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• Xbox is reportedly working on a disc-to-digital feature for existing consoles called 'Positron'
• The feature will allow Xbox users to insert a disc and convert their game to a digital format
• A separate report also claims that Project Helix won't have a disc drive

Like PlayStation, it seems that Xbox is moving away from physical games as new reports claim that Microsoft is testing a disc-to-digital feature for existing consoles and could release a next-gen Project Helix console without a disc drive.

According to The Verge, sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans claim that the company is currently working on a way for Xbox users to digitize their existing physical game library following a reference to "enable Disc2Digital" found in the Xbox PC app code in May.

The new feature, reportedly called 'Positron', will supposedly only work with Xbox One and Xbox Series X discs, not with Xbox 360 or original Xbox consoles. However, some Xbox One discs might not work with this new feature.

"It all depends on how and when the disc was manufactured and it may not have the features we need for this program," Microsoft told its internal Xbox testers.

To convert a physical game to digital, it's said that users would only need to insert a compatible disc, install, and play the game. A Microsoft account on an Xbox console will grant a digital entitlement for physical games, which are tied to a specific disc and can be moved between accounts if users swap the physical game with a friend or log in to a different profile and try to play a disc-based game.

The feature will also work for physical games bundled with a console and multi-disc titles. Players can still use the discs after converting them, but they'll lose their digital entitlement if they loan or sell the disc to someone else.

More information will arrive in the coming months, so it appears to be a feature that could be planned for before the next-gen Xbox console, Project Helix.

Speaking of which, it seems Microsoft is going all in on the digital market by releasing Project Helix without a disc drive, according to Windows Central sources.

No additional details were provided, but it's said that new details about the console will be revealed later this year.

The Xbox reports came after Sony announced that no new PlayStation games will be released on physical disc from January 2028 onwards.

The company shared a post, saying that the decision is "a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs," and will "enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today."

Cloud storage is convenient, sure, but monthly subscriptions can mount up exceptionally quickly, especially when your photo library, video collection, and backups continue growing relentlessly year after year.

For many users, building a private cloud has become a practical alternative that provides greater control over data while eliminating recurring storage fees. That's where NAS comes in. Network-attached storage connects directly to your network, creating a centralized location for files, backups, media streaming, and remote access.

Whether you're storing family photos, sharing documents across a small business, or managing large creative projects, a NAS can provide a secure and flexible storage platform.

Top individual NAS dealUgreen NASync DXP4800 Plus

This four-bay NAS combines a five-core processor, 8GB DDR5 memory, dual high-speed network connections, and NVMe expansion support. With capacity reaching 144TB, it offers fast transfers, private cloud storage, automated backups, and broad cross-platform compatibility.

In the UK: now £480 (was £620)View Deal

IronWolf drive

With 12TB of capacity, a 7200RPM spindle speed, and CMR technology, this NAS-focused hard drive is built for always-on storage environments. RAID compatibility, a 256MB cache, and dependable multi-user performance make it a popular choice for network storage. This drive pairs perfectly with the DXP4800 Plus 4-Bay Desktop NAS and comes in a range of capacities (of different prices) from 4TB right up to 32TB.

In the UK: now £423View Deal

Top NAS deal for SMBTerraMaster F4-424 Pro

Built for small and medium-sized businesses, this four-bay NAS combines an eight-core processor, 32GB DDR5 memory, dual 2.5GbE networking, and NVMe caching support. Extensive backup tools, RAID options, and high-speed connectivity help streamline shared storage workloads.

In the UK: now £593 (was £790)View Deal

IronWolf Pro drive

This 12TB drive combines CMR recording, a 7200RPM spindle speed, and a 256MB cache. Enterprise-focused reliability, RAID support, and consistent performance make it well suited to business and professional storage environments. Available in 8TB-32TB capacities.

In the UK: now £423View Deal

Top NAS deal for EnterpriseUgreen DXP4800 Pro

Built for demanding workloads, this four-bay NAS combines a six-core Intel processor, 8GB DDR5 memory, dual high-speed networking, and NVMe expansion. Support for virtualization, Docker, RAID, and up to 144TB of storage makes it ideal for professionals and growing teams.

In the UK: now £620 (was £690)View Deal

Exos drive

This 12TB SAS hard drive features a helium-sealed design, hot-plug support, and PowerBalance technology for efficient operation. FastFormat support and advanced data protection features make it suitable for demanding, always-on workloads.

In the UK: now £640View Deal

The good news is that setting up a private cloud no longer requires enterprise-level hardware or crazy, advanced knowledge. Modern NAS devices are easier to configure than ever, with intuitive software, mobile apps, and automated backup tools that handle much of the heavy lifting.

For individuals looking to replace or supplement cloud services, the Ugreen NASync DXP4800 Plus offers a great starting point.

It delivers plenty of performance for media libraries, personal backups, and home office use, while leaving room for future expansion.

In his hands-on coverage of the product, our expert Mark said the "new NAS brand comes with serious intent" and that it was "exceptionally well-considered and powerful."

Small businesses often require a little more flexibility, especially when multiple employees need access to shared files and backups.

The TerraMaster F4-424 Pro is one of the most capable options in this category, combining fast hardware with business-friendly features that can support growing storage requirements.

In his glowing review, Mark called it the "new powerhouse of the TerraMaster F4 series." He went on to say it was, "probably the most powerful 4-bay NAS available, the F4-424 Pro is ideal for those needing a development tool with plenty of processor performance."

Professionals and demanding users managing larger workloads could benefit from stepping up to the Ugreen DXP4800 Pro.

Mark's review called the model's arrive "timely" and said it provided a "subtle upgrade from the Plus model, yet these changes have significant implications for this network-attached storage device."

With more processing power, higher memory limits, and support for advanced workloads, it can handle everything from virtualization to large-scale content storage.

Of course, choosing the NAS itself is only part of the equation. Pairing the right enclosure with reliable drives can make a huge difference in performance, capacity, and long-term reliability.

In this guide, we'll walk through the best NAS options for individuals, small businesses, and professional users, along with the storage drives we recommend to go with them for building a private cloud that fits your needs and budget.

For more picks, check out our guides to the best NAS devices, best NAS hard drives and best NAS and media server distros.

FAQ

Q: What is a NAS?

A NAS, or Network Attached Storage, is a dedicated storage device connected to a network that allows multiple users and devices to access files from a central location. It provides shared storage for documents, photos, videos, backups, and business data without requiring a full server setup.

Q: Why would an individual user need a NAS?

Anyone with a growing collection of files can benefit from a NAS. It provides a private location for photos, videos, documents, and backups while making content available across computers, smartphones, and tablets. Many home users also use NAS systems for media streaming, remote access, and automatic backups.

Q: What features are important for personal NAS systems?

Most personal users should focus on storage capacity, ease of setup, backup tools, and support for multiple drives. Features such as RAID protection, mobile apps, and cloud synchronization can provide additional convenience and data protection.

Q: How does NAS benefit small and medium-sized businesses?

SMBs often need centralized file storage that employees can access from different locations. A NAS can simplify collaboration, automate backups, manage permissions, and reduce dependence on external storage devices. It also offers a more affordable alternative to dedicated servers for many organizations.

Q: What should SMBs look for when choosing a NAS?

Businesses should consider scalability, user management, backup options, security features, and network performance. Support for virtualization, file versioning, and integration with business applications can also be valuable as storage requirements increase.

Q: How does enterprise NAS differ from consumer and SMB solutions?

Enterprise NAS platforms are built for much larger workloads, higher performance requirements, and larger user counts. They often include advanced redundancy, failover protection, high-speed networking, and support for petabytes of storage.

These systems are commonly deployed in data centers, large organizations, and environments where downtime isn't acceptable.

Q: Is NAS secure?

Modern NAS systems offer encryption, user permissions, multi-factor authentication, and backup tools to help protect data. Security still depends on proper configuration, software updates, and strong access controls.

Q: Can a NAS grow with changing storage needs?

Many NAS platforms support additional drives, expansion units, and capacity upgrades, allowing storage resources to increase as requirements change.

Getting started

Getting started with a NAS device is easier than many first-time buyers expect and is essentially a dedicated storage system that connects to your home or office network, allowing multiple users and devices to access files from a central location.

Before you begin, think about how you'll use it. Simple file storage and backups require less processing power than tasks such as media streaming, virtualization or surveillance recording.

The next step is choosing the right hardware. Select a NAS enclosure with enough drive bays to accommodate both your current storage needs and future expansion.

When selecting hard drives, look for models specifically designed for NAS environments, as these are built to handle continuous operation and multi-drive workloads.

Consider using RAID for redundancy, which can help protect your data if a drive fails, although RAID should never be treated as a substitute for proper backups.

Once your hardware is assembled, connect the NAS to your router and follow the manufacturer's setup wizard.

Most modern NAS platforms provide straightforward web-based interfaces that guide you through creating storage pools, shared folders and user accounts. Be sure to enable automatic updates and configure backup jobs early in the process.

With a little planning, a NAS can become the central hub for file storage, backups, media libraries and collaboration across your network.

• Shop all NAS devices at Amazon
• Shop all NAS devices at Amazon.co.uk

• New blue, oat and green colors for the Ninja AutoBarista Pro
• It is an automatic espresso machine with separate user profiles
• Its list price is $949.99 / £899.99 (about AU$1,735)

The Ninja AutoBarista Pro Fully Automatic Espresso Machine is a new, multi-talented coffee maker that delivers excellent espresso, drip coffee and a kind of rapid cold brew for making cold drinks — and now it's available in three new colors.

The original black and stainless steel finish has been joined by versions in Midnight Blue, Oat Milk and Vista Green. They're all fairly sober colors, so for example the Vista Green is a dark, slightly metallic jade green, and that means they look subtle and classy rather than garish — which is fitting as these are premium products.

The big benefit of the new shades is that they don't have stainless steel's fingerprint magnetism: I've had many stainless steel appliances and they've all been a bit of a pain to keep shiny and pristine.

Other than the colors, the new models are identical to the original, and that's no bad thing. This is a clever coffee maker that solves a particular pain point for couples and shared kitchens.

A machine of many talents

(Image credit: SharkNinja)

As my caffeinated colleague Karen Freeman wrote when about the Ninja AutoBarista Pro, it's ideal for people who have completely different tastes in coffee. You can easily switch between beans and ground coffee, and you can create two different user profiles to store your brewing preferences. And setting up profiles is really simple.

We like this coffee machine a lot. In our Ninja AutoBarista Pro review we praised its "one-touch simplicity", good looks and of course, its coffee. "The espresso is the real deal," we wrote. "A true 9-bar espresso brew with crema."

The only real downside is its size: it's a pretty hefty appliance, coming in at just under 18 x 11 x 16 inches and weighing nearly 40lbs / 18kg. It's very solidly built, however, so it's likely to last a very long time.

I don't have this particular model but I do have a similarly multi-talented coffee maker from Philips, the LatteGo 5500. I think with machines like these there's an initial novelty period where you want to make all the coffees, but after that you tend to settle for a couple of favorites unless you're entertaining. And that's why we're so focused on the quality of the Ninja's espresso, because of course that's the core of all your coffee creations. In our tests the AutoBarista Pro delivered excellent espresso every time, and now it does it while matching your kitchen decor too.

The Ninja AutoBarista Pro currently retails at $949.99 / £899.99 / about AU$1,735.

Lovable is a relatively new entrant in the rapidly expanding field of no-code platforms that help businesses spin up all kinds of apps without writing a single line of code.

To learn more about this tool, we developed a prompt to generate a web app with Lovable, enabling us to fully explore its features and see how it stands in comparison to its competition. You can also take a look at our other picks for the best no-code platforms.

Lovable: Features

One of the main reasons for Lovable’s growing popularity is its AI app builder.

You describe your app idea in natural language, which the platform will use to create a fully functional app for you. The AI prompt can be as simple as “Create a login page” to something more complex like “Can you build me a CRM app and hook it up to a database, along with an authentication system that allows users to sign up, and log in.”

Once you enter the prompt, Lovable’s AI builder will generate the app’s user interface (UI), along with the backend, complete with the necessary database tables, forms to input customer details, and even set up functionality for viewing, editing, and deleting customer records.

(Image credit: Lovable)

Going one step ahead, you can also use the AI to further edit and refine your app by describing changes to the AI.

Templates and databases

Besides AI, Lovable also offers an array of pre-built templates that you can use as starting points to speed up the development process. These templates cover a wide range of application types, such as marketplaces, CRMs, analytics, cryptocurrency trading, and more.

This is especially helpful if you are new to development and don’t have a clear idea for the app, or you’re someone who wants to roll out apps quickly.

On the backend, Lovable uses Lovable Cloud, a Postgres based database running via Supabase (an open source alternative to Google’s Firebase platform). Zero setup is required for this as adding databases, authentication services, and other backend functionalities is all handled automatically for you.

If you need them, external databases – Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks, and Airtable – are also supported, as are Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel. Databases that support REST/HTTP API can also be used with Lovable.

You can also hook Lovable to your GitHub, and it will transfer your project's code to your GitHub repository for two-way sync of edits. This means the platform will be aware of any manual commits you make in the repo, and roll them into the app on its own. This functionality is somewhat unique, as most other no-code platforms just hold on to the code.

If you don’t have a GitHub repo, you can view and even edit the code in Lovable itself.

Lovable: Interface and ease of use

Lovable has a simple dashboard with a textbox smack in the middle of the screen where you can describe your app idea.

If you’re new to building apps, Lovable suggests leveraging pre-built styles to improve your app’s appearance. Lovable points to 21st.dev where you can browse pre-built designs, and then copy its prompt into Lovable.

After you’ve described the project, Lovable will tell you how it plans to go about building the initial version of the app, describing its features and design elements.

When it’s done spinning up the first iteration, it will open it up for preview. You can then tweak the layout, and other aspects of the app via more prompts. For more control, you can even make edits to the different elements inside the app using Lovable’s Figma-like visual editor.

You can also attach images to guide the AI. For instance, you can browse the designs at Dribble, screenshot the relevant section, upload it to Lovable, and ask it to redesign the relevant section of the app based on the uploaded design.

(Image credit: Lovable)

Templates for a quick start

The dashboard also gives you access to various templates for a quick start. The intuitive interface makes it fairly simple to navigate through the different pages in your app. You can also easily switch between the manual edit mode, and the AI mode.

Lovable ensures the UI of your app is responsive, and works well on both desktops and mobile devices. You can easily toggle between web, and mobile views to visualize how your app looks across different screen sizes.

Very helpfully the platform also lets you define global styles by adding a system prompt in the project settings’ Knowledge field, such as “make sure all buttons have rounded corners.” From then on, every time you ask Lovable to add a button, the AI builder will ensure it adheres to this predefined style.

If you’re struck by an idea for a web app while away from your computer, Lovable available as a mobile app for both Android and iPhone. While the user interface is stripped-back, it has largely the same menu options, and supports not just fresh and revised prompts, but restoring earlier builds of your project and even publishing/deploying. You can also manage connectors and review the generated code in the app, and run the preview project.

Lovable: Integration and extensibility

Lovable leverages popular tools and frameworks such as React, Tailwind CSS, and the Vite JavaScript build tool to optimize frontend performance. This helps ensure your app adheres to industry best practices.

One way to extend your app is to ask Lovable AI to modify the database to connect the frontend UI to the backend, for instance, to create and save login details. Based on this information, Lovable will then automatically create the appropriate tables as required, and it’ll write the SQL for you.

(Image credit: Lovable)

You can instruct Lovable to integrate payment gateways, social media APIs, or data analytics tools directly into your project. Simply ask the AI to "help me integrate Stripe into my app," and then follow its instructions to implement the integration, which basically involves handing it your API keys. Paddle is also supported.

However, it's important to note that Stripe integration doesn’t work in the preview. To test the integration, make sure to first deploy your app. You can refer to the platform’s documentation to see how to make test payments using dummy card details.

Besides Stripe, Supabase, and GitHub, Lovable also has a list of over a dozen verified integrations that work well with the platform. These include OpenAI, Anthropic, Replicate, Highcharts, p5.js, Clerk, and more.

Elsewhere, connectors to various popular apps are available, with everything from Asana and Gmail to Wiz and Notion. These open up your options considerably for integrations with your no-code web app.

(Image credit: Lovable)Lovable: Deployment and maintenance

Deploying and maintaining apps built on Lovable is pretty straightforward.

Once you’re happy with the way the project looks, you can deploy it. Various deployment options are available. You can share it directly to GitHub, but your project can also be hosted on Lovable. By default, your app is accessible via a Lovable subdomain, but you can also connect it to any custom domain you own. For free plans, this is only available as a public option, but if you use a paid Lovable plan, you can keep it private – perhaps sharing with collaborators or colleagues for internal use.

You can maintain, and debug your apps using the Lovable AI. For most issues, the platform will give you a “Try to fix” button that will automatically solve many issues for you. If that doesn’t work, you can describe the error in detail to the AI, and ask it for directions.

Lovable: Creating a crypto price calculator

Lovable can build web apps from quite basic prompts. (Image credit: Lovable)

To test Lovable’s ability at building a usable and user-friendly web app without any coding at all, I explored several potential projects. Eventually, I settled on a tool that calculates the price for popular cryptocurrencies in standard national currencies (USD, GBP, and Euro), relying on an open API.

This same prompt has been used with various no-code tools that we’ve looked at:

Build a tool that compares the price of a specific asset (like Bitcoin) against multiple fiat currencies simultaneously.

Functional requirements

API Integration: Connect to a free API (like CoinGecko or ExchangeRate-API).

Input Handling: A field where the user enters a "Budget" (e.g., $1,000$).

Dynamic Calculation: A list or table that automatically updates to show how much of the asset that budget buys in USD, EU, GBP

--

The resulting no-code web app was recorded as taking 1 minute and 4 seconds to complete. Lovable delivered a working preview of a web app that met the specifications of the prompt. However, it also went beyond the requirements: it added other fiat currencies such as the Yen and Canadian dollar.

Based on the preview, the tool responded well, delivering instant calculations for the selected cryptocurrency in each of the fiat currencies. I asked it why the additional currencies were included, and it responded: “Good catch — the spec only asked for USD, EUR, and GBP. I added JPY, CHF, and CAD as extras thinking "more = better," but that wasn't requested. Want me to trim the list back to just the three?”

I agreed; the revision was completed in just 27 seconds.

Note that none of this processing had any impact on my PC or browser. Using the Linux resource monitor top, I observed no additional RAM or CPU usage, which confirms that Lovable runs entirely as a cloud AI tool.

(Image credit: Lovable)

Revising your project

If you’re not happy with the no-code creation, some amendments can be made.

With a paid plan, you can edit the code if tweaks and revisions are required in the background. Otherwise, all plans can make changes to the design, layout, and CSS elements using the Visual edits button. This presents you with the option to click into the generated interface and make changes to each element, revise the text, change colors – pretty much anything you would do in a CSS file.

Once I was happy, I published the project – you can view it here: https://budget-asset-bliss.lovable.app/

One of the best things about Lovable is that it actively monitors your code, and might recommend refactoring your code to make it more scalable, and easier to maintain.

The platform also includes built-in version control, which allows you to track changes, bookmark important versions, and via the history tool, effortlessly roll back to previous versions. This makes it easier to track, and review your progress, and undo any mistakes.

Lovable: Pricing and documentation

Lovable has a tiered pricing plan, starting with a free tier with limited functionality, followed by several paid plans that offer more features and higher usage limits.

For instance, on the free plan, you can prompt the AI five times/day, with a total limit of 30 messages/month.

The Pro plan costs $25/month (working out at $21/month if you pay annually) and increases this to 100 messages a month, with no daily caps, and an additional 5 messages per day (these don’t roll over, but any left over from the 100 will be available the following month). If this isn’t enough, you can increase the number of messages/AI credits.

For more features such as team workspaces and internal-only publishing, the Business plan is $50/month (or $42/month if you pay for a year up front) but by default also gives you just 100 messages a month. Again, you can scale this up with more messages, with options for 200, 400, 1200 all the way up to 10000 messages per month.

Lovable handholds you through a series of illustrated introductory documentation, quick start guides, and video tutorials. They cover everything from helping you write the right AI prompts, to fleshing out your apps by integrating them with third party services, , Stripe, and other verified and unverified services.

You can take your queries to Lovable’s Discord community, while paid users also get access to premium support options.

Lovable: The competition

Lovable shares the space with other AI-assisted no-code app builders.

For instance, Bubble, one of the popular platforms, also has an AI builder with a 2,500-character limit to the prompts. Bubble is often touted as a good option for building complex apps, as it offers greater flexibility, but has a steeper learning curve.

Then there’s Softr, although this solution has a tighter 200 character limit on its prompts. It’s very user friendly, but might fall short for those of you who need deep customization, and control over their apps.

(Image credit: Lovable)

Hostinger Horizons is a strong alternative. Like Lovable, you can use Horizons to build, edit, and enhance your apps just by using AI, and deploy it instantly to existing Hostinger hosting.

Lovable: Final verdict

Lovable’s extensive use of AI for everything from creating the app, to adding new functionality, and debugging, makes it one of the best no-code platforms for anyone who’s new to building apps.

You’ll need to hone your prompt writing skills to get the most out of the platform, especially if you are on the lower tiers of its paid plans. Based on the list of featured projects, it appears the platform can manage rather complex workflows, which is a definite plus.

Our test project was based on a straightforward prompt which yielded excellent results. While it over-delivered on the request, Lovable reacted positively to revision instructions, and the ability to easily tweak the user interface further emphasizes its no-code credentials.

All things considered, Lovable’s user-friendly interface, integration capabilities, and extensibility, make it a compelling option for anyone looking to build apps in record time.

Garmin Forerunner 70: One minute review

The Garmin Forerunner 70 is a Garmin watch that we’ve waited a long time for. This is the natural successor to the Forerunner 55, the watch that was pitched at beginner runners or runners who like to stick to the basics (and can even run a marathon in under two hours, as it was worn by record-breaker Sebastian Sawe).

With such a large time gap between the two watches, it’s hardly surprising to see Garmin make some big changes, not only with the hardware but the software too.

It’s clearly been a task of bringing the 70 in line with other new Forerunner watches, which includes adding an AMOLED display and touchscreen while keeping the full array of physical buttons to give it that traditional running watch feel. While keeping the AMOLED on at all times does dent the battery much quicker, it elevates the software and what it’s like to use the 70 as a smartwatch.

There’s some upgrades to the sensors, and while you don’t get Garmin’s latest multi-band GPS or Gen 5 Elevate optical sensor, the improved GNSS sensor and move from Gen 3 to Gen 4 sensors does deliver strong GPS and heart rate tracking performance still.

The additions made in the training and smartwatch departments also make this feel like a more advanced watch than the Forerunner 55. You now have a watch that has full access to Garmin’s Connect IQ store and brings in some of Garmin’s nicest smartwatch features like morning and evening reports. No you don’t get payments, Bluetooth calls or a music player, but if you’re looking for the basics that go beyond what the 55 offered, the 70’s got you well covered.

It’s also great to see some of Garmin’s best training features. Training Readiness now features on a cheaper Garmin to help you decide when to train and rest. You can now use the 70 to navigate your way. You don’t get full maps, but the breadcrumb navigation still makes it useful to have on your wrist when exploring new surroundings or struggling to get back home after a run.

Those added features do, unsurprisingly, come at an added cost. A cost that does push the Forerunner 70 out of that entry level category into more of a mid-range one. That does mean you can find cheaper alternatives like the Suunto Run or can pay a bit more for the Coros Pace 4 and get newer sensors including dual-band GPS. If you’re sold on Garmin’s software, still want that strong tracking performance and like the idea of having an AMOLED screen and the best smartwatch experience you’ll find on a running watch at this price, those are going to be the biggest reasons to grab the Forerunner 70.

Garmin Forerunner 70: Specifications

Component

Garmin Forerunner 70

Price

$249.99 USD / £219.99 UK / $399 AUS

Dimensions

42.6mm wide, 11.9mm thick

Weight

40g

Case/bezel

polymer case, polymer bezel

Display

1.2-inch AMOLED Screen, 390 x 390 px resolution

GPS

GNSS, 6 satellite systems

Battery life

Up to 5 days of heavy use, or 13 days typical

Connection

Bluetooth, ANT+

Water resistance

5 ATM

Garmin Forerunner 70: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future / Mike Sawh)

• $249.99 / £219.99 / AU$399
• More expensive than the Forerunner 55
• Cheaper than the Forerunner 170

The Garmin Forerunner 70 has a launch price of $249.99 USD / £219.99 UK / $399 AUS, which puts it firmly in the mid-range running smartwatch category. That’s in contrast to its predecessor the Forerunner 55, which launched with a sub-$200 price tag when it landed back in 2021.

Given there’s been some pretty sizable upgrades with the hardware and software, including adding an AMOLED display and richer smartwatch features, it’s not surprising that the price has leapt up a bit. It does feel like it’s lost a bit of the beginner-friendly appeal of the Forerunner 55 in the process.

The Forerunner 70 was launched alongside the Forerunner 170, which at $299 / £259.99 / AU$479 gives you additional features like contactless payments and a music player, longer battery life and additional sensors like an altimeter.

• Value score: 4/5

Garmin Forerunner 70: Design

• One case size option
• Added AMOLED screen
• Combination of touchscreen and physical buttons

Like the Garmin Forerunner 55, the Forerunner 70 remains a watch that sits pretty small on your wrist. That might be an issue for fans of bigger watches like a Fenix. For runners, typically smaller and lighter is better and that is what you get here.

Garmin has moved up slightly from a 42mm sized-polymer case to a 42.6mm one. It’s just the one case size that’s light to hold and comes in four different colors. Whether you want something plain or like a splash of color, you’re catered for here. The strap attached to the case is pretty typical of the ones you find partnered up to most Garmin Forerunners. It’s a 20mm silicone one that uses a pin mechanism, so you can remove it when the strap included gets sweaty or dirty or you just fancy switching to another color.

Garmin sticks to including five physical buttons for that classic running watch navigation experience. That’s now matched up with a 1.2-inch, 390 x 390 resolution AMOLED touchscreen. That sees Garmin move away from the memory pixel display on another watch line, sacrificing the longer battery life and more impressive viewing angles in brighter outdoor light for that added colour, vibrancy and to be more in keeping with other smartwatches. It’s still going to be a screen you can view comfortably outside when it’s really sunny. You just might need to crank up the brightness to do that, which will have an impact on battery life.

Like the Forerunner 50 and most other more affordable Garmin watches, the Forerunner 70 carries a 5ATM waterproof rating. That makes it safe for swimming and showering with it. There’s only a pool swimming tracking mode as Garmin leaves out open water and triathlon modes. That’ll be disappointing for anyone hoping they could pick this up as an affordable triathlon watch.

• Design score: 4/5

Garmin Forerunner 70: Features

(Image credit: Future / Mike Sawh)

• Upgraded Gen 4 Elevate sensor from Forerunner 55
• Includes latest training insights like Training Readiness
• Offers breadcrumb-style navigation

Garmin is pitching the Forerunner 70 as an entry-level running smartwatch, so it’s giving you some running features, but not all that it has to offer.

Like the GPS support, where the Forerunner 70 uses multi-GNSS, as opposed to the latest multi-band GPS included on the Forerunner 570 and above watches. This means you miss out on having improved tracking accuracy when running or moving near tall buildings or locations with a lot of tall trees.

Other hardware improvements include upgrading from the Gen 3 Elevate optical heart rate sensor to the Gen 4 version. That’s actually not the latest version of Garmin’s in-house sensor technology. That’s Gen 5, which gives you added features like ECG heart rate measurements. This will cover continuous monitoring and tracking heart rate during exercise. You can also pair external heart rate monitors to it as well.

In terms of software features, there’s a lot that’s been added to the Forerunner 70 over the Forerunner 55. Along with bringing the UI up to date with other AMOLED-toting Garmins, you’re now getting more smartwatch features. You can set up smart alarms, view morning and evening reports for a summary of your day and recommendations for the following day.

There’s improved notification support for Android users, so now you can view more information being shared in notifications. A big one is the added Connect IQ support: previously, this was restricted to only downloading watch faces. Now you have full access to the storefront to download apps, watch faces and data fields.

There’s plenty that’s been upgraded on the tracking and training front too. You can now follow routes using breadcrumb-style navigation as opposed to the full maps you’ll find on pricier Garmin watches. Garmin has brought in a raft of its latest training metrics and features including Training Readiness, wrist-based running power, more strength-focused training support and this is a watch that’s compatible with Garmin’s Coach. That’s free access to Garmin’s training platform that now comprises running, cycling and strength training plans that can be synced over to the watch.

• Features score: 4/5

Garmin Forerunner 70: Performance

• Good GPS despite lack of dual-band
• Smartwatch features work well across Android and iOS
• Heart rate tracking solid with support for external sensors

In terms of tracking your runs, the Forerunner 70 does a sterling job like most other Garmins and not just for running. When I’ve used it for pool swims, indoor rows, treadmill runs and bike sessions, the tracking has been as solid as other Garmins I’ve tested.

Some will be disappointed that Garmin doesn’t include its latest multi-band GPS technology. As I’ve found when using Garmin’s watches with multi-GNSS setups, they still perform better than a lot of dual-band watches. I’d say it’s the same story for the Forerunner 70. It might get a bit more shaky in places with a lot of tall buildings for the GPS technology to deal with, but I’ve been using it alongside the Forerunner 170 and Garmin’s markedly more expensive Garmin Forerunner 970, and the 70 has more than held its own.

It’s a similar story with heart rate tracking. While you’re getting the older Gen 4 version of Garmin’s Elevate optical heart rate sensor technology, that doesn’t equal a bad performance. For steady paced runs and runs in some significantly hotter running conditions, the 70 held up well against Garmin and MyZone heart rate monitor chest straps. It can take a bit longer to match up when you’re easing off during interval work. Overall though, the 70’s older sensor gets the job done, with the option to pair a Bluetooth heart rate sensor to improve performance.

Where Garmin has really bolstered things on the 70 compared to the 55 is the influx of training insights and bringing it more up to speed in terms of smartwatch features. It’s great to see Training Readiness make the cut where previously Garmin had left this useful insight into your preparedness to tackle a tough session off from its more affordable watches. It’s also about the presentation of these features, which is something Garmin does better than the competition. Like the well integrated daily suggested workouts or helping you keep an eye on your recovery time.

While you’re not getting the best that Garmin has to offer in smartwatch features, the added AMOLED touchscreen and general changes made to the user interface does mean it operates better as a smartwatch than most other running-focused smartwatches. The stream of Glances (widgets) offer a nice snapshot of your data, morning and evening report summaries are great additions, while the music playback controls work well with third party music services like Spotify. Unlike the Forerunner 55, you do now have full access to the Garmin Connect IQ store and that means increasing your ability to personalise the watch software with the features, apps and data fields you care most about.

Sleep tracking has been a bit of a weakness for Garmin. Particularly when overreporting sleep duration and the time it’s taken to recognise when you’d fallen asleep. Things thankfully have gotten better and I count the Forerunner 70 in the 'good' camp of sleep trackers. I’ve been wearing it to bed with an Oura Ring 5 and core sleep stats have largely told a similar story about my night’s sleep. The now added sleep coach and recommendation features brings sleep more into the training equation as well as helping you think more about your recovery time between runs and other workouts.

In terms of battery life, you’re unsurprisingly not getting the best Garmin has to offer on that front. What you are getting is a watch that should hold for a week’s worth of training. If you’re using it with the always-on display mode while tracking outdoor runs, you’re going to get less than a week.

GPS battery numbers give you a good amount to play with as well. I found that an hour's worth of running in the best available GPS mode hit the battery by just shy of 10%. That doesn’t add up to the 16 hours promised.

• Performance score: 4/5

Garmin Forerunner 70: Scorecard

(Image credit: Future / Mike Sawh)

Category

Comment

Score

Value

It’s lost the budget status still attached to the ageing 55, but it offers features in keeping with the closest competition

4/5

Design

A no surprises, sporty-looking Forerunner watch that offers a good AMOLED screen and a full array of physical buttons.

4/5

Features

A running watch capable of tracking more and offering richer training insights than the Forerunner 55

4/5

Performance

Delivers that great Garmin sports tracking with watch software that’s cleaner and more polished than the competition

4/5

Garmin Forerunner 70: Should I buy?Buy it if...

You like a small watch

If you like your smartwatches compact and lightweight, the 70 absolutely fits the bill.

You want a Garmin at a good price

It might not have all the bells and whistles of a Forerunner 570 or 970, but if you want a good-performing running watch and sports watch, that’s what you get with the 70.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best Garmin for smartwatch features

You will have to pay more if you want Garmin smartwatch features like contactless payments, LTE and a built-in music player.

You want an affordable triathlon watch

The Forerunner 70 doesn’t include an open water swimming or dedicated triathlon mode for those interested in using it to train across all three multisport disciplines.

Also consider

Suunto Run

Suunto’s entry-level running watch is cheaper than the Forerunner 70 and while software and smartwatch support isn’t as slick, the core run and sports tracking is very good.

Read our full Suunto Run review

Coros Pace 4

The Pace 4 isn’t that much more expensive than the Forerunner 70 and gives you richer training insights, a triathlon mode and features like dual-band GPS in a similarly compact and lightweight design.

Read our full Coros Pace 4 review

How I tested

I’ve been wearing the Garmin Forerunner 70 for three weeks, tracking my outdoor and treadmill runs. I’ve also used it for pool swimming and indoor cycling, wearing it alongside other running watches to compare GPS performance. I’ve also been using it alongside a heart rate monitor chest strap to compare heart rate tracking during exercise.

First reviewed: June 2026

Garmin Forerunner 70: One minute review

The Garmin Forerunner 70 is a Garmin watch that we’ve waited a long time for. This is the natural successor to the Forerunner 55, the watch that was pitched at beginner runners or runners who like to stick to the basics (and can even run a marathon in under two hours, as it was worn by record-breaker Sebastian Sawe).

With such a large time gap between the two watches, it’s hardly surprising to see Garmin make some big changes, not only with the hardware but the software too.

It’s clearly been a task of bringing the 70 in line with other new Forerunner watches, which includes adding an AMOLED display and touchscreen while keeping the full array of physical buttons to give it that traditional running watch feel. While keeping the AMOLED on at all times does dent the battery much quicker, it elevates the software and what it’s like to use the 70 as a smartwatch.

There’s some upgrades to the sensors, and while you don’t get Garmin’s latest multi-band GPS or Gen 5 Elevate optical sensor, the improved GNSS sensor and move from Gen 3 to Gen 4 sensors does deliver strong GPS and heart rate tracking performance still.

The additions made in the training and smartwatch departments also make this feel like a more advanced watch than the Forerunner 55. You now have a watch that has full access to Garmin’s Connect IQ store and brings in some of Garmin’s nicest smartwatch features like morning and evening reports. No you don’t get payments, Bluetooth calls or a music player, but if you’re looking for the basics that go beyond what the 55 offered, the 70’s got you well covered.

It’s also great to see some of Garmin’s best training features. Training Readiness now features on a cheaper Garmin to help you decide when to train and rest. You can now use the 70 to navigate your way. You don’t get full maps, but the breadcrumb navigation still makes it useful to have on your wrist when exploring new surroundings or struggling to get back home after a run.

Those added features do, unsurprisingly, come at an added cost. A cost that does push the Forerunner 70 out of that entry level category into more of a mid-range one. That does mean you can find cheaper alternatives like the Suunto Run or can pay a bit more for the Coros Pace 4 and get newer sensors including dual-band GPS. If you’re sold on Garmin’s software, still want that strong tracking performance and like the idea of having an AMOLED screen and the best smartwatch experience you’ll find on a running watch at this price, those are going to be the biggest reasons to grab the Forerunner 70.

Garmin Forerunner 70: Specifications

Component

Garmin Forerunner 70

Price

$249.99 USD / £219.99 UK / $399 AUS

Dimensions

42.6mm wide, 11.9mm thick

Weight

40g

Case/bezel

polymer case, polymer bezel

Display

1.2-inch AMOLED Screen, 390 x 390 px resolution

GPS

GNSS, 6 satellite systems

Battery life

Up to 5 days of heavy use, or 13 days typical

Connection

Bluetooth, ANT+

Water resistance

5 ATM

Garmin Forerunner 70: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future / Mike Sawh)

• $249.99 / £219.99 / AU$399
• More expensive than the Forerunner 55
• Cheaper than the Forerunner 170

The Garmin Forerunner 70 has a launch price of $249.99 USD / £219.99 UK / $399 AUS, which puts it firmly in the mid-range running smartwatch category. That’s in contrast to its predecessor the Forerunner 55, which launched with a sub-$200 price tag when it landed back in 2021.

Given there’s been some pretty sizable upgrades with the hardware and software, including adding an AMOLED display and richer smartwatch features, it’s not surprising that the price has leapt up a bit. It does feel like it’s lost a bit of the beginner-friendly appeal of the Forerunner 55 in the process.

The Forerunner 70 was launched alongside the Forerunner 170, which at $299 / £259.99 / AU$479 gives you additional features like contactless payments and a music player, longer battery life and additional sensors like an altimeter.

• Value score: 4/5

Garmin Forerunner 70: Design

• One case size option
• Added AMOLED screen
• Combination of touchscreen and physical buttons

Like the Garmin Forerunner 55, the Forerunner 70 remains a watch that sits pretty small on your wrist. That might be an issue for fans of bigger watches like a Fenix. For runners, typically smaller and lighter is better and that is what you get here.

Garmin has moved up slightly from a 42mm sized-polymer case to a 42.6mm one. It’s just the one case size that’s light to hold and comes in four different colors. Whether you want something plain or like a splash of color, you’re catered for here. The strap attached to the case is pretty typical of the ones you find partnered up to most Garmin Forerunners. It’s a 20mm silicone one that uses a pin mechanism, so you can remove it when the strap included gets sweaty or dirty or you just fancy switching to another color.

Garmin sticks to including five physical buttons for that classic running watch navigation experience. That’s now matched up with a 1.2-inch, 390 x 390 resolution AMOLED touchscreen. That sees Garmin move away from the memory pixel display on another watch line, sacrificing the longer battery life and more impressive viewing angles in brighter outdoor light for that added colour, vibrancy and to be more in keeping with other smartwatches. It’s still going to be a screen you can view comfortably outside when it’s really sunny. You just might need to crank up the brightness to do that, which will have an impact on battery life.

Like the Forerunner 50 and most other more affordable Garmin watches, the Forerunner 70 carries a 5ATM waterproof rating. That makes it safe for swimming and showering with it. There’s only a pool swimming tracking mode as Garmin leaves out open water and triathlon modes. That’ll be disappointing for anyone hoping they could pick this up as an affordable triathlon watch.

• Design score: 4/5

Garmin Forerunner 70: Features

(Image credit: Future / Mike Sawh)

• Upgraded Gen 4 Elevate sensor from Forerunner 55
• Includes latest training insights like Training Readiness
• Offers breadcrumb-style navigation

Garmin is pitching the Forerunner 70 as an entry-level running smartwatch, so it’s giving you some running features, but not all that it has to offer.

Like the GPS support, where the Forerunner 70 uses multi-GNSS, as opposed to the latest multi-band GPS included on the Forerunner 570 and above watches. This means you miss out on having improved tracking accuracy when running or moving near tall buildings or locations with a lot of tall trees.

Other hardware improvements include upgrading from the Gen 3 Elevate optical heart rate sensor to the Gen 4 version. That’s actually not the latest version of Garmin’s in-house sensor technology. That’s Gen 5, which gives you added features like ECG heart rate measurements. This will cover continuous monitoring and tracking heart rate during exercise. You can also pair external heart rate monitors to it as well.

In terms of software features, there’s a lot that’s been added to the Forerunner 70 over the Forerunner 55. Along with bringing the UI up to date with other AMOLED-toting Garmins, you’re now getting more smartwatch features. You can set up smart alarms, view morning and evening reports for a summary of your day and recommendations for the following day.

There’s improved notification support for Android users, so now you can view more information being shared in notifications. A big one is the added Connect IQ support: previously, this was restricted to only downloading watch faces. Now you have full access to the storefront to download apps, watch faces and data fields.

There’s plenty that’s been upgraded on the tracking and training front too. You can now follow routes using breadcrumb-style navigation as opposed to the full maps you’ll find on pricier Garmin watches. Garmin has brought in a raft of its latest training metrics and features including Training Readiness, wrist-based running power, more strength-focused training support and this is a watch that’s compatible with Garmin’s Coach. That’s free access to Garmin’s training platform that now comprises running, cycling and strength training plans that can be synced over to the watch.

• Features score: 4/5

Garmin Forerunner 70: Performance

• Good GPS despite lack of dual-band
• Smartwatch features work well across Android and iOS
• Heart rate tracking solid with support for external sensors

In terms of tracking your runs, the Forerunner 70 does a sterling job like most other Garmins and not just for running. When I’ve used it for pool swims, indoor rows, treadmill runs and bike sessions, the tracking has been as solid as other Garmins I’ve tested.

Some will be disappointed that Garmin doesn’t include its latest multi-band GPS technology. As I’ve found when using Garmin’s watches with multi-GNSS setups, they still perform better than a lot of dual-band watches. I’d say it’s the same story for the Forerunner 70. It might get a bit more shaky in places with a lot of tall buildings for the GPS technology to deal with, but I’ve been using it alongside the Forerunner 170 and Garmin’s markedly more expensive Garmin Forerunner 970, and the 70 has more than held its own.

It’s a similar story with heart rate tracking. While you’re getting the older Gen 4 version of Garmin’s Elevate optical heart rate sensor technology, that doesn’t equal a bad performance. For steady paced runs and runs in some significantly hotter running conditions, the 70 held up well against Garmin and MyZone heart rate monitor chest straps. It can take a bit longer to match up when you’re easing off during interval work. Overall though, the 70’s older sensor gets the job done, with the option to pair a Bluetooth heart rate sensor to improve performance.

Where Garmin has really bolstered things on the 70 compared to the 55 is the influx of training insights and bringing it more up to speed in terms of smartwatch features. It’s great to see Training Readiness make the cut where previously Garmin had left this useful insight into your preparedness to tackle a tough session off from its more affordable watches. It’s also about the presentation of these features, which is something Garmin does better than the competition. Like the well integrated daily suggested workouts or helping you keep an eye on your recovery time.

While you’re not getting the best that Garmin has to offer in smartwatch features, the added AMOLED touchscreen and general changes made to the user interface does mean it operates better as a smartwatch than most other running-focused smartwatches. The stream of Glances (widgets) offer a nice snapshot of your data, morning and evening report summaries are great additions, while the music playback controls work well with third party music services like Spotify. Unlike the Forerunner 55, you do now have full access to the Garmin Connect IQ store and that means increasing your ability to personalise the watch software with the features, apps and data fields you care most about.

Sleep tracking has been a bit of a weakness for Garmin. Particularly when overreporting sleep duration and the time it’s taken to recognise when you’d fallen asleep. Things thankfully have gotten better and I count the Forerunner 70 in the 'good' camp of sleep trackers. I’ve been wearing it to bed with an Oura Ring 5 and core sleep stats have largely told a similar story about my night’s sleep. The now added sleep coach and recommendation features brings sleep more into the training equation as well as helping you think more about your recovery time between runs and other workouts.

In terms of battery life, you’re unsurprisingly not getting the best Garmin has to offer on that front. What you are getting is a watch that should hold for a week’s worth of training. If you’re using it with the always-on display mode while tracking outdoor runs, you’re going to get less than a week.

GPS battery numbers give you a good amount to play with as well. I found that an hour's worth of running in the best available GPS mode hit the battery by just shy of 10%. That doesn’t add up to the 16 hours promised.

• Performance score: 4/5

Garmin Forerunner 70: Scorecard

(Image credit: Future / Mike Sawh)

Category

Comment

Score

Value

It’s lost the budget status still attached to the ageing 55, but it offers features in keeping with the closest competition

4/5

Design

A no surprises, sporty-looking Forerunner watch that offers a good AMOLED screen and a full array of physical buttons.

4/5

Features

A running watch capable of tracking more and offering richer training insights than the Forerunner 55

4/5

Performance

Delivers that great Garmin sports tracking with watch software that’s cleaner and more polished than the competition

4/5

Garmin Forerunner 70: Should I buy?Buy it if...

You like a small watch

If you like your smartwatches compact and lightweight, the 70 absolutely fits the bill.

You want a Garmin at a good price

It might not have all the bells and whistles of a Forerunner 570 or 970, but if you want a good-performing running watch and sports watch, that’s what you get with the 70.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best Garmin for smartwatch features

You will have to pay more if you want Garmin smartwatch features like contactless payments, LTE and a built-in music player.

You want an affordable triathlon watch

The Forerunner 70 doesn’t include an open water swimming or dedicated triathlon mode for those interested in using it to train across all three multisport disciplines.

Also consider

Suunto Run

Suunto’s entry-level running watch is cheaper than the Forerunner 70 and while software and smartwatch support isn’t as slick, the core run and sports tracking is very good.

Read our full Suunto Run review

Coros Pace 4

The Pace 4 isn’t that much more expensive than the Forerunner 70 and gives you richer training insights, a triathlon mode and features like dual-band GPS in a similarly compact and lightweight design.

Read our full Coros Pace 4 review

How I tested

I’ve been wearing the Garmin Forerunner 70 for three weeks, tracking my outdoor and treadmill runs. I’ve also used it for pool swimming and indoor cycling, wearing it alongside other running watches to compare GPS performance. I’ve also been using it alongside a heart rate monitor chest strap to compare heart rate tracking during exercise.

First reviewed: June 2026

Commentary: As generative AI creeps deeper into creative endeavors, what are we to make of this bonkers period piece?

Another generation of Lenovo's powerhouse tower PC delivers plenty of performance and style, but it doesn't fully address its predecessor's prior issues.

Summer cooking doesn't have to mean a sweltering kitchen. Here's how I keep my cool during the warmest months.

We are delighted to announce the shortlist for the Mobile Industry Awards 2026!

The MIAs represent the gold standard of excellence in the industry - from the boardroom to the grassroots, the entrants represent the best and brightest the UK mobile industry has to offer.

The Mobile Industry Awards 2026 will take place on 17th September 2026 at the stunning Royal Lancaster London - the perfect setting for a night of fine dining, networking and industry celebration.

The MIA 2026 nominees are....

Best Mobile Service & Solution Provider

• ege
• Plan.com
• Salt Communications

Best Mobile/Gadget Insurance Service

• Asurion
• Barclays Tech Pack - powered by Likewize
• EE Gadget Cover
• insurance2go

Best Wholesale Service & Solution Provider sponsored by Business Mobiles

• eSIM Go
• VodafoneThree Wholesale

Best Customer Service (Business)

• Active Digital
• ege
• Pure Communication Group

Best Customer Service (Consumer)

• Envirofone
• Lebara Mobile
• Mazuma Mobile
• Saily
• Sky Mobile
• Talkmobile
• Tesco Mobile
• The iOutlet
• VodafoneThree

Best Place to Work (under 1,000 employees) NEW FOR 2026

• Bamboo Connect
• BusinessMobile.com
• Mova
• Pure Communication Group
• Saily
• The Big Phone Store

Best Place to Work (over 1,000 employees)

• EE Retail
• Tesco Mobile

CSR Initiative of the Year

• Active Digital – Closing the Gap on the Digital Divide
• Safer SIMs from EE
• Samsung Solve for Tomorrow
• Tesco Mobile’s Online Safety and Technology Grants
• VodafoneThree - everyone.connected: Closing the UK Digital Divide

Marketing Campaign of the Year

• GK Telecom Nationwide Omnichannel Customer Acquisition Campaign
• Lebara Mobile - The Smarter Choice
• Motorola - Brilliant Collection Launch

Sustainability Initiative of the Year

• Envirofone x ZSL London Zoo: Trade In, Give Back, Protect the Gorillas
• Likewize Circular Device Lifecycle Services
• The Big Phone Store
• The Fairphone (Gen. 6): The one that lasts

Sales Team of the Year (new for 2026)

• Belkin UK Sales Team
• Pure Communication Group
• VodafoneThree Indirect Sales Team Excellence

Team of the Year

• Samsung Mobile Experience (MX) UK & Ireland - Marketing, Omnichannel, Sales and Product team
• Tesco Mobile People team
• Virgin Media O2 CTO team
• VodafoneThree Discovery Team

Accessory Manufacturer of the Year

• Belkin International
• Motorola

Smartphone Manufacturer of the Year

• Apple
• Google
• Motorola
• Samsung
• TCL

Best eSIM Provider

• ByteSIM
• eROAMING eSIM
• EE Instant Connect
• Saily
• SureSIM

Best MVNO sponsored by GK Telecom Ltd

• iD Mobile
• Lebara Mobile
• plan.com
• Sky Mobile
• SMARTY Mobile

Best Network for Business

• BT + EE Business
• Vodafone Business UK

Best Network for Consumers

• Sky Mobile
• VodafoneThree

Best SIM Only Network

• iD Mobile
• Lebara Mobile
• Spusu Mobile

Innovation of the Year (Product or Service)

• Bamboo Connect: Optima and Device Intelligence Platform
• Freshwave 5G on Omni
• musicMagpie - 'Take it to Timpson' Trade-in Service
• Samsung – Galaxy S26 Series Privacy Display
• SIMPL’s Compass Platform
• SureSIM Travel ProtectO2 Satellite
• Vodafone Business - the UK's first commercial 5G network slicing service

Best Recycling and Refurbishing Service

• Likewize
• Mazuma Mobile
• musicMagpie
• Samsung in partnership with MTR
• The Big Phone Store
• The iOutlet
• VodafoneThree

Best Repair Service

• Likewize We Come To You Repair
• The Big Phone Store
• The iLab
• VodafoneThree Fix&Go

Distributor of the Year

• ege
• GK Telecom

Retailer of the Year (High Street and Online)

• EE
• musicMagpie
• The Big Phone Store
• The iOutlet
• VodafoneThree

For all awards updates visit our site www.mobileindustryawards.com - we look forward to seeing you on September 17 2026!

If you have any questions or queries about how to attend or enter, get in touch at kate.smith@futurenet.com

Mass deportations would be felt across hospitals and emergency rooms, which already face persistent staffing shortfalls. The long-term healthcare sector will suffer the greatest disruptions, experts say.

(Image credit: Spencer Platt)

The Education Department has long collected civil rights data about things like bullying, harassment and disability services in schools, but it hasn't made the latest information public.

The Vatican responded Thursday to a traditionalist society that consecrated bishops without the pope's consent, declaring the Society of St. Pius X in schism and excommunicating its bishops and priests.

(Image credit: Baz Ratner)

With alert volumes running into the hundreds of thousands, security teams have built habits around what to ignore. And attackers have learned to exploit them.

For years, security operations centers (SOCs) have dealt with sorting through the noise of security alerts by prioritizing vulnerabilities based on severity level.

As the enterprise technology stack became more complex with a growing number of endpoints, cloud infrastructure, and multiple identity systems, it became impractical, if not impossible, for SOCs to address every single alert that got flagged.

As a result, most teams have adopted an approach where they focus their efforts on mitigating the medium- and high-severity alerts and dismissing or deprioritizing those flagged as lower risk.

However, just because a threat is deemed “low risk” doesn’t mean it’s “no risk.” Recent large-scale analysis of enterprise security alerts found that around 1% of all incidents can be traced back to alerts initially categorized as low severity.

For an average enterprise with 450,000 alerts per year, this translates to approximately one real threat slipping by each week. Although the percentage sounds small, it does represent a number of real threats that are being dismissed instead of being addressed by security teams.

These findings challenge the current best practice of prioritizing alerts based on severity level. They raise a critical question for today’s security teams: how can they realistically consider low-severity alerts while managing the high volume of alerts they’re receiving every day?

Real Threats Are Hiding in the Noise

Companies get hundreds of thousands of security alerts every year, and that number can rise to over a million for the largest enterprises. At this scale, security teams might be dealing with thousands of alerts every single day, so it’s no surprise that several recent studies have found that over half of alerts are never even reviewed.

Given this volume, triaging alerts by severity has been a necessity to sort through the noise. Instead, SOCs focus their efforts on the threats that appear most impactful and urgent. This makes sense, of course, as it would be unwise (and potentially dangerous) to ignore a critical alert in favor of a low-risk anomaly that likely will never amount to anything.

However, when these low-severity alerts are ignored, they create the opportunity for real threats to persist undetected.

Attackers Favor Stealth

Threat actors would prefer to sneak in and remain hidden, quietly carrying out their attacks for as long as possible. Instead of launching high-impact attacks that would immediately raise alarm bells, they gain access and try to remain undetected so that they can move laterally throughout a network, escalating privileges and extracting data over time without raising suspicion.

Severity classifications don’t always reflect this reality. Alerts are typically categorized based on a number of factors, including how critical an affected system is, the impact if that system were to go down, known threat actor activity, and how confident the security system is that malicious activity is taking place.

For example, detection of mass file encryption might be categorized as a high-severity alert because it indicates ransomware execution, whereas a suspicious PowerShell command might be low severity because it could just as easily be legitimate activity from an admin. Yet in practice, that PowerShell command could be from an attacker downloading payloads, establishing persistence, or running recon within the environment.

In many cases, major security incidents are the result of a string of multiple low-severity actions that don’t appear malicious individually. This allows the attacker to continue conducting their activities for weeks or even months without being noticed.

Rethinking Alert Triage in the SOC

The challenge for modern SOCs is not only to work faster but to work with more complete information. Treating alerts as isolated events, each evaluated on its own merits and severity score, is a structural limitation that threat actors have learned to exploit.

Low-severity alerts rarely tell a complete story on their own. A login anomaly, a suspicious script execution, a privilege change, each one individually may be inconclusive or entirely benign. But when those signals appear across the same user, system, or time window, they describe something far more concerning. The ability to surface that pattern depends on whether the investigation goes looking for it.

This requires two shifts in how security teams operate. The first is contextual. Alerts need to be analyzed against what else is happening in the environment, not just against the criteria that triggered the original detection. The second is coverage. Teams cannot build a complete behavioral picture if a large portion of signals never get examined at all. When low-severity alerts are systematically skipped, the picture has gaps, and those gaps are where attackers persist.

The practical implication is that alert triage can no longer rely solely on human capacity to determine what gets investigated. The volume problem is real, and severity-based prioritization exists for good reason. But the teams best positioned to catch early-stage threats are those that have found ways to extend consistent investigative coverage across the full alert stream, not just the top tier, and correlate what they find into a coherent view of attacker behavior over time.

The question is no longer whether low-severity alerts deserve attention. The data shows they do. The question is how to build an operation that can actually give it to them.

We feature the best antivirus software.

This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to 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/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit

Employers added 57,000 jobs in June, the Labor Department said on Friday, as jobs growth slowed from the previous two months, while the unemployment rate ticked down to 4.2%.

A string of high-profile victories by democratic socialists is posing a challenge for Democrats as they look ahead to midterms and seek a path back to the majority in Congress.

NPR's A Martinez speaks with Brad Lander, Democratic nominee for New York's 10th Congressional District, about the rise of democratic socialists in the Democratic Party.

Russia launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine's capital overnight into Thursday, with ballistic and cruise missiles and drones, killing several people.

(Image credit: Danylo Antoniuk)

Hostinger is a pretty well-known name in the web hosting industry, and it has ventured into the no-code space. Hostinger’s no-code platform, Horizons, taps into the demand for web app builders, and uses AI extensively to allow anyone to spin up web apps without writing a single line of code.

In this review, we’ll examine its features, interface, ease of use, target use cases, and how it stands against competitors in the booming no-code space. We’ll also run a test prompt to create a straightforward web app, and judge its performance by how the app responds, as well as the time taken to generate it.

You can also take a look at our run-down of the best no-code platforms.

Hostinger Horizons: Features

Horizons operates through a simple AI chat interface. You just describe your app idea using natural language, and the platform’s AI will translate it into a working web app. Very helpfully, Horizons supports over 80 languages, which allows non-English users to build apps using the platform’s AI.

In addition to written prompts, you can converse with the platform using voice prompts, helping make Horizons more accessible. You can also upload user interface sketches and designs to the AI to ensure it understands your requirements.

Like most platforms, Hostinger allows you to publish your apps on a custom domain as well. In fact, Horizons also takes advantage of Hostinger’s infrastructure to offer web hosting, domain services, professional email, and other tools. This helps Horizons pitch itself as an all-in-one solution, which you don’t get with most other no-code platforms.

(Image credit: Hostinger Horizons)

While credits are required for AI generation, standard questions about the project you’re building are not charged. You can also edit text and images in the project without using AI credits, and if no-code is just something you’re using to save time but you have development skills, you can switch to the code and make manual revisions and tweaks in the visual editor.

Web apps created with Hostinger Horizons are responsive and mobile-friendly, which means they’ll work and look good on desktops, as well as on smartphones. That said, remember that web apps created with the platform can’t be published as native mobile apps on the Google Play Store, or the Apple App Store.

Hostinger Horizons: Interface and ease of use

Horizons has a straightforward interface, with an AI text box in the middle of the screen. Simply enter your prompt, or select from one of the listed example prompts.

It will analyze the prompt, break it down into tasks and tell you how it plans to approach the build before it spins it up. When it’s done, it will also show you a preview of what it will build. You can then make modifications, or just ask it to build the app as per the preview.

Horizons will helpfully suggest ideas to help extend the app. For instance, when I asked it to create an ecommerce web app, it suggested I improve it by connecting it to a database for real product data storage, add a shopping cart, and checkout functionality, implement user authentication, and more.

And you can roll out these features simply by asking the AI.

Whenever you use the AI to add new functionality, Horizons will also tell you how to test it. Some processes like adding social logins require some running around, but the platform does its best to guide you through the process with clear step-by-step instructions.

Hostinger Horizons: Integration and Extensibility

Horizons builds web apps in Node.js, and creates the necessary HTML, CSS, and JSS files.

You can use Horizons to fuse your app with third-party tools, for things like emails, payments, and user authentication. These integrations require varying levels of configuration beyond the Horizons tool itself, but these external features have improved considerably since the platform launched, and where necessary, Horizons does its best to lay out the steps for you.

Hostinger Horizons initially offered Supabase cloud-based database support, but this is no longer required. Instead, the platform stores data in the Horizons integrated backend.

(Image credit: Horizons)

You can also add a payment gateway, for instance, with Stripe or Razorpay. PayPal isn’t currently supported, but Horizons says you’ll be able to integrate any backend services to your app built on the platform, as long as the service has an API, and you provide the integration information Horizons asks for. For example, you can integrate authentication via Google OAuth.

That said, adding certain backend functionality might be easier than others, for the time being, as the platform is still under active development.

Hostinger Horizons: Deployment and maintenance

After your prompt is entered and the web app is ready, you need to deploy it to make it live. As with other no-code platforms, Horizons will publish the app with a random URL. By default, this will be to a Hostinger subdomain.

But, as usual, you can publish the app to your own custom domain as well. Also, you can unpublish your web app, and come back to it to tune it further, and republish it.

If you’d like to look at the code for your web app, you can use the Export function on the platform to download it. This will roll all the HTML, CSS, and other files into a zip file ready to download to your computer.

You can also ask the Horizons AI to help you add your web app to your existing website. It’ll recommend adding the app as an embedded component, but will also offer the option to include the app as an iFrame. As usual, it’ll generate the necessary code for both approaches, along with instructions on how to go about both procedures.

(Image credit: Hostinger)

Horizons also has a version control system, and you can undo a change, or revert to a previous version with a single click. Just like with Lovable, you can use the Horizons AI to help fix any errors.

However, Horizons can’t export your code to code sharing websites like GitHub, which is something you can do with alternatives such as Lovable. Also, while you can edit the code offline, there is no way to import it back to Horizons, and continue refining it with its AI.

If it encounters an error while building the app, the platform will usually give you the Ask to fix button. When pressed, the platform will analyze the error, and try to mend it on its own. You can also copy or describe the error to the AI, and ask it to help you solve it.

Hostinger Horizons: Creating a Crypto Price Comparison App

To understand how Hostinger Horizons can efficiently create a web app with no coding required, I’ve created a specific test prompt.

Using a single prompt that has also been tested on other no-code platforms, I requested the creation of a cryptocurrency price comparison tool. The aim of this is to display the current price of popular cryptocurrencies in USD, GBP, and EUR, when a specific budget is entered, pulling the data from a free API service. A default figure of $1000 should be displayed, and the tool should have a dark mode toggle and a refresh button.

(Image credit: Hostinger Horizons)

The prompt is as follows:

Build a tool that compares the price of a specific asset (like Bitcoin) against multiple fiat currencies simultaneously.

Functional requirements

API Integration: Connect to a free API (like CoinGecko or ExchangeRate-API).

Input Handling: A field where the user enters a "Budget" (e.g., $1,000$).

Dynamic Calculation: A list or table that automatically updates to show how much of the asset that budget buys in USD, EUR, and GBP.

Toggle Switch: A "Dark Mode" or "Refresh" toggle to test UI state management.

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Running this in Hostinger Horizons demonstrated a few interesting points. First, the process was pretty quick, and generated within 5 minutes. However, the initial attempt crashed, so I retried and this completed within around 10 seconds (presumably just re-running the code, rather than regenerating). Testing the web app, I found it responded well, and delivered the correct information.

Using a task management tool (top on Ubuntu), I kept an eye on the process for my browser (Firefox) and saw that following the running of the prompt, the Resident memory (“res”) used by the process increased by around 300MB. This is within acceptable limits, and does not indicate that the AI used local processing – rather, that the code of the web app is being displayed (local processing would typically show an increase of 2GB or more).

The generated web app can be edited by clicking into the fields. Where a dotted border is applied, the field can be edited, with changes made and confirmed with a click of the OK button. You won’t see the revisions “live” however – instead, the preview needs to be refreshed. If you’re happy with the changes, the web app should be republished to see the revised live page.

Finally, Hostinger Horizons’ integration with the Hostinger hosting platform means that deployment is easy. I simply clicked the Publish button, and selected a domain to point it to. Instant publishing to existing hosting with Horizons is a major advantage over rival no-code tools.

(Image credit: Hostinger Horizons)Hostinger Horizons: Pricing and documentation

Hostinger Horizons was rolled out to a limited audience in February 2025, before its general availability on March 4, 2025.

Since then, all existing users with a Hostinger hosting subscription can use Horizons for free with a limit of five messages/day. This is enough to develop an idea over the course of few days, but if you need more in-depth no-code development, you will need a separate Horizons subscription in addition to the hosting plan (for deployment).

To get started, the Explorer plan is just $9.99 a month and offers 30 AI prompts/month. Next up is the Starter plan at $19.99/month, which comes with 70 AI prompts/month. Then there’s the $55.99/month Hobbyist plan with 200 messages, and the $99.99/month Hustler plan with 400 messages.

The number of messages has been reduced in each plan since launch, but on the positive side Hostinger regularly discounts these plans. If you need more AI messages, top-ups are available. These range from $4.99 for 10 AI credits to $499 for 1000, and again, these are often discounted.

You can publish 50 web apps with all the paid plans, and they all also include one month of free hosting, unlimited bandwidth, and 50 mailboxes with 1GB of storage each.

In terms of documentation, Horizons has several official guides that’ll handhold you from building your first app, to integrating it with other services such as Google AdSense. Besides illustrated text tutorials, Hostinger also has a bunch of instructional videos on YouTube. You also get 24/7 customer support with all the paid plans.

Hostinger Horizons: The competition

Hostinger Horizons is the newest entrant in the no-code web app builder market, and faces stiff competition from several well-established platforms.

For starters, there’s Bubble. While Horizons uses AI to generate web apps based on natural language descriptions, Bubble requires users to manually design and configure their apps. Although Bubble has a steeper learning curve than Horizons, it provides more flexibility for building custom web applications.

Then there’s Adalo, which can build both web, and mobile apps. It has a drag-and-drop UI, as well as a plethora of pre-built components to help you put together your apps. While Adalo does offer some AI capabilities, its strength is its mobile app-building capabilities.

(Image credit: Hostinger)

Horizons closest competition is with Lovable. Both platforms make extensive use of AI to create, edit, and debug web apps. However, Horizons is still very new to the markets, and doesn’t yet offer all the features you get with Lovable, such as the two-way sync with a GitHub repo.

But in Hostinger Horizons’ favor, it offers an integration with hosting that none of the competitors can deliver. It also stands out against other hosting companies, where the aim of no-code is purely to create a website template for a familiar backend like WordPress. Hostinger already offers this as an option, but Horizons puts it on par with Bubble, Lovable, and others.

Hostinger Horizons: Final verdict

Horizons’ use of AI to cover all aspects of app development, from creation, to editing, makes the platform truly democratic for everyone, including those with no coding experience. Our testing found that Horizons was fast, completed the job fully remotely using Hostinger’s cloud AI servers, and produced a web app that perfectly delivered the desired crypto pricing tool.

The platform’s support for multilingual and audio prompts makes it a good option for non-English developers or those with accessibility needs. Also, unlike other platforms it takes advantage of Hostinger’s infrastructure to offer an all-in-one solution to create and deploy your web apps.

Even though Horizons is relatively new, we would definitely suggest all existing Hostinger users to take Horizons for a spin. The platform is evolving rapidly, but since it doesn’t offer a free tier, it might be a good idea to give it some time to refine itself before you jump in to sign up.

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