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Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender: one-minute review

American manufacturer Cuisinart is known for its range of high-quality kitchen appliances at affordable prices. The Power Blend Immersion Blender follows suit, offering versatility and convenience for less than $70 / £50 / AU$90.

his powerful four-in-one stick blender comes with several convenient accessories and attachments, including a food processor (with a mixing/chopping blade and reversible shredding/slicing disc), a chef’s whisk, a blending shaft, and a prep-and-store cup that makes prepping and storing foods like whipped cream and omelette mix a breeze. It’s even got an ergonomic handle design to make use and maneuvering more comfortable.

(Image credit: Future)

The results are impressive, with the Power Blend’s pressure-controlled speed giving you more control over its use and quickly whisking eggs, blending soups, and grating cheese.

However, it’s not without its flaws. This appliance may leave some food unprocessed or blended, and the blenders' pressure controls may not be suited to those with restricted hand or wrist movement (especially when turning it on). These may or may not be dealbreakers for you, depending on your individual needs, but they’re enough to hold the Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender back from a position among our top blender picks.

• £49.99 (about $70 / AU$90) direct from Cuisinart
• Available at third-party retailers, such as Amazon and Costco
• Regularly discounted to £42.99
• Not available in the U.S. or Australia

The Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender is priced at £49.99 (about $70 / AU$90), making it more affordable than competitors such as the Ninja Power Duo Immersion Blender ($79.99, roughly £60 / AU$110) and the Bosch ErgoMaster Series 6 (£99.99, or about $140 / AU$210), which is one of the best blenders on the market. Unfortunately, this product isn’t available in the US or Australia.

Considering the versatility and power of the Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender, it offers fantastic value for money. What’s more, third-party retailers like Amazon and Costco tend to offer a discount, bringing the price down to £42.99 – offering more bang for your buck.

• Value score: 5/5

Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender: specifications

Review Model

HB500U

Accessories/attachments

Detachable blending shaft, chef's whisk, 700ml prep-and-store cup, 950ml food processor (chopping/mixing blade, reversible slicing/shredding disc), blade storage cover, canvas storage bag

Smart control

No

Rated power

400W

Dishwasher safe

Certain parts (food processor bowl, pusher, chopping/mixing blade, slicing/shredding disc, prep-and-store cup and lid)

Guarantee

Three syear

Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender: design

• Comfortable ergonomic handle
• Dishwasher-friendly parts
• Pressure-controlled speed…
• …that can be tricky to use with the unlock button
• Motor can become warm

The Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender has a silver base that houses its motor and an ergonomic handle design that makes it comfortable to use and maneuver – especially if you have restricted mobility in your hand or wrist. Near the top of the handle is a variable, pressure-controlled speed button (with an LED light at the very top indicating the speed) and an unlock/on button.

At the bottom of the base is an attachment release button, with attachments able to be inserted and locked in with ease. This versatile immersion blender comes with three main attachments: a blending shaft, a 950ml food processor, and a chef’s whisk. In addition, the appliance comes with a canvas storage bag to keep all the bits in and a convenient 700ml prep-and-store cup and lid – though the cup lid did come unstuck a few times for us.

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The blending shaft comes with a protective blade guard, allowing it to be used in glass, enamel, and non-stick vessels, while minimising splashing, which we found very effective. It also comes with a blade storage cover to allow the shaft to be safely stored. The full-sized chef’s whisk is attached to the base with a detachable gearbox and works a treat, especially when combined with the prep-and-store cup.

The food processor features a lid with a decent-sized feed chute (that could fit a large carrot vertically) and pusher, with a reversible slicing/shredding disc and mixing/chopping blade included and easily inserted into the work bowl.

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To turn the appliance on, you need to press the unlock button while pressing the speed control button, before releasing the unlock, a bit like the mechanism seen on some lawnmowers. While this is a great child-safe feature, it took us a few tries to start the blender initially. Even when we’d worked out the system, holding both buttons simultaneously was uncomfortable, especially as you need to be mindful of the pressure you’re applying to the speed control.

While testing the chef whisk feature with some eggs in the prep-and-store cup. While trying to apply enough pressure to turn the blender on, we accidentally applied too much, resulting in our raw eggs splattering all over the kitchen.

(Image credit: Future)

This brings us nicely on to cleaning. Certain parts of the Power Blend are dishwasher safe: the food processor bowl, pusher, chopping/mixing blade, slicing/shredding disc, and prep-and-store cup and lid. However, the blending shaft and food processor lid need to be hand-washed, and the base should be wiped down. While the blending shaft and base are fairly easy to clean, the food processor lid is less so; it can't be immersed in water, so cleaning inside the feed chute is somewhat challenging.

Another issue we found with this stick blender was the heat the motor emitted when blending soup. We used the appliance for about two minutes, occasionally stopping and starting, and the handle was warm to the touch, suggesting the motor may be overheating. As such, we recommend not using this immersion blender continuously for too long or taking breaks if the handle begins to get quite warm.

• Design score: 4/5

Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender: performance

• Quickly blends chunky soups
• Convenient mini food processor attachment
• Impressive whisking
• Uneven cutting and some food left unprocessed

The first thing we tested was the Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender’s blending shaft attachment. After boiling a chunky 1L of homemade vegetable soup (with carrots, onions, cauliflower, potatoes, and a leek) until the veg was soft, we let it cool before blending on a medium-to-high pressure.

After around two minutes of blending, the soup was pretty smooth, but a few rebel chunks of cauliflower remained. As mentioned previously, at this point, the handle began to heat up, so we didn’t want to push it any more.

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Next, we tested the chef’s whisk attachment. While the whisk seems quite flimsy, it’s pretty impressive. After cleaning up our prior disaster – and becoming more mindful of how sensitive the pressure controls are – we applied minimum pressure to our remaining eggs (mixed with milk and herbs) and had perfectly whisked eggs in a matter of seconds. It was so quick, we didn’t have time to whip out our phone and time it.

The food processor was equally impressive, though it isn’t without its flaws. We tested the mixing/chopping blade first, adding all the ingredients for a saag paste (including garlic, wilted spinach, veggie oil, spices, and coriander). It took around 30 seconds to make the paste, but it was loud: around 88 to 90 decibels. While most of the paste was mixed well, there were some less mixed parts at the bottom, under the blades, though it wasn’t enough to be a dealbreaker.

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We also tested chopping a red onion with this blade, chopped into large chunks. It only took three or four short, one-second pulses of high-speed power to chop the onion. However, this was also loud – between 90 and 94 decibels – the cuts were largely uneven. We were impressed that the results weren’t overly wet, as we’ve seen when chopping onions with other powerful food processors.

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Next, we tested the shredding/slicing disc, beginning with shredding (or grating) 50g of mature cheddar cut into rectangular blocks to fit the feed chute. While the cheese was grated in under 10 seconds, there was a lot of unshredded cheese on top of the disc.

We also experienced this using the slicing disc with a large carrot. While it took less than five seconds to slice the carrot, the slices were uneven, and there were some unsliced carrot remnants on top of the disc afterwards.

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Overall, the Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender performs well, offering a lot of versatility and largely impressive results – but it does come with a few quirks that may irk some more than others.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender?//Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

At just £49.99 (about $70 / AU$90), this immersion blender is considerably more affordable than its competitors.

5/5

Design

This blender offers a lot of versatility with its attachments, and we particularly like its ergonomic design. But while its pressure controls offer more command over speed, it can be tricky to get right and the handle can get quite hot.

4/5

Performance

This appliance can blend, whisk, slice, shred, mix, and more, and while the results are largely impressive, we did find some food was left unprocessed and cuts were uneven.

4.5/5

Buy it if

You want to pare down your kitchen appliances

The Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender does a lot more than blending; its versatile attachments whisk, whip, puree, slice, chop, mix, and more. So, you don’t necessarily need a separate food processor or electric whisk – saving you valuable kitchen storage space.

You're on a tight budget

At £49.99 (about $70 / AU$90), this affordable immersion blender offers excellent value for money. What’s more, third-party retailers like Amazon and Costco often drop the price even further.View Deal

Don't buy it if

You struggle with pressure controls

While this blender has an ergonomic, comfortable handle design, its pressure controls (and particularly maneuvering to turn it on) may prove a struggle to those with restricted hand or wrist movement and strength.

You want a quiet appliance

When operating, this blender’s food processor attachment can get pretty loud (around 94 decibels). While the blender shaft is quieter, it’s still not as quiet as the likes of the Bosch ErgoMaster Series 6.

Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender: also consider

If you're not sure whether this is the right blender for you, here are two other options to add to your shortlist.

Bosch Ergomaster Series 9

This premium stick blender is comfortable in the hand, an a powerhouse in the kitchen. With its food processor attachment, whisk, and serious motor, it can easily replace three food prep appliances in one.

Read our full Bosch Ergomaster Series 9 review

Ninja Power Duo Immersion Blender

Whether you're making pasta sauce, meringue, or hummus, this budget-friendly blender has you covered. It doesn't have the sheer power of the Bosch model above, but will be just fine for most kitchens.

Read our full Ninja Power Duo Immersion Blender review

How I tested the Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender

I tested the Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender by preparing a wide variety of foods, including eggs, curry paste, and vegetable soup. I also used its food processor attachment to shred cheese, and chop various vegetables, and compared the results with those from a dedicated food processor. I cleaned the blender thoroughly after use, following the manufacturer's instructions. For more details, see how we test, review, and rate products at TechRadar.

First reviewed June 2026.

The Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender offers a range of impressive attachments that will help you free up some valuable kitchen cupboard space.

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The 8849 Tank Pad Ultra is a rugged tablet design with a powerful SoC, plenty of memory and storage, along with a DLP projector.

8849 TANK Pad Ultra: 2-minute review

The 8849 Tank Pad Ultra arrives as the company's most ambitious device to date. It builds on the original Tank Pad's projector concept and refines it considerably. Where the first Tank Pad offered a dim 100-lumen DLP unit running at sub-HD resolution, the Ultra steps up to 260 lumens and native 1920x1080 output. That is a 2.6x improvement in brightness in one generation, and it matters enormously in practice.

The hardware underneath is a MediaTek Dimensity 8200 paired with 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB of storage. This is not the fastest platform available in 2026, but it is more than sufficient for field work, document management, and media playback. Android 15 ships out of the box, which is a refreshing improvement over the Android 14 found on many rivals.

The camera cluster is genuinely impressive for a rugged device. A Sony IMX766 50MP main sensor sits alongside a 64MP night-vision camera using an OmniVision OV64B sensor backed by four infrared LEDs. The 32MP front camera uses a Sony IMX616. This is a meaningful step beyond the dual-camera arrangements on most competing rugged tablets.

Battery capacity is the headline stat: 23,400mAh. 8849 claims this is 11% larger than its predecessor. Charging speed is 66W, which is serviceable but falls well short of the 120W found on the recently launched Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra. At that battery capacity, 66W takes over two hours to fully recharge.

The body measures 268.3 x 170.3 x 24mm and weighs 1.345kg. It is a heavy device, though it sits below the Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra's 1.6kg. The integrated handle doubles as a kickstand and is the most practical design element here for outdoor projection use.

IP68 and IP69K certification allows for both submersion and high-pressure water jets. That is the expected baseline for a device at this price and positioning. A 4-metre laser rangefinder and an 800-lumen camping light round out the utility toolkit.

In the annals of tablets that came with a projector, this is clearly one of the best rugged tablets so far.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)8849 TANK Pad Ultra: price and availability

• How much does it cost? $690/£524/€605
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? You can get it directly from 8849.

The Tank Pad Ultra is available in a range of territories and regions via the official 8849tech website here.

At $689.99, this rugged tablet is priced way below the Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra, which commands closer to $799. It sits significantly above the original Tank Pad's sub-$400 positioning. The price increase reflects genuine hardware improvements rather than marketing inflation, particularly in the projector and camera departments.

UK pricing is £525.84 and in the EU its €604.79. There is a summer sale for US, EU, UK and CA customers with a further $20 reduction until the 12th of June.

Currently, this machine isn't on Amazon.com, but given that everything else 8849-branded is, it's probably only a matter of time before it is. The hardware is also sold by AliExpress, but it was more expensive than buying it directly for whatever reason.

Given the specification, even if the TANK Pad Ultra isn't exactly cheap, it offers the best value for a tablet with a projector.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• Value score: 4/5

8849 TANK Pad Ultra: Specs

Item

Spec

CPU:

MediaTek Dimensity 8200

GPU:

ARM Mali-G610 MC6

NPU:

MediaTek APU 580

RAM:

16GB LPDDR5

Storage:

512GB UFS 3.1 + dedicated microSD slot (up to 2TB)

Screen:

10.95-inch IPS LCD

Resolution:

1200 x 1920 (FHD+) pixels

SIM:

2x Nano SIM + TF (SD-XC)

Weight:

1345 g

Dimensions:

268.3 × 170.3 × 23.6 mm

Rugged Spec:

IP68 & IP69K rugged (water/dust/shock resistant)

Rear cameras:

50MP Sony IMX766 (primary) + 64MP OmniVision OV64B (night vision, 4x IR LEDs)

Front camera:

32 MP (Sony IMX616, fixed focus)

Networking:

5G NR, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, FM radio, USB-C (OTG), 3.5mm headphone jack

Projector:

DLP, 260 lumens, 1920x1080, autofocus, 0.5-4m

Torch/Lamp:

800-lumen camping light, dual warning lights (red/blue) with sound simulation

OS:

Android 15

Biometrics:

Side-mounted fingerprint sensor

Battery:

23400 mAh (66W wired, 10W reverse charge)

Colours:

Black

8849 TANK Pad Ultra: design

• Heavy duty
• Kickstand issues
• Idiosyncratic layout

On paper, the Tank Pad Ultra follows the established formula for rugged tablets. The body is thick and reinforced, with corner bumpers and rubberised edges. At 24mm deep it is not a device that slips into a jacket pocket unless you’re a friendly giant. The intention is clear: this is business equipment, not a lifestyle accessory.

The integrated handle on the rear is a practical touch. It locks flat against the body for carrying and swings out to serve as a kickstand for projection or media use. For a device this heavy, the handle is not an option, it is a functional necessity.

Which is why I was annoyed when I couldn’t get the one that came with my tablet to fit correctly. The stand is metal and is pinned to the TANK Pad Ultra by a single large bolt that has a straight slot that a ‘8849 coin’ is provided to tighten. On mine, it would never tighten enough to fully engage the stand, making it loose.

Initially, I thought this was because of an excessive amount of blue thread-locker on the bolt, but after I’d scraped that off and realised it didn’t fix the problem, I concluded the thread in the tablet was poorly manufactured.

I didn’t have the thread cutter to fix this handy, so I filed the bolt down a little to make it extend less, and it fitted much better. Not sure why 8849 quality assurance didn’t notice this, but they need to make sure that they do in the future.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

One oddity about the stand is that it has a square profile that engages, allowing for four possible ways to attach it. Except that only one direction works properly, because the others interfere either with the camera cluster or the camping light. Perhaps a polariser is needed to help users put it on correctly?

The top edge houses the volume keys and two PPT buttons in roughly the middle of that side, with the projector mounted to the left. The power button with an integrated fingerprint scanner is on the left side, where I kept accidentally hitting it while trying to take photos.

I tried to set that button up with fingerprint unlock and failed miserably. When you enter the fingerprint training mode, it tells you to firmly press the button, and when you do, the tablet turns off. Thankfully, the face unlock works much better, so it’s hardly a deal breaker.

The SIM tray is on the lower edge, and the USB-C and audio jack ports are under a rubber plug on the right side.

What’s missing here is any pogo pin pads or extra USB port that could be used to connect the tablet to a vehicle cradle. Which, when you have a tablet that’s 1345 g, you would reasonably expect to exist. There isn’t one, which explains why the designers never considered supporting that functionality.

Overall, the layout of this tablet isn’t the best I’ve seen, but most people could probably adapt to it.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Design score: 3.5/5

8849 TANK Pad Ultra: hardware

• MediaTek Dimensity 8200 5G
• 260 Lumen Projector
• 23,400 mAh battery

The Dimensity 8200 is a solid midrange to upper-midrange platform. Built on a 4nm process, it delivers capable performance for multitasking, Android gaming, and field software use. It is not the Dimensity 9000 series or a Snapdragon 8 Gen equivalent, and buyers with heavy sustained workloads should note the distinction. For the use cases this device targets, it is more than adequate and a step up from the Dimensity 7400X that Ulefone used in its most recent design.

For no logical reason, rugged tablet makers seem to think decent processors or camera sensors aren’t required, when they’re as critical as they are in phones.

Sixteen gigabytes of LPDDR5 RAM is generous. Combined with the expandable storage via microSD, the Tank Pad Ultra avoids the storage cliff that afflicts cheaper rugged tablets.

But it's the DLP projector that is the engineering centrepiece in this design. At 260 lumens, it is 2.6 times brighter than the original Tank Pad's 100-lumen unit. Auto-focus handles throw distances between 0.5 and 4 metres. A micro-ranging laser assists the focus calibration for precise image sharpness. The native output resolution of 1920x1080 is a substantial step up from the 854x480 of the original device, and better than the 960 x 540 projector on the Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra.

My only issue with the projector is that 8849 didn’t implement a low-throw solution where the tablet could be flat on a desk and still project an image on the wall. With this design, you need to use the stand or a pile of books to elevate the tablet to a height where the projection will work.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The 23,400mAh battery is enormous, even if some rugged tablets have even more. Runtime estimates in the field will depend heavily on whether the projector, camping light, and 5G radio are active simultaneously. With the projector running, expect significantly reduced endurance versus a typical standby or browsing scenario.

One last special feature of this tablet is the GPS solution. It uses dual frequencies L1+L5 GPS for more precise positioning, in theory. I've not seen this in a rugged tablet before, and it could be genuinely useful for those flying drones or doing surveys. In my testing, it did seem marginally more accurate than the GPS in a typical phone.

• Hardware score: 4.5/5

8849 TANK Pad Ultra: cameras

• 50MP, 64MP on the rear
• 32MP on the front
• Three cameras in total

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The 8849 Tank Pad Ultra has three cameras:

Rear cameras: 50MP Sony IMX766 , 64MP Omnivision OV64B1B Sensor (Night Vision)
Front camera: 32MP Sony IMX616

The camera configuration is one of the Tank Pad Ultra's stronger arguments over rivals. Most rugged tablets treat imaging as an afterthought. 8849 has invested meaningfully here.

The main camera uses a Sony IMX766 sensor at 50MP. This is the same sensor found in numerous premium Android smartphones, so expectations for image quality are reasonably well established. The large 1/1.56-inch format and all-pixel autofocus should deliver solid results in good light.

The night-vision camera is the headline differentiator. The 64MP OmniVision OV64B sensor is backed by four infrared LEDs and a dual-tone LED flash capable of 1.5A output. 8849 claims usable images in near-total darkness. This is genuinely useful for inspection work, security documentation, or field work in unlit environments.

The 32MP Sony IMX616 front camera is well specified for video calls and document scanning. For remote workers filing from a site office, the quality here matters more than it might for a consumer device.

Looking through my examples, the rear camera on this tablet produces some excellent results. The colour is accurate and not oversaturated, the edges of objects are crisp, and even the sky avoids being blown out. Using editing tools, it’s easy to get extra detail out of shadows and crop without making images appear blocky.

And, the 64MP Omnivision OV64B1B is one of the best choices for a night vision sensor, currently.

There are limited special photo modes, but you do get timelapse, super resolution, and QR codes, and there is a PRO mode. Video capture has scene modes and a full spectrum of resolutions from VGA up to 4K.

The only way this could get much better is if the optics had a proper zoom and not a digital one, but relatively few phones or tablets have that feature.

The only blot here is that 8849 wouldn’t pay for Widevine L1 encryption, so the best resolution you can stream from major providers is 480P, even if the screen would handle 1080p easily. Unfortunate, but a predictable limitation.

That point aside, this is one of the best camera solutions on a rugged tablet I’ve encountered, and for those doing surveys or wanting to capture property or vehicle damage, the provided tools are more than most will realistically need.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)8849 TANK Pad Ultra Camera samplesMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark Pickavance

• Camera score: 4/5

8849 TANK Pad Ultra: Performance

• Modern SoC
• Good battery life

Tablet

8849 Tank Pad Ultra

UleFone Armor Pad 5 Ultra

SoC

MediaTek Dimensity 8200

MediaTek Dimensity 7400X

GPU

ARM Mali-G610 MC6

ARM Mali-G615 MC2

Mem

16GB/512GB

12GB/512GB

Weight

1345 g

1,600g

Battery Capacity

mAh

23,400

24,200

Geekbench

Single

1254

1047

Multi

3885

2900

OpenCL

4094

3022

Vulkan

4632

3046

PCMark

3.0 Score

15276

12199

Battery

30h 43m

28h 27 min

Charge 30

%

25%

27%

Passmark

Score

16894

13661

CPU

8413

6788

3DMark

Slingshot OGL

7711

6578

Slingshot Ex. OGL

Maxed

5477

Slingshot Ex. Vulkan

Maxed

5156

Wildlife

6280

3555

The Dimensity 8200 platform performs comfortably in daily use. Android 15 runs without the stuttering or lag that can affect less powerful rugged tablets. Multitasking between field apps, maps, and documents is smooth.

Gaming performance is functional rather than flagship. The Mali-G610 MC6 GPU handles lighter titles well. Sustained gaming or graphics-intensive applications will cause throttling, as is typical for this class of chip under prolonged load.

The projector introduces a notable power draw. Thermal management under combined projector and processing load is an area worth monitoring in extended field scenarios. The device body will warm noticeably during sustained projection.

If we compare the 8200 with the 7400X that the Ulefone tablet uses, this SoC is roughly 25% quicker across the board, and better than that in graphics performance.

However, with great performance comes even greater power consumption. And, while the battery life of the machine looks good at 30 hours and 43 minutes, there is a caveat that the Ulefone device still had 27% of its battery unused when the benchmark aborted. Where the 8849 machine only had 5%, therefore the win should go to the Ulefone.

That said, this is more than enough capacity for most uses, and if curated, a running time of more than five days is easily within reach.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)8849 TANK Pad Ultra: Final verdict

For field engineers, survey teams, and outdoor professionals who project content regularly and need the clearest image possible from an integrated device, the Tank Pad Ultra earns a confident recommendation. For everyone else, the 8849 Tank Pad Ultra is the current high-water mark for built-in pico projection in a rugged tablet.

The leap from 100 lumens and 854x480 to 260 lumens and native 1080p is a generational step, not an incremental one. Add a Sony sensor main camera, a 64MP night-vision unit, a laser rangefinder, and a 23,400mAh battery at $690, and the value proposition is difficult to argue against.

The shortcomings are real but predictable. Sixty-six watts of charging is slow for a battery this large, even if it can manage a complete cycle in two hours. The device is heavy and thick by any standard other than the rugged-tablet category it occupies. The Dimensity 8200, while capable, is not a premium 2026 platform, even if it’s the exception to the rule that rugged tablets are typically underpowered.

Against the Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra, its most direct rival, the Tank Pad Ultra wins on projector brightness, projector resolution, SoC power, weight and price. It loses on charging speed and the dual-floodlight provision. Which device wins depends entirely on which compromises suit your workflow, and how tight your budget is.

Should I buy a 8849 TANK Pad Ultra?8849 TANK Pad Ultra Score Card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

Reasonable cost for an exceptional feature set

4/5

Design

Heavy and thick, with an awkward stand

3.5/5

Hardware

Modern SoC, lots of RAM and storage, and a bright projector

4.5/5

Camera

Decent sensor delivers good results

4/5

Performance

Powerful, power efficient and excellent battery life

4.5/5

Overall

Not cheap or light, but excellent value

4.5/5

Buy it if...

You need a projector on a tablet
At 260 lumens with native 1080p output, nothing else in this class comes close.

You work in low light or complete darkness
If night-vision imaging is part of your workflow, then the 64MP infrared camera is a genuine professional tool for inspections, security, and low-light documentation.

Don't buy it if...

Weight and portability are priorities
At 1.345kg and 24mm thick, this is field equipment rather than a general-purpose tablet.

Charging speed is critical
The 66W limit is slow for a battery this size. The opposition's 120W system is a substantial real-world advantage if you need to charge and go. View Deal

Also Consider

Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra
A 200-lumen DLP projector, 120W charging, heavier at 1.6kg, but with dual 1000-lumen floodlights and auto-keystone correction. The issue here is that this tablet is more expensive, while in other respects having a lower specification than the 8849 TANK Pad Ultra.

Read my full review of the Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra here.

For more ruggedized devices, we've reviewed the best rugged phones, the best rugged laptops and the best rugged hard drives

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The Khadas Tea Pro attaches magnetically to your iPhone and connects via Bluetooth or USB-C to deliver a punchy, spacious audio upgrade

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Khadas Tea Pro review: two minute reviewSpecifications

Size: 102.7 × 64.0 × 7.85 mm (excluding button height)

Weight: 96.0 g

Battery: 2100 mAh

Formats: Up to PCM 768 kHz/32 bit, DSD512 (USB-C)

Max Output @16.5 Ω: 180 mW (balanced)

The Khadas Tea Pro headphone amplifier is a slim and lightweight external DAC/amp that works across most devices — iOS, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux — and is particularly good for smartphones with MagSafe or magnetic cases.

The Tea Pro connects via USB-C and delivers both 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm stereo outputs, with support for up to 768kHz PCM and DSD512 audio. It also has Bluetooth 5.4 input with aptX HD, aptX Adaptive and LDAC as well as the obligatory SBC and AAC. The integrated battery promises up to 8 hours of CD quality listening over USB-C and 11 hours using AAC on Bluetooth.

Although there's Bluetooth on board at up to 96kHz PCM, for best results you want to use this device as a wired DAC/amp. The Bluetooth performance isn't bad by any means, but the Tea Pro delivers higher resolution audio via USB-C.

FiiO TT13 review: price and release date

• Released August 2025
• Priced $199 / £199 (about AU$375)

The Khadas Tea Pro was launched in August 2025 with a recommended price tag of $199 / £199 (about AU$375) and is available with a choice of two cables: USB-C to USB-C, or Lightning to USB-C for older iPhones and iPads. Although it's twice the price of the original and well-received Tea it's a very significant upgrade with significantly higher sound quality, better Bluetooth, an integrated display and more headphone options.

Khadas Tea Pro review: features

The Tea Pro has both 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm headphone outputs. (Image credit: Future)

• MagSafe attachment
• Bluetooth or USB-C
• Excellent hi-res support

Although it's compatible with almost anything with a USB port, the Tea Pro is clearly intended for MagSafe iPhones (iPhone 12 onwards) or phones in magnetic cases. That enables it to clip securely to the back of your phone, and it's a strong connection both directly and through a compatible phone case.

There are two headphone jacks here: a 4.4mm balanced output delivering up to 180mW at 16.5 Ω, and a 3.5mm jack putting out up to 100mW at 16.5 Ω. There's also a built-in microphone for voice calling. If you have headphones with their own mic connected to the 3.5mm jack, the headphone mic will take precedence over the Tea Pro's mic.

The ESS ES9039Q2M DAC supports sample rates of up to 768kHz PCM and DSD512, with a signal to noise ratio of up to 122dB. A Qualcomm QCC5181 takes care of the wireless features, with support for SBC / AAC / aptX / aptX Adaptive / aptX HD / LDAC over Bluetooth 5.4.

There are seven EQ presets for different musical genres, and you can also set your own EQ via the 10-band custom EQ. That delivers adjustable gain from -12dB to +12dB.

The internal battery is 2,100mAh and promises up to 11 hours of listening depending on the audio format you're using: 11 hours with AAC over Bluetooth and 8 hours of CD audio over USB-C. The Tea Pro can also recharge from your phone when its battery is low if you enable Device Charging in its settings menu.

Features score: 5 / 5

Khadas Tea Pro review: sound quality

Don't let that huge glass area fool you: the Tea Pro's display is tiny. (Image credit: Future)

• Good on Bluetooth, better on USB
• Wide soundstage and good clarity
• EQ presets best ignored

The Tea Pro delivers a neutral sound, and with high gain on it delivered an impressively propulsive performance on my open-back BeyerDynamics; I'd have liked to drive them a little louder but there's more than enough power for sensible listening levels. Bass is generally clear and well defined and highs are airy without being harsh, and things only started to get uncomfortable when both iPhone and Tea Pro were at their highest volume levels on very bright or bassy tracks.

As fun as the Tea Pro is over Bluetooth, it's better still with a USB-C connection. It's louder, more defined and more spacious, with the likes of Robyn's Dopamine delivering more punch than over wireless. There's a nice wide soundstage, with tracks like U2's remastered Zoo Station sounding suitably widescreen and Talk Talk's New Grass delivering impressive airiness.

The Tea Pro is very good for a portable DAC/amp, although I did notice a difference on tracks such as Little Simz and Obongjayar's Point and Kill that showed up the relative lack of headroom compared to a desktop device: on my desktop DAC/amp the serpentine bass is noticeably clearer and more distinct, the whole track feeling much more airy, whereas on the Tea Pro the low end was less defined and the track a little boxy. I found that the on-board EQ presets made that more apparent, dulling the sound. I much preferred leaving the EQ off altogether on my better headphones, although I did need to cut the highs for IEM listening to reduce the harshness they're prone to.

Sound quality: 4 / 5

Khadas Tea Pro review: design

The Tea Pro looks and feels expensive thanks to a mix of aluminum and black glass. (Image credit: Future)

• Very Apple-like appearance
• Tiny screen in a big bit of glass
• A little fiddly when magnetically mounted

The Tea Pro is a good-looking thing. It looks decidedly Apple-esque, with a very slim 7.85mm machined aluminium casing, curved edges and two large black glass sections: the status display area, which looks big but contains a fairly small 0.95-inch AMOLED screen, and a smaller lozenge displaying the Tea logo. That lower lozenge is functional as well as decorative, as it ensures your phone won't wobble when you put it on a desktop or other flat surface.

Buttons are kept to a minimum. On the left there's a power button and a menu/confirm button, and on the right there are volume up and down controls. The slim size of the Tea Pro makes them a little fiddly to access when the device is attached to your phone, but not impossibly so. That's not an issue if you're connecting with the supplied 10cm USB-C cable.

Inevitably adding a magnetic item to your phone adds weight, but the Tea Pro isn't too bad: at 96g it's lighter than Apple's own similarly sized MagSafe power bank.

Design score: 4 / 5

Khadas Tea Pro review: ease of use and setup

• Simple pairing/connection
• Simple menu system
• Tiny text in display

Pairing over Bluetooth is effortless and the menu system is simple: it gives you access to filters, EQ, high and low gain options, device settings, headphone options and so on. The text is exceptionally small, however, so it's handy that you can also access settings via the companion iOS/Android app.

Usability and setup score: 4 / 5

Khadas Tea Pro review: value

• Nice sound and premium appearance
• Pricey for a portable DAC
• Some rivals are more powerful and a lot less expensive

It's clear that some of the price tag here is for that aluminum body and extensive use of glass: rival headphone DAC/amps cost a lot less but look and feel a lot less special. If you're happy to pay a premium for solid build and stylish looks then this is a good choice with excellent iPhone attachment and good compatibility with other devices too.

Value score: 3 / 5

Should I buy the Khadas Tea Pro?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Superb hi-res support and choice of cabled or wireless phone/device connections.

5/5

Design

Premium look and feel and solid magnetic attachment, but the screen text is microscopic.

4/5

Sound quality

Good on Bluetooth, better still on USB-C. Punchy, neutral and detailed sound.

4.5/5

Value

Good looks and solid build up the price; rivals can be a lot cheaper.

3/5

Buy it if...

You're totally wired
The Tea Pro is a great, convenient and stylish way to run wired headphones or IEMs from your phone when you're out and about.

You've got an iPhone 12 or later
It's widely compatible but the Tea Pro was clearly designed with MagSafe iPhones in mind.

You appreciate good looks
Phone-focused DACs don't usually look or feel this premium.

Don't buy it if...

You have high impedance headphones
The Tea Pro is fairly powerful but portability and battery considerations limit the available output power.

You're on a tight budget
Rival mobile DACs are much cheaper and sound pretty great.View Deal

You want a desktop DAC
The Tea Pro sounds pretty great but desktop DACs don't have to compromise to save power.View Deal

Khadas Tea Pro review: Also consider

The cassette-themed FiiO KA15 is cute, fun, sounds good and comes in at half the price of the Tea Pro, delivering both 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm outputs with a desktop mode that puts out much higher power than the Tea Pro can deliver. The iFi Go Link 2 is cheaper still and particularly good if all you want to do is add wired headphones to a USB-C device such as a phone or tablet.

How I tested the Khadas Tea Pro

• Wired open and closed back headphones and IEMs
• Lossy streaming, lossless FLAC and Logic Pro projects

I spent a week listening to the Tea Pro via my usual headphones: BeyerDynamic DT990 Pro open-back and DT770 closed-back headphones at home and work, and SoundMagic E11C IEMs outdoors and on public transport. I listened to lossy and lossless streaming and uncompressed FLACs on my iPhone 16 Pro.

• First reviewed: May 2026
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Negotiations between the union representing the workers, the hospitality group at the Los Angeles stadium and FIFA are set to continue Monday.

(Image credit: Jae C. Hong)

GameSir Pocket Taco: review

The GameSir Pocket Taco is a novel mobile controller that clips to the bottom of your phone. It’s honestly unique enough that if you’ve seen it once, you’ll definitely remember it. With it, GameSir is attempting to cater to a niche audience of retro gamers that love old 4:3 titles but hate the pillar-boxing they cause on modern screens. Sadly, this is also its biggest weakness — if it fails to 100% nail this use case, it doesn’t have the broad appeal that will encourage other gamers to grab it instead.

When it comes to its design, I’ll admit I’m totally picking up what the GameSir Pocket Taco is throwing down. The Game-Boy-aping styling — upgraded with additional X and Y buttons for later generation games — is perfectly pitched to milk my nostalgia gland. And the clickiness of the buttons and D-pad certainly feels close enough in my mind’s eye to those halcyon days bopping ants on the head in Super Mario Land 2 almost 35 years ago.

Okay, I get that clamshell form factor is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but it seems like a neat idea that’s not been covered by any of the best mobile controllers yet, allowing you to play retro games in the 4:3 format they were designed in.

Clasping your phone with just enough force that it won’t slide out, I was happy trusting my premium phone to this little clip, while the gap at the bottom allows you to charge your phone while gaming, which is a nice touch. On paper, it seems like a fun way to play your old retro titles in a format that feels more familiar — a vertical 4:3 handheld.

(Image credit: Future)

Unfortunately, the issue is that things in the real world often don’t work out how they do on paper. And using the Pocket Taco, I was quickly forced to confront the gap between GameSir’s ambitions for the device and the reality of what it was able to achieve.

First off, the overall user experience of the Pocket Taco is a hollow shell that quickly disintegrates when you bite into it. Pairing the device gives me flashbacks to the bad old days of Bluetooth connectivity. Adding new connections became a painful process of triggering pairing mode over and over and wondering why the device wouldn’t appear in my potential connections.

This isn’t helped by the fact that it has four different pairing modes for different operating systems — I assume this is to make switching between multiple devices quicker, but in reality makes it more of a chore than a single Bluetooth connection that pairs and unpairs smoothly.

Using the GameSir app is also a mixed experience. Even when I finally paired the Pocket Taco with my iPhone 16 Pro, the app often would claim that it was connected with a nondescript third-party controller, blocking me from accessing the Pocket Taco’s unique functions. Once I’d finally gotten it to recognize the device in the app, I was allowed to test the controls and set the screen ratio, allowing me to resize the screen to take into account the section covered by the device.

(Image credit: Future)

Except I have no idea what the purpose of this is. It doesn’t impact anything outside of the app — your phone screen’s aspect ratio is set at the device level, meaning the second you navigate away from this app, the screen ratio resets to its default and is once again half covered by the controller.

There’s simply no way to get native games on iOS and Android to crop to the top half of the screen or even, with many of them, play in portrait mode, which really limits the controller's utility. You can still play native games using the Pocket Taco undocked, but for a lot of people, the appeal is going to be turning their phone into an all-in-one gaming device.

Now I know some people are going to roll their eyes and say that this controller is obviously intended for emulation, not running native games. Even setting aside the ethics of emulation — we're not advocates here at TechRadar, and are all for owning your own games, and I’m not going to endorse you doing anything that could land you in legal trouble — the Pocket Taco itself seems unsure of this fact.

In the iOS app, pressing the home button takes you straight to the Games app, while on Android, you can directly link games you’ve downloaded from the Play Store to the app. So there’s clearly a bit of an identity crisis going on here.

And the added wrinkle here is that many emulators aren’t able to change the aspect ratio and positioning of the screen. While I didn’t open or play any ROMs for this review, I did try out a couple of emulator apps to test the Pocket Taco’s compatibility with them. Using one of the most popular options on Android, I found it was impossible to reposition the screen to fit the remaining portion of the display.

Fortunately, I had better luck with one iOS option, using a controller skin to nudge the display into the right position, even if it left a pretty ugly black bar between the controller and the screen. Even if it is sometimes possible, it’s not exactly elegant.

(Image credit: Future)

Honestly, by the time I’d been through this process of getting the Pocket Taco working, my enthusiasm had almost entirely ebbed away. And that’s a shame because, underneath it all, there’s a decent controller struggling to get out.

When I finally caved and started using the Pocket Taco undocked, it plays like a dream. I booted up the iOS version of Secret of Mana and found the Pocket Taco was pleasantly tactile to use. It’s also pretty responsive — despite a few claims I’ve read online complaining about lag, I couldn’t perceive any noticeable delay between tapping a button and Randi spanking a rabbite or mushboom with his sword. But the issue is that propping your phone up and using a separate controller is just a bit clunky — many better mobile controllers like the Backbone One 2nd Gen exist that allow you to play native games docked.

I get the feeling that the Pocket Taco dwells in a state of existential crisis, unsure exactly who it is for. Because it’s an awkward fit for native gaming, forcing you to use it undocked. And for those who are looking for a way to emulate games in 4:3, there are plenty of pocket-sized handhelds that already cater to this market without the awkward screen resizing issues you’ll encounter here. Fundamentally, that means its niche is largely going to comprise those wooed by its nostalgia-drenched concept or emulator enthusiasts that can’t quite stretch to a standalone console. Others should look elsewhere.

(Image credit: Future)GameSir Pocket Taco review: price and availability

• First shipped on March 15
• List price of $34.99 / £34.99 / AU$59
• Only one colorway

Having started shipping on March 15, the GameSir Pocket Taco is available now. You can pick it up for a list price of $34.99 / £34.99 / AU$59, which is seriously cheap, even compared to other mobile controllers. By comparison, our pick for best budget mobile, the GameSir X2s Type-C, costs $44.99 / £39.99 / AU$59, so this is a very affordable device.

While some mobile controllers will give you different colorways that mimic various consoles across the ages, the Pocket Taco only comes in this GameBoy-style color palette. That’s pure catnip for someone of my age but if you're more of an OG PlayStation or GameCube fanboi, you’re not going to be catered to here.

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the GameSir Pocket Taco?Buy it if…

You want to play 4:3 emulated games
While I’m not for playing emulated games, and neither is TechRadar Gaming as a whole, the Pocket Taco offers a cheap way to control them. Bear in mind that not every emulator will display in the correct way, though.

You want a cute controller that will happily sit in your back pocket
The Pocket Taco is an adorable, compact package and, with the included case, it’s the kind of thing you can absolutely just carry around with you in case the mood ever strikes.

Don’t buy it if…

You just want to play native phone games
As you can’t easily change the aspect ratio of most native phone screens, you’ll have to play iOS and Android games undocked — and at that point, why not just buy one of the best mobile controllers instead?

You’re expecting a polished user experience
Given its budget price, I wasn’t expecting a seamless app experience. But Bluetooth pairing and app behavior can be quite frustrating, so bear this in mind when deciding to buy.

GameSir Pocket Taco review: also consider

GameSir X2s Type-C
If you’re looking for a mobile controller better suited to mobile apps, the GameSir X2s Type-C is a great choice. It’s super comfortable in your hands, its micro-switch buttons and D-pad have a wonderfully tactile feel, and it comes with Hall-effect thumbsticks and triggers. But our two favorite features are that its USB-C connector pivots to make it easier to insert your phone — and the fact that it also comes in at a really reasonable $44.99 / £39.99 / AU$59.

Read our full GameSir X2s Type-C review

Backbone One 2nd Gen
If you have a little bit more money to invest, the Backbone One 2nd Gen is an easy choice. Its buttons feel great, while its D-pad is super smooth to use and both are really responsive, making rapid taps in twitch gaming much easier. And the neat magnetic adapters included allow it to comfortably fit most phones in their cases, meaning your phone is no longer unprotected when gaming on the go.

Read our full Backbone One 2nd Gen review

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the GameSir Pocket Taco

• Tested over the course of a week
• Tried it out on a variety of handsets, operating systems, and games
• I play way too many retro handheld games

I used the GameSir Pocket Taco over the course of a week. Not only did I download the GameSir app and try out all of its features and settings, but I also paired the device with both an iOS and an Android-powered handset: the iPhone 16 Pro and the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro.

When it comes to software, I used the GameSir Pocket Taco with multiple native games on iOS and Android. I also set it up with several highly rated emulators to see how compatible they were with the Pocket Taco’s screen coverage.

In terms of my own experience, I’ve been testing and reviewing gadgets for many years. I’m an avid handheld gamer, regularly playing on my Steam Deck, Switch 2, and iPhone 16 Pro. I’m also a keen retro gamer — I’ve completed games like Chrono Trigger and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap more times than is strictly good for me.

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

I tried out the GameSir Pocket Taco, a vertical mobile controller that’s fun on paper but marred by its muddled execution.

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