TechRadar Reviews

Motorola Razr Fold: Two-minute review

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

The Motorola Razr Fold 2026 is the perfect foldable flagship phone entry, as seen through a funhouse mirror. Everything approaches perfection, but then veers off in another slightly oddball direction.

Take the design. It is one of the thinnest folding phones out there, but only if you ignore the massive camera plateau that appears to rise up a solid half inch off the back. The cover screen is larger than, say, what you'll find on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, but it has this dated waterfall-glass design that trades the flat plane I prefer for four slightly curved edges.

It offers a lot of high-megapixel cameras, even on the main screen and cover screen selfie cameras, but the photo quality, while good, is not as sharp and true as you would expect for a smartphone hovering near the two-grand range.

It supports a Bluetooth digital pen — something the Galaxy Z Fold 7 can no longer claim — but stores it in a cigar-sized charging case that might draw unwanted attention in your pocket.

Even the colors, which are lovely, get a left turn thanks to one name in particular: Pantone Blackened Blue.

All that said, I like this foldable. It has enough power, versatility, and intelligence (Gemini and Moto AI) to satisfy the most discerning foldable fan. There's even some ground-breaking technology on board in the form of silicon-carbon batteries — a first for one of the major smartphone brands in the US. The new chemistry enables more power and longer battery life in less space. It's probably why I got at least two days of battery life per charge.

All in all, this is an impressive first full-foldable try for Motorola and certainly makes the Razr foldable series one to watch.

Motorola Razr Fold review: Price & availability

• Starts at $1,899.99 / £1,799.99 (AU$ not yet announced) for 512GB of storage and 16GB RAM
• Available in Pantone Blackened Blue and Pantone Lily White

The Motorola Razr Fold was unveiled on April 28 alongside a range of Razr Flip foldables.

While not cheap by any means, the Motorola Razr Fold 2026 does, at $$1,899.99 / £1,799.99, undercut the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 by about $100 / £100. It ships in one configuration: 516GB of storage with 16G of RAM. What makes it an even greater value, though, is the pre-order bundle that adds the very useful Moto Pen Ultra, a writing, drawing, and annotation tool that significantly increases the smartphone's utility. The Pen will cost $99.99 / £99.99 as an accessory.

Pre-orders start on May 14, and the phone ships on June 21. There are two color options: Pantone Blackened Blue and Pantone Lily White. I do wish someone had thought a little harder about that first color name. At least it's quite attractive in person.

Motorola Razr Fold 2026 pricing

Storage

US Price

UK Price

AU Price

512GB

$1,899.99

£1,799.99

NA

• Value score: 4 / 5

Motorola Razr Fold review: SpecsMotorola Razr Fold specifications

Dimensions:

Open: 160.5 x 144.46 x 4.55mm
Closed: 160.5 x 76.6 x 9.89mm

Weight:

243g

Inner Display:

8.1-inch AMOLED

Outer Display:

6.6-inch AMOLED

Chipset:

Qualcomm Sanpdragon 8 Gen 5

RAM:

16GB

Storage:

512GB

OS:

Android 16

Main cameras

50MP wide; 50MP ultra wide; 50MP 3X telephoto zoom

Selfie camera:

20MP

Internal selfie camera

32MP

Battery:

6,000 mAh

Charging:

80W wired; Qi wireless

Colors:

Blackened Blue, Lily White

Motorola Razr Fold review: DesignLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / Future

• Thin and relatively light
• The camera plateau is huge
• The etched back feels good and erases all concerns about it slipping from your hand

Out in the wild, the Motorola Razr Fold 2026 is the flexible phone most likely to draw quizzical stares and commentary. They look sideways at the camera bump, but are drawn to the otherwise elegant body. "Do you like it?" they ask with some concern.

I can tell that they, like me, are not entirely sure. The phone telegraphs "thin and light," but when you hold it, it seems a bit more substantial. Even the numbers don't tell the full story.

Folded, the Razr Fold is 160.5 x 76.6 x 9.89mm. That's slightly larger and thicker than the Galaxy Z Fold 7. The unfolded numbers are similarly upscaled a bit. But none of it accounts for the big, tall, and square camera bump. If you lay the phone down on the camera side, it tips up at a considerable angle. That camera array also accounts for the weight, which at 243g is 28 grams heavier than the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

I know, it might seem unfair to constantly compare the Motorola Razr Fold 2026 to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, but for me, the latter represents the pinnacle of folding phone design. It's not perfect (I hated losing pen compatibility), but the sum of its parts adds up to the best foldable on the market. It's the benchmark Motorola must meet or beat to play in this arguably small market space (until Apple's iPhone fold comes along).

Aside from the bump atop the otherwise pleasing "diamond piqué-inspired" back finish, this is an attractive and solidly built folding phone. This smoothly-operating hinge is small and unobtrusive, and the handset unfolds to a virtually flat plane.

Overall, the Razr Fold features some quality engineering and tolerances, as evidenced by the virtually non-existent gap between the two screen halves when folded.

It's also a durable phone with Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 on the cover display. Like most other foldables, the Motorola Razr Fold is IP48-rated, meaning it can handle 30 minutes in a few feet of water (a big deal for any phone with so many moving parts). There's no real protection for debris like sand. If I take my foldable to the beach, it's always in a protective pouch.

There are the typical volume buttons on one thin side, right above the power/sleep button that also doubles as an effective fingerprint reader. (so far, I've registered my index finger and thumb for the different ways I use the handset) If you long-press it, it summons Gemini, a feature I used more than once, and, yes, the phone supports Gemini Live.

Multiple microphones are arrayed around the frame, and there are speakers (yes, the Bose-backed speakers can get very loud) at the top and bottom. On the base is the USB-C port and a SIM slot.

There is one more knurled button opposite the volume pair. Its job is to summon the other on-board AIs, which include Perplexity and Microsoft's Copilot. It seems that every smartphone must include not just one or two AI but at least three to qualify as "AI phones". I can only imagine how this confuses less tech-savvy users.

• Design score: 5 / 5

Motorola Razr Fold review: Displays

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

• 6.6-inch inner display
• 8.1-inch outer display
• Both are 120Hz-capable

The Motorola Razr Fold 2026 offers a pair of excellent displays. The 6.6-inch cover display is indistinguishable from a standard flagship display. Despite being slightly larger, it matches the Galaxy Z Fold 7's cover display resolution (2520x1080 pixels) and even uses essentially the same AMOLED screen technology.

I don't love the waterfall glass design, but I do otherwise like looking at this high-resolution and smooth (up to 120Hz) adaptive display. Motorola rates both displays at 6,000 nits peak brightness, but our Future Labs tests found the numbers considerably lower.

This doesn't mean the screens are dim, far from it. Instead, a peak nit rating is about operating in direct sunlight when your phone is doing all it can to stay visible. In my anecdotal testing, say, using the maps out on the streets, I found the screen fully viewable.

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

The 8.1-inch main or flexible display is bigger and, at 2484x 2232 pixels, offers higher resolution than the Galaxy Z Fold 7. It's a lovely, up to 120Hz AMOLED screen with the added benefit of accepting pen input, which may be one reason it's slightly thicker than the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

My test unit arrived with the optional $99.99 Moto Pen Ultra, and despite the ridiculous-looking, cigar-sized charging case, I highly recommend it.

I used the pen for annotations, writing search queries that the onboard AI did an excellent job interpreting, and drawing. However, while the display can handle pen input and is pressure sensitive, the screen will gently warn you if you are pressing too hard and running the risk of damaging the display.

Since everyone asks, Motorola has done a good job with the crease. It's still visible when the screen is off, and you can feel it with your finger, but I challenge anyone to notice it when playing a full-screen game, taking pictures, viewing photos, or otherwise using the Razr Fold. I did feel the crease a bit when I was drawing, but again, it did not impede the "quality" of my work.

Lance Ulanoff / FutureLane Ulanoff / FutureLane Ulanoff / Future

• Displays score: 5 / 5

Motorola Razr Fold review: Cameras

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

I may not love the camera array, but the Razr Fold 2026 does have an impressive collection of lenses (including the in-display ones):

• 50MP main camera
• 50MP ultra-wide camera
• 50MP periscope telephoto (3x optical zoom)
• 32MP internal front camera
• 20MP external front camera

Obviously, I can find foldables with higher megapixel counts, including a 200MP camera on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Still, the main array's collection of 50MP shooters across three shooting styles is pleasantly consistent. And, for what it's worth, no one shoots in full megapixel formats. The majority of us shoot in binned mode, which means we usually capture 12MP images with 4 pixels-worth of information per megapixel.

Motorola's cameras, including the selfie cameras on the main and cover displays, all take high-quality images. The colors are rich, and the clarity is good.

Overall, though, there is an unnaturalness to the palette. I think this is down to the on-board image-processing (which has an AI assist). It's doing too much, making the blues too blue and the greens almost dayglo.

As for the sharpness, the images look good up to 100 percent, but closer examination beyond that, at, say, 200%, shows a sharp breakdown in quality. I just think Motorola's image pipeline needs some tuning.

3X zoom is nice to have, though if you're building in periscope technology, why not stretch it to 5X? I have no use for 100X Super Zoom, which is a digital approximation of what they systme thinks you should be seeing. None of these hyper-zoomed images holds up to scrutiny.

Lance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / Future

Landscape, portraits, city views, and still lifes all look good. There's admirable performance on low-light images, macro with the ultra-wide is impressive, and portrait mode is solid. However, I did see some weird imperfections where the system couldn't neatly separate me from my bokeh background.

I like that both selfie cameras have relatively high megapixel counts, but like any good folding phone, the Razr Fold lets you shoot a selfie using the best camera (50MP Main). It's an easy-to-access setting in the camera app that puts the viewfinder on the cover screen, so when you hold the unfolded phone with the main camera array facing you, you can also see how you look in the frame and snap the picture with the on-screen digital shutter button.

The phone also shoots 4K video up to 60fps and 8K video up to 30fps. All of it, by the way, is shot with Dolby Vision. On the phone, it looks really good. Sadly, I found I had trouble editing the videos in PowerDirector.

• Camera score: 3.5 / 5

Motorola Razr Fold review: Camera samplesLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureMotorola Razr Fold review: Software

• Moto AI isn't all useful, but shows potential
• Neat splitscreen features

As an Android 16 phone, this is a relatively clean build with none of Samsung's insistence on duplicating core apps like the Gallery and Web Browser. But it does arrive stuffed with AI options, including ChatGPT, Copilot, Perplexity, and, of course, Gemini.

(Image credit: Moto AI)

Not to be outdone, there's also Moto AI, which even includes its own Image Studio. Using the Moto Pen Ultra, I wrote that I wanted: an image of two dogs playing pickleball in front of a crowd.

I quickly noticed how, unlike say, the Image Playground in Apple Intelligence, Moto AI Image Studio was happy to give realism a try. Sadly, it took one paddle-weilding paw and stuck it in the furry chest of one dog. The faces of crowd members were also horrifying. By the way, the Moto AI image generation is not an unlimited tool. You get a limited number of image credits per day. They refresh every evening.

Generally, though, this is a very Google-centric phone with home screen access to Gemini, Google One, Google Meet, Chrome, and more.

When you open the phone to access the 8.1-inch display, you get extra features that take advantage of the screen real estate, like split screen and freeform, which let you run up to three apps on the screen at once.

FutureLance Ulanoff / Future

I also found that I could use splitscreen with the phone set up in an L-shaped hybrid desktop. So the bottom half of the screen becomes the place to adjust settings, and the top half is the app screen you see. It's also a cool, hands-free way to watch Netflix.

As I mentioned, there's a lot of AI in here, and while the Moto AI stuff isn't all useful, it shows potential. Catch-up will help you quickly figure out what you missed or should be doing right now, but it only works if you let the system access your personal data. The same goes for the Remember This Moto AI feature, which is basically an AI-powered Reminder system.

I don't see much reason to use Perplexity or Copilot, not when I have Gemini on board, which is as effective here as it's been on any other system.

• Software score: 4 / 5

Motorola Razr Fold review: Performance

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset
• 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage as standard

Motorola was smart to stick Qualcomm's excellent Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 (backed by 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage) inside its first full-fold flagship. It's not Qualcomm's latest and greatest chip (that accolade goes to the similarly-named Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5), but it can be thought of as the Android equivalent of Apple’s A18 chipset (which is still plenty powerful, albeit a rung below the top-end A18 Pro).

In practical operation, this is a peppy phone. Multiple apps run smoothly. Gaming in Asphalt: Legends and PUBG is a joy (yes, I connected Bluetooth headphones so as not to disturb my coworkers), and AI operations are generally quite fast.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Motorola Razr Fold review: Battery

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

• 6,000mAh battery yields two days of use
• First silicon-carbon battery in the US mobile market

At 6,000mAh, the Motorola Razr Fold features one of the largest batteries we've seen in the folding space, but it's the chemistry that counts here. This is the first silicon-carbon battery in the US mobile market, and it brings with it some special capabilities.

First of all, it has those milli-amp hours, but still fits in a thin folding frame. Secondly, it's more efficient, and third, it can recharge with an 80W charger. Though it ships with only a USB-C cable, and I didn't have a charger on hand, my anecdotal battery tests left me impressed.

Okay, our Future Labs tests put battery life between 14 and 16 hours. That's not bad for a dual-screen foldable, but in my more varied use, I got at least two days per charge: the Razr Fold seemed to just sip battery power.

Your mileage may vary, but for me, this was a real highlight of my tests.

• Battery score: 5 / 5

Should you buy the Motorola Razr Fold?Motorola Razr Fold scorecard

Value

Not cheap but does undercut the best foldable in the space

4/5

Design

Relatively thin and light, but the massive camera array and slightly curved screen are turn-offs

5/5

Display

Two excellent displays full of sharp imagery, fast performance, and lots of versatility. Pen support is a definite plus.

5/5

Cameras

Lots of high-megapixel cameras but image processing needs some work

3.5/5

Software

Not too much bloat and access to all the right Google tools. Too much AI, probably. Is Moto AI worth it? Almost.

4/5

Performance

A powerful Qualcomm chip backed by lots of RAM; what more could you ask for?

4.5/5

Battery

New silicon-carbon technology makes for a thin phone with really good battery life.

5/5

Buy it if...

You want a thin flagship foldable that supports pen input
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is thinner and lighter, but it doesn't support pen input like this.

You like an AI-infused folding phone
The Motorola Razr Fold has a lot of AI, including Moto AI.

You’re not a Samsung fan and can't wait for Apple's iPhone Fold
This is a good folding phone and should support all your work and play needs.

Don't buy it if...

You were looking for an elegant design
The Motorola Razr Fold is an acquired taste. That camera bump is a true plateau, and some may not like the curved cover display.

You want to pay a lot less for a foldable
The Motorola Razr is a bit cheaper, but it will still set you back.

You want the best cameras
The Motorola Razr Fold has the right number of megapixels, but the image pipeline needs work.

Also consider

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
If you want a foldable that actually has great cameras, try the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, though you’ll also pay dearly for that privilege.

Read our in-depth Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review

Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold gets by on great looks, charming software personality, and a more durable build than any other foldable on the market.

Read our in-depth Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold review

Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7

Price

$1,799 / £1,749 / AU$2,699

$1,999.99 / £1,799 / AU$2,899

Display(s)

6.4-inch OLED
8-inch OLED

6.5-inch LTPO AMOLED
8-inch LTPO AMOLED

Main Camera

48MP, f/1.7, 0.5-inch sensor

200MP, f/1.7, 0.76-inch sensor

Battery Test Results (HH:MM:SS)

12:16:31

10:44:44

How I tested the Motorola Razr Fold

I spent a week with the Motorola Razr Fold 2026, carrying it with me everywhere and using it in a. variety of scenarios. I used a combination of my own benchmarks and battery rundown tests, and those from Future labs.

I've been a journalist for 40 years, writing about technology for 37 years, and have covered mobile phones for 25 years.

First reviewed May, 2026

Motorola Razr 2025: One-minute review

(Image credit: Nirave Gondhia)

If you’re looking for the best folding phone in terms of value for money, the Razr 2025 is a sleeper hit that you shouldn’t skip out on. Although it’s not the best flip phone you can buy right now (that accolade goes to the Galaxy Z Flip 7 or pricier Razr Ultra 2025), it delivers a great experience at a much lower price than its premium rivals.

What's more, when you consider that its newly announced successor, the Razr 2026, costs more than the Razr 2025 did at launch, Motorola's previous-generation flip phone continues to look appealing almost 12 months after its initial release — not least because it's available at a substantial discount at the time of writing.

The Razr 2025 (which is known as the Razr 60 in certain regions) offers Motorola's core flip phone experience without the bells and whistles of the Razr Ultra. There are definitely trade-offs for its lower price — its two rear cameras definitely fall into the 'good, not great' category, and its MediaTek Dimensity 7400X chipset is decidedly mid-range — but while most phones age poorly a year or two later, the Razr 2025 remains one of the best-value flip phones you can buy, especially if style is your priority.

The World Cup edition (which I used to write this review) adds a little more uniqueness and pizazz to the Razr 2025 package with a textured eco-leather finish, but it’s ostensibly the same great experience you’ll find in the non-FIFA edition. It also comes at no additional cost, which is refreshing to see.

Motorola Razr 2025 review: price and availability

(Image credit: Nirave Gondhia)

• Launched for $699 / £799 on May 15, 2025
• Can currently be bought for significantly less
• Not available in Australia

At launch, the Razr 2025 cost $699 / £799 for 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, but it can now be bought for significantly less at third-party retailers like Amazon. The newer Razr 2026 (or Razr 70), by comparison, costs $799 / £799, which marks a $100 price increase in the US.

Then there’s the confusingly named Razr FIFA World Cup 26 Edition, which is a special, themed version of the Razr 2025 with identical specs. Although it was expected to be more expensive than the base model, Motorola is offering it at the same price. Better yet, at the time of writing, Motorola is running a promotion in the US that means the Razr FIFA World Cup 26 Edition costs just $600, making it $200 cheaper than the base Razr 2026. You'll also get a Moto Watch, Moto Buds Loop, and a Moto Tag thrown in for free, which is quite simply incredible value.

The Razr FIFA World Cup 26 Edition features green vegan leather, the FIFA World Cup 26 logo imprinted on the back in gold, and unique touches to the frame above the cover display. If you’re not a soccer fan, there are also a few beautiful other colors to choose from with the regular Razr 60: Gibraltar Sea (blue eco-leather), Parfait Pink, Spring Bud (the same as the FIFA World Cup 26 Edition without the branding), and Lightest Sky (white).

The cost of RAM and storage has skyrocketed in the AI era, which is a reality that's affected the price of the new Razr 2026 lineup. The FIFA World Cup Edition of the Razr 2025, meanwhile, doesn’t have a premium price tag, which is especially surprising given that World Cup-branded products usually attract a markup.

• Value score: 5 / 5

Motorola Razr 2025 review: specsMotorola Razr 2025 specs

Dimensions:

Open: 74 x 171.3 x 7.3mm / Closed: 74 x 88.1 x 15.9mm

Weight:

188g

Display:

Main display:
6.9-inch, foldable pOLED 1080 x 2640 pixels, 413 ppi
HDR10+, 120Hz, 3,000 nits peak brightness

Cover display:
3.5-inch AMOLED 1056 x 1066 pixels, 413 ppi
HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 90Hz, 1,700 nits peak brightness

Chipset:

MediaTek Dimensity 7400X

RAM:

8GB RAM

Storage:

256GB UFS 2.2

OS:

Android 16

Primary camera:

50MP, f/1.7
1/1.95-inch sensor
PDAF, OIS

Ultra-wide camera:

13MP, f/2.2, 120°
1/3-inch sensor, AF

Selfie camera:

32MP, f/2.4
1/3.14-inch sensor

Battery:

4,5000mAh

Charging:

30W wired, 15W wireless

Colors:

Spring Bud / FIFA World Cup Edition (green), Gibraltar Sea (blue), Parfait Pink (pink), Lightest Sky (white)

Motorola Razr 2025 review: design

(Image credit: Nirave Gondhia)

• Razr Ultra-rivaling design
• Lightweight and premium-feeling
• Eco-leather finish

If you’ve used any Razr over the past few years, the Razr 2025 will be instantly familiar.

Motorola is incredibly consistent in the experience it offers in its flip phones, and aside from some slight adjustments due to the slightly smaller cover display on the Razr 2025, the experience is essentially identical to that of the more premium, much more expensive Razr Ultra 2025. In fact, Motorola’s consistency is such that last year’s Razr 2025 offers the same design experience as this year’s premium Razr Ultra 2026.

Measuring 7.3mm thick when unfolded and 15.99mm when folded, the Razr 2025 isn’t the thinnest or lightest phone on the market, but at 188g, it’s surprisingly light in the pocket. The eco-leather finishes on the rear provide a lot of welcome grip that you would otherwise need a case for on another phone, and I love that Motorola hasn’t opted for safe colors; vibrant colors have instead become a signature of the Razr lineup.

For many phones, the base model would only offer boring colors like black and white, with plastic or non–premium finishes. The Razr 2025 is different; while it doesn’t have the same premium finishes as the Razr Ultra — namely Alcantara leather and reclaimed wood — it still feels as premium in the hand thanks to the eco-leather.

Like the rest of the Razr 2025 and Razr 2026 lineups, the Razr 2025 has IP48 dust and water protection, meaning it’ll survive being submerged in 1 meter of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. In other words, it won’t break if you get caught in a rainshower, and over the past year, I’ve had no concerns about its durability; I’ve even inadvertently dropped it, and it’s survived absolutely fine.

• Design score: 5 / 5

Motorola Razr 2025 review: display

(Image credit: Nirave Gondhia)

• 3.5-inch AMOLED cover display (90Hz)
• 6.9-inch OLED inner display (120Hz)

One of the most obvious tradeoffs between the Razr Ultra 2025 and the base Razr 2025 is the display. However, that statement comes with a key caveat: although it’s definitely a downgrade over the more premium model, it doesn’t detract from the overall experience, as both the cover display and the main display still offer great specs.

You’ll immediately notice the key differences between the Razr models when you look at the front: the Razr 2025 has a smaller 3.6-inch cover display than its pricier sibling. However, this is the same one used in the more-expensive-but-not-top-of-the-line Razr Plus 2024, and while it’s 0.4 inches smaller than the Razr Ultra's screen, it offers a near-identical viewing experience.

It’s worth noting that the 90Hz refresh rate of the Razr 2025's outer display is lower than the 165Hz refresh rate found on the outer display of other Razr devices, although you’d be hard-pressed to truly notice this gap. In many ways, it’s easy to forget that the Razr 2025's cover screen isn’t as technologically capable, especially as it’s extremely well-optimized from a software point of view.

Unfold the Razr 2025, and you get the same 6.9-inch display found on the Razr Plus, except it’s limited to 120Hz, versus 165Hz on its siblings. However, this isn’t really a limitation as it’s on par with the displays used by the best phones, which generally only offer a refresh rate of up to 120Hz.

• Display score: 4 / 5

Motorola Razr 2025 review: cameras

(Image credit: Nirave Gondhia)

• 50MP main sensor
• 13MP ultra-wide lens
• Good, but not great, camera performance

Like its siblings, the Razr 2025 features two cameras, but naturally, this cheaper model comes with some trade-offs. However, they aren’t as big as you might think.

The 50MP wide camera features an f/1.7 aperture, a 25mm focal length, and dual-pixel phase detection autofocus (PDAF), and is the same as the one found in the Razr 2025's more expensive siblings. Like many of the best smartphone cameras, it uses an in-sensor crop to offer a 2x optical-quality zoom that’s generally good enough for most situations, but as some of my photos show, it can also be somewhat hit-and-miss depending on the overall scene.

The phone's 13MP ultra-wide camera also features a macro mode for close-up shots, and while it could be improved, it’s on par with the ultra-wide camera used in the more expensive Galaxy Z Flip 7. It does feel like an afterthought, but it’s particularly useful for taking group selfies. However, its position to the right of the two cameras and the wide 120° field of view mean you can inadvertently end up with the edges of your palm in the photo.

Selfies are where all Razr models shine, and the Razr 2025 is no different. The form factor makes it my favorite for group photos, and while the camera isn’t the best overall — and lacks the telephoto and polish of flip phones like the Honor Magic V2 Flip — it can take selfies that are vibrant and genuinely surprising.

Case in point? When the opportunity arose to take a selfie with Paris Hilton after her set during the Razr 2026 launch, the Razr FIFA World Cup 2026 Edition didn’t disappoint.

One of my favorite Razr features is the double-twist-to-launch, which lets you twist your wrist twice to quickly launch the camera. It works very well on the Razr 2025, albeit a tad more slowly than the equivalent motion on its siblings. That said, you can easily launch the camera and snap a photo within a couple of seconds.

Overall, then, the Razr 2025 isn’t the best camera phone by any stretch, but it is more than good enough for most people, and punches considerably above its weight given its price.

Motorola Razr 2025 review: camera samplesNirave GondhiaNirave GondhiaNirave GondhiaNirave GondhiaNirave GondhiaNirave GondhiaNirave GondhiaNirave Gondhia

(Image credit: Nirave Gondhia)

• Camera score: 3.5 / 5

Motorola Razr 2025 review: performance

(Image credit: Nirave Gondhia)

• MediaTek Dimensity 7400X chipset is fine for streaming and scrolling
• ... but it struggles while gaming and switching apps

The lower price of the Razr 2025 means Motorola had to make some cutbacks somewhere, and these cutbacks are most obvious in the phone's underlying performance. However, as with the display, its lower specs are only immediately noticeable when compared to those of the best flagship phones, and for the most part, the Razr 2025 offers decent performance.

The Razr 2025 is powered by the Dimensity 7400X processor, paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. While performance is smooth in general day-to-day usage, there is a noticeable slowdown under heavy use that doesn’t occur on the best phones, including slight stutters when gaming or quickly switching apps.

One thing that may prove frustrating over time is the phone's slower UFS 2.2 storage, which means it’s noticeably slower than its siblings at loading games or performing other resource-intensive tasks. However, this is only during the initial load of these apps, with in-app and gaming performance still smooth enough.

There are other trade-offs worth mentioning, including a lack of Wi-Fi 7, but these are all just nice-to-have features. Like the rest of the Razr 2025 experience, the underlying performance offers everything you need without the bells and whistles of a flagship phone, but you’ll be hard-pressed to notice these differences unless you actually look for them. The biggest surprise for me has not been the missing polish in the Razr 2025's performance, but how little I actually noticed it. If you can look beyond the specs sheet, there’s a strong chance you’ll find the same.

• Performance score: 3 / 5

Motorola Razr 2025 review: software

(Image credit: Nirave Gondhia)

• Runs Android 16 out of the box
• Motorola's cover screen optimization is the best around

Motorola has absolutely nailed its foldable software. In just four years, the company has built and refined its cover screen software in particular, and the result is that all Razr models offer a premium experience, even this entry-level model.

The Razr 2025's cover screen offers the same size and experience as the Razr Plus from 2024, and what sets it apart is the ability to use the front display as a small phone. This is core to Motorola’s flip phone approach, and is distinctly different from the competition, as every other flip phone only offers a curated selection of apps and widgets on the cover display — or, in the case of Samsung, requires several steps to enable any app to work on the front screen — but Motorola offers the best of both worlds.

The front screen is organized into a series of panels, each with specific use cases. The communications panel lets you set up one-tap shortcuts to contact your favorite people or perform common actions. This isn’t limited to regular apps; it also works across third-party apps, such as sending a Telegram message, making a WhatsApp call, or even posting to Instagram stories, all with one tap. There’s also a calendar that displays your upcoming schedule, and a weather panel.

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Then there are the apps and widgets panels, both of which allow the Razr 2025 to be a fantastic mini phone. You can add up to three panels full of as many apps and shortcuts as you like, and up to three more panels of the same widgets you’d use on your homescreen. These are not slimmed-down widgets like you’ll find on other phones, but the full, interactive widgets the app developer envisioned.

Then there’s gaming, and Motorola has preloaded several games onto the Razr 2025 from GameSnacks, a Google company, that make the Razr 2025 even more fun to use. Since the Razr reboot, they’ve become my favorite phones simply because it's so addictive and easy to game on their front screens. Yes, you won’t be running the latest AAA games on the front screen, but if you want something to pass the time and play one-handed while you’re in a queue, the Razr 2025 is the ultimate phone for it. One core downside, however, is that these games won’t work while you’re offline, such as when you’re on a flight without Wi-Fi.

Go beyond the cover screen, and the rest of the Razr 2025's software is equally great. It offers the core Android experience you’ll find on Google’s Pixel range, with a few Moto Actions that add features every phone should copy (the aforementioned double-twist-to-launch gesture, for example). There’s also Moto AI, and while the Razr 2025 ships with Gemini as the default voice assistant, it's also preloaded with Perplexity and Microsoft Copilot, should you wish to use something else.

• Software score: 5 / 5

Motorola Razr 2025 review: battery life

(Image credit: Nirave Gondhia)

• 4,500mAh silicon-carbon battery yields around 1.5 days of use

Motorola deserves particular credit for consistently improving its batteries, and the Razr 2025 is no different. The phone's 4,500mAh silicon-carbon battery is 300mAh larger than that of the Razr 2024, and just 200mAh smaller than the battery inside the Razr Ultra 2025. But thanks to its smaller displays and less powerful processor, the Razr 2025 offers the best battery life I’ve experienced on a Razr.

For the most part, it’s on par with last year’s Razr Ultra, but for many people, it could prove to be even better, despite the considerable price difference between the two models.

Over the past two weeks with the FIFA World Cup 26 Edition, it’s never drained to empty in a single day, with most full charges lasting between 1.5 and 2 days of usage. The cover screen is so capable that I often use the front screen rather than the main display, which further extends battery life for most use cases.

Motorola doesn’t tell you exact usage and screen time between the cover and main displays, but my best guess is that it offers approximately seven to nine hours of screen time across both screens on a single charge.

When the battery runs low, the phone's 30W wired charging will recharge it to full in about 75 minutes. That’s not the fastest, but it’s only 15 minutes slower than the Razr Ultra 2025, despite the latter’s larger battery and much faster 68W charging. In comparison, the flagship Galaxy Z Flip 7 costs more and offers 25W ‘Superfast’ charging that takes around 90 minutes to fully charge the smaller 4,000 mAh battery, so Motorola deserves considerable credit here.

• Battery score: 5 / 5

Should you buy the Motorola Razr 2025?

(Image credit: Nirave Gondhia)Motorola Razr 2025 scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

Motorola's Razr design is tried-and-tested, and absolutely wonderful. The FIFA World Cup Edition has a unique additional texture compared to the other colors.

5 / 5

Display

Aside from a smaller front display and a few cutbacks, this is an excellent all-around screen. No major compromises here.

4 / 5

Performance

This is where the Razr falls short as the Dimensity 7400X isn't the same processor you'll find in flagships.

3 / 5

Camera

The cameras are more than capable but somewhat inconsistent. Definitely not the best camera phone, but not the worst either.

3.5 / 5

Battery

Outstanding battery life that's on par with the best flip phones and won't disappoint.

5 / 5

Software

Motorola has tasteful software that truly addresses the problems and shortcomings of Android as a whole. It's just brilliant.

5 / 5

Value

Virtually the same phone as the Razr 2026, but cheaper and with better RAM and storage options. One year after release, this phone offers even more value for money.

5 / 5

Buy it if...

You don’t need the absolute best performance
This phone doesn’t have the latest and greatest Snapdragon processor, but that doesn’t affect daily usage. For the most part, it offers more-than-good-enough all-around performance for most people.

You don’t need the absolute best specs.
The Razr 2025's lower price means some tradeoffs are necessary, but you’d be hard-pressed to notice (most of) them. For the most part, the Razr 2025 offers the same great experience as the Razr Ultra at just over half the price.

You want a unique soccer-branded flip phone
If you want something to serve as a memento of this year’s upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 in the US, Canada, and Mexico, this is one of the more unique options, especially in the beautiful green finish.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best flip phone that money can buy
If money is no object, don’t buy the Razr 2025. The lower price comes with some trade-offs, and there are definitely better choices out there, though they come with a premium price tag.

You need the best camera
If photography is important to you, the camera on the Razr 2025 might be slightly disappointing. Yes, it’s very capable — even in low-light, as my selfie with Paris Hilton showed — but other phones have better cameras.

You want premium finishes like leather and wood
If the array of Razr 2025 colors isn’t for you but you like the Motorola experience, the Razr Ultra comes in premium finishes, including reclaimed wood and Alcantara leather.

Motorola Razr 2025 review: also consider

The Razr 2025 is a great all-around flip phone, but it's not the only choice.

Motorola Razr Ultra 2025
If you want a flip phone, look no further than the Motorola Razr Ultra. It offers everything the Razr 2025 does, but it addresses all the small disappointments. There’s just one key problem — the price; the Razr Ultra costs almost twice as much as the Razr 2025.

Read our full Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 review

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7
If you'd rather look beyond the Motorola experience, the obvious choice is the Galaxy Z Flip 7, but Samsung’s best flip phone doesn’t offer the same polished cover screen experience you’ll find on the Razr 2025.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 review

How I tested the Motorola Razr 2025

• Review test period = 2 weeks
• Testing included = Everyday usage, including navigation, web browsing, social media, photography, gaming, streaming video, music playback, and reading e-books.
• Tools used = Geekbench 6, 3DMark, CellMark, native Android stats

I’ve used the Motorola Razr 2025 extensively over the past year, but for this review, I also used the FIFA World Cup 2026 limited edition for a couple of weeks, both while traveling and at home on Wi-Fi.

During my time testing the Razr 2025, I used it as my primary phone with dual eSIMs, one for a roaming carrier. My usage included everything from navigating using Android Auto and streaming video to reading books, playing games, and making and receiving phone calls.

First reviewed: May 2026

Forza Horizon 6 is the long-awaited latest entry in Playground Games’ open-world racing game series — and there’s a lot that’s been riding on this one. Many, myself included, found Forza Horizon 5 to be underwhelming. After that, Forza Motorsport — while decent at release — suffered from an array of glitches and poor post-launch updates.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PC
Available on: Xbox Series X|S, PC (coming to PS5 in 2026)
Release date: May 19, 2026

Even though it’s operating well within the series’ trappings, Forza Horizon 6 is a breath of fresh air. The setting of Japan doesn’t disappoint, with impressively varied biomes and sublime vistas. From Tokyo City to the Japanese Alps and the gorgeous countryside and quaint little villages dotted in-between, there’s a ton of brilliant environmental design to marvel at.

The game’s race events are greatly helped by this variety. The usual selection of road, dirt, cross-country, and street racing events is all still here. But clever routing and vehicle categorization make almost all of them feel one-of-a-kind. There are even a handful of purpose-built circuits and drag strips, with their own time attack events and leader boards.

The solo experience is by and large excellent, but Forza Horizon 6 does a much better job than its predecessors at encouraging you to enter multiplayer spaces. A new recommended event menu highlights ongoing multiplayer activities like Eliminator and playlist events. Car Meet locations let you hang out with players to check out their cars or start lobbies. Plus, fully customizable garages and an entire compound for you to build on are huge wins for the more creatively-minded players out there.

My favorite new addition, though, has to be the aftermarket cars you can find dotted about the map. These always have more oomph than stock vehicles you can buy in the showroom, and often come with unique aero or livery touches.

Throw in some of the best Horizon Showcase events to date and a further refinement of that wonderful ‘simcade’ handling, and you have what is the best Forza Horizon game to date. No small feat when the third and fourth entries in particular were so great back in the day.

I do have the odd qualm or two. Voiced side characters are still pretty one-dimensional, but decidedly less insufferable in this game. I’ve spotted some visual oddities, too, like NPC vehicles duplicating themselves occasionally when you rewind after a crash, or the camera freaking out a bit if you drive under a low-enough surface but overall, Forza Horizon 6 has been more than worth the wait.

Place, Japan

(Image credit: Microsoft)

If you know one thing about Forza Horizon 6, it’ll be that it’s taken the open-world racing formula to Japan. Japan, by Playground Games’ own admission, has been the most-requested setting for a Horizon game among the fanbase. So the pressure to not disappoint said fans must’ve been palpable.

Fortunately for us, the developer has delivered one of the most striking, impeccably-designed open worlds I’ve seen in any game — let alone within the racing genre. Some of my previous favorites have been Forza Horizon 4’s United Kingdom, and The Crew Motorfest’s Hawaii but I think Forza Horizon 6’s Japan is more compelling than both in variety, level design, and just plain looks.

Virtual tourists will find much to love here. The sweeping highways, luscious countryside, temples and shrines off the beaten path, radio stations, quaint gardens and villages, docks, the coastline, and the Japanese alps off to the north. It’s seriously impressive just how much variety Playground Games has placed into a map that in reality isn’t all that much larger than Forza Horizon 5’s Mexico.

There are plenty of real-world locations to discover, too. Tokyo City is the most obvious, and it’s massive. It’s a real visual treat, with tons of winding slow-speed corners and subtle back alleys. You’ll spot some iconic landmarks here, too, such as Tokyo Tower and the Shibuya Scramble. Beyond the city, you’ll find plenty of iconic racing spots like the Daikoku Parking Area, the C1 loop, and yes, even Mt. Haruna where you can attempt intense touge race battles.

Really, the only glaring omission I can think of is Mt. Fuji. It does loom in the background, looking mightily impressive, but you can’t actually go there in-game. It's rather baffling considering the mountain and its surroundings featured prominently in Horizon 6’s original reveal trailer. Maybe it’s a location Playground Games is saving for a DLC expansion? We’ll have to wait and see.

Let's go away

(Image credit: Microsoft)

If you’re familiar with the series, Forza Horizon 6 doesn’t change up the campaign structure too much, but there are some notable tweaks.

Your main goal in the campaign is to obtain higher tiers of wristband by participating in road, dirt, and cross-country races. And if you fancy a break from those, smaller activities like speed traps and danger zone jumps contribute to your campaign progress, too.

Each wristband tier is bookended by showcase events, which act as nice palette cleansers and set piece marvels. Showcases in this game aren’t my favorite in the series, but it’s hard not to grin from ear to ear when you’re racing a giant mech while Ado’s New Genesis blasts from your car stereo.

Best bit

(Image credit: Microsoft)

I'm in love with Forza Horizon 6's aftermarket car system. You'll find these dotted across the game's giant map, and are often seriously souped-up versions of iconic cars from a wide variety of manufacturers. You'll often get unique liveries by buying these, too.

I want to highlight the impressive event variety, too, in that Horizon 6’s wonderful map design allows for rapid and seamless changes to scenery. Tracks that start in the snowy alps can rocket down into rocky ravines.

Street races through Tokyo City can end in lovely countryside villages. The various actual circuits dotted around the map also have their own race events, and allow for a variety of surfaces and corner speeds. It’s all great stuff.

You have the usual Horizon Festival stuff, then, but another avenue of progression available to you in Forza Horizon 6 is labeled Discover Japan. This is a pretty clever repackaging of events like street races, side stories, smashing mascots and EXP boards, photography, barn finds, and general exploration.

I found these really nice to dip into when I wanted a break from more traditional racing, and it has its own progression rewards ranging from cars and credits to horns and clothing for your avatar. Like Forza Horizon 5, all progression is tracked in the handy Collection Journal, giving you pointers on what you can be doing next.

Start your engines

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Forza Horizon 6 would obviously be nothing without its cars, and there’s great variety here. You’re getting over 600 cars in the base game, and as you might expect, there’s heightened focus on Japanese manufacturers.

That means you’re getting everything from lovely little kei cars to roaring R-class hypercars and everything in between. It’s not all makes from Japan, though, of course. You can still expect tons of whips from international manufacturers; BMW to Volkswagen, Lamborghini to Ferrari.

You should absolutely be on the lookout for aftermarket cars — a new addition. As I said earlier, these are modified rides you can find dotted about the map. Many of them helpfully spawn near relevant race events, too, often giving you a chance to buy something seriously cool before signing up. Aftermarket cars and their parts seem randomly generated to a degree, meaning you can often find Legendary class cars in the middle of nowhere (though you’ll be paying a fair chunk of credits for these, mind).

Another neat addition are the Treasure Cars. There’s one for each region, making for nine in total. Unlike barn finds, the map won’t tell you the general area of where to find these. Instead, the Treasure Cars menu will offer a photo and some text, and you’ll figure out the location from there. Most of these were really enjoyable to find and, honestly, I wish there were more. Horizon as a series could really do with more cool little scavenger hunts like these.

That brings me onto customization, which for the most part is equally brilliant. Your personal garages (which are part of every house you buy on the map) are now fully customizable, and you can place down your favorite vehicles here, as well as add furniture and other visual flair. You can share these online, too, making garage customization a fun social endeavor.

This extends on a macro scale with the compound, which you can unlock early on. This is, essentially, a huge blank slate out in the countryside for you to build basically anything you want. You’ll work with prefabricated parts in the map editor, and you can make anything from custom circuits to even more ambitious projects like a driveable village, if you desire.

There is a bit of a learning curve involved, and it is a bit annoying that your compound is gated behind a loading screen (and thus separate from the rest of the map), but it’s really fun to tinker around with ideas.

Views for days

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Presentation is another highlight in Forza Horizon 6. In terms of visual fidelity, it’s not that far removed from the last couple of Horizon entries. But that’s not to say there haven’t been improvements. For one, cars look and sound fantastic, most of which have unique interiors and engine sounds.

Japan is rendered beautifully here. Playground Games has clearly put tons of time and effort into creating an authentic map. Draw distance is really quite breathtaking, but what’s most impressive is that there’s tons of elevation, winding roads, and obscured sightlines. That means you’ll never quite be able to see the whole map from any given vantage point, making your journey through it feel much more immersive.

There are some visual oddities to make note of. There’s a bit of noticeable pop-in with distant objects; most notable when you’re on the highway or within Tokyo City. I also had a few instances where, upon using the rewind mechanic, a vehicle I collided with would duplicate itself. A bit strange, but likely something future patches can hone in on.

I’m a big fan of the licensed soundtrack this time around, too. I was worried that the game would pay lip service to just a few Japanese artists, but I’m happy to be wrong. The new Gacha City Radio station houses the lion’s share, but tracks from Japanese groups are shared across pretty much all radio stations.

It’s a lot of acts you’ll probably recognize, including Ado, Babymetal, Yoasobi, Creepy Nuts, and Hikaru Utada among others. But there are loads of bangers from overseas, too. Even some of my favorites have shown up, including Spiritbox, Ninajirachi, Turnstile, Biffy Clyro, and Linkin Park.

Should you play Forza Horizon 6?

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

You love Japan
This is an easy one. Forza Horizon 6’s rendition of Japan feels like a real love letter to the country. Tokyo City and its surroundings are utterly beautiful, and I think it’s the best map a Horizon game has featured to date.

You want to collect tons of cool cars
Every notable manufacturer under the sun is present and accounted for, with tons of love gone to Japanese makes and models in particular. Chuck in barn finds, Treasure Cars, and the new aftermarket cars, and there’s a dizzying amount to collect.

You enjoy multiplayer and social elements in your games
Forza Horizon 6 has done a great job fixing up its multiplayer suites, which could be rocky in prior entries with frequent convoy and event dropouts. In my testing for this review, I found multiplayer to be largely seamless. And I can’t wait to jump back in to really get stuck into garage customization and car meets.

Don't play it if...

You were hoping for a real overhaul
In terms of overall game flow and progression, Forza Horizon 6 isn't anything out of the ordinary when compared to other titles in the series. If you've recently dabbled in a past Horizon title, then you might feel a little fatigued here.

Accessibility features

Like prior games in the series, Forza Horizon 6 offers an array of accessibility features. Difficulty options are robust, letting you set AI capability and assists like traction control and anti-lock braking. Meanwhile, subtitle customization and screen reader options are available in the accessibility tab. You can also slow down offline game speed if the default action is a bit hard to keep track of.

In the visual accessibility tab, you can adjust game and user interface motion blur, as well as alter environmental color filters with the deuteranopia, protanopia, and tritanopia colorblind sliders. There is a robust high contrast mode available, too, letting you add highlights to terrain, cars, objects, and more.

How I reviewed Forza Horizon 6

I played 20 hours of Forza Horizon 6 for this review. That was enough to progress through the entire campaign, and unlock the endgame Legend Island location. In that time, I participated in almost every race event, and tackled a handful of street races and Discover Japan objectives like barn finds, side stories, and the like.

I primarily played Forza Horizon 6 with the Valve Steam Controller (2026) and greatly enjoyed the haptic feedback it provided during play. I also played on PC, able to run the game at High-Ultra settings with an Nvidia RTX GeForce 5060 GPU.

First reviewed May 2026

BLUETTI Elite 400 is Bluetti’s largest portable power station in the Elite range to date, packing a huge 3840Wh LiFePO₄ battery alongside a substantial 2600W continuous output.

It’s aimed at users who need serious portable power for home backup, off-grid living, campervan setups or demanding worksite use.

And in many respects, it excels. The Elite 400 has enough power to comfortably run anything you’d realistically throw at it, while Bluetti’s app support and rapid charging capabilities make it one of the more polished large-capacity power stations currently available.

(Image credit: Future)

The specs are impressive, but the Elite 400 also feels oddly compromised in places. Bluetti has essentially reused the same interface and output layout found on smaller Elite models, and on a near-4kWh power station that starts to feel limiting.

Most notably, you only get two AC sockets. Combined with the hefty 39kg weight and lack of battery expansion support, the Elite 400 is powerful, but not quite as good as it could have been.

(Image credit: Future)BLUETTI Elite 400: Design and build quality

Bluetti sticks closely to its familiar design language here. The dark semi-matte grey shell, angular styling and rugged industrial appearance mirror the rest of the company’s power station lineup.

Specifications

BLUETTI Elite 400

• Capacity: 3840Wh (LiFePO₄)
• Output: 2600W continuous
• UPS switchover: ~15ms
• Cycle life: ~3000 cycles to 80%
• Charging: AC, solar and car charging
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi app control
• Weight: 39kg
• Warranty: 5 years

Outputs

• 2 x AC outlets
• 2 x USB-A
• 2 x USB-C (100W)
• 1 x 12V car socket

The front panel houses Bluetti’s familiar display layout, which remains one of the cleaner and easier interfaces to navigate in the portable power market. Existing Bluetti users will feel immediately at home here.

On the front you’ll find the DC input socket, 12V car socket, dual USB-A and USB-C ports, dedicated AC/DC power buttons and the pair of UK Type G AC sockets. Around the sides are the cooling vents and internal fans, while the right-hand side houses the IEC13 charging input, grounding point and 20A circuit protector.

At the rear is an extendable telescopic handle paired with two large rubberized wheels, allowing the Elite 400 to be wheeled around similarly to cabin luggage. The wheels themselves are actually pretty good, especially on smooth surfaces, but the handle feels less refined. There’s a small sharp plastic lip where parts of the casing meet, which repeatedly caught our fingernails during testing, and the telescopic handle occasionally needed a bit of jiggling to properly lock into place.

And then there’s the weight.

At 39kg, the Elite 400 is among the heaviest power stations we’ve tested so far. Even small obstacles like steps, curbs or uneven ground quickly become awkward to deal with. Bluetti has included large carry handles on the top, but realistically this is a two-person lift for most people.

(Image credit: Future)

To be fair, anything with this much battery capacity was always going to be heavy. Even competitors like the EcoFlow Delta Pro 3 come in even heavier. Still, this is very much a “load it into place and leave it there” kind of power station rather than something you’ll casually move around every day.

The bigger issue is the output selection.

Bluetti has equipped the Elite 400 with the same number of outputs found on much smaller models like the Elite 100 and Elite 200. On a power station designed to run multiple high-draw appliances simultaneously, two AC sockets just isn’t enough.

In practice, you’ll almost certainly end up relying on power strips or extension leads, which somewhat undermines the convenience factor. During testing, we actually struggled to fully push the 2600W output limit simply because there weren’t enough sockets available without adding external adapters.

There’s also no battery expansion support. Unlike Bluetti’s AC or Apex series, the Elite 400 is fixed at its native 3840Wh capacity with no option to add extra battery modules later on. For many people that will already be more than enough, but the lack of expansion does hurt long-term flexibility.

(Image credit: Future)BLUETTI Elite 400: Setup and charging

Getting the Elite 400 out of the box is a feat in itself.

The unit arrives heavily packaged inside two large cardboard boxes, and Bluetti recommends retaining at least the inner box for warranty purposes. That may make sense from a support perspective, but realistically many buyers simply won’t have room to keep packaging this large long-term, even flattened down.

Actually removing the Elite 400 from the packaging is definitely a two-person job. Due to the weight, we ultimately had to turn the box upside down and slowly slide the unit out without damaging the packaging, the power station or ourselves. Think of that warranty.

Inside the accessories box, Bluetti includes the AC charging cable, documentation, warranty card and grounding screw.

Initial setup is otherwise straightforward. Our review unit arrived with roughly 32% charge remaining and, using the default charging mode, the Elite 400 drew around 1500W before reaching full charge approximately 90 minutes later.

There’s also a faster Turbo charging mode available, alongside hybrid charging support allowing combined AC and solar charging up to 3300W. Realistically though, most owners will probably just plug it in overnight rather than needing maximum charging speeds.

We also saw no issues using the Elite 400 while simultaneously charging and powering devices, which is exactly what you’d expect from a unit with UPS functionality.

(Image credit: Future)BLUETTI Elite 400: Performance

In outright performance terms, the Elite 400 is hugely capable.

During testing it comfortably powered everything from lighting, fans and audio equipment through to kettles, induction cookers, air fryers and portable electric heaters. As long as you stay within the 2600W output limit, there’s very little this power station struggles with.

With a 3840Wh battery capacity, the Elite 400 starts to blur the line between portable power station and small home backup battery system.

UPS performance is solid too, though not class-leading. Bluetti rates the Elite 400 at a 15ms switchover time using a pure sine wave inverter. During simulated power cuts, laptops, monitors and fans continued running uninterrupted, although LED lighting briefly flickered during the transition.

Fan noise is generally well controlled considering the amount of power involved. At standard charging speeds, the cooling fans produce little more than a low background hum. As charging speeds or discharge loads increase, the fans do become noticeably louder, but Bluetti has tuned the ramp-up behavior well. Rather than aggressively spinning up and down, fan speeds change gradually, making them far less distracting during longer sessions.

To test the Elite 400 in a more realistic setting, we connected a power strip running fairy lights, a small music system and a couple of phones while using the remaining AC socket to power an air fryer for snacks. The Elite 400 barely seemed bothered by it.

That said, running the air fryer continuously alongside other devices for a few hours did noticeably reduce capacity, eventually bringing the battery down to around 60%. Still, considering the load involved, the performance was impressive.

BLUETTI Elite 400: Display and app support

Indoors, the Elite 400’s display is clear, bright and easy to read, much like the rest of Bluetti’s lineup.

Outdoor visibility is also generally good in shaded conditions, although direct sunlight does make the glossy display harder to read at a glance. Another small annoyance is the display timeout behavior. Unless manually adjusted in the app settings, the screen automatically switches off after a short period, requiring a quick press of the power button to wake it again.

Bluetti’s companion app remains one of the stronger software experiences in the portable power space. The app is genuinely useful too. You can easily check battery percentage, charging speeds and power draw without needing to constantly walk over to the unit, alongside access to UPS settings and scheduled charging modes.

Throughout testing, connectivity remained stable and responsive.

(Image credit: Future)BLUETTI Elite 400: Who is the Elite 400 for?

If your main priority is having a massive amount of power available in a single unit, the Elite 400 makes a lot of sense.

It’s particularly well suited to home backup power, campervans, outdoor events, mobile workshops and users running multiple high-wattage appliances.

However, anyone wanting a more modular setup with expandable batteries or a wider variety of outputs may be better served by Bluetti’s AC series or competing systems from EcoFlow or DJI.

And again, the weight matters here. This is more of a “load it into a vehicle and leave it there” type of product rather than something you’ll want to carry around regularly.

(Image credit: Future)BLUETTI Elite 400: Pricing and value

At the time of writing, BLUETTI UK lists the Elite 400 at £1,899, discounted from an advertised £2,799 MSRP.

As with most Bluetti products, regular promotions mean the real-world price will likely fluctuate throughout the year.

Still, at nearly £2,000, it’s hard not to expect more than just two AC sockets.

The battery capacity here is massive, but it’s difficult to ignore how limiting the output selection feels on a power station this size. You’ll run out of devices before you run out of battery.

Interestingly, buying three Elite 100 units at roughly £600 each could actually make more sense for some buyers. You’d sacrifice the higher 2600W output in favour of 1800W per unit, but gain significantly more sockets and greater flexibility around placement while still saving around £100 overall.

Bluetti also includes a five-year warranty with the Elite 400, although buyers should note that proof of purchase and retention of the inner packaging box may be required for warranty claims.

(Image credit: Future)BLUETTI Elite 400: Final Verdict

BLUETTI Elite 400 absolutely delivers when it comes to raw battery capacity and appliance support. Whether it was running kitchen appliances during a power cut or powering gear outdoors, the Elite 400 never really struggled.

Bluetti’s excellent app support, fast charging and refined fan behaviour all help elevate the overall experience too.

But at this price point, the compromises become harder to ignore. The limited output selection, lack of battery expansion and sheer weight prevent it from feeling as versatile as some competing systems.

If Bluetti had added more outputs and expansion support, the Elite 400 would be far easier to recommend. Personally, I’d happily trade some battery capacity for another pair of AC sockets

We've featured the best UPS (uninterruptible power supply) devices.

Let's start by making one thing clear: Dutton Ranch is not Yellowstone. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that it's not really even a Yellowstone spinoff. Sure, we're following indestructible ranchers Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) a year after the events of Yellowstone season 5 part 2, but that's where the similarities end.

If anything, Dutton Ranch is fusing the soap opera stylings of The Madison with the brash, Texan tenacity of Landman into one incredibly bingeable product. If Taylor Sheridan had the TV equivalent of a greatest hits album, it would be this (and he's not even serving as the showrunner here). New beginnings run thick and fast through this series — and that's as much for us as it is for Beth and Rip.

After settling down on a new ranch in Montana at the end of Yellowstone, unavoidable circumstances mean that the pair has to move once again, relocating to Texas. Buying a small ranch in the town of Rio Paloma, they soon learn that they're not the only ranchers muscling in on the area's beef trade.

Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening), aptly described by Beth as a "grizzly in Gucci," is in charge of the 10 Petal ranch, which is the area's most dominant source of cowboys, horses, and dangerous drama. The Jacksons (not those ones) are a disaster unto themselves, and anyone else in their orbit, and that soon includes new neighbors Beth and Rip.

I'm no stranger to stereotypical TV small-town drama, and Dutton Ranch is about as high-stakes as it gets. Not everybody is going to love what Beth and Rip's story has become, but the moment you let go of your Yellowstone pre-conceived ideas, the new series can settle in — and it's got strong enough legs to be one of the best TV shows of the year.

Moving away from Yellowstone is the healthiest approach that Dutton Ranch could have taken

If Dutton Ranch was going to happen, it needed a clean break in the form of a physical relocation. Despite consistently being faced with an exhausting level of trouble, Beth and Rip have taken to Texan life like ducks to water. They waste no time getting their ranch set up and their reputations established, which means juicy backstabbing is ripe from the off.

Beth particularly finds a good sparring partner in Beulah, with the two tearing lumps out of each other from the moment they meet. This is where Beth is in her element — arm her with a pair of stilettos and a killer one-line insult, and she can conquer just about anything.

For Rip, we're seeing his tender side. He's quick to take the ranch's former wranglers, Azul (J.R. Villarreal) and Zachariah (Marc Menchaca), under his wing, expecting a lot but asking no questions in return. He continues to put Beth's emotional needs before his own, but also isn't afraid to throw some spectacular punches when things get nasty with the locals.

Even in the first few episodes alone, the scope for character growth feels as endless as the Texan plains. John Dutton's (Kevin Costner) legacy hasn't been completely shaken off, but to leave home is to grow, as the old social mantra goes. If anything, Beth is able to miss her dad more now that there's a significant distance between her and her old life.

Beth and Rip's future could be even stronger if Sheridan got back in the showrunner saddle

Not everything is smooth sailing. (Image credit: Paramount)

If you've been following along with Dutton Ranch updates prior to its release, you'll know that it's run into a spot of showrunner trouble. Chad Feehan has already exited the show, leaving a spot wide open for a new showrunner to take charge. For me, this needs to be Sheridan.

The series is already in a strong place, but the way to cement its five-star status (and a TV legacy that could rival Yellowstone) is for Sheridan to be more hands-on than just executive producing. We know how incredibly well he writes a script and how succinctly effortless his handle on a storyline is. In essence, Sheridan is the missing ingredient in his own creation.

Truthfully, we don't really care about anyone other than Beth, Rip, and Carter (Finn Little). As incredible as Bening, Harris, and the like are, they will remain secondary in importance from now until the end of time. The more Yellowstone that can be subtly injected into Dutton Ranch, the more successful that it will be.

For now, at least, the two are separate beasts, and it works well. But when it comes to Yellowstone, Dutton Ranch is damned either way. It's too close to the source material not to acknowledge its own history properly, but it could come unstuck further down the line by its decision to frame itself as a standalone of sorts.

But Beth and Rip can never truly be losers, can they? I'd put good money on this not being the last we see of them, either.

Dutton Ranch premieres on Paramount+ with two episodes on May 15, with the remaining seven episodes airing weekly after.

Sony A7R VI: Two-minute review

Highly-detailed images or blazing-fast performance — historically, you'd have to pick one or the other when choosing a camera. However, Sony has now given us both in one model — the A7R VI — and for me, it's the perfect mirrorless camera.

I've shot everything from detail-rich landscapes to fast-moving wildlife photography while testing the A7R VI, and it hasn't missed a beat. I've really appreciated the huge number of pixels I have to play with, which means that heavily cropping into images is entirely possible.

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Its new 66.8MP stacked full-frame sensor resolves more detail than the sensor in the 50MP A1 II — Sony's previous flagship camera for quality and performance — and most of that camera's speed in terms of sensor readout.

I say 'most', because its readout speed is half that of the A1 II, and able to support autofocus up to 60fps, but it has certainly been sufficiently speedy for just about every scenario I've used it in. And rolling shutter distortion is minimized compared to the A7R VI's predecessor, the A7R V — I shot with both cameras at the same time in order to make direct performance comparisons.

The A7R VI is slightly bigger than its predecessor, with a larger grip housing a new, larger battery (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

Even better, the A7R VI costs £4,500, which seriously undercuts the pricier A1 II. Considering what the A7R VI can do, the A1 II feels somewhat redundant, especially when the speed-specialist A9 III is also on the scene for the likes of pro sports photographers who demand the absolute fastest performance.

Of course, that's still a decent chunk of anyone's money, and the A7R VI costs a lot more than the still-incredible A7R V, which has fallen in price since its launch in 2022, and is probably the better value pick if detail is all that matters to you.

However, given the upgrades here, which also include a new and higher-capacity battery type, the A7R VI's starting price feels justified. I've been reviewing cameras for 15 years, and I think Sony just made the first one that's perfect. I could happily dine out on its skills for many years to come.

Sony A7R VI: price and release date

• Announced on May 13 2026
• The body-only price is £4,500

However, the A7R VI is still pretty small (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

Yes, the A7R VI'S £4,500 launch price is higher than that of the A7R V, which cost £4,000 on its announcement late in 2022, and which can now be had for around £3,000. That said, the A7R VI is more camera — it's not just a resolution king, but a speed demon too.

When you consider what the A7R VI is capable of versus the Sony A1 II, which costs more than £6,000, it feels like excellent value.

• Price score: 4.5/5

Sony A7R VI specsSony A7R VI Specs:

Type:

Mirrorless camera

Sensor:

66.8MP full-frame (36 x24mm) fully stacked BSI CMOS

LCD:

3.2-inch, multi-articulated, 2.1m dots

Memory:

2x SDXC, 2x CFexpress Type A

Video:

8K 30fps / 4K 120p

ISO range:

ISO 50-204,800

Mechanical Shutter speeds:

30-1/8000 sec

Electronic Shutter speeds:

30-1/16000 sec

Viewfinder:

9.44m-dot, OLED EVF, 0.78x

Processor:

Bionz XR 2

Connectivity:

AX WiFi (WiFi 6), Bluetooth, 2x USB-C, audio

Weight:

659g

Sony A7R VI: Design

• Still lightweight and small versus rival high-resolution full-frame cameras
• Rugged design and excellent ergonomics
• Touchscreen features a 4-way axis, the detailed EVF detail packs 9.44m dots

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

For recent models, Sony has made great strides in improving how its cameras handle, and how easy the menus and controls are to navigate. It's no longer the case that rival Canon and Nikon cameras are simply easier and more intuitive to use.

For starters, Sony has improved the design of the grip — on the A7R VI it's even bigger and more pronounced than before, no doubt to house the upgraded and physically larger new battery type which debuts here (more on this in the performance section).

The new bulb button on the camera's top plate illuminates key buttons in low light, making them easier to find in the dark, and there's a tally lamp for video recording. Each port sits behind its own rigid door, which when in use sits neatly out of the way. These are all lovely additions to what is otherwise a very similar design to the A7R V.

Future / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim Coleman

Like before, we get three control wheels for exposure adjustments (one of which is lockable), four custom buttons (though not one on the front of the camera, sadly), a grippy AF joystick and a four-way control dial which also includes drive mode and ISO shortcuts.

There's a neat 3.2-inch touchscreen with 4-way articulation, meaning the screen can be flipped out to the side and viewed at awkward angles, whether you're shooting in vertical or horizontal format. There's a highly detailed 9.44m-dot EVF, too, but this time it's a HDR DCI PW display which Sony says is 3x brighter than the one in the A7R V.

Future / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim Coleman

We get twin card slots again, and each slot accepts either an SD card or one of Sony's CFexpress Type A cards. Per gigabyte, CFexpress Type A cards are among the most expensive, more so than CFexpress Type B used in rival cameras. Of course you can use cheaper SD cards, but you'll want a CFexpress card to get the A7R VI's speediest performance for burst shooting and so on.

Naturally, with this being a pro body, the A7R VI is weather-resistant. I'm not in the habit of wrecking cameras, and certainly not review samples that I have to send back, but you can feel that the A7R VI is rugged too. The back-right control dial has a tiny bit of give, and could be a weak point, but it performed fine during my review.

If I was to have one criticism, it's that the camera body still feels a little cramped — many of the controls are small and tightly packed together. You'll also want a vertical grip when pairing the A7R VI with big lenses for better balance, such is its compact design. But overall, the A7R VI is as good a camera body as Sony has ever made.

• Design score: 5/5

Sony A7R VI: Performance

• The sensor is stacked with rapid readout speed, minimizing rolling shutter distortion
• A new higher-capacity NP-SA100 battery makes its debut
• Subject tracking autofocus performance further boosted with new chip

While the A7R VI's design is a minor upgrade, its performance reaches new levels thanks to a new 66.8MP stacked sensor, new Bionz XR 2 processor, combined processing and AI chip (as in the Sony A7 V), and an entirely new battery. Let's look at each of these in more detail, starting with the sensor.

Not only is the sensor the highest-resolution for the full-frame format at 66.8MP, it's a stacked sensor, which means a faster readout speeds, and a half-stop boost in image stabilization performance, now up to 8.5 stops.

Stacked sensors power everything from rapid autofocus speed to minimizing rolling shutter distortion. The A7R VI's is faster than the A7R V's regular 61MP sensor, but not quite as quick as the A1 II's 50MP stacked sensor, nor the A9 III's 24MP global shutter.

Future / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim Coleman

We also get a next-gen processor, the Bionz XR 2. Top features include 10fps burst shooting (mechanical shutter) for up to 535 frames in compressed RAW, and up to 30fps blackout-free (electronic shutter) for up to 150 shots — the latter is a three-second burst.

One of the buttons can be assigned as a burst-shooting boost, meaning you can tick over at, say, 10fps in using the electronic shutter and up this to 30fps when a key moment occurs.

Burst shooting is also supported by the pre-capture feature, where up to one second of shots can be buffered with the shutter half-pressed, before you fully press the shutter to engage a sequence.

The A7R VI's subject detection autofocus recognised the guinea pigs, including body shape and eyes, for accurate autofocusFuture / Tim ColemanSame for humansFuture / Tim ColemanAnd birds, even when small in the frameFuture / Tim ColemanHere I've cropped into the image by 1.5x, emulating the APS-C crop (28MP)Future / Tim Coleman

Like in the A7 V, the A7R V combines the processing chip with the dedicated AI chip — the setup found in previous-generation cameras like the A7R V — into a single chip, for greater efficiency and power conservation, and for smarter autofocus and accurate auto white balance and color rendition.

In addition to a boost in the maximum possible length of burst shooting sequences before the camera slows up, there's an auto subject-detection mode this time around, which is very handy if you regularly switch between subject types, plus dedicated subject-tracking modes for as humans, birds, animals and vehicles, with the camera able to recognize head, eyes and even body shape (human pose), to intelligently understand where exactly to focus on, with a super impressive hit ratio of sharp shots.

I photographed a lot of birdlife, and found the bird detection autofocus super reliable, and even able to pick out subjects when they only took up a small portion of the frame. Those who like to use spot focusing will enjoy seeing the size options expanded, with new XL and XS options for wider or even more precise focusing.

Future / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim Coleman

And then there's the new battery, a NP-SA100 unit with 2,670mAh capacity. For Sony photographers, this one is a big deal — the first new battery for Sony mirrorless cameras in nine years, since the legendary NP-FZ100.

The new battery is physically larger and has a 17% bigger capacity than the NP-FZ100's 2,280mAh, which already delivered rival-beating power, so that's the good news.

The bad news is that the batteries are not forwards / backwards compatible. You can't use your stock of NP-FZ100 batteries in the A7R VI, nor can you use the new NP-SA100 in an older Sony camera.

Batteries, along with the continued use of Sony's own CFexpress Type A cards, are another potential costly extra, which will no doubt irritate some Sony fans keen on the A7R VI. I certainly enjoyed having two NP-SA100 batteries and a charging dock for long weekends of heavy shooting, and would personally factor that into a purchase. The bottom line, though, is that the new battery's life is better — and who wouldn't want that?

• Performance score: 5/5

Sony A7R VI: Image and video quality

• The highest-resolution full-frame sensor in a mirrorless camera, and it's a stacked type
• 66.8MP equates to 28MP with a 1.5x (APS-C) crop
• Dynamic range boosted by one stop to a class-leading 16 stops

I've used a range of lenses and autofocus modes, and shot at various ISO values given that I've photographed in good light and low light, and employed severe cropping for some of my favorite bird photos. Throughout, I've been blown away by the A7R VI's qualityFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim Coleman

The 'R' series of A7 cameras have always been about detail — delivering the highest-resolution stills that Sony cameras are capable of. And the A7R VI boosts the series further, from 61MP to 66.8MP, and this is achieved with a substantial boost in performance thanks to the stacked sensor.

There are some who would have preferred an even bigger boost in resolution over a boost in speed — there was a time when the A7R VI was rumored to come with a (regular) 100MP sensor. For me, however, as someone who photographs everything from landscapes to portraits and wildlife, I prefer the versatility of the A7R VI's sensor. It's basically perfect for my needs.

With a stacked sensor, there's a risk of some compromises in image quality, especially in low light. Thankfully, in the case of the A7R VI, the opposite is true, and dynamic range is further boosted from 15 stops to 16 stops.

Some of my favorite bird photos shot with the A7R VI and 400-800mm F6.3-8 lens. The first photo is the full-resolution 66.8MP fileFuture / Tim ColemanAnd the second is the 1.5x Super 35 (aka APS-C) crop with 28MP resolutionFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim ColemanI preferred an even tighter crop for the first image, this is how the framing looks with the image cropped down to 14MP. Future / Tim Coleman

I don't usually need 66.8MP stills, but being able to crop into such large files can be super handy. For example, I took a lot of bird photos, and even with Sony's 400-800mm lens, which is its longest telephoto lens, the tiny, distant subjects at times appeared small in the frame.

No problem: I could crop right in and still enjoy super-sharp detail. To give you an idea, the 1.5x (APS-C) crop mode is still 28MP, which is a huge file size. Employing that crop with the 400-800mm lens is effectively like having a 1200mm lens! This is where high-resolution cameras can be particularly helpful.

Color is also improved, with the subject-detection AI chip analyzing the scene for better auto white balance (AWB). For example, where older AWB systems might look at a lush green woodland scene and compensate with the opposing tone, resulting in an overly magenta hue, the A7R VI knows it's a woodland, or a person in the shade, and will select the right tone for the scene.

Skin tones looks spot on, dynamic range is impressive. There are no weaknesses when it comes to image qualityFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim ColemanFuture / Tim Coleman

Video recording looks similar to the A7R V's going by the numbers: 8K up to 30fps and 4K up to 120fps, and still no open-gate recording, but the new stacked sensor minimizes rolling shutter distortion, making the A7R VI a better option for video than its predecessor. It's also equipped with more filmic color profiles.

• Image and video quality score: 5/5

Sony A7R VI: testing scorecardSony A7R VI

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Price

Pricier than its predecessor, but much cheaper than the A1 II, which it outperforms in many ways

4.5/5

Design

It inherits Sony's best design from the A7 V / A9 III and adds a few nice features, with superb ergonomics and rugged build

5/5

Performance

The 66.7MP stacked sensor and AI processor chip are a revelation

5/5

Image and video quality

66.8MP stills, 8K video, 16-stops dynamic range — show me a better full-frame camera

5/5

Should I buy the Sony A7R VI?Buy it if...

You want Sony's most complete professional camera yet
Yes, the pricier A1 II is a little speedier in some specific ways, and the specialist A9 III quicker still, but the A7R VI takes the speed-plus-resolution crown in Sony's mirrorless camera lineup.

You shoot everything from landscapes to wildlife photography
With a 66.8MP stacked sensor, up to 30fps burst shooting, incredible autofocus performance and a rugged build, the A7R VI is a true all rounder.

Don't buy it if...

You specialize in one genre of photography
Just shoot sports and action, or major in flash photography? The A9 III is your best bet, or even the A1 II. Highly detailed landscape photography your thing? The A7R V gets you most of the quality of the A7R VI, and it now costs much less.

You like upgrading gear regularly
I'm being tongue in cheek here, but I suspect that once you get an A7R VI, your search for the perfect camera will be complete, and you can settle down for a good years to come.

Sony A7R VI: also consider

Sony A7R V

The A7R VI's predecessor is a stellar alternative if highly detailed pictures top your priority list. It packs a 61MP sensor — so just 6MP less than the A7R VI — the same burst-shooting speed, and it now costs much less, as its price has fallen steadily over its four-year life.

Read our in-depth Sony A7R V review

How I tested the Sony A7R VI

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

• Sony loaned me the A7R VI four weeks before it was announced
• I had four lenses to use with it, plus twin batteries and a charging dock
• I've taken photos and videos of a wide range of subjects to test key feature

I had the chance to test the Sony A7R VI for four weeks ahead of its announcement, and used it with four lenses: a small 24mm f/2.8 prime, the 28-70mm F2 GM, 70-200mm F4 G OSS II Macro and 400-800mm F6.3-8 telephoto zoom. I was also supplied with two batteries and the twin charging dock.

Given the camera's high-resolution stacked sensor and latest processor, which incorporates the previously separate AI chip, I wanted to test the camera's image quality and performance in a wide range of scenarios, which included landscape photography, wildlife photography, portraiture and more.

I also tested its burst-shooting skills, shooting in both the mechanical and electronic shutter modes, and noting how many photos the camera could capture before slowing up.

Sony also loaned me the A7R VI's predecessor, the A7R V, so I was able to make various performance comparisons, especially around high-speed photography.

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

JBL Go 5: two-minute review

The JBL Go 5 has still found ways to impress me, even though I've tested more than 50 Bluetooth speakers here at TechRadar.

See, I was already a fan of the JBL Go 5's predecessor, and I wasn't expecting all too much from a next-gen update — especially as the Go 4 itself only released two years ago. But ultimately, the Go 5 was a much bigger upgrade than I'd hoped.

There are some obvious changes out of the box: ambient LED lighting, a more refined overall look, and a slightly larger build. But it's when you fire the Go 5 up that the biggest changes rear their head — and cement this as one of the best Bluetooth speakers in the small-size category.

First of all, this model offers more powerful and refined audio than the JBL Go 4 ever could. Its output power has increased to 4.8W, so the single full-range driver can deliver more volume — ideal for small get-togethers.

But the audio quality onboard has been improved substantially as well. With more expressive highs, clearer mids, and cleaner bass, the Go 5 offers a clear sonic upgrade over what came before.

On top of that, you now get a maximum 10 hours of playtime with PlayTime Boost active, representing an improvement over the previous generation. Don't get me wrong, this is nothing groundbreaking, but it's still a welcome change.

Similarly, the Go 5 has marginally better waterproofing, now packing an IP68 rating. Its drop-proof build also makes it a great model for taking on the go, as well as using in the shower.

There's more, though, with USB-C audio connectivity on the features list, plus a new AirTouch function for instant stereo pairing. That's not to mention the usual good stuff, such as Auracast connectivity, solid EQ options, and multi-point connectivity.

The major takeaway, then, is that the JBL Go 5 is a great-sounding, well-built, and highly affordable mini Bluetooth speaker that offers plenty of improvements over its predecessor. I have some minor complaints, like the lack of color options for its LED lights and the battery life, which can be beaten by some rivals.

But the JBL Go 5 is without question one of the best-sounding small speakers I've ever used, and it's the one I'd pick as being best-in-class right now.

(Image credit: Future)JBL Go 5 review: price and availability

• List price of $54.95 / £39.99 (about AU$75)
• Released in April 2026

The JBL Go 5 was released in April 2026, about two years after its predecessor, the JBL Go 4.

It has a list price of $54.95 / £39.99 (about AU$75), which represents a $5 increase over the Go 4 in the US, but no difference in the UK. Still, this speaker comfortably sits in the budget category, with the Go line standing as the most affordable in JBL's Bluetooth speaker lineup.

JBL Go 5 review: specs

Weight

0.5lbs / 230g

Dimensions

4 x 3.1 x 1.7 inches / 101 x 77.4 x 43mm

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C

Battery life

10 hours (with PlayTime Boost)

Speaker drivers

1x 45mm full-range

Waterproofing

IP68

(Image credit: Future)JBL Go 5 review: features

• Battery life gets a boost to 10 hours
• Lights pull up to the party
• Easy to use app with neat EQ options

The JBL Go 5 has a solid featureset, including the usual multi-point connectivity, fast-pairing, and Auracast for multi-speaker pairing. However, by entering the user-friendly JBL portable app, you can open up even more options.

First of all, you can adjust the speaker's EQ. There are a few presets, like JBL Signature, Chill, Energetic, and more. But there's also a custom equalizer, which enables you to tailor sound to your specific taste. I created a slightly bass-boosted custom EQ to add impact for deeper tracks, and found it to work brilliantly, although the default tuning is pretty good regardless.

The JBL Go 5 now comes equipped with lights for a funkier listening experience, and these can also be customized in JBL's companion app. There are various effects to pick from, such as Bounce, Loop, Switch, and Freeze. However, you can also decide to disable lights if you'd prefer to conserve some battery life.

I would've liked the option to choose from different color lights on the JBL Portable app, but otherwise, I'm a big fan of this change.

Looping back to battery life, and JBL has given a boost to the Go 5, which now delivers eight hours of playtime, or 10 hours with the battery-saving PlayTime Boost active. 10 hours is still nothing out of this world, especially when the similar-sized Tribit PocketGo manages double, but that speaker is more basic and doesn't sound anywhere near as good as the Go 5 — more on that later.

Auracast is back for rapid multi-speaker pairing, but there's a new feature onboard for stereo linking two Go 5 models together. This is called AirTouch, and enables you to link a couple Go 5's simply by tapping them together. I tried this for myself and found it to be very responsive and practical.

One final option worth noting is USB-C audio. Just connect your listening device to the speaker with a cable, and you'll be able to enjoy technically lossless audio on the go.

JBL has added this to most of their Bluetooth speakers lately, and it's great to see this on the Go 5 as well, even if it's not exactly going to offer audiophile-grade sound, due to its small size.

• Features score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future)JBL Go 5 review: sound quality

• Clear, expressive audio in a small package
• A lot more full-sounding than its predecessor
• Improved output power for increased volume

When I tried the JBL Go 4 a couple of years ago, I considered it to be a pretty solid performer, especially given its limited confines. But in my view, the JBL Go 5 offers a significant sonic improvement over that model.

Comparing the Go 5 against its predecessor, I found it to be far more full-sounding and well-rounded, and capable of more powerful audio. See, even though the Go 5 has a single 45mm full-range driver — the same as the Go 4 — it now offers a higher 4.8W power output.

I tried listening to a range of tracks, but started with the spacey house tune, Here to Catch You by Chris Stussy & S.A.M. The track's rhythmic and expressive high-pitched drums were replicated impressively on the Go 5, while synths in the mid-range came through with commendable clarity.

When bass entered the picture, the speaker didn't capture the drop with amazing impact or top-tier dynamism, but the low-end remained clean and agile.

In Editto Dal Sottoscoglio by Marco Castello, the Go 5 offered a more fleshed-out presentation than its predecessor, with more defined vocals, and less compressed-sounding highs.

Against slightly larger models, like the Tribit Stormbox Micro 3, the Go 5 isn't packing tons of low-end power, and as you'd expect, you won't get rippling sub-bass here or anything. However, I found the Go 5's bass to be rhythmic and responsive, and with a slight low-end bump in the EQ settings, I was able to get punchier bass for darker tracks.

Again, the the Go 5's smaller size means that you won't always get the most nuanced and separated audio either, but I was very satisfied with the clarity it managed across genres.

At top volumes, you'll experience a bit of compression, but the speaker rarely sounded tinny or shrill, and offered far more regimented and articulate sound than the majority of its budget-friendly rivals.

The inclusion of USB-C audio passthrough also means you can unleash lossless music on the go, something that few competitors include on their smallest models. For Bluetooth listening, you'll be limited to SBC and AAC, but that's pretty standard. And even with these more basic codecs, the JBL Go 5 is easily one of the best-sounding tiny speakers I've ever tested.

• Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future)JBL Go 5 review: design

• Lighting is a welcome addition
• Wide array of eye-catching color options
• IP68-rated and drop-proof

Overall, the JBL Go 5 looks pretty similar to its predecessor, but there are a few changes worth flagging.

First and foremost, there are some LED edge lights, which JBL has also added to the next-gen update of its Xtreme speaker. This adds a bit of ambience when you're listening late at night or at a party, and doesn't make the model look too busy or over-the top. I mentioned earlier how you can't alter the color of the LEDs, which is a bit of a shame, but the lighting pattern is customizable in the JBL Portable app.

This speaker is a bit larger than its predecessor as well, but only marginally. It's still extremely lightweight, and will easily fit in your pocket or a small bag, for instance.

Another thing I spotted is that the Go 5's logo looks a bit sharper, and there are protruding rubber feet on the reverse side of the model to keep it more stable when laid flat. Looks-wise, though, things haven't been altered all too much — there are still plenty of color options to pick from, and I was a huge fan of the turquoise model I tested out.

On a practical level, you're still getting a drop-proof, lightweight model, but there's one small improvement to note, and that's the dust- and waterproof rating, which has levelled up to IP68. That means that the speaker is fully dustproof and able to survive a 30 minute dip in a meter and a half of water.

The Go 5's palm-sized form factor and practical loop also make it perfect for taking out and about — combine that with its durability and neat looks, and its a very high scorer in the design category.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future)JBL Go 5 review: value

• Not short of improvements over predecessor...
• ...meaning the slight US price-bump feels justified
• Performs a lot better than most rivals in its price-range

The JBL Go 5 is a fantastic value-for-money buy, and even though its seen a slight price increase over its predecessor (in the US, at least), it feels worth every penny.

At $54.95 / £39.99 (about AU$75), this is a very budget-friendly model, and is far cheaper than other small speakers, like the Bose SoundLink Micro Gen 2, for instance.

You also get a whole lot for the money. Impressive sound quality in an ultra-compact form, high-standard build quality, and customizability in the JBL Portable app.

I'd even argue the upgraded audio quality makes it worth upgrading to the Go 5 from the Go 4 if you own that model — the additional power and less compressed audio is an absolute gamechanger, and the ambient lights aren't half bad either.

• Value score: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the JBL Go 5?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Appealing ambient lighting, user-friendly companion app, upgraded battery life welcome but nothing special.

4.5/5

Sound quality

Clean, defined, and expressive audio, offers a significant upgrade on predecessor.

4.5/5

Design

Ultra-durable, highly waterproof, and plenty of color options to choose from.

4.5/5

Value

Low price, high quality, small price increase from Go 4.

5/5

Buy it if…

You're looking for an ultra-compact speaker
One of the best things about the JBL Go 5 is its incredibly small form factor. It can easily fit into your pocket or slip into a bite-sized bag, and it's as light as a feather — well, almost.

You're on a budget but want sophisticated sound
The JBL Go 5 is certainly a budget-friendly model, but it sounds seriously good for the price. With expressive, clean treble, clear mids, and agile bass, it's a genuinely impressive performer. If you use the speaker's USB-C port, you can even access lossless audio, which is a neat addition too.

Don’t buy it if…

You want truly powerful audio
The JBL Go 5 is an impressive performer, but it can't get especially loud, and it can't produce much in the way of powerful deep bass. If you want a bit more power, I'd highly recommend its older sibling, the JBL Flip 7.

You don't want to charge your speaker very often
Although the Go 5's upgraded battery life is nothing to sniff at, it's hardly colossal. If you want a small speaker with truly brilliant battery life, I'd go with the Tribit Stormbox Micro 3.

JBL Go 5 review: also consider

JBL Go 5

Tribit Stormbox Micro 3

Edifier ES20

Price

$54.95 / £39.99 (about AU$75)

$64.99 / £62.99 (about AU$130)

$89.99 / £50 / AU$99.99

Weight

0.5lbs / 230g

0.7lbs / 330g

0.7lbs / 300g

Dimensions

4 x 3.1 x 1.7 inches / 101 x 77.4 x 43mm

4.4 x 4.1 x 1.8 inches / 112 x 103 x 45mm

3.6 x 3.7 x 2 inches / 90.4 x 93.7 x 49.7mm

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C

Bluetooth 6.0

Bluetooth 5.4

Battery life

10 hours (with PlayTime Boost)

24 hours

15 hours

Speaker drivers

1x 45mm full range

1x 48mm full-range

1x 43mm full-range

Waterproofing

IP68

IP68

IP67

Tribit Stormbox Micro 3
I only just reviewed the Tribit Stormbox Micro 3, but I'd already consider it to be one of the very best small speakers on the market. The main attraction is the pumping, regimented bass, but it performs pretty well right across the frequency range. It's overflowing with battery, and can even be used to charge your phone, making it the ideal on-the-go audio companion. Read my full Tribit Stormbox Micro 3 review.

Edifier ES20
If you want something with more of a retro aesthetic, then you can't go wrong with the Edifier ES20. This square-shaped model produces brilliant mid-range clarity, and has decently punchy bass to match. It's quite pricey in the US, but it's a very nifty palm-sized speaker indeed. Read my full Edifier ES20 review.

How I tested the JBL Go 5

(Image credit: Future)

• I spent multiple weeks testing
• Mainly streamed tunes from Tidal
• Reviewed by someone who’s tested more than 50 Bluetooth speakers

I spent weeks testing the JBL Go 5, using it at our music testing space, at home, and in the shower. I exhausted all of its features, and made sure to cycle through all of the options in the JBL Portable app.

For the most part, I used Tidal to stream music, but I dipped into Spotify from time to time as well. During my time with the speaker, I played through tracks from the TechRadar testing playlist, but also bumped a wide range of tunes from my personal library.

More generally, I've spent years testing audio gear here at TechRadar, and have covered everything from small models like the Bose SoundLink Micro Gen 2 to party speakers like the Marshall Bromley 750. I've also used the JBL Go 5's predecessor, the Go 4, pretty extensively, meaning I knew exactly what to look for from a next-gen refresh.

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

Finding a reliable and efficient web hosting service is often a big challenge. Amongst the many web hosting providers out there, GoogieHost has steadily gained recognition as a reliable provider when comparing the best free web hosting service providers on the market. 

This review will discuss the performance, ease of use and pricing of Googiehost and to help you decide if it is the right web hosting provider for you. 

Who is Googiehost?

Googiehost only offers free hosting while doing affiliate sales for other hosts. (Image credit: Future)

Established in 2012, Googiehost is considered a veteran in the web hosting industry. Headquartered in India, the company is also among a handful that offer a free web hosting plan. Even more bizarre is that, unlike similar companies, it doesn’t offer its own premium hosting; instead, it earns money by selling affiliate links to other web hosts. The site's homepage is basically a long list of web hosting coupons from other companies.

The Googiehost site is structured to look like a traditional web hosting company. However, the links that it displays are deceptive. For example, the “Paid Hosting” link leads to another coupon page for other hosting company plans, while the “VPS/Servers” link takes you to a blog section with articles about web hosting.

Essentially, Googiehost isn’t really a web hosting company, but an affiliate sales blog that uses free web hosting as a customer magnet. It even throws on a ton of intrusive, highly annoying ads everywhere to round out a somewhat nightmarish user experience.

GoogieHost features

Googiehost offers DirectAdmin for hosting management. (Image credit: Future)

Since we’re now aware that Googiehost isn’t a typical web hosting company, it offers a single free plan to attract users. With that plan, you get 1GB of storage, 100GB of bandwidth, and email capabilities (provided you don’t need more than 1GB of space).

You also get free SSL, but that's pretty normal today, and something that hosts have to offer to stay even the least bit competitive.

Compared to other free hosting companies, that’s pretty much par for the course. However, we recently updated another host, Infinity Free, which offers a free plan with a much better deal.

Googiehost’s free web hosting plan is indeed quite limited in resources, but it’s made more usable thanks to DirectAdmin for hosting management and Softaculous for one-click application installation.

Beyond that, however, things get a little edgy - but we’ll cover more on that in our next section.

Performance

Website reliability and speed are two of the most vital factors. Even if you’re using a free hosting plan for a simple, personal website, you’d at least want some level of consistency. That’s a keyword that seems sorely missing almost anywhere on Googiehost.

To begin with, signing up for an account on Googiehost was, to say the least, weird. Their site is in English, but once we clicked on the “sign up” link, everything converted to Italian. Attempting to change it back to English (via a dropdown menu) resulted in blank menus with no conversion options.

Looking past that, we filled in the user information form and submitted the application. Things were processed quickly, but when we checked the user profile in their system, they changed our country profile to India. Why? We have no idea.

Again, moving on, we tried to upload our standard test website to Googiehost. Uploading a 171MB backup file took about 20 minutes, following which the backup restoration promptly failed. We repeated the process three times, after which we gave up.

The following day, attempting to access the client control panel returned a 502 error, after which we decided to abandon further testing with Googiehost.

How easy is GoogieHost to use?

When it comes to ease of use, GoogieHost has taken steps to simplify website management by offering tools such as DirectAdmin and Softaculous. They even throw in free SSL, but seem to fail badly at configuring their own systems.

If you’re used to any web hosting control panel like cPanel or Plesk, DirectAdmin offers a similar experience, albeit one that doesn’t look as pretty. Softaculous also does a neat job of installing apps relatively quickly and efficiently. In that sense, Googiehost doesn’t lag behind the competition.

Unfortunately, the overall experience leaves one very confused due to the language changes, user data being auto-corrected for no reason, random system failures like the 502 we encountered, and a ton of ads being constantly thrown at you.

This makes it challenging to accept, even if it’s offered for free.

The competition

Bluehost, renowned for its user-friendly interface and versatile hosting options, is just one of GoogieHost’s competitors. Bluehost offers shared hosting, virtual private servers (VPS), and dedicated hosting, catering to a wide range of user needs. With a reputation for reliable customer support and an array of features, Bluehost presents a robust alternative.

Namecheap provides a significantly more professional and reliable foundation compared to Googiehost for any serious digital project. At the very least, you get a range of cheap hosting plans to choose from, alongside a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Even their domain names come with freebies like lifetime domain name privacy protection.

Hostinger offers a massive leap in performance and professional utility, essential for any growing site. Built on high-speed LiteSpeed servers and utilizing NVMe storage on higher tiers, Hostinger is much more reputable and reliable than Googiehost in almost all aspects. Plus, it offers dirt-cheap plans that aren't far off from being free.

SiteGround, with its solid reputation for performance and security, stands as a fierce rival. Offering managed WordPress hosting, cloud hosting, and dedicated servers, SiteGround's focus on speed and technical excellence positions it as a contender for users seeking top-tier performance.

Liquid Web is in an entirely different league from Googiehost. If you want mission-critical stability and high-end performance. Liquid Web is one of the go-to hosts. Built on a robust infrastructure of dedicated and VPS solutions, these guys offer an industry-leading 100% Power and Network Uptime Guarantee.

Final verdict

GoogieHost is a very hard option for us to recommend. Since it doesn’t offer premium plans of its own, there’s no need to discuss that option here. If you’re looking for a cheap web hosting alternative, there are many notable brands around, like Namecheap and Hostinger. For high reliability and performance, consider SiteGround or LiquidWeb.

Even among free web hosting providers, most other options are far ahead of Googiehost. Here, we’d recommend Infinity Free, which does a much better job while also using free control panels and the like.

Remember, Googiehost isn’t really a web hosting company - it’s an affiliate sales site disguised as one. So don’t get carried away.

• Here's a list of the best web hosting services on the market

This past week or so, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Saros. Housemarque’s intense roguelite third-person shooter is a tremendous refinement of its previous work, Returnal (a game I feel is one of this console generation’s best). Yet its harrowing, cosmic horror-influenced narrative elevates it to something especially memorable.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5
Release date: April 30, 2026

If you’re familiar with Returnal, it probably doesn’t come as a surprise that Housemarque has once again deployed the Torment Nexus for Saros’s doomed spacefarers, and the concept of its protagonist being forced into a seemingly eternal cyclical hell is very much present here. That said, Saros is decidedly more manageable than its predecessor, featuring gameplay and progression systems that allow for a more forgiving experience overall.

Don’t get me wrong, though; Saros is still a tough PS5 game. Strip away all its new systems, and I’d say it’s about on par with Returnal in terms of difficulty. Enemies hit hard, and bosses demand keen focus when it comes to learning and dodging their bullet patterns. You’re going to die a lot in Saros, but given I reached the true ending in a tidy 20 hours, it’s a good bit friendlier to the average player.

A skill tree packed with permanent upgrades — alongside a very clever modifier system unlocked early on — ensures that protagonist Arjun grows steelier with each run. Furthermore, checkpoints placed at the start of each biome mean that, unlike Returnal, you don’t have to play through the whole thing in one flawless run. That alone condenses runs from Returnal’s 2-3 hours to a far more manageable 30 or so minutes, depending on what you’re looking to achieve on each run.

And like its predecessor, Saros is polished to a mirror sheen. Arjun’s movements are fast and snappily responsive. Color-coded bullet patterns instantly communicate the approach you need for each enemy. Weapons are varied and often creative in design and their sub-weapon functionality. And those haptics and adaptive triggers? Simply the best I’ve ever experienced and reminded me that, for all its faults, the DualSense is still capable of wowing me after all these years.

All in all, Saros is very much another slam dunk from a studio that has mastered the art of blending arcade-like trappings with AAA production values. It’s not quite perfect; I wish there were more post-game activities (and no daily challenge system yet, a la Returnal), and there are very (and I do mean very) occasional performance dips on base PS5 hardware. But there’s nothing that puts a serious dent in what I’m sure will be a game of the year frontrunner for many who seek Saros’s yellow shores.

Hail to the King

(Image credit: PlayStation / Housemarque)

Saros puts you in the role of Arjun Devraj, portrayed by actor Rahul Kohli. Arjun is a member of Echelon IV, a team sent by megacorporation Soltari to the planet Carcosa. Their purpose is twofold: to continue the extraction of a valuable resource called Lucenite, as well as to uncover what happened to the previous three Echelon teams that have made no contact with Soltari since planetfall months ago.

It’s not long before the truths of Carcosa are laid bare. In a phenomenon unique to the planet, it undergoes regular eclipse phases that rapidly advance time. Oh, and people who look directly at the eclipse are driven mad. This is all spelled out pretty early on through collectable audio and text logs left behind by prior Echelon expedition teams. From there, the madness only increases at a rate of knots.

If you’re familiar with Returnal, then you’ll know that there was more to its protagonist, Selene, than met the eye. It’s a similar case with Arjun in Saros. I won’t spoil the finer details here, but there’s still an element of his trauma seemingly manifesting itself in the form of Carcosa’s horrors.

That said, I find Carcosa to be a tremendously compelling setting. Housemarque certainly isn’t shy about its horror inspirations here. Namely, the stunning H.R. Giger-esque architecture left behind by the planet’s former inhabitants, and The King in Yellow, a collection of short stories that revolve around a stage play of the same name, which causes all of its readers to go inexplicably mad. It’s rather on the nose with the latter, actually, but it all serves to create an aggressive brand of horror here that pairs beautifully with Saros’s fast-paced third-person shooting.

I'm Blue

(Image credit: Sony / Housemarque)

Saros, at its heart, is a third-person shooter with roguelite elements. There’s no trudging movement speed or ducking behind cover here, though. Arjun’s default run speed would be enough to set off a highway speed camera, and he can dodge, jump, and air dash on a dime to quickly reposition or blink through incoming projectiles.

It’s a game with myriad arcade sensibilities. Enemies’ primary method of attack is intricate bullet patterns reminiscent of danmaku shoot-em-ups like DoDonpachi Resurrection or Ikaruga. Okay, Saros never gets as intimidatingly screen-filling as that, but I think it does take some inspiration, especially from that latter title.

Best bit

(Image credit: PlayStation / Housemarque)

I love Saros for many of the same reasons I did Returnal, but the new Carcosan Modifier system is brilliant to play around with. This is where you can add a bit (or a lot) of extra bite to the game's difficulty, or give yourself a bit more favor depending on your preferences.

A new addition to Saros is Arjun’s Soltari Shield. Bound to R1 by default, holding the button down produces a protective globe around Arjun that absorbs projectiles, converting them into ammunition for his currently equipped power weapon. As a result, Saros directly encourages you to get stuck into the line of fire. You’ll need to watch out here, though; only blue projectiles can be absorbed without penalty. You can absorb yellow projectiles, but they’ll cause corruption, eating into your maximum health until cleansed with power weapon usage. Red projectiles, meanwhile, cannot be absorbed or even dodged through.

There’s plenty of weapon variety in Saros. From powerful revolvers and close-range shotguns to energy crossbows and auto-targeting smart rifles. You’ll need to use power weapons in tandem with these to deal devastating damage and effectively turn dire situations in your favor. Some are great for immediate single-target damage, while others excel at crowd control, spreading damage-over-time projectiles around the room.

One thing I adore about Saros’s weapons is that they all come fitted with an alternate fire module. By holding down L2 about halfway, your weapon’s behaviour changes. These typically consume more energy, but can do things like turn your shotgun into a grenade launcher, or your energy crossbow beams into a single concentrated blast. My favorite weapon comes a bit later in the game, though; a chakram launcher that embeds blades into enemies, spinning inside them to deal damage when you activate its alt fire. It’s so awesome.

Helping hands

(Image credit: PlayStation / Housemarque)

As I said at the top, Saros has a similar difficulty curve to Returnal, but it’s much less mean. Early on, you’ll unlock the ‘Armor Matrix’, a massive skill tree that improves stats and offers various perks (such as a ‘second chance’, allowing you to get back up once when you die) when you pump collectible Lucenite currency into it. A secondary resource, Halcyon, can also be gathered to unlock particularly potent enhancements.

You’ll typically be faced with a boss at the end of a biome. Levels can take around 20-30 minutes per run, depending on how much optional exploration you undertake, and beating a boss will unlock a checkpoint for you to return to upon death. These checkpoints can be teleported to from your home base of the Passage, letting you begin a run from your most recent one, or for returning to older areas for side collectibles like audio logs and Halcyon.

This is probably the main thing that makes Saros a much more manageable beast compared to its predecessor. Returnal (outside of its split halfway through the game) demanded a full run every time. Dying to a late-game boss there often meant 2-3 hours of lost progress. Saros is far more forgiving in this regard, making it a far more accessible game for those who were put off by Returnal’s difficulty and the time investment it demanded.

Fear not if you’re after a meatier challenge in Saros, though. After a few early biomes, you’ll unlock Carcosan Modifiers at your base. This system presents you with a range of modifiers to make your life on Carcosa both easier and more difficult. You can give yourself stronger firepower and better defenses, but you’ll have to balance that out with detrimental modifiers, like the loss of your second chance or more aggressive enemies.

Easy modifiers decrease the number on the scale, while hard ones increase it. There is no upper limit to this, either; you’re free to pack on as many modifiers as you choose, so long as the scale doesn’t dip too far in the easier direction. In short, if you want to bring all the modifiers that make your life easier, you are required to pile up the ones that increase the game’s challenge. It’s a really smart way of increasing difficulty and adds tons of flavor to runs once you have a good grasp on the game.

Bathed in yellow

(Image credit: PlayStation / Housemarque)

I found Saros to be a deeply enjoyable game, then, and I didn’t find its additional safeguards and progression systems made it any less when compared to Returnal. But one area where I think Saros surpasses its prequel is in presentation.

It’s one of the most visually stunning games put out by a PlayStation Studios team to date. Biomes are vast and varied, ranging from chalk-like canyons and underground mines to dilapidated docks and swampy marshlands. Draw distance is also remarkable, and you can often see entire levels span out when you look out over a vista. You can even spot landmarks from areas further in the game off in the distance. It’s awe-inspiring stuff.

I would also strongly, strongly recommend bolstering your experience with a pair of headphones. Sound design in Saros feels tailor-made for the PS5’s Tempest 3D audio. Roaring winds and distant alien screams fill the soundstage, while gunshots and explosions all sound satisfyingly chunky. The soundtrack is also a massive highlight for me, blending chaotic synths with wailing electric guitars.

Once again, Housemarque has really put the DualSense Wireless Controller through its paces. The novelty of its haptic feedback and adaptive triggers has long worn off for me, but Saros really surprised me with its usage of these. Things like the pattering of rain and feedback from power weapons echo through the controller’s vibrations accurately and immersively. And the usage of those adaptive triggers to open up secondary fire options is a brilliant touch, as it was in Returnal, too.

To close out, I really have very few complaints from my time with Saros. The game largely holds an impressive 60fps (frames per second) on base PS5, but there was the very occasional slight chug in busier, enemy-filled rooms. It’s never anything game-breaking, though.

Beyond that, I’d really like to see more postgame activities come to Saros. Returning to older areas for collectibles is fun, but it’s currently lacking anything like leaderboards or Returnal’s daily challenge runs. That game did eventually receive a chunky free expansion with new story elements, so I’d love to see the same thing happen again in Saros. Right now, I’ve just been left wanting more, which is hardly a bad thing.

Should you play Saros?

(Image credit: PlayStation / Housemarque)Play it if...

You’re down for a moreish challenge
Saros might be easier than Returnal overall, but it’s still no slouch. Many enemies and bosses will give you something to think about. Plus, the act of shooting, dodging, and managing resources like power weapons, it all just feels so great once you’ve got it down to a science.

You loved Returnal’s horror trappings
Saros features a different, more chaotic kind of horror, but it’s no less compelling as a narrative vehicle. Its environmental design and scattered audio and text logs create a truly horrifying picture; one that stays harrowing right up to the end.

Don't play it if...

You're not keen on split-second action
Saros can be a fast game, almost unrelentingly so. It might not be for you if dodging several high-speed, intricate bullet patterns all at once while managing energy resources sounds like a lot.

Accessibility features

Like most contemporary PlayStation Studios titles, Saros has plenty of accommodating options for gamers of all stripes. Up front, you can disable the Carcosan Modifier limiter if you desire an easier experience, and there’s no penalty or trophy-gating for doing so. Full button remapping is also supported.

There are plenty of colorblind options, too, to the point where you can even change the default color of different projectile types. Meanwhile, subtitle options are robust. You can change their size, color, and background opacity.

Audio options are especially broad. A dialogue priority slider ensures spoken lines aren’t drowned out by other audio sources, and you can fine-tune bass, treble, and the lower and higher ends of dynamic range. There’s even an average loudness setting if you’re hard of hearing or don’t have access to speakers or a surround sound system.

How I reviewed Saros

I reached Saros’s true ending in 20 hours of play. In addition to the main campaign, I spent plenty of time gathering optional collectibles and collecting currencies to build up the Armor Matrix skill tree.

I played with a DualSense Wireless Controller on a base PS5, often pairing my play time with the RIG R5 Spear Pro HS gaming headset for more immersive audio. My display of choice is the LG CX OLED TV.

I went into this review with extensive playtime in Housemarque’s previous games, most notably Returnal. It was one of my favorite games in the year it came out, so I was excited and plenty prepared to take on the horrors of Saros using Returnal as one of my frames of reference.

First reviewed April-May 2026

Supermassive Games' The Dark Pictures Anthology poses the question: how would you actually fare in a horror movie? And the studio's latest horror game, Directive 8020, is no different.

The interactive survival horror series as a whole has seen us unearthing the secrets of a ghost ship, navigating the fog of an eerie New England town, descending into the depths of a Sumerian temple, and even investigating a replica of H.H. Holmes’ notorious Murder Castle.

Meanwhile, the studio’s standalone titles, The Quarry and Until Dawn, have placed us in the bloodied sneakers of oblivious teens trapped in scenarios ripped straight from the slasher playbook. While the cast, locations, and twists have changed, the goal has ultimately remained the same: try to keep everyone alive. Well, if that’s what you want to do – who am I to judge if you take pleasure in the demise of a mouthy jock?

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam)
Release date: May 12, 2026

This core element remains unchanged in The Dark Pictures Anthology's latest entry, Directive 8020. Once again, you act as the puppet master of fate for a cast of diverse personalities, trapped in a nightmare situation that is up to you (and maybe some friends) to navigate them through. This time, the unfortunate bunch is the crew of the Cassiopea, a colony spaceship travelling to the planet Tau Ceti f in hopes that it can be terraformed into a livable planet, offering humanity salvation as Earth withers and dies.

Yes, a bit like Interstellar. But, as you may expect, the mission isn’t quite as straightforward as it seems. 12 light-years from home, having just awoken from a four-year cryogenic nap, the crew finds that they’re far from alone, as a shape-shifting extraterrestrial (much like The Thing) being has infiltrated the ship and is impersonating them, making it hard to know who to trust.

Directive 8020’s story plays out across eight episodes, each roughly an hour long, meaning you can feasibly play through them all in a day if you’re so inclined. It’s a bit of a slow-burn, almost too slow at times, but the many twists and turns (that I won’t spoil here), combined with the constant sense of uneasiness about who you can trust, keep the story gripping. As with previous games in the series, picking up the breadcrumbs of clues scattered through the eight episodes is pivotal in helping you make critical decisions down the line that could lead to the death of a character.

(Image credit: Supermassive Games)

Collectibles, including documents, video logs, and personal belongings, are worth seeking out as they delve deeper into the crew, their mission, and hint at what exactly is tormenting them. Unlike in previous entries, there are no premonitions here to steer you; some detective work is required to connect the dots and make the “right” choices.

On rare occasions, these collectibles require you to solve a puzzle to access them, but these feel superficial for the most part: the ease of their solutions makes them feel like an unnecessary obstacle. Some require you to find and move a power cell or reroute power to unlock a door, while some require you to solve a rudimentary lock-picking puzzle that simply tasks you to select segments of a circle to complete it (or select an orange segment that immediately unlocks it). While finding another piece of the story puzzle feels rewarding, I wish there were more to find, with more challenging ways to access them, or more environmental clues.

While Directive 8020 looks great – especially its cutscenes – the ship itself feels a bit bare at times. Sure, practicality is the aim of the game in space, but a few more personal touches and varied environments – as we’ve seen in previous Dark Pictures games – could have helped immerse us in Supermassive’s sci-fi world, especially given the detail of its characters.

(Image credit: Supermassive Games)

There are five playable members of the Cassiopea for the majority of the game, but seven in total if you include those in the first episode. Each looks incredibly detailed, with pilot Briana Young instantly recognizable as No Time To Die’s Lashana Lynch. However, as we’ve seen with some Dark Pictures characters before (most notably, personally, Ashley Tisdale in House of Ashes), there is, at times, a hint of them looking dead behind the eyes. However, the acting and voice performances are excellent, with Kathryn Wilder and Danny Sapani in particular knocking it out of the park as Anders and Commander Stafford, respectively.

Supermassive has worked to flesh these characters out through dialogue, collectibles, and backstories, but some are definitely more interesting than others. The friendship between ballsy medical specialist Cooper and plucky science officer Anders never failed to make me smile, while technical engineer Cernan’s philosophical takes on life and death struck a chord. However, it was much more difficult to connect to Young, Eiselle, and Stafford, with each falling a bit flat.

Playing in Solo Story Mode enables you to take control of all crew members, while the return of Movie Night Mode offers you the ability to play couch co-op with up to five players, with each player able to control a member of the crew. While online multiplayer isn’t available at launch, Supermassive Games has confirmed this mode will be released in a free update after launch.

Second chances

(Image credit: Supermassive Games)

While the core of Directive 8020 stays true to what we’ve come to expect from The Dark Pictures Anthology, there are a few new additions that may split series fans. The first is the new Turning Points feature, which allows you to rewind a scenario at any time. For example, if you are in a chase and you miss a quick-time event (QTE) resulting in a character’s death or make the “wrong” decision in a conversation, which results in an unwanted outcome, you can immediately replay the scene and do it differently. All your decisions and the overall story path are tracked in the Turning Points tree, allowing you to replay scenes whenever you wish.

I had mixed feelings about this at first, as a large part of what makes Dark Pictures games unique and tense is the weight (and irrelevance) of your actions. If you screw up, you have to live with the consequences. However, this can be frustrating for many players – especially if someone dies early and you want a no-death run. The good news is you don’t have to use the feature.

Directive 8020 offers two Playstyles: Explorer and Survivor. Explorer gives you access to Turning Points, while Survivor offers the classic experience, where there are no second chances. You can switch between playstyles during the game, too, so if you think you don’t need a safety net, there’s always the option to implement it later.

Best bit

(Image credit: Supermassive Games)

To date, throughout The Dark Pictures Anthology, one character has been constant: The Curator (voiced by Pip Torrens and modelled after the late Tony Pankhurst). This enigmatic and omnipresent voyeur oversees the lives and deaths of players – and isn’t afraid to chastise you when you screw up. Usually, The Curator intervenes throughout the story to sort of summarise how you’re doing and provide cryptic clues about what’s coming next. But not this time. Instead, near the end of the game, you can find an O Death Secret, which unlocks these collectibles throughout the game. Once you find this secret, glimpses of The Curator will appear before death. Finding them all not only unlocks a special cutscene from the man himself but a teaser trailer for the next Dark Pictures game.

But Turning Points isn’t perfect. While it makes it easier to see the game’s various endings and outcomes, and to pick up missed collectibles, navigating the paths can be a pain. My first piece of advice is to first play through Explorer without using this replay feature as much as possible, using it only to rectify major mistakes or deaths. Initially, I jumped back and forth in episode one to see different outcomes, and it seriously impacted the flow and impact of the story. Once I used it sparingly, I enjoyed the game much more.

However, upon completing the game, I thought the feature would make it pretty easy to explore different paths and endings quickly, as I could jump back in time like Dr. Strange, change a choice, then jump forward to a different outcome. That’s not the case. While it is easier to explore the full game than in previous Dark Pictures titles, this can become monotonous as you rewatch the same cutscenes repeatedly without the option to skip.

What’s more, to alter certain outcomes, and therefore unlock new ones, you must replay an entire path again from one pivotal choice, or make several smaller choices. This may be lazy from my side, but for a feature meant to encourage exploring the story’s various facets, it can make it a serious slog, and I can’t help but think it would be more beneficial to players if you could replay a pivotal decision and then jump forward to just before when that decision takes effect (so long as you’ve already reached that point before).

Silent as the grave

(Image credit: Supermassive Games)

To date, the action elements in Supermassive’s interactive survival horror games have boiled down to running for your life or smashing a QTE. While this survival horror certainly sees you legging it from the shape-shifting beasties, there are (thankfully) fewer QTEs than we’ve seen before. Instead, there are stealth sequences that see you sneaking around the lifeform, hiding behind crates, walls, and seating, to get to your destination, using a scanner to keep track of the enemy.

While these stealth elements do add to the tension, they’re pretty mundane. You see your destination, keep track of the creature’s predictable patrol sequence, and sneak over there – occasionally triggering a distraction to help or maneuvering around noisy glass. If they catch you, you will either be smooshed or, more than likely, given a QTE chance to stun them and run to the end point. Supermassive almost plays it too safe with this new feature.

These slower sequences have the potential to instill an Alien Isolation-esque terror in you. Supermassive could have included unpredictable enemy movements or alternative escape route options to up the ante and make you feel like you’re one misstep from being torn open like a bag of crisps. I understand, the studio likely doesn’t want to alienate its fanbase, but it's hard not to make comparisons to sci-fi horrors like SOMA and Alien Isolation, which simply implemented this better.

(Image credit: Supermassive Games)

Similarly, there are a few first-person elements included, too, that don’t feel fully utilized. When you crawl into a vent, the camera view shifts from third-person to first-person, reflecting the uneasy, claustrophobic feel of these tight spaces. The shape-shifting creature can’t get you in the vents; you simply use them to bypass obstacles and occasionally the enemy, which seems like a wasted opportunity. Pairing more hair-raising stealth moments with those oppressive spaces feels like a match made in heaven (or more likely hell), and yet Supermassive appears to simply dip its toe in the water.

Overall, Directive 8020 evolves The Dark Pictures Anthology series by offering improved graphics, more forgiving gameplay, and introducing new gameplay elements, but it doesn’t quite push the boundaries enough and lacks the bite of other sci-fi survival horrors – and prior titles in the series. If you’re a Dark Pictures fan, it’s well worth checking out, but I can’t help but wonder if it will mark a welcome turning point for the series as a whole.

(Image credit: Supermassive Games)Should you play Directive 8020?Play it if...

You're looking for a gripping survival horror to play with friends
For many, one of the biggest draws of The Dark Pictures Anthology is its Movie Night Mode, allowing you to play couch co-op with friends. Directive 8020 offers this too; up to five players can play couch co-op, with each taking control of one Cassiopeia crew member and passing the controller when needed. In addition, Directive 8020 will support online multiplayer mode for up to five players. However, this online mode isn't available at launch and will roll out as part of a free post-launch update.

You're a fan of the sci-fi horror genre
If you love games like Alien Isolation, Dead Space, and SOMA, Directive 8020 offers a similar sci-fi horror vibe. It's perhaps not as outright scary as some of these titles – though there are a few jump scares – but those who enjoy the palpable tension of sneaking past grotesque extraterrestrial beings and slow-burning twists will likely find this to be right up their street.

You want a forgiving horror experience
The Dark Pictures Anthology to date has been pretty brutal: miss a QTE or make a wrong choice, and it could easily result in a character's death. If, like me, you aim to keep everyone alive, it can be a frustrating experience. However, playing in Explorer mode gives you unlimited access to Directive 8020's new Turning Points feature, allowing you to immediately rewind and make an alternative (more palatable) decision, while offering an easier way to explore the game's various endings and outcomes or pick up missed collectibles.

Don't play it if...

You want challenging stealth
Unlike previous Dark Pictures games, Directive 8020 features stealth sequences that see you sneaking past the shape-shifting beastie plaguing the Cassiopeia crew. If you’re not a fan of stealth games, then this addition may be disappointing. On the other hand, those who lap up stealth scenarios that have you on the edge of your seat may be disappointed, too. While these sequences are a delicate operation, they’re not particularly challenging – largely due to predictable enemy patterns – nor do they drip with the sort of sweat-inducing tension the likes of Alien Isolation offers.

You're looking for real scares
While there are a few jump scares, Directive 8020 isn't inherently scary. While previous games in the series leaned more into the slasher or thriller genres, this game is more of a body horror (AKA grotesque alien creatures). If you are looking for some serious scares, you won't find them here, but if you're a fan of The Thing's blend of paranoia, suspense, and gross, this is probably one for you.

You want to solve head-scratching puzzles
Like any good survival horror, Directive 8020 features some puzzle elements. However, don’t expect to be breaking out a pen and paper to solve them. In fact, many of the puzzles are frustratingly easy, requiring you to re-route power sources, turn off or on control panels, or select segments of a circle to unlock a door, making them feel like pesky obstacles rather than gameplay elements. There are a couple of puzzles that are slightly more complicated, but even these take just a few minutes to solve. So, if you’re looking for Silent Hill level puzzles here, you won’t find them.

Accessibility features

Directive 8020 offers a handful of accessibility features, primarily focused on UI, QTEs, and subtitles. QTEs can be adjusted so that players can hold a button instead of bashing it, so the button you use on your controller for QTEs remains the same, and to disable the QTE timer. In addition, accessibility options offer the ability to enable a simplified UI font, to set puzzles to be completed with one input, remap controls, and to change the background opacity, size, colour, and more of subtitles and in-game text.

Directive 8020 also offers three preset difficulty options – Forgiving, Challenging, and Lethal – alongside a custom difficulty option that allows you to change QTE difficulty, enable or disable QTE warnings and threat indicators (and their colour), and adjust parry recharge time. However, we’d have loved to see the inclusion of a few more accessibility options, such as a dedicated colorblind mode.

(Image credit: Supermassive Games)How I reviewed Directive 8020

I reviewed Directive 8020 on PS5 on a Samsung Q80T QLED TV, using a DualSense Wireless Controller. I spent over 10 hours playing Directive 8020 in Solo Story mode, on Challenge difficulty, primarily using the Explorer playstyle. During this time, I completed all eight of the game's episodes (each of which takes around one hour to complete), explored various story paths and outcomes via the Turning Points feature, and aimed to collect as many collectibles as possible.

Having played every entry in the Supermassive Games' The Dark Pictures Anthology, as well as standalone titles The Quarry and Until Dawn – and being a keen survival horror fan – I was able to compare Directive 8020 to the studio's previous offerings and therefore offer insight into the key similarities and differences between their latest choice-based survival horror adventure and previous games.

First reviewed May 2026.

InfinityFree is a US-based web hosting provider launched in 2016, and, as its name suggests, it offers one of the best free web hosting services for an indeterminate period of time. We all know that not everything presented as free hosting is truly free, but Infinity Free manages to live up to its name and does that without overloading your site with ads.

• Want to try Infinity Free? Check out the website here

Despite providing fully free services, InfinityFree is sustainable thanks to its business deal with iFastNet, whose services are marketed on Infinity Free’s official site. Therefore, if you ever feel the need to upgrade your free plan to one of the premium ones, expect to be forwarded to iFastNet’s site.

Although we can’t be fully confident, InfinityFree’s data center appears to be located in Chicago (Illinois, the USA).

InfinityFree’s official site is pretty plain and overrun with ads, but it is easy-to-use (partly due to its simplicity). Unfortunately, like with most free hosts, it doesn’t feature an official blog nor is it particularly active on social media sites.

Plans and pricing

You can manage your settings, domains, subdomains and account details from InfinityFree's client area (Image credit: Future)

There's one plan, and it's free. However, the site advertises paid-for hosting plans. If you click on premium hosting, you're directed to iFastNet. For this review, I'm leaving out iFastNet, as this is just a review of InfinityFree's free hosting.

The free hosting plan is surprisingly robust, offering 5GB of SSD storage and unlimited bandwidth (with some terms and conditions). It supports PHP versions up to 8.2/8.3, 400 MySQL databases, and full .htaccess support.

A standout feature is the integrated SSL tool, which allows users to provision and renew Let's Encrypt certificates directly from the dashboard without needing external technical workarounds.

Ease of use

To start your free hosting trip, tap the “Register Now” button, insert your email address, think up a password, go through terms of service and deny being a robot (sorry, robots). After verifying your email, it is time to create your hosting account through three simple steps.

The first step includes choosing a domain name and there you can use a free subdomain (seven of them are available as we write) or a domain you already own and point it to Infinity Free nameservers. If you decide on a second option but are not sure how it all works, there is an in-depth guide describing every step of the way (with screenshots and everything).

After this, your account username will be generated at random, and the same goes for your account password if you (for whatever reason) decided to leave the space empty. In any case, your account will be created within seconds making this one of the simplest and most straightforward experiences of this kind. That being said, you might need to wait for up to 72 hours for your hosting account to “start working everywhere” and your newly created site to become accessible.

You can manage your settings, domains, subdomains and account details from InfinityFree's client area (Image credit: Infinity Free)

Managing your hosting account is done through VistaPanel, a specialized control panel for free hosting environments. This control panel is surprisingly similar to cPanel, right down to design and color scheme. In any case, if you're used to web hosting control panels, this should be a breeze to handle.

Infinity Free's version of VistaPanel covers all the essentials, including an online FTP manager, MySQL database control, phpMyAdmin, domain name management, mail management, and more.

The biggest plus is that Softaculous is included, letting you access one-click setups for over 400 applications, including WordPress and Joomla. The combination of freebies at Infinity Free is impressive, to say the least.

Speed and reliability

We used GTmetrix to test the uptime and response time of InfinityFree's main site (Image credit: GTmetrix)

Given that we are testing a free service, we didn’t expect to be blown away by either speed or uptime. Using our pre-built standard test site, we tested Infinity Free with a WordPress benchmarking tool and then hit it with Siege, our load tester.

WordPress benchmark test

CPU & Memory

Operations with large text data

9.58

Random binary data operations

7.28

Recursive mathematical calculations

3.54

Iterative mathematical calculations

7.3

Floating point operations

6.61

Filesystem

Filesystem write ability

0

Local file copy and access speed

0

Small file IO test

2.89

Database

Importing large amount of data to database

6.07

Simple queries on single table

7.73

Complex database queries on multiple tables

3.82

Object cache

Persistent object cache enabled

0

Shortcode processing

4.98

Wordpress Hooks

7.3

Wordpress option manipulation

7.78

REGEX string processing

6.43

Taxonomy benchmark

6.42

Object capability benchmark

7.39

Content filtering

2.43

JSON manipulations

4.93

Network

Network download speed test

7.28

Overall

Your server score

5.7

Core WordPress speeds at Infinity Free were a real eye-opener. With an overall score of 5.7, this free hosting provider outperformed several paid hosting providers. The downsides, notably, were in file system performance, which we suspect is due to limitations in the plan provided.

Siege test results

Concurrent users

5

9

15

Transactions

7376

7088

6683

Availability

100

100

100

Elapsed time

299.26

299.13

298.97

Data transferred

51.19

49.18

46.41

Response time

1.01

1.05

1.12

Transaction rate

24.65

23.70

22.35

Throughput

0.17

0.16

0.16

Concurrency

24.96

23.70

24.95

Successful transactions

7376

7088

6683

Failed transactions

0

0

0

Longest transaction

6.39

6.26

6.72

Shortest transaction

0.69

0.69

0.69

Load testing results at Infinity Free were even more surprising, and in a highly positive manner. This is perhaps the only free host that's managed to survive a load test from Siege. With up to 15 concurrent users over a 5-minute period, Infinity Free successfully processed all transactions.

Not only did it pass, but Infinity Free produced such consistent results that we ended up re-running the tests several more times. In the end, we concluded that, aside from limitations, Infinity Free servers are quite well configured for load balancing, even without the benefit of a CDN.

Support

As you might have guessed, customer support provided by a free host is almost always nothing to write home about. Such is the case with Infinity Free, so don’t expect to get one-on-one consultation via telephone, live chat, or email. Although there are a few email addresses available for contact, it is stated that they are not meant for support and that all of your questions are going to be left unanswered.

You can find answers to common web hosting problems by checking the responses on InfinityFree's forum (Image credit: Infinity Free)

The one alternative you are left with is to seek help on their community forum, which is actually an amazing option to have since most of the questions there (if not all) are answered by fellow users.

InfinityFree also provides a comprehensive knowledgebase (Image credit: Infinity Free)

The other one is to consult InfinityFree’s comprehensive knowledgebase that contains, among others, a novice-friendly category called “Getting Started”. There are ten categories in total and over 80 in-depth guides that cover everything from managing your domain and DNS to making your SSL certificate work with WordPress.

The competition

A nice alternative to InfinityFree and one of the better free hosting providers out there is India-based GoogieHost (not to be confused with Googlehost). It comes with a bit more in terms of features, since their free plan includes Cloudflare, VistaPanel web hosting control panel, a user-friendly website builder, and up to 2 business emails (Infinity Free currently provides none). However, in terms of security and stability, Infinity Free wins the day.

FreeHostingNoAds is another noteworthy alternative to Infinity Free, and it delivers exactly what its name implies - free hosting without ads. What is more, it also includes a drag-and-drop website builder, while Infinity Free doesn’t. However, unlike InfinityFree, which puts no limits on disk space and bandwidth, FreeHostingNoAds is severely limited.

If you are not looking exclusively for free web hosting, there are quite a few budget-friendly hosts able to cover all the basics and more while providing round-the-clock customer support. Some of the fan-favorites are HostGator, Bluehost, and DreamHost, and all of them offer a wide variety of services and hosting packages, ranging from simple shared and flexible cloud setups to VPS and dedicated server hosting. They may not be completely free-of-charge, but as with most things in life (web hosting included) you get what you pay for.

Final verdict

Are you trying to find a free host for a blog, small portfolio, or any other personal project on a similar scale? If the answer is yes, then InfinityFree is worth a look. With user-friendly VistaPanel, Softaculous, and easy-to-follow how-tos you’ll be able to build a captivating website without too much trouble.

However, if you have bigger dreams for your website and don’t mind spending a few bucks each month to make these dreams come true, check out hosts such as HostGator and Bluehost.

Namecheap is known as one of the best domain registrars where you can find and buy whatever dot-com or other TLD you'd like to use for your website. According to Domainstate, it handles more than 14 million domains: only GoDaddy has more.

But there's much more to Namecheap than domains. The company has steadily been increasing its range of the best web hosting products, covering everyone from bargain-hunting first-timers to demanding business users.

Recent additions include Namecheap's own content delivery network (CDN), which accelerates your website's speed for visitors worldwide. The company even offers a budget VPN to keep you safe on public Wi-Fi and let you access regional content from other countries.

• Want to try Namecheap? Check out the website here

What types of hosting does Namecheap offer? 

Namecheap's range starts with low cost and easy-to-use shared hosting, a perfect choice for first-timers and less demanding websites. There are Namecheap promo codes for bringing the cost down even more too.

Namecheap also offers EasyWP, a managed WordPress hosting option with valuable site management features and more resources delivering extra speed. If you need more power and freedom than that Namecheap' also offers VPS and dedicated hosting.

Namecheap's shared hosting plans start off incredibly cheap though they do increase in price upon renewal (Image credit: Namecheap)Namecheap shared hosting

Using a shared hosting plan means your site is hosted on a single server along with many others. That's great for value, as the server costs are shared across multiple accounts, but it can hurt speed and reliability. Sharing a server's CPU, RAM, and network connection with other sites can disrupt your services because they may experience traffic spikes that consume shared resources. There's no sign that Namecheap's shared hosting is overloaded, but it's always something you need to keep in mind when choosing a shared hosting service.

Namecheap's shared hosting range is very low-priced, with headline prices starting at $1.88/mo for a two-year subscription ($5.88/mo on renewal). This price was recently updated to reflect a lower starting point and higher renewal prices. They dropped the starting prices but significantly increased renewal fees, which isn't great overall.

A good set of core features includes a free domain, free migration, a bundled website builder, unlimited bandwidth, and at least twice-weekly backups. Softaculous is on hand to speedily install WordPress and 150+ other apps, and cPanel has all the power you'll need to manage your web space.

Even the cheapest plan supports hosting three websites, too (the others allow unlimited sites). Most providers only allow a single site on their starter shared plan.

All shared hosting plans come with 50 free SSL certificates for the first year. If you do not want to pay the $6.99/year to renew one, you still get free SSL through cPanel.

Prices before and after renewal (2 year plan)

Plan

Starting price

Renewal price

Stellar

$1.88

$5.88

Stellar Plus

$2.28

$7.88

Stellar Business

$4.48

$11.88

(Image credit: Namecheap)Namecheap WordPress hosting 

WordPress is a hugely popular website creation platform with over 40% of the world's sites using the CMS. It's easy for beginners to use, yet powerful enough to build huge business websites and leading-edge web stores.

Namecheap's EasyWP plans are more expensive than its shared hosting plans, but they offer more resources and are specifically optimized to deliver faster WordPress speeds (Namecheap says they're at least three times faster than regular WordPress on its shared hosting account).

EasyWP Starter offers 10GB of NVMe storage, a free CDN to boost performance, and support for a single site with unlimited monthly visitors. It looks cheap at $3.14 a month on the annual plan and $5.24 on renewal, though there is one catch: the SSL is free only for Namecheap domains.

This is where the price can start to increase: Positive SSL for 5 years is $5.99 and renews at $6.99 per year. If you want to manage all your hosting and services in one place, Namecheap is a good option, but if you want to distribute your services across multiple providers, hosting with Namecheap might not be the best option.

The other EasyWP plans add more storage and resources. The top-of-the-range EasyWP Supersonic plan comes with the most goodies, but still offers fair value at $5.32 a month on the annual plan and $10.22 on renewal.

These prices were updated in 2026 and show a surprisingly large overall drop. In fact, Namecheap is the only vendor I've come across so far this year that has lowered its WordPress hosting prices, even if only by a few cents.

The plans have some weaknesses. They support creating only one website, and you don't get the same range of WordPress-oriented features as some of its top competitors offer.

If Namecheap doesn't have the power you need, consider SiteGround's WordPress hosting range. These start at $3.99/mo with relatively modest resources. However, SiteGround also offers advanced WordPress and AI-based tools for you to play with.

Namecheap WordPress (2-year plans)

Plan

Starting price

Renewal price

EasyWP Starter

$3.14

$5.25

EasyWP Turbo

$4.48

$8.63

EasyWP Supersonic

$5.32

$19.22

(Image credit: Namecheap)Namecheap VPS hosting

Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting is faster and more configurable than shared hosting. But it's also relatively expensive, and more complex to set up and manage, which means it's not an ideal choice for novice users with simple, low-traffic sites.

If you're an expert or have a more demanding website, though, it's a very different story. A good VPS can give you massive control over your server, and the power to handle hundreds of thousands of visits a month, sometimes for less than the cost of high-end shared hosting.

Namecheap's VPS hosting starts at $6.88 a month, billed annually, for a 2-core CPU, 2GB RAM, 40GB NVMe storage, and 1 TB bandwidth (renews at $9.88). While that looks cheap, keep in mind that it's an unmanaged system, which means you're left to run the server yourself (add, install, and update software, restore a failed server, and more). You don't even get a control panel.

Managed VPS is easier to use, but also more expensive. The unmanaged Quasar plan is $12.88 billed monthly for a 4-core, 6GB RAM, 120GB storage, and 3TB bandwidth system. Adding complete server management and cPanel lifts the price to $54.76 (and you can add $1.50 a month if you need Softaculous to install WordPress or anything else).

Namecheap's top-of-the-range Magnetar VPS plan is more powerful, with 8 CPU cores, 12GB RAM, 240GB storage, and 6TB bandwidth. It's $28.88 billed monthly for an unmanaged system, rising to $63.76 with the managed option.

The significant advantage of Namecheap's VPS range is its price. We often recommend Hostwinds' extensive VPS range, but what do you get for $29 a month there? Two CPU cores, 6GB RAM, and 100GB storage, a far less capable system.

The problem with Namecheap is that it offers only three VPS plans, and they're not as configurable as the best in the competition. If Namecheap's choices don't suit your needs, you'll find far more appealing deals elsewhere.

If you're on a budget, IONOS' cheapest VPS plan starts at $2 billed monthly, for instance. It's as basic as a VPS gets (1 core, 1GB RAM), but it's ideal for learning how the technology works.

At the other end of the market, InMotion Hosting's VPS hosting is crammed with features, with great support, and is primarily for more demanding business users.

Namecheap's unmanaged VPS plans after renewal

Plan

Starting price

Renewal price

Spark (1 CPU cores, 1 GB RAM, 20 GB storage)

$3.88

$4.88

Pulsar (2 CPU cores, 2 GB RAM, 40 GB storage)

$6.88

$9.88

Quasar (4 CPU cores, 6 GB RAM, 120 GB storage)

$12.88

$15.88

Magnetar (8 CPU cores, 12 GB RAM, 240 GB storage)

$24.88

$28.88

Hypernova (12 CPU cores, 24 GB RAM, 500 GB storage)

$46.88

$52.88

(Image credit: Namecheap)Namecheap dedicated hosting

Opt for shared or VPS hosting and you're forced to share your web server with others. Sign for a dedicated package, though, and it's entirely yours. RAM, CPU time, the network connection, it's all reserved for your website only, so you'll never again be slowed down by what's happening with other accounts.

Namecheap used to offer only a handful of dedicated server deals, but right now there are 58. There's something for everyone, with prices starting low at under $50 billed monthly for an unmanaged 4 core, 8GB RAM system, rising to around $250 for a 16 core CPU with 128GB RAM and fast-as-it-gets 4 x 1.92TB SSD NVMe storage. All plans include free site migration and a 99.99% uptime guarantee.

As with VPS hosting, the lowest prices are for unmanaged systems (you must run the server yourself.) Choosing the Complete Management option (Namecheap maintains the server for you) with a cPanel Solo license adds around $65 to the server cost (billed monthly.) But that's still great value, especially as there's no setup fee, and you can pay significantly more elsewhere.

The main issue with Namecheap is the lack of configuration options. You can't take a base server and pay extra to add more RAM, or an extra backup drive, for instance: what you see is more or less what you'll get. There's still no Windows hosting option, and servers are only available in the Arizona data center: you can't choose the UK or Netherlands.

If you don't have any special configuration needs, and you're looking to run a high-traffic or business-critical site where speed and reliability are vital, then Namecheap's lengthy list of base servers and great value should earn it a place on your shortlist.

Also consider IONOS. It doesn't have as many server plans, but there are some very cheap managed and unmanaged deals, and other options you won't find at Namecheap (Windows hosting on some servers, storage servers with up to 48TB storage and US or Europe data centers).

Elsewhere, both A2 Hosting and InMotion Hosting have a wide range of managed and unmanaged plans, with unusually flexible billing to keep costs down (1, 3, 6 and 12 months.) And if you're looking for real power, check out Liquid Web. Its high-end servers can handle just about anything, and the company's 100% uptime and power guarantee (and excellent support) should get you an ultra-reliable service.

Bundled with shared hosting, Namecheap's no-code website builder allows you to easily create a website thanks to the inclusion of over 200 templates (Image credit: Namecheap)Namecheap domain names

Historically, Namecheap built its reputation on offering cheap domain names. While that may still be relatively true in some cases (special offers, $0.99 promos, etc), I find that Namecheap is no longer as competitive as before.

Normally, domain name renewal prices fly by me since I have so many in hand. However, one renewal fee gave me a rude wakeup call recently. I happen to have a .consulting domain with Namecheap, and they wanted $68 or something like that for my annual renewal.

That piqued my interest, and I shopped around, eventually discovering that the renewal cost for this TLD at Namecheap was significantly higher than at many other places. Renewal fees for other TLDs have also gone up, though mostly in line with approved registrar annual increases.

Does Namecheap have a website builder? 

If you don't have a website yet, and WordPress looks too complicated, a website builder could be the answer. Choose a starting design from a site gallery, then add content to a page by dragging and dropping text, images, maps, contact forms and more.

Namecheap includes a free website builder with its shared hosting packages. This has 230 templates of various types (business, blogs, food, more), and a decent selection of widgets allows you to add plenty of content to your site: image galleries, maps, forms, blogs, product listings, payment buttons, and more. It's not a bad product, especially for free, and it provides an easy alternative to WordPress for simple site creation.

Namecheap also has a paid website builder called Site Maker, which is part of the Visual suite of design tools. Answer a few questions, upload an image or two, choose a color scheme, and Visual automatically creates your site. You can then replace the default text with your own and add pre-built blocks to insert new content, such as forms and photo galleries.

Namecheap doesn't stop with the website. Bonus free tools allow you to create a logo, design business cards, and more.

This isn't the most powerful of website builders (there's no web store support, for instance), but it's enough for simple personal sites, and the price is right. Visual is $3.88 billed monthly, with a free SSL certificate, 99.99% uptime, and support for creating a single site. There's a free .contact, .design, or .xyz domain, too, though beware, .com, .net, and other top-level domains must be purchased separately.

Sign up for Namecheap's shared hostin and you'll get a copy of Softaculous (Image credit: Namecheap)Can I build a web store with Namecheap? 

Namecheap doesn't have any specialist ecommerce products, at least yet (we suspect the new Visual website builder will add something soon), but you're free to build a web store using any of the company's shared, dedicated or VPS hosting plans.

Sign up for shared hosting, for instance, and you'll get a copy of Softaculous. It's a capable platform which can help you install OpenCart, PrestaShop, WooCommerce or other ecommerce systems. Namecheap doesn't give you any special tools or store-building support to point you in the right direction, so you'll have to learn the basics yourself, but it's not too difficult (if you know your way around WordPress, you can learn WooCommerce.)

If you're looking for something simpler, try HostGator's website builder, which has the option to add a web store. Bluehost's WooCommerce plans are a good mid-range alternative that add a bunch of useful business-friendly marketing extras, and Wix offers great templates, a wealth of features, and the power to build almost anything.

How fast is Namecheap?

To test Namecheap shared hosting performance, we uploaded a pre-created WordPress website, then ran core benchmark and load tests. This enables us to see a snapshot of how the server should perform for WordPress websites and how it can cope with increasing user loads.

Reliability is also a factor in a hosting provider's performance, so, as a side note, Namecheap offers a 100% uptime guarantee for many of its hosting plans. That includes much of its shared hosting range, VPS, and Dedicated server accounts.

WordPress benchmark test (Stellar Business)

CPU & Memory

Operations with large text data

4.91

Random binary data operations

5.28

Recursive mathematical calculations

3.61

Iterative mathematical calculations

6.84

Filesystem

Filesystem write ability

3.6

Local file copy and access speed

4.85

Small file IO test

8.59

Database

Importing large amount of data to database

3.88

Simple queries on single table

7.38

Complex database queries on multiple tables

1.31

Object Cache

Persistent object cache enabled

0

Network

Network download speed test

8.25

Overall

Your server score

4.7

Unfortunately, Namecheap's shared hosting didn't do quite as well as we would have liked. The overall score is 4.7, which wasn't dragged down by any particular WordPress key performance segment, but showed overall weakness across the board.

There are several other hosts in the best cheap web hosting space to have this lacklustre performance in shared hosting. It's only unfortunate that some cheap yet high-performance solutions also exist, such as Hostinger, which scored an impressive 8.1 for its WordPress core benchmark test.

Siege test (Stellar Business)

Concurrent users

5

9

15

Transactions

1677

2903

4917

Availability

100

100

100

Elapsed time

299.15

299.02

299.78

Data transactions

72.19

129.47

216.13

Response time

0.89

0.92

0.91

Transaction rate

5.61

9.71

16.4

Throughput

0.24

0.43

0.72

Concurrency

4.99

8.97

14.97

Successful transactions

1677

2903

4917

Failed transactions

0

0

0

Longest transaction

7.25

7.16

8.95

Shortest transaction

0.63

0.63

0.63

Given the not-so-great results in core WordPress benchmarks, we weren't too hopeful about Namecheap's load test. This is where we were proven wrong, and Namecheap pulled a whopper on us.

As user loads increased, Namecheap's shared hosting server maintained a 100% successful transaction rate and a reasonably low longest transaction time of 8.95 seconds. While the overall transaction volume was middling, it does mean that Namecheap's servers are highly reliable under load.

Based on these results alone, we can definitely recommend them if you're in the market for a reasonably priced host that can run a steady WordPress website.

How easy is Namecheap to use? 

Easy to use cPanel (Image credit: Namecheap)

Namecheap's account control panel looks a little cluttered at first glance, with lists, and sidebars, and menus and icons everywhere you look. But spend just a moment exploring, and it begins to make a lot more sense.

There's a list of your domains over here, for instance, hosting panels over there, and some of these pages are hugely useful. Visit your hosting plan's Manage panel, for instance, and you'll find its disk space and bandwidth allowance; server hostname, IP address and data center; cPanel Launch button and shortcuts; usage stats, auto-renewal settings, a Cancel button and more.

That's a huge improvement on many providers, where key settings and options are scattered around, and you can spend an age trying to find the features and details you need.

You'll probably spend more time managing your website rather than your hosting plan, of course, but Namecheap scores here, too. While IONOS, iPage and some other hosts try to cut corners by providing their own custom management tools, Namecheap uses industry standards such as Softaculous to install and manage WordPress, and cPanel to set up your domains, emails and just about everything else.

This is good news, for a couple of reasons. First, it's a guarantee of quality (that's how these tools got to be industry standards.) But mostly, it makes life easier for everyone. If you've ever used cPanel or Softaculous before, you'll feel at home here immediately. And even if you haven't, the time you spend learning the cPanel basics won't be wasted. If you move from Namecheap in a few years, there's a good chance your next provider will also use cPanel, and you'll already know how to do all your most important hosting tasks.

What is Namecheap's support like? 

You can find how-to videos, guides and more in Namecheap's help center (Image credit: Namecheap)

Namecheap has 24/7 support via its website, live chat and ticket (there's no telephone support).

The web knowledgebase is a vast collection of articles organized into common hosting categories: email, SSL certificates, domains, EasyWP (Namecheap's WordPress range), and more.

Choosing a section like WordPress displays articles in subsections: Getting Started (Dashboard Overview, How to create a website etc.), WordPress migration, plugins and themes (How to install a new theme), database access, domains and more.

It's both hugely comprehensive, and also surprisingly easy to use. Just scrolling down the WordPress category page reveals articles that many users will want to read: 'What's the different between managed WordPress hosting and shared hosting?', 'How to access your WordPress dashboard?', 'How to improve WordPress website security', and many more. This isn't just a place for troubleshooting specific issues; it's somewhere we might happily visit just to learn about a product.

Sometimes you need to solve an immediate problem, of course, and that's where live chat comes in. This worked well for us: chat was always available, the longest we waited for a conversation to begin was around three minutes, and the agents did a good job of identifying our issues, and clearly explaining what to do next.

Our test ticket left us waiting for a little longer, but we still had a reply in around 90 minutes. It was helpful, summarizing everything we needed to know in a single paragraph, and providing a link if we needed to know more.

The lack of any phone option might be an issue for some, but overall Namecheap's support worked well for us, especially considering the (very low) prices you're paying. If this is a key priority for you, check out the support site for yourself; you don't have to be a customer to view it, and just browsing the categories and articles will give you a good idea of how the service could work for you.

Final verdict

Namecheap’s hosting doesn’t quite have the power or features you’ll see with the best of the competition. Still, it could be a wise value choice for first-timers with relatively basic sites, or businesses that can make good use of its more powerful dedicated hosting range.

While the plans we tested didn't offer blazing-fast speeds, we did note that they're steady workhorses that can pull along just fine even at somewhat heavy loads. Combined with their "all-in" services, Namecheap is as good as it gets if you want decent hosting and everything else in one service provider.

Namecheap web hosting FAQsWhat payment types does Namecheap support?

Namecheap accepts payments via card, PayPal and Bitcoin.

(Image credit: Namecheap)Does Namecheap offer refunds?

Namecheap's refund policy is far more complicated than most providers, with all kinds of special clauses and exceptions. Scala Hosting describes its money-back guarantee in under 140 words; Hostwinds, under 180; Namecheap needs more than 1,500.

If we summarize that, as a general rule, Namecheap offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for most shared and VPS hosting packages, and 7 days for dedicated hosting. Add-on products and services mostly aren't covered, with a few exceptions (some domain name renewals are refundable if you make a request within five days of purchase, for instance).

Although we'd prefer a policy that's a little simpler to follow, Namecheap's 30 day refund period is standard for the industry. If you need more, HostGator offers 45 days, InMotion Hosting an exceptional 90 days on many plans.

Does Namecheap have an uptime guarantee?

Namecheap has a 99.9% uptime guarantee for its VPS and reseller accounts, and, unusually, a 100% uptime guarantee for its other shared and dedicated hosting plans.

For every hour of unscheduled maintenance or downtime you experience in a month, Namecheap will offer you a day for free, up to a maximum of one month's free hosting.

This isn't quite as good as it sounds. Other providers typically have a 99.9% uptime guarantee, which translates to an acceptable downtime of 43.83 minutes a month. Although Namecheap specifies a 100% uptime guarantee, it won't begin to pay out until your site has been down for a total of one hour: the company is allowing itself more downtime, not less.

Despite that, Namecheap's deal is still better than we see with many providers. GoDaddy has a 99.9% uptime guarantee, for instance, but if it doesn't meet that, you can only receive a maximum 5% credit for your monthly fee.

Where are Namecheap's data centers?

Web hosts run and maintain their servers in buildings called data centers. A good web host should have plenty of web hosts around the world, and allow you to choose which one will host your site. If your audience is in California, say, selecting a US data center will get you much better performance than something in Australia.

Namecheap has data centers in the USA, UK and Netherlands. There's a catch in an unusual extra $1 a month for choosing the UK or Netherlands locations for some plans (look carefully in the shopping cart when you pick a data center, to be sure you're not caught out.) But if you can live with the price, that should deliver good results for both North American and European customers.

Namecheap's locations aren't much help if you're in Asia, though, and some providers have a more global reach. For example, GoDaddy has data centers in North America, India, Singapore and Europe.

What is my Namecheap IP address?

It's sometimes useful to know the IP address of the server hosting your website. For example, this can help you point a domain you've registered elsewhere to point at your Namecheap web space. Whatever the reason you need the IP, it only takes a moment to locate. Here's what to do.

Log into your Namecheap control panel (ap.www.namecheap.com).

Click 'Hosting List' in the left-hand sidebar.

Find your plan in the Hosting Subscription list, and click its 'GO TO CPANEL' button on the right-hand side.

Look at the General Information box on the right-hand side. Your server IP is listed as the 'Shared IP Address'.

(If you don't see a General Information, find and click the Server Information link).

What are Namecheap's nameservers?

If you have a Namecheap shared hosting package (Stellar, Stellar Plus or Stellar Business), you must use the nameservers dns1.namecheaphosting.com and dns2.namecheaphosting.com.

With other plans, check Namecheap's 'How to connect a domain to a server or hosting’ support document for more information.

(Image credit: Namecheap)How do I cancel a Namecheap product?

Log into your Namecheap control panel (ap.www.namecheap.com).

Click 'Hosting List' on the left-hand side.

If you'd like a plan to expire when its subscription ends, click Auto-Renew to turn it off.

To cancel a plan right now, click the arrow to the right of the 'GO TO CPANEL' link and click Manage.

Click Cancel Service to open the cancellation page and complete its various steps. Be sure to read everything carefully, because there are important details here. You may be told if you can (or can't) get a refund, for instance, and if there's anything else you need to do to cancel the account.

Where can I find my Namecheap support PIN?

Contact Namecheap support with any account-related question and the agent will ask for a support PIN, a secret number which verifies that you're the real account owner.

If you can't remember your PIN, log into the Namecheap account panel (ap.www.namecheap.com), then hover your mouse over (or just click) your account name top-left of the screen. The Security page appears, and your support PIN is listed on the left, in the Access section.

Alternatively, to access the Security page directly, click Profile, Security in the left-hand sidebar.

Edifier M90: One-minute review

When you get into audio, it quickly becomes clear that the best stereo speakers won't be enough. Sure, they'll cover your living room, but what about your desktop? Your TV set-up? It's time to buy more speakers!

...or you could accept the the Edifier M90 speakers' pitch, which is to just buy one pair of speakers that have absolutely loads of connection options. Not only do they have the basics — Bluetooth 6.0 and aux-in — they have support for optical, USB-C in and HDMI eARC.

That latter's a big selling point here, so you can plug the Edifier M90 speakers into your TV without losing audio fidelity, as it's something not offered by too many similar options.

But the real appeal is being able to do all of these things at once: I could connect the Edifier M90 to my TV, turntable, MP3 player and phone all at the same time, and use the remote to flick between them easily. They replaced every part of my hi-fi set-up, just like that.

And you're not replacing them with just anything, either. Thanks to their big mid-bass drivers, these things deliver powerful mids and bass frequencies, defying their relatively compact stature to fill small and medium rooms.

In some cases, the treble was a little weaker than it could have been, but the Connex app equalizer can go some way in fixing that. Although, that may be the only time you use the app, as it doesn't do much else…

If anything will put buyers off the Edifier M90, it's the price. It's not expensive for what you get, but it's a big step up from the Edifier M60, and some might not deem the improved specs or eARC addition worth it.

Edifier M90 review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

• Announced in January 2026
• On sale in US, not UK or AU yet
• Priced at $369 (about £270, AU$520)

The Edifier M90 were unveiled at the start of 2026, at CES on January 6, and have been slowly rolling out to physical and online store shelves ever since.

They’re priced at $369 (about £270 / AU$520, but a release in the UK or Australia has yet to be confirmed). That’s quite a step up from the $199 / £159 / AU$289 Edifier M60, but it’s fitting for the spec and size increase.

Depending on where you live, these are cheaper or pricier than the five-star Dali Kupid, which go for $599 / £299 / AU$599, and they closely match the $399.99 / £333.32 / A$620 Fluance RI71, two options that are on our list of the best stereo speakers.

Edifier M90 review: Specs

Drivers

1-inch tweeter, 4-inch mid-bass driver

Bluetooth

Bluetooth 6.0

Connections:

Bluetooth, AUX, USB-C, HDMI eARC, optical

Edifier M90 review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• USB-C, Bluetooth, optical, 3.5mm and HDMI eARC connections
• App lets you change remote presets
• Built-in amplification and DAC

Perhaps the most tempting reason to buy the Edifier M90 is its range of connection options. You can hook it up to outputs via Bluetooth (at the 6.0 standard), 3.5mm aux-in, USB-C, optical, or HDMI eARC — all at the same time, to jump between using the remote.

The last of those connections is perhaps the most intriguing addition, letting you connect them to your TV so they can be an alternative to a soundbar. This is still relatively uncommon in bookshelf speakers like this (though it's growing).

Edifier has an app, called ConneX, which you can use for a few extra features. Like the remote, ConneX lets you jump between input sources, control your media playback, and see what you’re actually listening to.

But you can also use the app to customize what the remote’s EQ buttons do, tweaking the settings on a nine-band equalizer. You can also set up a custom mode, which I turned into a movie-tuned balance.

As you can tell from that short list of features, ConneX is far from necessary — I didn’t use it for the first few weeks of testing, and didn’t open it again after setting up my equalizers — and I can see many users ignoring it completely.

This means you're not getting any in-app streaming support (since there's no Wi-Fi) or multi-room support. There's no automatic room correction for the sound or anything like that either.

• Features score: 3.5 / 5

Edifier M90 review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future)

• 1-inch driver + 4-inch mid-bass driver
• 50W output for each unit
• Solid bass and mids, trebles could fall out a little

Each Edifier M90 unit has a one-inch tweeter and four-inch mid-bass driver, totaling 50W of amplification, which is naturally doubled for the pair. That’s 100W in total, and it was sufficient for my medium-sized living room as an ersatz soundbar or bookshelf speaker — for a desktop setup, it’ll offer more than enough oomph.

The larger driver does a great job in making a subwoofer feel unnecessary, with bass lines broadcast around my living room and mids given glorious prominence in tunes. Frankly, I was surprised by how much low-end I’d get from songs, given that it’s only 2.0 sound, but it was a supported, scooping bass that maintained clarity.

Higher lines such as tinkling piano, higher-pitched vocals and strings maintained the clarity and detail of bass, but were sometimes a little lost in the mix for certain tracks. Dope Lemon’s Marinade is my go-to track for stereo imaging, and its rhythm guitar was hard to make out from the specific speaker I should have been able to hear it in.

Meanwhile, Michigan Rattlers’ Desert Heat’s sax wasn’t as sparkling as on some other speakers I’ve tested.

Testing the M90s alongside a TV, you’re naturally not getting the soundstage or blasting power of a really big soundbar, but I was pleased with the performance as a solid step up from my set’s built-in speakers. I put it through its paces through a variety of genres, and it was only big, bombastic battle scenes where it felt like it was struggling to express everything.

• Sound quality: 4 / 5

Edifier M90 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Familiar boxy design in white or black
• 8.35 x 5.24 x 8.86 in / 21.2 x 13.3 x 22.5cm, 6.6lbs / 3kg each
• Some controls on back of unit

The Edifier M90 will look familiar to people who’ve been shopping around the brand’s options, as it’s a doppelganger for the M60. You’re getting two clean and simple speakers, with a large woofer topped by a smaller tweeter, in either white or black.

The speakers are 8.35 inches tall, 5.24 inches wide and 8.86 inches deep, so they can fit on your desktop by your monitor, or on a bookshelf (as you can see in the pictures). They’re light enough not to worry fragile shelves, and to be easy to move about your apartment too.

While the M90 look clean at the front, there’s a mess at the back. One of the speakers has five different jacks hidden around the corner – not including the audio input – as well as a power switch and volume dial. We’ll get more into this jacks in the Features section, but because of them, the back of my unit quickly became a mess of cables (as you’ll see in the images).

It’s a little annoying that these controls are hidden around the back of the speaker, but the remote makes up for it.

The in-box remote takes two AAA batteries, and it’s nice and small. It has the expected buttons — volume, skip tracks, mute — as well as options to quickly change the input, which I found useful for changing between my TV connection, Bluetooth phone, and any wired options such as a turntable.

You can also use the remote to flick between three presets: Classic Dynamic and Monitor, which you can set up yourself.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Edifier M90 review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

• Fits many niches in your home hi-fi set-up
• Not quite as good as any one unit it replaces

The Edifier M90’s price step up from its sibling might give some buyers pause, and a good argument would be made for other stereo speaker setups, which could get you more for your money — especially when it comes to better stereo imaging.

But when you consider how versatile the M90s are, the value proposition becomes a little clearer. These aren’t just for your bookshelf, but can be used for your desktop and TV as well. And so they could be a great value option rather than buying separate pieces of tech for your hi-fi setup — a real all-rounder.

• Value: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Edifier M90?

(Image credit: Future)Edifier M90 scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The range of connection options is great, but the app doesn't add much.

3.5 / 5

Sound quality

I was impressed by the bass capability and volume, though could have done with clearer treble.

4 / 5

Design

They're relatively compact and clean-looking, with a useful remote.

4 / 5

Value

As a Swiss Army Knife for audio, they're good value for what they offer.

4 / 5

Buy them if…

You want speakers that connect to your TV
While a soundbar will offer TV-specific sound, the M90 is a music player that just so happens to work with your set.

You have a small or mid-sized room
These won't fill up a huge living room, but for townhouses or rental flats, they're the perfect size.

Don’t buy them if…

You want Wi-Fi streaming
The M90 has a lot of connectivity, but stopped short of Wi-Fi and direct streaming via its app.

You don't want another remote
The remote is the heart of the Edifier M90 experience, and if you have more than you want already, you'll be annoyed that it's all but mandatory here.

Edifier M90 review: Also consider

Dali Kupid
These Dali speakers sound fantastic, don't take up much room and look great too. They're cheaper than the Edifier, except in the US where they cost a lot more.

See our full Dali Kupid review

Fluance Ri71
For detailed high-end sound you'll want the Fluance, which also have loads of connection options and only cost a little more than the M90s.

See our full Fluance Ri71 review

How I tested the Edifier M90

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested for several months
• Tested at home connected to phones, laptops, TVs, turntables and more

I used the Edifier M90 for several months before writing this review. In that time I used the M90 alongside a vast range of devices. I connected them wirelessly to several smartphones, via USB-C or aux to phones, MP3 players and laptops, and also to my TV and turntable.

That means they were used for streaming music, records, MP3 tracks, lossless music, movies, TV shows and games. Several devices I've tested in the last few months, including the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and Majority MP3 Player, got particular time with the M90.

I've been testing audio products for TechRadar for years, including other Edifier speakers, Bluetooth speakers and headphones.

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

Dame Jilly Cooper may no longer be with us, but her legacy continues to speak for itself — and frankly, Rivals season 2 on Hulu and Disney+ is the perfect tribute to the bonkbusting chaos that's synonymous with her name.

Picking up shortly after where we left off in season one, our Rutshire ensemble's collective horniness has turned somewhat sour. Cameron (Nafessa Williams) is lying low after being convinced she's killed her boss, Tony (David Tennant), after battering him with a TV award in self-defense.

Lothario Rupert (Alex Hassell) has immediately jumped to Cameron's defense, which puts his on-off relationship with neighbor Taggie (Bella Maclean) back in the shade. Meanwhile, Lizzie (Katherine Parkinson) and Freddie (Danny Dyer) are desperately trying to hide their feelings for one another, while Sarah (Emily Atack) is trying to climb the ranks at Tony's Corinium TV station, despite some harmful obstacles.

Basically, we've got everything and the kitchen sink on the go, with some signature streamy sex scenes drizzled on top for good measure. But despite getting our pound of naked flesh out of each of the three new episodes, the gang's general air of horniness is nowhere to be seen.

In short, things are on the cusp of taking a turn for the worse in Rivals season 2, so it's almost no wonder that we're being left on tenterhooks before the remainder of the season drops later in the year. But one man's tale of desperation (Rupert's) is another's insatiable binge (ours).

Rivals season 2 opens up another hornet's nest — but it's not full of headiness or heartache

If I'm honest, I'm still not entirely sure if I love or loathe Rivals season 2's swing further into clothes-on heated rivalry. Tennant's Tony Baddingham is somehow even more odious than in season 1, intent on getting revenge against Rupert, Cameron, Declan (Aiden Turner), and even Sarah in one fell swoop.

For me, Declan and family are easily the weakest link of the season. While Declan gets lost in Cameron and Rupert's drama with Tony, wife, Maud (Victoria Smurfit), is on screen for what feels like all of two seconds. Taggie, relentlessly pining after Rupert, is starting to get tiresome, too.

But their loss means gains are made elsewhere, especially with Tony's long-suffering wife Monica (Claire Rushbrook). She's finally starting to bite back against Tony's adulterous ways, and instead of moping in bed with a pile of shaggy dogs on her lap (not a euphemism), she's starting to see the benefits. More of this energy in season two, part two, please.

Everyone else is feeling too stressed or fearful to be in desperate need of sex — so while steamy scenes are still present, they're often blink-and-you 'll-miss-them. The boisterous bonking in Rivals is both half the fun of watching and is integral to the show's DNA, so the missing heady energy is noticeable.

Dame Jilly Cooper's legacy is continuing in the safest of hands

A pantry lock-in...? (Image credit: Disney+)

What is clear about Rivals season 2 is that Cooper has obvious involvement over every inch of these episodes, with the bulk of production happening before her death in October 2025. Her input is clear, concise and has been carried off with aplomb, speaking to how highly the show will be treated in her absence.

What's more is that we're starting to see the seedlings of the JCU (Jilly Cooper Universe) being sown. Avid novel readers will know that Polo takes place between Cooper novels Riders and Rivals... and without giving anything away, there's an eye-popping ode to how the Rutshire Chronicles could easily be expanded into on TV.

My personal shoutouts of the season? Emily Atack's quietly devastating portrayal of Sarah's solo storyline, and the gift that keeps on giving in the form of Lizzie and Freddie's will-they-won't-they-affair. It's the most wholesome part of the salacious series, and that's considering the fact that they're literally cheating on their spouses.

Has Rivals season 2 made sure that it's the most bashful, bawdy and bonkers show available to stream? Absolutely. Is it a slight step down from season 1? Possibly. But will it likely pick back up with a vengeance later in the year? I'd put money on it.

8BitDo Pro 3: One-minute review

In the half-decade or so I’ve been testing gaming hardware, I’ve loved almost every 8BitDo product I’ve reviewed. The 8BitDo Pro 3 is no exception. In fact, I’d go so far as to say it’s the best budget-friendly controller on the market today. Yes, even beating out other desirable choices like the GameSir Nova Lite.

Contrary to its appearance, the 8BitDo Pro 3 isn’t just the Pro 2 in a particularly slim-fitting trenchcoat. It looks identical to its predecessor, sure, but 8BitDo has refined the newer gamepad to what feels like its logical conclusion. TMR (Tunnel Magnetoresistance; essentially an improvement over Hall effect) thumbsticks, swappable magnetic face buttons, micro switch trigger locks, charging dock, and two additional remappable buttons for a total of four are all additions here.

Then there’s the d-pad, which, despite being a simpler cardinal design, is one of the nicest-feeling I’ve ever had the chance to play around with. It’s rugged and precise, smartly avoiding that spongy, mushy feel that you find on a lot of retro-inspired controllers.

(Image credit: Future)

You’re getting a symmetrical stick layout here, which isn’t too common in the third-party controller space, especially beyond the realm of PlayStation and its current DualSense controller. And while you’re not getting compatibility with Sony’s machine (or Xbox consoles for that matter), the 8BitDo Pro 3 is broadly compatible with PC, Switch, Switch 2, as well as iOS and Android devices. For connectivity, your options are 2.4GHz (with dongle included), Bluetooth, and good ol’ wired via USB-C.

Battery life can vary, though I found the 8BitDo Pro 3 outlasts the pricier 8BitDo Ultimate 2 on this front. The brand states you’ll get around 20 hours per charge, but this all depends on your personal usage. Hopping between Switch 2 and PC (Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connectivity, respectively), I managed around 15 hours before needing to top up. On average, that still beats out the Ultimate 2’s 10-15 hours.

The only gripes I have with the Pro 3 are minimal; nice-to-haves, if anything. I’m not a fan of the Start/Select buttons being crammed right in the center, and they’re a bit mushy to the touch. And I think the lack of a 3.5mm port for wired headphones is a shame, though the Ultimate controllers didn’t have one of these, either.

Those nitpicks aside, if you’re in the market for a new PC and/or Switch-facing controller and you don’t want to break the bank, buy the 8BitDo Pro 3. For now, it’s the last word in budget-friendly controllers and, astonishingly, has none of the usual concessions made to get it down to a price this low.

(Image credit: Future)8BitDo Pro 3: Price and availability

• Costs $59.99 / £40 (around AU$84)
• Available to buy now at 8BitDo’s Amazon store page
• No set price in the UK, but hovers around £40-£50 depending on colorway

The 8BitDo Pro 3 launched in 2025 and is available to buy right now from 8BitDo’s Amazon store page. In the US, you can get it for $59.99, which puts it in roughly the same price range as the GameSir Tarantula Pro — a similarly brilliant Switch-facing symmetrical controller. That’s also cheaper than the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller; ideal if you’re shopping for a pad for the handheld hybrid that doesn't empty your bank account.

Things get a bit weird in the UK, price-wise. At Amazon, I’ve seen the 8BitDo Pro 3 hover anywhere between £40-£50 on the brand’s official store page, and there doesn’t appear to be a set-in-stone retail price for it. It’s worth noting that these aren’t second-hand listings, either. Best not to look a gift horse in the mouth, though; if you’re in the UK, you’re getting the 8BitDo Pro 3 at an aggressive price given its quality and feature set.

8BitDo Pro 3: Specs

Price

$59.99 / £40 (around AU$84)

Weight

8.5oz / 242g

Dimensions

6.1 x 3.9 x 2.6in / 154 x 101 x 65mm

Compatibility

Switch, Switch 2, PC, iOS, Android

Connection type

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

Battery life

15-20 hours

8BitDo Pro 3: Design and features

• Build looks like a SNES controller with modern flourishes
• A focus on tactility and immediacy
• Neat extras like trigger locks and swappable face buttons

Put the 8BitDo Pro 3 and its predecessor side-by-side, and you might not notice any immediate differences. They broadly share the same silhouette, looking like a SNES pad with grips bolted on. And those flat, slightly curved shoulder buttons almost look like they were taken wholesale from that iconic 16-bit era controller.

It’s not just looks that 8BitDo has borrowed from Nintendo’s playbook, though. Nearly every module on the controller — from sticks and d-pad to face buttons and triggers — has been implemented with tactility in mind. I know, that’s not uncommon for the modern controller, but it’s still fairly rare to see in the Pro 3’s price bracket.

One example is the simply sublime d-pad here. It’s not much of a looker, and its bumpy texturing gives the impression of something clunky and toy-like. In reality, it’s exceptionally comfortable and offers a level of precision that even Nintendo’s pricey Switch 2 Pro Controller d-pad can’t match.

(Image credit: Future)

Another more interesting feature the 8BitDo Pro 3 has is its magnetic, swappable face buttons. These are more for show than anything, but they’re a neat extra that lends the controller some personality. An obvious usage here is that you can swap around the ‘ABXY’ layout based on Switch/XInput preferences.

There’s also a multicolored set of face buttons included in a latch underneath the charging dock (where you’ll also find the 2.4GHz dongle) and a small plunger-like item that you stick onto the buttons to remove them with ease. Don’t worry, though; the buttons themselves don’t feel loose and won’t come off during play.

All around, it’s a great-feeling package, though the one area where design lets me down (and hasn’t been improved on since the Pro 2) is the rather mushy Start and Select buttons. These are reminiscent of the squishier buttons found on the SNES pad, so it’s likely this is another continued design inspiration. They just don’t feel particularly great to press and lack that immediacy shown off by everything else on the Pro 3.

8BitDo Pro 3: Performance

• Heaps of customizability
• 15-20 hours of battery life
• Trigger locks and claw grip bumper buttons feel great

I test and review controllers pretty frequently, and often, switching from one to another can take a bit of getting used to, especially when there are differences in size and button/stick layouts. In contrast, the 8BitDo Pro 3 felt immediately comfortable to use thanks to a rounded design that sits in the hands just right.

Except for the Start and Select buttons, which I feel are just a bit too crammed together in the center, everything else rests under your thumbs and index fingers just right. Those long, rounded bumper buttons act as a nice cushion for your fingers, and the new claw-grip remappable bumpers next to them sit under your fingertips. I love these, especially, as they’re wonderfully clicky and responsive. I’ve even taken to mapping them to my trigger actions in Final Fantasy 14 Online, for extremely quick access to skills on my hotbars.

Briefly, I’ll go over how you can actually make use of these extra remappable buttons yourself, because it’s not immediately obvious. You can set them in the excellent Ultimate Software V2 app for PC (which also lets you tinker with vibration strength, button macros, and stick sensitivity). But a quicker way to do it is to hold one of these buttons in tandem with your input of choice and the ‘Star’ button found on the bottom-left of the controller. It can be fiddly, especially if you’re binding multiple inputs, but it’s much faster and easier this way if you don’t have immediate access to a PC.

A similar series of inputs applies to the Pro 3’s ‘Turbo’ functionality, which enables the repeated pressing of an input simply by holding a button down — handy for arcade games and shoot-em-ups that don’t already have a turbo function built in. To enable Turbo on the Pro 3, just hold down the button you’d like to assign Turbo to, in addition to the Star and Home buttons. To disable it, repeat that very same input.

Now, I’ve yapped on about responsiveness a lot, but it really is the name of the game here. There’s wonderful precision to every module found on the 8BitDo Pro 3. The exceptional d-pad is a highlight, as I mentioned at the top. Those TMR thumbsticks are incredibly smooth, too, and as someone who prefers a shorter trigger pull, the digital trigger locks featured here work wonderfully.

That last point is important, as I’ve tested many a budget pad like the HyperX Clutch Gladiate, which had trigger locks that rendered the triggers completely unusable for most games. That’s why I appreciate it all the more when a cheap controller actually puts the effort in.

Battery life isn’t exactly class-leading, but I managed around 15-20 hours on a full charge, which is in line with what 8BitDo estimates on its website. Out of the box, battery life is at roughly half, so I recommend topping up via USB-C or with the included charging dock before your first use.

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the 8BitDo Pro 3?Buy it if…

You want something highly customizable
Hardware-wise, you’ve got those swappable magnetic face buttons, which are a real delight. And on the software front, the excellent Ultimate Software V2 lets you get really granular with vibration strength, stick sensitivity, and more.

You’re in need of a performant controller suitable for all genres
I adore the responsiveness and durability of the Pro 3. Drift-beating TMR sticks, tactile buttons, and that glorious d-pad make playing games both old and new a real joy.

Don’t buy it if…

You want a pad for other consoles
I’ve no doubt that there’ll be at least an Xbox version of the Pro 3 down the line. But right now, if you’re in need of a controller for Xbox or PlayStation consoles, the Pro 3 won’t fit the bill unfortunately.

You like hooking up wired headphones to your controller
A lack of 3.5mm headphone port here is a real shame, especially as the Xbox version of the Pro 2 (not to mention the Ultimate 2) had one. It’s true that this is a more Bluetooth-centric gamepad, but Bluetooth headset connectivity on Switch and Switch 2 is pretty dire, so a wired option would’ve been nice to have here.

Also consider...

If the 8BitDo Pro 3 isn’t quite what you’re after, I’ve highlighted a couple more products from the brand that I recommend.

8BitDo Pro 3

8BitDo Ultimate 2

8BitDo Pro 2

Price

$59.99 / £40 (around AU$84)

$59.99 / £49.99 (around AU$90)

$49.99 / £33.89 (around AU$74)

Weight

8.5oz / 242g

8.7oz / 246g

8.0oz / 228g

Dimensions

6.1 x 3.9 x 2.6in / 154 x 101 x 65mm

5.7 x 4.1 x 2.4in / 147 x 103 x 61mm

6.1 x 3.9 x 2.6in / 154 x 101 x 65mm

Compatibility

Switch, Switch 2, PC, iOS, Android

PC, Android (Switch version sold separately)

Switch, Switch 2, PC, iOS, Android

Connection type

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

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

Wireless (Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C)

Battery life

15-20 hours

10-15 hours

15-20 hours

8BitDo Ultimate 2
While I honestly think the Pro 3 goes toe-to-toe with the Ultimate 2, the latter is one I still highly recommend if you prefer an Xbox-like asymmetrical stick layout. Other flourishes like RGB ring lights add some nice cosmetic flair, and you’ll find many of the same desirable features here, like claw-grip buttons, trigger locks, and TMR thumbsticks. A real winner.

Read our full 8BitDo Ultimate 2 review

8BitDo Pro 2
Older, but cheaper than the 8BitDo Pro 3. If you don’t mind losing 2.4GHz wireless connectivity, and are okay with Hall effect sticks as opposed to TMR, you’ll find a similarly high quality play experience here.

Read our full 8BitDo Pro 2 review

How I tested the 8BitDo Pro 3

• Tested for three weeks
• Primarily tested on PC and Switch 2 with both wireless and wired connections
• Played a variety of single and multiplayer games

For this review, I ended up testing the 8BitDo Pro 3 for around three weeks. I put it through its paces with games of all kinds, from the high-difficulty Savage raids of Final Fantasy 14 Online to the hilariously off-kilter vibes of Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream.

The controller felt more than well-equipped for any kind of game thrown at it. That extends to fighting games like Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8, and retro racers on PC via emulation, including NASCAR: Dirt to Daytona and Ridge Racer Type 4.

Naturally, I also found the Pro 3 to be fantastic for arcade games thanks to its remappable buttons and Turbo functionality. On this front, playing titles like DoDonPachi Resurrection on PC as well as Metal Slug 3 and Rave Racer on Nintendo Switch 2 felt just right.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed May 2026

I’m a nerd when it comes to monitors. And, a bougie, particular, and spoiled nerd at that. I have had the great honor of working with and owning some of the best-of-the-best for years now.

For this monitor, I’ll be honest, I expected it to be a subpar tool that I'd try and love, only to realize I would rather go back to what I know and love. I thought it would be one of those things where I think “ok, on paper it’s good, but I’ll just give it a shot to see if it’s any good in person.” Well, it’s been 128 days since I put this monitor on one of my heavily used setups, and now I can’t imagine ever taking it off my desk.

I spend 5+ days a week, around 45+ hours total, on-site at a larger church where I serve on staff. I sit or stand at my desk there for a good chunk of that time, pouring over whatever system I am working on at that given time. I’m pulling up documents, databases, programming tools, webpages, third-party tools, custom tools, web-developer tools, coding windows, and so much more.

All of it so far has been absolutely gorgeous on this panel. My desk is right next to a window too, and the nano matte panel doesn’t show much glare at all, which I am truly appreciative of, because otherwise I probably wouldn’t be able to have my desk in this perfect location.

This is the kind of monitor that is a jack of all business professional trades. It’s one of the best monitors for programming, but of course, that’s what it’s built for, but outside of that, it’s also just a really good productivity monitor. The 3:2 aspect ratio matters, offering more vertical space without compromising horizontal space.

I could go on and on, but let’s get to the review of this BenQ RD280UG panel.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )BenQ RD280UG: Unboxing and First Impressions

BenQ unboxings are all pretty much the same. A well-built box with a bit of origami to open it up, and then unfold the base, stand, monitor, cables, and documentation. Within the cables, there is an HDMI 2.1 cable, a USB-C Cable, a USB upstream cable, and an IEC power cable, which is a big deal since some monitors I see these days don’t have a standard IEC.

I put the monitor on the stand for about 12 seconds, and then chose to pop this display up on my monitor arms for this desk. Right away, I noticed the extra height from a standard 16:9 monitor, and I quickly got used to the chin. Sadly, this means that you won’t get to do some orientations you could with other monitors that have a standard chin, such as flipping this guy around to be vertical or stacked with this one on top, etc. however, if you plan to use this as a primary monitor or even side by side, or if you’re feeling crazy putting this as a top monitor but upside down in a stacked orientation, then you’ll be great.

Within the box, BenQ managed to fit in an HDMI 2.1 Cable, a USB-C cable, another USB-C to use if you want to connect your HDMI Device to the KVM, an IEC Power cable, and the documentation, in addition to the stand and panel, of course.

Right off the bat, this monitor screams business and professional. It’s like a utility truck, not a sports car. This is the kind of display you want to rely on for everything, not show off to all your friends. The three-tubed panel immediately changes how you work within the provided workspace, allowing significantly more content, even though there's not much more screen. With how macOS scales, it feels significantly larger.

The last thing I'll mention in this section is the Moon Halo bias lighting, which is the light ring around the back of the monitor. That is built into the center circle surrounding the mounting bracket's face. This kind of bias lighting provides smooth, soft, diffused light across the entire back of the monitor. Just the top half or just the bottom half allows for both brightness and temperature changes. While it may seem like a small thing, it actually makes this monitor feel significantly more premium and far more enjoyable to use, especially in a dark environment or against a wall.

BenQ RD280UG: Design & Build Quality

I said it up above, but the 3:2 aspect ratio is the clear headline design choice for this kind of monitor. It's what makes this one stand out from the others in its class, along with other elements that make this monitor great, but the aspect ratio is what stands out.

This panel also has a great 120Hz refresh rate, fantastic ports, 2000:1 contrast upgrade, and P3 color coverage. In short, this monitor feels like it has no compromises because for 99% of people, it does not. The only people who may feel limited in this are those who need a very specific monitor type, particularly those who need a specific color rendering or another niche specialty. For everyone else, this monitor feels like overkill — in the best way possible.

The last thing I’ll mention regarding the design and build quality of the fantastic RD28OUG is the ease of connecting to a single cable to a monitor or docking station. Sure, if you want to run through the other video ports, you are more than welcome to. But if you want a simple design or setup, you can charge your laptop with a single cable, 90W to your monitor, for full use.

BenQ RD280UG: In use

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

I’ve had this monitor at one of my primary workstations for three months now. In that time, I’ve used it for an average of 8 hours a day, 4-5 days a week. And, I have not been able to say enough good things about it.

It has been spectacular for productivity, some light coding I have tested just to try it out, research, AI work, project management, web development, writing, AI tooling, and so much more. It has been my primary monitor for all of the many things I do at this desk, and I have loved using this panel.

The extra height makes a massive difference, especially if you switch back to a 16:9 right after using this, you notice that everything feels squatty and wide, not able to give you a full height understanding of the page.

Further, while it may not be the most color-accurate display on paper, I have found it to be wonderful to look at for some light photo work, light video work, and website work. This is made even better with the bias lighting created via the MoonHalo on the back.

I love how it automatically turns on and off and also, paired with my BenQ ScreenBar, I walk up to my workspace and plug in my machine to be then greeted by warm light that fills my space, and when I unplug and walk away, it turns off, almost making my workspace feel alive, ready to work with me.

BenQ RD280UG: Final verdict

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

This display is premium, elegant, functional, and great for most. While it is absolutely overkill for many, if you want a no-compromise monitor with some fun functionality in the MoonHalo, KVM, and PD, then this is well worth the consideration. That’s even without discussing every key feature of this monitor.

Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future

For more top-performers, we've tested the best business monitors.

Now that two of us from the TechRadar Gaming team have spent hours in free-to-play third-person action looter-shooter Tom Clancy's The Division: Resurgence - and I, as the big Division fan, am still committing hours to it - we are happy to report that it's a terrific mobile game and proof that big AAA series from console and PC can successfully make the jump over to the small screen to produce something excellent.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Android
Available on: Android, iOS, PC
Release date: March 31, 2026

Every element of the core Division experience is here. The systems work and are easily navigable on a different scale, the combat is still fun and engaging, and the loot-and-improve loop is just as moreish.

Combine that with a story that’s relatively plain but one that perfectly complements the events of the first game and will be best enjoyed by existing fans, and a well-realized version of that post-apocalyptic New York City setting (complete with weather effects and a robust standard of graphical quality) as well as an intuitive and excellent control scheme on mobile, and the experience is complete.

It’s winter in NYC again

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

As an agent of the Strategic Homeland Division (SHD) activated after the deadly Green Poison rips through the populace after spreading on money during Black Friday, your job is to save what’s left of the civilized world, help out its inhabitants, defeat factions looking to take control, and build up the SHD’s presence.

You might not have a military background, but you do have access to weapons, gear, and specialist skills and abilities. You’ll choose the latter by picking a specialization based on some pretty typical video game archetypes: there’s a tanky one, a healer, an assault expert, and an engineer type. Familiar skills such as the shield and gun combo, turrets and drones, and an excellent pulse ability work beautifully once again as you tear up Resurgence’s streets.

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

It’s worth noting that the protagonist actually offers something more than those found in the main games, too: they’re fully voiced and, as such, feel like more of a character. It’s a welcome move as spending hundreds of hours in the likes of The Division 2 and its many expansions, and even the Ghost Recon games, without saying a single word felt odd. Still, it is a shame that there aren’t more character customization options for the lead in Resurgence, which may irk some used to more expansion character creation systems.

Your chatty agent can combine your preferred specialization with a host of different weapons, which provide a huge range of ways to play. From assault rifles to sub-machine guns and high-powered shotguns to marksman rifles, there are loads of combos to try out, and you’ll also have lots of opportunity to level up and improve gear, and make it your own with a variety of attachments.

Best bit

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

The loot-improve-loot loop is incredibly satisfying in The Division: Resurgence and will constantly have you chasing better weapons and gear to optimize builds and improve your power score, and take down baddies with greater ease.

Most of your time will be spent in the expansive PvE part of the New York map, which features a host of recognizable foes for returning players. There’s the Rikers and fire-crazy Cleaners, as well as a newer faction in the form of the Freemen.

As you cross the map, unlocking safe houses and new areas, you’ll carry out a lot of story missions and side missions that take place up and down the streets. Th overall story are nothing to really write home about, but one specific gripe I do have is that at multiple points in the main story (and thus overall progress) are level gated, requiring you to grind.

At least the selection of enemy nests, alcoves, and urban squares all make for fun and action-packed arenas. The world is very nicely executed on the whole, and does a great job of nailing the aesthetic and vibes of the original game.

Encounters can feel straightforward in design, but still manage to be suitably high-octane and high-tension. It’s a great mix to have, as you can settle into the rhythm of looting, but still have to sometimes get creative and tactical to get yourself out of sticky situations.

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

For committed looter shooter players, the extraction shooter style Dark Zone is back to provide a sterner PvPvE test, while Conflict offers a dedicated PvP mode for those who fancy testing their skills against other players directly. As someone who prefers cooperation over competition, I’ve really enjoyed the fact that the open world is shared with other players, and there are ample informal opportunities to help others or be helped by them with no matchmaking necessary.

While pouring time into the game to level up my character, I soon found that Resurgence really scratched that looter-shooter itch of needing to find more gear to improve, take down enemies more efficiently, and get even more gear in the process. The steady stream of upgrades keeps pulling you along, as does the desire for the XP gained from main and side missions.

The handful of ongoing elements in the game, such as weekly and daily tasks and plenty of fresh bounties, should also be enough to keep fans engaged over the long term, too. Adjacent to this, the series' monetization and microtransactions are, naturally, present too, and while they can largely be ignored and not engaged with, it is a looming factor.

Running the streets

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

While the game successfully translates the core experience established in The Division series, it’s another thing to have it perform on smaller, less powerful hardware.

With the visual settings cranked up to max, environments in Resurgence certainly look the part. It feels very faithful to the original 2016 game, thanks to its highly atmospheric snowy New York streets and a great level of environmental detail. It can achieve a mostly solid 30fps on a beefy Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered gaming tablet, though cracks do start to show if you want to hit a higher framerate.

Dash mostly plays on the medium pre-set in order to reach a smooth 45 fps, and the difference in quality is stark. The models of prominent objects, like abandoned cars, look slightly lower fidelity, and the textures become quite muddy. Render distance takes a bit of a hit, too, resulting in quite obvious pop-in on the horizon as you explore. The game is still perfectly playable and holds up decently well on a smaller phone screen, but it’s not as good-looking as similar AAA mobile releases like Delta Force and Once Human.

Even when it looks a bit grim, the game still feels fantastic to play as touch controls are brilliantly implemented. The layout (which includes a wealth of movement options like vaulting, diving, and jumping into cover in addition to your standard virtual thumbstick and aiming stroke firing buttons) does a commendable job of translating a The Division 2-like control scheme to a touch screen format.

The control scheme will be instantly familiar to existing fans and intuitive to those new to the franchise, but we think it really excels when played with a controller

Although it's no trouble for experienced touch control players, there are still loads of options to simplify the controls if you’re finding it a little too much. This includes the ability to automate entering cover, aiming down sights, climbing, or vaulting. You even have the option to aim weapons from a first-person perspective, something found in the recent Ghost Recon games but a new and welcome addition for The Division.

Mobile controller support is top-notch, too, as we tested multiple mobile pads from the likes of GameSir, Nacon, SteelSeries, and 8BitDo that all enabled the game to be played exactly like one can play The Division 2 on console.

The control scheme will be instantly familiar to existing fans and intuitive to those new to the franchise, but we think it really excels when played with a controller.

Should I play Tom Clancy's: The Division Resurgence?Play it if...

You’re a Division fan looking for a brand-new adventure in the universe
If, like Rob you’re a committed Division fan, then you’ll find Resurgence goes a long way to fulfilling the desire for a new Division experience. The story is canon and fits into the wider lore, the loop is excellent and moreish, the action is satisfying and punchy, and it looks great if you have the appropriate hardware.

You’re looking for your next mobile game to commit to and really spend some time in
There’s a lot to get your teeth into in this mobile , and if you’ve been looking for your next — or first — big live service mobile game, then this will keep you interested for ages.

You’ve been curious about mobile gaming and wanted a high-profile game to dive into
Gone are the days when ‘mobile gaming’ would conjure up images of boring puzzle games. Resurgence shows that high-profile AAA series can masterfully make the jump over to mobile.

Don't play it if...

You only have access to slightly older hardware
Sadly, The Division Resurgence will struggle on older devices, so if you have something more than a few years old, then you may have to pass on the game for now.

You hate level-gating and the presence of monetization
The monetization in the game isn't too aggressive or invasive — I've managed to ignore it mostly — but it lingers in the game. The level-gating in the main storyline is more egregious, though, and really will irk folks who just want seamless progression of both story and game.

Accessibility features

Tested as it was initially released as a mobile game, The Division Resurgence sadly doesn’t have a huge number of accessibility features. While there are a host of settings around controls that allow you to change sensitivity across touch, controller, or even mouse and keyboard inputs and gyro sensitivity, there is no way to change subtitle size or color (though you can change languages), no colorblind modes, or extra audio settings.

There are also some assists you can alter with to find the right balance of play, such as aim assists, aiming down sights settings, and things like vaulting and climbing can be toggled to become automatic.

How we reviewed The Division Resurgence

We tested The Division Resurgence in both single-player and multiplayer modes for many hours. Dash tested the game on an Honor Magic 8 Pro, while Rob used a Samsung S20 Ultra (which was only capable of running it on the lowest settings), and then an Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro combined with a Nacon MGX-Pro mobile gaming controller.

Rob also tested the game using other mobile controllers such as the 8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller, the GameSir G8+ Bluetooth controller, and a Stratus+ from SteelSeries. Often using the ROG Phone 8 Pro's own speakers for audio, he also tried the game through the new SteelSeries Arcits Nova Pro Omni headset.

While Dash is TechRadar Gaming’s mobile gaming expert, Rob is a longtime fan of the Division series, having committed hundreds and hundreds of hours to both main games on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 since 2018. He still plays The Division 2 regularly with friends, and is perfectly placed to know what works and what doesn’t in this mobile version.

First reviewed March-May 2026.

iFi GO Link 2 review: two minute reviewSpecifications

Dimensions: 137 x 12 x 7.6mm (5.4 x 0.47 x 0.31”)

Weight: 7.8g (0.3oz)

Frequency response: 10Hz-80kHz (-0.5dB)

Output: 3.5mm stereo/S-Balanced

Hi-Res support: PCM 32-bit/384kHz; DSD256

Output power: ≥1.59V/79mW @ 32Ω / ≥2.0V/14mW @ 300Ω

Connection: USB-C/A/Lightning

The iFi GO Link 2 is designed to do one thing, and it does it very well: it upgrades your laptop or smartphone's audio output to deliver impressive hi-res audio with no fuss and no unnecessary features.

It's a very good way to add wired headphone support to devices that have long since dropped the headphone jack, although if you want to connect 4.4mm headphones you'll need to look at one of iFi's larger DACs: the tiny GO Link 2 has just enough space for one 3.5mm headphone output.

This model delivers lower harmonic distortion and a wider dynamic range, and it does so in a device that's even smaller than the already tiny original. With an unchanged price tag the second-generation GO Link is one of the most affordable ways to improve your audio experience, especially for music on the move.

iFi GO Link 2 review: price and release date

• Released February 2026
• $59 / £59 (about AU$111)

The GO Link 2 was announced in February 2026 with a recommended retail prices of $59 / £59 (about AU$111). That's the same price as the original model and slightly less than the larger GO Link Max, which has a balanced 4.4mm output as well as the standard 3.5mm socket.

Pricing is competitive with the likes of the FiiO KA11 and KA1 headphone DAC/amps.

iFi GO Link 2 review: features

The cable feels a little flimsy but it helps keep the GO Link 2 from being bulky. (Image credit: Future)

• ESS SABRE DAC with up to 6dB extra range
• Low noise floor and low distortion
• S-Balanced 3.5mm output

The GO Link 2 is based on the same ESS SABRE DAC as before, but this time around it comes with what iFi calls Dynamic Range Enhancement, which adds up to 6dB between the loudest and quietest moments. It also features lower harmonic distortion — up to 62% lower than the first-gen model, iFi says.

Although there's only a 3.5mm output, the GO Link 2 features iFi's S-Balanced system which iFi claims significantly reduces crosstalk between channels by "applying balanced circuitry principles to a single-ended headphone output".

This is the first GO Link model that's fully compatible with iFi's Nexis app, which you can use to customize the filters and apply firmware updates — but only on Android so far. As an iPhone/iPad user I wasn't able to take advantage of those features, as the iPhone app wouldn't communicate with the DAC. Hopefully an update is incoming.

Features score: 4 / 5

iFi GO Link 2 review: sound quality

iFi keeps it simple: there's one output and a single color changing status light. (Image credit: Future)

• Impressively loud with great bass
• Excellent clarity and positioning
• Best suited to lower impedance headphones

The GO Link 2 will make you smile. It delivers excellent clarity, a spacious soundstage and a really inviting audio experience, especially on nice headphones. It's pretty great on budget ones, too.

I already have an iFi desktop DAC/amp, and I was pleased by how close this comparatively microscopic model sounded to its much more expensive sibling at sensible listening levels. It's particularly impressive at the low end, which it handles with power and precision, and if you're upgrading your phone or laptop you'll be really pleased that you did.

One of my favourite songs for testing audio is the live version of Peter Gabriel's Digging in the Dirt. It's beautifully performed and recorded, but there's a lot going on from the very low end to the very high, with a subterranean percussive bass, all kinds of instruments, and powerful vocals from Gabriel and Paula Cole. The GO Link 2 took it all in its stride, delivering a deeply involving sound from an Apple Lossless stream. I had a lot of fun with FLACs too, for instance U2's remastered Achtung Baby and Talk Talk's various masterpieces.

The GO Link 2 is surprisingly loud, and louder still when you connect it to a computer: there was a noticeable increase in volume when I played the same Apple Lossless audio on my Mac compared to on my iPhone.

However, I did find that being able to push the headphones harder on my Mac was counter-productive: towards full volume, snare drums and distorted guitars became harsh, while deliberately loud-mastered pop music such as Kygo and Selina Gomez's It Ain't Me became too bright and noticeably distorted by the deep bass notes. The same thing didn't happen on iPhone.

If you like to listen loud on a computer then a desktop DAC or one of iFi's more powerful DACs will have more headroom for your headphones.

Sound quality: 5 / 5

iFi GO Link 2 review: design

• Tiny and minimalist
• 137mm x 12mm x 7.6mm
• 7.8g

Dongles don't get much dinkier than this. The GO Link 2 is absolutely tiny, with the main section smaller than half of a Biro pen. It's 8% smaller than the first generation model, and it's 29% lighter.

There are no buttons, no switches, nothing to turn or poke or press, and because it's too small to have a screen it has a colour-changing status LED instead. That LED is green for PCM audio from 44.1 to 96kHz; yellow for PCM from 176.4 to 384kHz; and blue for DSD256.

The USB-C connector is attached with a short braided cable to the main unit, which has a 3.5mm headphone socket. Although the GO Link 2 is USB-C it comes with adapters for USB-A and Lightning ports, covering all the bases.

The cable feels very thin and I'd worry about it fraying long term; it's a known issue with some of the first-generation models, so it's probably wise to treat the GO Link 2 with care.

Design score: 4 / 5

iFi GO Link 2 review: ease of use and setup

• Plug...
• ...and play
• No buttons, screens or switches

It doesn't get much easier than this: plug it in and you're good to go, although as ever with USB audio devices if you're connecting to a Mac you'll need to tweak Audio and MIDI setup on your computer to enable higher quality than 16-bit/44.1KHz.

It's a shame that the app that enables you to adjust filters and other settings is currently Android-only, although I was quite happy with the out-of-box settings.

Usability and setup score: 4 / 5

iFi GO Link 2 review: value

• Superb value for money
• No unnecessary features or gimmicks
• Even better than the original

The original GO Link is much-loved, and iFi has very sensibly decided not to mess with its winning formula. Instead it's refined it with more dynamic range, even smaller dimensions and the same plug-and-go ease of use. The GO Link 2 is cheap and it'll make you cheerful.

Value score: 5 / 5

Should I buy the iFi GO Link 2?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

S-balanced 3.5mm output and good hi-res audio support. App compatibility is currently Android-only.

4/5

Design

Function over form: tiny size means little room for design flair or fancy features.

4/5

Sound quality

Even better than before with wider range.

5/5

Value

An instant, enjoyable audio upgrade that's perfect for phones.

5/5

Buy it if...

You travel light:
DACs don't get much more diminutive than this. The GO Link 2 is a pocket rocket.

You're hungry for hi-res:
The GO Link 2 supports DSD256 and up to 384kHz PCM audio.

You're into IEMs
Low noise, punchy lows and great clarity make this an excellent partner for IEMs.

Don't buy it if...

You have hungry headphones
The GO Link 2 is too small to pack the power output of a dedicated desktop DAC.

You keep losing your keys
If you tend to misplace or lose small things, this is not the device for you.View Deal

iFi GO Link 2 review: Also consider

FiiO's KA1 is similarly small and equally affordable, but unlike the GO Link 2 it also supports MQA rendering. It's available in both USB-C and Lightning options.

For an extra 20% over the GO Link 2 or KA1's price you could buy iFi's larger but still eminently portable GO Link Max, which has higher power output and both 3.5mm and 4.4mm balanced outputs.

How I tested the iFi GO Link 2

• Open-back, closed-back and IEM headphones
• Lossy streaming, lossless FLAC and multitrack Logic Pro projects

I tested the iFi GO Link 2 for 10 days using my usual headphones and IEMs: BeyerDynamic DT990 Pro open-back headphones, DT770 closed-back headphones, and the affordable and punchy SoundMagic E11C IEMs.

I listened to a range of music on my iPhone 16 Pro, my iPad Pro and my Mac mini, with sources including lossy and lossless streaming, uncompressed multitrack projects on my Mac, and FLAC audio files.

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

ZimaBoard 2: 30-second review

IceWhale built its reputation on a simple idea: affordable, hackable, x86 single-board servers for people who want control over their own data. The original ZimaBoard launched in 2021 on Kickstarter. Using an Intel Apollo Lake processor, it offered a level of expandability that ARM-based boards crowding the market at the time couldn’t match. Four years later, the company is back with the ZimaBoard 2, and the update is substantial in all the ways that matter most.

The new board harnesses the power of the Intel N150 processor from the Twin Lake family, silicon that IceWhale claims delivers roughly three times the CPU performance over the Apollo.

Alongside that comes faster LPDDR5x memory, an upgraded PCIe Gen 3 x4 slot, dual 2.5GbE networking, and the same passively cooled all-aluminium chassis concept that made the first board so appealing to homelab builders.

Two variants are available at retail: the ZimaBoard 2 832 with 8GB of RAM and 32GB of eMMC, and the ZimaBoard 2 1664 with 16GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC. Both ship pre-installed with ZimaOS, and both support a wide range of alternative operating systems if you prefer something else.

While it is possible to get N150 PC systems for less than even the cheaper 832 model, these don’t typically offer a PCIe slot, so this hardware might interest those developing a solution based on an X4 slot. But it might also be useful, as it's passively cooled, to those creating embedded solutions, such as automated signage.

The ZimaBoard 2, like its predecessor, is a unique offering that isn’t expensive for the flexibility it provides. However, there are cheaper ways to get a small N150 system running TrueNAS or Proxmox, and a Raspberry Pi can run some of the apps, like Pi-Hole, that this system might otherwise be useful for.

I'm not sure this hardware is generic enough to be one of our best NAS devices for home and small business users, but there are people who will be attracted to what it has to offer.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)ZimaBoard 2: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From $279
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Direct from IceWhale

There are two versions of the Zimaboard 2: a cheaper 832 model with 8GB of RAM and 32GB of eMMC storage, and a slightly more expensive 1664 model with double the memory and storage. Since you can’t upgrade either the memory or the eMMC storage, it would be a good idea to choose wisely before purchasing either.

Direct from IceWhale, the pricing is $279 for the 832 and $349 for the 1664 model, though shipping costs vary by location.

It is possible to get it from an online retailer, such as Amazon, but the 1664 model is $399.90 in the US and £322.99 in the UK.

For those in Europe, the Euro prices are €238.62 and €298.49 respectively. Currently, the online shop allows you to buy from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Japan and South Korea. All these locations can be paid either in the local currency or US dollars, with the curious exception of the UK, where it can only be paid in dollars.

That doesn’t seem expensive, until you put these numbers against what you might pay for a mini PC.

For example, the GMK NucBox G3 Pro costs less, $259 on Amazon.com, which gets you an Intel Core i3-10110U Processor (Beats 4300U/N150), 8GB DDR4, 256GB of M.2 SATA storage, and it includes WiFi and Bluetooth. Storage and memory are upgradable, and there is a second M.2 slot.

That’s from a known brand. But if you just want an N150 mini PC or NAS, then less than $200 is possible via Amazon, and even cheaper systems can be found on AliExpress.

Unless you want a specific feature of the ZimaBoard 2, such as passive cooling or an external PCIe slot, there are cheaper options available.

• Value: 3.5 / 5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)ZimaBoard 2: Specs

Model:

1664 Model

CPU:

Intel Processor N150 (Twin Lake), quad-core, up to 3.6GHz Turbo

Architecture:

x86-64, 4 cores / 4 threads

Cache:

6MB

GPU:

Intel UHD Graphics (24 EUs) at 1000MHz

TDP:

6W PBP (configured at 10W)

Memory:

16GB LPDDR5x at 4800MHz (soldered)

Storage:

64GB eMMC (OS storage)

SATA Ports

2 x SATA III (6Gbps) for HDD or SSD

Max SATA Capacity

Up to 36TB via two drives

PCIe Expansion

NVMe SSD, 10GbE NIC, GPU, AI accelerator via PCIe Gen 3x4 slot

Ethernet

2 x 2.5GbE (Intel i226 controllers)

USB

2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A)

Display

1 x Mini DisplayPort 1.4 (4K60 output)

Audio

None onboard

WiFi / Bluetooth

None onboard (PCIe expansion required)

PCIe Slot

1 x PCIe 3.0 x4 (side-mounted, external)

Supported Add-ins

10GbE NIC, NVMe adapter, GPU, AI accelerator, WiFi card

Fan Header

Optional fan header for PCIe card cooling

Pre-cut PCIe Section

Accommodates longer PCIe cards

Dimensions

140 x 83 x 31mm

Chassis

Full aluminium enclosure doubling as a heatsink

Cooling

Fully passive (fanless); optional fan via header

Power Supply

12V DC 60W adapter included

Packaging

Box can be repurposed as a stand for the board and two 2.5in drives

Bundled OS

ZimaOS (Linux-based, pre-installed on eMMC)

Alt OS Support

TrueNAS, Proxmox, Debian, Ubuntu Server, pfSense, OpenWrt, Windows, LibreELEC

App Store

372 one-click install applications via ZimaOS

Container Support

Docker built in via ZimaOS

VM Support

Yes (limited by 4-core CPU; single VM recommended)

Remote Access

Via Zima Client (Mac, PC, iOS, Android)

Warranty

2-year warranty

ZimaBoard 2: Design

• All-metal construction
• Passively cooled
• PCIe 3.0 x4 slot

While I’ve seen even smaller, the ZimaBoard 2 is tiny for an Intel X86 platform. At just 140 x 83 x 31 mm, it sits comfortably in the palm of one hand, and the full aluminium chassis that encloses it is doing two jobs at once: protecting the electronics and acting as a radiator for internal heat ace. There is no fan, no vent, and no thermal compound to manage. The board runs silently under all circumstances, which is either its most appealing feature or a cause for concern, depending on what stress you plan to put it under.

IceWhale has kept the layout practical. Ports are clearly labelled, and the side-mounted PCIe 3.0 x4 slot is pre-cut to accept longer cards. A fan header is present for those who add a PCIe card that runs warm. The packaging has a clever trick: the cardboard box is designed so that cutting the lid converts it into a stand for the board and two 2.5in drives, which is a small but thoughtful touch for a product aimed squarely at budget-conscious builders.

However, in this reviewer's view, hot electronics and cardboard aren’t perfect bedfellows, and I do recommend spending another $30 on the aluminium rack tray accessory IceWhale offers.

It’s a bit of an exercise to mount the ZimaBoard 2 to that rack, but it makes the drives and any PCIe cards you attach seem much more secure and part of the system.

As a method to reduce the amount of internal heat generated, this system doesn’t have an internal PSU, opting instead for an external 12V wall socket PSU.

That’s fine, since I’d have expected an external supply, but what I’m less thrilled by is the lack of a power button. If you shut this down, unless you’ve configured wake-on-LAN, the only way to restart it is to pull the PSU out and then jam it back into the socket.

The other obvious absence, onboard WiFi, is a deliberate omission rather than an oversight, I believe. IceWhale positions the PCIe slot as the expansion path for wireless, which keeps the base board cost down but means an additional purchase for anyone who cannot run Ethernet. And, to be honest, WiFi seems like a poor use of the only slot, given what else it can be used for.

As I’ll get into in more depth in this review, the PCIe slot is called upon to do plenty of heavy lifting, possibly beyond the point of practicality.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

There is so much focus on the PCIe slot because the unit only has two USB ports. If you intend to attach a keyboard, mouse and anything else USB, you will need a hub. There is only Mini DisplayPort video output, so IceWhale sells a cheap adapter that converts it to HDMI. Which begs the question, why didn’t they just use Mini HDMI and include a cable?

What you do get is dual 2.5GbE LAN ports, which could be channel-bonded to send and receive up to 5Gbps over the network. That works out to about 600 MB/s of transfer, which is faster than the internal eMMC, a SATA-connected SSD, or a hard drive. The only way that network bandwidth could be saturated is for an NVMe to be attached using the PCIe slot.

However, the dual LAN configuration could be extremely useful for those wanting a hardware Firewall or to run Pi-Hole for trapping web adverts before they reach network users.

In conclusion, this is an extremely compact, silent-in-operation design that draws relatively little power and can be used interactively or as an embedded solution.

However, to achieve those things has involved some sacrifices to the specification that may or may not be the sort of trade-off that you are happy with.

• Design: 3.5 / 5

ZimaBoard 2: Features

• Intel N150
• Zero internal upgrades
• Storage choices

The Intel N150 is a Twin Lake processor built on a refined version of Intel's low-power architecture. Four cores running at up to 3.6GHz turbo, with a 6W base power budget and 6MB of cache, represent a clean generational leap over the original ZimaBoard's Apollo Lake silicon, which was already ageing when that product launched.

IceWhale's claim of roughly three times the CPU performance is plausible on paper, and the move to LPDDR5x at 4800MHz sharpens the memory bandwidth picture considerably.

Those things said, the N150 is patently not a multi-VM workhorse. Four cores and four threads impose a real ceiling on anything involving multiple concurrent virtual machines, and those who push the board in that direction will find it hits its limits rapidly under combined GUI VM workloads. For single-VM use cases, light virtualisation, Docker containers, Pi-hole, Home Assistant, Plex, Jellyfin, and general NAS duties, the processor is more than adequate.

But the N150 was never a great experience for Windows, and fitting that OS onto the 64GB of eMMC storage could be challenging. Using the M.2 addon board could provide more space for a larger OS and apps, but with only four cores at its disposal, this is a system to be pragmatic about rather than optimistic.

Where this system is compromised, compared to a typical N150 Mini PC, is that it offers no internal upgrades whatsoever. The memory is soldered in place, and the eMMC storage is also fixed. Yes, you can boot from external storage attached via the PCIe slot or USB, but whatever memory and storage are in the ZimaBoard 2 at purchase is all it will ever have.

In my testing, I explored many of the potential configurations this design allows. These included using it with nothing attached, using USB devices, and using PCIe cards. As this hardware was reviewed alongside the ZimaCube 2, I was able to borrow a PCIe to NVMe card intended for the Zima Cube, and put an NVMe drive on that, which worked fine.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

I also attached a 20TB Seagate IronWolf Pro, which also functioned normally, and I was able to format it in ZimaOS. The reason I mentioned this seemingly obvious success is that the IceWhale specifications for this machine say that the maximum amount of SATA storage is 36TB from two drives, which by definition would be 18TB.

While I don’t have the drives to test this assertion, I suspect that it would work with 24TB, 28TB, 30TB, 32TB and even 34TB SATA drives. For those curious, the SATA interface, in conjunction with 64-bit GPT (GUID Partition Table) partitioning, has a maximum theoretical capacity of 9.4 Zettabytes (\(9.4 \times 10^9\) TB). So going from 18TB to 36TB isn’t much of a leap.

More of an issue than just buying bigger hard drives is that, in constant use, these drives will get hot, and even with the aluminium cradle, there is no fan cooling to prevent overheating. It’s somewhat ironic that this is a passively cooled computer, but if you use it in certain arrangements, you would be forced to add active cooling for subcomponents, not the system. As part of the cradle kit, you do get a tiny 25mm fan meant to help cool the electronics on a PCIe card. But this wouldn’t practically cool a hard drive or an NVMe.

Any video card needs to work with only four PCIe lanes, have its own cooling and if it needs power beyond that provided by the PCIe slot, its own power supply.

Unless you are looking for a modest GPU upgrade or to enhance AI, the PCIe slot is probably best used for devices other than video cards.

• Features: 4 / 5

ZimaBoard 2: Software

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• ZimaOS Plus
• Paid licensing tier
• TrueNAS approved

ZimaOS comes pre-installed on the eMMC and boots directly to a web dashboard the moment the board finds a network connection. IceWhale's approach is to make the first-run NAS experience as close to frictionless as possible, and it largely succeeds.

The dashboard provides access to an app store with over 370 one-click-install applications covering media servers, backup tools, containers, smart home integrations, and more.

There is a minimalist aesthetic that is attractive, and owners are guided through the installation of drives and applications neatly.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

,The Zima Client companion app for Mac, PC, iOS, and Android handles remote access and picks the best available connection path automatically. For users who want to go further, the full x86 platform means TrueNAS, Proxmox, Debian, pfSense, OpenWrt, and even Windows are all valid options with no compatibility caveats. The ZimaOS Plus licence costs $29 as a lifetime purchase and unlocks unlimited disk support and unlimited users beyond the free tier.

I mentioned this previously in my ZimaCube 2 review, and I’d prefer that the $29 fee be bundled with the cost of the hardware rather than owners discovering it when they try to add their second child. Debian is free, so if you are willing to grasp the technicalities of that OS you can exploit this hardware without further investment.

• Software: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)ZimaBoard 2: Performance

• Expansion possibilities are limited
• Ambition versus reality

Where I see this platform being most useful is as a Proxmox backup server, or a hardware Firewall. You can’t attach enough storage to make it that useful as a NAS, in my opinion, although technically you could attach two very large hard drives and use them both if you are willing to forgo drive-failure resilience. The alternative is to mirror the drives, cutting the capacity in half.

It should be possible to attach an external RAID array via USB, but frankly if you are investing in equipment like that, then why not just buy a proper four or six bay NAS, like the ZimaCube 2?

Networking tops out at 2.5GbE per port. For most home NAS scenarios, that is sufficient, but anyone wanting higher throughput will need to occupy the PCIe slot with a 10GbE card, which trades away the slot's other potential uses. Thermal behaviour under the passive chassis is worth watching closely on test, as the aluminium body does all the work, and a PCIe card installation will add heat to an already closed thermal loop.

Adding things to this system is a bit like the whack-a-mole game. Because you upgrade the networking to support 10GbE, but the storage isn’t quick enough to saturate that. So you use the M.2 card and have NVMe drives that can offer the performance, but you are back to a 2.5GbE LAN. A single Gen3 x4 slot isn’t enough to enhance the storage and network, and there aren’t enough USB ports to use them as a workaround.

For most people, they’ll eventually conclude they need a platform with more PCIe lanes than the 9 that the N150 sports, because once the four are used in the slot, and the other five are allocated to the LAN ports and the USB, there is nothing left.

The next tier of Intel hardware has 20 lanes that mix Gen 4, providing the equivalent of 40 lanes of Gen3, or more than four times as much bandwidth. This is why IceWhale used that in the ZimaCube 2, a system that costs more than double what the ZimaBoard 2 costs.

To summarise my thinking on the performance of the ZimaBoard 2, any system that runs with passive cooling isn’t going to be massively powerful. There is an old quote attributed to Dr Samuel Johnson, the first author of a dictionary, “Sir, a woman's preaching is like a dog's walking on his hinder legs. It is not done well; but you are surprised to find it done at all."

If we can ignore the Doctor’s misogyny and see the parallels with this hardware, that it can run a VM or Docker containers is amazing, but don’t expect miracles when it does.

Realistically, one VM is all I’d use, and I’d limit it to a few Docker containers. Because, as efficient Linux platforms can be, what is under the hood of the ZimaBoard 2 isn’t going to break any performance records any time soon.

This is the trade-off for the size of the ZimaBoard 2 and its passive cooling operation.

I limited my performance testing of the ZimaBoard 2 to copying large files to and from the NAS, using a 20GB video file as the blunt instrument of my assault. I’d initially intended to use SSH and an on-client CLI to do more extensive testing, but due to some issues, in the end, I merely copied files across the network and locally on the NAS.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The ZimaOS client on the PC connects storage to specific virtual drives, and so I was able to test the eMMC inbuilt storage, the 20TB Seagate IronWolf Pro and the 1TB Kioxia Exceria Plus G3 that I’d connected via the PCIe slot.

All transfers used a single 2.5GbE LAN connection, and they all managed 280MB/s when the transfers were initiated. However, it became apparent that when writing a file, most of the data was heading into the 16GB of RAM to be written to the storage device later. This was most apparent on the eMMC, since it was so slow that the system ran out of memory for cache at about 17GB, where it dropped dramatically to around 60MB/s.

Equally, the hard drive blipped in the middle of its write, caught between what the system had memory cached and its own internal cache. The best experience, unsurprisingly, was on the NVMe drive that could write the whole 20GB file at 280MB/s without missing a beat. I estimate that the NVMe drive is capable of between 2000 and 3000Mb/s on a PCIe Gen 3x4 slot, but you can’t attach a 10GbE to deliver some of that over the network, since you only have one slot.

I could have found another NVMe drive and tried moving files between them, although this would have cut the performance in half, since one would be reading and the other writing.

A few users in the ZimaOS community have noted that if you use the GUI file manager that, transfers appear to be capped at 600MB/s, but CLI operations aren’t. I can’t confirm this, and it may have been subsequently patched.

As with many NAS, the ZimaBoard 2 can find itself hamstrung trying to express internal performance to outside services. And, those are limitations owners will need to accept.

• Performance: 3.5/5

ZimaBoard 2: Final verdict

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The ZimaBoard 2 is a serious upgrade on the original in every area that counted against it: faster processor, faster memory, faster networking, and a better PCIe slot.

At $279 for the base model, it sits in a competitive price bracket, but the combination of x86 compatibility, dual 2.5GbE, passive cooling, and a genuine PCIe expansion path is difficult to replicate at this size and price point. The soldered memory and external drive arrangement are compromises worth knowing about before buying, and the four-core processor imposes real limits on multi-VM ambitions.

For homelab builders, NAS enthusiasts, router experimenters, and anyone who wants a genuinely hackable low-power server that can run almost any OS without argument, however, the ZimaBoard 2 makes a compelling case for itself.

Should you buy a ZimaBoard 2?

Value

Lots of features, solidly built but not cheap

3.5 / 5

Design

Ultra compact and passively cooled

3.5 / 5

Features

Limited USB, but it has a PCIe 3.0 4x slot

4 / 5

Software

Workable NAS OS, or use TrueNAS

4 / 5

Performance

Difficult to saturate the LAN using SATA and one PCIe slot

3.5 / 5

Overall

Highly flexible, but silence comes with a cost

4 / 5

Buy it if...

You need a silent system
The ZimaBoard 2 is perfect if you want a fanless, passively cooled server that runs 24/7 without making a sound. However, some items you connect might need active cooling, undermining the silence offered by the system.

You need a flexible x86 platform
While supplied with ZimaOS installed, it is possible to run TrueNAS, Proxmox, pfSense, or Docker without any compatibility workarounds. This provides a level of flexibility that many NAS do not offer.

Don't buy it if...

You need multiple VMs
For those who need to run multiple concurrent GUI-based virtual machines; the four-core N150 will struggle. This chip was designed for low-end laptops and tablets, and therefore, having more than one VM is unrealistic.

You need 10GbE and NVMe storage
With only one PCIe slot, you get to choose what aspect of this machine you want most to upgrade, but only one. That could be adding 10GbE networking, an enhanced GPU or NVMe storage. You can’t add more than one of these things to this system.View Deal

For more NAS solutions we've collated the best NAS hard drives around

OnePlus 15R: two-minute review

Even though the competition among the latest mid-range phones has never been hotter, OnePlus’ offerings have certainly held their own against those from Samsung, Apple, and Google. The OnePlus 13R managed to hit a home run in practically every area, from battery life to performance, so constructing a successor was always going to be a tall order (to avoid confusion, there was no OnePlus 14R).

For the OnePlus 15R, the company has gone in a slightly different direction. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an amazing phone, but it lacks the one big upgrade that was added in the 13R: a telephoto lens. While that fact alone is sure to turn some potential adopters towards triple-sensor phones like the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro and Xiaomi 15T Pro, know that there is a trade-off at play with the OnePlus 15R.

By doing away with the telephoto lens, OnePlus has given the 15R’s battery a boost. It boasts a larger 7,400mAh cell than its predecessor, which can easily see most users through two days at a time, and it certainly means that you won’t have anything to worry about over a single day. As someone who uses their phone for a lot of things, including checking up on social media, hotspotting to other devices, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts, I prefer having the larger battery.

(Image credit: Future)

Plus, the phone's 50MP main camera still takes amazing shots, especially during the daytime. Colors look amazing, and the upgraded 32MP front camera does the rare thing of capturing selfies that I’d actually want to share online.

There are other welcome upgrades, too, including a move to the more powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset — which rarely buckled in my time using it (even while running more demanding games) — and the faster 165Hz refresh rate, which has been pinched straight from the excellent OnePlus 15.

If it wasn’t for the fact that you’re only getting four years of software updates (with six years of security patches), then I’d be giving the OnePlus 15R a higher score. But for anyone who’s happy to upgrade again in roughly four years’ time, you’ll have a blast with this good-looking, long-lasting mid-ranger.

OnePlus 15R review: price and availability

• Starts at $699.99 / £649 for 12GB of RAM and 256GB storage
• Although cheaper than its predecessor in the UK, the phone is $100 more expensive in the US
• It's not available in Australia

The OnePlus 15R is available in two storage configurations, 256GB and 512GB (both of which come with 12GB RAM), and is currently sold in the UK, US, and Europe.

It starts at $699.99/ £649, but that price jumps up to $799.99 / £729 if you want the extra internal storage, which may be more tempting to those who prefer to avoid cloud storage costs.

Oddly enough, depending on where you’re buying the OnePlus 15R, it’s either slightly cheaper than its predecessor or significantly more expensive. The OnePlus 13R had a starting price of £679 in the UK, making the 15R just a tad more cost-effective as an upgrade. But for buyers in the US, you’re looking at an extra $100, which feels utterly absurd. I fully understand that price increases are, unfortunately, becoming the norm in the current economic climate (just take a look at the Samsung Galaxy S26 range), but this is such a massive increase for a mid-range phone that the 15R risks pricing itself out of affordability entirely.

So, if you are in the US and you want a decent mid-range phone that doesn’t cost a fortune, you might be better suited with the iPhone 17e or Nothing Phone (4a) Pro.

• Value score: 4 / 5

OnePlus 15R review: specs

Easily the most eye-catching of all the OnePlus 15R's specs is its 7,400mAh battery, which is one of the largest phone batteries you can get outside of China. The 15R's cell is even slightly bigger than the 7,300mAh equivalent found within the flagship OnePlus 15.

Here are the specs for the OnePlus 15R in full:

Dimensions:

163.41 x 77.04 x 8.3mm

Weight

213g/219g

Chipset:

Snapdragon 8 Gen 5

Operating system:

OxygenOS 16

RAM:

12GB

Storage:

256GB/512GB

Display:

6.83-inch 1272 x 2800 AMOLED, 165Hz

Cameras:

50MP wide, 8MP ultra-wide, 32MP front

Battery:

7,400mAh

Charging:

80W wired charging

OnePlus 15R review: designFutureFutureFuture

• Same design language as the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus Nord 5
• More durable build than before

One of the best things I can say about the OnePlus 15R is that, when you hold it in your hand for the first time, there’s nothing about it that suggests it costs anything less than the current crop of flagship smartphones. It packs an aluminum frame and a glass rear panel, which feels very premium — it reminds me a great deal of the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE, a phone that also punches above its weight on the design front.

From a visual standpoint, the OnePlus 15R is a departure from the OnePlus 13R, especially as the round camera bump has been ditched for a slightly more rectangular one. But this aesthetic aligns with OnePlus' most recent phones.

Both the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus Nord 5 opted for a more professional look versus their respective predecessors. Their camera bumps and chassis adhere to a single color, making the marble-like aesthetic of the OnePlus 12 feel like a lifetime away. If I'm being completely honest, I did find the overall look of the Nord 5 to be a tad mundane, but this approach feels far more at home on the 15R because of one thing: the Mint Breeze colorway.

This lighter green option, which I’ve had in for review, is just stunning. Although I do have a penchant for any tech that comes in green, I think the injection of color here makes the overall look of the OnePlus 15R more exciting than the Charcoal Black option. It’s a similar story with the Ultra Violet OnePlus 15, and I only hope that more companies follow suit.

All of the OnePlus 15R’s good looks aren’t just for show, however, as the phone is now a great deal more durable than before, boasting IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K certifications. While that might sound like a lot of jargon, it basically means that the 15R can do a lot more to withstand the elements than its predecessor, which is great to see in the mid-range market.

I do, however, think that the slightly larger build of the 15R can make things a bit difficult when reaching for the top of the display. This won’t be an issue for everyone, but I did find myself having to rely on both hands fairly often to comfortably use the device, although it’s nowhere near as cumbersome as something like the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, with its 6.9-inch screen.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

OnePlus 15R review: display

(Image credit: Future)

• The 6.83-inch screen is larger than the 13R's
• Screen brightness peaks at a slightly lesser 3600 nits

I’ll never fully understand the urge for phone manufacturers to go bigger when it comes to displays, but for whatever reason, OnePlus has decided to ditch the 6.78-inch norm of the last two R-series phones and adopt a 6.83-inch panel instead. Like I said before, the slightly larger build now means that the OnePlus 15R is just a bit too big to be comfortably used one-handed (something like the Honor Magic 8 Pro’s 6.71-inch panel hits the sweet spot for me), but there’s still a lot to like about this display.

The larger panel makes the phone great for a bit of entertainment, and I’ve really enjoyed using the OnePlus 15R to catch up on the latest season of Invincible, as it depicts the show’s colorful visuals with eye-catching intensity. Plus, with more room for having multiple apps open side by side, OnePlus’ Open Canvas multitasking software works like a charm here.

When it comes to screen brightness, there is a slight downgrade at play, but I don’t think it’s a dealbreaker for the phone. Instead of the 4,500 nits of peak brightness possible on the OnePlus 13R for HDR content, the 15R now tops out at 3,600, but I never found myself squinting at the screen when trying to take a picture outdoors or check train times. Plus, it’s still a brighter display than you'll get on a lot of phones in this price range (the iPhone 17e, for instance, can only reach 1200 nits).

(Image credit: Future)

What is more impressive, and something I’m far happier to have as a trade-off on screen brightness, is the 165Hz refresh rate pinched from the flagship OnePlus 15. The faster speed here is perfect for gaming, and for a fast-paced title like Call of Duty: Mobile, it just goes that extra step in drawing you into the action. It also makes everything from social media scrolling to web browsing feel that much smoother.

As a final note, the OnePlus 15R's screen itself is also very responsive, with a great feeling of cohesion between the fast refresh rate and the onboard chipset to the point where using the phone never really feels like a mid-range experience. I think that if you were to hand the 15R to someone without providing any background information, they would just assume that it’s a flagship device, which is a great compliment.

• Display score: 4.5 / 5

OnePlus 15R review: software

(Image credit: Future)

• OxygenOS remains one of the best Android overlays
• Four years of software updates, six for security patches

One thing I always love about reviewing OnePlus products is that I get to step back into the OxygenOS platform, which is a big step up compared to some other Android overlays that are filled to the brim with bloatware and unintuitive designs. From a software perspective, it’s like getting into a comforting warm bath — everything just works as you’d hope, and because the experience isn’t filled with pre-installed third-party apps, there’s very little friction from the jump.

As a new dad, I now have to rely on my phone a lot more than usual for getting work done during small pockets of time throughout the day, and to that end, the OnePlus 15R has been very helpful via its Open Canvas software. If you haven’t used it, just know that Open Canvas is one of the best examples of multitasking done right on Android, and the whole thing shines particularly on the OnePlus Pad 3, but it’s still just as good on a smartphone.

You can have one app on top of another in a 50/50 split or, as I prefer to have it, a 90/10 split that allows me to swap between two mostly full-screen apps in just a tap, which is very helpful for writing in Google Docs while checking my review notes in Google Keep. When in this mode, I’ve also been able to open a windowed version of WhatsApp to quickly respond to a message, all without ever closing the multitasking setup. It all works seamlessly, and it’s right up there with what Samsung provides through One UI.

When it comes to artificial intelligence, OnePlus’ suite of AI features isn’t quite as robust as Samsung’s Galaxy AI platter, but I feel that it’s definitely a step up from Honor AI, which feels as if it’s constantly thrust at the user and just isn’t very good at what it attempts to do. By comparison, OnePlus AI does a few things quite well, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

(Image credit: Future)

OnePlus’ Mind Space, which isn’t too dissimilar to Essential Space found on the Nothing Phone (4a) and (4a) Pro, acts as a hub for notes, screenshots, and voice recordings, all of which can then be analysed by the onboard AI to provide more detailed information. For instance, a quick photo of my desk, which features a mouse mat with Stormtroopers on it, led the AI to tell me all about the Star Wars universe and what it entails.

I do think that there’s a lot of potential here, but I would like to use Mind Space as a means of collecting interesting articles I’ve come across online, and when I attempted to do just that with the dedicated Plus Key, which activates Mind Space, it could only collect a single screenshot and wouldn’t save the link to the article either. Thankfully, the AI tools available when browsing the web are a lot better.

For when I’m pushed for time, I find AI article summaries to be incredibly helpful for staying in the loop with the latest tech launches, and the style that OnePlus employs is easily among the best out there. It works very quickly, and it does a great job of highlighting key points in either a detailed or concise format.

What I most appreciate, however, is that it never feels as if OnePlus is pushing you to use these AI features. They’re readily available for when you need them, but they’re also easily ignored if you have no taste for the software, which is an approach that a few other manufacturers could definitely take note of.

In terms of support over time, OnePlus promises a total of four years’ worth of software updates and six years of security patches to extend that lifecycle a bit further. Four years isn’t bad, but it pales in comparison to the six years of support that you'll get with the Samsung Galaxy A57 or Google Pixel 10a, so it’s worth having a think about how long you’re comfortable with waiting before your next upgrade.

• Software score: 4 / 5

OnePlus 15R review: cameras

(Image credit: Future)

• 50MP wide angle, 8MP ultra-wide, and 32MP front camera
• Last year's telephoto lens is gone

Although the OnePlus 15R comes out swinging in most other categories, the one area where there’s been an undeniable step backwards is in the camera department. One of the big additions to the OnePlus 13R was the inclusion of a 50MP 2x telephoto lens, which was great for capturing subjects that were just out of reach for the main camera. Alas, that telephoto lens is nowhere to be seen on the 15R, which I can only assume is a trade-off for its much larger battery.

What’s left is a 50MP (f/1.8) wide-angle lens and an 8MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide, both of which are identical to the ones found on the 13R. The only part of the camera set-up that’s had any kind of upgrade is the selfie camera, which has jumped from 16MP to 32MP. With that kind of reality facing potential adopters, the 15R is certainly not a must-buy for anyone who already owns the 13R, and if you’re interested in smartphone photography above all, then you may want to buy that older handset anyway, now that it can be found for less. For most people, however, I think they’ll get on just fine with what the OnePlus 15R has to offer.

Not too dissimilar to the latest Google Pixel phones, I’ve always found OnePlus’ eye for color to be very attractive, and here it’s backed up by the large megapixel count of the main camera to produce very sharp pictures that look great on the 15R’s display.

Taking the phone down to a nearby canal during a sunset, you can see just how well the camera handles the dynamic range across the sky, as well as in the reflections across the water. I’ve taken plenty of phones down to that same spot, and rarely has that location looked better than it does here.

(Image credit: Future)

Even though the 2x zoom within the camera app is a digital crop, the phone still captures enough data in these shots that they look great on the surface. I just don’t recommend zooming in any further beyond that, otherwise the composition starts to fall apart unless there’s a ton of natural light available.

On sunny days, even though it’s just an 8MP sensor, the ultra-wide camera can hold its own against the main lens with great-looking shots. It’s only when things get a bit cloudy that you notice the color is slightly muted by comparison.

Taking a few pictures during a night out around London Waterloo, I was impressed to see that the 15R did a great job of recreating the color palette around me in a fairly natural way, although I definitely recommend sticking to 1x in low light, as these shots can get a tad blurry under a microscope, but they look solid enough when viewed from a full perspective.

Something I definitely have to compliment OnePlus on is its understanding of what makes a selfie camera great. I’ve seen this before in the OnePlus Nord 5, as its 50MP front-camera is one of the best I’ve ever used, and it’s a similar experience with the 32MP alternative found on the 15R. Much like the main camera, the colors are so good that I can overlook my sleep-deprived expression and enjoy these photos for what they are.

Again, I completely understand why the removal of the telephoto lens might be enough for some to write off the OnePlus 15R, but I have still enjoyed my time with its cameras.

• Camera score: 4 / 5

Cameras samplesFutureFutureFutureFutureFutureFutureFutureFutureFutureFutureFutureFutureOnePlus 15R review: performance

(Image credit: Future)

• The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset can handle almost any task
• 3D games aren't an issue here

Before writing this review, I wrote a separate piece on how the OnePlus 15R feels like another entry in the growing sector of all-rounder phones that, despite costing less than the latest flagships, manage to hit a certain bar of quality across the board, and won't leave the majority of users wanting for anything. One of the main reasons why I felt that to be the case here was because of the performance offered by the phone's Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset.

Skipping two generations of Snapdragon chipset ahead of its immediate predecessor, the OnePlus 15R feels every bit like a flagship phone in everyday use. Scrolling through apps is as smooth as you’d want it to be, and when running multiple apps at one time through Open Canvas, the phone never buckled under the pressure.

Gaming is a similarly fluid experience, and it’s only further emboldened by the phone's 165Hz refresh rate. Running through a few rounds of Call of Duty: Mobile, the game felt like it was meant for this type of handset, as the large screen gives you a good view of the battlefield while the chipset keeps everything running without any signs of tearing or stuttering.

The only instance where I could see a noticeable gap between the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 and the even more powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 was when loading in larger areas in Honkai: Star Rail. This is quite a demanding game for those who haven’t played it, but I was impressed to see that, outside of those moments, the combat and exploitation ran to a high standard on the OnePlus 15R.

• Performance score: 5 / 5

OnePlus 15R review: battery

(Image credit: Future)

• The 7,400mAh cell can run for at least two days
• No wireless charging

Saving the best for last, the OnePlus 15R boasts something of an anomaly when it comes to batteries in the mid-range category. Although the proliferation of silicon-carbon tech has paved the way for larger batteries, it’s typically been flagship phones that have benefited from this innovation, with the Oppo Find X9 Pro and the OnePlus 15, for example, packing 7,500mAh and 7,300mAh batteries, respectively. Following in their footsteps, the OnePlus 15R has a gigantic 7,400mAh cell to draw on, something that you simply won’t find on any other mid-range phone right now.

I mentioned earlier that it appears as though OnePlus made the decision to do away with the telephoto lens on this phone so it could go all in on battery, and as someone who would prefer not to have to deal with any battery anxiety during a day out, even if I am in the minority here, it’s a trade-off I’m happy to accept. After all, if you’re dead set on having a triple camera set-up, there are plenty of alternatives out there, including the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE, Nothing Phone (4a) Pro, and the Xiaomi 15T Pro.

With this kind of longevity in the tank, I had no issues with getting the OnePlus 15R to last at least two days between charges. On a more relaxed day, when working from home and only accruing an hour and a half of screen time, plus several hours of Spotify playback, the phone only dropped to 74%. As an iPhone user who is constantly having to keep one eye on how much battery is left, I can’t tell you how freeing it felt to not have to worry about endurance at all, and it allowed me to use the OnePlus 15R unencumbered.

The phone's 80W charging speed remains unchanged from the OnePlus 13R, but that’s fine by me given that it’s still much further ahead than most phones (the 45W speed of the S25 FE seems glacial by comparison). From my testing, you can get from 0% to a full battery in 1 hour and 25 minutes. If you’re really pressed for time, then you’ll be glad to know that I clawed back 67% after just 50 minutes, which is more than enough to get you safely through an entire day.

It would have been nice to see OnePlus add wireless charging into the mix, as it would have paired well with the idea of the 15R being a battery beast, but it’s not the worst omission, given how fast the wired charging is here.

• Battery score: 4.5 / 5

Should you buy the OnePlus 15R?OnePlus 15R scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

The OnePlus 15R is great-value for UK buyers, but its price is harder to justify in the States.

4 / 5

Display

The larger display looks great but the peak brightness is lower than before.

4.5 / 5

Design

A sophisticated and very well built phone that looks exceptional in green.

4.5 / 5

Software

OxygenOS works brilliantly, but you're only getting four years of software updates.

4 / 5

Cameras

The main sensor does a great job in all settings, but the telephoto lens is missed.

4 / 5

Performance

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 is a beast for mid-range value, making short work of 3D games.

5 / 5

Battery

The 7,400mAh cell is unmatched on the mid-range market. No wireless charging is a letdown though.

4.5 / 5

Buy it if…

You want a phone that lasts two days
With the OnePlus 15R in tow, you won’t have to worry about racing back to a power outlet for a battery top-up.

You want a 165Hz screen for gaming
While it’s not a necessity, a 165Hz refresh rate is a wonderful luxury that really takes mobile gaming to the next level.

You need a smooth operating system
OnePlus’ OxygenOS is right up there with One UI and Google’s stock Android, as it’s thankfully free of bloatware and clunky design choices.

Don’t buy it if…

You need a telephoto lens
The removal of the telephoto lens definitely makes the OnePlus 15R less appealing to photographers.

You need wireless charging
Although you do get 80W wired charging, the lack of wireless charging on a phone at this price feels odd.

You want a phone for the long haul
The limited amount of software updates compared to what Samsung and Google provide is a letdown.

Also consider

Still on the fence about the OnePlus 15R? Here are some contemporaries worth checking out:

OnePlus 15R

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro

Apple iPhone 17e

Price

$699 / £649

$499 / £499

$599 / £599

Storage

256GB / 512GB

128GB / 256GB

256GB / 512GB

Screen size

6.83-inch 1272 x 2800 AMOLED, 165Hz

6.83-inch AMOLED, 144Hz

6.1-inch 1170 x 2532 Super Retina, 60Hz

Chipset

Snapdragon 8 Gen 5

Snapdragon 7 Gen 4

Apple A19

Battery

7,400mAh

5,080mAh

4,005mAh

Charging

80W

50W

40W

Cameras

50MP wide, 8MP ultra-wide, 32MP front

50MP wide, 8MP ultra-wide, 50MP telephoto, 12MP front

48MP wide, 12MP front

OS

OxygenOS 16

Nothing OS 4.1

iOS 26

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro
The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is another solid all-rounder that leaves you wanting for very little, but it packs a more eye-catching look than the OnePlus 15R, can be bought for less, and even has a telephoto lens for zoom photography. The chipset isn’t quite as speedy as the 15R’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, but it’s powerful enough for most users.

Read our full Nothing Phone (4a) Pro review

Apple iPhone 17e
Even though it’s only got one rear-facing camera, there’s a lot to like about the iPhone 17e. Apple’s mid-range phone now packs MagSafe charging, the super-fast A19 chipset, and 256GB storage as standard. There’s also the far more scratch-resistant Ceramic Shield 2 glass on the front, which, alongside Apple’s lengthy update cycles, should allow the 17e to last you for quite some time.

Read our full Apple iPhone 17e review

How I tested the OnePlus 15R

I used the OnePlus 15R over a period of two weeks for this review. This involved using the phone during a trip to London and a trip to Cambridge, alongside visits to local cafes to have the phone operate as a hotspot for my laptop.

To test the screen, I streamed Avengers: Infinity War and Invincible over Disney Plus and Prime Video, respectively, and for gaming performance, I tapped into Call of Duty Mobile and Honkai: Star Rail.

First reviewed May 2026