TechRadar Reviews

Logitech G Pro X2 Rapid review: Two-minute review

Let’s get one thing out of the way: the Logitech G Pro X2 Rapid commands a premium price tag. At $229.99 / £209.99 / AU$399.95, it sits near the top of the gaming keyboard market — costing more than similarly high-end alternatives like the Razer Huntsman V3 HE or Corsair K70 Max. It’s currently the most expensive gaming keyboard that Logitech sells, reflecting its positioning as the very best of the best.

What does that price get you, though? The big draw here is the custom KS-20 POM switches. They’re manufactured by Gateron, one of the most popular keyboard switch brands, with contactless Hall effect operation. They feature a customizable actuation point, allowing you to select actuation depth all the way from 4mm to a very shallow 0.1mm in 0.05mm increments.

(Image credit: Future)

Raising the actuation point reduces the time taken for each keystroke to be registered, facilitating lightning-fast responses in intense competitive titles like Counter-Strike 2 or Valorant. You can customize the actuation point on a per-button basis as well, meaning you can make your movement inputs as sensitive as possible while leaving the button to switch weapons, for example, a more deliberate press to prevent misclicks in key moments.

This works in tandem with the rapid trigger setting, which sets the point at which a key needs to be lifted in order to reset. You can practically remove the delay between rapid inputs, meaning much more responsive movement. Getting used to the snappy responses certainly took some adjustment in my testing, but I found strafing felt much more precise, and this could make a big difference in a competitive setting where speed can make the difference between a win and defeat.

(Image credit: Future)

You can also set up key priority, which determines how the keyboard interprets almost simultaneous inputs via metrics like key travel or a chosen override. This sounds great on paper, as it should allow for much easier counter-strafing or ‘jiggle peeking’ (emerging from cover for a split second to try and bait an opponent into taking a shot), but there’s a big catch. This feature is banned in some competitive titles (including Counter-Strike 2) and will result in automated server kicks, so it should be treated with some degree of caution.

The built-in OLED display is also a pretty cool addition, though honestly, it’s not as useful as I first assumed it would be. It’s a small vertical display positioned on the far right-hand side of the keyboard above a small button and a little scroll wheel. By default, the wheel controls your system volume, but a quick tap of the button opens a menu with access to activation point adjustment, rapid trigger, mkey priority, RGB lighting, and game mode settings.

Adjusting them like this is very fiddly and much more easily accomplished right in the compatible Logitech G Hub software. With G Hub, you can save settings directly onto the keyboard’s memory, and I suspect that most pro players would rather create their settings in advance with the software rather than try and adjust them on the fly in the middle of a game.

The spec sheet is also impressive, with highlights like an optional 8,000Hz report rate. The keyboard also has a physical game mode switch, designed almost like a light switch. Flick this on to enable your game mode preset, which disables the two Windows keys by default to prevent accidental tab changes.

The physical design of the Logitech G Pro X2 Rapid exudes quality too, with the compact TKL form factor making it easy to incorporate into your setup. All three colorways (Black, White, and Magenta) look excellent, and key presses feel suitably satisfying with a very smooth motion and lovely sound. It feels great to type on as a result, but I am still disappointed that the exterior of the keyboard is entirely plastic when most gaming keyboards above a hundred bucks incorporate more durable metal faceplates instead.

I also don’t understand why Logitech G didn’t opt to go for a nice braided USB Type-C cable rather than a rubbery plastic one at this price. Maybe there’s some reason for pro players to prefer plastic, but if that’s the case, the brand could surely just throw in two alternate cable options given the $229.99 / £209.99 / AU$399.95 price tag.

There’s also the matter of the included wrist rest, which I unfortunately don’t think is particularly good. It’s basically just a huge rectangular hunk of cold, rubbery plastic that you have to flop awkwardly onto your desk. It’s not well padded, and I quickly relegated it to confinement back in the box. It’s presumably a very cheap extra to include, but I’m not too happy with the prospect of having to store it.

Logitech G Pro X2 Rapid review: Price & availability

• Costs $229.99 / £209.99 / AU$399.95
• Available via the Logitech website or online retailers
• More expensive than many alternatives

At $229.99 / £209.99 / AU$399.95, the Logitech G Pro X2 Rapid is expensive for a gaming keyboard, particularly a wired-only model with a predominantly plastic construction.

To give just two examples, similarly priced high-end options such as the Razer Huntsman V3 HE or Keychron Q1 Ultra 8K incorporate more premium materials like aluminum and, in the case of the Keychron model, offer wireless connectivity.

Still, it’s not offensively bad value by any means, as you are paying specifically for the high-end spec sheet, built-in screen, custom switches, and suite of esports features. You also get a wrist rest in the box and, while I’m not a huge fan, it might be useful for some.

The Logitech G Pro X2 Rapid can be purchased directly from the Logitech G website or at online retailers like Amazon.

Should I buy the Logitech G Pro X2 Rapid?Scorecard

Value

Expensive for a wired gaming keyboard, but goes some way to justify its price with its feature set.

4/5

Design and features

Looks great and is tuned to deliver serious esports performance with specialist features like rapid trigger and custom actuation points.

4/5

Performance

A joy to type on and an excellent pick for competitive games.

4.5/5

Final score

Expensive, but worth it if you’re serious about competitive gaming given the performance and features.

4/5

Buy it if…

You want esports-grade performance
The Logitech G Pro X2 Rapid is all about competitive gaming performance with features like the optional 8,000Hz polling rate and custom actuation point settings designed to help you do your best when it counts.

You’re after the ultimate switch customization
The Logitech G Pro X2 Rapid offers multiple ways to customize its KS-20 POM switches. You can adjust the actuation depth to your preference on a key-by-key basis, or enable the rapid trigger mode for accurate repeat inputs.

Don't buy it if…

You’re used to more premium materials
The exterior of the Logitech G Pro X2 Rapid is fully plastic, which is unfortunate when cheaper alternatives offer more durable-feeling metal elements.

Logitech G Pro X2 Rapid review: Also consider

Razer Huntsman V3 HEThis Razer keyboard offers Hall effect magnetic switches and features an integrated OLED screen, yet costs significantly less than the Logitech G Pro X2 Rapid. It even has a metal faceplate, which feels more premium than the X2 Rapid’s plastic.

Read our full Razer Huntsman V3 HE review

Keychron Q1 Ultra 8K
This high-end option from Keychron is often on sale for cheaper than the Logitech G Pro X2 Rapid and delivers an excellent typing experience with a robust aluminium chassis. It’s also capable of an 8K report rate, but unfortunately isn’t widely available in the UK or Australia.

Read our full Keychron Q1 Ultra 8K review

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the Logitech G Pro X2 Rapid

• Tested for multiple weeks
• Used as main keyboard for work and gaming
• Compared to other gaming keyboards

I tested the Logitech G Pro X2 Rapid for multiple weeks alongside the Logitech G Pro X3 Superstrike mouse, with my hands on both before and after the official reveal and release.

I used it for gaming sessions and productivity tasks throughout my days. This included plenty of time in popular esports titles such as Counter-Strike 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. I also played a range of other games, including the likes of Gears of War: E-Day, Cities: Skylines 2, and Far Cry 6.

Throughout my time with the keyboard, I compared it to my hands-on testing of other gaming keyboards across the price spectrum.

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

TT Nature Bird Feeder Station: Two-minute review

Unlike companies like Netvue (which originated as a smart security camera maker before launching the Birdfy line) or Bird Buddy (which built its platform from the ground up around a custom app experience), TT Nature uses off-the-shelf camera hardware paired with third-party software.

Its wooden Smart Bird Feeder Station is a rustic, budget-friendly alternative to the sleek, plastic-heavy smart feeders dominating the market. It’s solidly built from FSC-certified natural timber and topped with a dark metal roof, making it look more like a traditional garden birdhouse than smart home tech, and a natural fit for rustic outdoor setups. It also matches my garden office perfectly.

Beware, the camera is more like a retrofitted security device than a specialized bird snapper. After mounting the feeder to my garden fence and monitoring it for several weeks, I appreciate its physical design and reasonable cost, while also finding the basic software setup frustrating.

As mentioned, the wooden housing feels very sturdy, though it will inherently be harder to clean and maintain than all-plastic constructions. The included mounting template and accessories make locking it securely onto a fence panel or post easy, provided you have a decent drill. The external solar panel and full mounting kit are included, whereas most rivals require you to buy these as extras.

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

The physical assembly is minimal, but setting up the camera with TT Nature's accompanying app, PerchLens, proved to be less straightforward than the process with Birdfy models. The app refused to detect the camera automatically, forcing a manual setup that meant temporarily locking my home router to a 2.4GHz band — a hurdle I’ve never had to clear with other feeders I’ve tested. Once past that, though, the Wi-Fi connection has remained stable, even with the feeder at the far end of my garden.

The feeder captures 1080p HD video with a wide field of view and a pleasantly sharp focus on the perch itself. However, clips aren't detailed enough to see individual feathers. I found that the camera’s motion sensor is slow to trigger, so clips often start a fraction too late and catch the tail end of a visit or an empty perch. The camera lens also fogged up several times on damp mornings, muting contrast and visibility during the busiest dawn feeding hours.

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

You can use microSD recording (cards up to 128GB are supported) and also get three-day cloud storage without a monthly fee. However, AI species identification is locked behind an optional monthly or annual subscription. Without it, incoming alerts are just listed as 'bird'. The software is far more rudimentary than the polished, gamified ecosystems of the Bird Buddy 2 or Birdfy. If you don't mind manually spotting your visitors, though, the app does at least neatly organize your clips by date and time.

Despite its basic app and trigger lag (something I hope will be less of an issue when the birds feel brave enough to spend longer feeding), the TT Nature delivers undeniable value. It offers a nice-to-look-at wooden build and set-and-forget solar power, at a fraction of the price of most flagship competitors. If you’re a casual bird lover who wants a budget-friendly garden camera that blends in naturally, I think it can still earn a spot in your yard or garden.

• Interested in other options available besides the TT Nature Bird Feeder Station? Check out our best bird feeder cameras guide.

I found live streaming to be occasionally laggy, sometimes not loading at all, and even when I set the camera to Frenzy Mode, the AI postcard capture missed birds I could clearly see sitting on the feeder from my kitchen window. It’s not the most reliable feeder I’ve used, and not ideal if you want to capture every single bird and build a picture of their visiting habits; however, it does stop your feed from getting clogged with thousands of similar clips.

Despite these niggles and quirks, I really enjoy the core experience. The AI bird identification is almost perfect, the postcard collection system provides a handy highlight reel, and the solar roof means near-continuous use.

The Bird Buddy 2 is a sleek, low-maintenance smart feeder with strong app design and best-in-class solar performance. For now, it earns its spot in my garden (and believe me, I have four smart feeders on the go), though I can’t help thinking about its price and hope tighter bird detection lands in future updates.

TT Nature Smart Bird Feeder: Price and availability

• First created and released around mid-2024
• Available via Amazon US, Walmart, and Amazon UK
• $120-140 in US (approx. £75 in UK)

At around $140 (£75), the TT Nature smart bird feeder station sits at the affordable end of the best bird cameras, especially given its solid timber construction. It sits well below Netvue’s premium wooden options like the Birdfy Bamboo (~£199) and costs about the same as the plastic entry-level Birdfy Rookie (~£80), which doesn’t include a solar panel.

The feeder includes free AI species identification, and I like that it has a local MicroSD card slot (supporting up to 128GB) for storage, plus a free 3-day rolling cloud buffer. Not hugely generous, but enough for a freebie. Unlike rivals that lock some features under a premium membership, you don’t have to budget for recurring monthly fees here.

Availability is primarily via Amazon in both the US and UK, or directly from TT Nature in the US. The package includes the wooden feeder housing, 1080p camera module, mounting hardware, and an external 3W solar panel. Considering the full package, I think TT Nature delivers good upfront value for birdwatchers who want a complete, low-maintenance setup on a sensible budget.

Software is as important as hardware, though. I found its accompanying app lags behind Birdfy and Bird Buddy in terms of enjoyment and features, and I’d still consider paying a bit more for them.

TT Nature Smart Bird Feeder camera: Specs

Feature

Specification

Sensor

1/2.7" CMOS

Photo quality

12MP - 1080p snapshot capture with 130-degree FOV

Video quality

1080p HD @ 30fps

Memory

MicroSD slot (up to 128GB) + Cloud storage options

Dimensions

185 x 198 x 270 mm (7.3 x 7.8 x 10.6")

Weight

0.95 kg (2.1 lbs)

Seed capacity

1.5 Litres (~6.3 Cups)

Weather resistance

IP65 Certified

Battery

5200 mAh rechargeable battery with an external 3W Solar Panel included

Connectivity

2.4 GHz Wi-Fi

TT Nature Smart Bird Feeder camera: Design

• Rustic wooden build with a black metal roof
• Mounting kit included for trees, walls, or poles
• Separate wired solar panel for charging

The TT Nature feeder, made from FSC-certified natural timber housing, immediately sets the kind of traditional, garden-friendly tone that I like over a plastic model. On its website, the brand sells two roof options, but the dark metal roof on my version feels sturdy and well-built. The packaging is neat and secure, though I found it a shame that TT Nature uses single-use plastic wrapping for some elements instead of easily recyclable cardboard—a missed opportunity for a nature-friendly product.

Assembly takes less than ten minutes and is intuitive enough that you likely won't need the instruction manual. You simply pop the perching ledge onto the front, lift the hinged wooden flap to slide in the camera module, and tilt up the roof to pour in your seed mix.

Initially, the physical assembly took about ten minutes. There are clear instructions included in the box, but I didn't find I needed them because it was all intuitive. You slot the metal perching ledge into pre-drilled holes at the end of the wooden feeding area, pull down the branded wooden flap at the front to slot the camera module in, and tilt up the roof when you want to add seed. The camera sits loosely in its designated space rather than clipping or mounting in, which is surprisingly secure even if it feels a little unanchored at first.

Lauren ScottLauren ScottLauren Scott

Though putting together the wooden unit was easy, I struggled for a while to get the camera to pair with TT Nature's accompanying app over Wi-Fi. It took me about an hour of troubleshooting to get the camera connected, as it wouldn’t find the camera automatically during scanning and I had to switch over to manual setup.

Even then, I had to temporarily set my Virgin Media home router to broadcast on a 2.4GHz network only—a step I’ve never had to take with any of the other smart feeders I’ve tested. Luckily, now that the initial connection has been established, I‘ve been able to switch my router back to a dual 2.4GHz/5GHz band without any ongoing drops.

Even with some premium smart feeders, wall or fence mounting brackets are sold as extra accessories. The TT Nature feeder has mounting options for trees, poles, walls, and fences included, and I opted to mount the feeder directly onto my garden fence panel with the supplied screws.

Once these were drilled in—made much easier thanks to an included mounting template—the feeder sat firmly on its plate with no wobbling. I do appreciate the sturdy, locked-in feel this gives you, but note that it’s far less flexible to reposition the feeder on a whim when compared to hanging designs like the Bird Buddy 2.

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

I found out (the fiddly way) that it’s better to mount the wooden feeder to your fence or post first, pair the camera to your phone app second, and then slide the camera module into its front slot. You’ll also need to thread the solar panel cable through a small access hole in the back of the wooden housing to connect it to the camera.

The solar panel can be mounted separately nearby, but to save drilling extra holes into my garden fence, for now I’ve chosen to rest it directly on top of the feeder’s metal roof for easy adjusting. The white trailing wires from the panel aren't the prettiest to look at, and I prefer a feeder with flush solar panels integrated directly into the roof design, but you can easily tuck the excess cable behind the wooden housing to tidy things up.

Filling the 1.5-litre hopper is quick and easy, though I found seed doesn't always flow freely down to the perch and needs some encouragement—either a nudge with your fingers or a gentle shake of the housing. There are drainage holes built into the feeding perch to allow water drainage, but these are wide enough to let smaller seeds fall straight through to the ground, which feels wasteful when you’ve bought premium bird food mix.

TT Nature Smart Bird Feeder camera: Performance

• Clear 1080p video in dry conditions and direct sun
• Consistent motion detection but a recording lag
• The app is functional, with AI species ID paywalled

It took only a few days for the local birds to grow bold enough to land on the TT Nature feeder in my garden, and soon after, my phone started pinging with initial motion alerts. Whenever I’m first testing out a new bird cameras, I also like to do a bit of an observation check out of my kitchen window to see how real-time landings translates to app notifications. More advanced software can take a few days to calibrate, but the motion sensors triggered reliably for almost every visitor I spotted.

That said, playing the clips back revealed a particularly frustrating flaw: the camera often triggers a fraction of a second too slowly. For particularly short visits, by the time the recording had started, the bird had often already flown off. Videos are capped at a fixed 20-second duration with no option in the app to adjust clip length. By default, the motion sensitivity is set to Medium (the other options being low or high); I bumped this up to High in the hope of catching birds as they first approached, but it didn’t make a noticeable difference to the trigger lag.

The camera settings are rudimentary overall, though Iappreciate that you can filter notifications to alert you to animal visitors only. This stopped my phone from pinging me every time I took out some washing or my dog sniffed past. Of course, you can leave it set to all motion if you want—at its core, this is essentially a standard security camera housed inside a wooden birdhouse.

In terms of video quality, the camera definitely needs even lighting and a dry day to perform at its best, a slight drawback when your feeder is at its busiest during the early hours. On several damp autumn mornings, the glass lens completely fogged up with condensation, making visiting birds look like blurs. There’s also no automatic white balance or HDR tone-mapping at play (I don’t know how exposure works on other cameras, but the Bird Buddy has often seemed to compensate); birds sitting in deep morning shade can also look quite dark and hard to make out.

When the weather is fair, however, the optical performance is more charming. The lens offers a crisp, fixed focal plane right on the front perch, paired with a natural, shallow depth of field that softens the garden background nicely. I also like how wide the field of view is, allowing you to watch where birds fly in from and trace their exit paths after a feed. Video playback is generally clear, if occasionally a bit juddery during fast wing-flaps.

Lauren ScottLauren ScottLauren Scott

The accompanying PerchLens app is where the TT Nature camera feels most in tune with its entry-level price. Unlike the slick, fun ecosystems of Birdfy or Bird Buddy—which feature near-flawless AI identification out of the box—the software experience here is basic.

Without paying for an optional monthly subscription (£6.10/month, processed painstakingly via PayPal or bank transfer), you don't get any automatic AI species tagging, and incoming sightings are simply labelled as "bird".

TT Nature doesn't push the camera as a heavy AI play, and personally, I don't mind manually spotting the birds coming and going since I recognise common local garden species anyway. But I think if your goal is to automatically curate a digital log, track species frequency and behaviour, or build up a solid collection of identified visitors, the app simply isn’t advanced enough for that. The camera also doesn't automatically generate shareable photo cards like the Bird Buddy 2, and if you want stills, your best bet is capturing a manual screenshot while watching the 1080p live stream.

Should you buy the TT Nature Smart Bird Feeder camera?Buy it if...

You want a natural-looking design

Constructed from FSC-certified natural timber with a weather-resistant metal roof, the wooden TT Nature looks like a traditional garden birdhouse rather than a plastic security cam. It blended well into my garden, though mounting the solar panel is extra faff.

You want a no-subscription storage option

The TT Nature includes a physical MicroSD card slot (up to 128GB) and a free 3-day cloud loop, meaning you can save and download 1080p footage (if you're quick) without recurring costs.

Don't buy it if...

You want a large-capacity seed tray

With a 1.5-litre capacity, I'd say this feeder is on the smaller side for big or busy gardens. If you have high bird traffic or frequent squirrel visits, you might have to refill the seed tray every few days compared to larger 3L+ feeders.

You want an all-in-one solar roof

The camera's 3W solar panel is connected via a wire rather than being a seamless, flush panel built into the roof. If you want a clean, single-piece feeder, this setup feels a bit more modular and requires extra consideration.

Also consider

Bird Buddy Pro (with solar roof)

If you don't want to maintain the TT Nature's wooden exterior and prefer an easier-to-clean, modern design, the Bird Buddy Pro is a premium alternative. Its solar roof is integrated, and the companion app curates daily Postcard highlight reels instead of sending constant motion alerts.

Read our Bird Buddy Pro reviewView Deal

Birdfy Bamboo

If you like the naturalistic look of the TT Nature wooden camera but want something a little bigger, Netvue's Birdfy Bamboo gives you almost double the seed capacity. It's sustainably made and looks just as integrated in a traditional garden setting. The product is more expensive, but it offers better build quality.

Read our Netvue Birdfy Bamboo reviewView Deal

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)How I tested the TT Nature Smart Bird Feeder camera

• Tested for several weeks in a UK garden in October
• Mounted using the included hanging hardware
• Connected to an iPhone 15 Pro running the PerchLens app

I tested the TT Nature Bird Feeder Station in my garden for two weeks, after mounting it securely onto my fence using the metal plate and screws included in the box. I powered up the camera using the wired external 3W solar panel balanced on the feeder's roof.

I connected the camera to my iPhone 15 Pro via TT Nature's app, PerchLens, so I could see how effective the Wi-Fi pairing process and motion alert notifications were. I spent time navigating the app and reading the FAQs to see what the camera's support and community were like.

I mostly followed RSPB guidance on feeding birds and left small amounts of mealworms in the base of the feeder, adding a few seeds close to the end of October. I took the camera inside once during the testing period to refill it and wipe it down, as I wanted to gauge how easy it would be to clean.

First reviewed October 2026

You’ve spent hours on a quote for a new client. The numbers are right, the work is solid, and you hit send. Then you notice the address it went from, a personal Gmail account you set up years ago.

It may not bother the client, but a business email address can help your company look more established from the very first interaction. That’s where DreamHost Professional Email comes in. It lets you use your own domain for business email, with 25GB of storage per mailbox, ad-free webmail and spam filtering. You can also check your messages through apps like Apple Mail, Outlook and Thunderbird.

And there’s no need to move your website to get started. If your domain is registered with another provider, you can keep it there and connect it to DreamHost for email. That makes it easier to give your business a more professional email address without changing how your website works.

So is it enough for a small business? Here’s what you get, what it costs and where it falls short.

DreamHost email: Plans and pricing

(Image credit: DreamHost)

DreamHost has a separate email hosting plan that you can pay for month-to-month or annually. The monthly plan is $1.99 per mailbox and includes 25GB of storage, ad-free webmail, and mobile and desktop syncing. Pricing starts at $1.67 per mailbox per month (billed yearly) saving 16% over billed monthly. Both options have the same features.

If you’re looking for a more comprehensive hosting package, think about email, and make sure your plan supports it before you buy a standalone mailbox. DreamHost’s web hosting plans – Launch, Growth and Scale – each come with 20, 40 and 60 email mailboxes respectively for the first three months. Once the trial period is over, your account is automatically subscribed to a paid email plan to keep the service running.

DreamHost email: Features

(Image credit: DreamHost)

DreamHost’s Professional Email keeps things simple. It focuses on the basics a small business needs from an inbox, rather than trying to be a full office suite.

Email organization and automatic filters

Drag messages into folders and set up automatic delivery filters so incoming mail is sorted to where it belongs without having to sort it out by hand! “Use this to keep client conversations, ongoing projects, and invoices and receipts separate,” says DreamHost.

That means less time sifting through one overstuffed inbox when you need to locate a contract or a payment confirmation for a small business.

Custom email aliases

DreamHost lets you create custom email aliases to help manage incoming messages. This gives you more flexibility in how you organise business correspondence, making it easier to handle different types of enquiries.

Ad-free webmail

You can read and send email from a web browser, without installing another app. The webmail is ad-free, so your inbox shows only your conversations, with no sponsored messages or banners mixed in.

This is handy when you’re working on a shared or borrowed computer, or just need to check something quickly.

Email syncing across devices

DreamHost supports IMAP, so you can sync your mailbox with compatible email apps such as Apple Mail, Outlook, and Thunderbird. These apps sync messages and read status across devices. Sent messages and other folders are also synchronized if both apps are configured to use the same server folders.

25GB of storage per mailbox

Each mailbox comes with 25GB of storage for messages and attachments. If your team grows, you can add more paid mailboxes, and each new one gets its own 25GB.

Built-in spam filtering

Every mailbox includes inbound filtering that helps catch spam, viruses and phishing messages before they reach you. DreamHost says the filtering updates automatically as new threats appear, and it’s included with your mailbox, so there’s no separate add-on to buy.

You can also review your spam folder and adjust your filters if useful mail gets caught. DreamHost is upfront that no filter catches every threat, so it’s still worth being careful with unfamiliar links and attachments.

DreamHost email: Support

(Image credit: DreamHost)

Drag messages into folders and set up automatic delivery filters so incoming mail is sorted to where it belongs without having to sort it out by hand! “Use this to keep client conversations, ongoing projects, and invoices and receipts separate,” says DreamHost.

That means less time sifting through one overstuffed inbox when you need to locate a contract or a payment confirmation for a small business.

DreamHost also provides a full knowledge base if you’d rather try to solve an issue on your own. It includes services like web hosting, WordPress and databases and email.

The knowledge base provides guides on creating an account, setting up your email applications, backing up messages, troubleshooting common issues and managing spam filters for email hosting in particular. You can also find an email FAQ page that covers topics such as account access, DNS settings, storage limits, and email migration.

DreamHost email: Security

DreamHost’s Professional Email includes built-in filtering to help keep spam, viruses and phishing emails out of your inbox. The filters update automatically, and you don’t need to pay extra to use them.

No filter catches everything, though, so it’s still worth being careful with unfamiliar links and attachments. If a genuine email lands in your spam folder, you can review it and adjust your filters as needed.

DreamHost also includes free Domain Privacy Protection for eligible domains registered through the company. This domain registration benefit helps keep your personal contact information out of public domain records while you own the domain. It doesn’t protect the contents of emails, and it’s not automatic when you use DreamHost’s email service with an externally registered domain.

DreamHost email: The competition

DreamHost offers a straightforward email hosting service, but it also gives customers the option to use Google Workspace instead. One useful advantage is that you don’t need to move your website or domain to DreamHost to use its email service. You can keep your domain with your current provider and connect its email settings to DreamHost.

For those who need more than a business inbox, DreamHost also offers Google Workspace as a separate service. This gives teams access to Gmail alongside Google’s productivity and collaboration tools. DreamHost can help with the setup and domain connection, making it an alternative for businesses that prefer Google’s email and workplace tools.

DreamHost email: Final verdict

DreamHost is a solid option for businesses that need a professional email address without the extra tools of a full office suite. It includes the essentials, such as 25GB of storage per mailbox, ad-free webmail, syncing across compatible email apps and built-in spam filtering. You can also use it without moving your domain or website to DreamHost.

If you need Gmail alongside shared documents and video meetings, DreamHost offers Google Workspace as a separate service. Overall, DreamHost is worth considering if you want straightforward business email, though businesses looking for a broader set of collaboration tools may prefer Google Workspace.

DreamHost email: FAQsHow much does DreamHost email cost per month?

DreamHost Professional Email starts at $1.99 per mailbox per month with monthly billing. If you pay annually, the equivalent price is $1.67 per mailbox per month, saving 16%. Both plans include 25GB of storage per mailbox, ad-free webmail, email syncing and spam filtering.

What is the cheapest email hosting?

The cheapest option depends on whether you need a free personal email account or a business email address using your own domain. DreamHost offers business email from $1.67 per mailbox per month with annual billing, but its official page alone does not establish whether it is the cheapest provider overall.

Which email provider is the best in 2026?

There is no single best email hosting provider for everyone. The right choice depends on your budget, security needs, storage requirements and whether you need tools for collaboration. A reliable recommendation would require comparing current plans and features from several providers.

Is it worth hosting your own email server?

Hosting your own email server can give you more control over your data and settings, but it also means managing security, spam filtering, software updates and email delivery. For most small businesses, a managed email hosting service is simpler because the provider handles much of that technical work.

What is the safest free email to have?

There is no email provider that is safest for everyone. Look for strong account protection, two-factor authentication, encryption and clear privacy policies. Your own habits matter, too. Use a unique password, enable two-factor authentication and be cautious with suspicious links and attachments.

Why are people moving away from Gmail?

Some people explore alternatives to Gmail because of privacy concerns, advertising, their preferred email features or a desire to use a different provider. Others switch to a custom business email address to present a more professional image. However, the reasons vary, and I would need approved sources to establish whether people are moving away from Gmail in significant numbers.

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For a quick run through what Bluehost is like to use check out our article One hour with Bluehost.

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Bluehost: Pricing & plans

Bluehost offers quality WordPress plans with some powerful extras (Image credit: Future)

Bluehost provides some of the best website hosting in the shape of shared, VPS hosting, cloud, and dedicated hosting plans. These plans are good for everything from blogs to ecommerce sites of all sizes.

The shared plans come in four flavours: Starter, Business, eCommerce Essentials, and eCommerce Essentials Premium. You'll find yourself directed to these plans if you click through from WordPress Hosting, WooCommerce, and Web Hosting. The only difference is that if you click through from WooCommerce you'll only be offered eCommerce Essentials, and eCommerce Essentials Premium.

The shared plans are ideal for up to 400K visits but those figures are based on the average site and don't specify a performance level for the sites. You should consider the number an estimate and safety net. If your site gets a lot of visitors, you'll likely need to use one of the VPS, cloud, or dedicated plans.

The VPS plans come in three flavours: Standard NVMe 4, Enhanced NVMe 8, and Ultimate NVMe 16. Plus, a bonus custom flavour. The number in the name corresponds to the amount of RAM you get with each plan. You get a 1:2 ratio of CPU cores to gigabytes of RAM. As for site visits, you're on your own here when it comes to estimated levels but support will help you make the choice on which one is best for you.

The cloud plans also come in three flavours: Cloud 10, Cloud 25, and Cloud 50. Plus, the additional custom plan. The number in this name corresponds to how many sites each plan supports. The cloud plans are ideal for 300K - 23 million site visits a month.

It's the same pattern with dedicated hosting plans: Standard NVMe 32, Enhanced NVMe 64, and Premium NVMe 128...and the custom plan. These plans have a CPU core to RAM ratio of 1:4.

Bluehost shared & WordPress hosting

(Image credit: Bluehost // Future)

Starter costs $3.99 a month on a 36-month term and renews at $9.99. It supports 10 websites, 10GB of NVMe storage, and an advertised 40,000 monthly visits. Business is $6.99, renewing at $13.99, with 50 websites, 50GB, and an estimated 200,000 visits. eCommerce Essentials costs $14.99, renewing at $21.99, with 100 websites, 100GB, and an estimated 400,000 visits. These are monthly equivalents, not monthly payments: Bluehost's terms say the full selected term is charged in advance.

All three include a free domain for the first year, SSL, CDN, managed WordPress updates, migration, staging, SSH and WP-CLI, caching, malware scanning and removal, a web application firewall, DDoS protection, and weekly backups. Starter has chat but no phone support.

Business adds phone support, first-year domain privacy, and AI-powered malware detection and removal. eCommerce Essentials adds WooCommerce and selling tools. I like that staging, caching, and weekly backups are included even with Starter, although professional email is only a one-month trial and then renews at $2.99 a month.

The advertised visit limits compare plans rather than guarantee performance: a brochure site and a plugin-heavy store can consume very different resources at the same traffic level.

Bluehost VPS, cloud, and dedicated hosting

(Image credit: Bluehost // Future)

Bluehost's self-managed VPS range is the biggest change. NVMe 2 starts at $4.69 a month for 24 months and renews at $5.69, with one vCPU, 2GB of RAM, and 50GB of storage. NVMe 4 costs $9.49 and renews at $11.99, with two cores, 4GB, and 100GB. The 8GB and 16GB plans start at $12.99 and $25.99, then renew at $28.99 and $49.99. All include root access and unmetered bandwidth, but buyers administer the server.

Managed VPS starts at $49.99 a month on a 36-month term and renews at $68.99. Its entry specification matches NVMe 4 but adds cPanel, management, and two dedicated IP addresses. I would only pay that large premium if I genuinely needed Bluehost to maintain the environment.

Cloud is much more expensive. Cloud 10 is $65 a month on a 36-month term, with 10 sites, 125GB of storage, 20 vCPU threads, edge caching, real-time backups, priority support, and a 100% data-center-network SLA. Dedicated hosting begins at $144.19 and renews at $191.79, with eight cores, 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and three IPs.

Bluehost: In use

Bluehost website builder dashboard (Image credit: Future)

Bluehost's Portal handles most everyday hosting tasks, while cPanel remains available for managing websites, databases, FTP accounts, and other technical settings. Bluehost Cloud is the exception and does not include cPanel.

WordPress installs automatically, and the onboarding flow asks about the site's purpose and the user's experience before generating a starting design. Advanced tools remain available, but beginners do not have to confront them immediately.

The AI builder produces a usable first layout, while WonderBlocks supplies ready-made page sections. In our one-hour hands-on test, WonderBlocks was the standout: adding a prepared section was faster than wrestling with WordPress's standard block editor.

Gutenberg can still feel unintuitive, and choosing the wrong onboarding level may mean starting again, but Bluehost's guidance makes WordPress easier than on many generic hosts.

Read our full Bluehost website builder review.

A full-featured cPanel setup is stuffed with web management features (Image credit: Future)Bluehost: Speed

Bluehost's uptime (Image credit: Future)

Our shared-hosting test used a basic plan with a small WooCommerce store. The WordPress Benchmark plugin returned an overall server score of 7.9, with particularly strong filesystem, database, and network results. Persistent object caching scored zero in that test. Bluehost now lists object caching with Starter, so the result records the earlier configuration rather than the current advertised feature set.

Siege testing simulated 5, 9, and 15 concurrent visitors. Availability remained above 95% at each level, while average response time rose from 0.41 seconds to 2.61 seconds at the highest load. This was adequate for a modest site and supported the 7.9 benchmark result. These results apply specifically to the shared plan.

Bluehost now advertises a 99.99% uptime SLA for shared hosting. If measured uptime falls below that level, customers can claim a single 5% monthly credit within 30 days. Cloud plans carry a separate 100% data-center-network SLA, with a 5% credit for every 30 minutes of qualifying downtime, up to the affected server's monthly fee. Those commitments are a material improvement, as shared hosting had no formal uptime guarantee when we last reviewed it.

WordPress benchmark testing

CPU & Memory

Operations with large text data

8.8

Random binary data operations

5.14

Recursive mathematical calculations

6.13

Iterative mathematical calculations

7.2

Filesystem

Filesystem write ability

8.82

Local file copy and access speed

9.36

Small file IO test

10

Database

Importing large amount of data to database

8.68

Simple queries on single table

10

Complex database queries on multiple tables

7.7

Object Cache

Persistent object cache enabled

0

Network

Network download speed test

10

Overall

Your server score

7.9

Siege test

Concurrent users

5

9

15

Transactions

1086

2110

1473

availability

95.6

96.7

95.71

elapsed time

299.22

299.87

299.11

Data transactions

13.96

25.95

19.45

response time

0.41

1.17

2.61

Transaction rate

3.36

7.04

4.92

throughput

0.05

0.09

0.07

concurrency

1.49

8.22

12.87

sucesful transactions

1086

2110

1473

failed transactions

50

72

66

longest transaction

19.77

19.93

20.21

shortest transaction

0.11

0.11

0.1

Bluehost: Support

Support remains available around the clock, but the channel depends on the plan. Starter includes live chat only, while Business, ecommerce, managed VPS, and other higher tiers include phone support. Bluehost provides US and international phone numbers, and its support and knowledge-base material is primarily in English.

I contacted Bluehost's pre-sales chat to check the current backup policy. After around five minutes, an agent confirmed that weekly backups are included with all shared plans at no additional cost. I would call that a solid rather than exceptional response time, but the answer itself was direct and useful.

In our hands-on testing, support responded clearly when the WordPress onboarding level could not be changed, saving time looking for a non-existent setting. WordPress Academy and the knowledge base are also useful for beginners.

Bluehost: Final verdict

Bluehost makes a stronger case than in 2025. Shared hosting has gained an SLA, weekly backups, and object caching, while self-managed VPS is genuinely inexpensive. The main reason to choose it remains the beginner experience: guided setup, AI assistance, WonderBlocks, WordPress Academy, and a clean dashboard form a coherent path to a functioning site.

Three-year upfront billing weakens the headline prices, renewals rise, email becomes another subscription, and weekly backups trail competitors with daily schedules. I think Bluehost still deserves its best-for-WordPress-beginners position, and I would recommend it most confidently to someone building a first WordPress site who values guidance over the absolute lowest long-term price.

Experienced users should compare the self-managed VPS range, while high-traffic businesses should weigh Bluehost Cloud against specialist managed WordPress providers.

Bluehost FAQsIs Bluehost good for beginners?

Yes, particularly for people who want to learn WordPress rather than avoid it. Automated installation, guided onboarding, an AI-assisted starting design, WonderBlocks, staging, and WordPress Academy reduce the initial learning curve. Our current best WordPress hosting guide names Bluehost its best WordPress host for beginners, although the WordPress editor itself can still take time to master.

Does Bluehost have an uptime guarantee?

Yes. Shared hosting now has a 99.99% SLA, with a single 5% monthly credit available when qualifying uptime falls below the threshold. Cloud hosting has a separate 100% data-center-network SLA and a different credit schedule.

Where are Bluehost's data centers located?

Bluehost now says its global data-center range covers North America, South America, Europe, and Asia, and that customers can select a preferred location during checkout. This replaces the older arrangement described in the live review, where bluehost.com customers were automatically placed in the US.

Does Bluehost offer refunds?

Eligible hosting purchases carry a 30-day money-back guarantee. Most add-ons are excluded, and if a plan includes a free domain, Bluehost deducts a non-refundable domain fee when the customer keeps it. No refunds are offered after 30 days.

What is my Bluehost IP address?

Finding your website server's IP address can be handy, especially if you need to point a domain hosted elsewhere to your website.

There's no single way to manage this on Bluehost - it depends on your product and control panel - but if your plan has access to cPanel, it only takes a moment.

Log into your Bluehost account dashboard (my.bluehost.com).

Click Advanced in the left-hand sidebar.

Browse the General Information box on the right. The server IP address is displayed as 'Shared IP address.' (If you don't see a General Information box, look for and click a Server Information link).

What are Bluehost's nameservers?

Bluehost's nameservers are:

ns1.bluehost.com 162.88.60.37
ns2.bluehost.com 162.88.61.37

If you need more help, the support site has several useful articles on nameservers and DNS

How do I cancel Bluehost?

Bluehost customers can disable automatic renewal in the Renewal Center. For terms of three months or longer, payment is taken 15 days before the term ends, so users must opt out at least 16 days before expiry to avoid the charge.

Check out the latest Bluehost promo codes.

When a competitor appears in an AI answer and your brand doesn't, the obvious reaction is to publish more content. But that skips the useful questions like:

Which answer?

What was the person asking?

And did the assistant reference your competitor's website, an independent review, or neither?

Those questions shaped this review. To test the platform, I compared Saily eSIM with two of its close competitors, Airalo and Holafly. The aim was to find something worth investigating and see whether the Brand Radar data holds up to the hype.

My hands-on work focused on its existing AI Visibility Index, moving from combined-platform reports to ChatGPT-specific checks using recent data. Here’s how it went.

Ahrefs Brand Radar: Plans and pricing

First, separate the two purchases. The AI Visibility Index lets you search data Ahrefs has already collected, and the Custom Prompts run the questions you choose from the point you set up tracking. Now, Brand Radar is sold separately, so you don't need to buy the wider Ahrefs SEO suite first.

Ahrefs pricing breaks the options down as follows. These are monthly US-dollar prices, accurate as of October 15, 2026.

Purchase

Monthly price

What it covers

One AI index

$199

Existing data for one AI platform

All AI indexes

$699

All available AI indexes and 2,500 custom checks

Custom Prompts: Basic

$50

2,500 additional monthly checks

Custom Prompts: Growth

$100

7,000 additional monthly checks

Custom Prompts: Scale

$250

25,000 additional monthly checks

Lite, Standard, and Advanced subscribers already receive 150, 300, and 600 custom checks per month, respectively. That gives existing customers a small starting allowance without buying index access.

The catch is that checks aren't interchangeable with prompts. Each platform, location, and scheduled run consumes allowance. At the standard one-check rate, 20 prompts checked daily across three platforms and two countries use 3,600 checks over 30 days. By the way, Claude consumes eight checks per execution, so its allowance disappears faster.

For an agency researching different brands every week, the index has a clear purpose. But for a small, growing business following ten buying questions, paying for the entire archive before using those smaller allowances feels premature to me.

Ahrefs Brand Radar: Features and specsAI Visibility Index

I entered Saily, an eSIM provider, along with its competitors (Airalo and Holafly), and opened the overview.

Mentions, citations, estimated impressions, and AI Share of Voice sit together, with platform comparisons underneath. The index already includes historical data to explore, which is what makes it attractive. That means you can investigate a competitor before deciding which questions deserve ongoing tracking.

My starting point was a comparison of Saily, Airalo, and Holafly across the selected AI platforms. (Image credit: Ahrefs) (Image credit: Ahrefs)

Saily's smaller mention footprint gave the investigation a direction. Scrolling down brought its own performance history and associated topics into view, making it easier to move from a broad comparison to a specific question.

Performance trends and topic breakdowns help narrow a broad brand comparison. (Image credit: Ahrefs) (Image credit: Ahrefs)

You still need to understand the sample here. Ahrefs' methodology combines search-informed questions, including Google's People Also Ask, with semantic expansion. These aren't private conversations gathered from ChatGPT users. Its newer AI-adjusted volume applies platform-specific usage estimates to a parent keyword's Google search volume.

I prefer that qualification to treating Google demand as AI demand, but it remains a model. A rising line isn't proof that more customers saw your brand, and dataset changes can affect comparisons. AI Share of Voice also depends on the brands and filters you selected.

Competitor gap analysis

The comparison became more useful when I isolated ChatGPT answers mentioning competitors but excluding Saily. This turns an intimidating report into a reading list. You can investigate the questions behind the gap instead of guessing what another brand is doing right.

This filtered ChatGPT view excludes Saily. Its zero line reflects the selection, not Saily's overall visibility. (Image credit: Ahrefs) (Image credit: Ahrefs)

Opening “What's the best eSIM in the UK?” revealed a stored response dated October 9. Brand Radar's tracked-brand panel listed Airalo and Holafly, with no Saily. The question also mixed domestic mobile service with travel data, a useful reminder that apparently relevant prompts can cover different needs.

The individual response separates tracked-brand mentions from cited and uncited sources. (Image credit: Ahrefs) (Image credit: Ahrefs)

That response exposed some friction too. Parts of the answer displayed raw markup, which made it harder to read. The sidebar reported no citations while listing pages under “Found but not cited.” Keeping those categories separate was helpful, even if the presentation needed tidying.

This is where your judgment matters. A missing brand is worth investigating when the question fits its product. It isn't automatically an instruction to write an article, and a brand mention doesn't necessarily amount to a recommendation.

AI citation analysis

The Cited pages report was the natural next stop. Its page-type view groups results into formats such as articles, landing pages, and reviews. That gives you a starting hypothesis about the material appearing around your category before you inspect individual URLs.

Page-type groupings provide a starting point for investigating the source material. (Image credit: Ahrefs) (Image credit: Ahrefs)

Switching to individual pages made the distinction between discovery and citation much clearer. “Found in” includes pages retrieved while producing an answer. “Cited in” records answers that actually cite the page. A source can appear frequently in the first column without receiving much visible credit in the second.

Individual URLs expose the difference between pages retrieved and pages cited in this filtered comparison. (Image credit: Ahrefs) (Image credit: Ahrefs)

TechRadar's own best eSIMs guide appeared alongside review website listings and provider-owned pages. More interestingly, the guide's “Mentions on page” indicators included Saily even though this investigation had excluded Saily from the AI answers. A roundup can mention your product without an assistant carrying that mention into its response.

That is a better research lead than a score alone. You can inspect the source's coverage and ask what information an answer used or omitted. However, “Other” wasn't a ready-made outreach list because Holafly-owned URLs were present too. So, always check actual domains and your brand setup before treating a result as independent coverage. Not to forget, getting included on a cited page also doesn't guarantee a future AI recommendation.

Brand sentiment analysis

Ahrefs initially described sentiment analysis as a work in progress, but a native Sentiment report was available in my review account. In simple terms, this report adds a useful second question to the comparison, i.e., when AI mentions a brand, how does it describe it?

The Sentiment report adds a view of how the selected brands are described. (Image credit: Ahrefs) (Image credit: Ahrefs)

Saily's lower mention volume sat alongside a higher positive-response share than the two competitors. I found that contrast useful because, in my opinion, being discussed less often and being described less favorably are different problems. The former might prompt discovery research, while the latter calls for examining what the answers say.

I didn't independently audit the classifications, so this isn't a verdict on sentiment accuracy or customer satisfaction. So, use the report to identify answers worth reading, then check their wording.

Custom prompt tracking

The existing index is convenient until the question you care about isn't there. Custom Prompts let you add it, choose platforms and locations, organize questions with tags, and schedule daily, weekly, or monthly checks. Its history starts with collection, not arriving pre-populated.

For ChatGPT and Perplexity, Brand Radar also exposes Fan-out queries (extra searches an assistant generates while working through a prompt). They suggest useful supporting topics, although Ahrefs only shows the queries returned with the response, not necessarily every search the model ran.

The public indexes cover ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, Google AI Overviews, and AI Mode. However, platform coverage needs a closer look than a row of logos. Plus, Claude is available for Custom Prompts rather than in the public index. Grok collection is paused, with historical data retained. Such distinctions are pretty vital in case either platform is central to your audience.

AI research tools

Brand Radar also offers search-demand and web-visibility reports. YouTube research covers titles, descriptions, and transcripts, while Reddit visibility focuses on threads appearing in Google results. TikTok has its own beta report.

These surrounding reports have separate Ahrefs-plan and beta conditions, so don't assume an index purchase includes every sidebar item. I see these as ways to investigate surrounding coverage, not proof that every mention influences an AI answer.

There is more assistance than the old “research only” description suggests. “Ask Ahrefs” is built into the interface, and the agent previously called Agent A now lives under Letaido, which offers additional analysis and automation.

Is Ahrefs Brand Radar worth it?

The strongest reason to buy Brand Radar is the ability to move between a competitive overview, an individual answer, and its source material. My eSIM investigation showed why that matters. Having lower visibility, positive sentiment, source-page mentions, and actual AI recommendations can tell different stories.

For agencies and in-house teams investigating several competitors, that depth can justify paying for research access. Entity matching, which distinguishes a company from unrelated uses of its name, is another useful safeguard when your brand isn't as distinctive as Saily.

For a small business with a short list of questions, the smaller Custom Prompts allowance or a limited manual check is a more proportionate start. The expensive part shouldn't arrive before you have a plan for using the findings.

I came away with useful leads and a clearer understanding of their limits. Brand Radar makes the evidence easier to inspect. Whether that evidence becomes better content, corrected information, or relevant coverage still depends on what you do next.

FAQsWhat does Ahrefs Brand Radar do?

Ahrefs Brand Radar researches brand mentions, citations, and estimated visibility across supported AI platforms. You can compare competitors, inspect stored answers and source pages, or set up tracking for questions you choose.

Is Brand Radar included in an Ahrefs subscription?

Brand Radar is included in Ahrefs Lite and higher plans with a limited Custom Prompts allowance. If you want full AI Visibility Index access, then that’s a separate purchase. Keep in mind, an included tracking allowance doesn't give you unrestricted access to the existing index.

What is the difference between the index and Custom Prompts?

The index is an existing research database that you can search immediately. Custom Prompts collects answers to your selected questions on a schedule, with tracking history building from setup onward.

Does Brand Radar track Claude and Grok?

Claude is available for Custom Prompts and uses eight checks per execution. However, it isn't part of the public AI Visibility Index. The new Grok collection is currently paused, although historical results remain available.

Does AI Share of Voice measure traffic?

No. It compares a brand's share of modeled impressions with the other tracked brands. It isn't a count of visits, clicks, or conversions. Keep referral and conversion reporting separate when evaluating commercial results.

Can a brand be mentioned without its website being cited?

Yes. An answer can name a brand without linking to its website. It can also cite a third-party page that discusses several brands. Check the answer's wording rather than assuming every source-page mention reached the reader.

How often does Brand Radar update its data?

Ahrefs describes monthly chatbot question-set refreshes using a 90-day reporting window. Google's AI search indexes follow different refresh cycles. Custom Prompts has its own daily, weekly, or monthly schedule, so a daily chart doesn't mean every archived answer was refreshed that day.

Which prompts should an SEO team track first?

Start with buying decisions like comparisons, pricing, suitability, alternatives, and specific customer requirements. Include unbranded questions as well as questions naming your business. Keep the set small enough that someone can review and act on it.

Will Brand Radar improve my AI citations automatically?

The reports identify evidence and opportunities, not guaranteed improvements. You still need to decide what to correct, publish, or pursue. Connected automation can assist with work, but this review didn't test a resulting citation uplift.

Is Brand Radar worth it for a small business?

Potentially, but start with the workload. A few recurring questions rarely justify the full index on their own. Broader access becomes more persuasive when you regularly investigate new topics, competitors, and cited sources.

Rather than a review, this is a ‘hands-on’ since the HomeAgent hardware isn't in retail channels yet.

So much has happened since it's difficult to comprehend that Ugreen only sold its first NAS in 2021 exclusively in China, but its global retail products only arrived in 2024.

Since the initial five NASync models, we’ve seen the incredible iDX6011, HD products, GT series updates for the DXP machines, Pro series additions, and a new DXP8800 Ultra that I covered recently.

Now, alongside those thirteen NAS devices, Ugreen has taken another branch and created the HomeAgent series. It combines some of the development path of the UGOS Pro, a basic NAS hardware platform, with a device that’s made to create a bubble of AI away from the internet to handle a variety of agentic tasks.

Initially available only via pre-order and Kickstarter, with a retail release in early 2027, there are three models: HomeAgent HA100 reviewed here, the HA100 Pro for those who want more AI performance, and the MasterAgent MA100 that pushes local AI power to the max.

Alongside the HomeAgent devices, Ugreen has also created a collection of peripheral devices, including three AI-connected cameras, a smart speaker, and a connected colour E-Paper picture frame.

While the launch ecosystem may seem modest, Ugreen will likely expand this collection in the near future.

These systems are designed to address issues that smart home (or business) users face when technology is so fragmented. Typically, people have components from different brands, Google and Amazon, alongside peripherals made by others, and they try to bring it together using a platform like Home Assistant run on a NAS or dedicated PC.

The Ugreen HomeAgent takes all that technology and control, adds AI components that will still work even if the internet isn’t functional and distils it into an attractive white plastic box.

Instead of needing regular attention, the AI in the HomeAgent is meant to run the NAS and connected peripherals without intervention, and it can tell you if a problem is beyond its ability to address.

Asus Ascent GX10: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From $799
• When is it out? Available for pre-order, shipping in February 2027
• Where can you get it? Via Kickstarter

Ugreen has offered some amazing deals when launching NAS on Kickstarter, and this hardware is no exception.

The HA100 costs only $799 at the pre-launch early-bird price, down from a $1,599 MSRP. Conversely, the HA100 Pro is $2,699 on a $5,399 MSRP, and the MA100 is $9,999 on a $19,999 MSRP.

The Kickstarter initiates on November 17th, but Ugreen is taking reserve deposits before then, where you get a 50% discount on the HA100, HA100 Pro and MA100.

After the Kickstarter is launched, early bird pricing will be 40% off, and presumably full MSRP will be the norm after February 2027, when the Kickstarter ends.

To get those prices, you need a $50 reserve deposit for the HA100 and HA100 Pro, and a $200 deposit for the MA100. As an additional sweetener, Ugreen is bundling the SynCare ID500 Pro camera with the HA100 and HA100 Pro (MSRP $149) and four 8TB NAS drives with the MA100, which must easily be worth another $1200.

The HA100 pricing is for a NAS with only three HDD bays and 16GB of RAM. That said, it includes an AI accelerator, which makes it hard to compare to Ugreen’s DXP and iDCX series machines.

Therefore, if you are primarily looking for a NAS, then this might not be the product range for you; if you are more interested in AI, it might be.

I should also mention the high-end MA100, which I believe has four drive bays and is built around an NVIDIA accelerator. Considering it was possible a few months ago to get an NVIDIA DGX Spark system for around $3000, that does seem pricey, but it should offer similar performance.

However, the ASUS Ascent GX10 I was referring to now costs twice as much, and that’s for a machine with 128GB of RAM, whereas the MA100 has 256GB. So, at the Kickstarter price, the MA100 might be a bargain.

What I can say with some certainty is that no other NAS brand is making anything remotely like this right now, although there is some overlap with the DXG Spark platforms.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Ugreen HomeAgent HA100: Specs

Item

Spec

HomeAgent Model:

HA100

CPU:

Rockchip RK3588 (8 Cores, 4x Cortex-A76 + 4x Cortex-A55

GPU:

ARM Mali-G610 MP4

NPU:

Rockchip RK1828 (6 TOPS)
Ugreen AI Accelerator T20, RK1228, 5GB (20TOPS)

RAM:

16GB LPDDR5 (not expandable)

Internal Storage:

64GB eMMC for UGOS Pro

SATA Storage:

3x 3.5/2.5-inch SATA III (2x NAS, 1x Surveilance Drive)

M.2 Storage:

1x M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 3 x1

Ports:

1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps)

2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps)

1x HDMI 2.0b

1x SD 3.0 slot (front)

Networking:

1x 2.5GbE RJ45

4x PoE 10/100Mbps (Max power 65W)

Wireless:

Thread 1.4

ZigBee 3.0

Bluetooth 6.0

Bluetooth 5.3

OS:

UGOS Pro

File Systems:

EXT4, Btrfs

Maximum Capacity:

68TB (2x 30TB SATA) + 1x 8TB M.2)

RAID Modes:

JBOD/Basic/RAID 0/RAID 1

Microphone:

Omnidirectional 4-microphone array

Speakers:

2x 5W

PSU:

20V 9A 180W external

Power Consumption:

42.36 W (drive access), 18.12 W(drive hibernation)

Dimensions:

192 x 218 x 251mm (LxWxH)

Weight:

520g (including PSU and drives)

Warranty:

2 Years

Ugreen HomeAgent HA100: Design

• Large enclosure
• PoE switch inside
• Three HDD bays, dual-function storage

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The first thing that strikes you about the HA100 is how much bigger it is than a typical four-bay NAS, like the DXP4800 Pro or Plus.

Standing about 218mm high and 251mm deep, this is a large, shiny white box that feels substantial when you pull it from its packaging.

On the top front is a wide OLED panel, which I think is the same one that I saw on the iDX6011 Pro, but on its side. This acts as both a touch-sensitive menu and can also display various useful information.

Just above this on the left is a volume rocker, and to the right is a microphone mute, which hints that you can talk to this device, or rather the AI running on it.

The front face also has a single USB-C port and an SD card slot; the USB-C is 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps), and the SD card reader is SD 3.0 spec. And just below them is an LED that projects different colours to indicate whether there is a problem or all is well.

On the back, there are two USB-A ports, both 5Gbps, a single 2.5GbE RJ45 LAN port and a four-port PoE 10/100Mbps (Max power 65W) switch. That last feature matters for the unit's surveillance function, since you can directly connect and power PoE cameras.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Finally, we come to drive bays, and the HA100 isn’t quite like anything else Ugreen has made so far, though it has minor similarities to the DH4300 in that it’s a top loader.

The top of the HA100 is magnetically attached, making it easily removed to reveal four bays, with three for hard drives and one for an AI accelerator. These are all lockable and colour-coded. The drives have plastic tool-less cradles if you use 3.5-inch media, and screws if you insist on 2.5-inch HDDs.

But what genuinely surprised me is that two of the HDD bays are allocated to NAS storage, and one, coloured purple, is meant to hold a surveillance-tailored drive. I’ve never seen that predefined on a NAS before, but it does reveal one way that Ugreen envision the HA100 being used.

On the underside of the unit, there is also a removable panel that provides access to an M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 3 x1 slot, which can be used for caching or a high-performance drive for AI models. You are recommended to use it for the latter.

I won’t be tempted to say the HA100 breaks the NAS mould, but it certainly strays off the beaten NAS path, and in some truly interesting ways.

Ugreen HomeAgent HA100: Features

• ARM SoC
• T20 accelerator
• M.2 and PCIe slots
• No upgrade path in series

Given how many newer Ugreen NAS designs use mobile Intel platforms, it seems odd that none of the HomeAgent hardware uses them.

Even more curiously, the three machines (HA100, HA100 Pro, and MA100) all use different ARM SoCs, completely eliminating any consistency.

Of these, the Rockchip RK3588 in the HA100 is the most recognisable, since it's an Armv8.2-A platform with four each of Cortex-A76 plus and Cortex-A55 cores, much like is often found in phones or tablets.

The HA100 Pro is rocking more cores with an Armv9.2-A platform, the 12-core CIX P1 CP8180. SoC diversity is completed with the MA100 that uses a fourteen-core NVIDIA Jetson Thor T5000.

Similarly, GPU power scales by level, starting with the Arm Mali-G610 MC4 on the HA100, moving to the Arm Immortalis-G720 MC10 on the HA100 Pro, and ending with the 2,560-core NVIDIA Blackwell GPU with 5th-generation Tensor Cores on the MA100. This helps explain why MA100 hardware costs so much, but it's hardly a smooth power ramp.

When the CPU, GPU, and NPU all work on an AI task, the HA100 has an advertised total AI performance of 26 TOPS (6 TOPS platform, 20 TOPS T20 accelerator).

That’s actually not enough to run CoPilot locally on a PC, but it can still run some LLM models adequately. But the total performance of the Pro model with an as-yet-unnamed accelerator is a much more sprightly 205 TOPS, and the MA100, as you might expect, has up to 2,070 FP4 sparse TFLOPS.

So, in summary, for AI, it scales 10x and then 1000x, approximately. Those are not exactly incremental jumps.

It also makes the HA100 look decidedly underpowered, although the Kickstarter entry-level pricing does make it attractive to someone who wants to explore local AI.

What confuses me is that HA100 or HA100 Pro owners have no upgrade path, since the systems aren’t interchangeable in any way. As I assume you can’t put the accelerator from the HA100 Pro in the HA100, what was the point of having the accelerators removable? And why make the MA100 the only one with four bays?

Surely, if all the cases were the same, Ugreen could redirect production more easily than it does now?

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

I understand that part of the purpose of using Kickstarter in this instance isn’t about funding; it's about getting indicators of demand for each model. But if you’ve already made too many black four-bay MA100 cases for demand, it's too late to repurpose them for the HA100 Pro. But then Ugreen already undermined that flexibility with the three-bay designs.

And, here’s the real rub. If you get a low-profile RTX 460 video card and mount it in one of the DXP or iDX machines, then that can generate 242 TOPS of AI processing, making that NAS more powerful than the HA100 Pro. How well that would work in reality is debatable, and I’ve never tried it, but the issue is obvious if you look at the costs.

In a similar vein, the MA100 is up against DXG Spark systems. But all of those I’ve seen come with dual 10GbE LAN ports, not one and four 1GbE PoE ports. But critically, the DXG systems also have the Nvidia ConnectX-7 SmartNIC on them, which is a 200GbE network connection designed to fuse two DXG systems into a single platform.

The MA100 doesn’t have this port, I assume, and therefore, unless Ugreen releases an accelerator upgrade, moving from Blackwell to Vera Rubin when it arrives, then there isn’t an upgrade path here either.

Coming back to the HA100, the basis for my experience so far, the T20 accelerator on this machine is modest, yet it took up most of the free PCIe lanes, leaving only a single lane for the M.2 slot, once all the other ports were covered.

Given the price, I think it should have shared an architecture with the DXP4800 Pro, or better, and maybe had either dual M.2 slots, Gen 3 x4 or a single Gen4 x4 slot. Because Gen3 x1 is only 1000MB/s, and external devices on this machine can go that quickly.

I guess, based on the number of pledges they get, Ugreen will know whether the performance ramp from the HA100 to the HA100 Pro and the MA100 was right or wrong.

My feeling, and it’s a gut reaction, is that all the systems should have shared the same enclosure, the HA100 should have been more powerful, and there should have been more consideration given to a potential upgrade path, at least from the HA100 to the HA100 Pro.

Ugreen HomeAgent HA100: Software

• UGOS Pro
• Local Gwen 3.5
• Smart Home

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The hardware in this series is effectively done, and I’d be massively surprised if anything changes between the machines reviewers received and what ultimately arrives for those on Kickstarter and in later retail.

That leaves the software side of the equation, and it isn’t at the same stage of production, even if it is underpinned by the same UGOS Pro platform as all the DH, DXP, and iDX NAS Ugreen has already launched.

However, at the time of writing, my DXP8800 Plus workhorse is running UGOS Pro 1.20.0.0142 and the HomeAgent HA100 is on 1.20.0.0127 Beta.

That might not seem hugely different, but there are significant differences between the two, so much that the HomeAgent machine needs a special version of the mobile application to even be accessible.

It seems reasonable to assume that closer to retail release, all the extra functionality needed for HomeAgent will be settled into the latest general-purpose UGOS Pro release, rather than it spawning a whole new separate OS.

The biggest difference anyone who has used UGOS Pro will notice is that you can’t access this version from a web interface, although Ugreen has promised that in a future update.

Using it from the mobile app doesn’t limit what you can control, but it's nice to use the web interface when it's available.

It’s a generalisation, but the NAS side of the HomeAgent is practically identical to that in prior Ugreen NAS, where you can install apps, manage the drives and data. Obviously, in this configuration with only two data drives, you can’t configure a RAID 5 pack, but you can configure RAID 0 or 1, and you can create backups to another NAS.

The app selection is mostly the same as that on the standard NAS, with a couple of special function apps that bind the T20 accelerator into the system and an IoT Gateway that are loaded by default. What’s genuinely interesting is how some of the apps we’ve seen before on UGOS Pro now have added significance in this context.

The one that stands out most is Model Manager, since the whole AI function of this system is built around a locally run AI on this app using Docker as a subsystem. By default, the system loads the LLM Qwen 3.5 4B.

This 4B model is a sensible fit for this hardware, as being quantised, it occupies only a few gigabytes, which leaves plenty of the 16GB for the operating system and camera analysis running alongside it. Anything much larger would start to squeeze this box.

To try and make things as efficient as possible, the model has modules that you can either install or not depending on if you want it to recognise people, pets or even the appearance of a parcel. As these features infer, it works closely with Surveillance Centre and the new camera peripherals.

It can also link to Smart Home functionality, enabling it to turn things on and off, like lights and also read temperature and security sensors.

The HomeAgent box and some of the peripherals, such as the SynCare cameras and the Smart Speaker, allow you to verbally interact with an AI assistant, Uliya.

And frankly, this is where things need some considerable work. While the hardware in the HA100 can process 40 or more tokens a second, I’d hardly describe it as conversational.

It can alert you when someone is approaching the house, has left a package, or where a known person is in the home, but ask it anything more complicated, and it often says it can’t do that yet.

While I’ve not tried the HA100 Pro or the MA100, I’d assume they can run much more sophisticated LLMs with greater capabilities, but the AI component of the basic system is more agentic-focused than something like ChatGPT.

That said, you can plug a Cloud-based AI in alongside Qwen 3.5. The current options are OpenAI (ChatGPT), Qwen, MiniMax, DeepSeek, GLM and Kimi, and you will need an API key to plug those in.

However, Ugreen made it clear that the purpose of the HomeAgent was to provide a local AI that wasn’t dependent on the internet, so using a Cloud model undermines that assertion.

Obviously, the engineers can do plenty with the local Qwen 3.5 4B model to make it more interactive and able to handle a wider range of scenarios, but at this point in development, it is rather underwhelming.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The other part of this solution that needs considerable effort is the Smart Home app, since currently it only connects to the associated Ugreen peripherals or Matter-compliant devices.

Since all my home automation hardware is older and doesn’t use Matter, that’s a problem.

I did consider using the Matter Hub on my Home Assistant installation to make non-Matter hardware visible, but the way this is handled on the HA100 requires either a Matter QR code or pairing number. At a minimum, this needs to be expanded to include older Google and Amazon equipment, as well as popular brands like Tapo, SmartLife, and Hue.

I’m sure these things will be added, but unless you have Matter hardware or Ugreen peripherals, it's a bit of a technological desert right now. Once these items become part of this ecosystem, you can easily build automations and interact with Uliya to control them, or that’s the promise.

For my assessment, Ugreen provided two peripherals: the SynCare ID500 Pro and the SynCare OD600 Pro. If you didn’t connect the dots, ID is for indoors and OD is for outdoors.

The ID500 Pro, which you can get for only $89 as part of the Kickstarter offering, comes for free with the HA100 and HA100 Pro. This device gets power via USB and comes with a phone-style power source and a long USB cable.

Equipped with a 4K camera on a smooth pan-tilt tracking system that enables it to follow movement automatically across a room or even outdoors. Working with AI, it can identify people, vehicles, pets, and packages, and record those events on the HomeAgent for later review.

The only issue I ran into was that I put it in a window to cover anyone approaching, and it did that well, but at night, when it turned on its IR lights for night vision, it blinded itself with the IR reflection off the glass.

Undoubtedly, a superior option for tracking outside activity is the OD600 Pro, which is designed to be mounted outside, ideally on the eaves of a property. It has dual cameras and takes its power from a PoE LAN connection, allowing it to be directly connected with a single LAN cable to the HomeAgent PoE switch. A more advanced version, the OD800 Pro, includes a solar panel and battery to power the camera and can use Wi-Fi, so it can be installed without cabling.

I'm slightly disappointed the PoE ports are only 10/100 and not gigabit or even 2.5GbE, but that's a choice Ugreen made.

As part of the launch, the OD600 Pro can be had for $159 (MSRP $269) and the OD800 Pro for $199 (MSRP $339), which, given their specifications and build quality, seems a good deal. Hopefully, the devices will also work with an ordinary Ugreen NAS at some point, because they don’t currently.

Having been part of the original DXP NAS launch, HomeAgent has a strong element of things repeating themselves. However, since UGOS Pro has had two or more years of development, the underlying platform is more mature.

Updates for the extra HomeAgent part of this package are arriving often, and things are improving, but with the Kickstarter about to officially begin, and its end a few months away, this solution needs to become much more sophisticated quickly.

Today, it’s another Ugreen work in progress, but UGOS Pro was one not so long ago.

Ugreen HomeAgent HA100: Early verdict

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

First, I think it's far too early in the HA100's gestation to fully appreciate what this device might accomplish, since much of the software side of this equation isn’t nearly complete.

That said, when Ugreen first launched the NASync DXP series globally, UGOS Pro looked decidedly primitive, and two and a half years later it is much more sophisticated.

It wouldn’t be unrealistic to expect it to be much more functional by the time this hardware hits retail, and to continue rapid development from there.

Where I’m less on board is the three different platforms, each based on a unique platform and with a different accelerator.

The HA100 is built on a Rockchip RK3588, the HA100 Pro uses the CIX-CP8180(P1), which previously appeared in the Minisforum MS-R1 ARM workstation, and the MA100 is powered by the NVIDIA Jetson Thor T5000.

The problem with this range is that even if the accelerator modules are removable, there isn’t an upgrade path that can take you between these options. Had the HA100 and HA100 Pro had a common platform, that would have made sense, with the differences being in the accelerator module.

But since the accelerator on the HA100 uses a PCIe 3.0 slot, and the one on the HA100 Pro uses a PCIe 4.0 slot, then that was never going to work.

Unfortunately, upgrading forces you to buy an entirely new machine if you want more AI power.

I also have some negative feelings about having a NAS for home use with the potential of a $20,000 price tag. But that version's future depends on a company now utterly dependent on the AI bubble not bursting, which seems, at best, unrealistic.

I’ve been a big supporter of what Ugreen has done with its NAS products; since before they arrived on the scene, things seemed disturbingly cosy between the various NAS brands.

The HomeAgent is their most ambitious leap yet, since it glues two elements together in a way few users are considering until now. People who like NAS understand what it offers and how it's used, whereas AI has unresolved PR issues, a less defined use case, and users who are either negative or, at best, agnostic about AI.

The HA100 is a product Ugreen created to elevate NAS with AI, but it could just as easily drag it down. Only time will tell, but for those who want to ride, the tickets start at $50 for a reservation.

To crystallise my thoughts, there are two ways to think about HomeAgent hardware, and I’m not inclined to favour either. One is that these represent a new hybrid type of appliance where AI and local information come together, creating new efficiencies and fewer dependencies on external services. Or, from this point onwards, all NAS will have a shell of AI logic around them, and the era of dumb NAS will soon be behind us.

Either way, the NAS market needs to buckle up, because this ride could get bumpy.

For more compact computing, see our guide to the best mini PCs you can buy

Sony ULT Tower 7 review

The Sony ULT Tower 7 is another strong entry in Sony’s refreshed ULT line, coming in with newly developed, rounded woofers for enhanced deep bass, a swathe of connectivity options for personal or professional use, and customizable lighting for highly immersive listening.

This model is the mid-sized option in Sony’s new ULT Tower lineup, sitting above the Tower 5 and below the ULT Max. It has a seven driver setup, with a single 280mm woofer, two mid-ranges, and four tweeters — including two rear-facing tweeters for Sony’s 360-degree Party Sound. It also has an impressive 420W of power meaning that it can get unbelievably loud — honestly I had to test this one outdoors for the most part, as it shook the foundations of our music testing space to its very core.

How good is the Sony ULT Tower 7? I’ve tested it for hours on end, listening to countless tunes, playing around with the light settings, and assessing its various features and functions available through Sony’s Sound Connect app. Here’s why I think it can compete with some of the very best Bluetooth speakers.

(Image credit: Future)

Let’s start with the most important thing of all: sound quality. The ULT Tower 7 is an excellent-sounding model, providing clarity and insight right across the frequency range, but the clear standout is the bass. It can extend all the way down to 20Hz with confidence, plating up regimented, meaty bass and even rippling sub-bass.

When tuning into First Summer by H.K., the deep, pounding bass was replicated fantastically, sounding just as dynamic, full-bodied and agile as I’d hoped. But still, vocals were textured and clear in the build up, keys and vocals were brilliantly balanced in the mid-range, and higher-pitched drums had a highly energetic, rhythmic quality.

A lot of these positive qualities were mirrored when listening to Rocking Chair by Mr. Scruff. Rich, deep bass was mesmerizing and phenomenally full-sounding, with tonally accurate keys in the mid-range and expressive drums up top adding plenty of color. In addition, guitars had a great sense of width to them, sounding as if they were playing from the corners of our testing room during my indoor assessment.

When blasting tunes from the ULT Tower 7 outdoors, I was astonished by its raw, uncompromised power. It has a maximum power output of 420W, and sound can fill large open spaces confidently, without losing low-end impact or clarity in the mids and treble. One of my colleagues could hear the speaker clearly from the other side of the parking lot in which I was testing the speaker, and let me tell you, this thing is borderline deafening (in a good way) at top volumes.

My only criticism, sonically speaking, is that the 360-degree sound on this speaker is a bit underwhelming. When listening at less favorable angles, like the side and rear of the speaker, the experience was noticeably worse. The overall sound of my tracks just wasn’t as cohesive and balanced as I’d hoped for, and while the larger ULT Tower Max may remedy this issue, the Tower 7 is certainly outclassed for 360-degree sound by rivals like the Marshall Bromley 450.

Still, this is a fantastic sounding speaker that handles dynamics beautifully, and plates up emphatic deep bass, clear mids and highs, and a whole lot of power. The ULT Tower 7’s Sound Field Optimization — which analyzes speaker placement and background noise and accordingly adjusts sound balance across the frequency range — also means that you’re getting consistent quality in any environment.

(Image credit: Future)

Something else I love about the ULT Tower 7 is how easy it is to customize its audio output, thanks to its top-tier EQ options. ULT 1 is best for huge outdoor spaces, and places additional emphasis on deep bass, while ULT 2 provides a more rounded sound that focuses on delivering the most energetic, powerful sound. There’s also a Live mode if you want to replicate live recordings more faithfully, a Flat signature for a more balanced sound, and a custom 10-band equalizer which gives you more granular control over the speaker’s output.

What’s more, this speaker supports the higher-res Bluetooth codec LDAC, enabling you to get a surprisingly detailed, insightful listen from the speaker. If you’re after true lossless audio, you’re in luck too — there’s USB-C, 3.5mm, and RCA connectivity on board. This flexibility is great for professionals who want to hook up a DJ controller via RCA or casual listeners who just want to run with Bluetooth or USB-C. In addition, there’s a pair of mic ports so you can dabble in a bit of karaoke from time to time.

If you’re using the ULT Tower 7 for karaoke, there are some effects available to you in Sony’s Sound Connect app, including a voice changer, echo, and so on. There’s also a party pad for effects like a flanger and sampler, as well as playing drum sounds and robotic noises when DJing. These are easy to access, and more generally, I found the SoundConnect app to be highly user-friendly and reliable — it wasn’t filled with bugs like some rivals’ apps are.

While we’re talking about features, it only seems right to talk about battery life. The ULT Tower 7 can offer up to 30 hours of playback with the LEDs turned off, and for a party speaker in this size-category, that’s very strong indeed. That’s almost double of a rival like the JBL PartyBox 330, and means you can keep the party going well into the early hours. There’s also a Stamina mode for extended playtime, or you can use the speaker while hooked up to the mains.

Let’s move onto design now, an area where the ULT Tower 7 largely excels. It looks fantastic, with eye-catching yet tasteful lighting, an attractive rounded aesthetic, and well-sized, illuminated buttons. Even the ULT logo impressed me because it enables you to adjust volume and cycle through EQ modes swiftly — adding a functional layer here is a very nice touch. While it’s not made of the most premium materials, it’s still built to a great standard, and has a rugged yet refined appearance.

My issue with the overall build, however, is that this speaker is not as practical as it could be. At 50.3lbs / 22.8kg, it’s very heavy, and will take a fair bit of effort to move around. Yes, there are a couple of handles built-in alongside some wheels, but a model this hefty really could’ve done with a pull-out handle for easier transportation. When using the main handle on the reverse side of the speaker, I found the ULT Tower 7 to be awkward to maneuver, something that you won’t find with a lot of the JBL PartyBoxes, for instance.

I also would’ve liked to have seen slightly better waterproofing on the ULT Tower 7. IPX4 means it's safe against splashes of water, and this is essentially the standard for party speakers of this size. But some models, like the Marshall Bromley 450, provide superior IP55 protection, which also shields against dust ingress.

But anyway, let’s get down to the crucial question: is the Sony ULT Tower 7 worth the money? Well, for $649.99 / £499 / AU$799, I think you’re actually getting great quality overall. With imposing, gigantic sound, a flashy look, long battery life, and broad connectivity options, the ULT Tower 7 is more accomplished than a lot of the competition in this price-range.

It’s still a big investment, sure, but pound-for-pound, you’re getting an awful lot of functionality and great audio. If you’re looking to save a bit of cash, then I’d personally go for the Sony ULT Tower 5, but for some added oomph, you really can’t go wrong with the ULT Tower 7.

(Image credit: Future)Sony ULT Tower 7 review: price & release date

• Priced at $649.99 / £499 / AU$799
• Released in September 2026

The Sony ULT Tower 7 released in September 2026, and is the mid-sized option in the new Tower lineup, sitting right between the smaller Sony ULT Tower 5 and the giant Sony ULT Tower Max. It comes in at $649.99 / £499 / AU$799, which is a reasonable price for a model with such powerful sound and fleshed-out features.

While the ULT Tower 7 is a fair bit pricier than the ULT Tower 5, it does come with the benefits of rear-facing tweeters for 360-degree sound, added power, and better battery life. It’s also priced pretty well against rivals in this size category, such as the JBL PartyBox 330 and the Marshall Bromley 450 — which you can read more about in the ‘also consider’ section.

Sony ULT Tower 7 review: specs

Weight

50.3lbs / 22.8kg

Dimensions

16.6 x 28 x 13.7 inches / 421 x 710 x 347mm

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.3, RCA, XLR (in and out), USB-A, USB-C, mic input (6.3mm)

Battery life

30 hours

Speaker drivers

1x 280mm woofer, 2x 120mm mid-range, 4x 50mm tweeters (incl. 2x rear-facing tweeters)

Waterproofing

IPX4

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Sony ULT Tower 7?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

Versatile connectivity, LDAC support, customizable lighting, and top EQ options.

5/5

Performance

Powerful, regimented bass, clear mids and expressive highs, but 360 sound could be better.

4.5/5

Design

Flashy, striking look with tasteful lighting, but could do with a pull-out handle, waterproofing is OK.

4/5

Value

Good price for the sound and expansive set of features on offer.

4/5

Buy it if…

You want premium party sound
The Sony ULT Tower 7 sounds spectacular, with extremely powerful yet regimented bass, clear mids, and expressive treble. LDAC is on-board for higher-res Bluetooth streaming, or you can use a wired connection for lossless audio, and advanced EQ settings help you get the perfect sound for any genre or environment.

You’re looking for versatile connectivity
The ULT Tower 7 is the ultimate party device with so many connectivity options. You’ve obviously got Bluetooth there, but you can also plug in a DJ controller or turntable via RCA, hook up a device over USB-C, or play music back from a USB drive. Pair that with microphone ports for karaoke shenanigans, and you’ve got everything you need in one box.

Don’t buy it if…

You’re on a budget
If you want a great party speaker but you’re on a budget, then I’d strongly recommend going for the Sony ULT Tower 5 over this model. The ULT Tower 5 is smaller, and skips on the 360 sound, but it provides almighty bass output for its size, and comes in at a tempting price of $449.99 / £349 / AU$549.

You need great 360-degree sound
While the ULT Tower 7 sounds great when facing you, its sound falters a bit from side and rear listening angles, even in spite of the 360 sound tech that Sony has included here. If you want a speaker with no real blind spots, then I’d recommend checking out the Marshall Bromley 450 or 750.

Sony ULT Tower 7 review: also consider

Sony ULT Tower 7

JBL PartyBox 330

Marshall Bromley 450

Price

$649.99 / £499 / AU$799

$629.95 / £579.99 / AU$799

$799.99 / £549.99 / AU$1,079

Weight

50.3lbs / 22.8kg

43.5lbs / 19.8kg

26.9lbs / 12.2kg

Dimensions

16.6 x 28 x 13.7 inches / 421 x 710 x 347mm

13.2 x 26.1 x 14.8 inches / 334 x 663 x 375mm

19.4 x 14.2 x 10.3 inches / 492 x 359.9 x 260.9mm

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.3, RCA, XLR (in and out), USB-A, USB-C, mic input (6.3mm)

Bluetooth 6.0, 3.5mm (in and out), optical, USB-C, 2x mic inputs (6.3mm)

Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm, USB-C, RCA, 2x XLR / 6.35mm combo jacks

Battery life

30 hours

18 hours

40 hours

Speaker drivers

1x 280mm woofer, 2x 120mm mid-range, 4x 50mm tweeters (incl. 2x rear-facing tweeters)

2x 165mm woofers, 2x 25mm tweeters

2x 6.5-inch 40W woofers, 4x 2-inch 6W full-ranges, 2x passive radiators

Waterproofing

IPX4

IPX4

IP55

JBL PartyBox 330
The JBL PartyBox 330 feels like the ULT Tower 7’s main competitor, with a powerful party-ready sound signature, similarly eye-catching LED lighting, and a lot of shared connectivity options. While the PartyBox 330 can’t quite compete in terms of battery life, it has a pull-out handle making it more mobile, and has attractive features like karaoke support and IPX4 waterproofing.

Marshall Bromley 450
Sure, the Marshall Bromley 450 has a high asking price, but it offers the luxurious quality to back that up. It has stunning stage-light inspired LEDs, beautifully detailed and powerful 360-degree sound, and strong connectivity options to boot. Throw in top-tier battery life and solid waterproofing, and you’re looking at one of the best party speakers in this size-class. Read my full Marshall Bromley 450 review.

How I tested the Sony ULT Tower 7

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested outdoors and at the Future Labs music testing space
• Mainly streamed tunes over Tidal
• Tried Party Chain functionality alongside ULT Tower 5

I spent many an hour testing the Sony ULT Tower 7, using it both in our music testing space at Future Labs and outdoors. As well as testing the ULT Tower 7 on its own, I also tried using it alongside the Sony ULT Tower 5 with the Party Chain function.

For the most part, I made use of Bluetooth connectivity to stream tunes over Tidal on my Xiaomi 17 phone, which supports the higher-res LDAC codec. I started by sifting through the TechRadar reference playlist, which features tracks from a wide variety of genres, but I also made sure to bump countless tunes from my personal library as well.

More generally, I’ve spent years testing audio gear here at TechRadar, where I serve as a Senior Reviews Writer. I’ve reviewed everything from wireless headphones like the Sonos Ace Ultra to Dolby Atmos soundbar systems like the JBL Bar 1300MK2. On top of that, I’ve tested a large number of party speakers, including ULT Tower 7 competitors like the Marshall Bromley 450.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: October 2026

Lavazza Tabli: 30-second review

Coffee pods are out, and tablets are in. Recently, Keurig announced that it was killing off the K-Cup in favor of compressed coffee tablets, but it wasn't the first to the punch. Italian coffee company Lavazza had debuted its own coffee tablets and brewer — the Tabli system — months before, and it's excellent.

The main appeal of Tabli's compressed coffee pucks (called tabs) is their minimal packaging — there's no metal or plastic pod that needs to be recycled after each brew or worse, end up in landfill. Using ground coffee or whole beans is a much less wasteful way to prepare an espresso, but it takes longer, and while it's a fun hobby for some of us, not everyone is interested in getting into the technicalities of brewing a balanced shot.

Each of Lavazza's tabs provides exactly the right amount of coffee for a single serving, so there's no weighing required, and no loose grounds to make a mess of your counter. The whole process is just as clean and simple as using coffee capsules, but without the empty capsules to dispose of at the end. It seems like such a simple idea that it's surprising it hasn't hit the mainstream before — and the results are very impressive.

I've become quite picky during my years reviewing coffee machines, and the Tabli system produces a better-tasting brew than any coffee capsule I've tried. Its app compatibility is a nice touch too, but the ease of use and flavor are what really count — and they're both truly impressive.

(Image credit: Future)Lavazza Tabli: price and availability

• List price $129 / £199 for the machine alone
• Available as a bundle that includes a milk frother and coffee tabs
• Tabs are competitively priced and cheaper than Nespresso

The Tabli coffee machine has a list price of $129 / £199. That's between AU$190 and AU$380, though the Tabli system isn't available in Australia yet. There are also bundles available that include the Lavazza MilkEasy frother and several boxes of Tabs for much less than all the components would cost separately.

Although it's not the cheapest single-serve coffee maker around, bear in mind that unlike some of its rivals, the Tabli system won't sting you with the price of coffee in the longer term. Bosch Tassimo machines, for example, are very cheap, but the pods are some of the priciest around.

A box of 12 Tabs costs £5.89 in the UK, which is about 49p per drink. You can also pick up a multipack of eight boxes for £40, which brings the cost per drink down to 42p.

Things are slightly more expensive in the US, where you can buy a four-pack of boxes for $48, meaning each drink costs $1. That's still very reasonable, though. For comparison, Nespresso Vertuo capsules cost between $1.40 and $1.60 each.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Lavazza Tabli: specifications

Name

Lavazza Tabli

Type

Tablet coffee maker

Dimensions (W x H x D)

6.5 x 12.9 x 15.4 inches / 16.5 x 32.7 x 39cm

Weight

9.9lbs / 4.5kg

Water reservoir capacity

40.58oz / 1.2 liters

Milk frother

No (but can be bought with a standalone one)

Bars of pressure

15 bar

User profiles

None

Lavazza Tabli: design

• Sleek, modern aesthetic
• Minimalist controls
• Available in three colors

The Lavazza Tabli is a sleek-looking single-serve coffee maker that comes in three colors: graphite black (shown here), sand white, and walnut brown. The top panel has four buttons — power, single shot, double shot, and lungo — and slides back with a smooth motion to reveal the small chamber resembling the bottom of a manual espresso machine’s filter basket, where you’ll place the compressed coffee pod.

There are also warning lights that will alert you if the used tab collection bin has been removed or needs emptying, if the water tank needs filling or hasn’t been properly inserted, and if the machine needs descaling.

(Image credit: Future)

At the very back of the top panel, you’ll notice a flashing blue light, which indicates that the Tabli machine is ready to connect to your phone via Bluetooth. Once it’s connected, the blue light will remain steady — but more on that later.

Unlike some other Lavazza coffee machines, such as the Assoluta, the Tabli doesn’t have its own milk frothing system. However, if you’re a fan of lattes and cappuccinos, the Tabli is available bundled with a standalone frother that works extremely well. My colleague Josh Russell has just finished testing it and will be publishing his review very soon.

The Tabli has a small drip tray that’s just the right height for an espresso cup. If you want to brew into a larger cup or mug, just slide the tray out to make room. Behind the tray, you’ll find the bin into which the Tabli machine drops used coffee tabs. The tabs don’t break apart, keeping mess to a minimum, and are caught in a basket so they’re not left sitting in water.

(Image credit: Future)

Unlike most other coffee makers I’ve tested, the Tabli dispenses dirty water into this bin after rinsing itself rather than expelling it into the drip tray — a tidier solution that keeps the front of the machine clean.

The Tabli’s removable components aren’t dishwasher-safe, but they’re easy to hand-wash, and since this machine doesn’t have an integrated milk frother, there’s minimal maintenance necessary. Just keep the bin and drip tray clean, and follow the descaling instructions periodically.

• Design score: 5/5

Lavazza Tabli: performance

• Very simple to use
• Much better coffee than most single-serve machines
• App works well, but Google Home connectivity does not

Using the Tabli is just as simple as any ordinary capsule coffee maker: place your chosen tab in the recess under the lid, slide it closed, and pick the type of drink you want. A minute later, your drink will be ready to enjoy.

Coffee tabs are given a strength score on a scale of 1-13, and although there are currently only six types available, if the system proves successful, I'm hopeful Lavazza will increase its range.

There aren't any of the elaborate flavors you get with Nespresso or Tassimo pods; all Tabli tabs are made using nothing but compressed coffee, with no additives, and in my opinion that's no bad thing.

(Image credit: Future)

I've tried three Tabli varieties during testing. Qualità Rossa and Qualità Oro both produced a smooth-tasting, easy-drinking espresso, while the Espresso Ristretto was a little punchier — but not at all bitter.

None of them had the astringent taste I associate with most coffee capsules, and their taste is much more like a drink made with freshly ground coffee beans. The espresso also has a good layer of crema that beats what I've come to expect from single-serve machines.

(Image credit: Future)

The Lavazza Tabli has a smartphone app, which you can use to operate the machine remotely and create custom drinks. After installing the Tabli app, you’ll be prompted to create an account and then connect your coffee maker. This was quick and easy; the app will request permission to search for nearby devices, then locate the Tabli machine without the need to scan any QR codes. The first time I connected to the machine, I was prompted to grant access to my calling history and contacts, but it seems this was a temporary bug. Following an app update, I disconnected from the Tabli machine, then restarted the process, and the prompt did not appear.

The app is nicely designed, and the brewing options are presented front and center. You can choose from the machine's three brewing options or create your own, give it a name, and save it for quick access in the future. You can adjust the volume and temperature of the drink, which is particularly useful if you enjoy an Americano in the morning. Because the machine uses prepared coffee tablets rather than ground beans, if you want to change the taste any more, you’ll need to pick a different type of coffee tab,

FutureFutureFuture

Naturally, the app allows you to order more tabs (as well as other Lavazza products), but you have to scroll down to find the store — it’s not thrust in your face, which is refreshing.

The only issue I encountered involved the coffee maker’s smart home connectivity. The Tabli’s box advertises compatibility with Google Home and Alexa, but during my tests it sadly didn’t work. I was able to connect the Tabli machine to Google Home easily enough, but although Gemini could turn it on, it couldn’t start brewing. Nor could I use voice commands to choose different drinks, as described in the Tabli’s manual.

However, I’m not certain whether this is an issue with the Tabli or with Google Home and Gemini, which aren’t known for their flawless reliability. The Tabli app works exactly as intended, but don't count on being able to brew drinks using voice commands through a smart speaker.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Lavazza Tabli?Lavazza Tabli score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

Not the cheapest single-serve machine, but bundles are great value and coffee tabs are very reasonably priced for better value in the long term,

4.5/5

Design

Modern design with clean lines, which is easy to clean and maintain. Simple user interface.

5/5

Performance

Brews delicious coffee and is very easy to use. App works well, though smart home functionality does not.

4.5/5

Buy it if

You hate the waste of coffee capsules

Talbi tabs are made from nothing but ground coffee, and their packaging is almost entirely cardboard, with just a thin layer of plastic over the top of the carton.

You want tasty coffee without mess

Tabli tabs are pre-measured and ground, and they don't leave residue or crumbs on your fingers. They produce a smooth, easy-drinking espresso.

Don't buy it if

You really want to experiment

Tabs are made from pre-measured and ground coffee, so you can't tinker with brew options like you can with whole beans.

You really want smart home connectivity

Google Home didn't play nicely with the Tabli during my tests, though I'm not sure whether that's an issue with Lavazza's software or Google's platform.

How I tested the Lavazza Tabli

I tested the Lavazza Tabli for three weeks, using it instead of my usual manual espresso machine. I used filtered water in its tank and used three different Tabli tab varieties. I experimented with brewing coffee remotely and creating custom drinks using the apps. I connected the coffee maker to Google Home and attempted to operate it using typed and spoken commands. I cleaned the coffee maker at the end of each day following Lavazza's instructions.

First reviewed October 2026

For the last 160 days, I've used this chair as my primary desk chair. I spend about 8 to 9 hours a day, 5 to 6 days a week. If you've followed any of my other reviews, you know that I work across several workspaces, but this one is my primary for this season.

Previously, I had the Lenovo Omni here, and I loved it. There are a few things, like build quality and a few other areas, that, if it were a perfect chair, I wouldn't see problems with. Then Lenovo, without anyone asking, dropped the Omni Pro, and my goodness, this thing answers and checks all those boxes.

I sit in this chair all day long, and I have zero comfort issues. Every time it gets too warm, which it normally does, I can turn on the fan. If it gets way too warm, I can turn on the cooling aspect as well. I need to lean back to look under my desk to relax, and I can do so fully flat.

If I just need a little tension resistance so I can lean back against my desk while sitting and working, I can do that as well. The arms are great, and the adjustability is great. Really, the only thing I wish for is adding more features. I can't find anything wrong with this chair from my testing, making it one of the best office chairs - if you can afford it.

LiberNovo Omni Pro: Price and Availability

You can buy the LiberNovo Omni Pro direct from the company here. List price is $1299 / £1,369. However, at time of review, it's down to $1,109 / £1,191. That's a premium price comparable with Herman Miller and Steelcase seats. Whether that's good value really depends on whether you want a chair with all the bells and whistles, or one with a strong design and engineering heritage.

The Omni Pro chair comes in three different bundles: One with the chair, one with chair and footrest, and the premium which includes chair, footrest, and spare battery for the seat.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )LiberNovo Omni Pro: Unboxing and First Impressions

First of all, I was so excited for this year that I didn't even have time to sign up, but luckily I did. Time: literally less than a minute, start to finish.

LiberNovo spares no expense on the shipping box for this chair and the RMD to make assembly very simple. Yes, there's a unique actuator screw that I need to connect, and I have to do that for other chairs, but even with that, there are only 7 screws total, 1 multi-bit screwdriver, and very clear instructions.

Some chairs have 7 screws just for the base, so does this: 7 screws maximum made me smile.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )LiberNovo Omni Pro: Design and Build Quality

I absolutely love this chair's design. I know it's not for everybody, but I've worked with people who do like the look of this chair. They think it looks futuristic or isn't their style, which I understand, but for me, this pairs beautifully with my Parsons standing desk and all my gear.

In my testing so far, I've had zero durability or reliability issues. The material still looks like new. Well, I don't typically eat at this desk. The few crumbs that have fallen on this chair wipe off easily, too. I don't usually get stuck in the fibers, but if there were crumbs, you could easily knock them out or wipe them off.

The unique-looking bionic flex backrest is almost like it is designed to fit your back, with multiple sections that cover its curvature and adjust and bend as you move the lumbar support in and out with the buttons.

The five allowed recline positions, more than the last chair, are spectacular and well placed. I occasionally use the 105 mode when I need to lock in. I usually set my chair super, super tight with the crank wheel, then lock it at 115 or 125 so that, if I want to push back, I can stop there easily.

Occasionally, if I want, I kick it all the way back to 160 and use the massaging function, which is, of course, yet another spectacular bonus of this chair.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )LiberNovo Omni Pro: In use

I've been sitting in this chair for over 160 days. During that time, I've spent an embarrassing amount of time here.

So far, I'm thrilled with how comfortable it is. Wow, it's breathable, especially as the weather gets warm, and it's supportive. I haven't had any fatigue or pain after a day of sitting in the chair.

Yes, this chair is incredibly cushy, but it also feels like it lives up to the hype. I've only had to charge the battery a few times. I like the backrest features.

I really haven't sent one I like, and I occasionally will use the massaging function. I do, however, use the fan and even the cooling feature regularly. They work great, especially I run hot - if you're the same, it's practically worth the price of admission alone.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )LiberNovo Omni Pro: Final verdict

This chair is genuinely just about everything I wish a chair could have (within reason) and lives up to the hype. It's not just a chaotic rush of ads you've seen; it's also a spectacular seat that I don't see myself swapping out at this desk for a long time.

What's funny is that, since I work in an office space where I have several coworkers and other people that come through, I've had friends, coworkers, and some of my employees try my chair and then immediately turn around and wish that had one.

They find times to come and sit in it while I'm away, of course. Everyone has mentioned how much they love it. So, it's not just me. And I totally understand that feeling.

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

I’ll say one thing for EA Sports FC 27: it’s not the same game as EA Sports FC 26.

That reads like a compliment — and in some respects, it is — but where previous entries in EA’s long-running football simulator series shipped with minor improvements and equally minor frustrations, FC 27 takes bigger swings that flip between successful, insignificant, and occasionally experience-worsening in their execution.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
Release date: Early Access: September 18, 2026 | Full release: September 25, 2026

I wish I could package that sentiment into a neat metaphor (‘a mixed bag’ is too hackneyed), but I can’t — so here’s the Cliffs Notes version of my review:

EA’s shiny new mode, The Grounds, is a hollow imitation of NBA 2K's The City. Ultimate Team is objectively better than it was in FC 26, but is still geared towards card-collecting youngsters and time-rich YouTubers. Career mode is the best it’s ever been, but is oddly prone to breakage by the same new features that make it better. And the overall FC gameplay experience is more challenging than before, but more rewarding as a result.

Still with me? I’ll run through each of those mini-verdicts as you read on, but you get the idea: EA Sports FC 27 is immense fun in parts, dull in others, and a generally quite confusing entry in a series that rarely changes so much from one year to the next. But hey, change is good... right?

Around The Grounds (and out again)

Yes, you can emote in The Grounds (Image credit: Future)

This year’s big new addition to the FC franchise is The Grounds — an ‘open-world’ reimagining of the series’ Clubs mode in which you can compete with friends or randoms in both stadium- and street-based challenges.

I put ‘open-world’ in quotation marks because The Grounds is not so much a free-roam experience as a third-person menu-hopping one. The idea of exploring three “cultural hubs of football” sounds cool, but in reality, these hubs are little more than poorly rendered maps populated by lifeless NPCs (non-player characters), Riddler Trophy-style Drop Kick Targets, and PvP waiting areas.

Each of The Grounds' three districts are connected by a central hub (Image credit: Future)

The game modes available within The Grounds are fun enough — there are traditional 11v11 matches, FIFA Street-style cage matches, and more casual mini-games like the basketball-inspired Bucket Ball — but the ‘open-world’ aspect of the experience adds little beyond longer wait times (because you now have to travel from A to B on foot) and the ability to customize your pro’s wardrobe with licensed clothing. At a price, of course.

There was quite a difference between the appearance of my virtual pro in the avatar creation menu (left) and The Grounds itself (right) (Image credit: Future)

I won’t lie: I did have a good time building my pro and was excited to get out into The Grounds’ virtual world. But once I’d played a handful of matches and completed enough Alex Hunter-ordered errands to buy myself a cool headband (Kylian Mbappé, Paulo Dybala, and Chloe Kelly are the other ‘mentors’), the novelty of this new open-but-actually-closed game mode quickly wore off.

With enough friends in tow, I can imagine The Grounds being a lot of fun, and I don’t criticize EA for trying something genuinely new with FC 27. I’m just not sure The Grounds actually is all that new — it’s more like Clubs with an extremely elaborate menu system.

Players for points

An example of a Streamlined SBC (Image credit: Future)

Opening Ultimate Team (FUT) for the first time in FC 27 feels like walking into a nightclub sober. You’re immediately hit with a barrage of menus, cards, and checklists, which is a frankly disorienting experience until you remember that this is exactly what FUT has been like for several years now.

Still, once you get over the customary nausea, there are some genuinely neat improvements to be found in this year’s edition of EA’s most popular (and profitable) mode.

My favorite addition is Streamlined SBCs (Squad Building Challenges). These are essentially SBCs that swap the starting XI puzzle aspect for a cumulative target score — each player in your club has a value, and you need to exchange enough players to reach that score. You don’t need to worry about formations, positions, or chemistry; instead, Streamlined SBCs are purely a numbers game.

Traditional SBCs are still present and correct in FC 27 — I personally enjoy the challenge of completing the weekly Marquee Matchups SBC — but with Streamlined SBCs, EA has acknowledged that most players aren’t fussed about the puzzling they require. Streamlined SBCs are for those who, understandably, want to snag the SBC reward in as little time as possible. But I appreciate that EA has kept both SBC types in the game.

An example of a Gallery Set (Image credit: Future)

The Gallery is a less meaningful but otherwise harmless addition to FUT. It’s a sticker book-style card-collection feature that tracks every player who’s ever passed through your club and encourages you to curate these players into graded sets. Doing so earns you trinkets and cosmetics (boring), but also Gallery Tokens (less boring), which can be spent on special Hall of FUT players like Loïc Rémy, Adebayo Akinfenwa, and Marouane Fellaini.

Honestly, the Gallery interface is as dizzying to navigate as everything else in FUT, but at least there are tangible player rewards to be gained from taking the time to understand it. I just wish The Gallery were available in the FC 27 Web App, so I could kill time grading cards while on my evening commute, and not while playing FC 27 proper.

Jockey down the line

Auto-tackling is gone in EA Sports FC 27 (Image credit: Future)

It’s a little hard to give a comprehensive verdict on gameplay in FC 27, since EA is tweaking the mechanics all the time, but broadly speaking, the biggest gameplay changes apply to defending and set pieces.

On the former, there’s now less AI assistance, so computer-controlled players on your team (i.e., those you haven’t switched to yet) won’t auto-tackle an opponent, meaning you’ve got to be quicker on your L1/LB draw and smarter with your tackle timing. Jockeying is faster for all players as a result, which also makes the Jockey PlayStyle less overpowered than it was in FC 27.

As someone who’s better at defending than attacking, I’m all for these defensive changes — and the redesigned corner kicks system also puts more importance on defenders in this year’s game.

You can now manually control player positioning in the box when taking a corner (Image credit: Future)

There’s now a longer pause between the taking of a corner kick and the ball’s arrival in the box, and — finally! — you get manual control over player positioning within the box itself. This change means corners are now skill-based rather than luck-based, which is absolutely what they felt like before (even if EA would never say so).

I spend most of my time playing the Authentic gameplay preset in Career mode, which is a different kettle of fish entirely, but for those who play Competitive in FUT, I’d say defending and corner kicks have seen the most noticeable tweaks in FC 27.

Skilled dribblers now ride challenges more effectively, too, but this isn’t such a significant gameplay tweak in my experience — but then again, I haven’t played too many online matches in FUT, which is where you’re likely to come up against the dribble-happy duo of Ousmane Dembélé and Lamine Yamal. I’ll pray for your controller.

The Art of the Deal

The redesigned transfer negotiation interface in EA Sports FC 27 (Image credit: EA)

After fulfilling my testing-time obligations in The Grounds and Ultimate Team, I couldn’t wait to dive into FC 27’s refreshed Career mode. And judging by the view counts on EA’s YouTube Deep Dives for the game (the Career Deep Dive has the most views by a margin of over 1 million ), there’s a good chance that you, too, are more interested in FC 27’s slower-paced managerial simulator than any of its other modes.

The big changes this year apply to transfers. The awkward 3D negotiation scenes have been replaced with FIFA 13-style 2D negotiations, primarily because there’s a lot (and I mean a lot) more negotiating to be done in FC 27.

Previously, you’d offer a sum of money for a player, and if the selling club accepted your price, you’d then negotiate personal terms with the player in question. That was it. Two steps. You could pretty much buy any player for any club if you had the funds to do so.

In FC 27, transfer negotiations are far more realistic — for better and worse.

Now, if you’ve got your eyes on a player, you first have to send an inquiry to determine whether their current club is willing to sell them. The players themselves can also reject your advances if they’re simply not interested in joining your club — regardless of the money you might’ve been prepared to pay them and their club. If you’re rejected, you won’t be told the reasons why, but EA says player decision-making is based on tactical fit, club finances, form, historical rivalries, and long-term club philosophy.

A small sample of my rejected player approaches (Image credit: Future)

And trust me: you will get rejected a lot. Or at least I was while playing as Everton. I couldn’t convince 80% of my transfer targets to even come to the negotiating table, and even when I did get close to signing a target, they’d invariably be stolen at the last minute by a bigger rival (Newcastle, for instance, accepted my offer for Harvey Barnes, but Barnes rejected me to join Chelsea on deadline day. Mercenary!).

Best bit

(Image credit: Future)

Actually being able to score from corners and free-kicks using carefully positioned target men, thanks to the revamped set-piece system.

If you do get to the negotiation stage, there are some nice new ways to structure deals, including with transfer instalments, agent fees, and performance-based bonuses. But I was honestly surprised by how difficult it was to sign players generally.

You can make transfer negotiations easier — they’re set to strict by default when you start a save — but actually, after the initial difficulty shock, I came to enjoy the challenge. Sure, I didn’t get most of my initial transfer targets, but that struggle made my eventual signings — Patrik Schick, Lucas Bergvall, Dan Ballard, and Raúl Asencio on loan — feel more rewarding as a result. It also felt very Everton to be rejected or outbid so frequently.

One big negative, though, is that players are absolute prima donnas in FC 27 Career mode — and their stinking attitudes can sometimes present a real headache.

It’s entirely possible that large groups of players hand in transfer requests at the same time because, as per the new minutes system, a player with 41% or higher stamina expects to play. If they don’t, they get annoyed and request a transfer. That (sort of) makes sense, but it’s particularly problematic if you like to simulate lots of matches, as the computer will only play high-stamina players (think 70% stamina and above).

I’ve seen some streamers complain that the game’s liberal transfer request system has ground their Career saves to a halt, and even if you can appease your unruly squad, it’s not particularly enjoyable to feel like virtual players are managing you, rather than the other way around.

Unexpected Events are back in FC 27, too, and these random scenarios — like Abrupt Retirement or Urgent Family Leave — can similarly disrupt the flow of a season.

I’m all for being tested as a manager, but Career mode feels particularly patience-testing this year — it’s more rewarding in places, sure, but it would be nice to play five straight matches without an injury, a mutiny, or an unmissable family funeral.

Dynamic Overall gives more weight to form, morale, and fitness (Image credit: Future)

Dynamic Overall is a more positive addition to Career mode in FC 27. It’s essentially a dynamic rating system that causes player ratings to fluctuate throughout the season instead of staying fixed. Form, morale, and fitness can all make a player’s rating go up or down, and transfer values are impacted by big changes in rating.

In my Everton save, Tyler Dibling played so well so consistently that his rating went from 74 to 83 in a matter of months — that seems ridiculous on paper, but it’s actually representative of how player values change drastically in real life. Good feature!

Should you play EA Sports FC 27?Play it if...

You've always wanted a more challenging Career mode
The redesigned transfer system has a huge impact on the realism and difficulty of Career mode in FC 27.

You can't resist FUT's shiny player cards
FC 27 makes it easier than ever to unlock special player cards in FUT via Streamlined SBCs, while The Gallery gives you a place to show off your collection.

Don't play it if...

You want an open-world footballing experience
Yes, The Grounds is 'open-world' to some extent, but it's more like an elaborate menu system than an enjoyable place to explore and engage with.

You want an arcade-style Career mode
Career mode is more feature-packed than ever in FC 27. Its difficulty can be lowered, but it's no longer an arcade-style experience.

Accessibility features

(Image credit: Future)

Like its predecessors, EA Sports FC 27 offers a comprehensive suite of accessibility options, including settings for subtitles, button remapping, color blindness, and increasing the size of the player indicator. It also features a dedicated High Contrast Mode for low-vision and cognitively disabled players.

All of these accessibility options can be found in a dedicated Accessibility Settings tab. The game has six difficulty levels — Beginner, Amateur, Semi-Pro, Professional, World Class, Legendary, and Ultimate — and features support for 21 languages.

How I reviewed EA Sports FC 27

I played EA Sports FC 27 for a month, having received the game a few days ahead of its official Early Access release on September 18. During that time, I had access to all modes and features and was able to compete against real-world players who also had early review access to the game.

I played on PS5, using a standard DualSense controller, on a Samsung QN95A Neo QLED 4K TV. I’ve played every EA Sports football title since FIFA 13, and also reviewed FIFA 22, FIFA 23, EA Sports FC 24, EA Sports FC 25, and EA Sports FC 26 for TechRadar Gaming.

First reviewed: October 2025.

Friday the 13th's prequel series Crystal Lake has arrived on Peacock, with all eight episodes available to watch. International viewers need to wait a little longer, though; check out our Crystal Lake release date schedule for more on that.

Across eight episodes, Crystal Lake explores the origins of Pamela Voorhees, Jason's mother and the original killer in the popular slasher franchise. I've been excited about this for months, as we haven't really had a deep dive into who Pamela is across the original movie series.

Linda Cardellini stars in the leading role, bringing many layers to Pamela. The catalyst for her behavior comes when her young son, Jason (Callum Vinson), drowns at Camp Crystal Lake, where she works as a cook. Grief-stricken, Pamela struggles to cope, leading to increasing paranoia and an eventual spiral into the serial killer we know her as.

Pamela is shown through a very empathetic lens, as a lonely single mother who has lost her only child. She has everything ripped away from her and even so, tries her best to keep it together. But her descent into insanity is inevitable, and even in the first episode, the kills are brutal and shocking.

There's some mystery surrounding Pamela's past that's well worth sticking around for. In Crystal Lake, Pamela feels really well-rounded, and as a huge fan of the original movies, I loved how much care the creators put into fleshing her out.

Crystal Lake was penned by Brad Caleb Kane, who recently worked on HBO Max's excellent IT series Welcome to Derry. I've really been enjoying his adaptations of classic horror media recently, and I hope it continues.

(Image credit: Peacock)

There's also a welcome expansion on another character. Jason's father, Elias, gets a new storyline that ties in well with Pamela's mysterious backstory. Elias is played by Hamish Linklater, who delivers a great performance as a man whose decisions severely influence how Jason turns out and, crucially, how he actually survives his drowning, as we've seen in the original Friday the 13th movie.

Crystal Lake adds a lot of new lore to the franchise, but it does feel like it's stretched out in places. These pacing issues didn't affect my enjoyment of the series too much, but even a six-episode run would've felt tighter, in my opinion.

I hope many Friday the 13th fans share my opinions about Crystal Lake, particularly when it comes to the characters, and how they've been given genuinely interesting backstories and expansions beyond the original movies. This is the kind of prequel that feels like it was made by someone who really cares about the source material.

There are a lot of nods to the movies, such as seeing the killer's point of view, that chilling score, and a title sequence that will make anyone feel nostalgic for the era of 80s slasher films. It's a well-crafted series with great editing, something that fits right in with the abundance of Friday the 13th stories.

In my opinion, this is the perfect series to watch over Halloween, or indeed sooner if you're feeling impatient. It's gripping and binge-worthy, giving horror fans both familiarity and some new material for them to get excited about.

Sony Bravia 9 II review: Two-minute review

RGB TVs, called ‘True RGB LED’ here by Sony, are still in their infancy, with RGB regularly touted as the technology that will topple OLED at the top of the TV mountain — and of the few I’ve tested so far, the Sony Bravia 9 II is the one that comes closest to succeeding. It takes everything I liked about the step-down Sony Bravia 7 II (also True RGB LED) and levels it up, including picture quality, sound and gaming performance, all of which are up there with the best TVs of 2026.

The Bravia 9 II’s picture quality is its crowning achievement. It delivers vibrant yet accurate-looking colors which make movies pop, fluid motion that’s great for sports and, with its anti-glare matte screen, it’s perfect for bright-room viewing too. Its most impressive elements, though, are its contrast and reproduction of dark tones, which are arguably the best I’ve seen from a backlit TV — if this is what RGB is capable of now, then expect it to rival the very best OLED TVs. While viewing angles could still be better, and some blooming exists, this is an excellent backlit TV.

The Bravia 9 II’s built-in sound is strong overall. Its speakers deliver remarkable detail, with a good sense of space that fills a room more than most TV speakers, and it delivers clear speech. I did find its bass and low-end lacking however, and it didn’t deliver the power I expected; so while the speakers are good enough that you don’t necessarily need one of the best soundbars, cinephiles may want to invest.

Gaming is another of the Bravia 9 II’s strong suits. It comes with a comprehensive set of features, (though sadly only has two HDMI 2.1 ports out of its four HDMIs available), and delivers great overall performance that handles even the fastest-paced games well.

The Bravia 9 II’s major downside is its price. At $3,599 / £3,499 / AU$5,995 for the 65-inch model I tested, this is one of the most expensive TVs on the market, at around a full $500 / £500 / AU$750-1000 dollars more than both rival OLEDs and other RGB TVs. And prices are unlikely to drop, as Sony doesn’t often discount its TVs, so if you’re looking for the best value you may want to go elsewhere, despite this TV’s excellent performance.

Sony Bravia 9 II review: Prices & release date

The Bravia 9 II's colors are one its real strengths (Image credit: Future)

• Release date: August 2026
• 65-inch: $3,599.99 / £3,499.99 / AU$5,995
• 75-inch: $4,599.99 / £4,299.99 / AU$7,495
• 85-inch: $6,499.99 / £5,499.99 / AU$9,995
• 115-inch: $30,999.99 / £22,999.99 / AU$44,995

The Bravia 9 II is Sony’s flagship RGB LED TV for 2026, sitting above the Sony Bravia 7 II. It’s available in 65, 75, 85 and 115-inch sizes. The 65-inch model I tested launched for $3,599.99 / £3,499.99 / AU$5,995, putting it at the premium end of the market.

At the time of writing (October 2026), the Bravia 9 II’s prices remain unchanged in the US and UK, but in Australia prices have dropped across the 65-85-inch sizes, with the 65-inch now available for AU$4,795.

Sony Bravia 9 II review: Specs

Screen type:

RGB LED

Refresh rate:

120Hz

HDR support:

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

Audio support:

Dolby Atmos, DTS:X

Smart TV:

Google TV

HDMI ports:

4 (2x HDMI 2.1)

Built-in tuner:

ATSC 1.0 (US)

Sony Bravia 9 II review: Benchmark results @import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Open+Sans:wght@400;700&display=swap');@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Poppins:wght@400;700&display=swap');#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper *, #fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper *:before, #fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper *:after, #fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow *, #fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow *:before, #fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow *:after {box-sizing: border-box !important; margin: 0; padding: 0; border: 0;font-size: 100%; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper, #fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow { font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper {position: relative !important; overflow: visible !important;--riv-primary: #2E6E93;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-inner-wrapper {color: #1F2937 !important; 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color: #374151 !important; text-align: center !important; font-style: normal !important; font-weight: normal !important; line-height: 1.7 !important; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif !important; display: block !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-chart { display: flex; flex-direction: column; width: 100%; margin-top: 1rem; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-header { display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: center; margin-bottom: 1.5rem; padding: 0 1rem; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-select-wrapper { flex: 1; min-width: 0; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-select-wrapper.fv-left { text-align: center; padding-right: 1rem; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-select-wrapper.fv-right { text-align: center; padding-left: 1rem; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-select-container { position: relative; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-chevron { position: absolute; top: 50%; transform: translateY(-50%); pointer-events: none; width: 16px; height: 16px; flex-shrink: 0; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-select-wrapper.fv-left .fv-versus-chevron { right: 0; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-select-wrapper.fv-right .fv-versus-chevron { right: 0; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-select { background: transparent; border: none; border-bottom: 2px solid; font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; font-weight: 700; font-size: 14px; padding: 0.25rem 0; cursor: pointer; outline: none; appearance: none; -webkit-appearance: none; -moz-appearance: none; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; text-overflow: ellipsis; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-select.fv-select-left { text-align: center; direction: ltr; padding-right: 1.25rem; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-select.fv-select-right { text-align: center; padding-right: 1.25rem; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-select option { font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 14px; color: #374151; direction: ltr; text-align: left; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-vs { font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; font-weight: 700; font-size: 14px; color: #374151; letter-spacing: 0.1em; padding: 0 1rem; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-body { display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 1.5rem; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-row { position: relative; height: auto; padding-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 0.25rem; display: block; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-bar-container { position: relative; height: 32px; display: flex; align-items: center; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-bar-left-wrapper { flex: 1; height: 100%; display: flex; justify-content: flex-end; align-items: center; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-bar-right-wrapper { flex: 1; height: 100%; display: flex; justify-content: flex-start; align-items: center; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-bar { height: 32px; width: var(--target-width); transition: width 0.8s ease-out; animation: fv-grow-max-width 0.8s ease-out forwards; display: flex; align-items: center; overflow: hidden; color: #ffffff; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-bar-left { border-radius: 4px 0 0 4px; justify-content: flex-end; padding: 0 8px; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-bar-right { border-radius: 0 4px 4px 0; justify-content: flex-start; padding: 0 8px; }@keyframes fv-grow-max-width {from { max-width: 0; }to { max-width: 100%; }}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-center-line { position: absolute; left: 50%; top: 0; bottom: 0; width: 4px; background-color: #ffffff; transform: translateX(-50%); z-index: 1; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-inside-left { white-space: nowrap; flex-shrink: 0; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-inside-right { white-space: nowrap; flex-shrink: 0; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-val-text { font-family: 'Poppins', sans-serif; font-weight: 700; font-size: 14px; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-pct-diff { font-size: 12px; font-weight: 600; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-label { position: absolute; left: 50%; transform: translateX(-50%); top: 0; background-color: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: none; padding: 0; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-weight: 700; font-size: 14px; color: #374151; white-space: nowrap; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .sr-only { position: absolute !important; width: 1px !important; height: 1px !important; padding: 0 !important; margin: -1px !important; overflow: hidden !important; clip: rect(0,0,0,0) !important; white-space: nowrap !important; border: 0 !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bottom-bar { display: flex !important; flex-direction: column !important; align-items: center !important; margin-top: 0.5rem !important; gap: 1rem !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-footer-content { text-align: center !important; width: 100% !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-logo {display: block !important;margin: 0 auto !important;width: 120px !important;min-width: 120px !important;max-width: 120px !important;height: auto !important;object-fit: contain !important;flex-shrink: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-dropdown-wrapper { text-align: center !important; margin-bottom: 16px !important; margin-top: 0 !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-dropdown-title-container { position: relative !important; display: inline-block !important; max-width: 100% !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-dropdown-title {appearance: none !important;-webkit-appearance: none !important;-moz-appearance: none !important;background: transparent !important;border: none !important;font-size: 18px !important;font-weight: 600 !important;color: var(--riv-primary) !important;padding-right: 28px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;cursor: pointer !important;text-align: center !important;text-align-last: center !important;width: auto !important;max-width: 100% !important;font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif !important;line-height: 1.3 !important;margin: 0 !important;text-overflow: ellipsis !important;overflow: hidden !important;white-space: nowrap !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-dropdown-title:focus { outline: none !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-dropdown-title::-ms-expand { display: none !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-dropdown-chevron {position: absolute !important;right: 0 !important;top: 50% !important;transform: translateY(-50%) !important;pointer-events: none !important;color: var(--riv-primary) !important;display: flex !important;align-items: center !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-carousel-title-controls { display: flex !important; justify-content: space-between !important; align-items: center !important; margin-bottom: 16px !important; width: 100% !important; gap: 12px !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-carousel-nav-btn {background: transparent !important; border: 1px solid #d1d5db !important; border-radius: 6px !important; padding: 6px 10px !important;cursor: pointer !important; font-size: 14px !important; color: #374151 !important; display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; gap: 4px !important; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-carousel-nav-btn:hover { border-color: #9ca3af !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-carousel-counter { font-size: 14px !important; color: #374151 !important; text-align: center !important; margin-top: 1rem !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-legend { display: flex !important; justify-content: center !important; flex-wrap: wrap !important; gap: 8px 16px !important; margin: 0 !important; padding: 0 !important; margin-top: 1rem !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-legend-item { display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; gap: 6px !important; font-size: 14px !important; color: #374151 !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-legend-color { width: 12px !important; height: 12px !important; border-radius: 3px !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-multi-value-legend {display: flex !important;justify-content: center !important;flex-wrap: wrap !important;gap: 12px 24px !important;margin-bottom: 1.5rem !important;padding: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-multi-legend-item { display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; gap: 8px !important; font-size: 14px !important; color: #374151 !important; font-weight: 500 !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-multi-legend-swatch { width: 16px !important; height: 16px !important; border-radius: 3px !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-benchmark-group { margin-bottom: 1rem !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-benchmark-title {font-size: 18px !important; font-weight: 600 !important; margin-bottom: 16px !important; margin-top: 0 !important; padding: 0 !important;text-align: center !important; color: var(--riv-primary) !important; flex: 1 !important; min-width: 0 !important;font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.3 !important;text-transform: none !important;white-space: normal !important;overflow-wrap: break-word !important;word-wrap: break-word !important;max-width: 100% !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar-row, #fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-stacked-product { display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; width: 100% !important; margin-bottom: 0.75rem !important; position: relative !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar-label { width: 150px !important; flex-shrink: 0 !important; font-size: 14px !important; color: #374151 !important; padding-right: 10px !important; text-align: right !important; font-weight: 500 !important; display: block !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar-container { flex-grow: 1 !important; background-color: #E5E7EB !important; border-radius: 4px !important; min-height: 25px !important; border: 1px solid #D1D5DB !important; position: relative !important; display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar-commentary-inline { display: none !important; position: absolute !important; left: 150px !important; top: 0 !important; bottom: 0 !important; right: 0 !important; width: calc(100% - 150px) !important; margin: 0 !important; padding: 0 8px !important; font-size: 13px !important; color: #fff !important; background: rgba(0,0,0,0.8) !important; border-radius: 4px !important; line-height: 1.4 !important; font-weight: normal !important; text-transform: none !important; word-wrap: break-word !important; z-index: 10 !important; align-items: center !important; overflow-y: auto !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.preview-wrapper .fv-bar-row:hover .fv-bar-commentary-inline, #fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.preview-wrapper .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus, #fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.preview-wrapper .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus-within, #fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-bar-row:hover .fv-bar-commentary-inline, #fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus, #fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus-within { display: flex !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar { height: 100% !important; border-radius: 3px !important; display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; transition: opacity 0.2s ease, width 0.8s ease-out !important; min-height: 23px !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar:hover { opacity: 0.8 !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar-inner-content { display: flex !important; justify-content: space-between !important; align-items: center !important; width: 100% !important; height: 100% !important; padding: 0 8px !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: bold !important; overflow: hidden !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar-inner-label { white-space: nowrap !important; overflow: hidden !important; text-overflow: ellipsis !important; padding-right: 8px !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar-inner-value { flex-shrink: 0 !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar-value-outside { padding-left: 8px !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: bold !important; color: #374151 !important; white-space: nowrap !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar-label.fv-primary-product { font-weight: bold !important; color: var(--riv-primary) !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-multi-bar-container { flex-direction: column !important; padding: 4px !important; align-items: stretch !important; gap: 4px !important; height: auto !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-multi-bar-item { display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; height: 25px !important; width: 100% !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-stacked-bar { display: flex !important; overflow: hidden !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-stacked-segment { height: 100% !important; display: flex !important; align-items: center !important; justify-content: flex-end !important; padding-right: 8px !important; border-right: 1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.3) !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-stacked-segment:last-child { border-right: none !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-segment-value { font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: bold !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-grouped-bar-product { display: flex !important; flex-direction: column !important; width: 100% !important; margin-bottom: 1.25rem !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-grouped-product-title-wrapper { padding-left: 150px !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-grouped-product-title { width: 100% !important; text-align: left !important; padding-right: 0 !important; margin-bottom: 0.5rem !important; font-weight: 700 !important; font-size: 14px !important; color: #374151 !important; text-transform: none !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar-cluster { width: 100% !important; flex-grow: 1 !important; display: flex !important; flex-direction: column !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar-cluster .fv-bar-row { margin-bottom: 3px !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar-cluster .fv-bar-container { height: 20px !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .riv-grid line {stroke: #D1D5DB !important;stroke-dasharray: 3 3 !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-x-axis-wrapper { display: flex !important; width: 100% !important; margin-top: 0.5rem !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-x-axis-label-space { width: 150px !important; padding-right: 10px !important; flex-shrink: 0 !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-x-axis-chart-space { flex-grow: 1 !important; padding-right: 8px !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-x-axis-wrapper.fv-grouped-x-axis { margin-left: 0 !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-x-axis-line { border-top: 1px solid #D1D5DB !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-x-axis-ticks { display: flex !important; justify-content: space-between !important; padding-top: 4px !important; font-size: 13px !important; color: #374151 !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-x-axis-ticks span { position: relative !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-x-axis-ticks span::before { content: '' !important; position: absolute !important; top: -6px !important; left: 50% !important; transform: translateX(-50%) !important; width: 2px !important; height: 4px !important; background-color: #D1D5DB !important; border-radius: 1px !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-x-axis-unit { text-align: center !important; font-size: 14px !important; color: #374151 !important; margin-top: 8px !important; display: block !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-x-axis-title { text-align: center !important; font-size: 15px !important; color: #374151 !important; margin-top: 8px !important; margin-bottom: 16px !important; line-height: 1.5 !important; padding: 0 1rem !important; display: block !important; font-weight: bold !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-y-axis-title {font-size: 15px !important;color: #374151 !important;line-height: 1.5 !important;text-align: left !important;padding-left: 5.83% !important;margin-bottom: 4px !important;display: block !important;font-weight: bold !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-pie-container,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-pie-container {flex-direction: column !important; gap: 1rem !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-grouped-product-title-wrapper,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-grouped-product-title-wrapper {padding-left: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-bar-row,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-stacked-product,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-grouped-bar-product,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-bar-row,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-stacked-product,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-grouped-bar-product {flex-direction: column !important; align-items: flex-start !important; margin-bottom: 1.25rem !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-bar-label:not(.fv-grouped-product-title),#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-bar-label:not(.fv-grouped-product-title) {width: 100% !important; text-align: left !important; padding-right: 0 !important; margin-bottom: 0.25rem !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: 700 !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-bar-label,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-grouped-product-title,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-bar-label,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-grouped-product-title {width: 100% !important; text-align: left !important; padding-right: 0 !important; margin-bottom: 0.25rem !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: 700 !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-bar-container,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-bar-cluster,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-bar-container,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-bar-cluster {width: 100% !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-bar-row:hover .fv-bar-commentary-inline,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus-within,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-bar-row:hover .fv-bar-commentary-inline,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus-within {position: static !important; display: block !important; width: 100% !important; margin: 4px 0 0 0 !important; padding: 0 !important; background: transparent !important; color: #6B7280 !important; font-size: 12px !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-x-axis-wrapper,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-x-axis-wrapper {margin-left: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-x-axis-label-space,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-x-axis-label-space {display: none !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-x-axis-chart-space,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-x-axis-chart-space {padding-right: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-benchmark-title,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-benchmark-title {font-size: 16px !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-dropdown-title,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-dropdown-title {font-size: 16px !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-carousel-nav-btn,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-carousel-nav-btn {padding: 8px 12px !important; font-size: 14px !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-chart-title,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-chart-title {padding: 0 8px !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-chart-subhead,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-chart-subhead {padding: 0 8px !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-versus-header,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-versus-header {flex-direction: column !important; align-items: center !important; padding: 0 !important; gap: 0.5rem !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-versus-select-wrapper,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-versus-select-wrapper {flex: 1 !important; min-width: 0 !important; width: 100% !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-versus-select-wrapper.fv-left,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-versus-select-wrapper.fv-left {text-align: center !important; padding-right: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-versus-select-wrapper.fv-right,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-versus-select-wrapper.fv-right {text-align: center !important; padding-left: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-versus-select.fv-select-left,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-versus-select.fv-select-left {text-align: center !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-versus-select.fv-select-right,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-versus-select.fv-select-right {text-align: center !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-versus-vs,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-versus-vs {text-align: center !important; padding: 0.25rem 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-versus-select-container,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-versus-select-container {max-width: 100% !important; width: 100% !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-versus-select,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-versus-select {font-size: 14px !important; width: 100% !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-stl-shop-all-btn,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-stl-shop-all-btn {bottom: 0.5rem !important; right: 0.5rem !important; height: 2rem !important; font-size: 0.75rem !important; padding: 0 0.75rem 0 2.5rem !important; max-width: calc(100% - 1rem) !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-stl-shop-all-logo,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-stl-shop-all-icon,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-stl-shop-all-logo,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-stl-shop-all-icon {width: 2rem !important; height: 2rem !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-stl-shop-all-icon svg,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-stl-shop-all-icon svg {width: 14px !important; height: 14px !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-bar-commentary-inline,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.labels-on-top .fv-bar-commentary-inline {display: block !important; margin-left: 0 !important; width: 100% !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view .fv-y-axis-title { padding-left: 5% !important; }#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper.mobile-view.fv-contains-line-chart .fv-footer-content {margin-left: -1rem !important;margin-right: -1rem !important;}@media (max-width: 599px) {#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-pie-container {flex-direction: column !important; gap: 1rem !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-grouped-product-title-wrapper {padding-left: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar-row,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-stacked-product,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-grouped-bar-product {flex-direction: column !important; align-items: flex-start !important; margin-bottom: 1.25rem !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar-label:not(.fv-grouped-product-title) {width: 100% !important; text-align: left !important; padding-right: 0 !important; margin-bottom: 0.25rem !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: 700 !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar-label,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-grouped-product-title {width: 100% !important; text-align: left !important; padding-right: 0 !important; margin-bottom: 0.25rem !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: 700 !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar-container,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar-cluster {width: 100% !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar-row:hover .fv-bar-commentary-inline,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus,#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-bar-row .fv-bar-commentary-inline:focus-within {position: static !important; display: block !important; width: 100% !important; margin: 4px 0 0 0 !important; padding: 0 !important; background: transparent !important; color: #6B7280 !important; font-size: 12px !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-x-axis-wrapper {margin-left: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-x-axis-label-space {display: none !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-x-axis-chart-space {padding-right: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-benchmark-title {font-size: 16px !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-dropdown-title {font-size: 16px !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-carousel-nav-btn {padding: 8px 12px !important; font-size: 14px !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-chart-title {padding: 0 8px !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-chart-subhead {padding: 0 8px !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-header {flex-direction: column !important; align-items: center !important; padding: 0 !important; gap: 0.5rem !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-select-wrapper {flex: 1 !important; min-width: 0 !important; width: 100% !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-select-wrapper.fv-left {text-align: center !important; padding-right: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-select-wrapper.fv-right {text-align: center !important; padding-left: 0 !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-select.fv-select-left {text-align: center !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-select.fv-select-right {text-align: center !important;}#fv-chart-1791989772096-3jrkl1tdu-slideshow .fv-chart-wrapper .fv-versus-vs {text-align: center !important; 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Taken using a colorimeter and test pattern generator. Click the test name for measurements and select the chosen test from the dropdown menu.

HDR Filmmaker modeHDR StandardSDR Filmmaker ModeSDR StandardSony Bravia 9 IIHDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window)4416HDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen)974Samsung R95HHDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window)1977HDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen)612Sony Bravia 7 IIHDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window)1114HDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen)82901,5003,0004,5006,000nitsHDR Filmmaker mode DataProductHDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window) (nits)HDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen) (nits)Sony Bravia 9 II4416974Samsung R95H1977612Sony Bravia 7 II1114829Sony Bravia 9 IIHDR Standard Mode (10% window)4044HDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen)903Samsung R95HHDR Standard Mode (10% window)2066HDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen)600Sony Bravia 7 IIHDR Standard Mode (10% window)1295HDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen)78801,5003,0004,5006,000nitsHDR Standard DataProductHDR Standard Mode (10% window) (nits)HDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen) (nits)Sony Bravia 9 II4044903Samsung R95H2066600Sony Bravia 7 II1295788Sony Bravia 9 IISDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window)105SDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen)110Samsung R95HSDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window)115SDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen)185Sony Bravia 7 IISDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window)90SDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen)94050100150200nitsSDR Filmmaker Mode DataProductSDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window) (nits)SDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen) (nits)Sony Bravia 9 II105110Samsung R95H115185Sony Bravia 7 II9094Sony Bravia 9 IISDR Standard Mode (10% window)821SDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen)703Samsung R95HSDR Standard Mode (10% window)413SDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen)187Sony Bravia 7 IISDR Standard Mode (10% window)608SDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen)47602505007501,000nitsSDR Standard DataProductSDR Standard Mode (10% window) (nits)SDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen) (nits)Sony Bravia 9 II821703Samsung R95H413187Sony Bravia 7 II608476HDR color gamut

Closer to 100% is better. Taken using a colorimeter and test pattern generator.

Sony Bravia 9 IIUHDA-P395.6BT.202088.4Samsung R95HUHDA-P3148BT.202094.1Sony Bravia 7 IIUHDA-P399.2BT.202087.7037.575112.5150HDR Filmmaker mode DataProductUHDA-P3 ()BT.2020 ()Sony Bravia 9 II95.688.4Samsung R95H14894.1Sony Bravia 7 II99.287.7Picture accuracy

A lower score is better. Taken using a colorimeter and test pattern generator.

Delta-ESony Bravia 9 II5.3Samsung R95H3.7Sony Bravia 7 II6.501234567Delta-E DataProductValueSony Bravia 9 II5.3Samsung R95H3.7Sony Bravia 7 II6.5Input lag

Lower is better. Taken using a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Video Signal Lag Tester.

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The closer to the yellow line, the more accurate a TV is. As with all our tests, these results are out of the box, without calibration, to demonstrate the performance most people will see. As you can see, the Bravia 9 II did very well when set to Professional modeFutureWhile Cinema mode is the preferred picture mode for brighter rooms and scenes, the EOTF graphs show the Bravia 9 II loses accuracy in the 40-80% brightness range, but does well with blacksFutureSpectral power distribution refers to the intensity of light that a source will display at various wavelengths of color. It can reveal how accurate a source can show color at different light levels, and can be instructive to understand how a TV is handling color. The Bravia 9 II scored well in Professional mode FutureIn the Bravia 9 II's Cinema mode results were again excellent, with more distinct reds compared to Professional mode FutureSony Bravia 9 II review: Features

The Bravia 9 II has a good range of ports, but only two of its HDMI ports are 2.1 (Image credit: Future)

• RGB LED panel
• XR processor with AI features
• Google TV interface

The Bravia 9 II uses an RGB mini-LED panel (dubbed True RGB LED by Sony), which uses red, green and blue mini-LEDs, rather than the standard white you’ll find in regular mini-LED panels, to boost color reproduction.

It uses Sony’s XR Processor, which powers several AI picture features such as XR Clear Image AI for upscaling, as well as XR Motion Clarity, which analyzes movement on screen to produce a clearer, judder-free image.

In terms of HDR support, the Bravia 9 II supports Dolby Vision, but there’s no support for HDR10+. If you’re looking for a TV that supports both you’ll need to look at Hisense, TCL and Philips models. The Bravia 9 II also supports IMAX Enhanced content.

For audio, the Bravia 9 II has an 80W speaker system, consisting of two tweeters, two full-range speakers, two subwoofers and two beam tweeters. Several audio features, such as Voice Zoom 3, Auto Calibration and Acoustic Multi-Audio+, are included. There’s support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X formats too.

The Bravia 9 II has two fully-specced HDMI 2.1 ports set for gaming, with 4K 120Hz, VRR and ALLM support. Perfect For PS5 features are also present, including Auto HDR Tone Mapping and Auto Genre Picture Mode.

Like all Sony TVs, the Bravia 9 II uses Google TV as its smart TV interface. This gives you access to all major apps such as Netflix, Prime Video and Disney Plus, and, in the UK, BBC iPlayer and ITVX. Google TV with Gemini is included, which can be controlled hands-free and recommend content.

• Features score: 4.5 / 5

Sony Bravia 9 II review: Picture quality

Movies like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie are great for showcasing the Bravia 9 II's vibrant colors (Image credit: Nintendo / Universal Pictures / Future )

• Excellent color reproduction
• Accurate, OLED-level blacks
• Some mild blooming off-axis

The Bravia 9 II’s measured brightness is fantastic. In Cinema and Professional mode (the latter is the closest to Filmmaker Mode) it hit 4,180 nits and 4,416 nits peak HDR brightness respectively. This puts it at double what rival flagship RGB TVs like the Samsung R95H hit (1,977 nits in its own Filmmaker Mode).

It also delivers superb fullscreen brightness, hitting 974 nits HDR brightness in Cinema and Professional modes. It even delivers big SDR numbers, hitting 703 nits fullscreen SDR brightness in Standard and 656 nits in Cinema, making it a great choice for broadcast TV in bright rooms.

Speaking of bright rooms, the Bravia 9 II demonstrates much better handling of mirror-like reflections than the step-down Sony Bravia 7 II, which I found quite reflective in our testing lab. When I viewed the Bravia 9 II and Samsung R95H side-by-side, the Bravia 9 II’s own matte screen was seriously effective.

The Bravia 9 II did a good job of upscaling SDR/HD content. Watching videos on YouTube, textures did look sharper, and although it wasn’t to a 4K-level, it was improved. Watching HD movies like Fight Club on Disney Plus, textures looked crisp and contrast was improved.

The Bravia 9 II, also demonstrated excellent picture quality with 4K Blu-ray reference discs. Its color reproduction during The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was gorgeous, with deep, rich colors that really popped on-screen. Any time the Lumas appeared, they had a sense of depth to them, thanks to how bold their colors were.

Even in live-action movies like Speed Racer, the Bravia 9 II demonstrates its superb colors (Image credit: Warner Bros / Future )

Colors in live-action content looked similarly great. In Speed Racer, the bold aesthetic of the Racer family home, with orange doors, green and purple walls and yellow furnishings, not only looked vivid to suit the movie’s cartoon-ish nature, but also had a nice accuracy to them.

The Bravia 9 II’s HDR color gamut results were fantastic overall. It clocked 98.6% UHDA-P3 coverage, a number consistent with other mini-LED and OLED TVs, but most impressive was its 86.7% BT.2020 coverage. While I’ve tested higher on some RGB TVs, this puts the Bravia 9 II in line with QD-OLED models.

The Bravia 9 II has excellent contrast, perfect for movies like The Batman. Even in bright conditions, the movie looks great on this TV (Image credit: Warner Bros / Future )

Another area where the Bravia 9 II impressed was its contrast and black-tone reproduction. In The Batman, as Bruce works in the Batcave, the monitors on his desk were bright, and contrasted well with the dark tones in the surrounding walls and crevices. The Bravia 9 II’s peak brightness meant HDR highlights, such as overhead lamps, really dazzled on screen, and this didn’t come at the expense of dark tones.

In Project Hail Mary, scenes of space demonstrated just how good the Bravia 9 II’s black levels were, especially for a backlit-TV. In theory, OLED has an advantage when it comes to reproducing deep blacks, in that it uses individually controlled pixels, but I found that the Bravia 9 II rivalled most OLEDs. Not only were black levels deep, but there were few signs of blooming when viewing head-on, with the Bravia 9 II showing superb backlight control.

It’s no surprise that the Bravia 9 II’s black tones were good, as when I measured its out-of-the-box grayscale accuracy, it hit a staggering 0.92 in Cinema mode. Anything below 3 is indiscernible to the human eye, and a number like this rivals most OLEDs.

The Bravia 9 II delivers great motion as well. Watching soccer with the TV set to Standard mode, it was able to handle the fast-paced action with minimal signs of judder, though it’s best to set the motion settings to Custom and set Smoothness and Clearness to 1, as at the full 2 the TV could sometimes be aggressive with its processing. For movies, with the TV set to Cinema, action always looked smooth. Watching Speed Racer, the Bravia 9 II handled the swerving cars, and even the commentators panning across the screen, well.

It wasn’t all plain sailing for the Bravia 9 II, however. Viewed off-center, signs of blooming crept back in, with halos of light appearing around bright objects on dark backgrounds. Although there was still significantly less blooming than you’d find on other mini-LEDs, OLED still takes the crown for off-angle viewing.

• Picture quality score: 5 / 5

Sony Bravia 9 II review: Sound quality The Bravia 9 II has very good built-in soundFutureThe Bravia 9 II forgoes more traditional sound modes for deeper sound settings, such as an EQ (pictured)Future

• Excellent detail
• Great virtual surround-sound processing
• Bass could be better

Sony’s TVs are often among the very best for built-in sound, so I had high expectations for the Bravia 9 II and spoiler alert, it mostly lived up to them. The Bravia 9 II 65-inch I tested uses a multi-speaker array consisting of two beam tweeters, two frame tweeters, two mid-range drivers and two subwoofers.

Watching the Penguin/Batmobile chase from The Batman, I was impressed most of all by the Bravia 9 II’s detail. As the Batmobile glides in and out of traffic, there were lots of effects I’d not been able to hear when watching the movie on other TVs, such as the creaking of tall lorries, the wind whipping past the Batmobile as debris fell around it, and the clattering of metal. The same was true with effects you’d hear in height channels, such as rain, which wasn’t crystal clear, but was still audible — no mean feat for TV speakers.

The Bravia 9 II also showcased very good virtual spatial sound, with the sound extending beyond the screen to create a somewhat immersive experience. Speech was also clear throughout, with the Penguin’s shouting audible even amid the chaos of the scene.

One area where the Bravia 9 II is lacking, however, is its bass. For such a large-framed TV with two subwoofers, I expected more punch in the lower tone range. The Batmobile’s engines had some heft to them, but it didn’t have the rumble I was looking for. This isn’t uncommon for a TV, but I was surprised that in this case it was one of Sony’s models that was lacking.

• Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5

Sony Bravia 9 II review: Design The Bravia 9 II feels premium, with a weighty pedestal stand and build FutureIts anti-glare screen is effective at eliminating mirror-like reflections Future

• Sturdy but weighty build
• Thicker than other TVs
• Looks premium

Like several other RGB models I’ve tested, the Bravia 9 II is bulkier than a lot of other TVs. The Bravia 9 II’s frame is chunkier and deeper than you’d expect for a modern TV, so this is something to bear in mind if you’re going to be fitting it into a tight space. It’s weighty as well — this 65-inch TV is easily one of the heaviest I’ve set up.

That said, the Bravia 9 II still looks like a premium TV, with a central pedestal stand consisting of three metal components that feel and look appropriate for a TV of this price. The stand also comes with a clear bit of plastic that can be attached to the rear of the stand to create what the brand calls a ‘mirage effect’, where the stand seemingly disappears when viewed head-on, to give the TV a floating effect.

The Bravia 9 II’s supplied remote is perfectly serviceable, with shortcut buttons to major apps like Netflix and buttons laid out in a standard format. However, it feels lightweight and cheap, which is disappointing for a TV in this price range. It does however use USB-C charging, similar to Samsung and Hisense’s remotes, which is a nice touch.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Sony Bravia 9 II review: Smart TV & menus

Google TV is a decent smart TV platform, but the banner ads on its home page (pictured) can be very distracting (Image credit: Future)

• Google TV interface
• Tons of picture settings
• Google home page quite cluttered

The Bravia 9 II uses Google TV as its smart TV platform, with access to major apps including Netflix and Disney Plus, and, in the UK, to major UK apps like BBC iPlayer and ITVX. There’s also the option of hands-free control via Google Assistant, and the TV is compatible with Google Cast, Alexa and Apple Airplay2.

Google TV’s home page is a good hub for recommending relevant content, as well making content you’re watching easy to find, particularly on YouTube. One issue with the home page, which Google TV has had for a while, is that its large banner ads can make the screen look cluttered, and push your apps further down the screen.

The Bravia 9 II has a comprehensive suite of settings, especially for adjusting the picture. There are plentiful settings to enable you to tailor the picture to your liking, and while some of these are a little hidden (the ambient light sensor is in a totally separate menu for example), the menus are mostly easy to navigate and use. While I don’t find Google TV as aesthetically pleasing or easy to use as LG’s webOS, Samsung’s One UI Tizen, or Roku, it’s a perfectly fine smart TV system.

• Smart TV & menus score: 4 / 5

Sony Bravia 9 II review: Gaming

The Bravia 9 II is great for gaming, with brilliant response times (Image credit: Future)

• 9.8ms input lag time
• Good performance overall
• Only two HDMI 2.1 ports

The Bravia 9 II has a good array of gaming features, supporting 4K 120Hz, VRR, Dolby Vision gaming and ALLM, as well as Perfect for PS5 features including Auto HDR Tone Mapping. Sadly, only two of its four HDMI ports are 2.1 compatible for gaming, which is still a step behind a lot of other rival TVs from LG, Samsung, Hisense, and TCL.

I measured the Bravia 9 II’s input lag at 9.8ms (4K 60Hz), which is a nice improvement over other Sony TVs I’ve tested, including the brand’s Bravia 8 II flagship OLED, which registered 16.8ms (also in 4K 60Hz).

Actual gameplay on the Bravia 9 II is very smooth. When I played Battlefield V, movement felt fluid and responsive, with the Bravia 9 II showing no judder during a chaotic desert mission where I dodged enemy fire while jumping in and out of vehicles. I did notice that during some particularly fast-paced action, where I sprinted across the battlefield, there was a slight blurring of finer details, but overall the game looked great, with the Bravia 9 II’s excellent picture quality for movies translating over to games.

• Gaming score: 4.5 / 5

Sony Bravia 9 II review: Value

The Bravia 9 II's supplied remote has everything you need, but feels cheap for a TV at this price (Image credit: Future)

• Premium price
• Pricier than rival RGBs and OLEDs
• Great performance for the money

There’s no denying that the Bravia 9 II is a premium-priced TV. It sits at the top end of the market and is pricier than most, if not all, of its major rivals. The 65-inch model I tested costs $3,599 / £3,499 / AU$5,999, which is pricier than a flagship OLED like the LG G6, the 65-inch model of which costs $2,499 / £2,699 / AU$4,999. It’s pricier than even the Samsung R95H, that brand’s flagship RGB TV, with its 65-inch costing $2,799 / £2,899 / AU$4,499.

Both those rival TVs have more features than the Bravia 9 II, especially for gaming, and they deliver very good performance in their own right. That being said, the Bravia 9 II is easily the most impressive RGB TV I’ve tested, delivering superb performance that exceeded my expectations. It’s just a shame that you’re paying a premium for that performance — and based on Sony’s history when it comes to pricing, it’s unlikely that the Bravia 9 II’s price will fall into line with competitors.

• Value score: 3.5 / 5

Should you buy the Sony Bravia 9 II?

The Bravia 9 II's black tones are one of its most impressive features (Image credit: Future)Sony Bravia 9 II

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Impressive anti-glare screen, RGB panel and good gaming features

4.5/5

Picture quality

Stunning colors, impressive contrast and black tones, excellent backlight control and reflection handling. Some blooming when viewed off-center

5/5

Sound quality

Very good overall sound quality with exceptional detail and accuracy, along with a wide soundstage, but bass is lacking.

4.5/5

Design

Premium build with sturdy feel, but thicker and weightier than a lot of other TVs

4.5/5

Smart TV and menus

Google TV has good app recommendations, but banner ads are distracting. Good amount of picture settings; sound settings could be confusing for some

4/5

Gaming

Fantastic gaming performance with a good array of features, but only two HDMI 2.1 ports.

4.5/5

Value

Pricier than most rival RGB and OLED TVs, and beyond the budgets of many potential buyers. Very good performance for the price, however

3.5/5

Buy it if...

You want superb picture quality
The Bravia 9 II's rich, gorgeous colors, excellent contrast, OLED-level blacks and impressive backlight control all combine to deliver a near-complete picture experience

You want a TV for bright rooms
The Bravia 9 II's anti-glare screen eliminates mirror-like reflections effectively, which combined with its high brightness, makes it terrific for bright rooms

You want the best of RGB
The Bravia 9 II is the best RGB TV I've tested so far, showing a real evolution of LED, backlit TVs that makes the tech competitive with OLED

Don't buy it if...

You're on a budget
The Bravia 9 II is one of the pricier TVs on the market, with a higher price tag than most rival RGB and OLED TVs in the same sizes.

You have multiple game consoles
The Bravia 9 II only comes with two HDMI 2.1 ports, meaning those with multiple consoles may want to look elsewhere.

You want to watch from an angle
While the Bravia 9 II's backlight control is excellent, there is still some blooming present when viewed off-center. OLED is still the best for off-axis viewing

Also Consider

Sony Bravia 9 II

Samsung R95H

Sony Bravia 7 II

LG G6

Price (65-inch)

$3,599 / £3,499 / AU$5,995

$2,799 / £2,899 / AU$4,495

$2,599 / £2,299 / AU$3,299

$2,499 / £2,699 / AU$4,995

Screen type

RGB LED

Micro RGB

RGB LED

OLED

Refresh rate

120Hz

165Hz

120Hz

165Hz

HDR support

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

HDR10+, HDR10, HLG

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

Smart TV

Google TV

One UI Tizen

Google TV

webOS 26

HDMI ports

4 (2x HDMI 2.1)

4 x HDMI 2.1

4 (2x HDMI 2.1)

4x HDMI 2.1

Samsung R95H
One of the Sony Bravia 9 II's main rivals, the Samsung R95H delivers bold colors, solid black levels and an effective anti-glare screen. The R95H is cheaper, and has a more comprehensive feature set for gaming too. That being said, the Bravia 9 II's picture and sound quality are better — but the price difference may be too great for some to ignore.

Read our full Samsung R95H review

Sony Bravia 7 II
The Bravia 7 II is the step-down model to the Bravia 9 II, and while the 7 II doesn't have the 9 II's full picture or sound quality, what it does deliver, at a much cheaper price, is very good indeed, showing what RGB is capable of at this price point. People with bright rooms may want to look elsewhere however, as the Bravia 7 II isn't great with reflections.

Read our full Sony Bravia 7 II review

LG G6
LG's flagship OLED is cheaper than the Bravia 9 II, and has the same rich colors, fantastic contrast and black tones. It's even great for bright rooms, showing only minimal reflections. The G6 is also better for gaming, and comes at a cheaper price. OLED fans will want to pick this, while non-OLED fans may want to opt for the Bravia 9 II.

Read our full LG G6 review

How I tested the Sony Bravia 9 II

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested over several weeks
• Tested using different SDR and HDR sources and in varying lighting conditions
• Measurements taken using Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software

After spending a few days establishing the Bravia 9 II's best pictures modes (Cinema for brighter rooms and HDR content, Professional for dark-room viewing, and Standard for sport and SDR TV), I watched reference movies and TV shows to test its picture and sound quality.

I used 4K Blu-rays to analyze its color, contrast, detail, motion and backlight control. I also used 4K Blu-rays to analyze its built-in sound quality, in particular using a scene from The Batman.

For gaming, I used an Xbox Series X and played Battlefield V.

Once these tests were complete, I took measurements using a Murideo Six G 8K test pattern generator, Jeti Spectral 15VA Spectroradiometer and Klein K-10A colorimeter (profiled together) and used Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software to take said measurements.

Brightness measurements were taken using white window patterns in both SDR and HDR, noting results for windows 1-100% in size. These were taken in the TV's Professional, Cinema and Standard modes.

Next, I analyzed its HDR color gamut coverage using both the UHDA-P3 (the standard used to master 4K Blu-ray and digital cinema releases) and BT.2020 ( a wide color-gamut format) color spaces.

After this, I measured the Bravia 9 II's color and grayscale accuracy using the Delta-E averages, which measures the difference between the source test pattern and what's shown on screen.

Finally, I analyzed its input lag in both 4K 60Hz and 1080p 120Hz using a Leo Bodnar 4K HMDI Input Lag Tester.

Read our in-depth overview of how we test TVs at TechRadar.

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

TDM Neo: Two-minute review

If you follow your audio news, no doubt you followed the early-2026 unveiling of the TDM Neo with fascination. It’s a novel audio gadget: it functions both as a loudspeaker and as a pair of headphones, with a neat twisting mechanism folding it or unfolding it between the two.

Months on, and the TDM Neo has been released, so I naturally made sure to test a pair to see how well they work… and unfortunately, I can’t really recommend it to anyone but collectors of neat knicknacks.

The problem is almost entirely in the audio department: the Neo just doesn’t sound good. As a pair of headphones it’s okay, but imprecise in a way that many rivals aren’t. However, when you turn it into a portable speaker, you get a tinny bass-less hiss which even bargain-bin Amazon options beat.

I’ll be forgiving: it’s likely that you can’t get high-tech driver systems in a gadget like this due to its form function. But at the same time, a valid reason for something bad doesn’t mean it’s not bad. Pick up something else from our list of the best Bluetooth speakers, I promise you’ll enjoy it more.

Not helping the Neo's case are a few other imprecisions. Take, for example, the design: the twisting mechanism locks the speaker mostly in place, but not always; it’s a bit loose. This means you don’t always get a secure fit, and the speaker can be quite wobbly.

Another gripe: there’s a TDM app, but to use some of its key features, you need to make an account. You can’t just boot up your speaker and change the EQ, without giving over some of your data. Why?

It’s a real shame that the TDM Neo has these issues, because there are signs that the company put some real thought into the device, with some neat touches. There are some useful in-box extras such as a sturdy carry case and high-quality cables, and some of the features (including different EQ modes per format) let you tweak with the nitty-gritty.

I’d be remiss not to mention the price. It matches top-tier Bluetooth speakers or mid-range headphones, despite the sound and build quality — again, as a proposition it's just really hard to justify.

As a viable consumer product, the TDM Neo isn't easy to recommend. It’s a neat concept, with some thought put into its various departments, but several gaping weaknesses mean you’ll be disappointed if you spent your money on it. Keep your eyes peeled for a Neo 2, though – if TDM fixes these issues, it could make something really special.

TDM Neo review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

• Unveiled in January 2026, sold from October
• Available for $249 / £249 (about AU$500)
• TDM also sells battery replacements

The TDM Neo was initially unveiled at CES 2026 in January of the year, but it took until September for the device to go on sale and October for it to ship.

You can buy the Neo for $249 / £249 (about AU$500, but I can’t find the device available to buy in Australia). It’s a high price, but a little more justified when you consider that you’re getting two devices.

While repairability isn’t touted as one of the Neo’s key features, TDM does sell battery replacement kits online for $29 / £23 (about AU$46) , and has an online guide on how to swap them out. So the brand deserves kudos on the repairability front.

TDM Neo review: Specs

Drivers

40mm / 40mm

Active noise cancellation

No / No

Battery life

16 hours (speaker) 200 hours (headphone)

Weight

340g

Connectivity

3.5mm, USB-C, Bluetooth 6.0

Frequency response

Not specified

Waterproofing

None

TDM Neo review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• Incredibly good battery life
• App brings EP, some extra tools
• Account required for some features

One real strong suit is the TDM Neo's battery life. You’re looking at 16 hours of listening in speaker mode, which is above-average for a device of this size… and a wild 200 hours of listening when you’re in headphone mode.

That’s right, well over a week straight of listening without having to charge them up, and dwarfing the 100-plus hours the previous frontrunners hit. Helping that figure is the lack of ANC, which is par for the course with on-ears, so nothing to get upset about.

On your smartphone, you can download the TDM. app to get some extra features. I found it a little tricky to locate, since putting ‘TDM’ into the app store brings up loads of options, so make sure to download the option with the full stop after the letters.

(Image credit: Future)

The app offers all the basics: you can see battery level, toggle a low-latency gaming mode, and find the Neo if you’ve mis-placed it. There’s also an option to change what twisting the unit does, away from switching formats as it currently does, and some battery saver modes which are an appreciated rarity.

The equalizer has several presets and space for two custom modes, and I really appreciate that you can set a separate EQ for when the Neo is in headphone mode and when it’s in speaker mode. It’s a neat touch, but it shows that TDM has really thought through the design.

However to actually edit the 5-band equalizer yourself, and also to use the find-device function, you have to create an account and log in on the app. The TDM Neo is an audio gadget; you shouldn’t need to create an account to use all of its features.

• Features score: 3.5/5

TDM Neo review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Twisty twisty: headphones to speakers using magnets
• Headphones are fairly sturdy, but a little heavy
• Speakers feel unstable and wobbly

Well, this is the whole thing of the TDM Neo, isn’t it? They’re designed to be dual-purpose. They begin as headphones, and you twist them into a speaker configuration, wherein the cups are housed in the headphone band and use outward-facing drivers. I’d compare the process most to using those pop-up festival tents: it takes a knack but when you know, you know.

As headphones, they’re fairly sturdy on-ears which are surprisingly comfortable to wear. That’s despite these puppies weighing a fair bit more than the average pair, at 340g. They have a fairly reliable fit, as long as you’re not jogging in these things. A small release catch lets you extend the length of these; I say this because it took me a good week of testing to realize that’s what the buttons do, so if you own a pair, there’s a good chance you missed it.

But twist the Neo into speaker mode, and it’s a different affair. Music automatically switches to play from the speakers when the cups are bent to a certain degree, and two magnets on the band meet (or roughly at that point, although they don’t need to physically touch).

(Image credit: Future)

It’s not a precise science, and every time I twisted the device down, I’d end with the two halves of the speaker in different places; sometimes they were aligned, sometimes not, and sometimes pointed in different angles.

Musically, this doesn’t make much of a difference, but it means the device is weighted in different ways, and doesn’t have a flat base to lean on. As a result, the speaker would be unstable, rocking when I put it down and constantly shaking if it was on a surface that was being jolted (like, say, a table where board games were being played).

On one of the cups there’s an LED indicator and USB-C port, the latter of which is facing directly upwards, so I imagine this is a no-go in rainy environments or anywhere where particles could fall in (there’s no IP rating). The other cup houses a 3.5mm jack, pairing button, volume rocker and power button. The volume and power buttons are made of a cheap-feeling rubber, which quickly looked scuffed on my review unit.

At least it’s a fairly compact speaker, being only slightly bigger than my Tribit Stormbox Micro 3. Several times I took it to other locations, because it’s small enough to carry in a bag fairly comfortably, without taking up too much room.

• Design score: 3/5

TDM Neo review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future)

• Headphones & speakers both have dual 40mm drivers
• Speakers are tinny, lack much bass
• Headphones have muddy, rumbly sound

Important context: the TDM Neo has two sets of drivers, and so when you’re in headphone mode, you’re listening to different drivers than when you’re in speaker mode. Otherwise, the room-filling audio would deafen you the first time you put the Neo on your head. Sensible.

This results in two very different sound profiles for the device, even if all four drivers are 40mm ones. Unfortunately, depending on your mode, the sound ranges from ‘not great’ to ‘bad’.

It’s the loudspeaker mode that I’m filing as ‘bad’ – years of using Tribit, JBL or Ultimate Ears speakers has ruined me, it seems. Put frankly, the TDM Neo sounds tinny. It lacks any credible bass to speak of, relying on a steaming pile of treble to pass as a song. But even then, high treble and mid lines are conspicuously absent too.

One of my favorite bands to test hi-fi gadgets with is Morningsiders, as their varied instrumentation (‘band’ instruments with strings, brass, piano, so on) makes it easy to analyze speakers. I wanted to put on one of their songs with a more prominent bassline, to see how the Neo fared, and skipped through nearly an entire album without finding one… until I realized that the Morningsiders weren’t the problem.

In something like Hang the Cedar, bass is only apparent from the void in a track it leaves, while acoustic guitar sounds like a metallic sneeze and even some of the guitar harmonics are missing.

(Image credit: Future)

I don’t like being overly negative in product reviews, and luckily I can calm it, because the headphones don’t sound as bad. I still wouldn’t pick them over… well, much, but I didn’t physically recoil while testing them for this review.

The headphones have bass — in fact, it’s quite prominent, even if you’re not coming straight from the speakers. It’s a little ‘looser’ than I like from bass, sometimes sounding rumbly and imprecise, but it’s certainly powerful. I was half expecting the treble to be missing in compensation, but that’s not the case — it’s not too energetic or sharp, but it completes the V-shape sound profile that ensure the headphones are much more pleasant than the speaker.

Yes, V-shape means that mids are a little lacking, but not to a fault. In Morningsiders’ Four Face Liar, for example, acoustic guitar is barely audible between the bass and vocals. But ‘barely audible’ is still a step above the ‘nonexistent’ bass of the speakers.

With support only for the SBC and AAC codecs, you won’t be able to enjoy high-res music with the Neo. And you’re probably wondering whether the equalizer or presets saves the sound? Unfortunately not, it just exacerbates or masks the issue depending on how you use it.

• Sound quality: 2.5/5

TDM Neo review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

• You're getting two devices in one...
• ... but two devices would be cheaper...
• ... and they'd work and sound better, too

As mentioned before, the TDM Neo is essentially two devices in one. In the same way that you pay a premium for folding phones, because they’re both smartphones and tablets, you’d expect to pay a little more for a novel hybrid gadget like this.

Saying that, it dashes their appeal against the rocks. You could easily pick up a solid option from our Bluetooth speakers buying guide and one of the best cheap headphones for less; each device would beat the TDM Neo’s audio and design pretty handily

The premium price really doesn’t help the Neo; $249 / £249 is a cost that you’d only really consider going for if you were buying from a big audio brand like Sony or Bose, not a Kickstarter brand selling a rough-and-ready piece of kit. If you find it half price, maybe it’s worth buying; and if you have some unique use case in which you need a 2-in-1, then perhaps pick it up. But if you’re just interested in the novelty, it’s hard to recommend.

• Value: 3/5

Should I buy the TDM Neo?TDM Neo score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The incredible battery life, and a few other neat touches, work well. It's a shame that you need an account to run them.

3.5/5

Design

It's a neat twisty concept, but neither form works well compared to alternatives.

3/5

Sound quality

The speaker sound bad, and the headphones aren't great.

2.5/5

Value

It's a jack of all trades, but a master of none

3/5

Buy them if…

You only have space for one device
I've said you'd be better off buying two devices for the price, but if you literally only have space for one, this is basically your only way of listening to music.

You need headphones with incredible battery
Need a pair of headphones with an absolutely ludicrous battery life? This is it.

Don’t buy them if…

You want good audio
Not everyone buys audio gadgets with sound quality in mind, but if you care even 1% about how your music sounds, you might want to skip these.

You don't want any more accounts
Hate making new accounts for every app, service and feature? Honestly, me too.

TDM Neo review: Also consider

Usually, we'd list several similar gadgets to the reviewed one, which you may want to do instead. However I'm going to do something different here; I'm going to list one speaker and one pair of on-ear headphones, which together cost less than the TDM Neo.

TDM Neo

Tribit Stormbox Micro 3 (speaker)

OneOdio Focus A1 Pro (headphones)

Drivers

40mm

48mm

40mm

Active noise cancellation

No

No

Yes

Battery life (ANC on)

16 hours (speaker) 200 hours (headphone)

24 hours

70 hours (ANC off)

Weight

340g

330g

200g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C, 3.5mm

Bluetooth 6.0

Bluetooth 6.0

Waterproofing

N/A

IP68

N/A

Tribit Stormbox Micro 3
This is my go-to portable Bluetooth speaker; it's about a quarter of the price of the Neo, yet sounds far better. It has a useful carry strap and sits nice and flat on a surface. Plus, it's incredibly durable.
Read our full Tribit Stormbox Micro 3 review

OneOdio Focus A1 Pro
For even less money than the Tribit, these are solid on-ear headphones released earlier in year. They sound decent and last for ages, plus weigh far less than the Neo.
Read our full OneOdio Focus A1 Pro review

How I tested the TDM Neo

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested for over two weeks
• Paired with Android phone for Bluetooth
• Used mostly at home, but on some walks too

The testing time for the TDM Neo lasted for two weeks, not including the writing time for the review.

I used the TDM paired with my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, over Bluetooth. Lots of the testing took place at home in speaker mode, but I also used the headphones at home and while going on walks around my local area. Testing was largely done via Spotify, for music and audiobooks, but also on YouTube and several games.

I've been reviewing gadgets for TechRadar since early 2019, and in that time have tested plenty of speakers and headphones.

• First reviewed in October 2026

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

This is a laptop that's designed for creators who are on the go. The 15-inch screen is big enough to give you enough workspace to do what you need on the go, without being so cumbersome that it won't fit in a standard laptop backpack. 15 inches is usually the sweet spot that makes or breaks whether it fits in a standard bag.

While this may not have full 4K, it has a crisp, color-accurate display, making it fantastic for those who need absolute perfection in color profiles. It is also powerful enough to handle almost anything you throw at it. While it's not designed for the average business user, those who dabble in creative work but still need to get business done can do so with ease on this laptop.

It has enough dedicated GPU to carve through video, enough RAM to run several lines at once, a beautiful enough screen to edit photos without a problem, and a solid enough machine to handle everything else, all in one device.

In short, if you want to get this kind of work done while still on the go, this is the machine for you. If you plan to park it at a desk or workstation most of the time, the 9i may be a better fit. Either way, this is for the creator.

Lenovo Yoga Pro 7i: Price and Availability

The Lenovo Pro 7i Gen 11 Aura Edition is available direct from Lenovo in the US, in the UK, and other territories. Prices start at $2,599.99 / £2,430 for the base configuration.

My review unit, however, had a slight upgrade and was sitting around $2,700. The Yoga Pro 7 could be configured up to a Core Ultra 9 with an RTX 570, 64 GB of RAM, and 2 TB of SSD.

Compared to the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Gen 11 Aura Edition I just reviewed, which sits around $3,000 for the same configuration, the Pro 7i saves about $250 for the same CPU, GPU, RAM, and SSD storage.

That means it is up to you whether it's worth saving $250 for giving up an inch of screen, or perhaps gaining an inch of screen for portability, depending on which camp you're in

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Lenovo Yoga Pro 7i: Unboxing and First Impressions

I'll admit it, life has gotten crazy. I've had this laptop in my queue, sitting on my testing desk or in testing, for 178 days.

I've used it for: numerous meetings, a few days in my life to see how it operates, several articles have been written on it, a lot of testing, some benchmarking, thrown in the backpack a couple of times, used it as my main machine while in my home office for a couple of days

All around, this machine runs fantastic. The Luna Gray color is fantastic. It boots quickly, and it runs fast. The 15-inch OLED touchscreen is spectacular and accurate. The colors are incredible, and the ports are great. Overall, it's a laptop most people would dream of having.

I even prefer the 15-inch over the larger 16-inch 9i I just finished testing, though it is still a tad large for my liking. 14-inch seems to be my sweet spot. The 15-inch is still manageable and fits in most full-size laptop backpacks. For example, it fits well in my Nomatic Navigator and my Nomatic backpack.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Lenovo Yoga Pro 7i: Design and Build Quality

As expected, the keyboard and trackpad are spectacular. Like the 9i variant, the trackpad also doubles as a drawing surface for the Yoga Pen. Since I adjusted on the 9i, it was much easier for me to get used to it. However, as I said in the 9i review, if this is your first time using a drawing surface like this, it will take a second to get used to. It's not quite as seamless as drawing on the screen, but it becomes fairly intuitive after a little use.

The 15-inch 2.5K display is hard to recognize as only 2.5K. It looks significantly nicer than that. It could be because of the colors and the 165 Hz refresh rate, but this display (HDR True Black 1000, 100% sRGB, P3, Adobe RGB, 1,100 nits peak brightness, and PureSight) makes this OLED panel look absolutely spectacular. Unless you know for a fact you need a 4K display, you can use this for creative content pretty easily.

The last thing I'll mention is that the port layout is also what I would hope for. I've never been a fan of laptops that shove ports on the back and make it seem like they're meant to stay stationary on a desk. Even though I love the thinner laptops, I've never been a fan of the laptops that only have USB-C. I get it, and I get what they're going for, but in the professional space, that's really hard to justify.

For ultrabooks, that makes sense, but for professional business laptops or even creative laptops like this one, having only a USB-C means that you are guaranteed to need a dongle. This laptop, though, has a good range of ports for its intended use, and it's designed for that use case, which is ultimately what a laptop should be tested against anyway.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Lenovo Yoga Pro 7i: In use

I've been able to do some light photo editing and some video editing, and more, on this machine. While creating, I actually did a lot of content approval on this laptop during my testing. My roles in other companies have shifted. For now, I review content my team makes daily, so I appreciate this screen more and more.

The OLED is absolutely spectacular and has made me want an OLED panel for pretty much everything that I have. 165 Hz is also buttery smooth. The RTX 5060 is absurdly powerful. I tested it by running 22 lines of a security system I was setting up for a client without any issues. It barely taxed the memory, and I ran all 22 lines at full speed without any issues.

Of course, because even creatives still need to write some things out, I tested the keyboard thoroughly as well. It's a comfortable keyboard, just as I expected from Lenovo. It's comfortable to use for days on end, hours each day, and you won't need a different laptop keyboard unless you want one purely for aesthetic or ergonomic purposes.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Lenovo Yoga Pro 7i: Final verdict

The question that we land on is: should you buy this laptop? If you want a more portable but powerful creator workstation that isn't difficult to carry around in a backpack, then yes, you probably should buy this. It does everything mobile photo and video editors will need it to do.

However, if you need the extra screen space afforded by the 9i, I can see why that'd make sense for many deskbound creatives.

Either way, either laptop is a spectacular buy if you're in the creative space and don't need a true 4K display, because the screen itself, with its color accuracy, visuals, and refresh rate, is absolutely gorgeous. You get the reliability and dependability of the Lenovo family, all in a machine designed for creators to do exactly that: create.

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For more creator machines, we've tested the best photo editing laptops and the best laptops for video editing.

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: two-minute review

Smart bird feeders have quietly become one of the busiest corners of the camera world. Hang one in your yard, garden or on a balcony railing and it’ll snap and film every feathered visitor automatically, often identifing the species for you, too. We’ve tested plenty of them here at TechRadar — you’ll find the best in our guide to the best bird feeder cameras — and the Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro is the latest to land in my garden.

If it looks familiar, that’s because it’s clearly a descendant of the Kiwibit Beako, which we tested last year. The headline upgrade is in the camera: Kiwibit says this is the first bird feeder camera to combine 4K HDR with phase-detection autofocus (PDAF), the kind of focusing tech you’ll find in a decent smartphone. The other big change is a roof with solar panels built into it, so there’s no separate panel to mount and wire up.

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

That roof turns out to be one of the feeder’s best features. After an initial charge I never needed to plug it in again during testing, and the battery hovered near full. The rest of the hardware impresses too: the plastic shell is tough and well finished, mounting it took minutes, and lifting out the two-chamber seed hopper for a refill or clean is about as easy as it gets.

The camera is a game of two halves, though. Photos and 4K clips are crisp, and the autofocus generally locks on to birds reliably — though ones that hop right into the seed tray can get too close for it focus. The biggest frustration is motion: 4K is limited to 15 frames per second, which makes footage look juddery, and the 120fps slow-motion mode currently produces clips that are little better than slideshows. The 1080p 60fps mode is the pick of the bunch.

Then there’s the app, which is cluttered and hard to navigate, and keeps its most compelling feature — AI species identification — behind a Kiwibit Plus subscription. That ID system was accurate in my testing, even if it can only name one species per clip. Taken as a whole, the Bird Feeder 2 Pro’s hardware is impressive, but its software and video modes need to catch up.

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: price and availability

• $279.99 in the US with 'lifetime AI' included, or $219.99 without
• £289.99 in the UK; launching Q1 2027
• Kiwibit Plus subscription priced from $7.99 per month

The Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro is currently on sale in the US for $219.99, or $279.99 with a lifetime subscription to the Kiwibit Plus service. It’s due to arrive in the UK in the first quarter of 2027, priced at £289.99.

That price puts it in premium territory, alongside the likes of the Bird Buddy 2. And there’s a running cost to factor in, because AI species identification and several other app features require a Kiwibit Plus subscription, which costs from $89.99 (a UK price is TBC) per year or $7.99 a month.

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: key specsCamouflage EZ BirdFeed specs

Photo

Up to 12MP

Video

4K at 15fps; 1080p at 60fps or 120fps

Lens

130-degree field of view

Memory

Up to 128GB microSD card (not included)

Dimensions

9.8 x 8.7 x 8.9 inches / 25 x 22 x 22.7cm

Weight

4.08lbs / 1.85kg

Connectivity

USB-C, Dual-band Wi-Fi 6

Battery

5,200mAh battery, 5W solar panel

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: design

• Solar panels built into the hinged roof
• Removable 1.7l dual-compartment hopper
• IP65 rated and works in -4F to 122F (-20C to 50C) temperature range

Side by side with the Kiwibit Beako, the Bird Feeder 2 Pro is almost a dead ringer. The one key difference is up on top, with the solar panels now built into the roof. It’s a smart move that cuts down on clutter, as you don’t need to find somewhere else to mount a panel or route a cable.

The same roof also hides one of the feeder’s best design touches. Flip it up (it just requires you to press a button to release a latch) and you can lift the seed hopper straight out to clean or refill it. That hopper has two compartments, so you can offer two different seed mixes if you like, and each one has its own sliding door for shutting off the supply.

The body is almost entirely plastic, which won’t appeal to everyone. There are wooden and metal bird feeder cameras out there, and personally I’d prefer either material on something that lives in my garden. I also wonder whether the green plastic will fade in the sun over time, although I didn’t notice any change in my few weeks of testing.

Future | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam Kieldsen

On the plus side, this is solid, hard-wearing plastic, and the feeder feels sturdier than others I’ve reviewed — the hinged roof, for instance, opens and closes without a hint of rattle. It’s IP65 rated and Kiwibit says it’ll work in temperatures from -4F to 122F (-20C to 50C), so bad weather shouldn’t be a worry for the electronics inside.

My review sample came with three mounting options: a fabric strap for wrapping around a tree or lamppost, a pole mount for stick it on the top of poles up to one inch (25.4mm) in diameter, and a wall bracket. I used the bracket to fix the feeder to a trellis against the back wall of my courtyard garden, and it took no time at all. A positioning sticker in the box shows you where to drill two guide holes, then two screws (also supplied) hold the bracket in place. There are wall plugs in the box too, should you need them.

Future | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam Kieldsen

The feeder itself attaches to the bracket with four small hex screws, and the same screws secure the perch. An Allen key is included in the box, but make sure you keep it somewhere safe or have a spare, as you’ll be in a pickle without one. My sample also came with a water beaker that clips on to the perch.

Power comes from a rechargeable, removable battery that’s topped up by the solar roof panels, and the combination works very well. I fully charged the battery via USB-C before installation, as the manual instructs, and haven’t charged it manually since — weeks later, it’s still sitting at 99% capacity. To be fair, my testing took place in a sunny late summer and early autumn, and I positioned the feeder to catch a few hours of direct sun each day. I’m curious to see how it copes with the gloomier winter months here in southeast England.

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: performance

• 4K video capped at 15fps
• AI species ID requires a Kiwibit Plus subscription
• Phase-detection autofocus with a 130-degree view

Some bird feeder cameras I’ve tested have struggled to stay connected to my home Wi-Fi, but the Bird Feeder 2 Pro’s dual-band connection was stable throughout, even though the signal was rarely at full strength. The live feed kicked in from my phone without much delay, whenever I requested it.

Everything runs through Kiwibit’s app, and frankly it isn’t very well designed. There are too many sections with vague names, I regularly forgot where things lived, and getting to my photos and videos took more taps than it should. A simpler, pared-back layout would make a big difference.

There are some nice touches, mind you. Each species gets a written description, the Nature Expert section answers your bird questions, and the Collection page gives you a quick rundown of every species your camera has spotted. The catch is that many of the best features — especially the AI species identification, which feels like a core reason to buy this feeder — sit behind a Kiwibit Plus subscription. Kiwibit gave me a code for a year’s access, but for everyone else it’s an extra $89.99 on top of an already premium price, and the feeder feels noticeably less capable without it.

Future | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam Kieldsen

The identification itself was largely accurate. Only five species visited during my testing period, and the feeder correctly named four of them. That one miss was interesting, though: in a clip featuring a robin, a sparrow and a blue tit, only the robin was identified. That was the only clip containing a blue tit, so it appears the system tags just the first species it spots in each video. I’ve no doubt it would have recognized the blue tit on its own, but it’s a shame it can’t log multiple species in one clip.

Image quality is a more complicated story. 4K videos and photos generally look good, with plenty of sharpness and clarity, and the autofocus is accurate. There's even a microphone to capture sound, and it's nice to hear the birds chomping away on seeds or tweeting at each other. But 4K video is capped at just 15fps, which I found baffling. It makes clips look jerky, and it put me off using the 4K mode altogether. Why couldn't it just be 24fps or 30fps?

Future | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam Kieldsen

Shooting in 4K does have one perk: the software may automatically pull a 12MP Ultra HD “Keyshot” still from your footage. These are sharpened and upscaled for extra detail, but I found them a little over-sharpened, and they’re oddly large files at around 10MB each, given the modest resolution. You can’t pick the frame yourself, either — the software chooses for you, and it doesn’t always choose well. There’s a second type of auto photo, called SwiftShot, which is generated in Ultra Slow Motion mode and is meant to freeze birds in flight. That never happened for me; every SwiftShot I got showed a bird sitting on the feeder, and in noticeable less detail than with the Ultra HD Keyshots.

Video clips are 10 seconds long by default, but extendable to three minutes. I’d have liked to catch birds flying in more often, but my videos generally started with the visitor already perched.

There are two slow-motion modes, both 1080p: 60fps and 120fps. The 120fps mode doesn’t appear to work properly at the time of writing. Whatever settings I tried, the footage seemed to be captured at 15fps, so it plays back like a slideshow when slowed down. I was expecting something akin to the iPhone's buttery-smooth slow-motion mode, but this is in the single digits frames-per-second wise. I’ve reported this to Kiwibit and I hope a firmware update fixes it, because for now it’s useless as a video mode. It may be intended mainly for grabbing crisp stills of birds in motion, but since you can’t choose the frame yourself and have to rely on Kiwibit’s cloud processing to pick it, that’s not much consolation.

The 60fps mode is far better. Played back at half speed you get smooth 30fps slow motion, or at quarter speed you get the same 15fps as the 4K clips. It lacks the fine detail of 4K, but its smoothness at normal and half speed makes it the sweet spot of the lineup for me. One quirk to note: neither slow-motion mode records sound, even when you play clips back at normal speed.

Autofocus is generally reliable, but birds that came right into the seed tray, rather than staying on the perch, were sometimes out of focus. They seem to be inside the minimum focus distance, which was also an issue with the Beako. It’s not a huge deal, but it’s annoying when a bird’s body is sharp and its eyes and beak are soft.

Sharing and saving photos and videos is easy – you just hit the share button when viewing in the app and you get the option to download the file to your phone, or share via a variety of means. Subscribers also get cloud storage for all their files.

Should you buy the Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro?Buy it if...

You want detailed 4K stills

Its 4K photos are sharp and clear, and the phase-detection autofocus is accurate.

You never want to charge a battery

The solar roof kept the battery near full for weeks without me plugging it in once.

You want easy upkeep

The removable two-chamber hopper makes refilling and cleaning quick and lets you offer two seed mixes.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You want smooth video

4K is capped at 15fps, and the 120fps slow-motion mode currently plays back like a slideshow.

You don’t want a subscription

AI species identification, a key selling point, is locked behind Kiwibit Plus.

You’d prefer a natural-looking feeder

It’s almost entirely plastic, so look elsewhere if you’d rather have wood or metal in your garden.

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: also consider

Bird Buddy 2

Priced at around $299 / £300, the Bird Buddy 2 also has a solar roof, and its app is far more polished and enjoyable to use, with free AI species ID. Its standard video is only at 1080p resolution, though, with 2K reserved for subscribers.

Read our Bird Buddy 2 review

Camouflage EZ BirdFeed

If you’re in Europe and value matters more than image quality, this £139 feeder is hard to beat. It offers AI bird ID with no subscription and twin roof-mounted solar panels, but its 1080p images can’t match the Kiwibit’s crisp detail.

Read our Camouflage EZ BirdFeed review

How I tested the Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

• Mounted on a garden trellis for several weeks in late summer/early fall
• Tested all video modes, including both slow-motion settings
• Used the app with a Kiwibit Plus subscription

I installed the Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro in my garden in southeast England using the supplied wall bracket, fixing it to a trellis in a spot that got a few hours of direct sunlight a day. After fully charging the battery via USB, I left it to run on solar power for the rest of the testing period, which ran through late summer into early autumn.

I tested the feeder with the Kiwibit app on my phone, using a year’s Kiwibit Plus subscription supplied by Kiwibit to access the AI species ID and other premium features. I tried every video mode, including 4K and both 1080p slow-motion settings, compared the automatically generated KeyShot and SwiftShot stills, and checked the AI identifications against the birds I could see in each clip.

• First reviewed October 2026

L-shaped standing desks remain quite a niche pursuit, in my experience. They're ideal if you need additional desktop space. They're more than capable of lifting more than your standard desk, which is ideal for multi-monitor setups. But they also need a lot of room.

Still, for me, the Uplift V3 L-shaped standing desk is one of the best models around. It remained rock-solid in my real-world tests, with a massive 535lb lifting capacity thanks to the surprisingly quiet triple motors.

Given the absolute size of this unit, it's unlikely to be the best standing desk I've tested for most office professionals. But for those that need a stable desk with plenty of space to work on, there's a lot on offer here that I like.

Uplift V3 L-Shaped Standing Desk: Price and Availability

The Uplift V3 L-shaped desk is available direct from the manufacturer's website.

Prices start at $1,000, it comes in a range of styles, and you can expand it to make it a little fancier if you like and still get exactly what you want for a little cheaper.

What you choose, whether that's the barreled-shaped frame that goes all the way down to $1,719 if you just want the frame, or if you do end up choosing a desktop to go with it, you can absolutely make sure that you check Uplift's website to make sure you're getting the best deals.

All Uplift desks come with a standard 15-year warranty, which shows just how much they believe in the product. They also sell pretty much everything you need accessory-wise, and I've had great experiences with these, too.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Uplift V3 L-Shaped Standing Desk: Unboxing and First Impressions

Let this be a warning to you - learn from my mistakes. I should have followed the instructions I sent, built a standard desk, built the accessories piece, sanded it, and then attached the waterslide.

However, I got slightly distracted and rushed, so I ended up building the entire thing on the floor. I then had to flip it very, very, very carefully and nearly broke my foot, broke my toe, and ended up cutting off the top of the desk pretty significantly (if you look at the pictures) due to messing up a screw because I was once again rushing and trying to solve my issues.

I can't blame Uplift for this. The instructions were clear. I just did not listen. Thankfully, we also got a spectacular desktop on Uplift, so I can use it to cover the gouge from the screw I misplaced during assembly.

Once assembled, I was thrilled with how clean and sharp the desk looked. The power bar attached just as easily as the others. The little desk shelf added a nice elevation change for gear, and the desktop material itself was just as good as I hoped.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Uplift V3 L-Shaped Standing Desk: Design and Build Quality

L-shaped standing desks have been hit or miss for me. I have used some that were super sturdy and strong, and others that feel like they're not even worth it.

Uplift, on the other hand, does it right, and they make sure the added leg and extension actually add stability, not just complexity. At max height, which I seem to be putting it at often since I'm fairly tall and like to adjust cables a lot, this desk is still just as stable as when it's at its lowest.

I haven't had any issues adjusting the height over these 90+ days, and there have been zero responsiveness issues. The desk responds quickly when I press the buttons to move it, and it jumps directly to the designated preset height, just as I would expect.

Over the last several months, my only qualm has been the gash in the desktop that I made myself. Once again, once we moved the desk mat over it, we now barely notice that, and actually don't notice it at all.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Uplift V3 L-Shaped Standing Desk: In use

I've already gone into this a bit, but over the last 3 months or so, this desk has done excellently across my team.

We've changed the setup a few times, but the guy on my team who normally uses this desk prefers to keep it pretty simple. He uses a laptop, lots of physical books for research, and some photos. It never missed a beat.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Uplift V3 L-Shaped Standing Desk: Final verdict

If you're looking for an L-shaped standing desk and you're willing to spend a little extra to get something quality, long-lasting, and customizable, then the Uplift V3 L-shaped standing desk is definitely one you should consider.

It's got a ton of options on both desktop and materials. It's got great accessories. It's easy to build if you follow the instructions, unlike me. Now, nearly 100 days in, I can confidently say it doesn't just look good at first; it actually runs well after I've pushed it hard for several months.

I have no doubt this desk will last for years with basic care and maintenance, and it will keep serving well for a long time.

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

ScalaHosting is an experienced Dallas-based provider with 18 years in the hosting industry and one of the best web hosting companies in the business. Its range includes shared hosting, WordPress, self-managed VPS, and managed cloud products for personal sites, businesses, online stores, and agencies.

Its defining feature is SPanel, an alternative to cPanel and WHM. It combines website, email, security, backup, and server management tools and is included with Mini and ScalaHosting's managed cloud products.

• Want to try ScalaHosting? Check out the website here

ScalaHosting: Pricing & plansScalaHosting shared hosting

ScalaHosting's shared hosting offers lots for your money (Image credit: Future)

ScalaHosting's shared range starts with Mini. During our sales check, ScalaHosting quoted $35.40 for the first year, equivalent to $2.95 a month, or $11.95 with monthly billing. This is not a free trial because payment is taken upfront, but monthly billing avoids an annual commitment.

Mini includes 10GB of NVMe storage, one website, automated backups, SSL certificates, malware protection, and no stated bandwidth limit. Start is advertised from $5.95 and renews at $14.95, with 50GB and unlimited websites. Advanced starts at $9.95 and renews at $19.95, with 100GB. Start and above include a free domain for the first year on qualifying annual terms.

Entry Cloud starts at $14.95 a month and renews at $39.95. It supplies two dedicated CPU cores, 2GB of RAM, 50GB of NVMe storage, a dedicated IP address, and SPanel. These resources give a busy WordPress site or small store more predictable capacity than an ordinary shared account.

The introductory rates are competitive, but renewals move ScalaHosting out of budget territory. Mini's monthly rate is also far higher than the promotional annual equivalent, although both introductory and renewal prices are displayed clearly.

ScalaHosting WordPress hosting

ScalaHosting's WordPress plans mirror its main tiers. Even Mini includes an AI-assisted site builder, migration, SSL certificates, CDN integration, malware protection, WP-CLI, and automated backups.

SPanel's WordPress Manager handles installation, updates, cloning, and staging. Each installation gets one-click admin access and screens for themes, plugins, users, comments, maintenance, and performance. WP Lock restricts file changes after completion. OpenLiteSpeed caching is available on Entry Cloud and managed cloud plans, while commercial LiteSpeed is a paid extra where supported.

A small store can begin on shared hosting, while Entry Cloud or managed cloud adds dedicated CPU and memory for more consistent performance. Free migration also simplifies moving an established WooCommerce site.

ScalaHosting VPS hosting

All of ScalaHosting's VPS plans are fully configurable (Image credit: ScalaHosting)

ScalaHosting's VPS plans provide dedicated CPU and memory resources, giving demanding websites more predictable performance than standard shared hosting and reducing the risk of slowdowns during traffic spikes.

Managed cloud hosting starts at $29.95 a month for two CPU cores, 4GB of RAM, and 50GB of NVMe storage, renewing at $54.95. Higher configurations start at $44.95 and $69.95, renewing at $96.95 and $170.95. Customers can also build a custom server.

Self-managed cloud VPS starts at $19.95 a month on a 12-month term and renews at $24.95. The entry setup has two CPU cores, 4GB of RAM, 50GB of NVMe storage, root access, snapshots, a dedicated IP, and SPanel on demand. Managed plans include SPanel and expert help with the server environment.

ScalaHosting lists native infrastructure in Dallas, New York, Seattle, and Sofia. Managed SPanel customers also get a much broader choice through integrated cloud and AWS locations across North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. Read our full SPanel review for more of our thoughts.

ScalaHosting: Speed & performance 

ScalaHosting GTMetrix speed performance (Image credit: GTMetrix)

ScalaHosting uses NVMe storage throughout the current range and advertises a redundant 10Gbps network. Its terms set a 99.9% monthly uptime threshold. Credits begin at 10% when uptime falls to 99.8% and rise to 100% below 99%, excluding scheduled downtime.

In our previous shared-hosting test, ScalaHosting recorded a 0.730-second Largest Contentful Paint result. That was close to the results from GoDaddy and GreenGeeks and comfortably ahead of several budget hosts in the same comparison. The test site also maintained 100% uptime when checked every five minutes throughout 14 days of monitoring.

ScalaHosting's uptime results (Image credit: Uptime)

Our newest VPS comparison with Liquid Web found ScalaHosting slightly faster in several server tasks, while the two hosts produced broadly similar WordPress benchmark results.

WordPress installation was quick, and the server used NVMe storage as advertised. The results support ScalaHosting's positioning for business and ecommerce workloads.

ScalaHosting's Softaculous app installer (Image credit: ScalaHosting)ScalaHosting: In use

(Image credit: Future)

SPanel remains ScalaHosting's main point of difference. It covers much of what cPanel and WHM do without a separate managed-cloud license fee. Mini includes SPanel, while shared hosting also offers cPanel. Entry Cloud and managed cloud center the experience on SPanel.

The current interface has clear sections for email, databases, tools, software, and settings. The dashboard displays account details and resource usage, while administrators can enter individual accounts directly. SSL, PHP, cron, SSH, WordPress, and security tools are easy to locate without dense menus.

Backup controls are unusually granular. SPanel separates local and remote destinations, supports SSH or rsync transfers, and provides hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly schedules with retention settings. Restore points appear in the same area.

SPanel also includes Cloudflare integration, Lighthouse reports, uptime monitoring, and slow-process tracking. Eligible agency plans support collaborators, permissions, and custom branding. SShield monitors traffic and blocks attacks, while blacklist monitoring helps identify email reputation problems.

(Image credit: Future)ScalaHosting: Support

ScalaHosting's SPanel (Image credit: ScalaHosting)

Support is available around the clock through chat, email, and tickets. ScalaHosting promises an initial ticket response within 15 minutes, although complex work may move from chat to a ticket.

In our pre-sales check, an agent began typing within seconds and answered in about a minute. The initial reply confirmed that Mini includes SPanel but did not fully address monthly billing. A prompt follow-up clarified that Mini costs $11.95 monthly and still qualifies for the 30-day full-refund policy.

We found similarly practical help. Support corrected a mistakenly selected data center almost immediately, then resolved missing credentials and a welcome-email problem within 10 minutes. That exceeded our expectations for an unmanaged plan.

Managed cloud customers receive broader help with the server environment, application installation, and migration. This suits businesses that need VPS resources without a server administrator.

ScalaHosting: Final verdict

(Image credit: Future)

ScalaHosting makes the strongest case above the cheapest shared tier. Entry Cloud and managed cloud combine dedicated resources, NVMe storage, offsite backups, security tools, and SPanel without a separate control panel fee. SPanel is approachable, its WordPress and backup tools go beyond the basics, and support remains fast.

The trade-off is price. Some renewals more than double, and monthly Mini costs much more than the introductory annual rate. Those compromises are reasonable for a growing WordPress site, ecommerce business, or agency that values management and support. Basic sites should compare long-term shared-hosting costs.

ScalaHosting FAQsIs ScalaHosting good for beginners?

Yes. Shared hosting includes one-click application installation, backups, SSL certificates, migration help, and a clear control panel. Managed cloud plans are the better fit for beginners who want dedicated resources without administering the server themselves.

Does ScalaHosting use cPanel?

Yes, but it is not the default across the range. Mini includes SPanel, and shared hosting customers can select SPanel or cPanel. ScalaHosting's managed cloud range is built around SPanel. Adding cPanel to a VPS costs extra.

Where are ScalaHosting servers located?

ScalaHosting lists native infrastructure in Dallas, New York, Seattle, and Sofia. Managed SPanel plans add integrated cloud and AWS locations across North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region.

Does ScalaHosting include backups?

Yes. Automated daily backups are included across the current hosting range and stored off site. Eligible SPanel plans also include tools for creating on-demand restore points.

Does ScalaHosting have an uptime guarantee?

ScalaHosting's terms set a 99.9% monthly uptime threshold. Account credits start at 10% for 99.8% uptime and rise in 10% steps, reaching 100% below 99%. Scheduled downtime does not count, and customers must submit a claim with supporting details.

What are ScalaHosting's nameservers?

ScalaHosting's nameservers are:

ns1.scalahosting.com
ns2.scalahosting.com

How to cancel a ScalaHosting service (Image credit: ScalaHosting)Can I get a refund?

New customers receive a 30-day full-refund window on eligible web hosting, reseller, and VPS services, including Mini on monthly billing. ScalaHosting also offers a partial refund for unused service after activation. Domains, SSL certificates, dedicated servers, licenses, and custom software are excluded, and a terms-of-service violation removes eligibility.

How do I cancel ScalaHosting?

Cancellation requests must be submitted from the client dashboard under My Services and Manage. ScalaHosting says requests sent by email are not accepted and processing can take up to seven days, so customers should not wait until the renewal date.

Calling all creatives who want a laptop that will not quit. This 16-inch laptop is designed for photo and video editors who don't necessarily need a full 4K display, but still want an RTX 5060 GPU and a touch-based OLED panel.

It has a laptop touchpad with designer pen input and photographic design input, with a level of precision most laptops only dream of. It has spectacular ports, an incredible refresh rate, and jaw-dropping color accuracy.

In my tests, this proved it's not just a laptop. This is a creative graphics studio that fits in your backpack. If that is the world you live in, then this laptop is purpose-built just for you.

Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Gen 11 Aura Edition: Price and Availability

The Lenovo Pro 9i AE Gen 11 16-inch OLED Touch comes in several build options, and is available from Lenovo US, Lenovo UK, and other territories. Prices start at $2,499.99 / £2,719.99 at the time of review. My review unit came in at just over $3,000.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Gen 11 Aura Edition: Unboxing and First Impressions

All right, I'll say it: Lenovo makes some pretty sharp-looking laptops. Even this laptop, as large as it is, still looks sharp and sleek. The box includes the power cable, power adapter, Yoga Pen, and documentation, along with the laptop itself. Everything was fairly well packaged, too. I wasn't quite sure what to expect with Thunder Gray, but I'm actually a big fan of the color.

Even with how hefty this machine is, it still feels manageable with day-to-day use. Yeah, I won’t want to carry this around one-handed while working off it, but bringing it from a coffee shop to a desk to a meeting and back to a desk, or lugging it around in my quality backpack, all seem very reasonable.

I wouldn't want to commute with it all day, every day, but for the power you can get from this machine, it's pretty spectacular. The OLED panel and 120 Hz motion are spectacular and immediately recognizable.

Another thing that I noticed right away is the keyboard and haptic force trackpad. For creatives, having that kind of quality input makes a huge difference. That's why so many creatives love having their customized keyboards and fancy mice. Input tools matter when you are creating.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Gen 11 Aura Edition: Design and Build Quality

This is all about a pretty sharp-looking laptop. One of its biggest strengths is the impressive OLED panel and Intel Core chips. It also has that crazy-good force pad and Yoga Pen Gen 2, which reminds me a lot of the drawing and design pads that were popular a few years back. People could use a pen on a surface and have it appear on the screen.

It's a little bit interesting in this sense because there is a touchscreen as well. However, after about 2 minutes of learning to match your eyes on the screen to what is in your hand with the pen and drawing on the force pad, it works pretty well. I've seen people who do photo editing or graphic design get used to it pretty quickly, especially those who have used one of those drawing pads before.

As someone who normally draws on my iPad, it's a little odd, but nothing out of the ordinary or too hard to get over. Plus, the precision is pretty good, which might be why Lenovo chose the touchpad over the OLED panel. And probably because they didn't want to risk damaging the OLED panel, if I had to guess.

Thankfully, the trackpad also works as a pretty high-quality trackpad. As someone who uses my laptop's trackpad as much as possible (gestures, multi-finger motions, and more), I always appreciate a quality, enlarged touchpad.

Another thing I really appreciate is the port offering. I'm glad to see that some of these more Pro, power, and tech-savvy laptops are bringing back USB-A and even full-size HDMI.

A lot of what I do in my own space is use USB-C, as any good citizen should. I still go to plenty of places that don't have a USB-C hub or dock, so having that HDMI port is super helpful. Being able to plug into more legacy items with USB-A is also helpful. USB-C has been around for a long time, but I don't know about you; I still run into way too much USB-A day-to-day.

Perhaps it's just my IT and systems background, but I still run into a lot of that day-to-day. As I continue to grow in my creative endeavors, an SD card reader is a benefit I continue to maximize.

One more thing I'll mention is that this machine throttles its heat pretty well. By throttling, I mean it just vents heat, not necessarily throttling speed. I haven't noticed any of that through some of the more intense workloads I put this through, but through benchmarking, video editing, running heavy LLMs, and some pretty intense terminal sessions where I'm utilizing a lot of the internal power to build several agents and workers (along with using Codex, Claude Code, and Notion all at the same time, along with some browser views and computer control), this machine seems to be running just fine. Yes, the fans kick on under heavy loads, but it doesn't give up or slow down.

In my testing, I handled video editing in DaVinci Resolve while running several lines of 4K video. I could jump in and out without excessive loading, processing, or rendering. It feels fast. It feels like something that I would happily give to any video editor.

Yes, it may not be as good as a machine three times the cost, but for the price, portability, and use case, this is a very capable video editing machine. Of course, since it handles video editing, it can also handle some of the larger, several-GB photos I send it.

In my day job, we have several-GB files for giant banners that crash some of our other computers, but this one seems to be operating just fine right now. That's a testament to how powerful that chip is and how efficient this is.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Gen 11 Aura Edition: In use

As mentioned above, I've thrown just about everything I can at my very broad workday. As the years go on, my days can include: heavy AI use, terminal use, app building, video editing, photo editing, content writing, systems engineering, heavy database builds, and so on

Using this as a mobile workstation gives me a sense of security that I won't need to transfer to another device or hand off heavier workloads elsewhere. Sure, there's still something to say about servers and things like that, but for what I can and should do on the device, this doesn't seem to limit what I do on a normal day.

The OLED panel is also gorgeous. That helps. I've had plenty of computers where the machine is powerful, but the screen is mediocre at best, and it just doesn't feel the same as using a brilliant display like this. To use a machine that a lot of people can compare with, this feels a lot like carrying around a MacBook Pro 16-inch or one of the 16-inch Dell laptops. It's big, but not too cumbersome. If you need that power, it's well worth it, and it's obviously better than carrying a desktop or a remote into a desktop.

If you're the kind of person who needs raw power and values the extra screen real estate, then this is absolutely worth getting. Even as somebody who is very partial to the 14-inch form factor, this 16-inch is nothing insane.

Lastly, on some other important factors, I've enjoyed using the keyboard. It's been comfortable for even long sessions. The touchpad is comfortable, accurate, and easy to use. The camera is good enough for virtual meetings, and the microphone is good enough, though obviously not the best. In a room or home office, it's fine, but if you're in a public space, please, for the love of everybody else on the call, get a pair of headphones or a dedicated mic.

Even if it's just a cheap pair of earbuds, which may be my biggest unlock of the year, it can make a huge difference, especially if you're using tools like Wispr Flow or voice agents. The mic is good enough if you're in a private office or home office, maybe with a little bit of background noise. If you're in a loud space, accurate vocal input is essential.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Gen 11 Aura Edition: Final verdict

This laptop's pretty clearly designed for people in the creative space, or at least for anyone who works with it. Yes, it's wildly powerful, so really anybody who's in the heavy technical space, or if you're in the AI space or vibe coding space, you could utilize something like this as well.

With that beautiful OLED panel and force touchpad with pen input, this is clearly designed for graphic designers, photographers, video editors, and similar work. If you don't do those things, you'll still enjoy using this laptop, but there may be another one, even from Lenovo, that better fits your unique specifications and requirements.

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For more creator machines, we've tested the best photo editing laptops and the best laptops for video editing.

Sony ECM-W5: two-minute review

Sony’s ECM-W5 is a prosumer wireless microphone system cut from the same cloth as the DJI Mic 3, Insta360 Mic Pro and Rode Wireless Pro. Like all those, it's available in a package featuring two clip-on transmitters, a receiver that plugs into your camera or phone, and a charging case to keep everything topped up. At £350 for the full kit, however, it costs more than any of them — so it needs to bring something extra to the table.

It does just that. The headline feature is in-camera 32-bit float recording, something no other wireless mic I’m aware of can do. Rivals will happily record 32-bit float files to their transmitters' internal storage, but that leaves you syncing separate audio in the edit. With the ECM-W5 mounted on a Multi Interface Shoe camera such as the Sony A7 V, that extra headroom is baked straight into your video files. Most people won’t need it day to day, but if you’re shooting somewhere unpredictable, where a sudden bang or boom could clip your audio, it’s a useful safety net.

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

There’s plenty more for pros to like. Each transmitter has a 3.5mm lav mic input with a screw-lock connector (a feature DJI dropped after the Mic 2), along with a generous 62.5GB of usable internal storage. There’s timecode support and an optional 96kHz/24-bit Hi-Res Audio mode, too. The claimed 500m range is the longest I’ve come across, and in my testing the signal held up flawlessly through two floors of my house — a situation where other mics have faltered.

Sound quality is clean and clear, though in fairness that’s true of every decent wireless mic these days. The noise reduction is on the gentler side and less effective than what DJI and Insta360 offer, but it doesn’t introduce any odd artifacts.

The trade-offs are size and price. The transmitters are noticeably chunkier than the DJI Mic 3’s, the receiver’s touchscreen faces backwards when it’s mounted on a camera, and Sony doesn’t even include a 3.5mm audio cable in the box. Even so, for Sony shooters in particular, the ECM-W5 is one of the most capable wireless mic systems you can buy.

Sony ECM-W5: price and release date

• $399.99 / £350 / AU$619 for two transmitters, a receiver and a charging case
• Transmitters $189.99 / £110 / AU$179 and receiver $189.99 / £180 / AU$289 individually
• Available from November 2026

The Sony ECM-W5 will be on sale from November 2026, priced at $399.99 / £350 / AU$619 for the full kit, which includes two transmitters, a receiver and a charging case. Individual transmitters are available for $189.99 / £110 / AU$179, and the receiver on its own costs $189.99 / £180 / AU$289, which is handy if you want to expand your setup or replace a lost unit.

That makes it more expensive than its closest rivals. The DJI Mic 3 launched at £259 for an equivalent two-transmitter kit, for example, so you’re paying a premium of around £90 for the Sony. Given the ECM-W5’s unique features, I think that’s justifiable for the right buyer — but it’s a premium nonetheless.

Sony ECM-W5: specs

Dimensions

TX: 31 x 47 x 22.3mm / RX: 53.5 x 17.8 x 37.5mm

Weight

TX: 27.1g / RX: 35g

Range

Up to 500m

Connectivity

RX: Multi Interface shoe / USB-C / 3.5mm jack

Bluetooth

Yes

Battery

Up to 7 hours (transmitter), up to 7 hours (receiver), up to 11 hours with fully charged case

Noise cancelling

Yes

Sony ECM-W5: Design

• Chunky transmitters with fixed clips and 3.5mm lav mic inputs
• Receiver’s touchscreen faces backwards when camera-mounted
• No audio cable included, and no room in the charging case for windshields

In terms of size, the ECM-W5’s transmitters are closer to the original DJI Mic and Mic 2 than to the much smaller (and current, at the time of writing) DJI Mic 3. Each of the ECM-W5's transmitters has a fixed clip for attaching to clothing (it can’t be removed or rotated), and Sony includes small button magnets for thinner shirts. Despite the extra bulk, the transmitters are light enough that I barely noticed them once they were clipped on. Sony also says the system is dust- and moisture-resistant, but stops short of guaranteeing full IP-level protection.

Controls are simple: a power button, a record button (double-press it to toggle noise reduction on or off) and a USB-C port for charging and file transfer. More interesting is the 3.5mm input with a screw-lock connection for plugging in an (unsupplied) lavalier mic, which pros will appreciate. The furry windshields cleverly slot into this jack too, so they sit more securely than on some rivals. Each transmitter also packs around 62.5GB of usable internal storage (64GB before formatting). That's almost double the 32GB you get in the DJI Mic 3 and Insta360 Mic Pro transmitters.

Future | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam Kieldsen

The receiver can be fitted with either a USB-C connector or a Multi Interface Shoe adapter, and the latter also slots into standard hot and cold shoes (albeit without the MI Shoe’s digital connection). There are 3.5mm audio in and mic out ports, plus a small touchscreen for adjusting settings. My one real frustration is that this screen faces backwards when the receiver is mounted on a camera, so when I was filming myself I couldn’t see it to make changes. It’s a common problem with wireless mic receivers, and I’d love to see a manufacturer make the display rotatable.

The charging case holds both transmitters, the receiver, the adapters and the magnets, but there’s no room for the windshields. Sony doesn’t include a 3.5mm audio cable in the box either, so if your camera lacks an MI Shoe you’ll need to buy one separately. A soft drawstring bag is supplied, though, and it’s big enough for the case, the windshields and a couple of cables.

Sony ECM-W5: Performance

• World-first in-camera 32-bit float recording
• Rock-solid signal and a claimed 500m transmission range
• Noise reduction is less aggressive than Insta360 and DJI rivals

The ECM-W5’s standout feature is its ability to record 32-bit float audio directly in-camera, as well as onto each transmitter’s internal storage. Rivals such as the DJI Mic 3 and Insta360 Mic Pro can only record 32-bit float files on the transmitter itself, which you then have to sync up in the edit. I don’t think many people need 32-bit float day to day, but if you’re recording in uncontrolled environments where sudden loud noises might occur, having that headroom baked into your footage is a real advantage.

There’s both automatic and manual gain control, with the latter offering a nicely granular range of -12 to +12. I mostly left it on auto and found it worked well. Sound quality is good, but then so is that of pretty much every decent wireless mic. The difference compared with the built-in mic on your phone, computer or camera is night and day, particularly outside on a windy day. Sony also offers a 96kHz/24-bit Hi-Res Audio option, which beats the maximum quality of most rivals I’ve tested, though that’s reflected in the higher price.

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

Sony claims a range of up to 500m between transmitter and receiver, which is much further than its rivals. I can’t think of many situations where you’d need that much, and I didn’t test it to the limit, but it’s reassuring to have in reserve. Sony also says the connection is around three times more stable than that of its predecessor, the ECM-W3.

More tellingly, when I left the camera and receiver downstairs and walked up two flights of stairs to my bedroom with a transmitter, the signal stayed crisp and clear throughout — something other mics have struggled with in my home.

The single-level noise reduction isn’t especially aggressive, and I think DJI and Insta360 offer markedly better cancellation. That said, it noticeably reduced the hum of a fan at home without adding any odd artifacts, so you can probably just leave it switched on all the time.

Sony quotes up to seven hours of battery life for the transmitters and receiver, rising to 11 hours for the transmitters if you top them up from the charging case. And when the receiver is mounted on a compatible camera’s MI Shoe, it draws power from the camera and switches on and off with it, so there’s one less battery to keep an eye on. Add up to two extra transmitters (sold separately) and you can also record up to four audio channels in-camera, which should appeal to anyone shooting multi-person interviews.

Sony also offers wireless monitoring via compatible Sony wireless headphones that support Bluetooth LE Audio, so you can keep an ear on your audio without a headphone cable, and compatible models such as the WH-1000XM6 can even be used as mics for binaural recording. I didn’t have a compatible pair of headphones to hand (and the binaural feature wasn’t available before launch), so I wasn’t able to test either feature.

The ECM-W5 also supports timecode, another feature that'll appeal to professionals.

Should I buy the Sony ECM-W5?Buy it if…

You shoot with a Sony camera
The ECM-W5 receiver fits straight onto the Multi Interface shoe used by Sony's recent cameras, and the resulting in-camera 32-bit float recording is something no rival offers.

You want pro-grade features
A lavalier mic input, timecode support and 62.5GB of storage per transmitter make it a serious tool.

You record in unpredictable places
Baked-in 32-bit float and a 500m range give you a big safety margin when you can’t control the conditions.

Don’t buy it if…

You want the smallest, lightest wearable mic
The DJI Mic 3’s transmitters are far smaller and less conspicuous when worn.

You’re on a strict budget
Rivals premium microphones from DJI and Insta360 cost less and still sound excellent.

You need strong noise reduction
The ECM-W5’s noise reduction is gentle, and DJI and Insta360 do a markedly better job of removing background babble.

Sony ECM-W5: also consider

Insta360 Mic Pro

Insta360’s Mic Pro stands out with a customizable e-ink display on each transmitter, and it pairs strong AI noise canceling with 32-bit float internal recording and 32GB of storage per transmitter. It’s a great pick for Insta360 camera owners, though it lacks the ECM-W5’s lav mic input and in-camera 32-bit float.

Read our Insta360 Mic Pro review

DJI Mic 3

DJI’s latest flagship wireless mic is considerably smaller and lighter than the ECM-W5, with stronger noise canceling and a lower price. It lacks a lav mic input and can’t record 32-bit float in-camera, but DJI’s inexpensive MI Shoe adapter makes it an easy fit on a Sony camera too.

Read our DJI Mic 3 review

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)How I tested the Sony ECM-W5

• One week of testing indoors and outdoors
• Connected to Sony A7 V camera via Multi Interface shoe and OnePlus tablet via USB-C

Sony loaned me a review sample of the full ECM-W5 package along with a Sony A7 V camera for the purposes of this test, which allowed me to fully test the Multi Interface Shoe connection. I also tested the USB-C connectivity, by attaching the receiver to a OnePlus Pad tablet and recording video.

I used the mic system for about a week, recording in both 24-bit and 32-bit float modes and testing the noise reduction capabilities both indoors and outdoors in a variety of situations. I also tested its range and signal stability by leaving the receiver downstairs and walking up two floors of my house with a transmitter.

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

Wyze BodyScan smart scale: One-minute review

Over the years, Wyze has released a number of high-profile smart products across a range of different industries. They began with cameras but have expanded their range to offer vacuums, lights, locks, and a collection of affordable smart scales.

The Wyze BodyScan sits just underneath their most premium offering, the BodyScan Ultra, and is the brand’s most affordable 8-electrode BIA (which stands for bioelectric impedance analysis, the method many smart scales use to scan users’ bodies) scale. Offering segmental muscle and fat analysis across a user’s arms, legs, and torso, the BodyScan is more capable than almost all other smart scales at this price point.

As for its positioning in the market, the best smart scales for home users range from $20 for the Vitafit Smart Bathroom Scale all the way up to $599.95 / £449.95 / AU$895 for the Withings BodyScan 2. The BodyScan sits just above Vitafit’s offering and sets itself apart with segmented body composition reporting.

The BodyScan boasts a very impressive 4.7-inch LED screen, which displays seven different metrics, including weight, BMI, bone mass, protein, and body water percentage. The display is one of the largest you’ll find on any smart scale, elevating the user experience well beyond the $84.98 price tag.

The remaining metrics, including protein, basal metabolism, and subcutaneous fat, are displayed in the Wyze app. Unfortunately, because the app covers all Wyze products, it’s not a dedicated smart scale platform. The interface provides little more than a presentation of the metrics in both data and graph form. When compared to the premium Withings app experience, the two are worlds apart.

The BodyScan smart scale offers an incredible amount given the small price tag and delivers all the health metrics that most everyday users could ever need. The scale offers only a little more than the basics, but it does those basics without fuss and without stress. If you were to also invest in one of the best smartwatches, then you’d have a great all-round solution for measuring your health progress.

Wyze BodyScan smart scale: Specifications

Component

Wyze BodyScan smart scale

Price

$84.98 USD / £111 GBP / $210 AU

Metrics

17 essential metrics, including body weight, BMI, body fat, muscle mass, and basal metabolism.

Dimensions

11.81 x 13 x 1.49 in / 300 × 330.2 × 37.8 mm

Weight

4.18 lbs / 1.90 kg

Material

Plastic, Silicone, ITO-Coated Glass

Display

4.7-inch Color LED

Battery

4 x 1.5V AAA

Connection

Bluetooth 5.0

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Wyze BodyScan smart scale: Price and availability

• $84.98 USD
• Only available in the US
• Budget-friendly

At just $84.98, the Wyze BodyScan scale is one of the most affordable on the market, especially if you’re looking for segmented muscle mass and body fat with a high level of accuracy. The app experience and build quality leave a little to be desired, but at this price point there’s nothing better.

If your budget is even tighter and you have no interest in segmented data, then the Vitafit Smart Bathroom Scale, for around $20, is currently our best budget pick in our best smart scales buying guide. The scale delivers accuracy that we were “blown away” by across a varied set of metrics, including weight, BMI (although you can calculate this yourself at home, the scale does it for you), bone mass, basal metabolic rate, and more.

• Value score 5/5

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Wyze BodyScan smart scale: Design

• Large 4.7-inch LED display
• Cheap and basic handlebar construction
• Solid glass base

Let’s begin with one of the main highlights of the BodyScan scale, the huge 4.7-inch LED display. I was so surprised to see a screen of this size that I had to check the price point again. In fact, this is the largest of all displays of any scale featured in our best smart scales guide, and for under $100, its inclusion is even more impressive.

The display is located at the top of the base unit and is big, bright, and super clear even when viewed from six feet away. The benefit of packing the display into the base rather than into the handlebar, like the Withings BodyScan 2, is that they can make it significantly larger and thereby display more information at once. As a result, I found myself opening up the app a lot less compared to other brands.

To keep costs down, Wyze has stripped out a number of additional premium features found on the BodyScan Ultra, but the most noticeable compromise is actually the budget material choice and the basic construction quality of the handlebar. The plastic is cheap, it feels lightweight, and it lacks a locking mechanism, so it won’t automatically stay in position when you’re waiting for measurements to be calculated.

I was glad that these issues don’t translate over to the main base unit. Thanks to a solid plastic base and a thick ITO-coated glass panel, I was left confident that it would stand the test of time. My only issue with the base is an aesthetic one. For some unknown reason Wyze has inserted a protruding plastic rectangle into the middle of the glass, which breaks the otherwise sleek design of the panel.

• Design Score: 4/5

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Wyze BodyScan smart scale: Features

• 17 body composition metrics
• Seven of these metrics are displayed on the scale itself
• Syncs with Apple Health, Health Connect, and Fitbit.

The Wyze Bodyscan covers 17 body composition metrics. Seven of these are displayed on the 4.7-inch LED display: Weight, Body Fat Percentage, BMI, Muscle Mass Percentage, Bone Mass, Protein, Body Water Percentage.

These metrics and the 10 remaining ones are displayed in the Wyze app. These are Muscle Rate, Physical Age, Lean Weight, Visceral Fat, Basal Metabolism, Subcutaneous Fat, Fat Mass, Skeletal Muscle Mass, Segmented Muscle Mass, and Body Fat.

Beyond measurements, the Wyze Bodyscan syncs with Apple Health, Health Connect, and Fitbit. It also recognizes up to eight users automatically and has a nine-month battery life.

• Features Score: 4/5

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Wyze BodyScan smart scale: Performance

• Comparable results to the industry-leading Withings BodyScan 2
• Simple but basic app experience
• Managing multiple users is a bit of a hassle

Given the sub-$100 price tag, I didn’t expect very much from the Wyze BodyScan. Not only were my expectations exceeded with regard to design and features but also with overall performance. Despite not having any bells and whistles, the BodyScan manages to do all the basics incredibly well.

The overall experience of using the scale is a positive one. The large display presents seven of the most common metrics, which means most users won’t need to check the app each time they step off the scales. However, when you do find yourself drilling down into the metrics, you’ll discover a very basic app experience. Data is clearly laid out, but there’s no analysis or health advice, as is found in the Withings app. On the plus side, there’s no subscription either.

Part of the reason for the basic app experience is that it handles all Wyze product types and has a significant interface bias towards its cameras. The positive of that is that if you’ve bought into the Wyze ecosystem, then you’ll be able to manage all your smart devices in one place.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)

Unfortunately, the app issues don’t end there: there’s no support for a multi-user profile, so other family members will have to download the app on their own phone. That’s fine for other adult members or older children but not if you’re wanting to track the health of your young child.

More positively, when compared to the Withings BodyScan 2 and the RunStar 8E SmartScan Pro, the scale delivered accurate results. This was especially true for the key metrics of weight, BMI, muscle mass, and body fat. There were only two metrics with issues, and those were body water and basal metabolism.

Thanks to the electrodes in the handlebar, the BodyScan is capable of reporting body composition across five separate segments. Measurements are overlaid onto a body graphic within the app, so it’s quick and easy to see where imbalances are located.

The overall speed of the unit was good, with weight being calculated in a matter of seconds and the remaining 16 metrics taking less than 20 seconds. This is about the same length of time as most other scales we’ve tested.

• Performance score: 4/5

Wyze BodyScan smart scale: Scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

One of the most affordable smart scales for body composition segmental reporting. Fantastic value for money.

5/5

Design

An impressively large and bright LED display, but the overall build quality is lacking.

4/5

Features

An excellent set of health-tracking features that are rarely found at this price point.

4/5

Performance

Generally accurate measurements, but the app is too basic for serious users.

4/5

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Wyze BodyScan smart scale: Should I buy?Buy it if

You want to address muscle mass imbalances

The Wyze BodyScan is one of the most affordable ways of getting body composition reporting.View Deal

You need a large-format display

At 4.7 inches, the BodyScan’s color screen is great for those who are slightly visually impaired. View Deal

Don’t buy it if

You want a premium app experience

The Wyze app offers basic reporting and simple graphs but nothing more.View Deal

You need a scale that’s going to last decades

The build quality is no surprise given the budget price. More robust scales exist but you’ll have to pay a premium for themView Deal

Also consider

RunStar 8E SmartScan Pro

A DEXA-verified smart scale that records 28 metrics instead of 17. The downside is that it’s more than double the price.

RunStar 8E SmartScan ProView Deal

Withings BodyScan 2

The Wyze BodyScan is budget and basic. If you’re interested in a full cardiometabolic assessment, then the Withings BodyScan 2, which delivers advanced features in abundance, is a great choice.

Vitafit Smart Bathroom ScaleView Deal

How I tested the Wyze BodyScan smart scale

I used the Wyze BodyScan smart scale in my bathroom for several weeks. Each time I used the scale, I measured all 17 available metrics, which enabled me to track accuracy over time as well as whether it was susceptible to fluctuating results. Because of the lack of multi-profile support through one account, I didn’t use the scale with my children.

First reviewed: October 2026