TechRadar Reviews

Polar Loop: One minute review

The Polar Loop is, on the surface, what a lot of folks want. It’s a lifestyle-friendly wearable like the popular Whoop MG, but one that doesn’t come with a mandatory monthly subscription.

It’s screen-free, with a lightweight body and fabric strap for maxed-out comfort. Polar has kept the Loop simple, offering a limited set of features rather than trying to cram in lots of extras. It tracks your sleep, your steps and has a crack at recognising and logging activity sessions — runs, walks and so on. This part is patchy, but the Polar Loop was never going to be that big a hit as a one of the best fitness tracker with the hardcore exerciser crowd anyway.

The Polar Loop’s issues are largely software-based. You have to get on with the Polar app to make the Loop fun to use, and its interface and presentation of data could really do with a rethink. This is planned for the future, but for now, this isn’t quite the Whoop-killer you may be hoping for. It’s shown up on that front by the cheaper Amazfit Helio Strap.

As is, what you get is a decent screen less tracker, but one that may be better later into its lifespan – after a software update, at least.

Polar Loop: Specifications

Component

Polar Loop

Price

$199 / £149.50 / AU$299

Dimensions

42 x 27 x 9mm

Weight

29g with band

Case/bezel

Stainless steel/Plastic

Display

N/A

GPS

N/A

Battery life

Up to 8 days

Connection

Bluetooth

Water resistant

Yes, 3ATM

Polar Loop: Price and Availability

(Image credit: Future / Andrew Williams)

• $199 in the US
• £149.50 in the UK
• AU$299 in Australia

The Polar Loop launched in early September 2025 as a subscription-free alternative to the Whoop band. This is a little over a year since the launch of the Polar 360, a business-oriented wellness wearable that’s ultimately pretty similar to this consumer version. It costs $199 in the US, £149.50 in the UK and AU$299 in Australia.

While there are no explicit ongoing costs, there is a totally optional subscription called Polar Fitness Program, which works out an adaptive training plan for you. This costs 9.99 Euro a month after a free trial. This is far better value than the Whoop, which doesn’t sell you the device at all – just an expensive subscription. But for a fitness tracker that doesn’t actually do a lot, it’s still quite highly-priced.

• Value score: 3.5/5

Polar Loop: Design

(Image credit: Future / Andrew Williams)

• Screenless
• Steel accents
• Comfortable stretchy bands

The Polar Loop is similar enough to the Whoop band that Whoop has sued Polar claiming the company nicked its design. However, what this really boils down to is a couple of conventions already seen across the screenless wearables landscape.

Polar uses a fabric strap that weaves, buckle-like, over the wearable’s main unit. It covers where the screen would be in a normal watch. The Loop uses a velcro-style fastener and is clearly designed to look like a lifestyle wearable over a hardcore fitness gadget. While much of the core brick is plastic, the top and outer parts are brushed bronze-shade steel. It’s there to provide a touch of class.

These screen-free wearables are intended to be the kind of gadget you set and forget, at least until the battery runs out. The Polar Loop weighs 29g, strap included, light enough not to pick up any real momentum as you swing your arms unlike a watch like the Apple Watch Ultra, which weighs close to 60g. But you are still gong to see those familiar skin indents when you occasionally take the watch off, pressing its contours into your wrist.

Is it comfy? Sure, these slightly stretchy fabric bands are ace for comfort. But I’ve found the Amazfit Helio Band slightly easier to forget I’m wearing, no doubt because it’s even lighter: just 20g.

The Polar Loop has no buttons and no LED status indicator. You can’t interact with it if you try. There’s not even a vibration motor: it’s about as stripped-back as Polar could make it. Water resistance is rated at WR30, which in other wearables is often seen as not enough for safe swimming, while Polar says the Loop is fine for “bathing and swimming” under the ISO22810 standard, just not diving or snorkelling.

• Design score: 4/5

Polar Loop: Features

(Image credit: Future / Andrew Williams)

• No subscription
• Very little interaction
• Precision Prime heart rate sensor from 2018

One of the core appeals of the Polar Loop is, of course, that there is no mandatory subscription. There is a paid part of the app, though.

It’s called Polar Fitness Program, which costs around $11 a month (9.99 Euro). This launched in April 2025, provides tailored workout plans. It would work much better when paired with Polar’s more conventional fitness watches, like the Polar Grit X2, than a Loop.

The Polar Loop’s own feature set is very stripped-back. You can’t, for example, make the watch broadcast its heart rate data to be used by another device. There’s no altimeter, so counting of steps climbed is not recorded. You cannot use the Polar Loop as an alarm as there’s no vibration motor. When the Polar Loop is running low on battery you’ll simply get an incessant reminder to charge on your phone. You know the funny bit? Polar actually released a tracker called the Loop 2 in 2015 that did have vibration, and a half-hidden screen made up of 85 LEDs.

Neither that band nor the Polar Loop records blood oxygenation data either, despite the heart rate array making use of green, red and orange LEDs. Polar calls this its Precision Prime array, and it has been around for absolutely ages. A similar design was found in 2018’s Polar Vantage V. That’s a lifetime ago in tech terms, but the basics still work well.

• Features score: 2.5/5

Polar Loop: Performance

(Image credit: Future / Andrew Williams)

• 8 days of battery life
• Some activity tracking errors
• HR data testing similar to Garmin Elevate V5 sensor

Despite the lack of a screen, Polar says the Loop lasts eight days, which is actually a bit less than some of its watches with displays. This is basically on the money. You can expect it to last around a week. With no GPS or screen, there should be little variation in how long it lasts based on your activity level.

Like any wearable, the Polar Loop is heavily reliant on its heart rate sensor for any data beyond your steps. This wearable has a pretty good one, despite using older hardware. While this is not a replacement for a full-on runner’s watch due to its lack of GPS, its HR data during runs is pretty similar to that of a Garmin Forerunner 970 (one of the best Garmin watches) and its Elevate V5 sensor, wore concurrently during most of my testing.

The Polar Loop doesn’t tend to mess up the start of workouts, or show unexpected major HR spikes during the work day when you do little more than potter about. There was one unexpected spike during a tracked run, but in general the results are solid here.

By default, the Polar Loop will record basic stats 24/7, and then automatically log any slightly extended stretches it believes you’re exercising. Go for a 12-minute walk? You can expect to see that pop up in the Polar app. It’s not entirely flawless, though; during one run, the Loop only clocked half of the hour-and-change workout, seemingly stopping during a brief break, only to fail to register the second half. The durations of some sessions are off too, although you can always take a more active approach to tracking: in the Polar phone app, you can manually start a tracked session, select the Loop, and use it as the source for HR data.

That aside, the Polar Loop has a good stab at recording your daily steps. And it of course tracks sleep, too, estimating your time spent in the light, deep and REM sleep zones, and records interruptions. The Polar Loop is more sensitive to these than another wearable’s full-on wakeful moments detection, so you may well see your sleep records peppered with these tiny interruption blips.

The lead stats Polar wants you to focus on are sleep duration, sleep solidity and regeneration — basically how much that sleep is getting your body back where it needs to be. However, there’s also an ANS Charge (autonomous nervous system charge) section in which you can check out breathing rate and heart rate variability.

All the basic data is here, and it’s sound enough. The Polar Loop’s biggest issue is the phone app isn’t really all that enjoyable to use, may look dated to some and doesn’t really direct the user that well as to what they should focus on.

The app’s home screen is Diary, which acts like a feed of your day, showing recent auto-tracked exercises, your step count and so on, in semi-chronological order. This is not as effective as the software in Amazfit’s rival Helio Strap app, which is more intuitive and has a handy traffic light-style system to alert you to any stats that may be out of the ordinary.

Screen-free wearables are massively reliant on their apps for the overall quality of experience. And Polar’s could do with some work. It’s just not that inviting a space to hang out in. Polar does plan to fully revamp the app in future, but right now we can only work with that we have.

• Performance score: 3.5/5

Polar Loop: Scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

The lack of a forced subscription is good but this is not the most aggressively priced tracker around.

3.5/5

Design

It’s comfortable, it looks decent and has some higher-grade steel elements, plus you get a choice of colours.

4/5

Features

A watch like this doesn’t need scads of features, but it does miss out on a few elements that could be handy.

2.5/5

Performance

Heart rate accuracy is decent but you may not want to rely on auto exercise recognition for accurate session logging.

3/5

Polar Loop: Should I buy?Buy it if...

You like its style

An important factor here is how the Loop doesn’t look like a fitness watch, with a two-tone fabric outer strap with steel accents.

You want a subscription-free experience

While you can pay for a training plan subscription, there’s no mandatory subscription with a Polar Loop.

You want pure passive tracking

With no screen, and even no vibrate or buttons, this is a zero-interaction wearable for those who want no wrist distractions.

Don’t buy it if…

You are expecting big health insights

At the time of review the Loop doesn’t present its data in the most cogent way, and also has fairly basic hardware.

You want better software before buying

While Polar has plans to overhaul its software and interface, we don’t know when that will happen at the time of review.

Also consider

Whoop MG

The screen-free band that made this category sing, but requires a pricey subscription.

Read our full Whoop MG review

First reviewed: December 2025

Ever since I first played it on the PS5 a few years ago, I’ve been certain Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is a gaming masterpiece – the inarguable best way to play the role-playing game (RPG) classic that is Final Fantasy VII. But now that it’s coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, is the game still as excellent?

TL;DR, yes, but I’m left feeling like the Switch 2 edition is only the second best way to play the best way to play Final Fantasy VII.

I’m not the only person who loves Final Fantasy VII Remake. Former TechRadar Computing Hardware expert Jackie Thomas gave it five stars out of five back when it released on the PS4 almost six years ago, and the story, music, and general beauty of the game haven’t changed with this port.

But as you’d expect, going from a home console to a handheld hybrid, some technical downgrades are to be expected – with both texture quality, framerate, and fidelity dips noticeable, though playing in Docked mode does give it a noticeable visual bump.

(Image credit: Square Enix)

That said, are you playing on the Switch 2 for graphical superiority? If you are you might want to rethink your console choice, as the true beauty of the Nintendo hybrid is its ability to game on the go, and for an tens-of-hours-long RPG – that’ll hold your attention between 30 and 90 hours based on whether you want to focus on the story, complete a few side quests along the way, or seriously devour every piece of additional content across both the main campaign and bonus Intermission downloadable content (DLC) episode – is essential for more time-strapped gamers.

Finding time to play all of that at home can be tough, especially if you share your TV. Taking Final Fantasy 7 Remake on the go as part of your morning commute, on trips if you travel regularly, or simply enjoying it in portable mode on the couch while someone else uses the main screen in your home entertainment setup makes finding the time much more manageable – meaning you can actually start enjoying the games you buy, and not just stare at them in your ever-growing digital library.

If this convenience is what you crave, you’ll love Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade on the Nintendo Switch 2. For everyone else, this game is still required reading, but you’d be better served by its PlayStation 5 edition (provided you have access to the console).

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Final Fantasy 7 Remake is part one of Square Enix’s recreation of the 1997 RPG, Final Fantasy 7. While it is, in some ways, simply a third of a game, the care and attention put into every inch of this title doesn’t leave you feeling shortchanged.

As I mentioned in the intro you can easily spend close to 90 hours playing Remake if you sink your teeth into every challenge the game has to offer, including finishing every side mission, earning the high score in every minigame, completing the game on Hard mode (which requires a whole replay), and besting the greatest foes in Shinra’s virtual battle zone.

I can say, as someone who has done exactly this, you won’t regret the time you spend in Midgar, but even if you simply focus on the main quest-focused story (including the Intermission story featuring Yuffie), then you’ll still be savouring Final Fantasy VII for around 30 to 40 hours.

Even if you’ve played the 1997 version, there’s plenty to enjoy here too.

The Remake expands on the story in a way that better fleshes out each character, the relationships between the key players, and (if I’m honest) makes the experience much more engaging rather than what could at times feel like a slog.

There are a few new twists and turns to discover as well, but every single one feels like a worthy addition to the mythos and the core story FFVII is telling – rather than fluff that would detract from its message.

Combat ready!

(Image credit: Square Enix)

The gameplay has had a tune-up, too.

I enjoy turn-based battling, but Final Fantasy VII’s approach to combat is undeniably more active and approachable to a wider audience. At the same time, I appreciate the “Classic” difficulty mode the game introduces, which helps to return some of the accessibility offered by turn-based combat if you want it.

If playing regularly, you must actively attack and block with your character to charge ATB so you can perform more powerful skills and spells. In Classic mode, the characters all fight and guard automatically, letting you simply focus on which enemy to target and when you want to use those more powerful moves.

It’s not a substitute for the slower pace of turn-based fights, but feels closer to it if you require a slightly calmer pace.

(Image credit: Square Enix)

In any case, with this more active approach to combat comes complexity where lots can be happening at once – especially in bigger fights that have Cloud, Tifa, and Barrett slashing, punching, and firing away at a small army of Shinra guards and bots returning fire – but the Switch 2 did its best to keep things flowing smoothly.

There’s no in-system way to track framerate, but the gameplay did seem to hold steady at 30 frames per second (fps) as Square has promised. If you’re used to higher rates, you’ll notice some frameyness to the game in handheld mode, but honestly, it doesn’t detract from the experience – especially since this isn’t a game like a shooter where 60fps-afforded precision is essential.

There are also a few noticeable texture and model downgrades compared to the PlayStation version, which are even more apparent if, like me, you’re used to the PS5 rendition rather than the PS4 edition of Remake. When you dock your Switch 2, however, things do start to look a lot better, and even in handheld mode, there is an undeniable beauty to Final Fantasy VII Remake that persists even if the overall quality has taken a hit.

Again, as I mentioned in my intro, it’s also not like you’re choosing the Switch 2 for its graphical fidelity. Quality is the price we pay for handheld convenience, and I’ll hold firm to the fact that this port does look great, even if not quite as great as the PlayStation edition. It just comes down to what you value more.

(Image credit: Square Enix)

The only other point I’ll make on the Switch 2 vs PlayStation comparisons is cost.

At launch, the Switch 2 Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade will cost you $39.99 / £39.99 / AU$69.95. It’s a reasonable price of entry in my mind, but you should note that a twin pack of Remake and its part 2 Rebirth on PS5 will set you back $59.99 / £59.99 / AU$159.95 (it’s not such a great deal based in Australia at full-price, though I’ve seen it on sale for much less in each of these regions meaning it’s a better deal than these numbers make it look).

Two games for effectively the price of one-and-a-half (or even for the price of one if you get the twin pack with a discount) is clearly a good deal. So if you have access to both consoles, and won’t appreciate the convenience of handheld mode, or would appreciate the better value proposition, then you might want to consider your options for how to experience Final Fantasy VII.

(Image credit: Square Enix)Should you play Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade on the Switch 2?Play it if…

You want to experience one of the greatest RPGs ever made again
FFVII is beloved for a reason, and the remake is simply the best way to experience the story in 2026.

You care about portable gaming
The game runs really well on the Switch 2 in handheld mode. Sure, it isn’t graphically perfect, but that’s not what the Switch 2 is for.

You like games with lots of content
You can easily spend over 50 hours playing this title if you devote yourself to its bonus content and DLC in addition to its main story, you might even stretch to closer to 90 hours if you want to complete hard mode too. So if you like long games this is a solid pick up.

Don’t play it if…

You have a PS5
The Nintendo Switch 2 version is good, but for the most cost-effective and best quality way to experience FFVII on console, you should play the PS5 version if you can.

You want high quality and performance
This title still looks beautiful on the Switch 2, but it does look more framey and overall looks lower quality than non-handheld versions.

You want turn-based action
The appeal of classic RPGs is turn-based combat, and while this remake maintains elements of that style of gameplay it’s a very different experience.

(Image credit: Square Enix)Accessibility

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade has several difficulty controls to help with accessibility.

There’s Classic mode if you’d prefer a simpler battle system, but also the ability to always have max HP, a full ATB gauge, and constantly deal max damage (among other effects) that can make the game more approachable.

Beyond this, there are subtitles for all cutscenes, and there isn’t a built-in colorblind mode, which can unfortunately make a couple of fights and minigames a little tougher if you are colorblind.

How I reviewed Final Fantasy VII Remake on Nintendo Switch 2

I’ve already put over 80-hours into Final Fantasy VII Remake and its DLC episode on my PS5 – as I mentioned in my review, I enjoyed it so much I went out of my way to get every trophy – so I already knew my thoughts on its mechanics and its story before booting this title up, and had a great point of reference for the Switch 2 version.

The focus of this review was to test how well the Nintendo Switch 2 can handle the game I love. To test this, I played the title over many, many hours in both docked and handheld mode, made sure to explore both the main story, side quests, and minigames, and made notes about its technical capabilities.

I reviewed this game using a standard Nintendo Switch 2 when in handheld mode, and on a Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED with a Sonos Beam (Gen 2) soundbar, and an 8BitDo Ultimate 2 controller in docked mode.

Zoho CRM, which unsurringly is part suite of tools created by Zoho, a company renowned for its suite of productivity applications, has been one of the best CRM platforms available since its inception in 2005.

With a user base exceeding 250,000 businesses worldwide, Zoho has established itself as a reliable and feature-rich platform for sales management, marketing, and customer support activities. It's a versatile CRM that can be tailored to meet specific organizational needs. Some key functionalities include lead and deal management, sales automation, and advanced analytics, all powered by an intelligent AI tool called Zia.

Throughout this review, I will share my detailed analysis of Zoho CRM, exploring its key features, functionalities, and how it can benefit businesses in managing customer relationships effectively.

This analysis is backed by TechRadar Pro’s commitment to exhaustive, hands-on testing. We don’t simply evaluate Zoho CRM based on its marketing materials; we spend hours navigating its interface, setting up automation Blueprints, and stress-testing the Zia AI assistant with real-world data. Our reviews are 100% independent, and we never accept payment for product rankings. This ensures that our verdict on Zoho’s complex feature set - and its value for money - is based entirely on how the platform performs under the pressure of daily business operations.

Zoho CRM core capabilities

(Image credit: Zoho)

When reviewing Zoho’s CRM platform, I found a robust set of features that cover the essential needs of most organizations. The platform provides a centralized database for managing contacts and accounts, making it easy to store and access customer information. I was able to quickly import my existing contacts via CSV file and map the fields to match Zoho's system. The interface for viewing and editing contact records is clean and intuitive, with the ability to log activities, tasks, notes and attach files.

Zoho CRM's lead management tools allow you to customize the lead lifecycle stages to match your sales process. You can capture leads from various sources, including web forms, social media, and manual entry. As leads progress, you can convert them into contacts, accounts and opportunities with one click. I appreciate the ability to create multiple sales pipelines for different products or business units. The drag-and-drop deal pipeline view gives a nice visual overview of where each opportunity stands.

Forecasting is another core feature, with the ability to generate revenue projections based on the deals in your pipeline. Being able to create multiple pipelines for different products or services was particularly useful. I could easily track deal progress, set probability percentages, and generate accurate sales forecasts. Zoho uses a weighted probability based on deal stage to predict the chances of closing. This provides more accurate forecasts than relying on gut feel or arbitrary percentages. You can also adjust the forecast categories and timeframes to suit your needs.

While the built-in reports cover most standard KPIs and metrics, I did find the report builder a bit cumbersome to use compared to some other CRMs I've tried. It gets the job done but requires a bit of a learning curve to master. On the plus side, the dashboards are attractive and you can lay them out with a variety of chart types and widgets to visualize your key data points.

Zoho CRM seamlessly connects with other Zoho applications, creating a cohesive ecosystem for business operations. Additionally, it offers integrations with popular third-party tools like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and various marketing automation platforms. You also have access to a custom API to build your own integrations from scratch with code.

Zoho particularly shines when it comes to mobile access. The mobile app is full-featured and works seamlessly to keep data in sync, even when offline. This is a big advantage for sales reps who spend much of their time on the road, which is increasingly common in the age of hybrid work. The app is intuitive and makes it easy to pull up customer information, log calls, and update deals and tasks from your smartphone.

Things get a little more interesting when you factor in Zoho’s newly introduced AI-powered sales assistant called Zia. Zia offers predictive lead scoring, anomaly detection in sales trends, and even suggests the best times to contact leads based on past interactions. I found these AI-driven insights to be generally accurate and helpful. However, it's worth noting that the full potential of Zia is only unlocked in the higher-tier plans, which can increase costs considerably.

While it may lack some of the advanced features or depth of customization of the market leaders, Zoho CRM meets the needs of most small to mid-sized companies and sales teams. However, it would be interesting to see how well the CRM stacks up once the AI features have had a chance to develop a bit. Users got a glimpos of this recently with Zia moving from a passive assistant to an Agentic AI helper. Now Zia can autonomously perform tasks like identifying at-risk renewals and drafting hyper-personalized recovery emails based on historical sentiment analysis.

How easy is Zoho CRM?

(Image credit: Zoho)

In the last few years, Zoho has made significant progress in improving the user interface and overall usability of its CRM. I found the new interface to be clean and intuitive, with a logical layout that made it easy to access key features and information. The home screen provides a comprehensive overview of important metrics and tasks, allowing me to quickly grasp the status of my sales pipeline and prioritize my activities for the day. Updates keep coming in this area, too, with Zoho recently launching a unified navigation sidebar that allows users to switch between CRM, Zoho Desk, and Zoho Books without a full page refresh, significantly reducing tab fatigue for users of the Zoho One suite.

I also appreciated the ability to tailor the interface to my specific needs, from rearranging the menu bar to creating custom fields and layouts. However, it's worth noting that while basic customizations are straightforward, more complex modifications may require a steeper learning curve.

Onboarding is relatively straightforward, thanks to the detailed instructions provided on the website and the inclusion of sample data to help new users get started. I found the step-by-step guide particularly helpful in setting up my account and configuring initial settings. That said, the sheer number of features and options available can be overwhelming at first.

Zoho offers a wealth of training resources to help users become proficient with the system. Its knowledge base is extensive, featuring detailed tutorials, training videos, and live and on-demand webinars. I found these resources to be well-organized and easy to follow, which significantly reduced the time it took me to become comfortable with the platform's core functionalities.

In terms of the learning curve, I found that mastering the basic features of Zoho CRM was relatively quick. Within a few days, I was able to navigate the system confidently, manage contacts, and track deals. However, becoming proficient with more advanced features, such as complex automation workflows or in-depth reporting, required more time and practice. One of these automation features is the newly launched Pathfinder, which uses machine learning to map out the most successful customer journeys in your specific industry, suggesting when to automate a touchpoint versus when to trigger a manual call. Although Pathfinder is pretty intuitive, it's somewhat complicated to set up.

While the CRM is generally user-friendly, there are still areas where it could improve. For instance, some users have reported that creating multi-module reports can be challenging and may require additional training or support. Also, while the AI features like Zia are powerful, they may take some time to learn and be fully leveraged. Higher-tier plans offer more advanced features and customization options, which can increase the complexity for users. However, these plans also come with additional support options, including onboarding assistance and dedicated account managers.

Zoho CRM integrations

Before we talk about third-party integrations, it’s important to acknowledge the level of functionality that you can extract simply from using Zoho’s own suite of productivity software — all of which integrate seamlessly with its CRM. With more than 40 different applications, including Zoho Webinar, Zoho Social, Zoho Books, and Zoho Surveys, it’s incredibly easy to extend functionality without having to rely on third-party providers.

Apart from that, Zoho also offers 600+ ready-to-use integrations for popular apps like QuickBooks, Google Workspace, Slack, Shopify, RingCentral, and DocuSign, among others. I found the process of setting up these pre-built integrations to be straightforward. Most integrations can be activated with just a few clicks, with clear documentation and setup guides for each integration.

However, for those looking to create custom integrations or connect with less common applications, Zoho CRM offers a robust API. The REST API documentation is comprehensive and well-organized, covering various aspects such as authentication, rate limits, and available endpoints. As I delved into the API documentation, I appreciated the clear examples and explanations provided, which would be helpful for developers of varying skill levels.

Zoho is also uniquely committed to making sure that developers have everything they need to build their own integrations. The Developer Console offers up a lot of different resources, including documentation, courses, ebooks, and webinars — to help developers at every stage of the integration process.

In terms of reliability, the experience is mostly consistent. Data is accurately and efficiently synchronized, minimizing the risk of discrepancies or delays. However, there is mention of users encountering some minor issues with workflow rules and alerts not functioning as expected, if you look at the different reviews available online.

How good is Zoho CRM customer support?

Speaking of customer support, Zoho can be a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, Zoho offers a variety of support channels, including phone, email, and live chat, which provide flexibility in how users can reach out for assistance. But the quality of support received can be wildly inconsistent, depending on the agent you’re paired with at the time. Response times can also vary from time to time, leaving users frustrated.

Zoho does provide a robust self-service resource center, which includes a knowledge base, user guides, tutorials, and community forums. I've found these resources to be quite comprehensive and well-organized, making it easier for me to find answers to common questions and troubleshoot issues on my own. The step-by-step tutorials and user guides have been particularly helpful in navigating the various features and functionalities of the platform.

That being said, there have been instances where the self-service resources fell short in addressing more complex or specific issues I encountered. Thankfully, Zoho provides dedicated onboarding specialists who guide new users through the setup process and help customize the platform to their specific needs. Additionally, there are regular webinars and training sessions to help users make the most of the different features and capabilities.

On platforms like G2 and Capterra, Zoho CRM's customer support ratings hover around 4 out of 5 stars, indicating a generally positive sentiment. However, there are also a fair number of reviews that echo uncertainty and frustration given the inconsistent quality and slow response that many users have to deal with from Zoho. It's worth noting that Zoho offers a premium support option for an additional fee, which includes priority response times, dedicated account management, and personalized training sessions.

Zoho CRM pricing and plans

(Image credit: Zoho)

Plan

Free

Standard

Professional

Enterprise

Ultimate

Price

Free for 3 users

$14/user/month

$23/user/month

$40/user/month

$52/user

Best For

Small teams and startups

Small to medium-sized businesses

Medium-sized businesses with advanced needs

Large enterprises with complex sales processes

Large enterprises with extensive customization needs

Features

Lead management; Contact management; Deal management

Sales pipeline management; Email templates; Custom fields

Advanced reporting; Marketing automation; Sales forecasting

AI assistant; Zoho apps integration; Customizable workflows

Customizable dashboards; Advanced security features; Dedicated support

Limitations

Limited to 3 users, basic features

Limited automation and reporting capabilities

Limited customization options for dashboards

Requires a minimum of 25 regular user licenses for Lite users

No significant limitations, but may require additional setup for advanced features

Zoho CRM operates on a per-user pricing structure, which means that the cost is directly tied to the number of users you have. The pricing starts at $14 per user per month for the Standard plan, which includes features like lead and account management, sales pipeline management, and basic reporting — it’s a good starting point and makes Zoho one of the best CRM for small businesses.

This is followed by the Professional plan priced at $35 per user per month, which adds more advanced features like sales signals, forms integration, and inventory management. The Enterprise plan at $50 per user per month includes AI-powered tools like Zia, multi-user portals, and mobile SDKs. Finally, the Ultimate plan at $65 per user per month enhances the package with advanced data visualization and business intelligence.

In addition to these traditional plans, Zoho CRM also offers two bundle options: CRM Flex and CRM Plus. CRM Flex allows you to hand-select additional Zoho apps to add to your CRM suite, with prices adjusting accordingly. CRM Plus, on the other hand, includes a comprehensive suite of eight Zoho apps, including Zoho Desk, Zoho Campaigns, and Zoho Analytics, for $57 per user per month. This bundle offers significant savings compared to purchasing each app separately.

Zoho offers a 15-day free trial for its CRM, which allows you to test the platform and its features before committing to a paid plan. Additionally, Zoho CRM offers a free version for up to three users, which includes basic features like lead and account management, making it one of the best CRM for start ups. You also get a 34% discount if you commit to an annual subscription upfront, which can significantly reduce costs.

While the pricing is generally competitive, it's worth noting that costs can add up quickly when you have a large number of employees who need access to the CRM. It’s also a little unfortunate that the AI sales assistant, Zia, is fully accessible only on the Enterprise and Ultimate plans. Still, the platform offers a generally good value for money for most small and medium-sized businesses.

Zoho CRM review: Final verdict

Throughout my experience with Zoho CRM, I have been consistently impressed by its robust set of core features, including lead and opportunity management, sales forecasting, and reporting. That being said, the responsiveness and quality of assistance can be inconsistent at times.

While the plans are generally cost effective and offer good value, certain essential features are restricted to higher tier plans only. For example, Zoho’s new AI sales assistant, Zia, is only available to Enterprise and Ultimate plan users. And while a Free plan does exist, it’s highly limited in functionality and serves only for testing purposes at best.

Still, Zoho CRM is a versatile choice for small businesses looking for a solid hub for their sales and customer facing teams. But, I’d recommend it only if AI features aren’t a priority to your organization, unless you’re willing to spend $50+ per user per month for one of the higher tier plans.

Zoho CRM FAQWhat are the main features of Zoho CRM?

Zoho CRM has many of the core functionalities that users expect from a leading platform of this type. For example, it includes tools for lead, deal, and contact management, as well as workflow automation to simplify repetitive tasks. What's more, recognizing that today's communication landscape is much more fragmented than it used to be, Zoho CRM lets users connect with customers through various channels, including email, telephone, social media, and live chat.

Of course, any CRM worth its salt doesn't just help businesses achieve sales, but also examines the aftermath. As such, Zoho CRM offers customizable dashboards and real-time reports to track sales performance, forecast revenue, and gain insights into customer behavior.

How easy is it to integrate Zoho CRM with other applications?

This is an area where Zoho CRM really shines, courtesy of the other solutions that come under the Zoho umbrella. Zoho CRM has native integration capabilities with other Zoho products, such as Zoho Books, Zoho Campaigns, Zoho Desk, and Zoho SalesIQ, as well as a wide range of third-party tools, including Google Workspace and Microsoft Office 365.

How do I assign leads to different users?

Users can set up Lead Assignment Rules based on specific criteria to automatically distribute new leads to the appropriate sales team members, ensuring a fair and efficient process. In addition, leads can be assigned to multiple different marketing campaigns.

Monday CRM is a customizable sales platform that aims to streamline the entire sales cycle, from lead capture to deal closing. As part of the broader Monday.com suite of work management tools, the CRM integrates seamlessly with Monday's other offerings while also functioning well as a standalone solution.

What immediately stood out to me during my review of Monday was its playful and vibrant interface — a stark contrast to the simple spreadsheet-like design of many of the best CRM platforms. But don't let the playful exterior fool you. Under the hood, Monday CRM packs some serious power and flexibility.

The platform allows you to tailor pipelines, data fields, automations, and more to match your unique sales processes. Collaboration is a core focus, with tools for communicating with both colleagues and clients. Dashboards and reporting features give you real-time visibility into sales performance. In this in-depth review, I'll share my firsthand experience using Monday as a CRM, examining its key features, ease of use, pricing, and more to help you determine if it's the right fit for your sales team.

At TechRadar Pro, we recognize that your CRM is the engine of your business. Our experts don’t just read feature lists. We perform hands-on, multi-day testing to see how these platforms perform in the real world. For our Monday Sales CRM review, we navigated the entire user journey - from importing complex datasets to building custom automation sequences and testing the platform’s AI capabilities.

This review, like all of those we undertake, is 100% independent. We never accept payment for product rankings or positive coverage, ensuring our verdict is based solely on a platform's usability, performance, and value.

Monday.com CRM: Core capabilities

(Image credit: Monday.com)

As I explored Monday’s core capabilities, I found that it provides a solid CRM foundation with contact and account management. I found it easy to centralize all customer data, including contact details, communication history, and associated deals, in one place. I liked how the ability to create detailed customer profiles helps build a 360-degree view of each account.

Capturing leads from various sources and tracking them through the sales funnel felt intuitive. I appreciated being able to customize lead stages and create multiple pipelines to match my unique sales processes. A drag-and-drop interface made it simple to move deals between stages as they progressed.

For those worried about using a workplace management platform for sales forecasting, Monday.com thankfully has you covered. By setting probability percentages for each deal stage, I could generate revenue projections and understand my pipeline's health at a glance. The ability to track actual revenue against forecasted amounts added an extra layer of insight.

Monday.com’s no-code workflow automation builder comes with templates for beginners, making it easy to implement automation without requiring extensive technical expertise. I was able to set up various automated workflows, such as assigning leads to specific team members based on criteria or sending follow-up emails after a certain period of inactivity. These automations saved considerable time and ensured consistent follow-up processes.

Monday offers a wide range of pre-built dashboards and reports covering sales activity, team performance, revenue trends, and more. I found the reports visually appealing and easy to understand and I liked the ability to drill down into individual metrics, which provided granular insights. However, I did find the report customization options somewhat limited compared to other CRMs that I've used.

Monday’s mobile app provides a dedicated on-the-go experience with access to all key features. Being able to manage my pipeline, log calls, and view reports on the go was incredibly convenient. The app's interface was intuitive and optimized for mobile, making it a seamless extension of the desktop platform.

In the last few months, Monday has also introduced a range of AI-enabled features to its CRM platform. For example, AI-powered email composition was particularly impressive, helping me draft personalized emails quickly based on context and previous communications. Another nice addition was the AI-driven insights and suggestions, such as identifying the best times to contact leads or highlighting deals that may need attention. But while these features were generally helpful, I found that the AI capabilities are still evolving, occasionally producing suggestions that weren't quite on target.

However, I did identify a few areas for improvement. The platform currently lacks some advanced features like territory management and sales coaching tools that are found in more enterprise-focused CRMs. Additionally, while the reporting is solid overall, I would have liked to see more flexibility in creating custom report templates. Despite these limitations, I found that Monday’s core features are still strong enough to carry it through as a strong CRM.

At the end of the day, Monday's core capabilities are robust and comprehensive, making it a strong contender in the CRM market. While there are some areas for improvement, the platform can still be a valuable asset for sales teams across small, medium, or large enterprises.

How easy is Monday.com CRM to use?

(Image credit: Monday.com)

During my time with the CRM, Monday’s customizable dashboards and drag-and-drop functionality made it simple to tailor the CRM to my specific needs and preferences. I found that I could easily create custom pipelines, add new data fields, and rearrange components to optimize my workflow without any coding knowledge.

There’s an extensive library of pre-built templates, covering a wide range of sales processes and industries to provide a solid foundation for users to build upon. I was able to quickly set up my CRM by selecting a relevant template and then fine-tuning it to match my unique requirements. This significantly reduced the time and effort needed to get started with the platform.

Monday’s no-code automation builder is once again a feature worth mentioning, because it offers an easy way to reduce the non-essential tasks on a sales manager’s plate, making the user experience that much more intuitive. It’s sleek, responsive, and customized to the needs of most modern businesses.

During the onboarding process, Monday offers a comprehensive knowledge base filled with articles, video tutorials, and step-by-step guides that cover every aspect of the CRM. I found these resources useful when I needed to learn how to perform specific tasks or troubleshoot issues. Additionally, Monday also provides webinars and live training for users who prefer a more hands-on learning approach.

Overall, the learning curve for Monday CRM is relatively gradual, thanks to its intuitive design and helpful resources. As a relatively new user, I was able to navigate the platform and perform basic tasks within a matter of hours. The visual nature of the interface, with its color-coded pipelines and clear data organization, made it easy to understand the flow of information and take action accordingly.

What's more, earlier this year, Monday introduced a significant UI update to combat tab fatigue. This included a new global navigation tab, which displays the last seven items (boards, dashboards, or docs) you visited across the entire Work OS, not just the CRM. It's also now possible to use the Monday AI assistant to generate content and instantly turn that output into a work doc with one click. This is particularly useful for drafting custom proposals or internal post-mortems after a deal closes.

But while the CRM is relatively straightforward to use and offers a high degree of flexibility, more complex configurations require a deeper understanding of the platform's capabilities. In these cases, I had to spend more time exploring the knowledge base and experimenting with different settings to achieve my desired outcomes.

Another area where Monday CRM could improve is its mobile app experience. While the app provides access to essential CRM features on the go, I found that some functionality was limited compared to the desktop version. For example, certain customization options and reporting features were not available on mobile, which could be inconvenient for users who heavily rely on their smartphones for work.

Monday.com CRM integrations

(Image credit: Monday.com )

With over 200 pre-built integrations and a powerful API, Monday.com seamlessly connects with a wide range of popular business applications, ensuring a smooth flow of data and streamlined processes across the organization.

For starters, Monday’s app marketplace offers a diverse range of pre-built connectors, covering essential integration categories such as communication, collaboration, marketing, finance, and development. Popular tools like Slack, Gmail, Microsoft Teams, and Outlook are all supported. The ability to sync meetings, automate emails, and receive notifications directly in Monday significantly streamlined my daily tasks and reduced the need to switch between multiple applications. For instance, I could receive Slack notifications for important CRM updates or access Google Drive files directly within the CRM interface.

In cases where a pre-built integration was not available, Monday CRM's open API proves very valuable. Thanks to the well-documented API, you can develop your own integrations from scratch using common programming languages. While the API documentation is well-structured, however, this is something that only professional developers should attempt because of the steep learning curve.

If you can’t find a pre-built connector for your application but aren’t confident enough to code a custom integration from scratch, Monday offers another option — Zapier. Zapier acts as a bridge, connecting Monday with over 2,000 other apps, vastly expanding the possibilities for automation and data sharing. I was able to create complex workflows and automate repetitive tasks across multiple applications without any coding knowledge.

While the integration capabilities are generally impressive, however, I did encounter a few limitations. Some advanced features, such as custom field mapping and bi-directional data syncing, were not available for certain integrations. Thankfully, these instances were relatively minor and did not significantly impact the overall functionality of the platform.

How good is Monday.com customer support?

Monday offers a comprehensive range of support channels, ensuring that users can get help whenever they need it, through whichever method they prefer. It boasts a robust knowledge base filled with articles, video tutorials, and step-by-step guides covering every aspect of the CRM. The documentation is well-organized, easy to navigate, and regularly updated to reflect the latest features and enhancements.

Monday.com also operates an in-app learning center that’s meant to help you familiarize yourself with the platform in a more contextual setting. Being able to learn the ropes without having to leave the CRM is a welcome addition in my book, since it reduces the need for back and forth and the cognitive workload from having to cross-reference tutorials with the in-app interface.

In addition to the knowledge base, Monday provides a community forum where users can connect with each other, share best practices, and seek advice from experienced practitioners. I found the community to be active and supportive, with users readily offering their insights and solutions to common challenges.

When it comes to live support, Monday offers multiple channels, including phone, chat, and email. Its average response time has been well within industry standards, with most questions being addressed within a matter of hours. The platform boasts an impressive average resolution time of 1.67 hours, which is among the best in the industry.

However, there are a few things that could stand to improve. Currently, phone support is only available during limited hours, which may be inconvenient for users in different time zones. Monday could also stand to benefit from more one-on-one training and certification programs for new users, which would be helpful in boosting user adoption after implementation. Currently, these programs are only accessible to enterprise customers.

Monday.com CRM pricing and plans

(Image credit: Monday.com)

Plan

Basic

Standard

Pro

Enterprise

Price

$12/user/month

$17/user/month

$28/user/month

Custom quote

Best for

Small teams starting with CRM

Growing teams needing automation

Sales teams requiring advanced features

Large organizations with complex needs

Features

Unlimited customizable pipelines; Contact management; Basic lead tracking

Two-way email integration; AI email generator; Custom CRM automations

Sales forecasting; Mass email capabilities; Advanced analytics

Lead scoring; Enterprise-scale automations; Advanced security features

Limitations

Limited automation and integration options

Restricted to 250 automation actions per month

Some advanced features still unavailable

Pricing may be prohibitive for smaller teams

Monday offers four distinct pricing tiers: Basic, Standard, Pro, and Enterprise, with prices ranging from $12 to $28 per month when billed annually. Note that per user prices are actually lower, but Monday requires that you buy at least 3 seats to be able to access its CRM platform. While this shouldn’t be a problem for most organizations, solo entrepreneurs or startups with one-person sales teams may not be the intended demographic for the platform. Annual billing also provides an 18% discount on each plan, so monthly subscription costs are typically higher.

In terms of value for money, Monday’s feature set is quite comprehensive, even at the lower pricing tiers. The Basic plan starting at $12 per user per month includes unlimited customizable pipelines, contacts, and boards, as well as templates for lead, contact, and deal management. This is a solid foundation and helps make Monday.com one of the best CRM for start ups.

As you move up the pricing tiers, the feature set expands significantly. The Standard plan at $17 per user per month introduces advanced account, contact, and deal management, two-way email integration with Gmail and Outlook, and custom CRM automations. For businesses with more complex needs, the Pro plan at $28 per user per month offers sales forecasting, email tracking, mass email capabilities, and increased storage and integration actions.

However, some advanced features, such as Monday’s lead scoring, team goals, and advanced analytics, are only available on the Enterprise plan. Recently, Monday has added more granular enterprise-grade security to this plan - another selling point - including tighter board structuring and SAML-based synchronization. It is worth noting, however, that the Enterprise plan requires contacting Monday for a custom quote, but it’s only suitable for large organizations anyway. While this is not uncommon for enterprise-level CRM solutions, it may be a barrier for smaller businesses that need access to certain advanced capabilities.

When you compare the per-user pricing, Monday’s costs are actually much lower than those of competitors like Freshsales and Salesforce. However, the lack of a single-user purchase option does little to highlight the additional affordability. Still, Monday offers discounts for students and nonprofits, which is a nice touch. Additionally, the company provides a 14-day free trial of the Pro plan, allowing potential users to test out the platform's features before committing to a paid subscription.

How to pick

For an organization, selecting a CRM is a high-stakes decision that shifts the focus from features to operational fit. When evaluating a platform like Monday Sales CRM, the first thing to do is to define your operational North Star. Before looking at demos, identify your primary bottleneck. Do you want high-volume prospecting, stronger relationships, or more accurate forecasting?

Another aspect to consider is ease-of-use. Even the most powerful CRM is a liability if your sales reps refuse to use it. During a trial, have a senior sales rep try to log a call and update a deal stage. If it takes more than three clicks or requires a manual, the platform will likely fail in your organization.

Finally, calculate a 24-month financial path. Try to avoid the starter trap where CRM prices start small but quickly ramp up as your business grows. Don't just look at the immediate budgetary fit - but what this might look like in the future. When evaluating if Monday.com is the right fit for your business, remember to consider all the above.

How we choose

Choosing the right CRM is more than just a software purchase - it is a foundational business decision. When we select and rank platforms like Monday Sales CRM, our editorial team follows a strict evaluation framework designed to filter out marketing hype in favor of operational reality. Our picking process is built on a number of core benchmarks: agility, AI capabilities, pricing, and interoperability.

We prioritize CRMs that can be deployed in days, not months. Moreover, in today’s market, we no longer recommend CRMs that offer only basic data entry. To make our list, a CRM must feature autonomous AI agents - tools that don't just suggest text but can actually perform tasks, such as cross-referencing prospect data or updating pipeline stages automatically.

In addition, we penalize platforms with hidden costs, such as predatory seat-minimums or expensive API access fees. We look for a clear, predictable growth path where a small business can scale from a free tier to a professional tier without a 500% price jump.

Finally, we believe that a CRM should act as the brain of your tech stack. We pick tools that offer deep, bi-directional integrations with the tools you already use - like Slack, Google Workspace, and Microsoft 365 - ensuring that data flows freely without manual export/import cycles.

By using the above criteria, we ensure that a recommendation for Monday Sales CRM isn't just about its famous interface; it’s about its ability to handle complex, AI-driven workflows while remaining accessible to a non-technical sales team.

Monday.com CRM review: Final verdict

Monday’s core CRM capabilities are comprehensive and well-implemented, providing users with powerful tools for managing contacts, leads, and opportunities. While some advanced features are reserved for higher-tier plans, the overall functionality is impressive, even at lower price points.

An intuitive design, coupled with extensive onboarding resources, ensures a smooth learning curve for new users. The visual interface, with its color-coded pipelines and drag-and-drop functionality, makes it easy to navigate and understand complex sales processes at a glance.

It’s not without its faults — some essential features like sales coaching tools, custom reporting templates, and custom field mapping for integrations are sadly missing from the platform. Although there's always room for improvement, I believe that Monday.com is a highly functional and useful CRM whether you’re a small business, a medium-sized organization, or a large-scale enterprise.

Monday.com FAQIs Monday.com a CRM or project management tool?

The truth is that Monday.com is a work operating system that offers several specialized products. While you can use the Work Management product for projects, the Monday Sales CRM is a standalone product with features specifically for lead tracking, email integration, and sales forecasting.

What integrations does Monday offer?

Monday Sales CRM has expanded its ecosystem to offer 200+ native integrations and thousands more through third-party connectors. The platform's strength lies in its "No-Code" integration builder, which allows you to create "recipes" in seconds (e.g., "When a lead is created in HubSpot, create a row in Monday").

How does Monday’s AI compare to HubSpot or Salesforce?

Monday's AI has certainly evolved beyond a chatbot. While Salesforce (Agentforce) and HubSpot (Breeze) are often seen as being more enterprise-ready for complex data modeling, Monday AI is praised for its accessibility. It employs AI Blocks that allow non-technical users to build automations - like summarizing a meeting and automatically updating a status column - without needing a developer.

How does Monday handle accounting and invoicing?

Although Monday is not an accounting tool, it has strong Quote-to-Cash integrations. Today, many users ask how to sync it with Xero or QuickBooks. While it can generate quotes and track payment statuses via integrations, it does not handle tax filing or deep ledger accounting natively.

What would you do if you worked a mundane finance job with middling pay in the city's banking district, only to find that when you arrived at the office, you were taken hostage by a terrifying team of armed strangers? Unluckily for Zara (Sophie Turner), that's exactly her Monday morning in the new Prime Video drama, Steal.

With the stakes immediately sky high, the six-part series is a far cry from other January streaming choices like Harlan Coben's Run Away and Agatha Christie's Seven Dials. It's an original story, and it certainly feels fresh to watch. We've not had a money-led TV show in quite a while (and certainly not framed through workplace monotony), and oddly, the thing we always avoid talking about is going to become the subject of watercooler gossip.

Why? Because Steal puts the pedal to the metal from the moment you press play on episode 1. The premiere episode is an incredibly strong start to a new series, with our heart in our mouths as Zara and her team are held at gunpoint while our strangers fleece the trading company out of millions of pounds, which come directly from the everyday person's pension.

It's a dramatic way to start the day, but the basics of this could genuinely happen to any of us at any given time, making our thriller binge hit a little too close to home. But when we find out that Zara is more involved than meets the eye (without spoilers), the risk-factor flatlines.

Steal starts and ends with a financial implosion, but the middle is a drab sinking fund

In an ideal world, Steal would have been four episodes rather than six. Given that miniseries tend to be capped at six episodes (especially on a global streaming service), I'm not too surprised by the show's structure, but by the time we reach the middle of the tale, we're treading water.

There's only so many times that Zara can tell others that she's in trouble before it gets old, feeling as though her strife is something we've seen a million times before. Rather than being riddled with B-plots, Steal is focused on its main storyline at all times, and that leaves little wriggle room for creative exploration.

Sure, the heist becomes a literal matter of life-or-death, but sometimes you need a palette cleanser to offset a pill that's truly tricky to swallow. Four episodes would have cut the chaff to get straight to the final climax, with little time for characters to wait around feeling sorry for themselves, even though the painful mess is all their fault.

As I've touched on, episode 1 is a lesson in how to open a show to any aspiring writer. The tension ticks along nicely, with Sophie Turner delivering arguably the best performance of her career to date – and certainly one of the most vulnerable.

Everything we learn about Zara during this build-up cannot be trusted, and that's a seductive risk for us to play with. How much can we trust her, and how much can we trust her perspective of the heist? There are certainly no clean hands here, that's for sure.

Motherland and Line of Duty fans rejoice – Anna Maxwell Martin is Steal's secret weapon

She's not one of the gun-toters, don't worry. (Image credit: Prime Video)

As much as I thoroughly enjoyed Turner's performance, I wouldn't say that she's the breakout star of the show. That accolade is reserved for Anna Maxwell Martin, who has about two scenes across the entire six episodes.

She's a straight-talking MI5 enigma who meets with Zara on the sly to try and tease highly sought-after information out of her. Blunt and overtly threatening in her tone, Maxwell Martin turns in exactly how I'd imagine Julia from Motherland would be if she was a copper.

Unintentionally humorous, could potentially kill you, and more than anything, is completely over the drama that she's been sucked into.

All-in-all, it's a really solid outing from Steal. I really hope that Amazon can keep up this quality of content, even if it's messy overall – I'd much rather TV took risks like this that didn't land rather than play it one-note and totally safe.

Frankly, Steal is worth watching for its first episode alone, but the season finale isn't too far behind in terms of satisfaction levels. If you've ever wished that you chose a high-flying financial career over whatever it is you do in real-life, this will reverse that pipe dream in the blink of an eye.

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Nutribullet Flex Portable Blender: one-minute review

Nutribullet has cemented itself as a trusted name in the kitchen appliance space, with its blenders and juicers among the best in the market. The Nutribullet Flex Portable Blender offers this same quality in a more lightweight package, allowing for on-the-go blending.

The Nutribullet Flex is an upgraded version of the Nutribullet Portable Blender, adding a few welcome new features, including increased capacity and clear charge indicators. As such, it comes in slightly more than its predecessor, while still being affordable at under $100.

(Image credit: Future)

Considering the quality of this personal blender, it offers excellent value for money for those seeking a convenient, portable blender that produces optimal results with cold beverages and smoothies. Its lightweight design means you can easily disassemble the appliance and take it with you to work, the gym, or on vacation, while its rechargeability means you won’t be searching high and low for a plug socket.

Each of its four charges allows for approximately eight blend cycles (each lasts 30 seconds), meaning you can quickly mix your food and transport it with ease, using the convenient carry loop attached to its lid. If you’re looking for a personal blender that prioritises convenience, speed, and cold beverages, this is an excellent choice.

(Image credit: Future)

However, this blender lacks versatility and can struggle with some ingredients or recipes, so you’re best to stick to cold drinks and smoothies with this one. Its portability is always negatively impacted by its volume, which could restrict where you can use it, and the lack of storage for its sharp blades.

Nutribullet Flex Portable Blender: price and availability

• $69.99 / £59.99 / AU$99.95 at Nutribullet
• Available at third-party retailers, such as Amazon, Decathlon, and Target

Priced at $69.99 / £59.99 / AU$99.95, the Nutribullet Flex Portable Blender offers great quality for an affordable price. And, what’s more, we regularly see discounts on this appliance at Nutribullet and third-party retailers.

While it doesn’t offer as much versatility as many of the best blenders on the market, if you’re looking for a portable blender for cold drinks and smoothies, without breaking the $100 mark, this is a great choice.

For those who want to keep under the $50 mark, however, the Nutribullet Magic Bullet Portable Blender ($39.99 / £39.99 / A$79.95) offers a solid alternative. If you don’t mind splashing out a bit more for a more powerful, convenient on-the-go blender, we highly recommend the Nutribullet Flip ($99.99, roughly £80 / AU$150), especially if you intend to make a lot of frozen or icy beverages.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Nutribullet Flex Portable Blender: specifications

Review model

NBPB09220_250721

Accessories

USB-C charging cable (500mm / 19.7in)

Smart control

No

Rated power

100W

Capacity

590ml cup (400ml max)

Time range

Each blending cycle lasts 30 seconds

Dimensions

3.3in (D) x 11.4in (H) x 3.3in (W) / 83mm (D) x 290mm (H) x 83mm (W)

Weight

Approx. 1.9lbs / 850g

Dishwasher safe

Yes, top rack

Nutribullet Flex Portable Blender: design

• Rechargeable, with plug-in option
• Tight seals prevent leaks
• Carry loop on sip lid for on-the-go drinks
• No storage for blade block

Out of the box, the Nutribullet Flex Portable Blender comes with a motor base, a 590ml cup, a sip lid featuring a carry loop for on-the-go use, and a blade block. While our model came in black, Nutribullet offers several colour options, including green and grey.

The blender is straightforward to assemble and takes up minimal space, making it ideal for smaller kitchens or communal work/living spaces. Disassembling the appliance also requires minimal effort; its parts are fairly compact, so they easily fit into an average-sized backpack or gym bag. Our only concern is a lack of storage for the blade block, which is sharp. Including a small hub for this could make the appliance safer to transport.

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This portable blender’s 590ml cup offers enough space to make a single smoothie or drink for one, though it's worth noting that the 'max' line on ours was at 400ml, meaning, in reality, that’s the capacity you have to work with. The accompanying sip lid screws snuggly onto the cup, preventing any leakages, while its secure carry loop allows you to carry your finished drink in hand as soon as your blending is complete.

The blade block fits tightly onto the bottom of the cup and is locked into the motor base with a satisfying click. Again, we had no issues with leakages throughout our testing. The motor base has a minimalistic LED display, featuring a large power button. This simply requires one press to turn on. When turned on, a clockwise light ring appears around the button, confirming it's ready to be operated. Below this button are four LED lights, indicating the amount of charge the blender currently has.

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The Nutribullet Flex Portable Blender is rechargeable, meaning it largely works wirelessly. A USB-C cable for charging is included, which plugs into a discrete port at the back of the motor base. However, no adapter is included. While you can use the appliance plugged in, it must have at least one charge (one white light) for this to work, and operating the blender plugged in pauses charging during the blend cycle. In addition, the provided cable is only 50cm long, restricting where you can place the appliance.

We found it took approximately 50 minutes for one light (charge) to appear, and the blender offered approximately eight 30-second blending cycles per charge. This does, however, seem to be variable and can depend on what you’re blending and if you’re overheating the appliance.

This blender’s lightweight design makes it fairly easy to transport, but you may want to consider where you use it. Nutribullet products are typically quite loud, and while the Flex Portable Blender is a bit quieter (depending on its use), we found it averaged a decibel reading of 82, roughly equivalent to the volume of traffic. So, while you can take it to work or the gym, your colleagues and peers may not appreciate it.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Nutribullet Flex Portable Blender: performance

• Best suited to beverages
• Blends smoothies consistently well
• Struggles with certain solid ingredients
• 30-second blend cycle may not be enough

We began our testing of the Nutribullet Flex Portable Blender with Nutribullet’s own Banana Kale smoothie recipe. Due to the size of the appliance, we had to half the recipe to ensure it fit the cup. This blender comes with a small leaflet instructing you on how to build a smoothie optimally, in other words, the order to add the ingredients. It’s a lifesaver for those new to smoothie making, and blenders, too, for that matter.

After adding the ingredients and securing the cup, we pressed the power button, which triggered a 30-second blend cycle – which you can stop at any time by pressing the button again. The results were impressive: the consistency was thick and creamy, but smooth. There were no lumps of unblended fruit or veg in the cup or under the blades.

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Next, we used one of the recipes Nutribullet recommends for this appliance. Following the included QR code takes you to the Nutribullet app, which allows you to input your appliance type and dietary requirements and suggests recipes based on your needs. The app itself is a bit of a pain; it signed us out every time we closed it, and wouldn’t let us sign in again without creating a new account. The recipes, too, were limited to fewer than 10, primarily smoothies and lattes.

We tried the Strawberry Banana Smoothie, composed of almond milk, ice, chia seeds, half a banana, strawberries, and vanilla extract. We again built the smoothie as suggested, but found that – despite being recommended for the Portable Blender – the ingredients exceeded the max line. This is potentially because they’re for the non-Flex version of this device, but this isn’t specified in the app (nor is Flex specifically a choice when choosing your device). As a result, we had to remove a large amount of ice for the blender to function safely.

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The results, again, were excellent. However, we did find a small lump of unblended banana in the final product, and some of our chia seeds had stuck to the side of the cup in a clump. Overall, this didn’t affect the final product and, again, there was no unblended residue stuck under the blades.

As part of our standard control testing for blenders, we don’t simply test smoothies, however. Nutribullet describes the Flex Portable as being for “on-the-go lifestyles,” and while that suggests it's primarily for beverages, it doesn’t specify it’s only for smoothies and cold drinks.

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We tested Nutribullet’s hummus recipe, again halving the ingredients. While the bottom portion of the ingredients blended fairly well after one cycle, the top remained untouched. The blender struggled considerably with the thickness of the hummus, slowing it to a standstill at one point, despite our attempts to loosen the mixture. Similarly, the appliance struggled with ice.

We wanted to use our ice control tests to check the chopping abilities of the blade. Again, the bottom portion was chopped, but the top remained untouched.

(Image credit: Future)

Surprisingly, what did work well was mayonnaise, another of our controls. This recipe applies more to a standard blender, as it requires adding oil while the device is on. We, instead, stopped the blender short of its cycle to add more before blending further each time. The result was actually nice, well-blended mayonnaise.

While the Nutribullet Flex Portable Blender is capable of mixing some non-beverage recipes, it’s not recommended. This isn’t necessarily a big drawback for this product, which is likely aimed at those making beverages on-the-go rather than quick mayo for your lunchtime sandwich.

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(Image credit: Future)

What is worth noting is its struggle with more solid, thicker ingredients and its lack of versatility. If you are in the market for a portable blender that focuses on making cold drinks and does that well, but doesn’t offer the capabilities of competitor products, this is an excellent choice.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Nutribullet Flex Portable Blender?Nutribullet Flex Portable Blender score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

This blender offers great value for an affordable price, even if it doesn't offer a lot of versatility.

4.5/5

Design

This appliance's lightweight design and carry loop make it easy to take your drinks on the go, but we wish there was a storage hub for its blade and it wasn't as loud.

4.5/5

Performance

This blender excels when making smoothies and cold drinks, but isn't necessarily suited to other recipes.

4.5/5

Buy it if

You want to make cold beverages on the go

The Nutribullet Flex Portable Blender is lightweight and has fairly compact parts, so it should easily fit in your work or gym bag, making it convenient to transport day-to-day. What’s more, thanks to the carry loop on its sip lid, you can make your drink, detach the cup from the base, and immediately take it to-go.

You want a high quality, affordable blender

Nutribullet is a top-of-the-range brand, and this blender offers the quality you would expect – without an eye-watering price tag. If you want a quality portable blender for under $100, this is a great choice.

It's for personal use

This appliance has enough capacity for one drink or smoothie at a time. So, it’s an ideal size for those looking for a portable blender for solo use.

Don't buy it if

You want versatility

As we’ve said above, this blender is great at making cold beverages, but lacks versatility when it comes to other recipes. If you want a blender with more options, it’s worth considering an alternative.

You want to use it in quieter environments

At an average of 82 decibels, this portable blender is quieter than some Nutribullet products we’ve tested, but still pretty loud. As such, it may not be as suited to quieter environments, like the workplace.

Blink Mini 2K+: two-minute review

First launched in 2020, it’s fair to say that the Blink Mini has seen a fair few improvements over the last five years. Initially just a compact, bog-standard 1080p security camera, it was upgraded in 2024 with colour night vision and outdoor functionality as the Blink Mini 2 before receiving its current make-over as a 2K camera (2,560 x 1,440 pixels) in September 2025.

Available in black or white, it can be bought either individually or as a two-pack. We tested the two-pack version in white which currently retails on Amazon for the very reasonable price of £69.99 (about $100 / AU$140). Alternatively, you can buy it as a single unit in both colours for £39.99 (about $50 / AU$80). Whereas many of Blink’s products are battery-operated, making them particularly flexible for installation, the Blink Mini must be plugged into the mains.

However, because it doesn’t require a battery it does mean the camera is exceptionally small, around 2 x 2 inches / 5 x 5cm for the camera itself and standing around 3 inches / 8cm tall including the base. It’s also very lightweight so it’s easy to move from one part of the house to another if, say, you want to monitor a particular area of your property while you’re away on holiday.

As with most security cameras these days, installation requires downloading the camera’s app onto your smartphone and adding the device using the QR code on the back of the product. Alternatively, you can type in the serial code into your phone instead. Unlike more advanced models, the Blink Mini only works on the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network (it's not compatible with the 5GHz frequency). However, this wasn’t a major issue.

(Image credit: Future)

You can use the Blink Mini 2K+ camera on its own via the app, or as part of a much larger network with other Blink devices, including video doorbells and indoor/outdoor security cameras. Not only does the Blink Mini 2K+ come with its own built-in siren, it can also be used as an indoor chime for the Blink video doorbell which, somewhat annoyingly, doesn’t have its own plug-in chime accessory.

In addition, the device automatically connects to Amazon Alexa so you can view footage via the Alexa app/TVs equipped with Fire TV or get notifications sent to Alexa-compatible devices, such as Amazon Echo smart speakers.

As with many home security devices, full functionality, such as the ability to filter motion alerts by person or vehicle (known as Blink Smart Detection) does require a subscription. However, the good news is that Blink’s subscriptions are half the price of Ring’s subscription costs, starting at £2.50 per month (compared to £4.99 per month for Ring).

Blink Mini 2K+: subscription options

Blink Basic Plan. Cost: £2.50 (about $3.50 / AU$5) per month or £24.99 (about $35 / AU$50) year. Covers: one camera. Features: cloud storage (30 days), person/vehicle detection (Blink Smart Detection), and video editing between devices (Blink Moments).

Blink Plus Plan. Cost: £8 (about $10 / AU$16) per month or £80 (about $100 / AU$160) year. Covers: Unlimited cameras at one location. Features: All Basic features plus 10% off Blink devices and extended warranty.

Local storage (no subscription). Cost: free. Requires: Sync Module 2 (£34.99 - about $50 / AU$70) and a USB flash drive. Features: saves clips locally. Note: Blink Smart Detection/Blink Moments is not available with this option.

Blink Mini 2K+: price and availability

• How much does it cost? $49 / £39.99 / AU$89 each (£70 for two), $US49 ($89 for two), AU$69 ($130 for two)
• When is it available? Available since September 2025
• Where is it available? UK / US / Australia

US company Blink has earned a reputation for its reasonably priced home security devices, and the Mini 2K+ is certainly no exception. Whereas most cameras will set you back around $130 / £100 / $200 each, you can actually buy a two pack of Blink Mini 2K+ cameras for less than that price.

It’s certainly a pretty good deal, but as ever with consumer electronics these days, nothing is ever that simple. Sure, if you just want the basic features, such as motion alerts and two-way audio communication, then that is all you have to pay. But if you want the full functionality that the camera offers, including Blink Smart Detection and 30 days of recordings stored in the cloud, you will have to commit to a monthly subscription plan.

Alternatively, if you only need the subscription to store video clips, then you can always invest in the Blink Sync Module 2, which allows you to record and store up to 256GB of video clips on a connected USB flash drive. However, this will cost another £39.99 (about $50 / AU$80), plus the cost of the USB flash drive.

Finally, with an IP65 water resistance rating, the Blink Mini2K+ can be used outdoors, but only if you buy the 4m Blink Weather Resistant Power Adaptor, costing another £9 (about $12 / AU$20). Like the cameras, this is available in either white or black.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Blink Mini 2K+: design

• Extremely compact design
• Built-in spotlight
• Mains-powered only

The first thing you notice about the Blink Mini 2K+ is just how small it really is. Standing just an inch tall on a stand that can be positioned to virtually any angle, it certainly lives up to its 'mini' moniker.

(Image credit: Future)

Two colours are available – white or black (we tested the white) – and despite its bargain-basement price tag the Mini 2K+ feels like a classy, well-built security device. At the rear is a USB-C socket while provided with the camera is a 6.5ft / 2m USB-A to USB-C lead and a plug. Alternatively, it’s possible to buy a 13ft / 4m length of weather-resistant cable with power adaptor for outdoor use.

Once the Blink app is downloaded you can simply add the camera to your set up using the QR code on the back of the device where you’ll also find the speaker. This provides voice instructions during set up and can also be used as a chime for any connected Blink video doorbells.

(Image credit: Future)

Turn the camera around and in the centre there’s the 2K lens (2,560 x 1,440 pixels) while underneath is the built-in microphone. Also on board is a blue light that comes on during recording and at the top of the camera you’ll find the built-in spotlight for providing coloured images at night. Like the blue recording light, this can be switched on and off via the app, or set to come on automatically when the camera senses motion.

Blink Mini 2K+: performance

• 2K resolution
• Clear two-way audio
• Decent color night vision

When it comes to performance, the Blink Mini 2K+ certainly offers a big improvement over its 1080p predecessor (at the time of writing this original model is available on Amazon so cheaply) Where you really notice the difference is when using the 4x digital pinch-to-zoom feature on your smartphone. With the 1080p camera, images soon become pixilated as you zoom in. However, with this latest 2K model you can home right in and see the detail in, say, a face or an item of clothing.

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(Image credit: Future)

Another massive improvement is in night vision. Whereas the previous model only offered traditional IR (infrared) recording in black and white, this model boasts a surprisingly powerful built-in spotlight for color recording. During my tests, the spotlight illuminated the hallway when coming home on during the evening, producing vivid colored images on recorded footage. Audio, too, has been improved with two-way talk now filtering out background noise, such as traffic, so you can hear voices more clearly.

Users with a Blink video doorbell can set multiple Blink Mini 2K+ cameras as a chime so if someone presses the doorbell you can hear it in several rooms if you so choose. That’s particularly handy as Blink’s video doorbell doesn’t come with its own plug-in door chime, unlike models from other companies such as Ring.

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(Image credit: Future)

Finally, you can also link the Blink Mini 2K+ to Amazon Alexa to receive announcements such as ‘Motion detected at the office’ via your Echo speakers or display the video feed on your Echo Show. However, as Blink is now owned by Amazon, the device doesn’t work with rival platforms such as Google Home or Apple Home.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Blink Mini 2K+?Blink Mini 2K+ score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

Offering excellent value for money, you can buy two of these mini security cameras for the price of one from another brand such as fellow Amazon stablemate, Ring.

4.5/5

Design

Despite being very small, standing just a few centimetres tall, the Blink Mini 2K+ feels well-built and can be mounted just about anywhere indoors (even outdoors with a weather-resistant power adaptor).

4.5/5

Performance

Boasting 2K video resolution, the Blink Mini 2K+ also offers improved night vision over its predecessor thanks to the inclusion of a strong spotlight.

4.5/5

Average rating

The Blink Mini 2K+ is a great choice if you’re looking for a small and flexible security camera but don’t have much of a budget. The only slight fly in the ointment is you have to pay a small monthly subscription for full functionality.

4.5/5

Blink Mini 2K+: also consider

Blink Mini 2K+

Ring Outdoor Cam Pro

Eufy 4K S330 Security Camera

Subscription price

From £2.50 a month

From £4.99 a month

None

Resolution

2K (2,560 x 1,440 pixels)

4K (3,840 x 2,160 pixels)

4K (3,840 x 2,160 pixels)

Field of view

138 degrees diagonal

140 degrees horizontal

360-degree view (pan and tilt)

Network connection

Wi-Fi (2.4GHz)

Wi-Fi (2.4GHz/5GHz)

Wi-Fi/4G

Audio

Two-way audio

Two-way audio

Two-way audio

Power

Mains (USB-C)

Mains

Battery

Hardware price

£39

£179

£189 (with solar panel)

If you're not quite sure whether the Blink Mini 2K+ is the best home security camera for you, here are two other options to consider:

Ring Outdoor Cam Pro

The Outdoor Cam Pro represents a leap into high-resolution surveillance for Ring. However, the high levels of performance come at a fairly hefty price, especially when you factor in the subscription plan.

Read our full Ring Outdoor Cam Pro reviewView Deal

Eufy 4K S330 Security Camera

An extremely innovative battery and solar-powered camera, the Eufy can be used with the supplied 4G SIM card to capture recordings, making it ideal for those who live in areas with poor Wi-Fi / broadband.

Read our full Eufy 4K S330 Security Camera reviewView Deal

Should you buy the Blink Mini 2K+?Buy it if

You're on a budget

At £39.99 (or £70 for two), this is the most affordable way to get high-quality 2K surveillance.

You want a flexible solution

The compact design and pivot stand mean you can easily move it from room to room.

You own a Blink video doorbell

The Blink Mini 2K+ can serve as an indoor chime for the Blink video doorbell.

Don't buy it if

You want a wire-free home

The Blink Mini 2K+ needs to be connected to the mains at all times via the USB-C to USB-A cable provided.

You want advanced features for free

Unfortunately, you will have to pay a monthly fee if you want Blink Smart Detection (which distinguishes between vehicles and people) and Blink Moments (which edits footage together from multiple Blink cameras shot at the same time).

How I tested the Blink Mini 2K+ security camera

• I used a pair of cameras in several rooms of the house for three weeks
• I set them up myself using the QR code provided on the back of each model
• I linked them to other devices including a Blink video doorbell and several Amazon Echo smart speakers

Testing the two cameras over the Christmas/New Year period gave me the ideal opportunity to see how they responded to visitors coming to the house. Throughout this time one of the cameras was focused on my hallway facing the front door with the spotlight set to come on whenever motion was detected. It also served as a chime for my Blink video doorbell, which I could hear throughout the house.

he other camera was moved between several rooms, including the kitchen and downstairs as well as upstairs rooms we use as offices. However, the cameras weren’t used outside as the units provided didn’t come with the necessary waterproof power adaptor.

Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink: One-minute review

The Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink could be one of the best SSDs for PS5 but, at least for the moment, the pricing is out of control. The 1TB model is difficult to find, while the 2TB and 4TB variants come in at an eye-watering $365 / £220 and $599 / £539.99 respectively at third party sellers on sites like Amazon and Newegg.

This makes it almost impossible to recommend at these prices, especially when alternatives like the WD Black SN850P and Lexar NM790 with Heatsink are in stock cheaper. Of course, this is entirely being driven by the ongoing RAM shortage (which also affects SSDs with DRAM chips), so I will look to update this review if and when they come down to more reasonable rates.

Pricing aside, the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink is a solid, if somewhat unremarkable, PS5 SSD. With quoted read speeds of up to 7,400 MB/s read and 7,000 MB/s write (for the 1TB model) it’s one of the fastest models on the market on paper - though I found its performance to be less impressive in the real world than these figures would suggest.

(Image credit: Future)

The 2TB model that I tested scored an underwhelming 6,030MB/s speed on the internal PS5 storage benchmark putting it behind both the WD Black SN850P and Lexar NM790 with Heatsink, not to mention the company’s own officially licensed Seagate Game Drive M.2 SSD for PS5. Still, it’s comfortably above the 5,500 MB/s speed recommended by Sony and doesn’t increase loading times in any noticeable way.

As you would expect for a model marketed towards PS5 owners, the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink comes with a chunky heatsink fitted out of the box. It’s very similar to the one found on the Seagate Game Drive M.2 SSD - albeit with a colorful orange line graphic rather than a blue one. As is the case with that drive, I found it to be perfectly effective.

As a result, the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink could be a great pick for the right price. At the moment, I wouldn’t rush to add it to your basket though given the inflated rates.

(Image credit: Future)Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink: Price and availability

• 1TB is $130 / £145 / around AU$290, 2TB is $365 / £220 / around AU$440, 4TB is $599 / £539.99 / around AU$1080
• Prices vary and are hard to pin down
• Stock is hard to find in the US and UK

In the US the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink costs around $130 for the 1TB model - though I wasn’t able to find any retailers carrying stock of that variant at the time of writing. 2TB and 4TB models are easier to find though with stock available at Newegg. There, 2TB goes for $365, while 4TB is $599. Both of these prices come from a third-party seller and are disproportionately high, so I would avoid buying them for now.

In the UK it’s even harder to find, as it’s currently out of stock at Amazon. Historical price data shows that the 1TB model cost around £145, while the 2TB was £220 when both were in stock. The 4TB model is currently available at Overclockers UK, where it costs £539.99.

Seagate told me that a 1TB model of the drive is currently meant to cost $114.99 / £158.99, while 2TB and 4TB are supposed to be $194.99 / £271.99 and $394.99 / £516.99 respectively - though the representative was careful to clarify that “SSD prices are currently very volatile” and “can change daily” (that latter part was even in bold for emphasis).

Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink: Specs

Price

$130 / £145 / around AU$290 (1TB) / $365 / £220 / around AU$440 (2TB) / $599 / £539.99 / around AU$1080 (4TB)

Capacity

1TB / 2TB / 4TB

Quoted read speed

7,400 MB/s

Quoted write speed

7,000 MB/s

Durability

5,050 TBW

Warranty

5-year

Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink: Design and features

• Chunky heatsink fitted out the box
• Readily PS5 compatible
• Good warranty coverage

The Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink looks remarkably similar to the Seagate Game Drive M.2 SSD for PS5, though with some small aesthetic differences. For starters, the chunky heatsink of the FireCuda bears a little ‘FireCuda’ logo print and a subtle orange decal. Despite the size of the heatsink, this model easily fits into the PS5’s storage bay.

It comes well-packaged in a plastic tray with a little foam insert to keep the pins safe and a little pack of documentation. In there you’ll find an advert for Seagate’s Rescue data recovery service, a basic manual with some general advice on fitting the SSD, and information about the drive’s warranty.

In applicable regions you get five years of limited warranty coverage here, which should be enough to see you through the rest of the PS5’s lifespan and is on par with what’s offered by the competition. The drive’s quoted 5,050 TBW durability is also excellent.

(Image credit: Future)Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink: Performance

• Underwhelming benchmark score
• Decent real-world performance
• Heatsink seems effective

Despite the lofty quoted speeds, the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink achieved quite an underwhelming result in the PS5’s internal storage benchmark coming to just 6,030MB/s which is on the lower end of the results for SSDs that I’ve tested. Still, this is more than fast enough for the PS5 and in my testing didn’t impact playing in any noticeable way.

While the substantially cheaper Lexar NM790 with Heatsink caused occasional stutters in demanding games like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink was silky smooth in every title that I tested.

Its performance in my usual real-world file transfer tests was also decent. Copy to the SSD from the PS5’s internal storage, 68.75GB of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 took just 44 seconds to transfer. The drive performs very well with even larger file sizes too, with the 86.33GB Ghost of Yotei copied in just 45 seconds. A combination of both games totaling 154.7GB only took 1 minute and 24 seconds.

Smaller titles were a little bit slower, with the 16.85GB Wuchang: Fallen Feathers taking eight seconds and the tiny 1.2GB C Smash VRS taking just two.

Copying from the SSD back to the console, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and Ghost of Yotei were ready in 4 minutes and 41 seconds and 6 minutes and 5 seconds respectively, while both at once took 10 minutes and 17 seconds. Finally, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers was ready to launch after 1 minute and 13 seconds while C Smash VRS took 13 seconds. These figures are all perfectly adequate, though realistically more dependent on the PS5’s internal write speed than anything else.

There was no noticeable slowdown throughout my testing, which would indicate that the chunky heatsink does its job well and curbs thermal throttling.

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink?Buy it if...

You find it for the right price
The Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink is far too expensive for what it is at the moment. Stock is also hard to find and I’m hopeful that prices will become more reasonable when supply is a bit more plentiful.

You’re after a 4TB model
Unlike the company’s officially licensed Seagate Game Drive M.2 SSD for PS5, the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink is available in a 4TB model. This gives you a compelling reason to choose it, despite the lack of PlayStation branding, if you feel you need a hefty amount of storage space.

Don't buy it if...

You want the fastest performance for your money
Drives like the Samsung 990 Pro with heatsink proved faster than the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink in my testing - so I’d recommend them instead if you’re after the very top performance.

Also consider...

After some alternatives to the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink? Here are two to consider.

Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink

Lexar NM790 with Heatsink

WD Black SN850P

Price

$130 / £145 / around AU$290 (1TB) / $365 / £220 / around AU$440 (2TB) / $599 / £539.99 / around AU$1080 (4TB)

$94.99 / £74.99 (1TB) / $159.99 / £129.99 (2TB) / $269.99 / £233 (4TB)

$119.99 / £107.99 / AU$199 (1TB), $189.99 / £184.99 / AU$339 (2TB), $319.99 / £329.99 / AU$699 (4TB), $749.99 / £705.99 / around AU$1,170 (8TB)

Capacity

1TB / 2TB / 4TB

1TB / 2TB / 4TB

1TB / 2TB / 4TB / 8TB

Quoted read speed

7,400 MB/s

7,400 MB/s

7,300 MB/s (8TB: 7,200 MB/s)

Quoted write speed

7,000 MB/s

6,500 MB/s

6,600 MB/s

Durability

5,050 TBW

1000TBW (1TB) / 1500TBW (2TB) / 3000TBW (4TB)

600TBW (1TB)

Warranty

5-year

5-year

5-year

Lexar NM790 with Heatsink
Our current go-to budget pick is this drive from Lexar. Performance is less consistent than the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink, but prices are substantially lower across the board - especially if you’re shopping for a 4TB model.

For more information, check out our full Lexar NM790 with Heatsink review

WD Black SN850P
The WD Black SN850P is the way to go if you’re after a super high capacity 8TB drive as one of the few models on the market of that size. It’s perfectly speedy, though still quite expensive for what you get.

For more information, check out our full WD Black SN850P review

How I tested the Seagate FireCuda 530R with heatsink

• Tested for a week
• Tried with multiple games
• Compared to other PS5 SSDs

I tested the Seagate FireCuda 530 with heatsink for a week, fitting it to my personal PS5 console. During that time I evaluated its performance with a range of copy tests, in addition to recording the console’s internal benchmark score and trying it with a range of installed games to determine whether the SSD would cause any impact on smoothness.

Throughout my time with the SSD I compared the experience to my hands-on testing of other models including the Samsung 990 Pro with Heatsink, WD Black SN850P, Lexar NM790 with Heatsink, Seagate Game Drive M.2 SSD for PS5, Lexar Play 2280 and more.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed January 2026

Polar Grit X2: One minute review

It's fair to say Polar’s smartwatch line up has become a little confusing over the last few years, with “Pro” and “Titan” versions floating around at premium prices alongside the Grit, Vantage M and Ignite series – it's not exactly easy for buyers to decipher which model is the best for them.

The arrival of the Polar Grit X2 doesn't exactly help things. But it does point to the brand at least trying to make its outdoor models simple again – not by reinventing the wheel, but by taking the best bits of the Grit X2 Pro and repackaging them into something that feels more wearable, less intimidating and – crucially – much cheaper.

That’s the core appeal here. The Grit X2 uses the same underlying hardware and software as the Pro model, including Polar’s Elixir biosensing platform (that tracks heart rate, ECG, SpO2 and skin temperature), dual-frequency GPS for better outdoor accuracy, and a bright AMOLED display that finally makes mapping feel like a proper “modern” feature rather than a gimmick. It also keeps full offline maps capability and a generous 32GB of storage for them, which is still something many outdoor watches either charge extra for or half-deliver.

Where it differs is mostly in the build. The case is smaller and lighter, the materials aren’t as premium as the Pro, and water resistance drops from 100m to 50m. That might sound like a downgrade on paper, but in reality, the Grit X2 is simply more practical for most wrists and most lives, especially if you’re wearing it 24/7 for sleep tracking and recovery insights.

It’s not perfect, though. Polar’s smartwatch features remain fairly basic – notifications, music controls, a few widgets and that’s your lot, as usual with Polar – and Polar Flow is still one of the least intuitive companion apps in the game. The watch interface also looks a bit old-school next to Garmin’s slicker menus and Apple’s “everything is an app” approach.

Still, if what you want is a capable, no-nonsense outdoor watch that leans heavily into training, recovery and mapping, the Grit X2 is arguably Polar’s best value rugged wearable yet.

Polar Grit X2: Price and availability

(Image credit: Polar)

• Price: £399 / $799 / AU$799
• Release date: June 2025
• Colors: Night Black and Brown Copper

The Polar Grit X2 launched in June 2025 and lands in a noticeably more approachable price bracket than the Grit X2 Pro, which is exactly the point.

In the UK, the watch has a £399 RRP but if you shop around you're likely to find it for less. At the time of writing, it's on sale for £331.17 on Polar's official online store. In the US, the watch is listed for a pretty unproportionate $799, probably due to import reasons from Polar's native EU, and in Australia it’ll cost you AU$799.

That pricing puts it in an interesting middle ground. It’s clearly more “serious” than basic outdoor-ish watches, but it’s also not trying to compete directly with the ultra-premium crowd like the Garmin Fenix 8 or Apple Watch Ultra range on price. Instead, it’s more of a smart alternative if you want flagship-grade tracking and mapping without paying flagship money.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Polar Grit X2: Design

(Image credit: Polar)

• Slimmer, lighter and easier to live with than the Pro
• AMOLED display looks fantastic and is protected by sapphire glass
• Strap is comfortable but oddly stiff

The Grit X2 feels like Polar’s attempt at a rugged watch that doesn’t look like a dinner plate strapped to your arm. It sports a 44.7mm case (around 45mm in real-world terms) with a fairly slim 12.5mm thickness, which is a genuinely wearable size for an outdoor watch and a noticeable shift from the bulkier Pro model.

Despite being the “cheaper” version, it still keeps a stainless steel bezel and sapphire glass over the display, which is exactly what you want on something that’s likely to scrape against rocks or whatever else life throws at it. The main cost-saving is in the case itself, which is reinforced polymer instead of a more premium metal build. It doesn’t feel cheap, but it does feel less luxurious than the Pro if you’re the kind of person who cares about that.

The watch is also MIL-STD-810H certified, meaning it’s been tested against shock, temperature and humidity extremes. In other words, it’s meant to handle the outdoors properly, not just look like it can.

The display is a 1.28-inch AMOLED panel with a 416 x 416 resolution, and it’s one of the main reasons this watch feels like a modern upgrade over older Grit models. It’s sharp, colourful, and makes maps far more usable than the old MIP screens do. You can set it to always-on too, which looks great, but obviously hits battery life considerably.

Around the bezel you get Polar’s familiar five-button layout, and they’re textured and easy to press even when your hands are cold or sweaty. That matters more than you’d think, especially when you’re mid-run and don’t want to be poking at a touchscreen in the rain.

My only real gripe here is the strap. It’s flexible enough, but it has a slightly stiff feel that makes you very aware of it during workouts. The good news is it uses a simple sliding pin mechanism, so swapping it out is easy if you’d rather stick a softer strap on there.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Polar Grit X2: Features

(Image credit: Polar)

• Loads of outdoor and training features lifted from the Pro model
• Offline maps are excellent – route guidance is less seamless
• Smartwatch features still feel basic

The Grit X2 is essentially running the same feature set as the Grit X2 Pro, which is a big deal when you consider how much cheaper it is (£399 vs £649 RRP, although obviously US costs are much higher).

Polar’s Elixir biosensing platform is the main draw here, boasting 4th-gen optical heart rate tracking, wrist-based ECG, blood oxygen-sensing (SpO2) and skin temperature tracking. In real life, that translates to a watch that feels properly serious about health data, rather than just ticking the usual smartwatch boxes.

Polar’s recovery tools are still some of its strongest features. You get Nightly Recharge, which breaks down how well your body recovered overnight, and more sleep insights than most people will ever need. There’s also Training Load Pro and Cardio Load, which help you understand how hard you’re pushing across sessions, plus performance tests like leg recovery and walking tests.

It’s a very “Polar” approach, which is to say it’s geared toward people who actually care about training patterns and recovery trends rather than just collecting colourful rings.

The outdoor side is equally strong. You get full offline maps, 32GB of storage for them, and navigation features that finally put Polar in a more competitive place with the likes of industry big guns Garmin and Suunto. The maps themselves look great on the AMOLED display, and moving around them feels responsive rather than laggy. You can switch orientation, view points of interest and pan around without it feeling like you’re fighting the watch.

The less slick part is how you actually get routes and turn-by-turn navigation. You can upload GPX files, or sync routes from services like Komoot and Strava, but those options often require paid subscriptions – and the whole process still feels more fiddly than it should. You can absolutely use the maps without turn-by-turn guidance, but if you want a seamless experience planning a route on the fly, for instance, Polar still isn’t there yet.

As for smartwatch features, it’s the usual Polar story. You get phone notifications (but can’t act on them), weather widgets, and music controls. That’s basically it. There's no app store, nor is there a proper ecosystem. Nothing that feels meaningfully new compared to previous Polar watches. If you want your watch to replace your phone for anything beyond workouts, this isn’t the one.

• Features score: 3 / 5

Polar Grit X2: Performance

• Dual-frequency GPS is accurate and reliable for most outdoor training
• Heart rate tracking is solid, but can drift high in hard efforts
• Sleep and recovery insights are strong

In day-to-day use, the Grit X2 performs like you’d expect from a watch using Polar’s latest hardware.

Dual-frequency GPS is now becoming standard across sports watches, allowing for more accurate positioning in challenging environments. However, that doesn’t automatically mean every watch that features it is perfect. In the Grit X2’s case, though, it’s a strong performer. Compared against watches like the Garmin's latest Forerunner 970, it generally held up well in terms of accuracy and didn’t do anything weird with routes.

Heart rate tracking is also solid, especially in steady-state workouts where optical sensors tend to behave best. When intensity ramps up, it still has that familiar wrist-sensor problem where readings can spike a bit higher than expected, especially during sudden pace changes. It’s not the end of the world, but if you're obsessed with accuracy, you'll be way better off with a chest strap, or perhaps using the Polar H10 alongside this watch.

I also used the Grit X2 for indoor sessions and general gym workouts, and it handled those well enough, with the usual caveat that wrist HR is never going to be flawless when you’re gripping bars or constantly flexing your wrists.

Sleep tracking is one of Polar’s longstanding strengths, and it shows here. The Grit X2 does a decent job of capturing the broad trend, like when you fell asleep, how long you slept, and whether your night was restful or messy, etc. Sleep stages (REM, deep, etc.) are still something I take with a pinch of salt on a wrist-mounted wearable, but the overall sleep score and recovery insights are useful. If you want a watch that encourages you to take recovery seriously, Polar remains one of the best at it.

(Image credit: Polar)

The area where Polar lets you down in the Grit X2 isn't the tracking, it's the presentation. The Polar Flow app might be packed with data, but it's just so poorly put together. Some of the terminology is also a bit cryptic, which makes quick glances harder than they should be.

When it comes to battery life, the Grit X2 uses a 310mAh battery, which is smaller than the Pro model’s chunkier cell. Polar says you’ll get up to a week in smartwatch mode (assuming you don’t use the always-on display), and in my experience that’s realistic. Turn on always-on, however, and that’ll obviously be cut down.

For GPS tracking, you’re looking at about 30 hours in the best accuracy mode, which is decent for most runners, hikers and cyclists.

One genuinely neat addition is that you can charge the watch while still tracking an activity. That’s not something you’ll do while running, but if you’re hiking with a power bank in your pack, it’s a smart way to avoid ending an activity early just because battery anxiety kicks in.

The most interesting battery detail, though, is that it’s replaceable. That’s rare on rugged sports watches, and it’s a big deal for longevity. Polar says you can’t do this yourself and will cost €39.90 ( around £35 / $45), plus service and shipping fees to send the watch to a Polar Service Center. If you’re someone who keeps watches for years, that’s a pretty good perk.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Polar Grit X2: Scorecard

(Image credit: Polar)

Category

Comment

Score

Value

Good feature set for the money

4/5

Design

Lightweight and comfortable.

4/5

Features

Fine, but more comprehensive options available.

3/5

Performance

Excels as a training tool, limited as a watch.

4/5

Polar Grit X2: Should I buy?Buy it if...

You want Pro-level outdoor features for less

It’s basically the Grit X2 Pro experience in a cheaper, lighter package.View Deal

You care about maps and navigation

Full offline maps plus 32GB storage makes it a proper adventure companion.View Deal

You like deep recovery insights

Polar’s sleep and training load tools are still among the best.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You need robust smartwatch features

There’s no app store, voice assistant or payment support, for example.View Deal

You hate fiddly apps

Polar Flow is simply not the most intuitive app experience.View Deal

You need huge battery life

It’s good, but some rivals will outlast it on multi-day GPS-heavy trips.View Deal

Also consider

Garmin Fenix 8

If you want the most complete rugged “do everything” ecosystem, Garmin still leads. Better smartwatch support, deeper customisation, and often stronger battery - but you’ll pay significantly more.

Check out our full Garmin Fenix 8 reviewView Deal

COROS Vertix 2S

If battery life is your top priority and you want a performance-first adventure watch for ultra-distance days, Coros is hard to ignore. Less smartwatch fluff, huge endurance focus.

Check out our full COROS Vertix 2S reviewView Deal

Suunto Race

A great pick for outdoor navigation fans who want a cleaner, simpler interface and strong mapping tools, with certain models also offering solar charging for longer trips off-grid.

Check out our full Suunto RaceView Deal

How I tested

I wore the Polar Grit X2 daily for around two weeks, testing its features during various activities, including running, cycling and yoga. I used its dual-band GPS for outdoor workouts and tracked recovery metrics with Polar’s app tools.

I also evaluated its smartwatch functionality by syncing it to a smartphone, using it for notifications and assessing app integration. To test durability, I wore it during both high-intensity workouts and casual everyday use, paying attention to comfort and battery performance.

First reviewed: January 2026

When I booted up last year’s tough-as-nails and long-awaited Hollow Knight: Silksong, I knew I had to focus up and lock in – this is a Metroidvania that doesn’t go easy on you. I loved it. At the same time, you don’t always want to settle down for an evening of gaming, knowing you’re going to be turned into a fine paste for hours on end. After the path of pain I willingly trudged through in Silksong, I’m thankful for a brilliant little gem called MIO: Memories in Orbit.

It’s a Metroidvania that certainly offers up its own level of challenge, but this is a simpler, friendlier, and more pensive affair, one that I’m sure anyone with a love of the genre will find charming, intriguing, and entertaining.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Release date: January 20, 2026

Developer Douze Dixièmes is clearly a team that knows its chosen genre well, ticking all the boxes you’d expect across an adventure that lasts a dozen hours or so at a minimum. However, much more awaits beyond the game’s first ending, and I was driven to uncover more of the story, face the game’s hardest bosses and conquer the most demanding platforming sections.

This is the way the world ends

(Image credit: Focus Home Interactive)

You play as Mio, a nimble and fleet-footed robot, who must explore The Vessel and prevent this dilapidated AI-controlled spaceship that serves as home to a community of charming robots from a complete shutdown. To do so, you have to partake in that most classic of video game quests: collect the five MacGuffins that are scattered in the far corners of the facility and bring them together to breathe life back into the system.

Best bit

(Image credit: Focus Home Interactive)

Up until you enter the Vaults in the bowels of The Vessel, MIO: Memories in Orbit has been a fairly tame and breezy Metroidvania. It's here, though, where the game ramps up the challenge and asks you to make use of all the traversal abilities you've acquired so far. Plus, for the lore enjoyers, elements of the story start to become clearer, and enlightening secrets are revealed.

As you explore, the familiar language of the Metroidvania is all around you, showing you how Mio’s skills and abilities will grow and improve. These are the grappling points you’ll be able to latch onto later. Here are the doors that only open with a certain attack. There’s the chasm that can only be crossed once you can glide. Anyone with a good amount of experience with the genre will find Mio comfortable and understandable at a glance.

At first, I found this made the game a bit too relaxed for my liking, and I feel that other fellow veterans of the genre may also react this way to the game’s opening hours. Sure, I was still enjoying my time winding my way through the corridors of The Vessel, bashing corrupted robots into pieces, and breezing my way past the obstacles in my way, but I was hoping things would escalate.

What helped put off some of those initial worries was the fact that The Vessel is such a fun and fascinating place to explore. From the grandiose Metropolis with its gold-plated buildings and imposing architecture, to the overgrown gardens rife with threatening foliage that reaches out to grab you with its red tendrils, there’s an impressive variety to this constructed and isolated world floating through space.

And it looks gorgeous too: the vibrant colors and graphic novel-esque hand-drawn design make the game pop. Mio herself is a funky-looking character, too, with a swish cape and flowing strands leaking out the back of her head like hair. I especially like the general robots that inhabit The Vessel with their big blocky heads, stuck-on goggle-eyes, and expressive waves to Mio as she passes.

Special shoutout should go to the music as well, which does an incredible job of setting the tone and creating an atmosphere in each biome of The Vessel. Understated and ethereal choral singing mixes with funky electronic bops and pulse-racing boss music to create a diverse soundtrack full of originality and wonder. One particular section genuinely made me just stop and enjoy the music for a moment because it was so perfectly suited to the environment.

Flow state

(Image credit: Focus Home Interactive)

Eventually, you reach the mechanical bowels of The Vessel in its vaults, one of the most engaging areas to explore, where some of the toughest platforming challenges are found as you avoid lasers, spiked rollers, and fiery pits. And here’s where MIO started to come into its own and remind me of another genre great: Ori and the Blind Forest.

Here, you can combine the various moves you’ve unlocked to string together double jumps, wall climbs, glides, and other traversal abilities to explore new locations, zip through tight sections of platforming, and survive testing combat challenges. From here on, I had countless joyous moments of entering that wonderful flow state and emerging on the other side with immense satisfaction or in awe at a new location I’d discovered (or ingeniously implemented shortcut I’d unlocked).

Yet, while exploration and platforming are where the game excels, combat is where it slumps a little. It’s never bad, but it is missing a spark or idea to elevate it. I think it’s because you simply mash a combo string of three attacks and, well, that’s about it. Yes, there’s a dodge, and yes, you can use the Hairpin power to grapple towards enemies and keep combos going in midair, but it’s all just to continue that one-two-three punch again and again.

(Image credit: Focus Home Interactive)

Modifiers you buy using the ‘Nacre’ currency dropped by defeating enemies give you a chance to optimise your build and personalise your setup to suit your preferred play style, but there are limits to how many you can equip. The majority only offer light tinkering at most, too, rather than anything that meaningfully expands your offensive options.

For example, you can mark enemies to receive more damage after a successful dodge, or add a heavy attack after a grapple. It helps a little. And I did find a few fights where it excels. Combat, though, is ultimately competent and serviceable, if repetitive.

It doesn’t diminish everything else I like about MIO: Memories in Orbit, though. It doesn’t always turn out this way, but developers with a reverence for the Metroidvania genre have gone out and made an excellent Metroidvania of their own – one that I encourage fans of the genre (or just great games in general) put at the top of their must-play list.

Should you play MIO: Memories in Orbit?Play it if…

You’re looking for your next great Metroidvania
Fans of the genre – with the likes of Ori and the Blind Forest, Nine Sols and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown on their completed list – should move this to the top of their pile

Atmosphere, story, and exploration are a priority
MIO: Memories in Orbit offers a unique, pretty, and enigmatic world to explore, with fun and stimulating exploration mechanics that reward curiosity, and a story with multiple layers to uncover.

Don’t play it if…

You want a challenge on the level of Silksong
There are spikes of higher difficulty and challenge, but for the most part, MIO is an accessible and manageable Metroidvania. So, if you’re here for a brutal challenge, you may come away slightly disappointed.

You prefer a more directed experience
MIO is clear about your overall objective and does nudge you in the right direction often, but like most Metroidvania games, it’s fairly hands-off when it comes to giving you a specific objective marker or direction to aim.

Accessibility

MIO: Memories in Orbit has a few but limited accessibility options that are mostly focused on the game's difficulty. These come in the form of three assists. One makes bosses easier over time by reducing their health every time you die, a pacifist option stops all enemies (except bosses) from attacking you, and the final one gives you more health after you stand on the ground for a brief period of time.

Outside of that, controls can be fully remapped, which I would encourage to more easily reach various abilities during challenging boss fights and platforming sections. Also, subtitles can be toggled on or off.

How I reviewed MIO: Memories in Orbit

I played MIO: Memories in Orbit for around 17 hours on a PlayStation 5 Pro on a Samsung S90C OLED TV using a DualSense Wireless Controller. A handful of hours of my playtime were also spent using the PlayStation Portal, which worked very well for this style of game.

Audio was played through a Samsung HW-Q930C soundbar, and I’d suggest a good-quality soundbar or a pair of headphones to fully appreciate the game’s excellent audio.

Although I reached an ending to the game in about 14 hours, there are additional areas to explore, bosses to fight, and secrets to uncover should you wish to go for 100% completion, which the developers say can take anywhere between 25 and 40 hours.

First reviewed January 2026

As an all-in-one platform, HubSpot CRM centralizes all your marketing, sales, customer service, and content management needs with a focus on inbound techniques. The platform is considered to be one of the best CRM platforms on the market. Over 30,000 organizations across 90 countries have adopted HubSpot CRM, making it an exceedingly popular choice for companies seeking the best CRM for small businesses.

After putting the CRM through its paces, I've found it to be a robust and intuitive solution for organizing contacts, tracking deals, and gaining visibility into the sales process. The interface is clean and easy to navigate, with helpful features like email tracking, meeting scheduling, and live chat that streamline communication with leads and customers.

At TechRadar Pro, our business software experts don’t just read feature lists - we live in the platforms we review. To evaluate HubSpot, our testers spent dozens of hours setting up real-world sales pipelines, importing complex datasets, and stress-testing the automation workflows that define the platform. Our reviews are 100% independent. We never accept payment for product rankings, ensuring that our verdict on HubSpot CRM - both its strengths and weaknesses - is based solely on hands-on experience and real-world value for businesses.

On the subject of weaknesses, if there was one thing to say against HubSpot CRM, it’s the fact that the software can get quite expensive as you scale your business. While the free offering and generous entry-level plans offer a great starting point for new businesses, it’s easy to end up paying for things you don’t need as your business grows.

HubSpot CRMs core capabilities

HubSpot CRM delivers the essential features I expect from a customer relationship management system. I can store up to 1 million contacts and companies in the CRM for free due to some generous cloud storage, with each record capturing important details like contact info, website, social media profiles, industry, revenue, and more. When you add a contact, HubSpot automatically populates key details about their company, saving data entry time.

You can add up to 1 million contacts on the free plan. (Image credit: HubSpot)

Segmenting contacts into lists based on any criteria is simple with HubSpot CRM's powerful filtering tools. I can easily create dynamic lists that automatically update as contact properties change. For example, I set up a list of contacts from companies with 500+ employees who have visited my pricing page in the last month.

The deals dashboard is easy to navigate. (Image credit: HubSpot)

Deals and tasks keep things organized as you manage leads through the sales pipeline. I can create deal stages that mirror my sales process, drag and drop deals from one stage to the next, and easily see the value and quantity of deals in each stage. Tasks ensure critical to-dos never slip through the cracks. I can assign tasks to team members, associate them with specific deals or contacts, and set due dates.

For those who rely strongly on inbound, HubSpot CRM's built-in prospecting tool is useful for lead generation, identifying potential customers who are engaging with your website for the first time. It shows me which companies visited my site, even if they haven't filled out a form yet, and provides key details about those organizations pulled from HubSpot's database. I can review prospects and add promising leads to the CRM with one click.

Reporting features give me a clear picture of my sales pipeline and team performance. The dashboard displays my deal forecast, number of deals created and closed, productivity metrics, and more. I can dig into reports to see deals won and lost, sales leaderboards, and individual rep performance. Reports are easy to filter and customize.

Email tracking and templates help my team communicate efficiently with leads and customers. I can see who opened an email, clicked a link, or downloaded an attachment, then follow up accordingly. Templated emails save time on common messages. The Gmail and Outlook integrations allow me to log emails to the CRM and access templates, tracking, and more without leaving my inbox.

Live chat is another channel for real-time conversations with website visitors. I can configure targeted messages to specific web pages or audience segments. AI chatbots help qualify leads and schedule meetings 24/7. All chat conversations are automatically saved in the CRM.

Finally, the mobile app gives me access to key CRM data and features on the go. I can look up contacts, update deals, track emails, and more from my smartphone. This is invaluable when traveling or walking into a meeting.

Beyond the essentials, HubSpot CRM includes some handy tools that enhance productivity. The email integration with Gmail and Outlook is fantastic - I can track email opens, log sent emails to contact records, and create new contacts directly from my inbox. The meeting scheduler makes it painless for prospects to book time on my calendar, eliminating the usual back-and-forth. I also get a lot of value from the task reminders and automated workflows that keep me on top of follow-ups and outreach.

While the free HubSpot CRM is generous with its features, upgrading to one of the paid Sales Hub plans unlocks even more advanced capabilities like sales automation, predictive lead scoring, smart notifications, custom reporting, and more. But for many small businesses and sales teams, the free version provides the core tools needed to organize customer data and manage deals efficiently in one centralized system.

How easy is HubSpot CRM to use?

From the moment I first logged into HubSpot CRM, I found the dashboard to be clean, well-organized, and easy to understand. Whether working on contacts, deals, tasks, or reports, the layout and controls remain familiar and intuitive. The main navigation menu is clearly labeled and logically structured, making it simple to find the tools and data I need. The design consistency reduces cognitive load and allows me to move between various areas of the CRM without having to relearn the interface each time.

HubSpot CRM provides a wide range of options for tailoring the platform to my specific needs, but it does so in a way that is approachable and straightforward. I can easily add custom fields to contact and deal records, create personalized views, and build custom reports and dashboards without needing extensive technical skills. The drag-and-drop interface for building workflows and deal pipelines is particularly user-friendly, enabling me to automate processes and visualize my sales funnel with minimal effort.

When it comes to onboarding and training, HubSpot CRM offers a wealth of resources to help new users get up to speed quickly. The HubSpot Academy provides a comprehensive library of courses, certifications, and tutorials that cover every aspect of the CRM. I found the courses to be well-structured, engaging, and practical, with a mix of videos, quizzes, and hands-on exercises. The in-app guidance and tooltips are also helpful for discovering new features and understanding best practices.

It's worth noting that HubSpot CRM's ease of use extends beyond the core functionality. The platform's integration with tools like Gmail, Outlook, and Google Calendar is seamless, allowing me to manage my email and schedule without leaving the CRM. The mobile app is also well-designed and provides access to all the essential features, enabling me to stay productive on the go.

Overall, HubSpot CRM really sets the standard for ease of use in the CRM space. Its intuitive interface, consistent design, and customization options make it accessible to users of all skill levels. The comprehensive onboarding resources and rapid time-to-proficiency ensure that teams can start realizing value from the platform quickly. While there may be a learning curve for some of the more advanced features, HubSpot's commitment to usability makes the journey smoother and more enjoyable than with many other CRM systems I've used.

HubSpot CRM integrations

You can integrate HubSpot with the business tools you already use - like Gmail. (Image credit: HubSpot)

HubSpot CRM offers a wide range of pre-built integrations with popular business applications, making it easy to connect your customer data with the rest of your tech stack. The HubSpot App Marketplace is a treasure trove of integrations, with over 1,000 apps across various categories like marketing, sales, customer service, and more. I was able to quickly find and set up integrations with Mailchimp, Slack, and Zendesk. Setting up these integrations was a breeze — most required just a few clicks and minimal configuration.

While the pre-built integrations cover a wide range of popular apps, there may be instances where a specific integration is not available out-of-the-box. In such cases, HubSpot's integration with Zapier is a major lifesaver. Zapier is an automation platform that allows for connecting HubSpot CRM with over 3,000 apps. I was able to set up a custom workflow that automatically creates a task in my project management tool whenever a new lead is added in HubSpot, all without writing a single line of code.

For more complex integration needs, HubSpot provides a robust API that allows for custom integrations. API documentation is comprehensive and includes code examples in various programming languages. I also haven't encountered any significant issues with API performance. On the rare occasion when I did need assistance, HubSpot's support team was responsive and helpful in resolving the issue promptly.

Beyond all this, I also appreciate HubSpot's focus on data sync performance. The platform uses a two-way sync that ensures data consistency across integrated apps. Changes made in HubSpot are automatically reflected in the connected tools. I don’t have to worry about manually updating information in multiple places or dealing with conflicting data. Data sync capabilities extend beyond just syncing contact and deal information. For example, the platform also allows for syncing of marketing assets, such as email templates and landing pages.

How good is HubSpot customer support?

When implementing a new CRM system, having access to responsive and knowledgeable customer support is crucial. During my experience with HubSpot CRM, I appreciated the variety of support channels offered here.

However, it's worth noting that the level of support can vary depending on your subscription tier. While all users have access to the Knowledge Base and Community Forums, live support channels are limited to Professional and Enterprise tiers.

With a Professional or Enterprise subscription, I have access to phone, email, and chat support. The support representatives are friendly, knowledgeable, and always willing to go the extra mile to resolve my issues or answer my questions. The average first response time for support inquiries is impressively short, often within an hour or two for email or chat and immediate for phone support.

Beyond live support, HubSpot offers an extensive library of self-service resources. The HubSpot Academy is a standout, providing a wealth of courses, lessons, and certifications on every aspect of the CRM. I've found the courses to be well-structured, informative, and engaging, with practical examples and hands-on exercises. The Knowledge Base is another powerful self-service resource, offering a searchable database of articles, tutorials, and FAQs.

When these resources prove insufficient, HubSpot also maintains an active community forum where users can ask questions, share best practices, and learn from each other. This is a great place to ask questions that haven’t been covered in the other self-help resources. Personally, I've found the community to be welcoming, knowledgeable, and eager to help.

When it comes to overall customer satisfaction, HubSpot consistently receives high marks. The company is transparent about its customer satisfaction scores (CSAT), which typically fall between 75% and 85%. This is a strong indicator that the majority of users are happy with the support they receive.

HubSpot’s AI capabilities

Artificial intelligence is everywhere - even if you haven’t realized it yet - and many CRMs are competing to outdo each other in terms of their AI functionality. HubSpot's AI tools include its AI-driven sales assistant and predictive lead scoring, both of which work to streamline sales processes and provide actionable insights for employees.

Although using AI can sound somewhat complicated at first, HubSpot makes ease of use a priority for its AI features. HubSpot's AI is designed to be user-friendly and integrated into the platform, making it accessible even for those without a technical background.

Also, in terms of recent additions, HubSpot has now fully integrated its Breeze AI suite, going beyond simple chatbots. Breeze Agents can now autonomously research prospects, summarize entire deal histories, and even draft personalized social media content based on your CRM data.

HubSpot CRM: Plans and pricing

Plan

Free

Starter

Professional

Enterprise

Price

$0/user/month

$15/user/month

$90/user/month

$150/user/month

Best for

Small businesses or startups testing the waters

Growing businesses seeking basic marketing and sales tools

Experienced teams needing advanced features

Large enterprises with complex requirements

Features

Basic CRM functionality; Contact management; Email tracking

Email marketing; Sales automation; Content management tools

Omnichannel marketing automation; Custom reporting; Sales analytics

Custom solutions; Advanced security features; Multi-domain reporting

Limitations

Limited automation and no advanced features.

No workflow automation or advanced reporting.

Significant price jump from Starter.

an be costly for smaller organizations.

While it may not be the cheapest option on the market, HubSpot offers a compelling blend of features, flexibility, and scalability that justifies its pricing. That said, prices can add up quickly when you’re on one of the higher-tier plans, so you’d best stick to the features you need.

Unlike many other CRM providers, HubSpot actually offers a fully functional CRM at no cost, with unlimited users and up to a million contacts. This free tier includes essential features like contact and deal management, email tracking, and live chat. It's a great way for businesses to get started with a CRM without any investment.

Once your business has outgrown the free CRM, you can choose between a range of plans across different modules like the Sales Hub, the Service Hub, or the Marketing Hub. Each plan adds on to the capabilities of the free CRM with enhanced features unique to that module.

For example, Sales Hub Starter includes support for multiple currencies, along with eSign software and the ability to perform simple automations. Similarly, Marketing Hub Starter offers access to live chat integrations and email marketing support. Prices usually start from $15/user/month for the Starter plan for each Hub, going all the way up to several thousand dollars per month for enterprise customers.

For businesses looking to bundle multiple HubSpot products, the Customer Platform offers a discounted price that packs together essential features from the Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub, CMS Hub, and Operations Hub into a single plan. This bundle is ideal for enterprise businesses that want to leverage the full power of HubSpot's ecosystem.

For new customers, HubSpot offers a generous 14-day trial, plus discounts and bundles that can provide significant savings. For example, they offer a 25% discount for startups and a 40% discount for nonprofits.

It's also worth noting that in a major shift for 2026, HubSpot has moved away from its previous all-or-nothing seat pricing. You can now mix and match Core Seats (for general users) and Professional/Enterprise Seats (for power users), making it more cost-effective to scale a large team.

HubSpot CRM review: Final verdict

After thoroughly evaluating HubSpot CRM across multiple criteria, I believe that this is a solid CRM for small and medium-sized businesses, offering a robust set of features for contact management, deal tracking, and sales automation.

HubSpot’s user-friendly interface and design make it easy for teams to learn, with responsive live channels and comprehensive self-service resources to iron out any hiccups during initial adoption. I also liked the amount of flexibility offered in integrating the platform with other workplace productivity tools, with options ranging from built-in connectors to iPaaS vendors to a custom API.

However, while this is a solid platform for businesses of any size, it’s not without its shortcomings. For example, the existence of support tiers makes it impossible to receive live assistance as an entry-level paid subscriber. But on higher-tier plans, prices can quickly add up depending on the number of users, making the partnership less than sustainable.

Still, HubSpot CRM should fit the needs of most small-to-medium enterprises, especially with its generous free plan that offers near-unparalleled value in the world of CRMs. For larger organizations, thorough cost calculation is necessary to prevent overspending on unnecessary licenses or features.

HubSpot CRM FAQIs HubSpot really free? What’s the catch?

Well, there’s no catch, per se, but, as always, you should read the fine print. While the core CRM is actually free for an unlimited number oif users and up to one million contacts, the "catch" is that more advanced features, such as advanced automation, custom reporting, and predictive lead scoring, are locked behind paid plans. If you want to access moire advanced features, you may have to fork out for Sales Hub or Marketing Hub - add-ons to the core CRM, which do come with a fee. Having said that, while the functionality of the core plan may be limited compared to the paid tiers, the free version remains generous.

What is the difference between HubSpot CRM and the other HubSpot "Hubs"?

Within the HubSpot ecosystem, the CRM is the free, foundational database. The other "Hubs" are paid subscriptions that add specialized tools and advanced functionality on top of the CRM. For example, Marketing Hub adds email marketing and lead nurturing workflows, while Sales Hub adds sales automation and e-signatures.

What integrations does HubSpot CRM offer?

HubSpot has a vast App Marketplace with over 1,000 pre-built integrations with popular tools like Gmail, Outlook, Slack, and Zendesk. For more complex needs, it offers an API for custom integrations and connects with automation platforms like Zapier.

What are some common use cases for HubSpot CRM?

Common use cases for HubSpot include managing and segmenting contacts, tracking deals through the sales funnel, automating follow-ups, analyzing sales team performance, and providing a centralized platform for sales and marketing teams to collaborate.

Eureka Ergonomic GTG Wave: Two-minute review

If you're looking for one of the best gaming desks, you're probably already aware that these fancy tables often don't come cheap. Nor does the Eureka Ergonomic GTG Wave, but having spent a few weeks using it after replacing my tired old office desk (which I bought on Amazon six years ago), I can confidently say that it's worth every penny.

Eureka has a decent history of producing office-standard chairs and desks, but this is the first gaming desk I've personally seen from them - and if the rest of their gaming range is anything to go by, they're taking it just as seriously as the professional office market. This L-shaped desk is of damn good quality, with a sturdy metal frame and two tempered glass panels forming the desktop.

Underneath that dark frosted glass is a small open space lined with RGB LED strips, which create a wave effect (hence the GTG Wave's name) when it shines through. It's a nice feature, and while it's not one I'd necessarily pay extra for, it does look good - especially in a darker room.

(Image credit: Future)

Measuring 60 by 40 inches (about 152 x 102cm) in total - though obviously, the L shape means that some of this space is cut out for your chair to neatly slot in - it's certainly on the larger side when it comes to gaming desks. It's larger than the Secretlab Magnus that we highly recommend, so if you're working with limited space at home, you'll likely be better served by something like the far more compact Corsair Platform:4.

Still, if you've got the gaming room real estate, this is an excellent choice. I found it pretty easy to assemble solo, and it comes with a handful of extra features that I definitely value in a gaming desk. Firstly, there's some decent cable management options here; not only are there two flip-down metal racks along the rear edge, which can each house a multiplug unit or AC adapter brick, but the GTG Wave also comes with several plastic stick-on cable tie blocks - useful both for your own devices, and the cables for the LED lighting, which can be connected directly to your PC via a standard 4-pin ARGB header if you want to synchronize the lighting to the rest of your setup.

Another feature that will no doubt prove invaluable for some users is the VESA mounting bracket, which attaches to the back edge of the desk and can support two monitors at once. I don't personally have a VESA-compatible gaming monitor (mine is the fixed-base Razer Raptor 27), but I'm now seriously considering getting one.

Overall, I found it really hard to fault the Eureka Ergonomic GTG Wave. If I had to pick out some complaints, it would probably be that the RGB lighting isn't super visible in a brightly-lit room like my home office, but that feels like nitpicking. One thing I would note, however, is that I'm going to need to invest in a desk mat; the all-glass surface makes me a little nervous when I put things on it...

Eureka Ergonomic GTG Wave: Price and availability

• Retails at $599.99 (around £445 / around AU$890)
• Ships to the US, UK, and Europe, but not Australia
• Leaning towards the premium end of the market

At $599.99 (around £445 / around AU$890), the Eureka Ergonomic GTG Wave is certainly on the pricier end of the market - though it's worth noting that you could easily spend more on a gaming desk and get something smaller and less impressive. In terms of what the GTG Wave offers in value for money, I'm actually very happy with the price.

Considering that this is a pretty large gaming desk, it's actually cheaper than the much smaller aforementioned Corsair Platform:4, and only $100 more than the SecretLab Magnus (which is also a bit smaller than the GTG Wave). I'm not going to go down the rabbit hole of how many square inches of desktop space you get per dollar, but the Wave certainly isn't overpriced when you look at the wider gaming desk market.

When it comes to availability, Eureka is an American company that primarily ships to the continental United States, but they also sell through retail partners in the UK, Japan, and selected European countries. Unfortunately, it doesn't ship to Australia, meaning that our gaming friends down under are out of luck.

Eureka Ergonomic GTG Wave: Specs

Price

$599.99 (around £445 / around AU$890)

Height

30in / 76cm

Load capacity

200lbs / 90kg

Material

Steel, tempered glass

Dimensions

60 x 40in / 152 x 102cm

Eureka Ergonomic GTG Wave: Design and features

• Looks and feels like a premium product
• Relatively easy assembly
• Plenty of customization

Despite having some extra features and essentially requiring assembly in two separate halves due to its L-shaped design, the Eureka Ergonomic GTG Wave was actually quite easy to put together.

While I could've asked my partner to assist me with assembling the GTG Wave, I opted to forge ahead by myself, specifically to see how challenging it would be to build it alone (after all, many of us won't have an extra pair of hands on, uh, hand). I'll be honest; as I unboxed the heavy glass panels and carbon steel frame, I was already starting to regret my decision to fly solo.

However, I'm pleased to report that I had the whole thing upright and ready to use (minus the cable racks and VESA mount) in under half an hour from getting it all unboxed and laid out. The instructions are clear and detailed, and assembly requires no additional tools - just the included hex keys.

You can pretty easily build it one piece at a time with the glass top-down, then flip the whole thing over once it's assembled. At no point in the process did I feel overwhelmed or confused, and once I had it upright, I only had to tighten a few screws for the whole thing to feel very robust. Attaching the cable racks and VESA mount is similarly easy.

(Image credit: Future)

Interestingly, there are screwholes for you to attach a headset hook and cup holder (on the left and right side, respectively), but these weren't included in my review model even though they do feature on Eureka's website and promotional images. I can live without these, personally - I tend to leave my headset on the armrest of my gaming chair, and I'm left-handed, so I prefer to keep my drink on the left side with a coaster anyway - but I'm assuming these should have been included. Amusingly, Eureka initially also sent me the wrong wall plug, but swiftly supplied me with a region-appropriate one once the mistake was realized.

Setting up the RGB lighting only requires you to plug in two cables, regardless of whether you're connecting it to your PC directly or just using the default mode, which is controlled with a basic IR remote. If you're not syncing it to the rest of your build, you can choose between solid color, rainbow, or color pulse patterns, and a sound-reactive mode (which means there must be a tiny microphone hidden in there somewhere). You can also set it to switch off automatically after 30 or 60 minutes.

There are only two levels of brightness, and even the brighter setting isn't super bright - you can still see it in a well-lit room, but it only really pops in a dimmer environment. If you're the sort of person who prefers to be bathed only in the RGB glow of your setup and display while gaming, then it's perfect; otherwise, it's more of a minor style win.

Despite the LEDs, the GTG Wave actually doesn't look that ostentatious, especially with the lighting turned off. With only a small logo stamped on one of the short edges, it actually looks very unassumingly professional - and considering that my gaming PC is also my work PC, I think that's great.

(Image credit: Future)Eureka Ergonomic GTG Wave: Performance

• Cable racks function as designed
• Ample room underneath for storage
• Glass top makes me a little anxious... and can't take too much weight

As far as performance goes, I have no real complaints about the Eureka Ergonomic GTG Wave. It does what it advertises; my whole desktop PC setup fits easily on top with plenty of space left for other assorted bits and pieces. Seriously, I had to tidy up a LOT before shooting these review photos. You don't need to see all my figurines, sorry.

With a height of 30 inches (about 76cm), it's standard height for a gaming desk with a small degree of adjustability (perhaps half an inch or a centimeter or so) coming from the screw-on feet. The real advantage of these is that they can be easily adjusted to make the desk sit stably on an uneven floor. Since setting it up, I've moved a small drawer unit underneath the short edge of the 'L', which fits perfectly. In fact, the size of this desk means I could probably fit more underneath it, but at 6'3", I like having the extra legroom.

(Image credit: Future)

While the cable racks don't feel quite as durable as the rest of the desk (they're made of a notably thinner metal), they had no issues bearing the weight of my multiplug and my Razer monitor's hefty power brick. If you're not using them, you can either leave them unattached or flip them up on a hinge so they don't get in the way. The VESA mount, on the other hand, needs to bear a lot more weight, and it's suitably sturdy.

Of course, the two tempered glass panels that form the upper worksurface of this desk won't bear as much weight as a more conventional metal or wooden desk. The GTG Wave is officially rated for 200lbs / 90kg, which should be plenty - just don't lean too hard on it.

(Image credit: Future)

The real concern is edge shattering; I've built enough PCs in my time to know that sometimes a sharp impact on the wrong spot of a tempered glass panel can lead to tiny shards all over your carpet. It's also nigh-impossible to gauge the actual durability of panels like this; it could break tomorrow, or last for another decade. Needless to say, I'd recommend investing in a desk mat. While using a mouse works fine on the glass top, if you're a naughty desk luncher like me, you won't want to put plates or glasses on this without some protection.

Nonetheless, this glass does feel fairly durable. It's fingerprint- and scratch-resistant, bearing no visible marks after weeks of use, though I will note that it shows up dust (and in my case, dog hairs) quite noticeably - probably worse than a wooden desk, since it appears to get dusty faster than my old desk, which was black-painted wood. That being said, it actually encourages me to clear off and wipe down my desk more than I used to, so I can't really mark Eureka down for silently encouraging me to maintain desk cleanliness.

(Image credit: Future)Should you buy the Eureka Ergonomic GTG Wave?Buy it if...

You want a statement gaming desk
Not many gaming desks manage to look this cool, while also maintaining a degree of refined professionalism with the RGB switched off. The GTG Wave will look good in almost any home office or gaming space.

You want a tidy setup
With two racks and multiple cable tie points, it's easy to get your gaming setup looking clean and hidden away beneath this desk.

You prefer an arm-mounted monitor (or two!)
The VESA bracket is easy as pie to attach, meaning that anyone who wants to mount their display(s) on a movable arm can do so with ease.

Don't buy it if...

You're a clumsy desk user
Look, I'm not going to mince words here: you shouldn't buy the GTG Wave if you tend to clang your can of energy drink down on the surface of your desk.View Deal

You're on a tight budget
At the end of the day, while it might offer good value for money, this is still a pretty expensive desk. If you're short on cash, there are cheaper options out there.View Deal

Also consider

Not keen on the Eureka Ergonomic GTG Wave? Here’s one cheaper desk and one more premium gaming desk option for you to consider.

Eureka Ergonomic GTG Wave

Flexispot E7

Secretlab Magnus Pro

Price

$599.99 (around £445 / around AU$890)

$340 / £360 / AU$420

$799 / £770

Height

30in / 76cm

22.8-48.4in / 58-123cm

25.6-49.2in / 65-125cm

Load capacity

200 lbs / 90kg

275lbs / 125kg

264.6lbs / 120kg

Material

Steel, tempered glass

Steel

Steel, wood fiberboard

Dimensions

60 x 40in / 152 x 102cm

43.3-74.8 x 26.7 x 22.8-48.4in / 110-190 x 68 x 58-123cm

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

Also consider the Flexispot E7
If you want something similar to the Corsair Platform:4 that doesn’t break the bank, consider the Flexispot E7. It’s not a gaming desk, but it still performs excellently and comes in a wide range of color options.

For more information, check out our full Flexispot E7 reviewView Deal

Also consider the Secretlab Magnus Pro
If you have the space for something larger, then the Secretlab Magnus Pro should be on your radar. It’s a bit cheaper than the Corsair Platform:4, but it still boasts a lot of features that make it fantastic for gaming.

For more information, check out our full Secretlab Magnus Pro reviewView Deal

How I tested the Eureka Ergonomic GTG Wave

• Used as my main desk
• Tested over multiple weeks
• Extensive work and play

Look at this sad old desk. Rest in peace, Amazon desk, you were moderately okay for a while. (Image credit: Future)

I replaced my tired old Amazon desk with the Eureka Ergonomic GTG Wave several weeks ago, assembling it myself. I used it almost every day, both to work and play on my desktop gaming PC, as well as eating several meals at it (I know, I know, it's a bad habit). I spent many hours at a time sitting at it in my NobleChairs Hero TX - with regular breaks to stretch, of course!

While I wasn't able to make proper use of the VESA mount option, I did set up the cable racks and used them to clear up the space under my old desk, which had become something of a cable-tangle nightmare. I also played around with the LED lighting and connected it directly to my motherboard to synchronize it with my rig's ARGB theme.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed December 2025-January 2026

Lavazza A Mio Modo Deséa: one-minute review

The Lavazza A Modo Mio Deséa is a compact capsule coffee maker with optional milk-frothing for cappuccinos and macchiatos, plus hot and cold milk foam. It's excellent at the fundamentals, and Lavazza's A Modo Mio pods are superb – affordably priced and packed with great quality coffee, with no flavored or sweetened options.

The Deséa is simple to use, as you'd expect from a capsule coffee maker, and is exceptionally quiet. During the testing period, it reached a maximum of only 50dB during brewing, making it the quietest machine I've tested to date.

It uses the same milk-frothing system as the Lavazza Assoluta (an automatic coffee maker that adapts its own settings to suit your chosen beans). This comprises a large glass cup with a lid containing a rotating electric whisk and a steam pipe. It works reasonably well with full-fat dairy milk, but in tests it produced very little foam when used with oat milk. This was very different to my experience with the Assoluta, so I suspect the much smaller Deséa may not be able to generate the same level of steam pressure.

Overall, it's a likeable little espresso machine that would be a good option for small kitchens, particularly if you're the lone coffee-drinker. The price of its capsules won't make you sweat, even if you enjoy several cups a day.

Lavazza A Mio Modo Deséa: specifications

Name

Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg

Type

Capsule coffee maker

Dimensions (H x W x D)

11 x 5.7 x 15 inches / 280 x 145 x 380mm

Weight

9.9lbs / 4.5kg

Water tank capacity

37oz / 1.1 liters

Lavazza A Mio Modo Deséa: price and availability

• Similar price to other capsule coffee makers with milk foaming
• Available in Europe and Australia, but not currently sold in the US
• A Modo Mio coffee pods are much cheaper than alternatives

The Lavazza A Modo Mio Deséa has a list price of £249 / AU$349 (about $330), but is often available at a discount. For example, at the time of writing, it could be found on sale for £199 in the UK in Lavazza’s online store, and $261.75 in Australia. Currently, this model isn't available in the US.

That price is about standard for a capsule coffee maker with a built-in milk frother. For comparison, the De'Longhi Lattissima One is currently priced at $429.99 / £259.99 / AU$519.

What sets the Deséa apart from the competition is the price of its capsules. A pack of 16 Lavazza A Modo Mio capsules retails for £6.45 / AU$15 (about $9), and the cost per drink drops significantly if you buy a bundle instead. That makes the A Modo Mio capsules some of the cheapest around, and much less expensive than Nespresso Vertuo or Tassimo alternatives.

A Modo Mio pods offer up lots of choice when it comes to coffee blends, roasts and terroir, but you won’t find any hot chocolate or coffee with added flavors. Your options are espresso, espresso, and more espresso. During testing, I found the freshly ground and vacuum-sealed beans excellent – but note that if your drink of choice is pumpkin spice, you won’t find it here.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Lavazza A Mio Modo Deséa: design

• Compact and smart-looking
• Includes milk-frothing system
• Milk frother only works with supplied mug
• Dishwasher-safe components

The Lavazza A Modo Mio Deséa is available in black, white, cream and a deep burgundy (different retailers keep different colors in stock). It has a robust-feeling, glossy case with the company logo embossed on the side, and although it isn't quite as sleek as the Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg, it certainly isn't a slouch in the looks department. Gloss finishes can sometimes be a magnet for fingerprints, but I was pleased to find that this wasn’t an issue with the cream-colored model I tested.

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You can adjust the height of the drip tray to suit different cups (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

The Deséa takes Lavazza A Modo Mio capsules, which can be composted industrially (Image credit: Future)

The Deséa is particularly compact, even for a capsule coffee maker. At just 11 x 5.7 x 15 inches / 280 x 145 x 380mm (H x W x D), it will easily tuck away into the smallest of kitchens – and can be stashed in a cupboard when not in use (provided it’s properly cleaned and dried beforehand). Despite this, it has a larger water tank than most pod coffee machines, holding 37oz / 1.1 liters. That’s because this isn’t just an espresso machine; it can also foam milk for lattes and cappuccinos using high-pressure steam.

The Deséa has an unusual milk-frothing system that uses a special glass mug with a lid containing a steam tube and a whisk. It's the same system used by the Lavazza Assoluta I tested a couple of months ago, and although it isn't as effective as a proper steam wand, it works reasonably well – provided you use the right type of milk.

However, bear in mind that you can only make milk-based drinks in the glass mug; the special lid doesn't fit onto other cups. Unless you buy a second (they are $22.70 / £15 each), you and your partner won't be able to enjoy lattes as the same time.

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The milk system uses a glass mug with a lid containing a steam pipe and a rotating whisk (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

The water tank holds almost a liter and has a sturdy lid and handle to prevent spills (Image credit: Future)

Most removable components (including the cup, drip tray and used pod container) can be safely cleaned in the top rack of your dishwasher, although they take only a moment to wash by hand, too.

The drip tray can be detached and positioned higher up to avoid splashes if you’re using an espresso cup, which is a welcome touch. Used pods drop into a bin that can be accessed by removing the tray and pulling out a drawer on the front of the machine.

• Design score: 4/5

Lavazza A Mio Modo Deséa: performance

• Produces excellent espresso
• Extensive drinks menu
• Milk system doesn't work as well as a steam wand
• Performs better with dairy than plant-based milk

The Lavazza A Modo Mio Deséa has a cleverly designed control panel that displays the different menu options depending on the cup you’re using. Place an ordinary cup of any size under the dispenser and you’ll see options for brewing an espresso, long espresso (lungo), and long coffee. Push the milk-foaming cup into place and the options for milk-based drinks will light up. The full menu includes:

• Espresso
• Long espresso (lungo)
• Long coffee (Americano)
• Cappuccino (regular or large)
• Latte macchiato
• Hot milk foam
• Cold milk foam

You can adjust the volume of your coffee pour, which is a nice feature that you won’t find on many capsule coffee machines. All the drink size options are customizable; just hold the appropriate button on the control panel for three seconds to begin dispensing, then press it again once you have the desired volume. When you hear two beeps, you know the new setting has been saved successfully, ready to use next time.

Like the Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg coffee maker I tested recently, the Deséa brews excellent, well-rounded espresso in just a few seconds, and does so extremely quietly. Using a decibel meter, I measured an average volume of 50dB when extracting coffee, which is about the same as the murmur of a quiet office (although Lavazza claims the volume doesn't exceed 43dB).

After your coffee has brewed and the lights on the front panel have re-illuminated, lift the lid and after a second or two you’ll hear the used pod drop into the collection bin.

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Espresso is consistently delicious, and the machine's pump is exceptionally quiet (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

Used pods drop into a bin, ready to be collected for commercial composting (Image credit: Future)

The milk system is a little louder when injecting steam, reaching a maximum of 70dB for a couple of seconds as it incorporates air, but it's quieter than the squeal and rip of a manual steam wand, and the whisk is whisper-quiet.

When you want to use the milk system, take a good look at the fill lines on the side of the glass cup that indicate how much milk to add for different drink sizes. Add too much milk and it risks splashing; too little and it won’t foam properly.

During tests, the Deséa didn’t fare very well when texturizing oat milk, which was very different from my experience with the Lavazza Assoluta. Despite the two machines using the same cup-and-lid system, the Assoluta produced inches of creamy oat foam, whereas the Deséa heated the milk (a little too much – it reached 70ºC, whereas the optimum for coffee is about 60-65ºC), but didn’t actually create any froth, even with the "extra foam" option selected.

The milk system works much better with dairy than plant-based milk (Image credit: Future)

The Deséa’s milk system worked much better with full-fat dairy milk, although I found that it still didn’t produce quite as much foam as the Assoluta. This might be because the smaller Deséa can’t generate as much pressure and inject as much steam into the liquid.

The Deséa can also prepare cold milk foam. To do this, add your cup of milk, drop in a coffee pod if required, hold the temperature +/- button on the front of the machine until the foam and latte lights turn blue, then press the one you want. Again, during my tests this worked better with dairy milk. It’s a nice feature, but bear in mind that the Deséa can only brew hot coffee, so if you want to make a cold latte then you’ll need to add a shot of hot espresso when the milk is ready, which will raise the temperature. You might like to add a few ice cubes to the drink once it’s made (but not before, as they could damage the whisk).

The whisk produces large bubbles rather than fine microfoam, so the froth tends to break down relatively quickly (Image credit: Future)

Finally, a word on waste. Lavazza’s A Modo Mio capsules are compostable, but you can’t simply toss them into your household waste or add them to a compost pile. They have to be processed in an industrial facility; currently Terracycle is the only service that offers this in the UK. There’sno home collection or postage system as there is with plastic and foil coffee pods, so you’ll need to gather your used capsules and take them to a drop-off point. If there isn’t one near you, you can apply to create one.

• Performance score: 3.5/5

Should you buy the Lavazza A Mio Modo Deséa?Lavazza A Mio Modo Deséa score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

Similar price to other capsule coffee makers with milk frother, but the pods are much cheaper.

4.5/5

Design

Compact and smart-looking, though milk system only works with supplied mug.

4/5

Performance

Doesn't foam milk as well as a steam wand, but espresso is consistently excellent and the whole machine is very quiet in use.

3.5/5

Buy it if

You have a compact kitchen

There aren't many coffee machines this small with a milk-frothing system, and the Deséa is light enough to easily move around your home and tuck into a cupboard when it isn't in use.

You're a frequent coffee-drinker

Other capsule coffee makers may be cheaper to buy, but the pods can be very expensive, particularly if you drink several cups a day. Lavazza's A Modo Mio pods are super affordable, and packed with great-quality coffee.

Don't buy it if

You prefer plant-based milk

The Deséa's milk system works best with full-fat dairy, which is true of many automatic coffee makers. If you want to stick with oat or soya, you might be better choosing the Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie, which arrives with a standalone milk frother.

You want to make a round of coffees

The milk system only works with Lavazza's own mug; you can't fit the lid onto your own favorite cup. Again, a more basic Lavazza A Modo Mio machine and a separate milk frother would be a great alternative.

Lavazza A Mio Modo Deséa: also consider

If you're not sure whether the Lavazza A Modo Mio Deséa is the best coffee maker for you, here are two other options for your shortlist:

De'Longhi Lattissima One

This smart coffee maker uses Nespresso Original pods (the ones shaped like top hats) and has a milk system that produces foam more like a conventional steam wand. You can use any cup and the froth is thick; but the capsules cost more than A Modo Mio ones.

Read our full De'Longhi Lattissima One review

De'Longhi Dedica Duo

Want to move on from capsules? This little manual espresso machine costs about the same as the Deséa and is a great introduction to fresh speciality coffee. It has an excellent steam wand as well.

Read our full De'Longhi Dedica Duo reviewView Deal

How I tested the Lavazza A Mio Modo Deséa

I used the Lavazza A Mio Deséa for two weeks, making at least two drinks per day and using all of the available drink options (including hot and cold milk foam). I used it with dairy and oat milk, both of which were freshly purchased and chilled. I used two different types of Lavazza A Modo Mio coffee capsules, with different intensities.

I measured the temperature of the prepared milk with a food thermometer, and used a decibel meter app to measure the machine's volume.

For more details, see how we test, rate, and review at TechRadar.

Enlaps Tikee 4: one-minute review

(Image credit: James Abbott)

Timelapse cameras are specialist devices designed to do one job, and that’s to capture timelapses over short and long periods, as long as months or even years, and in all weather and lighting conditions. There are a handful of these specialist models available, and one that's a definite contender to top our list of the best timelapse cameras is the Enlaps Tikee 4.

This rather strange-looking camera can capture up to 6K timelapse videos with a 220-degree view captured across two cameras and lenses. Photos are then combined into a video after you upload the image files to the myTikee website. What’s more, if the camera is connected to a Wi-Fi or LTE network you can control the camera, access images, and process timelapse videos remotely.

This is one of the easiest timelapse cameras to use, both in terms of capture and processing. The camera is point-and-shoot, so the most involved part of the capture process is setting up the project interval – and actually this is incredibly easy. Without Wi-Fi or LTE, you can connect to the camera using the Tikee Remote app over Bluetooth, although functionality is reduced compared to the other connection methods.

The Tikee 4 costs $2,215 in the US for the camera only. For UK and Australian buyers the Tikee 4 is priced in euros at €1,590, which converts to around £1,400 / AU$2,800 at the time of writing. The Tikee 4 Pack, which is a comprehensive kit including a hard case, mounting adaptors, a microSD card and other accessories, costs $3,169 or €2,298, which is around £2,000 / AU$4,000.

You’ll also need a myTikee subscription to take full advantage of the myTikee website, and the most useful option for most people costs $96 / €104 plus VAT per month.

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(Image credit: James Abbott)Enlaps Tikee 4 specsEnlaps Tikee mini+ specs

Type:

2x Sony 12MP 1/2.3-inch sensors

Lens angle of view:

220 degrees

Aperture:

f/2.8

Interval times:

5 sec–24 hours

Connectivity:

LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

Camera dimensions:

7.87 x 7.87 x 2.76 inches / 200 x 200 x 70mm

Camera weight:

3.53lbs / 1.6kg

Enlaps Tikee 4: Design

• Compact considering its features
• Built-in solar panel
• Unique design

The Tikee 4 looks pretty much identical to previous models; it’s a tried and tested design that works, so it appears that Enlaps hasn’t felt the need to change it. It's a bold move in some ways, but why waste time redesigning the exterior when it’s the hardware itself that makes the difference? The overall design is unique, but it works extremely well, and it means the Tikee 4 can be left to work in even remote locations.

The overall design is simple, with the square 7.87 x 7.87 x 2.76-inch / 200 x 200 x 70mm body having two cameras on the two front corners of the camera body, and a solar panel on the top that can be left flat or angled for the best results. The design is simple, minimalistic even, with all operation via the Tikee Remote phone app or the myTikee website. The camera weighs 3.53lbs / 1.6kg, so it’s around the same weight as a full-frame mirrorless camera and standard zoom.

With this simple design, there are two buttons on the rear, a microSD card slot, a USB-C port, a micro SIM slot and a power connector. The power connector design makes it waterproof, and you can attach the Tikee 4 to the mains or to a larger, separately available Enlaps solar panel. All ports have rubber covers that maintain the weather resistance of the camera.

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The build quality is excellent, and the camera feels solid, as you’d expect for the price. It’s undoubtedly a high-quality product, offering IP66 weather resistance, which allows it to withstand even the harshest weather conditions. This is particularly beneficial, as the camera will spend most of its life outdoors. It can operate in temperatures between 14F / -10C and 122F / 50C.

Moving back to the camera design, other features on the camera body include a metal hoop to attach an anti-theft cable, a rubber square on the bottom so it can be positioned on flat surfaces without slipping, and a standard 1/4-inch screw thread for attaching the camera to any kind of support. For long-term projects, a mounting arm and an anti-theft cable are essential accessories, and these are included in the kit, making the Tikee 4 Pack an attractive option.

The internal battery has a 25,600mAh capacity, and Enlaps claims that without any solar input the Tikee 4 can take one photo every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day, for up to 36 days without any data transmission. With data transmission of photos uploaded to myTikee the battery lasts up to 12 days. In most situations, the solar panel would be charging the battery during daylight hours, so the operating duration could be indefinite.

Enlaps Tikee 4: Performance

• Fantastic image quality
• Panoramic field of view
• Easy to use

The Tikee 4 may be an odd-looking timelapse camera with its two cameras on each of the front corners of the square body, but each features Sony 12MP 1/2.3-inch sensors to produce a 220-degree horizontal and 90-degree vertical field of view. What’s more, you can capture panoramic views in up to 6K with dimensions of a whopping 7360 x 2650 pixels. Output is available at 1080p, 4K and 6K.

Timelapse intervals are available from five seconds to 24 hours in Long-term mode, and from five seconds to 45 seconds in Event and Burst modes. This allows you to capture both shorter- and longer-duration timelapse projects.

It’s for longer-term projects where the Enlaps Tikee 4 excels, thanks to remote access to the camera and images when connected to LTE or Wi-Fi networks. These connection options offer a much better experience than using just Bluetooth to connect the camera to the Tikee Remote app to set up projects.

Image quality is fantastic, and you can capture sequences in both raw and JPEG formats. With the former, this means you can optimize image quality using the raw-processing tools in software such as Adobe Lightroom. You do, however, have to output images in JPEG format in order to upload them to the myTikee website.

Enlaps Tikee 4 timelapse video

The camera is completely automatic, which makes timelapse capture incredibly simple, particularly with long-term projects during which light will constantly change. The downside is that backlit scenes can be forced into underexposure, so this is why, for the best results, capturing in raw and manually bulk-processing images is the best option. The camera also produces much better results in brighter conditions, like drones and action cameras with similarly small sensors.

Once you’ve captured your images from the left and right cameras, you then have to upload them to the myTikee website, where the images will be merged to create the 220-degree panoramic view, and video up to 6K can be output. In some situations you can see the stitch, and you’ll notice it in the example video above if you look closely. It’s minor, though, and it certainly doesn’t ruin timelapses.

The myTikee website is easy to use, but subscriptions aren’t cheap, and naturally add to the overall cost of owning and running a Tikee timelapse camera. The basic Capture subscription costs $45 / €54 per month plus taxes, while the intermediate and arguably most attractive subscription costs $96 / €104 plus taxes, and you can save 25% with an annual subscription. Alternatively, there’s a bespoke Enterprise option, with pricing available upon request. Without a subscription, I was able to output a basic 1080p video with a watermark.

Two add-ons are available. Storage costs $49 / €39 per month plus taxes and, as you'd expect, gets you more online storage for photo uploads, while AI Dashboard costs $99 / €89 per month plus taxes and delivers some clever analysis features. These include the analysis of a range of elements within scenes, such as vehicles and whether PPE is being worn.

Should you buy the Enlaps Tikee 4?Buy it if...

You need to shoot over months or years

The Tikee 4 is the ultimate timelapse camera for long-term timelapse projects thanks to long intervals, remote control and access alongside a built-in solar panel.

You require ease of use

Using the Tikee 4 to capture and my Tikee to combine photos into timelapse videos is unbelievably easy, so anyone can use the system.

Don't buy it if...

You’re not a timelapse pro

This is a specialist professional timelapse camera that really isn’t the best option for enthusiasts or casual users simply due to cost.

You’d prefer higher quality

To get the very best image quality, a mirrorless camera is the best option for capturing timelapses. However, you can’t leave them out in the elements for months or years like the Tikee 4.

How I tested the Enlaps Tikee mini+

• Tested using a Bluetooth connection
• Used to capture shorter timelapses
• Tested in a busy city

I tested the Tikee 4 in shorter bursts rather than for long-form timelapse capture, as testing it to the extremes of its potential for longer-term capture could take months.

I used my smartphone for Bluetooth connection rather than installing a SIM card for remote access to the camera. The Tikee 4 was tested in a busy city to capture as much movement in the scene as possible. It was also tested in low-light situations.

With nearly 30 years of photographic experience and 17 years working as a photography journalist, I’ve used many of the cameras and lenses that have been released in that time. As a working photographer, I aim to test cameras and lenses from a photographer’s point of view.

• First reviewed December 2025

Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 review: two-minute review

The Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 is a mid-range tablet with a bright, paper-like PaperMatte display, a solid chipset, and a seriously capacious battery. It has all the makings of a great tablet, right up until you come up against its fundamental flaw.

Let’s put a pin in that for now. The display is seriously impressive, capable of exquisitely detailed images with its 280 ppi pixel density. It’s also wonderfully bright, hitting a peak brightness of 1000 nits, and has impressive color reproduction that rendered the nature videos I watched with wonderfully punchy hues.

Pretty much the only criticism I have of the screen is that it’s a little too easy to scuff. After a few sketching sessions with the Huawei M-Pencil Pro (sold separately), the display had a few light scrapes across it, something I’ve not experienced when using the best tablets out there.

The performance of the Huawei MatePad 12X 2025’s Kirin T92B Octa-core processor and 12GB RAM is also genuinely impressive. While playing PUBG Mobile at max settings, I didn’t detect a hint of frame rate drops or latency, making it easy to take out my opponents. Meanwhile, no matter how many simultaneous apps I was running or tabs I opened, the tablet never seemed to experience any slowdown.

If you fancy lengthy gaming sessions or want to work on the go, the MatePad 12X 2025 offers a generous battery capacity of 10,100mAh. In practice, that was enough to stream 2.5K videos for almost nine hours straight, meaning you should have plenty of battery for a medium-haul flight or a full working day. And topping it up took hardly any time at all, thanks to its 66W charging – you should be able to go from 0% to 100% in around 75 minutes, which is fantastic.

Perhaps less exciting is the MatePad 12X 2025’s design. While it’s razor thin at 5.9mm and very comfortable to hold, it doesn't have the most adventurous styling, and it could be made of slightly more premium-feeling materials than its matte plastic. Both the included keyboard case and the M-Pencil Pro are well put together, though, with an ergonomic design and robust build.

Unfortunately, it’s time to return to that issue we put a pin in earlier. With ongoing restrictions around access to US-based apps, there’s a real paucity of apps available on Huawei’s devices. Much of the software you’ll want to use on a daily basis, from Netflix to Google Docs, simply isn’t available, really reducing the MatePad’s actual utility. In light of this, it's hard to recommend the tablet, even with some excellent first-party apps like its GoPaint drawing app.

I’d love to be able to give the MatePad 12X 2025 a glowing recommendation, as it has some real strengths. But the lack of mainstream apps available on Huawei’s tablet puts it at a real disadvantage compared to other devices. Fundamentally, you’ll be better off considering one of the best Android tablets instead.

(Image credit: Future)Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 review: specs

OS

HarmonyOS 4.3

Chipset

Kirin T92B, Octa-core

RAM

12GB

Storage

256GB

Display

12-inch IPS (2800 x 1840)

Weight

555g

Battery

10,100mAh

Charging

66W wired

Cameras

50MP rear, 8MP front

Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 review: price and availability

• Released September 19, 2025
• Costs £499
• Includes keyboard case but stylus is extra £39.99

Launched on September 19, 2025, the Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 is available now in the UK. While its initial list price was £599, it’s already seeing reductions, with Huawei selling it direct for £499.

Unlike the Huawei MatePad 11.5 released in August 2025, the MatePad 12X 2025 includes Huawei’s keyboard case in the box, which is definitely a nice extra to have. Not included as standard is Huawei’s M-Pencil Pro, but if you buy it along with the tablet, it’ll cost you just £39.99, rather than its £129.99 list price, making it a bit of a bargain.

In terms of colorways, you get just two options: the mint green that we tested here and white.

(Image credit: Future)Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 review: display

• Crisp, 280 ppi resolution
• Seriously bright
• Gets marked easily

I have to say that, for a mid-market tablet, the Huawei MatePad 12X 2025’s display is pretty impressive. Its resolution can give the iPad Pro a run for its money: packing 2800 x 1840 pixels across its 12-inch screen, it’s capable of a 280 ppi pixel density, while Apple’s largest high-end tablet sits at 2752 x 2064 and 264 ppi. So while 4K videos didn’t look quite as crisp as on my TCL C8K TV, I was still pleasantly surprised by how much detail the 12X could reveal.

The sheer brightness of Huawei’s slate also made an impression on me. While its 1000-nit peak brightness can’t quite rival the iPad Pro’s 1600 nits, it leaves the iPad 11-inch (2025) quite literally in the shade with a brightness of just 500 nits. Putting the screen through its paces with some 4K BBC Earth videos on YouTube, I found it’s also capable of pretty punchy contrast and decent color reproduction. It might not be quite as lush and bold as the OLED displays of some slates these days, but it’s a looker nonetheless.

It’s certainly helped in this regard by Huawei’s PaperMatte screen tech. During most of my testing, I was using the MatePad 12X under bright, artificial lighting, and this thing just gulped down direct light, meaning I rarely had to worry about reflections marring my experience.

On top of this, the PaperMatte display’s etched glass was a treat to interact with, giving the screen a pleasingly tactile feel. It doesn’t feel quite as realistic to write and sketch on with Huawei’s M-Pencil stylus as dedicated writing tablets like the Kindle Scribe or ReMarkable – the nib slips more than I’ve experienced with these rival slates – but I still found it pleasant enough to sketch on. And at least this smoothness prevented the stylus from catching too much.

Really, my only criticism of the MatePad 12X’s display is how easy it is to mark. I’ve only used it for a couple of sketches so far, and there’s already a pronounced pen scuff visible on the screen when it’s powered down. These kinds of marks could easily build up over time, so if you were to buy the MatePad 12X, a screen protector would be a wise investment.

• Display score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future)Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 review: design

• Just 5.9mm thick
• Solidly built
• Not the most adventurous design

When it comes to its design, the Huawei MatePad 12X is inoffensive, almost to a fault. There’s nothing wrong with its matte plastic body or its two colorways – White and the mint-colored Greenery – per se, but a metallic build might have helped it feel just a touch more premium.

Fortunately, it is well put together, feeling substantial and sturdy enough in your hand while being light enough to hold easily. In fact, while it’s a shade heavier than the iPad 11-inch (2025), weighing in at 555g to 481g for Apple’s cellular model, it’s a little slimmer at the same time, measuring 5.9mm in depth rather than 7mm.

Huawei is reinventing the wheel here, but the MatePad 12X’s case is well designed. It follows the common mold of combining case, keyboard and stand all in one, but is flexible enough to suit every situation I was using it for. And its keys are pleasant to type on. Naturally, they don’t have the satisfying thunk of deeper travel keys, but at least they offer enough feedback that I never found touch typing on them to be a challenge.

One small oversight here compared to rivals like the iPad 11-inch (2025) or Microsoft Surface Pro 12 (2025) is that the case doesn’t include a trackpad. While I’d normally class this as a ‘nice to have’, you’ll probably only miss it when you want to crank through a lot of productivity and professional uses. And here the Huawei MatePad 12X has much bigger issues that dwarf the lack of a mouse input.

• Design score: 3.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future)Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 review: software

• Excellent first-party apps
• Too few familiar apps available
• Some unnecessary bloatware

Look. We all knew we'd have to have ‘the talk’ at some point. Most of you will be aware of the big challenge facing Huawei tablets by now, given they’ve been ongoing for over three years at this point. But it’s almost impossible to review Huawei devices objectively without bringing it up.

As a result of the Federal Communications Commission’s ban on Huawei in November 2022, many US-based brands no longer provide access to their apps on Huawei devices. Most notably, that includes the Google Play Store and full Google Suite, but it also affects the vast majority of apps you’ll be used to using.

Browsing the Huawei AppGallery, almost all of my go-to apps are absent. Spotify? Gone. Netflix? Gone. Facebook? Gone. Amazon? Gone. None of them are available as direct downloads. Although some are accessible as third-party APKs, this exposes you to potential security risks that downloading them directly wouldn’t. Sure, the odd app like Uber will fire up a browser version so you can still book a ride, but you’re still losing all the convenience that having an app installed on your desktop offers.

Inevitably, this also has a significant impact on the games that are available on the MatePad 12X. I probably spend more of my life playing mobile games than is strictly good for me, and yet, aside from PUBG Mobile and Candy Crush Saga, I barely recognized any of the other games on the Huawei AppGallery. The few I had heard of were those games you see advertised online with ads that don’t remotely reflect the gameplay, which didn’t fill me with confidence about digging through the charts at random.

(Image credit: Future)

What’s frustrating about this is that it's entirely out of Huawei’s control and, in fact, the apps it does control are well-made and offer great features. For example, Huawei’s GoPaint app is a pretty great drawing app for something just bundled in with an operating system, feeling a lot like if ProCreate came preinstalled on your iPad. It’s packed with brushes and blending options, and I had no end of fun whipping up watercolor-style pictures on it.

Likewise, Huawei’s Notes app is seriously versatile. I could quickly create notebooks with every template I might need, from musical staves to SWOT analysis charts. Its handwriting-to-text feature isn’t flawless, but given the chicken-scratch I produce any time I scribble by hand, it did a pretty commendable job.

Not every app that comes installed on the MatePad 12X feels this essential, though; there’s still a lot of bloatware on this tablet. I’m definitely over brands trying to cram icons onto the homescreen just to make their devices feel full-featured. Even when, as here, many are just suggested downloads rather than files taking up space, it’s pretty annoying to have your screen crammed with junk you’re not interested in.

Ultimately, software continues to be Huawei’s Achilles’ heel. Despite some bright spots, there’s just not enough big-name apps on the MatePad 12X for me to shake the feeling that I’m missing out on all the fun other people are having on their tablets.

• Software score: 2.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future)Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 review: performance

• Decent chipset and RAM
• Handles multitasking without any slow down
• Games show no FPS drops or lag

The real shame about this lack of software is that, beneath the hood, the Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 has some pretty decent power. Not only does it rock a Kirin T92B Octa-core processor, but it also packs 12GB RAM, the same amount of memory as our pick for the Best Android tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus. But what does this all mean in the real world?

Well, first, I wanted to see how it fared with a range of productivity tasks. This wasn’t easy without full access to Google’s famously memory-hungry web apps, but I tried to open as many background tasks as possible. First, I loaded a couple of games and a couple of apps before opening the browser, where I opened a number of tabs, including Shein and Asos, several Reddit threads, a news site, and a 4K YouTube video. Once I started sketching in a free online photo-editing tool, I was pleased to see there wasn’t any significant slowdown.

Broadly speaking, the same seems to be true of games. Loading up PUBG Mobile and setting the graphics settings to maximum, I didn’t notice any significant FPS drops; every moment remained smooth and jitter-free. Meanwhile, there was no hint of lag or latency, making it easy for me to get the drop on most opponents I came across before they got me.

Using the Huawei M-Pencil Pro for various tasks, it became clear that it’s well worth the extra spend. It was always comfortable and easily manoeuvrable in my hand, and never so light that it felt flimsy or insubstantial. While sketching on apps like the GoPaint app, it was super responsive – there was no noticeable jitter or lag, and no obvious parallax between the stylus nib and the brushstrokes it created.

Probably the only area where the MatePad 12X 2025's performance is a little more mixed is its camera. It’s crisp and captures plenty of detail, but not quite as much as I’d expect from its 50MP lens. And while it’s not really fair comparing it to the iPhone 16 Pro I’m used to shooting on, I did feel some of the photos were lacking in the HDR pop I’ve come to expect. Ultimately, it’s not a bad camera, but as with any tablet, I doubt it’s going to become your go-to snapper.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future)Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 review: battery

• Huge 10,100mAh battery capacity
• Seriously fast 66W wired charging
• Can stream almost nine hours of 2.5K video

Huawei certainly hasn’t skimped on the battery in the MatePad 12X 2025. At 10,100mAh, it’s not quite as epic as the OnePlus Pad 3, with its 12,140mAh, but is pretty capacious all the same.

Trying to get a sense of how long it would last when really pushed, I set the MatePad 12X 2025 to stream continuous 2.5K videos and measured how much it depleted the battery. After seven hours, the battery had dropped down to 20%, suggesting that you should get around nine hours of continuous high-quality streaming from one charge. This is pretty competitive and not far off the 10 hours the iPad 11-inch (2025) offers.

Even better, topping it up is incredibly fast. Using a 100W charger – which is plenty to hit the Huawei’s 66W max – I popped the Huawei on to charge for an hour. In that time, it charged 78%, meaning you can expect it to be fully charged after around an hour and 15 minutes – that’s a truly absurd charging time, given its enormous capacity.

All in all, this means you’ll get a lot of use out of the Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 before it falls flat, and you won’t have to wait long for it to spring back to life afterwards.

• Battery score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Huawei MatePad 12X 2025?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Display

Bright, low-reflection screen with impressive pixel density. Colors and contrast are great, although some OLED screens pop more.

4 / 5

Design

Relatively unadventurous style but well-made, with a great keyboard case.

3.5 / 5

Software

Huawei’s first-party software is decent, but the lack of well-known third-party apps available make it hard to recommend.

2.5 / 5

Performance

Impressive performance, with its octa-core processor and 12GB RAM. Makes short work of multitasking and gaming alike.

4 / 5

Buy it if…

You want a bright, detailed display
With its shining brightness, super-crisp 280 ppi pixel density, and vivid colors, the MatePad 12X rocks a great screen – and that’s before you get to that reflection-killing PaperMatte display.

You’re seeking good performance
It’s not as powerful as an iPad Pro M5, but nothing I did could cause the MatePad 12X to break a sweat, whether I ran lots of simultaneous browser tabs or cranked game graphics up to maximum.

Don’t buy it if…

You want access to most mainstream apps
If you hate the idea of being unable to access Disney+, Instagram, Spotify or Google Drive, you’ll find the limited number of apps available on the MatePad 12X to be a deal breaker.

Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 review: also consider

Huawei MatePad 12X 2025

OnePlus Pad 3

iPad Air (2025)

OS

HarmonyOS 4.3

OxygenOS 15

iPadOS 26

Chipset

Kirin T92B, Octa-core

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite

Apple M3

RAM

12GB

12GB/16GB

8GB

Storage

256GB

256GB/512GB

128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB

Display

12-inch IPS (2800 x 1840)

13.2-inch 144Hz LCD (3392 x 2400)

11-inch / 13-inch LED (2360 x 1640 / 2732 x 2048)

Weight

555g

675g

460g / 616g / 617g

Battery

10,100mAh

12,140mAh

28.93Wh / 36.59Wh

Charging

66W wired

80W wired

Not disclosed

Cameras

50MP rear, 8MP front

13MP rear, 8MP front

12MP wide rear, 12MP ultrawide front

OnePlus Pad 3
If you’re looking for a tablet with similarly awesome workflow skills as the MatePad 12X but without all the restrictions on apps, the OnePlus Pad 3 is an excellent choice. Its Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset means it runs super-smooth, while multitasking features like the ability to divide the screen among three apps at once make it a productivity powerhouse. Read our full OnePlus Pad 3 review.

iPad Air (2025)
Yes, it’s a little bit pricier than the MatePad 12X 2025, costing from £599. But in return, it gives you access to Apple’s lightning-fast M3 processor, which offers outsized performance for your spend. Meanwhile, its display is at least as vibrant and contrasty as the MatePad’s, and it lets you access all the apps you love. Read our full iPad Air (2025) review.

How I tested the Huawei MatePad 12X 2025

• Tested it over a week
• Completed multiple performance tests
• Ran battery draining and charging tests

I tested the Huawei MatePad 12X 2025 over the course of a week. To test out its software, I used all of its first-party productivity apps and multi-tasking features. I assessed the quality of its display by watching multiple 4K HDR videos and seeing how accurately it reproduced artwork in graphics apps.

To put it through its paces in terms of performance, I ran multiple apps simultaneously while opening a wide range of browser tabs, including video streaming and web apps, to see if I could detect any potential slowdown or performance issues. I also played multiple online games on max graphics settings to look for frame rate dropping and obvious lag.

When it comes to my personal experience, I’ve been testing and reviewing gadgets for many years. I’ve also spent a lot of my career using mobile devices and laptops for productivity purposes, and I’ve reviewed multiple graphics tablets, which has given me a lot of first-hand experience in assessing styluses and the color accuracy of displays.

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

Edifier ES60: two-minute review

Elegant and Supreme. According to Edifier, those are the two words that define its ‘ES’ line of speakers. So, as you can imagine, my hopes were pretty high for the Edifier ES60 – a Bluetooth speaker that promises “immersive” and “high-quality 360-degree sound”.

And in some ways, it met my expectations. Especially in regard to its ‘Elegant’ side. Yes, this is a very nice-looking speaker. Its retro-style design – which is clearly pretty Marshall-inspired – is a hit, with its golden details, faux-leather casing, and appealing speaker grille winning me over.

Sure it’s not the lightest speaker in its size-class, and its IP66 waterproof rating has been outdone by many of the best Bluetooth speakers, but it’s still highly portable and able to withstand a good splashing.

I wasn’t totally convinced of the ES60’s supremacy, though, especially in the audio department. This is a solid-sounding speaker in general, with clear overall audio output and punchy enough bass. However, it lacks the nuance that many similarly priced rivals offer. Vocals don’t sound beautifully separated, and it's not as expressive or energetic as models like the JBL Flip 7. The treble is also a little overzealous, and sounds particularly harsh at higher volumes.

The ES60’s suite of features is also a bit of a mixed bag. I’m a fan of the customizable ambient lighting, USB-C audio passthrough compatibility, and inclusion of a built-in mic for hands-free calls. However, the EQ options are very basic, and there’s no custom option, which I would’ve used to temper that treble a touch.

Also, you only get nine hours of battery life from this model, which is underwhelming compared to much of the competition in this price range. For instance, the aforementioned Flip 7 can live for as long as 16 hours, and the Marshall Emberton III can go for up to 32 hours.

When you consider that the Edifier ES60 typically comes in at $199.99 / £119.99 / AU$199.99, it just doesn’t feel like great value for money. Rivals outdo it in too many crucial areas, including audio performance, battery life, and waterproofing. It’s still a solid speaker overall, with an especially eye-catching design, but unless it’s on sale, I can’t recommend it outright.

(Image credit: Future)Edifier ES60 review: price and release date

• $199.99 / £119.99 / AU$199.99
• Launched in March 2025

The Edifier ES60 launched in March 2025 as part of Edifier’s ‘ES’ line, which also includes models like the palm-sized Edifier ES20 and larger Edifier ES300. It typically sells for $199.99 / £119.99 / AU$199.99, but I have seen it going for less than $150 over on Amazon US on occasion. You can grab the ES60 in either Black or Ivory.

Edifier ES60 review: specs

Drivers

1x 18W mid-bass driver; 2x 8W tweeters

Dimensions

7.5 x 3.6 x 3.9 inches / 190 x 92 x 98mm

Weight

2.3lbs / 1kg

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C

Battery life

9 hours

Waterproofing

IP66

(Image credit: Future)Edifier ES60 review: features

• Attractive customizable lighting
• Limited EQ options
• Nine-hour battery life isn’t great

Under the hood the Edifier ES60 has a fairly standard configuration for a speaker of its size. It’s packed with a single 18W mid-bass driver, alongside two 8W tweeters. That means you’re getting a maximum power output of 34W – similar to that of the JBL Flip 7, but quite a bit more than its main rival, the Marshall Emberton III.

So, how good does it sound exactly? I’ll get onto that later – let’s take a look at its list of features for now.

You get a lot of the usual stuff here, such as multi-point connectivity, dual-speaker pairing, and companion app compatibility. However, you do get a few neat extras, including a high-sensitivity microphone, which enables you to take hands-free calls. This even has integrated noise-cancelling technology, which can carve your voice out from busy surroundings.

Another notable inclusion is EQ settings, accessible via the Edifier ConneX app. In honesty, these are pretty basic. You get the default music tuning, alongside a game, movie, and outdoor calibration. There are no genre-specific alternatives, and there’s no custom tuning available. That last part is a real shame – if there’s a specific sound I’m aiming for, I always appreciate the option to implement it.

Another negative for me was the speaker’s battery life. It only delivers nine hours of listening, which just isn’t that much for a speaker in its size class. By comparison, the JBL Flip 7 delivers as much as 16 hours, while the Marshall Emberton III provides a colossal 32 hours.

It’s not all bad news, though. One of the best things about the Edifier ES60 is its integrated LED lighting. This emits from the underside of the speaker, and can shine onto a surface to create a bit of ambience. You can customize the color and effect of the lighting in the Edifier ConneX app, which is a nice touch. This can also be disabled entirely if you want to focus on conserving battery life.

You can also access wired audio via the speaker’s USB-C port, which opens up higher-resolution, more stable listening. That’s an enticing inclusion, and something that a lot of Edifier’s rivals skip on.

• Features score: 3.5/5

(Image credit: Future)Edifier ES60 review: sound quality

• Decent at mid volumes, with solid bass output
• But treble can sound a little overeager
• Not the best in terms of nuance and instrument separation

I absolutely adored the sound signature of the Edifier ES60’s smaller-sized sibling, the Edifier ES20, so I had pretty high hopes for this one. On top of that, Edifier itself claims that the ES60 plates up a “superior sound performance” with “deep, punchy bass”, so I was pretty excited to get into my listening test.

With I Just Wanna Stop by Gino Vannelli, the overall sound was fairly pleasant at mid-volumes, with clear vocals and well-balanced bass. However, I did sense that drums in the treble range were a tad overstated, which was only emphasized as I cranked up the loudness.

It was a similar sort of story in the more upbeat Keep the Fire Burning by Gwen McCrae – bass was tempered but clean, but those higher-pitched percussive elements were a little over-eager. Again, vocals were quite clear, but not beautifully separated. More generally, instrument separation isn’t incredible on the ES60 – it doesn’t feel as if every individual element can express itself fully.

After this, I tried something a little different, with the bass-heavy Fascinator by Max Dean. I was fairly impressed here, with the deep, pumping bass in the build-up sounding agile and decently regimented. Those highs were pretty aggressive again, and they could potentially get grating over long listening periods, but vocal chops in the midrange were balanced quite well, and didn’t sound obscured.

M-High’s 12 O.C Riddim was also handled pretty well. Bass gets very dark in this track, and although the ES60 couldn’t quite muster up the full-bodied low end might required to replicate that, it certainly produced a meaty effort. At higher volumes, though, bass does thin out quite a bit, and there’s very obvious compression – that treble goes from overzealous to shrill, and vocals lose tonal accuracy.

Another positive is that the ES60 sounds pretty good from every listening angle. I tried walking around our music testing space and office, and the speaker remained fairly consistent at all times.

But how does this model compare against the competition? Well, I tested the ES60 alongside the JBL Flip 7 – a speaker with a similar amount of power, and similar price (in the UK at least). And this comparison hammered home why the Flip 7 sits atop my guide to the best Bluetooth speakers.

The key difference I picked up on was the Flip 7’s ability to carve out vocals and bring them to the fore, creating a truly emotive listen. In Ned Doheny’s I’ve Got Your Number, strumming guitars were beautifully weighted on the Flip 7 and sounded as if they occupied their own pocket, while soulful vocals came through with clarity and direction. The ES60 delivered a more one-note performance, which never sounded harsh or unpleasant – it just lacked the nuance of JBL’s speaker.

Meanwhile, Love At First Sight - Kid Creme Vocal Dub by Kylie Minogue just had a bit more energy and drive on the Flip 7, a speaker that ultimately surpasses the ES60 in terms of control, instrument separation, and expressiveness. So, even though Edifier’s speaker sounds solid overall – especially in the low end – I just don’t think its audio performance can stack up to some big-name rivals.

If the ES60 had a custom equalizer or even some more presets to play around with, it may well be able to compete more effectively, but as I mentioned in the ‘Features’ section, the options at your fingertips are very limited.

It’s also worth flagging that this model only supports the most basic SBC audio codec – there’s no fancy stuff like LDAC or aptX Adaptive on-board, and not even any love for AAC. That means you won’t get the most insightful, high-resolution listen around if you’re streaming over Bluetooth.

• Sound quality score: 3.5/5

(Image credit: Future)Edifier ES60 review: design

• Appealing retro-style aesthetic
• Decent IP66 waterproof rating
• Pretty solid feel

The category in which the Edifier ES60 arguably excels the most is design. Sure, it’s clearly inspired quite a bit by Marshall’s Bluetooth speakers, in particular, the Emberton line, but Edifier has pulled off the retro style nicely here.

It’s got an attractive speaker grille, faux-leather casing, and golden details, which help it stand out from much of the crowd. You can also grab this model in either Black or Ivory, and both colorways complement the speaker’s luxury look beautifully.

On the top side, this model has a simple and effective array of buttons, which allow you to adjust lighting, playback, or power in an instant. You’ll also find a USB-C port on the reverse side of the speaker, which can be used to charge it up or access wired audio.

Earlier, I discussed the speaker’s LED lighting, which conjures up a little bit of ambience for immersive listening sessions, and is customizable in the Edifier ConneX app.

So, I’m a big fan of the layout and look of the Edifier ES60, but how does it fare in terms of practicality? Well, not too badly. First of all, it's not the lightest of speakers, coming in at around 2.3lbs / 1kg. However, it’s just about small enough to carry around one-handed, and there’s a fabric strap included if you’re traveling a short distance.

The ES60 is also IP66-rated, meaning that it’s fully dustproof, and able to withstand powerful jets of water from multiple directions. That rating is decent overall, but a lot of the competition goes further, with the JBL Flip 7, for instance, holding an IP68 rating, making it able to survive a dunking under 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes.

Still, this is a solidly built model, and should survive the odd drop when you’re out and about. Combine that with its swell look, and the Edifier ES60 nets plenty of points in the design department.

• Design score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future)Edifier ES60 review: value

• Fairly pricey, especially in the US
• Better value rivals out there
• Still, by no means a bad speaker

Though the ES60 exceeded in the last category, it falls a little flat in terms of value. It’s quite a pricey model, coming in at $199.99 / £119.99 / AU$199.99. That’s especially pricey for the US buyers out there, although I have seen it going for a bit less from time to time – it’s actually selling for around $149.99 on Amazon US.

Even so, that’s quite a bit to shell out on a speaker of this size, especially when you consider the imperfect audio quality and feature-set on offer. Don’t get me wrong, this is a nice-looking speaker, and it doesn’t sound bad by any means, but the competition is just too hot.

Take the JBL Flip 7, for example. It's regularly available for less than the Edifier ES60, plus it sounds better, has superior waterproofing, and offers much more playtime. Even the Marshall Emberton III – which this speaker draws inspiration from – delivers great audio, stereo sound capabilities, and an even more luxurious look.

As a result, the Edifier ES60 isn’t the value marvel of its sibling, the Edifier ES20 – and until it gets a juicy sale, I won’t be able to recommend it outright.

• Value score: 2.5/5

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Edifier ES60?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Neat built-in mic and lighting, but poor EQ options and battery life.

3.5/5

Sound quality

Decently clear with solid bass, but lacks nuance and treble gets overexcited.

3.5/5

Design

Appealing aesthetic, well-built, IP66 rating isn’t too bad.

4.5/5

Value

By no means a bad speaker, but it can’t keep up with the competition in this price category.

2.5/5

Buy it if...

You want a speaker that’s also a statement piece
The best thing about the Edifier ES60 is its retro-style aesthetic, which makes it a real standout pick. Its golden details, neat speaker grille, and faux-leather casing make for a great combo, as we’ve seen with Marshall’s Bluetooth speakers, too.

You’re looking to enjoy an ambient listening experience
Another thing that makes the ES60 special is its integrated LED lighting. This can be customized in the Edifier ConneX app, and helps to create a more atmospheric, ambient listening experience.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best sound quality
When comparing the ES60 with the similarly powerful JBL Flip 7, the latter just operated at a new level in terms of audio quality. Unfortunately, the ES60 lacks the nuance, energy and control to compete with the best of the best in its size and price category.

You don’t want to charge your speaker too much
The ES60’s nine-hour battery life isn’t very impressive, and a whole lot of rivals outdo it for playtime. The two speakers I’ve listed below, for example, are far better choices if you don’t want to charge your audio companion all too regularly.

Edifier ES60 review: also consider

Edifier ES60

Marshall Emberton III

JBL Flip 7

Price

$199.99 / £119.99 / AU$199.99

$159 / £159 / AU$289

$149 / £129 / AU$179

Drivers

1x 18W mid-bass driver; 2x 8W tweeters

2x 10W full-range drivers, 2 passive radiators

1x 45 x 80mm mid/bass 'racetrack' driver, 1x 16mm tweeter

Dimensions

7.5 x 3.6 x 3.9 inches / 190 x 92 x 98mm

6.3 x 2.7 x 3 inches / 160 x 68 x 76.9mm

2.8 x 7.2 x 2.8 inches / 70 x 183 x 72mm

Weight

2.3lbs / 1kg

1.5lbs / 0.7kg

1.2lbs / 0.6kg

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C

Battery life

9 hours

32 hours

16 hours

Waterproofing

IP66

IP67

IP68

Marshall Emberton III
It only seems right to include the Emberton III here, as it's clearly a point of inspiration for the Elegant Superb 60. We really rated this speaker, thanks to its pleasantly balanced sound, incredible battery life, and gorgeous looks. It’s certainly a better performer than Edifier’s speaker – it just doesn’t have the integrated lighting. Read our full Marshall Emberton III review.

JBL Flip 7
I’ve mentioned the JBL Flip 7 multiple times already, but for good reason. It’s simply the best value-for-money Bluetooth speaker on the market, with S-tier waterproofing, an attractive cylindrical design, and almost unfathomably good sound for such a small cylinder. If you’re going to buy one speaker in this price range, the Flip 7 would be my top recommendation. Read our full JBL Flip 7 review.

How I tested the Edifier ES60

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested over the course of one week
• Mainly used in the music testing space at Future Labs
• Predominantly tested using Tidal

I spent hours upon hours testing out the Edifier ES60, listening to a ton of music and fiddling around with its various features. During my time testing it, I tried all of its light customization and EQ options, and made sure to try it in a variety of settings.

For the most part, though, I used the ES60 in the music testing room here at Future Labs. When listening to tunes, I went through the TechRadar testing playlist, which features tracks from a range of genres. But I also sifted through a bunch of songs from my personal library – mainly via Tidal, but sometimes on Spotify instead.

More generally, I’ve reviewed dozens of speakers, headphones, earbuds, soundbars, and more here at TechRadar, where I have a particular focus on audio-visual technology. I’ve tested most of the ES60’s competition, so I know what it takes for a speaker to stand out in a highly convoluted market.

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

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim isn’t exactly a game that needs an introduction. Its broad appeal and astonishing staying power have seen it come to practically every single console since its late 2011 release, and it remains as impressively accessible and playable now as it was all those years ago.

Review information

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: PS5, PS4, PS3, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, watches, your grandma's washer dryer
Release date: December 9, 2025

Enter the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Skyrim Anniversary Edition, which packs the full game and all of its official expansions and Creation Club content into one portable package. This includes a whole heap of quests, housing, armaments, and entire systems like fishing and a survival mode on top of the already massive base game.

It sounds like a pretty sweet deal, and in many ways it is. I was especially impressed by the port’s incredibly crisp image quality - offering clarity and broad draw distance not dissimilar to versions of Skyrim on other contemporary platforms like PS5 and Xbox Series X. It’s also a winner in handheld mode, with visuals and performance that are broadly comparable to docked play on TV.

You might be aware that this port has had some teething issues, though some of which have thankfully been addressed since launch. Its initial horrendous input latency has been cleaned up, allowing for a more responsive play experience overall.

Some issues do remain, however. Distant objects like trees and rocks can take on a weird blue hue, and reflections on bodies of water can jitter as you move the camera. I’m also not a fan of the complete lack of visual or accessibility settings. This has always been an issue outside of the PC version, but Skyrim is a game that desperately needs a field-of-view slider accessible in its settings menu and not hidden within console commands on PC.

Otherwise, Skyrim’s Switch 2 port is a perfectly playable version of the monstrously popular role-playing game. I think the 30fps lock for exterior environments is disappointing - especially when we see other Switch 2 ports like Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition offer VRR-supported 40fps modes for smoother play in handheld mode. That said, it is a stable 30fps, and you’ll rarely, if ever, run into bouts of chunky performance drops.

New dog, old tricks

(Image credit: Bethesda)

Skyrim’s gotten its fair share of criticisms over the years - many of which are fair. The main story isn’t much to write home about, combat is pretty rock-em-sock-em-robots at the best of times, and role-playing elements have been sanded down to offer a more action-focused experience compared to Morrowind and Oblivion.

Best bit

(Image credit: Bethesda)

I’ve particularly enjoyed playing Skyrim in portable mode on Nintendo Switch 2. It runs great on the handheld and retains the clear image quality of docked play. I’ve done all of these quests so many times over the years, but having it in a compact, portable package is a novelty worth experiencing.

And yet for all its perceived issues, Skyrim remains one of the most impressively replayable games ever. Yes, even without mods (which aren’t supported on Switch 2 as they are on PS5 and Xbox, though I’m not going to criticize Bethesda for that one).

I still find much to enjoy in Skyrim to this day. Creating new characters to try a wide variety of builds is delightful - whether that be a warhammer-wielding Orc or a dainty Breton that specializes in conjuring everything from swords and skeletons, to zombies and atronachs. I’ve always liked the enchantment system, too; grabbing some nonchalant piece of jewelry and turning it into a fount of endless magicka regeneration is always such a satisfying feeling.

In this Switch 2 port, though, I’m checking out Skyrim’s curated Creation Club content for the first time. It’s a bit of a mixed bag. Some additions are brilliant, like entirely new player houses that are wonderfully decorated. Others, like a smattering of just-okay sidequests, I can really take or leave.

I really would’ve liked an option for an ‘alternate start’ though. Skyrim’s lengthy, unskippable intro is still a slog when setting up new characters (you can load up an autosave that skips to character creation, but you still need to play through the tutorial in Helgen). Perhaps that would be veering too close to modding territory, and above and beyond what this simple port is trying to achieve, but it certainly would help the pacing on repeat playthroughs.

What I’m even less of a fan of is Bethesda’s insistence on not offering anything in the way of quality-of-life updates. Skyrim, by default, has a very narrow field of view, and there is no option to change this on any of its console ports, including on Switch 2. While not so bad on the console’s handheld display, it makes for pretty uncomfortable play sessions on larger TV screens.

A fiery port?

(Image credit: Bethesda)

This latest port of Skyrim does have some Switch 2-centric features to speak of. Both gyro aiming and mouse controls are fully supported, which are nice additions on paper. However, I didn’t find the latter to be a particularly good fit for this port and its 30fps lock. This lower framerate makes aiming and tilting the camera with mouse controls feel quite sluggish, even after a patch that improved the input latency issues. I quickly found myself going back to the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller after testing out the feature for a little while.

On the topic of performance, I feel there’s room for improvement. While I’m happy that overall performance is largely stable, the 30fps lock for the overworld is underwhelming for a nearly 15-year-old game. At the very least, a performance mode option that raises the framerate would have been nice to see here.

Elsewhere, there are a handful of visual oddities to make note of. Distant objects - particularly foliage - often take on a strange blue hue. While quite subtle at first, it’s one of those things you’ll notice every time after seeing it happen just once. Meanwhile, bodies of water have a weird visual bug that causes reflections to jitter when moving the camera. It’s not as egregious as the blue trees, but worth mentioning all the same.

Performance while exploring interiors like dungeons, houses, and inns can vary wildly. Many indoor locations actually uncap the game’s framerate, meaning performance can appear to go as high as 60fps. It’s a bit jarring to have this gap in performance between indoor and outdoor areas, honestly, but a smoother framerate in the more mazelike interiors is certainly welcome.

Should I play Skyrim Anniversary Edition on Switch 2?Play it if...

You want Skyrim on the go
I was very impressed with Skyrim’s performance on Switch 2 in handheld mode. I don’t mind the 30fps compromise as much here, especially as it helps maintain a sharp image quality. Outside of Steam Deck, this is the best way to enjoy Skyrim in portable fashion.

You want all official content in one place
Skyrim Anniversary Edition houses the Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn expansions in addition to the base game and a wealth of curated Creation Club additions. That’s hundreds of hours of Skyrim in one portable package.

Don't play it if...

You were hoping for better performance
The Switch 2 port’s 30fps lock in exterior environs is definitely disappointing, and I expect more from a 15-year-old title. While overall performance is stable, play can feel quite sluggish.

You want more options
No FoV slider and a general lack of accessibility options lend the impression that Skyrim’s Switch 2 port is fairly low effort in some areas.

Accessibility

Skyrim’s options on Switch 2 aren’t much different from what you’ll get on other platforms. You can choose to enable or disable various Switch 2-specific options like gyro aiming, mouse controls, and gesture-based attacks, but that’s really about it. Don’t expect things like a field of view slider or colorblind options here.

How I reviewed Skyrim Anniversary Edition on Switch 2

I played Skyrim on Nintendo Switch 2 for around 30 hours, completing the main story (again) and a handful of guild questlines. I also played through a good portion of the game’s expansion content and Creation Club additions.

I went back and forth between handheld and docked play, finding that both offer great image quality and largely stable performance. When playing on TV, I used the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, as well as the Joy-Con 2, for trying out the port’s new mouse controls. My display of choice is the ever-reliable LG CX OLED TV.

First reviewed December 2025-January 2026.

Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg: one-minute review

The Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg combines the convenience of coffee capsules with Smeg's signature retro style. It's a cut above your typical espresso machine in terms of looks, and it performs brilliantly as well.

This is an appliance that does one thing, and does it well: making espresso. There are just two options to choose from – standard or lungo (long) – and the controls couldn't be simpler to operate. You barely need the manual to get started; just rinse the machine as directed and you're ready to make your first drink.

Lavazza's A Modo Mio capsules are remarkably affordable (much cheaper than similar Nespresso Vertuo or Tassimo pods), and offer a great variety of coffees and roasts, each of which is labelled with an intensity rating. There are no fancy added flavors here; just good coffee, freshly packed in an airtight package, ready to brew in seconds.

The pods themselves are compostable, although it's worth bearing in mind that you can't toss them in your home food waste or compost heap. Instead, you'll need to take them to a Terracycle collection point, which might be a little inconvenient, depending on where you live.

This is a capsule coffee machine that does one thing well: it makes great espresso (Image credit: Future)

The A Modo Mio Smeg also has a tendency to accumulate finger marks as a result of its glossy plastic chassis. I had a damp cloth on hand to ensure it remained looking smart; but it's one of the best coffee makers around – if you like your drinks short, strong, and fast.

Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg: specifications

Name

Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg

Type

Capsule coffee maker

Dimensions (H x W x D)

11.4 x 6.2 x 14.4 inches / 290 x 157 x 366mm

Weight

9.4lbs / 4.25kg

Water tank capacity

30.4oz / 900ml

Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg: price and availability

• Relatively expensive for a capsule coffee maker
• Currently not available in the US
• Pods are much cheaper than Nespresso or Tassimo capsules

The Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg has a list price of £249 / AU$349 (about $350), but can sometimes be found at a discount – for example, at the time of writing, it was available in Australia for 25% off. At full price, it's expensive for a capsule coffee maker – particularly one without a milk frother – but the capsules themselves are so affordable that this coffee maker could actually work out cheaper than a budget Nespresso or Tassimo machine in the long run.

Lavazza A Modo Mio capsules are available directly from Lavazza as a one-off purchase or via subscription. You can also find them on various specialty coffee websites, on Amazon, and in some supermarkets. A pack of 16 capsules retails for £6.45 / AU$15 (about $9), and the cost per drink drops significantly if you buy a bundle instead. That makes A Modo Mio pods some of the cheapest coffee pods around, and much less expensive than Nespresso Vertuo capsules or Tassimo T-Pods.

• Value score: 4/5

Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg: design

• Compact and lightweight
• Gloss finish tends to attract fingerprints
• Very simple controls
• Small drip tray

This is an attractive little coffee maker with the same 1960s-influenced retro styling as many of Smeg's other products. It’s purely an espresso machine; it lets you choose between long (lungo) and regular shots, but these are the extent of your options. However, it would look great alongside the Smeg Mini Milk Frother, giving you a perfect little setup for making cappuccinos and lattes.

It’s available in black, white, and cream (different retailers stock different colors), all of which have a gloss finish and chrome accents. The black machine I tested looked very attractive, but I found that the shiny plastic chassis tended to attract fingerprints easily, and I had to keep a cloth on hand to keep it looking good.

Image 1 of 2

The water tank feels solid, and has a sturdy lid to prevent leaks when carrying (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

Lavazza's A Modo Mio pods are compostable, but only at special facilities (Image credit: Future)

The water tank is robust, and has a well-fitting lid that won’t slide off when the tank is full. That’s particularly helpful because the maximum fill line is only about half an inch from the top. It has a convenient handle, and the whole assembly slides easily onto the back of the machine.

The drip tray is only really large enough to accommodate espresso cups. While you can remove the main platform to fit a larger cup beneath (such as demi-tasse), a standard 300ml coffee mug will hang over the edge.

Used pods are dispensed into a bin, which you can access by removing a drawer behind the drip tray (Image credit: Future)

Used capsules drop into a container that’s accessed by pulling out a drawer on the front of the machine, and which has an internal drip tray so the pods can dry (although I recommend always emptying used capsules at the end of each day for hygiene, washing out the drawer, and allowing it to air-dry overnight).

• Design score: 4/5

Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg: performance

• Very simple to use
• Pump is especially quiet
• Espresso tastes rounded and well-extracted
• No flavored coffee capsules available

The Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg is exceptionally simple to use, even for a capsule espresso machine. The first time you use it, you’re instructed to wash out the water tank, place a cup under the dispenser, and run the "lungo" program with no pod inserted to thoroughly rinse the interior components with hot water. Continue doing this until the tank is empty, and the machine will be ready to use.

Lift up the chrome-colored lid and you’ll find a slot to insert your A Modo Mio capsule. It takes a little effort to push the lid back down afterwards – the machine uses this force to pierce the pod about 22 times – but you can use your whole hand to apply the necessary pressure.

Image 1 of 2

The A Modo Mio Smeg coffee maker can dispense espresso in two sizes: standard and lungo (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

Although you can remove the drip tray platform to accommodate a larger cup, there's not enough room for a standard sized mug (Image credit: Future)

Capsule coffee machines are rarely loud, but the Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg is quieter than most. Measured with a decibel meter, it briefly reached a maximum of 70dB during brewing – about the same as a hairdryer – but was only around 50dB throughout the whole brewing process.

Once you’re done, rinse the dispenser again without a capsule to remove residue from the dispenser.

During my tests, the espresso didn’t have as much crema as you might get from a Nespresso Vertuo pod, but the flavor from Lavazza’s capsules was considerably better; it tasted more rounded and balanced. I tested two different arabica capsules of different strengths, and was very impressed by both.

(Image credit: Future)

Unlike some other coffee pods, A Modo Mio capsules aren’t available in different flavors and with sweeteners – but, personally, I don't think that's a bad thing. Instead, the capsules vary by roast, variety and terroir. This is a capsule machine for people who want good-tasting espresso quickly, and aren’t interested in added fruit, syrup, or spice flavorings. Whether that appeals to you is a matter of personal preference.

Lavazza A Modo Mio capsules are compostable, but you can't toss them in your home food waste. If you're in the UK, you should take them to a public Terracycle drop-off point. If there isn't a drop-off point nearby (they're mostly concentrated around south England and the Midlands), you can register to run one, but you can't have personal collection boxes sent to your home.

• Performance score: 5/5

Should you buy the Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg?Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

The machine itself is quite pricey, but the capsules are some of the cheapest around (and great quality, too).

4/5

Design

Stylish, compact, and easy to operate, but the gloss finish is prone to gathering fingerprints.

4/5

Performance

Produces excellent espresso quickly and quietly, and is a piece of cake to maintain.

5/5

Buy it if

You want good espresso, fast

If you like your coffee short and fast, this is the machine for you. It does one thing, and does it very well – and Lavazza's coffee pods are excellent.

You plan to keep it for a long time

This coffee maker costs more than your typical capsule espresso machine, but the pods are so affordable that they'll offset the difference over time.

Don't buy it if

You enjoy fun-flavored coffee

There's nothing wrong with preferring a pumpkin spice latte to a straight shot of espresso, but Lavazza's A Modo Mio pods are all about the beans, not added flavorings.

You need a cheap coffee maker

Smeg style doesn't come cheap, and this machine is considerably pricier than most capsule coffee makers. However, there are more affordable options in Lavazza's A Modo Mio series, if this one is outside your budget.

Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg: also consider

If you're not sure whether the Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg is the right coffee maker for you, here are two other options to consider:

De'Longhi Dedica Duo

If you're willing to consider moving from pods to freshly ground coffee, this smart little espresso machine is around the same price as the Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg, and opens up a whole world of specialty coffee.

Read our full De'Longhi Dedica Duo review

Krups Nespresso Pixie

The tiny Pixie has held the top spot in our roundup of the best Nespresso machines for years, thanks to its balance of style and performance. Like the A Modo Mio it's purely an espresso machine, and it uses Nespresso Original pods, which are more affordable than Vertuo capsules.

Read our full Krups Nespresso Pixie review

How I tested the Lavazza A Moda Mio Smeg

I tested the Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg coffee maker for two weeks, making at least two drinks every day using two different types of espresso pods. I followed the setup instructions in the manual, prepared each drink using fresh tap water, and rinsed the dispenser between brews. I emptied and washed out the machine's bin and drip tray at the end of each day, and allowed everything to air-dry overnight. I cleaned the exterior of the machine with a damp microfiber cloth.

For more details, see how we test, rate, and review products at TechRadar.

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (2025): Two-minute review

The Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (2025) is an interesting TV for one reason: it uses Amazon’s new AI-powered Alexa+, which is a more contextual, conversational, and higher-functioning version of the company’s voice assistant.

Otherwise, some features have been sacrificed in the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (2025) that made the Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED, Amazon’s previous flagship TV, appealing, such as a mini-LED backlight and 144Hz support for gaming. Both are features we regularly look for in the best TVs. Despite those omissions, the new Omni QLED is priced relatively high for what it offers, with competing TVs from Hisense, TCL, and Roku delivering better bang for the buck.

On the plus side, Amazon’s built-in voice assistant is very well-implemented, and there’s even a mic mute for privacy. Also, you can expect to find the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED priced considerably lower during the company’s regular sales events.

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (2025) review: Price and release date

Amazon's remote is similar to the ones included with other Fire TV devices (Image credit: Future)

• Release date: November 2025
• 50-inch: $479.99
• 55-inch: $589.99
• 65-inch: $849.99
• 75-inch: $1,199.99

The Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (2025) was released in November 2025 and replaces an earlier version of the TV with the same name. Having just been released in time for Black Friday, it ended up priced a few hundred dollars below list price during that time, with the 50-inch model’s price dropping to $279.99 and the 65-inch model to $749.99.

The Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (2025) is currently only available in the US.

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (2025) review: Specs

Screen type:

QLED

Refresh rate:

60Hz

HDR support:

Dolby Vision, HDR10+ Adaptive, HDR10, HLG

Smart TV:

Fire TV

HDMI ports:

4x HDMI 2.0

Built-in tuner:

ATSC 1.0

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (2025) review: Benchmark resultsAmazon Fire TV Omni QLED (2025) review: Features

The Omni QLED's connections include four HDMI 2.0 ports (one with eARC) (Image credit: Future)

• Hands-free Alexa+ allows for deeper control
• Can be used with Alexa smart home ecosystem
• Amazon Ambient Experience

The Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series supports both the Dolby Vision and HDR10+ adaptive high dynamic range formats, but the big feature on this TV is Amazon’s new Alexa+, a souped-up version of Alexa that allows for a higher level of flexibility and control.

For example, I’m able to not only ask for movie recommendations but also issue more basic commands like opening an app. I can even ask for things like the Philadelphia Eagles’ upcoming NFC schedule or what the weather outside is like. And I can do all this without picking up the remote control since Alexa+ is hands-free on this TV. The mic can be muted (there’s a slider under the front of the TV) if you’re worried about privacy, but otherwise, it can be used just like any other Alexa device. Alexa+ is free for Prime members but $19.99 a month if you don’t have Prime.

Since this TV has Alexa+ built in, it can be incorporated into an Alexa ecosystem. I found there were some limitations on what I could do using an Amazon Echo speaker, but I was able to turn on the TV and open apps through my Echo in my kitchen.

The other feature worth noting is the Ambient Experience. Every TV seems to now have some version of this feature, most likely due to the popularity of Samsung’s The Frame TV, and it’s also recently arrived on Amazon Fire TV devices.

Amazon’s Ambient Experience is a pretty cool feature that allows you to choose from a number of dynamic and static screens that will play when the TV is in standby mode. You can also customize it to have certain widgets displayed for time, temperature, and more. There are 2,000 free images to choose from, and you can also upload photos to display a personal photo reel. Amazon’s Omnisense sensors let the TV automatically display images when you walk into the room, and they even provide an interactive component.

Apple AirPlay is available for wireless casting from a phone or tablet to the TV, and so is Matter Casting.

• Features Score: 3.5/5

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (2025) review: Picture quality

The Omni QLED has good overall picture quality but average brightness (Image credit: Future)

• Limited brightness
• Full-array local dimming on all but the smallest size
• Average color gamut coverage

The picture quality of the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series doesn’t quite measure up to the Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED, but then again it’s also cheaper. In Filmmaker Mode, we measured HDR Peak Brightness at 510 nits, compared to Omni Mini-LED’s 973 nits in the same picture preset. In Standard mode, the Omni QLED’s peak brightness was 598 nits, and fullscreen brightness was 528 nits.

Full-array local dimming, a feature that improves contrast, is provided on all sizes except the smallest (50-inch). I like to test this using images that show a black background with lighter objects on parts of the screen. With these, the TV did a good job – I didn’t notice any light blooming on the black areas.

The Omni QLED Series’ measured UHDA-P3 color gamut was 93.7% when we tested it, and 71.6% for BT.2020, both of which could be better. (Our target UHDA-P3 coverage is 95% for TVs.)

The TV’s Delta-E in Filmmaker Mode was 7, which is a worse-than-average result for picture accuracy for that preset. (The closer to zero, the better, with many TVs measuring under 3dE in Filmmaker Mode on this test.)

In real-world use, the Omni QLED Series’ picture wasn’t as bright as other TVs I’ve tested, but the picture was still crisp and vibrant, whether I was watching the animated Coco (one of my favorites for testing), an action movie, or sports.

• Picture quality score: 3.5/5

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (2025) review: Sound quality

Fire TV's Live TV streaming portal (Image credit: Future)

• Limited bass
• No Dolby Atmos support
• Dialogue boost and volume leveler

The sound quality on the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series is not going to make you skip getting one of the best soundbars. There are only 12 watts each for the speakers and the sub, so even though it can get loud, it tends to lose definition at louder volumes.

Also, there’s not much bass. You won’t get any rumble, just a mid-low-end boost. I found it to be a strange experience when testing with Deadpool & Wolverine and watching a big fight scene where none of the punches, or the score for that matter, had much weight to them.

Dolby Atmos isn’t supported, either, which is another reason to upgrade the sound with a soundbar (preferably one with a subwoofer).

I do appreciate that there’s a five-band EQ in the settings. Also in the settings are a Dialogue Boost, Dolby Dialogue Enhancer, and Volume Leveler (the last two in the TV’s advanced settings). The first two help with making dialogue clearer by boosting the frequency at which voices sit. The latter is similar to a Night Mode and works well enough at bringing up quieter parts while making louder parts quieter.

• Sound quality score: 3/5

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (2025) review: Design

The Omni QLED uses the type of support feet typically found on more budget-oriented TVs (Image credit: Future)

• Basic looks
• Hidden privacy slider for built-in mic
• Four HDMI ports, one with eARC

On the surface, the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED looks like a typical budget-level TV, though its bezels are at least thin. You’ll need a Philips head screwdriver for connecting the support feet to the TV (with included screws), but that takes a very short time to install.

There’s a slider hidden on the TV’s bottom edge to mute the built-in Alexa mic for privacy. Onboard controls are limited to the slider and button to control inputs, power, and navigate some basic settings.

The Fire TV Omni QLED has four HDMI ports, one with eARC. Also on hand is an optical port, coaxial, USB, headphone jack, and an IR transmitter port.

Amazon’s remote looks the same as the one it includes with its Fire TV streaming sticks. It has a talk button if you don’t want to use the built-in mic on the TV and buttons at the bottom for Prime, Netflix, Disney+, and Peacock, along with the usual suspects. It feels pretty good in the hand with its convex back. The only other thing worth mentioning is that it takes two AAA batteries instead of being rechargeable.

• Design score: 3/5

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (2025) review: Smart TV and menus

The Amazon Fire TV home page (Image credit: Future)

• Very Prime-oriented even outside of the app
• Plenty of live and free content
• Menu diving is mostly easy, though some HDR settings are hard to find

Since the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series naturally uses the Fire TV interface, be prepared for a very Amazon Prime-centric experience. The top half of the home page consists of a rotating preview banner that autoplays both suggested content and ads that are more often than not Amazon-related.

Scrolling down past the streaming service tiles, you’ll see rows such as “Continue Watching,” “Sponsored,” and an assortment of recommendations. All the apps one could want are a download away, but a good number of the preloaded ones are Amazon ones, like Amazon Kids+ and Luna.

Plenty of content is built in – there’s a whole guide’s worth of live TV, including free channels like NFL Live, CBS, Fox, ABC News Live, NBC News Now, and more in the US.

Menu diving on the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED was initially confusing for me since the layout of categories is a bit different than on other interfaces. That said, it was easy to navigate after a few times using it. The one gripe I do have is that while I can cycle through most of the modes in the settings, any HDR-related adjustments only become available and selectable while watching content. Even though the TV picks the right mode automatically (if auto picture mode is enabled), it would be nice to have some control over choosing the picture mode I want before starting a movie.

• Smart TV & menus score: 4/5

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (2025) review: Gaming

The Amazon Luna app gives you plenty of cloud gaming options (Image credit: Future)

• 60Hz refresh rate
• Game Mode
• Luna app for cloud gaming

The Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED isn't anything special for console gaming. Unlike the Fire TV Omni Mini-LED, which supports up to 144Hz, this TV tops out at a 60Hz refresh rate, so you’re not going to get the smooth performance that next-gen consoles are capable of.

I do appreciate that, if TV Mode is set to Auto, it will automatically change to its Game Mode setting. This mode does a good job of letting the colors pop. I found the image to look good when using my PlayStation 5, even if the 60Hz refresh rate was a hurdle for performance.

The one somewhat bright spot is that Amazon’s Luna app provides access to cloud gaming, some of which is free or included for those with Amazon Prime. I appreciated that I could use either my phone or an external controller, which can be paired when booting up a game, for playing any of the games. I also appreciate that there was a healthy selection of games to purchase, alongside the free offerings.

• Gaming score: 3/5

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (2025) review: Value

The Omni QLED's included accessories (Image credit: Future)

• Cheaper than similar TVs
• Sacrifices some features
• Other options with Fire TV built-in

As I mentioned before, I consider the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series to be an okay deal at $849.99 for a 65-inch model. Of course, this is Amazon, so you’re more likely to see regular discounts.

How does it compare? It comes with some compromises compared to other TVs that I consider to be its competition. I’ve tested two other mid-range TVs that punch well above their weight. The TCL QM6K is one that immediately comes to mind. The price of the 65-inch model is currently selling for less than the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED reviewed here, and it supports a 144Hz refresh rate, Dolby Atmos audio, and uses a mini-LED backlight with “Halo Control technology” to minimize blooming.

There’s also the Hisense U65QF, which is also sells for less than Amazon’s TV. Like the TCL, it supports a 144Hz refresh rate and Dolby Atmos audio, and it also uses a mini-LED backlight. And with a Fire TV interface, you basically get the same smart features as the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED.

• Value score: 3/5

(Image credit: Future)Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (2025)

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Hands-free Alexa, plus the souped-up, context-aware Alexa+ for deeper and smarter smart home integration

.3.5/5

Picture quality

Brightness is average and the accuracy could be better, but it at least has full-array local dimming (except the smallest size)

3.5/5

Sound quality

Sound quality is pretty limited with not much bass. The decent volume leveling and dialog boost are a nice touch

3/5

Design

Design is mostly what one would expect for a budget TV

3/5

Smart TV and menus

Be prepared for an Amazon-heavy experience with this TV, with some advanced picture settings tricky to access in menus

3.5/5

Gaming

Refresh rate is capped at 60 Hz but features the Luna app for cloud-gaming

3/5

Value

Good overall picture quality, but competition offers equally good performance and superior gaming features for the price

3/5

Should I buy the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (2025)?Buy it if...

You have Prime
If you have Amazon Prime, then the souped-up Alexa+ is free. It’s definitely a unique experience turning off the TV through an Amazon Echo elsewhere in the house.

You use Alexa
The TV’s Alexa integration is something you can really take advantage of if you’re already bought into the Alexa smart home ecosystem.

Don't buy it if…

You’re a console gamer
The TV’s refresh rate is capped at 60Hz, so you won’t be getting the most out of your Playstation 5 or Xbox Series X game console.

You want Dolby Atmos
If you want a TV that supports Dolby Atmos, you’ll have to look elsewhere, or you could just buy a soundbar to use with this TV.

Also consider...

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (2025)

Hisense U65QF

TCL QM6K

Roku Pro Series

Price (65-inch)

$849.99

$999

$999

$1,199

Screen type

QLED

QLED w/ mini-LED

QLED w/ mini-LED

QLED w/ mini-LED

Refresh rate

60Hz

upt to 144Hz

Up to 144Hz

120Hz

HDR support

Dolby Vision/HDR10+ Adaptive/HDR10

Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG

Dolby Vision IQ/HDR10+/HDR10

Dolby Vision IQ/HDR10+/HDR10

Smart TV

Fire TV

Fire TV

Google TV

Roku

HDMI ports

4 HDMI 2.0

4 (2x HDMI 2.1)

4 (2x HDMI 2.1)

4 (2x HDMI 2.1)

Hisense U65QF

The Hisense U65QF is very affordable for a mini-LED TV. It’s packed with features like Dolby Atmos, a 144Hz refresh rate, and Dolby Vision IQ. It also has Alexa built in, though not Alexa+. Finding the video settings does take some deep menu diving, and the Prime-focused interface is a bit of an acquired taste.

Read our full Hisense U65QF review

TCL QM6K

The TCL QM6K is excellent value and cheaper with discounts than the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series, though it doesn’t have quite the audio quality or Alexa integration. What it does have is great picture quality with vibrant colors, good contrast, and minimal blooming.

Read our full TCL QM6K review

Roku Pro Series

The Roku Pro Series is another budget mini-LED TV that’s priced around the same as the Amazon Omni QLED, but beats it when it comes to features and design. With both 120Hz support and an ultra-low input lag, it’s also a superior gaming TV and has a more streamlined and pleasing smart interface.

Read our full Roku Pro Series review

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (2025)

• I used the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series for several weeks
• Tested with TV, movies, music, and games
• Benchmark measurements conducted by Future US testing lab

I used the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series as my main TV for several weeks. I used it with TV, movies, and games. I tested the various features to see if they work as advertised. I also spent time listening to the audio as well as paying attention to the picture quality.

I’ve tested a lot of tech gear over the years, from laptops to keyboards and speakers, and so have been able to use my expertise towards giving an honest and fair opinion, not to mention a critical eye, to any product I test.

You can read an in-depth overview of how we test TVs at TechRadar at that link.

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

ProtoArc has been around for a while now, and they have a handful of items I have reviewed over the years, like their EC100 chair and a few keyboard / mice solutions. They have been impressive through and through with putting out quality gear for a shockingly low price every time.

This chair, the Flexer Pro, is no different. It had a quick and easy assembly that only took about 5 to 8 minutes to assemble, it has surpassingly breathable mesh on the backrest, featuring FlexWeave tech to cool you off on hot days or if you simply run warm like I do, and it has a great set or armrests. Right there, if those things are done well, the chair is already going to win people over. But, beyond that, this chair has some things I have never seen, such as the dual lumbar support. That’s something that even some of of my premium chairs don’t have.

Flexer Pro also excels in not being “too much” as a chair. Given it's only available in the US, and the dual lumbar support can take some time to adjust to, it's unlikely to make our round-up of the best office chairs. But it's simple and elegant in design, while still offering maximum comfort for up to 10 hours according to ProtoArc, and, in my testing, I can say that this chair surely lives up to the hype.

ProtoArc Flexer Pro: Price and availability

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

At the time of review, the Flexer Pro is currently on sale for $312.55 (was $399.99) on ProtoArc’s website. It's also available on Amazon.com in both black or white variants, with the former being $299 and the latter priced at $315.86.

From what I can see, the chair's only available in the US right now.

One thing that I always pay attention to for chairs like this is the warranty. After all, an office chair is an investment, even at the low- to mid-range models like this one. So, I was pleased to see ProtoArc offering a 10-year limited warranty.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )ProtoArc Flexer Pro: Unboxing and First Impressions

The packaging was minimal and simple, yet enough to keep everything well-packaged, safe, and secure. As I mentioned above, this chair took a mere 5 minutes to assemble by myself. It was incredibly easy, no special tools necessary outside of what was sent with the chair, and no points of frustration.

After getting everything set up, I like how simple this chair is. A lot of chairs have a lot of things going on. The Flexer Pro keeps it simple. It’s a cushioned seat, a mesh back, good armrests. That’s the core. It’s clean, straightforward, and great for most.

ProtoArc Flexer Pro: Design & Build Quality

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

The dual lumbar supports are the stand-out feature of this chair for me, it seems like such a small thing, but in practice and in use, it’s super helpful to be able to add that support in two slightly different, or one larger spot on some days. I do find that some days I will adjust this and have it be slightly different, but perhaps I’m alone in that. Regardless, having that functionality in a chair at this cost is still wild to me.

Further, the cushion and backrest make for a very breathable sitting experience. As someone who runs fairly warm, I really appreciate having a chair that can breathe with me and help keep me cool even on hot days or during long working sessions.

Another thing that I really appreciate is the lack of over-the-top branding on this chair. I have some chairs that will remain unnamed, but they blast their branding everywhere, loud and proud. That ruins the professional feel of a chair immediately, so having this chair minimally branded and that is all is fantastic.

The armrests, crank tilt-tension control, seat depth slider, and 130-degree recline are all fantastic features. Again, these are features I’d love seeing on chairs worth three times as much, so seeing this in a quality chair at a budget price is a spectacular surprise.

ProtoArc Flexer Pro: In use

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

My team and I have rotated using this chair for the last 88 days at the time of writing. In that time, we have used it in my studio space, in some home offices and in both scenarios this chair has performed wonderfully. The chair is comfortable for even extended desk working sessions, it’s easy to kick back when we want to stand at our standing desks and if we maybe don’t get to stand that day and rather need to lay back, the 130-degree tilt makes it super comfortable and easy to grab a quick rest.

While most of our testing has been done during the harsh Midwest winter in the States, sometimes that means that with the heat on, your house is warmer than normal (depending on the person). For those days, or the harsh summer afternoons, having the mesh backrest is a wonderful two-thumbs-up for this chair. It means that I won’t stand up to find my back stuck to my shirt.

Another thing that is really nice is that since this chair doesn’t have a headrest and has a fairly compact frame, I can push this chair under my desk rather than just kicking it behind me if I am short on space or don’t want to get my chair too far away from my desk.

After three months' use, the felt still looks brand new, the mesh backrest has held up wonderfully, and the armrests still work well. No issues so far, and none in sight.

ProtoArc Flexer Pro: Final verdict

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

Not everyone who is looking for a chair is looking to spend thousands, or even close to a thousand. Some want a simple chair that gets the job done. The ProtoArc Flexer Pro is an easy recommendation for those people, as it’s budget-priced yet adds features you usually only see in high-end flagship chairs.

The quick assembly time is a real bonus - ProtoArc estimated it's a 10-minute job, but I did it half that time. Airflow, comfortability, and support are all good. And I'm pleased how well the chair has held up after using it for three months.

That dual lumbar support, though, may not be to everyone's tastes. I can understand that. I would've also liked to see greater availability beyond North America.

But the chair's nicely designed overall, with all the adjustability mechanisms I'd expect to find one priced this low. A solid choice for working from home or in the office.

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For more office furniture, I've tested the best standing desks.