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(Image credit: Kateryna Klochko)

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

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

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

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

Lenovo Yoga Pro 7i: Price and Availability

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lenovo Yoga Pro 7i: Price and Availability

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: two-minute review

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

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

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

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

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

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

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: price and availability

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

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

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

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: key specsCamouflage EZ BirdFeed specs

Photo

Up to 12MP

Video

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

Lens

130-degree field of view

Memory

Up to 128GB microSD card (not included)

Dimensions

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

Weight

4.08lbs / 1.85kg

Connectivity

USB-C, Dual-band Wi-Fi 6

Battery

5,200mAh battery, 5W solar panel

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: design

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Future | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam Kieldsen

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

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

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: performance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You want detailed 4K stills

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

You never want to charge a battery

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

You want easy upkeep

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

Don't buy it if...

You want smooth video

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

You don’t want a subscription

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

You’d prefer a natural-looking feeder

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

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: also consider

Bird Buddy 2

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

Read our Bird Buddy 2 review

Camouflage EZ BirdFeed

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

Read our Camouflage EZ BirdFeed review

How I tested the Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

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

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

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

• First reviewed October 2026

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: two-minute review

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

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

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

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

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

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

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: price and availability

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

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

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

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: key specsCamouflage EZ BirdFeed specs

Photo

Up to 12MP

Video

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

Lens

130-degree field of view

Memory

Up to 128GB microSD card (not included)

Dimensions

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

Weight

4.08lbs / 1.85kg

Connectivity

USB-C, Dual-band Wi-Fi 6

Battery

5,200mAh battery, 5W solar panel

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: design

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Future | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam Kieldsen

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

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

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: performance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You want detailed 4K stills

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

You never want to charge a battery

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

You want easy upkeep

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

Don't buy it if...

You want smooth video

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

You don’t want a subscription

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

You’d prefer a natural-looking feeder

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

Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro: also consider

Bird Buddy 2

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

Read our Bird Buddy 2 review

Camouflage EZ BirdFeed

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

Read our Camouflage EZ BirdFeed review

How I tested the Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

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

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

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

• First reviewed October 2026

• Britain's nuclear submarine crews are training to fight drones using water
• Fire hoses provide emergency protection when drones breach naval security
• Each Vanguard submarine costs approximately £4 billion despite its basic defences

British sailors are receiving training to repel hostile drones using powerful water jets aboard nuclear submarines stationed at a naval installation in Scotland.

The unconventional approach provides a relatively inexpensive and environmentally friendly defensive option for vessels facing potential aerial attacks while docked or operating above water.

A report from The Sun, the equipment serves as an emergency measure when incoming drones penetrate existing security arrangements around Britain's nuclear deterrent.

High-pressure water jets provide final protection

The Royal Navy has equipped its Vanguard-class submarines with firefighting hoses capable of directing concentrated streams of water toward approaching unmanned aircraft.

These devices feature handheld nozzles with pistol-style controls, allowing sailors to aim pressurised water at airborne threats approaching their vessels.

During an attack, sailors would direct powerful water jets at small and medium-sized FPV drones, attempting to knock them down or divert their flight paths.

The hoses are deployed aboard submarines stationed at HMNB Clyde; the Scottish naval installation responsible for accommodating Britain's nuclear deterrent fleet.

Unlike conventional air defence systems, the hoses cannot detect or automatically track incoming drones.

A naval source acknowledged the limitations of relying on firefighting equipment against airborne threats.

But when in a dire situation, “you have to use what you’ve got,” said an unnamed Royal Navy source.

The Vanguard-class vessels reportedly cost approximately £4 billion each, making their reliance on water-based protection particularly striking.

These submarines carry Trident II D5 ballistic missiles equipped with nuclear warheads, forming the maritime component of Britain's strategic deterrence capability.

Although the hoses provide no conventional anti-aircraft weaponry, they offer crews an immediate means of responding when other defensive measures fail.

Their practical value will depend on whether sailors can deploy them quickly enough against threats that evade existing defences.

Naval base faces potential close-range drone attacks

This arrangement addresses particular vulnerabilities where submarines become more exposed to aerial surveillance and attacks during port operations.

HMNB Clyde occupies a location beside Gare Loch, a relatively confined Scottish waterway measuring approximately one kilometre across at certain points.

Nearby hills, accessible roads and surrounding terrain could allow hostile operators to launch drones without providing defenders sufficient warning.

Such geographical constraints create additional security challenges because relatively short flight distances can significantly reduce the time available for interception.

The Ministry of Defence says military installations rely on several protective measures, including physical barriers, security patrols, surveillance equipment and counter-drone systems.

Officials have also announced £470 million in additional expenditure over four years to improve security across Britain's military facilities and installations.

These security investments become more important as underwater sensors were discovered near routes used by British submarines departing their Scottish naval headquarters.

Those devices were suspected of having possible connections to Russian efforts to monitor submarine movements, although their precise origins remain unconfirmed.

T-Mobile just raised a mandatory fee again, but it’s not the only carrier taking small bites out of your wallet.

Campaign ad spending has topped $10 billion this election cycle, as voters struggle to afford groceries and gas.

(Image credit: Gregory A. Rec/Pool Portland Press Herald)

The major party candidates for Minnesota's U.S. Senate seat faced off in an hourlong debate Friday on MPR News with fraud, affordability and fallout from the Trump administration's policies as key points of friction.

Rescuers in Indonesia have saved dozens of orangutans from wildfires. The critically endangered species is fighting for their lives and habitats during this deadly wildfire season.

More than three decades after the end of apartheid, families of victims of some of the worst crimes of South Africa's past
are still fighting for justice. As survivors and perpetrators grow older, a new wave of legal efforts is seeking truth, accountability and reparations before it's too late.

Porch security is the best, easiest safety project for anyone new to smart homes.

The coalition behind nationwide anti-Trump protests is shifting its strategies this weekend to focus on voter turnout. Organizers say Saturday's events are a nonpartisan effort to get people to the polls.

(Image credit: Charlie Riedel)

Patients travel miles to be treated at public hospitals in Delhi. Those in need get financial aid for their care. But for overnight accommodations, families are often on their own — and on the street.

(Image credit: Sajad Hameed for NPR)

President Trump's midterm travel blitz ahead of Election Day includes several red states he won easily 2 years ago, showing the electoral landscape is more challenging for Republicans.

(Image credit: Kent Nishimura)

About a third of couples are willing to save money on cake and dessert, according to the wedding-planning site Zola.

(Image credit: Stephan Bisaha)

High winds are fueling a fast-moving fire that has burned homes in Southern California. Flames engulfed expensive coastal properties and prompted thousands to evacuate.

(Image credit: Jae C. Hong)

• "Wooferpads" transmit pulses through your skin
• Coming to the US in November 2026
• $249 (about £187 / AU$357)

As much as I love hearing music on some of the best headphones, there's something missing from every mix: the physical sensation you get from a set of speakers pushing lots of air. Sonic Lamb has a solution. Its latest headphones model features unique drivers to deliver sound that you can actually feel.

The new Beyond headphones look like any other premium pair, but in addition to their dynamic drivers, they have what Sonic Lamb calls an Impulse Driver in each ear. That driver transmits low-frequency vibration as low as 2Hz through the headphones' "wooferpads" so that you can feel the vibration through your skin.

The vibrations are synchronized with the audio to follow not just their timing but the dynamics of the song. It sounds gimmicky, I know, but I promise you it isn't: we've tested the first generation of this technology and it really works.

We were very impressed with Sonic Lamb's first generation in 2022, bar a few niggles over the design. (Image credit: TechRadar)We're getting those good vibrations

We've seen lots of attempts to bring the physicality of bass to headphone listening, with various degrees of success (and various levels of practicality, if you recall Ol' Thumpy, which had its wearer "looking like a human dumbbell).

So far, Sonic Lamb's version is one of the most compelling: the first generation was subtle but effective and really did add an extra dimension to music. This newer, more advanced version offers 10 intensity levels and personalized profiles for different use cases: music, movies, gaming or just adjusting the audio to suit your preferences.

Even without the impulse drivers the Beyond headphones offer an impressive specification, although there's no active noise cancellation. The Beyond headphones have Bluetooth 5.4, LDAC, aptX Lossless, Bluetooth LE Audio, LC3, USB-C digital audio, 3.5 mm analogue audio and multipoint connectivity. There's also Beyond Link, a dongle that gives you low-latency connectivity for gaming, and you can expect up to 40 hours of battery life.

Other than the somewhat tacky "eargasm" marketing slogan, which Sonic Lamb is still using, our main gripe we had with the initial model was the design, which we said was "a little unrefined".

But the key features — sound, comfort, weight and padding — were all very good. As our audio editor Becky put it: "they recreate the experience of being at a live gig much better than I could've imagined."

The Sonic Lamb Beyond headphones go on sale in the US in November 2026 with a price tag of $249 (about £187 / AU$357).

• Biomemory has unveiled DNA Shield, designed to provide offline, airgapped, secure storage of critical digital assets in synthetic DNA
• The company foresees challenges to the resilience those assets (also known as “cold data”) and has hinted at the introduction of what it calls Molecular IT
• Biomemory is a co-chair of the DNA Data Storage Alliance

Commercial DNA data storage company Biomemory has unveiled DNA Shield, a purpose-built synthetic DNA repository service that ensures critical digital assets remain untouched by cyber criminals and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.

So-called cold data comprises 60% of all data in the world, and refers to information that cannot be altered. This might be passwords and biometrics or it could be incontrovertible data, facts, finances, and other material that serves as a record.

DNA Shield stores data in DNA, using an engineered encoding scheme that ensures it is biosecure – it’s a physical molecule that stores information long-term without power. Pilot slots have opened, ahead of a full service expected in 2027.

A shield of DNA

Biomemory has launched DNA Shield off the back of its acquisition of Boston-based DNA storage pioneer Catalog Technologies in March 2026, and aims to provide organizations with DNA storage of data.

Data could be biometric, it could be cryptographic keys, or it could be accounts. It might even be intellectual property, blueprints, unique or proprietary knowledge. Encrypting the data into synthetic DNA and storing as a medium that a million times denser than magnetic storage, offline and airgapped, is arguably the most secure storage available, potentially with a 150-year lifespan.

"DNA Shield is the moment Biomemory moves from proving a science to delivering a commercial product," notes Laurent Guengant, CEO of Biomemory. "Organizations need a way to hold their most critical digital assets, cryptographic keys, core intellectual property, regulated records, and long-term institutional memory, somewhere no single vendor, cloud, or system can reach, and to prove it still works over time.”

The molecular IT platform

Availability of the DNA Shield service is currently limited to a few pilots, running from October 15 2026 through to mid 2027. Biomemory tells us that a full service will proceed after that point, and its launch makes them the first company to launch a molecular IT product.

Vincent Franceschini, Vice President of Product Management at Biomemory and co-chair of the DNA Data Storage Alliance, said, "DNA Shield is built on the same molecular platform we have spent years industrializing, but it is the first time we are asking a customer to rely on it operationally rather than as a research demonstration. Getting that right, end to end, from encoding to authorized recovery, is what makes us the first company bringing Molecular IT to market."

Organizations interested in DNA Shield will be paying a subscription that starts at €10,000/month, and early access applications are open directly via Biomemory.

Nostalgia in tech is all the rage right now. Whether it's film cameras making a comeback, CDs seeing a resurgence or flip phones dominating headlines — old tech has somehow become cool again.

I'm not immune to the nostalgia bug either but, rather than buy something new, I decided to set myself the task of giving a 2013 Apple iMac a new lease on life.

This particular 27-inch model had been gathering dust, but with its generous display and otherwise functional hardware, throwing it away seemed like a terrible waste. Especially when a new 24-inch M4-powered iMac would set me back upwards of AU$2,000. With a little research and DIY knowledge, I could get the vintage 27-inch model humming again for under AU$500 instead.

My ambitions were relatively modest — I wanted something capable of web browsing, a little light creative work and other basic daily tasks. I wasn't expecting it to compete with my M2 MacBook Air.

After a little research, I settled on two relatively straightforward upgrades: more RAM and a new 1TB solid-state drive (SSD). And for a total outlay of approximately AU$310, I was hopeful I could give this old Mac a fighting chance.

Two upgrades, one aging iMac

The first thing I needed to address was the storage. My iMac originally came with a mechanical hard drive, which is hardly a recipe for speedy performance in 2026.

Swapping an old hard drive for an SSD is often one of the most effective ways to breathe new life into an aging computer. With no moving parts and significantly faster data access, an SSD can improve everything from boot times to opening applications.

My original plan was to replace the internal drive entirely, but that presented a slight problem. Unlike some earlier iMac models, my late-2013 version has a display that's secured to the chassis with adhesive. Getting inside requires cutting through that adhesive, carefully lifting the display and disconnecting cables before you can even think about accessing the drive.

I'd never attempted anything remotely like this before, and the thought of potentially damaging a perfectly good 27-inch screen wasn't especially appealing. Fortunately, there was an alternative — an external SSD.

Rather than dismantling the computer, I could connect a TeamGroup T-Force Vulcan Z 1TB SSD via USB, install a later macOS onto it and use it as the startup drive. It's a considerably less intimidating approach, even if the iMac's aging USB 3.0 port meant I wouldn't be getting the full performance potential of a modern SSD.

The 1TB SSD, enclosure and DDR3 RAM I bought for the project. (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

The second upgrade — the RAM — was comparatively easier as Apple made upgrading the RAM on this generation of iMac remarkably straightforward. A small access panel on the rear of the computer provides access to four memory slots, meaning there's no need to dismantle anything to install additional modules.

My iMac had 8GB of RAM originally, and adding two 8GB Timetec DDR3 sticks brought the total to a rather generous 24GB. I don't claim to be a computer hardware expert, but even I knew that it would provide considerably more breathing room for multitasking than the original configuration.

I'll admit, I wouldn't have known where to start without a little help from ChatGPT. It guided me through choosing compatible components and, more importantly, the process of installing macOS Sonoma on a computer that doesn't officially support it.

Rather than spending hours trawling through forums, I could explain exactly what I was seeing on screen and get advice on what to try next. It wasn't entirely plain sailing, but having something to turn to whenever I hit a stumbling block made the whole process far less daunting. Although, as my colleague discovered when asking ChatGPT and Gemini to help build a gaming PC, AI assistance doesn't always guarantee a stress-free experience.

Upgrading the memory requires only removing an access panel on the back of the iMac. (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)How much did it all cost?

I'm well aware of the current RAM crisis affecting the tech industry, so my immediate thought was that buying additional memory could make this project rather expensive.

Thankfully, it turns out nobody running an AI data centre is particularly interested in 13-year-old DDR3.

A quick search on Amazon revealed a compatible pair of 8GB RAM modules for around AU$70, while a 1TB SSD came in just under AU$230. That’s the components taken care of for AU$300. Throw in a Ugreen external SSD enclosure (I paid AU$17) and, factoring in some Amazon promotions at the time of ordering, my total spend was approximately AU$310.

That's considerably less than buying a brand-new iMac, of course, but it's still a reasonable amount of money to invest in a computer that's more than a decade old. And while I was quietly optimistic, I was also aware that throwing RAM and an SSD at an aging Intel processor wouldn't magically turn it into a modern Mac.

There was only one way to find out whether I'd made a sensible investment.

So, how does it perform?

My Late 2013 iMac now has 24GB of RAM and runs macOS Sonoma. (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

With the upgrades completed and macOS Sonoma installed, I finally had a functioning iMac sitting on my desk. But getting an old computer to boot is one thing. Making it genuinely useful in 2026 is another.

My first test was to see how long it took to start up. From pressing the power button to reaching the desktop, I recorded a time of 1 minute and 52 seconds.

I'll admit, I was hoping for better. I'm accustomed to the near-instant responsiveness of my M2 MacBook Air, so waiting almost two minutes for a computer to boot feels like a small eternity.

There are some mitigating factors, of course. This is still a 2013 machine powered by a 3.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, and it's booting macOS from an external SSD over USB 3.0 rather than a faster internal connection.

It's also worth pointing out that I didn't record performance benchmarks before upgrading the hardware, so I can't offer any definitive figures showing how much faster the machine has become.

Fortunately, things improved once I actually started using it. Basic web browsing proved perfectly fine, with pages loading successfully and the overall experience remaining usable, albeit with the occasional lag. I was particularly interested to see how it would handle Canva as I occasionally use the browser-based design platform for light creative work.

macOS Sonoma is installed on an external 1TB SSD connected via USB. (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

And, to my surprise, it worked. I opened Canva on one half of the 27-inch display, with the TechRadar YouTube channel running in another browser window alongside it. I was able to work on a simple design while keeping the website open, although there was some noticeable sluggishness.

It's certainly not an experience I'd choose over a modern Mac, but it demonstrates that this old machine still has something to offer.

The display is another highlight. With its 2560 x 1440 resolution, the 27-inch panel still provides plenty of screen real estate, and being able to arrange multiple windows side by side is something I particularly appreciate.

Sure, it doesn't have the sharpness or brightness of Apple's newer displays, but that doesn't automatically make it unpleasant to use.

And there's something rather satisfying about seeing an old computer handling tasks that, just a short while ago, I wasn't entirely convinced it would be capable of.

There are still some big compromises

Of course, there's only so much new storage and additional memory is able to achieve. The processor and graphics hardware are still more than a decade old, and while upgrading them isn't entirely impossible, doing so would require a far more involved disassembly process. Given the relatively modest tasks I had in mind, it was a level of effort and expense I wasn't prepared to entertain.

Then there's the issue of software compatibility. My late-2013 iMac officially supports macOS Catalina at most, but I've managed to get macOS Sonoma running through an unofficial installation method.

While this gives me access to a much newer operating system, it's not an officially supported configuration, and that brings potential complications around security updates, drivers and long-term reliability.

Canva and TechRadar running side by side — although the experience wasn't entirely lag-free. (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)Was it worth the money?

So, would I recommend spending a few hundred dollars upgrading a 13-year-old iMac?

Well, that depends. If you're hoping to turn an old Intel Mac into something that feels as quick and responsive as a modern Apple silicon machine, you're probably going to be disappointed, unless you’re working with a relatively newer model than my machine.

My nearly two-minute boot time alone is evidence that upgrading the storage and RAM hasn't miraculously solved every performance issue. And while web browsing and Canva are perfectly usable, there's enough occasional lag to remind me that this isn't a computer I'd want to rely on for demanding work.

But that was never really the point of the exercise. I already have an M2 MacBook Air that I turn to for my everyday computing needs. What I wanted was to see whether I could rescue an old iMac and give it a useful second life, rather than let it become a part of our growing e-waste problem.

And on that front, I'd consider the experiment a success. I now have a working 27-inch desktop that can browse the web, handle simple creative tasks and provide a decent amount of screen space, all without having to buy an entirely new computer.

Honestly, if you've got an old computer gathering dust, it might be worth investigating whether it still has some life left in it. Just don't expect it to be as quick as you remember.