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Amazon recently refreshed nearly its entire Kindle lineup, including the 6-inch base model, last upgraded in 2024. If you're in the market for a new Kindle, this might be the one you're drawn to—perhaps because it's the cheapest of the bunch, or for its snazzy new colorways.

This article is here to fill you in on everything you need to know about the classic 6-inch Kindle, so you can make sure it's the right choice for your needs. I'll dig into its features and what it lacks, plus what the 2026 update adds over the 2024 version. I'll also round up all the different models (and their current prices) so you can see all your options in one place.

Before we get started, a quick reminder that Kindle is not the only e-reader around — head to our general best e-reader ranking if you're curious about what other brands are worth considering.

Classic Kindle — overview

Confusingly, the most basic Kindle model is simply called the Kindle. Here, I'll call it the classic Kindle, but that doesn't mean it's an older model — this Kindle has had several upgrades, and a 2026 version exists. It's the only Kindle with a 6-inch screen (measured diagonally, as is standard); the others are 7 inches or larger. For this reason, you'll sometimes see it referred to as the 6-inch Kindle. It's the smallest and lightest of the whole lineup.

The screen has a glare-free finish, the display is black-and-white, it's not waterproof, and it doesn't support writing features. By default, ads will display on the lock screen, but there are some 'no ads' versions available for a slightly higher price.

Alongside the regular Kindle, Amazon also has a Kids version. The hardware is the same as the adult version, but the parent has access to a dashboard that enables them to keep an eye on their child's reading habits and set schedules. A year's subscription to Amazon Kids+ is included, with unlimited access to thousands of children's titles aimed at ages 3-12. This bundle also includes a protective case in a range of fun designs.

What's new in the 2026 version?

Amazon has introduced a number of small but welcome upgrades with the 2026 classic Kindle, which you can see in the image gallery below. Compared to its 2024 predecessor, it's thinner (6.85mm vs 8mm), lighter (140g vs 158g), and more responsive (30% faster, according to Amazon).

Amazon has added some new colorways, and moved the power button from its awkward position on the bottom of the Kindle to the upper right side. Here, it's much less easy to press by accident, and it's an upgrade TechRadar's Lance is especially pleased about. It also now offers a more premium version with an aluminum build and double the storage at 32GB.

Lance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / FutureLance Ulanoff / Future

At the time of writing, there are a number of 2024 models still available to buy. You might expect these to be cheaper, since Amazon is trying to clear its old stock. Alas, that is not the case.

In fact, quite the opposite: Amazon has bumped up the prices on its 2024 range to match the 2026 options. The equivalent models now cost the same, so there's little reason to choose a 2024 classic Kindle over the 2026 version.

Buy a classic Kindle if...

✅ You want the cheapest Kindle: This is the most basic Kindle, and as such, it comes with the smallest price tag.

✅ You want the most compact option: With its 6-inch screen, the basic Kindle is the smallest and lightest option in the range. All other Kindles have a 7-inch screen or larger.

✅ You'd like a fun colorway: The base model is available in the widest range of colorways — in fact, most of the other Kindles are only made in black or grey.

Don't buy a classic Kindle if...

❌ You want a warm-toned light option: The backlight here is a blue-toned cool white, whereas all other Kindles offer a warm, yellow-toned backlight option. The latter might be more conducive to winding down when reading before bedtime.

❌ You want to read in the bath: The classic Kindle is the only model (aside from the Scribe options) that is not waterproof to IPX8.

❌ You want to read graphic novels: The classic Kindle doesn't support color reading, the screen is the smallest of the lineup, and there's no 32GB option — all of which mean it's not a great choice for graphic novel fans. Check out the Kindle Colorsoft Signature instead.

❌ You want to be able to make notes: For note-taking capabilities, you need one of the Kindle Scribe models.

US: Classic Kindle range2026 models

⬇️ Hop down to the UK classic Kindle options

Kindle 16GB (2026, with ads) — Ube

Kindle 16GB (2026, without ads) — Ube

Kindle 16GB (2026, with ads) — Graphite

Kindle 16GB (2026, without ads) — Graphite

Kindle 32GB (2026, without ads) — Alpine Sky, Aluminium

Kindle 32GB (2026, without ads) — Seaglass Green, Aluminium

Kindle Kids (16GB, 2026)

2024 models

Kindle 16GB (2024, with ads) — black

Kindle 16GB (2024, without ads) — black

Kindle 16GB (2024, with ads) — Matcha

Kindle 16GB (2024, without ads) — Matcha

Amazon Kids (16GB, 2024)

UK: Classic Kindle range2026 models

⬆️ Hop back to the US classic Kindle options

Kindle 16GB (2026, with ads) — Ube

Kindle 16GB (2026, without ads) — Ube

Kindle 16GB (2026, with ads) — Graphite

Kindle 16GB (2026, without ads) — Graphite

Kindle 32GB (2026, without ads) — Alpine Sky, Aluminium

Kindle 32GB (2026, without ads) — Seaglass Green, Aluminium

Kindle Kids (16GB, 2026)

2024 models

Kindle 16GB (2024, with ads) — black

Kindle 16GB (2024, without ads) — black

Kindle 16GB (2024, with ads) — Matcha

Kindle 16GB (2024, without ads) — Matcha

Kindle Kids (16GB, 2024)

Specs compared

Model:

Kindle

Kindle Paperwhite

Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition

Kindle Colorsoft

Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition

Kindle Scribe

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft

Display:

6-inch glare-free

7-inch glare-free

7-inch glare-free

7-inch glare-free w/ color display

7-inch glare-free w/ color display

11-inch glare-free

11-inch glare-free with color display

Resolution:

300ppi

300ppi

300ppi

300ppi (black and white) / 150ppi (color)

300ppi (black and white) / 150ppi (color)

300ppi

300ppi (black and white) / 150ppi (color)

Storage:

16GB

16GB

32GB

16GB

32GB

16, 32 or 64GB

32 or 64GB

Max battery:

6 weeks

12 weeks

12 weeks

8 weeks

8 weeks

12 weeks reading / 3 weeks writing

8 weeks reading / 2 weeks writing

Waterproof (IPX8):

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

Writing capability:

No

No

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

Read our review:

Amazon Kindle (2024) review

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) review

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (2024) review

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft review

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) review

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review

Spoiler: They’re already running rampant across the US.

Game on the go: The Xbox Nano controller is smaller and lighter than an iPhone 18 Pro.

I still think the ThinkPad line-up is the top pick for business professionals, with 14-inch laptops being the sweet spot for screen clarity and portability. The ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 does nothing to change that.

It’s durably built, smart and stylish, and performance-driven for day-to-day work. And yes, it still has that iconic ThinkPad keyboard and trackpoint for those that write a lot of emails, reports, or the next New York Times bestseller.

The NPU on the AMD model reviewed here hits up to 50 TOPS for AI workloads (the Intel model caps out at up top 48 TOPS), which is plenty of general office AI use, running Copilot+, blurring webcam backgrounds, and using tools in software like the Adobe suite.

As part of the ‘s’ range, the T14s Gen 6 is marginally slimmer than the traditional T14, stripping out certain enterprise features like the Ethernet port and upgradeable RAM. If that's important for you, the T14s is a non-starter out of the box.

I wouldn't consider that a deal-breaker for most workers - particularly if you use a strong wireless connection and future-proof with 32GB of memory (or up to 64GB if you opt for the AMD version). But it's an additional consideration.

For most people, this will easily hit the mark at the best business laptop. It's certainly one of the best I've used, with the AMD version proving reasonably powerful, portable, and sails through productivity workloads without pausing for breath.

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Pricing & availability

(Image credit: Future)

• How much does it cost? From $1500 / £1500
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Direct from Lenovo and online retailers

The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is available from Lenovo and a range of online retailers with prices starting at $1500 / £1500 for the base configuration, up to around $3400 / £3400 once the laptop is fully specced with RAM and storage.

From what I’ve seen, the Intel models tend to retail slightly cheaper than AMD. For standard office work, the Intel is probably the better choice, though not by much. However, the AMD version has a maximum of 64GB RAM, which will be better for multi-tasking and smoother processes during heavier workloads (not to mention future-proofing the machine even more). It also has up to 50 TOPS NPU, versus up to 48 TOPS on the Intel machine.

Ultimately, the price is what I’d expect for a business laptop from a brand like Lenovo, putting it on par with the likes of the Dell Pro 14. Personally, I’d still opt for the ThinkPad over HP and Dell chiefly for its build quality, repairability, and the excellent keyboard. But performance-wise, it’s much of a muchness.

• Value: 4 / 5

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Design & build

(Image credit: Future)

• Classic ThinkPad design and durability
• Fair but not glittering port selection

Design-wise, this is every inch a ThinkPad. Sleek, black, sensible, and stylish. Bezels are relatively thin across, and I notice it carries over the webcam notch from the Gen 5 T14s.

Coming from a Gen 4, I wasn’t initially sure how I felt about that notch. It gives the laptop a whole new silhouette, away from the traditional rectangles. A little showy, I thought, for an enterprise-grade laptop.

But it admittedly does keep the bezels slimmer along the top of the screen, and since it hangs a few millimeters over the edge of the base, offers a useful tab for opening the lid. In other words, I’ve grown to like it.

As with previous ThinkPads in this line, the screen also lays flat for collaboration purposes. I always think this is a nice touch, marking out the T14s as a business-first laptop.

Port selection is fair - two USB-C with 65W power delivery, two USB-A, HDMI, 3.5mm audio jack, nano SIM slot, and Kensington security slot. No Ethernet port, unfortunately, but still a decent if not dazzling array at a time when most laptops are stripping out as many ports as possible.

FutureFuture

Unlike the Gen 4 model, which placed air vents on the base and along the right-hand side, the Gen 6 puts them all on the base. A win for right-handed mouse users in my book. Another change is speaker placement. They no longer sit atop the keyboard, but flank both sides instead.

As with every ThinkPad I’ve used, build quality here is excellent. I’d expect nothing less from Lenovo in this department. Like most of the line-up, it has a toughened MIL-STD-810H rating that will survive the most violent of commutes.

The outer shell is built from recycled aluminum for the base, carbon fiber-reinforced plastic on the lid, with recycled magnesium used for the keyboard frame. That keeps it feeling durable but relatively lightweight and backpack-friendly for travel.

The base weighs in at 2.87lb / 1.30kg for the AMD model, and 2.82lb / 1.28kg for the Intel one, but that can vary depending how you spec the display. Specced with Full HD touchscreen, AMD Ryzen AI 7 Pro 360 with Radeon 880M graphics, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, my review unit tipped the scales at 3lb / 1.36kg.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 - Intel

ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 - AMD

Processor

Intel Core Ultra 7 268V vPro

Up to AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360

Graphics

Up to Integrated Intel Arc 140V GPU

Up to integrated AMD Radeon 880M

RAM

Up to 32 GB LPDDR5X

Up to 64 GB LPDDR5X

SSD

Up to 1TB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 

Up to 1TB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 

NPU

Up to 48 TOPS

Up to 50 TOPS

Display

14-inch, 1920x1200, IPS, 100% sRGB, 16:10

14-inch, 1920x1200, IPS, 100% sRGB, 16:10

Battery

58 Wh

58 Wh

Ports

2x USB-C Thunderbolt 4, 40Gbps, 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm audio jack, Nano SIM slot, Smartcard reader, Kensington Nano Security Slot

2x USB-C Thunderbolt 4, 40Gbps, 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm audio jack, Nano SIM slot, Smartcard reader, Kensington Nano Security Slot

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 7, 5G, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC

Wi-Fi 7, 5G, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC

Dimensions

0.66 x 12.3 x 8.6in

0.66 x 12.3 x 8.6in

Weight

From 2.73 lbs / 1.28kg

From 2.86 lbs / 1.30kg

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Sails through daily office tasks
• Can't handle graphics-intensive workloads

I’m always excited to try out new ThinkPads. I’ve been using the line since I got my first T431s many years ago. It was love at first sight use. I find them fast, reliable, and well-equipped to tackle most general work tasks.

And I’m pleased to report the T14s Gen 6 is no different. So long as you accept its business-centric limitations - no 3D rendering and 8K video editing here. Although the AMD chip does facilitate some gaming, this is no 120FPS beast, this is an office workhorse first and foremost.

That’s exactly how I used it for most of my time during testing. Running Google Docs, the Adobe creative apps suite, alongside emails, streaming, and browsing proved no issue for the T14s. It’s what it was designed to do, and in that role it performs brilliantly.

14-inch is the sweet for modern business laptops in my experience, and here, the matte-finish IPS panel looks surprisingly vibrant. Yes, there's still that softness you get from a 1920x1080p screen, but it didn't impact the work I performed. With a 16:10 ratio, it offers more than enough screen real-estate to handle multiple apps and browsing.

Color gamut is 100% sRGB, but that's more than enough for light photo editing for social media graphics. While some might be disappointed with that, most aren't buying a T14s as a full content creation rig. Like the rest of the laptop, the display is well-suited to using Excel and Word and the like.

In online meetings, I found video quality is...fine. Just fine. I ran Google Meet calls using fiber internet and the built-in 5MP camera was serviceable, though looked a mite pixelated. The mic is ok, although the speakers were somewhat tinny. Not the worst I've used by any means, but the usual complaint that afflicts most laptops. Survivable for general calls, but I'd always recommend an external webcam and headset for anyone who's jumping on a lot of calls where picture and audio is critical.

And, of course, there’s that keyboard. If you do a lot of typing on the job (and don’t want to hook up an external keyboard), I strongly recommend a ThinkPad. It's not even close.

With a 1.5mm key depth travel, it’s very comfortable to type on for longer sessions. There’s none of that low-profile squishiness you find on a lot of business laptops and MacBooks, which have a stubby 1mm or 1.3mm travel.

However, as a 14-inch machine, there’s no room for a num-pad (opt for the ThinkPad T16 or similar if you need one). But for everyday emails, report writing, instant messaging, even schoolwork and fiction-writing, it’s easily the best of the bunch.

Now, with those air vents all sitting on the base, the unit can get warm - warmer, I think, than the Gen 4 model, although I didn’t jab a thermometer up there. That’s par for the course for a laptop, but it’s worth noting, and if you have the option of positioning it on a vented laptop stand at a desk, I’d recommend it over purely lap-based work.

Benchmarks

Geekbench 7

CPU benchmark

Single core

1583

Multi-core

8063

GPU benchmark

OpenCL

18,331

Vulkan

21,726

CrystalDiskMark

Read

7006.69 MB/s

Write

5846.35 MB/s

3DMark

Steel Nomad Light

1709

FPS

12.66

Night Raid

17,526

Graphics

23,685

CPU

7,086

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Battery life

The ThinkPad T14s I have here has a 58 Wh battery. From what I can tell, that's standard across all configurations of the Gen 6. And it is replaceable, which makes it ideal for IT teams bulk-buying for the office where repairability matters.

Lenovo rates that battery for around 12 hours. But, as ever, that's not a true picture out in the real-world, managing multiple tabs, taking video calls, and streaming. In my own 'everyday' use, I got around 8 to 9 hours on it, depending the tasks.

• Battery: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6?

(Image credit: Future)✅ Buy it if...

You’re a remote or hybrid worker, or you travel and need a solidly built and reliable business laptop for day-to-day office work. It excels at office tasks across the board, and looks as professional and work-ready as a administrative workhorse can.

❌ Don't buy it if...

You perform graphics-intensive tasks in your job, where you’ll need a discrete GPU to handle those workloads - the integrated graphics here won’t cut it. Choose the T14 or T16 if you want upgradeable RAM or an Ethernet connection.

How I tested the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6

I used the ThinkPad T14s as my day-to-day laptop for two months, running the usual suite of office software, Adobe’s creative apps, and conducting video calls. After using it for day-to-day workloads in that time, I ran performance benchmarks using Geekbench 7, 3DMark, and CrystalDiskMark.

I still think the ThinkPad line-up is the top pick for business professionals, with 14-inch laptops being the sweet spot for screen clarity and portability. The ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 does nothing to change that.

It’s durably built, smart and stylish, and performance-driven for day-to-day work. And yes, it still has that iconic ThinkPad keyboard and trackpoint for those that write a lot of emails, reports, or the next New York Times bestseller.

The NPU on the AMD model reviewed here hits up to 50 TOPS for AI workloads (the Intel model caps out at up top 48 TOPS), which is plenty of general office AI use, running Copilot+, blurring webcam backgrounds, and using tools in software like the Adobe suite.

As part of the ‘s’ range, the T14s Gen 6 is marginally slimmer than the traditional T14, stripping out certain enterprise features like the Ethernet port and upgradeable RAM. If that's important for you, the T14s is a non-starter out of the box.

I wouldn't consider that a deal-breaker for most workers - particularly if you use a strong wireless connection and future-proof with 32GB of memory (or up to 64GB if you opt for the AMD version). But it's an additional consideration.

For most people, this will easily hit the mark at the best business laptop. It's certainly one of the best I've used, with the AMD version proving reasonably powerful, portable, and sails through productivity workloads without pausing for breath.

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Pricing & availability

(Image credit: Future)

• How much does it cost? From $1500 / £1500
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Direct from Lenovo and online retailers

The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is available from Lenovo and a range of online retailers with prices starting at $1500 / £1500 for the base configuration, up to around $3400 / £3400 once the laptop is fully specced with RAM and storage.

From what I’ve seen, the Intel models tend to retail slightly cheaper than AMD. For standard office work, the Intel is probably the better choice, though not by much. However, the AMD version has a maximum of 64GB RAM, which will be better for multi-tasking and smoother processes during heavier workloads (not to mention future-proofing the machine even more). It also has up to 50 TOPS NPU, versus up to 48 TOPS on the Intel machine.

Ultimately, the price is what I’d expect for a business laptop from a brand like Lenovo, putting it on par with the likes of the Dell Pro 14. Personally, I’d still opt for the ThinkPad over HP and Dell chiefly for its build quality, repairability, and the excellent keyboard. But performance-wise, it’s much of a muchness.

• Value: 4 / 5

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Design & build

(Image credit: Future)

• Classic ThinkPad design and durability
• Fair but not glittering port selection

Design-wise, this is every inch a ThinkPad. Sleek, black, sensible, and stylish. Bezels are relatively thin across, and I notice it carries over the webcam notch from the Gen 5 T14s.

Coming from a Gen 4, I wasn’t initially sure how I felt about that notch. It gives the laptop a whole new silhouette, away from the traditional rectangles. A little showy, I thought, for an enterprise-grade laptop.

But it admittedly does keep the bezels slimmer along the top of the screen, and since it hangs a few millimeters over the edge of the base, offers a useful tab for opening the lid. In other words, I’ve grown to like it.

As with previous ThinkPads in this line, the screen also lays flat for collaboration purposes. I always think this is a nice touch, marking out the T14s as a business-first laptop.

Port selection is fair - two USB-C with 65W power delivery, two USB-A, HDMI, 3.5mm audio jack, nano SIM slot, and Kensington security slot. No Ethernet port, unfortunately, but still a decent if not dazzling array at a time when most laptops are stripping out as many ports as possible.

FutureFuture

Unlike the Gen 4 model, which placed air vents on the base and along the right-hand side, the Gen 6 puts them all on the base. A win for right-handed mouse users in my book. Another change is speaker placement. They no longer sit atop the keyboard, but flank both sides instead.

As with every ThinkPad I’ve used, build quality here is excellent. I’d expect nothing less from Lenovo in this department. Like most of the line-up, it has a toughened MIL-STD-810H rating that will survive the most violent of commutes.

The outer shell is built from recycled aluminum for the base, carbon fiber-reinforced plastic on the lid, with recycled magnesium used for the keyboard frame. That keeps it feeling durable but relatively lightweight and backpack-friendly for travel.

The base weighs in at 2.87lb / 1.30kg for the AMD model, and 2.82lb / 1.28kg for the Intel one, but that can vary depending how you spec the display. Specced with Full HD touchscreen, AMD Ryzen AI 7 Pro 360 with Radeon 880M graphics, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, my review unit tipped the scales at 3lb / 1.36kg.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 - Intel

ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 - AMD

Processor

Intel Core Ultra 7 268V vPro

Up to AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360

Graphics

Up to Integrated Intel Arc 140V GPU

Up to integrated AMD Radeon 880M

RAM

Up to 32 GB LPDDR5X

Up to 64 GB LPDDR5X

SSD

Up to 1TB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 

Up to 1TB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 

NPU

Up to 48 TOPS

Up to 50 TOPS

Display

14-inch, 1920x1200, IPS, 100% sRGB, 16:10

14-inch, 1920x1200, IPS, 100% sRGB, 16:10

Battery

58 Wh

58 Wh

Ports

2x USB-C Thunderbolt 4, 40Gbps, 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm audio jack, Nano SIM slot, Smartcard reader, Kensington Nano Security Slot

2x USB-C Thunderbolt 4, 40Gbps, 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm audio jack, Nano SIM slot, Smartcard reader, Kensington Nano Security Slot

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 7, 5G, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC

Wi-Fi 7, 5G, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC

Dimensions

0.66 x 12.3 x 8.6in

0.66 x 12.3 x 8.6in

Weight

From 2.73 lbs / 1.28kg

From 2.86 lbs / 1.30kg

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Sails through daily office tasks
• Can't handle graphics-intensive workloads

I’m always excited to try out new ThinkPads. I’ve been using the line since I got my first T431s many years ago. It was love at first sight use. I find them fast, reliable, and well-equipped to tackle most general work tasks.

And I’m pleased to report the T14s Gen 6 is no different. So long as you accept its business-centric limitations - no 3D rendering and 8K video editing here. Although the AMD chip does facilitate some gaming, this is no 120FPS beast, this is an office workhorse first and foremost.

That’s exactly how I used it for most of my time during testing. Running Google Docs, the Adobe creative apps suite, alongside emails, streaming, and browsing proved no issue for the T14s. It’s what it was designed to do, and in that role it performs brilliantly.

14-inch is the sweet for modern business laptops in my experience, and here, the matte-finish IPS panel looks surprisingly vibrant. Yes, there's still that softness you get from a 1920x1080p screen, but it didn't impact the work I performed. With a 16:10 ratio, it offers more than enough screen real-estate to handle multiple apps and browsing.

Color gamut is 100% sRGB, but that's more than enough for light photo editing for social media graphics. While some might be disappointed with that, most aren't buying a T14s as a full content creation rig. Like the rest of the laptop, the display is well-suited to using Excel and Word and the like.

In online meetings, I found video quality is...fine. Just fine. I ran Google Meet calls using fiber internet and the built-in 5MP camera was serviceable, though looked a mite pixelated. The mic is ok, although the speakers were somewhat tinny. Not the worst I've used by any means, but the usual complaint that afflicts most laptops. Survivable for general calls, but I'd always recommend an external webcam and headset for anyone who's jumping on a lot of calls where picture and audio is critical.

And, of course, there’s that keyboard. If you do a lot of typing on the job (and don’t want to hook up an external keyboard), I strongly recommend a ThinkPad. It's not even close.

With a 1.5mm key depth travel, it’s very comfortable to type on for longer sessions. There’s none of that low-profile squishiness you find on a lot of business laptops and MacBooks, which have a stubby 1mm or 1.3mm travel.

However, as a 14-inch machine, there’s no room for a num-pad (opt for the ThinkPad T16 or similar if you need one). But for everyday emails, report writing, instant messaging, even schoolwork and fiction-writing, it’s easily the best of the bunch.

Now, with those air vents all sitting on the base, the unit can get warm - warmer, I think, than the Gen 4 model, although I didn’t jab a thermometer up there. That’s par for the course for a laptop, but it’s worth noting, and if you have the option of positioning it on a vented laptop stand at a desk, I’d recommend it over purely lap-based work.

Benchmarks

Geekbench 7

CPU benchmark

Single core

1583

Multi-core

8063

GPU benchmark

OpenCL

18,331

Vulkan

21,726

CrystalDiskMark

Read

7006.69 MB/s

Write

5846.35 MB/s

3DMark

Steel Nomad Light

1709

FPS

12.66

Night Raid

17,526

Graphics

23,685

CPU

7,086

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Battery life

The ThinkPad T14s I have here has a 58 Wh battery. From what I can tell, that's standard across all configurations of the Gen 6. And it is replaceable, which makes it ideal for IT teams bulk-buying for the office where repairability matters.

Lenovo rates that battery for around 12 hours. But, as ever, that's not a true picture out in the real-world, managing multiple tabs, taking video calls, and streaming. In my own 'everyday' use, I got around 8 to 9 hours on it, depending the tasks.

• Battery: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6?

(Image credit: Future)✅ Buy it if...

You’re a remote or hybrid worker, or you travel and need a solidly built and reliable business laptop for day-to-day office work. It excels at office tasks across the board, and looks as professional and work-ready as a administrative workhorse can.

❌ Don't buy it if...

You perform graphics-intensive tasks in your job, where you’ll need a discrete GPU to handle those workloads - the integrated graphics here won’t cut it. Choose the T14 or T16 if you want upgradeable RAM or an Ethernet connection.

How I tested the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6

I used the ThinkPad T14s as my day-to-day laptop for two months, running the usual suite of office software, Adobe’s creative apps, and conducting video calls. After using it for day-to-day workloads in that time, I ran performance benchmarks using Geekbench 7, 3DMark, and CrystalDiskMark.

• Control Resonant composer Petri Alanko says he likes to "go to extremes to add depth to everything" in his work
• He says each Resonant has "their own features in the concept track" that can be picked apart
• Alanko says, "Nothing is obvious and nothing is rubbed into your face, and in the end it’s all only music made with love and enthusiasm"

Control Resonant composer Petri Alanko has revealed that his music features easter eggs that may take fans years to uncover, as he likes to "go to extremes to add depth to everything."

Speaking to TechRadar Gaming about his favorite aspects of the Control series and its music, Alanko said there are "layers" to each soundtrack, and some of them are only revealed "when you dive deep into my project file timelines and start digging out the details of sounds."

"One trick I’ve used about a million times with various tools is to add some string section’s 'resin' sound to something else, turning it into a resemblance of a stringed instrument," Alanko said. "Some of the tricks will probably never surface and are more or less subliminal, some of them slightly more at the forefront, but as I mentioned, I love to hide all kinds of nods and winks everywhere, pay homage to the greats."

He continued, sharing that if any hardware synth is involved in his work (which he explained is a big part of his musical arsenal), it was " reamped through a speaker setup and a pair of microphones," which was a trick he learned from the articles concerning the late Konradi "Conny" Plank, the sound engineer and producer of Kraftwerk and Ultravox.

"I learned my chops back in the day meticulously inspecting and evaluating Die Mensch-Maschine, Computerwelt, Vienna and Rage In Eden," Alanko said, adding that he "learned a good deal of studio tricks during my early adulthood" when he worked as a synth programmer and a producer for various productions, and all of that experience has "proven to be rather handy during the creation of the Control Resonant soundtrack."

Alanko went on to share some neat details about the creation of the game's enemies, the Resonant, and said each has "their own features in the concept track," with Hedron, for instance, having "clangorous, metallic, sequenced, patterned, constantly moving" sounds.

"Hiss wants to corrupt everything and especially with that entity, the pitches start going all over the place," he said. "And Mold is a triumphant spectacle of all kinds of dispersers, turning everything into some sonic goo."

Alanko said his passion allowed him to add as much detail as he wanted, which also meant leaving in small hints that listeners likely won't find until years later.

"I have, and I will go to extremes to add depth to everything," Alanko said, "and the most beautiful thing is when people realise something after, say, seven-eight years, and I get an email from someone who just realised the rhythm of a certain sound was actually Morse code for 'BEWARE'.

"Nothing is obvious and nothing is rubbed into your face, and in the end it’s all only music made with love and enthusiasm."

Alanko has discussed the early stages of Control Resonant's development, revealing that he was brought on to the project "very early" and was still working on Alan Wake 2. He explained that this proved to be a better outcome and suggested that other studios should value music more if they care about their games and avoid AI.

It’s been a big week for Apple Home. The entirely new HomeView is the company's first smart display, and it seems purpose-built as a stationary, in-home hub for Apple’s ecosystem. Meanwhile, refreshes to the HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K promise to bring Siri AI to other devices around the home.

I’ve already written at length about HomeView, and why it’s the smart display and home hub I’ve been waiting for. Now, I’ve had the chance to spend more time with it. Not quite enough time for a full review, and I haven't tested it in my own home yet, since all my hands-on time has been in Apple’s demo space. But I’m still optimistic about what it could offer.

I already have a connected home of sorts. For me, though, it’s still very fragmented. I have HomePods, HomePod minis, and Apple TV 4Ks, but I mostly use them for quick questions, timers, taking calls, or media playback. I’ve also tried Echo Shows, Nest Hubs, and myriad other smart home gadgets like cameras, bulbs, and sensors, but none of those has really stuck, because they aren’t part of my core ecosystem.

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

Amazon’s ecosystem is heavily focused on commerce and shopping. That’s not necessarily a complaint, but the experience can also feel cluttered with targeted ads, and privacy concerns can be a sticking point.

Given Apple’s broader commitment to privacy and its carefully curated user experience, HomeView could help it carve out its own smart-home category. For people already invested in Apple’s ecosystem, it removes some of the friction that has kept other smart displays from becoming a central part of the home.

With an Echo Show or Nest Hub, someone who primarily uses Apple’s suite of services may have to move photos to another platform or service if they want to display them. The same goes for calendars, calls, and even music, depending on the services and features being used. And those devices don’t integrate with your iPhone the same way an Apple-made display can.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but when a smart display is something you might buy for a family member, a parent, or a friend, those differences can make for a less cohesive experience.

When you factor in the setup, the effort required to get everything working together, and the ongoing upkeep, some of the convenience promised by an Echo Show or Nest Hub starts to diminish. That’s what I’ve encountered in my own experience.

HomeView could help solve that disconnect. While the wall-mounted options seem like a less compelling value proposition to me, I can easily picture the speaker-base version sitting on a kitchen island or side table and becoming the household's hub device. And if you already know Apple’s ecosystem and its software, the learning curve should be much less daunting.

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

I’d seen HomeView before, but this time I got to interact with it, starting by swiping between its different faces; I almost called them watch faces, and for good reason.

HomeView feels like an Apple Watch on steroids, with a supersized, customizable watch face essentially plopped onto a display. That’s not a knock. The interface feels familiar, and is easy to get the hang of.

I especially like the Snoopy face, which offers a fun way to keep an eye on what’s happening throughout the day. You can check the weather as it rolls in, see an upcoming calendar event, or simply glance at the time with a little help from Snoopy and Woodstock. You can also go for something more functional, with modular faces that pack in widgets, or, as Apple calls them, complications, for things like your calendar, reminders, and the weather.

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

Swipe past those faces, and you arrive at the HomeView home screen. And for once, Apple’s answer to a shared household device isn’t to force you to buy one for everyone in your home. HomeView can recognize up to six people, effectively switching between their individual accounts and surfacing what matters most to each person while keeping their personal information private.

In my case, I could see myself having a HomeView setup that brings together quick controls for my thermostat, the weather, a rotating selection of photos, and, of course, a Bruce Springsteen playlist. The idea is that HomeView can surface a personalized experience when it recognizes you, with your iPhone playing a role in that process.

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

Privacy is central, too. If I open Messages, respond to someone, and walk away, HomeView locks the app when someone else approaches. It’s a small but important example of how Apple is thinking about a shared screen: convenient when it’s yours, but not an open book.

HomeView doesn’t feel exactly like iOS, iPadOS, or watchOS. Instead, it feels like a combination of all three, with familiar elements pulled together into something designed for a display you interact with throughout the day. App icons are larger, and I’d expect the interface’s emphasis on glanceable information to be particularly useful here. Widgets, in particular, seem designed to put the details you need front and center.

Swipe up, and you’ll find the App Drawer. There’s a selection of built-in apps, but notably, no App Store. I’m actually a fan of that approach. I don’t want to be glued to HomeView; it shouldn’t become another blue-light-filled screen demanding my attention. Instead, it should be actionable and glanceable, helping me get things done without becoming another device I have to manage.

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

Apple has a selection of core apps ready for HomeView, including Home, Intercom, Music, News, Photos, Safari, FaceTime, Messages, Calendar, Alarms, Timers, Find My, Podcasts, Reminders, Settings, and Weather. Developers can’t build dedicated apps for HomeView, but Apple can bring compatible experiences over from the iPhone. That includes apps such as Apple TV, Audiobooks, Apple Music Classical, and News.

There’s a distinction here: some of these experiences are effectively extensions of the iPhone, rather than apps running independently on HomeView. And while Apple supports third-party media apps that work with CarPlay, I wouldn’t count on specific apps such as Spotify arriving until Apple or the developers confirm compatibility. Still, the approach makes sense for a home hub. I like the idea of a curated selection of apps rather than hundreds of downloads competing for space and attention.

Music is one area where HomeView already makes a strong impression. Album artwork looks great on the display, and you can follow lyrics in real time. The built-in speakers also deliver clear, crisp, vibrant audio, although the volume wasn’t quite as powerful as I’d hoped during my time in Apple's demo space.

Even better, music doesn’t disappear into the background when you switch tasks. If you swipe over to another app, such as a cooking feature, a makeshift Dynamic Island appears at the top of the screen, giving you easy access to music controls. It’s a thoughtful touch that makes HomeView feel less like a collection of separate apps and more like a device designed around the way you actually use your home.

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

Smart home control is another central part of HomeView’s value proposition. Rather than opening the Home app on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, this is a dedicated device designed to make controlling your home a more immediate, everyday experience. The Home app has been customized for the display, with larger touch targets and key information highlighted, and it looks nice.

You can move around elements within the app or bring them into other parts of the interface, adding controls as complications on your chosen clock face or widgets on the home screen. That flexibility means you can make HomeView work for the way you live, whether you want quick access to a few favorite accessories or a more comprehensive overview of your home.

The interface is the same whether you opt for HomeView on its speaker base or mount it on the wall. The latter does come with a trade-off, though: you lose the speakers in the base and have to pay separately for the wall mount. That makes the wall-mounted setup feel like a less compelling deal, at least to me.

Still, I can see the appeal of turning HomeView into a dedicated control panel near the front door, where it could become a natural first stop when you arrive home. It also feels like Apple is catering to people who have already invested in wall-mounted iPad setups for smart-home control.

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

You can interact with HomeView directly through its touchscreen, which reaches up to 500 nits of brightness and can dim as low as 0.3 nits — the lowest brightness Apple has engineered for a display. But touch is only part of the experience. Four built-in microphones are designed to pick up your voice while reducing background noise, whether you're making a FaceTime call or asking Siri for help.

Siri is central to the experience, and it’s clear that HomeView is designed with Apple's new Siri AI capabilities in mind. My time testing them was brief, and I sometimes had to repeat a request, but I was able to ask Siri to handle basic smart-home controls, start routines, and play music, as well as tackle more involved requests.

On my Mac, I enjoy typing to Siri for several tasks, including creating calendar events based on what's on my screen, but on the iPhone or iPad, I use it for multistep or topic-specific tasks. It is not always the fastest, but it is night and day over the former.

During my time with HomeView, I saw a similar approach in action for more complex questions. I saw a demo of Siri being asked what time someone was landing at an airport, then asked when that person would arrive home if they took a train. After a few seconds, Siri answered by drawing on information from Messages, its broader knowledge, and estimated transit times.

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

It was a brief demonstration, but I could immediately see how useful this could be for quick questions and more involved requests. For instance, my friend Benjamin and I love sharing music. If I missed a song he recommended, I could imagine asking Siri to identify that Chuck Berry track while cooking dinner or getting on with something else around the house.

That’s where I think HomeView could really distinguish itself from the ever-popular Echo Show. Amazon's displays can connect to a range of services and smart home devices, but for someone already invested in Apple, they remain part of a separate ecosystem. HomeView, by contrast, is designed to work with the devices, services, and information you already use. If Siri can reliably bring all of that together, HomeView could be considerably more useful than a smart display that simply answers questions or controls a few connected devices.

That integration extends to moving between devices, too. When I get home, I could transfer whatever I'm listening to on my iPhone simply by tapping it against the front of HomeView. That's iPhone Handoff, and it's a brilliant implementation of a feature that makes the most of Apple's hardware working together. The same idea extends to calls, episodes of content, and even Safari webpages, making it easier to pick up where you left off without having to start over on another device.

An ambient smart display, rather than another screen demanding attention

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

A few other details from my brief hands-on stood out. For one, HomeView doesn't have notifications, and I actually like that decision. It means there's less reason to linger in front of the display or constantly check it for updates. Instead, HomeView feels like an ambient device, designed to be useful when you need it and easy to ignore when you don't. It's arguably Apple's strongest implementation of that idea yet, and it already feels more purposeful than StandBy on the iPhone.

It still has familiar Apple touches, of course. You can pull down from the top-right corner to access Control Center and quickly reach key settings. The built-in 12-megapixel camera, which recognizes users and serves as the main lens for FaceTime, can also make HomeView double as a mirror. Who knows, perhaps the Photo Booth could return and find a home here, too.

I still need to spend more time with HomeView, and in my own home, before I can say whether it delivers on all that promise. But after getting hands-on with it, I'm even more convinced that Apple is approaching the smart display from the right angle. Rather than giving me another screen to manage, HomeView looks set to bring together the devices, services, and everyday tasks I already rely on. And for someone who's been waiting for Apple's smart home to feel more connected, that's an exciting prospect.

Of course, Siri AI still needs to deliver on that promise, but after the long wait, it's encouraging to see Apple finally moving in the right direction.

@techradar

♬ high like heaven - adore & Blu DeTiger

Free samples, high-pressure pitches and $50,000 bills: An NPR investigation reveals how a network of mall skincare stores systematically targeted older adults and people with disabilities across the U.S.

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As polar ice melts in the Arctic, shipping lanes are opening up, making the region a new zone of superpower competition. Writer Rana Foroohar explains the stakes in Sea Change.

• ComputerBase's full test finds HP's EliteBoard G1a a well-executed keyboard PC whose biggest problem is its €2,149 price tag
• HP promises a spill-resistant, easy-clean keyboard designed to pass MIL-STD-810, but you probably shouldn't submerge it in water
• The 32Wh battery ran an impressive 6h 21m against HP's 3.5-hour claim, though it powered no display in said test

HP's EliteBoard G1a, the Windows PC built into a full-size keyboard that the company first showcased at CES 2026, has now undergone a full lab test at German outlet ComputerBase, and the verdict is broadly favorable.

In its review, ComputerBase concludes that the keyboard PC is not just an interesting idea but a well-executed one.

Its biggest weakness is the very high price, shared with practically all PC hardware that launched this year that could define it as a reach versus a must-have for many consumers and IT departments alike.

Skipping a touchpad by design and a short memory leash in tow

The review unit pairs AMD's Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350, a Kraken Point chip with four Zen 5 and four Zen 5c cores, Radeon 860M graphics, and a 50 TOPS NPU, with a single 32GB DDR5-5600 SO-DIMM and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD.

All of that sits beneath the keys of a chassis measuring 358 x 119 x 18mm and 670g. Connectivity includes two rear USB-C ports (one USB4 with DisplayPort 2.1b, one 10Gbps), Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, stereo speakers, and two microphones.

The keyboard passes MIL-STD-810 testing per HP, and testing found it overwhelmingly supports its product page claims of a "spill-resistant, easy-clean keyboard."

Its more practical safeguard might be servicability: HP says the top-mounted keyboard module can be replaced in under 10 minutes, and ComputerBase confirms the bottom panel opens quickly, giving access to the RAM, SSD, and Wi-Fi module.

The EliteBoard also skips a touchpad, but it was never meant to have one; HP ships every unit with a pre-paired HP 675M wireless mouse that seems to do the job in spades, and the reviewer had no complaints, though others have been less forgiving of its absence.

The reviewer's gripes, however, lay elsewhere: they considered two USB-C ports potentially too few and recommend budgeting for a USB-C hub with HDMI, Ethernet, and USB-A, which is how it connected to their own test monitor.

They also found that neither HP's update tools nor Windows Update would move the AMD graphics driver past an October 2025 release, though a manual Adrenalin install worked without issue.

The keyboard-cum-computer has respectable performance but has design limitations that hold it back: with only one SO-DIMM installed, the APU runs in single-channel mode, which AMD's chips tend to punish.

More importantly, after an initial turbo burst above 50W, AMD's Skin Temperature Aware Power Management (STAPM) caps the chip at about 75% of its package power target, roughly 25W, to keep the keyboard surface comfortable.

The result is a Cinebench 2024 multi-core score of 794, slightly behind the 841 ComputerBase recorded from the same chip in Sapphire's Edge AI mini PC.

Though it isn't the intended use case, gaming is largely off the table, with Cyberpunk 2077 averaging 14.1fps at 1080p on high settings, indicating that the EliteBoard G1a largely caters to professionals and enterprises and makes no pretenses otherwise, despite its decent iGPU.

HP's "Next Gen AI PC" branding might be another bone of contention because, while the unit is capable of running AI onboard, it is notoriously slow at this task; in LM Studio, Qwen3 14B ran at 3.9 tokens per second on the CPU and 4.2 on the GPU, while the NPU could not be used at all. Local AI does work on the EliteBoard, the review concedes, but only within tight limits and at a lethargic pace at best.

The 32Wh battery is fitted to all three German configurations but is optional, or absent, in other markets. HP claims 3.5 hours of runtime. ComputerBase measured six hours and 21 minutes in the Procyon office test and four hours and 18 minutes streaming 4K YouTube, suggesting HP's numbers may understate what the unit can do in most use cases.

This might not offset the cost, however: ComputerBase's test configuration carries an MSRP of €2,149, and the cheapest German model starts at €1,299 with four cores and half the RAM and storage.

In the US, ComputerBase found that HP's configurator charges an extra $1,900 to go from 16GB and 512GB to 32GB across two modules and up to 2TB of storage, pushing a configured system to $4,632, while the advertised 64GB option is not offered at all.

Given the price tag and the niche it caters to, one can conclude that the EliteBoard will likely have a hard time in its niche, squeezed between classic desktops and mini PCs on one side and genuinely mobile notebooks on the other, even as it offers precious little versus a Mini PC, many of which double as much more capable AI systems for a considerably high price tag and lack of upgrade potential in tow.

It is, however, an intriguing option that can move from one workplace to another without losing progress, but whether that justifies the premium at a time when consumers are increasingly concerned about higher component prices remains to be seen.

Sony WH-CH730N review

If you want affordable wireless headphones with a lot of the fancy features and design elements found on Sony’s flagship cans, then the Sony WH-CH730N might just be perfect for you.

With ANC, highly customizable and energetic sound, and a neat folding design, there’s a lot to like about the WH-CH370N right off the bat. I’ve spent hours upon hours listening to music with Sony’s latest affordable cans, so here’s whether I think they’re worth picking over some of their fiercest rivals in this competitive segment of the market.

Of course, if you want to stand out against the best headphones in the budget category, you need to do one thing above all: provide great sound quality with as few sacrifices as possible. And all in all, I think that the WH-CH730N do just that.

(Image credit: Future)

If I’m honest, these headphones didn’t make an amazing first impression on me. They have a somewhat strange tuning out of the box that makes them sound unbalanced, with a slightly restricted soundstage and both vocals and drums in the treble-range are especially held back. But this can be solved. Just hop onto the Sound Connect app and switch to the Clear EQ (that enhances treble), or create your own Custom tuning. After doing this, you’ll be able to experience far more open and revealing audio that’s genuinely impressive for budget headphones.

When tuning into Just Gets Better by TJR and Xavier, I was impressed by the WH-CH730N’s ability to provide pumping bass that sounded satisfyingly deep yet controlled, never obscuring vocals or higher-pitched percussion in the process. Sure, bass doesn’t have the level of texture and warmth that Sony’s pricier WH-1000XM6 headphones supply, but it’s far more impactful and regimented than I’ve come to expect from most affordable over-ears.

In Miracles by Change, the WH-CH730N continued to impress, with clear guitars in the mid-range beautifully weighted against smooth, punchy bass, tight and expressive drums in the treble-range, and expressive, well-defined vocals. Again, you’re not going to get the grand expansiveness and expert instrument separation that Sony’s flagship headphones plate up, but the clarity and balance available is commendable for the price.

It certainly feels like these headphones have a preference for the low-end, and as a result, you get a really energetic, exciting listen out of them for certain genres — think house, funk and hip-hop. But they’re more than capable of handling more stripped-back tracks too. For instance, with Yuta Orisaka’s Yureru, I was struck by the tonal accuracy and tastefully forward vocal performance, but emotive strings were also given plenty of room to express themselves.

Yes, the WH-CH730N require a bit of tuning to sound their best, and they’re not quite serving up flagship-level audio. But they do sound great for the price. And considering you gets DSEE upscaling (which you’ll need to activate in the Sound Connect app) to elevate lower-quality files, as well as 3.5mm audio for wired listening and highly customizable EQ, there’s a lot to love about these, sonically speaking.

(Image credit: Future)

Some may have wished for LDAC support, which enables you to stream in higher-res quality over Bluetooth — especially as it's Sony’s proprietary technology. There’s also no USB-C audio passthrough (though this is common for Sony headphones). But aside from this, there are plenty of features for you to dig into — both related and unrelated to sound.

Most of these features can be found in Sony’s Sound Connect app, which is easy to use, with no sign of bugs or faults during my testing. Other than what I’ve already mentioned, you’ll be able to switch between your devices (with multi-point available), customize the function of the noise cancelling button, activate a voice assistant and more.

Although some features (including wear detection, which is one you may miss) are absent, there’s so much to explore on the WH-CH730N. There's an option to prioritize sound quality, stability, or use a Bluetooth LE connection. Then, there's the ability to activate a background music mode, turn on battery life conservation modes, and to switch between ANC or a transparency mode (there’s also an option to turn these off altogether).

And while we’re on the topic of ANC, let’s talk about how effective it is. The WH-CH730N make use of four microphones in total — which isn’t all that many in 2026 headphones. And the noise-cancelling capabilities are, in my view, fairly middling. They dull external sounds pretty well, meaning harsher noises (the roar of traffic and the like) aren’t too invasive. But when typing in the office, or when playing a video out loud, I could still hear the clicking and clacking of keyboards and the video presenter’s voice, even when listening to music above 50%. If you just want to dampen the world around you, these are up to the task — but if you want to shut it out completely, you might be left wanting more.

The four mics do handle calls pretty well though, and whether I was taking a video call or listening back to a recording, my speech was clear and articulate.

Something else that I liked about the WH-CH730N was their battery life. You get 50 hours with ANC on, and up to 75 hours when it’s switched off. While some budget rivals, like the Nothing Headphone (a) outdo it here, that’s still an awful lot of playtime, and more than double of what you’d get from Sony’s most premium wireless headphones, the Sony 1000X The Collexion.

In terms of design, the WH-CH730N aren’t quite setting the world alight, but I do like how they’re fully foldable, which is useful if you’re on the go and want to tuck them away in a small-sized bag. They’re pretty plasticky, and the headband isn’t the sturdiest around, but the WH-CH730N do have plush ear cups which feel nice and comfortable in use. They’re also available in an enticing set of colors, including Pink, Blue, Beige, Black, and White.

So, are the Sony WH-CH730N worth the money? I think so. They supply good sound quality, a boatload of features, a practical design and strong battery life. The ANC is by no means bad either, even if it's not the most impressive I’ve experienced. So, as long as you don’t expect the most expansive soundstage and intricate detailing, sonically speaking, and you don’t need top-tier noise cancelling, you’ll almost certainly be satisfied with the Sony WH-CH730N.

(Image credit: Future)Sony WH-CH730N review: price & availability

• Priced at $179 / £99.99 / AU$229
• Released in September 2026

The Sony WH-CH730N were released in September 2026, about three and a half years after their predecessor, the Sony WH-CH720N. The previous model was $149 / £99 / AU$259 at launch, meaning that the WH-CH730N are a bit pricier than their predecessors at the point of release, but there’s been no change in the UK, and an actual decrease in Australia.

These headphones sit in the budget camp, but are a little costlier than the Sony WH-CH530, a cheap pair of on-ear headphones that launched alongside the Sony WH-CH730N. Still, they’re considerably cheaper than the flagship model, the Sony WH-1000XM6 and ultra-premium Sony 1000X The Collexion. Price-wise, the WH-CH730N are in competition with models like the Nothing Headphone (a), the Sennheiser Accentum Plus, and the Anker Soundcore Space 2.

Sony WH-CH730N review: specs

Drivers

30mm dynamic

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life

50 hours (ANC on), 75 hours (ANC off)

Weight

0.5lbs / 207g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0, 3.5mm

Frequency range

20Hz-20kHz

(Image credit: Future)Sony WH-CH730N review: should you buy them?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Great EQ options, control app, DSEE upscaling and battery life, but ANC could be better, and no LDAC or wear detection.

4/5

Sound quality

Impressive bass and clear all-round sound, but need some tuning to sound their best.

4/5

Design

Not the most premium, but foldable and nice color options.

4/5

Value

Great price for the all-round quality on offer.

4.5/5

Buy them if…

You want great features at an affordable price-point
The Sony WH-CH730N have a great feature-set, with customizable ANC, ten-band EQ, and DSEE upscaling. They’re also highly affordable, coming in at less than $180 / £100 / AU$230, so getting such advanced options at this price is a big bonus.

You’re looking for headphones with great battery life
With 50 hours of battery life — even with ANC switched on — the Sony WH-CH730N are sure to last you for multiple days of listening without needing a charge. They even last longer than the far more expensive Sony WH-1000XM6.

Don’t buy them if…

You want premium sound quality
While the WH-CH730N sound good for the price, I wouldn’t say that they offer premium audio — even after some tuning. For that, I’d recommend picking up an on-sale pair of the Sony WH-1000XM5, or if you’re flexible with your budget, a set like the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3.

You need class-leading ANC
The ANC on the WH-CH730N is good enough for dampening surrounding sounds, but if you want to immerse yourself in a bubble of silence, you’ll likely be left wanting. Sony’s very own WH-1000XM6 are top-tier in this department, as are the first-gen Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, which can often be found on sale since their successor launched.

Sony WH-CH730N review: also consider

Sony WH-CH730N

Nothing Headphone (a)

1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51

Price

$179 / £99.99 / AU$229

$199 / £149 / AU$329

$89 / £99 / AU$130

Drivers

30mm dynamic

40mm dynamic

40mm dynamic

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery life

50 hours (ANC on), 75 hours (ANC off)

75 hours (ANC on), 135 hours (ANC off)

65 hours (ANC on), 100 hours (ANC off)

Weight

0.5lbs / 207g

0.7lbs / 310g

0.5lbs / 246g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0, 3.5mm

Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C, 3.5mm

Bluetooth 5.4, 3.5mm

Frequency range

20Hz-20kHz

20Hz-40kHz

20Hz-40kHz

Nothing Headphone (a)
We loved the Nothing Headphone (a) when we tested them earlier this year. Even though they’re considerably cheaper than Nothing’s flagship cans, the compromise on quality is minimal. They provide clear, well-rounded sound, an eye-catching design, and plentiful battery life, making them a top-tier alternative to Sony’s new affordable headphones. Read our full Nothing Headphone (a) review.

1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51
I still consider the 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 to be among the best-value headphones on the market, even years after their release. They provide detailed sound with LDAC support, ludicrously long battery life, a sleek look, and plenty of features through the 1More companion app. Read our full 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 review.

Sony WH-CH730N review: how I tested them

(Image credit: Future)

• Spent two weeks testing
• Used at home, on walks, and on public transport
• Predominantly streamed tunes over Tidal

I spent two weeks testing the Sony WH-CH730N, using them everywhere I went — the office, public transport, on walks…you name it.

For the most part, I streamed tunes over Bluetooth via Tidal on my Xiaomi 17 phone, but I also tried them out using a wired connection with my laptop. As always, I commenced testing by sifting through the TechRadar reference playlist, but I also listened to hours worth of tunes from my personal library.

More generally, I’ve spent years testing audio gear here at TechRadar, where I serve as a Senior Reviews Writer. I’ve reviewed everything from wired earbuds like the Sennheiser CX 80U through to party speakers, such as the Marshall Bromley 750. I’ve also tested a whole host of wireless headphones, so I know exactly what it takes for a model to stand out in this highly competitive market.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed: October 2026

Sony WH-CH730N review

If you want affordable wireless headphones with a lot of the fancy features and design elements found on Sony’s flagship cans, then the Sony WH-CH730N might just be perfect for you.

With ANC, highly customizable and energetic sound, and a neat folding design, there’s a lot to like about the WH-CH370N right off the bat. I’ve spent hours upon hours listening to music with Sony’s latest affordable cans, so here’s whether I think they’re worth picking over some of their fiercest rivals in this competitive segment of the market.

Of course, if you want to stand out against the best headphones in the budget category, you need to do one thing above all: provide great sound quality with as few sacrifices as possible. And all in all, I think that the WH-CH730N do just that.

(Image credit: Future)

If I’m honest, these headphones didn’t make an amazing first impression on me. They have a somewhat strange tuning out of the box that makes them sound unbalanced, with a slightly restricted soundstage and both vocals and drums in the treble-range are especially held back. But this can be solved. Just hop onto the Sound Connect app and switch to the Clear EQ (that enhances treble), or create your own Custom tuning. After doing this, you’ll be able to experience far more open and revealing audio that’s genuinely impressive for budget headphones.

When tuning into Just Gets Better by TJR and Xavier, I was impressed by the WH-CH730N’s ability to provide pumping bass that sounded satisfyingly deep yet controlled, never obscuring vocals or higher-pitched percussion in the process. Sure, bass doesn’t have the level of texture and warmth that Sony’s pricier WH-1000XM6 headphones supply, but it’s far more impactful and regimented than I’ve come to expect from most affordable over-ears.

In Miracles by Change, the WH-CH730N continued to impress, with clear guitars in the mid-range beautifully weighted against smooth, punchy bass, tight and expressive drums in the treble-range, and expressive, well-defined vocals. Again, you’re not going to get the grand expansiveness and expert instrument separation that Sony’s flagship headphones plate up, but the clarity and balance available is commendable for the price.

It certainly feels like these headphones have a preference for the low-end, and as a result, you get a really energetic, exciting listen out of them for certain genres — think house, funk and hip-hop. But they’re more than capable of handling more stripped-back tracks too. For instance, with Yuta Orisaka’s Yureru, I was struck by the tonal accuracy and tastefully forward vocal performance, but emotive strings were also given plenty of room to express themselves.

Yes, the WH-CH730N require a bit of tuning to sound their best, and they’re not quite serving up flagship-level audio. But they do sound great for the price. And considering you gets DSEE upscaling (which you’ll need to activate in the Sound Connect app) to elevate lower-quality files, as well as 3.5mm audio for wired listening and highly customizable EQ, there’s a lot to love about these, sonically speaking.

(Image credit: Future)

Some may have wished for LDAC support, which enables you to stream in higher-res quality over Bluetooth — especially as it's Sony’s proprietary technology. There’s also no USB-C audio passthrough (though this is common for Sony headphones). But aside from this, there are plenty of features for you to dig into — both related and unrelated to sound.

Most of these features can be found in Sony’s Sound Connect app, which is easy to use, with no sign of bugs or faults during my testing. Other than what I’ve already mentioned, you’ll be able to switch between your devices (with multi-point available), customize the function of the noise cancelling button, activate a voice assistant and more.

Although some features (including wear detection, which is one you may miss) are absent, there’s so much to explore on the WH-CH730N. There's an option to prioritize sound quality, stability, or use a Bluetooth LE connection. Then, there's the ability to activate a background music mode, turn on battery life conservation modes, and to switch between ANC or a transparency mode (there’s also an option to turn these off altogether).

And while we’re on the topic of ANC, let’s talk about how effective it is. The WH-CH730N make use of four microphones in total — which isn’t all that many in 2026 headphones. And the noise-cancelling capabilities are, in my view, fairly middling. They dull external sounds pretty well, meaning harsher noises (the roar of traffic and the like) aren’t too invasive. But when typing in the office, or when playing a video out loud, I could still hear the clicking and clacking of keyboards and the video presenter’s voice, even when listening to music above 50%. If you just want to dampen the world around you, these are up to the task — but if you want to shut it out completely, you might be left wanting more.

The four mics do handle calls pretty well though, and whether I was taking a video call or listening back to a recording, my speech was clear and articulate.

Something else that I liked about the WH-CH730N was their battery life. You get 50 hours with ANC on, and up to 75 hours when it’s switched off. While some budget rivals, like the Nothing Headphone (a) outdo it here, that’s still an awful lot of playtime, and more than double of what you’d get from Sony’s most premium wireless headphones, the Sony 1000X The Collexion.

In terms of design, the WH-CH730N aren’t quite setting the world alight, but I do like how they’re fully foldable, which is useful if you’re on the go and want to tuck them away in a small-sized bag. They’re pretty plasticky, and the headband isn’t the sturdiest around, but the WH-CH730N do have plush ear cups which feel nice and comfortable in use. They’re also available in an enticing set of colors, including Pink, Blue, Beige, Black, and White.

So, are the Sony WH-CH730N worth the money? I think so. They supply good sound quality, a boatload of features, a practical design and strong battery life. The ANC is by no means bad either, even if it's not the most impressive I’ve experienced. So, as long as you don’t expect the most expansive soundstage and intricate detailing, sonically speaking, and you don’t need top-tier noise cancelling, you’ll almost certainly be satisfied with the Sony WH-CH730N.

(Image credit: Future)Sony WH-CH730N review: price & availability

• Priced at $179 / £99.99 / AU$229
• Released in September 2026

The Sony WH-CH730N were released in September 2026, about three and a half years after their predecessor, the Sony WH-CH720N. The previous model was $149 / £99 / AU$259 at launch, meaning that the WH-CH730N are a bit pricier than their predecessors at the point of release, but there’s been no change in the UK, and an actual decrease in Australia.

These headphones sit in the budget camp, but are a little costlier than the Sony WH-CH530, a cheap pair of on-ear headphones that launched alongside the Sony WH-CH730N. Still, they’re considerably cheaper than the flagship model, the Sony WH-1000XM6 and ultra-premium Sony 1000X The Collexion. Price-wise, the WH-CH730N are in competition with models like the Nothing Headphone (a), the Sennheiser Accentum Plus, and the Anker Soundcore Space 2.

Sony WH-CH730N review: specs

Drivers

30mm dynamic

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life

50 hours (ANC on), 75 hours (ANC off)

Weight

0.5lbs / 207g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0, 3.5mm

Frequency range

20Hz-20kHz

(Image credit: Future)Sony WH-CH730N review: should you buy them?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Great EQ options, control app, DSEE upscaling and battery life, but ANC could be better, and no LDAC or wear detection.

4/5

Sound quality

Impressive bass and clear all-round sound, but need some tuning to sound their best.

4/5

Design

Not the most premium, but foldable and nice color options.

4/5

Value

Great price for the all-round quality on offer.

4.5/5

Buy them if…

You want great features at an affordable price-point
The Sony WH-CH730N have a great feature-set, with customizable ANC, ten-band EQ, and DSEE upscaling. They’re also highly affordable, coming in at less than $180 / £100 / AU$230, so getting such advanced options at this price is a big bonus.

You’re looking for headphones with great battery life
With 50 hours of battery life — even with ANC switched on — the Sony WH-CH730N are sure to last you for multiple days of listening without needing a charge. They even last longer than the far more expensive Sony WH-1000XM6.

Don’t buy them if…

You want premium sound quality
While the WH-CH730N sound good for the price, I wouldn’t say that they offer premium audio — even after some tuning. For that, I’d recommend picking up an on-sale pair of the Sony WH-1000XM5, or if you’re flexible with your budget, a set like the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3.

You need class-leading ANC
The ANC on the WH-CH730N is good enough for dampening surrounding sounds, but if you want to immerse yourself in a bubble of silence, you’ll likely be left wanting. Sony’s very own WH-1000XM6 are top-tier in this department, as are the first-gen Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, which can often be found on sale since their successor launched.

Sony WH-CH730N review: also consider

Sony WH-CH730N

Nothing Headphone (a)

1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51

Price

$179 / £99.99 / AU$229

$199 / £149 / AU$329

$89 / £99 / AU$130

Drivers

30mm dynamic

40mm dynamic

40mm dynamic

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery life

50 hours (ANC on), 75 hours (ANC off)

75 hours (ANC on), 135 hours (ANC off)

65 hours (ANC on), 100 hours (ANC off)

Weight

0.5lbs / 207g

0.7lbs / 310g

0.5lbs / 246g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0, 3.5mm

Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C, 3.5mm

Bluetooth 5.4, 3.5mm

Frequency range

20Hz-20kHz

20Hz-40kHz

20Hz-40kHz

Nothing Headphone (a)
We loved the Nothing Headphone (a) when we tested them earlier this year. Even though they’re considerably cheaper than Nothing’s flagship cans, the compromise on quality is minimal. They provide clear, well-rounded sound, an eye-catching design, and plentiful battery life, making them a top-tier alternative to Sony’s new affordable headphones. Read our full Nothing Headphone (a) review.

1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51
I still consider the 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 to be among the best-value headphones on the market, even years after their release. They provide detailed sound with LDAC support, ludicrously long battery life, a sleek look, and plenty of features through the 1More companion app. Read our full 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 review.

Sony WH-CH730N review: how I tested them

(Image credit: Future)

• Spent two weeks testing
• Used at home, on walks, and on public transport
• Predominantly streamed tunes over Tidal

I spent two weeks testing the Sony WH-CH730N, using them everywhere I went — the office, public transport, on walks…you name it.

For the most part, I streamed tunes over Bluetooth via Tidal on my Xiaomi 17 phone, but I also tried them out using a wired connection with my laptop. As always, I commenced testing by sifting through the TechRadar reference playlist, but I also listened to hours worth of tunes from my personal library.

More generally, I’ve spent years testing audio gear here at TechRadar, where I serve as a Senior Reviews Writer. I’ve reviewed everything from wired earbuds like the Sennheiser CX 80U through to party speakers, such as the Marshall Bromley 750. I’ve also tested a whole host of wireless headphones, so I know exactly what it takes for a model to stand out in this highly competitive market.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed: October 2026

As physical media makes a comeback, we've been tracking some of our favorite external CD/DVD writers. And while most do exactly that, this external drive from Suidek does...well, I won't say everything, but it does a lot.

Alongside playing and burning CDs and DVDs, as you'd expect, it also has six other ports - notably, an M.2 NVMe interface with 10Gbps transfer rates. There's also two USB-A 2.0 and a single USB-C port, and SD and microSD card slots. So, it goes well beyond a device to creating and playing traditional physical media.

• Best for: Collectors, archivists and laptop owners who want a disc drive that also reads cards and SSDs.

• The deal: The Suidek 7-in-1 external CD/DVD drive with M.2 NVMe slot is now $45 (was $50) at Amazon.

Today's top CD/DVD writer deal

External CD/DVD Drive: was $49.99 now $44.99
The drive reads CDs at 24x and DVDs at 8x and burns full-size discs at the same speeds, while 80mm discs are read-only. The 7-in-1 design adds an M.2 NVMe slot, SD and microSD readers, a USB-C port and two USB-A ports, all running at USB 2.0 speeds. It works with Windows, macOS and Linux devices. View Deal

Why we recommend it

This is an easy way to rip a shelf of CDs and DVDs or burn a backup disc without a built-in drive. The M.2 NVMe slot and SD readers are what set it apart from plain optical drives, so it can also double as a card reader or a bare-drive enclosure. It has a 4.2-star average across more than 1,400 Amazon ratings.

Price Context & Historical Value

At $44.99, this is $5 (10%) off the $49.99 list price, so the saving is small. Plain external DVD drives on Amazon are cheaper, so you're paying for the card readers and the M.2 slot. The lowest price I've seen this CD/DVD writer fall to is $40, typically around sales seasons like Prime Day and Black Friday. So, a fair deal - I wouldn't recommend paying full price, as it often has a discount like this.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Suidek 7-in-1 external CD/DVD drive with M.2 NVMe slot if...

You want to rip or burn CDs and DVDs and also need an SD card reader or an M.2 NVMe slot in one device.

❌ Skip the Suidek 7-in-1 external CD/DVD drive with M.2 NVMe slot if...

You need Blu-ray support, fast file transfers, since all the ports are USB 2.0, or only want to play discs, since plain drives cost less.

More CD/DVD writer deals

External USB Slim DVD-RW Drive: $29.99
The Dell DW316 is a lightweight and slim 14mm external USB DVD writer, with CD and DVD reading and writing, USB power, and plug-and-play operation. The CyberLink Media Suite 12 software is included free.View Deal

Zendrive Black External DVD Burner: $44.99
This 13mm external DVD writer supports 8x DVD and 24x CD speeds, M-DISC archival media, USB-A and USB-C connections, Windows and Mac compatibility, Disc Encryption II, and Nero BackItUp software.View Deal

External DVD Drive: $19.99
This DVD writer keeps things simple with a slim 13mm body and built-in USB-A and USB-C cables. USB 3.0 support delivers steady speeds, with up to 24x CD and 8x DVD read and write performance across multiple operating systems.View Deal

External DVD Drive: was $47.99 now $41.75
The Alxum model adds extra flexibility with three USB ports, SD and microSD slots, and support for a 2.5-inch SATA drive. It handles 24x CD and 8x DVD speeds, while also allowing file transfers between discs, cards, and connected storage devices.View Deal

If you missed out on grabbing a laptop during Amazon October Prime Day, don’t worry. We’ve found a laptop deal that delivers the kind of performance you’d normally expect from a $1,500 machine, but for well under $600.

The Hasee X5 15.6-inch laptop is currently available for $559.99 on Newegg, and what really sells it for us is the processor. The offer ends on October 18th. The Intel Core i9-12900H, a 14-core, 20-thread CPU typically reserved for high-end workstations and premium creator laptops, powers it.

This level of processing power at this price is non-existent especially after the RAMgeddon that pushed prices of components to levels never seen before. In most cases, $429 gets you an entry-level Core i3 or a low-power Ryzen chip. This is on a completely different level but comes with some strings attached.

Compared to the very capable Apple MacBook Neo, which runs the A18 Pro, it is more than 2x more powerful with twice the memory and twice the storage capacity.

• Shop all Newegg laptop deals

Today's best laptop deal

X5 15.6 laptop: $559.99
The Hasee X5 15.6" laptop is powered by an Intel Core i9-12900H processor and 16GB LPDDR5 RAM. It features a 512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD, FHD IPS anti-glare display, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.2. Crafted in sleek silver metal, it includes a backlit keyboard, privacy shutter, and multiple ports.View Deal

The laptop comes with 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and a 512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD. There’s also an extra M.2 slot inside, giving you room to expand storage later.

For coding, data analysis, content creation, large spreadsheets, or heavy multitasking, this machine punches far above its asking price.

Now for the downsides. Graphics is courtesy of Intel integrated graphics, so this is not a gaming laptop. Modern AAA games are off the table, although light titles and older games will run fine.

The RAM is also likely soldered, meaning 16GB is the maximum. That’s perfectly adequate for most users today, but it’s something to be aware of.

The rest of the package is solid though. You get a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS anti-glare display, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, USB-C, HDMI, and a microSD card slot.

There’s a backlit keyboard, a 2.0MP webcam with a privacy shutter, and a 62.7Wh battery, all housed in a slim silver metal chassis weighing just 3.86 pounds.

Build quality feels premium for the price, despite Hasee not being a household name like Dell or Lenovo.

The laptop comes with a 30-day return window and a 12-month warranty, which helps offset the lesser-known brand. It is sold by “Shinelon Official” through Newegg Marketplace (rather than Newegg itself), which could make returns or warranty claims slightly more complicated, so bear that in mind.

If you want the absolute maximum CPU performance for the money and don’t care about gaming, this is one of the best laptop deals we’ve seen this year.

While you're here, check out our roundup of the best business laptops, and the best laptops for video editing.

More laptop deals

15 Laptop: $629.99
Dell’s 15-inch Windows 11 laptop offers everyday performance at an impressive discount. It features an AMD Ryzen 3 7320U processor with Radeon 610M graphics, 8GB of fast LPDDR5 memory, and a 512GB NVMe SSD. The Full HD 120Hz display provides clear visuals for work or streaming. It’s a solid budget choice for students or home users.View Deal

Omnibook X Flip 2-In-1 Copilot+ PC: was $1299.99 now $805.99
An absolutely stunning deal with a powerful AI-ready CPU that comes with Copilot+ certification for enhanced AI experiences. The OmniBook X Flip is a convertible 2-in-1 laptop with a full HD touchscreen display and a 5-megapixel IR camera. Its frugality means that it can deliver nearly 20 hours of battery life as well.View Deal

Yoga 7 2-In-1 Copilot+ PC: was $999.99 now $699.99
Similar to the above deal but slightly cheaper is the Yoga 7 from Lenovo. I love its big 16-inch touchscreen display and the full size numeric keypad which works great for number crunchers and students. Like the HP, it is AI ready thank to theIntel Core Ultra CPU and while it has a smaller battery life compared to the Omnibook, it does have faster Wi-Fi 7 connectivity.View Deal

MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M4 chip: $1254
The 2026 MacBook Air 13-inch features Apple’s M5 chip, a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, 16GB of unified memory and a 512GB SSD. It includes a 12MP camera with Center Stage, Touch ID and a lightweight design in SKy Blue.View Deal

The Acer Aspire Go 15 Laptop features a 15.3-inch WUXGA 1920 x 1200 IPS display, Intel Core i5-1334U processor, Intel UHD Graphics, 8GB DDR5 RAM, and a 256GB PCIe Gen4 SSD. With Windows 11 Home, Wi-Fi 6, and a lightweight 3.7-pound design, it delivers solid everyday performance at an excellent price.View Deal

If you vlog or create content, the Insta360 X5 is well worth a look. In our 5-star review, we called it "the best overall 360 camera currently on the market."

This "best-in-class 360 action camera" lets you shoot first and choose your angle later, with an invisible selfie stick effect and InstaFrame mode that hands you a ready-to-share flat video. An 8K resolution, dual 1/1.28-inch sensors, replaceable lenses, 4-mic wind guard, and rugged design round out the feature-set.

• Best for: Vloggers, travel creators and action shooters who want to reframe footage after the fact and never carry a selfie stick.

• The deal: The Insta360 X5 8K 360° camera is now $465 (was $550) at Amazon.

Today's top Insta360 X5 deal

The X5 shoots 8K at 30fps with two 1/1.28-inch sensors and a triple AI chip design, and it uses FlowState stabilization with 360° horizon lock instead of a gimbal. It has replaceable lenses, a four-mic array with a built-in wind guard, a 2.5-inch screen and a microSD slot. View Deal

Why we recommend it

Our Insta360 X5 review credits its larger sensors for better video, especially in low light, along with improved sound capture and easily replaceable lenses. For creators, the invisible selfie stick, auto-framing and wind guard are what make it work for vlogs, and 360° capture means you can recover shots you didn't line up properly.

During testing, we said: "Of the shooting modes on board, perhaps the two most notable are PureVideo, a new mode intended for night-time and low-light shooting that supports up to 8K 30fps quality, and InstaFrame, which captures two videos simultaneously: one flat ‘normal’ 1080p video for instant sharing, and another full 360 video for adding extra angles. It’s a good option for creators who want to ensure they don’t miss anything but also want a quick, usable video of the ‘main’ angle – although it's worth noting that it reduces maximum frame rate to 30fps, and removes HDR as an option."

Price Context & Historical Value

At $464.99, this is $85 (15%) off the $549.99 list price. Our review noted retailers listing it at $464.99 around the time of testing, so this is a good price rather than a new low. It hasn't dropped below this yet, and appears to be the general 'sale' price, making it a good buy right now.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Insta360 X5 8K 360° camera if...

You vlog or create content and want 8K 360° footage, strong low-light video and the freedom to reframe shots later.

❌ Skip the Insta360 X5 8K 360° camera if...

You already own an X4, since our review found few changes to justify upgrading, you shoot long 8K clips, since battery life can drain quickly, or you just want a standard action camera with a flat image.

Also consider

X4 Air Starter Bundle: was $439.99 now $349.99
We scored the X4 Air 4.5 stars in our review, and found "the best bits from the X5, squeezed into an even more portable body." This starter bundle includes a selfie stick, lens cap, and spare battery. View Deal

• See all action camera deals at Amazon.

• Nvidia claims that for each gigawatt an AI data center uses, only 70% is used for AI work
• Inefficiencies include cooling and power distribution, failures, and restarts
• While a chip shortage was considered to be the main bottleneck to AI data center capacity, it is now a facility’s connection to the grid

AI data centers are inefficient, says Nvidia, with various physical and systems issues contributing to power use beyond AI processing. This opinion, shared by data center builder Vertiv at its recent annual EMEA event, underpins future development steps, in which it plans to assemble sustainable facilities.

Vertiv and Nvidia have been collaborating since early 2026 on co-designing the next generation of data centers, with Vertiv providing power and infrastructure management for Nvidia’s GPUs.

With a maximum of 70% of electricity drawn from the grid used for AI processing, the remaining 30% represents inefficiencies that optimized data center designs for the future should reduce.

That's not efficient

Although the various inefficiencies affecting AI data centers may not come as a surprise, the scale of them might. According to Nvidia – via its Vice President of Supercomputing, AI Cloud Infrastructure, and AI/HPC for EMEA Rod Evans – that 30% consists of infrastructure and system issues.

For a one-gigawatt data center, 20% is lost through cooling, power distribution, and conversion. A further 10% is lost to incorrectly configured racks, as well as failures and restarts.

Evans says that “You sign a contract for 100 megawatts, but you never actually get that. With a bit of luck, you’ll get 93 megawatts, and at certain times of the day, even less.”

Nvidia believes some of the 30% (which can be as high as 40%) can be recovered. Evans notes that “A data center is actually designed for peak load and outages, not for what it typically uses.” This means that unused capacity can be tapped, and power and cooling can be revised to find the optimum configurations.

Bottlenecks of power

Rod Evans states that Nvidia and Vertiv are planning data centers that are more efficient and sustainable. “Together, we want to build sustainable AI data centers where the focus isn’t on using as much power as possible, but on getting the most out of every watt.”

One of the most significant details from the press conference is the challenge posed to AI data centers not by a shortage of chips, but by a lack of power. Bottlenecks are resulting in underpowered data centers, with some waiting for several years to receive the power to match their capacity.

This can be impacted by location. Vertiv’s EMEA president Paul Ryan explained that while you can get power in some locations but no permit. “In another, the permit is granted quickly, but there’s no power. And sometimes you have both, but the location is so remote that you can barely get the equipment there.”

Espionage in AI labs poses a national security threat, according to US intelligence and security officials.

• Squarespace and Titan have teamed up to offer professional business email
• Plans start at $3 a month, per user
• Plans come with an inbox, calendar, and contacts

Website-building giant Squarespace has this week announced a partnership with business email platform Titan, with the goal of bringing professional email to entrepreneurs for as little as $3 a month. The new partnership will allow Squarespace users to access personalized business email, such as hello@yourbusiness.com, right from day one.

According to a press release shared with TechRadar Pro earlier this week, Squarespace users with a domain purchased through or connected to Squarespace will be able to benefit from Essential Email by Titan, offering reliable and secure professional email with all the essentials, including an inbox, calendar, and contacts, all of which can be accessed and managed both on desktop and via mobile apps.

Giving Squarespace users the professional edge

A dedicated email can help businesses establish a more professional brand presence – essential for small businesses and startups aiming to make a name for themselves.

"A professional email address is one of the first things that makes an idea feel real. With Essential Email by Titan, entrepreneurs can put their brand front and center from their very first email, right alongside everything they're already building with Squarespace," said Kevin Doerr, President, Squarespace.The new partnership means Squarespace users can do everything from registering a domain and launching a website to creating a professional email address all from one central location.

“Most email platforms were built for large enterprises, not small businesses, whereas Titan is built from the ground up for small businesses - a founder with an idea, and small teams getting started," said Bhavin Turakhia, Founder and CEO of Titan. "Titan is simple to use, affordable to keep, and made for how small businesses actually work. Millions of entrepreneurs already run their business email on Titan, and with Squarespace, we're bringing that to millions more as they start their businesses."

Titan’s Essential Email plan is available now to Squarespace customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. A wider global rollout is planned in the coming months.

• Laser-based technology is being trialed in the US to remotely charge UAV batteries while the craft are in flight
• The “power beaming” technology from PowerLight Technologies is known as Aerial ReCharge (ARC)
• ARC can recharge UAVs remotely as well as their payloads, where appropriate

The United States Department of War’s (DOW) Operational Energy - Innovation (OE-I) Directorate has awarded a contract for the development of a laser-based remote recharging system for drones.

Known as the Aerial ReCharge (ARC) system, it uses directed lasers to recharge an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or a payload, and can be used over long distance.

Described as “power beaming” the system relies on a wireless power beaming transmitter and a receiver on the UAV. With remote recharging capabilities, drones can be deployed and retain use of the same battery without landing and recovery, which saves time -- and potentially even lives.

Power beaming over distance

The notion of transmitting energy from one point to another has been a staple of science fiction for decades.

With advances in laser technology, it appears to be making headway, with PowerLight’s system relying on a power beaming transmitter that directs lasers to a drone-mounted receiver. This in turn charges the UAV’s battery, and can also be used to charge a payload the drone may be carrying.

(Image credit: PowerLight Technologies)

It uses optical power beaming, which while delivering the same outcome (a charged device) is very different to the electromagnetic induction used on wireless phone chargers. Crucially, it can charge UAVs while they (and it) are in motion.

“Power beaming means more time on mission and less time on the ground, ” said OE-I Combat Power Portfolio Lead Chris DePuma. “By enabling autonomous, in-flight recharging, the Aerial ReCharge system reduces the need to land and swap batteries, extending mission endurance and reducing risk in contested environments.”

Autonomous ARC transmitter

Like the UAV it powers, the ARC transmitter unit is autonomous, and can follow the drone, providing recharge while the UAV is in flight.

Demonstration of the technology has been released by PowerLight, which saw a Kraus Hamdani Aerospace K1000ULE (pictured) taking to the skies equipped with a power beaming receiver.

“This new DOW award reflects confidence in where wireless power beaming is today and in the operators who are shaping it,” said Tim Jenks, the CEO of PowerLight. “Power beaming applies well beyond a single domain, from ground-to-ground, ground-to-air, air-to-air, and space-to-space, and that is the opportunity ahead.”

Development of the technology is taking place at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, and PowerLight has designed it to be usable with various drone classes. This includes Group 2 fixed-wing platforms and larger aircraft with heavier sensor or effects payloads.

• Standard Zero DS completes over 271 miles on a single charge
• Previous record only managed 193 miles
• Mountainous environment helped with the endeavor

Californian electric motorcycle manufacturer Zero, which also has a major presence in Europe, has just set a new Guinness World Record after its Zero DS adventure bike covered just over 271 miles on a single charge of its 19.2 kWh battery set-up.

The model in question was factory standard and uses the firm’s high-density integrated battery, a passively-cooled interior permanent magnet motor, and regenerative deceleration technology to eke the most mileage out of every charging session.

Running standard tires and tire pressure, with no modifications beyond the factory-available Power Tank, which sees an additional 3.6 kWh battery stashed where a traditional fuel tank would be, the 19.2 kWh total battery array managed to clock 271.23 miles (436.5 kilometers) on its GPS unit.

This figure was then independently verified by Guinness World Records, which concluded that the Zero DS travelled 40% further than the existing record holder, set by Verge Motorcycles’ TS Pro around London in 2025.

(Image credit: Zero Motorcycles)

Zero had a helping hand when it came to the terrain, as the route contained mainly quieter A and B roads in France (no highways were involved).

It also started high in the French Alps and wound its way down toward the Mediterranean coast, meaning the riders could take full advantage of regenerative braking.

Despite this, the undertaking was no mean feat, as the riders faced a long time in the saddle and battled the elements as the final stretch was met with pouring rain.

We say riders, because three intrepid explorers took on the challenge, with both the Zero SRS and DSR/X models also attempting to make history.

Those machines managed 217 miles and 239 miles respectively.

Analysis: An incredible achievement, with a caveat

(Image credit: Zero Motorcycles)

Alongside high prices, range anxiety is one of the biggest concerns when it comes to electric motorcycles, as packaging makes it very difficult to engineer any sort of meaningful battery into the inherently svelte frames.

“Range anxiety remains a hurdle for prospective riders,” Jarno Middelbosch, Senior Director Global Marketing of Zero Motorcycles said.

“By proving a real-world range of over 270 miles on a single charge, we're showing what's possible to welcome the next generation of riders to Zero Motorcycles”.

However, there are a few things to consider here. Firstly, the Zero riders took full advantage of elevation, with regenerative braking likely playing a huge part in the record attempt.

Personally, I have experienced the same phenomenon when I rode the Can-Am Pulse and Origin along the winding routes of Southern France. During the descents, I found I was actively adding a considerable amount of range to the bike’s read-out.

Secondly, the Zero riders deliberately set out at night, where there would be less traffic and they could target a speed of around 32mph for maximum efficiency.

Both of these scenarios might not exactly be representative of most people’s daily commutes, but it does prove what is possible with some forward planning and 'sensible' riding.

Plus, with improvements in battery and motor efficiency, as well as the promise of more power-dense solid-state batteries on the horizon, this record might not stand for much longer.