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James prosecuted the president and his companies, winning millions in fines linked to fraud allegations. Her attorney called the probe a "desperate example of the president's campaign of retribution."

(Image credit: Michael M. Santiago)

• US law enforcement claims BlackSuit is completely dismantled
• The agencies seized servers, domains and digital assets
• Since 2022, the group hit 450 companies and stole millions of dollars

BlackSuit, a ransomware group and a successor to the Royal gang, managed to compromise 450 organizations in the United States and steal $370 million in ransom payments, before being dismantled by US law enforcement agents, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has said.

A press release published on the US Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) website, said ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (its main investigative arm), in coordination with both US and international law enforcement agents, “successfully dismantled critical infrastructure used by BlackSuit ransomware”.

“The operation resulted in the seizures of servers, domains and digital assets used to deploy ransomware, extort victims, and launder proceeds,” it was said.

No arrests

The announcement said that since 2022, Royal and BlackSuit ransomware groups have compromised more than 450 known victims in the United States, including healthcare, education, public safety, energy, and government sector organizations.

These attacks brought them more than $370 in cryptocurrency, based on today’s prices.

Unfortunately, no one was arrested, and if history taught us anything - these threat actors will be back sooner rather than later.

While disrupting the infrastructure is a commendable move and will certainly make things difficult for the threat actors in the short-term, they will have no issues reestablishing the hardware, especially with $370 million in their pocket.

Previously, the FBI, US Homeland Security, the US Department of Justice (DoJ), and other partners, defaced BlackSuit’s main website, as well as extortion and data leak sites, in a sting called “Operation Checkmate”.

A US Department of Health and Human Services report published in late November 2023 said BlackSuit was first spotted in May that year, showing “striking parallels with Royal, the direct successor of the former notorious Russian-linked Conti operation”.

“This operation strikes a critical blow to BlackSuit’s infrastructure and operations,” said US Secret Service Criminal Investigative Division Special Agent in Charge William Mancino.

“The US Secret Service is committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to dismantle criminal enterprises and prevent the deployment of malicious ransomware that victimizes businesses and organizations.”

Via BleepingComputer

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The 2025-26 season kicks off with the newly promoted Blues hosting the recently relegated Tractor Boys.

• A French Court has issued new orders against five popular VPN services to block more pirated sites illegally broadcasting live sports events
• Streaming giants Canal+ and beIN raised the requests on July 18, 2025, against NordVPN, Proton VPN, CyberGhost, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN
• A landmark ruling in May ordered the same VPNs to block access to over 200 pirate domains

France has continued to tighten its grip on online piracy this summer with another round of court orders for some household names in VPN.

Five of the best VPN providers on the market right now have, yet again, found themselves under the spotlight of the Paris Judicial Court with demands to block sites providing illegal sports live streams.

As reported by TorrentFreak, global sports broadcaster beIN Sports France raised a successful request for NordVPN, Proton VPN, and CyberGhost to block seven domains hosting WTA tennis streams.

While NordVPN, Proton VPN, CyberGhost, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN now have to close access to their customers to five web domains showing Formula One after complaints from the country's broadcast rights holder Canal+.

These orders follow a landmark ruling in May, which forced the same VPN companies to block access to over 200 pirate domains. An action that, according to the VPN industry, set "a dangerous precedent."

New French VPN blocking orders

(Image credit: Future + Photo by MAGALI COHEN/Hans Lucas/AFP; Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The Court decisions issued on July 18, 2025, enforces the blocking of those sites until the end of their 2025 season. For F1, that's set for December 7, 2025. For the WTA tennis, the judge ruled until November 10, 2025.

Canal+ first shared plans to target VPN usage in an escalation of anti-piracy tactics back in February. This came after the streaming giant carried a successful legal action against DNS services in 2024.

Fast-forward to May 2025, and with two rounds of illegal streaming blocks already under its belt, it seems likely that the official French streamers are not done yet.

With BeIn Sports now following suit, and getting its way in court, we will surely see more paid services jumping on board to protect their investments in the rights to broadcast live sports events.

Are VPNs striking back?

Talking to TechRadar back in May, the VPN industry raised many concerns about France's blocking orders, including a potential technical difficulty in fulfilling such requests.

All the targeted services, in fact, are known to operate under strict no-log VPN policies. This means that they don't log any activities or other data linked to the users.

A NordVPN spokesperson told TechRadar at the time that the team was still evaluating how to identify customers in French territories while preserving the services' privacy obligations.

Those complaints have been given short shrift by the Paris Judicial Court, though, which rejected "the grounds of inadmissibility" raised by all the VPN providers, on July 18.

The Court even dismissed the opportunity for referral to the EU Court issued by ExpressVPN and CyberGhost, leaving the VPN companies seeming with no escape route.

We have approached the VPN providers for more clarification on the matter, but we are still waiting for a response at the time of writing.

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• A leaker has shared a list of rumored specs and prices for upcoming Samsung Galaxy tablets
• Deallabs writer bill-bil kun shared rumored information about the Galaxy Tab S11, Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, and Galaxy Tab S10 Lite
• The report, while comprehensive, is light on named sources

Specs and details for the next Samsung Galaxy tablets have been revealed in what could be one of the biggest tablet leaks we’ve ever seen.

As Notebookcheck reports, a well-known France-based leaker has shared purported details of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11, Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, and Galaxy Tab S10 Lite.

If these rumors are anything to go by, Samsung could be planning a big shakeup for its tablet line when it comes time to replace the current-gen Galaxy Tab S10 Plus and Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra.

The last time Samsung released an 11-inch tablet with flagship-grade hardware was the Galaxy Tab S9 in 2023 – there was no ‘standard’ Galaxy Tab S10 to speak of.

The information comes courtesy of a Deallabs report authored by contributor and noted game leaker bill-bil kun, and includes pricing and technical specs for each of the three new models.

While the report doesn't name many of its sources, the information given matches what we'd expect to see from a single-generation upgrade.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 and Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra rumored specs

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra blurred the line between tablet and laptop (Image credit: Blue Pixl Media)

According to these new rumored specs, the Galaxy Tab S11 will sport an 11-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600, the same size and resolution as the Galaxy Tab S9's screen.

The Galaxy S11 Ultra is tipped to get a larger 14.6-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2960 x 1848, which is the same size and resolution as the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra’s.

As for internals, Deallabs reports that both the Galaxy Tab S11 and Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra will have the MediaTek MT6691 chipset – this is a code name for the Dimensity 9400 chipset, a powerful flagship-grade mobile chipset. Last year’s Galaxy Tab S10 models used the Dimensity 9300+ chipset, so this seems like a logical upgrade.

They also claim the Galaxy Tab S11 will come with 12GB of RAM and an 8400mAh battery, while the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra will have either 12GB or 16GB of RAM, depending on storage configuration, as well as a larger 11,600mAh battery. Both tablets are said to support 45W charging.

Deallabs says the Galaxy Tab S11 will be available with 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of storage, and the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage (the latter of which models, they claim, comes with 16GB of RAM).

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 could bring back the standard-sized flagship format last seen with the Galaxy Tab S9 (pictured) (Image credit: Future)

As for other hardware, both tablets are said to feature a 13MP main camera and 12MP selfie camera, four speakers, WiFi 6E (WiFi 7 on the Ultra) and Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity with optional 5G, and an included S Pen.

Moving on to the Galaxy Tab S10 Lite Deallabs' report lists it as having a 10.9-inch display with a resolution of 2112 x 1320. They say this tablet will get the Exynos 1380 chipset (the same found in the Galaxy Tab S10 FE), an 8000mAh battery with 25W wired charging, an 8MP main camera and 5MP selfie camera, two speakers, and support for WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3.

They add that the Galaxy Tab S10 Lite will come in two configurations – a model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and a model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 and Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra rumored pricing

The report also gives rumored pricing for each model in euros, which we can convert to other currencies for a rough estimate.

The Galaxy Tab S11 is said to start at at €899, which is about $1,050 / £800 / AU$1,600), the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra at €1,339 (about $1,600 / £1,150 / AU$2,400), and the Galaxy Tab S10 Lite at €459 (about $540 / £400 / AU$800).

It's worth highlighting again that all of the above is rumor for now, but if these specs are the real deal we could be looking at some serious new contenders for the title of best tablet on the market. Be sure to let us know what you want to see from Samsung's next tablets in the comments below.

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Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro: Two-minute review

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

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

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

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

(Image credit: Future)

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

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

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

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

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: price and availability

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

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

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

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

• Value score: 5 / 5

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

Dimensions:

163 x 76 x 9mm

Weight:

229g

Display:

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

Chipset:

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Leading Version

RAM:

12GB / 16GB / 24GB (LPDDR5X)

Storage:

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

OS:

Android 15

Primary camera:

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

Ultra-wide camera:

50MP Samsung OV50D 1/2.88-inch sensor

Macro camera

2MP

Front Camera:

16MP under-display

Battery:

7,050mAh

Charging:

80W wired

Colors:

Nightfall, Dusk, Moonlight

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: design

(Image credit: Future)

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

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

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

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

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

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(Image credit: Future)

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Design score: 3.5 / 5

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: display

(Image credit: Future)

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Display score: 4 / 5

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: cameras

(Image credit: Future)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Camera score: 3 / 5

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

(Image credit: Future)

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Image credit: Future)

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

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

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

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

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

• Performance score: 5 / 5

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: software

(Image credit: Future)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Software score: 3.5 / 5

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: battery life

(Image credit: Future)

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Battery score: 5 / 5

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

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

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

3.5 / 5

Display

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

4 / 5

Performance

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

4.5 / 5

Camera

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

3 / 5

Battery

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

5 / 5

Software

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

3 / 5

Value

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

5 / 5

Buy it if...

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

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

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

Don't buy it if...

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

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

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

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: also consider

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

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

Read our full Nubia Red Magic 10 Pro review

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

Read our full Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro review

How I tested the Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro

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

First reviewed: June 2025

• Experts flag 150 Firefox add-ons which served as infostealers and keyloggers
• Add-ons added to the store are benign, but when they gain a reputation, they are transformed into malware
• The crooks steal crypto and track their victims' IP addresses

Cryptocurrency users running the Firefox browser should be careful - a major campaign has been detected aiming to steal their tokens right out of their wallets.

Recently, security researchers from Koi Security identified 150 add-ons in the Mozilla store which served as infostealers and keyloggers.

These add-ons started as benign tools, impersonating popular crypto wallets such as MetaMask, TronLink, or Rabby, but after accumulating enough downloads and positive reviews, the attackers replace them with new names and logos and inject malicious code that steals user wallet credentials and IP addresses.

GreedyBear

"The weaponized extensions captures wallet credentials directly from user input fields within the extension’s own popup interface, and exfiltrate them to a remote server controlled by the group," Koi Security said in its writeup.

"During initialization, they also transmit the victim’s external IP address, likely for tracking or targeting purposes."

The malicious code was partially generated with the help of AI, the experts said, dubbing the campaign “GreedyBear”, and claiming it raked in more than a million dollars already.

The “bear” in the name could be a reference to Russia, since the operation is apparently complemented by dozens of pirated software websites distributing 500 malware variants, as well as fake Trezor, Jupiter Wallet, and other crypto websites. All of them are written in Russian.

The malware distributed through the website is generic, the researchers added, with LummaStealer standing out as a more notable name.

All of the sites are linked to the same IP address, which means that a single entity is running the entire operation.

Koi Security reported its findings to Mozilla, which swiftly removed all malicious add-ons from its repository. However, users who downloaded them in the meantime will remain at risk until they delete the add-ons from their browsers and refresh all login credentials.

Via BleepingComputer

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• A prominent leaker just spilled the beans on Google’s Pixel Watch 4
• The upcoming smartwatch is set to launch on August 20
• The leak includes a host of upgrades and new features

Google is set to launch the Pixel Watch 4 on August 20, but that hasn’t stopped various leaks emerging in the meantime. And now, we’ve just received another substantial rumor cache surrounding the device, revealing many of the new features we could see in a few weeks’ time.

The revelations come from prolific leaker Evan Blass, who recently posted them on X. There, Blass revealed a wide range of specs and features that could make it into Google’s smartwatch, as well as some official-looking slides that might be used on the device’s launch date.

Among the specs are measurements, display details, battery life, and more. Blass claims that the Pixel Watch 4 will come with 41mm and 45mm sizes, an always-on Actua 360 display with up to 3,000 nits of brightness, 30 hours of battery life in the 41mm model and 40 hours in the 45mm size, plus 25% faster charging when you use a Quick Charge Dock versus the regular rate.

As for sensors, Blass’s posts suggest that the Pixel Watch 4 will get dual-frequency GPS, an electrocardiogram (ECG), blood oxygen monitoring, plus the ability to sense heart-rate variability. There will also be safety features, including detection of hard falls and loss of pulse.

A significant upgrade

(Image credit: Evan Blass)

According to Blass’s images, you’ll get “40+ exercise modes and real-time stats” with the Pixel Watch 4, plus custom run plans and real-time guidance. It will also advise you if you’re ready for a tough workout or need a rest.

And the updates aren’t limited to health and fitness features. For instance, if you buy an LTE model, you’ll get two years of Google Fi Wireless data included for free (although this does not include calling).

The Google Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot is built into the watch, and it looks like it’ll be on hand to help in a variety of ways. That includes the creation of “a playlist for a 10-minute-mile run,” in one of the examples given.

The slides also suggest you’ll be able to “Raise your wrist for quick AI assistant responses and personalized help” and “Keep the conversation going with AI text suggestions that sound like you.” Google seems to be promising Gemini integration with third-party wearable apps, too.

Overall, this looks like a significant upgrade over the Google Pixel Watch 3 – as long as the leak proves to be accurate, of course. But with the August 20 launch date fast approaching, we won’t have long to wait before we find out.

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• The ROG Xbox Ally is reportedly set to launch on October 16, two months after its Gamescom presence
• This leak comes shortly after a previous report that suggested a pre-order date of August 20
• Hollow Knight: Silksong could now launch on October 16

Gamescom 2025 is right around the corner and is set to showcase a wide range of highly-anticipated games and hardware, including the new ROG Xbox Ally from Microsoft and Asus. Now a new leak has given us further insight into the latter's launch date, which is a little further away than previously anticipated.

According to Bilbil-Kun via Dealabs, the ROG Xbox Ally is set to launch on October 16, after hands-on previews at Gamescom in August. This leak follows a previous report that suggested pre-orders would open on August 20, essentially hinting that units would be ready to send to consumers from that date. However, that doesn't appear to be the case.

While the new report insists that the August 20 date is accurate for pre-orders, the purported October 16 launch date means the new handheld will be a little late to the party among new releases. The MSI Claw A8, another handheld using AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme, is already available in some regions in Europe, with the Lenovo Legion Go 2 expected to launch soon since its prototype is already available in China.

If this leak is legitimate, it means fans will be waiting over a month to finally acquire the devices, one of which is purported to be overly expensive. There will apparently be two models; the ROG Xbox Ally X (rumored to have an $899 price tag) with the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor, while the ROG Xbox Ally will use a weaker processor, the Ryzen Z2A.

As for the long-awaited Hollow Knight: Silksong, this new leak should mean that it will launch on October 16, as Xbox President Sarah Bond confirmed that the title would launch alongside the ROG Xbox Ally.

Analysis: A two-month wait makes this launch a little less exciting

(Image credit: Microsoft / Asus)

While a two-month wait isn't exactly the worst thing here, it's sapped a little of the excitement I have for the new devices. I'm already not pleased with the recent price tags for handhelds like the MSI Claw A8, MSI Claw 8 AI+, and the ROG Xbox Ally X's rumored $899 tag, so the additional wait isn't exactly great news for consumers.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not planning on buying the ROG Xbox Ally X, but I plan on analyzing any potential performance differences between its Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor and the standard Ryzen Z2 Extreme (including the performance of the Ryzen Z2A) via real-world benchmarks, and it's not exactly clear if the hands-on previews and presentation from Xbox at Gamescom will give us that.

The wait also adds to the frustration of the lack of availability in the market, since it's increasingly difficult to find stock of the likes of the Lenovo Legion Go Z1 Extreme. The latter is a device I'm particularly interested in thanks to its 8-inch display, but it's nowhere to be found in the UK – and there's no guarantee that the same stock woes won't happen to the ROG Xbox Ally.

From what we've already seen from the Ryzen Z2 Extreme, it seems like the price jump from a Z1 Extreme-powered handheld is excessive. At this point, all I want is a handheld equivalent to the Asus ROG Ally's power, with an 8-inch screen, but that either comes with a hefty price tag or a lack of availability.

The ROG Xbox Ally is a 7-inch device that, unfortunately, could tick both of those 'expensive price tag' and 'low stock' boxes, and that doesn't leave me enthusiastic about its launch.

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Dell 14 Premium: One-minute review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dell 14 Premium: Price & availability

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

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

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

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

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

• Value: 4 / 5

Dell 14 Premium: Specs

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

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

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

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

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

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

Dell 14 Premium Base Specs

US

UK

Australia

Price

$1,499.99 at Dell.com

£1,499 at Dell.com

AU$2,798.40 at Dell.com

CPU

Intel Core Ultra 7 255H

Intel Core Ultra 7 255H

Intel Core Ultra 7 255H

GPU

Integrated Intel Arc 140T

Integrated Intel Arc 140T

Integrated Intel Arc 140T

Memory

16GB LPDDR5x - 7467MT/s

16GB LPDDR5x - 7467MT/s

16GB LPDDR5x - 7467MT/s

Storage

512GB PCIe NVMe

512GB PCIe NVMe

512GB PCIe NVMe

Display

14.5-inch non-touch 2K IPS 120Hz

14.5-inch non-touch 2K IPS 120Hz

14.5-inch non-touch 2K IPS 120Hz

Ports

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

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

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

Battery

69.5WHr

69.5WHr

69.5WHr

Wireless

Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4

Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4

Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4

Camera

1080p IR camera

1080p IR camera

1080p IR camera

Weight

3.66 lbs | 1.66kg

3.66 lbs | 1.66kg

3.66 lbs | 1.66kg

Dimensions

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

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

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

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

Dell 14 Premium Top Specs

US

UK

Australia

Price

$2,399.99 at Dell.com

£2,364.59 at Dell.com

AU$4,207.50 at Dell.com

CPU

Intel Core Ultra 7 255H

Intel Core Ultra 7 265H

Intel Core Ultra 7 255H

GPU

Nvidia RTX 4050

Nvidia RTX 4050

Nvidia RTX 4050

Memory

32GB LPDDR5x - 8400MT/s

32GB LPDDR5x - 8400MT/s

32GB LPDDR5x - 8400MT/s

Storage

2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe

2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe

2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe

Display

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

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

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

Ports

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

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

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

Battery

69.5WHr

69.5WHr

69.5WHr

Wireless

Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4

Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4

Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4

Camera

1080p IR camera

1080p IR camera

1080p IR camera

Weight

3.79 lbs | 1.72kg

3.79 lbs | 1.72kg

3.79 lbs | 1.72kg

Dimensions

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

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

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

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

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

• Specs: 4.5 / 5

Dell 14 Premium: Design

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

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

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

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

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

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

Image 1 of 3

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)Image 2 of 3

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)Image 3 of 3

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

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

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

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

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

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

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

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

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

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

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

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

• Design: 4 / 5

Dell 14 Premium: Performance

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

Dell 14 Premium: Battery Life

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

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

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

• Battery Life: 3.5 / 5

Should you buy the Dell 14 Premium?

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

Category

Notes

Rating

Value

The 14 Premium is not totally out of line price-wise for its market. This is still a premium device, so budget-conscious buyers might be better off looking elsewhere. That said, for the level of performance and portability, it will likely offer a better value than a similarly specced MacBook Pro 14-inch.

4 / 5

Specs

There aren't a whole lot of configuration options available, you do get three Thunderbolt 4 ports, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and options for an RTX 4050 GPU and a gorgeous OLED display.

4.5 / 5

Design

The 14 Premium is a good looking device that is well-made and portable. Its 'virtual' function keys, borderless trackpad, and lack of webcam privacy shutter knocks some points off though.

4 / 5

Performance

While it doesn't dethrone the MacBook Pro 14-inch as the go-to device for creative pros, it more than holds its own against Apple's popular laptop and even outperforms it in key areas.

4.5 / 5

Battery Life

At just over 8 hours of battery life on a charge, this isn't the longest-lasting laptop going. If batter life is a concern, skip the RTX 4050 GPU and OLED display to reduce strain on the 69.5WHr battery.

3.5 / 5

Final Score

The Dell 14 Premium outperforms the MacBook Pro 14-inch when every score is averaged, but there's enough nuance here that it's not a laptop I can unconditionally recommend to everybody. Most people? Yes; but creatives will still want to look at the MacBook Pro 14-inch.

4.10 / 5

Buy the Dell 14 Premium if...

You want a high-performance 14-inch ultrabook
The highly portable form factor belies some seriously powerful hardware inside.

You need an Nvidia GPU for on-the-go work
There are some tasks that simply require an Nvidia GPU, and this is one of the most portable laptops you'll find that offers one.

You want to do some moderate PC gaming
The RTX 4050 GPU in the 14 Premium has 1080p gaming chops, just keep your graphics settings reasonable.

Don't buy it if...

You're on a tight budget
As the name suggests, the 14 Premium doesn't come cheap. You might be better off with the Dell 14 Plus if money's tight.

You plan on doing heavy-duty video editing
While the 14 Premium can handle serious video editing tasks, the MacBook Pro 14-inch is simply better suited for that workload.

You need all-day battery life
The battery life on the 14 Premium isn't terrible, but you will need to bring a charger with you in you plan on working on it all day.

Also consider

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4)
The Dell 14 Premium is directly competing with the MacBook Pro 14-inch, and both are pretty evenly matched in the end.

Read our full Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4) review

Dell 14 Plus
If you're looking for a cheap Windows 11 laptop, the Dell 14 Premium is fairly pricey, so check out the 14 Plus if you're on a budget.

Read our full Dell 14 Plus review

How I tested the Dell 14 Premium

• I spent about two weeks with the Dell 14 Premium
• I used it for everyday work and creative tasks
• I ran it through our standard battery of benchmark tests

I spent about two weeks working with the Dell 14 Premium, putting it through my typical battery of benchmark tests, and using it for everyday productivity and creative work.

I used standard benchmarking tools like 3DMark, Geekbench, PugetBench for Creators, and in-game benchmarks for PC gaming performance analysis.

I also used the laptop as my everyday device, including some light gaming in addition to working with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.

I've been reviewing laptops for Techradar for more than five years, and I've tested more than a hundred laptops in that time, both for reviews and for investigative testing to support special computing features and content in that time, so I know better than most when a laptop is hitting the mark and when and where it misses.

• First reviewed August 2025

• A Microsoft support document reveals a new twist on Windows 10's extended update scheme
• Even if you pay $30 for the program, you'll need to have a Microsoft account
• The good news is that up to 10 devices are supported with one license

We've had a surprise late revelation that Windows 10's extended update scheme will require you to have a Microsoft account, even if you pay for those updates (and don't take up the free offer).

Windows Central uncovered a Microsoft support document carrying this info, which has left more than a few people unhappy.

When Microsoft revealed its Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, the company made it clear that the cost would be $30 for an extra year of support, through to October 2026 (normal support ends this October). Then later, Microsoft relented and offered a free option, allowing Windows 10 users to instead choose to sync their PC settings to its cloud service - which, of course, is going to require a Microsoft account (to be signed into OneDrive, where the data is synced).

Folks assumed that if they went the paying route, spending $30 would be the only requirement - but it turns out that you'll also need a Microsoft account to avail yourself of the ESU in this way, meaning a local account on your PC won't suffice.

Microsoft tells us: "All enrollment options provide extended security updates through October 13, 2026. You will need to sign into your Microsoft account in order to enroll in ESU."

Elsewhere in the support document, Microsoft notes: "The ESU license is tied to your Microsoft account, so you may be prompted to sign in if you typically sign into Windows with a local account."

There is some good news here, though, which is that Microsoft also clarifies that this extended support program can be used on up to 10 devices. So, as long as those Windows 10 PCs are all signed in to the Microsoft account that has picked up the ESU offer, they're good to go.

Analysis: Local loss

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Regardless of how you access the ESU scheme, the license you get must be tied to a Microsoft account. If you've forgotten those options, you can pay $30, sync your PC settings to OneDrive, as mentioned, or alternatively, use 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points (if you have them).

The reason for the Microsoft account requirement is doubtless so the software giant can police the 10-device limit, but as noted, this is going to cause some degree of bad feeling. Given that Microsoft has been pushing against being able to have a local account at all when setting up Windows 11 - and notably closing loopholes that are present to fudge your way around having to tie an installation to a Microsoft account - people are only going to be suspicious that this is just another way to shove them into getting a Microsoft account.

If you're paying $30 for the privilege of an extra year of support, shouldn't forking out that cash be enough? I think so, and Microsoft could always just warn you that if you don't use a Microsoft account, you'll only get support on a single device (the one you're signing up with). Then users could decide to proceed, or not, with linking to an account based on their preference in that regard.

If you do have multiple Windows 10 PCs, mind, it's no doubt good to know that you can cover them all with just a single sign-up for the ESU (even using the free offer).

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• Security researcher finds unsecured 38GB database containing 10,820 records
• Names, postal addresses, and more were leaked to the open internet
• The archive, owned by IMDataCenter is now shut down

IMDataCenter, a Florida-based data hygiene, enhancement, and append services provider, has been found leaking thousands of sensitive personal records to the open internet.

Security researcher Jeremiah Fowler discovered an unencrypted and non-password-protected database, containing 10,820 records. It was 38 GB in size, with the majority of files being .CSV spreadsheets with “many thousands or hundreds of thousands of rows of PII.”

There is no evidence of abuse in the wild just yet, but the PII (Personally Identifiable Information) included people’s names, postal addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and lifestyle or ownership information.

Locking down the database

“The records appeared to be a storage repository for client orders labeled “reports” and “results”,” Fowler told Website Planet.

“Files names indicated these lists were used for multiple purposes, including sales and marketing leads for industries such as insurance, solar, elections, car warranties, hospitals, healthcare providers, and more.”

IMDataCenter is a Florida-based division of Brooks Integrated Marketing, offering a platform for marketing data improvement, including identity resolution, phone and email appending, Complete Integrated Marketing Append (CIMA), and more.

The platform’s data library spans 260 million individuals, 130 million households, 600 million emails, 550 million phone numbers, and more.

Fowler reached out to the company to warn them about the leaking information, and the database was locked down soon after.

“Data security is really important to us too and we really appreciate you sharing this information with us,” they told the researcher. “We are working to secure the information ASAP”.

The researcher also stressed that many companies hire third-party service providers to own and manage such databases. It is unknown who maintains IMDataCenter’s one. It is also unknown if any malicious actors found the database in the past, or abused it for phishing, identity theft, or similar impersonation attacks.

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As the adoption of agentic AI accelerates across industries, enterprise leaders face a crucial challenge: preparing today’s knowledge and systems for tomorrow’s AI-powered customer service.

Integrating distributed knowledge, ensuring information accuracy, and architecting AI agents are not just technical exercises—they are strategic imperatives for any organization seeking to stay ahead in the age of generative and agentic AI.

This article provides five key steps to future-proofing an enterprise for the agentic AI era.

1. The foundation: knowledge quality and ownership

At the heart of any effective agentic AI system lies one asset: organizational knowledge. Yet, as enterprises have grown, so too has the sprawl of knowledge—scattered across departments, tools, and formats. The first—and arguably the most difficult—step is consolidating this knowledge into one unified, accurate, and accessible source.

It’s not a one-off job. It’s not about ingesting that information just once and then having it distributed to customers, for example, when we're talking about customer service. It is especially relevant to keep it up to date and think of knowledge as something that needs to be maintained.

Key actions for enterprises:

Aggregate and validate: employ technologies like Azure AI Search to unify data, but ensure each piece of information is verified and free of conflicts or outdated content.

Assign ownership: make subject matter experts responsible for ongoing accuracy. Knowledge must be continuously maintained, not simply imported.

Automate where possible: use tools to automatically detect ambiguity, outdated data, and discrepancies, but always have clear human accountability.

2. Integration: bridging technical silos

Even the highest-quality knowledge is useless if it’s trapped in silos or lost in translation between systems. Technical integration is a prerequisite for agentic AI success. Leaders should focus on both aggregation and real-time synchronization across all knowledge repositories, ensuring seamless interoperability with AI agents.

Best practices:

Synchronize changes in real time: any updates to knowledge should be reflected instantly across all systems feeding the AI.

Prepare for multimodality: enterprises must handle diverse file types—text, images within PDFs, and even external references—that affect the factual reliability of responses.

Design for compatibility: ensure integration mechanisms work not only for aggregation but for active use by AI systems, reducing friction between legacy and modern platforms.

3. Precision retrieval: from domain buckets to human-in-the-loop

Agentic AI thrives not on sheer volume of knowledge, but on the precision of its retrieval and application. This requires a clear strategy for domain separation—defining specific knowledge “buckets”—and robust quality assurance processes.

With agentic AI systems, it is better to split the domains into respective buckets... define the different domains that need to be handled and make sure that specialists are available for respective knowledge retrieval. Proper quality assurance with, for example, human-in-the-loop approaches, is essential.

What this means:

Define and limit scope: by narrowing knowledge domains, organizations make quality control manageable while improving retrieval accuracy.

Human oversight: subject matter experts should be involved in reviewing responses, especially when AI interacts with ambiguous or complex queries.

Smart conversational design: build agentic systems that clarify user requests, routing queries to the correct knowledge base.

4. Context over “training”: the new paradigm for Agentic AI

Contrary to popular belief, the primary challenge in deploying agentic AI is no longer traditional “training” of models. Instead, it is about providing the right context, curated and orchestrated by a new breed of professionals: agent architects and prompt engineers.

What’s changing:

Shift from ML training to context engineering: it’s less about fine-tuning models, and more about architecting the context and guidance that AI agents need to perform.

Emergence of prompt engineering: there’s a growing need for experts who can design effective prompts, stay abreast of changing base model standards, and translate business needs into actionable guidance for AI agents.

Use case definition: effective AI agents require clear use case data, drawn from real customer pain points—not misleading conversational analytics from outdated IVR systems.

5. Legacy integration and open standards: future-proofing the stack

Many enterprises remain shackled by legacy infrastructure. Successful AI transformation demands not only technical modernization but also alignment with open standards that enable agent-to-agent collaboration and cross-system compatibility.

Key actions for enterprises:

Assess and modernize: identify which legacy systems hinder integration and prioritize making them accessible.

Adopt open standards: invest in emerging protocols that facilitate inter-agent communication, collaboration, and future expansion.

Conclusion

For those steering enterprises toward agentic AI, preparation means far more than adopting the latest model or platform. It demands a holistic strategy: consolidating and maintaining accurate knowledge, breaking down technical silos, orchestrating precise retrieval, and embracing the new disciplines of context and prompt engineering. By acting now, leaders can ensure that tomorrow’s AI agents not only deliver on their promise, but do so with the precision, reliability, and agility that today’s customers—and tomorrow’s enterprises—will demand.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

• Sony senior vice president Sadahiko Hayakawa has made some interesting comments about the company's gaming strategy
• He said that it's "moving away from a hardware centric business more to a community based engagement business"
• This could mean that more multi-platform PlayStation games are on the way

Sony senior vice president Sadahiko Hayakawa has revealed some interesting details about the company's current gaming strategy.

Speaking in a Q&A after the company's latest earnings call, Hayakawa was asked about Sony's investment in various intellectual property (IP).

"We have been shifting towards creation," he responded, before listing a number of examples. This included the move towards the production in digital cameras in Sony's TV segment, in addition to the expansion of the company's music catalogue through acquisitions.

"In our gaming business, we're moving away from a hardware centric business more to a community based engagement business," he said.

"That has been increasing, so now as we make more of a transition for more entertainment creation the stability of our performance is increasing."

As for what this could mean in practical terms, it's likely that we'll see further multi-platform PlayStation releases, particularly when it comes to its live-service offerings.

In the case of a game like Helldivers 2, which is set to launch on Xbox on August 26, it makes sense that Sony would want to maximize its persistent live-service revenue by having the title available on as many platforms as possible rather than just the PlayStation 5.

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In 1967, I began my first job working with computers. The company was presciently named International Data Highways (IDH), the brainchild of my remarkable mentor, Charlie Ross. Even in the infancy of computing, Charlie was pushing the boundaries of what computer science could achieve. He envisioned a world where financial and business information would be instantly accessible via terminal. His foresight was extraordinary, especially considering the limitations of the time.

Charlie was a visionary, driven by possibilities invisible to others but clear as day to him. He created an environment where curiosity was expected and boldness rewarded. It was a heady environment for a 19-year-old to be thrown into—and Charlie believed in throwing people in the deep end. He wanted his team to be brave, empowered, and unafraid to fail. This mindset was radical in 1967 Britain, where conformity and rigid corporate hierarchies ruled.

That early baptism by fire prepared me for the revolutionary journey computers would take over the next half-century. Little did I know that I had joined the most transformative industry the world had ever seen.

The rise and fall of giants

The first computer I worked on was the Sperry Univac 418—a massive, complex machine with a 24-bit word structure and a 12-bit addressing mechanism. It used a storage device known as a FastRand drum, which weighed two and a half tons and could store a mind-bending 100 megabytes of data. In those days, IBM dominated the industry with batch processing, while Sperry and others pushed the frontier of real-time computing.

IBM’s market share in the early 1970s was nearly 80% of the global computing market. But by the 1990s, the once-mighty firm teetered on the edge of collapse. Agile, innovative players like Digital Equipment Corporation and Data General had emerged, and IBM’s fall was swift and brutal. Watching this unfold in real time impressed upon me one core truth: this is an industry where today's titan is tomorrow’s toast.

Much of this volatility can be traced to Moore’s Law. In 1965, Gordon Moore predicted that the speed and capacity of transistors would double every 18–24 months. This exponential growth would continue to redefine the limits of possibility—not just in computing power but in how quickly innovation itself could accelerate. Two years after Moore’s prediction, I entered the industry. The rest is history—and we’re still writing it.

From constraints to catalysts

The innovations of the past five decades—mainframes, PCs, the internet, mobile devices—were the hors d’oeuvres. What we are now witnessing with AI is the main course. The difference lies not just in power, but in liberation. For most of my career, progress was constrained by the lack of computing power, limited storage, and slow processing speeds. Cloud computing, distributed architecture, and global broadband have obliterated those limits.

Today, we operate in a world of universal access. Storage is cheap and nearly infinite. Computing power is on demand. Barriers are gone. And with that, we have opened a new door—one that leads not to incremental improvement, but to a new industrial revolution.

This is not a wave. It’s a tsunami.

Those sitting comfortably on the beach, sipping tea and admiring the view, are about to be swept away. Those who grab a surfboard and paddle out to meet the surge head-on will experience the ride of a lifetime.

AI: the great equalizer

Perhaps the most stunning transformation AI brings is the democratization of knowledge. For centuries, information was locked behind paywalls—academic, professional, institutional. In some industries, guild-like structures guarded specialized knowledge jealously. AI changes that. It is the ultimate key, unlocking access for anyone with a connection and curiosity.

Professional hierarchies will flatten. Management will face new levels of transparency and accountability thanks to real-time analytics. Strategic decisions once made in echo chambers will now be data-informed and challengeable.

This will not be a time for the timid. It will favor the bold, the agile, the open-minded. Yet the true revolution lies not in how companies operate—but in how people live, learn, and grow.

The coming reinvention of education

Education may be the sector most radically transformed by AI. For too long, students have been shuffled through one-size-fits-all classrooms, forced to memorize facts, and judged by standardized exams. AI opens the door to personalized, adaptive learning—customized in real time to each student’s strengths, weaknesses, and interests.

Imagine a system where students are assessed continuously through participation and engagement, not just snapshots on test days. AI can identify knowledge gaps and tailor content dynamically—favoring subjects that spark passion, curiosity, and intrinsic motivation. Students will no longer be treated as production units that must progress at the same pace. They will be treated as individuals.

Parents will no longer need to buy homes in expensive school districts to access quality education. World-class learning will be accessible to everyone, everywhere. Finally, education will be democratized—just as knowledge is.

Compare this to China’s Gaokao, where every high school student takes a life-determining university entrance exam on the same day in June. Should a teenager’s future be determined by two days of testing—or by twelve years of continuous growth and learning? AI makes that question more than rhetorical. It makes a new model possible.

Unleashing human creativity

Beyond education, AI promises to unlock a renaissance of human creativity. By automating repetitive and menial tasks, it will free the mind to focus on imagination, problem-solving, and innovation. AI will allow people to color outside the lines again—something that corporate culture and standardized education often suppress.

Innovation will no longer come just from elite R&D labs or top universities. It will come from a billion creative minds newly empowered. AI will not just be a tool of efficiency—it will be a force of liberation.

Conclusion: embrace the future

Looking back on my 57-year journey—from machine code to machine learning—I’m reminded of how much has changed, and yet, how many principles remain the same. Vision, courage, curiosity, and resilience remain the essential traits of any innovator.

The tools may change. The pace will accelerate. But the opportunity—for impact, for growth, for transformation—has never been greater. We stand at the edge of something vast. The surf is up and the surfboards are ready.

Let’s enjoy the ride.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

One Google AI leader says Gemini's sad messages about itself are a glitch that the company plans to address.

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

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

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

• Interested in FC2? Check out the website here

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

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

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

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

• Also check out our roundup of the best blogging sites

Plans and pricing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The competition

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

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

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

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

Final verdict

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

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