TechRadar Reviews

I tested out the Bluetti Elite 300. It's a portable power station that can only be described as a serious step-up from the usual compact power units I've reviewed. Capable of 2,400W output, this is a 3,014Wh power station — the world's smallest 3KWh, according to Bluetti — although don't mistake that for being a lightweight device.

Bluetti Elite 300: Pricing

(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)

In the US, the base unit is priced at $1099, and it's available direct from Bluetti, as well as online retailers like Amazon.com, while it's $1199 at Walmart.

In the UK, it's priced at £1399 from Bluetti, as well as at Amazon.co.uk and B&Q.

Upgrade bundles, such as getting the unit with additional batteries and solar chargers, are also available.

Bluetti Elite 100: Design & size

(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)

• From glovebox to garage

If you’ve used something like the Bluetti Elite 30 V2 Portable Power Station, the Elite 300 feels like it belongs to a completely different category.

The Elite 30 is small enough to throw in a backpack or keep in the boot for casual trips. By contrast, the Elite 300 is a chunky, two-hand carry unit, closer to a piece of site equipment than a travel gadget.

That jump in size brings a massive increase in battery capacity and output, but it fundamentally changes how you use it. Elite 300 can be described as transportable rather than portable, designed for basecamp or van setups

Weight-wise, the Elite 300 is substantial. You’re not hiking with it, but for van life, outdoor setups or keeping in a workshop or garage, it’s perfectly manageable thanks to sturdy handles and a balanced form factor.

Bluetti Elite 300: Build quality & ruggedness

(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)

• Solid, reinforced and built for real-world us

Bluetti has leaned into durability here. The Elite 300 feels solid, reinforced and built for real-world use, whether that’s a muddy campsite, a job site, or being loaded in and out of a van repeatedly.

The casing has that slightly industrial finish Bluetti is known for, with good resistance to knocks and scrapes. It’s not fully “ruggedised” in the military sense, but it inspires confidence in rough environments far more than smaller consumer-grade power banks.

Bluetti Elite 300: Ports & connectivity

(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)

• Practical and well thought-out

Bluetti gets the basics right—and that matters. You get:

• 2 x Standard AC sockets - for appliances and tools or anything needing an AC plug with a combined max output of 2400W
• 2 x DC outputs - for camping gear, fridges, etc. 1 x Car cigarette port and 1 x XT90 port for more oomph.
• 2 x USB-A @ 15W each and 2 x USB-C @ 100W and 140W ports for devices

Crucially, everything is laid out clearly and is easy to access, even in low light or outdoor conditions.

When it comes to getting power into the system, the Bluetti Elite 300 is impressively versatile and very much in line with its “serious kit” positioning.

You get multiple charging methods depending on your setup:

• AC mains input (up to ~2,300–2,400W) – the fastest option, taking the unit to full in around 1.6 hours, which is exceptionally quick for a battery of this size.
• Solar input (up to ~1,200W) – ideal for off-grid use, letting you recharge fully in a few hours with a decent panel setup.
• Hybrid AC + solar charging – combines both for even faster top-ups when you’re at basecamp.
• 12V / 24V car charging – slower, but useful for topping up on the move during long drives.

Bluetti hasn’t just focused on output power—the Elite 300 is designed to refill quickly and flexibly, whether you’re at home, on-site, or completely off-grid.

Bluetti Elite 300: App controlBluetti // FutureBluetti // FutureBluetti // Future

• A standout feature

Bluetti’s app is one of the better ones in this category. It allows:

• Remote monitoring
• Power usage tracking
• Turning outputs on/off
• System diagnostics

It adds a layer of smart control that makes the Elite 300 feel more like a modern energy system than just a big battery.

Bluetti Elite 300: Final thoughts

(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)

The Bluetti Elite 300 isn’t just a bigger power bank—it’s a mobile power solution. Compared to smaller power stations, it opens up entirely new possibilities: cooking proper meals, running tools, and living comfortably off-grid.

The portable power station is a serious step up from compact portable units, blending near home-backup capability with enough portability to remain genuinely useful in the field.

If you just need to charge phones and laptops, something like the Elite 30 remains the smarter pick. But if you want something that can genuinely replace mains power in the field, the Elite 300 is in a completely different league.

(Image credit: Bluetti // Future)

For more models, see our guide to the best portable power stations we've tested.

Sonos Play: two-minute review

The Sonos Play is one of the few products I've tested recently that really converted me to its cause over time. It's a product that Sonos pitches as a home speaker that's also portable — the one speaker you can use everywhere.

I started off thinking that the Sonos Play was struggling for value, because it's more expensive than Sonos' small purely home speaker, the Sonos Era 100, but doesn't sound quite as good. And it costs a lot more than most of the best Bluetooth speaker options, such as the excellent JBL Charge 6.

But over time, I realized that the Sonos Play excels in subtlety. Despite Sonos' claim, I don't think of it as a home speaker first and a portable speaker second. I see it as a portable speaker that's good enough to justify a place out on your furniture all the time, rather than being relegated to a drawer when you're not using it. And as a result, I started using it as both a home speaker for the room its in, and I started grabbing it to take with me to other rooms simply because I could, and it sounds good.

The charging cradle is vital to this. With no cable to fiddle with, you can just grab the Sonos Play and go without pausing your stride. It lasts for ages once it's away from the cradle (24 hours, and it turns itself off when not in use to keep going over days), so you don't need to be precious about returning it for a charge. It's solidly waterproof so you can use it anywhere without fear — It's a great shower karaoke companion.

And the Sonos Play does sound good — better than most portable speakers of its size. It's really well-rounded, with solid mids, clear treble and plenty of bass. It lacks some dynamic edge (though improves as the volume goes louder), but is still a really enjoyable listen.

It's become my speaker buddy — the one I'm using most, because it's so versatile. It's ready to go anywhere, to play in the house on Wi-Fi or out of the house on Bluetooth. You can achieve everything it does from other speakers, and arguably in a way that's better value — but not with this efficiency.

Sonos said it wanted to make a speaker that could be the one you need — powerful enough to fill nearly any room, and easily portable to take to nearly any room — and I think it nailed it.

(Image credit: Future)Sonos Play review: price and availability

• Released on March 31st, 2026
• $299 / £299 / AU$499

The Sonos Play's $299 / £299 / AU$499 price is a fine balance. When it comes to Sonos' portable speakers, it sits neatly between the Sonos Roam 2's $179 / £179 / AU$239 and the Sonos Move 2's $449 / £449 / AU$799.

When it comes to Sonos' home speakers, it sits neatly between the $219 / £199 / AU$289 price of the Sonos Era 100, and the $449 / £449 / AU$749 price of the Era 300.

The difference, of course, is that the Play's performance sits correctly between the two portable speakers, while it doesn't perform any better than the Era 100 — what you get instead is a smaller design and a battery.

There are tons of competing speakers at this size, but few that offer the combination of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and battery portability. Portable competition includes the Bluetooth-only Marshall Middleton II, which is similar in price at $329.99 / £259 / AU$499, or the JBL Charge 5, which costs $199 / £169 / AU$229.

On the non-portable side, there's the JBL Authentics 200, which is $349 / £299 / AU$449 officially (but can be found for a lot less these days) or the BlueSound Pulse Flex for around $349 / £279.

(Image credit: Future)Sonos Play review: specs

Speaker drivers

2x tweeters, 1x midwoofer, 2x passive bass radiators

Amplification

3x Class H

Dimensions

4.4 x 7.6 x 3 inches / 113 x 192 x 77mm

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C (3.5mm line-in and Ethernet via adapter)

Streaming support

Sonos app, Apple AirPlay 2

Other features

Sonos multi-room control, Sonos home theater option, stereo pair option, 24-hour battery life, Automatic Trueplay, Amazon Alexa support, audio sharing over Bluetooth, IP67 waterproofing

(Image credit: Future)Sonos Play review: features

• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C line-in connectivity, 24-hour battery life
• Charging cradle included, but no power adapter
• Stereo pairing option, or share over Bluetooth with other Sonos speakers even when not on Wi-Fi

The Sonos Play is the company's most versatile speaker to date. It works as a normal Sonos home speaker, complete with Wi-Fi connectivity and support for Sonos' network and app, which support Hi-Res Audio playback from compatible services. You can play to it directly over Apple AirPlay 2 or Sonos Connect as well.

There's also Bluetooth support to play from any other device, and the USB-C port on the back can be connected to an adapter to offer a line-in port for a turntable or other audio source, which then becomes available to all your other Sonos speakers on the network.

Sonos also has a new feature that enables you to group portable Sonos speakers when you're out of the house, so you connect to one of them over Bluetooth, and the sound is shared with the other speakers. There's no Auracast support, though.

The speaker setup consists of two angled tweeters facing slightly left and right, a single midwoofer facing forward, and then two force-opposed bass radiators on the left and right.

You can use a Sonos Play on its own, or you can put two into a stereo pair. You can also use a pair as rear speakers in a Sonos home theater setup.

But it also has a built-in battery, which can last up for up to 24 hours, and the speaker can still play over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth when it's running from battery power alone. The Sonos Play comes with a little battery charging cradle, which you just slot it onto to charge, and you can grab it straight off at a moment's notice without fiddling to unplug.

It's a small thing, but I think it makes a difference to its perceived versatility compared to it being plugged in to charge — I'll dig into that more in the Design section.

Be warned, though, that the cable just has a USB-C connector on the end, and no plug to connect to an outlet. Any USB-C port with 20W of charging power should work, so it could be connected to a device like a computer, or to a power adapter.

The Sonos Play can also be charged using its USB-C port, so you don't need the cable if you take it away for a weekend. You can also charge another device from the USB-C port, if you like, so it can work as a power bank for your phone.

The exact battery figure you get will depend on how you use it (Wi-Fi is more battery-consuming than Bluetooth), but I think Sonos' estimate is about right. I took it off its cradle for three days, using the speaker on Wi-Fi by my desk while I worked during the day for intermittent periods, without charging it at all. At the end of that time, it had 21% battery left.

You can get better battery life from the Marshall Middleton II (30 hours), but only over Bluetooth, not Wi-Fi. I think Sonos has found a good balance of longevity compared to size here.

The one thing about portable use that annoyed me a little was that it turns itself off a little faster than I would like, despite me making sure that the option in the settings to turn off faster to preserve battery life was off. To turn it back on, you need to use the on-off button on the back, and it takes a moment — I'd much prefer a button on top to make this feel less like a hassle.

(Image credit: Future)

There can also be times when the flexibility of the speaker conflicts with itself. For example, I put my two units into a stereo pair to test the sound, planning to live with the setup for a few days. But once they're in a pair, the Sonos app (and AirPlay) only want to treat them as a pair, meaning that the idea of grabbing one to take into another room on a whim no longer works. Take them both, or don't bother.

I ended up doing a more intensive stereo audio test, and then switching them back to individual speakers because I was enjoying them more in their most flexible form.

I'll finish this section by touching briefly on the Sonos app. It remains one of the best when it comes to streaming service support, and I've had no problems when it comes to reliability testing either these speakers, or with my current Sonos soundbar/home theater setups.

Setting the speakers up was absolutely seamless, and it was then easy to activate Automatic TruePlay tuning, in which the Sonos Play speaker listens to its own sound output and adjust the sound to better fit the space it's placed in.

The Sonos app can be a bit slow to load new music or screens, though, and there are some design issues that seem needlessly confusing. Sonos CEO Tom Conrad identified some that he plans to fix in an interview with me ahead of the launch of the speakers, though my own gripes are that it's silly that if you tap the cog icon in the top corner to be taken to the Settings screen, the cog icon stays in the corner, meaning it's possible to open the app, tap that because you want to go to the Settings screen, and nothing happens because you don't realize you're already in part of the Settings screen.

I also hate Sonos' design for its on/off switches. They go from black with a white dot, to white with a black dot, depending on whether they're on or off. But which is on and which is off? It's a terrible piece of user communication, you have to play to figure it out. (Black with a white dot is on.)

Now, a lot of other streaming device apps are equally flawed — some have better interfaces, but worse streaming support, for example — so at this point I find the app far from a dealbreaker, but I'm looking forward to seeing it get better. I actually nearly always use AirPlay for playing music anyway, so after setup, I don't interact with it much.

For those who don't want to use an app at all, the Sonos Play support Amazon Alexa and Sonos Voice Control options — but its mic can also be disabled using a switch on the back (which also disables Automatic TruePlay, since it fully disconnects the mic from the system).

• Features score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future)Sonos Play review: sound quality

• Bass is powerful, but a little heavy handed
• Very well-rounded sound, but best with the volume over 40%
• About as good as speakers of this size sound

The Sonos Play sits in a slightly odd position when it comes to judging its sound quality, because it's a hybrid home and portable speaker. I'm going to mostly judge it based on comparisons with other portable speakers, rather than home speakers, because the design constraints of being portable affect what sound quality you can reasonably expect from it — but I will also compare it to the Sonos Era 100.

As is standard from Sonos, there's a really well-rounded sound with a fair amount of heft across the whole frequency range. The thing that immediately jumps out is the amount of bass depth there is for something pretty small, thanks to its dual passive radiators.

Much like the Era 100, the bass is controlled a little more loosely — a little more heavy-handedly — than I'd like. As with a lot of passive radiator-based speakers, it can feel boomy depending on what surface you place it on, too, but that's situational. It's a trade off in exchange for the punch it provides, and I'm quite happy with it on balance.

The second thing that jumps out is the overall power, which the bass only helps emphasize. This speaker can fill any room in my house without coming close to breaking a sweat or over-stretching itself — in fact, as I'll come back to, it's at its best once you dial up to a certain volume.

The two angled tweeters serve up high frequencies that sound clear and well elevated out of the rest of the mix, with this likely aided by the use of two angled tweeters pointing left and right.

Sonos has also claimed that this set enables stereo sound from a single speaker, but this is, alas, a fantasy. Firing up Crooked by Smilk, the opening of which is basically ‘Now That’s What I Call Stereo Imaging’, reveals only the most minimal stereo effect even from a song that really push separation to the max.

The mid-range is able to find a good amount of detail and solidity in different elements, so that even complex mixes still feel like that have all their constituent parts, rather than getting mushed together in the way that some portable speakers are prone to.

The mid-range and treble are both relatively tame and a little softer on dynamic attack than larger and more expensive portable speakers, or non-portable home speakers. That's a compromise here compared to the Sonos Era 100, for sure — that speaker just has the extra edge in enough areas of sound reproduction to feel like a slightly more robust, more gripping, more revealing listen.

(Image credit: Future)

However, compared to the JBL Charge 6, the Sonos Play is a significant step up in the overall reproduction of a song, with the mid-range the clear area of difference. On the JBL Charge 6, it's simple way too thin, lacking in expression, presence within the sound balance, and really limited in range — in particular, the Charge 6 really struggles to ramp from mid-range down through to bass, compared to the Sonos Play.

Young Blood by The Naked & Famous relies on a foundation of lower-mid synth in its verses, and without this, the song is unbalanced. The JBL Charge 6 just doesn't have this balance in its register, but the Sonos Play is able to add the weight.

The Charge 6 also has less deep bass reach than the Sonos Play — it handles its bass well, but there's just less lower-frequency grunt going on.

I should note here that we have highly rated the JBL Charge 6 for its sound reproduction compared to other portable speakers — this is just what spending the extra on the Sonos Play gets you.

That said, the JBL Charge 6 has a slightly more dynamic treble than the Play, though, with a little better handling of transients (ie, handling the sudden start of a sound) that make it feel more detail-rich. I still prefer the Sonos Play overall, for sure.

However, I mentioned above that going above a certain volume opens things up for the Sonos Play. Pushing past the 40% mark leaves the bass working in the same way that it was before, but suddenly the upper-mids and treble get a boost — a subtle but clear change in profile when ticking up.

This adds to the expansiveness of the sound, and where certain songs that should be thrilling could feel tame at times at lower volumes, they all really wake up past 40%. The Sonos Era 300 had this trait as well, when I tested it.

The only question is whether you want the Sonos Play that loud all the time — in my bedroom, 25% was the volume where I mostly wanted to use it, for example. But again, I still think the sound is very good for a portable speaker even at the lower volumes. It's just that when you can let it off its leash, it improves further.

(Image credit: Future)

Speaking of letting it off its leash, I also tried the sound in a stereo pair. As is often the case, it gives the speakers room to do a little more by sharing the burden, and in particular I noticed that the bass felt like it was able to be a little more controlled at the same level of power, but the mids came across weightier, again improving on the lower-mids particularly.

I don't think it opened up more detail in the treble or anything like that, but two of these are really good at filling even a large room with well-rounded, well-dispersed sound, without pushing themselves hard in a way that can affect the sound quality. You'd rarely need to push them even as far as the 40% volume mark — a pair of Plays is such a powerful system consider how small they are.

For my last sound comparison, I broke out the Sonos Roam 2. This comparison actually made the Sonos Roam 2 look impressive, because it's remarkable how close its sound signature comes to the Play. But the Play's audio is much bigger, much deeper, and more refined in all areas.

• Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future)Sonos Play review: design

• Home-friendly design, but still IP67-rated and drop-proof
• Great size, weight and charging design to grab quickly
• Buttons aren’t as clear as they could be

The design of the Sonos Play sits very much in line with other Sonos speakers. It has a hard dotted grille like most of its designs, with a rubbery top and bottom, like the Sonos Roam 2. The rubberized portion has a hefty lip at the top where it overlaps with the hard grille, and this makes me thing more of older Sonos speakers (like the Sonos One) than the Era 100, in a fond way.

I like the size of the Sonos Play a lot. I can grab it easily in one hand from the side, thanks in part to a smart concave groove on the back that's also rubberized, giving you a little grip aid.

It's weighty, but not too heavy to happily grab and carry around. It's about a third heavier than the JBL Charge 6, but is nearly a third lighter than the Marshall Middleton II, so finds itself in a good balance.

It has a flexible hook on the top of the back, which can use to carry it around or to hang on a bathroom door or something. This feels nice and sturdy.

It's IP67-rated, so should be able to handle all but the worst of water-related accidents. It should be able to handle complete immersion for a short time, so it's no risk for baths or for pool parties.

The charging cable is a little oval of plastic with a lip, and there's not much to it, but it holds on surfaces well enough when you're removing or replacing the speaker, and the charging points always line up perfectly.

I really think Sonos has nailed it with the core physical design here, and not just in a physical sense. Yes, it's durable, it's got a hook, and perhaps most importantly it looks nice — you'll happily have this thing out on a shelf, whereas a lot of people would choose to hide the JBL Charge 6 in a drawer.

But the design also make a different to my mentality, I've found. It's about how its size, weight and charging cradle lodge into my mind that this is a speaker that I not only can grab to take with me for a music blast, but that I should grab because it's so easy. There's no downside.

(Image credit: Future)

The Sonos Move 2 has an identical setup — durable, powerful, portable, easy charging cradle — but it's too large and heavy. You have to reach around to carry it from the back using its carry handle. If I'm taking that anywhere else, it's because I'm committing to being there for a while. I plan ahead.

And I have small portable speakers already in my house (shout out to by beloved B&O A1) that I could grab and take anywhere with me easily — but they're stored in a drawer upstairs, because I don't have them out most of the time.

But the Sonos Play has become my new kitchen speaker, so it's always out on the side, ready to grab. And it's so grabbable because it's about the thickness of a drink can, and I don't need to fiddle to unplug it because it uses a charging cradle, so I can just swipe it one-handed as I walk past. And it's already turned on and ready to play, assuming it's not already playing, because it's the main speaker in that room.

These are small, subtle design elements that add up to me feeling quite differently about the Sonos Play than almost any other speaker I've had, from the many Wi-Fi options to many portable Bluetooth speakers. As the weather where I am improves, the Sonos Play has quickly become my buddy that I take with me more; I grab the one from my kitchen to take outdoors when I sit out there, and I grab the one from my bedroom to take to the bathroom to blast tunes while I shave.

(Image credit: Future)

There must be a 'however', though, and it's the controls. I already mentioned that the on/off button is on the back, and while it's large and easy to find, I would prefer that you could get it to turn back on just by pressing something on top.

But the top buttons are also annoyingly disguised. They're distinguished only by symbols, not any kind of actual raised button element. And 'distinguished' is far too strong a word, because they're the same color and matte material as the rest of the top, so they're genuinely hard to see in some lighting conditions.

They also don't feel super distinct under the fingers. You get used to it, because you've only got four controls — volume down, play/pause (which also skips tracks with a multi-press), volume up, and voice assistant activation — but they just seem unnecessarily disguised.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future)Sonos Play review: value

• It's pricey for a portable speaker…
• But few things are as versatile for the same cost
• It's priced in line with competitors at the same audio level

The Sonos Play is not cheap. For only a little more than the Sonos Play, you can get both a Sonos Era 100 SL and the JBL Charge 6, providing you with the core versatility of the Sonos Play — a powerful home speaker and robust portable speaker. But that's two devices, and part of the draw here is one device that can do both — simpler and more efficient.

But the price is also right in line with other powerful speakers at a similar level of audio quality, like the Marshall Middleton II — and it does things the Marshall doesn't. The JBL Charge 6 is a five-star portable speaker that's nearly half the price, so if the portable side is your priority, it makes sense to get that and save so much money… but the Sonos does sound better, offers more versatility, and looks way nicer to have as a home speaker.

When I look at other options at the same price, is anything ticking as many boxes as the Play? Pricey, yes, but more than justified. I'm not sure I'd buy a stereo pair over other wireless options you can get for $600 / £600 though, such as the Kanto Ren, since you lose some of the versatility in a pair.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Sonos Play?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

Tons of connection options, great streaming support, nice charging cradle — some won't like that it lacks a plug in the box, though.

4.5 / 5

Sound quality

A bigger, more well-rounded sound than most portable speakers of this size can deliver. Not the most detailed, and the bass is a tad heavy-handed.

4.5 / 5

Design

Supremely well thought-out, from its grab-able size and weight to its durability and charging cradle. Only the subtle buttons are a bit annoying.

4.5 / 5

Value

It's not cheap, but nothing else offers so much versatility for the price.

4 / 5

Buy it if…

You want one speaker to do it all
It's a room-filling living room speaker, then you grab it to be a bathroom speaker without breaking your stride. It's part of a multi-room system, then it's a Bluetooth speaker out in the country.

You want durability that also looks good
The IP67 rating means it can survive most things that normal use will throw at it — but it still looks good enough to satisfy aesthetes.

You want a big, well-balanced sound from a small speaker
It's a speaker that's capable of filling just about any room without pushing its audio hard, and yet also has a very small footprint.View Deal

Don’t buy it if…

You want real high fidelity
As good as the sound is for a portable speaker, there are compromises, and dynamics and detail are weaker than pure home speakers at the same price can deliver.

You want a really light portable speaker
I think Sonos has hit a good balance with the 1.3kg weight here, but if you're thinking you'll want to take it away in a bag a lot, you may want something lighter.

Sonos Play review: also consider

Sonos Play

Sonos Era 100

Marshall Middleton II

Price

$199 / £199 / AU$499

$219 / £199 / AU$289

$329 / £259 / AU$499

Speaker drivers

2x tweeters, 1x midwoofer, 2x passive bass radiators

2x tweeters, 1x midwoofer

2x woofers; 2x tweeters

Amplification

2x Class H amp3

3x Class D amps

60W Class D amplification

Dimensions

4.4 x 7.6 x 3 inches / 113 x 192 x 77mm

4.72 x 7.18 x 5.14 inches / 120 x 183 x 131mm

9.1 x 4.3 x 3.9 inches / 230 x 110 x 98mm

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C (3.5mm line-in and Ethernet via adapter)

Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C (3.5mm line-in and Ethernet via adapter)

Bluetooth 5.3, aux-in

Streaming support

Sonos app, Apple AirPlay 2

Sonos app, Apple AirPlay 2

N/A

Other features

Sonos multi-room control, Sonos home theater option, stereo pair option, 24-hour battery life, Automatic Trueplay, Amazon Alexa support, audio sharing over Bluetooth, IP67 waterproofing

Sonos multi-room control, Sonos home theater option, stereo pair option

IP67 waterproofing, 30-hour battery life

Sonos Era 100
If you want something with the same audio connectivity as the Sonos Play, and that sounds a little better, and is cheaper, then the Era 100 is ideal — and the Era 100 SL that's even cheaper is also an option. But you won't get the portability and waterproofing, it's not quite as versatile. Here's our full Sonos Era 100 review.

Marshall Middleton II
An alternative to the Sonos Play that's in the same kind of 'Still portable, but hefty and big-sounding' bracket. There's no Wi-Fi here, but you might find some very tempting discounts on it. Here's our full Marshall Middleton II review.

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the Sonos Play

• Tested over three weeks at home
• Compared with other Sonos speakers, and options from other brands

I had two Sonos Play units at home to test, over the course of three weeks. They were updated with the same software that the products will launch with, including all the various features.

I tested over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and using the Sonos app and Apple AirPlay 2. I mainly listened to music on Apple Music.

I've been reviewing speakers for 15 years, and I test audio products of all kinds, from Bluetooth speakers to floorstanding passive speakers.

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

DJI Avata 360: one-minute review

Antigravity launched the world's first 360 camera drone in 2025, but now drone market-leader DJI has arrived with its own spin on the concept – and it's a quite different beast from the somewhat pedestrian Antigravity A1.

The clue's in the name: the DJI Avata 360 is not only a 360 drone but also an Avata drone — the latest model in DJI's line of sporty FPV flyers. If the A1 is a Fiat 500 (tiny, eye-catching, innovative, but not especially nippy), the Avata 360 is a VW Golf GTI – unassuming at first glance and much heavier, but faster, more responsive and more practical, yet (and here's where my automobile analogy breaks down) somehow cheaper too.

The Avata 360 looks a lot like the DJI Avata 2, or perhaps a larger DJI Neo 2, albeit with one obvious difference: its front-mounted camera has two lenses rather than one. Arranged on opposite faces of the gimbal, these record everything surrounding the drone (while using software to seamlessly unify the footage and remove any trace of the drone itself), allowing the user to re-frame footage in post-production using DJI's mobile or desktop apps.

The Fly More Combo bundles each include a sturdy fold-out landing pad — vital for touching down and taking off on long grass or uneven terrain (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

I'll get more into how the 360 editing works in the full review below, but for now I'll just say that anyone who's used 360 cameras in the past will have little trouble creating some very impressive clips with this aerial version.

Where the Avata 360 differs from (and beats, in my view) the A1 is that, firstly, it offers a choice to fly it using a traditional twin-stick controller or the goggles-and-motion-controller FPV method. The A1 only supports the latter, and that means I need to bring a buddy along to act as spotter every time I fly it. If I'm on my own, I can't use the A1 at all (not legally, anyway), whereas I have the option to fly the Avata 360 using a RC 2 controller — no spotter required.

And in FPV mode I simply found the Avata 360 more enjoyable to fly than the A1: the design means it's faster, more agile and more responsive, even in high coastal winds, and switching it to single-camera mode (which uses one front-facing camera instead of the 360 setup, and records 4K 60fps footage) almost transforms it into an Avata 2.

Overall, the DJI Avata 360 feels like a more well-rounded (no pun intended) and flexible 360 drone than the A1, and at a more affordable price to boot.

DJI Avata 360: price and release date

• Launched on March 26 2026
• Significantly cheaper than the Antigravity A1 360 drone
• Available in four kits, including two Fly More Combos

Future | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam Kieldsen

DJI launched the Avata 360 on March 26 2026, with four different packages available. If you already own some form of compatible controller, you can buy the drone and a single battery for just £409 / AU$799. Packaged with DJI's excellent RC 2 touchscreen and twin-stick controller, it's £639 / AU$1,159.

Note: I haven't included US dollar pricing here, and you may have guessed the reason; DJI's troubles in the US are well documented elsewhere on TechRadar. Suffice to say this drone will not be officially launching in the States, which is a great shame.

There are also two Fly More Combo bundles, both priced at £829 / AU$1,619, each of which includes a nice bunch of extras. Both include the drone, three batteries, a charging cradle (able to recharge all three batteries simultaneously, with support for 100W and 65W fast charging), a set of spare propellers, a folding take-off and landing pad (very useful when launching from tricky terrain or long grass, and something I've not seen included in a Fly More Combo before), and a sturdy, sectioned sling bag to keep everything in. But one of the Fly More Combos includes the RC 2 controller, and the other the DJI Goggles N3 and RC Motion 3. So you're immediately set up for either standard or FPV flight.

This is a really affordable drone, especially when compared to the competition. Even with recent discounts, the Antigravity A1 Standard Combo (which includes the drone plus Vision goggles, a Grip controller, drone carry case and an extra set of propellers) costs over £1,000.

• Price score: 5/5

DJI Avata 360: specsAntigravity A1 specs

Camera:

2 x 64MP 1/1.1-inch square CMOS sensors

Video resolution:

8K, 6K, 4K

Frame rates:

60, 50, 48, 30, 25, 24fps

Flight modes:

Cine, Normal, Sport

Storage:

42GB internal, microSD card slot

Battery:

2700mAh, up to 22 minutes flight time

Charger type:

USB-C / Battery Charging Hub

Weight:

455g / 16oz (approx.)

Dimensions:

246 x 199 x 55.5mm / 9.7 x 7.8 x 2.2 inches

DJI Avata 360: Design and build quality

• Flat, non-folding design
• Labelled UK1 / C1 class, weighing around 455g
• Choice between RC 2 or Goggles/RC Motion 3 control

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

Rather than a folding design, DJI has opted for the same flat quadcopter shape it's recently used for the Avata 2, Neo and Neo 2. This means it's ready to go in moments (just pull off the included camera cover, if you're using it, and double tap the power button) and also that there are built-in prop guards to help protect the propellers from damage during collisions.

The Avata 360 isn't a super-lightweight drone; DJI claims it's around 455g, but my digital scales showed it to weigh 469g – well over the old sub-250g legal sweet spot. However, thanks to recent changes to UK law, this is no longer the issue it once was. This is the first drone I've seen that's labelled 'UK1' class, meaning that under new CAA guidelines it can be flown over uninvolved people (but not crowds) and closer than 50m to people horizontally. It can also be flown in residential, recreational, commercial and industrial areas. So, that's a good thing – it means I didn't have to venture to the middle of nowhere to test it properly.

It also means DJI hasn't had to make build-quality compromises to hit that magical sub-250g weight. The Avata 360 feels solid, sturdy, and likely to survive minor collisions without catastrophic damage, which isn't something I would say about the dainty, sub-250g Antigravity A1.

The DJI Goggles N3 are included in one of the Avata 360 Fly More Combos, alongside an RC Motion 3 controller.Future | Sam KieldsenThe RC Motion 3 controller, designed for FPV flight.Future | Sam KieldsenThe RC 2 standard controller.Future | Sam KieldsenThe Avata 360 is a class UK1 drone (or C1 in the EU), so it can be flown almost anywhere.Future | Sam Kieldsen

With no extended landing gear or feet, the drone doesn't have much clearance from the ground when landing or taking off, so it's important to launch and land on a flat, even surface in order to avoid potential damage. I found the folding orange landing pad including with the Fly More Combos very useful during testing, as landing even on short grass could cause issues.

The Avata 360 has a USB-C port on its side for file transfer and direct recharging, alongside a microSD slot for adding extra storage. That's optional, though, because there's a reasonable 42GB of internal storage built-in. Batteries slot straight into the back and come with the customary four-LED indicator to provide at-a-glance info on remaining power.

Control-wise, you have the choice between using a standard stick controller or a set of FPV goggles and a motion controller. In testing, I used the DJI RC 2 (it's also compatible with the RC-N2 and RC-N3, according to DJI) as my standard controller, and the DJI Goggles N3 paired with a DJI RC Motion 3 (you could also use the Goggles 3 or FPV Remote Controller 3) as my FPV setup, and found both to be excellent – they're sturdily built and comfortable to use. The Goggles N3 don't have a fancy exterior display like Antigravity's do, but on the plus side I can wear them with my glasses on, which I couldn't do on the Antigravity Goggles.

Finally, DJI has designed the Avata 360's camera lenses to be user-replaceable, should they get scratched, during flight or otherwise. The lenses do protrude a little, which does make them more susceptible to contact than most drone cameras, so this feels like a good move from the company.

• Design score: 5/5

DJI Avata 360: Features and flight performance

• Omnidirectional vision system with front-facing LiDAR and down-facing infrared sensors
• 18m/s maximum speed and Level 5 wind resistance
• Up to 22 minutes of flight time per battery

Like most DJI drones, the Avata 360 is an assured and safety-conscious flyer. It comes with full omnidirectional obstacle avoidance, using a combination of vision, LiDAR and infrared sensors to spot hazards in all directions, plus a reliable return-to-home mode and respectable battery life of up to 22 minutes' flight time (I would put the real-world use closer to 15 minutes, based on my testing, but much will depend on environmental factors – your mileage may vary, as they say).

In the air, it's a nimbler and nippier drone than the Antigravity A1. I found it performed very responsively even in windy conditions, and in Sport Mode (which disables the safety sensors), it's capable of hitting speeds of up to 18m/s (around 40mph). The low-latency O4+ video transmission system is remarkably stable, which helps keep the drone under control at all times. While testing, I never experienced a single loss of signal or even a noticeable reduction in the live-view quality.

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

As mentioned, at launch there are two ways to fly the Avata 360: using a standard twin-stick controller or with an FPV headset and motion controller. I love the fact that DJI has given buyers a choice — which for me is one of the main advantages this drone has over its competitor the Antigravity A1, which only offers goggles- and motion controller-based flight. With the Avata 360, a twin-stick controller is perfect for solo trips, as it doesn't require a spotter and the controls are identical to those of standard camera drones like the DJI Mini 5 Pro or Air 3S. It's easy to pick up and fly immediately, with no need to master the intricacies of motion controllers or strap on a set of goggles.

• Flight performance score: 5/5

DJI Avata 360: Image and video quality

• Paired 1/1.1-inch sensors offer up to 8K 60fps videos and 120MP photos
• Single-camera mode also available for traditional FPV video capture
• 10-bit video and flat D-log M color profile supported

The Avata 360 is equipped with two 1/1.1-inch sensors paired with ultra-wide lenses, which work in tandem to capture everything around it in up to 8K resolution at 60fps. That beats the Antigravity on specs alone (it captures 8K, but only up to 30fps), but the larger sensor size and higher bitrate also make the general image quality higher.

With support for 10-bit video and the flat D-log M color profile, this means the Avata 360 offers excellent video for a 360 drone. It won't trouble the DJI Air 3S or DJI Mavic 4 Pro when it comes to real pro-quality aerial footage, but the Avata 360 can really hold its own in terms of detail and dynamic range.

Once you've captured your 360 footage, it can be reframed using one of DJI's apps. I edited videos on both the DJI Fly mobile app and the DJI Studio desktop app, and both work well and in much the same way. You can choose your desired viewpoint, then save it as a keyframe, and the app will automatically, and smoothly, transition from one keyframe to the next. You can then export the video, with 8K 360 recording resulting in final videos of up to 4K resolution.

For those who don't want to reframe, there's single-lens mode. This records 4K 60fps footage using only a single forward-facing lens, which is delivered as a standard 'flat' video that can't be reframed after the fact. It's akin to recording a video on any of DJI's other camera drones, really — what you see is what you get.

It's also possible to snap 120MP panoramic 360 photos, which can then be edited into short videos or cropped and reframed much like a 360 video. I personally rarely felt the need to take a still shot while reviewing, as video is where the Avata 360 really shines in my opinion, but the feature is there should you need it.

Overall, I'm highly impressed by the Avata 360's camera performance. The base quality is higher than that of its only true rival, the Antigravity A1, and its 360 editing is just as good.

• Image and video quality score: 5/5

DJI Avata 360: testing scorecardDJI Mini 5 Pro

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Price

Cheaper than rivals, and excellent value for its specs and features

5/5

Design

A sturdy drone with user-replaceable lenses

5/5

Performance

Packed with safety features and great in the air

5/5

Image and video quality

Superior to the Antigravity A1, and excellent all-round

5/5

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

You want the best 360 drone
The Avata 360 beats the Antigravity A1 in every area barring size – and even that's not a major issue given the Avata's UK1 / C1 rating.

You want a flexible, versatile drone
The Avata 360 is both a 360 drone and an FPV drone, and very capable in both roles. It can also be flown using a standard controller, giving you more options.

Don't buy it if...

You want the simplest drone around
360 footage needs to be edited in post-production, and while this isn't a particularly tricky task to master, it does add an extra layer of complexity.

You'd like the best image quality
While the Avata 360's camera is very capable, I'd say DJI's Mini 5 Pro, Air 3S and Mavic 4 Pro all offer superior image quality.

DJI Avata 360: also consider

Antigravity A1

This ground-breaking 360 drone has some issues: it's prohibitively expensive, and can be flown only via a motion controller and goggles which, while undoubtedly immersive, requires you to bring a spotter at all times. It's not as zippy or thrilling as flying an FPV drone, and the Avata 360 has it beat for fun, but its 8K 360 video is impressive and the drone's small folding design makes it slightly more travel-friendly than its DJI rival.

Read our in-depth Antigravity A1 reviewView Deal

DJI Avata 2

If you're not bothered about 360 footage, the DJI Avata 2 offers a welcome balance between the forgiving, beginner-friendly flight of a regular camera drone and the adrenaline-inducing controls of a traditional FPV drone. It'll zip through gaps and skim across terrain to give you exciting shots, but won't plummet into the ground at the slightest mistake. FPV purists might scoff, but the rest of us will be having a blast.

Read our in-depth DJI Avata 2 reviewView Deal

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)How I tested the DJI Avata 360

• All flight modes and control methods tested
• Photos and videos captured
• Tracking and safety features tested

DJI sent me an Avata 360 a couple of weeks before its official launch, along with an RC 2 controller, an RC Motion 3 grip controller and a Goggles N3 headset. That meant I had the time to fly it in a range of locations and using both a traditional controller and an FPV setup. I did test the drone in some windy conditions at times, but in general flew it in fine weather and good light — aside from the very foggy day you see in one of the sample videos above.

I flew in every available flight mode for both twin-stick and FPV motion flying, tested the drone's subject-tracking capabilities and how capable it was of detecting and avoiding obstacles.

Once I had recorded footage and captured still photos, I later transferred it from the drone's internal storage to my iPhone and computer for editing and reframing, for which I used the DJI Mimo and DJI Studio apps. I also exported reframed footage from DJI Studio to further tweak in DaVinci Resolve Studio, resulting in the sample videos and photos you see above.

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

Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park has arrived, and aims to bring enhanced graphics, improved multiplayer functionality, and even more surreal levels to the table.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: March 26, 2026

I’ve spent more than 25 hours playing through the game, during which time I collected every Wonder Seed, completed the new Bellabel Park content, and took on other journalists in competitive multiplayer minigames.

But after all of this, do I think that this Nintendo Switch 2 edition is worth picking up? And should existing Super Mario Bros. Wonder owners consider upgrading? I’ll reveal my thoughts down below.

We’re coming for you, Koopalings

(Image credit: Nintendo)

I want to kick things off by looking at the new stuff — a lot of which is centered around a new area, named Bellabel Park. In this garden-like playground, you can play minigames, take on brand new bosses, or decorate the park. And there’s quite a bit of fun to be had here overall.

First, let’s tackle the new levels, which focus on the dastardly Koopalings. That’s right, Bowser’s minions are back, and they’ve stolen the coveted Bellabel Flowers. In order to reclaim them, you’ll need to venture all across the Flower Kingdom and enlist the help of Captain Toad and his Brigade along the way.

Now, this approach may keep new content evenly spread out, but in reality, it’s never particularly hard to find the Koopalings. You’ll easily encounter Captain Toad tents as you progress through the story, which you can approach to instantly battle it out against the likes of Wendy, Iggy, and Ludwig. But anyway, are these boss fights actually any good?

Well, in my view, yes, they are. Each Koopaling will assume a Wonder Form, and these all impressed me with their creativity. For instance, Wendy becomes almost like a Cheep Cheep, while Morton turns into a puppet-like creature, controlled by a malevolent pair of Lakitu (Lakitus? Lakitii?). These battles are engaging and bursting with imagination, although I certainly found them to be on the easy side — I don’t think I lost a single life to any Koopaling.

Best bit

(Image credit: Nintendo)

I absolutely adored the musical levels, like Piranha Plants on Parade and Ninji Jump Party. Bounding to the beat was seriously joy-inducing, and watching these characters jive along to the beat was magical.

Still, the charismatic designs of each boss, and figuring out how to take them down was entertaining, and I expect that most fans will enjoy these battles.

Another new addition I had fun with was the Toad Brigade Training Courses. Here, you’ll take on a range of challenges, including time-restricted courses, as well as levels where you can’t touch an enemy, to name a couple. These are usually pretty quick to blast through, and some genuinely offer a challenge, making them ideal to dip into between worlds, or when you’ve got a few spare minutes to play.

By completing Training Courses, you’ll earn Bellabel Water, which can be exchanged for flowers and used to decorate Bellabel Park. You might adorn a Wiggler Topiary with fungi, or you may even cover your courtyard in Butterfly Bloom petals. But to be honest, I didn’t get any kicks out of decorating — there’s not much of an incentive to do so, and you could easily neglect this feature entirely without missing out on anything substantial.

However, you can also use Bellabel Water at the shop or the Fountain area, which will earn you items like flowers, but also reactions and instruments. Reactions can be used to communicate during online play, while the instruments can be collected to flesh out a Poplin band. And both of these felt like better rewards than the decorative flowers to me. But I still think there could be a better incentive for completing Training Courses, like unlockable costumes for Mario and friends, for example.

Mario Party lite

(Image credit: Nintendo)

We’ve spoken about the new single-player content, which is pretty good overall. However, it’s the multiplayer additions that have been placed front and center in much of this game’s marketing.

And I have to say, I found the multiplayer games to be a bit of a mixed bag. Nintendo set up a session for me, and a few fellow gaming journalists to duke it out in online minigames, and although there were some fun highlights, I was left feeling pretty conflicted.

Many of these online minigames felt reminiscent of Mario Party. For instance, there are games where you’ll race in a roller-skate or even with a propeller flower, and I found the racing games to be some of the best. Totally not because they were some of the only ones I’d win…

However, there are more options. One that stuck out was a hide-and-seek game, where two players can morph into a block or coin, while others are tasked with hunting them down and tagging them. If you’re ‘it’ when the time runs out, you lose, and this setup created a couple of last-second twists. It’s fun for a little while, but I didn’t feel compelled to play this game more than a few times.

You can also access competitive and co-op minigames when playing locally, with options including Yoshi enemy-eating contests, games where you use mouse mode to assist players through a course, and a relay where you have to get a Bob-omb to the finish line before it explodes. There’s a decent amount of variety, but it’s nothing compared to the eclectic collection of minigames in Super Mario Party Jamboree, for instance.

Overall, I’d argue that the multiplayer additions are…alright. Some of the attractions did put a smile on my face — but only for a few minutes, and they didn’t have the same chaotic and addictive edge that Mario Party minigames possess. Sure, if you’re looking for some quick multiplayer fun, the attractions are by no means bad. But can I see myself coming back to these for years to come — just as I’ve done with Jamboree’s minigames? I don’t think so.

(Image credit: Nintendo)A wonderful core-experience, re-planted

Even if the multiplayer content didn’t blow me away, it’s worth noting that the core Super Mario Bros. Wonder experience is better than ever on Nintendo Switch 2.

There are a few new additions, including a new Assist Mode which prevents you from taking damage — ideal for younger players. There’s also the option to play as fan-favorite princess Rosalina, while a second player can take on the role of Co-Star Luma, and use mouse mode controls to defeat enemies and collect coins.

But there’s more! You can also skip around with the Super Flower Pot power-up, which enables you to hover in the air and throw petals upwards to attack enemies. And of course, badges — which enhance abilities or provide new ways to progress through a level — are back. But this time, you can make use of new Dual Badges, which combine the powers of two badges into one — like Parachute Cap and Boosting Spin Jump, for example. The badge system was already a phenomenal way to add depth and customizability to the game, so expanding that further was always going to be a positive for me.

All of these additions are most welcome, and I loved making use of the new Dual Badges to experience levels in a brand new way.

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Oh, and it’s also worth mentioning that the main game itself is absolutely exquisite once more. The game is filled with phenomenal level design, and Wonder Flowers provide a psychedelic take on classic 2D Mario that’s absolutely intoxicating.

The game is packed with so many stand-out moments, from transforming into a blob, a wrecking ball, or Goomba, through to riding on a flying horde of bulls. This zaniness is something the somewhat bland New Super Mario Bros. series was missing, and if you’ve never played Super Mario Bros. Wonder before, this version is a must-buy.

And this really is the definitive way to play, thanks to the game’s improved graphics on Nintendo Switch 2. I tried comparing this new version to the original Switch alternative — which just so happens to be bundled in with this game — and the difference was night and day.

Characters and enemies alike appear way sharper on the Nintendo Switch 2 edition, with details like Mario’s moustache or writing on his cap appearing substantially clearer. On top of this, colors pop beautifully on this 4K release, with intense pinks and deep reds cutting through with vigor. The overall presentation is great on Switch 2, and pair that with basically faultless 60fps gameplay, and you’ve got great all-round performance.

Nintendo Switch 2 editionNintendoNintendo Switch editionNintendoNintendo Switch 2 editionNintendoNintendo Switch editionNintendo

So, I suppose we should wrap things up now, shouldn't we? The ludicrously long-titled Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park is certainly the definitive way to play through the greatest 2D Mario game in many a year. The improved visuals, inclusion of new characters, and introduction of Dual Badges are all great to see.

Most of the new single player content is enjoyable too, with some entertaining albeit easy boss fights and fast-paced Training Courses. Multiplayer attractions are a mixed bag, and I’m not sure they’re going to offer the long-standing appeal of Mario Party minigames. As a result, I’m not sure this edition is a must-buy for those upgrading from the original Super Mario Bros. Wonder — unless you really want to scrap the Koopalings, that is. But for first-time players, this Switch 2 revamp is a great overall package, and I’d highly recommend scooping it up.

(Image credit: Nintendo)Should you play Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park?:

(Image credit: Nintendo)Play it if...

You never got to play Super Mario Bros. Wonder on Switch
If you never got to play the game on Switch, this is the time to give it a go. With upgraded visuals, more characters, and a new area to explore, this is certainly the definitive edition of an already excellent 2D platformer.

You want more mind-bending boss battles
If you’re hankering for more of Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s whacky boss showdowns, then this version may well be worth upgrading to. You get to duke it out against the Koopalings across the course of your playthrough, and you can revisit these battles through the Toad Brigade’s Training Courses.

Don't play it if...

You’re expecting Mario Party levels of multiplayer fun
The new multiplayer games are decent fun in this revamped version of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, but only for a while. I found that they didn’t have the hold on me like Super Mario Party Jamboree’s minigames, and felt a little flat and repetitive after a while.

You’re looking for a challenging platformer
Although there are a few challenging Training Courses in this version, the core experience remains very much on the easy side in Super Mario Bros. Wonder for Switch 2. While accommodations have been made for young players, with assist mode and the re-inclusion of the damage-resistant Yoshis and Nabbit, there’s not a ton of challenge for more experienced Mario fans.

Accessibility features

Although there aren’t a ton of accessibility features in this game, the settings menu does enable you to make some changes. For instance, you can select a number of spoken and text languages, adjust the camera, alter some controls, and have rumble turned on or off. Unfortunately, there’s nothing like a colorblind mode or similar.

How I reviewed Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park:

(Image credit: Nintendo)

I spent in excess of 25 hours playing through Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park. During this time, I played through the entire main game, regained all of the Bellabel Flowers, and even played multiplayer minigames online.

For the most part, I played the game in docked mode, with my Switch 2 console hooked up to the Sky Glass Gen 2 TV and my Marshall Heston 120 soundbar. However, I did also enjoy playing in handheld mode, and I occasionally connected up the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones to my console when doing so.

More generally, I’ve reviewed a whole lot of games for TechRadar, including Switch 2 titles like Kirby Air Riders and Drag x Drive. I’ve also owned the Switch 2 since launch, and have been playing Mario games for decades, with my favorite entry in the series being Super Mario Odyssey (sorry, Super Mario Galaxy fans).

First reviewed March 2026

Light spoilers follow for all eight episodes of Daredevil: Born Again season 2.

Daredevil: Born Again season 2 represents another opportunity for the Marvel TV show to be, well, reborn.

With its predecessor having been subjected to a creative overhaul midway through production, Born Again's debut season was the embodiment of the saying "too many cooks spoil the soup". This time, though, the show's cast and crew are all singing from the same hymn sheet — and Marvel fans won't accept any excuses if its new chapter similarly turns out to be a Frankenstein's Monster of a season.

Having watched all eight episodes, it gives me great pleasure to say that Born Again season 2 is devilishly great — but, haunted by the ghosts of its past, it's not the knock-out masterpiece that some might be hoping for.

Hell on Earth

Half a year has passed since Born Again's season 1 finale (Image credit: Marvel Television/Disney+)

Six months on from Daredevil: Born Again's season 1 finale, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and his allies are engaged in a guerrilla war against Wilson Fisk/Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio), the dictatorial Mayor of New York City and Murdock's long-time nemesis.

Born Again season 2 is as bone-crunchingly brilliant as its forebear and Netflix's Daredevil TV series

Fisk's calculated crackdown on vigilantes like Daredevil has not only continued apace, but has also been used a smokescreen to Fisk's other criminal activities. However, when our eponymous hero and right-hand Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) learn of — and disrupt — a multi-million dollar arms shipment on the Hudson River, the stakes of this cat-and-mouse game grow in dramatic and violent fashion.

A show renowned for its brutality, season 2 is as bone-crunchingly brilliant as its both forebear and Netflix's Daredevil TV series that Born Again is a continuation of.

From the moment our titular hero storms the arms-ferrying freighter in the season premiere's opening sequence, to this season's incredibly intense, blood-soaked finale, Born Again 2 doesn't hold back in the action-spectacle department.

Wilson Fisk takes part in a so-called charity boxing match in this season's fourth chapter (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Equipped with numerous in-your-face, chaotic, and smile-inducing set-pieces, I'd argue it even gives the original show's innovative action a run for its money.

Indeed, episode 3's final 15 minutes include some of my favorite fight scenes since Daredevil's infamous season 1 hallway, season 2 stairwell, and season 3 prison-escape sequences — no small feat when you remember how utterly absorbing those are. And, don't worry; Born Again 2 includes the requisite seasonal duel between Murdock's alter-ego and Fisk, albeit we're made to wait for the latest in a series of bruising, must-see showdowns between them. Enjoy it while it lasts, too, because scenes shared by the show's main characters are once again kept to a minimum.

Gruesomely entertaining as these action-packed episodes are, this season's fifth chapter is all but devoid of set-pieces — and yet, it's my favorite episode of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) project's latest season.

Episode 5's dual narratives are equal-parts sanguine, deeply intimate, poignant, and soul-crushing

An entry that splits its time between the past and present, its dual narratives are equal parts sanguine, deeply intimate, poignant, and soul-crushing. Through flashbacks, episode 5 cleverly fills in narrative gaps from the Netflix show, and serves as a timely reminder of how excellent Daredevil was.

That's particular true of the much-missed dynamic between Matt and Franklin 'Foggy' Nelson (Elden Henson), the latter of whom died in last season's premiere. With Henson's return confirmed in Born Again season 2's trailer, though, said relationship is resurrected in pleasing albeit bittersweet fashion.

On the present-day story front, it's the mark of great writing when audiences find themselves empathizing with a movie or show's villain(s). Episode 5 nails this with its current-day Fisk-led plot, with the events that transpire turning him into an even more of a terrifyingly loose-cannon of an antagonist in the season's final three chapters.

Bullseye continues to be one of the MCU's most fascinating and multifaceted characters (Image credit: Marvel Television/Disney+)

The same is true of episode 5's primary present-day subplot involving Murdock and the sociopathic Benjamin Pointdexter/Bullseye (Wilson Bethel), the latter of whom continues to be one of the most fascinating characters in this show and the wider MCU.

An individual with a superiority complex and newfound moral ambiguity who, like all great villains, views himself as the hero of his own story, Bullseye reinforces the case that Marvel should permanently adopt a returning nemesis policy. Multi-layered individuals like Bullseye and Fisk have proven it works so, if there's more than enough character-development fuel in the tank, there's no reason for Marvel not to put it into practice in future projects.

Vive la Résistance

Matt Murdock and Karen Page's dynamic is given much more screentime in season 2 (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

With Daredevil: Born Again's first season severely underutilizing the Murdock-Page dynamic, it's great to see this pairing share much more screentime this time around, too. It's a bond that initially seems to be watertight, but cracks soon appear. Indeed, their opposing ideals become a breeding ground for lots of mandatory melodrama that, while mostly engaging, isn't explored to its full potential.

Murdock and Page's opposing ideals become a breeding ground for lots of mandatory melodrama

Regardless, it's extremely gratifying to see Woll's Page have a more substantial role in season 2, and put her extensive investigative and combat skills to use. Similarly, it's satisfying to see Murdock fully embrace his rage-filled, acrobatic vigilante persona — in his new Shadowland comic book-inspired black suit, which symbolizes this season's sobering mood, no less — after trying to avoid it for large portions of last season.

The pair aren't the only members of this cadre. Returning allies in Murdock's law-firm partner Kirsten McDuffie (Nikki James), retired NYPD cop Cherry (Clark Johnson), on-the-beat reporter B.B. Urich (Genneya Walton), and Angela del Toro/White Tiger 2.0 (Camila Rodriguez) have roles to play in fighting the good fight.

Krysten Ritter reprises her role as Jessica Jones for the first time in seven years (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

It's the return of Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones in Born Again season 2 that's the real headline-grabber, though. It's a homecoming previously teased by Marvel Head of TV Brad Winderbaum as being "filled with very cool surprises", although the hard-drinking private investigator disappointingly doesn't show up until this season's latter half. Nevertheless, it's terrific to not only see her back in action and at her wisecracking best, but also teaming up with Daredevil again to cause some chaos and re-forge the fun-filled dynamic they had in Netflix's The Defenders crossover miniseries.

It's terrific to see Jessica Jones back in action and at her wisecracking best

Other new characters — ones who operate in Wilson and Vanessa Fisk's (Ayelut Zurer) orbit, much to the former's annoyance — also inject fresh energy into proceedings.

The mysterious Mister Charles (Matthew Lillard), an amusingly abrasive and delightfully detestable individual brimming with chaotic energy, is a highly entertaining foil to the Fisks. Meanwhile, New York Governor Marge McCaffrey (Lili Taylor) is a serious political adversary whose administrative roadblocks regularly threaten to detail the criminal couple's activities. The Fisks, though, routinely find ways to spin the narrative in their favor, which often puts them one step ahead of everyone else in the fantastically fraught chess game that plays out in the Marvel Phase 6 project.

Mister Charles (right) inserts himself directly into the Fisks' affairs in season 2 (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

To reiterate what I teased in my introduction, Born Again 2 isn't without fault — and, irritatingly, a lot of the issues that afflicted Daredevil: Born Again season 1 haven't been resolved, especially in episodes 1 through 4.

For starters, the oft-used harsh cuts between scenes and jarring addition of The B.B. Report, aka Urich's filmed vox pops, remain. Okay, it can be argued that the latter's inclusion is necessary from a worldbuilding viewpoint, but each installment eats up valuable time that would've been better used elsewhere.

And, hoo boy, are some side-stories and character arcs in dire need of being expanded on. From the predictable and ponderous nature of Heather Glenn's (Margarita Leveiva) journey, to the lack of discernible pay-off in Daniel Blake's (Michael Gandolfini) individual tale due to the inconsistent manner in which it's approached and told, Born Again 2 doesn't devote the necessary time to these subplots to give them the emotional weight they deserve.

My verdict

Daredevil: Born Again season 2's good aspects easily compensate for the bad, but it's arguable that the latter hold it back from being its best self.

Nonetheless, it's a higher-stakes, drama-fueled continuation of the Mayor Fisk story arc that further aligns the show with its Netflix predecessor. And, thanks to its emotionally impactful and much more cohesive back half, it builds towards an incredibly intense crescendo that's set to take the series in an intriguing new direction ahead of its already in-development third season.

Some of you might question why Born Again 2 scored lower than its forebear, which I gave four and a half stars out of five in my Daredevil: Born Again season 1 review. Simply put, that evaluation didn't cover the full season — if it had, I'd have dropped its rating by a whole star.

In that sense, then, Born Again's latest installment is an improvement on what came before — and if it can raise its game next season it might finally banish its story- and production-based demons for good.

Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 1 is out now on Disney+. Before you watch it, find out everything there is to know about Born Again season 2.

Acer Swift Edge 14 AI: 30-second review

Having recently covered the TravelMate P6 14 AI, the Acer Swift Edge 14 AI seems like a remarkably similar design, until you investigate the details.

All brands have a version of the thin-and-light laptop market where every machine looks broadly the same: aluminium lid, backlit chiclet keyboard, 14 inches of 1080p, and the manufacturer's brand at the top of the bezel. However, the Acer Swift Edge 14 AI dares to be different.

Built around Intel's Lunar Lake platform, the Swift Edge 14 AI packs a Core Ultra 7 258V processor into a magnesium-aluminium chassis that comes in under 990g. That alone is enough to make most carry-on bags significantly lighter, but Acer has also fitted a 14-inch 3K OLED panel treated with Corning Gorilla Matte Pro. That’s not typical, and positions this hardware with creatives in mind.

The Lunar Lake architecture also brings several surprises with it. The eight-core hybrid design drops Hyper-Threading entirely, pairing four Performance cores against four Low-Power cores, all built on TSMC 3nm. Since Intel chose to run its own foundries for many processors, the results are much better.

The memory subsystem is on-package LPDDR5X running eight 16-bit channels wide. Regrettably, these types of memory installations mean they cannot be upgraded, but they do deliver bandwidth that most discrete memory configurations cannot match.

The review system had 32GB, and that’s all it will ever have.

Graphics duties fall to the Intel Arc 140V with 64 Xe2 execution units, a significant step up from the iGPU silicon Intel was shipping two generations ago. It will not make a games enthusiast happy, but for photo editing, light video work, and the kind of AI-accelerated tasks the machine is specifically marketed towards, it holds its own convincingly.

The port selection is genuinely commendable for a machine this thin: two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, full-size HDMI, and a headset jack. The one notable omission is a MicroSD slot, which feels like it should be standard on a creative-leaning portable at this price.

With an official cost of around $1499 / £1399, the Swift Edge 14 AI is priced to compete with some very capable alternatives. Whether or not it wins that competition depends almost entirely on how much the display and the weight matter to you. If both matter a lot, this deserves a serious look.

There are a few wrinkles in the off-white finish of the Acer Swift Edge 14 AI, but overall, it offers a stellar hardware combination at a price few of the best business laptops can match.

Acer Swift Edge 14 AI: Price and availability

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• How much does it cost? From $1500/£1400
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Direct from Acer or online retailers

The laptop is available direct from Acer's US shop, as well as Amazon.com. In the UK, I'm seeing it available from Amazon.co.uk and Currys.

The UK model reviewed here has the part number NX.JG4EK.008 ships with the Core Ultra 7 258V, 32GB LPDDR5X, and a 1TB SSD for an RRP of £1,399. At the time of writing, Currys has it available for £1,399, which shifts the value proposition considerably. At that price, rivals start looking rather less compelling.

I have seen it for £1100 on Amazon.co.uk, but how long that deal will last is debatable.

In the USA, the American market equivalent (NX.JM6AA.002) with the same CPU, memory and storage sells for $1499.99 on Amazon.com, the same price as it is directly from Acer.

Direct competitors include the Asus Zenbook A14, which is half as much in the USA, using a Snapdragon X Plus processor, a lower-resolution OLED panel and half the RAM capacity. But due to the platform, that machine can’t run Intel X86 natively.

The MSI Prestige 14 AI Evo lands in a similar territory to the Acer in the UK, but maybe £250 cheaper. However, that’s for one with only a Core Ultra series 1 CPU.

If you are prepared to stretch a little further, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 on the same Lunar Lake platform costs noticeably more and brings additional enterprise features that most home and small-business users will not need. With the same spec as the Acer, it’s £1595.99 in the UK, and $1,759 in the USA.

It’s interesting that most of the machines that undercut the Acer Swift Edge 14 AI do so either by using an older-generation processor or by using IPS panels instead of the OLED in the Acer.

Therefore, it might not be cheap, but it represents decent value for money.

• Value: 4 / 5

Acer Swift Edge 14 AI: Specs

Model

Acer Swift Edge 14 AI (NX.JG4EK.008 / SFE14-51T)

CPU

Intel Core Ultra 7 258V (Lunar Lake, TSMC 3nm, 4P + 4LP cores, 8 threads, up to 4.8GHz)

GPU

Intel Arc 140V (64 Xe2 execution units, up to 1,950MHz)

NPU

Intel AI Boost (48 TOPS)

RAM

32GB LPDDR5X on-package (8 x 16-bit channels, 8,533MHz, Micron, not upgradeable)

Storage

1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD

Display

14-inch 2,880 x 1,800 OLED, 120Hz, Corning Gorilla Matte Pro, 16:10

Ports

2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm combo jack

Camera

1080p FHD with IR (Windows Hello)

Networking

Wi-Fi 7 (Intel integrated), Bluetooth 5.4

Audio

Dual speakers with DTS Audio

Battery

65Wh

Charger

100W USB-C (included)

Dimensions

313.8 x 218.8 x 12.9 mm

Weight

Approx. 990g

Operating system

Windows 11 Home (pre-installed)

Color

White (Pure Silver also available)

Acer Swift Edge 14 AI: Design

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• Magnesium-aluminium chassis, sub-1kg weight
• OLED display with Corning Gorilla Matte Pro treatment
• Great port selection
• No MicroSD or SIM card slots

Pick up the Swift Edge 14 AI, and the first thing you register is the weight, or rather the lack of it. At just under a kilogram, it sits in the hand more like a hardback novel than a laptop, and Acer has managed that without resorting to the flex-heavy thin plastic shells that cut corners on cheaper machines. The magnesium-aluminium build feels solid, with only the very slightest give under deliberate pressure on the lid.

Acer describes the finish as Stellar White, and the aesthetic is deliberately clean. The lid carries only a small Acer logo and the Swift Edge badge on the opposite side of the lid, which gives it an understated quality. The hinge action is smooth with some light resistance; it can be opened one-handed, and the lid can sit flat at 180 degrees if needed.

At 12.9mm thin, the Swift Edge 14 AI is noticeably slimmer than a lot of its competition. The side ports are arranged sensibly: both Thunderbolt 4 ports and the HDMI sit on the left alongside a USB-A port, while the other USB-A port and the 3.5mm combo jack are on the right. This keeps the more frequently used connectors on one side for desk use. The full-size HDMI is a genuine convenience. Although it is possible to convert a Thunderbolt port to HDMI or DisplayPort, if you need more screens.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The keyboard is a backlit scissor-switch design with a reasonable 1.3mm of travel. Key spacing is generous for a 14-inch chassis, and the layout avoids the cramped cursor cluster that plagues thinner machines. There is a Copilot key, as expected for a Copilot+ PC, and a fingerprint reader is built into the power button. A separate IR camera above the display handles Windows Hello facial recognition with reasonable speed.

My only reservation about that camera is that, for the cost of this hardware, I’d have liked to see one that could do 4K, and not the 1440p limited one that Acer installed.

The trackpad is glass-surfaced, well-sized, and supports Windows Precision gestures throughout. It does not click anywhere near the top edge, which is a minor irritation if you are a corner-clicker by habit, but the tracking accuracy and palm rejection are both good.

Where the design really earns its place is with the display. The OLED panel, manufactured by BOE (model NB140B9M-T10 as confirmed by the hardware data), is a 14-inch 2,880 x 1,800 unit at a 16:10 aspect ratio, running up to 120Hz.

Acer has fitted Corning's Gorilla Matte Pro glass, which is notable because most matte treatments on OLED panels visibly degrade colour saturation and blacks. Gorilla Matte Pro is designed to minimize that effect, and to the naked eye, it succeeds. The panel retains deep blacks and vivid colours while cutting reflections to a level where even outdoor use in the shade is genuinely comfortable. At 313.8 x 218.8mm, the footprint is compact for a 14-inch machine, partly because the bezels are thin all around.

There are plenty of things to like about the design of this laptop, and relatively few issues to address. It lacks a MicroSD card slot, and for whatever reason, Acer doesn’t have a SIM card variant yet, but in most other respects, this has almost everything that most laptop users would like in their hardware.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• Design: 4.5 / 5

Acer Swift Edge 14 AI: Hardware

• Intel Core Ultra 7 258V on TSMC 3nm
• On-package LPDDR5X 8-channel architecture
• Arc 140V GPU with 64 Xe2 execution units

The Lunar Lake platform that underpins the Swift Edge 14 AI is significantly different from the Meteor Lake and Raptor Lake generations that preceded it, and those differences matter more on paper than they might initially suggest.

The Core Ultra 7 258V uses a hybrid core design of four Performance P-cores and four Low-Power LP-cores, and none of these uses hyperthreading. Intel dropped it across the board for this generation to prioritise per-core efficiency over everything else.

The result is a chip that delivers eight threads from eight physical cores, which is a departure from the twelve-thread configurations of older 12th and 13th-generation machines. In practice, this rarely matters because most everyday workloads are not thread-saturated, and the efficiency gains are tangible in both thermals and battery life.

The processor is produced using TSMC's 3nm node, the same process used by Apple for its current M-series silicon. This places Lunar Lake at the leading edge of Intel's efficiency story, and the power figures confirmed during testing bear that out. The platform was drawing just over 4 watts at idle, with individual core temperatures sitting in the low-to-mid thirties Celsius. The thermal design of the Swift Edge 14 AI relies on a single fan with a heat pipe arrangement, and under light use, it is effectively silent.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Another high point of Lunar Lake is that it places the LPDDR5X in much closer integration to the other parts of the system, using a non-upgradable Memory on Package (MoP) design. While previous Intel chips capped out at 6400 MT/s, the LPDDR5X-8533 used here offers lower latency and higher performance for AI and GPU operations.

The downside of using this memory model is that the RAM cannot be upgraded.

The GPU is Intel's Arc 140V with 64 Xe2 execution units boosting to 1,950MHz. This is a meaningful step up from the 96 EU Xe graphics in Meteor Lake and offers DirectX 12 Ultimate support, hardware raytracing, and Intel's XeSS upscaling.

It draws from the on-package memory pool and can handle Lightroom adjustments, DaVinci Resolve colour grading on 4K footage at reasonable resolutions, and light 3D viewport work without complaint. Gaming is possible at reduced settings in less demanding titles, but anyone expecting discrete GPU performance will be disappointed.

The NPU within the Lunar Lake SoC is rated at 48 TOPS, clearing the 40 TOPS threshold that qualifies the machine as a Copilot+ PC. This unlocks features including Windows Studio Effects on the webcam, Live Captions, and the broader Copilot+ feature set. Connectivity is handled entirely by Intel silicon: the Wi-Fi 7 module (identified in hardware data as device 0xA840) and Bluetooth 5.4 controller (0xA876) are both integrated into the Lunar Lake PCH, eliminating the third-party wireless card that most laptops require.

Storage comes via a 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD, which is accessible (with effort -- nine screws secure the base panel) for replacement. Buyers who anticipate needing more storage should consider that at purchase time, since adding a second drive is not included.

While this, like almost all laptops these days, has limited upgrade potential, the system is honed to deliver a good user experience and performance suitable for a wide range of tasks.

• Hardware: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Acer Swift Edge 14 AI: Performance

Laptops

Acer Swift Edge 14 AI

Dell Latitude 9450

CPU

Intel Core Ultra 7 258V

Core 7 Ultra 165U

Cores/Threads

8C 8T

12C 14T

TPD

17W-37W

15W

RAM

32GB LPDDR5X

32GB DDR5 (8x 4GB)

SSD

1TB Kingston OM8PGP4102Q

512GB Kioxia BG6

Graphics

Intel Arc 140V

Intel Graphics

NPU

Intel NPU (47 TOPS)

Intel NPU (40 TOPS)

3DMark

WildLife

20,983

14,643

FireStrike

8003

4676

TimeSpy

4065

1453

Steel Nomad.L

2989

1149

CineBench24

Single

120

97

Multi

389

465

Ratio

3.24

4.82

GeekBench 6

Single

2757

1653

Multi

11148

6026

OpenCL

29692

13892

Vulkan

33890

10077

CrystalDIsk

Read MB/s

4805

4997

Write MB/s

3905

4363

PCMark 10

Office

8206

6293

Battery

18h 28m

19h 18m

Battery

Whr

65

60

PSU

100W

60W

WEI

Score

8.8

8.2

For my comparison, I originally considered the Acer TravelMate P6 14 AI, but that’s an almost identical platform to the Swift Edge, and the numbers didn’t tell much of a story.

Instead, I chose the Dell Latitude 9450 to show what a major upgrade the 200-series machines are over the previous 100-series.

What we are seeing here is a major ram in power efficiency, and what that provides for both thermal ranges and clock speeds.

With CPU-Z confirming a package power draw of around 4 watts at idle and temperatures in the mid-thirties, the Swift Edge 14 AI is evidently conservative with its thermal budget when nothing demanding is happening. Under load, the picture is more nuanced.

Acer configures a sustained PL1 power limit of 30W and a short-burst PL2 of 37W, taking it slightly above Intel's reference values, suggesting a high degree of confidence in the cooling solution. In extended workloads such as video encoding or large RAW batch processing, the fan becomes audible. It is not aggressive, but it is present, which is worth noting for anyone planning to use the machine in quiet environments.

Per-core clock speed data captured during testing shows the P-cores reaching 4,500MHz on a single boosting core, with the LP-cores running independently up to 3,700MHz on their own tasks. Intel Thread Director dynamically distributes work between the two pools, and in practice, scheduling is handled sensibly. Background tasks migrate to LP-cores and stay there unless priority changes, conveniently.

When you consider that the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V has significantly fewer cores than the Core 7 Ultra 165U, it consistently delivers more compute, AI and GPU performance across the board.

The Arc 140V GPU proves its worth in tasks that conventionally required discrete silicon. Export times in Adobe Lightroom Classic with AI Denoise applied are substantially faster than equivalent Iris Xe workloads from the previous generation. DaVinci Resolve colour work on 1080p footage runs smoothly, though complex node stacks at 4K are probably asking the machine to work too hard. If you need to edit a 4K video, then consider something with a discrete GPU onboard.

In the same vein, games are possible but best treated as an occasional bonus rather than a primary use case. Older titles at 1080p with reduced settings run acceptably, while current AAA releases are better left to machines with discrete GPUs.

Battery life is one of the more compelling parts of the Swift Edge 14 AI's pitch. The 65Wh cell is substantial for a machine this light, and the efficiency of the Lunar Lake platform means it goes a long way. I should say that the Acer TravelMate P6 14 AI lasted another 2.5 hours, but its performance numbers overall were lower. Nearly 18.6 hours is still a great result, and should get even the most dedicated worker through a whole day.

The 100W USB-C charger in the box is fast enough to recover a meaningful charge during a short break, recovering 37% in just 30 minutes from zero charge.

These days, I always test laptop displays with a DataColor Spyder X2 calibrator, but the OLED panel on this machine does not work well with the software's analysis. Where it revealed that the panel has a superb 100% of P3 Gamut, it couldn’t work out the contrast or Gamma levels at all.

The OLED panel's brightness peaks at levels that make indoor use comfortable under practically any overhead lighting condition, and the 120Hz refresh rate keeps scrolling and cursor tracking smooth throughout. The Gorilla Matte Pro screen treatment does what it claims, keeping outdoor reflections manageable without noticeably impacting the OLED's characteristic contrast.

One detail that’s missing from my data chart is the weight of these machines, and that’s remarkably telling. The Acer is under 1kg, and the Dell is closer to 1.5kg.

Overall, on an Intel machine, the Acer Swift Edge 14 AI delivers top-drawer performance.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Acer Swift Edge 14 AI: Final verdict

The Swift Edge 14 AI is the machine you reach for when the weight of a laptop has started to feel like part of the problem rather than part of the solution. At under a kilogram, it genuinely changes how you think about carrying it, without requiring any of the structural compromises that thinner, lighter machines sometimes hide.

The display is the obvious headline. A 3K OLED panel at 120Hz with Gorilla Matte Pro glass is not something you find at this price point very often, and it delivers on the promise in everyday use. The anti-reflective treatment is genuinely effective rather than token, which matters if any of your work takes place anywhere other than a controlled office environment.

Under the surface, the Lunar Lake architecture brings a memory subsystem that competes well on bandwidth against more expensive configurations, a chip that handles sustained workloads without melting its surroundings, and enough AI headroom to qualify for the full Copilot+ feature set. The Arc 140V GPU is not a gaming chip, but it is an effective creative tool, and the distinction is worth drawing.

The compromises are real and should not be minimised. The memory cannot be upgraded, ever. The webcam and speakers are both average for the asking price. There is no MicroSD slot. If any of those limitations are dealbreakers, they should be assessed honestly before purchase.

For buyers who want a genuinely portable machine with an exceptional display, solid real-world performance, and a port selection that does not require a dock, the Swift Edge 14 AI makes a strong case.

Should you buy a Acer Swift Edge 14 AI?

Value

A great price for this spec

4.5/5

Design

Lightweight magnesium chassis and a decent port selection

4/5

Hardware

Intel Core Ultra 200 Series CPU, gorgeous OLED screen and excellent battery life

4/5

Performance

Similar to other Core Ultra 7 258V systems, but with a little more punch

4.5/5

Overall

Super-practical system with enough battery for a long working day and a workable port selection.

4.5/5

Buy it if...

You need a highly portable machine
If you travel regularly and are sensitive to weight, a 990g bag is genuinely different from a 1.4kg bag. Its associated charger doesn’t add much extra, considering it outputs 100W.

Display quality matters to your work
The OLED panel with Gorilla Matte Pro is a cut above the field at this price. It delivers incredible contrast and a superb colour gamut for those working with visuals.

Don't buy it if...

You like to upgrade
The 32GB LPDDR5x memory is soldered onto the mainboard and cannot be upgraded. Users looking for long-term flexibility or future-proofing may find this limiting, especially if workloads grow more demanding over time.

You want the highest levels of performance
Compared to the latest AMD Ryzen AI machines or the Intel 300 series ones coming, the processor and graphics in this system aren’t the quickest available.
If compute power is paramount, and battery life is less important, then consider a system that uses the AMD Ryzen AI 395 Max+.View Deal

With its incredibly expressive and vibrant art direction, there’s a lot to like about extraction shooter Marathon from an aesthetic standpoint. Its own brand of brightly colored science fiction is a sight to behold, and there’s a real sense of wonder in the first few hours as you explore each of the three early maps, soaking it all in.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PC
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release date: March 5, 2026

Developed by Bungie, the original creators of Halo, it should come as no surprise that the gunplay is well-crafted and compelling, with a strong variety of meaningfully distinct weapon types to try out. They're great-looking, like the rest of the world, too, with striking, blocky, 3D printed designs that really help sell the distant future setting.

These strong fundamentals mean that Marathon is plenty of fun when you’re joined by two friends in a full team, where the intense player-versus-player (PvP) encounters really shine. Unfortunately, the unremittingly grindy missions and lack of compelling cosmetic rewards, not to mention the current rather threadbare content offering, seriously limit the game’s long term potential.

With a Steam player count that’s been gradually declining for weeks since the game’s initial launch, some big changes are needed if Marathon is going to be more than a sprint.

Starting line

(Image credit: Bungie)

I am optimistic, as many of my biggest problems with Marathon have been addressed in the time since launch. The thoroughly miserable inventory, for example, has been overhauled completely. Why did tiny stacks of three med kits and 60 ammo (items needed in bulk for practically every run) originally take up most of your highly limited slots?

I’m not entirely sure, as this would have presumably been immediately highlighted as a problem by play testers, but with their stacks increased to nine and 800, respectively, you're no longer spending minutes staring at the screen and selling your recently obtained gear in order to ensure that you have enough space to start another match.

The difficulty of computer-controlled enemies has been rebalanced, too, with the generic hostile robots that litter each map now not needing you to pump multiple magazines into them if you’re unlucky enough to get spotted. The game still doesn’t do a great job of communicating whether a hostile bot is carrying a super-powerful shield (you seem to need to manually ping them every time in order to see that), but being able to reliably take on these threats head-on makes it much easier to move around in each game.

The latest major update also introduced Cryo Archive (which went live on March 20, 2026), a stellar, massive map filled with challenging combat gauntlets and countless hidden secrets to uncover.

Best bit

(Image credit: Bungie)

I’ve loved everything about Marathon’s aesthetic since its very first trailer. The maps are stunning and have a range of possible weather conditions that all look great. The Runner shells are attractive too, with distinct designs that reflect their abilities.

Set in a crumbling spacecraft, it’s a delight to explore and is bursting with high-end loot. It’s only available to jump into on weekends, though, which feels like Bungie artificially gating off content for no real reason other than to prevent players from finding everything that it has to offer too quickly and then simply leaving to play something else.

It’s a massive shame, especially when the three launch maps don’t have much going for them. Perimeter, the starting map, is tiny and segmented with multiple chokepoints that make running into other teams practically a guarantee. As with other extraction shooters, bullets are lethal here, and the threat of stumbling upon others is thrilling at first, but you’ll quickly learn the layout like the back of your hand. The map is so small that more experienced players like to beeline straight for the locations of key items for the earliest quests, too, forcing newcomers to contend with frustrating campers.

It wouldn’t be such a big issue if you could progress more than one quest at a time, but you can’t. They’re mostly boring fetch quests too, and dropping into a map only to discover what you need is long gone, just leaves entire matches feeling like a total waste of time.

Faltering pace

(Image credit: Bungie)

The other two readily available maps, Dire Marsh and Outpost, are both much better thanks to their larger sizes and more complex layouts, not to mention the fact that later missions are slightly less repetitive than the early ones. Don’t be fooled by the increased scale, though, as you’ll still encounter other teams near constantly. Marathon might be one of the most combat-heavy extraction shooters that I’ve ever played, which is fun when you’re able to coordinate with a team of friends, but invariably miserable if you choose to matchmake with randoms.

You can embody one of six Runner shells (synthetic bodies with their own distinct personalities) plus the blank-slate, solo-play-only Rook. None of the shell’s hero-like abilities are particularly imaginative (with your usual suite of movement, stealth, recon, healing, and tank powers), but they do all work well and lead to some interesting combat scenarios.

I particularly love dropping in as Vandal, the movement hero, and using her super-sprint ability to flank entire teams. It‘s incredibly effective with a meaty shotgun in hand, plus a longer-range homing energy weapon for locking on to any foes that might try to flee.

(Image credit: Bungie)

When it all comes together, the moment-to-moment action can be incredibly fun, but after almost forty hours grinding through quests, I can’t help but sit back and wonder what I’m actually doing it all for.

Bungie has already confirmed that your progress is going to be wiped every few months, with only cosmetic unlocks carrying over. Unfortunately, the skins are completely bland and not really worth the time investment. This is doubly true of the ones in the paid battle pass (which is stuffed with basic weapon recolors and just one simplistic Runner skin) and the measly assortment offered in the in-game store.

Even with the addition of Cryo Archive, it’s not like there are anywhere near enough maps or modes (the game launched with just one) to keep me coming back for more, and I can’t help but think other players will inevitably feel the same with time.

There’s very little here compared to even free-to-play alternatives like Arena Breakout: Infinite, which looks much less impressive but boasts significantly more to do and, importantly, doesn't actually cost any money to get into. Hopefully, future updates will build out this beautiful-looking game with some much-needed substance before it’s too late.

Should I play Marathon?Play it if...

You have a full team of friends on hand
Marathon is at its best when you’re playing as a full team of friends and coordinating throughout its intense PvP encounters.

You love the aesthetic
There’s no game out there today that looks quite like Marathon. It’s beautiful to look at, and worth playing if you love how it looks.

Don't play it if...

You want a game you can pour hundreds of hours into
There’s just not enough here to justify playing Marathon for an extended period of time. The limited selection of maps and lack of attractive rewards for grinding through its repetitive quests mean that you’ll struggle to stay engaged after too long.

Accessibility features

Marathon doesn’t have a dedicated accessibility menu, but there are a few useful options in its settings menus. On PC, the game can be played with either keyboard and mouse or a controller, with the ability to rebind inputs fully on either control method.

There are four colorblind modes to choose from, which affect item rarity colors and the appearance of the HUD. Subtitles are enabled by default and can be customized in size, color, and background style.

How I reviewed Marathon

I played almost 40 hours of Marathon on my PC, which is a 5070 Ti-powered model from retailer Scan.

It has a compact Corsair 2000d RGB Airflow case, Asus ROG Strix B860-I motherboard, Intel Core Ultra 7 265K processor, a 2TB WD Black SN770 SSD, 32GB of DDR5 Corsair Vengeance RAM, and an Asus Nvidia 5070 Ti graphics card, which allowed me to play the game at 75 frames per second (fps) on the Highest pre-set graphics mode at native resolution on my 1080p monitor. I trust an Astro A20 X wireless gaming headset for my audio needs, including the use of its microphone when playing with friends.

I played the game exclusively with my usual gaming mouse and keyboard: a Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro and Cherry XTRFY K5V2.

Throughout my time with the game, I compared my experience with my hands-on testing of other extraction shooters, namely Escape from Tarkov and Arena Breakout: Infinite, in addition to the wider first-person shooter genre.

First reviewed March 2026

Birdfy Bird Bath Pro: one-minute review

I've tried out multiple bird feeder cameras, and let me tell you, the charm is yet to wear off. They are a top gadget for nature lovers, getting a close up view of your neighborhood birdlife.

Birdfy is one of the top names in this space — in fact, its 5-star Feeder 2 Duo sits in the top spot of my best bird feeder cameras guide. It went one step further from alternatives, adding a second motion-sensitive camera for two angles, to its bird identification skills and continuous year-round power (pricier models tend to feature a solar panel).

Then at CES 2026, Birdfy and Birdbuddy showcased new products and exciting new features to further enhance the garden birdlife experience. Chief among them was Birdbuddy's sound identification and Birdfy's 360-degree bird feeder camera, plus a new type of bird camera — the Bird Bath Pro.

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

If it wasn't already obvious from the name and my product-in-situ pictures, the Bird Bath Pro is not a bird feeder camera, but a bird bath camera.

It's an excellent foil to a bird feeder camera, providing an entertaining close-up look at other bird behavior such as preening and splashing, but in reality, I found its most exciting features lacked polish, while the design could do with looking a little more natural. I'd still recommend the product, mind you, and I hope that some issues, such as bird tracking and identification performance, can be improved with updates.

Birdfy Bird Bath Pro: price and availability

• Available with or without the stand, from $269.99 / £319.99 (AU$ TBC)
• It comes in blue or off-white
• There's free lifetime AI detection and unlimited cloud storage

The Birdfy Bird Bath Pro is available in blue or off-white versions, and can be purchased with or without the stand. As you can see, I had the off-white version; neither looks particularly natural and requires dressing up to better attract birdlife.

The 'Non-stand' version costs $269.99 / £319.99, while the 'Stand' version is $349.99 / £349.99. At the time of writing, there are big savings on those prices: the 'Non-stand' for $179.99 / £209.99 and the Stand version for $299.99 / £229.99.

On the Birdfy US and Birdfy UK sites, there's a lifetime AI service for free (bird detection). However, if you opt for an AI subscription in the US, it brings down the price of the Bird Bath Pro by $30, though you'll need to pay up should you want the AI service subscription at any point, which is $4.99p/m.

Birdfy Bird Bath Pro: specsBirdfy Bird Bath Pro specs

Sensor

Unknown

Photo

2MP wide camera, 3MP portrait camera

Video

1080p wide camera, 2K portrait camera

Memory

N/A

Dimensions

30in / 76.5 cm height with stand, 3.5L basin capacity

Weight

6.9lbs / 3.1kg (without stand), 10.8lbs / 4.9 kg (with stand)

Battery

9,000mAh battery and a 1.9W solar panel, fountain has a 1.6W solar panel

Birdfy Bird Bath Pro: design

• Setup takes mere minutes
• I'd prefer a more natural-looking design
• Rugged build quality, decent solar power performance

OK, so it resembles a child's high chair, but the Bird Bath Pro is actually kind of neat. It's a cinch to set up — you'll be up and running in minutes once you've completed an initial charge of the camera unit by USB.

Once in place, the camera's power stays topped up thanks to a beefy 1.9W solar panel. The water fountain is solely solar powered (1.65W), and I found it requires direct sunlight to work fully. It'll power out completely without bright daylight.

Of course, the Bird Bath Pro needs topping up with fresh water, and Birdfy recommends adding natural features to it in order to readily attract birdlife — I put good use to a growing collection of beach stones my children like to collect during holidays on the coast.

I set up the device where I live in the UK in March (which is early Spring), initially with the weather still pretty cold, and found it took several days for birds to get curious, despite seeing them active in the garden at a nearby feeder and collecting for nests and so on. A feeder camera has a more obvious, immediate lure.

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The app offers additional tools such as an audible alarm on the camera to scare off unwanted visitors, while Birdfy also promotes the device's rugged credentials — the camera protector is supposedly scratch-proof and UV resistant, so it shouldn't yellow over time.

Having used the Birdfy Bird Bath Pro for a month or more, it's clearly a durable product.

The main downside, based on my own experience, is that the Bird Bath Pro hasn't attracted nearly the same number or variety of birds as my bird feeder camera close by, over the same period. (In the summer heat, it might be a different story.) That said, it's a nice foil to a bird feeder camera, should you already own one and love it.

Birdfy Bird Bath Pro: performance

• Dual cameras; a 2MP / 1080p wide, and a tighter 3MP / 2K portrait
• The portrait camera can move side to side, tracking visitors
• Visitors are identified, with recording pop-up notifications, but accuracy could be better

There are twin cameras set within the Bird Bath Pro's removable and USB rechargeable unit: one for a wide-angle view of the entire bath, and another at a slightly higher vantage point, which can track subjects from side to side and with a tighter portrait-format field of view for more detailed shots.

Image quality is typically lo-fi compared to a smartphone; the tight portrait lens shoots 2K video and 3MP stills, while the wide camera is just 1080p video and 2MP stills. However, as far as bird feeder cameras go, the portrait lens especially is decent quality.

Once movement is detected, the Bird Bath Pro kicks into action, recording photo and video clips for both cameras and sending a 'Motion alert' notification through the free companion app. My unit came with the free lifetime AI service, and automatically detected a European Robin as a first sighting.

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I received infrequent bursts of 'motion alert' notifications in the app on my Android phone throughout my test, as well as 'bird' and 'animal' sightings, only to find recorded clips of motion in the surroundings (even plants moving in the wind), or a fly on one of the rocks, rather than detected birdlife. It pays to be smart about where you position the camera for maximum effect and minimal false alerts.

The first location I tried was a spot typically in the shade for most of the morning, but with good exposure to daylight in the afternoon until partway into the evening. Here I found the camera unit maintained its charge day-by-day over the course of my month-long review period, and I have no doubt it would maintain this performance year-round.

Photos and video clips are displayed chronologically in the app's gallery, and Birdfy provides unlimited cloud storage for those files for up to 30 days. You can manually add favorite clips and new sightings to a Collections folder for easy access, and you're free to download the files at any point. Many rival bird camera brands pin you down to monthly subscriptions for such features.

It's also possible to view the camera's live feed on your mobile device from anywhere with an internet connection, and manually record should you wish.

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The portrait camera levels up image quality, though I found subject tracking hit and miss; the camera's side-to-side movement seemed totally random at times. On the occasions it worked, the erratic movement of birds proved hard to keep up with (check out my sample videos below).

The portrait camera has plenty of potential and could set this Birdfy product apart, but in my experience, it needs more work to fulfill its promise.

I contacted Birdfy about the performance of the portrait camera and supplied footage. I got this reply:

"The camera's tracking algorithm is based on optical flow. The tracking will be affected by the changing patterns of light and shadow on the surface of rippling water (movements of/contrast between the reflections of trees' branches and the sky).

"The team will put in every effort to optimize and update the algorithm so as to tweak this feature. We'll continuously keep you posted on the progress of this."

While that's no guarantee of future performance improvements, it's reassuring to know that Birdfy is looking into it, and I know that its customer service is very good.

Lens flare in bright light is also an issue — I experienced a pronounced red halo in sunny conditions. Also, being a bird bath, the cameras are prone to being splashed on when birds visit. That's not an issue in terms of durability, but droplets on the camera do spoil photo and video recordings.

Should you buy the Birdfy Bird Bath Pro?

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Buy it if...

You want a subscription-free wildlife camera

Birdfy's app is free, as is the AI service and unlimited cloud storage (for up to 30 days), meaning you can enjoy photos and videos on your mobile device without being pinned down by a costly monthly subscription.

You already own and love a bird feeder camera

If you already use a bird feeder camera and enjoy the gadget, then the Bird Bath Pro is a sensible complementary product, giving a similar viewing experience but from a different type of stage — a splash pool rather than a seed tray!

Don't buy it if...

You want frequent visitors

In my experience, a bird feeder camera is much more popular with the local birdlife than a bird bath.

You'd like an attractive feature in your garden

Birdfy has a range of bird cameras, including attractive natural-looking feeder cameras made from wood. In my opinion, the Bird Bath Pro's design is unattractive, being unatural for the spaces it's designed for.

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)How I tested the Birdfy Bird Bath Pro

• I set up the product in my garden within close proximity to my home router
• I tested it for over a month during the springtime in the UK
• It saw out mixed weather: sun, cloud, rain, wind, cold

Birdfy sent me the Bird Bath Pro following CES 2026 in January, when it was winter (in the UK), but I began my review period once spring was setting in, two months later. I placed the product in various spots in my garden, generally with mixed sunlight and shade, and close to the natural cover of bushes. I decked the bath with stones to make it appear more natural.

I paired the Bird Bath Pro with Birdfy's companion app on my Android phone and used the app daily, receiving regular motion alerts (of which there were more than of actual visiting birds), and saved my favorite photos and video files to my 'Collections' in the app.

• First reviewed March 2026

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4: Two-minute review

When I sat down and first started listening to the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4, sitting at my desk at home, I was mildly pleased with their audio performance. But when I started using them out and about in the world, not in my cosy chair, these quickly became some of my least favorite headphones to test in recent months. Some of the best earbuds around for the cash-savvy buyer? Sadly, no.

That’s a surprise; I gave the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro an almost-perfect review score, and expected these affordable alternatives to fare just as well. But I have been loathe to use them during the testing period, for one simple reason.

These earbuds just wouldn’t stay in my ears. When I was sitting still at home, they’d more or less work fine – although they’d often slip from their default position so the drivers were further from my ears than they should be. If this was the entirety of my testing, I’d give them a perfectly fine review, but life’s not just about sitting still.

When I went on walks with the buds, they’d slip constantly, and I’d have to readjust them several times each minute to push them back in. I like to walk, and went on multiple hour-long rambles during the testing time. Imagine how long I had my hands in my ears, fidgeting and fixing slippage.

They also fared incredibly poorly on public transport (too shaky), when I was in bed (too angled) and even sometimes when I’d rotated my swivelling office chair. I didn't dare take them to the gym or on a run.

Even if the things weren’t flung from my ears multiple times per song, they have a truly awful battery life; with ANC and other features turned on, I’d get about three hours per charge. And that's before I even mention the meagre ANC performance – because of the poor fit, the active noise cancellation algorithm here has absolutely zero chance of stopping you hearing the sounds around you.

There are some elements of the Galaxy Buds 4 that you might like: they offer really high-quality music, and do look classy. And if you’re lucky enough to have ears like vices, you might not have the same fit issues I did – but I’ve never had issues quite like this in other similar buds, and know Samsung’s earbuds have a reputation for poor fit, so I really don’t think it’s a me problem.

A quick Google search shows that users had the same issue with the Buds 3. It's easy to find reports of them slipping out of the ears, so it's clear that this is a recurring issue which the company hasn't fixed. I try to avoid reading coverage of products I'm testing, but I've already seen reports of Buds 4 users having the same issue.

If you’ve got the money and a Samsung phone, the easier fix is to splash out a little more on the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, with their ear-tips offering a more secure fit (though not a perfect one). But honestly, there are countless great wireless earbuds for this much or less, that won’t jump from your ear at every opportunity.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

• Announced in February 2026, released March
• Sells for $179 / £159 / AU$299
• No price change from past models

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 were announced at Galaxy Unpacked on February 25, and have been available to buy from March 11, just like the Pro model and the Samsung Galaxy S26 series.

The retail price of the buds is $179 / £159 / AU$299, which is a mid-range price for earbuds like these, though they seem affordable when compared to the $249 / £219 / AU$399 Buds 4 Pro. There’s been no price hike over the Galaxy Buds 3, which is always good to see.

I know what you’re wondering: ‘how does that compare to Apple?’. The AirPods 4 with ANC cost $179 / £179 / AU$299, a very similar price point: the same in the US and Australia, but pricier in the UK. But if you don’t need ANC, the standard AirPods 4 cost $129 / £129 / AU$219, so they’re cheaper.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 review: Specs

Drivers

11mm woofer

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life (ANC off)

6 hours buds, 30 hours case

Weight

4.6g buds, 45.1g case

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.1

Frequency response

Not specified

Waterproofing

IP54

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• Buds last about 3 hours per charge
• ANC has limited effectiveness
• Range of handy features

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 technically do have noise cancellation, but due to their open-fit design (think Apple EarPods), they don’t plug up your ear to stop outside noise leaking in. So practically, they reduce very little noise. I could notice some noise cancellation when turning the feature off and on, but only a marginal amount.

Sometimes when I had the buds in but wasn't listening to music, I could hear them try to compensate for loud noises by pumping out what sounded like white noise. Not only did it fail to stop the background noise, it added a little extra layer of annoyance. Don’t buy these if you need good ANC.

Don’t buy them if you need a long-lasting battery either; their play time is abysmal. With ANC turned off you’re only looking at 6 hours of listening; Samsung’s official figure puts ANC-on listening at five hours but in my own testing, with features like SSC (Samsung Seamless Codec) turned on, I was barely scraping three.

You can get about five recharges from the case, which isn’t amazing, but didn’t affect me too much during my testing weeks. Just remember to plug them in regularly.

(Image credit: Future)

But now we can move onto the other features, and there’s a lot more to like there. The buds support Bluetooth 6.1, with support for codecs like SSC, AAC, SBC and LC3 (no LDAC). I had a few Bluetooth dropouts during my time with the buds, but not so many that it couldn’t have been environmental.

The buds offer a range of tools like call sharpening profiles, spatial audio with head tracking, a nine-band equalizer with presets, volume normalization, adaptive sound to cater for how you wear your earbuds (i.e., at what stage of falling out they’re at) and so on. You can even use the buds to tap into nearby audio broadcasts.

The only major omission is multipoint connection, but that’s not even a feature I’d consider mandatory in earbuds. There’s also no listening test, like in the Pro, but I didn’t find it wholly useful in those buds so again, no (further) marks docked.

• Features score: 3.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Swanky 'Blade' look
• Charging case is small and light
• Buds aren't designed for sticking in ear

I’ve got to say, I really like the Samsung Galaxy Bud 4’s charging case. It’s a lightweight, see-through square box, that the buds easily slot into. It weighs just 45.1g and measures 51 x 51 x 28.3mm, and really disappeared into my pocket.

The buds themselves look pretty good too, with their refined ‘Blade’ designed from the Buds 3 stripping out the lights and much of the fuss. The polished silver metal band on the white buds I tested looks great, but there’s also a black model you can pick up.

Unfortunately, that’s basically all I can praise about the Buds 4’s design, because for the three weeks I tested the buds, their build was the bane of my existence.

(Image credit: Future)

I’ve already spent much of the introduction to this article moaning about the Galaxy Buds 4’s fit, but in case you skipped that: these things just don’t stay still in your ears. If they’re not outright falling out, they’re moving around so that the drivers are pointing any which way, making music sound worse.

This'll no doubt be worst for people with big ears, but a few design decisions ensure that they won't be a good fit for anyone. The lack of a tip means you can’t just wedge the Buds 4 in your ears and hope for the best, and the material of the body is so smooth and friction-free that it fails to keep them anchored in ears.

It feels like the weighting of the buds is wrong too, so their own heft causes them to list and then fall from the ears. They’re not heavy, at just 4.6g, but the amount of ear-pirouettes they managed suggests the center of gravity is off in some way.

On the Buds 4’s stem, there’s a touch control: swipe up or down for volume, or pinch to play and pause your music. I quickly discovered that swiping was just another way for me to fling the buds out of my ears, but pinching is great: a light click lets you know that your demand was registered.

• Design score: 2.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future)

• Single driver per bud
• High-quality streamed music
• Detailed sound

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 have a single driver per ear; it’s one of the big downgrades from the Pro, with the bass-focused woofer absent. It’s a shame, because extra bass oomph is needed: it might go some way in mitigating how quickly you lose it when the earbuds start to slip…

Generally speaking, and when you’re sitting still with the Buds 4 angled perfectly, they sound about as good as you’d expect for the price. They’re bright and detailed; the acoustic guitars in Only the Good Die Young by Billy Joel sparkle and the keys in the piano introduction to Tiny Dancer by Elton John had just as much personality as the rocket man’s own voice did.

The lack of a dedicated woofer hurts, when comparing these to the Buds 4 Pro. Bass isn’t as scooping and defined as I’d like, instead sounding muddy indistinct. If you listen to Phosphorscent’s C’est La Vie No.2 by Phosphorescent or The Rocketeer by Foxy Shazam, the bass just melts into the band and loses its edge.

(Image credit: Future)

Detail and quality really is the name of the game here, as for all their strengths and weaknesses, you’re hearing it all… at least, if you’re using a Samsung phone, which allows for the SSC-UHQ codec. This allows for 24-bit/96kHz transmission, and makes an audible difference over listening on other devices.

So the Galaxy Buds 4 aren’t the best earbuds I’ve tested, even at the price, but they’re decent. But remember everything I said about the fit? Yeah – between the slow slipping and leaking background sound, I very rarely got the best from the buds. When I used them while walking, or on public transport, the bass vanished pretty quickly and often the mids were drowned out by noise, leaving only some hi-hats and vocals to enjoy.

The buds have a fairly high max volume, but I noticed something odd: the bass would audibly drop from the mix as I got near the top. Every time I pressed ‘volume up’ from five steps off max, every instrument would get louder, except for the bass which would step back. It meant two or three presses of my volume keys would result in a drastically different sound mix, and it was much tinnier-sounding at the top than I’d expect.

• Sound quality: 4/5

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

• Mid-range price for buds
• Other options get you more for your money

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 aren’t cheap, and honestly, you’re within your rights to expect a little more from your earbuds.

A single driver? A sub-movie-length battery life? A design that doesn’t seem well thought out? If these were budget buds I’d understand, but $179 / £159 / AU$299 is far from cheap in the varied world of wireless earbuds.

There are other similar-priced options out there which offer you a lot more for your money, or give a similar package to the Buds 4 but at a fraction of the cost.

• Value: 3/5

Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4?

(Image credit: Future)Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The ANC struggles and the battery life is woeful, but a few other features claw back points.

3.5/5

Design

They're not designed to stick in your ear, even if they look good.

2.5/5

Sound quality

The Buds 4 offer high-quality music with a bright, detailed sound.

4/5

Value

They're not expensive per se, but you can get a lot more for your money.

3/5

Buy them if…

You need office work buds
If you're going to be listening to these while sitting still at a desk, some of their biggest issues won't affect you.

You own a Samsung phone
The SSC-UHQ codec is really something else, but it's only available for owners of modern Samsung smartphones.View Deal

You need a wireless charging case
Wireless charging still isn't commonplace in earbud cases, but the Buds 4 offer this convenient feature.View Deal

Don’t buy them if…

You need long-lasting buds
Few earbuds I've tested have a worse battery life than the Buds 4. Not for travellers, or those who like a long listening stint.

You need exercise buds
I won't beat this dead horse any longer, but these buds just don't survive if your head is moving: bobbing as you walk or reclining at the gym.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 review: Also consider

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4

Apple AirPods 4 with ANC

Status Audio Pro X

Drivers

11mm

'Custom high-excursion' Apple driver

12mm

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

No

Battery life (ANC on)

6 hours (buds) 30 hours (case)

5 hours (buds) 20 hours (case)

7 hours (buds) 25 hours (case)

Weight

4.6g (buds) 45.1g (case)

4.3g (buds) 32.3g (case)

4.5g (buds) 50g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.1

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.3

Waterproofing

IP54

IP57

IP54

AirPods 4 with ANC
The natural competitor, these earbuds come at a similar price and with a comparable feature set, though you need an iPhone to be able to use them.
Read our full AirPods 4 with ANC review

Denon AH-C500W
Want tip-less earbuds for a lot less, and from a Samsung sub-brand? These Denon models fit me much better, though they don't quite sound as good and offer a thinner list of features.
Read our full Denon Ah-C500W

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4

• Tested for a month
• Tested at home, on walks and on public transport

I tested the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 immediately after the Pro model, so they were a natural comparison. I used them paired to a Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra phone for the duration of the testing process, and listened to audio on Spotify, internal storage, various streaming services and games.

The test process for the buds was around three weeks, though I used them occasionally for a week prior when I received them at the same time as the Pro.

I've been reviewing gadgets at TechRadar for about 8 years now, including plenty of earbuds and Samsung gadgets (including the Buds 3 Pro too).

• First reviewed in March 2026

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14: Two-minute review

The HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 is a 2-in-1 laptop designed with creators in mind, owing to its capable spec and bundled stylus.

It looks smart and sleek, especially in its dark blue guise, which adds more interest than the grey alternative. The angled back corners also distinguish it from the crowd, as well as serving a practical purpose that I’ll come to later.

The standout aspect of its form, though, is its thinness. It certainly cuts a slender figure, but more remarkable is the fact that this doesn’t come at the expense of sturdiness: the aluminum frame has no flex at all, and easily ranks among the best 2-in-1 laptops in terms of build quality.

The downside of this construction, though, is its weight. The Ultra Flip is heavier than you might expect, which makes it a little more onerous to carry around than its rivals. It’s still within acceptable bounds, however.

Oddly, it’s the included stylus, the HP MPP 2.0 Tilt Pen, that presents more of a portability issue. It’s stored on the side of the base, and since it’s quite large, it can easily snag when putting away or taking out the laptop from a bag. What’s more, the magnetic attraction isn’t strong enough to prevent it from detaching completely in such instances.

(Image credit: Future)

You don’t get many ports on the Ultra Flip, which is understandable given that thin base, not to mention the space needed for storing the Tilt Pen. However, the Ultra Flip makes clever use of its limited real estate, as those aforementioned rear corners house two of the laptop’s three USB-C ports. This is a practical location, although it’s a minor shame that only one of them supports the Thunderbolt 4 standard (the other Thunderbolt 4 port is on the right side of the base).

The all-round performance of the Ultra Flip is respectable. It dispatches most workaday tasks without issue, from general browsing and productivity to 4K streaming and light gaming.

Despite being marketed for creators, though, it’s a little disappointing that the Ultra Flip only features integrated graphics. It’s also a concern that it failed to complete Puget Bench’s video editing benchmark — something one its nearest rivals, the MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+, also failed, by the by.

Having said this, I found its graphical performance reasonably impressive for a machine without a dedicated GPU. It ran Cyberpunk 2077 in a playable state, offering just enough visual fidelity and performance for a casual session.

What’s more, the Ultra Flip stays cool and composed during such workloads. Any heat that is emitted is confined to the very rear of the base, where you won’t feel it. Fan noise can make itself known, but it’s impressively hushed compared to others.

Perhaps the best part of the Ultra Flip, though, is its display. It’s as deep and as rich as you’d expect from an OLED, while the 3K resolution offers a crystal clear image. It’s also very bright, which helps to nullify any pesky reflections. The touchscreen and Tilt Pen are responsive and easy to use as well.

(Image credit: Future)

The keyboard allows for quick typing, thanks to the generous spacing of the keys, in addition to their light and shallow actuation. They can feel a little harsh when you hammer down hard, but otherwise they’re perfectly comfortable.

I found the touchpad occasionally encroached while typing, but this wasn’t egregious enough to disrupt productivity. In fact, its large size is actually a boon for such tasks, since it makes navigation that much easier. The pad also supports numerous gestures and functions, including the ability to adjust system brightness and volume by sliding up and down on either side. These ‘sliders’ feature haptic feedback that I didn’t find particularly engaging, but at least doesn’t make the controls unusable.

The battery life of the Ultra Flip is very impressive, lasting 18 hours when playing back a movie on a continuous loop. There aren’t many laptops that can beat this, although the Prestige 14 Flip AI+ is one of them; this lasted over 30 hours in the same test, which is quite astonishing.

In many ways, MSI’s 2-in-1 is a close rival to the Ultra Flip, but I believe the latter has the edge in key categories. Its display is superior and it lacks the same touchpad frustrations.

HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 review: Price & availability

(Image credit: Future)

• Starts from $1,459.99 / £1,299 / AU$3,399
• Available now in two colorways
• Reasonable price for the spec

The HP OmniBook Ultra Flip starts from $1,459.99 / £1,299 / AU$3,399 and is available now in two colors: blue and grey. Various configurations are possible, with Intel Core Ultra 5, 7, and 9 CPUs available, while RAM ranges from 16GB to 32GB and storage options from 512GB to 2TB.

Considering the spec and design, the Ultra Flip is reasonably priced for a 2-in-1 laptop. The nearest equivalent model, the MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+, costs a similar amount, and likewise features an Intel Core Ultra 7 and a 1TB SSD. There are differences, though: the Prestige has a much lower display resolution, but double the RAM (32GB) and unparalleled battery life, outlasting the Ultra Flip and many of the best touchscreen laptops by a wide margin.

If you’re after a considerably less expensive 2-in-1 and don’t mind forgoing Windows, the Acer Chromebook Spin 312 is worth considering. This is among the best Chromebooks around for those on a tight budget, thanks to its build quality, compact form, and impressive display. You’ll have to provide your own stylus, though.

HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 review: Specs

Base

Review

Max

Price

$1,459.99 / £1,299 / AU$3,399

$1,629.99 / £1,499 / AU$3,699

$2,099.99 / £2,099.99 / AU$3,999

CPU

Intel Core Ultra 5 226V (up to 4.5 GHz, 8 cores)

Intel Core Ultra 7 256V (2.2GHz, 8 cores)

Intel Core Ultra 9 288V (up to 5.1GHz, 8 cores)

GPU

Intel Arc Graphics (integrated)

Intel Arc Graphics (integrated)

Intel Arc Graphics (integrated)

RAM

16GB LPDDR5x

16GB LPDDR5x
Aus: 32GB LPDDR5x

32GB LPDDR5x

Storage

512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD

1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD

1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD

Display

14-inch 3K (2880 x 1800),16:10, OLED, 120Hz, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, Touchscreen

14-inch 3K (2880 x 1800),16:10, OLED, 120Hz, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, Touchscreen

14-inch 3K (2880 x 1800),16:10, OLED, 120Hz, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, Touchscreen

Ports and Connectivity

3x USB-C (2x Thunderbolt 4, 40Gbps, Power Delivery, DisplayPort 2.1; 1x 10Gbps, Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4a), 1x combo audio; Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

3x USB-C (2x Thunderbolt 4, 40Gbps, Power Delivery, DisplayPort 2.1; 1x 10Gbps, Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4a), 1x combo audio; Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

3x USB-C (2x Thunderbolt 4, 40Gbps, Power Delivery, DisplayPort 2.1; 1x 10Gbps, Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4a), 1x combo audio; Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

Battery

64Wh

64Wh

64Wh

Dimensions

12.4 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches (314 x 216 x 15mm)

12.4 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches (314 x 216 x 15mm)

12.4 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches (314 x 216 x 15mm)

Weight

3lbs / 1.34kg

3lbs / 1.34kg

3lbs / 1.34kg

HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Super thin
• Premium build quality
• Incongruous stylus storage

The Ultra Flip exhibits an understated but fetching design. I especially liked the dark blue colorway of my review unit, departing from the monochromatic crowd (although a grey finish is also available). I also liked the angular back corners, which add interest and serve a practical purpose that I’ll explain later.

It feels more premium than many others in the space, too. The aluminum body is as sturdy as you’d expect, a feat that’s all the more remarkable given just how thin the whole unit is. Meanwhile, the lid is both easy to adjust and perfectly stable once in place.

The downside of this construction, though, is the weight. The Ultra Flip is noticeably heavier than some of its plastic rivals, and while it’s still perfectly fit for backpacks or suitcases, those who are fastidious about traveling light might feel let down — literally.

Other portability issues arise courtesy of the included stylus, HP’s MPP 2.0 Tilt Pen. It’s quite large and thick, which makes it cumbersome when stored on the side of the laptop, as it has a tendency to catch and fall off when you're depositing and retrieving the laptop from a bag. It can often fall off completely in such cases, since the magnets aren’t strong enough to keep the pen in place.

(Image credit: Future)

I also experienced times when the pen would rotate towards the underside of the base whenever I lifted the Ultra Flip up, resulting in it being crushed when I set it down again.

Having said all this, there’s plenty to like about the Tilt Pen’s design. That sizable form makes it easy to hold, while its two buttons are generously proportioned and well placed, which makes them easy to operate with your writing hand. And while the pen doesn’t support wireless charging, the USB-C port is at least discreetly locked away behind an elegant sliding mechanism.

For such a thin laptop, you mightn’t be surprised to learn that the Ultra Flip’s port selection is limited. There are no USB-A ports, which might cause peripheral-heavy users some headaches, since even the best mice and keyboards today still employ the standard in their dongles.

There are three USB-C ports, though, and the Ultra Flip deploys a clever space-saving trick with two of them, as they’re integrated within those aforementioned rear corners. What’s more, this placement helps to keep any connected cables out of the way, as well as making it easy to locate each port without having to crane your neck to see exactly where they are.

It’s a shame, though, that these two corner ports differ in their specification. The one in the right corner is Thunderbolt 4 — which supports 40Gbps transfer speeds, Power Delivery and DisplayPort 2.1 — while the one on the left isn’t, only supporting 10Gbps transfer speeds, DisplayPort 1.4a, and lacks fast charging.

It would be more convenient if both corner ports were Thunderbolt 4 to accommodate a wider variety of locations of monitors and power sources that require it. Instead, the other Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port is located on the right side of the base, which is less practical.

HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 review: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Sharp and rich OLED display
• Unintrusive yet noticeable fan noise
• Responsive touchscreen and stylus

HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 benchmarks

3DMark: Night Raid: 34,738; Fire Strike: 8,935; Steel Nomad: 602; Solar Bay: 16,161; Solar Bay Unlimited: 12,751; Solar Bay Extreme: 2,101; Solar Bay Extreme Unlimited: 2,193
Geekbench 6.5: Multicore: 10,906; Single-core: 2,743
Cinebench R23: Multi Core: 8,806; Cinebench R24: Single Core: 118; Multi Core: 530
Crossmark: Overall: 1,705; Productivity: 1,642; Creativity: 1,935; Responsiveness: 1,305
Passmark Overall: 6,194; CPU: 21,831.3; 2D Graphics: 638.9; 3D Graphics: 5,038.6; Memory: 2,844.4; Disk: 47,357.1
BlackMagicDisk: Read: 3,543MB/s; Write: 3,707MB/s
HandBrake 4K to 1080p: 51.82fps
Total War: Warhammer III: 1080p, Medium: 47fps
Total War: Warhammer III: 1800p, Ultra: 12fps
PCMark Battery Test (Modern Office): 15 hours and 33 minutes
Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 18 hours and 2 minutes

For everyday use, the Ultra Flip is highly capable. It can handle light productivity and entertainment with ease, including multi-tab browsing and 4K video streaming.

I was also surprised by how well it gamed, despite lacking a dedicated GPU. It ran Cyberpunk 2077 at the Ray Tracing: Low preset in a state that was playable, if very rough-and-ready. It’s certainly not going to trouble the best gaming laptops, but for some quick fun, it suffices.

However, it failed to complete Puget Bench’s benchmark for Adobe Premiere, due to a certain GPU effect being unable to render. I had this same problem when I tested the MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+, which also has no dedicated GPU, so I suspect this shared aspect is the culprit in both cases. Video editors, therefore, might want to look elsewhere.

At times, the fans can emit a noticeable amount of noise, even when moderate workloads are being conducted. However, the sound is low-pitched and more hushed than that of other laptop fans, which makes it less grating. Extreme temperatures are kept at bay, too, with any heat generated confined to the very rear of the base.

(Image credit: Future)

The widescreen OLED display is one of the Ultra Flip’s highlights. The 3K resolution is gloriously sharp, while colors are deep and rich, with that typical OLED contrast living up to its acclaim. Some reflections are revealed under suboptimal lighting conditions, but I found the high brightness levels available were often enough to combat them effectively. What’s more, the touchscreen is responsive and accurate, making it great to use with fingers or the Tilt Pen.

The keyboard of the Ultra Flip is very light and snappy, which makes for quick and easy typing. The ultra low profile of the keys also helps in this regard, although those who hammer away might find them a little harsh, due to their lack of dampening. There are plenty of useful shortcuts on the F row, but the lack of a number pad or even a navigation cluster hampers productivity.

There are no such issues with the touchpad, though. Its silky-smooth surface combined with its large surface area makes it easy to navigate with. What’s more, it supports plenty of gestures, although they’re somewhat hidden away, requiring the use of the preinstalled HP app to enable them.

There are even two ‘sliders’ either side of the touchpad, used to control volume and brightness respectively. They feature prominent haptic feedback that emulates notches as you make your adjustments, similar in feel to those of a scroll wheel. These can feel a little at odds with your actual finger movement, lacking the level of responsiveness I would’ve liked. The clicking sound produced is also quite loud and not particularly pleasant. However, these are minor quibbles, and the controls work well overall.

HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 review: Battery life

(Image credit: Future)

The battery life of the Ultra Flip is very impressive. HP claims it can last just over 16 hours unplugged, but this figure is something of an underestimate. When I played back a movie on a continuous loop, it actually managed to sustain itself for 18 hours.

This puts it in league with the most enduring laptops around. Very few can outlast it, but one that can is MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+, another 2-in-1 machine. This managed over 30 hours, which is pretty much unbeatable in the laptop sphere.

Fully charging the Ultra Flip from empty took a little over two hours, which is also admirable.

Should I buy the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14?

Category

Notes

Rating

Value

Considering all the quality and specs on offer, the Ultra Flip is good value for money.

4 / 5

Design

The supreme build quality is certainly welcome, although the unexpected heaviness and stylus storage issues are not.

4 / 5

Performance

The Ultra Flip performs well in many areas, even light gaming, although video editors might be disappointed. The excellent OLED display is exceptional, though.

4 / 5

Battery Life

Among the best in class. Only a few can outlast it.

4.5 / 5

Final Score

The HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 is very well made and performs well in most areas, with the OLED display being the true highlight. Only a few minor flaws blemish this otherwise competent, convertible laptop.

4 / 5

Buy it if…

You want a great display
The 3K OLED display is every bit as sumptuous as you would hope. The touchscreen functions very well, too.

You want a premium build
The uber-thin design oozes class, while the formidable aluminum body is reminiscent of the best MacBooks, which is high praise indeed.

Don't buy it if…

You prize lightness
Despite the thin body, the Ultra Flip is actually quite hefty, so those who want to pack as light as possible might be a shade disappointed.

You want plenty of ports
With only three USB ports (all of which are Type-C) and a headset jack, you’ll need a hub if you’ve got plenty of connections to make.

HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 review: also consider

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+
The MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ is comparable in many ways to the Ultra Flip, including on price. There are some key differences, though. It has a much smaller stylus, and a much tidier storage solution for it — which also features wireless charging. However, I had a real issue with its touchpad ‘sliders’ misfiring, something I didn’t experience with those on the Ultra Flip. Read our full MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ review.

Acer Chromebook Spin 312
A considerably cheaper 2-in-1, the Acer Chromebook Spin 312 is ideal for those on a budget. Granted, you won’t be getting the power and versatility of a Windows machine, but this compact Chromebook is great for basic tasking. Its display is crisp and its touchscreen perfectly usable, although you’ll have to provide your own stylus if you don’t want to use your fingers. Read our full Acer Chromebook Spin 312 review.

How I tested the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested for several days
• Used for a variety of tasks
• Laptop reviewing experience

I tested the Ultra Flip for several days, during which time I used it for a variety of tasks, from browsing and productivity to content streaming and gaming. I also ran our series of benchmarks, designed to reveal the true capabilities of a device. I tested the battery life by running a movie on a continuous loop until it completely depleted.

I have plenty of experience reviewing laptops of all kinds, from small budget offerings to large and premium gaming machines.

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

H2O Audio Sonar 2 Pro: Two-minute review

The H2O Audio Sonar 2 Pro are possibly the best possible headphones for serious swimmers. They secure onto a headband instead of having their own (and are very stable when in place), making them unique among H2O Audio’s offerings as well as setting them apart from the rest of our best swimming headphones. Since Bluetooth connectivity has trouble in water, H2O has added some features to get around that.

As good as the H2O Audio Sonar 2 Pro are for swimmers, they’re probably among the least interesting headphones for any other purpose. They only sound good underwater – this is by design, of course – and it’s still not quite an audiophile experience. And that form factor is very limiting. While some of our best running headphones list use bone conduction technology and can be used in water and on land, there are other options, even from H2O Audio, that I prefer for that purpose, such as the H20 Audio Tri 2 Pro, rated our best bone conduction headphones overall.

But for their intended purpose, you’ll be hard-pressed to do better than the H2O Audio Sonar 2 Pro. With that in mind, let’s dive a little deeper on why that is.

While I already had an idea of what to expect when I received these headphones, I was surprised by how small the box was – it’s not much bigger than the box AirPods come in – nor how small the soft-shell case inside was, which was basically the same size as the box.

The actual headphones came inside the case along with the folded up charging cable and a pair of waterproof earplugs. The headphones themselves, besides being fairly small, are unique looking because they have no headband of their own, just a thick, blue cable that goes behind one’s head connecting the drivers to each other.

The bone conduction drivers are each in black housing with a clip on the outside and three control buttons – the left has the Mode (switches between Bluetooth Mode and using internal storage in Memory Mode), forward and back, while the right has Play / Pause / Power, and Volume Up / Down.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

Since these are made for swimming, they have an IPX8 rating – about as good as it gets in any consumer product not meant for the Mariana Trench – so it can be underwater “up to 12ft/3.6m” without any restriction. If you’re considering these for serious diving, be warned the pressure in deeper waters could affect these headphones.

Also, since the H2O Audio Sonar 2 Pro are made for swimming, they come with a couple features meant to circumvent one of the biggest hurdles for using headphones while swimming. Bluetooth connectivity tends to become more intermittent the more water is between the source like a smart phone and headphones, so these headphones come with a built-in MP3 player with 8GB of storage.

Loading music onto these headphones then is reminiscent of loading music onto a phone as one might have done ten years ago, which is not the most convenient, using the included charging cable and connecting the headphones to a computer. That also means that you have to have the music you want stored in playable form like MP3 on your computer.

The H2O Audio Sonar 2 Pro do have an additional feature to make this more manageable that the non-Pro version doesn’t have, and that’s the Playlist+ feature. This feature lets the user load music onto the headphones wirelessly. Now, H2O Audio advertises this feature as a way to transfer a playlist, but that overcomplicates what this feature actually does.

Think of the Playlist+ feature like a tape recorder. Whether you do it through the headphones (you press the Volume Up button twice to start and stop recording) or the app, you basically start the recording process, press play on whatever music or podcast you want, and then stop it when the song is done. It won’t stop on its own, so you could potentially have multiple songs on one track. One thing that I do appreciate is that it will read the name and song title from the source and automatically name the file after it. It’s a nice work-around, if a little inelegant. It’s literally a digital version of pressing ‘record’ on a boombox to make a mixtape.

Regardless of whether you’re streaming through Bluetooth or listening to an MP3 in Memory Mode (aka the built-in MP3 player), the sound quality is the same. And it’s a bit strange. The way bone conduction headphones work affects the sound quality a little, since what you’re listening to is vibrating through your cheekbones into the inner ear instead of actually passing through your ear. So, everything sounds more intelligible when also wearing the included earplugs.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

It also sounds clearer when underwater. The listening experience is not quite HiFi, however. I’ve listened to H2O Audio products underwater before and I don’t remember them being as bass-heavy. Maybe it’s intentional to make the music sound more motivating but the low-end seems to be front and center to the point where a song like “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” sounds like a bass solo and songs with 808 drums like hip-hop and EDM are somewhat overpowered by the kick drum.

What’s strange is that there’s no real way to EQ the headphones in a way to offset it, especially if you’re using Memory Mode (you can always use an EQ on the phone for Bluetooth audio). That said, the mids and highs are fairly clear when underwater, so if H2O Audio adjusted their app to have some kind of EQ adjustments, I think these headphones would be even easier to recommend.

They’re still easy to recommend, despite that issue with the low-end. I haven’t really discussed fit yet, and while you’re somewhat at the mercy of whatever headband you use, when these slip on they’re incredibly stable. They don’t move. They don’t jiggle. I learned by struggling or thrashing my way through a couple laps in an Olympic pool to see what would happen. This is a big reason why they’re among the best swimming headphones.

There’s not else to write home about regarding the H20 companion app, other than to mention that it will give you a readout of battery life and let you navigate the songs stored on the device when in memory mode. You can also start the Playlist+ feature here.

Lastly, the 10-hour battery life doesn’t seem impressive compared to what we see on the best wireless earbuds, especially when you include the extra charges in their carrying case – something you don’t get with the soft shell case as it’s not a power source. But I think it’s actually a decent amount of juice for a swimmer.

H20 Audio Sonar 2 Pro: Specifications

Component

H20 Audio Sonar 2 Pro

Drivers

Bone conduction

Active noise cancellation

No

Battery life

Up to 9 hours

Weight

1.0 oz (29 grams)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.3

Frequency range

30Hz - 18kHz

Waterproofing

IPX8

Other features

8GB storage and MP3 player, Playlist+, App support

H2O Audio Sonar 2 Pro: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• How much does it cost? $149.99 / £117.00 / AU$234.00
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

The H2O Audio Sonar 2 Pro aren’t cheap, but the price is very respectable at $149.99 / £117.00 / AU$234.00. Considering the feature set and niche use, I could see a higher price (though I would hope H2O Audio would give more control over the EQ before that happens).

Many of the swimming headphones and bone conduction headphones end up going for at least the same price if not more. The Shokz OpenSwim Pro, for example, go for a slightly higher $179.95 / £169 / AU$299. They also have a built-in MP3 player but don’t have anything like the Playlist+ feature (which is a proprietary H2O feature). They also have the more typical form factor of a pair of bone conduction headphones with a sturdy but bendable headband.

Even the company’s own H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro Multi-Sport has a higher MSRP $199.99 / £155.68 (about AU$310). Of course, those are meant for a different purpose. They are sturdy and steady enough to swim in, but don’t clip in, as they’re meant just as much to run in. They do come with the Playlist+ feature as well.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

The price tag for these headphones are pretty reasonable as one could definitely pay more for swimming headphones.

4 / 5

Design

Though a niche design, the H2O Audio Sonar 2 Pro are ideal for swimmers thanks to how secure they are.

4.5 / 5

Performance

The sound quality, though a bit bass-heavy, is clear underwater. Plus, the battery life is more than enough.

4 / 5

Average rating

It may be niche, but swimmers needing headphones that clip in will be thrilled with these.

4 / 5

Should I buy the H2O Audio Sonar 2 Pro?

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)Buy it if...

You’re a serious swimmer

The clip-on design make these about as stable as one gets for swimming. Add in the MP3 player and Playlist+ feature and you have ideal headphones for doing laps.

You want your playlist while swimming

The Playlist+ feature is very helpful for getting your playlist or any music / podcast you don’t own onto the headphones, and it’s a feature that one only gets with H2O Audio.

Don't buy it if...

You want bone conduction headphones for any other reason

If you don’t need headphones that clip into the headband of swimming goggles, then look elsewhere including H2O Audio’s other offerings.

You want convenience

If you don’t want to deal with plugging the headphones into your computer and transferring music or queuing up a playlist and running the Playlist+ feature, you’re missing out on a good portion of what sets these headphones apart.

Also consider

Shokz Openswim Pro

The Shokz Openswim Pro are waterproof with a comfortable and tight fit, even if they don’t clip into a headband, and come with a good nine hours of battery life. It’s not the most up-to-date of Shokz headphones but is still an ideal option for swimmers.

Read our full Shokz Openswim Pro review

H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro Multi-Sport

The H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro Multi-Sport aren’t cheap, but are worth it, especially for anyone also looking for headphones to use during swimming. After all, these are tailored to triathletes.

Read our full H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro Multi-Sport review

How I tested

• Tested over a couple weeks
• Listened to different genres of music
• Tested all the different features

I spent a couple of weeks testing the H2O Audio Sonar 2 Pro including a couple laps in an Olympic size pool as well as just hanging out underwater to listen to them. While using them, I listened to all sorts of genres from electronic and hip-hop to rock and acoustic music to get an idea of how they sound. I also tested the various features, most notably the Playlist+ feature.

After testing, it’s clear that these are ideal for serious swimmers, not only from the bone conduction but the form factor, which means that they’re as secure as a pair of headphones can be during a swim. Check out our guide to how bone conduction headphones work for more details on how headphones like these work.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing audio equipment and have spent even longer using my critical ear as a listener and musician to understand what does and doesn’t sound good.

• First reviewed November 2025

Turtle Beach PlayTrek Travel Case for Nintendo Switch 2: review

The Turtle Beach PlayTrek Travel Case for Nintendo Switch 2 is the definition of eye-catching. From the very moment this model entered my line of sight, I was instantly drawn to it. Its lenticular exterior… its Donkey Kong Country-inspired look… its leaf-green handle… I simply had to get my hands on it.

And now, I finally have it in my clutches – the coveted DK case. But just how good is Turtle Beach’s lightweight Switch 2 case? Pretty damn good, actually.

See, I’ve tested a lot of cases for Nintendo’s latest hybrid console, including some that sit in our guide to the best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories, and some that… well, aren’t quite up to scratch. But one thing has frustrated me with the bulk of these cases. They just lack the playfulness and personality I’d associate with Nintendo.

Of course, that’s not a problem for the PlayTrek Travel Case, which is licensed by Nintendo itself. The Donkey Kong variant I tested is attention-grabbing, includes bold greens and red details, and has lenticular art that reveals multiple layers of trees from different angles. It’s a great-looking item, and the most bodacious I’ve seen so far.

If you’re not all too big on the Kong, fear not. There’s a lenticular Mario Bricks alternative, featuring the Italian plumber himself, or more basic colorways like Charcoal Black and Stellar White.

We’ve spoken a fair bit about looks, but just how practical is the PlayTrek Case for Nintendo Switch 2? Well, first of all, I’m a big fan of the main compartment, which is fitted brilliantly for the Switch 2 console. It’s not too tight of a squeeze, but it’s also very secure. You can flap the middle compartment over your system, and hold it in place with its hook and loop fastener. If you ever drop your case, then your console should be safe.

I touched on that middle compartment, and I have to say, Turtle Beach nailed it here. It’s equipped with twelve game card slots, which can hold either Switch or Switch 2 games. These slots mold to your cartridges with ease, and when I gave the case an almighty shake, they didn’t fall out. Twelve slots is also very generous – I mean, even the official Nintendo Switch 2 Carrying Case only has six. Sure, Nintendo's official case isn't as bulky overall, but in turn, you do get more room for your gaming gear from the PlayTrek Travel Case.

The final compartment – situated under the roof of the case – is pretty neat too. It contains a zip-up pouch that can be used to store a charging cable, Switch 2 camera, or Joy-Con 2 grips, but it’s a little too small to house a dock or larger accessory like the Turtle Beach Rematch Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch 2, for example. This compartment is padded, however, meaning you get even more protection for your system.

(Image credit: Future)

In general, the PlayTrek case feels very durable. It’s got an EVA hard shell design ensuring it can survive a fair few drops, and it’s wrapped in TPU-coated polyester, helping it to weather everyday wear. When dropping the case from waist height multiple times, I couldn’t see any indication of damage, although the lenticular cover was a little susceptible to marks like fingerprints – a minor issue in the grand scheme of things.

Right, after all of this, you’re probably wondering whether there’s a catch. For example, it’s probably expensive, right? Well… no, no it isn’t. The PlayTrek Travel Case is typically priced at $29.99 / £19.99 / AU$39, making it cheaper than Nintendo’s official case – a model with fewer game card slots, protection, and storage space. I’ve even seen it go on sale recently, too, with a price cut to just $24.99 / £16.99 in the US and UK at the time of writing. That’s amazing value for money.

So, here we are at the end of it all. Did Turtle Beach’s DK-themed case meet my expectations? No, it didn’t. It surpassed them. With a durable build, excellent low price, charismatic look, and astute storage, this case is ideal for on-the-go use. Sure, it’s not large enough to fit your dock, but there are different cases specialized for that, like the Nintendo Switch 2 All-In-One Carrying Case and Nacon Protection Case XL for Switch 2. Bravo, Turtle Beach, you weren’t monkeying around with this one.

(Image credit: Future)Turtle Beach PlayTrek Travel Case for Nintendo Switch 2 review: price & specs

Price

$29.99 / £19.99 / AU$39

Dimensions

11.8 x 6.1 x 2.3in / 300 x 155 x 58mm

Weight

0.8lbs / 378g

Number of game card slots

12

Compartments

3

Handle

Yes

Color

Charcoal Black, Stellar White, Donkey Kong, Mario Bricks

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Turtle Beach PlayTrek Travel Case for Nintendo Switch 2?

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Design

Attractive lenticular exterior with fun look, well-built with hardy exterior, but can pick up fingerprints quite easily.

4.5/5

Storage

Secure storage for Switch 2 console, loads of game card slots, handy pouch, not quite big enough for dock or larger accessories.

4.5/5

Value

Phenomenal low price for a case with this much quality and personality.

5/5

Buy it if…

You want a case that stands out from the crowd
The PlayTrek Travel Case is available in an eye-catching array of designs, but my favorite has to be the Donkey-Kong-themed model. Its lenticular artwork and vivid use of color make it a true joy to behold.

You’re looking for excellent durability
This case isn’t just a looker, though; it’s also very durable. Its EVA hard shell design will keep your Switch 2 safe from the odd drop, and the TPU-coated polyester protects against daily wear. On top of that, the case's padded interior and fitted build will keep your system secure and in place, even if you’re taking a bumpy ride.

Don’t buy it if…

You need a case to house your dock
This model isn’t the largest around, so it won’t quite fit your Switch 2 dock or some other larger accessories. If that’s what you need, check out my top suggestion in the ‘Also consider’ section.

You’re easily bothered by fingerprints
Like a lot of its fellow cases, the PlayTrek Travel Case is fairly susceptible to picking up fingerprints. If markings like that tend to rub you the wrong way, it may be worth looking at an alternative, like a soft case. The Hori Puff Pouch for Nintendo Switch 2 is an option that springs to mind.

Turtle Beach PlayTrek Travel Case for Nintendo Switch 2 review: also consider

Nintendo Switch 2 All-In-One Carrying Case
OK, this one’s pricey, but stick with me here. If you need a case that’s large enough to house your dock, a Pro Controller for Nintendo Switch 2, and all of the necessary wires and accessories, this is the ultimate pick. Nintendo’s official all-in-one case doesn’t have the hardest exterior, but it’s highly scratch-resistant, has individual compartments for your gaming gear, and is all you need for heavy-duty on-the-go gaming.

Read my full Nintendo Switch 2 All-In-One Carrying Case review.

Hori Adventure Pack for Nintendo Switch 2
If you want something a little different, then check out this cross-body option, the Hori Adventure Pack for Nintendo Switch 2. It’s a great value-for-money pick with plenty of room for your console and accessories, and can be used with a shoulder strap or traditional handle.

Read our full Hori Adventure Pack for Nintendo Switch 2 review.

How I tested Turtle Beach PlayTrek Travel Case for Nintendo Switch 2

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested over the course of multiple days
• Took it with me to the office and performed durability tests
• Trialled by a Switch 2 owner and life-long gamer

I spent multiple days testing the Turtle Beach PlayTrek Travel Case for Nintendo Switch 2, taking it with me to the office for my workplace’s weekly Mario Kart World showdown.

During my time testing, I made sure to try filling the case with my Switch 2 system, games, and accessories, and performed durability tests to ensure the case performed its job effectively. I even compared it against my go-to model, the official Nintendo Switch 2 Carrying Case, on aspects like design, storage space, and ruggedness.

More generally, I’ve spent two years reviewing products here at TechRadar, and have lots of experience testing Nintendo Switch 2 accessories. I’ve tested a huge amount of cases, alongside screen protectors like the Genki Aegis Shield, cameras including the Hori Piranha Plant Camera for Nintendo Switch 2, and controllers like the Turtle Beach Rematch Wireless Controller.

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

Ninja Power Duo Immersion Blender with Whisk: one-minute review

The Ninja Power Duo Immersion Blender with Whisk does just what you'd expect, based on the name. The device comes with two different attachments, one for blending and one for whisking. The attachments are easy and intuitive to swap out. You can use the provided container or use just about any pot, bowl, or container you'd like. Make your favorite sauces, smoothies, whipped food, and more. The Ninja Power Duo Immersion Blender with Whisk offers three power levels.

Working with an immersion blender is a bit different from a standing blender; you need a bit of coordination to get everything blended properly. You need to hold down the power button as you blend, use an up and down motion, and use another finger to toggle the speed up or down. I ended up with some tiny ice shards in some of my smoothies, but further blending probably would have taken care of that.

Cleanup couldn't be easier. The motor/handle can be wiped down with a damp cloth if needed. All other parts can be popped into the dishwasher (top rack) or hand-washed with warm soapy water. All of the parts are light and easy to stash away, freeing up valuable counter space for other appliances.

Ninja Power Duo Immersion Blender with Whisk: price and availability

• List price: $79.99 (about £60 / AU$113)
• Widely available online and in stores

The Ninja Power Duo Immersion Blender with Whisk can be found at many major retailers across the US, both online and in stores. You can purchase it at Ninja's own website or at Walmart, Target, Macy's, Amazon, and many more. There are two color options: Dark Gray, which you can see in my photos, and Deep Navy. Additional accessories available for purchase include a 3-cup Power Chopper and 4-cup Blending Pitcher.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Karen Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureNinja Power Duo Immersion Blender with Whisk: specifications

Price

$79.99

Power levels

Low, medium, and high

Parts included

Power base, whisk attachment, blender attachment, 3-cup blending container and lid

Container material

Plastic

Additional accessories available

3-cup Power Chopper and 4-cup Blending Pitcher

Color options

Deep Navy and Dark Gray (as seen in my photos)

Ninja Power Duo Immersion Blender with Whisk: design and features

• Use provided container or just about any other
• Three blending speeds
• 750-watt motor

The clever design of the Ninja Power Duo Immersion Blender with Whisk allows it to be used in a lot of different situations. From blending sauce on the stove to cottage cheese in its own container or whisking egg whites in a shallow bowl, this appliance offers a lot of flexibility. The provided 3-cup plastic container is handy and even has a lid for storing leftovers. The blending blade is surrounded by a splatter shield to minimize mess as you blend.

Other thoughtful touches include the ease with which you can swap out the blending blade and whisk. All parts that contact food are designed to be dishwasher-safe, which makes cleanup super easy. They can also be easily hand-washed if you prefer.

The power button must be held down as you use the device, which takes a bit of coordination, especially if you change speeds while blending. It does take some getting used to, but I can't fault Ninja for that choice: it is clearly a safety feature.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

• Design score: 5/5

Ninja Power Duo Immersion Blender with Whisk: performance

I tested the Ninja Power Duo Immersion Blender with Whisk on a number of different foods. I blended pasta sauce, hummus, smoothies, frozen yogurt, and cottage cheese. I whisked egg whites. It handled everything well without excessive mess or noise.

I made some pasta sauce from canned whole tomatoes. I placed the immersion blender directly into the pot on the stove. In less than a minute, the tomatoes were blended into a smooth puree. I was a little nervous that I'd end up with sauce all over my stove, but that was not the case at all.

Karen Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / Future

I made two different smoothies, one with frozen cherries, almond milk, and yogurt and another with frozen mangoes and fruit juice. Both came out smooth and delicious.

Karen Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / Future

I also made some different "frozen yogurts," which are similar to smoothies but with frozen fruit, ice, yogurt, and no liquid, so they are a bit more challenging for blenders. I made a banana-peanut butter flavor, banana-chocolate, and cherry. The banana versions also included some hemp seeds and protein powder. All of the seeds and powders blended up smoothly. I did get the occasional ice shard; I probably could have taken more time to be sure I blended every inch.

I blended the cherry one directly in the yogurt container (which only had about a half-cup of yogurt left at the bottom.) I just added frozen cherries and blended for a super-simple and healthy dessert.

Karen Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / Future

I had about half a container of cottage cheese and I blended it right in the container. Just a few seconds turned the curds into a smoother texture, which I later used to make a chia pudding.

Karen Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / Future

I made an ultra-simple hummus with ingredients I had on hand: a can of chickpeas (rinsed and drained), lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, garlic, and salt. It actually came out delicious, though I suspect that the addition of tahini would have made it even better and smoother.

Karen Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / Future

I've never actually whipped egg whites before, but the whisk attachment made it super easy. The pictures below speak better than words. It was kind of magic.

Karen Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / Future

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Ninja Power Duo Immersion Blender with Whisk?Ninja Power Duo Immersion Blender with Whisk report card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

You can't call it cheap, but it does a good job for the price.

4.5/5

Design

It's well-designed to do its job; cleanup and storage are super easy.

5/5

Performance

It does a thorough job both blending and whisking. Even immsersing it in small containers, I rarely made a mess.

4.5/5

Overall

It's smallish but mighty!

4.5/5

Buy it if

You need a compact, hand-held blender powerful enough to crush ice

Don't let the size fool you, this immersion blender makes quick work of smoothies, sauces, and more. It might miss a few bits of ice here and there (though maybe that's my impatience talking) but overall, it does the job.

You want cleanup to be easy

All of the parts that contact food can be popped into the dishwasher or quickly hand-washed.

You want a powerful whisk, too

Easily swap out the immersion blender arm for a whisk and you've got yourself a power whisk for frothing up eggs, cream, and more.

Don't buy it if

You want gravity to do the work

This is an immersion blender, so you'll need to hold down the power button as you move the blender up and down. Toggling between low, medium, and high speeds while you're doing that takes some coordination.

You need a higher-power blender

At 750 watts, it should be powerful enough for most things, but you may find it lacking if you want ultra-smooth and silky smoothies.

You want to purchase just one blender-type appliance

If you plan to have just one blender in your kitchen, this might not cover all of your blending needs. You might prefer a standing blender or one that comes with more attachments.

Ninja Power Duo Immersion Blender with Whisk: also consider

If the Ninja Power Duo Immersion Blender with Whisk isn't exactly what you're looking for, you might consider the following:

Vitamix A3500

I've made space on my counter for a powerful Vitamix for well over a decade. It's the ultimate for ultra-smooth smoothies and more.

Read our review of the Vitamix A3500

Breville the All in One

If you want even more than what the Ninja Power Duo Immersion Blender with Whisk has to offer, add a food processor and you'll have an idea of what the Breville All in One has to offer.

Check out our review of the Breville the All in OneView Deal

How I tested the Ninja Power Duo Immersion Blender with Whisk

• I tested both attachments and all three power levels
• I made a variety of beverages and foods
• I cleaned it after every use, both by hand and in the dishwasher

I blended pasta sauce that started with a can of whole tomatoes. I made a simple hummus with a drained and rinsed can of chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and spices. I made several different kinds of smoothies and frozen yogurt with ice and/or frozen fruit, some of which included powders and seeds. I blended cottage cheese, right in its container. I whisked egg whites until they formed peaks.

Read more about how we test.

Bose SoundLink Micro Gen 2: review

The Bose SoundLink Micro Gen 2 is the sequel to the audio specialist’s 2017-issue mini Bluetooth speaker. And according to Bose, this palm-sized follow-up brings a fair few enhancements to the table: ‘improved audio performance’, ‘enhanced features’, and ‘extended battery life’. But is it actually worth buying? Here are my thoughts after several weeks of testing.

First of all, it has to be said that the Bose SoundLink Micro Gen 2 is a significant improvement over its predecessor — as you’d probably hope given that they were released eight years apart. Now, you get USB-C charging, and up to 12 hours of battery life, which is nothing special, but comparable to some similar-sized rivals from JBL and Ultimate Ears.

On top of that, its new and improved fabric strap is fantastic — it’s so easy to sling around shower heads, bikes, bags… you name it. Pair that with a still-great IP67 dust and waterproof rating — which enables the SoundLink Micro Gen 2 to survive being dunked under a meter of water for 30 minutes — and you’ve got a speaker that can go literally anywhere with you. Combine this with its small size and lightness of build, and Bose’s bijou audio companion is more practical than just about any model out there — even those listed in our best Bluetooth speakers guide.

Something else that has been improved is audio quality. And in fairness, the Bose SoundLink Micro Gen 2 is a pretty solid-sounding model given its small size — but that’s not to say it’s perfect.

(Image credit: Future)

Bose has gone for a relatively balanced sound profile on the SoundLink Gen 2. Bass is pretty punchy, but never boomy or overstated. Mids are clean, but not the sole star. And treble is energetic, but not tinny — unless you’re listening at top volumes, but that’s something I’ll get onto later.

Anyway, when listening to Black Eye by Allie X, I was impressed by the tonality of vocals, and the way that the speaker replicated their almost breathy quality. The attack of violins in the intro wasn’t the most dynamic I’d heard, but it was certainly clean and distortion-free at mid volume levels. And after bumping bass up by a level on the Bose app, the pumping low end came through with decent impact too. Was I wowed by excellent instrument separation, pounding low-end performance, and top-tier detailing? No. But that’s to be expected on a speaker this small.

While we’re on this topic, it’s worth noting that the Bose SoundLink Micro Gen 2 has a fair few sonic limitations, as a direct result of its compact form. You won’t get the bass thump that larger models — like the Bose SoundLink Plus, or even the Bose SoundLink Flex Gen 2 — can muster. And if you push volume all the way to the maximum, you’re going to get pretty thin-sounding audio, with very noticeable compression and slightly shrill treble. But in this model’s defense, this is fairly standard for mini Bluetooth speakers — trust me, I’ve tested tons of them!

But still, this model did perform well, all things considered. In Felini by Venerus and Marco Castello, the precision of fingerpicking guitars and airy sound effects was commendable, and the two vocalists' harmonies intertwined neatly.

Deeper tracks, like M-High’s Never Would don’t sound amazing on the SoundLink Flex Gen 2, as it struggles to handle the darkest parts of the frequency range. Still, standing upright, the speaker managed decently agile bass, and matched the track’s aggressive treble to good effect. Rivals like the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 can produce a more weighty performance, but if you’re not listening to the heaviest tunes, that shouldn’t be a problem for you.

I’ll finish talking about sound by mentioning that the Bose SoundLink Micro Gen 2 has strong codec support, with SBC, AAC, and even aptX Adaptive — if you’ve got a compatible device that is. There aren’t any wired playback options, though I suspect most users will be fine with using Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity.

So, the SoundLink Micro Gen 2 sounds pretty solid overall, but how does it perform elsewhere? Let’s step on over to the features domain.

This model isn’t doing anything out of the ordinary by Bose 's standards. It has multi-point connectivity, fast-pairing, and a shortcut button for Spotify or linking with another Bose speaker. And you can link with various other Bose speakers, luckily, including another SoundLink Micro Gen 2 for stereo, or models like the Bose SoundLink Max for generally bigger sound.

However, you can also rename the speaker in the Bose app (mine’s called Bite Size Party), enable or disable voice prompts, and alter EQ. As we’ve seen with many Bose products, the EQ settings are a little basic, with presets to boost or dampen bass or treble, and a three-band equalizer to adjust the bass, mids, and treble. However, this still works decently well.

I would’ve liked to have seen some more interesting features, like a personalized EQ test for more tailored audio, or hands-free calling, seen on the original SoundLink Micro (which had a built-in mic), but this model still has a good feature-set all in all.

Perhaps my favorite thing about this speaker, though, is its design. I’ve already mentioned its excellent fabric strap, which I’ve been using to attach the speaker to my shower, but there’s more. It has well-sized, responsive button controls, a rubber body that’s drop-resistant, and a classy range of color options. I used the Black version, but I’m partial to the Blue Dusk, Petal Pink, and Sandstone alternatives. Ultimately, this is a great-looking, compact, and waterproof speaker that really can go anywhere with you.

(Image credit: Future)

Still, there’s one thing that holds me back from recommending the Bose SoundLink Micro Gen 2 outright: its price. This model comes in at $129 / £119.95 / AU$179.95, which is a lot for a speaker of this size. For reference, you can get our pick for the best Bluetooth speaker overall, the JBL Flip 7, for $149 / £129 / AU$179 at full price. And that model is considerably more powerful, offers far superior audio with awesome bass, and has more features to explore too. It’s also regularly discounted, and although it's a little larger, remains highly portable.

Even if you wanted something as small as the Micro Gen 2, you could go for the JBL Clip 5, which retails for $79.95 / £59.99 / AU$89.95, or the bass-heavy Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 for only $99.99 / £89.99 / AU$149. I’m not convinced that the Bose SoundLink Flex Gen 2 offers sound that’s good enough to warrant the extra cost. All of these other models are highly waterproof, sound strong, and look great to boot. So, even if Bose’s speaker performs fairly well across the board, it feels like a slightly tough sell.

And there you have it. The Bose SoundLink Micro Gen 2 is a very solid upgrade on its predecessor, and I was satisfied by its thoughtful design and improved sound quality. Ultimately, though, it doesn’t feel exceptional enough — either sonically or in terms of features — to earn its steep price-tag, meaning that I’d only recommend this above rivals — from the likes of JBL and UE — if you can get it on sale.

(Image credit: Future)Bose SoundLink Micro Gen 2 review: price & release date

• List price of $129 / £119.95 / AU$179.95
• Released in August 2025

The Bose SoundLink Micro Gen 2 released in August 2025, eight years after its predecessor, the Bose SoundLink Micro. It comes in with a list price of $129 / £119.95 / AU$179.95, which represents a $10 / £20 / AU$30 increase over the original, at their respective launch points. However, there are a lot of improvements on this second model which make it the better pick over its ancestor. The SoundLink Micro Gen 2 is available in Black, Blue Dusk, Petal Pink, Sandstone, or Twilight Blue.

Bose SoundLink Micro Gen 2 review: specs

Weight

0.7lbs / 0.3kg

Dimensions

1.7 x 4.1 x 4.1 inches / 43 x 104 x 104mm

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4

Battery life

12 hours

Speaker drivers

1x dynamic driver, 2x passive radiators

Waterproofing

IP67

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Bose SoundLink Micro Gen 2?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

All the essentials are here, battery life is OK, but no mic and underwhelming EQ options.

3.5/5

Sound quality

Clear audio, with good codec support, but noticeable compression at higher volumes and size-related limitations hold it back.

4/5

Design

Durable yet stylish, with great waterproofing and a practical fabric strap.

4.5/5

Value

High price for its size, and rivals offer far better bang for your buck.

2.5/5

Buy it if…

You want a speaker that you can take absolutely anywhere
The Bose SoundLink Micro Gen 2 is small, lightweight, highly waterproof, and comes with a handy fabric strap. You really can take it anywhere with ease, and that’s one of its greatest qualities.

You’ve got more of Bose’s recently released models
If you have speakers like the Bose SoundLink Flex Gen 2, the Bose SoundLink Plus, and the Bose SoundLink Max, then you can easily pair this model with one of those. You can also pair the SoundLink Micro Gen 2 with an identical unit for stereo sound.

Don’t buy it if…

You want the best sound quality
Look, the Bose SoundLink Micro Gen 2 sounds good for a speaker of its size, but it didn’t blow me away. And if you want better sound quality, you could go for a similarly-priced model like the JBL Flip 7, which produces phenomenal all-round audio with far better bass.

You’re looking for the best value option
Off the back of that last point, I’d argue that the Bose SoundLink Micro Gen 2 isn’t a great value-for-money option. Small models like the JBL Clip 5 and UE Wonderboom 4, which I’ve listed below, would get my recommendation. I’d also say that the JBL Grip is worth checking out, if you want something with lighting and a super-sleek look.

Bose SoundLink Micro Gen 2 review: also consider

Bose SoundLink Micro Gen 2

JBL Clip 5

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4

Price

$129 / £119.95 / AU$179.95

$79.95 / £59.99 / AU$89.95

$99.99 / £89.99 / AU$149

Weight

0.7lbs / 0.3kg

0.6lbs / 0.3kg

0.9lbs / 0.4kg

Dimensions

1.7 x 4.1 x 4.1 inches / 43 x 104 x 104mm

3.4 x 5.3 x 1.8 inches / 86 x 134.5 x 46 mm

4.1 x 3.8 x 3.8 inches / 104 x 95.3 x 95.3mm

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.2

Battery life

12 hours

12 hours

14 hours

Speaker drivers

1x dynamic driver, 2x passive radiators

1x 45mm full-range driver, 1x passive radiator

2x 40mm active drivers, 2x passive radiators

Waterproofing

IP67

IP67

IP67

JBL Clip 5
The JBL Clip 5 is a cheap, small, yet great Bluetooth speaker. It has the same IP67 rating as Bose’s mini model, the same battery life, and similar dimensions. It sounds surprisingly good, has a few EQ modes, and can clip onto anything, from bikes through to hooks. Read our full JBL Clip 5 review.

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4
The UE Wonderboom 4 is easily one of my favorite small Bluetooth speakers, and one that punches well above its weight. You get far punchier bass than its Bose rival can muster, and generally clean audio all round. Pair that with a striking design, excellent waterproofing, and a solid 14-hour battery life, and you’re looking at a great option. Read our full Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 review.

How I tested the Bose SoundLink Micro Gen 2

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested over the course of multiple weeks
• Used in our music testing space and while showering
• Mainly tested using Tidal

I spent multiple weeks testing the Bose SoundLink Micro Gen 2, and spent hours listening in our music testing space at Future Labs, at home, and in the shower.

Most of the time, I listened to tunes via Tidal, on either my Samsung phone or the Nothing Phone (4a). To begin with, I ran through the TechRadar testing playlist, which features tunes from a wide range of genres, but I also made sure to bump tracks from my personal library. I also tried using party mode, by connecting the speaker to my Bose SoundLink Flex Gen 2.

More generally, I’ve tested more than 40 Bluetooth speakers here at TechRadar, and personally curated our guide to the best Bluetooth speakers. I’ve reviewed all sorts of models, from premium Bose units, through to budget-friendly alternatives like the Tribit PocketGo. As a result, I have a strong understanding of the segment, and know exactly what it takes to stand out in a highly convoluted market.

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

AndaSeat Xtreme Series Standing Desk: one-minute review

As a first attempt at a budget-oriented standing gaming desk, there are certainly positives for AndaSeat to draw on here. Still, it's clear it could use some refinement moving forward, and in some areas, it does feel rather rushed. Before we get to the bad, let's cover the feature set, shall we?

As standard, you get solid height adjustment ranging from 28.7in to 46.1in (73 - 117cm), multiple width options, with both 47.2in (120cm) and 55in (140cm) variants available, and a choice of colors too (black and white, albeit the white variant is only available at that larger size).

AndaSeat's also included a digital display and control panel (super easy to use), which comes with three separate profiles you configure and save multiple heights on.

Cable management on the whole is a bit of a mixed bag, although there is a cable caddy fixed to the back of the desk below where the monitor would sit, for UK and US plugs. The gaps between it and the desktop, when fully installed, are too tight to actually thread them through.

If you're plugging or unplugging devices into an extension lead back here, you're going to effectively need to unscrew it from the desk before you can do that. That's a shame because AndaSeat's included a metric ton of cable management adhesive tie-off points and cable ties, too, to help with your clean desk endeavors. Oh, and you get, well, a plastic cup holder and a headphone stand that you can screw to it, and that's about it.

Overall design is a mixed bag. It's not entirely square like most modern desks, but actually leans into an older, early 2010s office vibe, with this curved front, which, although perhaps more ergonomic, looks slightly dated in contrast to the cleaner, sharper aesthetic of more modern alternatives. There's also a cutout behind the monitor to allow you to run cables through, which is a nice touch, but that front arch may put many off, as it does make it stand out in a more modern office environment.

The biggest win, though? The price. At $500 US for the white 55-inch variant, and $400 for the smaller 47-inch, it's one of the most affordable standing desks on the market, at least one that's purposely designed for gaming anyway.

(Image credit: Future)AndaSeat Xtreme Series Standing Desk review: Price and Availability

• Costs $400 / $500, around £297 / £370, or AU$562 / AU$703
• Currently only available via AndaSeat's webstore in the US
• Multiple sizes and black/white versions available

Right now the Xtreme series is only available for purchase via AndaSeat's webstore directly, it comes in two sizes currently, either the 47.2in (1.20cm), or 55.1in (140cm), although if you look in AndaSeat's instruction manual for the Xtreme series, there's also mention of a 63in (160cm) version listed too, so I suspect that'll land with us sometime in the future.

This is actually one of the cheapest standing desks out there, specifically designed for gaming, beating out the likes of Corsair's Platform:4 series (which starts at $700), and Eureka's Ergonomic GTG as well ($600). Although it's worth mentioning that both of those do have quite a few more extras than the Xtreme line does here.

AndaSeat Xtreme Series Standing Desk review: specs

Price

$400/$500 around £297/£370, or AU$562/AU$703

Height

28.7in / 73cm (up to 46.1in / 117cm)

Load capacity

154lbs / 70kg

Material

Cold-formed Steel, Laminated MDF

Dimensions

47.2 x 29.5in (120 x 75cm) or 55.1 x 29.5in (140 x 75cm)

Noise level

<50db

AndaSeat Xtreme Series Standing Desk review: design and features

• Solid build quality
• Easy(ish) assembly, but could be easier
• Some features need a rethink

Standing desks are inherently fraught products to launch. It's a difficult market to break into. Not only is it a niche within a niche, but competition is so tight these days that you really do need to bring something special to the table.

When Corsair first launched its Platform line, it was all about those added extras, monitor arms, Elgato support, and all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a company like that. Secretlab came in with all the RGB you could imagine, and Eureka had that funky, curved, angled, glass top thing that you either love or hate (or smash in one bad Valorant run).

AndaSeat's offering is markedly different. The added extras are relatively minimal; in fact, in many ways, it does feel like the company grabbed a Desktronics HomeOne standing desk frame, popped its branding on it, added a curved MDF top, a few optional extras, and called it a day. That's a real issue as it seriously struggles to stand out as a result.

The finish on the desk is just about serviceable as a result of that. It's a laminate MDF top, with a speckled matt coating in black or white. Our sample had a few chips on it and the odd grubby mark too (likely because it shipped all the way to the UK from China), but it's just not that exciting.

The curve in it is similarly highly divisive. It doesn't necessarily look that great by modern standards, and although it is ergonomic and gets you a little closer to your monitor compared to some offerings (these things always seem to be super deep by comparison to most 60cm / 24in desks), it would have been much better served against the current competition with just a flat edge.

(Image credit: Future)

And then there's the cable management, which, honestly, in many ways does feel like the biggest afterthought on this whole project. The gap between the metal cable caddy in the rear and the top of the desk is just ridiculously tight. I cannot thread a UK plug through there, and even if I could, struggling to then try and insert that into the extension lead itself, cramming my wrist through the gap, while haphazardly trying to see what I'm doing while I do it, just feels like a recipe for disaster. Even with that height adjustment.

What's interesting is that AndaSeat's animated GIFs and videos littering the product page actually show that as being almost hinged, like you can drop it down on one side to access the extension load, which honestly would be fantastic, but you can't. It's secured in place with four Allen key screws, and that's it. You could loosen two and bend it down, but you'd likely be damaging that MDF top in the process.

Then there's the cupholder and the headphone holders included as well. Both of which are plastic. A quick glance at the imagery here, and you'll spot I didn't install them. Why? Because they just don't look premium at all. Cheap white shiny plastic with a mottled finish? No, thank you. They certainly don't match the white top finish, that's for sure.

Also missing from the product page is the under-desk PC holder and an elevated monitor stand, too, which would have been nice additional extras to see at least somewhat available on launch. That does make me wonder if the launch itself was rushed to hit a particular quarter, rather than when the product was ready.

Otherwise, building it is, although quite the time consuming process, easy enough to do as long as you follow the instructions; there's not a whole lot that can go wrong here, and the desk frame itself is impressively durable once you've finished with it.

(Image credit: Future)AndaSeat Xtreme Series Standing Desk review: performance

• Multi-profile settings are impressive
• Cable management needs work
• Load capacity is limited

On to the good news, then, once the desk is built, certainly in white, it does look remarkably clean, particularly with the Mac setup I have running on top of it. Now, admittedly, I am testing this in a coffee roastery, but it does fit the whole aesthetic here beautifully, and it'll work just as well in a spacious office, as long as you don't mind that curve I mentioned earlier.

The profile settings and height adjustment, too, are super sleek. There's a child lock on here, and it's incredibly smooth when you're adjusting the height as well. Setting specific profile heights is a doddle (simply pick a height, then press S, and the profile number you want to set it to), so if you do want to swap it on the fly, you can do so super quickly and easily.

As mentioned, cable management, though, leaves a lot to be desired. Not only is the cable tidy tray a pain to deal with, but I feel like the power setup for the height adjustment monitor could have been hidden a bit better as well. If the legs came pre-assembled with the power cable running through them directly, you could have hidden the kettle lead it requires in the top of the desk, rather than at the base of one of the legs.

Total rated load capacity is also quite light, too, at just 154lbs / 70kg. It's certainly considerably less capable than the Platform:4 (330lbs / 150kg), and even the more budget-friendly Secretlab Magnus Evo (264lbs / 120kg). That said, I did sit my own 176lbs / 80kg of weight on it, and it didn't snap in two, so who knows. This is likely a precaution due to the motors and that 18mm thick MDF that sits on top, so don't overdo it if you do invest in it.

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the AndaSeat Xtreme Series Standing Desk?Buy it if...

You're in the US after a cheap entry-level standing desk
With multiple sizes and a relatively low entry point its remarkably affordable. Best-case scenario, you fall in love with multiple height adjustments; worst-case scenario, you've got a nice, comfortable, deep desk to sit at

You don't want fancy RGB or additional features
It's simple, remarkably so, and in some ways that's a positive, not a negative; there's no overtly gamer emphasis on display here, which is a win in some arenas.

You want curved ergonomics
You'll either love or hate that front curve, but if you're willing to take a chance on it, it does provide a modicum more ergonomic freedom than a standard flat desk

Don't buy it if...

You're looking for something a little more premium
Although it's impressively affordable, AndaSeat's cut some serious corners to make that a reality, from the MDF top to the cheap accessories.

You value good cable management
It's technically there, but you almost have to strip the desk down to get access to your extension leads again.

Also consider...

AndaSeat Xtreme Series

Corsair Platform:4

Secretlab Magnus Pro

Price

$400/$500, around £297/£370, or AU$562/AU$703

$699.99 / £799.99 / around AU$1,600 or $899.99 / £999.99 (Elevate) / around AU$2,000

$799 / £770

Height

28.7in / 73cm (up to 46.1in / 117cm)

29in / 74cm (up to 48in / 122cm Elevate)

25.6-49.2in / 65-125cm

Load capacity

154lbs / 70kg

330lbs / 150kg

264.6lbs / 120kg

Material

Cold-formed Steel, Laminated MDF

Steel, laminate / birchwood

Steel, wood fiberboard

Dimensions

120 x 75cm (47.2 x 29.5in) or 140 x 75cm (55.1 x 29.5in)

29in / 74cm x 47in / 120cm x 30in / 76cm

59.1 x 27.6 x 25.6-49.2in / 150 x 70 x 65-125cm

Noise level

<50db

~50db

N/A

Corsair Platform:4
The ultimate high-end gaming desk, ideal for creators and those who crave high-quality materials and Elgato support. It's expensive, yes, but the functionality feels almost endless.

For more information, check out our full Corsair Platform:4 review

Secretlab Magnus Pro
A rival for the Platform:4, but in a Secretlab package? Probably, with exceptional cable management, a great built-in controller, sleek, professional, and with a ton of magnetic accessories, it's seriously slick.

For more information, check out our full Secretlab Magnus Pro review

How I tested the AndaSeat Xtreme Series Standing Desk

• Built and used by hand, solo wherever possible
• Extensive work in an industrial environment
• Direct comparisons made to similarly priced competitors

I actually requested the Xtreme Series be shipped directly to a coffee roastery I work at, for two reasons primarily. Firstly, so it could be used in a working capacity (managing a coffee roastery is a hectic business), and secondly, to act as a coffee tasting table for clients and guests, to see if its versatility extended beyond just the technical capacity.

With direct feedback from multiple clients and colleagues, and used in a wide range of activities for multiple weeks, both gaming, working, and in an industrial capacity, it gave me a fantastic idea of just how this desk contends not only with modern standing desks, but also in more taxing environments.

First reviewed February 2026

Read more about how we test

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is a direct continuation of the 2019 horror comedy Ready or Not, and a sequel I was very surprised to see on our new movies list.

When I rewatched the original movie on Disney+, I was reminded how great it is. Laugh out loud funny, plenty of shocking moments, and a concluding line that's just perfect. With that in mind, I thought it would be a great standalone movie.

But this is the horror genre, folks. We never seem to get just one movie, do we? Sequels are everywhere, some good, some bad. When it comes to Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, I'd consider it to be decent for what it is, and there's plenty to like about it.

When we pick up, it's right after the ending of the first movie. After surviving the deadly game of hide and seek, resulting in the deaths of her husband and in-laws, Grace (Samara Weaving) wakes up cuffed to her hospital bed. She's not going anywhere because she's now a suspect in the deaths, considering they all, you know, exploded except for her. Very suspicious.

Of course, we know that Grace was innocent, and she was due to be sacrificed to the devil Le Bail, as part of the family's deal with him. And you thought your in-laws were bad, huh?

Anyway, police interrogation would feel like a walk in the park compared to where Grace ends up. After briefly reuniting with her sister Faith (Kathryn Newton), the two are kidnapped, where they learn that the wealthiest and most influential families on Earth have to kill both of them in a new game, or they'll risk losing their power and fortunes.

So, the games begin again. Admittedly, there are plenty of fun sequences here, especially if you want some gruesome kills, which are arguably better than the ones in Ready or Not. Best seen with a crowd, these are definitely crowd pleasers.

The new additions to the cast are very fun to watch, too. Sarah Michelle Gellar stars as Ursula, opposite her on-screen twin, Titus (played by Shawn Hatosy). Horror legend David Cronenberg rounds out this truly awful family as Chester, the patriarch of the Danfords. It was great seeing him in front of the camera, and he's as good there as he is behind it, directing body horror masterpieces such as The Fly.

Gellar has so much fun in this role, too, a far cry from her role as Buffy Summers (no one talk to me about the Buffy reboot cancellation, by the way). She's evil here, and has a blast doing it, as she joins the others in trying to hunt down Grace and Faith.

The movie is strong because of its ensemble cast, which is worth the theater trip alone. Elijah Wood stars as "The Lawyer", an equally fun role that you definitely haven't seen him in before.

Despite all these positives, though, the sequel does feel unnecessary and convoluted in places as the lore has now expanded to accommodate these new families and rules, to the point where it feels a bit silly, even for a horror comedy.

This would be a good place for Ready or Not to stop, in my opinion, as you can easily watch the two back to back and have a good time doing it. Adding another installment with more stakes and more games would feel like a too many cooks situation.

You will very likely have fun with this movie due to its cast, kills, and tense moments. But it does build to a conclusion that never reaches the highs of its predecessor, so unfortunately, round two is by far the weakest.

That doesn't mean it's terrible, though, just don't expect to be blown away like you were last time.

The Kobra range of 3D printers has continued to impress over the years, and while the aesthetic design of their open-frame Cartesian machines has until now been very workshop-like, the reliability and quality of the prints have never failed to impress. So much so that there are still two old Kobra 2’s still running. They might not be the best machines compared to the latest releases, but after three years, they’re still running strong.

The Kobra X is a further progression forward in quality and design, which really started with the Kobra 3 Combo it’s just now the level of quality, along with the touch screen interface, speed and precision, all take another step forward. Anycubic are running to catch up like all others with the market leaders Bambu Lab, and to offer a solid alternative to the dominance of the Bambu Lab A1.

However, by taking on the A1, the Kobra X has had to refine the Anycubic 3D printers that have come before, and they’re not the only manufacturer that is playing catch-up with similarly cheap and excellent machines such as the Creality Hi, which again, for the price, is another outstanding cheap option. These printers are all very much now on a par; they don’t bring anything other than refinement to the older Cartesian style of FDM bed slinger printers.

What the Kobra X does is stamp Anycubic once again as a serious manufacturer in the 3D FDM arena, with a machine that improves the design quality and function. At this entry level, it’s essential that manufacturers get things right, as these are the machines that will endear users to their product lines. That’s why it seems for around the $300 / £300 mark, you’re getting a machine with literally all the features.

This does mean that any 3D printer at this level has to be simple to use, robust, reliable, aesthetically designed and when it comes to the prints, they need to be good, accurate and multicolored.

The market at this level is packed, and more importantly, the machines at this price point already have a solid and proven track record. Any of the best 3D printers I've tested for entry-level users need to compete needs to impress from the outset.

Getting started with the Kobra X instantly showed that the design and quality were on a par with the competition, and once a few updates and the calibration had run its course, the machine was up and running, the first few prints highlighting that the Kobra X was more than capable of standing its ground against the Creality and Bambu Lab machines.

Anycubic Kobra X: Price and Availability

The Anycubic Kobra X is currently only available directly from Anycubic US and Anycubic UK stores, priced at a discount $299 / £259 right now.

Combo versions are also available. If experience is anything to go by, expect this 3D printer to reach Amazon in the near future.

Anycubic Kobra X: Design

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Anycubic has progressed the design of the Kobra machines significantly over the years, and comparing the old Kobra 2 against the latest X, you can see how the design and innovation of the latest model are worlds apart.

Yet, like those older machines, the Kobra X retains the older Cartesian style of design and sees the filament and print area open. While this means that for enthusiasts and those just starting out, you get to see the print being built, for those looking to use more advanced materials, the lack of an enclosure and controlled build area temperature limits the material choice.

Still, for beginners and hobbyists, that material restriction is probably a good thing, and after you’ve mastered the ways of PLA and PETG, you can then progress to the Kobra S1.

As it is, while the frame may be open, it’s been properly product designed and looks, as well as the machines usability compared with past models has all taken a leap forward.

Again, the gantry feels good and solid, and Anycubic has once again worked on the quality of the Cable routing, so less of the workings are on show.

While the design is still open, the motors and power adapter, belts and wiring are all, for the most part, hidden away. The 3.5-inch touch screen is also intuitive and easy to navigate, with the ability to load prints via USB or through the Anycubic Slicer software wirelessly.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The physical size is also relatively compact, with the four filament spools being mounted on the horizontal top bar, enabling easy accessibility. If you want the filament in a dry box, then you can couple the printer with the Ace 2 Pro, in fact, up to four of these filament boxes to enable 19 color printing.

When it comes to the dimensions, it measures in at 455.4 x 445.3 x 461.3 mm with the filaments adding to the height. Weight-wise, this is a printer that is easy to move around if space is limited, and without the filaments, it weighs 12.7kg or 18 kg for the combo model. The Ace 2 Pro will add an additional 4.8 kg per unit.

While the weight can quickly build like its competitors at the base level, it’s still very manoeuvrable and easy to carry and store. The build area is also pretty decent at a perfect 260 × 260 × 260mm, meaning that there’s plenty of room for a good amount of projects.

One of the other big design features is the Ace Gen 2 print head with a new extruder, cutter and multifilament system that helps to cut down on the filament purge compared with other systems.

• Design: 4.5/5

Anycubic Kobra X: Features

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Specs

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Print Technology: FDM
Build Area: 260 × 260 × 260 mm
Minimum Layer Resolution: 0.05 mm
Maximum Layer Resolution: 0.30 mm
Dimensions: Approx. 500 × 500 × 580 mm
Weight: Approx. 9.5 kg
Bed: Heated aluminium build plate (up to 110°C)
Print Surface: Textured PEI spring steel flex plate
Software: Anycubic Slicer (Cura-based) + Wi-Fi / App / Cloud support
Materials: PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS
Print Speed: Up to 600 mm/s

At first look, the Kobra X follows the same lines of design as the other new bed slingers. Everything is a little neater and less DIY workshop, and it isn’t just the aesthetics; these new machines leap forward with the technology and features as well.

The first point to note is that for those on a budget, the machine, with discounts, can be purchased for around $299 / £259, and for that price you have the ability to print in 4 colors. That is discounted from the usual $399 / £359, but when discounted that makes it £100 less than the competition. That price point is just the start, with several different combo options that then see the price hit a peak of $1148 / £987 with four Ace 2 Pro boxes and the ability to print up to 19 colors.

Like the S1, there’s also the ability to quality swap out the nozzle for different diameters, with the machine arriving with a standard 0.4mm and options for diameters from 0.25 through to 0.8mm. What also stands out here is that many of the parts can easily be swapped out, most notably the Ace Gen 2 print head.

Compared with Anycubic's previous multicolor Cartesian printers, this new system is double the speed and saves more filament through filament purging. It can also print 4 colors out of the box with the option to print an additional 15, taking the total to 19 colors.

The machine also builds in AI detection, which enables perfect first-layer printing, and if any issues are detected, the machine will stop before any damage is caused.

Out of the box, thanks to the new print head, the machine can also print PLA and TPU (68D) simultaneously, enabling you to print far more complex models. This type of feature is more common in multi-tool head printers and not common in single-nozzle systems like this.

A feature that I’ve seen expanding across almost all manufacturers is the ability to monitor and control the printer remotely. Again, while this isn’t a unique feature, the fact that it’s included on a portion of this print point is exceptional.

Anycubic make a big point about the new Ace Gen 2 technology, which features a 52% reduction in the distance between the filament cutter and nozzle and an 81.25% reduction in filament change length, ultimately reducing the time between filament swaps and the amount of filament that needs to be purged.

The most interesting point about this head is that it features an adaptive extrusion force compensator, which adjusts the extrusion force based on the filament hardness so that PLA, PVA and softer TPU can all be extruded without manual adjustment between filament swaps. This means you can print with the following combinations: PLA + TPU, PLA + PVA or TPU + TPU.

One of the other features that stands out, despite its simplicity, is the fact that the spools for the four colors are mounted above the machine. This means that although you do need to have quite a bit of headroom, for smaller workshop areas where desk space might be limited, this four-color solution retains a small footprint.

Print speeds can reach a maximum of 600mm/s with the default being an impressive 300mm/s. As a speed test on the machine, the USB is loaded with a fast 3DBench model that prints in a little over 14 minutes, which by any standards is fast.

Once again, the machine features the latest version of Anycubics LeviQ 3.0 levelling system with 49-point auto-leveling, Flow Dynamic Calibration, and Vibration Compensation. The heat bed has also been redesigned to ensure an even spread of heat under the platform.

The AI detection has a few key new features that I was keen to test. The first, as always, is the spaghetti detection, but then the new object skipping is of real interest. The spaghetti detection will stop the printer if something goes wrong and spaghetti strands of filament start to appear.

Object Skipping is something new. This essentially skips a print that’s failed, so if you have a series of parts printing on the same bed and one fails, usually that means that all will fail. However, once the camera detects a failure, it skips it and continues the rest of the prints without returning to the failed one.

• Features: 4.5/5

Anycubic Kobra X: Performance

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The Kobra X is one of the most straightforward Bed Slingers I’ve assembled and took a little over five minutes to unbox and build. Once powered up and the calibration steps were run, which takes around 30 minutes, then the printer is set to go.

On the first run, I checked the first layer accuracy, and once finished, the sheet of plastic that had been extruded was of exceptional quality, peeling back to reveal an even and well distributed layer of filament. The next few test models were all from the supplied USB key, and as expected, these ran through without issue.

I then progressed to my own custom test models, all initially single filament. While Anycubic had supplied a 3DBenchy model on the USB, this was highly optimised to enable fast printing, so I loaded my stock version and was able to get a decent model in around 33 minutes with a clear surface and decent structure.

As I progressed through the test, pushing 4 kg of filament through for a variety of parts and projects, the printer remained consistent, and at all times, the four filament spools were left exposed to the elements rather than being protected in dry boxes. The printer was able to withstand the workshop temperatures, which could dip to around 10ºC at night.

Checking out the Autodesk / Kickstarter quality test proved that the printer, despite its price, is an exceptional value considering the quality that it is capable of printing. The highlight here is the dimensional accuracy, which I have seen with other Cartesian printers often appears to be more accurate than many Core XY printers.

Across the board, the quality tests were exceptionally good, and considering the price and the fact that it natively prints with four colors and can support up to 19, as well as having the ability to print with two materials, TPU and PLA, makes this printer an exceptional value for money.

Through the test, there were a couple of points that caused an issue. The first is that if your filaments don’t include the Anycubic RFID chip, then it isn’t always straightforward to update the printer as to what’s loaded in and a bit of fiddling was needed, essentially scanning an Anycubic reel and then popping on a third party. However, using the Anycubic FDilament with the RFID chips, loading and using a multitude of different material options was exceptionally simple.

Benchmark results

Dimensional accuracy - score of 4

Target 25 = X: 25.83mm / 0.17mm Error | Y: 25.01mm / 0.01mm Error
Target 20 = X: 19.86mm / 0.14mm Error | Y: 19.81mm / 0.19mm Error
Target 15 = X: 14.75mm / 0.25mm Error | Y: 14.87mm / 0.13mm Error
Target 10 = X: 9.79mm / 0.21mm Error | Y: 9.88mm / 0.12mm Error
Target 5 = X: 4.91mm / 0.09mm Error | Y: 4.87mm / 0.13mm Error

X Error Average = 0.172
Y Error Average = 0.116
X&Y Error Average = 0.144

Fine Flow Control - score of 2.5
Fine Negative Features - score of 5
Overhangs - score of 4
Bridging - score of 5
XY resonance - score of 2.5
Z-axis alignment - score of 2.5

Adding up the totals gives a final score of 25.5 out of 28.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

One of my other major selling points from Anycubic about this new models is the speed and reduction of filament waste. While actual print speed is increased, the new iteration of the slicer software, AnycubicSlicerNext (Kobra X), doesn’t seem to reflect the speed change compared with the AnycubicSlicer (Kobra 3) software, often quoting the Kobra 3 and Kobra X having similar print times.

Going to multi-color printing, and this is where the machine comes into its own. Again, like print speeds, the software doesn’t seem to highlight the waste difference between this and the Kobra 3; however, after printing, while the filament piles are similar, the X does have a slight filament pile reduction compared to the Kobra 3.

Having run four 1 Kg spools through the system, I’ve been impressed by the dimensional accuracy, speed and surface quality. I would, however, highlight that the print platform should be cleaned regularly.

The platform's surface, while offering good adhesion, does need to be cleaned and seems slightly more prone than usual to finger grease, so just something to be aware of. As an open-framed 3D printer, while there are limitations on what you can print, the overall performance is exceptionally good.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

Anycubic Kobra X: Final verdict

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The Anycubic Kobra X is one of the latest highly refined multi-color printers that offers a huge amount of potential. The quality of the build and design is a huge step forward from what I’ve seen in the past from the open design printers, but then, with the likes of the BambuLab A1, which was launched back in 2023, no manufacturer can get away with producing a printer that looks like it’s been put together in a workshop.

The workflow has been smoothed out, and once calibrated, which is of course all handled by the printer, as long as you ensure you maintain the rails and keep things clean after every print, the reliability is superb.

There are a couple of points on the maintenance of this printer. The first is to make sure that the print surface is always given a wipe over with an isopropyl alcohol (IPA) spray and a lint-free cloth.

The other point, which is especially relevant with this and other multi-filament printers, is to clear away the filament waste pile after, and even during, each print. Those tiny piles of filament can get stuck in various parts of the printer, so don’t let them pile up.

The filament waste issue is as ever apparent, but at present, with the design that’s pretty standard and at the price that is the price you pay.

Ultimately, for a printer that is so cheap, the potential and print quality of the Kobra X is superb, and at a competitive price point, it is at present the best value in a crowded field.

Should you buy the Anycubic Kobra X?

Value:

Incredible value for money for a multifilament printer with upgrade potential for even more filaments

5

Design:

Older Cartesian design, but refined, fast and reliable

4

Features:

AnyCubic has thrown every feature going at the Kobra X, camera, advanced auto levelling, and multfilament printing

4.5

Performance:

Fast performance for the design and decent print quality with easy multifilament printing

4

Total:

Outstanding value and one of the cheapest 3D printers at this quality on the market

4.5

Buy it if...

You need multifilament printing.

Able to print with four filament colors straight out of the box, the potential is impressive for a printer at this price, wit hth eability to add more filament boxes when needed.

You want a cheap 3D printer.

At present no other printer can compete when it comes to features and price.

Don't buy it if...

You don’t like filament waste.

Like so many printers of this type, filament waste is a problem when multifilament printing.

You print with advanced materials.

While the printer is exceptional in so many ways, the open design means that it’s not suitable for printing advanced materials such as nylon and ABS.

For more crafting essentials, I've also tested out the best laser engravers

Minisforum MS-02 Ultra: 30-second review

The Minisforum MS-02 Ultra is a compact mini workstation aimed at business professionals who need desktop-grade power but lack the space for a full-sized workstation.

The first thing that struck me as I lifted the MS-02 from the box was that, for such a small machine, it’s incredibly heavy at 3.45kg, which instantly gives you the hint that this is a serious piece of kit rather than your run-of-the-mill mini PC.

The matte black chassis is discreetly designed, with plenty of cooling vents running across the casing. There are also rubber feet on the base and side that let you easily orient the machine in either an upright tower or a flat desktop position. It looks and feels like a miniaturised version of a professional workstation rather than a standard Mini PC, and its full-metal exterior gives it a premium look and feel.

Checking the MS-02 reveals that this machine is the link between the Mini PC and the Desktop. It has the small size of a Mini PC but quite a bit of upgradability, including RAM, ROM, and an expansion slot. All of the upgrade potential can be easily accessed via the slide-out internal chassis.

This chassis is held in place by two thumb screws; once they are undone, the entire internals can be pulled out. You can then remove the internal modules, which do require tools, but once unscrewed and laid out, you have access to the SODIMM slots and M.2 bays. The layout and concept are similar to the old Intel NUC 9 Extreme (Ghost Canyon) Mini PC from a few years back.

The front ports are well laid out with two USB4 V2 Type-C ports running at 80Gbps, taking priority over the traditional pair of USB-A ports, and through the test with the LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5, I was impressed with the transfer rates enabling me to use the drive to edit 4K video on a drive that was essentially matching the speeds of the internal SSD.

On the rear of the machine, the ports are a little more sparse, but there are some good networking options alongside the three USB-A 10Gbps ports, HDMI 2.1 FRL, and unique to the 285HX machine that I’m reviewing, the dual 25GbE SFP+ sockets alongside the more standard 10GbE and 2.5GbE RJ45 connections. Essentially, for creatives, photographers and videographers working with high-speed network-attached storage such as the UGreen idx6011 pro, this is a great option.

Performance, even with the integrated Intel graphics, was unsurprisingly good throughout all tests, from Microsoft Apps through to editing 4K video in Premiere Pro. Once again, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX showed just how powerful it is, handling 4K editing in DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro without issue or pause on rough cuts, and then moving on to more in-depth grading.

Unsurprisingly, Lightroom Classic and Photoshop ran smoothly and, more impressively, handled large raw files from both the Canon EOS R5 C and the Hasselblad X2D II 100C with ease.

I did find that without a discrete GPU, the extended timeline rendering when editing video required a bit of patience, especially as you get further into the edit, but for the majority of users, whether you're an office worker looking for a powerful machine, a creative, a photographer or a videographer or a developer looking at the AI potential, there’s plenty on offer here.

The key point is that this machine is the base, and unlike some of the best mini PCs I've tested, it offers plenty of potential for upgrades. Out of the box, this is a very powerful workstation for development and power users handling large-scale data and spreadsheets. Add a GPU, and it becomes a very competent editing suite. Essentially, the machine's design enables you to adapt its configuration to suit your needs.

Minisforum MS-02 Ultra: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From $1159 / £1039
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Directly from Minisforum or Amazon

The Minisforum MS-02 Ultra is available directly from Minisforum's store, as well as online retailers such as Amazon.com, Newegg, and Amazon.co.uk.

Prices for the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX barebone starting at $1159 / £1039. A 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD configuration available at $1599 / £1455.

A fully specified 192GB DDR5 ECC and 2TB SSD variant is £2,679. There are also other versions of the machine available with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX or Ultra 5 235HX models, and these start at $599 / £559. As barebones, though they lack ECC memory, dual 25GbE networking, and the two additional M.2 slots exclusive to the 285HX.

• Value: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Minisforum MS-02 Ultra: Specs

CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX
GPU: Intel integrated graphics
AI Engine: NPU
Memory: 4x DDR5 SODIMM slots (Up to 256GB, ECC supported (285HX only))
Storage: 2x M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe (up to 8TB each) + 2x M.2 on 25GbE NIC card (PCIe 3.0/4.0) 285HX only; up to 24TB total
Networking: 2x 25GbE SFP+ (Intel E810, 285HX only); 1x 10GbE RJ45; 1x 2.5GbE RJ45; Wi-Fi 7 (Intel BE200); Bluetooth 5.4
Front Ports: 2x USB4 V2 Type-C, USB-A 10Gbps; 3.5mm audio jack
Rear Ports: HDMI 2.1 FRL (8K@60Hz); USB4 Type-C (40Gbps); 3x USB-A 10Gbps, 2x 25GbE SFP+, 10GbE + 2.5GbE RJ45
Internal expansion: 1x PCIe 5.0 x16; 1x PCIe 4.0 x4; 1x PCIe 4.0 x16 (occupied by 25GbE NIC on 285HX)
OS: Windows 11 Pro
Dimensions: 221.5 x 97 x 225mm
Weight: 3.45kg (for the 285HX model)

Minisforum MS-02 Ultra: Design

The MS-02 Ultra is a serious-looking machine with simple styling and a black matte finish. The machine is larger than your average mini PC; however, it has been designed to be positioned either as a mini tower or laid flat on a desk, with quality rubber feet to support both orientations.

Despite being small, measuring just 221.5 x 97 x 225mm, the 3.45kg weight as I lifted it out of the box immediately signalled that this was something more than a standard consumer mini PC. It’s substantially smaller than a conventional tower workstation but larger than a Mini PC, and it draws on the design of both.

Build quality is excellent throughout. The casing is solid and made entirely of metal, reinforcing its premium aesthetics. It also makes it easy to mount within other furniture and equipment, with the tough metal casing ensuring it will look the part in any stylish office and out in the field if used as an on-site workstation.

The design feature that stood out is the slide-out internal chassis, which is secured in place by two thumb screws. Once these are removed (which takes seconds), the entire internal assembly slides out, giving you easy access to the SODIMM slots, M.2 bays, PCIe slots, and the cooling assembly. This style of access is more familiar to desktop users than to Mini PC owners.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

On the front of the machine, there are two USB4 V2 Type-C ports at 80Gbps alongside a single USB-A port and a standard 3.5mm combo jack for a headset. At the rear, there are three additional USB-A ports, all 10Gbps; HDMI 2.1 FRL; a USB4 Type-C port at 40Gbps; and the 285HX's dual 25GbE SFP+.

Then there are the more common 10GbE RJ45 and 2.5GbE RJ45. When it comes to display output options, the choices are a little limited: either HDMI 2.1 or USB4. While this might not meet the demands of gamers in a professional setup, it should meet most people's demands.

Obviously, being a small workstation, heat can build up, and during the test, the fans kick in early to keep things cool. Given their small size, those fans are notably louder than those on a large workstation, which often run near silent.

I was interested to see if the metal casing also worked as a heat sink, but checking the casing surface, the temperatures under sustained load remained pretty cool, and while warm to the touch around the mid and lower sections, the heat from the internals seemed well distributed.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Minisforum MS-02 Ultra: Features

The feature set of the 285HX model is where the MS-02 Ultra really sets itself apart from what we’d usually expect from a mini PC.

Even compared with the other model in the range, the 285HX with it’s flagship configuration adds ECC DDR5 memory support (error-correcting memory for greater data reliability), dual 25GbE SFP+ networking via an Intel E810 controller (two 25 gigabit Ethernet ports with SFP+ interfaces for advanced networking), and a fourth and fifth M.2 NVMe slot integrated onto the 25GbE NIC card (additional high-speed storage slots built into the network card).

That takes total on-board storage capacity to 24TB across four drives. The lower-spec 275HX and 235HX models share the same chassis but lose all three of these features, making the 285HX a much more capable model for more power-hungry users.

What these upgraded specifications mean in certain fields, such as creative, is an enhancement in workflow reliability, especially with ECC memory.

The storage options for a machine of this size are significant, with four M.2 slots that can be used independently either as separate drives for project, media, cache, and archive, for example, or you can choose to configure in RAID 0, 1, 5, or 10. This means you can potentially have 24TB of fast SSD storage appear as a single drive, and then offload that content to a NAS when ready.

It’s worth noting that the M.2 slots are limited to PCIe 4.0 rather than the newer PCIe 5.0 standard, which limits transfer speeds; however, in real-world creative workloads, this additional speed is rarely noticeable.

On the front, there are two USB4 V2 ports, which I was able to test with a LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5 external storage device, and the uplift in speed was significant, almost double that recorded on older USB 4.0.

Wired connectivity is the big network feature for this machine, but alongside is the Wifi connection. The machine handles Wi-Fi 7 using an Intel BE200 module. In testing against a Fritz! Box 5690 Pro: the raw throughput connection speed to drives connected to the wireless network was higher than on the Wi-Fi 6 network. But the connection's consistency and reliability were noticeably better.

Wired connectivity via the 10GbE port proved fast in studio use, and the fact that the machine also has 25GbE SFP+ ports offers future upgrade potential, especially for studios building high-speed NAS infrastructure, really highlighting that my network is ready for an upgrade.

The PCIe 5.0 x16 slot adds the ability to upgrade the machine and, to a certain degree, will future-proof your investment, with room for a low-profile GPU should the integrated graphics prove insufficient. This might be of particular concern if you have intensive rendering workloads.

The system also supports Intel vPro with BIOS-level KVM on the 285HX, enabling full remote management for 24/7 deployment, which is essential for larger corporations that will have home and remote workers.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

• Features: 5 / 5

Minisforum MS-02 Ultra: PerformanceBenchmark scores

CrystalDiskMark Read: 6,136.46 MB/s
CrystalDiskMark Write: 5,338.79 MB/s
Geekbench CPU Single: 3,058
Geekbench CPU Multi: 18,366
Geekbench GPU: 19,645
PCMark Overall: 7,983
Cinebench CPU Single: 2,277
Cinebench CPU Multi: 35,080
3DMark Fire Strike Overall: 4,657
3DMark Fire Strike Graphics: 4,799
3DMark Fire Strike Physics: 49,395
3DMark Fire Strike Combined: 1,806
3DMark Time Spy Overall: 2,315
3DMark Time Spy Graphics: 2,025
3DMark Time Spy CPU: 12,262
3DMark Wild Life Overall: 14,166
3DMark Steel Nomad Overall: 407
Windows Experience Index: 8.2
USB4 V2 External Read (LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5): 6,012.07 MB/s
USB4 V2 External Write (LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5): 4,053.44 MB/s

The Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX is an impressive CPU for a machine of this size, and the benchmark results reflect that. The Geekbench multi-core score of 18,366 and Cinebench multi-core result of 35,080 place this well within workstation territory, and the PCMark overall score of 7,983 confirms that real-world productivity performance is excellent across the board. SSD read speeds of 6,136 MB/s and write speeds of 5,338 MB/s from the installed NVMe drive are excellent for a PCIe 4.0 module, although, as mentioned earlier, it would have been great to have seen at least one PCIe 5.0 option.

In creative applications, the machine is ideal for working in a photography and video studio, being able to fit on a desktop neatly, and the size also makes it ultra portable if it does need to be installed into a movable workstation.

Through the test using Lightroom Classic and the power of the machine, it was able to manage large libraries and complex adjustments from Hasselblad X2D II 100C files without issue, and Photoshop ran large raw files with the same ease.

For video, DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro both handled rough cuts and colour grading of Canon EOS R5 C Log3 4K footage as well as any machine I’ve tried. As expected with integrated graphics only, timeline rendering on longer projects required leaving the machine to sit after each significant editing session, just to enable time for the timeline to render before applying grades and effects, essentially a build-and-render approach, which is common.

Loading several more demanding apps at once showed that multitasking abilities were handled well. Switching between Photoshop and Premiere Pro caused no lag, and running Microsoft Office applications alongside the creative suite also proved well within the machine's abilities. For five- to ten-minute 4K edits, at least the 64GB of ECC RAM in the review unit proved well balanced to the workload.

Another point here on the performance is the speed of the internal SSDs that are able to transfer the large amounts of data needed for video editing. The benchmark results returned a CrystalDiskMark Read speed of 6,136.46 MB/s and Write of 5,338.79 MB/s. What was impressive here was connecting the LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5 to the USB4 V2 External port on the front, which registered 6,012.07 MB/s read and 4,053.44 MB/s, showing a significant speed increase over standard USB 4.0.

Video editing can put a huge demand on all components in the machine, and thermal throttling can be a real issue. As I started to push the system, the fans kicked in early to help keep things cool, and while the volume of these remained low, they were noticeable, especially compared directly against my usual video workstation.

What this load did reveal was the performance held up over a five-hour editing session with no signs of throttling. The cooling solution inside, which consists of six heat pipes with phase-change material and a dual-fan chamber, managed the sustained processing loads on the electronics.

The GPU performance from the integrated Intel graphics was OK for all creative tasks during the test, but if you are considering this for any process that relies on a graphics card, then connecting an eGPU is going to be essential. The 3DMark scores with Fire Strike at 4,657 and Time Spy at 2,315 reflect the limits of integrated graphics rather than the CPU falling short. Reassuringly, there is room in the chassis for a dual-slot low-profile GPU, and the 350W internal PSU includes a spare 8-pin connector to power it.

Taking a break from testing, I tried out the game Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which ran surprisingly well at mid-level settings, and far better than many gaming-focused mini PCs I've reviewed. It shows just how powerful that CPU is without the support of a discrete GPU..

One other note on the test: the dual 25GbE SFP+ ports were not tested during the review period due to the absence of a compatible 25GbE switch. A follow-up test is planned once the network infrastructure is in place.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Minisforum MS-02 Ultra: Final verdict

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The Minisforum MS-02 Ultra and flagship 285HX variant that I’ve looked at in this review offers a substantial feature set for a machine of this size, which will give it wide appeal for businesses looking for a powerful and compact machine at a reasonable price.

Features such as the ECC memory, dual 25GbE networking, four M.2 slots, PCIe 5.0 expansion, and Intel vPro together add up to a platform that can serve as a creative workstation, a compact server node, a home lab host, or all three.

For larger businesses, the inclusion of Intel vPro means that they can manage the machine securely over a remote connection, which will be of definite appeal.

In the creative field and any photographer or videographer working with large-format files, this machine, with the combination of fast internal storage, high-speed USB4 V2 connectivity, and network offload via 10GbE or 25GbE, makes it an interesting choice, especially with the potential to pop in a discreet GPU. The small size of a machine with this power also means that it will be equally at home as a static desk machine or moved between locations.

There are a few downsides to the machine, and while there is a barebones version, even with the ready-to-go review configuration for many, this will just be the base machine. The out-of-the-box storage of 1TB fills quickly in creative workflows, and upgrading to 4TB or more will be essential.

Then there’s the Intel Graphics that actually proved to be pretty powerful through the test; however, if you are working with graphics or anything that requires the GPU for processing, then a card will need to be added.

The 64GB RAM of the review unit was well matched to the workloads I ran through the test, but anyone running this as a server or AI platform, or editing longer projects, will want to boost the RAM to 128GB or higher configurations. Once those upgrades are factored in, the total cost climbs rapidly and starts to have a value closer to a lower-end full-sized workstation.

Essentially, the small size of the machine and the price make it a viable option; it’s just worth keeping in mind that the out-of-the-box configuration is just the start, and what you install for your workload will add cost. However, even at the top end of Mini PC models, there’s nothing to compete with this flexibility, and even the cheapest workstation is going to be significantly larger, which makes this a great solution all round.

Should I buy the Minisforum MS-02 Ultra?

Value

PC, but budget for upgrades should be factored in to unlock full potential. 

4.5

Design

Slide-out chassis and full metal casing are robust and look great.

4.5

Features

Unique 285HX feature set and upgrades are unmatched at this form factor

5

Performance

Ultra-fast CPU and performance across the board, with upgrades available if more power is needed. 4/5

4.5

Overall

Work Stations can be phenomenally expensive, this gives you a powerful base at a great price to build on

5

Buy it if...

You need a compact workstation.

The 285HX CPU, ECC memory, and four M.2 slots make this a great desktop replacement for creative and professional workloads.

You're building a high-speed studio or home lab. 

The fast network options, including the dual 25GbE networking and PCIe expansion, make this an option as a network node or dev machine.

Don't buy it if...

You need GPU performance. 

Without a discrete GPU, sustained rendering and GPU-intensive tasks will be limited; however, a GPU can be added.

You want simplicity

The barebone configuration requires investment and some technical knowledge to configure optimally.

For more options, we've tested and reviewed the best mobile workstations and the best business computers.

Ulefone RugKing Pad Pro: 30-second review

The Ulefone RugKing Pad Pro is a compact, rugged tablet designed for outdoor professionals and trades, and is available at an incredibly low price. What makes this impressive is not just the price but the bright yellow design detailing, screen, and build quality.

Considering the relatively low price, the quality of the build and materials is genuinely good, feeling solid and robust which is reinforced by the IP68, IP69K and MIL-STD-810H certifications. Visually, the design highlights the rugged credentials with the usual hardened rubberised corners synonymous with this tablet style.

Unlike many rugged tablets I’ve looked at in the past, this design avoids the bulk and ugliness that often come with heavy-duty certification. The bright yellow accents and ribbed backplate give it a distinctive look, and the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 screen has a slightly matte finish that makes it easy on the eye and comfortable to read in a range of lighting conditions.

With an 8.68-inch screen and a lowish-profile bezel, it comfortably fits in one hand, and, coupled with a weight of 540g, it all feels well-balanced for a certified rugged device. The 860-nit display is also more than bright enough for outdoor use, and the adaptive brightness and Highlight Mode mean it adapts well to the changing light conditions, although these days this is a standard feature.

This is an entry-level model; still, the performance from the Unisoc T7250 CPU is, for the most part, solid. Google productivity apps run smoothly, with the interfaces for each application responsive, though the screen resolution, while clear, is a little limited.

Likewise, the same is true for some light creative work in apps like Photoshop Express and CapCut: as long as you don’t push the resolution of the images or the video editing, most adjustments and edits are perfectly viable.

As long as your expectations for the tablet are at the entry to mid-level, the performance is solid, although as you push the system, the limitations do start to show under heavier workloads such as serious image editing, video rendering, or gaming. Although it has to be said, all applications tested are usable, especially Lightroom, which actually runs exceptionally well, and this is a tablet designed for outdoor professionals rather than creatives and with that in mind, the performance feels well-balanced.

Battery life is good and impressive through the test. During the benchmarking, which lasted about 3 hours, the battery only dropped 10%. This initial 10% drop utilised the tablet's CPU and GPU to the max, and over the rest of the 10-day test, the tablet dropped to 12% charge, a result that actually supports Ulefone's longevity claims.

Another feature that will be especially relevant to trade is the uSmart expansion connector, dock charging, and eSIM support, all of which set a business-focused feature set that makes the RugKing Pad Pro a great choice for anyone working in the field, and a sure-fire inclusion in our guide to the best rugged tablets we've tested.

Ulefone RugKing Pad Pro: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? $199 / £170
• When is it out? Now
• Where can you get it? Widely available

The Ulefone RugKing Pad Pro is available directly from Ulefone, as well as online retailers including Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

The standard price is $199.99 / £170 at the time of review. Optional accessories, including the desk charging dock, tablet hand strap with kickstand, and uSmart endoscope and microscope modules, are sold separately. The cost of the 4G SIM or eSIM will be an additional expense.

• Value: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Ulefone RugKing Pad Pro: Design

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Specifications

Rugged rating: IP68 / MIL-STD-810H certification
Battery: 7100mAh / 18W fast charging / 6W reverse charging
Screen: 8.68in / 1340 x 800 resolution / 90Hz refresh rate / Corning Gorilla Glass 3
CPU: Unisoc T7250 (12nm), Octa-core (2 x 1.8GHz + 6 x 1.6GHz)
Graphics: ARM Mali-G57 MP1
RAM: 8GB (+ up to 8GB virtual RAM expansion)
Storage: 128GB UFS 2.2; expandable via microSD up to 2TB
Left Ports: USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack, waterproof port covers
Right Ports: Volume buttons, custom programmable key, SIM tray (2x Nano-SIM + microSD)
Connectivity: 4G LTE dual SIM + built-in eSIM; Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac); Bluetooth 5.2; NFC; GPS + GLONASS + Galileo + BeiDou + QZSS; FM Radio
Audio: Dual speakers; 3.5mm headphone jack; headset-free FM Radio
Camera: 16MP rear (PDAF, HDR, LED flash, 1080p/30fps video); 8MP front
Size: 222 x 131.5 x 12.4mm; 540g
OS Installed: Android 16
Accessories: Desk Charging Dock (sold separately); Tablet Hand Strap with kickstand (sold separately); uSmart E01/E02 endoscope, C01 microscope (sold separately); Buds; Armor Mount Max

The RugKing Pad Pro is a great-looking rugged tablet with its yellow detailing and relatively slim profile. Unlike the more usual blocky, overtly industrial aesthetic that I’ve seen in the past when reviewing rugged tablets, Ulefone has taken a more refined approach: sharp lines, a protective frame, and a bright yellow ribbed back panel that gives it a rugged look without adding unnecessary bulk.

The yellow colour option, applied to the detail elements and the backplate, proved to be a practical choice, as I discovered through the test. That yellow colour makes it easy to spot at the back of a van and in low-light conditions, where high visibility matters. The yellow essentially contrasts well against most working environments and is one of the reasons some camera bag manufacturers also select this colour.

The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3, which has a slightly matte surface that I found made extended reading and document work more comfortable than a typical glossy display. Although this is an entry-level device with a low screen resolution, the display quality is one of the best I’ve seen, and the surface was absolutely spot on for me.

When it comes to handling, the 8.68-inch size sits well in one hand and is easy to hold, thanks to its 540g weight. While not light, it is still easy to carry for extended periods. One feature of the design highlighted by the manufacturer is the ribbed back, and while this does look grippy, in practice it offers little more traction than a smooth surface; it’s more aesthetic than functional, and a slightly rubberised texture would have improved real-world grip.

The waterproof port plugs are simple push-fit rubber bungs, which are standard for this category. They’re made from a hard rubber that should last the lifespan of the device, but as with all such designs, you need to ensure they’re fully seated before subjecting the device to being submerged in water.

The pogo pin dock connector holds the tablet firmly, and the charging dock, sold separately, is essential if you are looking for this for the workplace, especially if multiple units need to be managed.

• Design: 3 / 5

Ulefone RugKing Pad Pro: Features

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Fronting the tablet is an 8.68-inch IPS LCD display with a 1340 x 800 resolution, a 90Hz refresh rate, and peak brightness of 860 nits. While the resolution and refresh rate are slightly lower than those of recent rugged tablets, the display still looks good.

A common feature worth highlighting is adaptive brightness, which adjusts the screen automatically to ambient conditions, and there's a dedicated Highlight Mode that pushes brightness even further in direct sunlight. Both features work well in practice, although it is mid-March, so slightly duller day to day than later in the year.

The RugKing Pad Pro supports up to two Nano-SIMs or an eSIM. The physical SIMs, along with the TF/MicroSD card, can be loaded into the slot on the side of the device. It’s worth noting that the eSIM and physical SIMs cannot be used at the same time, and if you do want to switch between them a restart is required.

eSIM activation follows a standard process via Settings > Network & Internet, with setup via QR code or activation code. 4G LTE connectivity is all you get, and there’s no 5G support. Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and multi-constellation GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS) complete the wireless options.

In the past, I’ve been impressed by uSmart's expansion accessories, such as the EndoScope, and it’s great to see that ecosystem from the tough phones now on a larger tablet, as it really does enhance its usefulness. The connector for attaching accessories is on the side and supports Ulefone’s professional accessories, including the E01 and E02 endoscopes and the C01 microscope.

The connector uses a single securing screw for attachment, and the accessories really do provide a genuine professional tool set for trades who need to carry out inspection work. The ability to feed endoscope footage directly to the tablet’s 8.68-inch screen has obvious advantages over a mobile phone screen.

A rugged mobile device wouldn’t be without a programmable custom key, and this can be assigned to any function or app; during testing, it was mapped to the camera for instant access. Other slightly unique features include the Glove mode, activated through the Special Functions menu in Settings, which, when tested, worked well with fabric gloves and lighter work gloves, though heavier-duty gloves didn’t work; however, compared with standard touch screens, this mode does make a big difference to usability.

Another of the big rugged features is the 133LM Super Torch, which sits next to the camera. Here, with the slightly focused beam, it is reasonable and has a decent reach, although there is no brightness adjustment or beam focus control.

The RugKing Pad Pro is preloaded with Android 16 and a host of apps, if anything too many, one of the first things that I would do if owning this phone for business would be to strip the app side back to the essentials. One of those essentials would be the Ulefone’s Service Centre app, which provides support when you need it, along with the user manuals.

• Features: 4 / 5

Ulefone RugKing Pad Pro: Performance

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Benchmarks

Geekbench CPU Single: 441
Geekbench CPU Multi: 1501
Geekbench GPU: 721
PCMark Overall: N/A
3DMark Slingshot Overall: 1884
3DMark Slingshot Graphics: 1742
3DMark Slingshot Physics: 2633
3DMark Wild Life Overall: 160
3DMark Steel Nomad Light Overall: 67

The Ulefone RugKing Pad Pro is a relatively compact Android-based tablet, and as I started the performance test, a couple of points about the design immediately stood out. The first was that the size made it easy to handle, and even without the hand strap, which would have been handy, it was still easy to hold single-handed.

The textured back, which was supposed to give a little more grip, didn’t seem to do much; however, the build quality is solid, and with the usual rubberised corner protection, it all seemed durable enough.

Powering this small tablet is a Unisoc T7250 CPU, which delivers solid if not cutting-edge performance that’s fine for the market the RugKing Pad Pro is designed for. Checking out all the usual apps, including Google’s productivity apps, Docs, Sheets, Drive, and all loaded quickly and ran without issue.

However, I will say that the 1340 x 800 screen resolution only just provided enough working area for comfortable document editing. When used with those Google apps, the overall feel is well-balanced, the physical size, screen clarity and interface responsiveness work together well, and some of the more unique features were genuinely helpful.

The gloved-hand mode increases the screen's sensitivity, so even with non-touchscreen gloves, the screen still responds. I did find that for thicker gloves, the usual non-response was still present; still, it’s better than most.

Using Lightroom, Photoshop, and CapCut shows that despite the entry-level CPU and GPU, the tablet still has some potential, and the Geekbench results (Single: 441, Multi: 1501, GPU: 721) are far from ground-breaking but show good, solid performance across the board.

Where the tablet does start to struggle is with graphics-intensive tasks, and the 3DMark scores in Slingshot showed an overall score of 1884 and a Wild Life score of 160, all confirming that the Mali-G57 MP1 GPU is a competent mid-weight GPU. Flipping back to the real-world tests, sure enough, Photoshop Express, Lightroom mobile, and CapCut video editing were possible, and even NFS Asphalt ran surprisingly well.

GPS performance was generally reliable, though there was significant cloud cover during much of the test period, which made satellite connectivity a little sporadic. On clear days, the RugKing Pad Pro locked on quickly and matched the positioning accuracy of comparable rugged smartphones. 4G connectivity and speed, while not close to what I’m used to with 5G, performed well, and the signal strength in Salisbury, England, was excellent, though, heading to the outskirt towns around the New Forest, where we’re limited to 4G.

Over a 10-day period, the RugKing Pad Pro joined me for work and under normal mixed usage, mainly checking and answering emails, alongside the benchmarking test and using a variety of applications, browsing, Google Docs, and some media playback, the device finished with 12% battery.

One point of note is that the screen powers off by default after 30 seconds, which is incredibly short, so I extended the switch-off time, which has a dramatic effect on battery life.

As a final note, while the tablet does have a camera, the 16MP rear camera resolution and quality is best described as adequate, perfect for taking pictures for site documentation, reference shots, scanning, but it’s worth knowing that the brighter it is, the cleaner the images you capture will be, and this is relevant for both images and stills.

• Performance: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Ulefone RugKing Pad Pro: Final verdict

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The Ulefone RugKing Pad Pro is at the budget end of rugged tablets, yet, despite the price, it's a great option if you’re looking for a well-thought-out tablet that delivers decent performance for productivity apps and can withstand most environmental conditions.

The build quality and design are genuinely impressive for the price, and as long as the rubber lugs are pushed in securely, it will be water-tight as well as shockproof, making it ideal for trades. One aspect that sometimes lets these rugged smartphones down is the screen, and once again, the resolution is low; however, the brightness is good, and it's easy to see outdoors, even in bright conditions. The battery life over a 10-day test was also superb.

When it came to the more advanced performance, the Unisoc T7250, while a capable mid-range processor that handles productivity tasks well does start to hit its limitations under heavier creative workloads, however, that’s not really what this device is for and if you just want to enhance a few image or make short site videos then the camera and processing power will more than suffice.

I am a little surprised that a new release is still limited to 4G rather than 5G, but this will be due to price considerations, although it will limit the product's actual lifespan as 5G becomes more widely available. At present, I’m lucky to see E for my network connectivity. Despite it only offering 4G support, you can add an eSIM, which is incredibly easy to do, and the system seems well set up to do this; although you can’t run a standard SIM at the same time as the eSIM, it’s one or the other.

Some of the additional features are unique to this product line, such as the uSmart accessory ecosystem, which, as with previous releases, works incredibly well and, for trades, will be a great asset. Then, with the dock charging compatibility, it further lends itself to use in the workplace.

Should I buy a Ulefone RugKing Pad Pro?

Value

Great value for money for a solid workplace tablet that can withstand the elements

4

Design

The rugged design is slimmer and lighter than many other tablets of this style, making it far more portable

4

Features

A decent set of features, a bright screen, and the ability to connect USmart accessories

4

Performance

While rugged, the CPU and GPU limit the performance

3

Overall

Considering the entry-level price, the tablet has a good range of features and solid all-around performance

4

Buy it if...

You need a tough tablet.

If you need a tablet for work that’s tough, able to withstand the elements, and able to withstand being knocked about, then this is a great option. 

Small and rugged

Unlike other rugged tablets, this can easily be held in one hand while still offering a decent 8.68-inch screen. 

Don't buy it if...

You need fast networking.

While there is an eSIM available, the cellular network connection is limited to 4G only.

You use creative apps.

While Lightroom runs smoothly on the system and short edits are possible in CapCut as soon as you start pushing the adjustments, the device starts to show its limitations. 

For more durable devices, we've tested and reviewed the best rugged laptops and best rugged phones

RayNeo Air 4 Pro: 30-second reviewSpecs

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Display: 0.6-inch Tandem Micro-OLED per eye; 201-inch equivalent at 6 metres
Resolution: 1920 x 1080 per eye (2D); 3840 x 1080 combined (3D)
Brightness: 1,200 nits peak
Contrast: 200,000:1
Colour space: 98% DCI-P3; 145% sRGB
Colour accuracy: Delta E < 2
Refresh rate: 60Hz / 120Hz
HDR: HDR10 with HueView 2.0
Processor: Vision 4000
Audio: 4-speaker system, tuned by Bang & Olufsen; Whisper Mode and Surround Mode
Eye protection: TUV SUD Low Blue Light and Flicker-Free certified
Colour modes: Standard, Movie, Eye Protection
Connectivity: USB-C DisplayPort; compatible with iPhone 15/16, MacBook, iPad, Android, consoles
Prescription support: Magnetic lens frame; compatible with Lensology custom lenses
Weight: 76g
Dimensions: 176.5 x 154.3 x 47.4mm
Batman Justice Edition extras: Clip-on Batman Bat Shade; standard lens shade; collector's vault packaging
Optional accessory: RayNeo Pocket TV (sold separately)

The RayNeo Air 4 Pro Batman Justice Edition are the latest iteration of the company's display glasses and quite a leap forward compared with the RayNeo Air 3S Pro’s that I looked at, at the beginning of the year.

This new iteration runs alongside the standard RayNeo Air 4 Pro but adds a little Batman branding to the package. The glasses arrive in a large collector's vault that will instantly appeal to any DC fan. The presentation of the special edition box is rather restrained rather than garish, with a large bat symbol on an otherwise all-black box. Inside are the glasses inside the usual protective case, just with the addition of the Batman symbol.

Like the box, the glasses themselves are equally discreet: there’s just a small Batman logo on the right arm alongside the Bang & Olufsen branding, otherwise in every other way they look almost identical to the standard Air 4 Pro. The real differentiator is tucked beneath a cardboard divider, which, once lifted away, reveals the clip-on Batman mask. This is a masquerade-style shade that snaps neatly onto the front of the glasses frame, helping to block out light and amusing anyone who may be watching you.

The mask itself is actually well designed and clips and unclips easily; it’s also incredibly light, so it adds little or no perceivable weight to your nose, and does something genuinely useful beyond the obvious fun. The glasses' lenses are slightly opaque, so that you can see a little of what is going on around you. Once the shade is in place, this essentially blocks ambient light far more effectively than the standard shade, making a more immersive experience in brighter environments. Sat still watching The Dark Knight through a MacBook Pro; the effect with the mask in place is impressive once your mind gets used to the little big screen effect.

Through the test, I ran the glasses on a MacBook Pro M1 Max, an iPhone 15 Pro, an iPad mini and the RayNeo Pocket TV device, and the setup was consistently straightforward. The glasses power on automatically when the USB-C cable connects, and the display mirrors immediately with no configuration required. The cable that connects the glasses to a host device runs from the back of the right arm, over your shoulder, to the device, and it becomes easy to ignore.

One of the headline features over previous models is HDR10. In practice, watching HDR content via Netflix and Apple TV on the MacBook, the improvement in shadow detail and mid-tone contrast is real, although subtle. The Vision 4000 chip's AI SDR-to-HDR upscaling adds to the visual crispness of most content. Neither transformation is dramatic. Together, however, they do boost the visual quality over earlier RayNeo glasses.

The Bang & Olufsen audio is a clear improvement, and through the test, I found that the standard mode delivered the best balanced, clear sound, and a decent volume that was definitely better than previous AR glasses. Whisper Mode is once again inaudible to anyone nearby, especially in crowded environments, making this a great solution for commuting, although probably not with the mask in place. Surround Mode is the only disappointment. The spatial effect is noticeable, but the volume drop makes it difficult to use unless you're in a quiet room.

One of the other features I was keen to try is the 2D-to-3D AI conversion. For personal video files shot on your phone, it is genuinely impressive, creating convincing depth that surprised me on the first render to show my dog walking in pretty effectively in 3D. For feature films and streaming content, things are a little more complicated. The AI processing doesn’t work on streamed content at all, and even with locally stored files, the processing seemed to hang on content that was too long. The RayNeo Pocket TV accessory, tested separately, enables standalone streaming via Google TV but similarly does not extend 3D processing to that content.

The RayNeo Air 4 Pros are a great set of display glasses which pack down to the size of a glasses case, enabling you to take them anywhere. If you’re travelling, then it’s a great way to take a decent large-format screen with you. The Batman Justice Edition shade is a bit of fun, so if you're a Batman fan, then these will be a great choice. For all others, the standard edition is, aside from the mask, identical.

RayNeo Air 4 Pro: Price & availability

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The RayNeo Air 4 Pro is available directly from uk.rayneo.com. The standard edition is priced at $249 / £249 direct from the RayNeo website. On Amazon.com, they're priced at $299 and £379 at Amazon.co.uk.

The Batman Justice Edition carries a small additional premium - and at the time of review, I'm only seeing it available on the RayNeo website in the US.

The optional RayNeo Pocket TV, which enables standalone Google TV streaming without a connected device, is sold separately.

• Score: 4/5

RayNeo Air 4 Pro: Design & build

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The Air 4 Pro are instantly recognisable as a pair of display glasses with that slightly bulkier design compared with a standard pair of glasses. However, the size and bulk are slowly reducing, and these are noticeably slimmer than earlier generations and rivals I've tested.

The build quality of the frame is all well-constructed and has a premium feel despite the relatively low price. Some of the notable signs that these are not standard sunglasses include the thicker-than-standard arms that have space to fit the electronics, speakers, and control buttons. This means that while these are getting slimmer, they are still very noticeable as something different.

One of the main concerns with any set of display glasses is weight and, therefore, how comfortable they will be when worn for extended viewing sessions. At just 76g, the glasses are genuinely lightweight, and wearing them through a full viewing of The Dark Knight produced only the temporary nose pressure you'd expect from any glasses worn continuously.

The nose pad does offer some adjustment if limited by the ability to move the pads in and out to change the screen distance from your eyes, which is a useful calibration tool. The one consistent note from testing, as with the Air 3s Pro, is that to get the screen in the right position required pushing the glasses slightly down the nose from the natural wearing position. I

The glasses are not self-contained and require a host device to stream content, in the same way as a monitor. Here, a USB-C cable exits from the back of the right arm and trails down to your connected device, be that a laptop, mobile phone or Pocket TV. The positioning of the cable is well thought through, essentially over the shoulder rather than dropping straight down, and after an initial positioning, you genuinely forget about it.

There is something more to this edition of the glasses over the standard with the Batman shade that clips to the front of the frame. Once installed, the slightly opaque lenses are screened off to black, and the size of the mask helps to block out more ambient light than the standard shade. While the shade works and is light, it still adds some weight to the unit, and is probably best left at home when using these on your daily commute.

• Design & build: 4/5

RayNeo Air 4 Pro: Features

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The Air 4 Pro features two 0.6-inch Micro-OLED screens, one 1080p per eye with a max brightness of 1,200 nits, 200,000:1 contrast and 98% DCI-P3 colour. This is essentially the same as the Air 3S Pro that I looked at a couple of months ago.

What this latest release adds is an all-new Vision 400 processor that brings, amongst other enhancements, HDR10 support, better colour mapping and contrast. The other big feature here is the Audio by Bang and Olufsen.

The Vision 4000 chip's enhancements reach right across the feature set, especially with the new AI processing that works in the background to boost the quality of the visuals. AI SDR-to-HDR upscaling is applied in real-time, so it’s one of those features that makes a big difference, but you don’t actually notice it, as it’s so integrated with the workings of the glasses.

The AI 2D-to-3D conversion is another major feature that requires the companion app to use. This is good, but it does seem to be in its early development. For personal video files shot on an iPhone and stored locally, the processing is genuinely impressive, with the depth separation being convincing, and the effect adds genuine visual interest to the footage.

One discrepancy on the site's description of the glasses that is worth noting is that six colour modes are listed: Standard, Game, Movie, Eye Protection, Professional, and Vision Boost, but the review unit had only three: Standard, Movie, and Eye Protection. Game, Professional, and Vision Boost modes were not present in the firmware version tested, but may well be added later. Standard and Eye Protection proved the most useful for general viewing; Movie mode warmed the image far too much for my liking.

The Bang & Olufsen audio partnership is genuinely a great addition with the four-speaker system. Standard mode supplies clear, balanced sound with good depth and enough volume for most environments. Whisper Mode is once again impressive, and sitting in a café, the people I was with were unable to hear any noise from the glasses until they put their heads up close.

One of the audio features that I was looking forward to trying was the Surround Mode, which introduces spatial quality to the audio.

Through the test, I tried the glasses with several devices and for all, the Plug-and-play compatibility was good with the iPhone 15 Pro, MacBook Pro M1 Max, and iPad mini, simply plugging in and being recognised without issue.

Navigation of the on-screen display is handled via a double-click of the left arm menu button to enter settings, volume buttons to scroll, and a single click to select. Switching between 2D and 3D requires a triple press of the volume rocker, followed by the RayNeo XR app to manage content. The control system works, but it takes a while for it to become intuitive.

• Features: 4.5/5

RayNeo Air 4 Pro: Performance

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The simplest way to get started with the Air 4 Pros is to simply plug them directly into the USB-C port at the bottom of your phone, laptop or other device that enables display out. Once the glasses are plugged in, they instantly become a virtual 201-inch screen or at least the illusion of one.

Initially, it does just look like two small screens in front of your eyes, but due to the close proximity and resolution, your brain quickly enables the illusion of the scale of the screen to settle in. Once that brain adjustment happens, the effect of the screens is impressive and makes an ideal option for watching back media.

One hope for these display glasses was that I would be able to use them as a wearable screen for the computer; however, at 1080p, the screen resolution is limited. There’s also the fact that you need to keep your head still as the lenses are fixed to the glasses, so every head movement sees the screens move, which is initially a little disorientating. Unlike VR glasses, there’s no image stabilisation, so the more stationary your head, the better the effect.

The way that these glasses work is that what you’re looking at is actually a projection of the screens, rather than directly at the screens themselves. This means that the lens part of the glasses, while dark like sunglasses, is opaque so that you can see what’s going on around you. However, the density of the shades is high, so while in bright conditions you can see in front of you, in shaded rooms they may as well be blacked out, and all you really see are shadows crossing the display.

As with previous editions, there is a plastic shade that clips to the front, helping to block the light and boost the screen visuals. However, these being the Batman edition, as well as the standard shade, there's also the Batman option. This mask is larger than the standard version and helps to illuminate even more light. The effect is good and really does have a dramatic effect on just how immersive the experience is.

The visuals are good, but then so were the visuals of the Air 3S Pro, which share a similar resolution and specification screens. However, with the new Vision 4000 processor, the visual quality gets a boost with HDR10 content, which displays brighter and with greater dynamic range.

In practice, HDR10 content viewed via Netflix and Apple TV on the MacBook Pro showed better shadow and highlight detail than the standard display, and the videos were slightly stronger in contrast and brightness. While there is an improvement, it is subtle, so if you’re expecting a huge difference, then you’ll be disappointed.

HDR content on the MacBook Pro via Netflix and Apple TV is a great place to check the full effect, although again limited by the 1080p resolution, which is apparent. The Dark Knight was used to test the visuals, primarily due to it being a Batman film, but it was also partly shot on IMAX film with extremely deliberate lighting. The effect was notable, but you would only notice it if you were looking for it.

Flicking through the glasses options, there’s a good amount of choice, and those looking to use this with a gaming console will be pleased to see the 120Hz refresh rate option. At 60Hz, action sequences showed a small amount of motion judder, although this is slightly masked by the 1080p resolution. Switching to 120Hz did enable smoother motion, and for gaming, you’d probably want to switch to this option; for standard TV and film, 60Hz will more than suffice.

One of the notable features of these glasses is the 1,200 nit peak brightness, and when these are coupled with the dark opaque lenses, you can view the screens in almost any lighting conditions. There is the usual shade in the box, but then, this being the Batman edition, there’s also the Batman mask that can be clipped to the front. This is probably not something that you would want to wear in and around the office or in public, but in the comfort of your own home, it is a bit of fun.

While the main aim of the Batman shade is to support the partnership with the Batman brand, the larger size of the shade compared with the standard version does help to block out a little more light and further adds to the immersive experience. Other than the visuals of the Batman mask, there really is little other benefit, and unless you’re a Batman fan, then it’s probably best to opt for the slightly cheaper standard version.

One of the other features that had stood out was the 3D potential, especially with these being Batman-branded. To access the 3D features, you can either use the App to view your own content or stereoscopic content by double-clicking the left and right rocker levers on the arms. I was hoping that with the Dark Knight having been shot for IMAX, or at least some of the scenes, would somehow be 3D optimised through the AI feature. Testing this feature with the glasses connected to the App and video content from my phone viewed through the app, the effect is impressive; oddly, still images once processed are less impressive. Having tested some smaller files, I decided to see if this near-realtime 3D enhancement of video was also possible for feature films and streaming content.

Unfortunately, I quickly established that this may be pushing the 3D AI conversion a little too far, and streamed content cannot be processed regardless of the source, and even the RayNeo Pocket TV accessory, which brings standalone Google TV streaming to the glasses, doesn’t add any 3D processing.

Looking at the colour options, and again there’s a good choice, and the effects are quite stark, and through this test I actually found the standard mode was the best for film, TV and other content. Switching to the movie option turned everything a little too yellow.

Another of the big features for these glasses is the audio partnership with Bang & Olufsen, and this is genuinely a good boost to the audio quality. Watching several episodes of Monarch and The Dark Knight through the MacBook Pro, the sound quality through Standard mode was impressive, comfortably better than laptop speakers and on a par with a decent set of over-ear headphones. Whisper Mode's ability, which impressed me in the past, once again manages to contain audio within the immediate vicinity. However, the surround sound option that I was looking forward to testing just seemed to run too quietly, and the only place that I could take full advantage was in a quiet room, and even then, the volume just felt a touch too quiet.

In the final part of the test, I tried using the glasses as a secondary display for the MacBook, and I found that for reviewing product manuals and reference material, it was workable. While for reading, the resolution is ok, and the larger area was good, again, you do need to keep your head still. Throughout the review, while these screens are good and the price well balanced, you still can’t escape that the screens are quite small compared with the latest VR headsets, and the fact that there’s no horizon steady or stabilisation will take a bit of getting used to.

Alongside the Air 4 Pros, I also took a look at the RayNeo Pocket TV accessory, tested as part of this review, and this worked incredibly well once set up as a standalone streaming device connected to the glasses via USB-C, and enables you to connect without a phone or laptop, as long as there’s a wifi connection.

• Performance: 4.5/5

RayNeo Air 4 Pro Batman Justice Edition: Final verdict

The RayNeo Air 4 Pro Batman Justice Edition display glasses are great fun if you’re a Batman fan and want something else for the collection. For everyone else, there’s the standard option of the Air 4 Pros, which are slightly cheaper.

If you strip away the fact that the shade is a Batman mask and you’re unlikely to wear it out in public, the effect when clipped to the front of the glasses, with the more extensive coverage over the shades, actually does block more light, so in a way, the mask is practical.

When it comes to the list of enhancements from the Air 3S Pro I looked at earlier in the year, while the screen resolutions remain much the same, the HDR10 display, Bang & Olufsen audio, and a 120Hz refresh rate do make these glasses and far better for media playback when you’re on the move.

The 3D conversion feature again offers great potential, and it works well on personal video footage, but at present, it cannot process streaming content, and even on compatible files, the effect varies depending on the content, but is genuinely impressive.

For DC fans, the Justice Edition is great fun. For everyone else, the standard Air 4 Pro offers identical performance, and at a slightly lower price.

Value

Standard Air 4 Pro at £249 are cheap for this display quality. The Batman Justice Edition Premium is great fun for dedicated fans

4

Design

Slim, well-built, and comfortable for extended viewing sessions. Batman shade looks great and works practically if you’re a fan.

4

Features

HDR10, B&O audio, 120Hz and AI processing are all decent upgrades. The 3D is limited to personal video files, but again shows potential. 

4

Performance

HDR enhancement is visible, and the audio is excellent, although the surround sound option is a little low in volume.

4

Total

The Batman edition is great fun for fans and considering the price the standard edition is good value if you want a set of display glasses 

4.5

Should you buy the RayNeo Air 4 Pro?

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Buy it if...

You want a personal cinema for travel 
lightweight, immersive, and genuinely good-looking, these are the best display glasses for media consumption available right now.

You're a DC fan
The Justice Edition packaging, Batman shade and collector's vault make this one of the more enjoyable unboxing experiences in tech, and the mask genuinely improves immersion.

Don't buy it if...

You're buying primarily for the 3D feature.
AI 3D works impressively on your own video files, but does not extend to streaming content or feature films, which is where most viewers will want it.

You want true augmented reality.
These are display glasses that simulate a large screen, not smart glasses with AR overlays or standalone computing. A connected device is always required.

For more picks, we've reviewed the best smart glasses.