TechRadar Reviews

Sennheiser Momentum Sport: Two minute review

The Sennheiser Momentum Sport true wireless earbuds follow in the footsteps of Sennheiser’s popular Momentum range (the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 are the most recent) but with added features specially for fitness. The result is a pair of buds that are perfect for sports, with a stable fit, durable build, health sensors, great sound and ANC, and a huge range of features. But they’re not perfect; some might find the features overwhelming, and even if you’re looking for the ultimate sporty pair of buds, there might be better options for you. 

Sennheiser is known for its exceptional audio quality, and the Momentum Sport earbuds uphold this reputation. They support high-resolution streaming and are equipped with 10mm drivers, compared to the 7mm drivers found in the brand’s other models. This enhancement allows the earbuds to deliver more power and deeper bass. The sound quality is especially impressive when the Bass Boost profile is activated in the Sennheiser app, making them ideal for sports earbuds where dynamic sound is essential.

Listening to Megan’s Piano by Megan Thee Stallion at the gym, the piano is bright and punchy, while the bass is bouncing and booming. Similarly, Queens of the Stone Age’s Burn the Witch sounds powerful and fun across the range, though cranking up the volume sometimes results in muddied lower frequencies. Overall, the Sennheiser Momentum Sport buds deliver a bold, fun, and engaging sound. The accompanying app offers plenty of customization options, allowing users to adjust EQ settings, select presets, and create their own custom profiles.

Despite the enjoyable listening experience, the audio quality doesn’t quite meet the high standards typically associated with high-end Sennheiser earbuds. While there’s clarity and power, there’s a noticeable lack of richness and detail. The sound is good but not class-leading, which is somewhat disappointing given the price point. When compared to my usual go-to earbuds, the Nothing Ear 2, the Sennheiser Momentum Sport only offers a slight improvement. Now, this is fine because we rate Nothing’s buds. But considering the price, you’d expect a seriously upgraded experience. 

I was impressed by the adaptive noise-cancelling (ANC) capabilities of the Sennheiser Momentum Sport. It effectively reduces most background noises, including conversations and transport sounds. However, it’s not the best ANC I’ve tested and doesn’t surpass some of the top contenders in our best noise-cancelling earbuds list. That said, I personally prefer the ANC here for workouts, as it offers solid noise cancellation while still allowing very loud sounds to come through if necessary. 

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)

For instance, while testing these earbuds on a train to the airport, I couldn’t hear the conversations of the people sitting opposite me, and most sounds from the moving train were silenced. However, a loud alarm at one of the stations was still audible, which I find important for safety reasons. Others may prefer a more immersive noise-cancelling experience, but for me, this balance was ideal.

The app allows for extensive customization of the ANC settings, including an anti-wind mode that disables the external mics. This feature was particularly useful for calls and voice notes, ensuring they were clear and free from background noise. There’s also a transparency mode that lets you control the level of ambient sound, which can be activated specifically for calls.

Beyond ANC, the app offers several ways to tailor your listening experience. A fit test helps optimize audio and ANC performance, and the Sound Zones feature allows you to apply different sound settings for different environments, such as work or the gym. While these customization options are great for those who enjoy tweaking their settings, they might feel overwhelming for users who prefer a straightforward experience.

As you’d expect from fitness-focused earbuds, the stability of the Sennheiser Momentum Sport is excellent. If the fit isn’t perfect initially, there are various customization options to help you achieve the right fit. Each earbud has a small silicone band around its main casing, which can be removed and replaced with bands featuring ear fins of different sizes. These ear fins fit under your ear cartilage, providing additional stability. There are three ear fin options and three different silicone eartips to choose from.

I spent considerable time adjusting these different options to find the perfect fit. Although the process was a bit tedious, I was very satisfied with the results once I’d found the ideal combination for my ears. The earbuds remained secure during workouts, walking, and running, providing a reliable fit that I haven’t experienced with other earbuds in a long time.

The secure and stable fit is especially important for those with smaller ears, as the earbuds are a bit large and bulky due to all of the additional onboard technology. Weighing 6.4g each, they’re not particularly heavy but feel different from lighter, mid-range earbuds. After several hours of continuous wear, they did start to feel a bit uncomfortable. However, this took some time, and I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t feel discomfort sooner. While this amount of time is more than enough for a workout, it might not be ideal for all-day wear.

The design of the Sennheiser Momentum Sport earbuds is typical for the brand, featuring a simple aesthetic with minimal branding and clean lines. While some people might find this design a bit plain, it fits well in all sorts of settings and, personally, I appreciate the unobtrusive look. The earbuds are IP55-rated, making them suitable for sweaty workouts, though some other fitness earbuds offer better waterproofing.

One of the standout features of these earbuds is the inclusion of optical health sensors. The earbuds feature heart rate and body temperature tracking, made possible through a partnership with Polar. While other earbuds, like the Bose SoundSport Pulse and Amazfit Powerbuds Pro, have included optical heart rate monitors, the temperature tracking is a new addition. Temperature sensors are relatively new even in the best smartwatches and fitness tech. 

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)

You can quickly check the health readings in the Sennheiser app, but for more detailed information, the Polar Flow app or compatible Polar watches provide better context. The earbuds can also connect to other devices, such as smartwatches or fitness tech, via Bluetooth. Although I didn’t test the earbuds against a chest strap heart rate monitor – considered the gold standard – I compared the heart rate readings to my Apple Watch and the temperature readings to my Ultrahuman Ring Air, both indicating a high level of accuracy from the buds.

Beyond sound and ANC settings, the Sennheiser app is packed with features and customization options, delivering the high-end experience you’d expect. Users can customize gestures and touch controls on the earbuds, although there is no single-tap option and the touch controls can be overly sensitive at times. For example, a thick strand of hair once tangled around the buds and inadvertently activated the controls. Additionally, the app offers a Battery ECO mode to deactivate high-quality streaming and save battery, and a Smart Pause feature that pauses music when you remove an earbud.

The Sennheiser Momentum Sport earbuds come with one of the nicest charging cases I’ve tested. It features a quality build that feels far from plasticky , with a square design and a rubber magnetic lid that closes quietly and satisfyingly. . The earbuds themselves offer six hours of battery life, extending to 24 hours with the fully charged case. This isn’t great battery life, but is standard for high-end sound and lots of features. The charging case is IP54-rated, providing some protection against sprays and dust, though it offers less waterproofing than the earbuds.

My biggest issue with these buds is figuring out who they’re for. If you’re on a budget, they’re expensive. There’s a lot going on with these earbuds, and I worry that some people just don’t need all of these bells and whistles. It might make more sense to get affordable or mid-range earbuds and pair them with one of the best cheap fitness trackers. While I enjoyed experimenting with the health sensor technology, I wonder if anyone willing to spend this much on earbuds and take fitness seriously wouldn’t already have a tracker capable of collecting heart rate data.

That said, there are scenarios where these earbuds might be a good fit. Perhaps you had a capable fitness tracker that broke, or you’ve had it for years and want to replace it. Or maybe you’re a fan of Polar’s ecosystem. There are certainly valid use cases here. If you appreciate the idea of health sensors and would utilize the other features, especially if you’re a fan of Sennheiser’s high-end products, then these earbuds are worth considering. However, for most users, there are better options available at a lower price point.

Sennheiser Momentum Sport: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)

•  Priced at $329.95/£279.99/AU$529.95 
•  Available from Spring 2024 

The Sennheiser Momentum Sport cost $329.95/£279.99/AU$529.95. Although the buds are currently discounted on the Sennheiser website in some regions. At the time of writing, the price in the UK has dropped from £279.99 to £218.49. 

This price makes the Sennheiser Momentum Sport expensive as far as true wireless earbuds are concerned. More expensive than some of our top favorite true wireless picks, like the Nothing Ear (a) at $99 / £99 / around AU$192 and our top buds for working out, the Beats Fit Pro at $199 / £199 / AU$299. They’re even a little more expensive than the Apple AirPods Pro 2 at $249 / £229 / AU$399.

However, the Technics EAH-AZ80 that are currently at the top of our best true wireless earbuds guide are similarly priced at $299/£259/AU$499. As are some of the best noise-canceling buds in the world, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds at $299 / £299 / AU$449. 

So the price might be high-end, but it isn’t unheard of or out of this world for a quality pair of buds. It still means you should only consider them if you want them for fitness and you love the sound of health sensors and loads of customization options. Anyone else won’t make the most of everything on offer and could find a much cheaper alternative.

Sennheiser Momentum Sport: Specifications Sennheiser Momentum Sport: Scorecard Sennheiser Momentum Sport: Should I buy? Buy it if...

You want loads of customization options

You can tweak the sound, set up different sound profiles and sound zones, change the tips and wings to get the best fit and more. If you like to feel in control, these are the buds for you.  

You want buds built for workouts

Everything about these buds is built with fitness in mind, from the super stable fit to the durable build to the added optical health sensors. 

You want ultimate stability

Not ideal for very small ears, but otherwise you can achieve a fantastic fit. It’ll take some faffing, but then there’s no budging. So it’s worth it. 

Don't buy it if...

You already have a great fitness tracker

There’s a lot to love about these buds beyond their health sensors, but if you already have that covered, there are better, more affordable options. 

You want the best sound and ANC

I rate the sound and ANC of these buds, but it’s not the best, and if that’s a priority, you’ll want to look at what rivals have to offer. 

You want to save money 

There are more savvy ways to get health tracking, good sound and a solid fit with other buds and fitness trackers. 

Also consider

Beats Fit Pro

Cheaper than the Sennheiser buds also with solid sound and ANC. They have a smaller build and a similar battery life.

Beats Fit Pro review

JBL Endurance Peak 3

An affordable alternative. Sound and ANC aren’t as strong, but you get a secure fit with an ear hook and better battery life.

JBL Endurance Peak 3 review

How I tested

I tested the Sennheiser Momentum Sport buds every day for a month. This gave me the chance to trial them in a range of different situations and environments.

I mostly used them to listen to music and podcasts on my iPhone 14 Pro with Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube music. I tested them when I was traveling abroad, walking around cities and along the beach and jogging in the countryside. I also took them to the gym when I was using the cardio machines and lifting weights. 

I’ve tested lots of different headphones and earbuds for more than 12 years now, especially fitness devices. I’m particularly interested in tech that prioritizes ease of use and comfort.

First reviewed: August 2024

Doogee T30 Max: 30-second review

Out of the box, the Doogee T30 Max is instantly impressive, with one of the most stylish, minimalistic looks for a tablet of this size. It's really slim and light but feels robust and premium with a stylish black titanium alloy finish that looks superb. The build quality is far greater than the price would suggest.

Like so many of the best business tablets we've reviewed, the system runs on Android 14, which enables the smooth operation of the entire Google Office suite. With the optional keyboard, this tablet can essentially function as a standard Chromebook. Using the pressure-sensitive stylus, the tablet is fast and responsive, and able to navigate between applications quickly. The split-screen function allows you to see two applications side-by-side, making multitasking easy. For instance, you can edit a video in CapCut while uploading it to social platforms simultaneously, streamlining the whole process.

Applications installed on the tablet are fast and responsive when used with the Google Docs suite. Using the stylus to copy and paste between apps quickly is smooth and without the jitter often seen in cheaper tablets. The internal storage is 512GB, which can quickly fill up if you're shooting videos and stills. However, alongside the network SIM slot, there's also a slot for a TF or microSD card up to 2TB, vastly expanding the internal storage options.

The ability to plug external storage devices through the USB Type-C port further boosts the storage potential. This is especially useful for transferring files to the tablet ready for editing. While editing video, you can start to feel the processing being pushed, but for the most part, it copes relatively well.

For entertainment media, such as playback and streaming video content, the Doogee T30 Max is able to process HD and 4K video content with ease. Even for most gaming, the tablet seems to be fine-tuned to cope with  3D Graphics and the demands of games such as Call of Duty and CarX Street. The only times you really start to see it struggle are with the slight responsiveness delay when using the stylus in applications such as SketchBook and when editing 4K video.

The Doogee T30 Max is one of the best tablets for anyone looking for a stylish, sleek, slim, and lightweight tablet. It's perfect for office tasks, playing back video on popular streaming services, editing video and images, and a little light gaming.

Doogee T30 Max: Price & availability

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

• How much does it cost? Starting from £289 / $349
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? You can get it directly from Doogee Website

The Doogee T30 Max is well-priced, making it a great option for anyone looking for a high-quality tablet without breaking the bank. As of now, the tablet is available for purchase directly from Doogee's official website by clicking here and other major online retailers such as Amazon. Pricing typically ranges from around £289 or $349.

• Value: 4 / 5

Doogee T30 Max: Specifications Doogee T30 Max: Design

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The design of the Doogee T30 Max gives it an instantly premium look and feel with its full titanium alloy build. The body is extremely well-finished, featuring a 12.4-inch screen that takes up the vast majority of the front of the tablet. The small front camera is discreetly integrated into the top middle of the border rather than occupying screen space. The back of the tablet has a slightly matte leather-like finish, providing a good tactile feel and a firm grip. On the back, you'll also find the dual AI-enhanced cameras: a larger 50MP main camera and a 2MP macro camera, accompanied by a small light for portrait shots.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The top edge of the tablet houses the power button and volume controls, maintaining a minimalist look. The right side features the first two speaker areas at the top and bottom, with a USB Type-C connector in between for charging and connecting accessories. The base of the tablet includes connection points for the optional magnetic keyboard. On the left side, there are two more speaker slots, a SIM slot that holds up to two SIMs and a TF or microSD card, and a biometric fingerprint scanner for secure access.

Overall, the design of the Doogee T30 Max is sleek and minimalistic. The included case, while not the most premium, offers adequate protection for the tablet and doubles as a stand when needed.

• Design: 4 / 5

Doogee T30 Max: Features

The Doogee T30 Max impresses with its stylish looks and equally impressive range of features. The 12.4-inch 4K IPS screen is fully touch-sensitive with 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity when used with the active stylus. It also features a certified quad box speaker system with smart PA, providing decent sound quality for multimedia and gaming. Running on the Android 14 OS, it integrates seamlessly with a range of apps, making it ideal as a portable office solution. Internally, it comes with 512GB of storage, expandable to 2TB with a TF or microSD card.

Delving a little deeper into the features and the large 12.4-inch touchscreen dominates the front of the tablet, offering an ultra-clear 4K resolution display with 1.07 billion colours. The screen is bright at 600 nits maximum brightness and supports full P3 and HDR10 dynamic range. This makes it perfect for creative use, allowing for precise control with the active stylus, which promises to mimic traditional art tools for more natural drawing and writing experiences. However, we did find a certain amount of lag between drawing and displaying, which means we wouldn't recommend it for those looking for the best drawing tablet.

The slim, lightweight design makes it highly portable, weighing just 687g and measuring 285.1 x 185.4 x 7.9 mm. It comes in two colour options: graphite black and dark green, with a tactile leather back for a premium feel. Secure access to the table is quick with biometric fingerprint or face recognition.

One of the standout features is the integrated speakers, boasting a 6CC super large sound cavity for superior audio quality. The tablet supports Widevine L1, ensuring the highest quality streaming from providers like Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Amazon, and Disney+. The screen also has chip-level intelligent blue light protection, natural brightness adjustment, and manual colour and temperature adjustment.

Powering the tablet is the Helio G99 octa-core processor, combined with the Mali-G57 MC2 GPU, 8GB of internal RAM, and up to 20GB with extended RAM. The 10800mAh battery provides up to 710 hours of standby time, 5.5 hours of web surfing, 8 hours of video playback, and up to 46 hours of music playback. It supports fast charging, providing 2 hours of video playback with just a 15-minute charge.

For imaging, the tablet features an impressive 50MP rear camera with AI enhancements and a 2MP macro camera, perfect for close-up shots. The front 20MP camera is ideal for video conferencing, supported by a built-in mic. 

Accessories include a simple case, keyboard case, mouse, and an active pressure stylus. The tablet supports dual SIM cards and has band Wi-Fi, GPS, Galileo, Beidou, and AGPS for satellite navigation. The ability to add a TF or microSD card for storage expansion is another neat feature, making the Doogee T30 Max a highly versatile option.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

• Features: 4 / 5

Doogee T30 Max: Performance

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

• High resolution screen
• Highly responsive touch screen

The initial setup is straightforward, utilising the usual Android process of signing into your Google account. Android 14 ensures a smooth and user-friendly experience as ever and connecting the device to a network is easy; connect through WiFi or just pop your device SIM card into the carrier, and it instantly connects to a 4G signal. A notable feature is the dual SIM support, allowing seamless switching between networks for consistent connectivity. During the test, both Vodafone and EE SIM cards provided strong signals and good internet speeds.

The tablet's build quality stands out, with a robust titanium alloy casing and a fingerprint-resistant touchscreen. Opening the tablet is fast with the biometric fingerprint scanner and face recognition working quickly when you need access and also providing that extra level of security.

The tablet comes with a range of pre-installed apps, but additional downloads like Google Docs are necessary for a full test. To assess performance comprehensively, we installed benchmarking software, Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, Sketchbook, and Call of Duty.

Starting with Google Docs, the applications run smoothly, and the touchscreen is intuitive to use. The on-screen keyboard is functional, but the handwriting keyboard activated by the stylus offers a more natural and efficient input method, especially across Google apps.

The USB Type-C port allows for easy expansion and connectivity. We tested several USB Type-C sticks, and they were accessed directly through the Google file manager, enabling quick transfer and use of images in Lightroom and other applications. 

The main option for expanding the internal storage is through adding a TF or microSD card up to 2TB, this is quick to do with the card simply sitting alongside the SIM cards in the carrier. This feature is ideal for managing large files, such as high-resolution images and videos.

All Google Docs applications performed flawlessly, with the split-screen feature enabling the use of two apps easily. This is particularly useful for research and document editing.

For image editing, Adobe Lightroom performed impressively, handling high-resolution images smoothly. The pressure-sensitive stylus provided precise control, making fine adjustments easy and intuitive. Sketchbook also worked well, despite a slight lag in brush actions, which for experienced users will be distracting, however, most occasional users shouldn't be too bothered.

Video editing in CapCut and GoPro Quik was decent enough with the tablet handling full HD footage smoothly, edits were generally quick with just a few pauses as the system caught up with the processing, and uploads back to the cloud were seamless.

For entertainment, the 4K screen resolution and quad speakers deliver excellent streaming quality. Gaming performance was also surprisingly good, with games like CarX Street and Call of Duty running smoothly, though the tablet did heat up slightly during extended play.

Overall, the Doogee T30 Max delivers solid performance across various tasks, including document management, image editing, video editing, and light gaming. Benchmarking results place it in the medium range of tablets, highlighting its excellent value considering the price.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

• Performance: 3 / 5

Doogee T30 Max: Final verdict

The Doogee T30 Max is a competent large-screen tablet that should suite for all but that highest demand users. It's well-suited for office work, including editing documents and spreadsheets, browsing the internet, making video calls, and light multimedia editing. The tablet handles all Google apps smoothly and offers good speed and responsiveness. The dual SIM card feature is a great addition, allowing you to select two different network providers for constant connectivity. Storage expansion up to 2TB with a TF or microSD card or external storage via the USB Type-C port adds flexibility.

Performance-wise, the T30 Max handles applications like Lightroom and CapCut well, enabling quick image and video editing. However, it's important to note that this is a relatively affordable tablet, so it may not handle the latest high-resolution footage as efficiently as higher-end models. It's designed for editing mobile, action camera HD, and 4K footage. For entertainment, the Wi-Fi L1 support ensures high-quality streaming from major online services, and the CPU and GPU provide decent gaming potential.

While the T30 Max may not be the most powerful tablet on the market, it delivers impressive performance for its price. Coupled with the stylus, it offers intuitive workflows, making it effective for general use. Dedicated artists might find the slight lag of the stylus in applications like Sketchbook is a bit irritating, but for most it's fast enough to prove effective. Still, for general use and the ability to utilise the stylus, it remains a decent all-around tablet for both business and home use. Overall, the Doogee T30 Max offers good value for money, making it a worthwhile option for those seeking a versatile and affordable tablet.

Should you buy the Doogee T30 Max?

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings) Buy it if...

You want a versatile office companion

If you require a tablet for office tasks such as document editing, video calls, and internet browsing, the Doogee T30 Max is an excellent choice. Its seamless integration with Google apps ensures smooth productivity.

You enjoy multimedia on the go

The T30 Max is perfect for streaming high-quality video and light gaming. Its 4K display and quad speakers enhance the entertainment experience, making it a great option for multimedia enthusiasts.

Don't buy it if...

You need high-end gaming performance

If your primary need is for a device to handle high-end gaming or intensive graphic tasks, there may be better choices than the Doogee T30 Max. It's better suited for lighter gaming and standard multimedia tasks.

You're a professional artist

Dedicated artists might find the slight lag in stylus response for detailed sketching and drawing tasks limiting. For professional art creation, a more specialized, high-end tablet would be preferable.

For more durable devices, we reviewed the best rugged hard drives

If you've spent any time online, chances are you've come across Squarespace, one of the best website builders famous for its sleek design and powerful features. Whether you're watching a YouTube video or browsing your favorite blog, it seems there's no escaping Squarespace. But today, we're diving into one of its lesser-known yet impressive tools - the Squarespace Logo Maker.

The Squarespace Logo Maker, which used to come with a price tag, is now offered at no cost, allowing everyone to create a personalized logo for free. Seamlessly integrated with Squarespace's site builder, this tool lets you easily add your new logo to your website in just a few clicks. It's a straightforward, quick option, ideal for small business owners, freelancers, or anyone seeking a simple, professional logo.

Of course, to apply your new logo to your Squarespace website you will need a Squarespace subscription. These start at $16/mo, but you can save when you use one of the top Squarespace promo codes.

In this review, we’ll examine the Squarespace logo maker's features and usability to help you decide if it's the right fit—or if you should consider alternatives like Wix Logo Maker or Tailor Brands.

If you want to find out more about Squarespace, you can read our full Squarespace review.

Core features of Squarespace free logo maker

Squarespace’s Logo Maker keeps things simple, offering the key tools you need to create custom logos, perfect for beginners looking for an easy way to get started.

Icon library

One of the noteworthy features of the Squarespace Logo Maker is its integration with the Noun Project, which gives you access to a collection of over 2 million icons. This rich library offers a wide range of choices, so you can easily find an icon that matches your brand’s personality, whether you’re going for something sleek and simple or a bit more complex.

That said, because these icons come from the Noun Project, they’re subject to its terms and licensing. This means you'll need to check the specific usage rights for each icon, which might be a bit of a hassle.

Despite this, having such a vast selection of high-quality icons at your fingertips makes it a great tool for quickly crafting a standout logo.

Customization choices

The Squarespace Logo Maker offers several ways to personalize your logo and make it truly yours. You can tweak the colors of your icon and text to match your brand’s color scheme, allowing you to experiment with different shades until you find the perfect look.

There’s also a fine variety of fonts to choose from, so you can select one that complements your icon and reflects your brand’s vibe. Plus, you can play around with the positioning of the elements, giving you the creative freedom to design something that’s both balanced and eye-catching.

(Image credit: Squarespace)

That said, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. The tool doesn’t provide pixel-perfect accuracy for resizing or positioning, so adjustments are done visually, which might be tricky if precision is important to you.

Additionally, after saving your logo, you’ll receive a download link via email, but there’s no easy way to go back and edit your previous designs directly within the tool. This could be a bit of a hassle if you need to make changes later or if you accidentally lose the email with your link.

Download options

Once you’ve put the finishing touches on your logo, Squarespace lets you download it in a few handy ways. However, it’s worth noting that PNG is the only format available, which could be a drawback if you need other file types. On the bright side, the files are high-resolution, so whether you’re putting your logo on your website or printing it on business cards, it’ll still look sharp and professional.

Usage rights

When using the Squarespace Logo Maker, it’s good to know that your logo’s usage rights depend on the specific icons you pick from the Noun Project. Since these icons come from a third-party platform, you’ll need to check the license for each one to see what you can and can’t do with it.

Keep in mind that there’s no option to purchase exclusive rights to your logo or the icons, so others might use the same ones in their designs. To ensure you’re in the clear, just head over to the Noun Project’s website, find your icon, and review its licensing terms. While the logo maker is a fantastic free tool, it’s crucial to be aware of these usage rights so you can use your logo with confidence.

Ease of use

(Image credit: Squarespace)

The Squarespace Logo Maker's user-friendly interface allows you to create a professional-looking logo in minutes, whether you’re new to design or have some experience. Just start experimenting with colors, fonts, and icons, and you’ll have a great-looking logo in no time. Keep in mind, resizing and positioning elements are done visually, so you won’t get pixel-perfect precision.

There are a couple of quirks to note. For one, while you can save your logo, there’s no option to revisit or edit previous designs directly within the tool. Instead, you receive a download link via email, and if you lose it, you might need to start over. Overall, despite some limitations in managing projects, the ease of use makes this tool a great choice for quick and simple logo design.

Performance and support

When it comes to output quality, the logo maker provides high-resolution PNG files that look sharp on screens and are perfect for digital use. However, it doesn’t offer scalable vector formats like SVG or EPS. This means that while your logo will work well for most web applications, it might not be the best choice for print needs that require resizing without quality loss.

(Image credit: Squarespace)

For customer support, there isn’t dedicated help from the logo maker itself, but you can contact Squarespace’s main support team if you run into issues. The help page for the logo maker is available, though it’s not directly accessible from the tool, so you might have to search a bit to find it.

All in all, the Squarespace Logo Maker performs well and provides good-quality output for digital uses. However, its lack of scalable formats and somewhat limited support options are worth keeping in mind, depending on your specific needs.

Alternatives to Squarespace free logo maker

While Squarespace’s free logo maker is a solid starting point, other tools offer more bells and whistles for a standout logo.

The Wix Logo Maker is a paid tool that uses AI to create logos based on your answers to a few questions about your brand. It offers various packages with high-resolution files and a brand kit for extra customization and branding. You can read our full Wix review for more details on what the platform offers.

If you go with Looka, you’ll get plenty of options to adjust your logo’s colors, fonts, and design. It also offers helpful branding tools and marketing materials, making it a solid choice for building your brand’s identity.

Zarla is easy to navigate and offers both free and paid choices for a straightforward logo design with some customization. Canva is another popular tool, offering a range of free and paid logo design options. Its drag-and-drop interface and a large library of templates make it a rock-solid choice for DIY logo creation.

Final verdict

So, who is the Squarespace Logo Maker fit for? It’s an excellent choice if you need a quick, simple, and free way to create a professional-looking logo. It’s perfect for individuals or small businesses - further securing Squarespace as one of the best small business website builders on the market. It offers a user-friendly experience with instant previews and seamless integration with Squarespace’s site builder.

However, there are some drawbacks to consider. Customization options are basic, and the third-party icons might not provide the uniqueness you’re looking for. Additionally, logos are available only in PNG format, and you can’t purchase exclusive rights to your design. There are also issues with icon placement and less-than-stellar customer support.

Despite these limitations, the Squarespace Logo Maker remains a solid option for budget-conscious users who need a straightforward logo quickly.

Squarespace free logo maker: FAQs Is the Squarespace Logo Maker completely free?

Yes, the Squarespace Logo Maker is completely free to use. You can create and download your logo at no cost. Just keep in mind that while it’s great for basic needs, some advanced features are only available in paid tools.

Can I use the logos created with Squarespace’s free logo maker for commercial purposes?

Yes, you can use your Squarespace logo for all sorts of commercial purposes, such as on your website, in marketing materials, or anywhere else you need. There are no restrictions on its use.

What formats are available for downloading my logo from Squarespace?

Your logo will be available in PNG format, which is fit for most online uses. However, if you need vector files for larger prints or high-res formats, you might need to look at other tools or upgrade options.

Is there a limit to the number of logos I can create with the Squarespace free logo maker?

No, there’s no limit. You can create and download as many logos as you like, so feel free to experiment and design different versions until you find the perfect one.

Dreo MC710S air purifier: two-minute review

The Dreo MC710S is part tower fan, part air purifier. It promises both cleaner air and a cooler room with a host of smart features thrown in for good measure. It’s definitely on the larger, heavier side, and its industrial grey/silver plastic finish may not win any beauty contests. But, its height and build are practical and deliberate to make sure it offers the range of features and power needed. 

One such feature is its dual DC motors. These motors push air at a speed of up to 27 feet per second, meaning you can put it at one end of a large-to-medium-sized room and still feel a breeze at the other. The oscillation option, which covers up to 120 degrees, then makes sure this air reaches into the corners of the room (albeit at an oscillating speed that's much slower than I'd like). 

The fan operates in four modes: Normal, Sleep, Auto, and Breeze. The Sleep mode lowers the fan speed and noise, making it barely noticeable at night. The Auto mode adjusts the fan speed based on the room's temperature. As its name suggests, Breeze mode creates a gentle flow of air; this is the default setting for when the purifier is running. Note that you can run the fan without the purifier, but not the purifier without the fan. This is a little annoying when you just want to clear, and not cool the air, but it's a minor complaint. Overall, it compares well to the rest of the best fans on the market.

(Image credit: Future)

Speaking of the purifier, the MC710S' dual filtration system includes a pre-filter and a True HEPA filter. This combo captures 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, making it great for reducing allergens, dust, and other pollutants. During my review, I noticed a significant drop in dust and pollen, and my hayfever was noticeably more manageable. 

There are three purification settings – Low (1), Medium (2) and High (3) – plus an Auto mode that automatically adjusts the power based on the air quality. In tests, the low setting was pretty slow and poor at clearing particulates from the air, yet the high setting was fantastic, clearing dirty air in minutes. The purifier is not as great at getting rid of smells as other, cheaper purifiers I've used like the Levoit 300S, though, so if you’re cooking or have pets, you might still notice some lingering odors.

One of my favorite things about the MC710S is its smart features and remote controls. You can change the settings on the MC710S using the Dreo app, remote control, or through voice commands with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Setting this up is straightforward, and I loved the convenience of being able to adjust settings without getting up. The app shows near-live air quality data and lets you set schedules, which is a nice touch.

The LED touch display on the fan itself is also intuitive, showing all your selected settings at a glance. The unit also features a color-coded light strip that indicates air quality: blue for Excellent, green for Good, orange for Moderate, and red for Poor. This visual cue is handy for quickly seeing the air quality in your room but I'd like the option to enable alerts that warn me when levels are higher than they should be in case I'm not in the room. 

If you’re looking for a multi-purpose appliance that improves your home's air quality and keeps you cool, the MC710S is definitely worth considering. While it's not the most aesthetically pleasing of appliances and lacks some finesse, its performance, smart features, and ease of use make it a worthwhile investment. 

Dreo MC710S air purifier tower fan review: price and availability

• List price: $299.99
• Available in the US

The MC710S is available in the US from Dreo, Amazon and Walmart.

At first glance, the Dreo MC710S's $300 price looks to be on the expensive side. Especially when no other Dreo tower fans exceed $150, and its standalone purifiers top out at $210, for the Macro Max S . In fact, the MC701S is the most expensive product across Dreo's product range.  

However, this price looks more reasonable when you consider that you effectively get two appliances in one; rival products such as Dyson's $649.99 TP07 Purifier Cool or the $550 LG AeroTower Air Purifying Fan are around twice the price; and the MC710S is full of the latest motor and smart tech. 

The most like-for-like alternatives to the Dreo MC710S are the $299.99 Shark HC450, and the $239.99 Hunter HPF500. The Shark model offers a heater function, but lacks Dreo's dual-motor, while the Hunter fan is cheaper because it has fewer speed settings – 9 versus 12 –  and lacks Dreo's smart features, but offers the same HEPA protection.

While $299.99 is far from cheap, it represents good value for money in terms of features, protection, versatility and tech. The smart controls elevate it above many competitors, and with its multi-function design, you don't have to buy or store multiple products.

• Value for money score: 4 out of 5  

Dreo MC710S Air Purifier Tower Fan specs Dreo MC710S Air Purifier Tower Fan review: design

• Bulky, industrial design 
• Digital, color-coded controls

No matter how you look at it, the Dreo MC710S is large, bulky and bordering on ugly with its industrial-looking grey/silver plastic finish. Measuring 46.46 inches x 118cm tall, it's much taller than I was expecting and looks like a tower fan balanced on top of a purifier... which it technically is. The top half of the appliance is where you'll find the controls, LED display and the tower fan portion of the MC710S. Below the tower fan section is a transparent cylinder where the MC710S' dual-motors can be seen spinning, and this cylinder sits on top of the purifier element. 

The touch control icons, and the corresponding remote control buttons, are relatively self-explanatory and (moving anti-clockwise) represent:

• Timer: This button lets you set a timer. Once the allotted time has passed, the fan will automatically turn off. 
• Info: This button get you access to the fan's settings.
• Minus symbol: Used to reduce the fan speed. 
• Power button
• Plus symbol: Used to increase fan speed. 
• Purification mode: This button is used to select what level of purification you need, ranging from Auto up to Level 3. 
• Oscillation: Used to set the oscillation range of the tower fan, from 0° to 120° 

(Image credit: Future)

All of your selected settings are then shown on the LED display located at the top of the tower fan, below the touch panel. This display lets you see, at a glance, the room temperature, which purifying and fan modes are enabled, the lifespan of your filter, and the fan speed (when adjusted manually). 

It also features a thin strip of light that changes color based on your room's air quality. A blue light means the air quality is Excellent; green means it's Good; orange warns you when particulate levels are Moderate and higher than they should be; while a red light is an indication that your air quality is Poor.

(Image credit: Future)

The remote control features the same icons found on the touch panel. Alternatively, you can control the MC710S using the Dreo app, or via your voice by connecting the air purifier tower fan to your Amazon Alexa, or Google Assistant. 

Setup of these smart features is quick and easy. In fact, setup of the appliance generally takes less than five minutes, including getting it out of the box and removing the plastic cover from the filter. The only slightly lengthy task in the whole process is setting up a Dreo account, but even this is painless.

(Image credit: Future)

Elsewhere, there is a carry handle on the rear of the appliance to make it easy to move around, but the bulky shape and hefty, 17.8lbs / 8.1kg weight don't lend themselves well to portability so you're unlikely to move the fan after you've got it in place. 

I typically like to move my purifier into different rooms, depending on my needs i.e I put it in the kitchen when I'm cooking steak or fajitas, or I put it in my youngest son's room at night when the pollen count is high. This is nigh-on impossible with the MC710S. To put this weight into perspective, the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde HP09 which is often seen as one of the bulkiest on the market weighs less, at 12.6lbs / 5.5kg. 

With the MC710S, it's clear Dreo has prioritized function over form. It doesn't win any points for subtlety, nor does it blend seamlessly into the background, but it is incredibly easy to set up and use and the extra height and weight helps maximize its performance.

• Design score: 3 out of 5

Dreo MC710S Air Purifier Tower Fan review: performance

• Powerful airflow 
• Doesn't reduce odors as well as expected
• Purification speeds vary 

The Dreo MC710S aims to hit the sweet spot between being a powerful fan and an effective air purifier and it almost manages it.

As a fan, the Dreo MC710S works well. It's powered by dual DC motors and pushes air at a speed of up 27 feet per second. This means that if you place it at one end of a large-to-medium-sized room, you’ll feel a breeze all the way across the room, even on the lower speeds. The oscillation feature, which swings up to 120 degrees, then helps make sure the cool air reaches the corners of the room. The fan comes with four modes – Normal, Sleep, Auto and Breeze. 

The Sleep setting lowers the fan speed, and noise. The Breeze setting reduces the power of the air flow, and the Auto setting sees the fan automatically adjusting its speed setting based on the room's ambient temperature. The fan isn't as powerful or effective as an air conditioner, and the oscillation speed is slower than I'd like, but it does a decent job of making a room feel cooler by moving the air around efficiently.

(Image credit: Future)

The downside is that the blast of air is almost icy and this can feel a little uncomfortable if you get the angle, speed or distance slightly wrong. It took a fair amount of tweaking and experimenting to find the optimum settings. Talking of settings, the fan can be on without the purifier, but the purifier can't be on without the fan. As soon as your turn the purifier on, the fan runs gently on 'Breeze' mode and oscillates at a default 30 degrees. You can't disable these features. 

I assume that this helps to improve the effectiveness of the purifier, because I don't know why else this would be the case, but it's not always needed and meant that I had to be particular about where I placed the unit so I wasn't cold while the purifier was running. On Breeze mode, as well as on the lower fan settings the fan is whisper quiet. I barely even realised it was on. The noise does increase considerably on higher settings – as high as 69dB on the top speed, which is around the sound of a car running – and this makes it difficult to have on when you're watching TV or similar. Especially if you're the one sat closest to it.

(Image credit: Future)

When it comes to air purification, the Dreo MC710S uses a dual filtration system that includes a pre-filter, which traps larger particles like dust and hair, as well as a True HEPA filter. The MC710S promises to captures 99.97% of tiny particles as small as 0.3 microns and this means it can reduce allergens, dust, and other pollutants in the air. My son and I both suffer from hayfever and even on days when there were so-called 'pollen bombs' in my local area, neither of us experienced symptoms to the extent we normally would. This makes it great for people with asthma, allergies or other respiratory problems.

What's more, my kitchen was undergoing a renovation during my review period and the purifier helped remove a noticeable amount of the dust in the air. Even though it wasn't in the kitchen itself, and was in the living room on the other side of the house. It performed less admirably in removing odors, compared to some other air purifiers I've tested such as the Levoit 300S.

(Image credit: Future)

There are three purification settings – Low (1), Medium (2) and High (3) – plus an Auto mode that automatically adjusts the power based on the air quality. To test these purifying capabilities, I sprayed deodorant directly at the purifier for five seconds and timed how long it took for the air quality to return to normal on the lowest, and highest settings.  

During the first test, on the lowest setting, the particulate level rose to 880ug/m3. It then took an hour and 15 minutes to return the air quality to normal/excellent. By comparison, on the highest setting it took just 15 minutes to go from Poor (960ug/m3) to Excellent. Interestingly, the purifier continues to take air quality readings even when it's not on, and this is useful for identifying trends and tracking air-quality changes based on certain events. 

I just wish that it would alert me when air quality reached dangerous levels so I could turn the purifier on and clear the room. Or even better, it turned on automatically – from being plugged in but switched off – cleared the particulates and turned off again. I found myself regularly asking "Alexa, what is the PM2.5 of Tower Fan" and becoming almost obsessive about it. A little more automation would give me peace of mind. 

(Image credit: Future)

Speaking of voice controls, this soon became my favorite way to control the fan. If I heard a lot of drilling going on downstairs, I could ask Alexa to turn the purifier on and off while upstairs. It let me set timers and adjust the fan remotely, so the room was cool for when my sons got home from school, and I could then track all of these settings on the Dreo app. This convenience goes a long way towards mitigating some of the minor complaints I have about the unit.  

I didn't have the purifier on constantly during the four-week review period. I would use it twice a day – once in the morning and once in the evening – to clear the room, occasionally turning it on at other times, when we had friends over or when the building work was particularly busy. The filter only dropped to 98% during this time. A replacement filter costs $39.99 and Dreo recommends replacing it at least every six months so you need to factor this cost in. 

Overall, the Dreo Air Purifier Tower Fan MC710S does a decent job as both a fan and a purifier. It has its flaws, and there are features that could elevate it from decent to good, or even great, but it works as you'd expect and does what you need it to do.

• Performance score: 4 out of 5  

Dreo MC710S Air Purifier Tower Fan review: voice control

• Easy to set up 
• Adds an extra level of control and personalization
• Perfect when juggling work or the kids 

One of the standout features of the Dreo MC710S is the ability to control it using voice commands via your smart speaker. I have Amazon Echos in a number of rooms across my house and being able to check on the air quality, and control the purifier and fan no matter where I was in my home, was great. 

Once the purifier is connected to your home Wi-Fi, it can connect to any Amazon Echo or Google Home device on the same network at the press of a button through the Dreo app. This app also gives you voice command prompts to get you started, which can be found via Settings and clicking the voice assistant you've connected it to – either Amazon Alexa, or Google Assistant.

You can ask Google or Alexa to turn the purifier on and off and adjust the fan speed – either by asking it to select a specific speed, increasing or decreasing the speed, or setting it to maximum/minimum. You can also ask your smart speaker to set the MC710S to a specific mode – Normal, Auto, Sleep, or Breeze.  By connecting to Alexa, you can also access basic controls via the Alexa app – on/off, fan speed, mode, and display options.

Dreo MC710S Air Purifier Tower Fan review: app

• Offers a range of control options
• Color-coded design is intuitive and simple to use
• Near-live air quality data

The app, as well as using voice commands, is one of my favorite features of the Dreo MC710S. It's intuitive, and everything is well-labelled and clear. An image of the fan sits in the center of the app's home page. If you have multiple Dreo devices you can swipe left and right to access each. Below this image on the left is a clock icon, where you can quickly set the fan to turn on after a set amount of time, plus the on/off button on the right. 

Below the clock icon is the Climate widget that shows the live air-quality levels above the ambient temperature, next to a Schedules widget. In the next row is your current filter life, and the settings menu. 

When the device is on, you can see which mode it's on and whether both the fan and purifier are enabled, or just the fan. Clicking either of these icons takes you to detailed controls page which shows: 

• Mode
• Temperature
• A live air quality reading with corresponding color
• Purification on/off button
• Fan on/off button
• Fan mode controls and speed slider
• Oscillation controls 
• Preferences 

Clicking the Climate widget shows you air quality and temperature readings for the past 24 hours, and 30 days. These readings are shown on a color-coded chart – red for Poor, orange for Moderate, green for Good, and blue for Excellent. As the air quality changes, so does this number and the screen's color. 

Despite the fact these charts deal with some complex information and could be confusing, Dreo makes them easy to navigate and read by carrying through its color-coded system and keeping details to a minimum.

There's a delay of around five minutes in this chart being updated following an air quality change, so it's not hugely useful in the moment, but it's interesting and useful to check after the fact. It's also reassuring to see how the levels change over the day and how well the purifier responds.

• App score: 5 out of 5

Should I buy the Dreo MC710S Air Purifier Tower Fan? Buy it if... Don't buy it if...

You're on a budget
At $299.99, the Dreo MC710S is pricey compared to other standalone fans and purifiers on the market.

How I tested the Dreo MC710S Air Purifier Tower Fan

• I used the Dreo MC710S Air Purifier Tower Fan and its partner app for 4 weeks
• Stress testing different substances
• Experimented with different speeds, modes and settings

I used the Dreo MC710S Air Purifier Tower Fan in the living room of my home for four weeks in peak hayfever season. During which time my kitchen was also being renovated and builders were in the house every day. 

Every morning and evening I used the device to track and manage the air quality, and used the fan on a range of speeds and settings in different scenarios, including when I had friends over. I also experimented with controlling the device using the Dreo app, the physical remote control, and via my Amazon Alexa speaker. 

To test the air purification monitoring and speed, I sprayed a heavy particulate aerosol (deodorant) on the purifier for five seconds while it was in different purification modes and timed how long it took for the air to clear. I also measured the volume with a mobile phone decibel meter. 

Read more about how we test.

First reviewed July 2024

We’re used to seeing free backup software packages that act as cut-down versions of paid-for products to convince customers to open their wallets, but there’s no sign of that with Hasleo Backup Suite Free – because this is a free, standalone tool.

It’s been used by over 15 million people over the years, so there’s some pedigree here – but it’s time to find out if this zero-cost backup tool can compete with free rivals or even show up some of the paid options on the market.

We've also highlighted the best disk cloning software right now.

Hasleo Backup Suite: Features

(Image credit: Hasleo Software)

Hasleo’s app covers the core functionality of a backup tool, even if its free status means it can’t offer the wealth of features you’ll find elsewhere.

Its backup module caters for system, disk, partition or file backups, just like every other app on the market, and that will handle almost everything for most users – although there are no options to backup data from specific apps, or backup data from smartphones. That’s a feature you’ll find occasionally on more expensive apps.

Still, that’s a good start, and the restoration module is similarly straightforward: you can restore your entire backups or browse through your backups to recover specific files or folders. A cloning module also allows you to replicate systems, disks or partitions.

Backups can be saved to any location navigable on your PC – including network locations – and the app offers a robust selection of scheduling options alongside the ability to perform full, incremental and differential backups. As well as scheduling based on times and dates, you can program Hasleo to start backups when your system boots, when particular users log on, or when you attach particular USB drives.

Hasleo offers different encryption levels, backup splitting with custom sizing, password and 256-bit encryption, pre- and post-backup commands and email notifications. It can also check the integrity of backups when completed and shut down your PC after the job is done.

In terms of core backup functionality for home and small business users, the slate of backup options available here does a good job of competing with some paid home apps.

When it comes to free rivals, like EaseUS Todo Backup Free and Paragon Backup & Recovery Community Edition, Hasleo remains strong. EaseUS Todo Backup doesn’t have system or disk cloning, and Paragon’s app can’t handle partitions and can’t copy disks.

One of Hasleo’s main free rivals, FBackup, goes further here with the inclusion of cloud support and loads of helpful app plugins, but it falls down by not offering incremental or differential backups unless you upgrade to a paid version.

Hasleo Backup Suite also includes some additional tools. You can create bootable, emergency disks, mount or unmount images, wipe drives securely, rebuild your Master Boot Record and merge images.

It’s obviously missing high-end features, like cloud storage, server management, and more, but you’ll have to pay for enterprise-level apps if you need that functionality.

(Image credit: Hasleo Software) Interface & use

It’s no surprise that this app has a straightforward interface. On the left-hand side you’ll find the core backup, restore and clone modules highlighted with big icons, and relevant options in the central panel.

At the bottom of that left-hand panel you’ll find the additional tools, the options menu is in the top-right, and that’s about it. While Hasleo does look a little archaic, it’s easy to use, even for beginners.

We tested our latest slate of backup apps with a 42GB document folder, a 2.5GB spreadsheet folder, a 162GB folder of media and an 82GB file that mixes all of those file types. We backed them up to three different SSDs to weed out any inconsistency.

And while Hasleo’s interface may look a bit dated, its performance was anything but. Its Media file average time of six minutes and six seconds is one of the best we’ve recorded across this latest slate of backup apps – nearly twenty tools in all – and its mixed file average of eleven minutes and 34 seconds is another result that sits towards the top of our results tables.

It took less than four minutes to back up our Excel spreadsheet folder, and the worst result came when handling documents. But while it took thirteen minutes and eight seconds to preserve those files, that was still in the top half of our results tables.

That pace isn’t far off the speed we recorded from EaseUS ToDo Backup and it’s more consistent than Paragon’s app, and it’s miles better than the sluggish FBackup.

(Image credit: Hasleo Software) Support

The support options for this free app are minimal – Hasleo’s website has an email address you can message for technical help, and there’s a forum, but there are no other options available and no indication about how long support will take.

This is one area where paid-for apps are much better, especially if you’re buying a business or enterprise product with priority support or phone and live chat options.

Competition

Hasleo’s main free rivals come from FBackup, EaseUS and Paragon, and Hasleo Backup Suite Free goes further than most with additional features like partition and disk cloning. And while EaseUS does offer some cloud storage, you’re restricted to just 250GB of space in the free version.

The only area where Hasleo falls behind even slightly is in the speed tests. Because while Hasleo is certainly not slow, EaseUS is even faster.

Verdict

There’s lots to like here: Hasleo Backup Suite Free offers a rock-solid core range of backup features alongside good speed – and you don’t have to spend a penny. It’s certainly a better option than FBackup, too, in most situations – especially when it comes to speed.

That makes it ideal for home users and sole traders who need core backup functionality, although the lack of responsive support or high-end features means this app is not suitable for medium or large businesses.

But if you need a free backup suite you can rely on, then there isn’t much better than Hasleo Backup Suite Free.

One-minute review

Wacom’s latest drawing tablet has arrived, focusing on the mobile market by offering an impressively lightweight form factor that makes hardly any compromises when it comes to performance. Hardware advances like its vibrant OLED screen, touch technology and singular USB-C to USB-C connectivity make it one of the best drawing tablets available right now, especially given its surprisingly low price. 

The result is a near-perfect mid-range drawing tablet, albeit one that probably won’t cut it for serious pros. For me, the Movink is also an iPad killer, and even beat Apple to the punch for delivering the drawing-friendly portable OLED screen found in the iPad Pro 2024. 

I’ve often used the iPad as my main sketchpad, preferring its portability so I don’t need to shuffle around my desk setup. However, the Movink offers the perfect balance, delivering the portability and accessibility of the iPad Pro and the artist-first features and drawing experience of purpose-made drawing tablets. 

The Movink is 4mm at its thinnest and 6.6mm at its thickest, weighing just 420g. It can easily connect to one of the best laptops and tablets for drawing and artwork, so it can access more sophisticated programs for photo and video editing or the best digital art and drawing software compared to general-use tablets such as the iPad. As that would suggest, Movink isn’t a pen computer, meaning you’ll still need to lug around your laptop if you want to draw on the go; but given the advanced drawing specs of the Movink and its surprisingly approachable price point.

(Image credit: Future)

It’s specifically designed to work with some of the latest Wacom pen technology, too, coming with a tailor-made version of the Wacom Pro Pen 3. This stylus is fully customizable (although you’ll have to buy parts separately), meaning you can choose for yourself the thickness of the grip, adjust its balance, and add or remove the side switches. However, if that’s not your speed, the Movink is also Wacom’s first professional creative pen display to incorporate Dual Pen technology and will work with a variety of Wacom and third-party styluses.

However, it might not cut it as the sole tablet for professional use. Its max resolution is 1080p – and, as of right now, there’s only one size available: a 13.3-inch screen, which might not cut it if you’re used to larger displays. On-device, there are only two physical shortcut keys; but you can also use the top corners of the screen as shortcuts, plus the three on the included stylus.

There are some other niggling issues. There’s no pen case or loop holder on the stylus, so it’s easy to lose when you’re on the go, plus it doesn’t come with any case or cover to protect the screen – an essential addition if you’re releasing a product with portability as its unique selling point. There’s also no stand included, and nary a built-in kickstand in sight.

Still, I’m splitting hairs. The Movink is a fantastic option that breaks new ground for Wacom, and it will meet at least most of the needs of artists at all levels – especially if portability is key.

(Image credit: Future) Price and availability

• List price: $749 / £729 / AU$1,299 
• Available in the US, UK and Australia 
• Launched May 2024 

Priced at $749 / £729 / AU$1,299, the Wacom Movink comes in at the higher end of the mid-range spectrum. However, given some of its specs toe the line of pro-grade devices, that’s a surprisingly affordable price for a typically expensive brand. It’s available directly from Wacom as well as through some third-party retailers.

Its approachable price also means I can forgive some of the omissions that other brands typically include with their tablets. In addition to the tablet, there’s just one 1m USB-C to C cable, the Wacom Pro Pen 3 with its built-in nib holder, three replacement nibs (one standard and two felt), and the paperwork to help get you started.

It’s disappointing that there’s no case included for this mobile powerhouse, no stand, and no pen holder or built-in means of attaching the stylus to the tablet. Wacom sells a carry case for $44 / £43 / AU$129 , as well as a foldable stand for $79 / £74 / AU$129.

Value: 4.5/5

Specs table Design

• Slim, lightweight and durable – thus perfect for travel 
• Four customizable shortcut keys, two physical and two touch 
• Requires just a singular USB-C connection 

(Image credit: Future)

The clue for the key design ethos behind the Movink is in the name; in case you hadn’t picked up on it, it’s pronounced “Move-ink”. 

Measuring in at 12.6 x 8.1 x 0.16~0.26 inches / 319.5 x 205.2 x 4~6.6mm (w x h x d), the Movink is wonderfully petite and sports a subtle wedge shape. In hand, it feels just like drawing on a pad of A4 paper. It weighs just 420g, making it a no-brainer for slipping into your laptop backpack or bag when you’re out and about – and just a whole lot easier to grab for a quick drawing session in front of the TV.

The Movink boasts Wacom’s slimmest bezel yet, allowing for an active drawing area of 11.6 x 6.5 inches / 294 x 165mm. However, that does mean there’s little-to-no wrist room. Given there’s no included or built-in stand, you’ll likely want to consider the ergonomics of your workstation. On its underside, a rubber footing runs along the top and bottom edges of the tablet to keep it stable when used on a tabletop. I really wish Wacom had included a kickstand or feet for the tablet, as your only option to improve the viewing angle is by buying a stand. Thankfully, its light weight meant I was able to comfortably cradle it while seated.

Both sides of the Wacom Movink feature a USB-C connector, as well as one of the two physical programmable keys. There are a further two touch-enabled shortcut keys on the screen itself as well, bringing the total to four. This won’t be enough for a fully established pro at their main workstation, but more than sufficient for drawing on-the-go or for amateurs.

Overall, the Moveink is wonderfully thought-through and purpose-built for its mobile application, but I’m still a little frustrated that Wacom didn’t at least include a pen loop to keep the tablet and stylus together, especially considering there’s no included case.

Design: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future) Performance

• Bright and beautiful OLED screen 
• 1080p maximum resolution is a slight let down 
• Lovely drawing experience 

It’s rare to come across a Wacom tablet that doesn’t perform well in tests, and the Movink is no different. It’s loaded with the latest and greatest hardware from the esteemed brand, paired with easy-to-use Wacom drivers to make for a seamless and pain-free experience.

On test, the Movink proved to be a delight, with its 16:9 OLED screen offering 350 nits of max brightness and a 60Hz refresh rate. The Movink also boasts DCI-P3 100%, AdobeRGB 95%, with both Pantone Validated and Pantone SkinTone Validated certifications to round out its accomplished color gamut. It’s a little disappointing, then, that the resolution is just 1080p; I feel that a minimum of 2.5K is necessary for any device marketed at professionals. Plus, for navigating software such as Photoshop, I found I had to practically press my nose to the screen to read some of the extensive menus. 

The OLED technology also means there’s no need for a backlight in the Movink, which means it stays cool even with extended use – and there’s no light leakage, which makes working on darker canvases much easier. 

The drawing experience is wonderful, too, with the surface providing the perfect level of bite to replicate that satisfying pen-to-paper feeling. Its anti-glare and anti-fingerprint coatings effectively address some of the drawbacks of portability-first devices, especially given the Movink is a touch display.

On that point, the touch display is a real boon – and I’d say an almost essential one to get the most out of your Movink. You can disable the functionality, but if you’re used to extensive shortcut keys or using an iPad, then a touch display can be useful for navigating different software applications and moving around your canvas. So much so that I scarcely needed to reach for my mouse and keyboard while drawing. 

Performance: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future) Stylus

• 8,192 pressure levels 
• Built-in nib holder and remover 
• Customizable, but basic in its given configuration 

Included with the Wacom Movink is the Wacom Pro Pen 3, and it comes with a twist. It’s an almost entirely customizable stylus, allowing you to change the grip thickness, adjust its balance, and add or remove the side switches. The flipside of this is that the model included with the Movink is very basic and pencil-like, with no provided grip. It’s lightweight, and the lack of grip didn’t bother me too much. However, if you’re drawing all day, have bigger hands or are used to a grippier pen, you might want to invest in those stylus accessories – or make use of the dual-pen technology in the Movink, which allows you to seamlessly use a variety of Wacom and third-party styluses.

Clad in all-black, the Pro Pen 3 is cylindrical and slim. The top can be unscrewed to reveal storage for three nibs (pre-loaded with two felt and one standard nib) in a rubberized holder, which can be removed to reveal the built-in nib remover. Further down the stem are the three shortcut keys on a removable panel, allowing you to customize the number of buttons from zero to three. 

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I also noticed the nib was slightly more proud from the tip than I’ve seen on other styluses such as the LP-190K included with the One by Wacom, an intentional choice for the specific Pro Pen 3 model paired with the Movink. It’s only by just over a millimeter, but that can really make a difference when it comes to honing in on fine detail.

In terms of specs, it offers 8,192 pressure levels with a 60-degree tilt, meaning it matches industry standards. Its sensitivity and accuracy proved impressive and consistent through my brushstroke testing, and I didn’t notice any parallax.

Stylus: 4.5 / 5 

Should I buy? Buy it if...

You need something portable

The Movink offers near-unparalleled portability thanks to its thin and light frame and the minimal cables needed to use it.

You don’t want to compromise on performance

Paired with the Wacom Pro Pen 3, the Movink is a powerhouse as far as mobile drawing tablets go – especially with its new OLED screen.

Don't buy it if...

You’re a pro who wants a new main workstation

The Movink is absolutely good enough for pros – but not as their main slate for creative work. The lack of shortcut keys, low resolution and medium-size active drawing area likely won’t cut it for everyday professional use.

Also consider How I tested the Wacom Movink

• I used the Wacom Movink as my main drawing tablet for one month 
• I used it for editing images as well as drawing on software such as Photoshop and Krita 
• I tested the stylus responsiveness  

To test the Wacom Movink, I used it as the main drawing tablet in my amateur digital art setup for one month, using it to fulfil all of my drawing and editing needs.

I used the supplied Wacom Pro Pen 3 stylus and cables exclusively, completing a variety of tests to assess how accurate, powerful and comfortable the Movink was in a variety of settings. I drew in a cafe, at my desk, on the sofa – everywhere I could think of – to see how easy it was both to move around with and use in different environments.

While I’m no professional artist, I’ve been drawing and painting regularly for over a decade, and have been using graphics tablets and general-use tablets for years as part of my digital art journey. I referenced my previous experiences with tablets such as the Wacom One, XPPen Artist Pro 16 and Huion Kamvas 16, in order to compare the screen quality and drawing experience.

One-minute review

It might be the unmistakable Leica style of the D-Lux 8 that initially grabs the attention, but the pocketable camera with the famous red-dot logo offers more than just good looks. The Four-Thirds sensor is a big upgrade on the 1-inch sensors found in some of the best compact cameras, and the image quality is a massive leap from what you would expect from a mobile phone. Combine that with a physical aperture control ring, a shutter-speed dial, and other tactile controls, and you have a camera that will appeal to fans of a more retro shooting experience. The menu is also straightforward to navigate, partly due to the 3-inch 1.8m-dot touchscreen being useable for changing settings. 

However, the Leica D-Lux 8 isn't a major upgrade over its predecessor, which was essentially a rebranded version of the Panasonic Lumix LX100 II, released in 2018. Besides a few new design cues that simplify the design and make it look like the Leica Q3, the main new feature is a 2.36 million-dot viewfinder. This new EVF may seem like a downgrade on the 2.76-million-dot EVF of its predecessor, but the important thing here is that the screen tech is new – the D-Lux 8 uses an OLED panel, which offers a better experience thanks to not having color tearing. 

(Image credit: Future) Leica D-Lux 8: design

The core of the Leica D-Lux 8 is based around a 21-million-pixel Four-Thirds size sensor. Focusing the image on to this sensor is a Leica DC Vario-Summilux 10.9–34 f/1.7–2.8 ASPH lens, the equivalent to a 24-75mm lens on a 35mm or full-frame camera. This lens doesn't create an image circle large enough to cover the entire surface of the Four Thirds sensor; instead, it produces images that are up to 17 million pixels.

Rather than seeing the lack of complete sensor coverage as a negative, Leica has actually used this to its advantage, allowing photographers to change the image aspect ratio in-camera. You can choose between 1:1, 3:2, 4:3, and 16:9, and you can select these via a ring around the base of the lens. 

Leica D-Lux 8 price and release date

The Leica D-Lux 8 has a list price of $1,595 / £1,450 / AU$2,790 and is available now, although at the time of writing it's out of stock globally, so you may have to wait for your order to be fulfilled.

The camera comes with an on-camera flash unit.

As mentioned, the D-Lux 8 is very similar to its predecessor, the D-Lux 7, which itself was virtually identical to the Panasonic Lumix LX100 II, which was released in 2018 – that's a long time ago, and we've seen considerable advances in camera technology since then.

Thankfully, its features hold up well, particularly given the lack of competition in the high-end compact camera market, and the Four-Thirds sensor size is significantly larger than the 1-inch sensors typically used in this size compact camera.

Leica users have certain expectations for their cameras: manual controls, simplicity, and a minimalist style that echoes the industrial German design of all of the Leicas that have come before them. Thankfully, the Leica D-Lux 8 offers all of these things, and it both looks and feels like using a Leica camera, notably the Leica Q series. 

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Weighing 397g, including the battery, and measuring 130 x 69 x 62mm, the D-Lux 8 is a (jacket) pocketable camera with a manual aperture ring, shutter speed dial, hotshoe, and there's even a cable release screw thread in the shutter button. On the camera's top plate there's a zoom control around the shutter button, a custom dial, and a small on/off button. 

The most significant change compared to the D-Lux 7 is the improved electronic viewfinder. The new 2.36 million-dot EVF is a lower resolution than the 2.76 million-dot EVF of the D LUX-7. However, the new viewfinder is an OLED display, whereas previously, it was a sequential display, where the RGB LEDs changed very quickly, given the perception of the correct color. This works well in static subjects but can cause jarring RGB edge effects, particularly when you're panning quickly. The OLED EVF solves this. 

For those not using the EVF, there's the 1.8m-dot fixed touchscreen. I have to say that with the camera's manual controls and retro design I found myself gravitating to the viewfinder instead of the touchscreen, or perhaps it was because the screen is fixed rather than the versatile tilting or flip-out type. 

The viewfinder has a 0.75x magnification, which, although it isn't huge compared to a mirrorless camera, is large enough that your eye can still roam around the scene and you can see details. And there is, of course, a dioptre adjustment if your eyesight requires it.

Where the screen comes in really useful is its touch functionality. Pressing the Menu button on the rear of the camera pulls up all the current shooting settings, which can be quickly changed using the touchscreen. The touchscreen can also be used to select the AF tracking area.

Overall, the design of the D-Lux 8 could be described as streamlined; all of the key features are easily accessible, without the camera being littered with buttons, dials, and labels. Everything else can be quickly changed using the directional pad on the camera's rear, or easier still, by using the touchscreen.

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(Image credit: Future) Leica D-Lux 8: performance

Leica cameras are known for their popularity amongst documentary photographers, who demand that their cameras can be operated quickly, which is often where compact cameras fall down. After you press the power there's a wait of about a second before you can take a photo with the D-Lux 8, which is an acceptable amount of time. The aperture ring and shutter speed dial make changing the exposure extremely quick, and also easy to do when you're looking through the viewfinder. That said, I'm a left-eye shooter, which made the dial a little more awkward to use with the camera held to my eye, although I largely had the camera set to aperture priority mode, so the camera was adjusting the shutter speed automatically. 

Zooming the lens from 24mm to 75mm is steady without ever being fast. If you wish to manually focus the lens, there's a small switch on the barrel of the lens, close to the camera's body. A fly-by-wire electronic focusing ring allows for manual focusing, and it feels naturally responsive, something that's helped by the magnified view presented on the screen or through the viewfinder.

The autofocus system is as comprehensive as you would expect from any mirrorless camera. There are options for eye/face detection and tracking, as well as the more automated Zone Field and Multi-spot autofocus. I generally left the camera set to eye/face tracking, and used touchscreen focus when I wanted to select a particular subject within the scene. I had no issues with the focusing, and the camera felt snappy and responsive.

There are a few continuous shooting modes for moving subjects, each with a varying degree of quality. At 2fps, images can be saved at 12-bit, with autofocus. Shift to 7fps, and the bit rate drops to 10-bit with no autofocus. There's also a higher option of shooting 11fps in 10-bit without autofocus. Everything is kept simple, with these shooting rates working for JPEG, raw DNG, and when in JPEG+DNG mode. 

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Leica D-Lux 8: B&W Natural (Image credit: Future)

One of the more enjoyable aspects of using the Leica D-Lux 8 is Leica's film styles. There aren't an overwhelming number, with Standard, Vivid, Natural, Black and White Natural, and Black and White High Contrast options. The contrast, saturation, and sharpness of each of these can be adjusted, and there's also the option elsewhere to change the I[ntelligent]-DR and Highlight/Shadow settings. I found that images taking using the default settings looked great, although after using the D-Lux 8 for a while I changed the settings to make the shadow areas slightly brighter. It all comes down to personal preference, but having limited options that aren't overwhelming combined with excellent 'default' image quality is refreshing. 

The larger Four-Thirds sensor makes a difference in image quality. Images look closer to what you'd expect from an APS-C sensor than the 20-million-pixel 1-inch sensors typically found in compact cameras. The dynamic range is good, with there usually being plenty of detail in highlights and shadows. I was also impressed with the low noise and good detail at higher sensitivities, with the camera performing as you'd expect it to with a Four-Thirds sensor. Images shot at up to ISO 1600 are perfectly useable, and even images taken at ISO 6400 look acceptable when you need to shoot in low light. Beyond this level, the image quality does start to break down, but we need to keep in mind what and who this camera is for; this isn't a camera for shooting landscapes or high-end commercial work. It will most likely be used for travel and street photography; it's a camera that's easy to take with you and can take better images in situations where you may tend to use your phone.

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It is a pretty versatile little camera. The maximum f/1.7 aperture creates a shallow enough depth of field when the subject is quite close to the camera, and I tended to shoot a lot with the lens in this setting, particularly when photographing people. It's roughly the same as shooting at f/3.5 on a camera with a full-frame sensor, so it's enough to throw the background out of focus to isolate your subject. 

I didn't shoot much video, reserving this for a few family clips and social situations, as this is how I expect the camera to mostly be used, video-wise. This is not a video-first camera. It only offers 4K capture at 30fps at 100Mbps and Full HD at 60fps at 28Mbps, and there's no articulated screen or external mic socket. The Leica D-Lux 8 simply isn't designed to shoot a video longer than a few seconds; even content creators would be better off using their smartphones and being able to upload footage directly.

Should I buy the Leica D-Lux 8 Camera?

(Image credit: Future) Buy it if... Don't buy it if...

(Image credit: Future) How I tested the Leica D-Lux 8

• I used the camera for a couple of weeks in a variety of situations 
• I shot documentary images at a local event
• I paid close attention to the depth of field the camera captured

I tested the Leica D-Lux 8 over a couple of weeks in the summer in the UK, which included a family holiday. During this time, I used the camera at a local festival, a day out at a farm, and took lots of photos of friends and family.

Overall I aimed to use the D-Lux 8 as an everyday camera, which I believe is how it will mainly be used. Using the camera in this way allowed me to experience it as the target user would, and to try all of the various shooting options in various situations. I also took it with me on a morning walk around London, shooting a few street photos, which I'll admit I am not very good at.

I viewed my images in Adobe Bridge on a computer, examining details in images taken at different ISO settings, and I also edited some images in Adobe Camera Raw to see how much latitude they offered for manipulation.

First reviewed September 2024

Lofree Flow Lite: Two-minute review

The Flow Lite is Lofree’s follow-up to its superb Flow keyboard, which combined a low-profile design with delightfully top-quality touches to make it a marvel of premium keyboard engineering, and (in my humble opinion) one of the best mechanical keyboards you can buy. Perhaps the only drawback of the Flow was its fairly costly $159 asking price, and it’s that that has prompted the creation of the Lofree Flow Lite.

This keyboard takes the best parts of the Flow – its quiet, comfortable typing and compact design – and fits it into a more affordable form, cutting a few features here and there to bring the price down to $99 for the 84-key version (which I reviewed) and $109 for the 100-key edition. The key question is whether Lofree has been able to do all that without losing what makes its devices so appealing.

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Typing on the Flow Lite feels good – for the most part. While the Flow offered both tactile and linear switches, you only get the linear option with the Flow Lite. That’s not a massive problem since the linears are very fast and comfortable to use – this coming from a man who normally steers well clear of any switch that’s not loud and clicky – and if you like smooth key switches, the Flow Lite’s custom Kailhs will be very pleasing to use. That said, my fingers did start to feel a little sore after a few hours of usage due to a fair amount of bottoming out (I find this is common whenever I use linear switches), so that’s something to be aware of if you find yourself pressing a little too hard when you type.

Everything is tied together in the Lofree Key Mapper app, which is used to create macros, change lighting effects, remap keys, and more. It’s admittedly a bit less intuitive than some rival keyboards’ apps, but it gets the job done.

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Lofree has cut a few corners in order to lower the price, but they don’t feel like a massive step down. The aluminum chassis is gone, replaced by an ABS plastic one instead, while the PBT keycaps are now a combination of PBT and polycarbonate plastic. The USB-C to USB-A cable is also now of the standard plastic, non-braided variety. Finally, Lofree has cut the number of lighting effects from 16 to 8 compared to the Flow.

Interestingly, Lofree has actually added a few features to the Flow Lite that the regular Flow lacks. The most noticeable example is the copper-toned volume roller in the top-right corner. This is tactile and metallic, and you can press it in to mute your audio completely. It is a little stiff, but it’s a useful extra regardless.

Other new additions include 2.4GHz connectivity in addition to the wired and Bluetooth modes (the latter of which can connect to three devices); feet to adjust the angle of the keyboard; and a doubled polling rate, going from the Flow’s 500Hz to 1,000Hz in the Flow Lite. I’m particularly happy about the keyboard feet, as it was always a shame you couldn’t change the Flow’s angle. The rubber on the Flow Lite’s feet is a little thin and bendy in places, but I can forgive that if it means I can raise the keyboard to a (slightly) higher angle.

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That makes choosing between the Flow Lite and the Flow more complex than simply wanting to save money. While on the one hand the Flow Lite feels like a step below the Flow, on the other it also represents an evolution of sorts. Hopefully, Lofree will work these advancements into a successor to the Flow, if or when that arrives.

I’m left feeling fairly impressed that Lofree has managed to make the Flow Lite still feel like a premium offering, even without many of the things that made me love the original Flow. It’s a more affordable way into the world of mechanical keyboards without feeling like you’re rummaging through the bargain bin. I still prefer the Flow overall – it’s just so good – and I really wish Lofree offered tactile or clicky switches for the Flow Lite. But there’s still a lot to like about this keyboard, especially if you’re in the market for a quality low-profile device that’s still enjoyable to use.

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The Lofree Flow Lite costs $99 or $109 (depending on the size you get), knocking $50 to $60 off the price of the $159 Lofree Flow. Whether you decide the trade-offs are worth it for the price cut will come down to your personal taste. Right now, it’s available on Kickstarter, and will be sold on Lofree’s website and on the company’s Amazon store.

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(Image credit: Future) Buy the Lofree Flow Lite if…

You want quality at a lower price

Lofree has cut the price with the Flow Lite, but it still packs in a good overall typing experience, especially if you like linear switches.

You like having lots of connectivity options

The Flow Lite lets you connect via USB-C cable, Bluetooth, and 2.4GHz, and it also works with up to three different devices.

You use both Windows and macOS

The Flow Lite comes with keycaps showing both Windows and macOS symbols. It also lets you switch between the two systems’ respective keyboard layouts with a quick key combination.

Don't buy it if...

You prefer tactile switches

You’ll only get linear switches here, which in my experience can lead to tired fingers if you bottom out too much. Lofree sells a different switch option that you can swap in, but it’s also linear.

You want the most premium experience

There’s no doubt that the regular Flow feels more premium than the Flow Lite. The latter ditches the metal body, braided cable, and more in order to bring the price down.

You don’t like compact layouts

Not only does the Flow Lite use low-profile keycaps, but its layout is also very compact, with the arrow keys squeezed in close to the main body of buttons. That doesn’t work for everyone.

Lofree Flow Lite: Also consider

Logitech G515 Lightspeed TKL

A compact keyboard that we rated just as highly as the Lofree Flow Lite in our review, the G151 Lightspeed TKL from Logitech is a keyboard that can easily pull double duty for both work and gaming, with a clean design and quiet, comfortable keystrokes perfect for an office environment as much as a home gaming setup.

Read our full Logitech G515 Lightspeed TKL review

Corsair K65 Plus Wireless

Although it's a bit on the pricey side, there are few  compact keyboards that offer the same build quality and functionality as the Corsair K65 Plus Wireless. With swappable switches, a media control dial, and strong customizability thanks to Corsair's software, this is a great choice of 75% keyboard - perfect for anyone who wants an even smaller board than the Flow Lite.

Read our full Corsair K65 Plus Wireless review

How I tested the Lofree Flow Lite

I spent time using the Lofree Flow Lite day-to-day at my desk. That included writing articles, gaming, and generally using my computer throughout the day. I tried it on both Windows and macOS, and also put its Lofree Key Mapper companion app through its paces.

Lots of backup apps are produced by software companies that also churn out loads of other apps in different categories, but that’s not the case with FBackup 9.9 – its creators at Softland concentrate on backup tools, and this app has been in continuous development since 2006.

That’s plenty of time to create a great bit of software, so we’ve got high hopes for this freeware tool, even up against impressive zero-cost rivals like Hasleo Backup Suite and free tools from other larger competitors.

We've also highlighted the best disk cloning software right now.

Fbackup: Plans & pricing

FBackup is an entirely free backup tool – but that doesn’t tell the whole story.

While we’ve no doubt that FBackup is an impressive app for home users, sole traders and the smallest businesses, it also exists as a shop window for Softland Backup4all, which is the firm’s professional product.

It’s one of the more affordable options out there, at least, with a current price of $48 for a single perpetual licence – an amount which undercuts many other paid pro-level apps, like EaseUS ToDo Backup Workstation Edition and Paragon’s pricier tools.

Elsewhere, it’s possible to purchase OEM bundles for hardware manufacturers and a companion app called Backup4all Monitor, allowing system administrators to monitor their operations. It costs $4.99 per licence.

(Image credit: Softland) Features

The free FBackup tool has a good range of features before you delve into the paid versions. Users can back up their hard drives, external drives, operating systems, configurations, and settings from browsers like Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, as well as their Document and Picture folders and even material from Google Drive and Dropbox destinations.

Impressively, hundreds of other plugins to support backups from different apps are also available for optional installation.

Users can back up their files to Google Drive and Dropbox, too, alongside more conventional local and network sources and removable media. When it comes to core backup functionality, this is a good start.

FBackup has options for filtering backup files, running full or mirrored backups, and basic encryption and file-splitting tools.

Varying levels of processing speed are supported, and there’s a scheduling and command tool that gives users a tremendous amount of control over when their data is backed up and if any conditions need to be met for processes to begin.

Some high-end features are reserved for Backup4all customers, though. Only in that app can you use more cloud sources or FTP destinations, manage multiple backup configurations and get access to some drag-and-drop and typing features that make it easier to build backups.

The paid version of the app has a Microsoft Outlook plugin, stronger encryption, the option to pause backups, and settings to let you send email notifications. You can also only access differential and incremental backups in the paid version.

Ultimately, then, FBackup is a solid preservation tool for home users and sole traders, but those missing features – especially when it comes to security, network access and incremental backups – mean that we prefer Backup4all if you’re handling backups in a business of any size.

(Image credit: Softland) Interface & use

The interface makes it easy to upgrade, at least, because if you click on a restricted feature, you’ll get a popup asking you to try the Backup4all free trial or pay for an upgrade.

There’s a tab at the top of the window that’s entirely devoted to an advert for the paid product, and the home screen – which has icons for managing the app – also includes upgrade links.

Get beyond the adverts and it’s a straightforward and conventional backup app, with options to start a backup on the left-hand side and a useful wizard that guides you through the process of creating a backup. There’s a separate Jobs window that allows you to go into more depth when it comes to backup management, too.

It’s easy enough to use, but FBackup fell behind in our benchmarking. We tested our latest slate of backup apps with a 42GB document folder, a 2.5GB spreadsheet folder, a 162GB folder of media and an 82GB file that mixes all of those file types. We backed them up to three different SSDs to weed out any inconsistency.

FBackup’s Document and Excel averages of 19 minutes and five minutes, respectively, are moderate results that sit right in the middle of our results tables, but FBackup let itself down when working with media files and more complex jobs.

In our Media test, it averaged a whopping 104 minutes to complete our backup, with those times consistent across three drives – its results ranged between fifty-seven minutes and 107 minutes. And when we tasked FBackup with preserving a mixed folder, which included media files, it took nearly an hour.

It’s a poor slate of results, all things considered. Hasleo Backup Suite, another free rival, is far faster, and free backup software from Paragon and EaseUS are much faster too.

(Image credit: Softland) Support

If you need help with FBackup, the main support option is using a form on Softland’s website, but there’s no indication of how long replies will take. There’s an FAQ and a forum online, too.

It’s a standard slate of support options for a free backup tool, and you’ll have to buy a premium product if you want phone or live chat support.

Competition

FBackup does a reasonable job of competing against Hasleo Backup Suite in the free backup tools market: it may not offer incremental or differential file backups, for instance, but it does include cloud support and loads of plugins.

Elsewhere, there isn’t much to choose between this tool and the free versions of apps from EaseUS and Paragon, and if you’re running backup operations for a business of any size then we highly recommend you invest in a more capable tool with stronger encryption and management options.

Verdict

FBackup gets off to a good start, with its plugins, impressive array of backup sources and destinations and decent commands and filtering, and it certainly does the job if you want a free backup tool.

However, its feature set is uneven – with high-end additions rubbing up alongside glaring omissions – and its lack of speed is a huge problem.

If you’re a home user not fussed about speed, then FBackup is a reasonable free option. But with so many better options, both free and at modest prices, it’s hard to recommend.

Avast One Essential is the free starter product in its Avast One range, a powerful set of security suites with an excellent antivirus and an array of bonus security layers.

Avast’s strong core protection engines block access to phishing and other malicious websites, for instance. Downloads and incoming emails are scanned for threats, ransomware protection shields files in your most sensitive folders, and a firewall helps to control which processes can access the web and which can’t.

That already beats some of the competition (Avira Free Security doesn’t include full system-wide web protection), but Avast One Essential is just getting started. A free VPN may not allow you to change location, but it includes a very generous 5GB data a week (Avira’s free VPN offers 500MB a month); and there are tools to scan your network, find missing app updates, identify Windows security holes, tweak your privacy settings, and a whole lot more.

Looking for antivirus software only? Avast Free Antivirus has the same leading-edge protection engines, but far fewer extras, and may be a better choice. But if you like the sound of a free antivirus with more features than many paid security suites, Avast One Essential is well worth a closer look.

Avast One’s installer will install Avast Secure Browser unless you click ‘Decline' (Image credit: Future) Avast One Essential: Getting started

Some companies (hi, Bitdefender) offer free security but demand you ‘create an account’ first, which involves handing over your email address and maybe other personal details. Avast and Avira are exceptions; both companies recommend that you register your email address with them, but that isn’t necessary, and you can install and use the software entirely for free.

(That’s not just a theoretical privacy point; it has practical benefits, too. Bitdefender doesn’t allow you to use its free app on more than three devices per account. As Avast doesn’t know who you are, you can install its software on as many Windows, Mac, Android or iOS devices as you need.)

It’s important to pay attention when installing Avast One on Windows. If you accept all the defaults, it also installs Avast’s secure browser and makes it your system default. That’s such a major change that we would prefer Avast to use an opt-in system, where the browser isn’t installed unless you specifically ask for it. Still, it’s clearly highlighted during setup, and as long as you read each installation screen, you’ll be able to turn down the browser with a single click.

Avast One’s installer does have one very unusual plus: you can set Avast to Passive Mode, which installs the scanner but not real-time protection. The advantage of that approach is you can run Avast One alongside another antivirus without conflicts, use the other antivirus to detect threats in real-time, but run Avast One’s scanner on a schedule or on demand for extra safety. That’s not necessary for most users, but could be a welcome extra touch if you’re looking for the maximum antivirus protection.

The Avast One dashboard can seem a little cluttered. (Image credit: Future) Avast One Essential: Interface

Once the Avast One App launched, it displayed six tiles covering its various functions. We could run a Smart antivirus scan or connect to the VPN with a click, clean our browsing history or our full hard drive, update drivers or optimize system performance. It’s a little cluttered, but we quickly found our way around.

Avast One mostly does its antivirus work in the background, without you noticing, but there’s one exception. If you run a file it’s not seen before, Avast stops it and spends up to 60 seconds scanning the file for threats. If you regularly download open source or other small tools, then this might happen a lot, and it can become very annoying. But it is good for security, and if it gets too much, you can always turn the feature off.

An Explore menu has individual options covering Avast’s various antivirus, privacy and performance features. It’s good to see these clearly highlight features which aren’t available in the free edition; there’s nothing more annoying than repeatedly choosing some exciting-looking option, only to get the same old screen saying ‘nope, sorry, can’t have that unless you pay.’

Browse every single Avast One feature in the lengthy Explore menu. (Image credit: Future)

Overall, Avast One Essential looks good and is reasonably easy to use for simple tasks, but poor organization of features caught us out occasionally. Avast One has the ability to exclude items from scans, for instance, but instead of making this available from the Scan Center, Avast hides it away in a Settings menu in the Account area. If you like Avast but don’t need Avast One’s lengthy feature list, Avast Free Antivirus gives you the same protection engines in a modern, simpler and more straightforward interface.

Avast Free beats many paid antivirus for protection in independent testing. (Image credit: Future) Avast One Essential: Protection

We track the performance of all the top antivirus apps as reported by independent testing labs including AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, MRG Effitas and SE Labs. Most providers submit their full-featured paid versions for testing, but Avast sends its free edition, which shows a lot of confidence in its power.

That confidence seems fully justified, too. We keep an aggregate score of antivirus performance across nine major tests, and currently Avast is equal first with Bitdefender and McAfee. (ESET, F-Secure and Norton are equal fourth, and Avira follows in seventh place.)

Avast One blocks phishing and malicious websites for all your apps. (Image credit: Future)

Lab results are important, but we’re always keen to run further tests of our own. We began by attempting to access 50 of the latest phishing URLs, as collected by experts OpenPhish. Avast did a good job, blocking 86% immediately. Avira Security Free scored a little better in recent tests with a 90% protection rate, but that was with a browser extension only. Avast One is better overall because it has system-wide browsing protection which covers every browser and app on your device. (And even if you prefer Avira’s browser extension, there’s nothing to stop you using it alongside Avast One.)

We switched to our malware test, and tried to download a series of very dangerous files from 50 brand new links. Avira Free scored a 90% protection rate in its last test, but this time Avast One won out by blocking 94% of threats either at the URL level, or when the files hit our hard drive. (We didn’t test further but Avast’s full protection rate will be even higher because even if malware isn’t detected on download, Avast’s behavior monitoring detects most new threats by their actions.)

(Image credit: Future) Avast One Essential: VPN

Avast One Essential includes a free edition of Avast’s free VPN. This automatically connects you to the nearest server and doesn’t allow you to change location, which means you can’t use it to unblock streaming content in other countries. It has a data limit, too, but that’s exceptionally generous at 5GB a week; for comparison, Avira’s free VPN gives you only 500MB a month.

There is one particularly disappointing restriction: Avast’s free VPN doesn’t give you access to any settings, including its kill switch. If the VPN drops while you’re using it, that means your identity and traffic may be exposed to snoopers.

Although this makes the app a poor privacy choice for really sensitive situations, it still has some value for the most basic tasks. If you just want to spend five minutes on not-especially-sensitive private browsing via public Wi-Fi, for instance, you’re safer using Avast One Essentials than no VPN at all.

Avast Free VPN speeds were a little below par at a peak of 190Mbps and average of 92Mbps (NordVPN and Surfshark typically reach 900Mbps and more.) That’s better than many free VPN’s we’ve tried, though, and more than enough for browsing, streaming and other basic tasks.

Avast’s Ransomware Protection is an extra protective layer for your key folders. (Image credit: Future) Avast One Essential: Other features

Avast One Essential has many extra features, and we’ll quickly run through those here. But if you’re looking for more detail, or you’d like to know what extra features are available in the paid products, our Avast One Gold review has an in-depth look.

Avast One Essential includes a simple firewall to control which apps can go online, but the free edition doesn’t do much more than the standard Windows firewall (there’s more power available with the paid products.)

Avast One’s Network Inspector is more interesting, with options to check your network for vulnerabilities, and run a full network scan. This can identify the devices connected to your home network, for instance, and raise an alert if a new device connects that it hasn’t seen before.

Avast’s Ransomware Protection adds an extra layer of security which prevents files in key folders from being modified by untrusted apps. This might be useful, but it’s not exactly original, and Windows Controlled Folder Access allows you to do something similar without installing any extra apps.

(Image credit: Future)

A clever PC Speedup tool aims to speed up your PC by ensuring background processes use less resources. This looks good in theory, but might target important apps which really do need those resources (Avast wanted to access OneDrive and our BackBlaze backup app, for instance.) We wouldn’t recommend using this unless you’ve the expertise to monitor the results and fine-tune any settings, if necessary.

The Software Updater highlights missing updates for 50 popular applications. That might be handy, but the free version only warns you about updates: it can’t install them for you. As most of these apps automatically update themselves anyway, there may not be much value here.

A Clear Browsing Data tool frees up space by wiping away your Chrome or Edge browsing history. It’s a little better than doing this from the browser because you can opt to delete only tracking cookies, while keeping the browsing cookies, ensuring you’re more likely to stay logged in when returning to your favorite sites.

Dark Web Monitoring raises the alert if your email address appears in a data breach, and the Privacy Advisor has simple guides to improving your privacy settings in top apps and social media websites. These do make it easier for beginners to enhance their online privacy, but if you’ve more web and security experience, you could find much more information with just one or two web searches.

Avast One has a lot of features you can only access if you upgrade. (Image credit: Future) Avast One Essential: What’s not included?

There’s a lot to like about Avast One Essential, but also plenty of reasons to upgrade.

Avast One Silver enhances many free features, giving you an unlimited VPN, scanning of web email as well as local email messages, a full-featured firewall and automatic installation of missing software updates.

New features include anti-tracking, a secure bank mode, extra protection against webcam hijacking, secure DNS to keep you safe from fake websites, automatic driver updates and assorted other speed-boosting tools.

These extras aren’t always as useful as they sound, but if you need the VPN in particular, Avast One could be very useful. Read our Avast One Gold review to find out more.

Avast One Essential: Final verdict

Avast One Essential delivers better antivirus protection than most paid products at zero cost. If you’re looking for an accurate and configurable antivirus, and can use the VPN and its many other tools, then this is a great free pick. But if you’re not interested in the extras then Avast Free Antivirus might be better. It’s less configurable but has exactly the same protection and is easier to use.

We list the best cloud antivirus.

SweatVPN might mystify you if you're not a gamer. The service caters specifically to gamers so, if you're not interested in hopping into online Call of Duty matches, you may want to continue your search for the best VPN.

Even the name "SweatVPN" is based on a gaming term – "sweaty", which refers to a highly skilled player who tries so hard to win that they're sweating by the end of the session.

Of course, if you're looking to wind down on the weekend or after work with some casual gaming, then running into "sweaty" players isn't ideal. SweatVPN promises to balance the playing field by providing access to lobbies with less skilled opponents, allowing you to enjoy a more chilled-out gaming experience.

While Sweat VPN is priced competitively at $6.99 a month, there are a bunch of issues with the service that keep me from recommending it. Let's take a look.

SweatVPN features

Sweat VPN offers a mix of standard VPN features with a few specialized tools tailored for gamers. However, there's very little that's actually unique to this VPN provider from an industry perspective. The more I dug into it, the more I found that the service struggles to stand out in a competitive market where many VPNs offer the same suite of tools.

SweatVPN has more than forty server locations available – and claims that this allows you to access "bot lobbies". These are less competitive gaming lobbies (digital waiting rooms) created to reduce matchmaking times when there aren't enough players for a full match.

So, using SweatVPN to change your location to a region with fewer players when playing a multiplayer game (like Call of Duty) means you'll end up in a lobby full of less-skilled players or AI-controlled bots (non-human players). However, this feature is not unique, as most VPNs can change your virtual location to achieve similar effects.

SweatVPN does one-up regular VPNs with its ability to spoof your location and reduce lag with its "SweatDUMA" feature, which geo-fences you to a specific area while choosing a game server, but still allows you to use your home connection in the game.

There are a handful of extra game-specific features built into SweatVPN that are all designed to optimize your gaming experience. The FPS booster is pretty self-explanatory: it's a bunch of default settings that ensure you get the best framerate when running a game.

What's more interesting (and, honestly, concerning) is the SweatBoost feature. Essentially, it's a series of macros designed to enhance your aiming abilities when playing on a controller by eliminating recoil. I'm not going to argue the ethics of using a tool like this, but if you're reported for using it in-game you're probably going to end up shadow-banned.

SweatVPN ease of use

SweatVPN's UI is cluttered in a way that’s not obvious until you compare it to other VPNs.

There's a bunch of useless information added to the connect page, which feels like it's there to pad out the page space. I'm not sure if anyone has ever asked for random geographical facts about the VPN location they're connecting to. The rest of the menus are poorly organized, too.

On the plus side, there's a "Meta" tab which provides insights into the current best loadouts in Call of Duty. It's a handy time-saving feature that saves you the hassle of researching optimal setups but, obviously, it's absolutely useless if you're using the VPN for anything that isn't playing CoD.

SweatVPN performance

Every millisecond of ping counts when it comes to gaming. Too much lag makes your gaming session unplayable, even if you're getting access to easier lobbies as a result. There's also the issue of how SweatVPN performs outside of a gaming setting as a general VPN, too.

In all cases, I tested SweatVPN using a 100 Mbps connection with Ookla Speedtest to capture speed test results.

During my tests, I connected to UK servers and observed download speeds of 61.76 Mbps and upload speeds of 30.32 Mbps. These speeds are more than adequate for most online activities. For instance, streaming Netflix in 4K requires about 25 Mbps, meaning my download speeds were sufficient to handle high-quality streaming without buffering. You should keep in mind that connecting to a VPN will always make your connection slightly slower.

I found that my Ping times were pretty reasonable. I usually get around 25-40ms when connecting to EU West servers, and didn't really notice a difference when using SweatVPN. So, no additional lag. I didn't notice any extra jitter either, as my gameplay remained smooth and stable across multiple rounds. This was the case throughout the day, both during peak and off-peak hours.

Netflix and global stream unblocking

While SweatVPN doesn't advertise itself as a streaming VPN, I was interested to see if it'd be able to unblock any popular streaming services.

Unfortunately, the VPN fell short. While it does manage to unblock Tubi, it failed to access every other streaming service I tested it out on. To be clear, my usual VPN testing regime involves accessing regional Netflix variants in the UK, US, Japan, Canada, and Australia, as well as 9Now, BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+.

In every case, SweatVPN caused the streaming service to either not play or display a warning telling me I was using a VPN. Even bouncing between different servers didn't help, and neither did the SweatDUMA service. I'm not surprised, as SweatVPN is really built to jump between Call of Duty servers.

However, SweatVPN does allow torrenting. It performed reasonably well during my connection tests, maintaining good speeds with a variety of peers across the world. I wouldn't necessarily recommend SweatVPN as a torrenting VPN, however, especially as there are some leak issues (which I'll discuss later in the article). There's also a lack of locations to choose from, so it's not an ideal choice when most top-tier VPNs offer at least double what SweatVPN does.

Privacy and security

The real issue I have with SweatVPN is that it's not private. Again, while it doesn't position itself as a privacy-focused VPN, I've got a bunch of concerns about the service.

The privacy policy is paper thin. All it does is outline the general data rights you've got under GDPR and tell you that it retains data in accordance with Dutch law. It's difficult to determine what data, if any, is being collected or stored.

Given that there's no third-party audit and a lack of a no-logs guarantee, it's quite likely that SweatVPN is logging your IP address and could very well be logging your internet browsing traffic too. They also state that any data you hand over to the service can be shared with their commercial partners, which is terrible news if you're concerned about being profiled by marketing companies.

In terms of VPN protocols, it's pretty bare-bones. Only OpenVPN is available, and while it's secure and battle-tested, it's also pretty slow compared to some of the newer VPN protocols out there like WireGuard.

I was surprised to find that SweatVPN was actually leaking my IP address when I booted up the app. This is dangerous behavior for a VPN, even if it isn't a privacy-first service. At first, I thought this was a complete failure to prevent IP leaks, but it's actually not as bad as that.

SweatVPN comes pre-packaged with the settings that lower your ping in a Call of Duty lobby as much as possible, so only the features that spoof your location are turned on. Once I changed the NAT type to direct, it passed all of the IPv4 leak tests I threw at it. I'm not impressed, but it's not as bad as the VPN just straight up not working.

I can't say the same about DNS leaks. Even after adjusting the settings to prevent IP leaks, the VPN continued to expose my DNS requests - meaning every site I requested while using SweatVPN was still being sent to my ISP. Ultimately, they'd be able to see both my home IP and every site I visit.

There's also no kill switch, split-tunneling, or anything else in the way of security you'd expect from a top-tier app. Also, installing it set off my anti-virus scanner. SweatVPN claims it's due to the "encryption" it uses on its app, but I would never recommend a VPN client that my AV suggests is actually a trojan with full access to my computer.

(Image credit: SweatVPN) Server network

All of SweatVPN's servers are optimized specifically for gaming. It doesn't offer any streaming or torrenting servers, so unless you want a dedicated gaming VPN, there's not much on offer in terms of extras.

There are 40 server locations to choose from, however, ranging from those you'd expect like the UK, US, Canada, Greece, and Spain, to slightly more obscure locations such as Nigeria, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia, Singapore, and South Africa. Given that SweatVPN tries to give you access to locations with lower player bases, it makes sense that there's a fairly scattered set of locations to connect to.

SweatVPN apps

The actual SweatVPN app is only available for Windows, although there is a way to allow your console to connect to the SweatVPN service. You'll need a USB Wi-Fi adaptor to do so, however, as you're essentially turning your PC into a router that your console connects to in order to use the VPN service.

It's a pretty ingenious method, but it's also an absolute headache to get set up and requires installing a virtual machine and running an extra network adapter to get right. It's far from the most user-friendly experience in the world, even if you're following along with the extensive guide.

As far as the Windows app goes, it's also kind of a pain. I had to disable both Windows Defender and my AV system just to get it to install, and I found that I couldn't uninstall it without downloading a separate uninstaller file.

There's no other availability here: no MacOS, no Linux, no Android or iOS. It makes sense, as SweatVPN is based entirely around giving you an edge in Call of Duty. However, I suspect there’s another reason.

Much of SweatVPN's extra functionality is built around the DS4Windows driver, which provides native device support for a bunch of console controllers including the PS4 controller. As far as I'm aware there isn't an equivalent on MacOS or Linux, and I doubt SweatVPN's developers are building their own controller drivers any time soon. 

(Image credit: SweatVPN) SweatVPN customer support

SweatVPN's customer support is pretty limited in comparison to other VPN services.

The primary support channel is a Discord server where you can interact directly with the developers, but this is only available if you pay the extra fee for VIP support. The issue with this is that the support staff aren't terribly professional, and most of the time if you can't get the lobbies you're looking for they'll tell you that you're on your own.

Sweat VPN does not offer a dedicated 24/7 live support team, or an AI chatbot, and their support literature is somewhat lacking. There is a single support page that lists a few support guides necessary for installing SweatVPN but, upon further inspection, at least half of these articles are very clearly spewed out by some variant of ChatGPT.

It's also pretty hard to find these documents at all, as they're hosted on a separate subdomain I only found while using some Google-fu on the site. It's not available anywhere from the main page, either, so you won't have access to it until you buy a subscription.

Overall, while there's certainly some support on offer for SweatVPN, it's nowhere near the standard I'd expect from a specialist VPN.

SweatVPN pricing plans

Sweat VPN offers a range of subscription plans, including options for one week, one month, three months, and one year.

However, the one-week package is suspiciously listed as "out of stock." which raises a few questions given that VPN subscriptions are digital products. They're virtual. There's nothing to run out of! Jokes aside, this is a fairly scummy tactic designed to make you view the rest of the price options as "discounts" to a package you literally cannot buy.

The one-month plan costs $15, while the three-month package is priced at $35. If you opt into the VIP plan, which promises additional server locations and access to a VIP Discord server, the cost is $20 per month or $50 for three months. An annual VIP subscription is available for $150.

However, I don't think the VIP plan provides substantial value, as the extra server locations aren't terribly useful and Discord access offers little advantage beyond connecting with other Call of Duty enthusiasts and a direct line to the support staff.

All in all, SweatVPN is pretty expensive compared to the competition given how little there is from a VPN perspective. Maybe it's worth it to you for the extra Call of Duty features, but given that there are much better cheap VPNs out there, I'd suggest you steer clear.

(Image credit: SweatVPN) Track record

It's hard to gauge SweatVPN's track record given that it's a relatively new company. However, there are a bunch of extremely angry customers in SweatVPN's reviews across sites like Trustpilot insisting that the app doesn't work – and I'm inclined to agree.

The issue with a product like SweatVPN is it's trying to give you a service that's hard to guarantee. You're trying to fool Call of Duty's matchmaking system into giving you better lobbies to play in, but it's a black box that you have very little feedback from.

There's also some weirdness about where SweatVPN is based. I can't find any meaningful information about the developers behind the program, and while the Privacy Policy suggests they'd be managed under Dutch law, the support address listed on Trustpilot is actually for an office in Poland. There's very little actual transparency about who or what is funding SweatVPN which, in the context of everything else SweatVPN fails on, I'd call a big red flag.

SweatVPN review: Final verdict

There are so many things wrong with SweatVPN that I don't know where to begin. First, and foremost, is that it set off my anti-virus during installation. This simply should not happen.

Then there's the issue of the bot lobbies. Lots of gamers dislike skill-based matchmaking, sure, but using a VPN to bypass it by connecting to locations filled with bots is both unfair and will eventually get you shadow-banned. Even if you wanted to argue the morality of using a VPN to snipe bot lobbies, the extra aim-assistance macros that SweatVPN offers are outright cheating.

On top of that, SweatVPN is simply a bad VPN. It doesn't unblock streams, it's not particularly fast, and it lacks almost all of the security features you'd need to use a VPN with total peace of mind. If I haven't been clear enough already: do not buy SweatVPN.

SweatVPN alternatives

I seriously can't recommend SweatVPN. So, with that in mind, here are some reliable picks you'd be better off spending your money on.

If security is your main concern, then check out our NordVPN review. Its DoubleVPN feature routes your browsing traffic through two different VPN servers making it much harder for third-party snoops to track your activity. NordVPN also has its own built-in ad-blocker and malware protection, as well as industry-standard encryption. Plus, with over 5,500 servers worldwide, you can count on high-speed, low-ping connections to pretty much any part of the globe.

Our ExpressVPN review goes into detail about this rock-solid service, too, which always places high in our VPN speed tests. This makes it an excellent choice for gaming. ExpressVPN has also invested in a vast network of servers in 105 countries, so you'll be able to find a nearby VPN server with low latency no matter where you are in the world. ExpressVPN also supports a wide range of devices and provides 24/7 customer support.

Finally, in our CyberGhost review, we dig into this budget-friendly, low cost option that has its very own dedicated gaming servers. CyberGhost is nice and easy to use, even for total newbies, and offers the same bulletproof security you'll see from providers like NordVPN and ExpressVPN.

How we test VPNs

TechRadar's team of VPN experts use VPNs every day, at work and at home, and perform a thorough analysis of today's top services twice a year to make sure our rankings are all up to date – and how the competition has developed.

First, we'll take a look at each provider's site to check out its feature list and privacy claims, and whether anything has changed since our last review. We'll also see whether the provider site uses cookies to track visitors and if/when they activate.

We'll install and use each VPN service, next, and connect to a range of servers across different locations to get an overview of the service's performance. Then, we'll dive into the VPN settings to ensure all features work as advertised and which protocols are available.

Our VPN team isn't afraid to challenge the VPNs they test, either, and will cut the VPN connection to see whether the kill switch kicks in to prevent data leaks as it should.

We test every facet of the VPN – streaming, speed, customer support, ease of use. Everything you'd want to know about a service, we want to know, too. Check out our dedicated VPN testing methodology page to learn more.

SweatVPN FAQ Can you be shadowbanned while using a VPN in Call of Duty?

Yes. Although SweatVPN's owners claim you won't be banned while using the VPN because it doesn’t violate the Terms of Service, Activision-Blizzard often relegates users they detect using VPNs to segregate them from the rest of the population who are playing fair. 

Is it normal for a VPN service to set off my Anti-Virus?

No. You should always trust your VPN provider before using its software, and while there are occasional false positives, nothing a VPN does should set off your malware detection. If a VPN provider is aware of this, it should be rewriting its software so that it doesn't cause these issues.

Edifier D32: Two-minute review

Looking for a fresh wireless speaker, which combines old-school charm with hi-res audio capabilities? Thought so. Well, you’re in luck, because the Edifier D32 is just that and at a very reasonable price too.

This amp-like tabletop speaker is a very solid entry from the Chinese audio specialists Edifier and delivers clean, balanced, delicate sound. The Edifier D32 is compatible with both the LDAC and ALAC (when using AirPlay) audio codecs, meaning you’ll get access to hi-res audio regardless of whether you’re an Android or iPhone lover. As well as Bluetooth 5.3 or the 5GHz and 2.4GHz dual-band Wi-Fi module, there’s also AUX and USB-C wired options if you’d prefer, making the Edifier D32 a very versatile option.

Whether you’re a rocker, folk fan or classical connoisseur, the Edifier D32 will deliver talented sound that’s sure to impress you or your esteemed guests. It handles treble frequencies most competently, delivering more delicate sounds with accuracy and precision. Mid-range sounds are also well-weighted with imperfect, yet respectable levels of detail on offer. Even bass comes through with a degree of impact and depth, making for a good all-round listening experience. OK, drum and bass lovers may feel that sub-bass is a bit lacking; audiophiles may even sense that separation doesn’t match up to some of the best wireless speakers. But the vast majority of listeners are sure to like what they hear.

Sound is customizable too, thanks to the Edifier ConneX app. This free companion app allows you to adjust the EQ via a number of presets or a custom option. However, that’s pretty much it as far as in-app features go, so don’t expect anything super fancy here.

Another decent, but non-standout factor is the Edifier D32’s battery life of 11 hours. Some competitors, like the JBL Authentics 300, for instance, can only manage eight in fairness – although a lot of competitors, like Marshall's Stanmore, can give you 15 hours with its retro-style multi-room speaker. This should still be enough for the average gathering, of course, but if you want a speaker for parties or similar events, there are a lot of other low-cost options that offer far superior playtimes.

Potentially the biggest draw of the Edifier D32 is its design. Sure, the JBL Authentics and Marshall Stanmore products have done similar things, but this is considerably cheaper than most options in these lines. The Edifier D32 does a lot right aesthetically, with an attractive, textured outer casing and golden speaker grille. However, some of the gold detail on the White model (which I tested) makes for a slightly less-than premium appearance due to its plasticky look. If you’re looking for the classiest option on the market, this is likely not going to cut it, but it does still keep that old school vibe alive – as long as you don't look too closely.

It’s looking pretty positive for the Edifier D32 here. For what it sets out to do, it succeeds on almost every metric. It may not be a perfect 10 looks-wise or particularly feature-rich, but these things aren’t going to be a number one priority for most. After all, when it comes to audio quality, the Edifier D32 offers plenty of bang for your buck. It’s not the top performing speaker on the market, sure, but with hi-res output using your home's Wi-Fi network,, talented all-round sound and EQ customizability, you’re almost certain to be satisfied with what’s on offer.

So if you’re the nostalgic type and want adept audio at a not-so daunting price, I would recommend the Edifier D32. For lovers of big bass, party vibes and the great outdoors, though, this is probably not for you and I’d recommend checking out our guide to the best party speakers instead.

(Image credit: Future) Edifier D32 review: price and release date

• $199.99 / £179.99 (about AU$300)
• Launched on March 2024

The Edifier D32 is available for a reasonable price, given you get hi-res audio, a decent amount of bulk and several good connectivity options, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth streaming. It has a list price of $199.99 / £179.99 (about AU$300), which is considerably cheaper than a lot of the speakers in JBL’s Authentics line, for instance, a model that attracts those looking for a similarly retro vibe. 

The D32 also launched in March 2024, so it still has that fresh feeling about it. Sure, its build quality isn’t quite as high as alternatives from Marshall or JBL, but the savings you recoup even things out nicely.

(Image credit: Future) Edifier D32 review: Specs

(Image credit: Future) Edifier D32: Features

• Apple AirPlay2, Bluetooth 5.3 and wired connectivity options
• Companion app compatibility
• Average battery life

Features-wise, the Edifier D32 does a lot more than its looks suggest. Firstly, it’s worth noting that it has a good set of connectivity options, which include: Bluetooth 5.3, 5GHz and 2.4GHz dual-band Wi-Fi (and Apple AirPlay), USB-C and AUX for wired listening. Specifically, the Edifier D32 supports Apple AirPlay 2, meaning that you can Wi-Fi stream music using iOS devices, Apple TV, and computers with iTunes installed.

When harnessing Bluetooth connectivity (except when streaming using LDAC), you get access to multipoint connectivity. If you’re hosting a gathering and both you and a friend want to queue up some tracks, it's best to stick to Bluetooth. 

If you download the Edifier ConneX app, you can access a few more features, but things are admittedly pretty limited. The only real feature available is what Edifier calls ‘Sound Effects’, which is just an EQ calibration tool. You can select from one of five options: Classic; Monitor; Dynamic; Vocal; or Customized. Although all of these have distinctive sound profiles, I only really found myself using either the well-balanced Classic mode, which enabled me to pick out more sonic details, or Dynamic, whichdiminishes highs in favor of more booming bass.

The app doesn’t have much more going for it really. You can check battery life (although it annoyingly only shows percentages as a multiple of 20), toggle multipoint, turn speaker prompt sounds on or off and view the user manual. That’s basically it – and I’m not really complaining. After all, there’s not a whole lot more I’d expect from a wireless speaker at this price point.

When it comes to battery life, the Edifier D32 is pretty average. Edifier claims that this speaker has a playtime of 11 hours, which I found to be relatively accurate. After playing music at 30% volume for eight hours, the speaker still had 40% of its charge remaining, but of course, if you play at higher volumes using hi-res quality it will die far sooner. Although the Edifier D32’s playtime can’t rival retro-looking competitors like the Marshall Emberton 2, with its 30-hour battery, 11 hours will almost definitely be enough for playing tunes at a party or gathering.

It would be nice to have something akin to a battery saver mode, like JBL’s Playtime Boost, or a setting to calibrate the speaker’s sound to its surroundings, like Marshall’s Placement Compensation. But, all in all, the Edifier D32’s feature-set is decent.

• Features score: 3.5/5

(Image credit: Future) Edifier D32: Sound quality

• Well-balanced hi-res audio
• Crisp highs and clean bass
• Impressive levels of detail for price

OK, so you’re not going to lose your mind over how good the Edifier’s D32 audio sounds, but it’s undeniably strong for its price. Firstly, it’s worth noting that I mainly used the D32’s more balanced EQ preset, Classic, when listening to tracks, although I did dip into Dynamic mode for more bass-heavy bangers.

Something I was delighted to find, straight off the bat, is that the Edifier D32 supports the LDAC codec, which processes audio up to 24-bit/96kHz. This is wonderful news for anyone with a modern Android phone, as almost all of these support the codec. The D32 also supports Apple’s ALAC ‘lossless’ audio codec, but only if you’re using AirPlay mode – ie over Wi-Fi. Even some of 2024’s more expensive Bluetooth speakers – like the JBL Xtreme 4 – don’t support any lossless codecs, (because remember, Bluetooth streaming by its very nature incurs loss) so this is a big win for a speaker costing less than $200 / £200 / AU$300.

OK, so the Edifier is compatible with some levelled-up Bluetooth codecs and AirPlay support using Wi-Fi, but how does it actually sound? Well, I whipped out my trusty FiiO M11S and opened up Tidal to give it a whirl and was pleasantly surprised by the quality on offer. I tuned into Black Eye by Allie X and the Edifier effectively captured the dynamism of the intro’s bass bouncing up to the mid-range, resulting in a controlled yet energetic sound. The Edifier can achieve respectable bass depth; for instance, deep synths placed throughout the song 635 South by FORQ sounded very clear, maintained their boom and didn’t distort, even at higher volumes.

It’s not an entirely perfect picture when it comes to low-frequencies, though. If you’re looking to hear imposing bass, you might want to look elsewhere. For instance, when listening to Diva Bonita by bbno$, the sub-bass was a little lacking for clout and impact in the mix. I tried the (admittedly more expensive) JBL Xtreme 4 and it was able to perform better in this department, so if you’re really into ultra low-frequency rubbles and feels, weigh up other options.

However, it’s not about bass with the Edifier D32. With its retro aesthetic, it’s clearly not trying to be a party speaker with intense low-end capabilities, even though it’s still very much competent in this area. And the positive news is the D32 sounds very good overall, with both rich mids and elegant highs.

I listened to Rains again by Solji and the rain sound effects in the intro sounded pretty natural, with the vocalist’s delicate, high-pitched vocals coming through in a crisp manner and retaining their atmospheric edge. There wasn’t any noticeable warping or distortion when listening to this track and even when flicking through the TechRadar testing playlist, I constantly felt that songs relying on treble performance sounded neat.

The Edifier D32 isn’t always the best with more subtle details. For instance, the electric guitar throughout Young Blood by The Naked and Famous was a bit more muted in the overall mix than I would’ve liked. When returning to Black Eye by Allie X, I similarly sensed that light electronica in the middle of the track was a bit lacking – noticeable, sure – but just not as clear-cut as it could be. This is nitpicking I accept, especially given the price you pay, but it is my job to do so.

All in all, the Edifier D32 may not be the boldest-sounding speaker on the market and it may not possess the ability to paint perfectly accurate sonic pictures – but that doesn’t prevent it from being a great-sounding wireless speaker. You’re still getting super-clean, on-beat, hi-res audio certain to impress. If you’re looking for a more party-ready speaker with the most hard-hitting bass, this isn’t the optimal choice, but if you want high-quality audio for laid-back listening, the Edifier D32 is a strong option.

• Sound quality score: 4/5

(Image credit: Future) Edifier D32: Design

• Retro aesthetic
• Gold details a bit cheap-looking
• Designed for tabletop play but has decent portability

Whether you’re a guitarist, rock fan, or just one of those people that claims to be ‘born in the wrong generation’, the Edifier D32’s design is likely to appeal to you. That’s because it has a retro, amp-like look that is fitting for those hoping to add a splash of vintage flair to their living space. I tested the White color variant and found that the bronze speaker grille and outer casing were stylish and satisfying on the eye.

However, I’m not gonna lie: the overall look of the Edifier D32 is slightly ruined by the golden finish on the protruding button controls, feet and outer rim. The plasticky, gold finish looks a bit cheap; tacky even. This prevents it from exuding the classy vibe of Marshall’s Emberton or Stanmore lines for instance, and it damages the retro look Edifier was going with here. This speaker is by no means bad to look at, but the inconsistent quality did stop me from falling head over heels, design-wise.

Although I wasn’t a massive fan of the look of the buttons, they’re fairly easy to use. There are power, Bluetooth, play/pause and volume controls, all of which are super-straightforward with the exception of one. That exception is the power button, which has a light panel that can flash in nine different ways, including different colors and flashes. You’ll need to consult the user manual to understand what each of these means, because at first, I found myself baffled by whether the speaker was on, off, or somewhere in between.

Otherwise, this is a pretty practical device. It’s only a little bit heavy at 6.7lbs / 3kg and has a handle on the back of the speaker for easier transportation. Really, though, this isn’t the best option if portability is crucial for you. But for a tabletop wireless speaker, I’d argue that it’s the perfect size – not huge and overbearing, but not too small to deliver quality, room-filling audio.

In order to deliver that room-filling audio, the D32 holds two 15W silk dome tweeters as well as what Edifier calls a "long-throw, mid-low" driver. They’re encased in an MDF cabinet, designed to reduce resonance and distortion. This setup definitely helps to deliver a strong balance of loudness and clarity, making the Edifier D32 very pleasant to listen to.

Overall, this isn’t the most elegant retro-style Wi-Fi speaker on the market, but it’s considerably cheaper than comparable alternatives from JBL and Marshall. It may be the case that you, reader, think I’m terribly mistaken about the gold looking tacky! However, one thing that can’t be disputed is that this is a nicely weighted and sized tabletop speaker that still offers adequate portability – combine that with the strong audio quality on offer and you’re onto a winner with the Edifier D32.

• Design score: 3.5/5

(Image credit: Future) Edifier D32: Value

• Much cheaper than similar competitors
• Great sound quality for the price
• There are still cheaper alternatives out there

Let’s be clear: if you’re looking for a super low-price Bluetooth speaker, the Edifier D32 is probably not your best option. Sure, it’s inexpensive compared to a lot of its rivals, but there are plenty of good Bluetooth speakers out there closer to the $100 / £100 / AU$200 mark.

However, if you’re specifically on the hunt for a tabletop speaker with an old school vibe, this is really strong in the value department. You get both wired and wireless (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) higher-resolution audio, strong connectivity options and companion app compatibility all for $199.99 / £179.99 (about AU$300). That’s not bad at all, especially considering that the cheapest in JBL’s Authentics line, the JBL Authentics 200 has a list price of $349.99 / £249.99 / AU$499.95.

What matters the most with a wireless speaker is sound – and the Edifier D32 performs very nicely in this category. When you couple that with the appeal of its design and consider the high cost of competitors, the Edifier D32 is a very solid value pick.

• Value score: 4/5

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Edifier D32? Buy it if...

You’re looking for a retro-style speaker
If you’re the nostalgic type, this could be the perfect wireless speaker for you. With its amp-like grille, textured outer casing and tabletop design, the Edifier D32 is a solid-looking speaker. It may not have the build quality that you’ll see from the likes of Marshall, though, so bear that in mind if you want a more premium look.

You’re craving hi-res audio quality
The Edifier D32 offers wired and wireless hi-res audio at a very reasonable price, so if you’re an audiophile on a budget it's a strong option. With both LDAC and ALAC compatibility, it doesn't matter if you have an Android or Apple device, you’ll have access to hi-res quality regardless.

Don't buy it if...

You need a party speaker
If you want a booming, party-ready speaker, this shouldn’t be your go-to. The D32 handles low frequency sounds nicely, but it's not exactly optimized for bass-heavy bangers and, when it comes to sub-bass, you’re not going to be blown away. It’s totally capable of playing music to a high standard, sure, but it has no waterproof or dustproof rating for outdoor parties and can only be paired with more speakers via Airplay – not so practical if you have limited or no Wi-Fi.

A broad feature-list is a priority for you
There’s not a lot to play with on the Edifier ConneX app, so if you’re someone that’s big on customizability, you’ll likely be a bit disappointed. You can adjust EQ settings, but in terms of actual features, that’s basically it.

(Image credit: Future) Edifier D32: Also consider

JBL Authentics 300
The JBL Authentics 300 is a tabletop speaker that is slightly reminiscent of a (very chunky) vintage handbag, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This beast of a speaker boasts bold audio, Wi-Fi connectivity and fantastic portability. You can often find the Authentics 300 for much less than its list price (I’m talking $100/£100 less), so the price difference isn’t quite so drastic. This won’t be the perfect alternative for everyone though, especially given its slightly underwhelming battery life and lack of support for any fancy audio codecs, so you’ll have to weigh up whether the extra spend is worth it. We’re yet to get our hands on the JBL Authentics 300, but we have tested its more expensive sibling the JBL Authentics 500, which earned plenty of praise.

Marshall Emberton 2
OK, a bit of a curveball coming your way. Is this thing a like-for-like comparison with the Edifier D32? Well, not exactly. It’s way smaller and lighter, it's Bluetooth only, and won’t offer quite as imposing audio. But it does rock a similar retro design and is perfect for tabletop play. It isn’t going to set you back as much as the D32 and it also offers an incredible battery life of 30+ hours and an IP67 dustproof and waterproof rating. If value is what you care about most, this might not beat out the Edifier D32 entirely, but if you want more portability and longevity, this could be a better pick for you. Read our full Marshall Emberton 2 review.

Edifier D32 review: How I tested

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested for two weeks
• Used in the office and music testing studio
• Tested using Tidal on Fiio M11S and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4

I spent hours listening to music on the Edifier D32, testing it across its various sound modes and at differing volume levels. I predominantly used the speaker in our music testing room for assessing audio quality and battery testing.

I used Spotify on my Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Tidal on the Fiio M11S hi-res music player to stream tracks from our carefully curated TechRadar reference playlist. This included songs with pumping deep bass, delicate vocals, and complex mixes, enabling me to test a speaker’s full range and dynamism across different frequencies. I also used the JBL Xtreme 4 as a point of comparison, when appropriate.

• First reviewed: September 2024
• Read more about how we test

SAMSUNG THE PREMIERE 9: two-minute review

The Samsung Premiere 9 is a highly capable example of the best ultra short throw projectors and builds on the brand’s earlier successes in this growing market segment. The key to this popularity is the triple-laser light source that uses red, green and blue lasers to generate cinematic images that are bigger than the largest TV screens. But these pictures aren’t just big, they’re bright enough to handle white walls and ambient light, while creating a huge gamut for more vibrant colours.

Samsung’s The Premiere 9 uses single-chip DLP display technology, which results in sharply defined images due to there being no alignment issues, and while not strictly native 4K the level of detail on show is often impressive. The Premiere 9 delivers superb motion handling regardless of the content – a recognised strength of DLP –  but also suffers from poor black levels, which is weakness of the technology. On the plus side, a triple-laser should help reduce incidences of rainbow artifacts that can accompany DLP tech.

The Premiere 9 delivers accurate pictures thanks to the inclusion of Filmmaker Mode, while highly effective HDR tone mapping also ensures shadows are detailed and highlights free of clipping. The colour gamut covers the entire HDR standard, and beyond, so, as a result, the performance with high dynamic range is exceptional. Whether it's HDR10, HLG or HDR10+ (but not Dolby Vision, an HDR format not supported by Samsung TVs and projectors) the pictures burst off the big screen with dazzling highlights and vibrant color primaries that are a treat for the eyes.

This beamer sports an attractive lifestyle-friendly design and is easy to install and set up, while the Dolby Atmos audio system is genuinely immersive – acting more like a built-in soundbar thanks to its 2.2.2-channel speaker layout. There’s also Samsung’s AI-enhanced Object Tracking Sound processing for non-Atmos audio. There are extensive gaming features, a full smart platform with a comprehensive choice of streamers, good connectivity, and a myriad of control options.

In fact, the only real complaint is the lack of any built-in tuners, but otherwise, this capable beamer artfully blurs the line between projector and supersized TV. It does an excellent job of producing big and bright images that rival the largest examples of the best TVs, and as a result, it provides a viable, more affordable, and definitely more practical alternative, and comes highly recommended.

SAMSUNG THE PREMIERE 9 review: price and release date

• First available: September 2024
• The Premiere 9 (LPU9D): $5,000 / £5,999
  

Samsung’s The Premiere 9 (LPU9D) is the new range-topper in the brand’s line-up of laser-powered ultra short throw (UST) 4K HDR projectors and is available now for $5,999 / £5,999. It replaces the older The Premiere LSP9T, although this is also still available for the same price of $5,999 / £5,999. In addition, Samsung will release the mid-tier Premiere 7 in October, although pricing has yet to be announced. The Premiere 9 is not currently available in Australia.

The Premiere 9 uses single-chip DLP display technology and supports HDR10+ high dynamic range (Image credit: Future) SAMSUNG THE PREMIERE 9 review: Specs

The Premiere 9's lens (Image credit: Future) SAMSUNG THE PREMIERE 9 review: design

• Stylish and discreet design
• Excellent connectivity
• SolarCell remote control

The Premiere 9 is surprisingly stylish for a UST projector, with a curved chassis that’s well-built and finished in a neutral white. The front is covered in grey fabric, with the speakers behind, and there are air vents on either side for cooling. Despite being relatively large, this projector’s lifestyle-friendly design allows you to place it discreetly up against the wall.

Better connectivity is offered on The Premiere 9 than most other UST projectors, with three HDMI 2.0 inputs, one of which supports eARC. There’s also a USB port for multimedia playback and powering dongle-style streaming devices, an optical digital output, and an Ethernet port. The wireless connectivity includes built-in Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2, and support for Apple AirPlay.

Samsung provides a variation of the SolarCell remote included with its current range of TVs, although the controller is styled in white to match the projector. The zapper is well-designed, intuitive to use, and comfortable to hold. There’s also a far-field microphone for the built-in voice assistants, although those wishing privacy can switch this off at the back of the projector.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Ports include 3 HDMI 2.0 connections (1 with eARC) (Image credit: Future) SAMSUNG THE PREMIERE 9 review: features

• Triple-laser light source
• HDR10, HLG and HDR10+ support
• 2.2.2-channel Dolby Atmos audio system

Samsung’s The Premiere 9’s headline feature is its triple-laser light source that uses red, green and blue lasers for 3,450 lumens brightness plus a wide colour gamut and 20,000-hour lifespan. This gives it an advantage over most other UST projectors and delivers sufficient luminance to handle rooms with white walls, large windows or ambient light.

As a UST beamer it’s able to project 100 inches from only 11cm (around 4 inches) , and can fill a 130-inch screen at just 24cm (9.5 inches), so even those with limited space can enjoy big screen fun. You change the image size by physically moving the projector towards or away from the wall, centre it by moving to the left or right, and level it using the adjustable feet. There are also manual controls for focusing the image.

The Premiere 9 is a single-chip DLP projector with a claimed resolution of 4K – although this is achieved by shifting pixels. It also supports most high dynamic range formats with HDR10, HLG (hybrid log-gamma), and HDR10+. Samsung doesn’t support for Dolby Vision on any of its current displays, but the RGB laser light source ensures HDR is punchy with bright and vibrant colours.

This projector sports a built-in sound system with a 2.2.2-channel speaker layout and 40W of amplification. There’s support for Samsung Object Tracking Sound (OTS) AI-enhanced audio processing, along with Dolby Atmos decoding. As a result, there’s an immersive soundstage, with clear dialogue, width at the front, some bass presence, and effectively rendered overhead sound.

There’s also support for music casting, as well as various proprietary audio features such as AI-powered Adaptive Sound Pro enhancements, Adaptive Voice Amplifier Pro for making dialogue clearer, and Q Symphony for synching the Premiere 9 with a compatible Samsung soundbar. The latter would definitely provide benefits for those who enjoy seriously deep bass with their movies.

Once installed the setup is exactly the same as a Samsung TV, with the SmartThings app taking you through the entire process. Just follow the instructions, and within minutes you’ll have the Wi-Fi connected and all the streaming apps installed. There’s even a Vision Boost feature that uses a built-in light sensor to adjust the image brightness based on levels of ambient light in the room.

The Premiere 9 runs the full Tizen-powered smart TV system found in Samsung’s TVs, and crucially has sufficient processing power to ensure the platform is responsive. There’s smart assistance in the form of built-in Bixby and Amazon Alexa, along with a comprehensive choice of video streaming services. Where available these all offer 4K, HDR, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos.

For gaming, there’s support for ALLM (auto low latency mode), although when in the game mode the input lag is still 53ms, which is too high for competitive gamers. In addition, the HDMI 2.0 inputs cap the frame rate at 4K/60Hz and there’s no VRR. However, the motion handling is excellent, resulting in smooth gameplay that also benefits from the immersive big-screen images.

There’s a host of other features including Samsung’s Game Hub for gaming without a console, plus a Game Bar that curates all the main settings and technical data in one place and provides access to gaming-related settings for a more personalised gaming experience. Finally, the AI Auto Game Mode allows the projector to automatically optimise settings for specific gaming genres.

This is a well-specified projector and about the only TV features missing are built-in terrestrial and satellite tuners. This is fairly common on UST projectors, probably because it makes them easier to manufacture and market globally. While you can use the TV catch-up apps instead for most shows, if you really want to watch live linear broadcasts you’ll need a set-top box of some kind.

The Premiere 9 beams bright, colorful 4K images using a triple-laser light engine (Image credit: Future) SAMSUNG THE PREMIERE 9 review: picture and sound quality

• Sharp and detailed 4K images
• Bright and punchy HDR
• Extremely wide colour gamut 

The Samsung Premiere 9 immediately impresses with its bright and punchy big screen pictures. There’s no doubt the triple-laser adds value, not just in terms of lumens but also with its wider colour gamut. The projected image is sharply defined thanks to the use of single-chip DLP, while focus and uniformity across the screen are also good, resulting in a clean and even presentation.

The out-of-the-box picture accuracy is excellent, with the white point close to the industry standard of D65, an even greyscale, and colours hitting close to their saturation targets for BT.709, but this can be improved through calibration. I was able to get a near reference-level accuracy through adjustment, and when you factor in the cost of a Premiere 9 the additional expense of a calibration is worth considering.

This accuracy also extends to HDR, with the Premiere 9 covering 100% of DCI-P3, and 92% of the even wider BT.2020 colur gamut. The previous generation of Samsung’s UST had trouble reigning in this massive native colour gamut, resulting in noticeable errors, so I was pleased to discover the accuracy of the Premiere 9 has definitely been improved with better tracking of saturation targets.

The blacks look more of a dark grey, which is fairly standard for a DLP projector, and while the claimed native contrast ratio is 1,500:1, I actually measured it at 1,700:1. The dynamic contrast ratio is a claimed 2,000,000:1, but this is basically achieved by turning the laser off on a black screen, so it doesn’t really reflect real-world content. There’s also a Real Depth Contrast Enhancer feature to help with contrast.

The Premiere 9 certainly has sufficient lumens to light up a 130-inch screen, even in the dimmer Filmmaker Mode, which doesn’t hit the brightness peaks of the Dynamic mode. It also means the HDR has plenty of punch and although the black levels might not be great, the tone mapping is very effective, sticking close to the PQ curve and thus avoiding unwanted crush or clipping.

The imaging is based around the Quantum Processor 4K picture engine, applying AI upscaling to lower-resolution content to take full advantage of the available pixels. The result is a finely detailed image, regardless of the original resolution, and the processing is also able to clean up the image, reducing noise or compression artefacts to deliver expertly rendered big-screen pictures. 

As you’d expect from a DLP beamer, motion handling is superb, with the lightning-fast response times of the technology delivering smooth movement. Samsung includes its Motion Xcelerator technology, along with a Film mode to ensure that film-based content looks natural but is also free of judder, while fast-paced sports can enjoy smoother motion without introducing artefacts.

In standard HDR10, the brightly lit snowy landscapes of The Revenant look absolutely stunning. The same is true when watching Dune Part 2 with its desert vistas, and in both cases, these native 4K films reveal exceptional levels of detail in the sharply rendered images. Inside Out is a movie that fully utilises the wider gamut, and its deeply saturated colours really pop off the screen viewed on The Premiere 9.

Alita: Battle Angel includes HDR10+ and the Premiere 9 correctly detected the signal, applying the dynamic metadata to the tone mapping. The resulting images are well-defined, with colours that are rendered with skill, highlights that are bright, and impressive levels of detail in the shadows. There’s a lot of motion in this film as well, which was handled without judder or other artefacts.

Picture quality aside, the Premiere 9 is quiet in operation, with the noise level going from 30dB next to the chassis, down to 26dB at the main seating position. There is also an eye protection feature designed to automatically reduce the light intensity if something blocks the beam. It’s an important safety feature for anyone with small children or pets, preventing any vision damage.

• Picture quality score: 4.5/5

Samsung's Gaming Hub provides easy access to cloud gaming apps from Xbox and other services (Image credit: Future) SAMSUNG THE PREMIERE 9 review: value

• More expensive than much of the competition
• Cheaper and more convenient compared to a supersized TV

The Samsung Premiere 9 may seem expensive at $5,999 / £5,999, and it’s certainly not cheap compared to other ultra short throw projectors, but most of them don’t use a triple-laser with all the benefits that provides. The Premiere 9 also offers great value compared to jumbo-sized TVs, with the Samsung considerably more affordable than screens with panel sizes over 100 inches. It’s also a lot easier to install – just try getting a TV with a 110-inch screen into your living room.

If you’re looking for alternatives you could consider the Epson LS800, which doesn’t support HDR10+ or Dolby Vision but is even brighter at 4,000 lumens. There’s also the Hisense PX2-Pro, which only delivers 2,400 lumens but offers support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. However, neither has a sound system as good as the Premiere 9 nor do they offer as many gaming features or as comprehensive a smart platform.

• Value score: 3.5/5

The Premiere 9's basic remote control for navigating its smart menus (Image credit: Future) Should I buy the SAMSUNG THE PREMIERE 9?

(Image credit: Future) Buy it if... Don’t buy it if…  Also consider...

Epson LS800
The Epson LS800 uses a 3LCD laser light source to beam a stunningly bright 4,000 lumens image. This makes it a great option for daytime sports viewing and it also has good built-in sound. 

Read our full Epson LS800 review

(Image credit: Future) How I tested the SAMSUNG THE PREMIERE 9

• Reviewed in a dedicated home cinema
• Measurements taken using Calman calibration software
• Evaluated using SDR and HDR content

As with all my TV and projector reviews I use a combination of subjective viewing and objective measurements against the industry standards. For projectors, I also do all my testing in a dedicated home cinema with a completely blacked-out environment and high-quality screen. In the case of the Premiere 9, I also tested it in my lounge in order to simulate the kind of conditions for which it was primarily designed.

The subjective testing is based around watching a variety of familiar scenes, primarily sourced from 4K and 1080p Blu-rays, plus the Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark 4K disc. These scenes have been specifically chosen to evaluate a display’s black levels, contrast performance, colour accuracy, upscaling, image processing, motion handling, and HDR tone mapping.

For the objective testing, I measured the Premiere 9’s brightness, greyscale and colour gamut in SDR, before doing the same in HDR. I also evaluated the accuracy of the HDR tone mapping, along with the colour gamut coverage for DCI-P3 and BT.2020. To do this I used a pattern generator and colour meter combined with Portrait Displays’ Calman calibration software.

I measured the Premiere 9’s input lag in milliseconds using a Leo Bodnar tester with the low latency mode switch on.

First reviewed: September, 2024

• Read TechRadar's review guarantee

Insta360 Flow Pro: Two-minute review

You'll likely know Insta360 for its diverse array of cameras, many of which you'll currently find on our shortlists of the best action cameras and best 360 cameras, but last year the company branched out into a new product category: gimbals.

The Insta360 Flow broke onto the scene with an impressive feature set, especially for the company's first attempt at a phone gimbal. Just over a year later and we have its successor; in the Insta360 Flow Pro. Not only does it address key limitations of the original, but it also sets itself apart from the competition by being the first gimbal to market with Apple DockKit support.

While there's a lot more to the Flow Pro than tighter Apple integration (despite the bias, this gimbal does still work with Android phones), it's hard to overstate just how much DockKit support expands the Pro's versatility; for the first time gaining the ability to track subjects in third-party apps. Everything from FaceTime to Zoom, WhatsApp, Filmic Pro and beyond, can now benefit from the Flow Pro's three-axis stabilization.

A near-identical design to its predecessor, the Flow Pro packs down impressively small and yet can be setup in seconds; thanks in-part to its magnetic mounting system. The gimbal's overly-stocky handle is one of its weaker design elements, but it does, at least, once again conceal a tripod and selfie stick; making it a more versatile self-contained offering than the likes of the Hohem iSteady M6, for example.

10-hours of run-time from an integrated 2,900mAh battery is respectably middle of the pack on paper, but proved more than ample for the gimbal-specific shots I wanted to capture during testing. What's more, the use of dual USB-C ports adds extra convenience, as it doubles as a power bank; not only extending shooting time, but also as a back-up, if you're ever caught short with low battery on your phone.

Between its slick design, holistic capture, organization and editing experience (provided by Insta360's companion app), and the wealth of additional functionality the Flow Pro delivers, it's hard to argue with this successor to the brand's debut gimbal.

DockKit support is a little limited in its implementation right now, but that's something Apple needs to work on, not Insta360. Otherwise, the Flow Pro is an incredibly competent smartphone gimbal that offers more value than its predecessor and serves as a more unique proposition compared to what else the market has to offer.

Insta360 Flow Pro review: Price & availability

(Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

• Announced 6 July 2024
• $149 / £139 / AU$229 list price for standalone kit 
• $10 / £6 / AU$10 cheaper than the original Flow

Unveiled a little over a year on from the company's debut gimbal, the Flow Pro manages to offer greater functionality than its predecessor at a lower starting price of $149 / £139 / AU$229. It's admittedly not a lot lower (only $10 / £6 / AU$10), but a reduction is a reduction that amounts to more for less.

Insta360 also serves the Flow Pro up with a tripod bundle that – for a little extra – nabs you a threaded tripod accessory too. You can pick the Pro up (as well as its respective bundles) directly from Insta360's site or third-party retailers like Amazon for the same price.

The Flow Pro's most established rival – the DJI Osmo Mobile 6 – launched in late 2022 for $159 / £145 / AU$239, but has since dropped to $139 / £125 / AU$204. The far more recently released Hohem iSteady V3 costs $149 / £129 / AU$219, while the updated Zhiyun Smooth 5S AI comes in at: $169 / £169 (it's not available in Australia at the time of writing, but based on the trajectory of previous models, will be soon) or $219 / £219 if you want the additional magnetic AI module, which provides more comparable tracking to the Flow Pro.

All in, the Flow Pro seems fairly priced at the middle of the pack with regards to features and value against the competition.

• Value score: 4.5 / 5

Insta360 Flow Pro review: Specs Insta360 Flow Pro review: Design

(Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

• Integrated tripod, selfie stick and cold shoe
• Tracking ring light is a great addition
• Handle is on the short side

Despite packing a near-identical design and similarly-sized 2,900mAh battery as its predecessor, Insta360 has managed to make the Flow Pro a fraction lighter (by three grams), clocking in at 366 grams, unladen.

Even with a phone attached (mine spent most of its time connected to a 187-gram iPhone 15 Pro), wrist fatigue was minimal for the lengths and styles of shot I was capturing. Unless you plan on capturing a Kubrickesque number of takes without a break, it shouldn't prove cumbersome in normal shooting scenarios.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

Included clamp magnetic mount (left) and MagSafe-compatible mount (right), sold separately.

Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)

The magnetic clamp mount launched as part of the original Insta360 Flow (pictured).

Attaching a phone is simple enough, with an included sprung clamp that grips your phone tightly and snaps on with impressively strong magnets to the head of the Flow Pro. Work has been done to the clamp's design in order to avoid it pressing the buttons located towards to center edges of most devices, but in practice erroneous presses seemed unavoidable, in spite of the thoughtful design.

The silver lining is a new MagSafe-compatible mount, which Insta360 launched alongside the Flow Pro. It works with any of the best iPhones that are MagSafe-compatible, as well as cases for other phones that also support the standard, and was my preferred mounting method. Just note that this isn't included with the Flow Pro, it doesn't allow the attachment of accessories like the Insta360 Spotlight (which snaps neatly onto the included clamp mount just fine), and it will set you back an additional $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$34.99.

The MagSafe-compatible mount for the Flow Pro costs extra but is worth it if you don't need to attach the Spotlight accessory. (Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

The Pro is clad in nicely-finished light gray plastic, with a smoky translucent spine to the gimbal's main arm (which Insta360 sells inserts for, should you wish to give your Flow Pro a more unique look), that also conceals a cold shoe; a rarity on most gimbals of this caliber that gives the Pro an edge; ideal for mounting accessories like a mic receiver. What's more, an integrated selfie stick (that although stiff to extend) allows for a more ergonomic angled grip on the handle, also providing up to 215mm of additional reach.

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(Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

The included tripod is convenient, if a little flimsy.

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(Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

If possible, pair the Flow Pro with a dedicated tripod, for maximum stability.

Image 3 of 3

(Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

The selfie stick is difficult to extend on a box-fresh Flow Pro, but undeniably useful.

At the other end of the handle is a concealed tripod, which pulls out and splits apart. Despite being more robust than the spindly legs of the equivalent system on the Hohem iSteady V3, you still need a stable, flat surface (and calm conditions, if you're shooting outside) to use it reliably; as it's not the most sturdy foundation.

The base also features a standard tripod thread, which when you consider that Insta360 also sells the Flow Pro as part of a tripod bundle, suggests that the company knows the built-in option should be considered a fallback.

Partially extending the Flow Pro's integrated tripod is the easiest way to improve the grip offered by its short handle, but it's not perfect. (Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

For everything that the Flow Pro's handle manages to contain (all of the gimbal's physical controls live there too), like the last model, it's on the short side; meaning you need to keep a really firm grip on what little purchase it does provide, in order to wield it securely. Extending but not separating the integrated tripod (see image above), or attaching separate tripod legs via the provided thread goes some way to help extend the handle, but neither augmentation really solves the problem completely, ergonomically speaking. The Flow Pro does at least come with a silicone handle cover (as seen in all the pictures in this review), which adds a notable amount of grip.

Controls consist of a trigger on the back of the handle, while on the front of the handle you'll find three buttons, a four-way joystick and a jog wheel. What isn't immediately obvious is that the black circular control panel is itself also a touch surface, and the most tactile way two switch between four of the gimbal's main modes.

(Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

Don't been fooled by the Flow Pro's seemingly minimalist control scheme, though. Practically every one of these physical elements works double or triple duty, based on the number of presses used or mode set. Learning how to navigate all of them effectively takes some getting used to, with the touchpad proving the least elegant and ergonomic.

On balance, the addition of a green LED ring just above the control panel that lets you know when tracking is engaged from almost any angle is an ingenious addition, which helps you know what's going on when shooting solo and unable to view your phone's screen.

(Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

For all the Flow Pro offers in addition to its fundamental gimbal components, it packs down impressively small, and can be collapsed or redeployed in sections, with a self-balancing setup that makes the process of being stowed to ready-for-action impressively quick and easy, and a far cry from higher-end offerings, meant for dedicated cameras used by professionals.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Insta360 Flow Pro review: Features

The new integrated NFC tag makes initial pairing and setup with an iPhone a cinch. (Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

• Unlike predecessor, supports 360-degree infinite pan
• 2,900mAh battery can double as a power bank
• First gimbal to market with Apple DockKit support for 200+ apps

Perhaps one of the bigger limitations of the original Insta360 Flow was its range of motion. With the Flow Pro, the horizontal pan motor has been redesigned to allow for continuous 360-degree rotation. You could theoretically rotate the Flow Pro clockwise or anti-clockwise as many times as you like, adding greater versatility to the kinds of shots capable; especially when capturing using automated tracking, timelapses or 360 photos.

The Insta360 app is where you can access the bulk of the Flow Pro's functionality, with ten dedicated shooting modes; ranging from simple photo and video capture, to Hoop Mode (specialized basketball game recording), timelapses and more. You can also drill down and – depending on the mode – access additional features like HDR capture or Apple ProRes recording, on iPhones that support it.

These capture modes work in tandem with the gimbal's six modes of stabilization:

• Auto – follows your pan and tilt movements, with automated adaptive sensitivity.
• Follow – follows your pan and tilt movements, with high sensitivity.
• Pan Follow – follows your pan movements, while keeping the tilt and roll axes locked.
• FPV  – follows movement on all three axes. Jog wheel now controls roll axis instead of zoom.
• Lock  – ignores movement through all three axes while trigger is held.
• Active Plus – brings increased sensitivity and responsiveness to Auto, Follow, Pan Follow and FPV modes, by pressing and then quickly pressing again but this time holding the trigger.
  

The Insta360 app also contains tutorials, its own album and an impressively powerful editor, with predefined themes to make cutting clips together as painless as possible. You do also have the option to edit manually, if you prefer, with the ability to add music, effects and more, all provided in-app. Insta360 has clearly worked hard to build a robust production pipeline for its products, and the result is impressive, even if it comes with a learning curve.

There's also the matter of the Flow Pro's currently-unique party piece: Apple DockKit support. Provided you're OK leaving the depth of the Insta360 app behind, DockKit delivers native face tracking across approximately 200 apps, with a list that continues to grow all the time. It's a truly impressive bonus that grants extra utility to the Flow Pro over its competition; making it a great tool for everything from video conferencing via Zoom, to motion-tracked footage while recording via the BlackMagic Camera app.

The Insta360 app is feature-packed (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

As is stands, DockKit tracking is only available when capturing video, which means you can't use it to frame a time-delayed photo, for example, but for the first of its kind, this new support means the Flow Pro is suddenly far more competent outside of its native app than any of its respective competitors.

To clarify, DockKit is an Apple-owned technology, meaning Android phones are left out in the cold when it comes to the same third-party support (and remain confined to the Insta360 app which, admittedly, isn't much of a hardship). Provided you have an iPhone 12 or newer – running iOS 17 or newer, you should be good to go for DockKit.

Pairing for DockKit support takes place by a new integrated NFC tag, right above the gimbal's main controls. When tapping your iPhone to it for the first time, you see an AirPods-like card pop up to initiate pairing, after which point the gimbal will forever whir into action when it's switched on while you're in a DockKit-supported app; a truly snappy and seamless setup which Android has no direct comparison for.

(Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

Beyond its fundamental function as a three-axis smartphone gimbal, even when powered off, the Flow Pro's design also means you're carrying around a selfie stick and a tripod too, not to mention the keen-eyed amongst you who spotted the gimbal's pair of USB-C ports; one near the physical controls, used for power in (i.e. charging the gimbal), and one hidden underneath the shorter tilt axis arm of the Flow Pro.

This second port is actually a power-out, meant to keep accessories like the aforementioned Insta360 Spotlight shining. However, it also allows for power bank-like functionality, meaning your phone can keep itself topped up from the Pro's 2,900mAh internal battery, be it as a means to extend shooting time, or simply for those times when you need to recharge your phone after a long day.

• Features score: 5 / 5

Insta360 Flow Pro review: Performance

• 2,900mAh 10-hour battery
• Control ergonomics could be better
• Control over tracking experience within DockKit remains limited

Besides the learning curve demanded by the multi-functional hardware controls, the Flow Pro's improved range of motion, compared to its predecessor and whisper-quiet brushless motors – on top of the Swiss Army Knife of additional functionality it already offers – render it an incredibly competent option, if you're in the market for a smartphone gimbal, right now.

Despite the cited two-hour reduction in battery longevity versus the original Flow, it took three days of real-world usage to see the battery percentage drop down below 75% charge, during my time with it, meaning most will find the Flow Pro's battery life wholly reliable on shoot days. Fast charging to storm past the current two-hour full recharge time would be one area of improvement Insta360 should consider going forward, but rivals are generally slower, while also falling short on use-time per charge.

There are also promised features that suggest the Flow Pro is actually going to continue to improve over time, with iOS' Cinematic Mode reportedly set to work with the Apple's DockKit protocol by the time iOS 18 rolls around.

Its ergonomics aren't perfect, with Hohem's iSteady V3 letting you pull the controls out of the gimbal completely for more comfortable and remote operation, while DJI managed to include rotation speed control within the OM 6's joystick (speed for the effect of the Flow Pro's joystick can only be altered in the Insta360 app).

As the video above highlights, the stability provided by the Flow Pro is a clear step-up from even the best iPhone's in-camera stabilization system, however, it doesn't iron the bounce of regular footfall completely. So, as numerous experienced gimbal users have suggested already, considered physicality to optimize the smoothness of final footage is still recommended (Google 'gimbal ninja walk' for more insight on this).

The test footage also highlights Insta360's Deep Track 3.0 technology, which does a stirling job of keeping tabs on people, pets or objects as set up, but is more likely to throw in the towel when tracking conditions become less than ideal, when shooting handheld (if tracking was lost while I used the gimbal freehand, rather than on a stable surface, object tracking would disable itself after losing the target for mere seconds, while it proved far more tenacious when set down on.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Should you buy the Insta360 Flow Pro? Buy it if...

You want the best gimbal for iPhone
The Insta360's first-to-market position as a gimbal with DockKit support grants it far more utility for iPhone users than its competitors.

You like to travel light
As well as acing its duties as a smartphone gimbal, the Insta360 Flow Pro's ability to double as a selfie stick, tripod and power bank, while also neatly collapsing down making it a perfect companion for travelers who want to up their shooting game.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best ergonomics
If you're looking for a gimbal to accompany you on long shoot days, the short handle and awkward touch controls mean this Flow Pro is far from the most comfortable gimbal out there.

You want the best gimbal for Android
While the Flow Pro is positioned as one of the best-placed gimbals for iPhone users right now, functionality for Android users is more in-line with the original Insta360 Flow and many other rival gimbals.

Insta360 Flow Pro review: Also consider

While it's easy to see the benefits of the Insta360 Flow Pro, there are identifiable shortcomings that rivals below address in one area or another.

How I tested the Insta360 Flow Pro

(Image credit: Future| Alex Walker-Todd)

• Review test period: three weeks
• Tested with: iPhone 15 Pro, Google Pixel 7 Pro, Insta360 app + various iOS apps w/ camera support
• Test conditions: Carried the Insta360 Flow Pro around with me and used it to shoot the test footage featured in this review, as well as additional unfeatured footage, plus use in apps like Facebook Messenger

Having picked the Insta360 Flow Pro up from TechRadar's offices, I immediately set about familiarizing myself with the hardware, how it collapses down and deploys, how the additional accessories Insta360 had sent as part of the review functioned (and how they differed from the in-box contents) and then started to film with it.

It took a decent amount of time to become au fait with the button combinations needed to quickly move to the modes and setup I typically preferred, but once learnt, it made from an impressively quick way to jump to elevated smartphone videography, quickly.

As well as filming when out and about, with the evidently strong battery longevity, I used the Flow Pro as an elaborate a desktop phone holder, using its DockKit talents to upgrade video calls with colleagues and friends, while also using it as a power bank when I couldn't find my phone charger on a couple of occasions.

As a reviewer with 13 years experience, and having reviewed numerous smartphones, alongside camera-centric smartphone accessories, I felt confident assessing and scoring the Insta360 Flow Pro in the context of the wider smartphone gimbal market in which it competes.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed August 2024

TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition: Two-minute review

The TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition is a premium golf watch that also doubles as a superb smartwatch for daily use. It offers a seriously impressive package as a gold watch and smartwatch combo with many top-line golf features, a great design, display, and build quality, and excellently intuitive use.

Yes, it's pricey, but it absolutely earns its place among the best golf watches by offering a top-tier, premium option made by a brand that has some serious pedigree in the history of wristwatch making and the market more widely.

The Calibre E4 Golf Edition channels the TAG Heuer quality pedigree in its design and build and this is evident as soon as you open the box. It's a chic and sleek titanium watch with a matte black finish that oozes quality. The 'Golf Edition' engraved bezel is a beaut, and the two buttons and dial (or 'crown' as TAG Heuer calls it, reminiscent of the Apple Watch's digital crown) are easy to use and engage with while wearing a golf glove. All buttons are satisfying to use, and the dial is a joy on the golf course too.

The display is crisp and clear and has very punchy colors and contrasts. I use a screen protector personally, but the Sapphire crystal screen gives me great confidence if it were to get knocked or bashed.

When it comes to the golf features specifically, the TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition excels and is superb. There are more than 40,000 courses preloaded onto the TAG Heuer golf ecosystem, and my experience of getting any amendments or changes made via speaking to TAG has also been very good. Each course's hole is displayed cleanly, crisply, and clearly on the AMOLED display and makes for clear navigation, though some of the colors could be more distinct as the shades used for areas of trees and bunkers can look very similar at a glance. You can use the crown to navigate your way along each and every hole, and 10-yard lines help you to gauge distance quickly and between course locations or hazards.

Then there are the specialist features. The first is the watch's shot-tracking feature which is excellent and automatic and tracks all your shots from drives to putts. The watch and excellent companion TAG Golf app on your phone will be able to build your rounds as you go and allow you to review them afterward in 3D (on your phone, not on the watch). This is a brilliant feature, and as well as relying on the automatic tracking, you can also manually input them - as well as delete any duffers you don't want skewing the data too! This can help you build an invaluable bank of data to rely on when thinking about club choice and golf course management and strategy - especially at those courses or course 

Alongside this, the watch will also measure the distance you've hit shots which builds toward offering an accurate 'virtual caddie' base of information, which you can refer to to get a club suggestion at any yardage when going for the pin or any other location on the hole. Over time, this optimizes and provides distance averages that are reliable and accurate, and the investment you put into it over a period of time really pays off. I've consistently found the whole process with each round of 18 or 9 holes to be extremely satisfying too, from measuring shot data to making changes to my bag when incorporating new clubs, all the way to reviewing shots and scores afterward in the on-course pictures.

The whole experience of having a Calibre E4 Golf Edition for premium golf watch use is also apparently from the presentation and physical extras you get. The box is incredibly sleek, and you also get a sleeve of Tag Heuer-emblazoned Pro V1s inside as well as a replacement ball marker – one of which comes attached to your watch already, magnetized to the clasp.

(Image credit: Future/Rob Dwiar)

The TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition also makes a claim to be a premium contender for best smartwatch and best fitness tracker with its broader feature set, too. Running Google's WearOS 3, the watch is a joy to use and navigate for everyday tasks such as message and app notifications, media controls, and checking the weather and my calendar. 

However, I've particularly enjoyed the fitness tracking functionalities measuring steps, and calories, and promoting the WHO's Heart Points to help visualise getting up and about. I've mainly used this only for going for long dog walks and hikes but it'll have you covered for other workouts from running to cycling to swimming.

Battery life is robust all round too. In my months of testing and using the watch I've never been in trouble, always making it to my charger at the end of a day with juice in the tank. For example, with a round of 18 with the full shot tracking on and using it as a smartwatch from dawn till dusk, the Calibre E4 Golf Edition will easily last a full day. Using it as a smartwatch only, I've got two full days of usage out of it. The bespoke charging dock also juices up the watch incredibly quickly which can rapidly get you out of a pinch and is a welcome feature.

As far as downsides go, there are, in 2024, a few of the very latest and very greatest golf features not on the Calibre E4 Golf Edition. For example, more recent entries into the golf watch space, like the Garmin Approach S70, offer excellent and specific features such as green contour mapping to assist putting, and 'plays like' tech that will take into account weather conditions to give you even more precise yardages for shots which might give those watches an advantage on the features front if you're looking for every bell and whistle. 

The value-for-money proposition of the Calibre E4 Golf Edition has also perhaps taken a slight hit in 2024 due to the aforementioned competitors.

If you want a premium watch that offers the best of both golfwatch and smartwatch worlds, then the TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition is still hard to beat as a premium golf watch option.

TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition: Specifications

(Image credit: Future/Rob Dwiar) TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition: Scorecard TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition: Should I buy? Buy if it... Don't buy it if... Also consider How I tested the TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition

I have been using the 45mm variant of the TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition as my golf watch for eight months now, using it most weeks on the course. It's also been my day-to-day smartwatch for the past six months or so, replacing a Samsung Galaxy Watch 3.

I have committed months to using the Calibre E4 Golf Edition using it for multiple rounds and tracking 100s of shots. I have used it on a few courses and also adapted it, and the app on my Samsung Galaxy S22, to changes in my bag. 

When I first got the TAG Heuer I was able to do some basic side-by-side testing with my previous golf watch, the Garmin Approach S40.

First reviewed July 2024

Sony Bravia 8: Two-minute review

Sony consolidated its TV lineup for 2024 with fewer models and a naming convention that was easier to follow. Perhaps what was most interesting about this move was that a mini-LED TV – the Bravia 9 – was spearheading the charge as the new flagship Sony TV, effectively demoting OLED to the next rung down. Enter the Bravia 8, a pure WOLED screen that replaces the excellent A80L. 

If you want the absolute pinnacle of Sony’s OLED prowess, the A95L released in 2023 is still available to buy, complete with its much higher price tag. But you may not feel the need to stretch that high, since the Bravia 8 (on review here) takes the A80L's winning formula and makes a few notable improvements.

Sony claims this latest mid-range OLED model is brighter than its predecessor, yet manages to do without some of the brightness-boosting tech we’ve seen applied to other OLED TVs in the past couple of years. Instead, the Bravia 8 relies on Sony’s new Bravia XR processor to do the proverbial heavy lifting and stake a claim as one of the best OLED TVs you can buy.

This processor harnesses the power of AI to better understand the image on screen and make adjustments to ensure it’s delivered at its absolute best. And it does (for the most part) improve over the A80L where brightness is concerned to deliver a gorgeous picture no matter if you’re watching TV or movies, or playing games.

Sony’s Acoustic Surface+ audio system makes a return, maintaining the brand’s position as being one of the best TVs for sound thanks to actuators placed behind the screen to physically vibrate it – a feature that’s exclusive to Sony TVs. It means the Bravia 8 can go loud, is dynamically impressive and is capable of placing objects within a soundfield better than many other flat-screen TVs. When connected to one of Sony’s latest Bravia Theater soundbars – the Theater Bar 8 is a natural pairing – an Acoustic Center Sync feature can be used to turn the TV into a dedicated center channel speaker.

The Bravia 8 is a great option for gamers thanks to its support of all the major gaming features, including 4K support at 120Hz, an auto low-latency mode (ALLM), variable refresh rate (VRR) and Sony’s ‘Perfect for PS5’ tech that automatically adjusts picture settings to their optimum – for both games and movies – when a PlayStation 5 console is detected in either of its two HDMI 2.1 inputs. Yep, the Bravia 8 still only supports 4K/120Hz across two of its four HDMI inputs and you’ll need to use the one marked ‘eARC’ if you plan to connect an external soundbar. Sony isn’t alone in offering support across only half of its TV’s inputs, but it’s a shame that it’s still happening in 2024.

The main caveat at the time of writing, however, is that in some territories the A80L is still readily available and for a more affordable price. While there’s no doubt the Bravia 8 makes improvements over its predecessor, some customers either won’t notice, or won’t care for the admittedly incremental upgrades. The Bravia 8 is indeed Sony’s best mid-range OLED, but it’s not quite the generational leap we’ve seen between some other TV series – see the improvements Samsung makes each year with its S95 QD-OLED series as an example.

Sony Bravia 8 review: Price and release date

• Announced in April 2024 for July 2024 launch
• Pricing starts at $2,799 / £2,699 / AU$3,495 (55-inch)
• No 83-inch model in 2024

The Sony Bravia 8 was announced in April 2024 and released in July 2024 in 55-, 65- and 77-inch sizes. The A80L predecessor was available in a larger 83-inch size, but that has seemingly been dropped this time around.

Pricing has remained relatively consistent compared to the A80L, with the 65-inch model I’ve reviewed setting you back $2,799 / £2,699 / AU$4,495. That’s $200 / £200 more expensive than the A80L in the US and UK and the same as the A80L’s launch price in Australia. Since launch, we’ve already seen small price drops in all markets, so it’s unlikely you would need to pay the full suggested retail price if you decide to buy.

The 55-inch Bravia 8 has been priced at $2,799 / £2,699 / AU$3,495 while the range-topping 77-inch retails for $3,899 / £3,499 / AU$6,995. The Sony Bravia 8’s pricing once again puts it squarely up against the LG C4 (the A80L and LG C3 were similarly priced in 2023) and in most cases, LG’s mid-range OLED comes out the more affordable, and it’s available in a greater variety of sizes.

LG’s telly offers full 4K/120Hz support across all four HDMI inputs, making it a better prospect for gamers and those with multiple external devices, but as was the case in 2023, LG’s TV has weaker built-in sound.

Sony Bravia 8 review: Specs Sony Bravia 8 review: Benchmark results Sony Bravia 8 review: Features

• New Bravia XR processor
• Voice Zoom 3 for improved vocal clarity
• New eco-friendly remote control

The Sony Bravia 8 uses a standard WOLED panel as found in its A80L predecessor, but the key metric Sony is keen to advertise with the Bravia 8 is that it's capable of going 10% brighter, thanks to the aforementioned XR Processor. There’s no Micro Lens Array (MLA) or QD-OLED tech to be found here, so it is strictly the power of the new chip and its ability to better understand how to manipulate lighting that is going to result in that brightness boost.

Indeed, Sony says its new XR chip can better detect objects in scenes with greater accuracy and will then automatically optimize the picture to get as close to the creator’s intentions as possible. Also new in the Bravia 8 is a dedicated Prime Video Calibrated Mode (also a feature of the flagship Bravia 9) which will automatically adjust picture settings when you’re watching a raft of content on Amazon’s streaming service. This is in addition to the Netflix Calibrated Mode and Sony Pictures Core Calibrated Mode, both of which work in similar ways and have been carried over from the outgoing A80L.

The latest iteration of Sony's Eco Dashboard gives clear insights into how much energy the TV is using. (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

Voice Zoom 3, also taken from the high-end Bravia 9, is integrated into the Bravia 8, which can be used to boost (or decrease) voices and dialogue in whatever content you’re watching.

Elsewhere, there is little to separate the Bravia 8 and A80L from a features perspective. Both support Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG HDR formats (no HDR10+) and the Bravia 8 once again gets Google TV as the operating system of choice. Sony’s second iteration of its Eco Dashboard makes an appearance too, allowing you to adjust various energy-saving features and view their effects in a neat bar graph-style chart.

Sony also ships the Bravia 8 with a new Eco Remote that has a slight speckled appearance. This remote is made from 80% recycled materials, is backlit and recharges via USB-C.

• Features score: 4.5 / 5

Sony Bravia 8 review: Picture quality

• Wonderfully natural colors
• Slightly increased brightness for improved HDR performance
• Performs at its best in darker rooms

Sony’s claims of the Bravia 8 benefitting from a 10% brightness increase over the A80L certainly carry some weight, with its latest OLED TV recording a 149.5 nits measurement in HDR Filmmaker Mode on a full screen, compared to the A80L’s 139 nits based on our measurements.

(Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

There are noticeable differences in the 10% window brightness measurements in both HDR and SDR Standard modes, too. HDR Standard returned a result of 816.7 nits on the Bravia 8 (compared to the A80L’s 741 nits), while SDR Standard saw the Bravia 8 improve upon the A80L’s 247 nits with a measurement of 287.9 nits. Interestingly, measurements taken for SDR content in Filmmaker mode (or rather, Sony's own version called Professional) returned vastly different results and not in the Bravia 8’s favor, with a measurement of 99.4 nits compared to the A80L’s 224, indicating this is a picture mode you’ll want to avoid when watching SDR content.

Outside of this, it should mean the Bravia 8 will take everything that we loved about the A80L but throws in a helping of improved contrast and, with the new XR Processor acting as the brains of the operation, finer control of light for improved HDR performance.

As for color performance, the Bravia 8 does well against some of its closest competitors, covering 99.1% of the UHDA-P3 color gamut and 75% BT.2020. The LG C4, by comparison, returned results of 98.7% and 72.7%, respectively.

For my real-world performance tests, I streamed the opening fight sequence between Ta Lo and Xu Wenwu in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on Disney Plus in its IMAX Enhanced version. It's a glorious test of color with various shades of green, yellow and red as the two go head-to-head with their own fighting styles. I was watching in a dark room and so selected the Dolby Vision Bright picture setting, which increases brightness without any sacrifice to detail and found the Bravia 8 reproduced this scene beautifully. Dolby Vision Dark was a little too dim for my preference in this case. 

Sony’s XR Triluminos Pro technology, which aims to reproduce natural and accurate colors, worked to full effect, with the greens and yellows of the forest setting looking incredibly realistic – it was easy to notice the different shades depending on where the light was hitting and the characters’ faces were clear and detailed.

The Sony Bravia 8 demonstrates excellent control of light and highlights (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

Even the rings around Xu Wenwu’s arms gave off a satisfying blue shine as they were powering up for attack, highlighting the Bravia 8’s – and more specifically, the XR Contrast Booster’s – ability to precisely control the light. What makes this all the more impressive is the fact that there is no MLA technology or Quantum Dot layer, but instead a traditional WOLED panel.

After we meet present-day Shang Chi and he’s speaking with friends in a dimly lit bar, the Sony Bravia 8 flexes its muscles with regard to picking out detail where there’s little to no light. His dark T-shirt is clearly distinguishable from his even darker cardigan, while the stripes on his female friend’s blazer can also be seen. There’s no discernible light blooming around the bright table lamps, both the one at the front and center of the screen, and the numerous others dotted about in the background.

The Sony Bravia 8 offers the option to switch to a dedicated 'calibrated' mode when watching content on Prime Video (as above), Netflix or Sony Pictures Core (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

An Ultra HD stream of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare on Prime Video provided a good opportunity to test out the new Prime Video Calibrated Mode. Switching this mode on and off is as simple as toggling a switch in the picture settings, but in the instance for this particular movie, I noticed absolutely no difference between the Calibrated picture settings and Sony’s own Professional picture mode (the brand’s version of Filmmaker mode). This could potentially be because the Bravia 8 doesn’t support HDR10+, which Prime Video uses, but regardless, in either mode, I was presented with a beautiful, natural image with great depth. I compared the same opening scene on the LG G4 and, while the better-specced TV did have more refined light control, it wasn’t quite the stark difference I was initially expecting – which is kudos to Sony.

I switched the overhead lights on and loaded up Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes on Disney Plus – while there was a fair amount of reflection noticeable in the opening, very dark scene, it wasn’t enough to distract me from my viewing. And that viewing was glorious, with the Bravia 8 managing to pick out the individual strands of fur on the apes, while also handling Caesar's burning funeral pyre without any noticeable signs of blooming.

• Picture quality score: 4.5 / 5

Sony Bravia 8 review: Sound quality

• Accurate placement of object sounds
• Dynamically impressive
• Still lacking in the bass department

Sony has once again employed its Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology here, which sees actuators placed behind the screen to physically vibrate it, turning the entire surface into a speaker. Not a lot has changed in this iteration compared to the A80L, although Sony says its added a new tweeter to help boost higher frequencies and, in particular, dialogue.

It’s a really remarkable system – and the first time I’ve personally heard it in action – as when using the same opening fight sequence from Shang Chi, gusts of wind, flailing arms and attacks using the 10 rings were accurately placed within the soundfield; when an attack was landed towards the bottom left of the screen for example, that’s exactly where it could be heard, as opposed to a full sound coming from all speakers. 

When I began the stream, I received a pop-up asking if I wanted to activate the IMAX Enhanced DTS:X soundtrack (the Sony Bravia 8 is an IMAX Enhanced-certified TV) and there was a genuine effect of height to the audio. These effects were only amplified the louder I turned up the volume and they remained distortion-free.

The Voice Zoom 3 feature works incredibly well, too, for any spoken content that you may have a little trouble hearing. Not only does increasing the level help dialogue become easier to hear, it does so without sounding separate from the rest of the soundtrack or other audio, instead sounding entirely natural. The same feature can be used when connected to an external soundbar or speaker system.

The only slight downside is that bass performance still isn’t a strong point of Sony’s audio system. While this will undoubtedly be a blessing to your neighbors, it does mean that despite the Bravia 8 being more impressive than its peers in the sound department, you will want to invest in one of the best soundbars to experience more engaging home cinema thrills. Taking the car chase scene from The Batman as a prime example, there isn’t a deep rumble from the Batmobile’s engine that you would get from an external subwoofer, but is certainly more engaging than most other TV sound systems.

• Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5

Sony Bravia 8 review: Design

• Height adjustable feet in two positions
• Slimmer rear makes it easier to wall mount
• Invisible speakers

As well as the Bravia 8 delivering a 10% increase in brightness, I’m going to also say it’s 10% better looking. For starters, Sony has slimmed the TV down to a depth of just 37mm, making it easier to wall mount in the process. This is due to Sony removing the protruding rear housing for all the connections, subwoofers and processing electronics on the A80L. Instead, the rear is a uniform panel – something Sony calls “One Slate” design – and the grid of etched squares has now been increased in size to cover the entire rear.

You’ll still find a similar set of connections on the right-hand side when viewed from the back, including four HDMI ports (only two of which are HDMI 2.1, and one of these supporting eARC), optical digital audio out, an ethernet port, RF antenna port, two USB type-A and an input S-Center speaker input, which you can use to turn the TV into a center speaker as part of a wider external sound system. If you connect one of Sony’s new Bravia Theater soundbars, you can bypass the need for this connection and still use the TV as a center-channel speaker via Acoustic Center Sync.

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The Bravia 8's feet can be adjusted to two different heights in both a narrow or wide position. (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)Image 2 of 4

The Sony Bravia 8 TV remote is backlit and made from up to 80% recycled materials. (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)Image 3 of 4

It employs a unique speckled effect. (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)Image 4 of 4

(Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

Also new for the Bravia 8 – and the entire 2024 Bravia lineup – is the ability to position the included feet in any of four ways, up from the previous three. You can position them in either a narrow or wide configuration – meaning those with smaller TV stands can place the Bravia 8 on top with little issue – and this time you can raise the screen a few inches in both narrow and wide configurations, to better accommodate a soundbar beneath.

A single remote control comes in the box this time around, which is effectively the same as the one that shipped with the A80L. It’s relatively long and thin, with a central mic button for voice recognition – I figure this positioning is Sony’s attempt to encourage users to interact with the Bravia 8 more with their voice – and direct buttons for six streaming services at the bottom.

What is perhaps more interesting about this remote control, however, is the fact it’s made from approximately 80% recycled plastic, and the way in which Sony produces the speckled design means that each one is ever so slightly different. It’s backlit and rechargeable via USB-C.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Sony Bravia 8 review: Smart TV and menus

• Google TV smart system
• Google Assistant baked in and 'Works With' Alexa/Apple HomeKit support
• Eco Dashboard 2 for power saving tips

The Bravia 8 continues Sony’s appreciation for the Google TV platform, which is a smart thing to do. As expected, the full suite of major video and music streaming apps is available, along with (quite literally) tens of thousands of others. The home screen, which Google TV calls 'For You', shows you content you’re currently in the middle of watching across any installed apps, followed by recommended content based on your viewing habits and Google Search history across other devices when you’re logged into the same account. Google Assistant is available for voice commands and to help you find whatever you want faster.

(Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

I did appreciate Sony’s implementation of a quick settings menu system, whereby you just press a button on the remote control with the wrench icon to bring up a row of common settings along the bottom of the screen, each with its own set of choices to cycle through. The order of these can be personalized, so if you know you’re going to want to adjust picture and sound settings the most, for example, you can place these at the start of the row.

Sony has installed the second-generation of its Eco Dashboard in the Bravia 8, which presents the TV’s power consumption history in the form of animated graphs. You can also adjust power-saving settings from this screen, with the dashboard indicating how much power in kilowatt-hours (kWh) you’ll save.

Naturally, Chromecast is supported for streaming to the TV from compatible devices, as is AirPlay 2. And, despite using Google TV, Sony clearly doesn’t want to discriminate, as it’s added ‘works with’ support for Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit.

This was the first time in a long time I’d personally used Google TV. I’d read and heard good things, so I was keen to experience it for myself. However, in comparison to LG’s webOS TV system, which I’m very familiar with, I found Google TV here to be quite slow and clunky. Button presses on the remote control weren’t received with the immediacy I’d expect for a TV of this caliber.

• Smart TV and menus score: 3.5 / 5

Sony Bravia 8 review: Gaming

• 4K @ 120Hz and VRR support
• Dolby Vision Gaming for compatible sources
• Improved 12.8ms input lag

The Bravia 8 presents itself as a great option for gamers thanks to its excellent color reproduction and improved HDR brightness, and is a natural partner for the PlayStation 5 thanks to Sony’s ‘Perfect for PS5’ feature that automatically adjusts the image to deliver optimum results. 

Even if you don’t have a PS5, you can still benefit from VRR and ALLM, while Xbox gamers can take advantage of Dolby Vision Gaming. During my testing, I measured an input lag of 12.8ms, which is a significant improvement over the 16.5ms lag on the A80L, putting the Bravia 8 on par with the likes of the LG G4, although the LG C4 – Sony's closest competitor for this telly – undercuts it further with a figure of 9.2ms.

(Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

Loading up Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and it’s clear the Sony Bravia 8’s excellent lighting control when watching video content is carried over to gaming. Spidey’s suit and buildings exhibit clear shine where they’re being hit by sunlight, while the stunning vistas in Grand Theft Auto 5 exhibited fantastic depth, with plenty of detail to buildings and bushland when viewed up close.

Sony’s Game menu pops up at the press of the Menu button on the TV remote control, bringing up quick-select options for game type, toggling VRR on or off and a new, previously promised feature to adjust the screen size. You're also able to toggle on an on-screen crosshair, which could help players of FPS games get an upper hand.

The picture does improve when switching to the LG G4, but this is to be expected with its greater control of light and increased peak brightness. But, for a mid-range OLED, the Sony Bravia 8 will be great for gamers.

The only thing that does continue to hold it back is that only two of its four HDMI ports support the 2.1 standard for 4K/120Hz. If you only have one games console, this won’t be an issue but, if you have multiple, then you'll be better served by a model from LG or Samsung. There's also no support once again for Nvidia G-Sync or AMD FreeSync.

• Gaming score: 4/5

Sony Bravia 8 review: Value

• Small premium over A80L but with improved performance
• Already receiving discounts
• LG C4 can be found for similar money

The Sony Bravia 8 presents itself as good value for money. Its launch price is a little higher than its predecessor in some territories, but you are getting a number of upgrades, such as the new processor and Dolby Vision Gaming mode, to justify it. However, since launch, we've seen its price come down and, at the time of writing, there are savings of up to $900 / £200 / AU$1,100 direct from Sony, with third-party retailers likely price-matching or beating those prices.

While some may have wished for a greater leap in terms of brightness, it’s not a total shock that Sony has continued to omit brightness-boosting technology, such as MLA or Quantum Dot, as these technologies are reserved for the flagship screens – the LG C4 gets the same treatment for example.

But considering what the Sony Bravia 8 can do, such as displaying movies with great detail and light control, and offering up a number of picture modes that work well as opposed to the one or two you sometimes find on competitor screens, it’s a fantastic, affordable option for those with dark rooms.

• Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the Sony Bravia 8? Buy it if...

You want a glorious TV for movies without breaking the bank

The Bravia 8’s beautifully natural image processing and 4K clarity makes it perfect for watching movies, especially in HDR, all for a relatively affordable price.

You want a TV to sound good without an external system

Sony’s Acoustic Surface audio system continues to prove why it’s the best at built-in sound. It’s fired directly into the room and is especially capable at placing objects in your space.

Don't buy it if...

You watch content during the day

The Bravia 8 does an admirable job at countering brightly lit rooms, but it can’t compete against TVs that have much higher peak brightness credentials.

You want a super slick TV OS

Google TV offers plenty in the way of apps and connectivity, but it’s slow and clunky in comparison to others on the market.

Also consider...

LG C4
LG has made great improvements to its mid-range OLED TV, including boosting its brightness to above-average levels. It continues to support 4K/120Hz across all four HDMI ports, making it a great choice for gamers.
Read our full LG C4 review

TCL C855
If you're not loyal to OLED but you still want the best bang for your buck, the mini-LED TCL C855 is one of the best choices you could make. It delivers a stunning picture and has a strong set of features, all for an incredibly affordable price.
Read our full TCL C855 review

Hisense U8N
Another great choice for gamers with Dolby Vision gaming and 4K/144Hz support, the Hisense U8N is another wallet-friendly wonder. It can go incredibly bright, yet controls it well with powerful local dimming.
Read our full Hisense U8N review

How I tested the Sony Bravia 8

While this was my first time using a Sony TV for an extended period of time, I have previously tried and tested a few LG TVs. So the first I did was dive into menus to familiarize myself with the setup, then played a variety of content from streaming apps and via 4K Blu-rays playing on a PlayStation 5 over the course of five weeks.

I streamed content in both SDR and HDR and assessed the available picture mode options for each from services including Netflix, Disney Plus and Prime Video. I found Professional to offer the best results for non-Dolby Vision content, and the Dolby Vision Bright setting for content produced in that HDR format. I also toggled between the calibrated picture modes for Netflix, Prime Video and Sony Pictures Core, and found the settings for Prime Video to be the weakest of the three, in the sense that there was no obvious difference to the overall picture.

You can read in-depth how we test TVs at TechRadar for much more information.

• First reviewed: September 2024
• Read TechRadar's review guarantee

Canon EOS R5 Mark II: Two-minute review

When I originally wrote my Canon EOS R5 review, I called it the brand’s “best ever stills camera”. Four years later and I'm going to have to repeat myself – this time, however, I have to take it a step further and say that the EOS R5 Mark II is also Canon's most versatile camera yet.

There are quite a few significant differences between the two R5 generations that makes the Mark II feel more like an entirely new series rather than an upgrade. In fact, it has more in common with the Canon EOS R1 than the EOS R5, with the two new flagships sharing the headline features. So, essentially, what the Nikon Z8 is to the Nikon Z9, the R5 II is to the R1 – a smaller, albeit higher-resolution, version.

While the sensor resolution remains at 45MP, the R5 II now uses a stacked design that enables speedier readouts to minimize rolling shutter distortions, just like on the Nikon Z8. This, however, has resulted in a slight loss of dynamic range compared to the R5, but not so much that it will bother most photographers in real-world use.

The R5 II gains a second imaging processor – working in conjunction with the Digic X chip, the Digic Accelerator enables burst speeds of up to 30fps when shooting RAW, with an additional 15 frames available with pre-recording enabled. The Nikon Z8 tops out at 20fps in RAW.

Speed aside, the autofocus accuracy here is also better than what I experienced with the original R5 and, during my testing, the Mark II was more than ready to take on a challenge straight out of the box. In fact, I think the AF performance here is better than the Nikon Z8, which is my daily shooter. Not only has Canon improved its AF algorithm, it’s also added a couple of new features that make it really hard to miss a shot – you can select specific people to prioritize as your main subject in People Priority mode, while the new Action Priority feature uses deep-learning algorithms to tell the camera when a specific action is about to take place and automatically shift the focus point accordingly. The latter, however, is still a work in progress with only three team sports supported at launch.

Canon has been using Eye Control AF in its pro sports cameras – namely the EOS 1D X Mark III DSLR and the EOS R3 – but it’s now available on the R5 II. While it’s been improved in some ways, it’s still hard to calibrate it for all users.

Also new are a couple of AI-driven features that allow you to edit shots in-camera. The Image Upscaling feature can enhance resolution by 4x, after which you crop it in-camera to zoom in closer to a distant subject. It’s a handy feature to have, but only works for images shot as JPEG/HEIF and can be impractical for some photographers in the field. Photographers who find the need to push the limits of a camera’s ISO performance will be glad to know there’s a Neural Network Noise Reduction feature built in that can be employed, but you will need to shoot in RAW for this feature to work and the processed file is then saved as a JPEG.

Video specs have also been improved, with the R5 II capable of shooting 8K/60p clips (versus 30fps on the R5) for up to 120 minutes with a new Cooling Fan Grip. Importantly, Canon’s C-Log2 – the video encoding option previously only available in the brand’s cinema cameras – is now supported on the R5 II, offering better dynamic range and easier color grading compared to C-Log3.

Where it falls short compared to its predecessor is battery life. Despite a new high-powered LP-E6P pack, it’s only rated for 630 shots compared to the 950 that the LP-E6NH was rated for in the R5. To be fair, though, it is powering the new features and the higher speed.

Of course, new features come at a cost, but if they all do what they say on the tin, then it could be argued that the R5 II would be a worthy investment despite a higher price. What makes it even more so is that this camera truly does make pro photography easy and, given it can handle any scenario, it's a remarkably versatile shooter as well. Thankfully, though, Canon has priced its flagship well, with only a 10% increase over the launch price of the EOS R5.

(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman) Canon EOS R5 Mark II review: Release date and price

• Body-only price is $4,299 / £4,499 / AU$6,499
• Available since August 2024
• Three optional grips: Standard BG-R20, battery BG-R20EP and cooling fan CF-R20EP

With a body-only suggested retail cost of $4,299 / £4,499 / AU$6,499, the EOS R5 II is quite competitively priced. It’s slightly more than the R5’s body-only launch price in some markets (which was $3,899 / £4,199 / AU$6,899 in July 2020), and that’s to be expected given the slew of updates it’s got over its predecessor.

Aussie photographers, though, should be overjoyed if they’ve been holding out for a worthy upgrade from an older camera, especially since it’s cheaper than the Nikon Z8’s launch price too ($3,999 / £3,999 / AU$6,999). That said, it’s now possible to find the Z8 at discounts of about $700 / £450 / AU$1,000 – making it a compelling alternative to its Canon competition.

The R5 II was slated for an August 2024 release and is now available to purchase from authorized retailers in the US and Australia, but is still listed as a pre-order in the UK at the time of publication.

It’s possible to also pick up a single-lens kit for $5,399 / £5,749 / $AU$7,999, which bundles the RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS lens with the R5 II.

For the first time for any camera maker, Canon has also released three optional grips that can be purchased separately, which includes a Cooling Fan Grip ($399 / £549 / AU$829) that improves video recording times but lacks the vertical control layout. For that, you’ll need to opt for the Battery Grip that will set you back $349 / £489.99 / AU$699.

• Price score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman) Canon EOS R5 Mark II review: Design and handling

• Small changes to top plate control layout
• Improved blackout-free 5.76m-dot OLED EVF with Eye Control AF
• Under-camera cooling vents keep the body slim

At first glance it’s easy to think the EOS R5 Mark II body is identical to its predecessor, but there’s one change Canon has made that makes me rather happy – the power controls that were on the left of the top plate on the R5 are now a ring around the Mode button on the top right of the Mark II. This means it’s a lot easier to switch the camera on and off in one hand. The old power wheel is now the toggle to switch between stills and video capture.

Canon EOS R5 II key specs

Sensor: 45MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS sensor
AF system: Hybrid with phase-detect Dual Pixel AF
EVF: 5.76m-dot OLED
ISO range: 100 to 51,200 (ISO 50-102,400 extended range)
Video: 8K/60fps raw, 4K/120fps, 1080p/240fps
LCD: 3.2-inch vari-angle touchscreen, 2.1m-dots
Max burst: 30fps (electronic shutter, continuous autofocus)
Connectivity: USB-C 3.2, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Weight: 656g (body-only), 746g including battery and card

The one other minor change on the top plate is the new hot shoe cover. The R5 test unit that was sent to me for review in 2020 didn’t have such a cover, so this is new to me and I love the clean design – it makes the top of the R5 II look… well, ‘unblemished’ is the only word I can think of to describe it. As much as I like it, the cover is nigh impossible to release. I spent a lot of time trying to get it open and failed, meaning I wasn’t able to get a peek at the hot shoe during my few weeks with the camera.

The rest of the control layout remains exactly the same as on the R5, which is a wise move as Canon’s designs have always been intuitive. It is, however, oh-so-slightly heavier than the older camera, tipping the scales at 26.3oz / 746g. That’s lighter than the Nikon Z8 (32oz / 910g) and more in line with the Sony A7R V. It feels comfortable in the hand during long periods of use, even with the beefy RF 24-70mm f/2.8L standard zoom and RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM telephoto lenses that I used for this review.

Another small but significant refinement is the 5.7 million dot OLED viewfinder – Canon says it’s twice as bright and blackout free. While I can’t vouch for the ‘twice’ part, it’s definitely a significant difference compared to the R5 and I prefer it over the 3.69m-dot EVF on the Nikon Z8. The new EVF also inherits Canon’s Eye Control AF that debuted on the EOS 1D X Mark III. This feature tracks your eye movements as you scan the scene through the viewfinder and shifts the focus point accordingly.

As with all Canon cameras, build quality is excellent. The R5 II features a magnesium-alloy chassis with a fully weather-sealed exterior, and the controls are robust. That said, I found the rear wheel movement on the R5 II a little clunky compared to what it feels like on the R1, where movement is nicely dampened and rotation is smooth.

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Everything else from a design standpoint is standard fare for a pro camera – an illuminated top LCD display, a textured AF joystick on the rear and dual card slots. One of these supports a CFexpress Type B device while the other supports a SD card with UHS-II speed, but you’ll need to invest in the former if you want to take full advantage of the R5 II’s speed.

Filmmakers will appreciate the fact that the EOS R5 II has a full-size HMDI port (the EOS R5 doesn't) and a tally lamp to indicate when you're recording. Moreover, key shooting information can be displayed on-screen.

There are also cooling vents on the camera's underside and they do an admirable job of keeping temperatures down when shooting high-resolution clips. In fact, temperature regulation is a lot better here than when I first tested the R5 (which was prior to the firmware updates that improved recording times). That said, I found that the R5 II can begin to get warm even when shooting constant bursts with Servo AF engaged, something sports photographers will likely need to do, but the temperature warning that appears on the display (or the EVF) never went beyond the first bar during my testing.

Naturally, there are both mic and headphone ports, plus USB-C for charging. The battery is an improved LP-E6P unit, which delivers up to 640 shots on a full charge, although that number will be a lot higher if you're capturing lots of high-speed bursts. Case in point, I ended up shooting over 8,000 frames during one testing session before the battery life dropped by three-quarters, but I couldn’t do much more as my 128GB CFexpress card was full.

• Design score: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman) Canon EOS R5 Mark II review: Features and performance

• New People and Action Priority modes
• In-camera editing features
• 15 frames of pre-recording

I’ve already listed the R5 II’s feature set at the start of this review, including the new stacked design for the sensor and the second processing unit that aids in maintaining the camera’s speed. Between the two, the R5 II is capable of rattling off at 30fps using the electronic shutter with autofocus engaged, and at a decent 1/160 second. While this helps with keeping rolling shutter distortions down to a minimum, a stacked sensor can reduce dynamic range, which is the case here, but it’s so insignificant that it would hardly be an issue in real-world use.

Buffer memory is better compared to the older R5, with the Mark II capable of saving up to 93 frames (or 3.1 seconds of capture) when shooting RAW to a memory card at 30fps (compared to 83 for the R5) or 230 RAW frames (or 8 seconds) when at 12fps (versus 180 with the R5). Buffer memory is over 1,000 frames when shooting JPG/HEIF, although I found that shooting constant bursts at 30fps in any format can bring up the temperature warning and slow the camera down a smidge.

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)

Despite that, the speed the R5 II offers is great for sports and wildlife photographers alike, and the additional 15 frames of pre-capture means it can be quite hard to miss a shot – that’s an extra half second of captures. Paired with what I think is arguably the best and easiest-to-use autofocus system in the camera world, the R5 II makes pro photography incredibly simple.

And I do mean ‘simple’. Straight out of the box, the camera is ready to shoot, but engage either the new People Priority or Action Priority modes and sports photography becomes incredibly easy – all you need to do as a photographer is get your framing right and the camera will do the rest.

People Priority takes face detection to the next level and is ideal for team sports or wedding photography. Within the camera’s menu system is the option to ‘register’ a face… or 10. You'll need to take a head shot – and it doesn’t even have to be perfect – or capture an image of the person(s) from the internet to Register People Priority. Depending on the order you capture the faces, the camera prioritizes them from 1 (most important) to 10 (least important) and will focus on the people within the frame with the highest priority.

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The People Priority feature is intelligent enough to know when to shift subject tracking... (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Image 2 of 2

..and when to stick with it. (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)

I didn’t get to try it with the maximum of 10 people during my testing, but it worked with pinpoint accuracy with three people in the frame. I also found that if a person with the highest priority within a scene only has a tiny fraction of their face turned to the camera (aka in partial profile), the R5 II will automatically shift the focus to the next highest priority face if it’s more visible. On the other hand, if a non-registered person appears in the frame, the camera can stick with the main subject even if only the back of the head is visible. That is intelligent autofocus indeed!

Action Priority is perfect for team sports that have a spherical ball in constant play but, at launch, Canon only has this feature set up for three sports – basketball, football (soccer) and volleyball. Using deep-learning algorithms, Canon has figured out how to ‘teach’ the camera to recognize body movements so the focus can shift to a player who either has the ball in possession or is about to get it. That means the R5 II can, in theory, predict where the ball is going next and focus on the right ‘moment’ rather than on a specific player.

I say ‘in theory’ because I didn’t get the opportunity to test this mode out on the three preset sports, but my colleague based in the UK got a chance to test Action Priority using a pre-production camera unit at a basketball game and it seemed to work then. That said, three sports is very limited and it would be great if Canon can start adding more (not just those with spherical balls) as quickly as possible. In fact, it’s the same case with the EOS R1 too, and it's as yet unclear whether the balls need to be a specific size to trigger the camera's response (aka, will it handle sports like tennis or cricket – that use smaller balls – just as well?).

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There’s no easy way to switch between the two modes without delving back into the menu system, but nearly all the buttons on the camera can be customized. For example, I swapped the AE Lock button to trigger Action Priority and set the AF-On control on the rear panel for People Priority mode. I also set the M-Fn function to trigger Eye Control AF.

Speaking of which, this is the only autofocus feature on the R5 II that I had trouble with. While my colleague was suitably impressed, I just couldn’t get the calibration right – I even reset the camera to try again and failed. And this is despite Canon claiming they’ve made improvements to the Eye Control AF that makes it easier for people who wear glasses (like me) to use it. Seems like this isn’t an isolated problem as others have reported a similar issue.

Even without Eye Control AF, the R5 II’s autofocus and tracking is excellent and Canon has improved low-light AF sensitivity to -7.5EV (compared to -6EV in the older model, although the Nikon Z8 is effective at -9EV). The native ISO range remains steady at 100 to 51,200, or 50 to 102,400 expanded. While noise is very well controlled up to ISO 6400, even images shot at ISO 12,800 are usable if you don't need to crop in to zoom. And if noise at this high ISO is an issue for you, Canon’s new Neural Network Noise Reduction feature can help – it can denoise selected images in-camera by up to 2 stops as long as they're RAW files.

Within the Playback menu settings is the option to Process RAW Files, where the noise reduction editing feature is nestled. There are three options to choose from – Low, Standard and High – and they can be utilized in a pinch to cut down on some grain. The processed file is then saved as either a JPEG or HEIF.

I'm uncertain why Canon choose to enable this processing for RAW files only, and I'm hoping a future firmware update will allow for JPEGs/HEIFs to also be edited in-camera in the same way.

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In-camera processed file to show noise reduction with NR Standard applied (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / Future)

In a similar vein, if you want a higher resolution version of a particular image, you can upscale it in-camera to add up to 4x the pixel count using AI to extrapolate the image’s EXIF data, creating stills of up to 180MP from the original 45MP shot. While this is an excellent option for landscape photographers, it turned out to be rather impractical when shooting bursts. Pro sports and wildlife photographers will end up with so many shots that it could be hard to find the specific one you want to select to be upscaled.

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The same crop on the upscaled 180MP, demonstrating how much bigger the file is (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)Image 4 of 5

The closeup of the original 45MP image again (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)Image 5 of 5

And the upscaled 180MP version at the same size which should appear sharper (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

Thankfully Canon has thought of that and you can select a range of images to upscale, but that will eat into your memory card’s free storage. Moreover, I found that Lightroom (my go-to image editing software) struggled with the larger files, crashing four times before I was able to view them – and this is on a MacBook Pro equipped with Apple’s decently powerful M3 Pro processor.

The main caveat for this feature is that it only works for JPEG/HEIF files and not RAW. Perhaps this will change down the line via future firmware updates, but it's still handy to have.

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In terms of video, the R5 II is a powerhouse, with better heat management than its predecessor. Without the Cooling Fan Grip, Canon says the R5 II can shoot up to 18 minutes in 8K/60p RAW internally when ambient temperature is about 23ºC / 73ºF, although during my testing I managed about 4 minutes before I got the temperature warning, then another 2.5 minutes before the temperature gauge went into the red. Another minute later, the camera stopped recording with the warning that no more footage could be captured until the camera cooled down. That’s just 7.5 minutes but, to be fair, the ambient temperature was 26ºC (78.8ºF) and I was standing in direct sunlight.

Recording times increase as the resolution is lowered, with the possibility of up to 45 minutes when shooting 45K/60p without the fan. If you invest in the Cooling Fan Grip, there is theoretically no recording time limits with the fan set to high.

While not all the exciting features on the R5 II work as well as Canon would like us to think (I’m referring to Eye Control AF here), and there are dedicated hybrid cameras that handle pro filmmaking better, it’s really hard to fault the R5 II when everything else makes taking great shots really easy.

• Features & performance score: 5 / 5

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(Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman) Canon EOS R5 Mark II review: Image and video quality

• Gorgeous colors but slightly lower dynamic range
• Great details and sharpness, even in shadows
• Top notch video results

Not everyone needs a high-resolution camera but many prefer it. With 45MP on tap, there's more than enough sensor resolution here to suit most photographers, and having fewer pixels compared to the 61MP Sony A7R V and the 45.7MP Nikon Z8 means the Canon can handle speed better than some of its competition.

Even on a pre-production model of the R5 II, I was able to get excellent results, with colors that I personally find pleasing, plus focus and subject tracking practically pinpoint perfect. And that performance was just as impressive when I tested the final production model.

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It’s been really hard to find fault with the results of the R5 II, despite the limitations of its stacked sensor design. As I’ve mentioned previously, this gives the camera its speed but comes at the cost of a little bit of dynamic range. I didn’t have the older R5 with me to do a direct comparison but, in my real-world testing, I found this compromise to be so small, even when shooting with the electronic shutter, that it’s hardly worth commenting on. Unless you plan on significantly cropping an image, the resulting noise in darker areas will not be a problem because of the lower dynamic range.

Otherwise, images shot using the R5 II are sharp, with very reliable autofocus and subject tracking performance – meaning all a photographer needs to think about is composition.

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I also pushed the R5 II’s ISO sensitivity to see how well it holds up at the higher end of the spectrum and was suitably impressed. While there is some noise at ISO 6400, it’s hard to discern unless you crop significantly. Even at ISO 8000 or 12,800, the noise is decently controlled and, if in a pinch you think there’s too much visible graining, the option to use the Neural Network Noise Reduction feature is there… as long as you’re shooting RAW. And there are always photo editors like Topaz Photo AI that will help reduce the grain.

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While video quality is also very good, I doubt pro creators will opt for the R5 II – there are other hybrid cameras, like the Panasonic Lumix S5 II or the Sony A7S III that would be better suited for professional videography. Still, if it’s 8K video that you’re after, I think it’s as good as the Nikon Z8 / Z9, if not better. And with better recording times out of the box than its predecessor, the R5 II can be a worthy investment for hybrid work.

It uses the full sensor to shoot 8K/60p and 12-bit RAW footage internally, but there are a few different resolutions and frame rates to shoot from if 8K is overkill for your needs. You can shoot in either DCI (17:9) or UHD (16:9), with a bunch of codecs to choose from. Perhaps the best news for videographers is the addition of Canon’s C-Log 2 custom picture profile. This has, so far, only been available on Canon’s EOS cinema cameras, but it offers better dynamic range and more natural colors compared to C-Log 3, which makes it easier for video creators to color grade and produce more appealing visuals.

There is now no 4GB video recording limit and, during my testing, I had no issues with heat buildup with video clips of 50 seconds to 1-minute in duration when shooting in 4K. the temperature gauge, however, will appear on the display (or EVF), which I found handy, as it's a visual indication of how warm (or hot) the camera is getting with use.

Image stabilization for video and stills is also quite impressive. While I’m not a good videographer at the best of times, I struggled to hold the R5 II steady with the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM telephoto lenses at 500mm for durations of over 10 seconds, but found it a little easier to handle at 300mm.

• Image & video quality score: 5 / 5

Should I buy the Canon EOS R5 Mark II? Buy it if...

You’ve been holding out for a great full-frame high-res camera

Whether you want to upgrade from your Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR or any of the older EOS R-series cameras – or even just keen to change systems – it’s really easy to recommend the R5 II.

You want an easy-to-use pro camera

Its fast and accurate performance aside, the R5 II has very intuitive physical controls and the menu system is simplified, making this pro camera really easy to wrap your head around.

You want a versatile camera for any kind photography

While its in-camera editing features have some caveats, the R5 II will be as comfortable shooting landscapes and nature as it would be in a sports arena or a war zone. It has the chops – and then some – to handle it all, plus even some decent video skills.

Don't buy it if...

You’re a pro video content creator

It might have good video prowess but, if filmmaking is your priority, you might be better off with a camera that was designed specifically for video.

You don’t want to drain your savings

While the R5 II is well priced compared to its predecessor and the competition, I wouldn’t call it ‘affordable’ or ‘cheap’. If money is a constraint, you could consider dropping a sensor size and yet retain high resolution if that was important to you.

You exclusively shoot landscapes or architecture, or do mostly studio work

If you aren’t going to put the R5 II’s speed and accuracy to good use, it might be overkill for your needs. Moreover, some photographers who do more studio work – like portraits or product shots – might be better served with a medium format sensor, and it’s now possible to get one for about the same price or lower.

Also consider

Nikon Z8

In direct competition with the R5 II, the Nikon Z8 is arguably the easiest alternative to recommend. While the physical setup is different to Canon's, and it might lack the new autofocus and in-camera editing features, the Z8 is a superb shooter that offers just as much speed (even more, in fact, if you're willing to forgo some resolution). It even allows you to shoot with a crop (DX) if you want more reach.
Read our full Nikon Z8 review

Sony A7R V

If resolution is important to you, then the 61MP sensor in the A7R V might be just what you're after. While you won't be able to get the speed, you will gain Sony's rather good autofocus system with its own nifty AI features, like knowing exactly what to focus on and where. It doesn't have the video chops as the R5 II or the Z8 listed above, but landscape photographers might prefer this high-res shooter.
Read our in-depth Sony A7R V review

Fujifilm GFX100 II

Again, if resolution is more important and money isn't an issue, the GFX100 II is arguably the most powerful medium format camera on the market. It can handle both stills (102MP shots at up to 8fps) and video (8K/30p) well, although the lens options will be limited if AF speed is important.
Read our full Fujifilm GFX100 II review

How I tested the Canon EOS R5 Mark II

• Tested over a period of three weeks; paired with RF 24-70mm f/2.8L and RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lenses
• Used to shoot mostly wildlife with high-speed bursts and Servo AF engaged
• Captured several video clips to test frame rates and resolutions

Having already tested the original R5, and as a current Nikon Z8 user, I am in a unique position to judge the R5 II as it gives me a couple of different points of comparison.

I had the Canon EOS R5 Mark II for about three weeks for this review and did my best to try it out in different scenarios. While there weren't any local sports to capture during my testing period, I pushed the camera's speed limits by capturing birds at a waterbird refuge. I also took the camera on a whale-watching cruise (sadly the humpbacks weren't very active on that day).

This was done with the camera set to capture at 30fps using the electronic shutter and Servo AF engaged. I used some of these images to test the upscaling feature.

The waterbird refuge is also where I did most of the video testing, using the birds as my subjects.

I also captured some urban landscapes as single shots. My testing of the stills including some indoor captures to test the ISO performance, and I used this to see how well the camera's built-in noise reduction feature works.

Read more about how we test

[First reviewed September 2024]

Asus ROG NUC 970: TWO-MINUTE REVIEW

The Asus ROG NUC 970 is designed for those who want a very compact desktop computer that can still give great performance for both gaming and productivity use. As you might have guessed from the NUC name, it’s available as a barebones kit where you buy and add RAM, an SSD and an operating system. For those who want a simpler option, the NUC 970 is also sold by retailers ready to go straight out of the box. The NUC uses hardware normally found in laptops – the base spec is an Intel Ultra 7 paired with a RTX 4060, or an Ultra 9 alongside a RTX 4070. 

The NUC 970 I tested was kitted out with an Ultra 9 CPU, RTX 4070 GPU, 32GB of RAM (it can handle up to 64GB), a 1TB M.2 SSD and Windows 11. Setup was just like any new Windows machine, though not quite as streamlined, and I needed to get the latest drivers from the Asus website and install them manually. This process was not a smooth one and my NUC hung while updating the BIOS, recovered itself, and still had ongoing driver niggles even after a factory reset. 

The NUC 970 has the usual array of premium ports, including Thunderbolt 4 (40Gbps with DisplayPort 1.4), HDMI 2.1, dual DisplayPort, and a gaggle of high-speed (and low-speed) USB-A ports. You also get super-fast Wi-Fi 6E (AX1690i) and Bluetooth 5.3. The build quality is fantastic – the side cover of the NUC pops straight off after unlatching and the RAM and up to three SSDs can be installed very easily.

The NUC 970 runs the RTX 4070 at up to 140W – the same level as most gaming laptops. While slightly quieter than a similar-spec laptop at full tilt, it’s still quite noisy in turbo mode. The 970 doesn’t push its hardware very hard, and is slightly slower than a premium gaming laptop with the same CPU and GPU. Gaming performance is pretty good overall and the 970 can happily run games like Cyberpunk 2077 at up to 114fps at 1080p, or 72fps at 1440p using Ultra settings with DLSS on. The NUC is a bit quieter during non-gaming use and tends to run the CPU at a higher sustained wattage level than comparable laptops. The 970 can also handle up to 4 screens (5 with the right USB-C setup), making it a very competent productivity machine when not gaming.

Despite the setup niggles I experienced, the ROG NUC 970 is easy to love… until you see the price. It’s very hard to recommend the NUC 970 when, for less money, you can buy a premium laptop that can get better gaming results, or a prebuilt mini desktop computer that has even higher performance. The NUC model with the Ultra 7 / RTX 4060 model is cheaper, but so are the competing options, making the value for money no better.

So where does that leave the NUC 970? The concept is cool, it’s very well built, the drivers need work, and the price needs to be at least 30% lower before I’d consider it competitive against other gaming options. 

(Image credit: Future) Asus ROG NUC 970: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? $2,199 / £2,199 / AU$4,299
• When is it available? It's available now
• Where can you get it? You can get it in the US, UK, and Australia

The above pricing for the Asus ROG NUC 970 is for the as-tested model, with a Core Ultra 9, RTX 4070, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and Windows 11 Home. The NUC 970 can be pretty hard to find (especially if you want different customization options) and it commands a price premium with few discounts. There are also barebones systems available without the RAM, SSD and OS, but depending on your region, buying the extras and installing them yourself may not save much money.

Overall the ROG NUC 970 is very expensive for the spec level provided, and it’s cheaper to buy an equally powerful gaming laptop or a much more powerful (but larger) gaming desktop. Outside of niche uses, the ROG would need to be at least 30% cheaper before I’d consider it a compelling buy. 

• Value score: 3 / 5

Asus ROG NUC 970: SPECS

The barebones ROG NUC 970 includes an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H CPU (65W TDP) and a Nvidia RTX 4070 8GB GPU (140W TGP). There’s also a ROG NUC 670, featuring an Ultra 7 155H CPU (40W TDP) and RTX 4060 8GB GPU (140W TGP). Aside from the CPU and GPU, the rest of the spec (as listed below) is the same. 

• Specs score: 4 / 5

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(Image credit: Future) Asus ROG NUC 970: Design

• Compact case
• Great stand
• Plenty of ports

The compact ROG NUC 970 chassis has a 2.5-liter volume (84.5 ounces) – making it larger than the Intel NUCs of yore, but smaller than most miniature gaming PCs. It can sit flat on a table thanks to rubber feet on one side, or be mounted vertically in the heavy-duty aluminum stand. The large power supply is external (like a laptop), but at least the cable is long so the chunky brick can be hidden away under your desk. The little gaming machine has an LED backlight ROG graphic on the side that can be customized with your own logo (or covered up) using plastic inserts included in the box.

The NUC 970 design has the key ports nicely accessible, with dual USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A, an SD card reader and a 3.5mm headset jack on the front. Round the back there’s a further array of connectivity options, with Thunderbolt 4 (Type-C supporting DisplayPort 2.1 from the iGPU), two more USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, two standard USB 2.0 Type-A ports, 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, the power connection and a Kensington lock. 

Video output from the RTX 4070 is via dual DisplayPort 1.4 connections or HDMI 2.1 – the latter supporting FRL (Fixed Rate Link) that provides the higher bandwidth needed for options like 4K video at 120Hz. The NUC is also a competent productivity workstation and can be used with up to 5 monitors – though, if not gaming, the Asus NUC 14 Performance model might be a better option as it has the same underlying spec without the game-focused ROG branding. 

The NUC 970 case is designed to be easy to open, and the RAM and SSD slots are very accessible for initial memory and storage installs or later upgrades. The tiny case means it’s not particularly easy to clean any dust buildup, and the motherboard and GPU have to be removed to access the cooling system. 

Overall the NUC design is quite good, and I especially like the chunky, rubber-padded stand. In the end I actually preferred using the stand "backwards", as it still holds the NUC just as securely, but looks sleeker and gives the side vents some airflow. The ability to DIY a logo is also cool and a nice way to add a touch of personality to the machine. The only things I wish were included in the design are a few more USB-C ports (with one on the front) and removable filters for the fans. 

The ROG NUC 970 can also sit securely "backwards" in the stand, giving extra airflow to the side vents. (Image credit: Future)

• Design score: 4 / 5

Asus ROG NUC 970: PERFORMANCE

• Solid gaming frame rates
• Fast wired and wireless networking
• Quiet when not gaming

Asus ROG NUC 970: Benchmarks

Here's how the Lenovo Legion 5i performed in the TechRadar suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Speed Way: 2,978 Port Royal: 7,589; Time Spy Extreme: 6,214; Fire Strike Ultra: 7,188.

GeekBench 6.3: 2,471 (single-core); 12,993 (multi-core)

Cinebench R24: 1,079 (multi-core); 107 (single-core)

PCMark 10: 7,623

CrystalDiskMark 8 NVMe: 7,067 MB/s (read); 5,081 MB/s (write)

Red Dead Redemption II: (Ultra 1080p) 79.3fps

Cyberpunk 2077: 1080p, (Ultra) 65fps; QHD, (Ultra) 55fps

F1 2023: 1080p (Ultra): 70fps

Considering the ROG NUC 970 has laptop-spec internals, running laptop-spec power and thermal profiles, it’s no surprise that it gives laptop-level gaming performance. That’s not a bad thing as the RTX 4070 is a very capable GPU and can give great results. For demanding games, the NUC 970 is best connected to a 1440p gaming monitor that supports variable refresh rate. Gaming at 4K is possible with less demanding games, and achieving higher frame rates requires lower detail levels or dropping the resolution back to 1080p.

I started off my games testing with Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p, turning ray tracing up to ultra, and the texture detail up to high. At these settings the NUC 970 manages 65fps with DLSS off, and 114fps with DLSS on. Pushing to higher frame rates at 1080p requires reducing the detail levels to low, which allows the NUC 970 to hit 150fps with DLSS on. Testing Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p, the 970 hits 55fps with all settings on high, and 72fps if DLSS is turned on. Scaling back ray tracing and dropping the detail back to medium allows the NUC 970 to just reach 100fps with DLSS on.

Other games tested (like Red Dead Redemption II and F1 2023), as well as a range of synthetic benchmarks, all tell the same story – the ROG NUC 970 is a competent 1440p gaming machine that performs at the same level as an RTX 4070-equipped gaming laptop.

The Asus ROG NUC 970 fans and cooling system is similar to that used on an 18-inch gaming laptop. (Image credit: Future)

CPU-only performance is quite good, and in prolonged, heavy, multicore workloads the NUC 970 runs a touch cooler (and much quieter) than a gaming laptop with the same Ultra 9 CPU. That said, the Ultra 9 is easily outclassed by gaming laptops equipped with 13th or 14th Gen i7 and i9 HX series CPUs.

The NUC 970 cooling system is larger than what you’d find in typical 14-inch or 16-inch gaming laptops, but not too different from the setups used in an 18-inch machine. This means the NUC cooling system has no trouble keeping the RTX 4070 from getting too hot without needing to run the fans at full speed. That said, the 970 isn’t exactly quiet when gaming – though it’s better than most laptops.

If browsing the internet or doing light work in quiet mode, it’s near silent, whereas heavier workloads will cause the fans to spin up to audible levels. Overall, the cooling system gets the job done but, considering the price of the NUC 970, I’d like to have seen quieter fans or a setup that helps get higher gaming performance from the GPU.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

The Asus ROG NUC 970 PSU is a monster, but can be hidden away under a desk.  (Image credit: Future) SHOULD YOU BUY THE Asus ROG NUC 970? Buy it if…

You want a very compact desktop machine
The NUC 970 has a unique form factor and style that can’t be matched by a normal gaming desktop.

You want no-fuss performance
The ROG NUC 970 is a competent gaming machine at 1440p or 1080p resolutions.

You want to install the RAM and SSD yourself
One advantage of the NUC system is being able to buy and install the RAM and storage yourself – though there’s also the option to buy it ready-to-go. 

Don’t buy it if...

You want bang-for-buck gaming
The NUC 970 is quite expensive for the gaming laptop-equivalent performance it gives, and a slightly larger gaming desktop can give much better performance or cost a lot less.

You want a very quiet gaming machine
While the NUC 970 isn't as noisy as a typical gaming laptop, it’s still much louder than most gaming desktops.

You want a productivity computer
The ROG NUC 970 makes for a powerful workstation machine, but the ASUS NUC 14 Performance has the same spec for a lower price.

Asus ROG NUC 970: Also consider

If my Asus ROG NUC 970 review has you considering other options, here are two small gaming desktops and a laptop to take a look at:

Alienware Aurora R16
While nowhere near as compact as the ROG NUC 970, the Aurora R16 has a desktop PC RTX 4070 with 12GB of RAM that gives much better gaming performance compared to the laptop RTX 4070 in the NUC 970. 

Check out the full Alienware Aurora R16 review

Asus ROG G22CH
The small form factor chassis used by the G22CH is larger than the NUC 970, but it does give much better gaming performance and can be cheaper depending on your region.

Take a look at the full Asus ROG G22CH review

Lenovo Legion 5i
A gaming laptop like the Legion 5i gives very similar performance to the Asus ROG NUC 970, but costs less and is much more versatile overall. 

Read the full Lenovo Legion 5i review

How I tested the ROG NUC 970

• Synthetic gaming and productivity benchmarks
• Real-world gaming benchmarks

I ran the Asus ROG NUC 970 through the usual comprehensive array of TechRadar benchmarks, focused on both gaming and productivity use. I tested the ROG NUC 970 for a week, including using it in the living room connected to a TV for casual couch gaming and media playback. 

Read more about how we test.

• First reviewed in June 2024

Hands-on iPhone 16 Plus review: Two-minute preview

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If you were to stumble upon an iPhone 16 Plus from the front, looking directly at the screen, I'd hedge that you might think it's the 15 Plus or even the 14 Plus. It sticks with being the big-screen iPhone that doesn't cost an arm or leg, offers fast performance, and has two excellent cameras.

When you flip it over, though, or examine the left or right sides, the story begins to change. That's what I did when I first saw the iPhone 16 Plus in the hands-on area shortly after Apple's "It's Glowtime." event concluded.

It's still a large 6.7-inch iPhone with a vibrant OLED display and the Dynamic Island at the top for cool Live Activities and unlocking with Face ID. But turning it to see the left-hand side reveals the Action Button, which I like to think is the iPhone's superpower of sorts. You can set it for whatever you like through a Shortcut – albeit with some work – or pick from several presets like a flashlight or setting a timer. You can also change the preset based on the device's orientation.

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Even though the arrival is exciting, it's not an entirely new feature. Action Button premiered on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in 2023. However, just like the iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, and even the iPhone 16, the new "Camera Control" is here.

By definition, it's not really a regular button, though it is recessed and can be pressed in. It's a slightly recessed piece of sapphire glass that you can press in, light press, or even swipe on.

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When the iPhone is locked, you can click it in to open the camera, and another press lets you snap a shot. A swipe to the left or right enables you to zoom in or out, and a slight press-in lets you play around with camera options. It takes a little bit to get the hang of, but no doubt it's one of the most exciting parts of the new iPhone 16 Plus, and it's really awesome that Apple is including this on the standards and the Pros from the start.

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Thanks to the A18 chip inside, the iPhone 16 Plus will also have plenty of power to handle this new form of input and snap photos with the new 48-megapixel main and 12-megapixel ultrawide lens. It's also plenty powerful to handle the forthcoming Apple Intelligence features – the very first of which should begin to arrive next month – and all of the new iOS 18 features like customizations. If you enjoy gaming on the iPhone, A18 means that the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus can tackle AAA titles and even support hardware-accelerated ray tracing.

Apple is still promising all-day battery life for the iPhone 16 Plus, and considering how well the 15 Plus performed, it's safe to say we have high hopes.

I did save the best for the last, though, and that is color. The iPhone 16 Plus, like the iPhone 16, has one of the best color palettes in recent memory. I especially like the 16 Plus in either Ultra Marine (kind of a mix of blues, but don't call it blue) or Pink, though you can also get it in Teal, Black, or White. The colorful ones are, well, colorful, but all of these pop in a way that really delights.

The iPhone 16 Plus is still the big-screen iPhone for the masses, and considering the addition of the Camera Control and Action Button, it's more Pro than ever before – a sentiment I echoed in my iPhone 16 hands-on as well. It also means that if you can live without a 120Hz screen or a telephoto lens, the 16 Plus is set to deliver a big value.

Wondering how much? Well, so am I, and we'll need to test it further to deliver that answer.

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol) Hands-on iPhone 16 Plus review: Price and availability

• Starts at $899 / £899 / AU$1,599
• Pre-orders open on September 13, and shipping begins on September 20

The iPhone 16 Plus was announced at Apple's 'It's Glowtime.' event on Monday, September 9. iPhone 16 preorders will begin on Friday, September 9, and the new phone will hit store shelves on Friday, September 20.

The iPhone 16 Plus starts at $899 / £899 / AU$1,599 for the model with 128GB of storage, which is the same launch price as the iPhone 15 Plus. Full iPhone 16 Plus pricing can be found below.

Hands-on iPhone 16 Plus review: Specs

Below, you'll find a roundup of the iPhone 16 Plus' key specs.

Hands-on AirPods 4 review: Two-minute preview

AirPods fans take notice: You no longer need to go Pro to get active noise cancellation. Furthermore, Apple has answered the call if you have a distaste for ear tips or simply don’t want your ears sealed off.

AirPods 4 are now official and come in two flavors: just AirPods 4 at $129 and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation at $179. After spending some time with the iPhone 16 and Apple Watch Series X, I dashed over to the AirPods 4 on display. I got the chance to briefly test the higher-end option – including putting the noise cancelation to the test in a noisy, loud, and crowded hands-on area. 

For one, the case is very compact and tiny, appearing smaller than the AirPods Pro or even the third-generation AirPods. In fact, it’s kind of like a shorter AirPods second-generation carrying case in terms of width across. You should have no issue bringing these with you and fitting them within most pockets.

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AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation also trickles down some of my favorite features of the AirPods Pro case. Bluetooth Low-Energy is inside and a speaker, making the case here findable within Find My. So, if you lose it, you can ping it from another Apple device to help you find it. There is also a USB-C port for charging, and a cable comes in the box, but the rear here also supports recharging with an Apple Watch charger or a standard Qi charger. 

Flip open the lid, and you’ll find the left and right AirPods 4, which Apple dubs the “best-fitting AirPods ever.” I’ll need to spend more time with them, but they’re very compact, with short stems containing the force sensor for intuitive controls. However, the overall look is similar to that of AirPods' third generation. 

Apple has redesigned the fit here to better stay in the ear, be comfortable for an extended period, and for the best acoustic performance. I found them comfortable during my brief demo, and even with a few headshakes, I couldn’t get them to fall out. However, I haven’t had that issue with previous open-ear style AirPods like the first-, second-, or third-generation models. 

With their lack of silicone ear tips, AirPods 4 rest in your ear and won’t fully seal it off from the world around you. With no audio playing and no listening mode on, you will still hear a good bit of the world around you. With the H2 onboard here and the higher price, these feature listening modes, though.

These seriously impressed me in my brief demo – I started with Transparency mode engaged and 1901 by Phoenix playing in the background at a low volume. I could hear the track playing and the noisy crowd of folks demoing other gadgets around me, albeit at a slightly lower volume. The overall audio mix was vibrant and crisp. I couldn't test out "Personalized Spatial Audio" in this space, but AirPods 4 does support it.

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

When I engaged the AirPods 4's Active Noise Cancellation feature and had the track playing, it pretty much lowered the volume of the crowd completely – this was with audio at about 60-70%. At a lower volume, that crowd roar can still be there a bit, but considering the open style of AirPods 4, these performed way better than I had initially anticipated. I’m curious how these might perform with blocking out noise in other situations, be it a plane or a place with a roaring HVAC system. I didn’t get the chance to try Adaptive Audio here, but I look forward to testing that and seeing how it handles blending transparency and active noise cancellation together.

That about sums up my first impressions of AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. For one, they make noise cancellation more affordable within the AirPods lineup – though $179 is still not the cheapest – and also deliver a potentially more comfortable fit for folks who don’t like ear tips. I especially like that it ushers in some of the nicer-to-have features of AirPods Pro, like Find My for the case and the H2 chip, which should deliver great sound playback. AirPods 4 will also feature gesture controls like nodding your head up or down to answer a call or left and right to ignore it. 

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

You can also use “Hey Siri” hands-free for things like sending a message or asking a topical question. Apple promises five hours of playback on a full charge and 30 hours with recharges in the case. If you engage Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency, or Adaptive Audio, that will drop to 20 hours with recharges.

Of course, if you don’t need noise cancellation and can live without wirelessly charging the AirPods case, the $129 AirPods 4 might be a better fit – pun intended – and won’t be as big of a hit on your wallet. These have the same fit from the redesign and have the H2 chip inside.

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