure out where exactly the trackpad is, but once you do, it works pretty well.

The keyboard is ok. It's never been the best feature on the Dell XPS line, but it's not terrible and functions well enough.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

For ports, you get at least three Thunderbolt 4 Gen 2 ports, a MicroSD card slot, and a 3.5mm combo jack. This is about as much as you can expect on a chassis this size, and while it would be nice to have a USB-A port, there is an adapter dongle that you can buy while configuring your laptop (about $35) that lets you get HDMI 2.0 and USB-A 3.0 connectivity if your have a mouse and monitor that require it.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The audio is pretty good on the 16 Premium, largely thanks to the top-firing speakers, but it's not spectacular. If you plan on working on audio projects, a headset would be advised.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The webcam is a 1080p IR camera, meaning that it's compatible with Windows Hello, and it's fairly good for video conferencing and the like. That said, it lacks a physical privacy shutter, which isn't really acceptable in 2025, so I have to take some points off for that.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

While it might seem like I have a lot of complaints about the design of the 16 Premium, I only highlight the above issues because they are somewhat controversial in some corners, as is the rebranding away from XPS to Premium.

I get those concerns, but in my estimation, this is an exceptionally built laptop, and the issues I have with it don't detract that much from the overall quality of the device. If you opt for the OLED panel rather than the base IPS, pretty much every other consideration feels like nitpicking for a device that looks and feels great—better than the MacBook Pro in many ways.

Design: 4 / 5

Dell 16 Premium: Performance

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Often outperforms the MacBook Pro 16-inch with M4 Pro
Discrete RTX GPU embarrasses the MacBook Pro in several workloads
Not a bad gaming laptop either

Ultimately, if you're paying this much for this laptop, performance is going to be front of mind, especially since this is really targeted toward the MacBook Pro creative crowd.

In that regard, the 16 Premium might even be a better creative laptop than the MacBook Pro 16-inch, despite the strong performance of the MacBook Pro 16-inch in some areas.

In terms of synthetic CPU performance, the MacBook Pro 16-inch with M4 Pro greatly outperforms the Dell 16 Premium in workloads like GeekBench 6.4.

However, once you start adding in real-world tests that actually test its performance in workloads creatives and gamers are actually interested in, the MacBook Pro only wins out in our PugetBench Photoshop benchmarks. Otherwise, the RTX 5070 GPU in the 16 Premium wrecks the MacBook Pro 16-inch just about everywhere else.

Now, the MacBook Pro 16-inch can be configured with an M4 Max chip, which might substantially change the comparative assessment, but it would add more than a grand to the price you'd pay compared to the best Dell 16 Premium.

Plus, even though the MacBook Pro 16 can now play Cyberpunk 2077 natively, Macs just aren't serious PC gaming devices. They've come a long way in recent years, but you simply don't have anything concerns about that with the Dell 16 Premium. If a game is on Steam, the Dell 16 Premium will be able to play it, something that even the best MacBook will never be able to claim.

Performance: 5 / 5

Dell 16 Premium: Battery Life

How long does it last on a single charge? 5 hours, 18 minutes

So, there is a major caveat when it comes to battery life on the 16 Premium unit I tested. OLED displays are notoriously unforgiving toward battery life. Add in the power-hungry RTX 5070 GPU, and we are really talking about battery life that is just slightly better than you'd find with the best gaming laptops.

With a max battery life of about 9 hours, according to Dell, the OLED configuration cannot keep pace with the MacBook Pro 16-inch, which can make it about 20 hours on a charge in our testing. In my testing, the Dell 16 Premium only gets about 5 hours in mixed use, and at best, about 2.5 hours under heavy load.

Of course, the MacBook Pro 16-inch isn't going to make it 20 hours if it's playing Shadow of the Tomb Raider or rendering a 4K video overnight on battery power, so the difference between the two laptops is probably closer than my tests show. But there's no getting around the fact that the MacBook Pro 16-inch is going to last far longer than the Dell 16 Premium, and that's something to consider.

Battery Life: 3 / 5

Should you buy the Dell 16 Premium?

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)Dell 16 Premium Scorecard

FiiO's wireless little BTR17 headphone DAC and amp is a tour de force at a very attainable price

Sat, 08/02/2025 - 08:00

FiiO BTR17 review: Two-minute review

Another day, another intriguing FiiO product. Today it’s the BTR17 portable Bluetooth DAC/headphone amplifier, and it seems safe to say it represents another day of FiiO business as usual.

The BTR17 is small, but it’s packed with functionality and specified in a way that seems beyond the tiny physical confines of the device itself. Between Bluetooth 5.4 with top-of-the-shop codec compatibility, a pair of ESS ES9069Q DACs, an disproportionate amount of power when used as a desktop headphone amp, decent battery life, the ability to deal with enormously high-resolution digital audio files, and a choice of balanced or unbalanced headphone outputs, it’s obvious FiiO has endeavoured to do the right thing here.

And that impression of ‘good intentions’ becomes even stronger when you hear the BTR17 in action. There are qualitative differences, of course, between using the FiiO as a wireless receiver and using it as a dongle hard-wired to a smartphone or laptop – but what doesn’t alter no matter the circumstances are the broad strokes of its sonic character.

And generally, it’s a character that’s fast, insightful, properly controlled and very satisfying to listen to. Or, at least, it is if you’re not expecting comparable bass power to the bass speed that’s on display here - the FiiO BTR17 is a rapid, direct listen, but it’s far from the chunkiest sound around. Investigating your options in the menus can bring about some changes in character, but they’re exclusively to the detriment of the device’s fundamental character and attitude.

Come on then, is it still one of the best portable DACs available for this money? Yes, with one caveat (which I'll come to).

If the balance is not to your taste, you’ll look elsewhere/. But those who value speed and dexterity of sound as much as (if not more than) straightforward ‘wallop’ will enjoy the BTR17 no end.

FiiO BTR17 review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

Launched in early November 2024
Priced $219 / £179 / AU$349

The FiiO BTR17 portable Bluetooth DAC/headphone amplifier is on sale now, and in the United Kingdom it sells for no more than £179. In the United States it’s currently $219* and in Australia you’re looking at AU$329. So no matter the territory you’re shopping in, the BTR17 seems notable value for money.

If you don't mind wired connections of course, the world isn't exactly hunting high and low for an affordable USB DAC (see the pricier $499 / £449 / AU$769, the iFi GO Bar Kensei, the iFi Go Link Max at just $79 / £79 / AU$139 the five-star iFi hip-dac 3 at $199 / £199 / AU$349 for starters). But nevertheless, the combination of price and wireless specification could win out here…

(*subject to tariff-related change on a seemingly daily basis.)

FiiO BTR17 review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

32bit/768kHz and DSD512 support
Bluetooth 5.4 with LDAC and aptX Lossless compatibility
650mW + 650mW balanced power for headphone amplification

It shouldn’t really come as any kind of surprise at this point that FiiO has specified one of its products in a manner that might easily shame an equivalent product from an alternative brand. And yet I find I’m still mildly startled but just how far into town FiiO has gone with the BTR17.

Regardless of the way the digital audio information gets on board, either by USB-C or via Bluetooth, it’s dealt with by a pair of ESS ES9069Q DACs that are able to handle every major file type up to 32bit/768kHz and DSD512 resolution. If you decide to go with Bluetooth, you have the luxury of the 5.4 version with codec compatibility all the way to LDAC and aptX Lossless – the use of a Qualcomm QCC5181 Bluetooth chip to do the necessary means the FiiO is LE Audio-compliant, too.

Use the BTR17 in ‘desktop’ mode with its ‘power in’ USB slot connected to a source of USB power (FiiO provides a little length of monocrystalline silver- and copper-plated eight-strand USB-C / USB-C cable to ensure clean power and accurate data transfer)and it can churn out a substantial 650mW + 650mW of balanced power. This is the sort of output more commonly associated with bigger desktop headphone amps, and is ample to drive even quite truculent headphones.

If you’re using battery power rather than USB-C power, the BTR17 will run for anywhere between seven hours (making a Bluetooth connection, using a power-hungry codec, driving balanced headphones via the 4.4mm output and listening at hefty volume) and ten hours (in ‘phone’ mode, at modest volume, driving headphones via the unbalanced 3.5mm output and listening to stuff of no more than 16bit/44.1kHz resolution). Charging from ‘flat’ to ‘full’ is a 90-minute job.

Unsurprisingly, there’s more – just as there was with the older FiiO BTR7 Bluetooth DAC (which is not to be confused with the newer model you're reading about today). The BTR17 has a three-stage, ten-rail power supply, and it has multi-stage architecture of the type FiiO fits to its pricey digital audio players. It has a ‘driver-free’ mode that means it can connect to a PS5, a Switch or something like that directly, without the need for downloaded drivers. It has integrated DC output and temperature detection to protect the device if conditions take a turn for the abnormal. And I could go on - but let’s just wrap this section up by saying FiiO has laid in on, specification-wise, with a trowel here.

Features score: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Future)FiiO BTR17 review: Sound quality

Great sonic momentum and rhythmic positivity
Detailed and insightful
‘All or nothing’ EQ and filter adjustments

I’ve heard a few DAC/headphone amp devices lately that have sounded muscle-bound and barrel-chested in the manner of a bulldog. The FiiO BTR17, by way of happy contrast, is more of a greyhound.

There’s a rapidity, a kind of entirely naturalistic momentum, to the FiiO’s sound no matter if it’s receiving its digital audio information wirelessly via Bluetooth or through one of its USB-C sockets. A fleet-footed recording like Broadcast’s Black Cat fairly motors along – the BTR17 expresses the rhythm with complete conviction, and the tune stays on the front foot as result. There’s nothing forced about the way it’s presented, though - it doesn’t hang around, but neither does it feel like it’s being prodded forwards.

Part of this impression comes from the way the BTR17 handles the leading edge of low-frequency sounds – there’s no overhang or slurring, instead the FiiO snaps into bass information with real purpose. There are some minor issues at the bottom of the frequency range, and I’ll get to those – but there’s no arguing with the speed this little device can invest a recording with.

This is not at the expense of organisation, either. The FiiO creates a decently spacious and easy-to-understand soundstage, and can spread out even complex recordings to the point that individual elements are easy to highlight. There’s plenty of detail available at every part of the frequency range, and the BTR17 is just as attentive to fleeting and/or very minor occurrences as it is to the broader strokes. The upshot is a presentation that seems very much like it’s the complete picture.

Overall tonality is, in almost every circumstance, quite carefully neutral and uncolored, so if you play a warm and sepia-coloured recording like Johnny Too Bad by The Slickers, or a blue-ish and low-temperature number like Floating World by Zodiac Free Arts Club, what goes in is what comes out. The BTR17, left to its own devices, seems perfectly happy not to stick its oar in.

Integration of the frequency range is good, too, with no area being overplayed. I’ve heard plenty of products like this that will ramp up the bottom end or shove the midrange forwards, but that’s the FiiO’s scene at all.

There’s not an awful lot of meat on the low-frequency bones here, though. The BTR17 can dig fairly deep and hit reasonably hard, but low-end substance is in fairly short supply. Of course, a positive knock-on of this trait is that speed and manoeuvrability I’ve already discussed – but there’s also a downside which anyone who’s interested in bass for the sake of bass will already have worked out for themselves.

There are options in the device’s menus to finesse the EQ settings, of course, and also to investigate various filters – you might think this slightly flyweight presentation could be mitigated somewhat this way. But the effects of each are mild in the extreme, right until the moment they become rather ham-fisted and end up spoiling the carefully shaped low-frequency response. You can make the BTR17 sound weightier than it really wants to if you set your mind to it – but you’ll be affecting its speed and rhythmic positivity at the same time. And not in a good way.

Sound quality: 4 / 5

FiiO BTR17 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

87 x 41 x 16mm (HxWxD)
Black or blue finishes
73g

When a product is sincerely intended to be ‘portable’, design has to take a back seat to ‘getting everything into a package as small and light as is realistically possible’. So apart from the little ledge beneath the 33mm screen on the front of the BTR17 and the mildly interesting ‘turn/push’ control at the top left, its 87 x 41 x 16mm (HxWxD), 73g chassis is entirely unremarkable. And that’s the case regardless of which of the black or blue finishes you choose.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the build quality here, though, nor the standard of finish. The BTR17 is almost entirely plastic, but it’s reasonably tactile and seems made to last.

Design score: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Future)FiiO BTR17 review: Usability and setup

Tiny physical controls
Full-colour screen
Staggeringly in-depth control app

The BTR17’s 33mm display may look unhelpfully small, but it’s a crisp, full-colour IPS job and manages to legibly confirm file type or Bluetooth codec, sample rate, EQ setting, battery life and volume level all at the same time. It also gives access to menus that allow adjustment to gain gradients, audio filters, a choice of EQ presets, screen brightness and so on.

You navigate the menus using the rotary control on the top left edge of the BTR17. It feels and looks good, and operates with pleasant positivity – and it also gives access to volume control, ‘play/pause’ and telephony functions. There are other controls arranged beneath it down the edge of the machine – they are, inevitably, very small, and their labelling is even smaller. But take the time to commit their functions to memory and you can deal with ‘skip forwards/backwards’, ‘power on/off’, select ‘Bluetooth’, ‘phone’ or ‘PC’ your usage mode, and switch ‘desktop’ mode on or off.

Those usage modes have a big part to play in the BTR17’s battery life. In ‘PC’ mode, it’s powered by the computer it’s connected to. In ‘phone’ mode, its internal battery contributes to power supply, which reduces the load on your smartphone. In ‘BT’ mode, all the power is coming from the FiiO’s internal battery.

Physical connection to a computer or a smartphone is via one of the two USB-C slots on the bottom of the BTR17. Either can be used for charging and for data transfer, and one is also for power input when the device is in ‘desktop’ mode. At the opposite end of the device, meanwhile, there are Back in the mainstream world, there are a couple of headphone outputs - one is an unbalanced 3.5mm socket, the other a 4.4mm balanced equivalent.

There’s a huge, almost unnecessarily extensive, amount of functionality available in the ‘FiiO Control’ app. Want to adjust the ‘double-click’ function of those physical ‘skip forwards/backwards’ buttons, or create a custom EQ using a ten-band equaliser, or switch ‘distortion compensation’ in a couple of harmonic ranges on or off, or adjust the channel balance between ‘left’ and ‘right’? This is where you do it. If you want a slider to control the length of time the BTR17’s screen stays on, or how bright it is, or how long it stays switched on while it’s at rest, you can do it here too. Unless you’re the sort of person who can’t rest until they’ve customised the minutiae of their audio equipment’s set-up and performance, it is likely to seem like overkill.

Usability and setup score: 4 / 5

FiiO BTR17 review: Value

You can't pick fault with the value for money
Performs its duties admirably

Obviously it’s important to judge ‘value’ on a basis other than that of ‘how much stuff do I get?” – because while the FiiO BTR17 is necessarily small and light, it’s got a lot of functionality and it performs really well.

Most USB DAC/headphone amps at this sort of money don’t have a wireless aspect to their performance. Very few have a display or a control app, and fewer still have the sort of alacrity of sound the BTR17 can summon. Its sonic attitude will not be for everyone, but for those who are partial, there is excellent value for money to be had here.

Value score: 5 / 5

Should I buy the FiiO BTR17?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Even allowing for FiiO being FiiO, this thing is comprehensively specified

5/5

Design

It's super small and still has a useful screen

5/5

Sound quality

Detailed, agile, neutral – just could be a tiny bit punchier

4/5

Value

It would be an error to argue with the sound-per-pound value here

5/5

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

‘Speed’ and ‘detail’ do it for you where sound is concerned
There’s a dexterity and insight to the way the FiiO presents music that is quite habit-forming after a while

You enjoy a through specification
FiiO has laid it on with the proverbial trowel here - there are alternative products costing much more than this that aren’t specified as impressively

You enjoy an even more thorough control app
'Granular’ is too weak a word to describe the level of influence the app lets you exert over the BTR17

Don't buy it if...

You’re after low-frequency substance
The bass sounds the BTR17 generates are detailed, straight-edged and deep - but they’re not as weighty as some listeners will require

You don’t like having to make choices
What do you want the buttons to do? How long do you want the screen to stay on? How bright would you like it? Decisions, decisions…

Your eyesight isn’t all it used to be
This is a necessarily small product, so don't be surprised if the display and, especially, the physical controls seem all-but invisibleView Deal

FiiO BTR17 review: Also consider

The iFi Go Link Max is a great-sounding USB-C DAC/headphone amp that’s compact and well-made – but it doesn’t have Bluetooth connectivity.

Helm Audio’s Bolt USB-C DAC/headphone amp is another great performer and no hardship at all to listen to – but, again, there’s no wireless functionality here.

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the FiiO BTR17

Used while working, while commuting and in the car
Listened in wireless Bluetooth mode, and using wired options

I used the BTR17 as a desktop DAC/headphone amp, connected to my Apple MacBook Pro. I used it connected to an Apple iPhone 14 via its USB-C socket, too, which allowed me to use wired headphones with a device with no headphone socket – and I also connected it wirelessly via Bluetooth to the smartphone, just for the sake of completeness.

I also found it a useful device when in a car with no wireless connectivity – Bluetooth from my smartphone to the FiiO, and the out of the BTR17’s 3.5mm unbalanced headphone socket to the ‘aux’ input of the in-car audio system. In every circumstance, no matter the type of connection or the type of music playing, the little FiiO was always a speedy and revealing listen.

First reviewed: August 2025
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Categories: Reviews

The Joy-Con 2 are definitely an improvement, but I’d still prefer almost any other Nintendo Switch 2 controller

Sat, 08/02/2025 - 07:00

Joy-Con 2: one-minute review

The Joy-Con 2 controllers are what you’ll get packaged with your Nintendo Switch 2 console. They differ greatly from the likes of the DualSense or Xbox Wireless Controller in that the Joy-Con 2 are essentially two separate gamepads that can be used either combined as one, or individually for local multiplayer.

From a design standpoint, that makes the Joy-Con 2 quite clever, as was the case with the original model. For families and at social gatherings, they can make access to multiplayer easier - even if their small size doesn’t make for the most comfortable of play sessions.

The Joy-Con 2 controllers do improve things on this front. They’re slightly larger than the 2017 model and more ergonomically sound. Using them both for handheld play, or with the (included) Joy-Con 2 grip, the play experience is serviceable. While I much, much prefer the overall feel of the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, you won’t be hard done by with the Joy-Con 2 thanks to its build quality improvements, convenient magnetic connectors, and decent battery life.

That said, for some Nintendo Switch 2 games, you may be incentivized to opt for the Joy-Con 2 over other controllers. That’s because of the standout new feature: mouse controls. While not a ton of games support this at present, mouse controls work surprisingly well across a variety of surfaces.

Despite the overall improvements, the Joy-Con 2 hasn’t quite managed to escape some design awkwardness of its predecessor. The asymmetrical stick layout just doesn’t sit right with me here, and while I know it would prove irksome for local multiplayer, I found myself wanting a symmetrical stick layout like we see on devices like the Nitro Deck and Steam Deck OLED.

The analog sticks themselves also aren’t much of an improvement. The sticks are still very shallow, and the concave design isn’t particularly comfortable. They’re also not Hall effect, as confirmed by Nintendo itself, so the possibility of stick drift down the line still looms large.

(Image credit: Future)Joy-Con 2 review: price and availability

$94.99 / £74.99 / AU$139.95
Available at My Nintendo Store
On the expensive side

A single pair of Joy-Con 2 controllers come packaged with Nintendo Switch 2 consoles. However, they can also be purchased separately if you need a spare or you’re looking to get some big multiplayer groups together.

They’re definitely on the expensive side, though, costing $94.99 / £74.99 / AU$139.95.

That’s $10 pricier than the Switch 2 Pro Controller in the US, but in the UK, they come in at the same £74.99 price. In both regions, the Joy-Con 2 are available to purchase from the My Nintendo Store.

Joy-Con 2 review: Specs

Price

$94.99 / £74.99 / AU$139.95

Weight

4.7oz / 133g (combined)

Dimensions

4.6 x 1.2 x 0.6in / 116 x 31 x 14mm (each Joy-Con 2)

Compatibility

Nintendo Switch 2

Connection type

Wireless

Battery life

Around 20 hours

(Image credit: Future)Joy-Con 2 review: design and features

Are the Joy-Con 2 controllers a better product overall than its 2017 predecessor? The short answer is yes. Nintendo has largely stuck to its guns with the overall concept, but has refined it for a decidedly more polished experience.

Build quality is a noticeable step-up. The Joy-Con 2 are slightly larger, and thus are much friendlier on larger hands. It’s a smart redesign, considering that kids who played with the original Joy-Con controllers as early as 2017 are a good deal older now.

It also means that adults will have an easier time using a single Joy-Con, though not by much. Wielding a single Joy-Con 2 horizontally is still a bit of a squeeze. Though thankfully, the SL and SR buttons have been made larger to compensate.

The Joy-Con 2 definitely give off a less toy-esque impression. The bold neon red/blue color scheme that many original Switch owners had has been swapped out for a more mundane black, though that red and blue can be found beneath the analog sticks and at the sides where the magnetic connector and SL/SR buttons are housed.

They do look slick, boasting slightly rounder edges than its predecessor. Otherwise, you’re getting a familiar Joy-Con experience here. Analog sticks, directional, and face buttons are all found in the same place. The only big difference here is the addition of the GameChat button for accessing the Switch 2’s bespoke voice chat app.

Unlike the original Joy-Con, there’s no rail system here for connection purposes. Mercifully, this has been swapped for much more elegant magnetic connectors, allowing the Joy-Con 2 to click into the Switch 2 handheld or the Joy-Con 2 grip with ease.

A button nestled next to the triggers also pushes the Joy-Con 2 back out. It remains to be seen if these connectors wearing down over time becomes a bigger issue, especially as the magnetic pull is quite strong. But for now, it’s something I much prefer over the awkward rail system of the first Joy-Con.

(Image credit: Future)Joy-Con 2 review: Performance

The most notable addition to the Joy-Con 2 has to be their mouse controls. By detaching one (or both), they can be turned sideways with the SL/SR buttons facing down and used as a mouse. Some games were heavily advertised with this feature, including Cyberpunk 2077, Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition, and Sid Meier’s Civilization 7.

Mouse controls work rather well, and can be used in certain games as well as the Switch 2’s Home dashboard and Nintendo eShop. The lack of a scroll wheel definitely hurts navigation and general usability, but overall sensitivity feels fine, and this can even be adjusted in the system settings if you’d prefer faster or slower cursor movement.

The sensor is decent enough that you can use mouse controls on many surface types, including your own trousers. Though for best results, I’d stick to a flat surface like a desk or table.

For more traditional gameplay, the Joy-Con 2 are serviceable, though it’s not much of a jump from the original Joy-Con controllers. I still find the analog sticks to be uncomfortably shallow, and their slippery concave cap design can make it hard to find purchase while playing more hectic or action-focused titles.

I also lament the return of individual buttons for the d-pad. I understand the decision here - opting for buttons makes them more multiplayer-friendly - but I much prefer a more traditional d-pad like we see on the Switch 2 Pro Controller.

Otherwise, all the gubbins from the original Joy-Con are here, too. That includes gyro aiming support - best used with games like Splatoon 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition - and near-field communication (NFC) support for the scanning of amiibo figures and cards.

Battery life holds up decently, as well. I managed roughly 20 hours on a full charge - give or take a couple. This does line up with Nintendo’s official projections, but do note that your mileage will vary here. Each Joy-Con 2 has its own battery, as well, so it’s entirely possible that one could run out of juice before the other.

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Joy-Con 2?Buy it if...

You need a spare pair
You’re getting a pair of Joy-Con 2 in your Switch 2 box, but if you’re keen to get some four-player sessions going in your favorite games, picking up a spare Joy-Con 2 is worthwhile.

Don't buy it if...

You’d prefer a more traditional controller
This is where the Switch 2 Pro Controller comes in. It’s far more comfortable, has a proper d-pad, and features like NFC and gyro aiming. It’s much better-suited to single-player games in this regard. Alternatively, the GameSir Nova Lite makes for an excellent budget pick.

Joy-Con 2 review: Also consider

Consider these two alternatives if you’re looking for a Switch 2-compatible controller that offers something different.

Joy-Con 2

Switch 2 Pro Controller

GameSir Nova Lite

Price

$94.99 / £74.99 / AU$139.95

$84.99 / £74.99 / AU$119.95

$24.99 / £19.99 / AU$39

Weight

4.7oz / 133g (combined)

8.3oz / 235g

7.2oz / 205g

Dimensions

4.6 x 1.2 x 0.6in / 116 x 31 x 14mm (per Joy-Con 2)

5.8 x 4.1 x 2.4in / 148 x 105 x 60mm

6.1 x 4.1 x 2.4in / 155 x 104 x 61mm

Compatibility

Nintendo Switch 2

Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC

Connection type

Wireless

Wireless (Bluetooth), Wired (USB Type-C)

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

Battery life

Around 20 hours

Around 40 hours

10-15 hours

Switch 2 Pro Controller
Quite simply, the best Switch 2 controller available now. It’s certainly pricey, but you’re getting sublime build quality, class-leading battery life, and a pair of handy remappable buttons for secondary inputs. A quality controller that every Switch 2 owner should consider buying.

Read our full Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller review

GameSir Nova Lite
For something much more budget-friendly, the GameSir Nova Lite really punches above its weight at its price point. Excellent build quality, Hall effect sticks, and decent battery life make this one well worth considering, and it can connect to Switch 2 via Bluetooth.

Read our full GameSir Nova Lite review

How I tested the Joy-Con 2

Tested for over a month
Played in both handheld mode and with the Joy-Con 2 grip
Compared to the original Joy-Con and the Switch 2 Pro Controller

I’ve tested the Joy-Con 2 regularly since getting my Switch 2 console on launch day (June 5, 2025). I’ve primarily used them in handheld mode when traveling or as part of a cheeky before-bed session. However, I’ve also used them while slotted into the Joy-Con 2 grip, as a more traditional controller.

While I think the Joy-Con 2 are perfectly fine controllers, I found myself preferring the Switch 2 Pro Controller for longer gaming sessions, especially in docked mode. The Pro Controller is one I just find to be more comfortable, and its long-lasting battery life cannot be taken for granted. Still, in local multiplayer environments, the Joy-Con 2 shone thanks to the two controllers acting as separate entities, minimizing the need to dig out other gamepads.

First reviewed July 2025

Huion’s huge drawing tablet aced most tests I threw at it, but let me down where it matters most

Sat, 08/02/2025 - 04:45

Huion Kamvas Pro 19: one-minute review

The Huion Kamvas Pro 19 is a drawing tablet with a huge 19-inch screen, 4K resolution and wide color gamut offering 99% sRGB, 96% Adobe RGB and 98% DCI-P3 coverage. While its $1,099 / £1,099 list price is hardly chump change, you can often get it cheaper, and that price includes a range of accessories, including a shortcut remote, stylus box with two styluses, and a selection of cables. So, is it worth the investment? Well, it would be – if it wasn’t for one fairly critical flaw.

Whether I was sketching or blending colors with paint-like brushes, using the Kamvas 19 Pro was seriously smooth. Not only is it without parallax and completely jitter-free, but it can also register strokes at a steep angle of up to 60 degrees, making it easy to trace wide arcs and circles. Its driver software offers a decent amount of customization, despite not always being the most intuitive to use, and the shortcut remote made accessing all my go-to tools and menu items a breeze.

When it comes to its design, though, the Kamvas Pro 19 is more of a mixed bag. Don’t get me wrong: its screen is capable of seriously impressive color and a detailed 4K resolution, and it's ergonomic enough that I always felt comfortable using it. Unfortunately, it gets marked far too easily, in a way I’ve never seen from the best drawing tablets. After roughly eight hours of sketching, the screen was covered with scrapes and scuffs – while these rubbed off with a screen wipe, it does make me worry that eventually this kind of wear will become permanent.

Aside from this tendency to mark the display, the Huion’s two styluses are actually very decent. They’re lightweight and easy to hold, even during long scribbling sessions, and their programmable shortcut keys minimize the number of times you have to shift to another input. Their customizable pressure sensitivity is also excellent, although I wouldn’t put too much stock in the advertised 16K pressure levels – I’ve honestly never been able to tell much difference in practice from devices that offer 8K.

On paper, the Huion Kamvas Pro 19 is a very decent device, offering great performance and accessories for a pretty reasonable price. Certainly, with sale prices sometimes offering it for as little as $939 / £879, it is a pretty tempting package. But, try as I might, I can’t ignore how susceptible to wear that screen seems to be. In light of that, you may well find that a device like the XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 is a sounder investment long term.

(Image credit: Future / Josh Russell)Huion Kamvas Pro 19 review: price and availability

Launched January 5, 2024
Retails for $1,099 / £1,099

Released on January 5, 2024, the Huion Kamvas Pro 19 is available to buy now. While its list price is $1,099 / £1,099, you’re unlikely to pay that – at the time of writing, Huion has it on sale for $939 / £879.

Included for that price is the drawing tablet itself, the Huion Keydial Mini shortcut tool, pen box, Battery-Free Pen PW600, Battery-Free Slim Pen PW600S, and all the cabling you’ll need. If you’re buying in the UK, you’ll get Huion’s Adjustable Stand ST100A bundled in as a free gift, but unfortunately, you’ll have to pay $29.99 for this if you’re in the US.

All told, though, this is a pretty competitive price when compared to some of the other mid-range drawing tablets I’ve reviewed in recent months. For example, the similarly specced XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 has a list price of $899.99 / £899.99 / AU$1,499.99, while the seriously talented Xencelabs Pen Display 16 goes for $999 / £969 (around AU$1,597) – and that’s without all the accessories that come in the fully kitted out, $1,299 / £1,199 (around AU$2,080) Bundle edition. So the Kamvas Pro 19 is pretty on the money in terms of value.

(Image credit: Future)Huion Kamvas Pro 19 review: specs

Dimensions

17.7 x 10.7 x 0.8 inches (448.9 x 272.4 x 21.3mm)

Active drawing area

14.1 x 9.1 inches (409 x 230mm)

Weight

2kg

Display resolution

3840 x 2160

Pressure levels

16,384

Compatibility

Windows 10 or later; macOS 10.12 or later; Android 6.0 or later; Linux(Ubuntu 20.04 LTS)

(Image credit: Future / Josh Russell)Huion Kamvas Pro 19 review: design

Display offers gorgeous color but could be brighter
Screen scuffs and marks to an inexcusable degree
Good range of accessories

Given the price, the Huion Kamvas Pro 19’s display is pretty impressive, making any art I worked on look pleasingly crisp and well-defined. With a 3840 x 2160 resolution across an 18.4-inch screen, it has a pixel density of 238ppi – that’s essentially the same as the slightly pricier XPPen Artist Pro 19, although it’s a fair bit lower than the 275ppi offered by the smaller and spendier Xencelabs Pen Display 16.

While touching up and recoloring some photography in Photoshop, I was impressed by how boldly it expressed colors, with reds, greens and blues in particular looking deliciously punchy thanks to its color gamut coverage of 99% sRGB / 96% Adobe RGB / 98% DCI P3. It’s not quite as bright as some rivals, however: its 220-nit typical brightness is bested by both the XPPen and Xencelabs above, which can hit 250 nits and 300 nits respectively.

There’s more to a drawing tablet than meets the eye, though: how it feels is also important. And while the Kamvas Pro 19’s anti-glare etched glass does a decent job of keeping reflections at bay, I didn’t find its texture to be that impressive. Rather than offering a paper-like bite when sketching, I could barely feel the grain of the glass at all. The only time it really became noticeable was when I was moving the stylus toward the top left, meaning the haptic feedback the display gave was often inconsistent.

(Image credit: Future)

But there was an even bigger issue with the glass – and it’s the source of my only significant reservation about Huion’s slate. While using the erasers on the styluses, I quickly noticed that they seemed to be leaving marks on the glass, which isn’t ideal given how often you might find yourself correcting mistakes. However, it was only when I turned the screen off after a long session of sketching that I noticed the extent of the scraping; the glass was covered with marks from both the stylus nibs and erasers. These can be wiped away, at least superficially, but it does concern me that the glass will eventually sustain permanent wear.

Fortunately, elsewhere, the build quality feels a lot more robust, with the main body of the device feeling sturdy and well put together. At 2kg, it is hefty enough that you may not be all that comfortable sitting it on your lap, but it does have built-in feet that raise it to a nicely ergonomic 20-degree angle. Several height options would have helped me find the absolute best angle, though. To really maximize the ergonomics here, a deeper bezel might have provided more room to rest my wrist. As it was, I felt its 0.78-inch (2cm) screen borders didn’t give me quite enough space to lean on.

Accompanying its two styluses – the three-button Pen PW600 and two-button Slim Pen PW600S – is a supply of standard and felt nibs, as well as a nib changing tool. You also get a Bluetooth-powered shortcut remote, the Keydial Mini, and all of the cabling you’ll need. It doesn’t include any clips for you to rest the styluses or a carry case, but you can get a free stand when you buy it in the UK, which definitely feels like a decent bonus.

When it comes to cabling, the Kamvas allows you to go maximalist or strip things right back. On the upper end of the scale, you can plug the supplied 3-in-2 adapter into your drawing tablet’s power and data ports, then hook the other end into your computer’s USB and HDMI ports and the mains. This will allow you to both sketch and record the slate’s video output to your hard drive. Alternatively, you can simply plug it directly into the mains and hook it up to your laptop – and thanks to its 40W reverse charging, it can charge your laptop in the process, meaning that’s one less cable on your desk.

Design score: 3 / 5

(Image credit: Future / Josh Russell)Huion Kamvas Pro 19 review: performance

Accurate strokes without parallax or jitter
Shortcut remote works well
Some user unfriendly quirks to driver software

Carrying out some line tests, I found the Kamvas Pro 19 to be accurate. There's no discernible parallax between the nib of the stylus and the brushes on screen, which is fortunate, as I couldn’t see any obvious way to recalibrate this in the drivers. While there is a little lag when moving the nib quickly, I didn’t find this to be a huge issue in maintaining accurate strokes.

When I got started with some actual artwork, the Kamvas Pro 19 felt fluid and responsive, allowing me to sketch out a nautilus shell with remarkable accuracy. While it didn’t feel quite as natural as when drawing on the Xencelabs Pen Display 16, it was able to register the stylus at up to 60 degrees, making tracing wide, fluid circles and spirals a snap. Additionally, the pressure sensitivity made blending colors using an oil-paint brush a cinch, with that vibrant screen making the pastel peaches and pinks look bold and brilliant.

The Keydial Mini shortcut remote makes it far easier to trigger various functions, without having to reach for the keyboard or mouse. Each key has a wide range of assignable shortcuts – including key combos, mouse click or scroll wheel functions, launching apps, media controls, or system-level functions like show desktop or launch mission control – while the wheel can be assigned to various functions from zooming and scrolling to adjusting parameters like brush size or flow.

(Image credit: Future)

Broadly speaking, these made it much easier to interact with menus and manipulate the canvas, although I did experience some slightly odd behavior when it came to assigning shortcuts in the driver software. Once you’ve entered a title or key combination, there’s no way to leave the field, and clicking either ‘X’ button wipes what you’ve entered. It took some trial and error for me to work out that you have to just click away from the window to save the shortcut, which is an odd bit of UX design.

Elsewhere, the driver software lets you further customize various settings. You can assign additional shortcuts to the buttons on the styluses. As well as the options listed above for the Keydial Mini, you can also trigger precision mode – this focuses input from the whole screen onto a tiny area for fine control – pan & scroll, and Fixed Pressure Sensitivity, a handy function that holds pressure at the current level when the button is pressed. You can also tailor the styluses’ pressure curves to your needs, choosing between five settings, from soft to hard, or shaping your own curve.

Performance score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future)Huion Kamvas Pro 19 review: stylus

Both styluses are light and ergonomic
Increased 16K pressure levels probably unnoticeable for most people
The erasers are great – if you ignore how they mark the screen

The Huion Kamvas Pro 19’s styluses are well-designed and feel comfortable in the hand. No small part of this is due to their light weight and ergonomic shape, both of which make them comfortable to use for long drawing sessions. As a result, I didn’t experience any cramping or strain even when working on artwork for hours at a time. Sadly, they’re not quite as well weighted as XPPen’s X3 Pro Roller Stylus – with its center of gravity right where you grip it, that stylus felt almost weightless when pitching or spinning – but Huion’s pens are still easy to manipulate.

Both the Pen PW600 and the Slim Pen PW600S are capable of recognizing 16,384 pressure levels. That sounds seriously impressive, but I wouldn’t put much stock in this; in practice, I’ve rarely been able to distinguish any difference between 16K and 8K pressure sensitivity. The styluses are remarkably responsive, though, fluidly reproducing the weight of your hand. Using the most extreme curves, I did occasionally find it hard to maintain an even pressure, but that’s inevitable: every slight wobble of your hand is exposed at that high a sensitivity.

Buttons on the styluses are well-placed and make triggering shortcuts a breeze. Yes, I occasionally accidentally triggered them with my fat fingers, but this is an issue I’ve found with most styluses I’ve used, so I’m not going to hold this against Huion. if you find this particularly distracting, you can disable the shortcuts in Huion’s driver software.

The inclusion of an eraser on each of the styluses is appreciated as well, as I much prefer the tactile act of erasing with the stylus tip. However, as I mentioned above, the materials of the erasers are hard enough that they tend to mark the screen – this feels like it could become a real issue over time, and isn’t something I experienced with the erasers on Xencelabs’ pens.

Stylus score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Huion Kamvas Pro 19?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

Ergonomic and comfortable to use, richly colored 4K display – but the screen gets far too easily scuffed for my liking.

3 / 5

Performance

No noticeable parallax or jitter, generous 60-degree tilt recognition, easy-to-use shortcut remote, some odd software quirks in the driver.

4.5 / 5

Stylus

Lightweight and comfortable to hold, handy shortcut keys and eraser, 16K pressure levels hard to differentiate from 8K.

4 / 5

Value

Competitive price, good range of accessories – but is it worth the cost if it eventually succumbs to screen damage?

4 / 5

Buy it if…

You want an expansive, colorful display
At 18.4 inches, the Huion Kamvas Pro 19 gives you a huge amount of drawing room. And its wide color gamut means you can be sure every hue you use is as accurate as possible.

You don’t want to be tied down with excess cabling
Not only can you hook up the Huion Kamvas Pro 19 with just one power cable and one USB-C cable, but it also offers 40W reverse charging, meaning you don’t need another cable to keep your laptop juiced.

Don’t buy it if…

You care about having a pristine screen
As I remarked above, my test unit’s display got scuffed pretty quickly during use, particularly while using the styluses’ erasers. If the idea of marks on your drawing tablet sets off alarm bells for you, look elsewhere – or at least pick up a screen protector for it.

You want the brightest display for your spend
With its 220-nit screen, the Kamvas Pro 19 is hardly a dim bulb. But several of its rivals are capable of a typical brightness of at least 250 nits, making them easier to view in stronger light.

(Image credit: Future)Huion Kamvas Pro 19 review: also consider

Huion Kamvas Pro 19

XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2

Xencelabs Pen Display 16

Dimensions

17.7 x 10.7 x 0.8 inches (448.9 x 272.4 x 21.3mm)

18.1 x 12.1 x 0.8 inches (460 x 306.6 x 21.5mm)

16.1 x 10.2 x 0.47 inches (410 x 259.4 x 12mm)

Active drawing area

14.1 x 9.1 inches (409 x 230mm)

16.1 x 9.1 inches (409 x 230mm)

13.55 x 7.6 inches (344.2 x 193.6mm)

Weight

2kg

4.91 lbs (2.23kg)

2.67 lbs (1.21kg)

Display resolution

3840 x 2160

3840 x 2160 pixels

Pressure levels

16,384

8,192

Compatibility

Windows 10 or later; macOS 10.12 or later; Android 6.0 or later; Linux(Ubuntu 20.04 LTS)

Windows 7 or later; macOS 10.13 or later (latest update); Android (USB3.1 DP1.2); Chrome OS 88 (or later); Linux

PC: Windows 7 or later (latest service pack/build); macOS 10.13 or later (latest update); Linux - Ubuntu 14.04 or above, Debian 9.5, CentOS 7.0 or above, RedHat 7.0 or above

XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2
The XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 rocks pretty similar specs to the Huion Kamvas Pro 19, without costing much more. It offers great color reproduction, an expansive 19-inch display, an identical 4K resolution, two wonderfully well-balanced styluses and a shortcut remote. But the clincher is that its screen doesn’t get scuffed or marked as easily as the Kamvas Pro 19, making it a more reliable choice. Read my full XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 review.

Xencelabs Pen Display 16
While more expensive than either the Huion or the XPPen once you’ve picked up all its accessories, the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 is still a dream drawing tablet. I was seriously impressed with its lightweight portable build, higher pixel density, 300-nit brightness when mains powered and fantastic accessories, ranging from its super-reliable shortcut remote to the packaged carry case. Read my full Xencelabs Pen Display 16 review.

How I tested the Huion Kamvas Pro 19

Tested it over several weeks
Conducted multiple line tests
Used it to work on both sketches and retouching photos

I spent several weeks putting the Huion Kamvas Pro 19 through its paces. First, I used it for a range of line tests to help me assess its accuracy, check its tilt recognition and monitor for issues like parallax or jitter. Additionally, I spent some time tweaking its driver settings to see the kind of control this gave me over the styluses’ pressure sensitivity and various shortcut buttons.

From there, I started creating artworks in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Sketching out a nautilus shell helped me get a sense of how it performed when creating line drawings and using various paint-style brushes. On top of this, I used the Kamvas Pro 19 to touch up several photos, which helped me assess both its utility and its color accuracy.

Having spent several decades creating digital artwork, I’ve got a large amount of experience creating vector art and manipulating photos. On top of this, I spent many years as the editor of a print magazine, meaning I’m well-versed in assessing how well digital artwork performs in terms of color and resolution when compared to printed proofs.

First reviewed: July 2025
Read more about how we test

Categories: Reviews

Movavi Video Suite 2025 review

Fri, 08/01/2025 - 10:53

Video editing tools are everywhere these days. You have cheap, not very powerful options bundled with your computing device, you can purchase expensive, very powerful apps with a steep learning curve, or you can opt for a more middle of the road option: software that is brimming with features, looks fun to use, and is affordable.

And it's in the latter camp that I'd place Movavi. It's unlikely to trouble the likes of Premiere Pro and Resolve any time soon, but it's superior to the likes of Apple iMovie or ClipChamp. And it might be one of the best video editing software for beginners around right now.

I took Movavi Video Suite 2025 for a spin to see how it handles the post-production process, and precisely where it fits into this crowded field.

Movavi Video Suite 2025: Pricing & plans

A choice of subscription or one-off fee for a perpetual license, with a massive discount at time of review

The Movavi Video Suite is available as both a subscription service or a perpetual licence, with wildly fluctuating prices throughout: you have the standard cost, and more often than not, you’ll have a special limited time discount, which, in our experience with other software and services, almost always gets reset and extended when their time runs out. But in case it doesn’t, we’ll list you all the prices we found on their website.

The monthly subscription is the only one that remains static at around $30. By contrast, the yearly subscription should cost you a little under $250, but was discounted to around $100 as of this writing.

If you fancy combining your rentals, you can grab the Video Suite and Movavi’s Photo Editor for a yearly subscription of $234 (currently discounted to $105).

Should you not be a fan of renting your software however, you have the option of purchasing the latter (i.e. the Video Suite and the Photo Editor) for $334 - or $150, if the discount holds.

All of the above come with a 30-day money back guarantee, and you also have the ability to download a 7-day free trial which works without you having to hand out your card details. This trial has limitations, as you’d expect, such as limiting the length of your outputs and watermarking them, for instance.

You can check out the full pricing details on Movavi's website by clicking here.

Score: 4/5

Movavi Video Suite 2025: Getting started

(Image credit: Movavi // Future)

The software made it somewhat tricky for us to get to a language we understood, so we could start using it

Launching Movavi Video Editor for the first time, we were greeted with a difficult conundrum, one which never happened to us before, so it couldn’t have been our computer’s setting, and we felt it was worth us mentioning it, should it also happen to you: everything was in Japanese, which made any kind work impossible if you’re unfamiliar with that noble language.

Thankfully, feeding a screenshot of the settings window to Google Translate helped us see which menu led to our preferred language. It’s not a hard issue to resolve, but it would’ve been preferable had the software noticed which language our computer was using, and default to it during installation.

Score: 2.5/5

Movavi Video Suite 2025: Interface

(Image credit: Movavi // Future)

Movavi’s video editor is well-organized and surprisingly simple to use, with all the tools you need easily accessible, including some very well-implemented and powerful features

Movavi Video Suite is essentially broken down into three separate tools: the Video Editor, the Video Converter, and the Screen Recorder. We’ll focus primarily on the former as that’s where anyone interested in filmmaking will be spending most of their time, and we suspect, if you’re reading this, that this means you.

And frankly, we were really impressed with it. It’s clean, simple, well organised, and gives you access to all the tools you need quickly and efficiently. The interface offers the media section, top left, the preview window, top right, and the timeline taking up almost half of the screen real estate at the bottom.

To the left you have a sidebar, giving you access to tools, effects, transitions, titles, even Movavi’s online store. Just above the Timeline are the editing tools you’ll use most often, and also includes other features, such as ‘auto subtitling’, which is almost too easy to use (and more competent and flexible than what some higher end software offer).

The whole interface is extremely friendly: drag footage from a hard drive straight onto the media section, then drag the clips you want onto the timeline to start building your edit. You can work with multiple layers of audio and video, apply transitions and various effects just by dragging them onto the clip you wish to affect. It’s all very simple. So much so in fact, that what could be moderately tricky to complex actions, are handled with ease.

We found the AI Tracker, for instance, to provide excellent results with the user barely doing anything to make it work, and the algorithms behind the ‘Background Remover’ were remarkably good, even when the background itself was quite complex (such as foliage).

(Image credit: Movavi // Future)

Movavi’s Video Editor also has an online store which is accessible via the ‘Packs’ menu, on the left sidebar. As it’s a store, most items are Premium ones (they have a little dark pink crown, top right of their thumbnail), but a handful can be used for free. In any case, you’re allowed to download even the Premium ones and include them in your project. You’ll just need to deal with financial matters upon export.

Speaking of Exports, this video editor comes with numerous options. MP4 is chosen by default (which makes sense as it’s so ubiquitous), but you have numerous other options available to you, including DVD formats, and even the long obsolete SWF. In addition to generic formats, you also have presets for specific devices, such as iPhones, Xbox and more, and you can upload your project directly to social media with links to YouTube, Vimeo, and TikTok. It’s a well stocked series of options.

Score: 4.5/5

Movavi Video Suite 2025: Converter & Screen Capture

(Image credit: Movavi // Future)

The Movavi Suite comes with two other apps, one to convert video and images to numerous different formats, and the other to record your screen (or take screenshots). Both are full featured, offering numerous options, and very easy to use

The Movavi Video Suite isn’t limited to their excellent Video Editor: it also comes with a Video Converter and a Screen Capture tool. Let’s quickly take a look at them.

The Video Converter’s interface is sparse, but then again, what do you need to convert image and video? An area to drag files onto, and a list of formats to choose from, and that’s exactly what Video Converter offers. It’s incredibly easy to use, whether you’re after software that does it all for you, in which case just select the preset you’re after and you’re done. But should you need to manipulate every available parameter, those are but a drop down menu away.

On top of this, Video Converter also offers you a surprising range of editing tools, from adjusting the audio, to making basic colour correction, applying effects, adding subtitles or a watermark, and cropping and trimming the footage. It’s unexpectedly full featured.

(Image credit: Movavi // Future)

When it comes to Screen Recorder, you have the choice of taking a screenshot or a video. The software can instantly recognise open windows (it even selects the frontmost one by default), or allows you to set a specific area, or forego all of that and capture the entire screen.

It will also record the computer’s audio, an external microphone and your webcam, which it burns into the recording (you can’t choose to move it around after the recording or remove it altogether after the fact). Frustratingly, as is the case with every other screen capture tool, you have to grant it so many permissions for it to work properly, it can take a while.

Score: 4.5/5

Should I buy Movavi Video Suite 2025?

(Image credit: Movavi // Future)

Buy it if...

You’re looking for editing software that covers everything from editing, to formatting, and even has a powerful screen capture tool, with interfaces that are sleek and well designed, to make it as easy as possible for you to get your work done.

Don't buy it if...

You’re put off by the additional tools that come with the suite beyond the editing options, as you either already have similar products or don’t need them, or feel the features available are just too advanced for your needs.

For more creative apps, we've tested and reviewed the best video editing software, the best free video editing software, and the best video editing apps for mobile devices.

Categories: Reviews

Medium review 2025

Fri, 08/01/2025 - 07:20

Medium stands out as one of the most writer-friendly platforms in our comprehensive best blogging platforms roundup. Unlike traditional blogging tools, it functions more like a social network for long-form content, where your stories can reach millions without any marketing effort.

Our reviewers have tested 140+ of the best website builders and blogging tools giving us deep insight into what makes each platform unique. What sets Medium apart for us is its focus on content over customization. You won't find the design flexibility of Wix, our top pick for 2025. But the tradeoff’s not for nothing.

Instead, Medium prioritizes discovery and engagement through its algorithm-driven feed system. The platform currently serves over 100 million monthly visitors and pays writers more than $2 million monthly through its Partner Program.

What is Medium?

Medium is essentially a hybrid between a blogging platform and a social media network, designed specifically for long-form written content. Founded by Twitter co-founder Evan Williams in 2012, it removes the technical barriers of traditional blogging by handling all the hosting, design, and infrastructure for you. You simply create an account and start writing. No coding, no theme selection, no server management required.

Think of Medium as a digital magazine where anyone can contribute articles, called "stories" in Medium's terminology. Your content appears not just on your personal profile but also gets distributed through Medium's recommendation system to readers who might be interested in your topics. This built-in audience discovery is Medium's biggest advantage. Your first article could potentially reach thousands of readers without any promotional effort on your part.

Features

Publications on Medium function like digital magazines where multiple writers can contribute content around specific themes or topics. (Image credit: Medium)

Medium's feature set reflects its philosophy of simplicity over complexity, offering just enough tools to create engaging content without overwhelming writers with options.

The platform excels at content creation and discovery features but falls short on customization and branding capabilities that business users typically need. At $5 monthly for the basic membership, Medium offers reasonable value for writers focused purely on content creation, though it can't compete with full-featured platforms for businesses requiring extensive customization.

The platform's strength lies in its community-driven features like publications, follower systems, and engagement tools that help writers build audiences organically. However, you'll miss advanced features like custom domains, detailed analytics, or ecommerce integration that competitors offer. Medium's pricing becomes more justifiable when you consider the built-in audience and monetization potential through the Partner Program, though serious bloggers may eventually outgrow these limitations.

Content editor

Medium's editor stands out for its clean, distraction-free interface that focuses entirely on writing. The editor uses a simple plus-sign system to add multimedia elements like images, videos, and code blocks, while text formatting appears when you highlight content. This approach eliminates the complexity found in traditional CMS platforms, letting you focus purely on crafting your message.

Publications system

Publications function like digital magazines where multiple writers can contribute content around specific themes or topics. You can either create your own publication or submit stories to existing ones with established audiences. This system provides an excellent way to reach targeted readers beyond your personal followers, with some publications boasting thousands of dedicated subscribers.

Partner program monetization

The Partner Program allows writers to earn money based on reading time from paying subscribers, with earnings calculated through factors like engagement, follower bonuses, and story boosts. Writers can earn anywhere from a few dollars to thousands monthly, with top performers making substantial incomes. The program requires a $5 monthly membership and at least one published story to qualify.

Social features

Medium incorporates social networking elements like following other writers, clapping for stories (similar to likes), and highlighting specific text passages for comments. These features create a more interactive experience than traditional blogs, encouraging community building and reader engagement. The platform also offers audio narration for stories, expanding accessibility for different types of content consumption.

Ease of use

You create an account, choose topics to follow, and can immediately start writing or reading. (Image credit: Medium)

Medium prioritizes simplicity above all else, making it one of the most beginner-friendly publishing platforms available. The onboarding process takes just minutes. You create an account, choose topics to follow, and can immediately start writing or reading. The interface feels more like using a word processor than managing a complex website, with all technical aspects handled automatically in the background.

The writing experience centers around Medium's elegant editor, which reveals formatting options only when needed. New paragraphs show a plus sign for adding multimedia, while highlighting text reveals options for bold, italic, headers, and links. This progressive disclosure approach prevents interface clutter while keeping powerful features accessible when you need them.

Medium's approach to publishing reflects founder Evan Williams' vision of removing friction from content creation. Unlike traditional blogging platforms that require decisions about themes, plugins, and hosting, Medium handles everything automatically. You write, hit publish, and Medium's algorithm immediately begins showing your content to potentially interested readers based on their reading history and followed topics.

The platform does have some accessibility considerations worth noting. While the clean design works well for most users, the limited customization options mean you can't adjust fonts, colors, or layouts for specific accessibility needs. However, Medium's built-in audio narration feature helps serve users who prefer listening to reading.

Pricing

The $5 monthly membership unlocks unlimited reading of all stories, enables Partner Program participation for earning money, and includes audio narrations. (Image credit: Medium)

Plan

Starting rate (paid annually)

Renewal rate (paid annually)

Free

$0/month

Medium Member

$5/month

Friend of Medium

$12.50/month

Medium's pricing structure is refreshingly straightforward compared to most blogging platforms. The free tier allows unlimited publishing and reading of non-member stories, but limits you to three member-only articles monthly. A freemium approach lets you test the platform thoroughly before committing to a paid plan.

The $5 monthly membership unlocks unlimited reading of all stories, enables Partner Program participation for earning money, and includes audio narrations. The $15 monthly "Friend of Medium" tier provides the same features but pays writers 4x more when you read their content, making it more of a supporter tier than a feature upgrade.

Unlike traditional blogging platforms, Medium has no transaction fees, hosting costs, or additional charge. The membership fee covers everything.

Customer support

Medium's customer support operates primarily through email and social media channels, with no live chat or phone support available for immediate assistance. (Image credit: Medium)

Medium's customer support operates primarily through email and social media channels, with no live chat or phone support available for immediate assistance. You can reach their support team by filling out a form at help.medium.com or contacting them directly at yourfriend@medium.com. For specific issues like complaints or feedback, they provide dedicated email addresses including trust@medium.com for platform concerns and legal@medium.com for legal matters.

The quality of customer support receives mixed reviews from users. According to customer satisfaction data on TrustPilot, Medium scores just 1.7 out of 5 stars for customer service, with most users reporting dissatisfaction with response times and issue resolution. Only 5% of customers who contacted support reported having their issues resolved on PissedConsumer, which is concerning for a platform serving millions of users. The average call time when reaching their phone line is just 1 minute, suggesting limited depth in support interactions.

Medium's support structure reflects their focus on self-service solutions rather than hands-on customer care. They maintain a comprehensive knowledge base for common questions and troubleshooting. However, this approach can frustrate users dealing with account issues, billing problems, or content disputes that require human intervention. The lack of real-time support options like live chat makes Medium less suitable for businesses requiring immediate technical assistance.

For serious publishers or businesses considering Medium, the limited support infrastructure represents a significant drawback. You'll need to rely heavily on community forums and self-help resources when problems arise. This hands-off approach works fine for casual writers but becomes problematic when dealing with monetization issues, publication management, or account security concerns that demand prompt resolution.

Alternatives

Medium occupies a unique position in the blogging landscape as a social publishing platform rather than a traditional content management system. With over 99,522 companies using Medium globally as of 2025, it holds a modest market share compared to competitors like Tumblr (72.09%) and Google Blogger (5.33%). Medium's strength lies in its built-in audience of 100 million monthly readers and its focus on content discovery over customization.

The platform works best for individual writers, thought leaders, and content creators who prioritize reaching audiences over building branded websites. It's particularly valuable for freelance writers building portfolios, startup founders establishing thought leadership, and journalists sharing insights without technical overhead. Medium's Partner Program makes it attractive for writers seeking immediate monetization opportunities based on reader engagement rather than traditional advertising models.

Medium's main competitors serve different needs across the blogging spectrum. WordPress.org dominates for users wanting complete control and customization, while platforms like Ghost cater to professional publishers seeking speed and membership features. Substack competes directly in the newsletter space, and newer platforms like Bullet.so target Notion users wanting SEO control with custom domains. Newer solutions like Wix offer more design flexibility for brand-focused creators.

For businesses requiring custom branding, SEO control, or advanced features, Medium's limitations become apparent quickly. The platform's algorithm-dependent distribution and lack of custom domains make it unsuitable for companies building long-term digital assets. However, for writers prioritizing content creation over technical management, Medium remains one of the most accessible publishing platforms available, especially when combined with its built-in monetization and discovery features.

Medium: Summary

Medium succeeds as a streamlined publishing platform that removes technical barriers between writers and their audiences. Its clean editor, built-in readership, and Partner Program monetization create an appealing package for content creators focused purely on writing. The platform's social networking features and algorithmic distribution help new writers gain exposure that would take months or years to achieve on independent blogs.

However, Medium's limitations become significant for users requiring control, customization, or long-term brand building. The lack of custom domains, limited design options, and algorithm dependency make it unsuitable for businesses or serious bloggers planning sustainable content strategies. While Medium works excellently for individual writers and thought leaders, its constraints ultimately position it as a stepping stone rather than a permanent solution for most professional content creators.

Medium review: FAQsCan I use my own domain with Medium?

Medium offers custom domain support only for publications, not individual writer profiles. This means you can connect a custom domain if you create a Medium publication, but your personal Medium profile will always use the medium.com/@username format. This limitation significantly impacts branding efforts for businesses and professional writers who want to build their own digital presence rather than relying on Medium's platform.

How much money can I make through Medium's Partner Program?

Earnings through Medium's Partner Program vary dramatically based on your content quality, audience engagement, and publishing frequency. Top writers can earn thousands of dollars monthly, while most participants make anywhere from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars. Your earnings depend on reading time from paying subscribers, with factors like follower bonuses and story boosts affecting your total compensation. You need a $5 monthly membership and at least one published story to qualify for the program.

Can I export my content from Medium if I decide to leave?

Medium allows you to export your stories, but the process has limitations. You can download your data through your account settings, which includes your published stories in HTML format. However, you'll lose the engagement metrics, comments, and social proof built up on the platform. The exported content also requires reformatting for use on other platforms, and you won't retain the SEO benefits or backlinks generated through Medium's domain authority.

Is Medium good for SEO?

Medium provides mixed SEO benefits due to its high domain authority but limited control over optimization. While your content benefits from Medium's strong search engine presence, you can't customize meta descriptions, URLs, or implement advanced SEO strategies. Medium automatically handles basic SEO elements like canonical tags and meta titles, but you're restricted to their format and structure. For serious SEO efforts, dedicated blogging platforms offer much better control and long-term visibility potential.

What's the difference between Medium's free and paid memberships?

Medium's free tier allows unlimited publishing and reading of non-member stories, but limits you to three member-only articles monthly. The $5 monthly membership unlocks unlimited reading of all stories, enables Partner Program participation for earning money, and includes audio narrations of articles. The $15 monthly "Friend of Medium" tier provides the same features but pays writers 4x more when you read their content, functioning more as a supporter tier than offering additional features for your own content creation.

Categories: Reviews

Substack review 2025

Fri, 08/01/2025 - 04:58

Substack has been a genuine surprise among blogging platforms in 2025, aimed for writers who want to ditch the search and monetize their content directly. Unlike some conventional options featured in our best blogging platforms roundup, Substack focuses on newsletter subscriptions and social discovery over traditional SEO. This unique publishing experience has gained significant traction among independent creators, especially journalists and influencers.

Our reviewers have spent thousands of hours testing 140+ of the best website builders and blogging tools, giving us deep insight into what makes platforms succeed or fail. While Wix remains our top pick for overall blogging excellence in 2025, Substack carves out its own niche with a distinctly different philosophy. It prioritizes simple publishing workflows and direct reader relationships over complex features and design flexibility.

Substack's growth trajectory has been remarkable, with writers building substantial audiences and generating significant revenue through paid subscriptions. Its success stems from its focus on quality content and genuine reader engagement, creating an environment where thoughtful writing thrives over algorithm-chasing tactics.

What is Substack?

You can think of Substack as a hybrid between a blog and an email newsletter service, designed specifically for writers who want to build direct relationships with their readers.

At its core, Substack is a content publishing platform where you can share newsletters and monetize your writing. Unlike traditional blogging platforms that rely heavily on search engine traffic, Substack delivers your content directly to subscribers' inboxes while also maintaining a web presence for broader discovery.

This platform operates on a simple premise: writers create content, readers subscribe to receive it via email, and successful creators can charge for premium subscriptions. Substack handles all the technical aspects — payment processing, email delivery, subscriber management — so writers can focus purely on creating content. This unique model has attracted everyone from independent journalists to niche experts who want to build sustainable businesses around their expertise, without dealing with complex website management or marketing automation tools.

Features

Substack's community features help writers discover audiences and build relationships with peers. (Image credit: Substack)

Substack offers a focused feature set that prioritizes writing and reader engagement over extensive customization options. The platform provides essential tools for content creation, email distribution, basic analytics, and monetization, making it particularly well-suited for writers who want to start publishing immediately without technical barriers. While feature-rich compared to basic newsletter services, Substack deliberately keeps things simpler than full-featured content management systems, which may disappoint users looking for advanced functionality.

The pricing structure reflects this streamlined approach. Core features like writing, publishing, email distribution, notes, videos, podcasts, and analytics are completely free. You only pay when you start earning through paid subscriptions, with Substack taking a 10% platform fee plus payment processing costs. This model makes it accessible for beginners while scaling costs with success, though the lack of advanced email marketing features like segmentation and automation may limit monetization potential for experienced marketers.

Writing and publishing tools

Substack's editor focuses on clean and distraction-free writing with basic formatting options that keep content readable and professional. The platform supports multimedia content including images, videos, and embedded podcasts, allowing creators to build rich publications without technical complexity. Publishing is instantaneous. You write, hit publish, and your content goes live on your profile page and optionally hits subscriber inboxes.

Email newsletter system

Email functionality forms Substack's backbone, automatically formatting your posts for inbox delivery with professional templates. Subscribers receive posts directly in their email, creating more intimate reader relationships than traditional blog followers. The system handles subscriber management, delivery optimization, and basic segmentation between free and paid subscribers. But it lacks advanced email marketing features like automated sequences or detailed subscriber tagging.

Monetization features

Substack's subscription system allows writers to offer free content alongside premium paid tiers, with flexible pricing for monthly, annual, and founding member subscriptions. The platform handles all payment processing through Stripe integration, manages subscriber access to paid content, and provides revenue analytics. Writers can experiment with different pricing strategies and offer various subscription benefits, though the system lacks sophisticated pricing experiments or advanced subscriber lifecycle management.

Community and discovery tools

Substack Notes functions as the platform's social layer, allowing writers to share shorter thoughts and engage with other creators' content. The Recommendations feature enables cross-promotion between compatible publications, creating organic growth opportunities within the Substack ecosystem. These community features help writers discover audiences and build relationships with peers, though discoverability remains challenging for new creators without existing audiences.

Analytics and insights

Basic analytics cover essential metrics like open rates, click-through rates, subscriber growth, and revenue tracking. The dashboard provides clear insights into content performance and audience engagement, helping writers understand what resonates with their readers. However, the analytics remain relatively simple compared to advanced email marketing platforms, lacking detailed subscriber behavior tracking or sophisticated conversion analysis.

Ease of use

Your writing experience feels natural and distraction-free, but the simplicity comes with trade-offs that some users find limiting. (Image credit: Substack)

Substack excels in simplicity, offering perhaps the most straightforward onboarding experience among content platforms. New users can create an account and publish their first post within minutes, with no technical setup required. The minimal interface eliminates the overwhelming array of options that plague traditional blogging platforms, allowing writers to focus on content creation rather than configuration.

Your writing experience feels natural and distraction-free, with a simple editor that handles formatting automatically while maintaining professional appearance. Publishing requires just a single click, the platform handles email distribution, web posting, and subscriber notifications seamlessly. This extends to subscriber management, where basic analytics and payment tracking remain accessible without complex dashboards or confusing metrics.

However, simplicity comes with trade-offs that some users find limiting. Customization options are minimal. You can adjust colors, add a logo, and choose from basic layouts, but advanced design control simply doesn't exist. Writers who want unique branding or complex page layouts will find Substack restrictive compared to platforms like WordPress or Ghost.

The platform occasionally suffers from performance issues too, with some users reporting unresponsive pages during editing sessions. While these technical hiccups don't affect the core publishing experience, they can frustrate users trying to customize their publications or manage subscriber settings. Despite these limitations, most writers appreciate the focus on content over complexity, finding it liberating rather than restrictive.

Pricing

Substack operates on a unique revenue-sharing model with no traditional subscription tiers. (Image credit: Substack)

Plan

Starting rate (paid annually)

Renewal rate (paid annually)

Free

$0/month

Pro

10% of subscription revenue + processing fees

Substack operates on a unique revenue-sharing model with no traditional subscription tiers. The platform is completely free to use for publishing free content, regardless of subscriber count.

Writers only pay when they enable paid subscriptions, at which point Substack takes a 10% platform fee plus payment processing costs through Stripe (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, plus 0.5% for recurring billing). You also pay a one-time fee of $50 if you’d like to connect your own domain, which can be purchased separately from a domain registrar.

This aligns Substack's success with creator success. It only profits when writers earn money. For a typical $50 annual subscription, total fees would amount to approximately $7.10, leaving writers with around $42.90. While a percentage-based model can become expensive for high-earning creators compared to flat-rate alternatives, it eliminates upfront costs and makes the platform accessible to writers just starting their monetization journey.

Customer support

Only about 10% of callers manage to speak with an actual person, with the average resolution rate being just 1%. (Image credit: Substack)

Substack's customer support has become a significant pain point for many users, with the platform heavily relying on AI-powered chatbots in 2024-25. The company launched an automated support system in early 2024, claiming it resolves over 90% of user inquiries. However, user experiences tell a different story, with many reporting frustrating interactions and difficulty reaching human representatives.

The primary support channel is a chatbot that appears on Substack's support page, though users can still email support@substack.com. While Substack claims there's a "seamless handoff" to human support when needed, many users report getting stuck in automated loops without receiving actual human assistance. The platform does provide a phone number (415-592-7299), but customer satisfaction ratings are extremely low at just 1.4 out of 5 stars on TrustPilot.

Real user experiences reveal significant issues with the support system. People report being charged multiple times for subscriptions, unable to cancel payments, and receiving only automated responses despite repeated attempts to reach human support. AI sometimes fabricates email addresses or provides incorrect information, leaving users without resolution for weeks or months. Only about 10% of callers manage to speak with an actual person, with the average resolution rate being just 1%.

For urgent security issues, you can contact security@substackinc.com, which appears to receive more attention than general support requests. However, the overall support experience remains frustrating for most users, with many describing it as "nonexistent" and recommending alternative platforms partly due to these service limitations.

Alternatives

Substack occupies a unique position in the content publishing market as a hybrid newsletter-blog platform focused on direct reader monetization. While competitors like WordPress offer more customization and Ghost provides better technical control, Substack's strength lies in its social publishing features and built-in community elements. The platform combines traditional newsletter functionality with social media-style interactions through Notes, recommendations, and cross-promotion features that most competitors lack.

For writers seeking maximum customization and control, WordPress remains the strongest alternative, offering extensive themes, plugins, and the ability to sell various digital products beyond subscriptions. Ghost CMS appeals to technically-minded creators who want full ownership without revenue sharing, providing advanced analytics and automation features that Substack lacks. Beehiiv and ConvertKit serve writers focused purely on email marketing with sophisticated automation tools.

Substack works best for independent writers and journalists who prioritize simplicity over customization and want to build direct relationships with readers. It particularly suits creators who appreciate the social discovery aspects and don't need complex email marketing features. However, writers requiring advanced design control, detailed analytics, or diverse monetization options may find better fits elsewhere.

The competitive landscape shows Substack maintaining its lead through community features rather than technical superiority. While platforms like MailerLite offer more comprehensive email tools and Gumroad provides broader monetization options, none match Substack's combination of publishing simplicity and social discovery. This positioning makes Substack ideal for content creators who want to focus on writing rather than platform management.

Substack review: Summary

Substack succeeds as a streamlined publishing platform that removes technical barriers between writers and their audiences. The platform's greatest strength lies in its simplicity. Writers can start publishing and monetizing immediately without dealing with complex setup, payment processing, or email delivery systems. The built-in social features like Notes and recommendations create genuine discovery opportunities that traditional blogging platforms lack, while the direct subscription model aligns creator and platform incentives effectively.

However, Substack's limitations become apparent for creators seeking growth beyond basic newsletter publishing. The minimal customization options, basic analytics, limited SEO capabilities, and problematic customer support create significant constraints for serious content businesses. Writers who need advanced email marketing features, detailed subscriber insights, or professional design control will quickly outgrow what Substack offers, making it hard to recommend as a long-term publishing solution for ambitious creators.

Substack: FAQsCan I use my own domain with Substack?

Yes, Substack allows custom domains for your publication, giving you a more professional appearance and helping with branding. You can set up a custom domain through your Substack settings, though you'll need to purchase the domain separately and configure DNS settings. This feature helps maintain your brand identity and makes your publication look more established to potential subscribers.

How much does Substack cost for creators?

Substack is completely free to use for publishing free content with unlimited subscribers. You only pay when you enable paid subscriptions, at which point Substack takes a 10% platform fee plus payment processing costs (approximately 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction through Stripe). This means for a typical $50 annual subscription, you'd pay around $7.10 in total fees, keeping roughly $42.90. There are no upfront costs or monthly subscription fees.

Can I export my subscriber list from Substack?

Yes, you own your subscriber list and can export it at any time through your Substack dashboard. This includes both free and paid subscriber information, ensuring you're not locked into the platform. The export feature gives you flexibility to move to other platforms if needed, though you'll need to handle the technical migration and payment processing setup elsewhere.

Does Substack help with content discovery?

Substack offers several discovery features including Notes (short-form social content), recommendations between publications, and curated lists that can boost visibility. However, discoverability remains challenging for new creators without existing audiences. The platform's algorithm-based discovery is limited compared to social media platforms, making it essential to bring your own audience or actively participate in the Substack community to gain traction.

What content formats does Substack support?

Substack supports various content formats including written posts, images, videos, podcasts, and embedded media. You can publish both long-form newsletter content and short-form Notes, create podcast series, and include multimedia elements in your posts. However, the platform lacks advanced formatting options and design flexibility compared to traditional blogging platforms, keeping the focus on clean, readable content rather than complex layouts.

Categories: Reviews

Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 review: incredible value wireless over-ear headphones that last and last (and last)

Fri, 08/01/2025 - 04:44

Editor's Note

• Original review date: July 2024
• New 'Special Edition' P100 made its debut August 1, 2025
• P100 SE launch price: $299 / £249 (AU$510 approx.) – so $20 / £20 more
• New blue colorway, DynamEQ toggle and cushier headband

Update: August 2025. The Melomania P100 have had a refresh a year after their launch, in a new SE – or 'Special Edition' – model. This adds DynamEQ software (a toggle in the Melomania app to automatically adjust bass and treble, to "maintain a full and natural sound at low volumes"), a slightly cushier headband and a new blue finish.
Beyond that and a minor change to the font on the headband, the two models are identical.
The newer set is also $20 / £20 more than the excellent originals were at launch, although we've seen the originals on sale for $239 / £199 at the time of writing. Our in-depth experiential on the P100 SE is the place to go for more on the relatively minor refresh. For us, the smart money still goes on these splendid originals. The rest of this review remains unchanged.

Cambridge Audio Melomania P100: Two-minute review

The Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 wireless over-ear noise-cancelling headphones enter a sector of the market as cutthroat as they come – that of best noise-cancelling headphones. It’s a category that’s been ruled (at least in the under-$350 sub-sector) by Sony's XM-suffixed cans for some time now, but Cambridge Audio reckons it’s got what it takes to snatch the crown.

And, on paper at least, it’s off to a great start. Specification, from Class AB amplification to aptX Lossless compatibility, is impressive. Battery life, at up to 100 hours if you leave the ANC alone (not a typo, we mean one hundred), is the best around. Having Matt Berry as one of your options for ‘audible feedback’ is nothing less than a stroke of genius.

And the good news keeps coming. The P100 are flawlessly built and finished, from materials that are both tactile and reasonably up-market. Comfort is good. Ignore the relative size of the travel case and there’s nothing to take issue with here.

To seal the deal, the sound they make is endlessly listenable. There’s a stack of detail, a wide-open soundstaging, vaulting dynamic potency and an engaging, lively overall attitude that will keep you coming back for more. And with that epic battery life, of course, there’s plenty of ‘more’ to enjoy.

'Southwark' is the one you want, on the right there… (Image credit: Cambridge Audio )Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 review: Price & release date

Released on July 15, 2024
Priced $279 / £229 / AU$479

The Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 wireless over-ear headphones have been available via Cambridge's website since they were announced on July 3, 2024, but every other stockist has had to wait until July 15 to offer them for sale.

At $279 / £229 / AU$479 they’re keenly priced when you consider how extensively they’re specified, that’s for sure – but don’t go thinking that there aren’t impressively specified alternatives from equally well-regarded brands at very, very similar money. Chief of those would be the Sony WH-1000XM5, which can be yours for a little more than the P100 these days (rather than a lot more, which is what they were when they launched), at around $329 / £319 / AU$549.

Then, there's the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, which arrived in August 2022 and can be found for even closer to the Cambridge Audio P100's price, at around $299 / £269 / AU$450 in today's money.

However, at the risk of stating the blinkin' obvious, the P100 are brand new July 2024 cans. And a quick glance at our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review proves that Cambridge has priced them ever-so aggressively; Bose's top-tier October 2023-issue over-ears arrived with a price tag of $429 / £449 / AU$649. Food for thought, then.

Striking wooden ear cups in an otherwise so-very-Grado build (Image credit: Future)Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 review: Specs

Drivers

40mm Dynamic (closed back)

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Weight

330g

Battery life

100 hours (ANC off); 60 hours (ANC on)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX Lossless; USB-C to USB-C audio, USB-C to 3.5mm (cables supplied)

(Image credit: Future)Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 review: Features

Class AB amplification
Up to 100 hours of battery life
Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX Lossless compatibility

No matter what else happens during the course of this review, there’s no arguing with the way Cambridge Audio has specified the Melomania P100. And just because the company has plenty of previous where the features-per-pound ratio is concerned, that’s no reason to take it for granted – instead, let’s just take a moment to marvel at what these headphones offer relative to the money they cost.

Battery life is as good a place as any to start. I won’t pretend I wasn’t mildly sceptical about the quoted figures when these headphones first arrived, but having lived with them for a good while, and on a number of different continents, I can’t disagree. The P100 will run for 60 hours with active noise-cancellation switched on, and an epic 100 hours if it’s switched off. Yes, you have to be listening at unremarkable volume levels – but the fact remains, these numbers are achievable. And they’re way beyond what the vast majority of price-comparable rivals can offer. And should you be negligent enough to allow the worst to happen, five minutes on the power is good for a couple of ANC-enabled playback or four hours with it switched off.

The technology taking advantage of this prodigious battery life is equally impressive. Wireless connectivity, for example, is taken care of by Bluetooth 5.3 and there’s multipoint connectivity along with aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless codec compatibility – so as well as lossy 24bit/96kHz file-streaming, there’s lossless 16bit/44.1kHz resolution available to those with an appropriate source player.

Unlike most Class D-toting alternatives, the Melomania P100 use hi-fi-tastic Class AB amplification – the same sort of technology deployed in its hugely successful CX range of full-size stereo amplifiers. This is used to power a couple of 40mm full-range dynamic drivers made from a three-layer composite arrangement of polyurethane sandwiched between polyether ether ketone.

A total of six mics take care of active noise-cancellation, voice-assistant interaction and telephony – Cambridge Audio has deployed Qualcomm cVc echo-cancelling and noise suppression technology in an effort to maximise call quality. The ANC itself is a hybrid system, with ‘low’, ‘mid’ and ‘high’ settings available alongside a ‘transparency’ mode.

Features score: 5/5

(Image credit: Future)Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 review: Sound quality

Lively, detailed and confident presentation
Nice tonal balance
‘Very good’ ANC = ‘not class-leading’ ANC

Some wireless headphones at this sort of money like to make it obvious that certain things are beneath them. Some wireless headphones will take a 320kbps MP3 file from Spotify’s free tier and basically hold it up for ridicule. The Melomania P100 are not those headphones.

Obviously they prefer some 16bit/44.1kHz FLAC file action from Qobuz or Tidal. Obviously they prefer being hard-wired to a DAC/headphone amp churning out the 24bit/192kHz stuff even more. But they don’t judge – give them what you’ve got and they’ll do their best with it.

And ‘their best’ turns out to be very agreeable indeed. During the course of this test I listened to (for example) Jersey Girl by Tom Waits as a 320kbps MP3, Salt in the Wound by boygenius as a 16bt/44.1kHz FLAC file and a 24bit/192kHz FLAC file of David Bowie’s Sound and Vision – and the Melomania P100 are never less than entertaining and quite often impressively insightful.

Dynamic headroom, for instance, is considerable – so where the broad strokes of ‘quiet’ modulating to ‘loud’ are concerned, the Cambridge Audio are more than capable of keeping up. It doesn’t matter the increase in intensity, the P100 can track it without discernible stress. And the more subtle harmonic variations apparent in a voice or an instrument from note to note are picked up on just as readily. But while the P100 extract and contextualise a huge amount of detail from any given recording, they’re not analytical for the sake of it. More than anything, they’re an energetic and thoroughly engaging listen.

(Image credit: Future)

From the top of the frequency range to the bottom, the Cambridge Audio are convincingly integrated and unwilling have any favorites. The bottom end is substantial, and it packs a punch – but there’s control to go along with the presence, and attack is so straight-edged that rhythms are expressed with real confidence. The opposite end has plenty of bite, but it’s not in any way thin or undernourished. There’s substance to treble sounds (as well as a whole lot of variation) to balance out their brilliance. And in between, the midrange manages to secure a little pocket of space in which to operate without sounding estranged from the rest of the frequency information – and has an eloquent, revealing way with a vocalist that allows character and attitude full expression.

Soundstaging is good, both in the simple size and impressive definition of the area. And despite the amount of room that’s available, there’s a tight unity and togetherness about the way the P100 present a recording. Tonally, the sound is fractionally warmer than ‘neutral’ – but this is a characteristic much more than it is a shortcoming.

Really, it’s only where active noise-cancellation is concerned that the Cambridge Audio are anything less than fully and quite aggressively competitive. The ANC here is very acceptable, don’t get me wrong – it will do a job on external distractions of all types, and without leaving a counter-signal or shift in tonality in its wake. But there continues to be no two ways about it: if you want the best noise-cancellation available at a given price (and you don’t mind some sacrifices in other areas) you buy a pair of Bose.

Sound quality score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future)Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 review: Design

Vegan leather earpads and headband
Black or white finishes
Physical, rather than touch, controls

Sensibly, there are no shocks to be had where the design of the Melomania P100 is concerned. They look, and feel, like a reasonably upmarket pair of wireless over-ear headphones. Although personally, I much prefer the black finish to the white – it’s more harmonious, somehow.

Anyway, the P100 are very agreeably built and finished, from a nice mixture of memory foam and vegan leather for the (detachable) earpads, more vegan leather on the outside of the headband with sturdy, nicely padded fabric on the inside. The adjustment mechanism is concealed inside the headband, and the arms, yokes and outer portion of the earcups are all of aluminium. An all-in weight of 330g is pretty ordinary by prevailing standards, and the nicely judged clamping force means the headphones are comfortable on the head for a good long time. Certainly for longer than it takes for the earpads to heat your ears up, that’s for sure.

There are a few physical controls distributed around the edges of each earcup. On the left there’s a slider that covers ‘power on/off’ and ‘Bluetooth pairing’, and a button that allows you to cycle through your ANC options (‘off’, ‘on’ or ‘transparency’) or summon your voice assistant. There’s also a USB-C socket for charging the battery, and it can also be used for data transfer – Cambridge Audio supplies nice USB-C / USB-C and USB-C / 3.5mm cables in the P100’s robust, but not especially compact, travel case. On the right earcup is the usual three-button strip, dealing with ‘play/pause’, ‘skip forwards/backwards’ and ‘volume up/down’.

Other functionality is accessed via the ‘Melomania Connect’ app that’s free for iOS and Android. Here’s where you check for firmware updates, check on battery life, and select the level of noise-cancellation you’d prefer. It has a seven-band equaliser with half-a-dozen presets and the facility to save plenty of your own custom settings. It’s where you can switch ‘automatic play/pause’ on or off and enable ‘gaming mode’ (which will reduce latency to less than 80m/s). And it’s where you get to select the sort of audible feedback you’d like – switch it off, have tones tell you what’s what, or choose from one of nine different languages.

Actually, there’s no difference in the language if you select ‘English’ or ‘Southwark’, but the latter, as with the Melomania M100 true wireless earbuds, is voiced by actor Matt Berry. This is as worthwhile a unique selling point as I think I’ve ever encountered – I’ve been using these headphones for quite a while now and am still nowhere near bored of hearing “device one… disconnected” delivered in the fruitiest voice imaginable.

It’s worth taking a moment to appreciate Cambridge Audio’s commitment to ‘circularity’ of design here. The P100 packaging is plastic-free and 100 percent recyclable. The battery and the earpads are replaceable by the end user, using standard tools. 50% of the plastics used in the construction of the headphones, and 100 percent of the rare earth neodymium in the drivers, are recycled. None of which is to be sniffed at.

Design score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future)Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 review: Value

Remarkably thorough specification
Frankly staggering battery life
Great across-the-board sound quality

When you line the Melomania P100 up against pretty much any price-comparable competitor (and quite a few that cost a bit more), the value for money they represent can’t really be argued with.

Specification is ahead of the curve, battery life is as good as it currently gets, build quality and the standard of finish can’t be argued with. And the sound they make – detailed, direct and endlessly listenable – is profoundly competitive too.

Value score: 5/5

Should I buy the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100?

Section

Notes

Score

Features

User-replaceable batteries, a 100-hour battery and Matt Berry are just three excellent USPs here

5/5

Sound quality

Lovely tonal balance, detail and energy – good ANC (rather than amazing)

4.5/5

Design

Very well built and comfortable; the case is just a touch big

4.5/5

Value

So aggressively priced for what they are; remarkable

5/5

Buy them if...

You enjoy unusual specification
Class AB amplification is most certainly the path less travelled for wireless headphones.

You’re a frequent flyer
The battery life that’s available here should be enough to last you for the longest of long-haul journeys.

You like an in-depth app
There’s plenty to involve yourself with here, not least a very effective seven-band EQ.

Don't buy them if...

You want class-leading ANC
The best the Melomania P100 can offer is ‘very good indeed’...

You like capacitive touch controls
So voice control, physical buttons and a nice app aren’t enough for you?

You try to travel light
The P100 don’t fold all that small, so their travel case will take up a chunk of your hand-baggage allowance

(Image credit: Future)Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 review: Also consider

Cambridge Audio Melomania P100

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless

Price

$279 / £229 / AU$479

$429 / £449 / AU$649

$349.95 / £300 / AU$549

Drivers

40mm dynamic

35mm dynamic

40mm dynamic

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Quoted battery life

100 hours (ANC off); 60 hours (ANC on)

24 hours (ANC on)

60 hours (ANC on)

Weight

0.73lb / 330g

0.6 lb / 250g

0.65 lb / 293g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.3; aptX Lossless; USB-C audio; USB-C to 3.5mm also supplied

Bluetooth 5.3, Snapdragon Sound, 2.5mm audio jack, USB-C for charging

Bluetooth 5.2, aptX Adaptive, 3.5mm jack, USB-C

Frequency range

Not listed

6Hz - 22kHz

Other features

Melomania app support, Matt Berry, user replaceable batteries

Immersive Audio spatial audio, Bose Music app support, wear detection, multi-point connectivity

Sennheiser app support, USB-C audio, multi-point connectivity

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
These can also offer aptX and USB-C audio support, and a the 60-hour battery life is long – if not as long as the Cambridge Audio P100. We love them, they're excellent for the money – but you won't get Matt Berry on voice prompts.
Here's our full Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
If you want the best ANC in the business, plus proprietary spatial audio profiles to mix right into it, Bose's flagship over-ear proposition could be for you. You'll need to pay quite a bit more, take a big hit on battery life and forego USB-C audio though…
See our in-depth Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review for more info.

How I tested the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100

Using iOS and Android devices
Using a variety of Bluetooth codecs
With music of many types

During well over a week of pretty much constant use, the Melomania P100 were connected to a MacBook Pro, an iPhone 14 Pro and a Samsung Galaxy S23 in order to listen to as many different codecs and sources of music as realistically possible. The music, naturally, was of many different file types, sizes and styles. Active noise-cancellation was tested by taking the Cambridge Audio with me on several journeys on public transport – which also helped me test the claims for battery life.

First reviewed: July 2024
Read more about how we test

Categories: Reviews

I test gaming PCs for a living, and I was more impressed by the build and performance of the NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition) than I was expecting

Thu, 07/31/2025 - 15:18

NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition): Two-minute review

The NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition) is an ideal PC for the kind of gamer interested in building a gaming desktop, but finds picking parts and the process of assembly overwhelming. The price does reflect that, as you could conceivably save a few bucks doing everything yourself.

That said, the NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition) is a well-built and organized machine that’s easy to get into for future upgrades, while offering the convenience that the best gaming PCs provide. And with the powerful internals, it can do just about whatever one could want.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

You’ll find that some of the best desktops with higher spec’ed CPUs and GPUs have more oomph, but that’s more important if you’re rendering video or 3D projects. For gaming, what this desktop has to offer is more than enough.

As long as you’re willing to cover the price tag, there’s little to fault here. My only nitpick is that there isn’t a clear way to expand internally as opposed to swapping and upgrading parts. This might be minor for many people, but for those who haven’t built a PC, this might be a sticking point.

After all, this kind of desktop is going to be more appealing to those who don’t want to go with the usual pre-built machines and their proprietary parts, but aren’t yet ready to build their own.

NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition): Price & availability

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

How much does it cost? $2,033 (about £1539 / AU$3,162)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US

The NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition), along with the other models on offer, is only available in the US. And since this model only has one configuration, it has one price: $2,033 (about £1539 / AU$3,162). NZXT does have a controversial PC rental option called NZXT Flex that is essentially like leasing a gaming PC available to consumers, but that doesn’t seem to be available for this model.

The price tag of this model is not cheap, but it’s not surprising either. If you want to build your own, getting an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 will set you back at least $549 / £549 / AU$1,109 if not more (especially if you live in the US with impending tariffs). That’s a quarter of the cost of this computer just in the GPU.

Consider that the RTX 5070 is not quite the upgrade over the previous generation’s 4070 Super one would expect, you can get most of the way there performance-wise with something like the Alienware Aurora R16, which ran for $1,749 / £1,349 / around AU$2,670 at launch and is still available at certain retailers at a discount. It is a little older, but it’s also a little more compact.

However, if you compare the NZXT model reviewed here to the current version of the Maingear MG-1 (our review is from last year so the components are older), which costs $2,049 for a similar model, specifically with a Intel Core Ultra 5 245K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, 16GB RGB DDR5 6000MT/s, and 1TB SSD, you can see that the NZXT Player PC is not overpriced. It does come with more RAM than the Maingear MG-1, though the MG-1 comes with more customization options, including a completely personalized front panel.

Value: 4 / 5

NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition): Specs

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

The NZXT lineup is interesting insofar that there are a number of models in the company’s prebuilt lineup totaling twelve unique listings, but they all revolve around three models – the Player: One, Player: Two, and, of course, Player: Three – differentiated by the case.

Of course, they’re all slightly different with a range of CPUs, GPUs, and so forth. The NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition) uses the H5 Flow case that the Player: One and Player: One Prime uses. This model reviewed here is the most powerful NZXT model with this case with a 20-core Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF CPU, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, and 32GB of RAM, not to mention 2TB SSD storage. There’s not really any customizations here, so you have to choose the model that fits your budget and performance needs.

NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition) specs

Price:

$1,999.99

CPU:

Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF

Graphics:

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070

RAM:

32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5 5200MHz

Storage:

2TB NVMe M.2 SSD

Ports:

Front I/O: 1x USB 3.2 Type-A, 1x USB 3.2 Type-C, 1x Headset Audio Jack

Back I/O: 6x USB 3.2 Type-A, 2x USB 3.2 Type-C, DisplayPort, Mic In / Line In / Line Out

Wireless:

Wi-Fi 7 / BlueTooth

On the bright side, there’s plenty of after-the-fact customization available with the NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition) since the parts are standardized, such as a Z890 motherboard. And getting inside the desktop is very simple, which I’ll get into in the next section.

NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition): Design

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

Lots of venting
Tool-less tempered glass side panel
No clear expansion slots inside

The NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition) uses the black version of the company’s H5 Flow case (the case itself is also available in white), which is a compact mid-tower ATX form, measuring 18.31 x 8.86 x 16.93 inches (465 x 225 x 430 mm). The “Flow” in its name refers to all of the venting covering the front, top, back, and bottom of the case to keep things cool.

Most of the case is a very durable galvanized steel (SGCC), but the side panel is made of tempered glass so you can easily see what’s inside. And the internals are arranged very cleanly in a way that’s fairly aesthetically pleasing. Most of the wiring is hidden or fed into a compartment at the bottom that’s separated by a steel plate so that you can only see it through the venting near the bottom of the case.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

It’s worth noting that the top fans do have some backlighting but the NZXT Player PC does not come with RGB lighting despite the fact that this case is available with RGB. At least, the side panel is also a nice touch because it allows tool less entry, allowing for easy upgrades and swaps without having to grab a screwdriver.

As far as ports go, there’s quite the selection. There’s a USB-C, USB-A, and headphone jack on top of the case next to the power button. And on the back, there’s an additional six USB-A along with two USB-C ports, three audio jacks, and, a bit more unusually, it has attachments for an included Wi-Fi Antenna that helps boost its Wi-Fi 7 support.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

All in all, it’s a pretty impressive-looking PC. Being very nitpicky, it’s not apparent where any expansion slots are for upgrades. I didn’t see any additional places for an SSD either on the motherboard or anywhere else inside the case even though there’s plenty of space.

Design: 4.5 / 5

NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition): Performance

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

Powerful internal components
Easily runs performance-heavy games
Stays fairly cool under duress

NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition) CPU benchmarks

Benchmark

Score

Geekbench 6.4 Single-core

3,081

Geekbench 6.4 Multi-core

18,984

Crossmark Overall

2,298

Crossmark Productivity

2,159

Crossmark Creativity

2,495

Crossmark Responsiveness

2,166

Unless there’s some poorly planned layout or issues with a case that cause overheating, you can usually tell how a gaming PC will perform almost completely based on the internal components.

Considering, then, that the NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition) has an Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF with 20 cores and 20 threads as well as 25 TOPS, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, and 32GB of DDR5 5200Hz RAM, it’s no surprise that it’s able to run all the latest games at or near the highest settings.

NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition) GPU benchmarks

Benchmarks

Score

3DMark Fire Strike

45,049

3DMark Time Spy

21,414

3DMark Fire Strike Ultra

14,727

3DMark Time Spy Extreme

10,943

3DMark Speed Way

5,855

3DMark Steel Nomad

4,967

3DMark Port Royal

14,139

I’ve had no issues not only playing games like South of Midnight, Monster Hunter Wilds, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Cyberpunk 2077 but running them at High or Ultra settings on an ultrawide 5K monitor with HDR on, which requires quite a bit of power in and of itself. I didn’t have any issues with screen tearing, stuttering, or any other performance-related issues. And all the games stayed at the 165Hz refresh rate the monitor supports.

NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition) gaming benchmarks

Game

Average FPS

Black Myth: Wukong (Cinematic, 1080p)

Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra, 1080p)

Monster Hunter Wilds (Max, 1080p)

Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Very high, 1080p)

201

Total War: Warhammer III (Ultra, 1080p)

182

It’s also worth mentioning that I’ve never had Cyberpunk 2077 boot up as quickly as it did on this PC. Speaking of that game, it’s still a very demanding title with all its updates for newer tech like DLSS 4.

Yet, running the game only pushed the system a little, and the overall affair stayed fairly cool, thanks to the various fans placed around inside the case.

Performance: 5 / 5

Should I buy the NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition)?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

The price tag is high, but it’s what one would expect for a computer sporting an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 GPU.

4 / 5

Design

Tool-less entry, lots of venting, and a durable, clean build are all part of the package. Too bad, expansion slots aren’t well marked and you can’t upgrade to RGB.

4.5 / 5

Performance

There’s little to fault when it comes to performance as the desktop can do it all gaming-wise.

4.5 / 5

Average rating

It’s a little pricey, but the convenience, durability, and performance are all worth it.

4.5 / 5

Buy it if...

You want a powerful gaming PC
The NZXT Player PC reviewed here has enough power to handle any gaming situation. Whether you want something capable of supporting a 5K ultrawide monitor, high ray tracing, DLSS 4, and any other performance-heavy technologies, this PC can do it.

You want easy upgradability
Sure, there’s only one configuration out of the gate. But, once you have the PC in hand, its tool-less entry and use of standardized parts make upgrading the CPU, GPU, RAM, or anything else pretty straightforward.

You want an attractive-looking PC
With all the ventilation, tempered glass side panel, and clean, organized internal setup, this is an attractive, if straightforward-looking desktop.

Don't buy it if...

You want lots of options
While you can certainly upgrade quite easily after the fact, you can’t do so or customize when purchasing. If that’s important to you out of the gate, then you should probably look elsewhere.

You’re on a budget
As good as the NZXT Player PC is, it’s not cheap. There are other options, including within the company’s own product line, that are more affordable. You just have to be willing to go with less powerful components.

Also Consider

If our NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition) review has you considering other options, here are two desktops to consider...

Alienware Aurora R16
The Alienware Aurora R16 is compact with great port selection, more than adequate ventilation, and, most importantly, excellent performance. It does have an aesthetic that can’t decide if it’s for professional settings or gamers, but that’s a small complaint. Though the R16 has been discontinued by Dell, it’s available through some online retailers and at a discount.

Read our full Alienware Aurora R16 review

Maingear MG-1
The Maingear MG-1 is powerful if pricey, and comes with a lot of customization options – many more than NZXT including the ability to get a personalized front panel. Of course, depending on the upgrades, it can get very expensive, but, as they say, you get what you pay for.

Read our full Maingear MG-1 review

How I tested the NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition)

Tested for a couple of weeks
Used it for heavy gaming
Spent some time looking at the build

I used the NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition) for a couple of weeks, mainly using it for heavy gaming. I poked around inside the desktop to get an idea of the quality of the parts, as well as explored the software to see what tricks this desktop had up its sleeves.

The NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition) is a gaming PC that’s ideal for the kind of person who wants all the benefits of building one’s own desktop, but doesn’t want to for the headaches that come with doing so. It has the kind of quality control and clean build that one doesn’t always see in prebuilts, while making it convenient to get inside and swap out parts.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing tech gear for gaming and otherwise, where I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation.

I tested DJI’s impressive first 360 camera, but Insta360 still has the edge

Thu, 07/31/2025 - 07:00

DJI Osmo 360: two-minute review

The DJI Osmo 360 is DJI’s long-awaited entry into the 360 camera game, and it lands with the kind of swagger and polish you’d expect from a brand that’s spent years perfecting its action-cam chops.

It’s a slick, pocketable camera that blends design cues from rivals like the Insta360 X5 and GoPro Max: it’s square-bodied, dual-lens, dark grey, and built to withstand a beating – sort of. Despite being IP68-rated and able to function in sub-zero temperatures, DJI itself discourages underwater use due to potential stitching issues, which is an odd caveat for something that’s otherwise billed as rugged. It also lacks the user-replaceable lenses that made the Insta360 X5 so appealing to adventure-minded types.

That aside, the Osmo 360 impresses from the get-go, not just for what it can do but also for how much it undercuts its main rival on price. Starting at £409.99 / AU$759, it’s significantly cheaper than Insta360’s equivalent bundles (the Osmo 360 is not available in the US at launch – see the 'Price and availability' section below for more info). And that’s before factoring in the Osmo 360’s generous 128GB of built-in storage.

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

Design-wise, there’s a lot to like: a crisp 2-inch touchscreen, an intuitive three-button layout, a removable battery, USB-C charging, and two mounting options (tripod thread and DJI’s own magnetic quick-release system). It feels solid in the hand, well-balanced and thoughtfully laid out.

The camera itself uses a pair of 1/1.1-inch square CMOS sensors with large 2.4μm pixels, and DJI claims that the shape allows it to use the full sensor area, setting it apart from rivals which crop quite heavily from their rectangular sensors. Whether that’s marketing spin or technical fact, the results are undeniably sharp. Video tops out at 8K 50fps in 360 mode or 5K 60fps (or 4K 120fps) with a single lens, with 10-bit color and support for the flat D-Log M profile if you want to color-grade in post.

Footage looks punchy and vibrant straight out of the camera, if occasionally a little over-processed. The camera also captures 120MP stills and includes several specialty modes, including SuperNight, which enhances low-light performance in 360 mode, and Boost, which delivers wide-angle, high-frame-rate single-lens footage reminiscent of a classic action camera. Both are welcome additions, and SuperNight in particular is impressive for after-dark footage.

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

Audio is handled by four built-in microphones that do a competent job in fair conditions but struggle with wind. The real standout on this front is the Osmo 360's compatibility with DJI’s own wireless microphone systems: pair it with a DJI Mic 2 or DJI Mic Mini and you can record pristine 24-bit sound, control gain and noise cancellation directly on the camera, and get clean, clear voice capture in challenging environments. It’s a genuinely useful ecosystem advantage for DJI users.

Performance is strong across the board. The Osmo 360 pairs with the existing DJI Mimo mobile app for control, previews, firmware updates and quick editing. The app includes an AI-powered auto editor for creating quick shareable clips with barely any human input, though its functionality is currently limited to daylight action like cycling or skiing.

More comprehensive editing is available in the new DJI Studio desktop app, which brings keyframing, tracking, filters and export tools to macOS and Windows PCs. It’s streamlined, easy to pick up, and feels like a real competitor to Insta360’s more mature software suite.

Ultimately, while the Osmo 360 doesn’t manage to dethrone the Insta360 X5 on pure performance (it can’t match its battery life, underwater confidence or lens swappability) it comes very close, and at a very palatable price. For anyone already in the DJI ecosystem, or those getting into 360 video capture for the first time, it’s a very solid option.

DJI Osmo 360 specsDJI Osmo 360 specs

Type:

360 camera

Sensor:

1.1-inch x 2

Max aperture:

f/1.9

Screen:

2-inch 314 x 556 touchscreen

Storage:

128GB internal plus microSD slot (1TB max.)

Dimensions:

2.4 x 1.4 x 3.2 inches / 61 x 36 x 81mm

Weight:

6.45oz / 183g

The Osmo 360 magnetically mounted on a selfie stick (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)DJI Osmo 360: Price and availability

Launched worldwide on July 31 2025 – except for the US
Standard Combo priced at $TBC / £409.99 / AU$759
Adventure Combo priced at $TBC / £549.99 / AU$989

The DJI Osmo 360 was announced on July 31 2025, and is available to order now from DJI’s own online store and various retailers.

At launch, it’s available in two different bundles. The Osmo 360 Standard Combo includes the Osmo 360 camera, a single Osmo Action Extreme Battery Plus, a protective pouch, a rubber lens cap, a lens cleaning cloth and a USB-C to USB-C cable, and is priced at £409.99 / AU$759.

The Osmo 360 Adventure Combo, meanwhile, comes with all of the above plus the Osmo Action Multifunctional Battery Case 2, a quick-release adapter mount and a 1.2m selfie stick. It costs £539.99 / AU$989.

The DJI Osmo Adventure Combo includes a plethora of useful accessories (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

This is noteworthy pricing, because it’s a lot cheaper than the Insta360 X5, the camera it’s competing with. At launch the X5’s Standard bundle (which is just the camera and one battery) cost $549.99 / £519.99 / AU$929.99 and the Essentials bundle (including a selfie stick, charging case, second battery, fast charging case, lens guards, carry case and lens cap) cost $659.99 / £609.99 / AU$1,109.99. That’s quite a gap, and it doesn’t take into account the microSD card you’ll need for the X5 either.

You’ll have noticed that I haven’t mentioned US pricing, and that’s because it’s still TBC, likely as a result of the continuing uncertainty surrounding tariffs. A DJI spokesperson told me that the camera “will not be available for sale immediately in the U.S. market through official DJI channels. We currently do not have an estimated timeline for when it will be available, but we will keep you posted when we do.”

Price score: 5/5

DJI Osmo 360: Design

IP68 build and ability to operate in -20C / -4F temperatures
Includes tripod and magnetic quick-release mounts
Not recommended for underwater shooting

The DJI Osmo 360 resembles a cross between its 360 camera rivals the GoPro Max and Insta360 X5. It has the squat, square shape of the former and the control layout and centrally located fisheye lenses of the latter. Like both, it’s constructed from robust dark-grey plastic, with its lenses bulging outwards on either side.

There’s a 2-inch 16:9 touchscreen on one side, plus three physical controls: a power button (which can be tapped to toggle between shooting modes), a shutter button, and a third button that flips between the two camera views on the screen. There are also two openable flaps on the device, one covering the USB-C port (used for charging and data transfer) and the other protecting the removable battery and microSD card slot.

The bottom of the camera features a standard 1/4-inch tripod mounting point, as well as clips and a magnet for DJI’s proprietary quick-release mounting system. I like that it comes with two mounting options.

Image 1 of 6

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Image 2 of 6

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Image 3 of 6

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Image 4 of 6

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Image 5 of 6

To keep it safe when not in use, the Osmo 360 comes with both a soft carry case and a protective rubber lens cap. (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Image 6 of 6

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

The Osmo 360 is IP68-rated, waterproof to a depth of 10m and able to operate in temperatures as low as -20C / -4F. However, DJI cautions that, due to its convex optics, underwater shooting may result in “image distortion and stitching errors” and thus doesn’t recommend it. It’s interesting that DJI doesn’t have confidence in its underwater capabilities, because the Insta360 X5 has the same convex lenses and its manufacturer encourages sub-aqua shooting, including a special picture profile and corrections specifically for that purpose.

On the durability front, DJI doesn’t offer the same user-replaceable lenses as the Insta360 X5, which is a real shame – the way in which 360 camera lens extend out of the camera body means they’re easy to scratch, and Insta360’s efforts in this area have been really impressive. On the plus side, Osmo 360 users can at least buy an optional lens protector kit, or take out a DJI Care Refresh protection plan which includes a limited number of free replacement cameras in the event of accidental damage, for either one or two years. It’s priced at £23 / AU$42 for one year, or £38 / AU$69 for two years.

Design score: 4/5

DJI Osmo 360: Performance and features

AI-edited videos via DJI Mimo app
Battery life of up to 100 minutes with 8K 30fps recording
Directly compatible with DJI Mic 2 and Mic Mini

The Osmo 360 works with the existing DJI Mimo mobile app, which will pair your phone with the camera and allow you to remotely operate it, download and apply firmware updates, and browse your photos and videos. The app features a simple but effective video editor that makes creating slick reframed or panoramic clips using keyframes or AI-assisted subject tracking quick and easy.

The app has an AI-assisted auto editor that selects clips, framing angles, transitions and music to create a quick shareable ‘finished’ clip, much like the Insta360 app, but it’s not quite as impressive – at least not at the time of writing. For one thing, it’s currently suitable only for skiing, cycling and motorcycling videos filmed in the daytime, but I’d expect DJI to expand its capabilities and suitable subjects with future updates. I've embedded an example of what it can currently do below.

DJI has also, at the time of writing, just released DJI Studio, a free desktop app for macOS and Windows that allows for similar easy 360 video editing on your computer. After offloading the files, you can set keyframes, use AI-assisted tracking, add filters and music, and trim videos to your liking, before exporting them as a reframed standard video or a panoramic 360 video. I used it to put together a few clips on my MacBook, and found it straightforward and very easy to pick up.

The Osmo 360 uses the same 1950mAh Osmo Extreme Battery Plus that was launched with the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro. Practicality-wise, that’s great news for people who own both cameras, but the Extreme Battery Plus is noticeably smaller than the 2400mAh capacity batteries that come with the Insta360 X5 and offer up to 185 minutes of use.

Battery life on the Osmo 360 is shorter as a result: I left the camera running at 8K 30fps and it recorded about 90 minutes of footage on a full battery. That’s not bad at all – it’s just not as good as the X5’s mammoth battery life – and Osmo Extreme Batteries support PD fast charging and are relatively cheap, too ($49 / £29 / AU$55), so stocking up on a few isn’t a huge investment.

The Osmo 360 is fully compatible with the DJI Mic Mini and Mic 2 (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

There are four built-in mics on the camera, and audio quality is impressive in good conditions; I found that voices and environmental sounds were captured clearly. As with most built-in camera mics, however, it does pick up wind noise very easily, which can disrupt the clarity.

The Osmo 360 is also compatible with OsmoAudio products, meaning it can directly connect to a DJI Mic 2 or DJI Mic Mini transmitter for higher-quality audio. I used it with my Mic Mini and was able to record 24-bit audio, adjust and preview gain levels on the 360’s screen, and turn noise cancelling on and off, and thanks to the windshield and noise cancelling I was able to record crisp, clear voice audio even while riding my bike on a breezy day.

Performance score: 4/5

DJI Osmo 360: Image quality

Dual 1/1.1-inch sensors
Captures 10-bit 8K video at up to 50fps and 120MP photos
Dedicated low-light and single-lens modes

DJI has kitted out the Osmo 360 with a pair of square 1/1.1-inch sensors, which it claims outperform rivals due to the large pixel size of 2.4μm – that's roughly twice the size of the pixels used by the Insta360 X5. The sensor’s square shape, DJI says, is a key factor, because none of the surface area is wasted; other 360 cameras, built around rectangular sensors, use only the central portions of them, but the Osmo 360 makes use of every bit, allowing it to have those larger pixels and deliver much better image quality. At least, that’s the idea.

The Osmo 360 supports 360-degree video capture up to 8K 50fps (and 5K 60fps or 4K 120fps), and single-lens capture at up to 5K 60fps as well as photos up to 120MB (or 30MB with HDR). It also supports 10-bit color, and gives users the option to shoot in a flat D-Log M profile for more scope in post-production color grading.

I found image quality to be generally excellent for a 360 camera. At the default settings and shooting in bright daylight, 360 videos are sharp with rich, bright colors.

There’s clearly some enhancement going on, resulting in some noticeable over-sharpening and overly intense colors at times (skies can veer too much towards turquoise at times, for instance), but the settings available give users plenty of scope to adjust results to their personal tastes.

The lenses deal relatively well with flare, automatic selfie-stick removal is effective, and the image stabilization and horizon leveling seem nigh-on faultless to me.

Overall, I’m highly impressed, but I would also say that, if I had recently bought an Insta360 X5, I don’t see anything here that would cause me to regret my purchase. Comparing clips side by side, there’s very little between the two cameras when it comes to standard 360 video, despite DJI’s claims about the Osmo 360’s pixel size and sensor design greatly boosting quality.

Perhaps the highlight of the Osmo 360’s specialist video modes is SuperNight. Available with 360 capture only, it's designed to offer high-sensitivity, high-quality low-light recording indoors or at night, although while I was hoping those huge sensor pixels would give the Osmo 360 an edge over the Insta360 X5 after dark, my test footage looked fairly similar.

In other words, it's good by 360 camera standards, but not the kind of pristine, low-noise video I'd be happy using in pro-level content creation – not without a little help in post-processing, anyway. Sudden motion in particular can cause some distracting blur around bright light sources.

There’s also Boost (single-lens only), an ultra-wide-angle mode with high dynamic range, good low-light quality, and up to 120fps frame rate that seems designed to ape a classic action camera. It's definitely a useful mode to have if you're biking or using the Osmo 360 as a dashcam.

Image quality score: 5/5

DJI Osmo 360: testing scorecard DJI Osmo 360

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Price

Significantly cheaper than the Insta360 X5, for similar spec and features.

5/5

Design

Freezeproof and waterproof, but the lack of replaceable lenses is a pity.

4/5

Performance

Decent apps and battery life, and compatibility with OsmoAudio products.

4/5

Image quality

Challenges the Insta360 X5 on image quality, but doesn't outright beat it despite having a larger sensor.

5/5

Should I buy the DJI Osmo 360?Buy it if...

You want premium 360 video at the cheapest price
Despite offering similar specs, features and performance to the Insta360 X5 (not to mention built-in storage), the Osmo 360 is significantly more affordable at launch.

You're already invested in the DJI product ecosystem
If you own a DJI Mic 2 or Mic Mini, you can hook it up to the Osmo 360 to instantly up its sound-capture quality a few notches.

Don't buy it if...

You just bought an Insta360 X5
DJI has delivered a strong rival to the excellent Insta360 X5 – but not an outright conqueror. If you already own the X5, there are few reasons to swap it for an Osmo 360.

You want a truly rugged 360 camera
The Osmo 360 is IP68-rated and pretty tough, but it's not as adventure-ready as the Insta360 X5 and its easy-to-replace lenses. If you scratch a lens here, you'll need to replace the whole camera.

Also consider

Insta360 X5

The current top dog of the small 360 camera market, the X5’s rugged build, replaceable lenses, low-light performance, ease of use, and battery life keep it ahead of the Osmo 360 – just about. Its biggest asset is how simple it makes the process of creating great-looking 360 videos, but the Osmo 360 runs it very close.

Read our full Insta360 X5 review

Akaso 360

At around half the price of the Osmo 360, budget action camera brand Akaso’s first 360 camera represents real value for money. While it’s short on fancy features, the 360’s automatic stitching and stabilization is impressive, and video quality is more than adequate when shooting outdoors in good lighting.

Read our full Akaso 360 review

How I tested the DJI Osmo 360

I tested a full production model for two weeks
I mounted the camera on an invisible selfie stick and bike mount
I recorded videos day and night on foot and cycling

DJI sent me a review sample of the Osmo 360 Adventure Combo well ahead of its release date, giving me plenty of time to test the camera’s panoramic and single-lens modes in a variety of situations: day, night, indoors and outdoors, on foot and while riding my bike. I was able to test it with DJI’s own invisible selfie stick and Mic Mini, as well as edit videos using the DJI Mimo mobile app and new DJI Studio desktop app.

First reviewed July 2025

Categories: Reviews

Read why I found Deluge to be the best free torrent client

Thu, 07/31/2025 - 05:34

Torrenting clients give users access to a deluge of content. Unsurprisingly, one of the most popular free torrent clients is aptly named Deluge. It’s a free and open-source torrenting client that’s a favorite for many.

I decided to test Deluge to see whether it’s better than other clients I’ve used. My test centered on its features, performance, user-friendliness, and security, among other crucial factors. Read on to learn my opinion about choosing Deluge as a torrenting client.

Deluge: Versions

Extensive PC compatibility is one of the first things that stood out about Deluge. Its official downloads page listed apps for macOS, Windows, and various Linux distributions like Ubuntu, Debian, and Fedora.

However, I was disappointed that Deluge lacked an Android app. Many free and open-source software tools have Android apps, which I cherish using to control downloads remotely on my PC. Given Apple's unfriendliness to torrenting apps, I didn’t expect an iOS app. No torrenting app I’ve reviewed is directly compatible with iOS.

Deluge: Features

Deluge might not be as popular as rival torrenting clients like Vuze, but it packs many features that give it a competitive edge. I liked that Deluge can be easily customized with plugins that provide extra functionalities. For instance, I used the Notifications plugin to get notified via email about completed downloads.

Like most torrent clients, Deluge lets you add a .torrent file and download the corresponding content. This file contains the metadata of the movie, audio, software package, or any other content you want to download. When added to Deluge, it extracts the metadata and downloads the required content.

Unlike some torrenting clients I’ve tested, Deluge doesn’t offer a built-in way to find .torrent files. Instead, you’ll get them yourself from external sources. Some torrenting clients have built-in search engines to make finding these torrents easier, but not Deluge.

If you don’t have the torrent file for the content you want to download, you can provide a magnet link or an info hash. Both contain the same metadata as a .torrent file, so Deluge can still extract the data and download the corresponding content.

Deluge is ad-free, a feature I appreciate after testing some torrenting clients. Some free clients had ads covering large parts of my screen, often for dodgy products. However, despite being free, Deluge doesn’t include ads for monetization. It’s an open-source tool maintained by a team of volunteer developers.

(Image credit: Future)

One major benefit of using Deluge as a torrenting client is its sophisticated encryption software. It uses techniques like Protocol Encryption and Message Stream Encryption to prevent unauthorized third parties from spying on your torrenting activities.

For further security, I turned on a VPN before downloading torrents via Deluge, and you should, too. A VPN routes your traffic through a secure remote server, preventing your ISP and other third-parties from monitoring your downloads. People often run into issues with their ISPs because of torrenting, so a VPN is crucial for protecting yourself.

I liked that Deluge provided both a graphical and command-line interface. The graphical interface is the easiest to use, with a minimalistic feel and neatly arranged elements. Yet, I sometimes enjoy feeling like a nerd and using the command-line interface to control my torrenting activities.

The command line lets users connect with Deluge remotely. Normally, I use Android apps for remote connections, but Deluge doesn’t have this feature. I got some solace because I could control my Deluge torrenting activities from another PC. For example, you can be at work and controlling torrenting activities on your home PC. This way, you avoid any issues concerning torrenting on your office network.

When you download any torrent on Deluge, you automatically become a seeder uploading the same torrent for other users. Torrenting is made possible by users acting as file seeders for each other. The more seeders available for a torrent, the faster the download speed.

The thought of constantly uploading files made me wary of my bandwidth consumption, but then I remembered that most torrenting clients let users limit file upload speeds to conserve bandwidth. Deluge makes this process easy, allowing users to limit their upload speeds and the number of simultaneous connections.

Deluge is a feature-rich torrenting client I enjoyed using. It doesn’t have every feature I wanted, but having its existing features for free is a boon.

(Image credit: Deluge)Deluge: Interface and in-use

With my experience testing numerous torrenting clients, I can attest that Deluge has one of the best user interfaces. It’s not overtly modern, like some torrenting clients that feel overdesigned, and it’s also not too old school, like some torrenting clients that looked designed in the 1990s.

Deluge’s interface strikes the right balance between form and function. You can access it via a graphical interface, command line, or web interface. The web and graphical interfaces look very similar. The command line interface can get complicated, but it’s meant for technically adept users who prefer that mode. An average person can quickly become familiar with graphical or web interfaces.

Deluge: Security

Deluge has the standard encryption features of torrenting clients. It encrypts your activities to prevent unauthorized access, but relying on your torrenting client’s security is enough. I always turn on a VPN to provide an extra security layer when downloading torrents.

I ran Deluge through software scanning tools, and the results were clean. Deluge isn’t known to host malware and hasn’t had any history of negligent security practices. My only issue is that Deluge lacks a built-in anti-virus scanning tool for torrents. I had to rely on another tool to scan torrents for malware, unlike some torrenting clients with built-in scanners.

Deluge: Final verdict

I appreciate Deluge’s user-friendliness, feature richness, and the ability to add plugins for more functionalities. It’s a lightweight app that’s easy to use on any PC, and I’ll recommend it to anyone seeking a reliable torrenting client.

We list the most secure VPN providers.

Categories: Reviews

I tested Denon's even cheaper AirPods Pro rivals and while the ANC is very effective, they fall short in a few key areas

Thu, 07/31/2025 - 05:30

Denon AH-C840NCW: Two-minute review

Sometimes when testing some of the best earbuds (and sets that don't make it into that group), it feels like products can easily be broken down into three categories: buds trying to rival AirPods, buds trying to rival the AirPods Pro, and buds which are clearly doing their own thing. The Denon AH-C840NCW can easily be filed into the middle category.

These are the siblings to the Denon AH-C500W, buds listed straight in the former category, but the set you're reading about here come with a key difference: these buds come with silicon ear tips, and noise cancellation to boot. That’s what gets them bumped from the first category to the second.

Denon is a high-end audio company based in Japan that has made a respectable name for itself with home audio, AV systems and speakers, and while it’s also no stranger to personal audio (like headphones and earbuds – see also the PerL Pro), this clearly also isn’t its bread-and-butter diet. Case in point: the AH-C840NCW are perfectly fine earbuds that certainly are a viable option given Apple’s expensive earbuds… but they don’t quite match all the other AirPods Pro alternatives on the market.

The Denon AH-C840NCW hark a lot closer to Apple’s options than most rivals, and that’s most obvious in the design department. There’s no denying that these are doppelgangers – Denongangers if you will – and there’s nothing wrong with that. Denon has aped the well-respected build and these lightweight buds are easy on the ear, even if the tips let the side down a bit.

In audio quality too, these buds are inoffensive. The audio mix is fairly neutral-sounding, skewing slightly towards bass but otherwise offering an easy-to-like (though hard to truly love) quality to songs.

So far, so AirPods Pro, and that isn’t necessarily a flaw – the buds undercut Apple’s premium buds by a meaty margin. But Denon isn’t the only company trying to offer prospective earbuds buyers a Pro option on a non-Pro budget, with so many alternatives at this price point that my word count forbids me from listing even a fraction of them.

It’s the feature set that lets the AH-C840NCW down. Despite some impressive active noise cancellation there’s an overall dearth of extra functionality, and a few stumbles within what’s actually there. This is the area that most often than not defines the best earbuds you can buy, and so I struggle to find a unique selling point for the Denon.

I generally enjoyed listening to the Denon AH-C840NCW during my testing, but that’s not the same as recommending them to buy with your own money. Their myriad rivals typically have a lot more to offer, so they’re only worth buying if you’re looking for buds that match the AirPods Pro exactly, instead of beating them in any way.

Denon AH-C840NCW review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

Unveiled and released in April 2025
Costs £149 (roughly $200, AU$300)

The Denon AH-C840NCW were announced in released in April, alongside the AH-C500W which are similar but slightly cheaper and miss ANC.

You can buy the AH-C840NCW for £149 (around $200, AU$300) so they’re mid-ranged in price. I couldn’t find them on sale in Australia or the US, but Denon does offer earbuds in those countries (especially in the US, which saw the AH-C500W and AH-C830NCW) so a launch in those regions is possible.

Judging at least by the UK price, that’s about an 8% price hike on the last-gen model but a 50% higher price than the non-ANC siblings.

I have to point out that, writing three months after the buds’ release, it’s pretty easy to find them discounted. Not by a huge amount, but by 10%-15% depending on which color you want, which is still worth bearing in mind.

Denon AH-C840NCW review: Specs

Drivers

12mm

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life (ANC off)

10 hours (buds) 35 hours (case)

Weight

5.1g (buds) 54g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.3

Waterproofing

IPX4

Denon AH-C840NCW review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

Solid noise cancellation
7-hour battery life with ANC on
Relative lack of extra features

Unlike their siblings, the Denon AH-C840NCW offer ANC, which I think is what the ‘NC’ in the name refers to. I wasn’t expecting much – why would the company skip ANC on that other product if it had anything worthwhile up its sleeves – but was pleasantly surprised by what this model offered.

The AH-C840NCW’s noise cancellation is meaty, wiping out annoying background noises without a trace. The app also offers you a Transparency mode which seemed to work slightly differently from others: instead of scanning for important noises to filter in to your ears (such as voices and important, twig-snapping-in-the-woods treble sounds), I got the impression it was just a weaker ANC. I could be wrong about this, but things felt quieter in Denon’s Transparency mode than in equivalents I’ve tested.

Talking about the app, it’s simply called 'Headphones', but you can find it in the Play Store or App Store by searching Denon’s name. As well as changing ANC modes, it lets you customize the touch controls, monitor the buds’ connections (multi-point pairing allows for two concurrent pairs), turn on LE Audio, change the wear detect to only apply for one earbud and monitor battery levels.

Finally, there’s an equalizer, which is only a 5-band one and doesn’t offer presets. If you’re used to customizing your own earbuds' sound, you might find this one just a little restrictive.

Battery life hits 7 hours with ANC turned on or 10 hours with it off, figures which can go up to 24 or 35 respectively when you factor in the case. The battery life is ever so slightly above average and my own testing roughly matched Denon’s stats provided.

This might be one of the shortest ‘Features’ sections I’ve ever written in a review, because the Denon don’t offer much in the way of useful features beyond the basics. That’s a shame because it’s in the feature set that (headphone) boys become (headphone) men, and with rivals offering plenty of extra modes and functions, it affects the competitiveness of the AH-C840NCW.

Features score: 3.5/5

Denon AH-C840NCW review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

Small pebble carry case
AirPods Pro lookalikes
Sensitive touch controls

By referring to the Denon AH-C840NCW as ‘AirPods Pro lookalikes’, I’ve probably conjured certain images of stem-toting earbuds with silicon tips and slight tilts. This description doesn’t necessarily denote AirPods – the world of wireless earbuds is much more varied than that, with buds of different shapes and sizes – but in this case it’s totally right. You’ve seen the pictures, you knew where this sentence was going.

The buds weigh 5.1g so they’re nice and light, and as that description suggests, they’re made up fo a stem that says ‘Denon’, a round body and a tip which protrudes at a slight angle. You can buy the buds in black or white (which also applies to the case) but the design is identical.

Hidden somewhere is a touch control, which you can customize in the app to change volume, play or pause music, and so on. I say ‘somewhere’ because I never quite figured out where to tap to trigger it – usually tapping the top of the stem worked but occasionally I’d accidentally press it while readjusting the buds in my ear, when my fingers were nowhere near the top.

On that topic, I did have to readjust the buds quite frequently in my ear; never when sitting around at home, but when running with the buds (ill advised; these aren’t running earbuds), when walking with them, or when working out at the gym (sit ups is the ultimate fit test!). I even tested different tip sizes in the box (there are four, not counting the ones on the buds by default) and this didn’t help – I’m going to point the finger at the material used in the tip, for not offering enough friction.

If you’re not going on walks and constantly having to readjust the earbuds, they’re pleasant to wear, with the light build ensuring you never get earache from long periods of listening. The buds also have an IPX4 rating which protects them from splashes of water, but not a serious drenching.

Equally lightweight and portable is the AH-C840NCW’s case, which is nice and small at 58 x 21.3 x 25.4mm and light at 54g. Something bijou like this is easy to slip into trouser pockets without it bulging out, or hide it on your desk when you’re charging it up via its USB-C port.

Design score: 3.5/5

Denon AH-C840NCW review: Sound quality

Single 12mm driver
Ever-so-slightly warm audio profile
Max volume is too low

(Image credit: Future)

Denon has fit the AH-C840NCW with a 12mm driver. That’s the same piece of kit that its sibling saw but with the eartips ensuring surrounding sound doesn’t leak in, the buds sound a lot better.

The AH-C840NCW have a gently warm sound profile that emphasizes bass just a little, but it's so slight that it won’t put off people who prefer a more neutral sound. Bass is scooping and well-defined, but treble is also is also crystal-clear and sharp.

I’d have liked to see a more pronounced, expansive and layered soundstage, as the buds seemed to lose instruments and harmonies that weren’t prominent, but they’re fairly detailed where it counts in vocals, drums and keys.

The maximum volume isn’t too high though. It’s fine for everyday listening when you’re at home or in an office, but if I wanted to hear music well over traffic, or get some extra oomph for an energetic song on a run, I found myself continually pressing my phone’s volume up button – and it didn't really help.

Sound quality: 4/5

Denon AH-C840NCW review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

Decent value compared to AirPods...
...not so much compared to other rivals

Compared to the Apple AirPods Pro, I’m willing to say that the Denon AH-C840NCW offer decent value for money. They undercut the big name buds without cutting down on the quality too much.

However, when you consider some of the other options on the market at this price, you realize you could still be getting a lot more for your money. Rivals within a similar $/£/AU$ range offer hardier designs, wider feature sets or better audio quality, and usually a combination of all three.

Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Denon AH-C840NCW?

(Image credit: Future)Denon AH-C840NCW score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Above-average ANC and slightly above-average battery life compensate for a basic feature set.

3.5/5

Design

They're light but not wholly reliable in the ear.

3.5/5

Sound quality

Music sounds detailed and a tad warm but it's still not perfect, and lacks energy.

4/5

Value

They don't pull in front of rivals enough to offer a genuine value proposition.

3.5/5

Buy them if…

You want AirPods-similar design
If you’ve seen the AirPods and want a similar-looking pair of earbuds, these certainly are options, as they’re some of the closest Doppelgangers we’ve seen so far.

You need decent noise cancellation
While it’s not the tippy-top bubble-of-silence performance I’ve ever heard, the active noise cancellation offered by the AH-C840NCW is robust, removing all but the most persistent background sounds.

You need a slender carry case
Some earbuds carry cases can sit in your pocket like a boulder. Denon wouldn’t be seen with anything like that, though, and the AH-C840NCW’s holder is lovely and slender.View Deal

Don’t buy them if…

You like customizing your audio
While the Denon does have a 5-band equalizer, that’s not much control over your music for audiophiles. There aren’t any presets, and no option for toggling higher-resolution audio should you want to stream it.

You rely on transparency mode
If you like toggling this and thus hearing what’s going on around you, I wouldn’t recommend the Denons. The transparency mode here sounded to me like weaker noise cancellation (yes, odd), and doesn’t let in much surrounding sound.

You’re sporty
Some eartip-toting buds are reliable for gym workouts, cycling or running. Not the Denon, as I found they’d slip out of my ears even on walks.View Deal

Denon AH-C840NCW review: Also consider

Denon AH-C840NCW

OnePlus Buds 4

Skullcandy Method 360

Nothing Ear

Drivers

12mm

11mm woofer + 6mm tweeter

12mm

11mm

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life

10 hours (buds) 35 hours (case)

11 hours (buds); 45 hours (case)

11 hours (earbuds), 29 hours (total)

5.2 hours (buds) 24 hours (case)

Weight

5.1g (buds) 54g (case)

4.73g (buds); 40g (case)

11g (buds) 77g (case)

4.62g (buds) 51.9g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.4

Bluetooth 5.3

Waterproofing

IPX4

IP55

IPX4

IP54

OnePlus Buds 4

A very recent competitor, the OnePlus Buds 4 have the best noise cancellation I’ve tested in earbuds at this price point. They sell at the same price as the Denon and offer a much more bass-heavy sound profile.

See our full OnePlus Buds 4 review

Skullcandy Method 360

Another bassy option is the Skullcandy Method 360. Ignore the ludicrous case size; these have solid in-ear design, a fun and funky sound profile and a long-lasting battery. Again, these go for roughly the same price as the Denon. Our review is incoming…

Nothing Ear

Finally – and yes, for the same price as the AH-C840NCW, although they’re a bit older and more prone to price cuts – we’ve got Nothing’s most recent top-end earbuds. These have a really impressive feature set and I loved the sound profile, but be warned for an awful battery life.

See our full Nothing Ear reviewView Deal

How I tested the Denon AH-C840NCW

Tested for two weeks
Tested at home, in the office, working out and on walks

My testing period for the AH-C840NCW earbuds was two weeks long, and it came straight after I wrote the Denon AH-C500W review, so I got to test the siblings back-to-back.

I paired the Denon with my Android smartphone for the whole testing period and tested apps like Spotify, YouTube, Netflix and certain games. Testing was done at home, around my neighborhood (on runs and on walks), on public transport, at my office and at the gym.

I've been reviewing audio products for TechRadar for years now, including products made by many of Denon's rivals and all three competitors mentioned above.

First reviewed in July 2025

Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Categories: Reviews

I tested an outrageous Acer Predator laptop with Nvidia 5090 GPU, and I wish I could recommend it, but I just can’t at this price

Thu, 07/31/2025 - 04:10

Acer Predator Helios 18 AI: Two-minute review

The Acer Predator Helios 18 AI is a top-tier gaming laptop with a phenomenal spec that’s sure to whet the appetites of even casual gamers. Despite what lurks inside, its exterior is remarkably restrained. At 18 inches, it's obviously very large, but the black finish and lack of branding keep its profile reasonably low. However, that large rear protrusion and ostentatious RGB lighting give away its intentions.

I think Acer has done well to keep the Predator Helios 18 AI as slender as possible. Of course, this is all relative given the size of laptop we’re dealing with here, but it’s impressively thin for the most part, although it thickens at the rear.

Build quality is also excellent, equaling the best gaming laptops in this regard. Premium materials are employed everywhere, and the hinge for the lid is smooth and easy to operate, while offering plenty of stability once set.

The keyboard is tactile and snappy, and the generous spacing of the keys makes it easy to type and game on the Predator Helios 18 AI. The number pad somewhat compromises the layout, though, with the space bar paying the highest price; it’s a little too short for my liking.

On the other hand, the large trackpad does a fine job of not interfering while using the keyboard, with accidental contact failing to register in my experience. It’s also very smooth and accurate, should you wish to use it over one of the best gaming mice.

Considering its mighty spec, the Predator Helios 18 AI performs as well as you might expect. Cyberpunk 2077 and Doom: The Dark Ages ran with aplomb, each delivering fps figures in the hundreds with maximum graphics settings, including those for ray tracing.

(Image credit: Future)

You will have to endure constant fan noise when gaming, but thankfully this isn’t egregious when the default Balanced mode is selected in the Predator Sense app. The Predator Helios 18 AI also generates a fair amount of heat, which can spread to the sides and the keyboard after a while. Again, though, this isn’t bad enough to cause an issue.

The biggest price you’ll have to pay for all this performance is… well, the price. Starting at $3,000, the Predator Helios 18 AI is incredibly expensive. I struggle to think who’ll need such a large and powerful laptop, and be willing to pay this much for one.

Of course, the entire gaming laptop market is a premium one, but there are better value alternatives out there if you don’t need an 18-inch display and triple-digit frame rates, such as the excellent Razer Blade 16 (2025) or the MSI Katana 15 (2023), the latter of which we think is currently the best budget gaming laptop around.

Acer Predator Helios 18 AI review: Price & Availability

Starts from $2,999.99 / £3,499.99 / AU$7,299
Hugely expensive
Better value alternatives

The Predator Helios 18 AI starts from $2,999.99 / £3,499.99 / AU$7,299 and is available now. It comes with spare WASD and arrow keys, as well as a thermal pad upgrade kit for the RAM.

You don’t need me to tell you what an eye-watering sum this is. It’s understandable considering the spec, and my review unit was even more outlandish, equipped with a 3840 x 2400 display and 192GB of RAM(!).

Prices are similar to the Razer Blade, which performs similarly too. If you want something that’s even better value, the MSI Katana 15 (2023) is, in our view, one of the best budget gaming laptops around, if you’re happy to game at 1080p.

Value: 2.5 / 5

Acer Predator Helios 18 AI review: SpecsAcer Predator Helios 18 AI Specs

Acer Predator Helios 18 AI Base Config

Acer Predator Helios 18 AI Review Config

Price

$2,999.99 / £3,499.99 / AU$7299

TBC

CPU

Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX (24 Cores), 2.70 GHz

GPU

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 (16GB)

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 (24GB)

RAM

64GB DDR5

192GB DDR5

Storage

2TB PCIe NVMe SED SSD

Display

18-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600), 16:10 ComfyView (Matte), 250Hz, IPS

18-inch WQUXGA (3840 x 2400), 16:10 ComfyView (Matte), 250Hz, IPS

Ports and Connectivity

3 x USB-A, 2 x USB-C, 1 x RJ-45, 1 x SD card, 1 x HDMI, 1 x 3.5mm audio in/out; Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

Battery

99Wh

Dimensions

401 x 308 x 29.6mm

Weight

3.5kg / 7.7lbs

Acer Predator Helios 18 AI review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

Large but surprisingly thin
Relatively understated
Excellent build quality

Given its large display size, the Predator Helios 18 AI is a reasonably understated gaming laptop. The rear bulge that extends beyond the lid hinge gives it some distinction, and the RGB lighting can light up the whole unit like a Christmas tree if you want it to (the bar that runs along the front edge and wraps around the side is especially striking). But switch this off and you’ll struggle to tell it apart from the best business laptops.

It’s quite bulky, although I think the Predator Helios 18 AI does an admirable job of keeping its dimensions contained considering the beastly components that lay within. The front end is reasonably thin, but thickens as it moves towards the back. This increased size does allow for larger vent openings, though, so it’s a worthy sacrifice to improve cooling performance.

The overall build quality is hard to fault. All the materials that are used look and feel premium and durable. The lid is also impressively smooth to operate yet remains sufficiently stable when set in position.

Underneath you’ll find three feet that run across the width of the Predator Helios 18 AI, and they provide plenty of grip on desktop surfaces. They also raise the chassis from the surface by a significant degree, again allowing for improved ventilation.

There are plenty of ports on the Predator Helios 18 AI. On the left, you’ll find an ethernet and a USB-A port, as well as an SD card slot and a 3.5mm audio in/ out jack. On the right are two more USB-A ports, which is a sensible location considering this is where you’ll likely be connecting external peripherals.

On the rear are two USB-C ports, an HDMI port, and a large power cable port. As you would imagine, the power supply is large, but unfortunately the cable running from the brick to the jack end is quite short. Owing to my setup, this meant I had to keep the brick on my desk rather than placing it on the floor, which was quite the inconvenience.

Design: 4 / 5

Acer Predator Helios 18 AI review: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

Fantastic AAA performance
Vibrant and sharp display
Some fan noise and heat

Gaming with the Predator Helios 18 AI didn’t get off to a particularly auspicious start. When I ran Cyberpunk 2077 for the first time, the game’s benchmark function recorded a disappointing 42fps, with the maximum 3840 x 2400 resolution and Ray Tracing: Ultra preset selected.

Some tinkering with the graphics settings resulted in modest improvements to performance, but it wasn’t until after restarting the game a couple of times that things suddenly improved: I started getting about 100fps, even in busy in-game environments, without lowering the resolution or any other graphical settings.

Similar figures were achieved when I played Doom: The Dark Ages, although I did have to change the DLSS mode from Auto to Ultra Performance to get there. Thankfully, this made no discernible difference to the image quality.

And on that front, both games looked fantastic on the WQUXGA display. Colors were accurate and vibrant, if very slightly washed-out. This is a common issue on many IPS displays, but here the effect did little to detract from the awesomeness of the visuals.

The ultra-high 3840 x 2400 resolution in my review unit offered incredible levels of sharpness, while the high response times resulted in super-smooth gameplay. It’s also capable of very high brightness levels, which helps to keep pesky reflections at bay.

(Image credit: Future)Acer Predator Helios 18 AI Benchmarks

Here's how the Acer Predator Helios 18 AI performed in our series of benchmark tests:

Geekbench 6.2:
Single - 2,803
Multi - 16,720
Cinebench R24:
Single - 125 13.89x
Multi - 1,728
3DMark:
Fire Strike - 36,158
Time Spy - 17,341
Port Royal - 12,994
Night Raid - 60,951
PCMark10:
8,885
Cyberpunk 2077:
1080p Low - 469fps
1080p Ultra - 361fps
1080p Ray Tracing: Overdrive - 128fps
Battery test:
Movie playback - 3 hours and 2 minutes
PCMark10 (Gaming) - 1 hour 27 minutes

Fan noise is constant when gaming on the Predator Helios 18 AI, but I didn’t find it distractingly loud. The volume increases considerably if you set the Predator Sense profile to Performance mode, though – then you’ll really need one of the best PC gaming headsets to drown out the noise.

The Predator Helios 18 AI does a good job of keeping temperatures down. Its underside doesn’t get too hot, although over time heat leaks out of both sides, which can be a little distracting for your mouse hand. After a couple of hours of gaming, I noticed the bottom of the keyboard became quite hot, too, especially around the space bar.

It wasn’t hot enough to make using the keyboard a problem, though. And what’s more, the keyboard on the Predator Helios 18 AI is great to game with. The keys are clicky but damped enough to make them tactile.

They’re a little on the small side (although they’re generously spaced apart), owing to the inclusion of the aforementioned number pad. This compromises the layout somewhat – especially the space bar, which isn’t as long as I would’ve liked, and therefore somewhat awkward to hit with my left thumb.

The trackpad on the Predator Helios 18 AI is large and very smooth, making it easy to use. Mercifully, it also appears unaffected by contact with the sides of your palms, meaning it won’t accidentally register movements while your hands lean over it to use the keyboard.

Performance: 5 / 5

Acer Predator Helios 18 AI review: Battery Life

(Image credit: Future)

Large 99Wh capacity
Underwhelming longevity
Quick to charge

The battery life of the Predator Helios 18 AI isn't particularly impressive. Despite its 99Wh capacity, it lasted just under 90 minutes PCMark10's battery test for gaming scenarios.

This makes it considerably worse than the Razer Blade 16 (2025), which managed about an hour more, but much better than the MSI Katana 15 (2023), which didn’t even last one hour.

Charging the Predator Helios 18 AI back up to full is a surprisingly quick process, though – and given the size of the power brick, you would hope it would be.

Battery Life: 3.5 / 5

Should I buy the Predator Helios 18 AI?Acer Predator Helios 18 AI Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

The Predator Helios 18 AI is incredibly expensive, and only worth it if you need the absolute best gaming performance in laptop form.

2.5 / 5

Design

The Predator Helios 18 AI is very large, but is admirably thin considering what’s inside. It’s brilliantly made, too, and the RGB lighting is tastefully vibrant.

4 / 5

Performance

My review unit had an RTX 5090 and an Intel Core Ultra 9, so naturally its performance is out of this world. The display is excellent, too.

5 / 5

Battery Life

The Predator Helios 18 AI can't last an especially long time, but at least it's capable of replenishing quickly.

3.5 / 5

Total

There’s no denying this is a ferocious gaming machine; you can’t really ask for more from a gaming laptop. But the astronomical price puts it beyond the reach of many gamers, and there are many better value propositions out there.

3.5 / 5

Buy it if...

You want the best portable performance
With Nvidia RTX 5000 series GPUs available, the Predator Helios 18 AI can achieve astonishing fps figures, while the CPU and configurable RAM are equally capable components.

You want a large display
At 18 inches, the screen is more than big enough for laptop gaming, and renders AAA titles in all their glory.

Don't buy it if...

You want to save money
You’ll need plenty of cash to buy even the base model, and there are better value options out there.

You want a truly portable device
You’ll want something much smaller and lighter than the Acer Predator Helios 18 AI if you’re constantly on the go.

Acer Predator Helios 18 AI review: Also Consider

Razer Blade 16 (2025)
We were already big fans of the Razer Blade 14 from 2024, but the Blade 16 (2025) surpasses it in many ways. Like the Predator Helios 18 AI, it too can be equipped with an RTX 5090, and is built to a similarly high standard. It’s a shame there’s no 4K option this time round, though, and it’s still about as expensive as the Predator Helios 18 AI. Read our full Razer Blade 16 (2025) review.

MSI Katana 15 (2023)
Our current pick as the best gaming laptop for those on a budget, the MSI Katana 15 (2023) gets the balance right between price and performance, impressing us with its 1080p gaming. The trackpad and battery life might be weak points, but these are areas in gaming laptops where we’re willing to forgive shortcomings. As your first foray into the sector, it’s a great place to start. Read our full MSI Katana 15 (2023) review.

How I tested the Predator Helios 18 AI

Tested for a few days
Played AAA games
Extensive PC gaming experience

I tested the Predator Helios 18 AI for a few days, during which time I played games such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Doom: The Dark Ages, both AAA titles that provide stern tests for rigs owing to their demanding, cutting-edge graphics.

I also ran TechRadar’s series of benchmarking tests, including a battery test where I played a movie on a continuous loop until the Predator Helios 18 AI shut down.

I have been PC gaming for over a decade, and during that time I have experienced a number of systems and components. I have also reviewed laptops previously, as well as copious amounts of gaming hardware.

First reviewed: July 2025
Read more about how we test

Categories: Reviews

I tried qBittorrent and found it to be one of the best torrenting clients

Thu, 07/31/2025 - 03:33

If you enjoy diverse content like me, torrenting is an easy way to access it. It involves exchanging files via the BitTorrent protocol and can be done via torrent clients. I’ve embarked on a mission to test many torrenting clients to help users choose the best ones. Today, I’m focusing on qBittorrent, a prominent app in the torrenting community.

qBittorrent is a free and open source torrent client, and compatible with the most popular desktop operating systems. I tested it extensively to provide an honest opinion. Read on to learn about its features, user-friendliness, security, and other vital factors.

qBittorrent: Versions

qBittorrent is compatible with the three most popular PC operating systems; Windows, macOS, and Linux. I use a macOS PC and easily downloaded qBittorrent from the official website. You can also do this for the Windows and Linux versions.

However, I noticed that qBittorrent does not have an Android app. I like torrenting clients with Android apps that let me control my PC’s torrenting activities from a smartphone.

I didn’t expect iOS compatibility, as Apple famously doesn’t allow torrenting apps to appear in its App Store.

(Image credit: Future)qBittorrent: Features

qBittorrent has the typical features of a torrenting app. To download content, I needed to get the .torrent file from an external source. This file contains the metadata of the relevant content to be downloaded, and qBittorrent reads the information to kickstart the download.

If you don’t have the .torrent file, you can provide the magnet link for the relevant content. A magnet link is a hyperlink containing the same metadata as the .torrent file. I pasted multiple links into qBittorrent, and it downloaded the required content without hassle.

I also downloaded content via RSS feeds. This feature lets users subscribe to a specific RSS feed and automatically download new torrents added to the feed. For example, if you subscribe to an RSS feed of your favorite series, you can automatically download all new episodes.

I like that qBittorrent allows plugins that provide extra functionality. My favorite is the search plugin that lets you find torrent files within the app. Instead of spending time discovering and downloading these .torrent files on external websites, I did that directly on qBittorrent, enabling much faster downloads.

There’s no single search plugin for qBittorrent. Instead, the app is compatible with numerous unofficial plugins built for torrenting clients. Installing a search plugin was a noticeably simple process.

(Image credit: Future)

Torrenting works when users exchange files via the BitTorrent communications protocol. When you download specific content on qBittorrent, you automatically become a seeder uploading that content for other users to download. This process of simultaneous downloads and uploads enables users to freely access content via qBittorrent and other torrenting clients.

Whenever I use a torrenting client, I always seek to limit my upload speeds to conserve bandwidth. qBittorrent makes this easy. You can limit the upload speed to any level you’re comfortable with, ensuring you upload files for other users without consuming excessive bandwidth.

I appreciated that qBittorrent gave me significant control over my torrenting activities. For instance, I could queue torrents and prioritize specific downloads over others. I could also select specific files within a torrent instead of downloading the whole package. For example, this feature comes in handy if you have a software package missing a few crucial files. You can download just the missing parts instead of re-downloading the software package and wasting bandwidth.

This torrenting client supports IP filtering for security purposes. Users can upload blocklists and prevent any IP on that list from sharing files with their PC. This feature protects you from interacting with malicious actors sharing malware via torrenting clients.

Before downloading torrents, I always turn on a VPN for further security. A VPN routes your traffic through a secure remote server, preventing your ISP and other third-parties from monitoring your torrenting activities. I advise everyone to always use a VPN when torrenting.

My main complaint is that qBittorrent does not have an Android app that allows me to remotely control my torrenting activities. However, I was pleased that its remote control feature is available via a web interface.

The remote web interface is very similar to qBittorrent’s regular interface. You can use it to control your torrenting activities from another PC or smartphone, e.g., starting and pausing downloads on your home PC while at work. However, setting it up was complex, unlike Android apps where it’s usually straightforward.

qBittorrent: Interface and in-use

qBittorrent has a minimalistic interface that I enjoyed using. It’s not overtly modern yet not outdated. Features are arranged neatly on the left, configurations are accessible at the top, and the main dashboard lies on the right. Each feature incorporates a relevant icon that defines their functions. This uncluttered arrangement makes it easy to find any feature and tweak your desired configurations.

qBittorrent: Security

As mentioned, qBittorrent allowed me to block specific IP addresses from interacting with my device. This security feature is crucial because torrents are a common vector for introducing malware into unsuspecting devices.

qBittorrent has no ads and no history of negligent security practices. It’s a free tool maintained by volunteer developers, so there’s little incentive to sneak in adware for commercial purposes, which a handful of torrenting clients are guilty of.

Despite its standard encryption and other security features, I reiterate my advice to always turn on a VPN before using qBittorrent.

qBittorrent: Final verdict

qBittorrent is a free, user-friendly torrenting client I genuinely enjoy using. It’s not as feature-rich as some clients I’ve tested, but it performs its functions well. It’s an ideal torrenting tool for anyone seeking easy access to digital content.

We've listed the best weird and wonderful niche Linux distros.

Categories: Reviews

Reliable, neat and user-friendly, the Anthbot Genie lawn mower is a wish come true

Thu, 07/31/2025 - 00:00

Anthbot Genie: two-minute review

Like the very best in the latest tranche of self-guided robot lawn mowers, the Anthbot Genie requires no perimeter wires and no professionals to install it. Simply take it out of its box, set up its charging station and RTK receiver in a suitable spot and set it off on its way.

There are three versions to choose from, with different battery capacities making them suited to different lawn size. The Genie 600 is designed for lawns up to 0.22 acres / 900m², the Genie 1000 is for up to 0.49 acres / 2000m² and the Genie 3000 is for up to 0.89 acres / 3600m². For this review, I tested the 3000.

Although the Genie's 7.9 inch / 20cm cutting width isn't the widest on the market – that accolade goes to the five-star Mammotion LUBA 2 – what it lacks in size it makes up for in accuracy. Thanks to RTK-GPS and its AI-empowered 3D four-camera recognition technology, the Genie cuts in straight lines and navigates neatly around edges without the typical zig-zag chaos of older robot mowers. It's a sterling obstacle avoider, too.

However, its success may depend on the RTK receiver having a good line of sight to a range of satellites in the sky, and to that end it's a bit of a shame that a wall-mounting kit (to place the receiver above the tree-line) is an added extra rather than being included as standard. That said, positioning mine in the lawn next to the charge station – the only setup possible with the included equipment – worked just fine to me, even with a fair amount of tree coverage.

Like the vast majority of robot mowers, the Genie doesn't have a grass collector. Instead, its five-blade cutting disk snips off millimeters at a time, leaving the nitrogen-rich cuttings to fertilize the lawn. Its motorized cutting deck is easily adjustable in the app and lets you fine-tune your grass from a crisp trim to a lush, longer look.

If you're in the market for an easy-to-use robot that's reliable and easy to operate, you've found it. Read on for my full Anthbot Genie robot lawn mower review.

(Image credit: Future)Anthbot Genie review: price & availability

List price: $999 to $1,359 / £999 to £1,699
Launch date: Spring 2025
Available: US and UK

The Anthbot Genie went on sale in Spring 2025, following a successful Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. They're available to buy direct from Anthbot and Amazon in the US and the UK, and at list price they cost $999 / £999 for the Genie 600, $1,199 / £1,299 for the Genie 1000 and $1,599 / £1,699 for the Genie 3000.

Given that wire-free yard robotics is a relatively new thing, right now you can expect to pay big money for the privilege of never having to mow the lawn again. However, prices have already started to tumble and this will likely continue as more competition enters the market. In fact, at time of writing, all sizes of the Genie were heavily discounted in both the US and the UK. In the pantheon of robot lawn mowers, the Anthbot Genie's price structure can be considered quite reasonable given the huge amount of sci-fi tech involved.

Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Anthbot Genie specs

Max lawn size:

0.22 acres / 900m², 0.49 acres / 2,000m², 0.89 acres / 3,600m²

Cutting deck width:

7.9 in / 20cm

Cutting height adjustment:

1.18 - 2.8 in/ 30-70mm, motorized

Bot dimensions:

24.8 x 16.1 x 10.6in / 63 x 41 x 27cm

Navigation:

RTK GPS + 4-camera 3D Vision

Climbing ability:

45% (24°)

Drivetrain:

Rear wheel drive

Waterproof:

IPX6

Rain sensor:

Yes

Noise:

58dB

Connectivity:

Wi-Fi (2.4G), 4G, Bluetooth

Obstacle avoidance:

3D Vision (4 Cameras) + All-round Physical Obstacle Avoidance

Maximum zones:

20 - 30

Anthbot Genie review: design

3 variants with different batteries for different lawn sizes
Navigates using RTK GPS and AI powered cameras
Wall mounting kit for RTK station is sold separately

Funny how the world of technology works. It takes just one company to create a new type of innovative product and within a year everyone's at it. Just look at robot vacuum cleaners. Once there was iRobot, then the likes of Roborock followed suit and, before we knew it, we were being bombarded with hundreds of robot vacs from companies we'd never heard of. Well the same thing is happening in the world of robot lawn mowers.

Although robot mowers have been out since the 1990s, I've never had the desire to review one because they've all required getting down on hands and knees and fixing, or burying, a ridiculously long boundary cable around the entire perimeter of the lawn and every outdoor ornament and piece of furniture. But that's all changed with the recent advent of RTK GPS-, camera-, and LiDAR-guided lawnbots that not only navigate a lawn – and any obstacles – with gobsmacking precision but cut grass in beautifully straight lines that make any lawn look immaculately snazzy.

(Image credit: Future)

Anthbot is one of those young upstarts and I've got to say that its design team has done its homework and designed one of the very best lawnbots I've so far tested – and a great looker to boot. In fact, it's getting rather difficult to write these reviews because every robotic lawn mower I receive to test seems to be a bit better than the last, and there are only so many stars one can give as commendation.

The Anthbot Genie is the latest addition to the fast-evolving world of smart robotic lawn mowers, and it brings some serious tech to the yard. This model is available in three battery capacities, which equate to the amount of lawn space they can realistically handle without having to return to recharge too often.

(Image credit: Future)

If you have a small urban-sized lawn, opt for the Genie 600 which has a reach of 0.22 acres / 900m² . If your lawn's a lot larger or you want the robot to cut an entire space without heading back to base for a recharge (remember, fewer recharge cycles equals a longer battery life) then opt for either the Genie 1000 which is suitable for lawns up to 0.49 acres / 2,000m² or the Genie 3000 which is capable of trimming a whopping 0.89 acres / 3,600m². All three variants are exactly the same size and have the same features, except the 3000 model can cut up to 30 different lawn zones while the other two can manage 20.

Unlike traditional robot mowers that rely on cumbersome boundary wires, the Genie uses advanced RTK-GPS combined with an AI-empowered navigation system comprising four cameras (including one on each side) that are said to provide '300-degree human-like vision and 360-degree collision sensing'. I believe it having seen it in operation.

(Image credit: Future)

RTK-GPS uses an RTK receiver to correct satellite signals, making them accurate to within a few centimeters. The system requires the bot and the receiver to have direct line of sight to a large proportion of the sky. The idea is that if the GPS signal is weak or lost due to overhead obstructions, the lawn bot will switch over to camera-based navigation.

I should add that RTK-GPS, which is accurate to just a few centimetres, isn't suitable for every home layout because the package requires having an aerial spiked into the lawn within a foot of the charging station and with a clear line of sight to as many satellites as possible. My own lawn is surrounded by very tall trees and the RTK stations of every lawnbot I've so far tested have all been positioned to the side of two 80-foot beech trees.

In theory my yard should be the worst case scenario but, against all odds, I'm receiving signals from between 12 and 25 satellites at any given time – and with just 50 per cent or so of visible sky. So don't write off this model or any other without taking a good look at the sky around your home.

(Image credit: Future)

If your land space looks unsuitable, Anthbot sells a wall-mounting kit that enables you to attach the RTK receiver to a structure up high (so there's wider direct line of sight to satellites in the sky), and plug it into a separate power source to the charge station. Some other lawnbots, include wall-mounting kit with the initial bundle, but here it's an additional purchase.

When it comes to obstacle avoidance, this model features three levels of sensitivity (low, medium and high) and it's worth playing around with the settings to find the best solution for your lawn. I've been very impressed with the Genie's obstacle avoidance and you can read more about it in the Performance chapter below.

(Image credit: Future)

Right, let's get down to the stats. The Genie's 7.9 inch / 20cm cutting width may sound modest, but it's more than capable of maintaining a consistently neat finish on the lawn sizes it was designed for. Like all robot mowers, the Genie uses a spinning horizontal disc with razor blades attached to the outer edge. Some models like the Eufy E15 have just three blades, but this one has five.

The Genie's motorized cutting height is fully adjustable between 1.2-2.8 inches in 0.2in increments (30-70mm in 5mm increments), allowing you to switch between a close-cropped summer lawn or a longer, lusher look in the cooler months. However, you won't see the 0.2in / 5mm increments on the app unless you tap on the dividing lines between each main measurement. Please fix this Anthbot.

Like 99 per cent of robot mowers, the Genie is a mulching model, so it finely chops grass into tiny nitrogen-rich clippings that naturally fertilize your lawn. That means no messy grass collectors and no piles of cuttings to dispose of. If the mower is set to perform two to three cuts a week, it will simply snip off a few days' worth growth and therefore not litter the lawn in cuttings.

All robot mowers are whisper-quiet when working; so quiet that you can hardly hear them from just a few meters away. This model's drive motor is a fraction louder than other lawnbots I've tested (around 58dB), but it's hardly audible when you're more than 8 meters away.

I sadly wasn't able to test the Genie's multi-zone function since I only have one lawn, but from what I've seen online, it behaves in the same way as other robot mowers and involves steering the robot like an RC car using the Bluetooth connection from one zone to another. As long as the path between the two zones is free of clutter – and especially gates and steps – the Genie will follow the same path every time it's out on a cutting spree. Impressively, this mower provides the option to create between 20 and 30 zones depending on the variant you've chosen.

(Image credit: Future)

If there are permanent obstacles within the lawn (beds, for example), you can create no-go zones so the mower doesn't try to cut them. As a step up from some competitor models, you can create these in-app with a few taps, just as you would with a robot vacuum cleaner. I should add that the Genie's navigation system will cover the vast majority of obstacle avoidance but it's good to have the no-go option for those who wish to make doubly sure that the robot will always avoid pitfalls like drop offs and ponds.

Like all robot mowers and vacs, the Genie can be easily programmed to run a regular schedule so the grass is always kept in tip-top condition. However, the Anthbot Genie app also features a Smart Lawn Care function, which automatically selects the best mowing strategy based on growth of the grass. I wasn't able to try out this function properly because my test period coincided with an ongoing drought that has prevented most UK grass from growing.

I did select the option but found it very confusing because it leapt straight into a schedule and the whole point of the function is that it chooses when to mow. If it's like Worx's Landroid Vision system, it should require input of grass type and then check local weather to create an automatic schedule.

Perhaps this feature will be improved going forward but for now I would suggest ignoring it and stick to your own schedules. Incidentally, like every other bot on the market, a rain sensor on top of the body automatically pauses mowing during wet weather and you can change the delayed mowing time from between one hour and eight hours.

(Image credit: Future)

Most mowers are capable of climbing inclines of 30% to 40% but this rear-wheel-drive model goes 5% more, meaning it's suitable for a slightly wider variety of landscapes. The two large and chubby front caster wheels help in this regard, but it's the oversized and heavy treaded rear wheels that provide all the traction. Nevertheless, there will be some lawns that are still too steep for this mower to handle. If that's your lawn, consider the all-wheel-drive Mammotion LUBA 2 or LUBA Mini which both boast amazing 80% incline ability.

Like most modern wireless robot mowers, the Genie is initially bound to one's WiFi and Anthbot account so any light-fingered thieves will basically have a brick on their hands. To further enhance security, a four-digit code is also required and if the robot is moved beyond its preset boundary, an alarm sounds on the robot and the user receives an emergency alert. Top marks in this respect.

According to the US and UK websites, Anthbot already has an after sales repair service in place in many territories – including the UK and US – with a 10 day turnaround in most cases. In fact, I've been very impressed by Anthbot's activity on Facebook in seeking feedback from current users regarding any improvements the company can make going forward.

Setup

The Genie arrived in a large box containing the mowing unit, a charging base, ample electrical cabling for an outdoor mains output and the RTK GPS antennae. I selected a space next to my Mammotion LUBA 2 and placed the antennae beside the charging station. This area is right beneath two 80-foot beech behemoths, a large horse chestnut and a small damson tree but, against all odds, every RTK system I've used has worked.

This one worked too, though it took a few minutes for the RTK receiver to log on to the prerequisite number of satellites. I'm actually amazed that these RTK-based lawnbots work at all on my lawn given the amount of trees surrounding it, and that just goes to show that there are a lot more satellites up there than you might think.

(Image credit: Future)

After turning it on and hearing the musical fanfare, you'll be asked to select the default pin code (0000). Even though the machine is also bonded to the owner's Wi-Fi and email address, this code is an extra line of defence against theft of the machine and should be changed to a personal code using the keypad on the unit or, better still, via the app. Just make sure to make a note of your own pin code because the product is a brick without it, and the only way to fix it is by contacting the manufacturer with proof of purchase.

All robots need to map the space they'll be working in; in this model's case, the Genie uses its RTK GPS and multi-camera system. Anthbot provides two methods for mapping a lawn: auto or manual. In auto the robot analyses the lawn's borders automatically, while manual involves driving the bot around the perimeter like an RC car.

I initially chose auto and the Genie mapped the lawn quickly without any messing about. It simply went to the nearest edge and mapped the entire lawn in about five minutes. That's a record! However, I've since discovered an excellent feature in the app that lets you manually expand the map by driving the robot even closer to the perimeter. Nice one Anthbot.

(Image credit: Future)

At this juncture I wish to give a shout out to the tailored Rain Cover for the Genie because it not only keeps the robot dry (even though its IPX6 waterproof) but, perhaps more importantly, it blocks out hot summer sun which could feasibly mess around with the bot's battery and electronics. The Anthbot garage is an impressive piece of kit in its own right since the main body is cast from solid steel and is so robust that I sense it would stand up to a tornado, let alone a gale.

Once the Anthbot Genie is all set up and ready to roll, it's simply a case of going into the app and setting a two- or three-day schedule, your preferred cutting height and obstacle sensitivity, and whether you want the robot to mow in vertical or horizontal stripes. And that's it. You can now retreat, safe in the knowledge that your lawn will always look neat and tidy, even when you're away on holiday.

Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Anthbot Genie review: performance

Impressive cutting performance
Superb navigation system
On-par obstacle avoidance

Every perimeter wire-free robot mower I've reviewed to date has performed surprisingly well, at least given the relative newness of this particular field of robotics. The Genie's 7.9 inch / 20cm cutting width may seem compact compared to the 15.7 inch / 40cm Mammotion NUBA 2, but I've been impressed by the precision of its cut – its five-blade disc spins at around 3,000rpm, slicing through grass stems like a pair of sharp scissors, leaving only the tiniest of mulched clippings in its wake. If programmed to perform regular cutting sessions during the main season, the nitrogen-rich clippings will soon disappear back into the lawn where they'll act as natural fertilizer.

Whether you set it to 1.2in / 30mm for a UK-style summer trim or 2.8in / 70mm for a longer cut that's more suited to US grass varieties, the Genie should maintain a consistent finish across varied lawn surfaces. The Genie's simple, replaceable blade system certainly handled my lawn's thick early summer growth with ease, leaving no clumps or uneven patches. However, it sadly hasn't seen much use during the past two weeks because the UK has been experiencing a series of heatwaves and all lawns in the southern region have shut down to some extent.

(Image credit: Future)

I've been especially impressed by the Genie's navigation system, which has never faulted in four weeks of using it. My base station is set to one side of my 170 square metre lawn with a gap of around 15 meters / 49ft to the side border and when the Genie leaves its station, it starts mowing in a straight vertical line from that point, missing the 1.5 metres of lawn width to its left and continuing to cut the largest section of lawn to its right.

It then moves to the left side of its first path to complete the rest of the lawn before moving to the edges, which it cuts remarkably well. I should add that its border cutting improved tenfold since I engaged the new 'edge-cutting' option and manually expanded the map by driving the robot closer to the border.

(Image credit: Future)

Granted, the Genie employs an unusual cutting pattern when compared to other lawnbots I've tested but, hey, it has always finished the task in about an hour so I have nothing to grumble about in this regard. All I know is that it creates lovely stripes in its wake. Yes, I still prefer the much wider tract of the Mammotion LUBA 2 but I'm getting more and more used to the narrower stripes that the majority of current bots create.

I've also been impressed by the Genie's better-than-average obstacle avoidance. I tested it using a variety of objects – from dog toys and tennis balls to a chewed-up plastic plant pot – and it avoided all of them with deft precision (the two extra side-mounted cameras most definitely helped in this area). In fact I was so impressed I decided to bring out the ping-pong ball that no robot mower has so far avoided. Unfortunately, this was too small an item even for the Genie, which makes me think that manufacturers adjust their respective robots to ignore the smallest of objects on purpose lest they mistake scattered leaves for obstacles and avoid them entirely.

(Image credit: Future)

I should add that my test lawn is perfect for any robot since it's rectangular shaped and with no inclines and no major obstacles in the way. Nevertheless, I have watched a few videos by other users with more challenging terrain and they've also been impressed with the Genie's performance.

One thing I have noticed is that the Genie 3000 I was sent to review has been able to cut my entire lawn and the edges with 72 per cent of battery remaining. Yes, this model is overkill for my lawn size but it just goes to show how energy-efficient the model's battery and motors are. If you can afford it, perhaps opt for a larger model than you need so you can cut down on battery charging cycles and have the available juice to cut extra lawn zones in the future.

Performance score: 5 out of 5

Anthbot Genie review: app

Easy to use
Receives quite regular updates
Some room for improvement

The Anthbot app is mostly excellent. This easy-to-use app allows the user to set cutting heights and angle of cut, create up to 30 mowing zones, programme different schedules for each and define no-go areas with a swipe of the finger. The app also includes real-time monitoring so you can check the mower's location, battery level and progress at any time, even if you're away from home.

(Image credit: Anthbot)

My test model recently received a comprehensive update with additions to cut horizontally, edit the lawn's boundary and choose from three levels of obstacle avoidance. However, I would love to see Anthbot improve its cutting angle feature so that it behaves more like Eufy's E15 model, which provides an animated map with an adjustable arrow that swivels the entire map of the lawn on its axis so you can easily view the direction in which the robot will cut.

Given that Anthbot's reps are very responsive and eager to address current users' suggestions, you can be sure there'll be more tantalising updates along the way.

App score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Anthbot Genie lawnbot?

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Value

In the arena of smart lawnbots, the Genie is very competitively priced. Deals are already easy to come by.

4/5

Design

Navigates using RTK GPS and 4 cameras on front and sides. Available in 3 battery capacities for different-sized lawns.

4.5/5

Performance

Exceptional performance with neat mowing, very accurate navigation and commendable obstacle avoidance.

5/5

App

Despite a few required tweaks, the Anthbot app is easy to use and pretty comprehensive.

4/5

Buy it if...

You want an easy time

This model is a breeze to use, with no major foibles to report.

You want lawn stripes

The Genie cuts in uniform parallel stripes.

You value reliable obstacle avoidance

With three levels of avoidance, this bot is a top dodger.

Don't buy it if...

Your lawn looks like the foothills of the Himalayas

With a 45% maximum gradient, this bot isn't suitable for very steep inclines.

You have lots of overhead obstacles

The Genie uses an RTK GPS navigation system, which relies on a decently clear view of the sky to allow it to talk to the satellites.

How I tested the Anthbot Genie

TechRadar employs a strict routine when testing equipment. Firstly I live with the robot for a week or two, letting it do its thing while observing its behavior. Then I get down to enacting some real-world scenarios like obstacle avoidance and introducing it to various types of borders to see how well it behaves. Robots can be very unpredictable so these tests can take a few hours to complete with lots of written observations. Once I'm satisfied that there aren't any major concerns, I'll start writing the review while very carefully considering the amount of stars each area of the product deserves.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2025

Categories: Reviews

Apart from minor flaws, the ViWoods AiPaper is the best E Ink writing tablet I’ve tested – and that distinction comes at a steep price

Wed, 07/30/2025 - 22:33

ViWoods AiPaper: Two-minute review

The moment I took the ViWoods AiPaper epaper tablet out of its box, I was surprised at how light it was. It was already inside a thin magnetic case, with the stylus in its loop, and it still felt like the lightest 10-inch E Ink tablet I’d ever used. And that's despite the fact that it's taller than its competition at 10.65 inches rather than the average 10.3 screen size.

The closest (direct) competition is from the Onyx Boox Go 10.3, which also runs Android (albeit an older version) and is 4.6mm thick, tipping the scales at 375g. The AiPaper, on the other hand weighs 370g and is 4.5mm thick. I never expected the small 5g weight difference to be discernible but, interestingly, you can 'feel' it.

The AiPaper also looks very much like the Boox Go 10.3, with silver edges, whitish-grey bezels and the flush E Ink display that doesn’t have a frontlight. And that’s alright because the AiPaper is more for writers and other creative people than an ereader you’d take to bed at night. The best part about the design in my opinion: the stylus magnetically sticks over the screen rather than the sides.

At its main function of being a digital notebook, it excels. Everything you need is neatly laid out on the homepage, so it’s very easy to get to grips with and the settings are simple to understand.

You can start writing on it straight out of the box (if it’s charged) because the first application you see is Paper (for notes). You also have easy access to a calendar, a digital sketchpad and a bunch of pre-installed applications that include Kindle, Kobo, OneNote, Libby and Wattpad, just to name a few.

There’s even a Mailbox to access your email on and, guess what, you can handwrite your reply and the built-in AI assistant converts it to text before sending. Watch out for the AI text conversion though – it’s not consistently accurate – so you may need to make edits before you send someone an email. You can even email your notes directly from the Paper app.

The home screen on the ViWoods AiPaper is neatly laid out, so everything is accessible quickly (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

While there are plenty of pen options for writing, I was a little surprised that drawing only has three (each with three thicknesses) – competing tablets offer more for creativity. Stylus input, however, has no lag whatsoever and the nib moves smoothly over the screen. There’s just enough friction to give you the feel of paper and I quite enjoyed the writing experience.

I appreciate the numerous templates and the separate calendar application too, even one called Meeting for jotting down minutes. Then there’s the AI button that gives you access to full-fat ChatGPT-4o or GPT-4o-mini. DeepSeek is also preinstalled. It's important to note, however, there are always risks with using AI, but if you're comfortable with it, it can be a fantastic productivity tool.

Chrome and the Google Play Store are also available out of the box. It uses a custom version of Android 13, but I found that the tablet I was sent for this review was not Play Protect Certified (meaning, I couldn’t access the Play Store at initial setup). I had to follow some steps to register the device and it was smooth sailing after that.

I won’t talk much about what it’s like to use as an ereader because that’s not its main function, and it has support for fewer file formats than some other brands with similar tablets, but they are the most common ebook formats, including EPUB, MOBI, CBZ and CBR. Moreover, without a frontlight, it may not be the best ereader for many users. PDF editing is possible if the document you’ve uploaded has edit capabilities.

Ghosting is a minor problem on this tablet, but I didn't notice it until I looked at the photos I had taken of the AiPaper. So it won't really be an issue when in use.

The entire setup is a lovely middle ground between reMarkable’s minimalist approach and Boox’s overcomplicated one – it’s well thought out and stands out as a unique alternative to its aforementioned competitors. There’s a heck of a lot more to unpack here (read on below for more details), but I really can’t get over the high asking price for this E Ink tablet – it's about $200 / £100 / AU$250 more than competing options even when discounted – although it could be argued that it justifies its cost just on performance alone.

Having Google Chrome preinstalled is fantastic (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)ViWoods AiPaper review: Price & availability

Released after a Kickstarter campaign in September 2024
Available to buy in the US since December 2024 and in Australia since March 2025
List price of $799 / £610 / AU$1,199; can be purchased from on Amazon
100-day free trial, but terms and conditions apply

There are two AiPaper tablets available from Chinese brand ViWoods – the larger 10.65-inch model reviewed here and a smaller 8-inch alternative called AiPaper Mini. The bigger device went on sale in the US towards the end of 2024, and has been available in Australia since March 2025.

The 10.65-inch E Ink tablet is not what I would deem 'affordable' – in fact, it’s the most expensive epaper device I’ve tested to date, with its $799 / £610 / AU$1,199 price tag making it costlier than the color reMarkable Paper Pro and the grayscale Supernote Manta.

That said, there is a slim case in the box, as well as the stylus and extra nibs too. In many other cases, you’ll need to buy the case separately, but this bundle is still very much in premium territory.

Thankfully there are discounts to be had. At the time of writing, the AiPaper was down to $549 / £418 / AU$863 directly from the ViWoods website, but could be had for $539 / AU$806 on Amazon in the US and Australia respectively.

The ViWoods AiPaper Mini is also quite steeply priced ( listed for $599 / £455 / AU$939; discounts are available) compared to the likes of the 8-inch Kobo Sage, the 7-inch Kobo Libra Colour and the stylus-supported Boox Go 7 from Onyx. However, it too ships with a stylus while other smaller slates require you to purchase that separately.

Despite being a full-featured E Ink tablet running Android 13, it’s hard to justify even the discounted price, more so when you can get the Boox Go 10.3 for $379.99 / €419.99 (about £355) / AU$699. Even the reMarkable 2 would be a good alternative and save you money at full price. Price is the main reason why it gets some points docked in this review.

However, ViWoods stands apart from other brands by offering a 100-day free trial of its products when purchased directly from the brand's website, but there are a few other terms and conditions you will need to be aware of to take advantage of this offer. The tablets also come with a 14-month warranty for functional defects.

• Value score: 3.5 / 5

Writing on the ViWoods AiPaper is a wonderful experience, with several pen types and thicknesses to choose from (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)ViWoods AiPaper review: specs

Display type:

E Ink Carta 1300 with E Ink Mobius base

Screen size:

10.65 inches

Resolution:

300ppi (2560 x 1920 pixels)

Processor:

2GHz octa-core MediaTek MT8183

Frontlight:

None

Storage:

128GB (non-expandable)

Battery:

4,100mAh

Speaker:

None

Water protection:

None

Software:

Android 13

Connectivity:

USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0

File support:

7 (5 documents, 2 images)

Dimensions:

247 x 178 x 4.5 mm

Weight:

370g (without case and pen)

ViWoods AiPaper review: Design & display

Thinnest and lightest 10-inch E Ink tablet I’ve tested
Very nice 10.65-inch E Ink Carta 1300 display
Stylus is slightly thicker than most, but very ergonomic and lightweight
Built-in mic, but no speakers or microSD card tray

The overall design of the ViWoods AiPaper is familiar to me as it’s quite similar to the Boox Go 10.3 I’ve previously tested. The difference here is that it’s even lighter and thinner and, while you’d think that a 0.1mm thickness and 5g of weight difference wouldn’t matter much, think again. The moment I took the AiPaper out of its box – it was already encased in a magnetic folio with the stylus in its loop – it was noticeably lighter compared to all the other large-screen E Ink tablets I’ve tested.

It is, however, taller than other tablets like it. Its screen size comes in at 10.65 inches compared to the average 10.3 inches, but it doesn't add too much to the overall footprint – it's slightly taller than its counterparts. The thinness more than makes up for it, though.

And while the tablet itself has no protection against moisture, the supplied case is waterproof. Oh, and this magnetic folio barely weighs a thing too. The lack of waterproofing is not unique to the AiPaper – pretty much every single 10-inch epaper note-taking device I’ve tested has had no IP certification.

Image 1 of 3

There's a noticeable difference in thickness between the AiPaper lying on top of the Kindle Scribe (2024) (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Image 2 of 3

The flush power button is home to a pretty accurate fingerprint scanner (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Image 3 of 3

There's a mic right beside the USB-C port (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Its lightweight design aside, the AiPaper looks lovely, with whitish-grey bezels and silver trimming along the four sides. The rear panel is a thin plastic sheet to match the bezels. The bottom bezel is broader and is home to three touch buttons that are very reminiscent of Android devices – back, home and AI. The last one opens up an application that gives you access to ChatGPT or DeepSeek, the choice is yours.

The only physical button on the device is to power it up (or down), which lies flush with the top edge and houses a fingerprint sensor. I thought such a thin surface would have trouble reading fingerprints, but I was wrong – it functioned well 95% of the time, but the raised edge of the case can get in the way sometimes which, for me, was the rest 5% of the time.

Image 1 of 2

The AiPaper Gen2.5 Stylus Pen magnetically secures to the top of the screen via its flat side and comes with two nib types (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Image 2 of 2

The eraser on the top is spring-loaded and works quite well (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

I should also mention the stylus separately as it’s a little broader than the pens used by most other brands – only marginally so – but it’s lightweight and ergonomic. It’s called the AiPaper Gen2.5 Stylus Pen and it's made from light-grey plastic to match the tablet. It features an eraser on the top and a button on the flattened length on its body.

That flat section is what secures the stylus magnetically over the display (as pictured above) and that’s an exceptional addition as the curved edges (or sides) of the tablet are so thin, there’s no way the pen would stick there, as is common in other models. The closer to the center of the screen you get, the stronger the hold, but it will stay anywhere on the top surface of the device.

For when you're in transit, though, the loop on the protective case will keep the Gen2.5 Stylus Pen safe.

It’s also the first stylus I’ve used that comes with two types of replacement nibs in the box – the default is a ‘smooth writing’ nib that’s soft and thus can wear out easily, but it can be replaced with a more ‘durable’ or harder nib if you wish. Swapping one out for the other is as simple as pulling out the used one to slide in the replacement until it clicks into place.

Both the stylus and the tablet use Wacom EMR technology, so even if you lose the Gen2.5 Stylus Pen, you can use an alternative that has the same tech. I tried the Boox Pen Plus that came with the Go 10.3 and it worked just fine.

You get access to the ViWoods user community, which can handy if you have questions or want to leave feedback (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

The display technology used here is seemingly a hybrid of two E Ink screens. ViWoods says the top rigid layer is the E Ink Carta 1300 for writing and reading on, and it sits on a flexible E Ink Mobius base. The slight flexibility it offers, according to ViWood, is meant to offer the "rebound" feel of paper when you write. I didn't quite experience it but then I have no complaints whatsoever with how it feels to write on.

Everything you write on this monochrome screen is sharp, with excellent contrast for the pen's markings. That means it's quite dark against the pale background, which makes handwritten notes very easy to read, particularly without a frontlight.

On the other hand, the contrast when reading ebooks in the Learning app (where the library sits) is a little lackluster when compared to the likes of the Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) – the words on the page appear lighter in comparison (see the image below). That doesn't mean you can't use the AiPaper as an ereader, it just hasn't been optimized well for that purpose.

The screen also lacks a frontlight, although that in no way hampers its usability and a lightless display is hardly unique to ViWood. Neither the reMarkable 2 nor the Boox Go 10.3 have a frontlight and they’re both still very nice to use. While I would have preferred a frontlight myself because I’m a nighttime reader and I would have loved to use the AiPaper as an ereader as well, that is not its primary function – it’s a productivity tablet, so writing, sketching and scheduling are what it does best.

• Design & display score: 5 / 5

The three touch buttons on the bottom bezel are very reminiscent of Android devices (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)ViWoods AiPaper review: Software & user experience

Arguably the most important factor when choosing an epaper writing tablet for yourself would be its software and user interface. Where Kobo and Kindle use custom Linux operating systems, as does reMarkable, Boox and ViWoods have adopted Android.

The ViWoods AiPaper uses a trimmed-down, custom edition of Android 13 (compared to Android 12 on the Boox Go 10.3) that caters specifically to reading and writing. And, importantly, the entire setup is fantastic, far better than the Boox alternative which, in fact, has a more streamlined interface compared to older models from the brand.

On the AiPaper, the interface is a fabulous middle ground – neither too minimalist like reMarkable, nor too complicated like Boox.

Android OS and apps

Runs a custom version of Android 13
Very streamlined user interface
Nearly all applications you might need are already preinstalled, but there’s full access to the Play Store

The moment you switch on the ViWoods AiPaper, you’ll see the bottom right block already has a few apps preinstalled. Tap and you’ll find Chrome and the Google Play Store already there, ready for you to sign into.

The latter was the only real issue I ran into when setting up the AiPaper for this review: being unable to access the Play Store at the start. That’s because the device sent to me was not Play Protect Certified, meaning it hadn’t been registered with Google for Play Store access.

A little research told me that this is was not an isolated incident, although some users online have had no problems whatsoever. Getting this done, though, is very simple and ViWoods has a handy guide to help you.

Interestingly, ViWoods has implemented Android's 'long-press to copy and paste' functionality for this setup – I wish this would be expanded to all aspects of the tablet, wherein any handwritten, or at the very least text-converted, note can be copied across documents or applications. The feature already exists in the software, so it's just a matter of enabling it on a wider scale (although I'm not a developer and I can't speak to the feasibility of expanding it).

It also took three attempts to sync my Google Drive account to the tablet for cloud transfer of files despite being logged in on the first attempt. Why this happened is still a mystery to me.

Image 1 of 3

Pen settings aren't too complicated, but I would have liked to reassign the button to something other than erase (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Image 2 of 3

Play Store connectivity at inital setup may not be there and you will have to do so manually (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Image 3 of 3

General settings are simple and easy to understand (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

An unexpected surprise on the AiPaper that I haven't seen on any other tablet like this is email access. There’s a Mailbox application preinstalled that can be set up if you don't want to download Gmail or any other mail app but, interestingly, it allows you to handwrite your replies if you choose.

AI handwriting recognition is available on nearly every native application that allows you to use the stylus, but I found that the text conversion wasn’t always accurate and I pride myself on having a rather nice (and readable) handwriting. I’ve had no issues with handwriting recognition on the Kobo Elipsa 2E or the Kindle Scribe 2024 for example, so I’m surprised that the AiPaper is getting a few things wrong.

It’s not really a deal breaker as I found the onscreen keyboard just as easy to use to make any necessary edits. Unlike the Boox keyboard, which is a much more complicated affair with tiny keys, the ViWoods has big tiles and is very responsive.

Full access to the Play Store can be a huge plus if you're focused on productivity (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

I would normally be downloading the Kindle and Kobo apps on any other epaper tablet like this, but they were both already available to sign into. I was pleasantly surprised to find even the Libby app preinstalled, alongside the New York Times, Wattpad and a few more. So all I ended up adding was a couple of other productivity apps to test annotations and a couple of benchmarking tools to sate my own curiosity.

As I’ve already mentioned, the overall user interface is fantastic, lending itself well to a tablet like the AiPaper. You have everything you need at your fingertips, but you can always add more to make the most of Play Store access. You can also get involved with the ViWoods user community directly from the tablet in case you want to ask a question, leave feedback or get some help with any issue you have with the product.

One thing to note about the AiPaper is that, during my testing, my MacBook couldn't register the tablet in Finder, although ViWoods' promotional imagery indicates that should work. This means that the Android File Transfer app doesn't work, which was my experience with all Boox devices as well. I plugged the AiPaper into a Windows machine where it was available for file transfer via USB-C. I also couldn't get Wi-Fi Transfer to work, but this wasn't much of a deal breaker for me because cloud sync is quite quick. While Google Drive was my service of choice, Dropbox and OneDrive support is also available.

• Software score: 4 / 5

There are quite a few tools built into the native Paper (notes) application (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Writing & productivity

Native notes app is full featured; voice input is available
Annotations are possible on several third-party apps
Smooth and lag-free stylus input

I can't help but extol the virtues of the writing and productivity features of the ViWoods AiPaper. From a dedicated notes application called Paper to another called Meeting for jotting down minutes, even a calendar application that allows you to write within each date box and list task for a specific date – you have plenty to get you started. And they all have voice input available if you’re feeling too lazy to write – even the diary entries!

Don’t want to use the native writing app? OneNote is preinstalled in the app drawer and it works well with the supplied stylus. You can download any other third-party notes application – I tried Evernote and Google Keep, both of which worked fine – and ViWoods says you can annotate any page, no matter which application you use.

If you haven’t used any other note-taking application before, you’ll find more than enough in the native app. You can add pages and move them around easily enough, you can delete individual pages quickly by opening up a multipage document as a grid, you can change the template of individual pages… the list goes on. You can add layers, create tags, text boxes (or boxouts) and use a lasso tool to select text.

Image 1 of 2

It may not be my best handwriting sample, but I thought it was easy to read; the AI didn't agree (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Image 2 of 2

At other times, though, it managed just fine (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

The AI button within the Paper application allows you to analyze text, convert a note into an email or convert handwriting into text. As I’ve already alluded before, AI conversions aren’t the best. For example (see the above image for clarification), I selected a handwritten question jotted down when making notes for this review: “Does template change affect all pages?” I selected it to be analyzed and the response from ChatGPT was: “The content consists of a handwritten note that appears to address the question “does bipolar change affect all pages?” The next time I got the same bit of handwriting ‘analyzed’, it became “inequality change”. C’mon, my handwriting isn’t that bad, surely!

For writing, you have an extensive choice of pens – seven, in fact, with five thickness options and four grayscale colors. Strangely, though, these brush types are missing in the Picking application (used for drawing and sketching) which, instead, only gets three pen types with three thicknesses each. I think it should be the other way around.

Image 1 of 2

I appreciate the several pen and stroke options in the Paper app for writing... (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Image 2 of 2

..but I'm surprised the same isn't available for the Picking (or drawing) app (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

With 4,096 pressure levels and up to 60º tilt sensitivity for the stylus, the same brush types for creativity would have been great for artists who don’t necessarily want a dedicated drawing tablet like the XPPen Artist Pro 14 (Gen 2). Then again, I can't draw to save my life, so perhaps the limited pens in the Picking app would suffice for most users.

So my main complaint is only with the AI-powered handwriting recognition, which intermittently found it hard to decipher my relatively neat notes, but worked fine when it came to a colleague’s bad scribbles. Yes, I'm taking it personally – and no, I won’t deduct any marks for that.

• Writing score: 4.5 / 5

Reading

Library is buried within another app
Wired and Wi-Fi file transfer didn't work with macOS as represented by ViWoods
Support for limited file formats, but more than enough for casual reading

With no built-in bookstore, you need to either use the browser (Chrome) to source content or import via wired or cloud transfer. I used the latter method to sideload a few titles I already own as, previously stated, my MacBook was unable to register the AiPaper and I found that OTG support (which is available on Android 13) has not been implemented on this tablet.

It was during this process when things got a little murky for me.

Image 1 of 2

Where to build the library was a little confusing on the AiPaper... (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Image 2 of 2

..and, as a macOS user, I found cloud transfer to be the best way to sync files (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

When selecting to import (in my case from Google Drive), the AiPaper gives you two locations to save the ebooks – My Notes and My Files. The latter has a folder already called ‘e_books’, which is where I assumed I needed to build my library. Sure, that can be done, and this source uses the Bookshelf application to open EPUBs. However, the app doesn’t like sideloaded files (which I appreciate is a step to prevent piracy) and I couldn’t go beyond the book cover. It also needs an account to work.

I then saved the same titles to My Notes and that, dear reader, seemed to be where the default library is – tucked within the native Learning application. It supports a fair few common file formats, including EPUB, MOBI, CBZ and CBR, but I also found there's support for Kindle's AZW and AZW3.

The My Notes section is also where you can upload editable PDFs in case you need to fill a form or sign one.

Text is sharp on the screen, although I would have preferred more contrast to make the words on page darker but, again, it's not a deal breaker as you can add a little weight (thickness) to the text to make them appear darker.

There's a distinct lack of contrast for text on the AiPaper (right) compared to the exact same page on the Kindle Scribe (left) (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

You can either choose to swipe on the screen to turn a page or tap and I would recommend the latter – if you have a swipe gesture set up already for 'going back', that is the function that will constantly get triggered rather than turning to the next page. The top toolbar that appears when you first open a title can be made to disappear to leave a very clean page that you can annotate to your heart’s content.

I also found that the slightly larger screen made reading a much nicer experience than on the other 10.3-inch epaper tablets. The page layouts looked neater and, I suppose, the additional lines on a page do make a difference. That said, with no frontlight, it's clear that doubling as an ereader is not its priority.

• Reading score: 4 / 5

There's no speaker on the AiPaper, but Bluetooth connectivity will allow you to enjoy streaming music (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)ViWoods AiPaper review: Performance

Excellent overall performance on a very responsive screen
Mild ghosting across all applications
Good battery life but can consume more power during certain tasks

As I’ve already mentioned earlier in this review, the AiPaper uses a processor that’s quite powerful for a device like an epaper tablet. While the MediaTek MT8183 can make Chromebooks purr along smoothly at higher wattages with specific implementations, my benchmarking told me that ViWoods hasn't taken full advantage of what this CPU can achieve. Compared to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 SoC used in the Boox Go 10.3, the benchmark numbers are rather dismal for the AiPaper even though the expectation was that they'd be evenly matched.

For context, Geekbench 6 recorded a single-core score of 403 for the Boox and 299 for the AiPaper, while multi-core scores were 1261 and 1114 respectively. But forget the numbers: the implementation of Android and the amount of RAM available is, ultimately, what will determine how well an epaper tablet will perform in real-world use.

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There are a few very useful AI-powered features in the Paper app (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Image 2 of 3

Reorganizing pages within a notebook is extremely easy (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Image 3 of 3

Arguably one of the best native notes applications I've tried (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

And that's exactly what's in evidence here. Despite ViWoods not harnessing the full power of the CPU, it's the better performer compared to the Boox as the execution of the OS here and the 4GB of RAM (same as in the Go 10.3) combine to make things run very smoothly indeed. Moreover, the MT8183 CPU also has slightly better RAM speed, so the overall system performance is better here.

Whether it was opening apps, writing or using the on-screen keyboard, I found the AiPaper just that tiny bit quicker than the Boox. I initially didn't even notice the ghosting on the screen until I looked at the photos of tablet I had taken for this review; on the Boox, though, it can be quite evident.

There are three refresh rates available on the AiPaper and I found the default Best to be, well, the best. Fast and Ultra-Fast resulted in more ghosting in some applications, and didn't make a huge amount of difference while scrolling in apps like Chrome. Expect the occasional stutter when scrolling, though, which is more due to the limitations of the E Ink screen tech rather than a fault of the device.

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The instructions for getting Play Protect Certification isn't accurate on the tablet, but ViWoods has a better guide on its website (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Image 2 of 2

Despite security risks involved with AI use, it can be a very handy productivity tool (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Not a single application has crashed since I began using this tablet (three weeks to the time of publication) – in comparison, I ran into a problem with the Boox Go 10.3 when testing its native notes app. According to Onyx Boox, the Go 10.3 can take up to 500 pages per document, but it crashed after 10. The biggest handwritten document I had on the AiPaper was 15 pages and it showed no signs of slowing down. There were no hiccups with turning pages or bringing up the AI analyze/handwriting recognition on nearly every page of that document.

Battery life is decent but not as good as the Boox (the Snapdragon 680 is known for more efficient battery use) or the Kindle Scribe, and that's despite the AiPaper using a larger capacity pack. The 4,100mAh battery which will offer no more than two weeks of use if you spend an hour with it each day. On standby, you could get up to four weeks on a single charge.

This is because there are some tasks that drain more battery than others, like downloading apps from the Play Store or importing documents via cloud transfer, but you should still get a few days out of each top up even if you use it extensively.

Charging up is also quite quick – it went from 9% to full in just under two hours during my testing, and that was when plugged into a dock and not a wall charger.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Even the case is so thin, it barely makes a dent in the overall weight of the device (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Should I buy the ViWoods AiPaper?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

It might be the best epaper writing tablet I’ve tested, but it’s eye-wateringly expensive at full price.

3.5 / 5

Design & display

It’s both very thin and very lightweight, even with a case. And even though it uses a 10.65-inch display, its overall footprint isn't too much more. And the screen is lovely to use as well, although it lacks contrast.

5 / 5

Software & apps

An open Android ecosystem and an easy-to-use interface makes this a winner in my books, but it has a few minor issues.

4 / 5

Writing & productivity

The limited pen types for drawing could be a deal breaker for artists, but if productivity is priority over creativity, then the AiPaper will serve you well.

4.5 / 5

Reading

While the lack of a frontlight might be an issue for some, the AiPaper is a passable ereader.

4 / 5

Performance

No other epaper writing tablet I’ve tested has been as fast as the AiPaper – overall performance is fantastic. Battery life, however, is limited compared to other brands.

4.5 / 5

Buy it if...

You want top-notch performance from an epaper tablet

It's hard to fault the performance of the AiPaper. It's responsive, fast and, despite a little bit of ghosting, its default refresh rate is capable of handling most apps. ViWoods arguably has the best epaper tablet on the market in the AiPaper.

You want an open ecosystem, with the freedom to use any app you want

Running Android 13 means you get full access to the Play Store, so you can do a lot on this tablet. And interestingly, this is the first epaper tablet I’ve tested that has a native email app that allows you to handwrite your replies if you so choose.

You want the thinnest and lightest epaper tablet

I thought the Boox Go 10.3 was thin and light, but I hadn’t met the AiPaper then. Taking away the accolade of being the thinnest and lightest epaper tablet I've tested, even the AiPaper's case doesn't add much weight to the full package.

Don't buy it if...

You don’t want to spend too much money on an epaper tablet

Most 10-inch E Ink note-taking tablets are expensive, but the AiPaper has an eye-watering price tag. Even discounted, it costs more than its many competitors, but if money is no object, I can’t recommend it highly enough.

You need a lot of storage space

Honestly, 128GB of built-in storage is plenty for a device like the AiPaper, but if that’s not going to cut it for you, you’ll need to look for an alternative with expandable storage. There’s no microSD card tray here.

You read more than you write

If you’re not going to take full advantage of the AiPaper’s many productivity features, you’ll save a lot of money by opting for either a smaller epaper tablet like the Kobo Libra Colour or a relatively cheaper 10-inch option like the Kindle Scribe. Moreover, avid readers would prefer a frontlight, which the AiPaper misses out on.

ViWoods AiPaper review: Alternatives

As great as I think the ViWoods AiPaper is, it may not suit everyone. If you're keen to check out alternatives, I've listed three options below that offer something different from each other. They also come in at slightly different price points, so take a look at their specs comparison below listed alongside the AiPaper itself, and read on for a quick look at each.

ViWoods AiPaper

Onyx Boox Go 10.3

reMarkable 2

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024)

Price

$799 / £610 / AU$1,199

$409.99 / €419.99 (about £355) / AU$699

From $399 / £389 / AU$669

From $399.99 / £379.99 / AU$649

Screen

10.65-inch E Ink Carta 1300

10.3-inch E Ink Carta 1200

10.3-inch Canvas 2

10.2-inch undisclosed E Ink Carta display (possibly 1200)

Resolution

300ppi

226ppi

300ppi

Operating system

Android 13

Android 12

Linux-based

Storage

128GB

64GB

8GB

16GB / 32GB / 64GB

CPU

2GHz octa-core MediaTek MT8183

2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 680

1.2GHz dual-core ARM

Undisclosed

Battery

4,100mAh

3,700mAh

3,000mAh

Undisclosed

Waterproofing

None

File support

Speakers

None

Dual

None

Dimensions

247 x 178 x 4.5 mm

235 x 183 x 4.6 mm

246 x 188 x 4.7 mm

230 x 196 x 5.7 mm

Weight

370g

375g

403.5g

433g

Onyx Boox Go 10.3

Missing out on the thinnest epaper tablet accolade by a millimeter, the Boox Go 10.3 is a cheaper alternative that runs Android 12. If you aren’t too fussed about security updates, this might suit you better. Compared to the AiPaper, though, the user interface is a little over the top, but it’s a lot more streamlined than older Boox tablets.
Read my full Onyx Boox Go 10.3 review for more information

reMarkable 2

Now a little long in the tooth, but if it’s writing and creativity that takes priority for you, the reMarkable 2 is a great option. You will, however, need a subscription to access your files and there’s no Play Store access either, but the minimalist user interface is distraction-free.
Read my in-depth reMarkable 2 review to learn more

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024)

If you prefer an epaper writing tablet that can double up as your ereader, then the newest model of the Kindle Scribe would be my recommendation. Its auto-brightness adjusting screen is downright fantastic to read on and writing on it is just as lovely. You will be enclosed in Amazon’s walled garden though, but if you already use the company’s services, then it’s a no-brainer.
Read our full Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) review for more details

How I tested the ViWoods AiPaper

Used for three weeks as main writing tablet
Uploaded a few EPUBs via cloud transfer to test reading
Downloaded a few Android apps, including benchmarking ones

It's not a deal breaker but I wish the AiPaper would register on my MacBook (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

I’ve tested quite a few epaper writing tablets in the last few years, so I’ve got a system in place when I receive a new model for review. Immediately after connecting to Wi-Fi, I go through the settings to see what I need to change to have taps and gestures set up just right for me, I also go through refresh-rate options and get rid of any nav ball that’s preinstalled (I find them very distracting on the page).

That done, it’s time to open up the native apps and see what’s on offer. In the AiPaper’s case, I started with the Paper application to start scribbling some random thoughts, then went sequentially through the pre-installed options, like calendar and drawing.

I found the Learning application a little confusing, but its purpose became clear when I tried to add a few EPUBs for testing its reading prowess.

I can’t draw to save my life, but I did try the Picking application as well, just to see what it was like. I also checked what kind of pen types (and nib thicknesses) were available for creativity.

I was chuffed to see the Kindle and Kobo apps were already preinstalled, but I downloaded a few other applications from the Play Store to test speed and performance. This included Geekbench 6 that I used to benchmark the CPU (just to sate my curiosity).

I plugged an external SSD into the USB-C port to see if there was OTG support and I also tried connecting the tablet to both a MacBook and a Windows laptop. I tested the AI app, personally preferring ChatGPT to DeepSeek, and tested the other AI-powered features in the Paper app.

Having reviewed epaper tablets from several brands, I have the experience to compare the ViWoods AiPaper to several other models in the market to score it fairly.

Palicomp AMD Destiny desktop PC review

Wed, 07/30/2025 - 10:40

This review first appeared in issue 360 of PC Pro.

One of the most aggravating things about buying technology is that you can always go one further. Spend a little more, get a little more. And that’s exactly the case if you increase your budget from £1,000 to £1,250, with the Palicomp AMD Destiny offering a significant speed hike over the CyberPowerPC opposite.

The vast majority of this is due to the presence of an RTX 4070 Super card rather than an RTX 4060. At retail, the 4070 Super costs around £600 compared to £300 for its lesser sibling, and it’s roughly twice as fast, too. 3DMark Time Spy is a great measure of this, with the Destiny scoring 18,932 versus 10,518 for the Infinity X145 Elite.

In practice, I can simplify the differences between the two machines in one sentence: the Destiny is a solid option for 4K gaming where the Infinity is not. That’s shown by a trio of results at 4K and High settings in Cyberpunk 2077, Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Dirt 5, where Palicomp’s PC returned averages of 79fps, 114fps and 119fps compared to 39fps, 57fps and 54fps. It doesn’t take a mathematician to spot that the Destiny’s scores are almost exactly twice as fast.

Palicomp has given the RTX 4070 Super a helping hand by using one of the fastest gaming processors on the planet, namely the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D. The chip’s X3D suffix indicates the extra Level 3 cache (made possible by a 3D-stacked chipset) that AMD adds over the standard 7800X, which gives an instant boost in most games.

An RTX 4070 Super graphics card takes center stage (Image credit: Future)

The downside of AMD’s X3D range of chips is that they don’t have an unlocked multiplier and can’t boost to as high frequencies as their “X” counterparts, so if gaming isn’t your main use then you’re better off with the 7800X (or even the Ryzen 7 7700X, which is roughly 7% faster in multicore tasks). However, in its own right the 7800X3D is a brilliant day-to-day processor, pushing the Destiny to 2,705 and 14,806 in Geekbench 6, 110 and 1,028 in Cinebench 2024, and 1,765 and 17,017 in Cinebench R23 (single-core results first, multicore second).

An overall score of 8,772 in PCMark is also one of the highest I’ve seen, and here I must give due praise to the supporting cast of 32GB DDR5 RAM and a 1TB Adata S70 Blade SSD. The latter is particularly fast, with an astounding 7,476MB/sec sequential reads transfer rate in CrystalDiskMark and a none-too-shoddy 5,461MB/sec result in the writing test.

(Image credit: Future)

If you’re thinking 1TB is too small for your needs, there’s one empty M.2 slot on the AMD TUF Gaming motherboard, while removing the right side of the chassis reveals two mounting spaces for 2.5in SSDs and one 3.5in hard disk caddy. There’s also a rat’s nest of cables, but at least that allows Palicomp to keep the visible side of the Destiny relatively empty. This is mainly for aesthetic reasons, as on-board upgrades are minimal: only one PCI-E x1 slot is accessible.

You can at least add to the memory, with two unimpeded DIMM sockets lying empty despite the size of the air cooler. DeepCool isn’t a name I’m familiar with, and while it does its job well – together with the total of six RGB fans on the front, top and back of this PC – it contributes to a continual hum from the Destiny. It’s by no means annoying (more the kind of hum that you only notice when the PC is switched off) but it’s reflected in the idle power draw of 84W compared to 52W for the CyberPowerPC Infinity.

The Kolink Observatory HF Mesh chassis is basic, but does allow all those RGB lights to shine through and has a handy hinged door to make accessing the innards simple. Palicomp also saves money by choosing a CIT 80 Plus Bronze-rated power supply, rather than a bigger name with better efficiency ratings, but at 700W it won’t hold you back.

The Destiny is designed with 4K gaming in mind (Image credit: Future)

One of Palicomp’s perks is that you can pick from a variety of components at time of purchase, from CPU to GPU to PSU, and you can also upgrade the warranty. I would consider doing this, as it’s one area where this PC falls behind CyberPowerPC – only the first year includes parts, and you have to pay for courier costs. £108 buys three years of C&R cover. You may also be tempted to pay for faster delivery than the standard ten working days, with £75 accelerating that to the next business day.

Overall, the Destiny isn’t as refined a package as the CyberPowerPC opposite, but there’s no arguing with its powerful components, which are all geared towards one thing: making games run fast.

For on the go play, we've also reviewed the best laptops for work and gaming

Categories: Reviews

I tested DJI's portable power station - and there's a good reason why drone operators are going to want to check it out

Wed, 07/30/2025 - 10:18

DJI is well-known for their excellent lineup of drones, videography gimbals and actions cams etc, but all these devices have one thing in common. They are all powered by batteries.

And that's where the DJI Power 2000 comes in, letting you charge your DJI drone (amongst other devices) while out in the field. It's not the first from the company, but is it the best portable power station for drone operators? I put it to the test.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

2048Wh capacity from LiFePO4 batteries

3000W continuous output

4 x AC sockets, 4 x USB-A and 4 x USB-C

0-80% charge in 45minutes

Multiple methods of charging

Fast 10ms response UPS

For drone operators, 30 minutes of flight can equal hours of charging unless they were to buy several expensive, propriety batteries which only have one use, drone power.

DJI may now have the answer for drone operators who not only want to fast charge their drone batteries but other things as well with added flexibility.

Not wanting to miss out on the action, about a year ago DJI brought out their Power 1000 Station. Now they have released the Power 2000 increasing everything for those who need more which we are reviewing with some accessories.

(Image credit: Future)DJI Power 2000: Packaging

The power station and its accessories were all packaged individually in non-descript, plain cardboard boxes with only simple outlines of the products and what they were printed on the box. No fancy glossy or satin box with listed features, photos, pictures or illustrations.

Removing the Power 2000 from the box, we were given only the quick start guide, certificate of conformity and AC power cable, no other accessories were provided.

(Image credit: Future)DJI Power 2000: The power station

Once out of the box, the Power 2000 measures 448 × 225 × 324mm or 17.6 x 8.9 x 12.7 inches (L x W x H) and weighing in at 22kg (or 48.5lbs).

The Power 2000 has two large, grippy handles on the top to facilitate portability

All the sockets, plugs, ports etc are at the front of the Power 2000 as is the status screen. The sides and back are bereft of anything much save for some threaded holes which we will come back to later.

At the front of this UK model are the following sockets/plugs:

4 x UK Type G sockets outputting 230V at 50Hz AC pure sine wave

4 x USB-C sockets, 2 x max. 140W and 2 x max 65W

4 x USB-A sockets, each able to output 24W

1 x AC charging socket

2 x SDC multi use sockets

And the status screen

(Image credit: Future)DJI Power 2000: Charging

Switching on the Power 2000 the first time showed us a state of charge of 51%. We were pleased to see that the AC charging socket was an industry standard C13/14 connector.

But it was here that we stumbled on the first hurdle, the cable has screws on either side to prevent accidental disconnection, but the screws were too small, tool free thumb screws would have been better.

Next to the AC charge socket is a small switch that allows you to set it for fast or slow charge, on slow charge the Power 2000 was charging at 1300W and on fast nearly double that at 2200W.

The AC charging socket at the front wasn’t well received, having reviewed several power stations, they often segregated charge on the side or back and discharging sockets on the front.

Also, to the right of the AC socket is a mysterious multi pin socket, is not documented in any of the manuals or software, our assumption, it’s a terminal used by DJI for servicing.

Charging it using solar panels sent for this review, it was noted that this was a third-party panel made by “IBCPower”. Fortunately, the panel uses MC4 connectors. Using the provided MC4 to XT60 cable means that the panels can be used for other power stations.

Plugging in the panels into the Power 2000 is a nuisance. The panels plug into the provided DJI Solar panel adapter module (MPPT). A small adapter box with three XT60 sockets, this allows you to plug three panels to the Power 2000 via this box which is plugged into the Power 2000’s large SDC sockets to charge it.

With only one 200W panel on a moderately bright day, we were only seeing 180W input with already 89% charged, an estimated 92minutes to full charge. Charging from 0% to 100% using only one panel would likely take over 10 hours.

Mentioned before were the screw holes on the sides and back of the Power 2000. You can see that the MPPT box has screw holes through it and it is here that the MPPT box is screwed on to the side of the Power 2000 to secure it in place so you don’t lose it. Screws and a hex wrench are provided.

(Image credit: Future)DJI Power 2000: In use

The status screen is your typical affair that shows all the useful information that you will need at glance such as state of charge, input and output wattage. Output voltage and AC Hz, USB as well as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connections.

Putting the Power 2000 through its paces, using it to power a variety of high draw household devices such as a rice cooker, mini-induction cooker, hair dryer, air fryer. The Power 2000 was able to power all of them separately and remained silent throughout.

Using the USB is about as ubiquitous as it is, it was able to charge a variety of phones, a Lenovo ThinkPad, MacBook Air laptops with ease.

The Power 2000 has a combined output power of 3000W continuous power.

A feature that stood out to us was the Uninterruptable Power Supply or UPS feature, whilst other power stations are capable of this, most advertise a 20 to 30ms response time or require setting up. The response time is the time the power station detects grid outage and switches over to battery.

The Power 2000 boasts a fast 10ms response time. UPS mode is automatically activated when the Power 2000 is plugged into mains, AC is on and power drawn.

We tested this by plugging in a typical home office setup, into the Power 2000 via multiplugs. The setup drew around 200W, we let the set up drain the Power 2000 for about two hours taking it from 89% to 61%.

We then switched the mains on to charge the Power 2000 back to 100%, you can see the UPS logo (small, orange battery with arrows under the “INPUT”) automatically activated and the Power 2000 began charging at 1360W in slow mode.

Once at 100%, we flicked the mains switch again whilst keeping an eye on the setup, not a flicker. The set up carried on as if there were no power outage, the Power 2000 drew power from the batteries and the UPS mode switched off.

(Image credit: Future)

One prominent feature that stands the Power 2000 different to other power stations is the inclusion of two SDC ports on the far upper right.

These are multi use sockets able to charge or discharge from the Power 2000 using DC power, the connectors are essentially QS10 sockets/connectors which are high current anti spark connections.

We were only able to use this to charge the Power 2000 via the afore mentioned MPPT solar adapter box.

The SDC connections would allow a user to plug in add on batteries to the Power 2000 or charge it faster using separately available cables and adapters capable of up to 1800W of input.

The other is to allow fast charging of DJI drone batteries using one of the appropriate adapter cables. It can charge a DJI Mavic 3 series battery from 10% to 95% in about 32minutes. The Mavic 3, Mavic 4, Air 3, Matrice 30, Matrice 4 and Inspire 3 drones, each cable costs £19 at time of review.

Also provided as part of this review is the DJI Power Series Hand Truck.

Essentially a hand trolley with a sculpted foot for the DJI Power Series batteries so that a power station such as the Power 2000 sits nicely at the base. The trolley supports a further two add on batteries to stack on top of the main one with a simple ratchet strap to batten them down.

Also, we mentioned the screws on the back of the Power 2000, these are for the middle handle retaining arm to screw into so that the Power 2000 has at least two points of anchorage to the trolley.

The trolley has 12cm heavy duty rubberised wheels, it can also be folded up for storage but the handle cannot be shortened or extended. The handle height is 98cm high.

(Image credit: Future)DJI Power 2000: The app

This is one place we think that DJI could vastly improve upon and was one where we had some concerns.

Most brands of power stations such as Jackery or Bluettti have apps that go beyond just simply controlling the power station. They are the place where you access your profile/account for that brand as many have loyalty schemes. It is the app that allows you to access your power stations hidden features, settings to tweak to your liking, even if just once.

The competition, mentioned above, have well translated apps that are downloaded from your app shop of choice, here we used the Google Play Store.

On setting up the Power 2000, we searched the Google Play Store to get the DJI Home app and could not find it. It was then discovered that you have to manually download and install the APK file from the web, not exactly what we like doing as it isn’t as curated as it would be from the Play Store.

On firing it up, the first menu is a DJI Product Improvement Project that gives us the choice to disagree or “加入”? It was in Chinese but we were able to translate this as “Join In”. Not off to a good start.

Detecting the battery and setting up was straight forward but once in the app you can see the Power 2000, see where/what is drawing power, state of charge etc. There are limit options you can tweak.

DJI Power 2000: Pricing

Currently the Power 2000 is on retail in the UK DJI store for £1185

DJI Power 2000: Final verdict

The Power 2000 is a solid power station but needs some improvement here and there.

If you have already invested in one of DJIs above mentioned drones and are in the market for a power station, then the Power 2000 is the one for you. The SDC connectors allows you fast charging of your drone batteries will allow you to fly more for longer.

The UPS feature was among the fastest response and easiest to set up and its near silent operation means that it can happily work silently in your home office too.

However, it is let down by some poor decisions such as the AC charging socket at the front and the woeful app, both in getting it and it being a glorified status screen if anything.

For more power solutions, we've reviewed the best UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply).

Categories: Reviews

Dropbox Passwords Review: Pros & Cons, Features, Ratings, Pricing and more

Wed, 07/30/2025 - 05:46

There aren’t many bigger names in online storage than Dropbox, but fewer people know about its Dropbox Passwords product.

It’s been a free offering as part of the wider Dropbox suite since 2021, and it promises to deliver an effective password manager that’s easy to use – ideal for anyone who wants to beef up their security without the tech-heavy language and features you may have to wade through elsewhere.

Dropbox Passwords: Plans and pricing

Dropbox Passwords is free and a part of the wider Dropbox ecosystem – it’s included in the basic tier. With that product a single user gets 2GB of secure storage, the option to connect three devices and the ability to store fifty passwords. Beyond cloud storage and password storage, you get instant syncing, thirty days of file recovery and sharable links. For people who need basic password management and cloud storage, it’s compelling, although other free options like Bitwarden allow unlimited password storage across unlimited devices – albeit without cloud storage.

If you’re willing to pay, though, you get unlimited password storage and unlimited devices in every product tier. The Plus product costs $9.99 / £9 / AUD$15 per month if you pay annually, and it gives a single user 2TB of cloud storage, improved multi-factor authentication and loads of storage and sharing features. The family plan costs $16.99 / £16 / AUD$25 and enables those features for up to six users.

You’ve got more options if you want to use Dropbox in a business environment. The Professional tier delivers 3TB of storage alongside better sharing options. The Standard business product costs $15 / £15 / AUD$24 per user per month. It delivers 5TB of space and a six-month file recovery period. Unlimited space is available in the Advanced tier, which costs $24 / £22 / AUD$35 per user per month and also deploys better security. Enterprise pricing is available on request.

(Image credit: Dropbox)Dropbox Passwords: Setup

It’s easy to get started with Dropbox Passwords, even for people without much techy knowledge. Sign up for a free Dropbox Basics account and verify your email address and you’ll be right into the browser extension.

The setup process is designed to make password storage as seamless as possible. The app gives users a list of common apps, like Google, Facebook and Amazon, that can be added quickly and easily – so you can start saving passwords immediately. If you want to add your own, a separate window allows you to log your username, password and any notes, and Dropbox Passwords also supports payment cards.

Existing passwords can also be imported from Chrome and Firefox and directly from CSV files that have been exported from other password managers. You can also use Dropbox to create your own password export as a CSV.

Once you’ve saved a password, you can copy the credentials or simply use a link to open the site with the details already filled in. It’s very straightforward. This system works similarly on Dropbox Password’s iOS and Android apps. You’re also invited to create a passphrase to unlock your Passwords app, like the master passwords deployed elsewhere.

(Image credit: Dropbox)Dropbox Passwords: Interface and performance

More of the features included in Dropbox Passwords are tailored to ease of use. Select a password in the app and a separate window shows you its details and strength rating – but also highlights if it’s been involved in any breaches.

The app’s Security Dashboard is straightforward: one window gives you a big warning if your data has been compromised, and a second window delivers alerts for weak or re-used passwords. You can also choose whether you monitor all of your email addresses or just a selection.

You can share passwords with other people – simply enter their email address and they’ll be invited to log in to their own Dropbox Passwords account. Editing an entry is similarly simple: type in the correct details and click save.

The interface is well-designed, too. It’s spacious, with large buttons, and it’s sensibly designed – the main screen delivers a simple list of passwords, and the Security Dashboard uses two straightforward windows. The settings menu is easy to use, with common options split into four categories and a slick graphic that illustrates how close you are to your storage and device limits. You’re not confronted with overwhelming technical data, so people without loads of tech knowledge won’t be intimidated.

(Image credit: Dropbox)

All of this makes Dropbox Passwords great for anyone who isn’t overly familiar with tech, or people who don’t need to store loads of passwords using a complex bit of software.

However, this simplicity means that Dropbox Passwords misses out on some features. You can add passwords or payment cards on this app, but most others include more categories and templates for saving a wider range of data – and some others also allow you to store more information in each listing, including documents and images, and let users add custom fields.

There’s more platform support elsewhere, too. Dropbox Passwords works on Windows and macOS and it’s got iOS and Android apps – and its browser extension functions in Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox. But look elsewhere and you’ll find extensions for a broader range of browsers and apps with Linux support.

Advanced features are absent, too. More import options are commonplace elsewhere, and some free tools even include unlimited cloud storage and optional self-hosting. Dropbox’s password generator allows you to customize the length of your password and opt to use symbols and numbers, but elsewhere you’ll find generators with more versatility, like the option to make passwords pronounceable.

(Image credit: Dropbox)Dropbox Passwords: Security

Dropbox Passwords might lack high-end functionality, but there’s no quibbling with its security credentials. As with the rest of the Dropbox ecosystem, Passwords are protected with 256-bit AES encryption – a rock-solid industry standard.

SSL and TLS is deployed to protect data when it moves between Dropbox apps and the company’s servers, and the app can lock itself after a period of inactivity. Alongside using your passphrase to sign in, Dropbox Passwords can be unlocked with facial or fingerprint recognition and two-factor authentication. Dropbox is also a zero-knowledge provider, meaning no one at the company can access your data.

This is another area where you’ll certainly find more ability elsewhere, especially if you want high-end security options for organizations.

Dropbox Passwords: Support

Because Dropbox Passwords is included in every Dropbox product, the support on offer varies depending on which tier you’re using.

If you use the free Dropbox Basics product you can access live chat and an email form, and Dropbox also offers a Help Centre with a good selection of articles. There’s a forum, too.

Buy the Plus, Family or Professional plans and you get broadly similar options, although your emails are given priority. But if you upgrade to the Standard, Advanced or Enterprise plans, you get phone support too.

Dropbox Passwords: The competition

If you’d like a free password manager without the cloud storage component then you’d be better off with Bitwarden. It’s our current free favorite, and for good reason – it includes unlimited password storage and optional self-hosting, so it’s instantly a more versatile option than Dropbox.

If you want to upgrade to the paid plans then Dropbox looks more compelling, but we’d still recommend people look towards Dashlane or LastPass for pure password management. Both include broader ranges of password-specific features and both are cheaper than a Dropbox package, albeit without Dropbox’s enviable sharing and cloud storage capabilities.

Dropbox Passwords: Final verdict

Indeed, that’s the crux of the situation for Dropbox. As a free password manager, Dropbox is acceptable, especially if you don’t need advanced features. Combine the free product’s decent password management with 2GB of cloud storage and its robust security protocols and you’ve got a good option for anyone who needs fuss-free storage and password management.

Its paid products are better thanks to a market-leading range of cloud storage and sharing features, and all include Dropbox Passwords – although the price does quickly become steep when compared to pure password management software.

If you want a free password manager, then Dropbox Passwords gets the job done. But only spend cash on the paid tiers if you also want its cloud storage features.

We've listed the best password recovery software.

Categories: Reviews

I tried the BitTorrent torrent client - read why it's ideal torrenting client for PCs and smartphones

Wed, 07/30/2025 - 05:21

BitTorrentis the synonymous torrent client of the BitTorrent protocol. This protocol is the world’s largest peer-to-peer file sharing system used by millions. Sharing files over it is known as “torrenting.”

The synonymous torrent client is also the first in its class. It’s the most widely used torrenting app and offers many advanced features. I tested it extensively to help you decide whether it’s a suitable torrenting tool. Read on to learn about its features, pricing, user-friendliness, and other essential criteria.

BitTorrent: Versions

BitTorrent is available on the two most popular desktop operating systems: Windows and macOS. I was also pleased to discover it has an Android app, enabling me to download torrents on my smartphone. It’s incompatible with iOS, like all torrenting apps I’ve tested. Apple doesn’t allow torrenting apps to appear in its App Store.

This app isn’t available for Linux, which I consider a drawback. Though I don’t use a Linux PC, it’s the most popular desktop operating system after macOS and Windows. It would be good if BitTorrent were directly compatible with Linux, but that isn’t the case. Linux users can choose alternatives like qBittorrent and Transmission.

BitTorrent: Pricing

BitTorrent has four variants: Web, Classic, Android, and Remote. Web is available on macOS and Windows, enabling users to stream torrents while downloading.

Classic is the original desktop torrenting app and is only compatible with Windows. It doesn’t support any macOS version later than macOS Catalina 10.15., an outdated version that debuted in 2019.

The Web and Classic variants have the same pricing structure. The free version lets you download torrents conveniently, but you can pay for premium features.

Ad-Free. For $4.95 annually, you can remove all ads from your BitTorrent interface.

Pro. For $19.95 annually, this package is ad-free and includes integrated virus scanning for all downloaded torrents.

Pro + VPN. For $69.95 per year, you can get the enhanced security features of the Pro version plus a CyberGhost VPN subscription. A VPN encrypts your traffic and prevents third-parties from spying on your torrenting activities.

The Android app has a free version that includes ads. For a one-time payment of $3.99, you can remove ads and access battery-saving features.

The Remote BitTorrent app is free to use.

(Image credit: Future)BitTorrent: Features

BitTorrent has advanced features that make downloading torrents easy. It is more sophisticated than most torrenting clients I’ve tested.

Like most torrenting clients, BitTorrent lets you add a torrent file and download the corresponding content. A torrent file contains metadata of the music, movie, software package, or any other content you want to download. When I add a torrent file, BitTorrent reads the metadata and immediately downloads the content.

The BitTorrent Web version let me stream files even while downloading them, a feature many torrenting clients lack.

Torrenting is a peer-to-peer file sharing system that relies on distributed computers connected to a single network. When you download a torrent file on BitTorrent, you automatically become a seeder uploading the same file for other users. This system is what makes files readily available on BitTorrent.

Because of simultaneous downloads and uploads, torrenting clients often cause excessive bandwidth consumption. Fortunately, BitTorrent mitigated this issue by enabling me to set maximum download and upload speeds.

BitTorrent Classic is a sophisticated version that enables bulk downloads. I used it to download many files simultaneously and prioritized bandwidth for specific files over others. This prioritization allowed me to download those files faster than others.

Suppose you want to download dozens of episodes of your favorite movies. BitTorrent Classic is your best choice. You can prioritize specific files, schedule downloads ahead of time, and subscribe to RSS feeds to download new content automatically. The drawback is that BitTorrent Classic is only available on Windows PCs.

I tested the Android app, and it worked similarly to the desktop apps. I used it to download torrents seamlessly on my smartphone. I also tested BitTorrent Remote, which let me control torrenting activities on my PC from a smartphone. With a smartphone, I could pause, start, or stop torrent downloads on my PC.

(Image credit: Future)BitTorrent: Interface and in-use

BitTorrent has a simple interface that I enjoyed using. The Web version runs on my web browser, making it convenient to combine downloads with other torrenting activities. The Classic version runs as a standalone app, which is less convenient but suitable for bulk downloads.

With features neatly placed on the left and the main dashboard on the right, navigating BitTorrent was as simple as it gets. The Web app has a modern, sleek interface that anyone can quickly understand.

The Classic version has a more dated interface but is easy to familiarize with. The Android app has a similar interface to the web app scaled down for a smartphone. BitTorrent scores excellently in the user-friendliness criterion.

BitTorrent: Security

BitTorrent has advanced security features to protect users while torrenting. I liked the integrated virus scanning feature, which checked torrents for malware before downloading them on my PC. Malicious actors often abuse torrents to spread malware on unsuspecting computers, so this feature was critical to keeping me safe online.

I also liked that the Pro + VPN feature is bundled with the advanced CyberGhost VPN. This VPN routes your traffic through a remote server and prevents third-parties, especially internet service providers (ISPs), from spying on your torrenting activities.

If you already have a VPN installed, you can use it to protect yourself online without paying $69.95 annually for the Pro + VPN version.

BitTorrent: Final verdict

BitTorrent is one of the best torrenting clients, with excellent download speeds, enhanced security, and a user-friendly interface. My main complaint is that some key features are locked behind a paywall, but overall, BitTorrent is a stellar client I’ll recommend to everyone.

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I tried the BitTorrent torrent client - read why it's ideal torrenting client for PCs and smartphones

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