TechRadar Reviews

Acer has a track record for doing things a bit differently. The new Acer ProCreator PE320QXT PC monitor is no exception. This 32-inch beast has something no other 6K panel we've yet seen can match, namely full touchscreen functionality.

Of course, the 6K native resolution is pretty special all on its own, even if in this case 6K means 6,016 by 3,384 pixels and thus slightly fewer than the likes of the LG UltraFine 6K Evo 32U990A, which clocks in at 6,144 by 3,456 pixels. Nevertheless, you still get an epic pixel density of 219 DPI. That's far higher than the circa 140 DPI typical of the best 4K monitors in the 32-inch form, and even the 163 DPI of 27-inch 4K models.

6K resolution and touchscreen support aside, the specifications are largely in line with expectations for the IPS panel technology used here by Acer. Long story short, the pros and cons of IPS are all present and accounted for, including good viewing angles and colour accuracy, but limited contrast and HDR capability compared to OLED technology and likewise mediocre pixel response.

Given there are no currently available 6K OLED displays, this monitor therefore poses mostly the same conundrum as competing 6K LCD monitors. If you want the pixel density of 6K, you can only currently have that courtesy of IPS rather than OLED panel tech. The exception is that touchscreen twist.

Acer ProCreator PE320QXT: Design and featuresAcer // FutureAcer // FutureAcer // Future

• Sturdy hinge for touch input
• Big, ugly bezels
• Good connectivity

Specs

Panel size: 32-inch

Panel type: IPS

Resolution: 6,016 x 3,384

Brightness: 400 nits SDR, 600 nits HDR

Contrast: 1,500:1

Pixel response: 4ms GtG

Refresh rate: 60Hz

Color coverage: 99% DCI-P3

HDR: VESA DisplayHDR 600

Vesa: 100mm x 100mm

Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.4 x1, HDMI 2.1 x1, 1x USB-C with 90W PD, 2, USB-A

The touchscreen functionality of Acer ProCreatorPE320QXT has fairly extensive implications for ergonomics, and it's not all good news. For starters, the bezels are fairly chunky, giving it a slightly dated appearance.

Then there's the stand and hinge. One the one hand, it's engineered to support tilting the display across a wide range from vertical to nearly flat to accommodate the touch functionality and, in that regard, it provides good stability. On the other, the hinge only allows for minimal height adjustment when viewing the display normally, and no swivel or pivot into portrait mode.

Then there's the plastic screen cover which lends the panel a glossy finish. That could be problematic in terms of reflectivity for any creative pros who prefer matte anti-glare coatings.

As for connectivity, the Acer ProCreator PE320QXT has you pretty well covered. Along with the usual DisplayPort and HDMI interfaces, there's USB-C with 90W of power delivery, plus a two-port USB-A hub.

It's worth noting that the preferred method of connectivity is USB-C, as that streamlines support for the touchscreen capabilities via a single cable. That said, it is possible to use the supplied USB-A to USB-B cable to connect the display to devices that lack USB-C in order to enable the touch interface.

Speaking of which, the Acer ProCreator PE320QXT comes bundled with an input stylus, though the panel's capacitive touch interface can also be used with old fashioned finger prods and swipes. Finally, on the features front, is the 8MP webcam with an integrated mic array.

Acer ProCreator PE320QXT: PerformanceAcer // FutureAcer // FutureAcer // Future

• Strong color coverage in DCI-P3
• Punchy 6K visuals but lots of light bleed
• Integrated webcam

Ostensibly, touch input is this monitor's defining feature. But the 6K resolution is also pretty special. Notably, most other 6K monitors currently available use an LG-sourced IPS Black panel. However, as the Acer ProCreator PE320QXT's very slightly lower resolution implies, there's something slightly different going on here.

In fact, Acer has opted for the competing AU Optronics panel. It's essentially the same type technology as the LG IPS Black item found in the LG UltraFine 6K Evo 32U990A. But because AU Optronics tends to price its products more aggressively, monitor models with this panel as opposed to the LG alternative are typically a fair bit cheaper.

Other than the resolution, the main difference is slightly lower static contrast, coming in at 1,500:1 versus the LG's 2,000:1. In practice, you'd be hard pushed to notice the difference. In neither case is contrast a strong point, especially compared with an OLED panel. Thanks to the HDR 600 certification, there is plenty of punch on offer, but also plenty of light bleed.

In part, that's thanks to the fact that this monitor lacks proper full-array local dimming. But if light bleed is something all displays of this type suffer from, there's one flaw that's very specific to the Acer ProCreator PE320QXT. As a consequence of the touch input layer in the panel, there's a very slight degradation of the image quality.

It's most noticeable on close inspection of fonts and texts, lending them a very slightly jagged appearance. How much of a problem this is — and, indeed, if you even notice it — is ultimately a subjective matter. However, given high pixel density and the crisp visuals that implies are core to the Acer ProCreator PE320QXT's appeal, this flaw is definitely worth noting.

As for the touch functionality itself, well, it's accurate and responsive enough, albeit the 60Hz refresh rate means that there's more latency than touch displays with 120Hz and higher refresh rates. That said, driving a 6K monitor at very high refresh rates poses bandwidth issues and likely explains the 60Hz spec. We also had issues with USB-C connectivity with our review unit which made using the touch interface with a Mac impossible. Hopefully, Acer will release a firmware to iron out USB-C connectivity issues.

All that said, color accuracy is definitely a strong point with the Acer ProCreator PE320QXT particularly well calibrated in DCI-P3 mode when connected to Apple Mac computers. For what it's worth, the HDR mode is well calibrated, too, though without full-array local dimming, this monitor's HDR capabilities are ultimately pretty notional.

As for the integrated webcam, it has good basic image quality that's superior to most laptop webcams and also offers a physical shutter for reliable security. However, its optics result in a very wide field of view. It does offer an autoframing feature which crops in pretty effectively. However, that comes at quite a loss of image quality.

Acer ProCreator PE320QXT: Final verdictAcer // FutureAcer // FutureAcer // Future

We've seen displays based on LG's 6K technology before. But Acer has opted for an alternative panel from AU Optronics that allows a lower price point. That's particularly impressive given that the Acer ProCreator PE320QXT includes full touchscreen functionality.

The snag is that the touch interface comes with some compromises. Firstly, the ergonomics aren't great for normal use, thanks to limited height adjustability and added panel reflectivity. The big bezels make the display look a little clunky and dated, too.

The touch layer in the panel also very slightly impacts image quality, which is a pity given that one of the key attractions here is ultra-crisp image quality from the 6K resolution and ultra-high pixel density.

We also had issues with the monitor's USB-C interface which we'd like to see addressed before this monitor can be recommended without a major caveat. In other regards, this is an impressive display with good connectivity and factory calibration.

Moreover, if you want the combination of 6K and touch support, this Acer represents one heck of a deal. But, ultimately, we'd probably rather see Acer offer this panel without touch support and with a conventional chassis and stand but at an even lower price. Now that would really be something.

Acer // FutureAcer // FutureAcer // FutureAcer // FutureAcer // FutureAcer // FutureAcer // Future

For more displays, we've reviewed the best business monitors and the best 5K and 8K monitors.

Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra: 2-minute review

I’ve reviewed several Ulefone Armor Pads over the years, and they often seem to be repackaged rugged phones with big batteries but poor cameras.

However, the Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra is a rugged tablet that defies an easy categorisation. It is not trying to be a slimline productivity device or a premium consumer slate. It is something far more specific: a field-ready workhorse for professionals who need serious capability in seriously hostile conditions.

Start with the headline feature. The Armor Pad 5 Ultra includes an integrated DLP projector delivering 200 lumens, with smart autofocus and auto distance detection. The projector supports a throw distance of 106 to 213 centimetres and can display content at up to 80 inches. That is a genuinely useful tool for engineers projecting blueprints on site, or field teams running presentations without dragging additional equipment into the field.

The rest of the hardware is equally serious. A 24,200 mAh battery supports 120W fast charging and is rated for up to 1,662 hours of standby time. The Dimensity 7400X drives 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage, expandable to 2TB via a microSD. The camera array includes a 64MP Sony IMX682 primary shooter and a 64MP OmniVision night vision sensor, plus a 32MP front camera. Dual camping lights with 754 LEDs deliver 1,000 lumens, alongside dual red-blue warning lights. The IP68, IP69K, and MIL-STD-810H certifications round out an impressive durability story.

The weight, however, demands an honest conversation. As with any of the best rugged tablets I've tried, it's heavy. The Armor Pad 5 Ultra is 27.8mm thick and weighs 3.5lb / 1.6 kg. That is roughly three times the weight of a standard iPad. Carrying it for extended periods in the field will be fatiguing for most users, and one-handed use is largely out of the question. The built-in handle stand helps somewhat, but it cannot disguise the sheer mass.

The device targets outdoor professionals and field workers who need equipment that can handle extreme conditions and double as a portable workstation. Construction site managers, emergency responders, utility engineers, and night-survey teams will find genuine utility here. For anyone else, the weight alone makes this a hard sell. This is not a general-purpose tablet. It is a specialist tool that happens to run Android.

If this hardware has the features you want, and there aren’t any others that have this exact mix, then you might well consider it to be one of the best tablet choices.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra: price and availability

• How much does it cost? $800/£592/€683
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? You can get it directly from Ulefone or via many online retailers such as Amazon.

Often, hardware like this tablet is cheaper from Amazon or other online retailers, but in this case, the best price for it is directly from the makers.

UK readers can get the Armour Pad 5 Ultra direct from Ulefone for £591.22, where the next-day delivery price from Amazon.co.uk is £719.89, or £128.67 more.

What’s slightly curious is that the price on the site isn’t any different for US customers, so you might as well order it from Amazon.com.

For those in the EU, the price is €682.55 from Ulefone, and €799.99 via Amazon.fr, which is probably replicated in Germany and other EU nations.

The Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Pro is the natural comparison point: it shares the same chipset, RAM, storage, battery, and camera system but omits the projector and reduces the lighting complement, coming in at $499.

If the projector is not required, the Pro offers all the core functionality at a lower cost. The Oukitel WP30 Pro and Doogee T30 Ultra sit in adjacent territory for rugged tablets with large batteries, though neither matches the Armor Pad 5 Ultra's projector or lighting specification. Enterprise alternatives from Panasonic or Getac with similar MIL-STD credentials start at significantly higher prices.

At this time, the Ulefone Armour Pad 5 Ultra has created a unique tier to itself, making it an exceptional value for money.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• Value score: 4.5/5

Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra: Specs

Item

Spec

CPU:

MediaTek Dimensity 7400X (4nm), octa-core up to 2.6GHz

GPU:

ARM Mali-G615 MC2

NPU:

MediaTek NPU 655

RAM:

12GB LPDDR5

Storage:

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

Screen:

11.0-inch IPS LCD, 90Hz, 10-bit colour, 600 nits peak brightness

Resolution:

1200 x 1920 (FHD+) pixels

SIM:

2x Nano SIM + TF

Weight:

1600 grams

Dimensions:

269.7 x 179.5 x 27.8mm

Rugged Spec:

IP68, IP69K, MIL-STD-810H (1.5m drop rated)

Rear cameras:

64MP Sony IMX682 (primary) + 64MP OmniVision OV64B (night vision, 4x IR LEDs)

Front camera:

32MP Samsung ISOCELL GD1

Networking:

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

Projector:

DLP, 200 lumens, 960 x 540, autofocus, 100% offset, 26° upward throw, up to 80-inch image

Torch/Lamp:

Dual 1000-lumen LED floodlights (377 LEDs per side, warm/white); dual warning lights with sound simulation

OS:

Android 15

Biometrics:

Side-mounted fingerprint sensor

Battery:

17600 mAh (120W wired, 5W reverse charge)

Colours:

Black

Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra: design

• Two-handed game
• Elegant kickstand
• Built to take abuse

Rugged tablets tend to be large and heavy, and the Armor Pad 5 Ultra makes no pretence otherwise. Measuring 269.7 x 179.5 x 27.8mm and weighing a substantial 3.5lb, makes it roughly triple the mass of a standard consumer tablet.

That is the unavoidable consequence of fitting a 24,200mAh battery, a projector module, dual floodlight arrays, a cooling fan, and a reinforced chassis into a single device.

The construction follows Ulefone's established rugged formula: polycarbonate and aluminium combined with rubberised impact zones at the corners and edges. The chassis carries both IP68 and IP69K certification, meaning it can handle submersion to 1.5 metres for 30 minutes and withstand high-pressure water jets.

The MIL-STD-810H rating covers 1.5-metre drop resistance onto hard surfaces. Both the USB-C port and the 3.5mm headphone jack are sealed with waterproof plugs, which must be properly fitted before any exposure to water.

I wish it didn't have a big rubber plug over the USB-C port, but it does cover a 3.5mm audio jack alongside the USB.

The attachable carry handle is a practical addition that sets this apart from most rugged tablets. It folds flat against the rear when not in use and doubles as a kickstand, propping the tablet at a useful angle for video playback or to position the projector correctly when the device is laid flat. The uSmart accessory port is present on the chassis, maintaining compatibility with Ulefone's range of endoscopes and microscopes.

The back side houses the two rear cameras alongside the IR LED array for night vision, the projector lens at the top edge, and the dual LED light panels on each side. The warning lights, which can simulate fire, ambulance, and police car audio alongside their visual output, sit alongside these.

The overall layout is purposeful and dense rather than elegant, which is entirely appropriate for what this device is trying to be.

If anything, there are too many buttons, which isn't something I normally say about rugged devices.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The 11-inch IPS panel runs at FHD+ resolution of 1200 x 1920 pixels with a 90Hz refresh rate. The 10-bit color depth is a specification more commonly associated with premium consumer tablets, and it allows the display to render a significantly wider range of tones than the 8-bit panels found on most budget-tier rugged hardware.

Peak brightness of 600 nits is moderate rather than exceptional by 2026 standards, and outdoor legibility in bright direct sunlight will depend on where that peak is achievable in practice.

The 90Hz refresh rate keeps scrolling and navigation feeling fluid, which matters more than it might seem on a working device used to read documents, navigate maps, or monitor data streams throughout a shift.

Corning Gorilla Glass 3 provides screen protection. As noted in my RugKing 5 Pro review, it is not the latest generation, but it is well-proven against incidental tool and key contact in the field.

Overall, the main vibe of this device is that it would take some serious abuse to put it out of action. The quality of construction seems at odds with the single year of warranty that Ulefone offers on this hardware, which seems implausibly short.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Design score: 3.5/5

Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra: hardware

• MediaTek Dimensity 7400X
• 200 Lumen Projector
• 24,200mAh battery

The MediaTek Dimensity 7400X is a genuine step up from the Unisoc chips found in Ulefone's more affordable devices, and it changes the tablet's character into something much more suitable for local data processing.

Built on a 4nm process and capable of clocking up to 2.6GHz, it is a current-generation mid-range chip that can handle video editing, heavier applications, and more demanding multitasking without the hesitation that defines budget silicon.

The 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM is generous, and Ulefone's dynamic RAM expansion feature can add up to a further 32GB of virtual RAM from the storage pool if needed, though the practical benefit of this is dependent on each use case. The 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage is fast for this class of device, and the microSD slot is dedicated, so there is no compromise between expansion and dual-SIM operation.

The built-in active cooling fan is an unusual inclusion in a tablet. Ulefone's stated rationale is sustained performance under load, which is relevant for a device expected to run demanding field applications continuously over a working day. Whether it meaningfully extends sustained performance or simply provides peace of mind is worth checking under extended load testing.

The DLP projector is the specification that distinguishes the Armor Pad 5 Ultra from the Armor Pad 5 Pro and from virtually every other rugged tablet currently available. It produces 200 lumens of output at a resolution of 960 x 540 pixels.

The throw design uses 100% offset with a 26-degree upward angle, which means the device can sit flat on a surface and project upwards onto a wall or screen without the image being obscured by the tablet itself.

At 200 lumens, this will work well in controlled indoor environments with reduced ambient light and adequately in shaded outdoor settings, but it will struggle against bright daylight. The autofocus and automatic distance detection are welcome practical features that remove the fiddly manual adjustment that made earlier portable projectors frustrating to use quickly in the field. Ulefone states a maximum image size of 80 inches at appropriate throw distances, but I’d strongly suggest that’s only a possibility in complete darkness.

The throw distance range of 1,063mm to 2,134mm gives a workable bracket for most indoor use cases. The 1.2:1 throw ratio is relatively tight, meaning the device does not need to be positioned very far from the surface to produce a useful image size. This makes it practical in confined spaces such as service vans, site offices, and meeting rooms without projection screens.

The one issue with the DLP projector is that it requires proper cooling to operate, and the fan noise can be easily distracting in a quiet location at night. Given the amount of heat that DLP projectors generate and the power they consume, there isn’t any easy fix for that.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The dual LED floodlights are rated at 1,000 lumens per side, with each panel containing 377 LED beads. Both warm and white colour temperatures are available, which is a thoughtful detail for environments where colour rendering matters, such as inspection work or even a photography setup.

At a combined 2,000 lumens when both sides are active, this is a genuinely powerful lighting tool that could replace a dedicated work light in many field situations. However, if you attach the stand, which most people will do, these panels are partly obscured, something that clearly the designer regretted when they realised this mistake.

The 24,200mAh battery could be the largest fitted to any Ulefone product so far and is more than double the capacity of a mainstream consumer tablet. The practical consequence is multi-day use without charging for most workloads, with Ulefone quoting 1662 hours standby (69.25 days), 109 hours take time and the same in video playback.

Big batteries are wonderful, but often they can take an inordinate amount of time to recharge. Therefore, the 120W wired fast charging is the most significant battery specification after capacity. At this rate, topping up even a cell this size becomes a manageable overnight or rest-period task rather than an all-day affair.

The 10W reverse charging allows the tablet to act as a power bank for other devices, but as each transfer costs efficiency, this isn’t as useful as it might seem.

Overall, the hardware in this tablet is great, and while a few things might have been better, like a projector that could handle 1080p video natively, it's mostly well chosen from a technical standpoint.

• Hardware score: 4.5/5

Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra: cameras

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

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra has three cameras:

Rear camera: 50MP Sony IMX682, 64MP Omnivision OV64B1B Sensor (Night Vision)
Front camera: 32MP Samsung ISOCELL GD1

The camera specification on the Armor Pad 5 Ultra is unusually strong for a rugged tablet making it equally ideal for adventure photography or site surveys.

The primary rear sensor is a 64MP Sony IMX682, a proven performer in mid-range smartphones that delivers sharp, well-resolved images in good light. The secondary rear camera is a 64MP OmniVision OV64B configured for infrared night vision, paired with four IR LEDs rather than the two found on the RugKing 5 Pro phone. The front camera is a 32MP Samsung ISOCELL GD1, a stalwart of mobile phone use that is perfectly suitable for selfie images and video.

Video recording reaches 4K at 30fps with gyro-EIS stabilisation, which puts it ahead of the RugKing 5 Pro phone and is a credible option for site documentation, inspection recording, and field reporting at resolutions that can be edited and used professionally.

The infrared night vision camera is most usefully thought of as an inspection tool rather than a photography feature. Four IR LEDs provide greater illumination at a distance, which should reduce the hotspot problem that sometimes affects two-LED implementations.

The example images give an accurate impression of how sharp these sensors can be, and the dependable colour balance they offer.

Also, and I rarely forget to mention this point, this is one of the few tablets I’ve ever seen with Widevine L1 encryption, enabling streaming services to be seen on the screen in at least 1080p, connection allowing. Well done, Ulefone.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra Camera samplesMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark Pickavance

• Camera score: 4/5

Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra: Performance

• Modern and efficient SoC
• Great battery life

Tablet

UleFone Armor Pad 5 Ultra

SoC

MediaTek Dimensity 7400X

Mem

12GB/512GB

Geekbench

Single

1047

Multi

2900

OpenCL

3022

Vulkan

3046

PCMark

3.0 Score

12199

Battery

28h 27 min (39% left)

Charge 30

%

5%

Passmark

Score

13661

CPU

6788

3DMark

Slingshot OGL

6578

Slingshot Ex. OGL

5477

Slingshot Ex. Vulkan

5156

Wildlife

3555

Normally, I’d present the numbers of the review machine against a prior tablet in this instance, but I chose not to here.

That’s because no other tablet I’ve tested could get anywhere near these numbers, including some of the previous Ulefone Pad series. For example, the Ulefone Armor Pad 3 Pro scored only 296 and 1358 on the Geekbench single and multithreaded tests, which is a fraction of what this tablet offers.

Equally, GPU power is a magnitude better with the Pad 3 Pro, managing only 647 points on WildLife, or 18%. I’m sure there are Android tablets available that could go toe-to-toe with the Pad 5 Ultra, but I’ve yet to see them.

Another area this design excels in is battery life, even if I had some issues with getting PCMark to completely exhaust the battery without crashing. That’s not a problem specific to this tablet; it seems to happen with many tablets and phones, where something happens in the background that trips up the PCMark tool.

After running it a number of times, the best result I got was that it ran for 28 hours and 27 minutes, but there was still 39% of the battery capacity left. That result indicates that the total running time of the test using all the battery would be around 46 hours or more, which is substantial.

Using the provided 120W charger, it can recover about 27% of capacity in 30 minutes. That puts the total recovery from empty at between two and three hours. There is no wireless option, and given the battery's size, that’s probably not a bad thing.

Overall, the performance of the UleFone Armor Pad 5 Ultra is top-notch, and dramatically better than most rugged Android tablets.

• Performance score: 4/5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra: Final verdict

The Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra is the kind of product that takes a while to get your head around. On one level, it is a rugged tablet with IP68 and IP69K certification, MIL-STD-810H drop resistance, a 24,200mAh battery, and a chassis that has been built to take punishment in environments where consumer electronics would simply not survive.

Yet there is another side to it, something stranger and more interesting, because it also contains a DLP projector, dual 1000-lumen LED floodlights, dual warning lights with sound simulation, a built-in cooling fan, an infrared night vision camera, and a handle stand.

Throw all that in, minus the kitchen sink, and it is, in short, a field workstation in a single device.

The hardware underneath is more competitive than that of previous Ulefone tablets. The MediaTek Dimensity 7400X is a genuine mid-range 5G chip built on a 4nm process, and paired with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The 11-inch display runs at 90Hz with 10-bit colour depth. The better cameras are from Sony and Samsung rather than the house-brand sensors found on cheaper rugged devices.

While it is not cheap for a rugged tablet, the combination of features has no obvious direct equivalent at anywhere near this price. It’s good to see Ulefone pushing the boundaries of the technologies we are used to seeing in this sector, and I can only hope it encourages other brands to be less reticent about SoC and feature choices.

Should I buy a Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra?Ulefone Armor Pad 5 Ultra Score Card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

Unique feature set demands premium price

4.5/5

Design

Heavy and thick, with an odd button layout

3.5/5

Hardware

Modern 4nm SoC, plenty of RAM and storage, and a projector

4/5

Camera

Good sensor selection and L1 Encryption

4/5

Performance

Powerful, power efficient and excellent battery life

4.5/5

Overall

No cheap or light, but good for most things

4.5/5

Buy it if...

You need this feature set
If you need a field device that combines a rugged tablet with a projector and professional-grade lighting, then there is nothing else at this price doing all three. Just don’t pick this if you have a pre-existing wrist problem.

You work in low light or complete darkness.
Four IR LEDs and a 64MP night vision sensor give this genuine utility as an inspection and documentation tool after dark.

Don't buy it if...

Weight and portability are priorities
At 1,600g with a 27.8mm profile, this is field equipment rather than a portable tablet. Ideally, it should be mounted on a vehicle, because nobody would want to add this to their pack.

Long-term software support is a priority
Ulefone's update commitments are not formally stated, which is a risk over a multi-year device lifecycle. Will it get Android 16? Given Ulefone's past history in this respect, it seems unlikely.View Deal

Also Consider

Oukitel Industry RT10

Another design using the same Dimensity 7400X SoC, with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. What it lacks is the projector, but it is lighter and therefore easier to carry.

The downside of this design is that it only supports 33W charging, so recharging the 25000 mAh battery takes a long time. And, the cameras aren’t as good as those on the Pad 5 Ultra.

At about $680 direct from Oukitel, the cost is also similar.

Read our Oukitel Industry RT10 review

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

Valve Steam Controller (2026) one-minute review

Valve’s back in the hardware game, but no, this is not the much-hoped-for Steam Deck 2, but instead a new version of the Steam Controller that’s been refreshed and refined for modern gamers.

The original Steam Controller, was a unique gamepad when it launched back in 2015, but while it was an ambitious departure from standard dual-stick controllers (instead having a single thumb stick, and two large touchpads), it never really shook off the novelty factor (the novelty being that Valve, primarily a games and software company, was now making hardware), and its unique design seemed to put off a lot of people. Low sales resulted in Valve pulling the plug in 2019.

That wasn’t the end of Valve’s hardware ambitions, however, and since then it’s had some big hits, including the Valve Index VR headset and the brilliant Steam Deck, which essentially kicked off a new category of devices: the handheld gaming PC.

(Image credit: Future)

So, when Valve announced a new and improved Steam Controller, alongside a revamped Steam Machine console-like device (the original was another worthy failure) and VR headset, my hype was high, as I hoped that Valve’s more recent hardware successes would positively influence the new Steam Controller. Now that the gamepad is in my hands, I’m pleased to say that’s exactly what’s happened.

The most noticeable difference between the Valve Steam Controller (2026) and its predecessor is that the design is more conventional, with it now coming with two analog thumbsticks, which are located below the face buttons. This makes it much easier to get to grips with if you’re used to other gamepads (especially the PlayStation 5’s DualSense, as, like the Valve Steam Controller (2026), the thumbsticks are horizontally aligned, unlike the Xbox controller.

Valve hasn’t completely dropped its innovative ambitions, however, with the Valve Steam Controller (2026) still coming with two touchpads, though smaller, square, and located beneath the thumbsticks. If you’ve used the Steam Deck, then the look and feel of these touchpads will seem familiar, though on the new Steam Controller, they are angled inwards slightly, which does make them more comfortable to use with your thumbs.

The Valve Steam Controller (2026) comes with four additional buttons on the back, and these can all be easily configured via the Steam software. Connecting the controller to a PC is easy, with the Steam Controller Puck – a plug-and-play dongle with a pre-paired low-latency connection.

(Image credit: Future)

Place the Valve Steam Controller (2026) on top of the Puck (which connects via magnets), and the Steam Controller will charge, as well as pair with the PC (and you can use more than one Steam Controller with the same Puck).

You can also unplug the Puck and use the cable to directly connect the Steam Controller to the PC via USB-C, and you can also use Bluetooth, though for anyone who has used Bluetooth on a Windows 11 PC to connect a controller, you’ll understand that that’s probably a method you’ll want to avoid at all costs.

Valve Steam Controller (2026) review: Price & release date

• How much is it? $99 / £85
• When is it out? Goes on sale May 4, 2026

The Valve Steam Controller (2026) goes on sale on May 4, 2026, for $99 / £85 (around AU$140), and you won’t be able to buy it from a bricks and mortar store – as with other Valve products, you’ll need to buy it through Steam, Valve’s online storefront. The good news is that if you’re a PC gamer, you’ll already likely have Steam installed for buying and playing games.

Despite this, the Valve Steam Controller (2026) can be used with games you’ve purchased outside of Steam, and while Valve recommends you add the non-Steam games to Steam for the best experience, I found it worked fine when playing games from the rival Epic Games Store without adding them to Steam first, though the Steam Controller acted more like a generic gamepad.

Price-wise, the Valve Steam Controller (2026) is one of the more expensive gamepads out there. It’s almost twice the price of the 8BitDo Ultimate 2, which is currently our top pick as the best PC controller, and the Sony DualSense Wireless Controller, which I currently use on my gaming PC, both of which cost around $60/£50.

However, it’s a fair bit cheaper than many other gamepads aimed at pro gamers, such as the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, which sells for $199.99 / £199.99, and the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, which costs $179.99 / £159.99.

So, this is a mid-range price for the Valve Steam Controller (2026), and while it is pricey, it does feel about right, as it offers more features than budget gamepads, but not the extreme customization that more expensive gamepads offer. One thing to note is that I didn’t have a chance to try the Valve Steam Controller (2026) with a console. Valve claims it’s not compatible, though you might be able to get basic functionality if you connect via Bluetooth. However, if you’re looking for a gamepad that you can use on both a PC and a console, then you’d be better off looking elsewhere.

• Price: 3.5/5

Valve Steam Controller (2026) review: Specs

Compatibility

PC, Mac, iOS / Android

Connectivity

Steam Controller Puck, USB, Bluetooth

Battery life

35+ hours

Inputs

TMR magnetic thumbsticks, grip sense, ABXY buttons, D-pad, L/R triggers, L/R bumpers, View button, Menu button, Steam button, QAM buttons, four remappable grip buttons, 2x haptic trackpads

Haptics

HD haptics

Additional features

Steam Controller Puck charging

Valve Steam Controller (2026) review: Design and features

• Much more conventional design than original
• Two TMR thumbsticks
• Gyroscope and touchpads also included

Valve has overhauled the design of its new Steam Controller, and to be brutally honest, that’s a very good thing. While I admired Valve trying to do something different with the original Steam Controller, it wasn’t a design I was particularly keen on. It had two large trackpads where thumbsticks usually are placed, which were supposed to make playing games in genres such as RTS (Real Time Strategy), which work best with a mouse and keyboard, easier on a gamepad.

This desire to appeal to PC gamers at the expense of a more conventional console-like gamepad ended up pleasing practically no one, and the original Steam Controller was discontinued a few years later.

The Valve Steam Controller (2026), on the other hand, has a much more conventional design, and while it doesn’t feel like a bold reinvention of the gamepad, there are still some unique features and innovations to be found.

(Image credit: Future)

Unlike the original, the Valve Steam Controller (2026) features two thumbsticks, horizontally aligned and placed beneath the D-Pad and face buttons. The placement of these thumbsticks feels comfortable and natural, and anyone used to gamepads with aligned thumbsticks, such as the DualSense, should be able to get to grips with the Valve Steam Controller (2026) pretty easily.

The new thumbsticks are no slouches, either, thanks to tunnelling magneto-resistance (TMR) technology, which is the tech of choice for most premium gamepads. This uses small magnets to measure even the smallest of movements, which improves precision, and excels in genres such as shooters and racing games, where even the smallest of movements need to be accurately recorded and reflected in-game.

Because the TMR thumbsticks of the Valve Steam Controller (2026) don’t depend on physical contact within the gamepad, unlike traditional thumbsticks, there’s less risk of damage or performance degradation over time, and it should mean the Valve Steam Controller (2026) isn’t at risk of the dreaded stick drift issues that have plagued many a gamepad.

The inclusion of the D-Pad is also noteworthy. Despite being found on pretty much every gamepad ever made, the original Steam Controller did not include one (the idea was that the left-hand touchpad would work). This was another design decision that made the original model unpopular, so the return of a physical D-Pad is very welcome.

(Image credit: Future)

The Valve Steam Controller (2026) doesn’t completely ditch the innovations, however, as it still comes with two touch pads. This time, however, they are smaller and square, and placed at the bottom of the controller’s face. The touchpads are visually similar to the ones found on the Steam Deck, though they are angled to make using them with your thumbs more comfortable.

The touchpads offer haptic feedback, which makes using them feel responsive and natural, with subtle vibrations that let you know when they are touched.

The rest of the face of the Valve Steam Controller (2026) is home to four face buttons (in ABXY layout, which the original Steam Controller, Steam Deck, and Xbox controllers all use. There’s also a Steam Button in the middle, identifiable by the Steam logo. Pressing this turns the controller on, and pressing it again launches Steam in Big Picture Mode, which is a full-screen interface that makes finding and booting up games via a gamepad much easier (and looks good if you’ve got your PC hooked up to a TV, as I do).

(Image credit: Future)

On the left, there’s also a Back button, while on the left a Menu/Start button. Between the two touchpads is a Quick Settings button as well. You also get the regular bumpers and triggers on each side of the top of the Valve Steam Controller (2026), and on the back, there are four additional buttons (two on each of the grips) that can be assigned to in-game functions. The placement of these buttons makes it easy to reach them while holding the Valve Steam Controller (2026) – maybe a bit too easy, as I tapped them a few times by mistake while playing some games (especially during hectic moments).

The back is also home to a magnetic port that lets you quickly connect the Valve Steam Controller (2026) to the Puck, which connects to a PC and is used to both charge the controller and act as a low-latency wireless dongle. It’s small and unobtrusive, and it’s a nice way of incorporating charging and connecting the controller, and with the lengthy included USB cable, you can position it to ensure a reliable wireless connection.

The Valve Steam Controller (2026) also has gyroscopes, so physically moving the controller around can control the onscreen action. While it’s a bit of a niche feature, there are plenty of games, especially from Sony, which, like Valve, see the value in including gyroscopes in their game controllers. I’m currently playing through The Last of Us Part 2 on PC (taking my time as I am a massive wimp), and swapped out the DualSense for the Valve Steam Controller (2026), and was still able to use immersive gestures such as shaking the controller when my flashlight’s battery begins to die. On that note, the touchpads of the Valve Steam Controller (2026) are an excellent alternative to the DualSense’s touchpad, which means the Valve Steam Controller (2026) is an excellent controller for people, like me, who play a lot of PlayStation games on PC (which makes the rumors that Sony is cutting back on porting its games to PC particularly disappointing).

(Image credit: Future)

One thing that’s missing, however, is an audio jack on the controller. Rival controllers often include one, allowing you to plug wired headphones and hear game audio without having to trail a long cable to your PC or console. I, like many PC gamers, have a wireless headset for when I want to keep the noise down when gaming, so this isn’t a massive issue for me, but it might be disappointing for some, especially due to the price.

Overall, the design of the Valve Steam Controller (2026) is a big improvement over the original, with a more conventional feel that’s widely used for a reason: it’s comfortable. That doesn’t mean it’s completely without innovative flourishes, with the dual touch pads and additional buttons on the back. However, it does lack the customization of more expensive professional gamepads.

It feels light and comfortable to hold, and it seems Valve has taken a lot of what it learnt from the original controller, as well as the Steam Deck (which can feel big and bulky in-hand), and applied it to the Steam Controller (2026).

• Design: 4/5

(Image credit: Future)Valve Steam Controller (2026) review: Performance

As you’d expect from a product made by Valve, the Steam Controller (2026) works brilliantly when playing games on Steam. The company had clearly been prepping for the launch of the Valve Steam Controller (2026) for a while, as most major games I played already had controller profiles set up for it. This means that most games can be played with the Valve Steam Controller (2026) and make use of its additional features, such as the gyroscope, out of the box without needing to tweak any settings.

It also means that on-screen prompts will display the correct button – this is particularly important for QTE (Quick Time Events), where you need to hit the right button at the right time. When playing The Last Of Us Part 2, for example, the button prompts that were for my PlayStation controller were replaced with the corresponding buttons on the Valve Steam Controller (2026), such as replacing the triangle symbol with Y for interacting with objects.

These profiles are also highly customizable, so you can tweak the plentiful buttons, trackpads, and gyroscopic controls to your liking, and you can share these profiles with other users. For games that don’t have a Valve Steam Controller (2026) controller, I am sure that will soon change once it’s in more people's hands, and many games have a Steam Deck profile, which maps very well onto the Valve Steam Controller (2026).

Playing Portal 2, which is a Valve game, has excellent integration with the new Steam Controller (2026); the controller felt fast and responsive. Turning on gyroscopic controls allowed me to control the camera by tilting the controller, and the default settings were very accurate, to the point where I needed to turn it down a notch, as it was picking up the slightest movement or tremor of my hands. This was easy to do thanks to Valve’s robust customization options for the Steam Controller. The haptic rumble within the controller lets you know when the gyroscope is being used, and you can toggle it on and off with a press of the touchpad or button, or holding down a button – all of which can be easily customized.

(Image credit: Future)

While I’m more interested in gyroscopic controls for immersive interactions (such as the aforementioned shaking the controller to fix a flickering flashlight in The Last of Us Part 2), it’s a great feature to have and works well. For people who mainly use a mouse and keyboard to control games, the Valve Steam Controller (2026) offers a way to play games on a gamepad with a level of precision that you often only get when using a mouse to control aiming.

The touchpads can also be used to mimic mouse/touchpad controls, and their placement on the Valve Steam Controller (2026) is easy and comfortable to use. I’d never play a first-person shooter (FPS) game using a keyboard and laptop touchpad, but the touchpads on the Valve Steam Controller (2026) are within easy reach of my thumbs, so I can choose to use either the thumbstick or touchpad, depending on the game. With the original Steam Controller, you didn’t have this choice.

The touchpads also feel responsive, and the haptic feedback on each pad gives you a clear idea of what you’re controlling and the actions you’re performing. One thing I like is that when either touchpad is not needed in a game, the touchpad locks in place, so you know it can’t be used (and also means if you brush or touch it while gaming, it won’t mess up your game).

The touchpads, as with the gyroscopic controls, are designed to allow you to play games in genres that don’t usually work well with gamepads, and while I would probably still use a mouse and keyboard for playing RTS (real-time strategy) games, I found the Valve Steam Controller (2026) and its touchpads worked well with management sims like Planet Coaster 2. The touchpads also work well when on the Windows 11 desktop, with the left-hand touchpad controlling scrolling up and down, while the right-hand touchpad moves the mouse cursor.

For anyone who has tried playing PC games on a non-traditional setup, such as from the couch and playing on a TV, you’ll know that even with console-like interfaces such as Steam Big Picture Mode, Windows 11 has an annoying habit of throwing up a dialogue box or menu that can’t be selected with a standard gamepad, meaning you have to switch to a mouse and keyboard, just to get rid of the pop-up. With the Valve Steam Controller (2026), you don’t need to do that.

(Image credit: Future)

The TMR thumbsticks feel great, and with the Puck keeping wireless latency down, the Valve Steam Controller (2026) offers a brilliant gaming experience that’s responsive and accurate, even if you’re using it as a generic gamepad without the additional features. For PC gamers looking to enjoy a more console-like experience, it’s a fantastic peripheral that bridges the gaps between keyboard and mouse and a gamepad. Using it for games like Crimson Desert worked brilliantly, with the touchpads giving me a mouse-like control when aiming, along with no perceptible lag when getting into frantic fights. While the rumble never blew me away as it does with compatible games and the DualSense (which needs to connect to a PC via a cable for the full experience), it still worked well and added another level of immersion.

Valve also promises a battery life of over 35 hours, and during my time playing with the Valve Steam Controller (2026) with a whole manner of games and using the gyroscopic controls, touchpads, and with rumble turned on, I didn’t experience the gamepad running out of battery. To be fair, the magnetic charging Puck is so convenient that I ended up placing the controller on it after most play sessions, which helped keep the battery topped up.

• Performance: 4.5/5

Should I buy Valve Steam Controller (2026)?Valve Steam Controller (2026) scorecard

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

This controller comes with loads of additional features that will especially appeal to PC gamers.

4/5

Performance

Solid and dependable, with minimal latency, long battery life and responsive and reliable TMR thumbsticks.

4.5/5

Design

A big improvement over the original, with the new touchpads placed in convenient locations, and plenty of additional buttons. You can’t swap out switches or thumbsticks like you can with some pro gamepads.

4/5

Value

At $99 / £85, this is a pricey controller, but the price feels justified thanks to the features it includes.

3.5/5

Buy it if…

You have a PC hooked up to your TV
The Valve Steam Controller (2026) is perfect for playing PC games from your couch on a big screen – even genres like RTS and management sims.

You buy most of your games on Steam
The Steam integration is excellent, which means you’ll get the most out of this controller if your library of PC games is mainly on Steam.

You play a lot of PlayStation games on PC
I was pleasantly surprised how well the Valve Steam Controller (2026) works with PC PlayStation games, as the gyroscopic controls and touchpads offer immersive ways to control the games that you’d usually need a DualSense controller for.

Don’t buy it if…

You only play on consoles
Unlike a lot of other gamepads, the Valve Steam Controller (2026) is PC-only, so you’re better off buying a fully-supported controller for your consoles.

You want a basic, budget controller
The Valve Steam Controller (2026) is not a budget controller, and while it’s not ridiculously expensive, if you’re not going to be using the additional features, you can save your money by getting a more basic gamepad.

Also consider

Valve Steam Controller (2026)

8BitDo Ultimate 2

GameSir Tarantula Pro

Price

$99 / £85

$59.99 / £49.99

$69.99 / £69.99

Compatibility

PC, Mac, iOS / Android

PC, Android

PC, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS

Connectivity

Steam Controller Puck, USB, Bluetooth

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

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

Battery life

35+ hours

10-15 hours

Around 12 hours

8BitDo Ultimate 2
This brilliant wireless controller comes with TMR thumbsticks, RGB lighting, and a convenient charging dock. Like the Valve Steam Controller (2026), it’s not compatible with consoles (a Switch 2-compatible model is available however), and its lifespan is a lot lower.

Read our full 8BitDo Ultimate 2 review

hasGameSir Tarantula Pro
This is a fantastic alternative that had an excellent build quality, as well as offering the ability to switch the face button layout between Xbox and Switch buttons.

Read our full GameSir Tarantula Pro reviewView Deal

How I tested the Valve Steam Controller (2026)

• Played several games over multiple gaming sessions
• Tested over the course of several days
• Games include The Last of Us 2, Crimson Desert, Planet Coaster 2

During my time testing the Valve Steam Controller (2026), I played numerous games from different genres to get an idea of how the gamepad performs, including games that I would usually only use a mouse and keyboard for.

While most of the games I tested were on Steam, I also tested out Hitman: World of Assassination on Epic Games Store to see how it would work with non-Steam games. I’ve been reviewing PC gaming peripherals for almost two decades, and have been an avid gamer for over 30 years on both consoles and PCs.

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

EarFun Clip 2: Two minute review

The Earfun Clip 2 buds are the latest entry in the wave of clip-style options among the best open earbuds. They're Earfun's second go at this form factor after the original Earfun Clip, following the brand's OpenJump ear hook design.

And the big pitch of the Earfun Clip 2 is price, because they cost $79 / £69 / AU$120 at launch. With early discounts already appearing on the Earfun website, they undercut much of the competition.

Now, that budget positioning does come through in places. The plastic build feels a little cheap in the hand. The sound profile, though energetic and punchy for workouts, has some limitations at volume that I'll get to, which means you’ll want to tweak the EQ.

There are some notable features here that I really rated, including an impressive 11 hours of battery life, Hi-Res Audio and LDAC support, multipoint connectivity, and a smart AI translation tool, which could just be a nice-to-have for some or genuinely useful for others. For cheap open-ears, there’s a lot here.

(Image credit: Future)

Open-ear designs are a bit of a gamble when it comes to comfort. Do you go with a neckband, ear hooks, or clip-on? Well, I’m firmly in the clip-on camp, and I found the Clip 2 buds mostly secure, light, comfortable and easy to forget about once they're in. I did notice some slight slippage, but only on sweaty runs when I pushed their grip to the limit.

However, after a lot of time testing audio gear, I've learned that ears are subjective little things. Some people love the clip-on feel and others find it irritating. That subjectivity runs through the whole experience here, from fit to sound to whether you mind the build quality at this price.

Overall, the Earfun Clip 2 aren't trying to compete with similarly style buds, like the Bose Ultra Open or the Shokz OpenDots One, on refinement. Instead, they’re asking: hey, do you want a decent pair of open earbuds without spending very much?

If the fit works for you and you're willing to play with the settings, the answer could well be yes — I've tested a load of clip-style buds, and these are the cheapest option I'd happily tell people to buy.

EarFun Clip 2 review: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future)

• Price at launch: $79.99 / £69.99 (about AU$120)
• Launched April 2026
• Already discounted at launch

The Earfun Clip 2 buds launched at $79.99 / £69.99 (about AU$120), but there's already an early bird discount on the Earfun website bringing them down to $55.99 / £49.99, which probably tells you what price you can expect to see them fall to in any sales events.

The headline here is they significantly undercut much of the competition. The two clip-on open earbuds we'd most readily recommend right now are the Shokz OpenDots One at $199 / £179 / AU$339 and the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds at $299 / £299 / AU$449.95.

The Earfun Clip 2 cost less than half of the Shokz and roughly a quarter of the Bose. Even the Edifier LolliClip, which does pack in extras such as noise cancellation, heart rate and blood oxygen tracking, come in at $129.99.

Which means that if you've been curious about the clip-on design but reluctant to spend big on an experiment, the Earfun Clip 2 make a very compelling entry point on price alone.

That said, they're not the only budget option in this increasingly crowded space. For example, the Soundpeats Clip1 are currently our top pick for open buds in a clip-on design for under $100 costing only $69.99 / £74.99 / AU$79.99 and we gave them a solid 4 out of 5 star rating.

What’s more, the JLab Flex Open earbuds come in at $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$129.95. We haven't reviewed those, so can't speak to quality, but it's worth knowing that cheap clip-on open earbuds exist beyond the Earfun. Granted, not all of them will be worth your time and money, and as we'll get to, the Clip 2 do pack in some great features to back up that low price.

EarFun Clip 2 review: Specifications

Driver

12mm dual-magnetic titanium composite driver

Water resistance

IP55

Battery life

11 hours (buds), 40 hours (total)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0

Weight

5.5g (buds)

EarFun Clip 2 review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• 11 hours battery life (40 hours with the case)
• AI translation across 100+ languages
• Solid app to tweak settings

The Earfun Clip 2 buds were easy to set up: just open the case and they connect, with Google Fast Pair support speeding things along if you’ve got an Android phone. Multipoint connectivity worked reliably throughout testing too. I spent a full working day moving between my laptop and phone across cafes and a coworking space, and the switch took under five seconds each time.

Battery life is a strong point. With LDAC off, you get up to 11 hours from the buds and 40 hours total with the charging case, and during testing I got close to 10 hours, which tracks enough for me. Switch LDAC on and that drops to six hours (22 hours in total), which is still reasonable. The case supports wireless charging, and the buds fully recharge inside it in about an hour.

For context, the Bose Ultra Open manage 7.5 hours (27 total), the Shokz OpenDots One offer 10 hours (40 hours in total), and the similarly-priced Soundpeats Clip1, offer eight hours from the buds (32 hours in total). so the Clip 2 hold their own against pricier rivals.

The standout feature here is AI translation, covering more than 100 languages. There are two modes: face to face, which translates in chunks after each person speaks, and real-time, which handles continuous one-way speech with a slight delay. Both worked well in my testing.

AI translation is appearing in other earbuds too, but finding it in a pair this affordable and in an open design feels like genuine added value.

(Image credit: Future)

There's Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification and LDAC support too, which is rare at this price, though the drivers and open design don't fully capitalize on that extra bandwidth.

The Earfun app is clean and easy to navigate. The 10-band custom EQ works well, alongside presets like bass boost, treble boost, vocal enhancement and genre options like rock, pop and classical. As we'll get to, I needed to tweak the EQ to get the most from the Clip 2, so this was welcome.

You'll also find a game mode for reduced latency, a theater mode that widens the soundstage, and a privacy mode that drops volume and reduces sound leakage.

Other extras include hearing health settings with volume limits and left/right balance, auto-shutdown timers, and a 'find my earbuds' function that worked reliably every time for me.

Connectivity was solid around the house, though I noticed occasional brief drops in the left earbud when I was walking through the city, where there could be more interference. They reconnected within a second or two, but it’s worth noting, since not all earbuds have this issue in the city when I use them.

There's no active noise cancellation here, and you're not getting heart-rate sensors or a personalized hearing test, or anything like that — and that's absolutely fine, given the price.

• Features score: 4/5

EarFun Clip 2 review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future)

• Punchy bass for open earbuds
• Treble turns a little harsh and fatiguing at high volumes
• Mid-range can get buried

As you'd expect from the open design, you can still hear your surroundings with the Clip 2, whether that’s conversations, alarm or traffic. Not as much as buds that sit further from your ear, such as a bone conduction pair, but enough for situational awareness.

That said, don't mistake open-ear for transparent. You're still listening to something, and I found myself distracted enough by the audio that I wasn't hearing everything around me, even with my ear canal relatively free.

As with any open earbuds, you're trading fidelity for that awareness of your surroundings here. The question isn't whether the Earfun Clip 2 sound as good as in-ears (they don't). It's whether they make the most of the form factor at this price.

At lower volumes, the answer is yes. There's separation, a sense of space, and a brightness that keeps things lively without feeling thin. Listening to Tame Impala's Dracula at a comfortable level, the bass came through with some presence, which is not always the case in open earbuds.

Budget open options like the Huawei FreeArc, our current top pick at this end of the market, have never really satisfied fully on the low end. The Clip 2 have noticeably more punch.

However, push the volume and things can start to unravel depending on what you’re listening to. Treble takes over, cymbals and hi-hats become sharp, vocals and guitars turn brittle, and the midrange almost gets buried underneath.

I put on Death From Above 1979's Turn It Out, a track I've listened to hundreds of times, and at first the crashing drums and heavy low end landed brilliantly. But the moment guitars and vocals came in, it became harsh enough that I didn't want to keep listening. That's a problem when it's one of your favorite tracks.

So there’s a bit of tension with the Clip 2. These are earbuds mostly designed for outdoor use, like running, walking and commuting — ie, environments where you might really need to push the volume to hear them. But they sound their best when kept a little lower.

Now, I’m happy to report that the custom EQ helps a little. A treble reduction preset warmed things up, and pulling back the highs further with the 10-band EQ created a smoother, flatter listen. But even with adjustments, that midrange muddiness didn't fully clear up.

Podcasts sounded decent, with enough vocal clarity to follow speech comfortably. That same treble harshness crept in at higher volumes here, though in noisier environments the extra edge actually helped voices cut through in busy environments.

As you’d expect from open buds, there was some detectable sound leakage, but not that much. Unless you're listening at volume in a very quiet office or train carriage, I'd say you'll be fine.

They're not a great-sounding pair of earbuds in the grand scheme of things. But for the form factor and the price, they are more capable than much of the competition, as long as you don’t need to pump up the volume too often.

• Sound quality score: 3.5/5

EarFun Clip 2 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Clip-on design that's surprisingly secure
• Comfortable for long sessions, though fit is subjective
• Plastic build feels budget compared to rivals

The Earfun Clip 2 use a clip-on design that hooks over the cartilage at the side of your ear. The chunkier rectangular section housing the controls and battery then rests behind the ear and the spherical driver unit sits in your concha. Each bud weighs just 5.5g, and a Ni-Ti (nickel-titanium) alloy frame helps the clip hold its shape over time.

After reviewing plenty of open earbuds, I've come to accept that fit preferences are deeply personal. Some people swear by hooks behind the ears, others prefer neckband-style fits.

For me, the clip-on is actually my favorite form factor, partly because I have thick hair and sometimes wear glasses, both of which can make hooks and neckbands less comfortable and secure. But your experience may really differ, all of our ears are unique after all!

That said, the first day or two I spent convinced they were about to fall off. They didn't, and once I'd stopped second-guessing them, I found the Clip 2 surprisingly secure and comfortable for long listening sessions.

The only time they shifted around to the point I wanted to take them off was during sprint intervals in a sweaty HIIT session, and I'd expect that from most earbuds.

(Image credit: Future)

There's IP55 dust and water resistance, so they'll handle sweat, rain and the odd splash without any trouble, just don't submerge them. Combined with the (mostly) secure fit and light weight, they make a solid workout companion.

Looks-wise, I've always found the clip-on design quite cool, like something out of Star Trek. But the Clip 2 are simple, black and plastic, and some might find them a little cheap-looking compared to shinier rivals with more colour options, like the Bose Ultra Open or the Shokz OpenDots One.

Controls are handled by a physical button on the back of each bud rather than touch surfaces, which I preferred. It's easy to find by feel when you're moving, responsive enough that I never had to fumble, and you can customize single, double-, triple- and long-press actions in the app.

The charging case tells a similar story to the buds themselves. It’s pill-shaped, black, plastic, but with a solid hinge and matte finish that make it look plain and purposeful if I’m being polite, a bit cheap if I’m not.

• Design score: 4/5

EarFun Clip 2 review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

For the price, the Earfun Clip 2 deliver, and they’re the clip-on open earbuds I'll be recommending if anyone needs a budget pick.

The value here is strongest when you look up the price ladder. The Shokz OpenDots One offer a similar experience for more than double the price. The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds do justify their premium with noticeably better sound, but they cost almost five times as much.

This means that if you're curious about the clip-on design and don't want to gamble serious money on finding out whether it suits your ears, the Earfun make that experiment much easier to stomach.

Yes, the price shows at times. The plastic build feels budget, and the sound has limitations at higher volumes that the pricier rivals handle better. But you're not buying these expecting premium. You're buying them because you want open earbuds with a clip-on fit, decent bass and a whole shopping list of useful features without spending much. On all of those terms, they deliver.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Should I buy the Earfun Clip 2?Earfun Clip 2 scorecard

Features

Lots here for the price, multipoint, very good battery life and, of course, AI translation.

4/5

Sound

For open ears, they are good, with volume, energy and some bass. But the mix can feel a little muddy, and they get worse as you go loud.

3.5/5

Design

Comfortable, light and secure open-ear design. Won't suit everyone, though, and can feel a bit cheap.

4/5

Value

Cheaper than rivals. Great features, decent sound, good fit. Good value, especially in this form factor.

4/5

(Image credit: Future)Buy them if...

You’re on a budget
Open earbuds have always asked you to take a gamble on an unfamiliar design, sometimes at a high price. The Clip 2 made that gamble seem less risky, they’re seriously good value for money.

You wear glasses or have thick hair
I’ve tested a fair few open earbuds at this point and the clip-on design is hands-down the best fit for me. These win for wearability.

You want good features
Translation, multi-point connectivity and LDAC high-res audio at this price point is a strong hand. You're not being asked to compromise much to save money here.

Don't buy them if...

You want the last word in audio
They punch above their weight, and for open buds at this price their audio is good. But there are issues, which means if you’re chasing excellent sound, you won’t find it here.

You’re not sure about the clip-on fit
With so few opportunities to try earbuds before buying, it's a leap of faith. For me, comfort here was excellent, but fit is subjective and the design is distinctive enough that it won't suit everyone.

You don’t really need open
Open buds are a solid option these days, but if you don’t need ambient awareness then a conventional pair will still win on sound, and often comfort and features too.

Earfun Clip 2 review: Also consider

Earfun Clip 2

Shokz OpenFit 2+

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds

Soundcore Aeroclip

Water resistant

IP55

IP55

IPX4

IPX4

Battery life

11 hours (earbuds), 40 hours (total)

11 hours (earbuds), 48 hours (total)

7.5 hours (earbuds), 48 hours (total)

8 hours (earbuds), 24 hours (total)

Bluetooth type

Bluetooth 6.0

Bluetooth 5.4

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.4

Weight

11g / Charging case: 49.6g

9.4g / Charging case: 56g

6g / Charging case: 43g

6g / Charging case: 42g

Driver

12mm

17.3mm

12mm

12mm

Shokz OpenFit 2+

Worth considering if you want an open fit, but like the idea of an ear hook design rather than a clip-on one. Sound quality is good, but they’re more expensive and it really does come down to personal preference on the fit. Worth flagging here that the ear hook design has never worked well for me, which I chalk up to having thick hair and wearing glasses sometimes.

Read our full Shokz OpenFit 2+ review

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds

If you want better sound in the same clip-on design and can very comfortably stretch your budget, these are the ones to go for. They’re Bose so, as you might expect, they offer a step up in terms of sound and build. But they’re only really worth paying considerably more for if you genuinely need an upgrade, because the Earfun Clip 2 get the job done.

Read our full Bose Ultra Open Earbuds review

Soundcore AeroClip

A solid alternative if something about the Clip 2 just doesn’t appeal. They are more expensive, though deals are common. The fit is equally secure and comfortable and a choice of colors, especially the gold, might sway some. Worth noting though they’re not rated as highly for water and dust resistance, so less ideal if workouts are your priority.

Read our full Anker Soundcore AeroClip review

How I tested the Earfun Clip 2

(Image credit: Future)

I tested the Earfun Clip 2 for two weeks to write this review. I mostly had them paired with my iPhone 16 Pro, but also used them with my MacBook to test the multipoint connectivity.

I used them mostly to listen to music and podcasts while I was working out of the house or exercising. But I also tried listening to TV shows and movies with them to see how the different modes sounded.

I’ve been testing and writing about tech for nearly 15 years. I’ve reviewed wearables, health tech and smart home products. But I’ve recently been focusing on fitness audio and open earbuds, especially headphones and buds on the more affordable end of the spectrum.

I’m especially interested in how tech actually feels to use day to day, rather than how it performs against a spec sheet.

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

Campaigner has been in the email marketing business since 1999, slowly building up to a platform that goes well beyond basic broadcast sending.

The platform covers email automation, SMS marketing, advanced segmentation, and ecommerce integrations for Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce. Two things consistently set it apart from simpler tools: multi-channel automation that combines email and text in the same sequences, and advanced add-ons that offer enhanced security and analytics.

TechRadar Pro has been reviewing business software since 2012, with our contributors covering email marketing platforms from Mailchimp to ActiveCampaign year after year. This Campaigner review draws on hands-on testing alongside analysis of its 2026 pricing, features, and support structure to help you decide whether it fits your needs.

My experience with Campaigner

(Image credit: Campaigner)

Signing up is quick, though you'll need to provide credit card details to start the 30-day free trial. That's a slight friction point, especially when many competitors let you explore without payment details upfront. Once inside, the drag-and-drop email editor is approachable, with a wide range of templates to start from and a full HTML editor for those who want more control over the code.

The platform performs well on core tasks, but where we'd push back is on the add-on model. Features you might expect to be included, like Reputation Defender for list health monitoring, cost extra on top of your base subscription. For teams budgeting carefully, those additions can push the effective monthly cost well beyond the advertised price.

Campaigner review: Features

Campaigner's feature set splits clearly between its two self-serve plans.The Essentials plan covers the basics: drag-and-drop editor, pre-built templates, one-time and recurring campaigns, A/B testing, autoresponders, and standard reporting. It's a workable setup for teams running straightforward campaigns without complex automation needs.

On the Advanced plan, the feature set gets much more interesting. You get automation workflows covering simple straight-line sequences and complex multi-path journeys, alongside advanced segmentation, dynamic content, conditional triggers, and purchase behavior tracking for ecommerce stores.

The segmentation tools let you build dynamic segments that update automatically based on subscriber activity, and you can layer in custom fields and purchase history for more targeted sends. SMS can run within the same workflows as email on bundle plans, keeping multi-channel campaigns manageable in one place.

Reputation Defender, the platform's proprietary list health tool, is not included in either plan by default. It's an optional add-on priced at 20% of your monthly plan cost. For high-volume senders where deliverability is critical, that's a feature you'll likely want — but it's not free, and the pricing scales up as your contact list grows.

Campaigner review: User experience

The interface has a clear structure and good design. A visual, drag-and-drop workflow builder makes it accessible for marketers who haven't built automation sequences before. The email editor is solid, gives you enough control over layout without overwhelming you, and the template library covers most standard use cases.

The overall design does feel a little dated, though. Some admin screens don't scale cleanly on modern displays, while day-to-day navigation can feel slower than more modern platforms. There's no dedicated mobile app either, so campaign monitoring on the go is limited to what your mobile browser can manage, a noticeable gap for teams that work across devices.

Campaigner review: Customer support

Support is available via email and live chat on all plans, with phone access also available during operational hours. For routine queries, response quality is reasonable, though some users report slower turnaround on technical issues, particularly where it has to do with deliverability and integration setup.

The Custom plan adds a dedicated account manager and deliverability consulting, which is worth knowing about if you're running at a serious scale. For Essentials and Advanced users, email and chat should cover most day-to-day needs, but you won't get proactive account support unless you negotiate that separately.

Campaigner pricing and plans

Plan

Cost (starting at)

Contacts

Cost (top end)

Contacts

Essentials

$14/mo

1000

$409/mo

100,000

Advanced

$35/mo

1000

$649/mo

100,000

Custom

Contact sales

Contact sales

Contact sales

Contact sales

Both plans are priced by contact count, with a slider on the pricing page letting you see the exact cost at your list size. Automation workflows, advanced segmentation, and ecommerce integrations are exclusive to the Advanced plan, which stays competitive at smaller list sizes. At larger volumes of 50,000 contacts to 100,000, the Advanced plan starts to overlap in cost with more feature-complete platforms.

Reputation Defender is an optional add-on available on all plans, priced at an additional 20% of your monthly subscription. A 30-day free trial is available, though it requires a credit card to start. There's no permanent free plan.

Campaigner review: Specs

Spec

Details

Free plan

No; 30-day trial only

Number of contacts

1,000 - 100,000

Automation workflows

Advanced plan only

SMS marketing

Requires separate subscription

Ecommerce integrations

Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce

Optional add-ons

Reputation Defender, AI Insight Builder

Should I buy Campaigner?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

Advanced plan is strong, but key tools cost extra

3.5/5

Performance

Good deliverability options, UI can feel sluggish

3.5/5

Design

Functional but dated, no mobile app

2.5/5

Value

Competitive base pricing, add-ons inflate real cost

3.5/5

Buy it if…

• You want automation without a high entry price. The Advanced plan starts at $35/mo for 1,000 contacts, which makes multi-step workflow automation accessible to smaller teams that don't need to manage huge lists.
• You run an ecommerce store on Shopify, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce. The native integrations pull in purchase behavior, abandoned cart triggers, and back-in-stock data without requiring third-party connectors.
• You're running email and SMS together. Bundle plans let you manage both channels in the same automation sequences, which can simplify your stack if you're currently using separate tools.

Don't buy it if…

• You expect deliverability tools to be included. Reputation Defender, Campaigner's list health feature, costs an extra 20% on top of your plan. That's a meaningful addition if deliverability is a priority for your campaigns.
• You want a modern, polished interface. The UI has a legacy feel that slows down day-to-day work, and the absence of a mobile app adds friction for teams managing campaigns outside the office.
• You're growing a large list quickly. At 50,000 contacts and above, the Advanced plan runs $398/mo or more, at which point you're in the same pricing territory as platforms with more modern tooling.

Also consider

ActiveCampaign. If automation depth is your priority, ActiveCampaign includes sophisticated workflow building with a more modern interface at a similar price point for mid-size lists.

Klaviyo. For ecommerce businesses on Shopify, Klaviyo's native integrations and predictive analytics go deeper than Campaigner's, with automation accessible early in the pricing ladder.

Mailchimp. A more accessible starting point for smaller teams, Mailchimp includes basic automation across most paid plans and offers a cleaner interface — though its pricing also climbs at scale.

How I tested Campaigner

(Image credit: Campaigner)

• Signed up for the 30-day free trial and built test campaigns using the drag-and-drop editor and template library, covering standard broadcasts and autoresponder sequences.
• Reviewed the workflow builder, segmentation tools, and ecommerce integration options hands-on, and cross-referenced feature availability across all pricing tiers against official Campaigner documentation.
• Assessed support quality, tested the reporting dashboard, and compared feature depth and pricing against competing platforms at equivalent contact tiers.

Testing involved setting up representative campaigns, including a recurring email sequence and a segmented broadcast, to evaluate the editor experience, preview rendering across devices, and the analytics interface. Pricing details were verified directly against Campaigner's official pricing page, including contact-tier pricing from the interactive slider.

Adobe Illustrator began development in 1985, with its initial release coming out in 1987. 39 years in an eternity in computing terms, and it’s amazing this venerable piece of software is still the ruling king when it comes to design, illustrations and vector-based work.

We've long championed it as one of the best graphic design software apps around - but now I'm taking a look at some of the new features that are being introduced with the latest version, Adobe Illustrator 2026 (I explored version 30.3).

Adobe Illustrator: Pricing & plans

• Subscription-only but the price befits its status as the king of the hill
• Cheaper alternatives available like Canva’s Affinity
• But they lack all the features and integration with other Adobe software

Adobe Illustrator is a professional app, and as such, is part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud Pro subscription. As has been the case for years now, you can’t purchase the software, you can only rent it.

Creative Cloud Pro includes over twenty high end software packages, including Photoshop, InDesign, and of course, Illustrator, and will cost you $35 a month for the first three months on an annual subscription (after that deal, the price reverts to $70 a month for the remainder of your agreement).

If that’s too much for you, you can subscribe to Illustrator on its own for $23 a month. Students and educational institutions can also get it or the entire suite at a steep discount.

Be aware though that every time you use generative AI, you’ll be spending credits. You get a set number every month with your plan, but also have the option of purchasing more separately, either as a one-off, or as part of another subscription.

OK, time to take a look at some of the new features that caught my eye in Adobe Illustrator’s new release.

Adobe Illustrator: Features

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

• Loads of new features added
• I especially like those focused on interface improvements like color artboards
• Great tools for refining your designs including snapping to tangents

Let’s start with some simple improvements to do with Artboards. Up to now, if you needed them to have colored backgrounds, you’d have to create a rectangle, apply a color to it and use that as your backdrop, which, although doable, was cumbersome.

Now, finally, you can apply different colors to each of your Artboards, right from the Properties panel, through its Fill dropdown menu. By default, it’s set to transparent, but you can also choose either black or white, and if that’s not enough, selecting ‘Custom’ gains you access to a virtually unlimited gamut of colors.

Right-clicking on the canvas offers some handy options to manage your document’s artboards. You’re able to rename, duplicate, or delete them, or even create new ones with ease. There’s also the option to lock a selected artboard, but sadly no option to unlock it - to do that you need to go to Window > Artboards, and click on its lock icon from the popup window. So, I guess 'cumbersome' hasn’t completely gone away.

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

But it’s still an improvement. And speaking of improvements, the classic Eyedropper tool has been enhanced, and I found it works more reliably than before. A single click, for instance, will now properly copy the color and stroke of a selected object (you can extract more of course, but that depends on what you selected in the Eyedropper options).

There’s also shift-clicking. Press and hold the shift key, and you’ll get a large circle around the eyedropper cursor. The bottom half represents the current color, while the top half is the color it’ll change to once you click.

A color picker that works as advertised and has added functionality, I can work with that.

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

This leads us to some subtle additions you probably never knew you needed, like how the end of a straight line now snaps to a circle’s tangent, or how one line snaps perpendicularly to another. Those are on by default and will make precise designs much easier.

And speaking of much easier, how about gradients with fewer banding - or no banding at all, even? Depending on how close you get to a gradient, you’ll start to notice lines along it as the one color changes to another. This latest version of Illustrator introduces two options to dissipate those lines, creating a much smoother gradient.

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

The first one is via a new menu in the gradient Properties called “Method”. By default, it’s set to ‘Classic’, but change it to ‘Perceptual’, and it should look more like it would in real life - at least that’s the intention. The change can be quite subtle depending on the complexity of your gradient, and in my experience, it ranged from no discernible change, to a pleasing improvement.

The second option is a ‘Dither’ tick box. This one works in either ‘Method’, and when toggled, it adds a mesh of subtle imperfections to the gradient to conceal any banding, and I found the results to be very effective.

Adobe Illustrator: AI tools

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

• Introduces impressive AI-based tools to expand your creation’s horizons

But why do all the hard work when you can let a complex algorithm do it all for you, right? Right? Well… not quite, but Adobe Illustrator now comes with some interesting “AI” tools to broaden your digital creations, like Generative Expand.

Triggering the tool will give you handles which you then drag beyond the confines of your original creation. This will create pink borders, making it clear where Illustrator needs to apply itself. When you’re ready (and you have enough credits), click on ‘Generate’ and the machine will get to work.

It should only take a few seconds but I found the end results, like Generative Expand on Photoshop, to be impressive - and I don’t particularly like AI! The results weren’t perfect, mind, but it should be much easier to manually refine the output as opposed to creating all that expanded area yourself.

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

Another complex algorithm feature I was impressed by is Turntable. It’s designed to turn a 2D vector graphic into a 3D one. Your results may vary, and the tool itself warns you if it thinks the image you’ve selected might not yield good results. That warning may, or may not be correct - sometimes the only way to know for sure is to spend your credits and try it out.

The objects I experimented with, varied in their success. The globe was… interesting, but then again Illustrator did warn me it might not work as expected, so kudos for the warning. The butterfly was mostly flawless, and the horse’s head (a sketch of a head, not a Godfather triggering nightmare) was perfect.

So yes, your mileage may vary, but when it works great, it’s eye opening (but not in A Clockwork Orange way). Once done, you’re able to rotate your now-3D object 360 degrees using a slider. To the right of it are Up and Down arrows; these allow you to see your design from above or below by a maximum of 30 degrees either way.

All in all, Illustrator keeps getting refined with each update. The improvements are most welcome, and the new features will certainly please a lot of artists. There’s something here for everyone which is always a positive thing.

Should I buy?

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

Buy it if...
You need a powerful vector-based illustration system with a steady stream of improvements and new features to make the expensive subscription worthwhile

Don't buy it if...
You’re not a fan of the increasing incursion of AI into the software, or despite all its features, the asking price is just too much for you.

We've also tested out the best Adobe InDesign alternatives and the best alternatives to Adobe Photoshop

Garmin Tactix 8: One minute review

The Garmin Tactix 8 sits at the summit of the rugged wearable market and will compete strongly for a place as one of the best Garmin watches. Functioning as a high-end tactical tool rather than a standard consumer gadget. It is specifically engineered for professional tactical operators and serious rucking enthusiasts who require specialized hardware, such as an Applied Ballistics solver and night-vision compatibility.

While it includes modern lifestyle features like an AMOLED display, speaker, and microphone, its massive 51mm frame and premium price tag intentionally distance it from the average fitness tracker user.

In terms of performance, the watch is a powerhouse, offering nearly 50 days of battery life in standard mode and class-leading multi-band GPS accuracy that maintains a signal even indoors. The inclusion of a dedicated rucking profile and voice-activated commands makes it a formidable companion for mission-critical tasks.

However, this power comes with physical trade-offs. The 94g weight can be fatiguing for daily wear, and the interface can occasionally stutter when rendering complex maps under load.

Within the 2026 landscape, the Tactix 8 remains the best option for those who need a watch that can survive a combat zone. It faces competition from the Garmin Instinct 3, which offers similar tactical software at a much lower price point, and the Suunto Vertical 2, which provides cleaner mapping for traditional hikers.

Ultimately, if you don't need a kill switch or ballistics data, the Tactix 8 is expensive overkill; if you do, there is simply no other device on the market that offers this specific blend of tactical tech and premium craftsmanship.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Garmin Tactix 8: Specifications

Component

Garmin Tactix 8

Price

$1,599.99 USD / £1379.99 UK / $2,799 AUS

Dimensions

51 x 51 x 14.7 mm

Weight

94g (Case only 66g)

Case/bezel

Fiber-reinforced polymer with titanium rear cover. Bezel is titanium with Cerakote coating

Display

1.4-inch AMOLED (454 x 454 px)

GPS

Multi-band GNSS with SatIQ technology

Battery life

Up to 29 days, 13 days always-on, 84 hours GPS

Connection

Bluetooth, ANT+, and Wi-Fi

Water resistance

10 ATM

Garmin Tactix 8 Price and availability

• $1,599.99 USD / £1379.99 UK / $2,799 AUS
• Expensive but excellent value for money
• Less premium alternatives are available

The Tactix 8 is a professional tool, hence the premium price tag. It’s for serious tactical users who need access to the very best tech and a bank balance that allows for it. General consumers who only want to track activities, monitor health and reply to messages will have a heart attack when they see the price, but Garmin hasn’t made this watch for them.

The Garmin Instinct 3 Tactical edition is a much more affordable alternative with some overlap in features. You’ll find Stealth Mode, a kill switch, night vision compatibility, and a specialized tool designed for skydivers to plan and navigate jumps called Jumpmaster.

The build is also far less premium. If the Tactix 8 is overkill for you, and you’re not keen on Garmin, then the Suunto Vertical 2 provides great GPS accuracy and offline mapping. Its high-detail global topo maps are also arguably cleaner than Garmin’s stock maps.

• Value score 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Garmin Tactix 8: Design

• High-resistance materials and coating
• Bright 1.4-inch AMOLED display
• The 51mm model is bulky and heavy

The Tactix 8 is available in four different models: AMOLED, AMOLED: Cerakote, Solar, and Solar: AB Elite. The standard AMOLED offering is available in 47mm and 51mm sizes and a black finish, but it was the more premium 2026 Cerakote edition (olive color, 51mm) that I was sent to review.

This particular watch is coated in a ceramic 'Ceratoke' finish that enhances a number of the watch's physical performance properties, including abrasion/wear resistance, corrosion resistance, chemical resistance, impact strength, and hardness. I didn't have a standard Tactix 8 model to compare it to, but the step up in resistance was obvious compared to smartwatches from the likes of Huawei, Amazfit, and Suunto.

This incredible level of resistance continues with the robust titanium bezel and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal lens. It's also tested to a MIL-STD-810G standard for thermal, shock, and water resistance. The buttons are leakproof and maintain a tactile feel even when used underwater or with gloves. Garmin has worked hard to make sure the user-experience is not hampered by the environment you put it in.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)

The AMOLED display is bright enough to be fully readable even when exposed to direct sunlight. The 454 x 454 pixel resolution is sufficient for navigating a map or reading a notification, and even though I never wanted for more clarity, it does sit a little behind the 480 x 480 pixel resolution of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 or the Galaxy Watch Ultra.

At 51mm size and 94g weight, there's no getting away from its heft. I was seriously glad to take it off at the end of a day, and if you have any sort of wrist problems, then it could cause even greater issues. I love the Ceratoke finish and would opt for it every time; it's just a shame it doesn't ship in the smaller 47mm size.

From a hardware point of view, there's a multi-LED flashlight that can emit white or green light instead of Garmin’s usual red light option. This is important for compatibility with night vision gear and helps preserve natural night vision. There's also a reasonably performing speaker, and for the first time in the Tactix line, there's a built-in microphone, allowing for phone calls and voice commands when paired with a smartphone.

• Design Score: 4.5/5

Garmin Tactix 8: Features

• Advanced tactical features including applied ballistics solver
• Perfect for rucking and compatible with night-vision goggles
• Everyday wearable features such as wallet, music, and 24/7 health monitoring

The Tactix 8 is first and foremost a tactical smartwatch, and the feature set reflects that. With some of the most advanced tactical tools on a smartwatch outside of the military, the Tactix 8 is a formidable offering. Take the Applied Ballistics Ultralight, for example. The preloaded solver enables long-range shooting with solutions for windage and elevation.

Then there's Stealth Mode for off-the-grid activities, which immediately disables all wireless connectivity and stops the watch from saving or sharing GPS location data. Another security-focused feature is the kill switch, which performs an instant data wipe if security is compromised. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw James Bond wearing it in his next film.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)

Rucking enthusiasts will love the specific rucking profile that allows users to input their pack weight to calculate more accurate exertion and health metrics. Parachuters are treated to a military-grade parachuting tool which helps calculate high-altitude release points according to military guidelines.

Alongside this impressive set of tactical features, the Tactix 8 is also a very capable everyday wearable. The built-in speaker and microphone mean users can make calls, listen to music, and take advantage of voice controls. 24/7 health monitoring covers heart rate, HRV, and ECG as well as delivering metrics such as your Training Readiness score, Body Battery, and recovery time. It even has a jet lag advisor!

• Features Score: 4.5/5

Garmin Tactix 8: Performance

• Accurate GPS and reliable voice commands
• Good map coverage but the rucking interface is slow
• Long battery life, even with GPS always-on

The Tactix 8 boasts top-level GPS performance. With multi-band GNSS and SatIQ technology, the watch finds a GPS signal quickly and maintains a strong connection at all times. I used it in various types of environments, including urban, rural, and forests, and never had a problem picking up a signal. It even managed to lock on when I was inside my house, a location that most other smartwatches I've tested have struggled with. Impressive results continue with the accuracy of the GPS. I tested it alongside the Huawei Watch Ultimate 2 and found the distance-traveled metrics to be bang on, even down to the meter.

One of the core features is the dedicated rucking activity profile, which allows you to input your specific pack weight before setting off. This ensures the watch’s algorithm factors in the extra load for more accurate calorie burn and exertion metrics.

Launching a rucking activity is quick and simple thanks to the intuitive interface, and once launched, navigating using the built-in map is easy enough. My only gripe with the rucking interface is that its responsiveness is a little slow. That means moving around a map can be a little jittery, but it's only a small issue in what is a very well-implemented tool.

The health tracking suite on the Tactix 8 is more comprehensive than ever, powered by Garmin’s latest optical heart rate sensor. It provides 24/7 monitoring of body battery, stress levels, and advanced sleep coaching, alongside a Pulse Ox sensor for blood oxygen saturation. The core metrics of these performed similarly to the Watch Ultimate 2, which impressed us during testing against our gold standard, the Apple Watch Ultra series.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)

There are a lot of menus and features contained within the watch, but navigation around these is intuitive and straightforward. I especially liked the ability to 'pin' three activities for a quick-access experience. Setting these requires the Garmin Connect app, although I’m not sure why Garmin doesn't allow the setting of these inside the watch menus.

Speaking of navigation, I found myself making a lot of use of the built-in voice commands, with my most used being 'start a run', 'start a timer', and 'begin navigation'. Voice controls are not powered by AI, so you have to be specific with the instructions, but once you get used to the required vocabulary, it's a quick and fun way to interact with the watch.

With this level of performance and rich feature set, you'd imagine the battery life would take a pounding. That is absolutely not the case. With occasional GPS use, regular health tracking, and daily interaction with notifications, the watch lasted almost 50 days. That's significantly longer than the advertised length of 29 days. More intense use, including always-on GPS and daily activity tracking, reduced the battery life to around three days.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Garmin Tactix 8: Scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

It’s very expensive, but the level of tech you get for the money is impressive.

4.5/5

Design

Built-to-last and with some incredibly useful hardware.

4.5/5

Features

The most comprehensive set of tactical features on any smartwatch ever.

4.5/5

Performance

Accurate tracking of activities and health metrics as well as spot-on GPS performance.

4.5/5

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Garmin Tactix 8: Should I buy?Buy it if...

You want military-level tactical tools

With features such as Applied Ballistics and night vision goggle compatibility, the Tactix 8 is a cut above the rest.

You’re planning trips where you need extra support

With accurate GPS, turn-by-turn navigation, and an expedition mode, you’ll be able to go harder and further.

Don't buy it if...

You’re a casual adventurer

The Tactix 8 is overkill for the person who only plans on the odd mountain climb or rucking trip.

You have a small wrist

At 51mm diameter, the smartwatch is not only heavy but also bulky. You need to have the wrist to support it.

Also consider

Garmin Instinct 3

A reasonably priced adventure watch with all the usual health and fitness smarts, improved SatIQ GPS tracking, and a version of the Fenix and Epix series’ LED flashlight. No full-color maps, though.

Read our full Garmin Instinct 3 reviewView Deal

Suunto Vertical 2

A smartwatch that boasts ultra-crisp visuals, a premium build quality, a monster battery life, and a built-in flashlight. A much more affordable alternative to the Garmin Tactix 8 but obviously nowhere near as rich in features.

Read our full Suunto Vertical 2 reviewView Deal

Apple Watch Ultra 3

A powerhouse of a wearable with 5G, satellite connectivity and new screen technology is an already-winning formula. Definitely a more popular outdoorsy watch but without the dedicated tactical features.

Read our full Apple Watch Ultra 3 reviewView Deal

How I tested

I wore the Tactix 8 for eight straight weeks and took part in a wide range of activities, including rucking, running, walking, cycling, and workouts. During this time I was able to test the battery capabilities for heavy, medium, and light use. I also tracked my health metrics while exercising and compared its GPS accuracy to the Huawei Watch Ultimate 2. In addition, I used the watch to keep me connected to app notifications and text messages.

First reviewed: April 2026

Adobe After Effects is the juggernaut of motion design and visual effects software. You’d think a tool that’s been around for 33 years couldn’t possibly bring new and exciting features to the table, right?

Well version 26 certainly proves you can teach an old dog some impressive new tricks.

What does After Effects do, I hear you ask? Well, as our pick for best VFX software around, any visual effects you can apply to video, such as animated text, graphics and illustrations, fancy overlays, and so much more, you can create inside After Effects and apply to your film project.

Your creative options are staggeringly vast, and I found go even further with this latest version.

Adobe After Effects: Pricing & plans

• Professional software at a professional price
• Subscriptions aren't cheap but there are two options here
• Free 14-day trial

If you know Adobe, you’ll know you can’t purchase their pro apps: you can only rent them, although you do have a few subscription options available to you.

First off, you could just subscribe to After Effects on its own. This would cost you, as an individual, $38 per month, or $456 for the year (other companies give you a discount when paying for the year upfront, but there’s no such benefit here).

Alternatively, you could invest in the Creative Cloud Pro plan, which includes over 20 of Adobe’s professional software, including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, and a host of others, and of course, After Effects.

This bundle of powerful tools will set you back $100 a month per user, or $1,200 for the year in advance. Again, no advantage to giving them all your money in one go.

This isn’t cheap, but then again, this is advanced software you’ll be using (students can get it for much less).

If you like the idea of trying before buying, you can get yourself a free 14-day trial, which will automatically enrol you into the monthly or yearly subscription upon completion (your choice), so make sure you cancel before that happens should you decide this isn’t for you.

Now that’s out of the way, let’s take a look at what I feel are some of the most important new features in After Effects 26.

Adobe After Effects: Features

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

• Seamless VFX creations
• Steep learning curve
• New, useful and long requested featured added, including variable fonts support and native SVG import

By default, After Effects 26 greatly improves playback performance thanks to support for ‘lossless compressed frames’. Behind the scenes, it compresses your clips without losing quality so they take up less space in your disk cache. This means your previews can be longer or you can have more of them before your cache runs full.

Of course, you have complete control over this. Should you wish to disable that feature, you’ll find the relevant tick box in the Disk Settings (look for ‘Enable Compressed Frames (Lossless)’)

After Effects (finally!) fully supports Illustrator files, enabling you to animate your graphic designs. This includes support for Illustrator gradients.

One feature I found particularly useful is the ability to crop your composition based on a selected asset. Associated with that is a feature I really liked: being able to work with SVG files natively, and even have access to, and being able to, manipulate every vector path that make up the selected illustration. The only downside is the mess that is the naming of the various paths and groups. Still, being able to modify each path over time is a fantastic feature for After Effects to have.

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

Another cool addition is support for variable fonts. These are fantastic for creating complex animations with ease, as they allow you to make changes to the font’s weight, width, and more, all keyframeable, and you can transform individual letters that way too. These parameters are accessed through an icon to the right of the font’s name in the Text panel.

Variable fonts are a special type of font with various modifiable ‘axes’ - the more a font has the more parameters you’re able to alter. If you don’t have any such fonts in your collection, don’t worry: Adobe has a large collection of them here, and do does Google here.

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

If you’ve ever needed to work with a flame effect, but have struggled to key out the white or black backdrop, you’ll love the new ‘Unmult’ effect. Just drag it onto the clip’s layer in your composition, and as if by magic, the background’s gone, and the fire has a perfect blend of vibrancy and transparency. You do have some parameters you can control (the most notable one being able to choose between keying out a black or white backdrop) but I found the default options worked fantastically well as is.

There are also additional audio controls with 26, such as gate, compressor, and distortion effects, and you’ll notice the Preferences window has been completely reorganised. OCD people might not like that, but the new layout should make it easier to find what you’re after quicker - once you’ve got used to it.

All this is good, really good in fact, but the biggest tentpole feature has got to be the native inclusion of 3D shape creation…

Adobe After Effects: 3D Shape Creation

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

• Create, control, alter, and manipulate 3D shapes natively
• All happens within After Effects
• A fantastic and most welcome addition

This is a big one: there’s a 3D shape creation tool (conveniently located to the right of the shape creation icon in the top toolbar). With it, you gain access to 6 basic shapes: cube, sphere, plain, doughnut, cone, and cylinder, but that’s far from the end of it; you also have parameters that allow you to change many aspects of those shapes, the most versatile one seems to be the cone in my experience.

I found the bevel tool to be quite useful - it rounds the edges of your cube for instance, and it affects the cone in interesting ways. Slices is another good parameter - you could use it to add ridges to the donut shape for instance, or turn the cone into a multi-wedged cylinder. The variety and options are generous. You can of course animate these shapes over time, and even light them all natively inside After Effects.

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

But that’s not all: since Adobe owns Substance3D, you can use that service straight from After Effects. Well.. kind of: it’s certainly not as seamless as it could be, but it’s a fantastic way to apply different and interesting skins to your shapes. Scroll down the properties sidebar until you find the Material section. You’ll find a drop down menu there with the ‘Get Substance Community Assets’ command.

You’ll then be taken out of After Effects for the next part, which is far from user friendly, to a webpage from which you can browse all available materials - and there’s thousands of them - although not all are compatible with After Effects.

(Image credit: Adobe // Future)

Do a search for ‘.sbsar’ and it should filter out those that aren’t. You then download the skins you’re interested in, and drag those into your project. Only then will they appear in the sidebar’s Material drop down menu.

The whole acquiring process feels clunky, but once they’re in your project, all you need to do is select a shape, then choose the right material from that menu, and you’re done. I mean, not quite: you have parameters you can alter to help you get the look you’re after, but at the end of the day, clunkiness aside, it’s a simple enough process to add a skin to a 3D shape.

All in all, it’s an amazing and very welcome addition to an already incredibly powerful application.

Should I buy?

Buy it if...
You need to design and animate graphic design assets - let’s face it, After Effect is the go-to app for such work, and the new features will make this software even more useful.

Don't buy it if...
You don't want another expensive subscription model, and your needs are much simpler than the gargantuan options available with After Effects.

We tested the best video editing apps- and here are our top picks

Asus Zenbook A14: Two-minute review

The Asus Zenbook A14 is a light and compact laptop that promises to be the ideal travel companion.

Its soft, minimalist appearance is appealing. There are no unnecessary contours or protrusions on any surface, and the rounded corners make it look less austere than many other laptops, especially in its light beige finish.

That aesthetic is complimented by the extremely light and slender frame, which helps to make the Zenbook A14 one of the best laptops around in terms of portability.

Not only that, but the build quality of the Zenbook A14 is also commendable. The base feels solid, while the materials used feel premium to the touch. The lid has considerably more flex, but this is excused somewhat by its sheer thinness and ease of use. What’s more, it’s as stable as you could wish for once open.

(Image credit: Future)

It’s pleasing to see this many ports on such a thin device. There are two USB-C ports, both of which support external monitors and charging. However, they’re both on the left-hand side of the unit, along with all the other ports (barring a single USB-A). This may hamper convenience, depending on your particular setup and preferences.

I have fewer gripes with the performance of the Zenbook A14. It remained composed during every task I threw at it, even handling light gaming well, which is doubly impressive given it has no dedicated GPU. Heat and fan noise are noticeable when such workloads are undertaken, but I didn’t find either of these aspects too disruptive.

The 1200p OLED display is sharp and vibrant, although it’s not quite as impressive as some of the best monitors around. And while it’s bright enough to lay pesky reflections to rest, it’s still wanting in this department.

The keyboard is excellent, facilitating quick typing thanks to the generous spacing and snappy nature of the keys. They also have more travel and dampening than I was expecting, which only adds to the satisfaction of using them. The touchpad feels equally tactile, thanks to its smooth-as-silk surface, although its small size can hamper navigation.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Zenbook A14, though, is its battery life. It lasted over 28 hours in our movie playback test, which is longer than its larger sibling, the A16, managed to achieve. Many other 14-inch laptops failed to beat this time as well.

The Zenbook A14 isn’t exactly a cheap laptop, but it hardly puts a foot wrong. If you want a 14-inch laptop that’s easy to travel, performs well in most areas, and lasts all day, it should be at the top of your list.

Asus Zenbook A14 review: Specs

Base

Review

Price

$1,599.99 / £769.99/ AU$1,999

$1,799.99 / AU$3,699 (about £1,300)

CPU

Snapdragon X (X1-26-100) (2.97GHz, 8 Cores)

Aus: Snapdragon X Plus (X1P-42-100) (3.2GHz, 8 Cores)

Snapdragon X2 Elite (X2E-88-100) (4.0GHz, 18 Cores)

GPU

Qualcomm Adreno (integrated)

Qualcomm Adreno (integrated)

RAM

16GB LPDDR5X

32GB LPDDR5X

Storage

1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD

Aus: 512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD

1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD

Display

14-inch WUXGA 3K (1920 x 1200) OLED, 16:10, 60Hz

14-inch WUXGA 3K (1920 x 1200) OLED, 16:10, 60Hz

Ports and Connectivity

2x USB-C (4.0 Gen 3, display / power delivery support, 40Gbps) 1x USB-A (3.2 Gen 2, 10Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack; Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3

2x USB-C (4.0 Gen 3, display / power delivery support, 40Gbps) 1x USB-A (3.2 Gen 2, 10Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack; Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

Battery

70Wh

70Wh

Dimensions

311 x 214 x 16mm (12.2 x 8.4 x 0.6in)

311 x 214 x 16mm (12.2 x 8.4 x 0.6in)

Weight

2.16lbs (0.98kg)

2.16lbs (0.98kg)

Asus Zenbook A14 review: Price & availability

(Image credit: Future)

• Starting from $1,599.99 / £769.99 / AU$1,999
• Available now
• Higher end of the market

The Asus Zenbook A14 starts from $1,599.99 / £769.99/ AU$1,999 and is available now in two colorways: grey and beige.

This is undeniably an expensive laptop, and many rivals undercut it. The HP Omnibook 7 14-inch is one such example. It’s similarly high-end and handles most tasks well, as well as featuring an excellent battery life, although it’s not quite as enduring as the Zenbook A14, nor is it as light.

For about the same price as the Zenbook A14, you could also get the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14. As the name suggests, this is a convertible laptop, featuring a 360-degree rotating lid and touchscreen display for tablet style use. It even includes a stylus.

Asus Zenbook A14 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Very light and thin
• Unique finish and materials
• Sufficient port selection

There are several aspects of the Zenbook A14’s design that set it apart from the crowd. First, its finishes are more interesting, with the grey model featuring a slightly marbled texture and the beige a slightly mottled one, both of which run counter to the sterile nature of many modern laptops.

Its form is minimal in every sense. All sides are flat with no unsightly bulges, and the whole unit is impressively thin and ultra light, making it great for those who need a portable machine.

Despite the lithe construction, build quality doesn’t appear to have been compromised. The Ceraluminium chassis material feels smooth and premium, and there’s little flex to the base.

The Zenbook A14’s display enclosure is a more flimsy affair, but given how incredibly thin it is, this is hardly surprising. The lid is also incredibly easy to open yet still offers plenty of stability, preventing the screen from wobbling during use.

(Image credit: Future)

Its keyboard also feels premium, and features bright backlighting. This is always a positive aspect, and one I feel should be mandatory on pretty much any laptop.

There are enough ports on the Zenbook A14 to make it practical. The selection includes two USB-C ports, both of which are capable of supporting external monitor connections and charging.

It’s a shame, however, that both are located on the same side (left), as I typically prefer such ports to be split across both sides, to allow for greater versatility when connecting to power sources and displays.

In fact, every port save for the single USB-A port is located here, which could further impede practicality. At least they’re in a sensible order: the headset jack is the foremost interface, while the HDMI port — an increasingly rare sight on today’s laptops — is at the far end.

Asus Zenbook A14 review: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Capable all-round performance
• Some heat and noise generated
• Not the brightest display

Asus Zenbook A14 benchmarks

3DMark: Night Raid: 44,546; Fire Strike: 9,579; Steel Nomad: 1,071; Solar Bay: 20,836; Solar Bay Unlimited: 22,429; Solar Bay Extreme: 2,157; Solar Bay Extreme Unlimited: 2,450
Geekbench 6.5: Multicore: 20,134; Single-core: 3,798
Cinebench R23: Multi Core: 14,476; Cinebench R24: Single Core: 90; Multi Core: 820
Crossmark: Overall: 1,920; Productivity: 1,731; Creativity: 2,157; Responsiveness: 1,848
Passmark Overall: 7,591; CPU: 30,623.6; 2D Graphics: 464.2; 3D Graphics: 6,547.8; Memory: 3,473.7; Disk: 44,120
BlackMagicDisk: Read: 4154MB/s; Write: 4698MB/s
HandBrake 4K to 1080p: 70.09fps
Total War: Warhammer III: 1080p, Medium: 44fps
Total War: Warhammer III: 1200p, Ultra: 23fps
Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 28 hours and 25 minutes

The overall performance of the Zenbook A14 is admirable indeed for such a compact device. Browsing and light productivity are processed smoothly, as is streaming in resolutions above 1080p. Since my review unit was packed with 32GB of RAM, it handled multitasking very well, too.

What’s more, I was pleasantly surprised by the gaming chops of the Zenbook A14, considering it has no dedicated GPU. It managed to run Cyberpunk 2077 at the Ray Tracing: Low preset in a playable state. Granted, visuals were rough around the edges, and I experienced the occasional stutter and momentary lockups, but it was still smooth enough for a casual session.

However, such workloads do elicit a fair amount of fan noise from the Zenbook A14 which, while not disruptive, is certainly noticeable. Heat is also generated, but temperatures are modest and localized to the back of the unit, far from where your fingers might stray.

(Image credit: Future)

The display in the Zenbook A14 is quite good. The 1920 x 1200 resolution offers enough clarity for the screen’s dimensions, and colors are rendered well enough to enjoy all kinds of content. However, this isn’t the most vibrant OLED display I’ve encountered, nor is it the most radiant; there’s enough brightness to combat reflections effectively, but it doesn’t quite match the sheer luminosity of the best OLED displays I’ve experienced.

I have less gripes with the keyboard in the Zenbook A14, though. The keys are light, snappy, and well-spaced, all of which allows for quick typing. They’re also incredibly satisfying to press, owing to their dampening and long travel relative to their low profile.

However, the layout is compromised somewhat, lacking as it does a number pad and all navigation keys, save for a delete/ insert one. At least there are a number of useful shortcuts on the F row, such as those for screenshotting, opening various utility apps, and disabling the touchpad, microphone, and camera.

The touchpad is gloriously smooth, which makes swipes and gestures easy and enjoyable to perform. The added slider functions on the edges for controlling various parameters, such as volume and brightness, also work well; I never triggered them accidentally during my time with the Zenbook A14, as I have done with other implementations of this feature. However, the surface area of the pad is a little too small for efficient navigation; I often found myself running out of space when dragging and dropping items around the screen, for instance.

Asus Zenbook A14 review: Battery life

(Image credit: Future)

• Best in class
• Outlasts larger model

The battery life of the Zenbook A14 is very impressive. When I ran a movie on a continuous loop, the laptop lasted over 28 hours, which puts it at the top of its class.

The larger Zenbook A16 lasted just over 24 hours in the same test. The Zenbook A14 also outlasts other premium 14-inch laptops, such as the HP OmniBook 7, which managed about 26 hours.

Should I buy the Asus Zenbook A14?Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

The Zenbook A14 is expensive in absolute terms, and there are laptops that perform almost as well for significantly less.

3.5 / 5

Design

Incredibly light, thin, and good looking, with a unique and premium construction.

4.5 / 5

Performance

Handles most tasks well, and is even capable of some light gaming. The OLED display is good, but not the best I’ve seen in a laptop.

4 / 5

Battery Life

Among the best in its class; it can outlast most of its rivals.

5 / 5

Final Score

The Zenbook A14 gets most things right. There are only a few drawbacks, chief among which is its high price tag. Certainly one to consider if you need a portable machine, though.

4 / 5

Buy it if…

You want ultimate portability
No 14-inch laptop is more portable than this, thanks to its seriously light and thin design.

You want a capable all-round performer
The Zenbook A14 handles most tasks well, and it’s a surprisingly good gamer for a GPU-less device. Battery life is excellent, too.

Don't buy it if…

You want the brightest display
While the OLED display is certainly sufficient, it’s not quite as vibrant or as bright as others.

The want the quietest machine
Under stress, the Zenbook A14 does produce a fair amount of fan noise, although I didn’t find this too distracting.

Asus Zenbook A14 review: Also consider

HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14
When comparing like-for-like models, the Ultra Flip is about the same price as the Zenbook A14, but has that added convertible functionality, with its touchscreen and included stylus performing very well. Its OLED display is better than the Zenbook’s as well, contributing to the Ultra Flip’s ranking as one of the best 2-in-1 laptops out there. Read our full HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 review.

HP Omnibook 7 14-inch
For significantly less than the Zenbook A14, there’s the Omnibook 7. This is an excellent all-rounder, featuring great performance, a premium design, and a dazzling OLED display that eclipses that in the Zenbook A14. Its keyboard isn’t as satisfying, but that’s about the only drawback. Read our full HP Omnibook 7 14-inch review.

How I tested the Asus Zenbook A14

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested for several days
• Used for various tasks
• Experienced laptop reviewer

I spent several days with the Asus Zenbook A14 and used it for various tasks, from web browsing and light productivity to streaming video and gaming.

I also ran our series of benchmark tests, to comprehensively assess every facet of its performance. This included running a movie on a continuous loop unplugged to test the battery life.

I’ve reviewed a whole host of laptops before, across a broad range of price points, form factors, and use cases, from budget devices to gaming machines. I’ve also used laptops and all kinds of similar computing devices in my personal life for decades.

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

Polaroid Hi-Print 3x3: review

I’m an instant photography fan, and a firm believer that one photographic print is worth a thousand forgotten files mouldering away in a cloud-storage account – so new products from Polaroid always grab my attention. Since its revival in 2017 – following the acquisition of the brand name by a group of analog evangelists named ‘The Impossible Project’ – Polaroid has gone from strength to strength, building up an impressive range of instant cameras and printers (my personal favorite is the Polaroid Flip).

The Polaroid Hi-Print 3x3 is the brand’s newest Bluetooth printer, designed to quickly turn images from your phone’s camera roll into real, tangible prints measuring 3x3 inches. It doesn’t take classic Polaroid instant film, instead using a heat-based dye-sublimation to quickly transfer images to paper. Very quickly, in fact – the Hi-Print 3x3 can spit out a print in comfortably under a minute.

Polaroid offers two other similar printers – the smaller Hi·Print 2x3 and the larger Hi-Print 4x6. However, the Hi-Print 3x3 offers two key USPs that make it more than just a gap-filler in the lineup.

The Polaroid Hi-Print is able to free-stand vertically, making it a versatile display frame.Jon StapleyJon StapleyJon StapleyJon Stapley

The first, and most significant, is that the Hi-Print 3x3 has a built-in slot for a square photo on one side, with a transparent protective cover that can be placed over the top. Thanks to its boxy rectangular shape, it can be stood vertically on a flat surface and used to display the inserted image – meaning it functions as printer and frame all in one. Nifty!

The second is the fact that it prints images in square format, rather than the rectangular 2x3” or 4x6” formats of the other printers. Your mileage may vary on this one, but for me, a Polaroid isn’t a Polaroid if it doesn't have that distinctive square shape, and even though the prints from the Hi-Print 3x3 are made using an identical process to the other two printers, they just feel much more like Polaroids than the rectangular prints do.

Printing is done via your phone, using the Polaroid Hi-Print app available for iOS or Android. Be warned that the printer can only connect through the app – at first I tried connecting via Bluetooth directly, and was confused as to why it wasn’t working. Once I booted up the app, the pairing was instant.

Prints happen in four key stages: yellow, magenta, cyan, and protective layer.Jon StapleyJon StapleyJon StapleyJon Stapley

Once you’ve selected an image to print from your phone’s camera roll, you are presented with a fairly comprehensive selection of editing tools, including sliders for brightness, contrast, shadows, highlights, saturation, etc, as well as cropping and straightening.

It’s the latter two compositional tools that will likely get the most use. As far as color, dynamic range and exposure are concerned, the majority of modern smartphones have automatic photo-processing that probably beats anything you’re going to achieve with a set of fairly imprecise sliders. However, since you’re printing in square format and your phone will shoot wider than that, your images are always going to be cropped, so it’s worth getting into the habit of ensuring the crop is where you want it, and the composition is to your taste.

There are also options to add stickers and text to your images, and the box contains a set of physical stickers for use on the finished print, if so desired. I did not desire, but you do you. The battery lasts well, and can quickly and easily be topped up via USB-C when needed.

The print quality itself, I would call pretty good. You’ll likely be pleased the first time a print comes out – the colors are big, bold and vivid. There’s none of the washed-out look that can plague some instant digital printers, especially those that use zero-ink (ZINK) printing like Kodak’s Printomatic camera or Canon’s Canon Ivy Cliq+2. In terms of visual impact, Polaroid has them both beat. It doesn’t quite have the lo-fi magic of Polaroid’s I-Type film utilized by cameras such as the premium I-2, but that’s what makes it much cheaper to run.

You have to remember to tear off the perforated white strip at the bottom for your prints to fit correctly – once this is done, they slot in very easily. Jon StapleyJon StapleyJon StapleyJon Stapley

In my time with the Hi-Print I did run into one mis-print, caused apparently by paper misalignment. This necessitated a restart of the printer and a redo of the print, cutting my pack of ten down to nine. Not ruinous, but a shame, and since it was my first print, it wasn’t the best first impression!

The prints don’t hold up to super-close scrutiny, not that I’d expect them to. When inspected closely, fine detail can appear rather smudgy. Landscape-style images with distant detail tend to fare the worst – in general, the best subject for a print is one with a nice big subject, front and centre. The tonal range isn’t bad though – I fed through some images featuring sunset skies, and the printer did a better job than I expected of reproducing the subtle interplays of blues and oranges. Not amazing, but not bad.

(Image credit: Jon Stapley)

The frame functionality may sound like a gimmick, but I found it rather charming, and I think it extends the fun factor of the printer. Being able to slot in different images whenever you want, according to your mood or the time of year or whatever else – it’s fun! I could especially see it appealing to a younger person who wants some changeable decoration for their room. The small dimensions and freestanding design of the Hi-Print allow it to easily be displayed on a shelf, windowsill or bedside table.

It’s nothing groundbreaking, but it’s a fun way to get photos off your phone and into the real world. I’ve enjoyed my time with it, and while digital instant printing doesn’t capture the alchemical magic of instant film, this for me is as close as it has ever come.

Polaroid Hi-Print 3x3: price & release date

Polaroid took the wraps off the Hi-Print 3x3 in April 2026. It’s available for a starting price of $119.99 / £99.99 / AU$ 194.00, and that’s with a set of ten sheets included. Once you’ve blown through those, a re-up cartridge of 30 sheets can be picked up for $24.99 / £22.99 / AU$44 (there are also bulk-buy packages that work out a little cheaper per sheet). True Polaroid I-type instant film is much pricier per print.

This starting price puts it in the middle of Polaroid’s printer range – the smaller Polaroid Hi·Print 2x3 Generation 2 is available for $109.99 / £89.99 / AU$176, while the larger-format Polaroid Hi-Print 4x6 starts at $149.99 / £129.99 / AU$264.

(Image credit: Jon Stapley)Polaroid Hi-Print 3x3: specs

Dimensions

103 x 131 x 30 mm

Print size

76.2mm x 76.2mm (3" x 3")

Printing process

Dye diffusion thermal transfer

Connectivity

Bluetooth

Battery

Lithium-ion rechargeable

Charging port

USB-C

Print time

< 50 sec

Weight

390g

App compatibility

iOS / Android

(Image credit: Jon Stapley)Should I buy the Polaroid Hi-Print 3x3?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Quick, easy photo printing, augmented by fast charging and an intuitive app.

4/5

Design

Clever free-standing box design gives the printer additional function as a display frame.

4.5/5

Performance

Prints deliver punchy color and decent tonal range, though fine details can get smudgy.

4/5

Value

It’s cheaper than a Polaroid camera, though still not exactly cheap (and paper’s an ongoing cost).

3.5/5

Buy it if…

You want a fun, changeable way to display your images
The ease of printing and swapping out your photos makes the Hi-Print 3x3 an at-home photo display that can change with your mood.

You want to print your smartphone images
If you’ve got a lot of images languishing in your phone’s camera roll, the Hi-Print 3x3 is a great way to do something with them.

Don’t buy it if…

You want prints that feel like Polaroid photos
While the square format is a step in the right direction, dye-sub printing isn’t the same as instant film.

You'd rather not rely on an app
You're limited to just the Polaroid Hi-Print app for this one.

Polaroid Hi-Print 3x3: also consider

Polaroid Hi-Print 3x3

Kodak Mini 2 Retro

Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 3

Type

Digital instant printer

Digital instant printer

Instant film printer

Print size

3” x 3”

2.1” x 3.4"

1.8” x 2.4”

Connectivity

Bluetooth

Bluetooth

Bluetooth

Charging port

USB-C

Micro USB

USB-C

Printing time

Approx. 50 sec

Approx. 70 sec

Approx. 15 sec (approx. 90 sec developing time)

Weight

390g

245g

210g

Dimensions

131 x 103 x 30mm

134 x 80 x 26mm

125 x 90 x 37.3mm

Kodak Mini 2 Retro
A smaller, cheaper alternative to the Hi-Print, the Kodak Mini 2 Retro is also a dye-sub printer – meaning it’s much better than the ultra-cheap ZINK printers. However, its prints are smaller and slower to make, and it doesn’t match the vivid colors of Polaroid.

Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 3
If you’ll accept no substitute for printing on actual film, then Fujifilm’s Instax Mini Link 3 is what you’re looking for – it’ll take your phone photos and transfer them to Instax Mini film. The quality is lovely and long-lasting, but it does make the printer more expensive to run.

Read our in-depth Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 3 review

How I tested the Polaroid Hi-Print 3x3

• I tested the Polaroid Hi-Print 3x3 using two full cartridges of paper
• I transferred and edited photographs from my phone using the Android version of the app
• I mounted the photos into the frame and displayed them at various points around my home

Polaroid sent me the Hi-Print 3x3 to try, along with several cartridges of paper. I downloaded the app to my phone and used it to connect to the printer, testing out the editing functions before sending images to the printer.

I selected a variety of different images, including landscapes, selfies, pet images, food shots and more, with a range of colour tones and compositions.

Once images were printed, I displayed them in the slot as specified, and placed them in various spots around my home to see how they looked.

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

Anker Soundcore Space 2: Two-minute review

Everyone I’ve spoken to who’s used them has spoken glowingly about Soundcore’s over-ear headphones, and the latest cans from the Anker sub-brand hark very closely to their predecessors. So, are the Anker Soundcore Space 2 contenders for the best budget headphone market?

Well, not much has changed compared to the Soundcore Space One – pedants may be wringing their hands at the jump from integer to lexical name, and I concur – and these headphones will look and feel very familiar to owners of the Space One Pro too. Meet the new boss, very similar to the old boss.

That’s no shame, though, because it means the previous cans’ strongest point is back in force. The active noise cancellation (ANC) here is absolutely fantastic — I don’t think I’ve used a pair of headphones at this price point that comes close. It’s zealous in wiping out any noise, near or far, around you.

Though barely changed from previous generations, the distinct look and comfortable fit of the Space 2 help them stand out from other alike headphones. These might be the first pair of cans I’ve tested that my girlfriend actually recognized with any kind of familiarity.

What has changed, though, is the price: there’s been a significant step up in cost from the Space One. I know, I know, it’s 2026 and every review talks about price hikes. But it’s big enough to lift the Soundcore out of the aforementioned best-in-class competition, and higher expectations aren’t matched by a greatly improved package.

Take, for example, the sound. Treble is fantastic and sparkly, but there’s a distinct drop-off when you get towards the mids, and bass is indistinct and unbalanced. They’re far from the worst over-ears I’ve tested, even at this price, with the high quality going some way to retaining the excitement at listening to music. But audiophiles won’t be impressed.

Anker Soundcore Space 2 review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

• Released in April 2026
• Debuted for $130 / £130 (about AU$250)
• Price hike over predecessors

After being unveiled at MWC 2026 in early March, the Anker Soundcore Space 2 were put on sale nearly two months later on April 21.

You can pick up these headphones for the retail price of $130 / £130 / about AU$250. That price pushes them into mid-range waters, meaning that, unlike their predecessors, they’re not quite budget cans any more.

For some context, the Soundcore Space One cost $99 / £99 / about AU$200, while the Space One Pro went for $199 / £149 (about AU$300). So the new headphones offer a fairly significant price increase.

Anker Soundcore Space 2 review: Specs

Drivers

40mm

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life (ANC off)

50 hours

Weight

264g

Connectivity

Not specified

Frequency response

Not specified

Waterproofing

Not specified

Anker Soundcore Space 2 review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• Fantastic ANC
• 50-hour battery life with ANC off
• Decent range of features including listening test

I’m not sure if the ‘Space’ in the Anker Soundcore Space 2 name refers to the silent vacuum of the cosmos, but it certainly could do, because the noise cancellation on these things is incredible for the price. I was constantly surprised by how adept the Space 2 were at cutting away noisy background sounds: the overground train running behind my house was impossible to hear, even when I was on it, and busy roads became quiet country lanes.

The quoted battery life is 50 hours with ANC on, or 70 hours with it turned off. Neither of those are lengths to write home about — hundred-hour-plus headphones come out pretty frequently now, usually at this price point — but they’re still solid listening times.

The Space 2 offer a selection of extra tools via the Soundcore app. There’s toggle-able wear detection, multipoint pairing, the ability to change what the noise cancellation and play/pause buttons on the ear cups do, and volume limits to stop you harming your hearing. Of the bunch, that latter stands out as one you don’t often see, so props to Anker for including it.

A listening test called HearID combines a hearing check, to pick out which tones you can hear, with a preference barrage to cater for your chosen type of music. I’ve not seen this latter factor considered before, and it solves a big problem with these listening tests — even if repeating the same song six times to check out different sound mixes is a gruelling experience.

There’s enough to recommend downloading the Soundcore app, even if I didn’t use it too much outside of testing.

I’ve previously heard complaints about the wear detection on Soundcore’s headphones. Here it reliably paused a song if I removed the cans, but wasn’t too hot on resuming it when I put the Space 2 back on my head.

• Features score: 4/5

Anker Soundcore Space 2 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Funky blue color and distinctive look
• Light, comfortable to wear
• No IP rating

I test plenty of cheap and mid-range headphones that are personality-less black semicircles, so have to give praise to Soundcore. The Space 2 look unique among peers with a funky color, curvy edges, abundance of soft padding and tapered connectors between the headband and cups. Sure, they look basically the same as their predecessors, but if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

They’re nice and light, at 264g, and felt supremely comfortable to wear. That’s partly the weight but also the aforementioned padding overload on your ears and head. They fit securely, not wobbling when I was walking or turning my head quickly.

On the right cup there’s a play/pause button and volume rocker, while the left one has a noise cancelling toggle, power button, USB-C port and 3.5mm audio jack. That latter’s a nice addition you don’t always see at this price point.

You can fold the Space 2 down to make them more portable, with a cloth bag coming in the box, but I couldn’t find any information about an IP rating. So you may want to be careful when wearing them in the rain.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Anker Soundcore Space 2 review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future)

• Uses 40mm driver
• Bright treble, bass and mids suffer
• Supports hi-res standards, LDAC and SBC

The Soundcore Space 2 have a 40mm driver, the same size as in the vast majority of over-ear headphones, enhanced with a double diaphragm for clearer audio. I’ll admit, this end goal has been achieved; you can appreciate the lilt of a vocalist’s voice, the squeal of a guitar solo or the timbre and tremolo of a violin.

You’ll notice that these examples are all ones which sit right in the treble and high-mid space, and that’s because this is where the Space 2 shine. They're energetic, bright and fun; I was initially won over by the cans’ sharp, clear higher-pitched sounds, but the more I listened, the more I realized something was missing.

That something missing is… well, anything lower. Distorted guitar riffs, punchy bass licks and acoustic instruments all lack sparkle, prominence and clarity – it really feels like there’s a hole in some songs where a kick should be. The acoustic guitar of Niko Moon’s King of the Island felt far too far back in the medley, and the hook of My Number by Foals or Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) by Big & Rich sounded akin to a moving company removing furniture from your upstairs neighbors.

The audio graph suddenly resurges towards the bass and sub-bass side of things, giving some oomph to songs, but it’s often ill-defined or muddy, and sometimes overblown. In Tame Impala’s The Less I Know the Better it sounds insecure, popping up now and then without distinction, while in Troye Sivan’s Rush it’s not well-defined enough to stop it overpowering everything else.

Many music fans forget that there’s more than treble and sub-bass, and the sparkling former might distract many listeners from the Space 2’s shortcomings. I was in that camp for a while, and I still have a good time when I listen to the cans. But if you want a nuanced or natural sound, you’ll find this V-shaped audio pretty severe.

Back to some technicals: the high-quality sound the Space 2 provide is helped by support for LDAC and SBC, as well as Hi-Res Audio and its Wireless counterpart.

• Sound quality: 3.5/5

Anker Soundcore Space 2 review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

• Decent value for money
• Matches price hike

The price hike of the Soundcore Space 2 is a shame, because at the Space One’s MSRP, they’d be fantastic value.

They’d be best-in-class budget cans if they came out below $100 / £100 / AU$200, but for a little more, there’s a lot more competition, and much higher expectations. They’re still good, but not instant-must-buy value for money like they would be.

• Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Anker Soundcore Space 2?Soundcore Space 2 score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The ANC here is fantastic, while the battery life is fine and the feature set has some stand-outs.

4/5

Design

The Space 2 are comfortable to wear, and look distinct in the busy ocean of over-ears.

4.5/5

Sound quality

The energetic treble goes some way to papering over the lacking mids.

3.5/5

Value

These are decent-value headphones, even if the price hike means they're no longer must-buys.

3.5/5

Buy them if…

You need fantastic ANC
For this price, you’d be hard-pressed to find headphones that cancel sound better than the Space 2.

You want a good listening test
If you like letting apps offer you EQ mixes, the Space 2 is one of the best you can get, combining a standard listening test with a preference poll that gives you something really useful.

You like comfortable cans
Often, wear comfort is an overlooked aspect of headphones, but I found the Space 2s lovely to wear for long periods of time.

Don’t buy them if…

You can’t charge often
The Soundcore Space 2 battery life is decent, but it doesn’t take much searching to find options that’ll last for over twice as long.

You want a natural sound profile
I’m not opposed to the way the Space 2 sound, but I’d understand people who ask for more (or any really meaningful) mids, and some more controlled bass.

Anker Soundcore Space 2 review: Also consider

Anker Soundcore Space 2

Anker Soundcore Space One Pro

Nothing Headphone (a)

Drivers

40mm

40mm

40mm

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery life (ANC on)

50 hours

40 hours

75 hours

Weight

264g

286.2g

310g

Connectivity

TBC

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.4

Waterproofing

NA

NA

IP52

Soundcore Space One Pro
While this premium predecessor debuted for a higher price, it’s now available for just a hair more than the Space 2. The battery life’s not as good but it has a huge number of handy features which may win you over — even if it’s generally a pretty similar headphone.
Read our full Soundcore Space One Pro review

Nothing Headphone (a)
For only a small amount more, you can pick up these great-sounding and long-lasting headphones, with the only downside being the absolutely ridiculous look that you might be embarrassed to be seen donning.
Read our full Nothing Headphone (a) review

How I tested the Anker Soundcore Space 2

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested for 3 weeks
• Tested at home, on walks and on public transport

I used the Soundcore Space 2 for roughly three weeks ahead of their release date, in which time they were paired with my Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. I listened on a range of music and video streaming services, as well as in calls and playing games.

Testing was done in a pretty wide range of environments including on public transport, on walks around various neighborhoods, and at home.

I’ve been testing audio products for TechRadar for years, including some past Anker devices like the Aerofit Pro 2.

• First reviewed in April 2026

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Huawei Watch GT Runner 2: One minute review

The Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 is full of innovative tweaks, making it ideal for running accuracy, and from a design perspective, it’s the best running watch I’ve tried so far in 2026. Because US customers can’t actually buy them, Huawei devices often go under the radar in many lists, which is a shame, as their hardware is stellar.

The GT Runner 2 is another smash hit. It’s light, at 10.7mm thick and just 34.5g in weight, packing a smallish 1.32-inch screen with a 3,000 nit brightness AMOLED display. That’s as bright as the Apple Watch Ultra 3. It fits nicely on my average-sized male wrist and doesn’t move about during runs. It comes in a selection of pretty cool colors and bands. I was partial to the Dawn Orange colorway, but my review unit arrived in Dusk Blue, which also looks nice.

The GPS credentials are where things get interesting. Huawei claims the GT Runner 2 outperforms the Garmin Forerunner 970 (by name) in GPS accuracy for runners, using a new dual-floating GPS antenna structure to improve accuracy. I didn’t have a Garmin Forerunner 970 to hand, but I did have something even better: the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro, perhaps Garmin’s best-ever smartwatch from a hardware perspective, and one that costs three times as much as the GT Runner 2.

On a 10.5 kilometer out-and-back run, the Fenix 8 Pro recorded 10.51km, with 797 calories burned, an average heart rate of 157 bpm, 5.39km average pace. The Huawei GT Runner 2 recorded 10.48km, a difference of 0.03km (or 30 meters) overall, with 785 calories burned, an average heart rate of 167 bpm, and 5.39km average pace. Those are very close results.

Even advanced running metrics were similar, with stride length being recorded as 1.10 meters by both watches. With very little in the way of statistically significant differences, I’m happy that the GT Runner 2 is as accurate as the very top-tier watches in the category. I’d expect nothing less from a watch used by record-breaking marathoner Eliud Kipchoge. You can see the results on the screens below.

On the left is Garmin Connect. On the right are two screenshots from Huawei Health, showing the differences in recording the same workout. (Image credit: Future)

Other wellness metrics are good, too: I’ve hyped up Huawei’s TruSense and TruSleep algorithms before as being scarily accurate, and it’s good to see the watch making use of both here. The accuracy of its sleep tracking and the watch's reduced weight made it easy to wear overnight. Marathon Mode, a little like Garmin’s Event Planner with an intelligent coach, and training plans abound on-watch, allowing you to follow programs imported from the Huawei Health app. Battery life is impressive, while features like Emotional Wellbeing that rely on self-reporting, I consider less useful.

A resounding success for design, performance, and health and fitness features, but smart stuff is more of a mixed bag, albeit through no fault of the watch’s designers. Huawei’s inability to work with either Google or Android’s ecosystem left my watch as a self-contained wellness tool rather than an integrated smart gadget in the same way the best Android watches, or best Apple Watches, are.

Huawei says the watch “runs seamlessly with iOS and Android,” but that’s not entirely true. I could see WhatsApp notifications as part of Huawei’s Message Tool, but everything has to be side-loaded from Huawei’s online AppGallery, so I couldn’t get a native WhatsApp watch app, only notifications. There’s no first-party app for Spotify either, so I had to download Petal Maps on my phone to use instead of Google or Apple Maps. As an extension of my phone, this experience is still frustrating and far from reflective of its excellent wellness credentials.

Huawei Watch GT Runner 2: Specifications

Component

Huawei Watch GT Runner 2

Price

£349.99 (around $470 / AU$650)

Dimensions

10.7mm x 43.5mm x 43.5mm

Weight

34g

Caze/Bezel

Titanium Alloy

Display

AMOLED, 3,000 nits

GPS

Dual-band GPS, QZSS, GLONASS, Galileo

Battery life

Up to 14 days

Connection

Bluetooth

Water resistance

IP69, 5ATM

Huawei Watch GT Runner 2: Price and availability

(Image credit: Amanda Westberg)

• £349.99 in the UK / Europe
• Not available in US / AU
• Cheaper than most modern Forerunner watches

Huawei’s availability is a far greater issue than its price. Huawei telecomms devices continue to suffer from the ongoing 5G ban, which is a shame for US runners as they’re missing out on some very good hardware. For UK users, the price is pretty reasonable at £349.99, around the same price as the Apple Watch Series 11.

• Value score: 4/5

Huawei Watch GT Runner 2: Scorecard

(Image credit: Amanda Westberg)

Category

Comment

Score

Value

Well-priced, but not available everywhere.

4/5

Design

Comfortable, light and easy to use.

4.5/5

Features

Outstanding health and fitness features, but compatibility issues cause frustrations.

4/5

Performance

As good as it gets, closely matching a watch costing thrice as much.

5/5

Huawei Watch GT Runner 2: Should I buy?Buy it if...

You’re a keen runner

The GT Runner 2 is tailor-made for people who care about their fitness.

You care about pinpoint GPS accuracy

The GT Runner 2’s dual-antenna architecture allows it to closely match the best in the game.

Don't buy it if...

You live outside of Europe and Asia

Huawei’s limitations means that the GT Runner 2 isn’t available everywhere.

You like true smartphone integration

If you live in your seamless Google and Apple suite, you’re better off getting an Android or Apple Watch.

Also consider

Coros Pace 4

Another similarly-priced wearable that's a running watch first, smartwatch distant second.

Read our full Coros Pace 4 review

Coros Pace 4

Another similarly-priced wearable that's a running watch first, smartwatch distant second.

Read our full Coros Pace 4 review

Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro

A rugged, powerful smartwatch with stellar tracking and battery life, that's half the price of the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

Read our full Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro review

How I tested

I wore the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 for a week, taking it on several runs as well as gym sessions, sleeping with it, and draining the battery down. I tested it on a 10.5 km run against the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro to determine accuracy in its metrics.

First reviewed: April 2026

Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro: one-minute review

The Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro has one big advantage over most drip coffee makers: a built-in grinder. This means one less appliance on your kitchen counter, but also that you’ll wake to fresher, better-tasting coffee on using the machine’s timer to begin brewing automatically first thing in the morning. At least, that’s the theory.

In practice, however, I found the coffee maker’s ceramic grinder ground coffee unevenly. Drip coffee is much more forgiving than espresso when it comes to the consistency of the grind, but the irregularity surprised me.

The Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro can brew up to eight cups of coffeeFutureFutureFuture

It’s unfortunate, because the AromaFresh Therm Pro is otherwise a very good drip coffee maker. Its thermal carafe keeps even a small quantity of coffee hot for hours. In addition, it has an excellent drip-stop function that prevents leaks after you remove the carafe, and it’s remarkably quiet during both grinding and brewing.

I like the idea of the AromaFresh Therm Pro, and if it had a better grinder it would be easy to recommend. As it is, however, I think you’d be better off using a standalone grinder and a simpler, cheaper machine in which to brew it. Take a look at our roundup of the best drip coffee makers for some great options.

Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro: price and availability

• List price: £289.95 (about $390 / AU$550)
• Available in Europe, but not the US or Australia

The Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro is available direct from Melitta and from a handful of third-party retailers, with a list price of £289.95 (about $390 / AU$550). There are several similar-looking coffee makers in the AromaFresh series, but this is the one with the model number 1030-11, so make sure to check before buying.

At the time of writing (April 2026), the AromaFresh Therm Pro is available in Europe, but not the US or Australia.

That price is about standard for a home drip coffee maker. For comparison, the Sage/Breville Luxe Brewer Thermal (which is a similar drip coffee maker that has a cold brew mode, but no grinder) costs $349.95 / £249.95 / AU$579.

• Value score: 4/5

Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro: design

• Built-in grinder
• Smart-looking design for a modern kitchen
• Too tall to fit underneath wall cabinets

The Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro is a smart-looking drip coffee maker, with a matte black finish and a brushed stainless steel pitcher. It has a small footprint (10.6 x 10 inches / 26.8 x 25.2cm), which makes it handy for kitchens where countertop space is at a premium; however, the grinder on top of the brew basket means the whole machine stands a towering 18.23 inches / 46.3cm tall.

That’s much too high to fit under my standard-height kitchen cabinets, and even if I could just about slide it underneath, I wouldn’t be able to open the bean hopper. This coffee maker will only really work on counters with nothing above them (like a kitchen island).

The hopper is made from tinted plastic, with a large dial for adjusting the grind size (Image credit: Future)

The hopper has a tinted plastic lid, which allows you to see how many beans remain without allowing in too much light (which will degrade the quality of your beans), and a dial on the top allows you to set the grind size.

The hopper matches the water tank, which can hold enough water for up to eight small cups. The tank is removable, which is always a welcome feature because it means you don’t have to pour water with the machine in situ and risk spillages. The AromaFresh Therm Pro’s tank doesn’t have a handle, unlike those of some other machines I’ve tested, but its oval shape is easy to grip, and it has a detachable lid to keep your water fresh.

The water tank is removable and ergonomically shaped to be easy to carry (Image credit: Future)

The AromaFresh Therm Prod doesn’t have a hot plate to keep your coffee warm after brewing; instead, it has a double-walled insulated carafe with a smart brushed stainless steel finish – which I personally prefer, since it doesn’t alter the taste of your drink by allowing water to evaporate, or overheating it.

The machine is controlled using a set of simple buttons on the right-hand side, underneath the water tank, which allow you to set a timer, adjust the aroma (settings 1-5), and program the number of cups (1-8). It’s important to ensure this number matches the amount of water in the tank. The machine will use all the water it has, regardless of which setting you choose, so you need to use the correct amount to get the right ratio of coffee to water.

• Design score: 3.5/5

Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro: performance

• Grind size is uneven
• Very quiet in operation
• Carafe is well-insulated

The biggest selling point of the AromaFresh Therm Pro is its integrated grinder. Usually, when you’re setting up a drip coffee machine before bed and setting a timer to start brewing in the morning, you have to add scoops of ground coffee to the filter basket and leave it overnight. This means the coffee’s flavor compounds start to degrade, and it won’t taste quite as good when the machine begins brewing the following day.

Instead, the AromaFresh Therm Pro takes whole beans, and grinds them only when it’s ready to brew. This should mean better flavor first thing in the morning; however, in my tests, this didn’t quite work as I’d hoped.

Coffee was unevenly ground (Image credit: Future)

I started out using the middle grind setting, and brew intensity three out of five, but found that my brewed coffee didn’t taste as full-bodied as I'd have liked. Upon examining the brew basket, I found that the coffee grounds were surprisingly irregular, and very dry, suggesting that the water had passed through them very quickly, despite me folding over the seamed edge of the Melitta filter paper as instructed in the manual.

I opened the ceramic grinder and cleaned its burrs with a small brush to ensure there was no debris getting in the way, and reduced the grind size to ensure the next dose of coffee was finer, so would take longer for hot water to pass through. This yielded a better flavor (as did turning the brew intensity option all the way up to five), but the coffee was still unevenly ground. Drip coffee is a lot more forgiving than espresso if the grind isn’t ideal, but I was still surprised at how chunky it was.

The carafe insulates well, although it can be hard to pour out the last cup of coffee (Image credit: Future)

The machine was very quiet when both grinding and brewing coffee, which is a real bonus if it’s going to start working by itself while you’re still waking up. During my tests it briefly reached a maximum of 75dB during grinding, but averaged 65dB, which is similar to a normal conversation. It was around 45dB while brewing, which is quieter than an ordinary refrigerator.

The drip-stop feature worked extremely well, with not a single drop of coffee escaping the machine after I had removed the insulated carafe. The carafe retains heat very well; after two hours, half a pot of coffee still measured 158ºF / 70ºC, which is ideal for drinking. A full pot stays hot even longer, so you can prepare a brew at the start of the day and savor it throughout the morning. However, I did find that the shape of the jug meant I had to turn it almost upside down to pour out the last half a cup.

Even after two hours, a carafe half-full of coffee was still at the perfect drinking temperature (Image credit: Future)

The Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro is an excellent idea, and extremely easy to use, but it’s really let down by the quality of its built-in grinder. Given the choice, I’d opt for the Sage Luxe Brewer Thermal with a standalone coffee grinder instead, which would be available for a similar price during a sales event.

• Performance score: 3.5/5

Should you buy the Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro?Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

Reasonably priced for a mid-range drip coffee maker, and comparable with similar rivals.

4/5

Design

Relatively small footprint, but grinder on top means it’s too tall to fit in many kitchens

3.5/5

Performance

Coffee is ground inconsistently, and the aroma setting had to be dialled all the way up for good flavor, but very simple to use, quiet, and can produce a pretty good brew when you’re used to its quirks.

3.5/5

Buy it if

You want convenience in the morning

The AromaFresh Therm Pro’s built-in grinder means there’s minimal prep necessary if you want to wake to freshly brewed coffee.

You want to savor your coffee

The Therm Pro’s well-insulated carafe means your coffee will still be at an ideal temperature for drinking hours after it's brewed.

Don't buy it if

You’re very particular about flavor

This machine doesn’t grind your coffee perfectly evenly, so flavor might not be identical each time you brew, even if all other factors are the same.

You have limited headroom over your counter

This coffee maker is extremely tall, and you’ll need plenty of free space to access the hopper on top.

Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro: also consider

If you're not sure whether the Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro is the right drip coffee maker for you, here are two other well-rated options to consider:

Brevilla/Sage Luxe Brewer Thermal

The Luxe Brewer Thermal does the fundamentals extremely well, and can brew a huge pot of great-tasting coffee with ease. It gives you control over brew settings without overwhelming you with options, and its insulated carafe keeps your coffee hot for hours and hours.

Read our full Breville/Sage Luxe Brewer Thermal review

Cuisinart Grind & Brew

Another drip machine that can grind fresh beans on demand, the Cuisinart Grind & Brew is available in two sizes: one for batch brewing and one for single servings.

Read our full Cuisinart Grind & Brew review

How I tested the Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro

I used the Melitta AromaFresh Therm Pro instead of my usual drip coffee maker for two weeks. I used Melitta’s own conical filter papers (folded according to the instructions in the manual), and my regular decaf coffee beans. I used fresh, cold tap water (again, as instructed in the manual), and made sure that the amount in the tank matched my chosen brew quantity.

I measured the noise emitted by the machine in operation with a decibel meter app on my phone, and used a thermometer to check the temperature of brewed coffee in the insulated carafe.

I washed the carafe and brew basket by hand using warm water and dish detergent, and ran a rinse cycle to clean out the coffee maker at the end of each day.

First reviewed April 2026

Beelink EX Mate Pro: 30-second review

While I’ve covered many Beelink mini PCs, this is the first dock I’ve encountered from this brand. And, unsurprisingly, it's constructed in what appears to be a typical small NUC case.

The small white cube connects to a desktop or laptop via USB4 with the provided cable, and once connected, you can use the USB, HDMI, LAN ports, and built-in speaker on the Beelink EX Mate Pro.

Most docks are rated for connection speed and the number of downstream ports, and while USB4 is a fast technology, the Beelink EX Mate Pro doesn’t offer many additional connections beyond the uplink. There are just three USB, one HDMI and one 2.5GbE LAN port. However, if you are comfortable with disassembly, there are also four M.2 slots inside that support 2280 NVMe modules up to 8 TB. Therefore, connecting provides not only access to the downstream devices but also inserted storage.

Almost as an aside, the top of the dock has touch controls for audio sent through the internal speaker, and the dock can connect to phones via Bluetooth and stream music from them.

At around $200, the Beelink EX Mate Pro All-In-One Docking Station, to use its full title, seems inexpensive for the functionality it offers, and many laptop owners would find it incredibly useful.

Probably not enough features to make it to the best laptop docking stations but still an interesting option.

Beelink EX Mate Pro: Price & availability

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• How much does it cost? $199
• When is it out? On ‘Pre-Sale’, orders to ship within 35 days
• Where can you get it? Direct from Beelink

Those looking for USB docking stations that support 80Gbps have a remarkably small selection currently.

There is the Beelink EX Mate Pro All-In-One Docking Station, reviewed here, that costs $199 directly from the makers. There is also the Mate SE, also from Beelink, priced at $119.

Beyond those choices, the only way to get an 80Gbps dock is by using Thunderbolt 5, and on some of those docks, you can even access 120Gbps. However, if you have a laptop with TB5, then you wouldn’t be interested in the Beelink EX Mate Pro, and presumably, you will have a much larger budget to get a TB5 dock.

The bottom line is that USB4 v2 as a marketing category barely exists yet. If the 80Gbps bandwidth is what you are after, a Thunderbolt 5 dock will get you there today with far more choice and better-established driver support. The Beelink EX Mate Pro is genuinely interesting, but it is very new and essentially untested at this point.

• Value: 4 / 5

Beelink EX Mate Pro: Specs

Compatibility

USB-C, USB4, USB4v2

Number of Ports

6

Ports

1x USB4v2 upstream

1x USB4v2 downstream

1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A

1x USB 2.0 Type-A

1x 2.5GbE RJ45 Ethernet port

1x HDMI 2.0

Downstream power

1x 15W USB4v2, 1x 7.5W USB-A, 1x 2.5W USB 2.0

Upstream power

96W USB4v2

Size

99 x 99.2 x 98.3 mm (W x D x H)

Weight

‎1051g with case and cables

Accessories

Soft carry case, power cable, HDMI cable, USB4v2 (80Gbps) cable, User Guide

Beelink EX Mate Pro: Design

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• NUC case
• Limited port selection
• No external PSU
• Requires tools to go inside

My first reaction to the Beelink EX Mate Pro was that I’d seen this enclosure previously. And, indeed, a quick look through the Beelink catalogue turned up the Beelink ME mini, which from the outside is practically identical.

On the front are the power button and two USB ports, one each of USB 4 v2 and USB 3.2 Type-A. Where on the back are the power connection, an HDMI 2.0 port, a single USB 2.0 port, a 2.5GbE LAN port, and the USB4v2 uplink port to the computer?

There is also a visible driver cone for a speaker, and the top surface of the machine has buttons to control volume, switch between PC and Bluetooth modes, and mute the built-in microphone.

Considering that this is only a roughly 10cm cube, I was reasonably surprised to discover that it didn’t come with an external laptop-style PSU, but that the 140W PSU is internal.

This compact design allows the unit and the three cables it comes with to fit neatly inside the provided soft carry case, so someone travelling for business can take it with them. As most docks are designed to live on a desk and ideally never get moved, the portability of this solution is a significant difference.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Another aspect of this dock that’s not typical is that it has M.2 slots inside, four in total. However, getting to these isn’t straightforward, and it's not something you would want to be doing repeatedly.

The four screws that hold the top section of the EX Mate Pro on are hidden under rubber plugs in the corners of the underside. Once these are removed, the outside of the case slides up and reveals the four M.2 slots, two on the left and right.

These have thermal pads already attached, so installation involves removing the SSD retaining screw and then pushing the modules in before replacing the screw. These slots are only designed for 2280 NVMe modules, and the orientations assume that the chips are on the upper surface, which makes them upside down when compared to a normal motherboard install. If you accidentally put them with the chips facing out, the polarizing slot on the M.2 edge connector won’t allow the SSD to be inserted, making it almost impossible to get this wrong.

Once you’ve installed whatever storage you want to use, you can drop the top back on, put the screws in, and even the rubber plugs, if you haven’t already lost them.

Overall, I wish getting to the M.2 slots were a little easier, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s a minor inconvenience.

• Design: 4 / 5

Beelink EX Mate Pro: Features

• Bandwidth management
• Gen 3 x 2 M.2
• Power management

When I review USB or Thunderbolt docks, I’m always struck by how the makers will add more connections than can reasonably be supported by the bandwidth of the host connection.

But in the context of the Beelink EX Mate Pro, there are such a limited number of ports that this is much less of an issue.

The host connection is USB4v2, the 80Gbps implementation of the original USB4 standard, a technology that AMD has supported with their AI 300 series processors.

USB4 v2 can theoretically reach 80Gbps bidirectionally, but that full speed is optional rather than mandatory. The minimum requirement for USB4 certification is just 20Gbps. That creates a genuine problem for buyers. A port labelled USB4v2 on a laptop could be running at a quarter of the headline speed, which would affect how quickly devices attached to the dock can operate, including internal M.2 modules.

For my testing, I used an AI 300 system with USB4 40 Gbps ports, but the availability of machines with 80 Gbps implementations isn’t good at this time. But equally, Thunderbolt 5 isn’t common either. I suspect that USB4v2 is likely to be more popular in the long run since it’s not explicitly welded to Intel chips.

However, on the Beelink EX Mate Pro, unless you want to use every single port on it, 40Gbps USB4 is a generally good experience.

One interesting detail about this hardware is how the M.2 sub-system is implemented, since these drives have the potential to consume large amounts of the potential bandwidth available.

All four are treated as PCIe Gen 3 with 2 lanes. Therefore, putting Gen 4 drives in here wouldn’t improve performance, and Gen 3 drives would be limited to half their normal four-lane bandwidth.

In some ways, I wish Beelink had used a PCIe switch that could allocate bandwidth dynamically on the M.2 slots. If they had done that, the eight lanes of Gen 3 connectivity could have been traded to two G3 ports with all four lanes, or even a single port of Gen 4 with four lanes. But instead, each gets two Gen 3 lanes fixed.

If you want better speed from the M.2 slots, you could ask Windows to use software RAID 0, striping two or more drives for greater bandwidth. However, I’m not sure I’d want to do this, since any drive failure would be catastrophic for the whole array. As a whole, I don’t think software RAID is a wonderful idea, but some people might be keen to either use it to merge multiple drives, enhance performance or resilience (mirrors).

But these are all options, and having choices is good.

That’s also true of the USB4v2 downlink that could take all the bandwidth and leave nothing for the other ports.

The upside of this decision is that you can run dual monitors from this dock, using the HDMI 2.0 port and the USB4v2, or you could also attach a USB4 external DAS or SSD.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

As docks go, other than the M.2 slots, this system has limited ports and, therefore, features.

One area I didn’t especially love was the speaker solution, as it didn’t enhance my audio experience beyond what I already experience from my monitors. But having something that can play music over Bluetooth from a phone, or direct from the PC, might be useful to some. Having an inherent microphone also avoids the need to carry it along if the audio quality is acceptable to you.

As much as docks are about bandwidth management, they are also about the distribution of power. The internal PSU on the Beelink EX Mate Pro has 140W to play with, enabling it to offer 96W on the USB4v2 uplink. That’s plenty for most laptops, unless you have a mobile workstation that wants 140W.

But the USB ports on the dock can also draw power: 15W on the USB4v2 and USB 3.2 ports, and 2.5W on the USB 2.0 port. Therefore, if you plug devices into these, you might find that it comes out of the 96W laptop's recharging budget, since the remaining 44W is probably needed for other things.

With relatively few ports and a somewhat idiosyncratic port selection, the Beelink EX Mate Pro focuses on laptop users who need these particular functions. I can’t see desktop or Mini PC users wanting some of these capabilities, but it depends on how they use their systems, I guess.

• Features: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Beelink EX Mate Pro: Performance

• 80Gbps upstream bandwidth
• M.2 and USB4v2

It should be obvious that the performance of any external dock depends on the bandwidth available to connect to it and how that bandwidth is divided among the ports in use.

Because of the huge number of possibilities, I decided that what was most relevant is how fast NVMe drives are when placed in the M.2 slots. And what sort of speed can you expect from external SSDs using the USB4v2 downlink port?

For my M.2 testing, I used a single Kioxia Exceria Plus G3 that’s rated for a sequential read speed of around 5000 MB/s. That speed level is only possible when this NVMe drive is run on a Gen 4 slot with 4 lanes. On a Gen 3 slot with two lanes (a quarter of the bandwidth), it managed only 1655 MB/s reads and 1556 MB/s writes using CrystalDiskMark as the benchmark. This underlines that investing in Gen 4 over Gen 3 is largely pointless if you intend to put them inside this hardware.

But where I saw much better performance was with the USB4v2 port, attaching a Corsair EX400 2TB USB4 SSD. That delivered an impressive. 3912MB/s reads and 3703MB/s writes, which is close to the fastest that I’ve ever achieved with this external drive.

For the sake of completeness, I also tested it with an OWC Envoy Pro FX, a 4TB external drive that was made for Thunderbolt 4. It achieved 3029MB/s reads but only 1290MB/s writes, curiously.

Overall, the performance of this dock with its external USB4 v2 port was more impressive than that of the M.2 internal drives. Although it's important to realise that the speeds I achieved with the external drives would have been largely similar if they had been directly connected to the host system.

The Corsair EX400 achieved 4059MB/s reads and 3748MB/s writes when connected directly to the host, as an example.

• Performance: 4 / 5

Beelink EX Mate Pro: Final verdict

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The Beelink EX Mate Pro is an interesting option, especially for those who stay out of the office but need the additional ports and storage options that a device like this can add.

It’s not a replacement for a dedicated desktop dock with ten or more ports, but then it's not priced like one either.

To get the most from this equipment, you need a minimum of a USB4 port with 40Gbps (not 20Gbps) and ideally a full USB4v2 implementation with 80Gbps. That last option isn’t common yet, but hopefully, more laptops will appear with those in the near future.

At under $200, this isn’t an expensive choice if you have the right ports on your laptop and want to add some extra ones that the maker of that device left off.

However, it isn’t clear yet if the future of external connections lies with Thunderbolt or USB, since the latest technologies from both camps have yet to see widespread use.

Beelink EX Mate Pro: Report card

Value

Inexpensive for a USB4v2 dock

4 / 5

Design

A repurposed NUC case with no external PSU

4 / 5

Features

Limited ports outside, but four M.2 slots inside

4 / 5

Performance

Works well enough for USB4 hosts and devices

4 / 5

Overall

Inexpensive option if you have USB4v2

4 / 5

Should I buy a Beelink EX Mate Pro?

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Buy it if...

You have USB4v2
Like Thunderbolt 5, almost nobody has USB4v2 currently, though this device will work well enough with USB4 if it has 40Gbps available.

You need 96W charging
While 96W isn’t enough for some mobile workstation-class machines, it's plenty for the majority of laptops, enabling you to work and charge simultaneously. View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You don’t have USB4
If you only have USB-C (USB 3.2), or a USB4 port with only 20Gbps bandwidth, I’d avoid this dock, since the performance of the M.2 storage and the through ports won’t be ideal.

You need many ports
As docks go, this one doesn’t have many ports, limiting what you can reasonably connect to it. If you need a USB4 external drive and two monitors connected, then this dock doesn’t support that at the same time.

ADP is one of the largest providers of payroll, HR, and tax services in the business world, but its products are more often associated with larger enterprises – so RUN powered by ADP is a refreshing change of pace.

It’s a payroll and HR platform specifically designed for smaller businesses with fewer than 50 employees. We've reviewed all the best HR software, with this particular service built to make potentially complex functions faster, easier, and more reliable, so the people in charge of small businesses can concentrate on the work they really want to be doing.

Over 900,000 small businesses already rely on ADP, so there’s plenty to suggest that this solution will work for your small enterprise – and with a healthy array of features and a solid selection of product tiers available, your organization will have plenty of choice when it comes to picking its next payroll and HR solution.

RUN Powered by ADP: Plans and pricing

As with many HR and payroll tools, pricing for RUN Powered by ADP is available on a case-by-case basis, and you’ve got to talk to the company to get concrete figures.

RUN powered by ADP is available in four different packages. All are designed around smaller businesses, but there’s a broad array of features available.

The Essential Payroll option is ideal for small organizations that just need a product to handle payroll, taxes, and compliance in all fifty US states, and the Enhanced Payroll adds background checks, State Unemployment Insurance and ZipRecruiter compatibility. The Complete Payroll & HR Plus product provides basic HR support, while HR Pro offers in-depth HR support and employee perks.

(Image credit: Future)RUN Powered by ADP: Features

Even the entry-level Essential Payroll package is packed with capabilities, including online, phone, and mobile payroll functionality, direct deposits, reporting, tax filing, multi-company and multi-jurisdiction payroll support, and more.

That entry-level product also includes employee self-service payroll and document portals, new-hire onboarding, background checks and employee discounts.

Upgrade to Enhanced Payroll and you get State Unemployment Insurance management, Job Costing and more. Opt for the basic HR support of the Complete Payroll & HR Plus tier and you get phone and email support, an employee handbook wizard, salary benchmarking, HR tracking, training, and documentation. And by upgrading to the top product, HR Pro, you add ATS capability, learning management and legal assistance to the product.

This impressive list of features is bolstered by solid functionality.

Many of those key payroll tasks can be automated, and mobile access and an effective system of reminders ensure that your HR staff can keep things running smoothly. The system now also includes AI-powered error flagging so you can spot issues before they have an impact.

The payroll system keeps things moving with logical, sensible workflows and comprehensive reporting capabilities, and there’s a document vault for cataloguing employee information.

That’s great, but this product does have some limitations, especially when compared to solutions that are designed for larger organizations. You won’t find the depth of reporting and analytics here that you’ll see elsewhere, for instance, and customized workflow functionality is limited.

Several add-ons can enable extra functionality, albeit at extra cost. The Time and Attendance module helps you manage schedules and tackle time away from work, and the Retirement utility allows you to build and choose competitive retirement plan options through ADP Retirement Services.

The Workers’ Compensation module adds pay-as-you-go solutions for your employees, and a Health Insurance add-on lets staff choose from a wide variety of group coverage options.

(Image credit: Future)RUN Powered by ADP: Ease of use

Access RUN Powered by ADP and it’s immediately clear that the system has been designed for smaller businesses that may not have large HR departments – or much HR experience within the organization at all.

The layout is clear and intuitive. Different modules are accessible in a menu bar on the left-hand side of the product, and the Home Screen provides a slick, straightforward view of your upcoming payroll, key next steps, your latest reports and a calendar.

A button in the bottom-right corner opens up ADP Assist, a new AI helper, and you can edit quick-access links next to the search bar at the top of the home screen.

Individual sections are just as straightforward. The Payroll section puts key notifications, including W-2 and 1099 paperwork, right at the forefront. Similarly, the People section prioritizes your next steps, the Employee Directory makes it easy to find key details about your staff, and many sections around the app have Quick Action menus that make common functionality easy to tackle.

The system is easy to navigate even for people without lots of HR experience, which is key for a product like RUN Powered by ADP – and it gives this solution an instant advantage when compared to many rivals.

The downside of that? Limited customization. You can’t tweak every option on the home screen like you can in other products, you can’t integrate using API, and you can’t add any of the thousands of utilities available in ADP Marketplace – RUN supports integrations with several leading accounting, business, and POS system providers, but that’s it.

For smaller organizations none of those issues will be a deal-breaker, because RUN will provide everything they need, but it’s worth bearing this in mind – and noting that you may need to upgrade to a more flexible product if your organization grows and develops more complex HR requirements.

(Image credit: Future)RUN Powered by ADP: Support

As well as the aforementioned ADP Assist module, RUN provides several different support routes for small businesses.

Every tier of the product provides 24/7 payroll phone support from ADP agents, and live chat agents are available from 7.30am to 10pm on weekdays. Users can file service tickets and leave messages for those chat agents. If you opt for the Complete or HR Pro packages you also get phone and email HR support, too, alongside training modules.

ADP’s website has a knowledge base with answers to common questions and a client community called The Bridge, where administrators can ask questions.

That’s a good slate of options, but online user reviews suggest that payroll support is sometimes not particularly fast, which may be an issue in your organization.

(Image credit: Future)RUN Powered by ADP: Competition

We’re going to start this section in a slightly unusual way: by talking about another ADP product. ADP Workforce Now is built for midsized and enterprise-level businesses with more than fifty employees – in contrast to RUN Powered by ADP, which is designed for organizations with less than fifty members of staff.

ADP Workforce Now provides much of the functionality as RUN Powered by ADP, and adds more robust capabilities around benefits administration, talent acquisition, reporting, and professional services.

This broader product concentrates on streamlining, automation, and cost management, and it also supports integrations through the ADP Marketplace and via standard APIs – something you don’t get with RUN Powered by ADP.

Beyond ADP’s own products, RUN faces some tough competitors. If you’d like to explore straightforward payroll tools that work well with smaller organizations, Gusto and QuickBooks are perennially popular options.

If you’re on the hunt for a solution that offers HR capabilities alongside payroll, then Rippling is a more complex choice, and Paylocity is another contender that can grow with your business and provide a broader slate of features.

RUN Powered by ADP: Final verdict

RUN Powered by ADP makes payroll, taxes, and core HR admin tasks feel manageable for small businesses that don’t have an HR team or managers who want to deal with the extra burden – and if you find yourself in that position, this is an excellent and effective choice.

It’s got an intuitive interface, easy learning curve, and excellent payroll features that make compliance, tax, and financial reporting a breeze.

There are negatives, though, with a lack of flexibility, customization, and integration options compared to many other products. A lack of pricing transparency can hinder decision-making, and costs can escalate if you invest in a pricier tier with add-ons to deploy extra functionality.

RUN Powered by ADP does a good job with the essentials of payroll and HR, so it’s a solid choice for smaller businesses that don’t have in-house expertise, but we’d consider shopping around if you’d like to grow your business and may require a more ambitious selection of features.

Microsoft is one of the biggest names in computing and software, but Dynamics 365 Human Resources is not one of the company’s most well-known tools, and it’s not as popular in HR circles as solutions from dedicated rivals like SAP, Sage, or ADP.

With such technological pedigree behind it, though, you’d be wise to consider Microsoft’s tool when searching for a new HR solution.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Human Resources promises to help your teams increase productivity, boost agility, discover greater insights, and more – all from a central location. However, having tested the best HR software, it's fair to say it has certain issues some businesses won't be able to overlook.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Human Resources: Plans and pricing

(Image credit: Future)

Microsoft is up-front about its pricing for Dynamics 365 Human Resources, which is a pleasing discovery. Not all HR solutions providers are so forthcoming about the financials.

There are no different feature tiers with Dynamics 365 Human Resources – you pay for the product, it integrates with your other Microsoft and third-party solutions, and that’s that. That means you don’t have to worry about missing out on HR functionality you need if you opt for a more affordable product.

Instead, Microsoft’s pricing is divided by user. For every HR professional who wants to use the full capability of the app, you’ll have to pay $135 per user per month. For every employee and manager who needs self-service access, it’ll cost $4 per user per month. Bear in mind that these fees need to be paid yearly.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Human Resources: Features

Many of Microsoft’s features focus on improving agility and speed in your HR teams – as with most other HR packages, you get plenty of options to create your own workflows, processes, and automations.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 goes much further than most in this area, too, thanks to the Microsoft Power Platform. It’s a suite of low-code tools, including Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, and Copilot Studio, that enable businesses to build custom apps and integrations, analyze data, and create websites without extensive technical knowledge.

By combining Dynamics 365 with Power Platform and Microsoft’s AI features, your HR teams can build their own functionality in the HR system – tailored to your organization and its people. Power Platform supports over 1,000 integrations, which Microsoft calls Connectors. And while this entire system will work more effectively if your organization uses Microsoft tools on a wide scale, many of those connectors are provided by third-party specialists, so you’re not completely restricted.

Get beyond Power Platform and Dynamics 365’s various automation and customization features, and you’ll find a reasonable slate of HR functionality.

Employees can use self-service tools to submit leave requests and centralized employee profiles include career accomplishments, skills, certifications, and more. You can empower staff with training opportunities, performance tracking, and goal-setting.

Automated, trackable team performance and feedback is offered to managers within your business, and you can create compensation plans and self-service benefits packages. That’s not the end of the automation, either, with configurable processes, workflows, and task management supported throughout – and if you want analytics, the app uses embedded tools to provide in-depth data.

Microsoft’s product integrates with key payroll providers like Ceridian Dayforce and ADP Workforce Now, and an API is available, but note that Dynamics 365 doesn’t provide its own payroll functionality. Similarly, Dynamics 365 connects with talent acquisition systems like LinkedIn Talent Solutions, but this functionality isn’t included in the Microsoft tool natively.

You do get some neat integrations with other Microsoft tools, though, as long as you also have licenses for those. You can visualize HR data with Power BI dashboards, for instance, which is an ideal way to monitor your workforce, spot trends, and identify potential issues. Your employees can also access many HR functions directly in Microsoft Teams.

Dynamics 365 also includes integrations with hundreds of third-party apps, with over 130 available for HR at the time of writing.

There’s no doubt that Dynamics 365 Human Resources is strongest when it’s included as part of a wider Microsoft system, where you’ll be able to properly exploit its integration with other products and the various AI and customization tools delivered through Power Platform.

Negatively, though, if you’re not already integrated with Microsoft, then you’ll have a severely compromised experience with this solution.

(Image credit: Future)Microsoft Dynamics 365 Human Resources: Ease of use

Unfortunately, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Human Resources wasn’t available with a free trial at the time of writing, and when we reached out to Microsoft so we could test the app, the company was unresponsive.

That said, user sentiment and online reviews indicate that the product is easiest to use in organizations that already rely on the Microsoft ecosystem, which is not surprising.

The day-to-day experience for employees is reportedly impressive, with lots of functionality easily available through Microsoft Teams.

The experience has been described as more mixed for HR administrators and managers, with reports of a complex interface, a steep learning curve, and challenging initial setup. Positively, there’s also plenty of talk about the system being powerful and customizable – once you know your way around, managers have been able to deploy robust, effective, and tailored tools throughout their HR systems.

We’ve seen reports of poor functionality and friction caused by reliance on so many third-party integrations – a double-edged sword when stacked alongside the increased functionality and flexibility provided by the large library of potential additions.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Human Resources: Support

Microsoft offers extensive support options for Dynamics 365 Human Resources. If you rely on the standard options included with the product, then you receive plenty of coverage, and you can pay $9 per user per month for Professional Direct Support – an option designed for businesses with continuous operations that need faster response times and access to experts.

Above that tier is Unified Enterprise support, designed for organizations that need end-to-end support across an entire suite of Microsoft technologies. You’ll need to talk to sales to get pricing for that product.

That said, the Standard support option is still comprehensive. HR professionals can access web and phone incident submission, break/fix support, always-on critical incident support, a service dashboard, online training, and potentially response times under one hour.

Upgrade to the Professional Direct package and your issues get prioritized. You can also benefit from service delivery and escalation management, advisory services, monthly reviews, proactive support services, and technical webinars.

And if you want that Unified Enterprise option, you’ll get complete coverage for all of your Microsoft products, an assigned service delivery manager, on-demand service reviews and workshops, remote diagnostics, on-site services, and enhanced solutions.

No matter which support package you go for, it’s a deeply impressive array of options – one of the most comprehensive you’ll find alongside any HR solution.

(Image credit: Future)Microsoft Dynamics 365 Human Resources: Competition

The size and popularity of Microsoft means that Dynamics 365 Human Resources has plenty of strong rivals worth considering, even if you’re already committed to the wider Microsoft ecosystem in other areas of your business.

SAP SuccessFactors is a good alternative for enterprises that want a powerful, dedicated HR suite that can integrate across a large and complex business, and UKG is particularly capable for organizations that want lots of power and customization around scheduling.

Paylocity should be at the top of your list if you want huge amounts of data alongside both payroll and HR functionality in one solution.

Rippling is one to investigate if you’d like to deploy plenty of automation in your next HR solution, and both BambooHR and HiBob have great user interfaces that work particularly well for SMBs.

(Image credit: Future)Microsoft Dynamics 365 Human Resources: Final verdict

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Human Resources has significant strengths, most of which rely on its unsurprisingly deep integration with the wider suite of Microsoft solutions.

It’s excellent for workflow automation and customization thanks to tools like Power Platform and Power BI, and its Teams employee self-service options are convenient.

Its core HR capabilities are solid, and it’s got some of the best support options available for any HR solution.

It’s missing payroll and recruiting tools, though, and its integration library can be tricky – it introduces functionality but could create an operational risk.

If you need flexibility and analytics from your HR suite and you’re already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, then Dynamics 365 Human Resources is worth consideration. But if you’re not already wedded to Microsoft, we recommend investing elsewhere.

Lots of HR software providers deliver global solutions built for multinational enterprises, but Cintra is based in Newcastle, UK, and focuses on the British market.

With hundreds of businesses already using Cintra software and billions of pounds in Bacs payments processed annually, though, there’s clear demand for tools like Cintra People – the company’s all-in-one HR solution.

That’s no wonder when you consider what Cintra People offers. The company promises a comprehensive approach that collects human resources, payroll, performance, and engagement in one place.

Having tested all the best HR software, this one is refreshingly straightforward, extremely customizable, and relies on automation to save hours of time for your HR teams.

Cintra People: Plans and pricing

As with many HR and payroll tools, you’ll only get pricing for Cintra People if you get in touch with the business for a tailored quote. Thankfully, the company does offer a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, which is rare for HR solutions.

As with many HR solutions, getting that tailored quote and eventually deploying Cintra People means building a package using several different modules that provide HR and finance functionality.

While that does mean you can create an HR solution with the features that your organization needs, it also means that Cintra People could get expensive and that initial budgeting could prove tricky until you have a conversation with the Cintra sales department.

(Image credit: Future)Cintra People: Features

Cintra People is designed to bring HR, payroll, performance, and engagement together in a single system that simplifies management for businesses of all sizes.

The secure, cloud-based employee database ensures data security and integrity across information, documents, and employment history. A self-service portal lets staff update their own information – with user sentiment suggesting the self-service options are impressive.

Cintra’s leave and absence management module tackles PTO, sickness, TOIL, and more, and it includes self-service, calendar syncing, fast approval processes, and clear reporting to help your employees stay engaged and managers stay on top of their workforce.

The various time-off options and categories can be configured to match your organization’s requirements and policies, and reporting can help identify trends, including absenteeism. The app supports global teams, multi-location businesses, and both hybrid and remote work, with flexibility very much placed at the forefront.

There’s an automated return to work process, and the leave management tools work on mobile too – so management is even easier. Similarly, time-tracking options let you manage hourly and salaried employees across projects and locations with custom processes and ample automation.

Cintra’s performance management tools include annual reviews, probationary procedures, self-assessments, 1-1s, and 360-degree feedback – this is one of the most comprehensive performance modules you’ll find in any HR suite. Automated cycles can be configured to keep feedback flowing, and managers can record and report on goals, feedback, and outcomes with analytics and assessments.

Checklists, goals, OKRs, and customizable templates help standardize processes, and you can create and manage employee training and learning schedules.

Personalized onboarding processes, progress tracking, manager involvement options, and automated reminders ensure a smoother start for any new hires. You can send welcome messages and first-day information and give new starters access to their team profiles, and it’s all accessible by mobile to make life easier.

The final major module in Cintra People handles employee engagement. You can build tailored surveys, track engagement, ask for anonymous feedback, and use a dashboard to spot opportunities and potential issues. Peer recognition systems are included, too, alongside a company newsfeed – both of which are key for morale.

Cintra People includes payroll functionality, so you don’t have to switch to another system to tackle the finances, and it also integrates with Xero, Microsoft Office 365, Google Workspace, Greenhouse, Slack, DocuSign, and many more tools. A flexible API is available so you can create your own integrations.

It’s also a capable option for UK businesses that need to ensure compliance thanks to its ISO 27001 certification and Employer of Record capability, albeit with the latter available as a separate service.

One slight negative is the support for recruitment features via integrations – there’s not much included here natively. Depending on the tools you use you can manage candidate pipelines, use reporting, publish open positions to job boards, and streamline your screening and scheduling, but this functionality isn’t included in the system by default.

(Image credit: Future)Cintra People: Ease of use

Cintra People’s interface is not particularly flashy or colorful, but it’s well-designed and will quickly become easy to use for administrators, even if they’re not familiar with HR tools.

Sensible layouts and typography make information easy to parse. The app’s customizable dashboard provides alerts, a newsfeed, instant details on employee behavior, and more detailed breakdowns of allowances, team locations, and even birthdays and work anniversaries. It’s a great way to quickly get up to speed with what’s going on in your business.

As with many HR tools, the main navigation is on the left-hand side, and there’s plenty to enjoy when you explore the rest of the app.

The employee review section provides a straightforward way to monitor performance, deploy 360-degree review structures, and see employee shout-outs. Throughout the app you’ll find automation and checklist options that are powerful and easy to configure.

There are broad customization options baked into the app, which can help users modify Cintra People to reflect their own workflows and requirements, and the concentration on data parity and centralization means robust compliance and impressive levels of consistency.

User sentiment backs up much of our testing, with HR managers often citing Cintra’s easy navigation and thorough implementation processes as high points.

(Image credit: Future)Cintra People: Support

As with most HR solutions, Cintra provides a knowledge base that’s packed with useful articles, and administrators can book training sessions on new starters, reporting, efficiency, and payroll at an extra cost.

If you need to get in touch with Cintra then a ticketing system is offered, although there’s little extra information about timelines or communication methods available on the Cintra website.

That said, online user sentiment suggests that people are frequently impressed by the speed and capability of Cintra’s support services, and the company also offers outsourced HR services if you need extra day-to-day help.

(Image credit: Future)Cintra People: Competition

Anyone looking for an SMB-focused HR solution has plenty of options to choose from, even if you’re considering UK-based products.

Sage HR is another frontrunner if you need an all-in-one HR solution designed for SMBs, and IRIS is another comprehensive tool.

If you’d like to evaluate options that excel in specific areas, then you’ve got no shortage of choice, either. BambooHR and HiBob are superb when it comes to employee experience and engagement, and both have more engaging user interfaces than Cintra – although they’re a little weaker when it comes to payroll.

For a product that’s stronger with the financials, RUN Powered by ADP is an SMB-specific alternative, and Workable is excellent for recruitment.

Cintra People: Final verdict

Cintra People is a comprehensive and effective choice for UK-based SMBs that need a broad array of HR and payroll features, all in one platform.

It does a great job of providing core functionality, with superb workflow support, top-notch performance and engagement features, and an unfussy and effective design. Its employee self-service experience is good, too.

You don’t get any real pricing transparency until you start talking to Cintra, though, which can be frustrating, and functionality based around recruitment relies on integrations rather than native features.

Despite that, Cintra People is a capable and well-designed SMB option that will deliver practicality, usability, and compliance to your business.

The HP DeskJet 2855e is a compact all-in-one inkjet printer designed for light home use. It provides printing, scanning, and copying functions. The printer stands out because of its simple setup process, which users praise when they use the HP Smart app together with wireless connectivity features.

Now, this is a budget inkjet - it's currently $50 at Amazon.com and in the UK, the virtually identical DeskJet 2820e is £40 at Amazon.co.uk.

We went hands-on with the DeskJet 2855e to get a feel for how it all comes together. And we've also looked at what others are saying about it.

The 2855e printer receives continuous praise from online reviewers for its document printing quality, and some users report good photo results when using appropriate paper. The printer's compact design makes it an ideal choice for people who need to save space.

The 2855e printer has several negative aspects that users need to consider. Reviews frequently report problems with printer connectivity because they experience unstable Wi-Fi connections, mainly when their network operates only on the 5.0 GHz band (the printer needs 2.4 GHz connectivity).

The primary source of disagreement stems from HP's ink policy, which forces users to purchase HP-branded cartridges and subscribe to HP Instant Ink for potential savings. This policy creates frustration because of high costs outside the program and the need for internet connectivity for HP+ features. The printer is criticized for its slow startup, printing speeds, and the initial setup cartridges’ minimal page yield.

Regardless, users who need a basic printer for occasional tasks will find the HP DeskJet 2855e an appropriate choice because it offers cost-effectiveness and ease of use.

For our top-performing picks, see our guide to the best home printers we've tested.

(Image credit: Future)HP DeskJet 2855e: Specs

The HP DeskJet 2855e is an all-purpose inkjet printer that works well for homes, students, and small businesses. It is a multifunctional device that enables color printing, copying, and scanning to meet different document requirements.

The DeskJet 2855e reaches a maximum ISO printing speed of 7.5 pages per minute (ppm) for black text while reaching 5.5 ppm for color prints. The printer operates effectively between 50 and 100 pages of monthly print use and reaches a maximum duty cycle of 1,000 pages. The printer operates effectively for both light and medium printing needs.

The printer delivers excellent print quality through its 1200 x 1200 rendered dpi for black text and 4800 x 1200 optimized dpi for color prints, resulting in clear and sharp documents. The printer produces detailed and colorful outputs through its 4800 x 1200 optimized dpi color printing capability and 1200 x 1200 rendered dpi black text printing ability.

The printer includes a 60-sheet input tray that supports printing different media sizes starting from 3 x 5 inches (postcards) and extending to 8.5 x 14 inches (legal paper). Users can print various documents on different paper types through this printer, including plain paper, photo paper, brochures, and envelopes. A 25-sheet output tray helps users manage their printed documents efficiently.

The printer enables wireless printing through built-in Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n and direct connections through its Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port. The printer allows network users to print documents from various connected devices. The HP Smart app, Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Chrome OS, and Mopria certification enable users to print directly from smartphones and tablets.

The DeskJet 2855e features a scanner that scans at 1200 dpi optical resolution to deliver detailed results for documents and photos. The copier enables nine copies with a 300 x 300 dpi resolution for black and color copies.

The printer measures 16.7 inches (W) x 11.97 inches (D) x 6.06 inches (H) and weighs 7.55 pounds to fit easily in different spaces with its compact dimensions. HP integrates at least 60% post-consumer recycled plastic into its construction to demonstrate its environmental responsibility.

HP DeskJet 2855e: Feedback What other sites think

In addition to reviewing the product, we analyzed HP DeskJet 2855e reviews from other online publications to get a more precise and concise idea of what others think of the low-cost inkjet printer.

RTINGS.com says the HP DeskJet 2855e isn't a good choice for families due to its low page yield, leading to frequent and costly ink cartridge replacements. While its document print quality is passable, it struggles with photos, producing flat and unnatural images due to a narrow color range and poor accuracy. Although it includes a scanner, the scan quality is poor, it lacks fine detail, and there is no automatic feeder for multi-page documents. On the positive side, it offers good connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, USB, AirPrint, and Mopria, making it easily accessible to multiple users.

Over at PCVerge, the HP DeskJet 2855e is noted for being a compact, affordable printer suitable for light family use, boasting good connectivity options like Wi-Fi, USB, AirPrint, and Mopria. However, its limitations include the absence of an automatic document feeder, merely acceptable print quality, and higher long-term operating expenses due to ink consumption. While not the fastest, its photo printing speed is reasonable for its price. It features a high-resolution flatbed scanner with good color depth, though its hinges don't accommodate scanning thick items. Ultimately, the HP DeskJet 2855e is deemed a good value for fundamental home printing, particularly for infrequent users open to alternative ink solutions or an HP ink subscription.

Perhaps the most insightful review comes from a Reddit poster. Their “Love Letter to Mediocrity” covers all the essential bases. The author expresses pleasant surprise that the printer functions without significant issues, highlighting its easy setup, wireless printing, and all-in-one capabilities (print, scan, copy). However, the review notes its downsides, including high ink consumption, slow print speeds, and mediocre print quality. The reviewer concludes that the printer is best suited for users with basic printing needs and low expectations, rather than those seeking high-quality or fast performance.

(Image credit: Future)What users have to say

The HP DeskJet 2855e achieves positive average star ratings on major online retail and manufacturer platforms. Still, negative reviews strongly outnumber positive ones, which leads to an extreme split in user satisfaction.

The printer earns a 4.2 out of 5-star rating at Walmart.com based on 652 ratings from 412 reviewers. The review distribution reveals that most users provide 5-star ratings at 65% while 16% give 4-star ratings.

The 1-star reviews account for 10% of the reviews, indicating that many users remain unhappy with the product. The overall recommendation rate from Walmart.com reviewers regarding the product amounts to 83%.

HP.com shows the DeskJet 2855e receiving 4.3 out of 5 stars from 433 user reviews on its official store website. The platform displays a mixed sentiment, with numerous negative reviews that describe multiple problems. 4. The polarized feedback pattern matches what other platforms show.

Best Buy lacks explicit ratings information in the document, but their summaries demonstrate that customers praise the DeskJet 2855e's user-friendly nature, and lack sufficient negative feedback. 6 The product starts with an overwhelmingly positive first impression, especially regarding its early usage.

The 4-star rating on RC Willey, based on 214 customer reviews, matches the general positive trend while showing that some customers remain dissatisfied.

(Image credit: Future)HP DeskJet 2855e: Pros

The HP DeskJet 2855e receives positive reviews for its main features, which appeal to users who require an entry-level home printer.

Users praise the DeskJet 2855e for its "ease of use" and simple setup process after completing software installation and initial connection steps. Many users who experienced a straightforward setup process share positive opinions about this printer. The HP Smart application is a key tool that helps users set up their printer and provides easy mobile printing capabilities without a computer connection.

Multiple users describe the DeskJet 2855e as delivering "good print quality" and producing "clear and true to color" images with "great print copies" that meet everyday needs for documents, school work, and occasional photo printing. The expert review by PCVarge agrees with these observations since it notes that the printer delivers “good image quality” and “reasonable” photo printing speeds at an affordable price.

Users consistently praise the printer for its compact design and lightweight construction. The printer receives praise for its "convenient and space-saving" design and "portable" feature, which makes it suitable for home desks in small living spaces. PCVarge notes that the printer measures 6.7 x 11.97 x 6.06 inches and weighs 7.55 pounds, emphasizing its small size among desktop printers.

The printer's affordable initial cost is the main selling point for customers who consider it a "great price" and an "affordable" choice for basic home printing needs. The printer receives positive reviews from customers and experts because it offers a "good budget choice" that suits basic requirements while delivering print, scan, and copy functionalities.

Users highly value wireless printing capabilities across different devices and effortless HP Smart mobile application integration for its user-friendly features. The printer allows users to print documents without needing to plug in their computers every time.

According to HP, the printer features the “most reliable Wi-Fi,” which automatically detects and solves network problems, but some users report opposite experiences.

The positive reception of the HP DeskJet 2855e regarding its compact design, affordable price point, and user-friendly operation post-initial setup confirms its suitability for users requiring basic, straightforward printing capabilities. Due to this feedback, the product stands in the “basic home printing” market segment. The product meets the needs of a particular group of users who have low expectations. HP’s design choices involve choosing basic accessibility and a compact size instead of providing full functionality and premium materials.

The printer delivers its highest value to users with basic needs who successfully overcome typical setup challenges. The strategic market approach adopted by HP focuses on the entry-level market segment by prioritizing initial purchase affordability and ease of use. The user feedback confirms the product's successful targeting of its specific market segment because these customers find that the printer meets its essential promises.

(Image credit: Future)HP DeskJet 2855e: Cons

The HP DeskJet 2855e suffers from multiple critical problems, negatively affecting customer satisfaction.

Multiple users, including those with technical expertise, found the printer setup experience highly challenging. They needed at least 20 minutes and sometimes two days to establish printer functionality. Users experience a "clunky nightmare" and "convoluted" setup process because the instructions depend on mobile app guidance while eliminating disc support, which results in users getting trapped in infinite loops.

The numerous reports about challenging initial setup processes by users with technical experience demonstrate how many buyers encounter a substantial obstacle that prevents them from completing the setup process. The initial unpleasant experience with the printer can make users lose enthusiasm for its beneficial features.

Installing the printer starts with a negative experience that damages customer satisfaction immediately after purchase, making them more likely to return products and view the following problems with increased hostility.

The first negative impression strongly influences customer reviews because it leads to the observed bimodal distribution across different platforms. A customer's inability to print a return label demonstrates their frustration and the practical difficulties that emerge when a setup fails. The setup process becomes a critical, high-stakes moment for HP because it focuses on app-based setup but lacks robust offline setup options and precise network configuration troubleshooting. Enhancing the initial user experience would lead to better overall customer opinions, even if additional drawbacks exist.

This issue sparks intense disagreement among customers who feel intensely dissatisfied with it. Users strongly dislike that the printer requires HP-branded ink cartridges and an active Instant Ink subscription for maintenance.

Users strongly condemn HP for what they call the "ink scam" and denounce the "ink rule" because of the "chip,” which forces users to use HP’s proprietary ink. Users explicitly mention they will never purchase HP products again because of this policy.

Expert reviews show that standard cartridges have a "very low page yield,” which results in “high long-term operational cost (without subscription)”- $0.08 per black print and $.12 per color print—so users must replace cartridges often before subscribing to the model.

Users view HP's proprietary ink policy and subscription promotion as more than financial issues because they create fundamental trust breakdowns and damage brand loyalty among numerous customers. Users experience deeper problems than price concerns because they see this practice as unfair towards consumers and feel trapped by the manufacturer's actions.

The printer's affordable initial price is a double-edged sword because it comes with expensive maintenance costs and limited ink availability. This exemplifies a "razor-and-blades" business model. Customers become angry when they experience "overpriced,” “forced,” or "designed to fail without subscription" ink cartridges in this business model. The potential existence of class-action lawsuits indicates how seriously customers view this ethical violation.

HP's subscription-based model generates recurring revenue but endangers customer loyalty and brand integrity, mainly because it feels deceptive to specific users. The business strategy employed by HP stands in direct opposition to customer autonomy, which is the leading cause of negative review sentiment.

The printer experiences recurring paper jam problems, while users frequently experience printing failures. Several users considered switching to their previous printers because of the recurring jamming issues. A reviewer pointed out that the printer construction feels inexpensive because it uses "cheap plastics." The low initial cost of the printer might relate to lower material standards.

(Image credit: Future)

The device, marketed as an “all-in-one” device, consistently demonstrates a significant problem with its scanning functionality. Customers experience two major scanning issues because the scanner refuses to function and fails to detect documents. Users encountered difficulties when scanning into a computer that forced them to run "HP scanner doctor" multiple times until they restarted their computer. This led to the belief that HP uses this method as an "ink scam" ploy. According to expert reviews, the scanning performance is not good because the image processing removes essential details from the scans and the flatbed scanner's lid hinges do not extend to accommodate thick items.

The absence of an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) is a significant limitation, meaning multi-page documents must be scanned one sheet at a time, manually.

The persistent issues with scanning functionality make the product's "all-in-one" claim less valuable according to user reports. The consistent problems with scanning functionality directly harm the "multifunctionality" value proposition because it affects the fundamental operation of the device.

The "cheap piece of junk" sentiment emerges when users feel they purchased only a printer and copier instead of an "all-in-one" device. The scanning module seems to suffer from quality control issues, software integration problems, or the manufacturer deliberately chose basic scanning features that fail to match typical user expectations for "all-in-one" devices. The significant difference between marketing claims and user experience results in customer dissatisfaction.

Users and experts agree that automatic duplex (double-sided) printing should be included in a printer, but the product lacks this feature. Users need to turn pages manually for double-sided printing. The absence of the Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) significantly hinders efficiency when users scan or copy multiple pages. The control panel has a tiny non-tiltable LCD screen that users find hard to see from their seated position.

Finally, many users express dissatisfaction because they receive starter cartridges and XL ink cartridges with low page yields. Users who plan to print many pages should expect the starter cartridges to deplete quickly. Another noted that the "cartridges that came with it don't last long if you plan to print many pages.” Expert reviews confirm this problem by assessing "very low page yield,” which explains why the print cost remains high without an Instant Ink subscription, leading to frequent cartridge replacements.

In today’s hiring landscape, employers face more pressure than ever to make informed decisions before bringing new people on board. The process of screening candidates has evolved from being a simple precaution to a strategic necessity that helps protect organizations from financial, operational, and reputational risks. Whether in corporate offices, hospitals, or government agencies, verifying the accuracy of a candidate’s background information can determine the integrity of a workforce and the reliability of crucial business operations.

At the same time, employers are navigating a complex web of ever-evolving regulatory requirements that vary across regions and industries. Compliance with employment laws and data privacy standards has become a central part of hiring, demanding extra care when handling sensitive information. This is where technology-driven background screening tools come into play, transforming what was once a slow, fragmented process into a streamlined and secure system.

Cisive is one such platform that has built its reputation around delivering precision and trust in background verification. The company’s technology integrates speed, accuracy, and legal compliance, enabling employers to manage their vetting processes with confidence and efficiency. Its solutions are tailored to high-stakes sectors like banking, healthcare, and transportation, fields where every hiring decision carries significant responsibility and even minor errors can have far-reaching consequences.

Discover more of the best employee background check services.

Cisive: How it works

(Image credit: Future)

Cisive provides employment background screening and workforce risk management services that help organizations reduce hiring risks. The company conducts in-depth investigations, including checks of criminal history, credit, past employment, education, driving records, and watchlists, tailored to meet industry-specific regulations in areas such as finance, healthcare, and transportation.

By combining automated systems with expert review, Cisive produces detailed reports that comply with regulations and highlight any candidate concerns to aid better hiring choices. Testing showed various features and capabilities of the service.

Cisive: Pricing

Cisive customizes prices based on the client's unique screening needs rather than charging fixed, set fees. This means you only pay for the kinds of checks you actually need, avoiding costs for unnecessary features. Prices vary greatly depending on the scope, records accessed, and additional verification requested. Basic identity checks typically start at around $25, while full screenings, which involve criminal, employment, and education verifications, may exceed $200.

Individual checks, such as prior employer or education verification, typically cost approximately $17.50 per package, although exact prices depend on the specific services chosen.

For precise pricing tailored to your organization, the best approach is to contact Cisive directly. This personalized pricing system contrasts with those of competitors, who often use flat or published rates.

Cisive: Pros and cons

(Image credit: Future)

Cisive offers several benefits, making it a solid choice for companies that need quick and reliable background checks. It stands out with fast turnaround times—some reports arrive within seconds or a few business days, which speeds up hiring and improves the candidate experience. For industries bound by strict regulations, such as healthcare and finance, Cisive ensures that each report complies with federal, state, and industry-specific regulations, thereby minimizing legal risks.

Its tech-focused platform integrates advanced data sources and automation to streamline verifications and reduce manual steps, delivering consistent outcomes. Strong customer service supports this, making it suitable for HR teams handling large volumes of screenings. The company also prioritizes data security and privacy, providing reassurance to businesses handling sensitive information.

However, some users report occasional errors, primarily due to data aggregation or identity confusion, which can cause delays. Resolving these issues may be slow or stressful, as the dispute process is seen as cumbersome. This highlights the need for close attention and good communication between employers, candidates, and Cisive staff.

Cisive: Use cases

Cisive is particularly well-suited for organizations that operate within industries subject to strict regulations and continuous oversight, such as banking, insurance, healthcare, transportation, and large-scale corporate enterprises. These sectors often involve handling sensitive information, performing safety-critical roles, and facing high public accountability, which makes precise background verification a crucial part of their hiring and employee management processes. Companies seeking both initial applicant screening and continuous workforce monitoring can rely on Cisive to support risk management at every stage of employment.

Beyond general employment checks, the platform caters to niche requirements that many competing systems overlook. It offers specialized features for roles where licensing, certification, and on-the-job safety are essential, such as credential tracking for healthcare professionals or ongoing driver record monitoring for logistics and transportation businesses. This approach allows employers to maintain compliance not only at the point of hire but throughout the duration of employment, a key advantage in fields where regulations can change frequently.

Cisive also integrates with a wide range of applicant tracking and human capital management systems, including iCIMS, Workday Recruiting, Oracle Talent Cloud, and Jobvite Hire. These connections enable recruiters and HR teams to initiate background checks, receive verified reports, and manage communications without leaving their existing workflow environment. The benefit is a seamless exchange of information that saves time and reduces administrative friction, helping organizations maintain both accuracy and efficiency.

Additionally, the company’s partnerships with technology providers, such as SambaSafety, provide an added layer of compliance oversight, enabling real-time monitoring of drivers and licenses. This continuous data feedback loop is particularly valuable to employers managing large fleets or safety-sensitive staff, ensuring they remain informed about any changes that could affect an employee’s eligibility or risk level. Together, these capabilities create an ecosystem that integrates deeply with organizational needs while promoting transparency, safety, and long-term compliance.

Cisive: Final verdict

In conclusion, Cisive stands out as a long-term ally for organizations that place a high value on trust, accuracy, and compliance in their hiring operations. Its services go beyond the basics of background verification by combining advanced automation with human expertise, ensuring that results are both swift and dependable for enterprises operating in closely regulated fields, such as finance, pharmaceuticals, or transportation. The company’s attention to data security and legal precision makes it a dependable resource capable of handling complex screening requirements.

However, it’s worth noting that the platform’s level of sophistication can also translate into higher costs and a steeper learning curve, particularly for smaller firms that prefer simpler, more predictable pricing models. While some users have mentioned occasional reporting delays, these are typically outweighed by the overall consistency, accuracy, and compliance support the system provides.

Ultimately, Cisive’s strength lies in its ability to integrate technology, regulation, and service into a cohesive package that enhances business confidence in hiring decisions. For employers prioritizing transparency and risk management, the platform offers not just a background check service but a complete framework for maintaining integrity throughout the employment process.

Certn is a tech-driven background check service that helps businesses quickly and securely verify candidate, tenant, or contractor information. It delivers domestic and international criminal checks, credit reports, identity verification, employment and education verification, and more, by drawing from over 200,000 data sources in more than 150 countries.

Small business owners can use Certn’s self-service portal or API integrations to streamline hiring and tenant screening while ensuring compliance with legal requirements, including the FCRA.

You might also be interested in the best employee background checks services.

Certn: Plans and pricing

Certn offers flexible, pay-as-you-go pricing designed to fit businesses of all sizes. For small businesses, this model removes the need for subscriptions or long-term contracts.

• Pay-per-check model: Pricing starts at around $10 to $18 per screening, depending on which service is selected. For example, a basic criminal record check is approximately $17.99.
• No monthly fee: You pay only for what you use, which keeps costs manageable for companies with occasional hiring needs.
• Volume discounts: Larger organizations with recurring or high-volume screening requirements can request custom enterprise pricing. Annual costs at this level can exceed $24,000, but they come with added support and integration options.

This structure gives smaller operations financial flexibility while offering scalability for growth. However, as screening volume increases, per-check costs can add up quickly--potentially making fixed-rate competitors more cost-effective for enterprises.

Certn: Features

(Image credit: Certn)

Certn's greatest strength lies in its comprehensive suite of background screening solutions. The platform covers nearly every type of verification a business might require, including criminal record checks at both domestic and international levels, credit and financial reports for tenants or financial-sector clients, education and employment verification to confirm candidate history, identity verification using AI and OCR for fraud detection, and motor vehicle and professional license checks for specific industries.

These tools are consolidated in a single dashboard, streamlining workflows and reducing manual effort. Certn also integrates with popular applicant tracking systems (ATS) such as Workday, Lever, Greenhouse, and Workable, allowing HR teams to conduct checks directly within familiar recruiting environments.

Certn: Setup

Getting started with Certn is fast and straightforward. Account creation requires only basic business information, after which users can launch their first background check directly through the self-service portal.

For organizations that already use hiring platforms, Certn's ATS integrations and API tools enable automation by seamlessly embedding background checks into existing workflows. Setup guides and onboarding support are available, though some technical skills may be needed for API configuration.

Certn: Ease of use

(Image credit: Certn)

Certn's intuitive, mobile-friendly interface is one of its highlights. The portal displays pending and completed reports in a clear, visual dashboard, allowing users to monitor status and manage ongoing checks effortlessly.

Turnaround times are impressive—many reports are complete within minutes, depending on the data sources used. Consent collection and dispute resolution workflows are automated to ensure compliance with FCRA and other applicable regulations.

During testing, users noted only small drawbacks, such as occasional login instability or minor navigation issues when managing more complex workflows.

Certn: Security and Privacy

Certn places a strong emphasis on data protection and regulatory compliance. It adheres to FCRA, GDPR, and Canadian privacy standards (PIPEDA), ensuring personal data is collected and stored securely.

All data transmissions are encrypted end-to-end, and the company uses secure data centers to maintain confidentiality. Additionally, users benefit from built-in consent documentation and audit trails — essential features for compliance-focused industries such as finance, healthcare, and education.

Certn: Support

Certn's customer support options include live chat, email assistance, and help center documentation. Response times are generally good, and helpful representatives are available to troubleshoot integration issues or report issues.

However, user experiences can vary — some report excellent assistance, while others have received slower or less detailed responses. This inconsistency suggests opportunities to improve the scalability of customer support as demand grows.

Certn: The competition

Certn operates in a competitive space alongside well-known background check providers, including Checkr, GoodHire, HireRight, and Sterling. Each competitor offers a distinct set of strengths tailored to different market segments. Checkr, for instance, is known for its deep integrations with major HR and ATS platforms, making it a top choice for large and midsize enterprises. It provides extensive analytics and compliance tools but generally requires volume-based contracts, limiting flexibility for small businesses. In contrast, Certn's pay-as-you-go model and fast onboarding process make it more appealing to startups and smaller teams with tighter budgets.

GoodHire focuses on small to midsize employers, emphasizing candidate-friendly reporting and transparent communication tools. However, its pricing can escalate quickly when additional specialized checks are needed. Certn matches GoodHire's ease of use while offering greater automation and broader international data coverage. HireRight, a long-established enterprise provider, excels in deep customization, global compliance, and advanced reporting options. The downside is a more complex setup and higher cost, whereas Certn prioritizes speed and simplicity over enterprise-level control

Sterling is known for its robust identity verification and healthcare-specific screening, serving primarily large organizations with high screening volumes. Certn delivers comparable accuracy and security while keeping its services accessible to smaller clients through an on-demand pricing model. Overall, Certn distinguishes itself by blending the speed and automation of Checkr with the accessibility and transparency of GoodHire, all within a more flexible pricing structure. While it may not match the advanced customization capabilities of HireRight or Sterling, Certn provides an affordable, scalable, and globally capable solution that strikes a strong balance between performance and usability.

Certn: Final verdict

Certn is a strong, technology-forward platform that makes background screening faster, more straightforward, and more transparent. Its pay-as-you-go pricing, global reach, and user-friendly interface are especially well-suited to small businesses, staffing agencies, property managers, and remote-first teams.

Although high-volume users may see costs rise and some verifications require manual follow-up, Certn's combination of speed, compliance, and automation makes it a top contender among modern background check services. For businesses seeking an affordable, efficient screening solution with no long-term commitments, Certn is well worth considering.